Right after the swimming pool where the fire pit was, was perfect for what Jet had in mind.

It was his chance to fix the date he'd destroyed the first time, and make things right.

Maybe it was a little cheating but he had Mason prepare the edibles for him, since anything he did wouldn't really be considered edible.

He didn't have to do much. A bottle of wine with glasses by the fire, it was perfect.

Alexander had kept his hair wavy but swept it back. Jet couldn't understand his obsession with crisp white shirts but with his folded sleeves and gorgeous looking ass, he was sexy as fuck.

Even with the worried, troubled look in his eyes.

He didn't understand it, if something had happened but he hoped to find out.

He offered him a drink immediately he saw him. Handing him the glass and inviting him to sit down. "Hi."

Alexander took his hand and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "Little cub," he said after they parted.

Jet settled down next to him but not quite close enough to be touching. "I'm no little cub." It brought a little smile to his lips and a few butterflies inside.

Fuck, it'd never been this bad before.

Jet sipped on his wine and turned to look at him and there it was again, the troubled look in his eyes.

"What is it?" Jet asked and for some reason, it came out sounding rude. No wonder people couldn't stand him.

The Master held his eyes for a few seconds before sighing and looking into the distance where the pool was. "I want to give you something," he said.

Jet would never have guessed what he'd say or do next, so he waited.

The Master reached out and put his palm out for Jet to give him his hand. Jet put his hand in his, not expecting the touch to be so electric.

He got a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and put it in Jet's hand, folding his fingers to close over it.

"Don't open it now," he seemed so fucking stressed it fed Jet's curiosity and his stress too. "At least after this date okay?"

"Did you write me a letter?" Jet tried for a light tone. "Aw. You shouldn't have."

The Master wasn't even smiling. He stared at Jet without uttering a word.

"What?" Jet asked self consciously.

Alexander shook his head but didn't stop looking.

Jet decided he'd cut to the chase, to prevent himself from getting overwhelmed by the gaze. "Listen, I just want to make this date better than the last."

"Hmm," Alexander responded.

Fucking hell, why was that sexy?

"I'm sorry you know..."

"Stop, I don't really care what happened that–"

"But I do," said Jet. "So hear me out. This time, I want to tell you about my family."

He couldn't even believe his own words, he was finally telling someone.

The look on Alexander's face made Jet a little curious and his next words, all the more. "Pour me another drink first."

He did. He filled his glass midway with the wine, then got on with his story.

"I have a huge family," he said and Alexander had already finished his glass. He poured himself the next one and filled the glass to the brim. What the fuck was wrong with him?

Jet continued. "We lived in a small space. We weren't so poor at first, but then we were. Two rooms and more than ten people. We were still happy then."

Jet took a sip then continued, the Master listened quietly. "I was seven when I lost them all. They were just... gone."

The little cub shook his head. "Some nights, I got myself to the rooftop when everyone else was asleep. Stealing a few nights to enjoy the quiet of the world on the roof...I didn't have much to think about at that age but I loved being up there... I never should have done that. I got back and they were all just gone. Not a trace, not a sound, still can't guess what happened."

Jet blew out a breath.

"By some grace...some sort of power, I didn't panic so much. I didn't sleep the entire night and by the time the sun came up, the panic had almost completely gone."

"I'd used that time to try and think, I didn't understand. Still don't," he cracked his knuckles. "My thoughts were too many and of no use. I needed to find a way, buy some time and maybe get some money before someone could find out and anything happened. All the while I hoped I was dreaming."

"I acted like everything was fine, got jobs from our neighbors and saved up as much money as I could. No one noticed for a little while. Until the lovely lady who lived next door brought a dinner home she'd made for our family."

Jet had Alexander's attention. His eyes never left him, looking at either his face or his hands. "I told her my family was going through a hard time and she couldn't come in, she was understanding, and she left the food behind."

"I was really hungry, but it was one of the worst meals of my life. I pictured the joy in my family's faces if we'd been sharing it. All the food in the world wouldn't be enough without them."

"I figured it wouldn't be long before someone found out and they'd report to the authorities. Do you believe in God?" He asked.

Alexander now had his temple resting on his fist as he listened. "I believe in...something. All this madness didn't come from no where. If it's labeled as God then so be it. I'm not crazy about it."

Jet nodded. "My family is religious, most Italian families are. We prayed together sometimes. Before meals, before bed or when my mamma caught me being a naughty child," Jet chuckled and he heard the Master cuss.

"No memory gives me warmth like that of her big hands engulfing my small ones while we prayed. She'd make our foreheads touch while she asked the heavens to keep her son away from the path of a rogue. Then she'd ask for the silliest things. A van for me to drive to the moon, a rainbow colored elephant to stomp around the city in. I always tried not to laugh and call her silly..."

Alexander pulled him into his arms. "Stop it, you don't have to go on if you don't want to." He wiped tears from Jet's face. He hadn't even noticed they were falling.

Jet took a minute to gather himself. "Why," he laughed. "Why am I always crying around you, it's fucking embarrassing."

"It's okay to cry, you've been through a lot," he said.

"I think you've been through some things too, but you're strong, you don't cry."

"Do you really think you're weak because you cry?" The Master asked with a frown on his face. "It takes courage to show emotion, you're stronger than you think."

