Free Web NovelChapter 197: _You Know I’d Never Hurt You
"Decided to try out something new tonight." Devon had a smug smirk as he strode over to the living room centre table.
In his hands were plates with freshly made tacos. Orion’s eyes bulged with excitement while Ambrose arched a curious brow.
"I wonder what inspired this." The Guide’s eyes trailed from the plates to Devon repeatedly before he smiled as well. "They look really good though."
"Of course, they are." Devon peeled off his apron, folding it before flinging it casually to the kitchen. "Alright. Let’s dig in. Orion, how’s that homework going with your daddy?"
He sat at the other end of the sofa, in such a way that the little boy stayed between them. Orion could barely form words, most of his attention fixed on the tacos.
"Uhm... good." He managed, already setting aside his books before reaching out for one.
Ambrose caught his hand right when he was about to grab it. "Ah, ah... We’ve barely gone halfway through your homework. And trust me when I say I won’t be helping if you wake up in the morning rushing to get it done."
Orion pouted. "But daddy, I’m hungry."
"Let the boy eat, Rose." Devon stretched an arm over the sofa’s headrest, flicking a finger on Ambrose’s ear. "He can handle the homework later."
"Pfft. That’s if he’s not snoring by then."
Regardless of the little bickering, the family didn’t waste any more time and dug into their dinner. Once in a while, Ambrose would catch Devon staring.
Intensely.
He tried ignoring it, but with each chew and swallow—accompanied by the awkward silence—that proved to be increasingly difficult.
So he gave in and spoke. "I’m guessing you’re wondering what your grand daddy came here to discuss." He inclined his head to the side a bit. "It was just—"
"Oh, I heard everything." Devon cut in with an unbothered look. "Well, most of it anyway. But yeah."
Ambrose was genuinely taken by surprise. "You... did?" A pause. And then a frown. "So you were only pretending when you put on those headphones."
"Nah. I really was listening to some Tate McRae. Getting my groove on." Devon winked, swaying his body in a way that made Ambrose want to evaporate. "But at a point the volume got low and... well, I heard enough."
Fortunately for both of them, Orion was completely uninterested in their grown people’s talk. He had his eyes glued to the TV screen, watching a space documentary.
"First off," Ambrose leaned his head over, "no one in our generation says ’getting my groove on’."
"Debatable."
"Secondly... What exactly did you hear? The part where I defended my case and also called out Han for his insistent bullying?"
"Yeah, I did catch all that." Devon shrugged, wiping a finger over his lips. "Then—I also heard when my old man warned you not to hurt my feelings."
Ambrose nearly choked on the taco in his grip. He coughed, rubbing his chest while Devon’s smirk widened.
The sneaky asshole!
"Daddy, are you okay?" Between the discussion on dwarf planets on the TV and the tacos before him, Orion still showed concern as Ambrose heaved. "Should I go get you water?"
The latter shook his head with a reassuring smile. "I’m fine, buddy. Don’t worry."
Devon didn’t even try hiding how amused he was now. If anything, Ambrose’s choking only seemed to entertain him further.
"Oh, don’t look at me like that." The Esper laughed lightly, leaning deeper into the sofa like he was settling in for a movie. "You should’ve seen your face just now."
Ambrose narrowed his eyes. "I’m beginning to think your favourite hobby is stressing me out."
"It absolutely is."
The Guide rolled his eyes so hard it nearly hurt. "You’re unbelievable."
"And you’re cute when you’re flustered." Devon shot back immediately.
That only made Ambrose glare harder while his ears betrayed him by heating up slightly. Unfortunately, Devon noticed that too.
His smirk softened into something far too fond.
"Honestly though," the redhead exhaled, lowering his voice a little. "I was surprised."
Ambrose blinked once. "About?"
"My grandfather." Devon shrugged, fiddling absentmindedly with the edge of his plate. "Caring enough to give you that warning."
A quieter atmosphere settled between them now.
"He wasn’t always..." Devon paused, searching for the right words. "That accepting, I guess."
Ambrose’s expression eased slightly.
"When I first came out as bi?" Devon scoffed under his breath. "God. It was awkward as hell."
He mimicked an older voice almost immediately:
"’Why not just stick with ladies if you like both?’"
Ambrose snorted despite himself.
"Oh, he definitely asked that." Devon groaned dramatically. "More than once too."
"Yikes."
"Right?" The Esper laughed. "And don’t even get me started on the whole ’carry on the bloodline’ lecture."
That actually made Ambrose smile for real this time.
"But..." Devon’s shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "Over time he just sort of accepted it. Or maybe he realised I wasn’t changing no matter what he said."
His golden eyes flicked briefly toward Ambrose afterwards. "I think seeing me genuinely happy helped too."
The Guide stilled slightly at that.
Something warm twisted inside his chest in the most inconvenient way possible.
For a few seconds, he simply stared at Devon. At the soft gold eyes. At the stupidly handsome face currently looking back at him so openly.
Then quietly, "You know I’d never hurt you, right?"
Devon’s expression shifted.
Ambrose swallowed before continuing. "At least... not willingly."
The sincerity in his voice lingered heavily between them.
And suddenly the air felt different again.
Dangerously intimate.
Devon’s gaze dipped briefly to his lips before returning upward. A slow smile tugged at his face. "Good," he murmured. "Because I think it’d genuinely ruin me a little."
Ambrose’s breath caught.
Before either of them could say anything else though—
"DADDY!"
The two men jerked apart like criminals caught in the act while Orion pointed dramatically at the television screen.
"Look!" He gasped. "That fish looks like Grandpa Magnus when he’s angry!"
Silence.
Then Devon barked out a laugh so sudden he almost doubled over.
Ambrose stared at the screen only to find some deep-sea creature with a terrifying wrinkled face and massive jaws floating around.
"Oh my God." He slapped a hand over his mouth. "Kid, you can’t say things like that."
"But it does!" Orion insisted innocently.
That only made Devon laugh harder.
Even Ambrose couldn’t stop himself anymore. Soon enough he was wheezing too while Orion looked between them in utter confusion.
"I don’t get what’s funny." The boy pouted.
"You’re never repeating that to anyone, buddy." Devon managed between laughs. "Especially not my grandfather if you value your life."
Right then Ambrose’s phone buzzed against the sofa cushion beside him.
Still grinning faintly, he picked it up.
The second his eyes landed on the sender, his smile faltered slightly.
Valentine.
Fuck, that’s right!
He completely forgot about their earlier conversation after everything that happened.
After a little hesitation, he opened the text.
>"Looks like someone forgot about me. Should I be sad?"<
