Glass Hearts [BL]

"You know, Ash," Jasoer said, pointing lazily at me, "your boyfriend’s got this nasty little habit. Always hiding stuff, always playing secret agent. One day, he’s gonna keep something from you too. That’s just who he is."

I stiffened. My mouth opened, but before I could answer, Dominic cut in fast.

"No. Not with him," he said. "Don’t even put that in his head."

Jasper smirked, tilting his head like he was testing him. "Ohhh, so Ash is the exception, huh? Special treatment."

Dominic didn’t hesitate. "Damn right he is."

The room chuckled, but Jasper wasn’t done.

He leaned toward me, lowering his voice just enough to make it sound like a secret. "Well, if he ever slips up..." His smirk widened. "...you could always trade up. I don’t do secrets. I just do fun. Besides, I wouldn’t keep secrets from a face like yours."

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The heat in my cheeks burned. My pulse jumped.

"Jasper," Dominic warned again, more serious.

Casper groaned, shoving his twin’s shoulder. "Jas, quit being a dick."

"What? I’m just joking," Jasper said, raising his hands, though his eyes never left mine. "Unless Ash likes the sound of it."

Ren shook his head. "He flirts with everyone. Can’t help himself. Don’t listen to him."

"He’s annoying," Dominic muttered, still glaring at Jasper. "Stop flirting with him."

But Jasper only winked at me, ignoring Dominic completely. "What can I say? Some temptations are worth the risk."

Dominic hissed, and glared at him.

Jasper just chuckled, falling back on the bed. "Relax, Dom. Damn. Jealous much? I’m just joking."

"It’s not funny," Dom snapped.

His hand slid over mine, gripping me tight, like he needed to remind me, remind himself...that I was his.

The knock on the door snapped us out if it.

The door opened and Diane stepped in, scanning the room. "What’s the noise about? You guys know people are grieving downstairs right?"

They all groaned.

Her presence shifted the energy in the room.

Her eyes landed on me, and she smiled. "Oh, so you’ve finally met Ash. I see."

"Hi," I said, a little caught off guard.

Before I could say more, Jasper shot up, clutching his chest like someone had stabbed him. "Wait..wait wait. Diane knew before us? Diane?! Dom, are you kidding me? You’re literally the most secretive person on earth!"

Ren rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."

Casper just muttered, "Knew he’d say that."

Diane smirked. "Of course I knew. I always find out. That’s what big sisters do."

Dominic dragged his hands down his face. "Can we not right now?"

Diane’s smile faded. "Dom! Something came up."

He let out a groan. "What now? Every time I breathe, something worse lands on me."

Her smile faded, and she crossed her arms. "Actually, this is serious. Like...serious serious."

Dominic groaned, dropping onto the edge of the bed. "How much worse could it even get?"

"You’re not going to believe who just came back," she said carefully.

His head snapped up. "Who’s back?"

"Mom and Dad," Diane cut in. "They flew in after I told them about Liam."

For a moment, Dominic froze. His mouth opened, then closed. His eyes widened as he whispered, "Mom... and Dad?" Like he didn’t know how to react.

"Shit," Jasper muttered, dragging a hand down his face.

Casper blew out a sharp breath. "This is about to be messy."

Ren just shook his head slowly. "Of course they’d come now."

I turned to Dominic, catching the flicker in his eyes... shock, nerves, and something that almost looked like relief.

Parents. The word alone was loaded, but the way Dom reacted...it was like the floor had been pulled out beneath him. Fear and anger flickered in his eyes, and I suddenly felt this pang of sympathy.

"Wow..." he kept repeating, like he couldn’t believe it. "After a year, they finally decided their meetings weren’t more important than Liam’s death." His voice cracked just slightly on Liam’s name.

The room went quiet.

"I guess... that’s the end of this meeting," Dominic said finally, pointing to Jasper. "For now."

Ian was already halfway out the door. "Good. Juney’s gonna kill me if I don’t get back downstairs." He disappeared down the hall.

Ren stood, placing a hand on Dominic’s shoulder. "Stay steady. You’ll need it." Then he slipped out quietly.

Diane’s phone buzzed and she sighed. "I have to take this." She slipped out, already answering the call.

Casper gave Dominic a long look. "We’ll figure this out." He tapped his shoulder once and left behind his twin.

And of course, he wasn’t about to leave without saying something. He wagged his brows at me. "Ash, don’t think you’re safe just because Dom looks intimidating. I’ll win you over one day. And you’ll realize I’m the better option."

Dominic shot him a glare. "Jasper!"

"What? Sharing is caring." He winked and ducked out before Dom could throw something.

The door clicked shut, leaving the room finally still.

"That’s how he is," Dominic muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "I hope you’re not mad."

I tilted my head. "Nah! Today was... intense."

His hand found mine, gripping them hard. "Ash... I’m scared. I don’t want to lose you. Not to secrets, not to them. I don’t know if I can promise I’ll be perfect, but I swear....I’ll try. I need you to know that."

My throat tightened. "I know. And I’m not going anywhere."

His shoulders dropped, like he’d been holding a weight.

He smiled. "So Jasper....Is he also... you know gay?"

Dominic sighed. "Apparently, Jasper dates anyone. Still denies he has a label. Says he’s ’neutral.’"

I laughed, shaking my head. "He’s funny though."

"Funny and chaotic," Dominic said, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips. "With anger issues."

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy this time. Just soft. Comfortable.

I glanced at him. "Thank you."

He frowned slightly. "For what?"

"For telling them about me. About us." My chest tightened, and I pressed a hand over my heart. "You really love me... and my heart. I felt it."

His expression softened instantly. He reached for my hand, holding it like it meant something sacred. "Ash... I do. More than I can ever put in in words. This Coil stuff, we’ll come out of it."

And in that moment, with everything else crumbling around us, it was just him. Just us.

But then his chest rose against me with a heavy sigh. "They’re really back." His voice was quiet, almost dazed.

I pulled back slightly, looking up at him. "Your parents."

He nodded, his jaw tight. "Yeah. After a year. After everything. They show up now. I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel relieved or just... angry."

I squeezed his hand. "You could feel both."

His lips curved into a small, sad smile. "You’re always right." Then his eyes darkened. "It’s just... my dad. He’s complicated. And my mom....she’s thinks he’s always right. That whatever decision he makes, is for the best. It’s going to be a mess."

I brushed my thumb over his knuckles. "Then we’ll handle it. Together."

His eyes softened again, and for a second he just stared at me, like he couldn’t believe I was here. Then he bent his head, pressing his forehead to mine. "I don’t deserve you, Ash."