Jet's chest squeezed. But he needed to get it all off his chest.

"I want you to know. I do want to tell you," Jet paused. "After that meal, I prayed for so long. My mamma always talked of the saints watching over us. I prayed to every single one I could remember. Then I packed up what I couldn't finish, I packed up a bag, and then I ran away. I've been looking for them ever since."

"So when you asked me, at that date, I got defensive and lashed out. I'm sorry. Fuck, I can't believe I said all that crap."

"Shh, it's okay. My fierce little cub," Alexander said and brought their faces together. "You're so brave, I'm so proud of you," he whispered and kissed the back of his hand.

The action made Jet feel a little special.

He didn't know those were the words he wanted to hear, but the moment they left Alexander's mouth, they brought him nothing but a deep calm.

"You are?" He got off him and put more distance between them.

"I am," he answered. Jet traced no lie in his voice. "I'll always be."

They sat in silence for a while with their hands together. Jet loved every time that happened. He'd admit it over his dead body but holding the Master's hand, was one of his best things.

"This second date," he started and watched Alexander set his glass down. "There's only one difference between this and the first one."

"Oh?" The Master smiled. "And what's that?"

Jet answered. "On the first one, it's safe to say I barely knew you. Maybe just a little, I couldn't tell what you were thinking."

"And now you can read my mind?"

"I mean, you want to kiss me right now...right?"

"That's a little unfair, you could wake me up in the middle of the night and I'd want to kiss you."

Fuck. "Okay fine," Jet appeared as calm as he could ever be. "But it's still not the same. I was so nervous that day, just to be honest."

"And now?"

"I still am," said Jet truthfully, he was fucking nervous. "But now... well... um, I love you."

The Master went still, the surprise vivid in his eyes. What he said clearly shocked him, Jet wasn't expecting it not to. "You don't mean that," he said. His voice sounded so thick, like he was pleading.

Jet did mean it, he knew the rules like the back of his hand, but he looked the Master dead in the eye. "I'm not joking, I love you."

He'd never seen the expression on the Master's face before. Jet smiled. "Don't frown so much, you'll wrinkle all the little prettiness in your face."

"Jet," the Master started. He was as rigid as a thread ready to snap. Jet took it from there.

"Look, I know the rules, but I've thought of this," he said. He'd thought so long about it, but sometimes desperation got in the way, and there was only so much a heart could take.

The Master pulled him back to where he was, his arms tightly wrapped around Jet's middle. Jet felt the hard chest against his back, then his face in his neck. "No... please, no," the words came out a little muffled. "Take it back."

Jet savored the contact and shook his head. "Not with all these feelings just pouring out of me." His fingers traced Alexander's hard grip around him.

"Every time Riley touches me, I just... fuck," said Jet. The way he made him feel wasn't something he could easily describe.

He thought of all the glances he stole of him. The ones where he noticed and winked at him, where Jet would put on his best scowl as his heart beat like crazy.

"Zel and Pierre, I'd walk the streets naked if they wanted," Jet smiled. "Have you tried resisting anything they said? No matter how silly? They have me so fucked up and I can't help but want it that way."

Alexander was listening, Jet could bet he had his eyes closed. But he noticed his breaths were shallower now. He continued.

"Mason? I know he doesn't look it but he wants to be protected too... I thought I was bad at opening up but he's much worse, because of the need he feels to put everyone else first. I'd kill for him. It's weird because a part of me says I'm not just saying that. I love him."

The evening was beautiful. The small fire raged in its pit as it warmed the air around them.

"I didn't accept it at first, that I could be feeling all these things for more than one person. I thought it couldn't be possible. I mean... how does it work right? How do you fall in love with more than one person, with more than two people... I thought it was just absurd. But I realized there was no use fighting it, I love them so much."

He felt Alexander's hands tremble in the slightest. He'd never get used to seeing him so vulnerable. He didn't even feel worthy of it.

"Then there's you," he began. The Master cut him off.

"Stop it..." his voice cracked. "Fucking stop it."

Jet didn't stop it, in fact he went on like he hadn't heard anything. "I've been beating myself up asking if you felt the same way."

Jet turned his head and slowly, their lips touched, then moved in sync. He then pulled back. "I still don't know how you feel, but I'd never know if I didn't say it."

"Every time we kiss, I feel so fucking alive I don't know what to do with myself."

"Please, say you don't mean it," said Alexander.

"I mean it Alexander," it was a fond and sweet smile on his lips. "I fucking love you. So much."

"Fuck."

"If I didn't then I'd be a liar," said Jet. "I said I thought this through."

Jet untangled himself from the Master's grasp and got up.

It wasn't as easy as it looked. He wanted nothing more than to stay where he was underneath him and let him have his way. But he had to.

"If you check my room you'll find it empty, I've taken everything. Keaton's waiting for me already, he's got Hades with him. According to the rules I have to go, so I'm going. But an irrational part of me wants you to stop me."

"I understand if you don't, but I'm still hoping you will."

Jet put the folded piece of paper the Master gave him in his pocket. "I'll read this letter in the car."

Please...

He turned to go, wondering how it would turn out. "Are you going to stop me?" He called without turning back.

He knew he was disqualified the moment the words had left his mouth, but he still hoped. He didn't know whether this could be a beginning or an ending, but he took that chance.

Jet kept walking.