“Hey,” Diego said, “don't talk about my favorite album that way. Or my favorite husband.”
Benji turned to him, a completely soppy expression on his face.
“I do not think we were ever this bad,” Leo said primly, picking up his bag before the valet could reach for it.
“No, you were worse,” Felix said.
“It's true,” Max added, even though him agreeing with Felix was absolutely suspect. It had always been before, because ever since Caleb had come home, it had seemed that Felix and Max gravitated together all the time. But now they were in a genuine relationship, not just stuck together in the friend zone, and Caleb knew the lengths a guy would go to to make the man in his life happy.
Friends was one thing; lovers was another entirely.
“You don't get to agree with Felix anymore,” Caleb said, smiling when exaggerated outrage crossed over Max's expression. “It's not allowed.”
“I'm going to remind you of the eleventy billion times you agreed with Leo, just because it was Leo,” Max said. He reached out for Felix's hand and gripped his cane with the other. “I think I'm allowed once or twice to agree with the man I love.”
Leo made a vomiting sound behind them as they walked into the Wynn lobby.
“Hey, you're happy about them, remember?” Caleb teased as they hung back, the concierge hurrying to greet Benji and Diego.
“Thank you for the reminder,” Leo said with a faux grimace. “I love Max, and I love Felix, but together, they're kind of insufferable. The man I love, like this isn't only a few weeks old.”
“It's not though, is it? It's been going on forever.”
Leo gazed up at Caleb, the delight in his blue eyes making it very clear that he wasn't remotely close to mad. “Did you just steal the exact same wording I used to fix their relationship?”
“Sorry,” Caleb said, chuckling, “I was under the completely ridiculous assumption that they fixed it themselves.”
“You should be sorry,” Leo said, sniffing. “Themselves! They couldn't fix their way out of a paper bag.”
“If only you could take credit for Max's knee surgery, too,” Caleb said.
“Right?” Leo took a step nearer, eyes glittering with amusement, breaking Caleb's personal bubble of space—but instead of pushing him back out, all Caleb wanted was to pull him even closer. They'd seen each other in the last week and a half because even though they weren't sharing a bed, they were still sharing a house, and frankly, Caleb desperately craved them sharing even more.
“Take credit for what,” Felix demanded as he and Max wandered over to where they were standing. “Do you still believe that you're responsible for us finally figuring our shit out?”
Leo shrugged. “If the shoe fits . . .” he said, trailing off.
Caleb braced himself for an explosion. Sometimes the Humphries brothers were a flammable combination—all that stubbornness and drive could be a dangerous mix. But instead of getting angry or frustrated, Felix laughed. “Never change,” he told his brother. “Seriously, never ever change.”
Maybe love really was a mellowing force.
“I don't intend to,” Leo said primly.
“Like Caleb would ever let you,” Felix said, rolling his eyes.
“Hey,” Leo retorted, “I don't think Caleb gets to decide anything for me.”
Caleb held up his hands. “I'd never be that stupid,” he insisted.
“You wouldn't be,” Max said in an amused voice.
“Children,” Benji said, as he and Diego approached, the concierge trailing behind them, “we leave you alone for one freaking minute and you're already at each other's throats. We're in the VIP penthouse, and you're all down the hall.”
“Thank god,” Leo said, and Benji shot him a hard, questioning look. “Thank god, that we don't have to listen to you having all the married sex,” Leo added.
Caleb couldn't help laughing, especially because Benji was looking like he regretted every single one of his life choices—but most specifically inviting the four of them to his wedding.
“If you aren't right under our noses, are you going to behave?” Benji wondered.
“We'll be fine,” Caleb inserted, putting an arm around Leo's shoulders. It was the closest they'd been since agreeing to space, and each minuscule brush of his bare arm along Leo's shoulders and neck was like beautiful torture. How were they going to share a bed now and not have sex?
Benji looked like he didn't quite believe him, and if he'd been in Benji's shoes, he wouldn't have either.
“Room keys,” Diego said, handing out the plastic key cards. “You're on your own til brunch tomorrow. Eleven AM in our penthouse. Ceremony at four. Dinner reception in the private garden veranda after.”
“Sounds lovely,” Leo said, not sounding like he particularly believed it. He pulled away from Caleb's grasp. “Let's go find our room. I'm tired.”
He didn't sound tired, he sounded annoyed, but there was nothing to do but follow him.
“The elevators are that way,” Benji said, pointing with a little smirk. “We'll see you guys tomorrow.” No doubt they all thought Leo had gotten horny and was ready to get Caleb alone.
Caleb caught up with Leo at the elevator bank, waiting and watching as the numbers flashed on the discreet display. “Hey,” he said. He didn't touch Leo again, even though he had to fight the inclination to do it every single time he saw him. Every single moment they were together. They'd never really established rules for their “space,” but he thought hugging might be okay. Kissing definitely didn't seem to be, and it was so difficult to remember that he wasn't supposed to get too close.
“Hey,” Leo replied. Still staring at the flashing numbers.
“Is everything okay?” Caleb waited for a moment, and when Leo didn't respond, continued. “Do you want me to ask for another room . . .?”
“And risk everyone finding out that we're not sleeping in the same bed?” Leo grumbled. “No, thanks.”
“They'd understand,” Caleb said, even though he didn't exactly want to go through the interrogation that they'd experience once the rest of the guys figured out what was going on.
Leo glanced over at him. “They might. But they'd also ask a hundred questions, and I wouldn't know how to answer any of them, so . . .”
“And you think I would?” Caleb chuckled ruefully. “I don't even know how to answer my own.”
The elevator opened with a melodious ping, and they walked in. Caleb inserted the key card into the slot and pushed the button for the top floor.
Leo didn't say anything as the elevator traveled upwards.
“Are you sure, though?” Caleb asked again. He wasn't sure, and Leo definitely seemed perturbed by something. Was it the prospect of sleeping together again? Of not sleeping together again?
Leo turned to him, gaze plaintive. “Do you ever feel like you don't have a fucking clue what you're doing?” he grumbled softly. “I'm . . . I don't know what we're doing here, babe. We talked about needing space. You asked for it. I gave it. And maybe it's a good thing, that we're taking this time apart, while I'm dealing with the fallout from my mom's injury and you're working on your album, I just feel . . .”