"WE’RE going to my uncle’s house," Reas repeated.

Now that he had said it again, Lauren stared at him with wide eyes. He could already feel the situation playing out just like it did when he visited Reas in Delryria. Reas had simply introduced him as his boyfriend without any warning. At least back then, he had known he would be meeting Reas’s parents. But now, he had not been prepared for this at all.

"You should have told me!" he said, his voice rising slightly. "I could have brought something. What is your uncle going to think if I show up empty handed?"

He thought today would just be the three of them having fun. Instead, out of nowhere, his unpredictable boyfriend casually announced they were meeting his uncle. He said it so nonchalantly, it was as if he were merely commenting on the weather. He was not prepared at all. He was not even dressed for this.

"Don’t worry, Casey won’t care even if you come empty handed," Reas said, not sounding reassuring at all. "Oh, and it’s not just one uncle you’re meeting today. It’s two. And a cousin. But the cousin doesn’t really count since he’s a brat."

Lauren shot Reas a sharp glare, his hand twitching like he was about to smack him. Not one uncle, but two? And there was even a cousin to boot?

Great. Just great.

Astrid stood off to the side, watching the whole scene unfold. Lauren looked like he was about to tackle Reas to the ground, while Reas stood there completely unbothered, like he had no idea why his boyfriend was so worked up. Astrid was not sure if he should laugh or just let them figure it out themselves.

But the fact that Lauren’s first reaction was to worry about making a good impression rather than question where these uncles suddenly came from said a lot about his feelings for Reas. And Astrid appreciated that more than he could say.

At the end, he decided to step in and ease Lauren’s worry. He tapped him gently on the arm to get his attention. "Don’t worry, Lauren. This is not a formal visit. Our uncles really won’t care whether you bring something or not. Trust me, they won’t think any less of you."

Lauren turned to look at Astrid. The reassurance in his voice helped ease some of the tension in his shoulders. "Okay. Thanks, Aster."

Reas felt his eye twitch as he watched them. "I said the same thing," he pointed out. "How come you’re only thanking Aster?"

Lauren just rolled his eyes at Reas. "Because unlike you, Aster said it with more finesse."

Astrid let out a small laugh, then turned to Reas. His tone was gentle as he spoke. "Why don’t you tell Lauren a bit about our family? That way he won’t be too caught off guard when he meets Casey and the others."

Reas caught on to what his brother was hinting at. If he did not give Lauren some background before they showed up at Casey’s place, he might actually end up with a black eye. "Okay."

"Then I’ll leave you two to it," Astrid said. As he passed by Reas, he added in a teasing tone, "Try to do it with more finesse this time."

Reas shot him a flat look. "Whatever."

Confused by the exchange, Lauren asked, "What was that about? What else are you going to tell me?"

"This is going to take a while, so let’s sit down first," Reas said, already lowering himself onto the nearby couch and patting the space beside him.

Lauren, still confused, walked over and sat down next to Reas. He did not know why, but something told him that whatever Reas was about to say would be something he never would have expected.

And he would be right.

***

The flying car carrying Astrid, Reas, and Lauren was now on its way to Casey’s house. They were using Lauren’s car, but no one was driving since Astrid had already entered their destination into the navigation system. That was just as well, considering Lauren was in no state to be behind the wheel.

Astrid had no idea how the conversation between Reas and Lauren had gone. But when he came out of his room, Lauren was just sitting there staring at nothing, clearly in shock. Astrid shot his brother a questioning look, but Reas only shrugged in response. That annoyed him more than he wanted to admit. He wished he had been the one to explain everything to Lauren instead. But Reas was the one in a relationship with him, so it was only right that he handled it.

Even though Reas looked casual and unconcerned, he had been holding Lauren’s hand ever since they left the apartment. It was a small thing, but it said a lot. He was not letting go, like he was silently telling Lauren that no matter what, he was there. That everything would be fine.

It was romantic in its own way. Especially since Lauren, even while staying quiet, was gripping Reas’s hand like he was holding on for dear life. It showed just how deep their bond really was.

But Astrid still had to ask, "Are you sure you’re okay, Lauren?"

Lauren seemed to snap out of his daze at Astrid’s question. Everything Reas had told him about his family started replaying in his head, over and over again, like a loop he could not turn off.

"Oh my god," Lauren said, finally turning to look at Reas. "Your life is like one of those dramas I keep getting offered but never take."

Reas gave a wry smile. "I can’t really argue with that."

As if realizing he had said something that might have sounded offensive, Lauren quickly added, "I didn’t mean anything bad by it. It’s just so unbelievable. Like, this is the kind of plot you’d see in one of those long running afternoon dramas. Full of conspiracies, revenge, and nobility drama. I mean, what happened to your parents was terrible. Those Lancaster bastards put them through so much crap. But you have to admit, your family’s history is kind of insane. No offense. And again, damn those Lancasters."

Both brothers exchanged a look, then burst out laughing. Damn those Lancasters indeed.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.