Fingers gently traced their way through Jack's hair as he drifted into wakefulness. He squinted across the bed at Kieran and wanted to go right back to sleep. He was too out of it to deal with Kieran sprawled on top of the sheets in dark slacks and an unbuttoned shirt. Too early, too pretty, too much temptation to stare and question everything about everyone's intentions.

"Good morning, my sweet," Kieran whispered as his fingers continued their journey from Jack's hair down to his shoulder.

"Yeah, good smile," Jack croaked in response. He cleared his throat and tried again, hoping his voice had been broken enough to hide the slip. "Morning. That."

Kieran's smile widened and he leaned in, kissing Jack's temple. "I like your smile as well. Merry Christmas."

Right, it was Christmas morning, and Jack still felt like it was either a day or a week away. He reached over to grab his phone from the nightstand, ready to make the few calls he was required to and get them out of the way. Avoid the onslaught of invites as well. He just knew they were only going to get worse the closer New Year's crawled. Gentle, inviting, little coaxes of food and drinks he liked…

His hand patted along the top of the nightstand, only finding the base of the lamp that sat there. He looked over in confusion then over the side of the bed. There was no sign of his phone. Panic clutched at his stomach and eased when Kieran's hand grazed his shoulder.

"You left your phone in the living room."

He didn't think he'd been that out of it last night. Sure, he'd been flustered from the next batch of chapters of Irish lilting cowboys, but bad enough to forget his phone? He sighed and turned to face Kieran. He shouldn't ask Kieran to get it, but he was warm and the pillow was wonderfully inviting. He could lie back down and enjoy the comfort.

"I found it under the couch when it rang. I took the liberty of answering it since you looked so peaceful when I got up," Kieran said as he sat up. He wasn't acting particularly gleeful, and his tone was neutral enough.

But there was still something there that Jack didn't trust.

He let out a frustrated growl and dropped back onto the bed. "Who got harassed?"

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"No one. Detective Fairchild will be expecting a call when you're ready. Or, if you'd like," Kieran said as he leaned down on one elbow to hover over Jack, "we can continue our book and see how Thorpe Stedmen is getting on."

That sounded like a lot more fun than calling Sam. The fallout would be worse if Jack took too long, and Kieran's casual offer said there was more to the phone call than a little Christmas greeting. "Fuck. Okay, I give up. What happened?"

"Absolutely nothing," Kieran said with a smile.

"Uh-huh." Jack poked the tip of Kierna's nose, earning a little grin. "So he totally didn't interrogate you about Thomas, and you totally didn't play dumb?"

Kieran's smile dropped, and he leaned back against the headboard with a sigh. "Surprisingly close," he admitted. "However, I did not play dumb. I assured your friend that Thomas has a misplaced sense of protectiveness, and, unfortunately, you were caught in the crossfire."

"And?"

Kieran looked away and crossed his arms. "And I offered to forward the details of the rehab clinic."

There was something performative about the way Kieran was acting. Anxiety and annoyance warred against each other as Jack picked up the courage to press further. "There's something else."

Kieran pursed his lips and closed his eyes for a moment before looking down at Jack. "He wasn't particularly amused when I suggested he should consult his wife on whether or not to pursue the matter further."

So Kieran had decided to kick a hornet's nest and leave it for Jack to clean up. "Is he gonna yell at me? Do I need to apologize?"

"I shouldn't think so. I was perfectly cordial."

Kieran's defensiveness matched up with Jack's suspicions, and he could imagine just how kind and patient Kieran was with Sam. Probably with a hint of holier-than-thou and unprovable smugness. He loved it and hated it.

"For some reason, I think he'd rather have you being full on snarky with him," Jack said as he pulled himself upright. Why the hell did Sam and Kieran have to rub each other in all the wrong ways? Not that Jack had ever helped matters with his vagaries over his breakup and interactions.

"Which makes it all the more satisfying when I'm the model of politeness and consideration."

"Why are you trying to piss him off?" Jack whined, burying his face in his hands.

"Who said anything about trying?" Kieran said with a shit-eating grin. "He hung up on me when I asked if the local shelter was in need of a donation. I even offered to make it in his name."

Jack threw the covers off and got out of bed, giving Kieran his best withering glare. It didn't do its job as Kieran's grin stayed firmly in place. "I'm not making the bed."

"It's time the linens were cleaned anyway. I didn't have the heart to undo your hard work yesterday," Kieran happily replied.

image [https://i.imgur.com/eZY0YUq.png]