Jaxon glanced over at Leon at Darian, smiling when he saw them bickering again. It was starting to get a little worrisome.
Ethan clenched his jaw at this, smiling when Jaxon looked back to him, the emotion never reaching his cold grey eyes.
"Brie? Dearest? Are you alright?" Noah murmured to his mate when her fork fell from her shaky hand to her plate with a clink, her pallor ashen.
Brie forced a smile, visibly uncomfortable. "Just fine, I just remembered that I forgot to press the posies I picked this morning in a book."
"I know how you like your pressed flowers, maybe we could go pick fresh flowers together tomorrow." He offered, love shining in his eyes.
"I'd love that." She accepted wholeheartedly.
Ethan glanced briefly in their direction, relief on his face.
Dinner was quickly wrapping up, people starting to leave the table.
Ethan and Jaxon were busy finalising plans for an outing while Leon was still in a churning bubble of irritation.
Darian was the epitome of calmness beside him although he was relieved that the awkward spell that they had been in all day had been broken.
That didn't mean that they were in the clear though because if the weird tension that had surrounded them for the better part of today happened once, it meant that it could always happen again.
He still had his eye on Jaxon though, snatching him close when it was time to leave.
"We're still up for the tour, yeah?" Ethan called out.
"Yeah, absolutely." Leon was quick to reassure him much to Darian's chagrin.
"Tour?" Jaxon repeated.
"Yeah, Alpha Theo suggested that I take them on a tour of the town tomorrow, you want to tag along?" He offered.
Jaxon's eyes went round at this, he tucked himself deeper under Darian's arm though, Leon holding his hand.
"I think I'll pass." He chuckled nervously, he doubted he would be able to walk for a tour tomorrow, that was if he even woke up on time.
"Some other time then." Ethan took his decline in stride, waving them goodnight and making himself scarce.
They followed suit, starting for their shared apartment.
They had barely put distance between them and the still bustling dining hall when Jaxon perked up.
"I want to give someone a piggyback ride back to the apartment. "
A brief silence followed his announcement before Leon glanced at them.
"Why are you both looking at me?"
Darian barely held back his laughter, enjoying the scene.
Jaxon just focused all of his attention on Leon. "Let me give you a piggyback ride." He implored. "You guys are always the ones carrying me."
Leon gave him a look. "You can't lift me."
Jaxon was offended by this. "What do you mean by that? I used to carry you all the time." He hmphed.
"Yeah, when we were kids..."He countered.
"Wait, what?" Darian blinked.
"Besides, Ethan did most of the carrying." He continued, ignoring Darian.
Jaxon thought briefly. "Okay, maybe you're right." He had to agree because although Ethan was the scrawniest, he had easily been the strongest.
"But that's all the more reason to let me carry you." He argued, unwilling to let the matter go.
"What! Why?"
"Just let him carry you, you know he's not going to give up." Darian finally butted in to say.
"Fine." Leon grumbled. "Bend over."
Jaxon was much too happy to acknowledge his visible unhappiness, he didn't take into consideration though how much Leon would weigh.
He was toned but all that was pure muscle so as soon as Leon got on his back, Jaxon was going down.
Darian had to save him from being crushed by Leon's weight, snatching him out from under a falling Leon.
"Fuck." Leon cursed when he hit the ground with a smack. "Why did I agree to do this again?"
Jaxon winced, reaching to him from the safety of Darian's arms. "I'm so sorry."
They finally made their way to the apartment, Jaxon sulking the entire way there because although he had wanted to give someone a piggyback ride, he ended up being the one carried back to the apartment.
He might just start going to the gym just so that he could show them that he could do the carrying too.
Leon opened the door, going in first with plans of showering. Maybe he could convince Cherry to shower with him but no... Darian would want to join in then, that was pushing it.
A questionable thump behind him caught his attention and he swerved around with narrowed eyes to see that Darian had Jaxie up against the wall, his tongue shoved down his throat.
That did it! He was taking that shower with Jaxon, all alone...
But…
Beyond that, he settled on the arm of a couch to think.
He wasn't the type to share but why didn't he feel irritation at the scene before him?
Come to think of it, this first thing that started off this whole fiasco, back in Jaxie office...
Even then, he hadn't felt irritation, just the innate need to show off on Darian.
And that had happened every other time as well, was it because he had grown accustomed to Darian around Jaxon? A lot didn't add up...
Jaxon's moan broke him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see them in the same position, most of Jaxon's shirt off.
Still trying to clear the foggy thoughts out of his mind, he absently made his way over, tapping Darian on the shoulder who lifted his head to look at him.
"I'll take him, thanks." He said calmly, picking Jaxon right from his hold and throwing him over a shoulder.
Jaxon let out a squeal at this, giggling at this turn of events while Darian stood stunned.
He watched in disbelief and a hint of amusement as Leon made for the bedroom.
He better get a bath in then because knowing Leon, he would make Jaxon take a shower with him.
He wasn't about to get in the middle of all that.
He couldn't believe how they had managed to balance everything, their friendship and a possible romance on the very edge, teetering off pure chaos.
The three of them were in such a delicate position that just the slightest of nudges would be enough to tip them over, hopefully they all landed on the same side.