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Jeremy loves to make a point to Landon and Landon's not sure why necessarily, but he loves to bring up the fact that he can tell the difference between Brandon and Landon from any angle and in any second. "I don't think Niko can even tell," he brags, a woflish grin on his face. "But the way you breathe, the way you walk, and the shade of your brown tresses under the light, oh I know."
"What about the dark?" Landon asks, a little entranced. Jeremy's grins stretches into a dangerous smirk.
"Well, my Kotyonok, you're always by my side in the dark," he says and he kisses Landon stupid after that, not giving him a second to settle with his response.
No, you fool, he thinks, I'm not always by your side, though he knows it's not literal, a part of him wanted a more serious answer.
Yet he can accept the romantic declaration for now.
But he's greedy, and wishes for Jeremy to be able to tell the difference in the dark, too, maybe the breathing as he claims, but what if Landon is holding in his breath?
Stay by his side as much as possible so he knows, his conscience urges him, and so that's what he does.
And since Landon is the one with the identical twin, obviously there's no urgency for Jeremy to demand any confirmation on his side. He has no doppelganger that they know of and Landon wouldn't mistake any inferior version of his beloved for him.
The universe obviously takes this as a challenge.
*
"This is the last one," Landon says moodily, stomping into the living room of the cottage and he drops his satchel on the ground near the entrance.
Jeremy will pick it up later.
Brandon had been the one to barge his way in to see if he was alive and drop him off near the woods, though overly concerned about why he had listened to Landon's demands. "Don't worry you won't find my body tomorrow."
"Don't even joke about that, Lan," exasperated Brandon had driven him to Landon's very special secret location and only left when Landon texted him that he was alive some twenty minutes later though he had been blowing up his phone.
The cottage was a secret only he and Jeremy knew about and if anyone else did then Landon was going to fucking kill them.
"No more commissions, and more fucking."
He's been holed up in his art studio perfecting what his clients wanted, and the last one has just been shipped off. And he doesn't necessarily hate it at all, but he forgets the crash down that occurs afterwards from consuming so much caffeine and the lack of being with his boyfriend for hours suddenly hit him like a freight train. All the emotions that have been detached and rather distant surge to the front, and he's sick.
Usually, he forgets the concept of time when he's sculpting because his mind is warping reality to fit the masterpiece's world instead so it comes out as realistically as possible. Or as flawless as it needs to be.
It's been a while. Though he knows Jeremy's attentively watching somewhere with his installed 'hidden' cameras, but it's still been too long since they've seen each other, and he's not particularly horny since he's too exhausted for that, but he's needy. Wanting the contact.
And he used to believe he could live without it. Never had he felt touch starved or dependant on human contact via hugs and kisses, and the reassuring pats on the heads or shoulders never did anything for him either. Then Jeremy changed that, made him obsessed with wanting his body to be close, so he craved his boyfriend's presence so badly he felt his tooth aching.
"Jeremy," he calls out since it's quiet. A hand roving through his hair impatiently because he needs his fix. His Jeremy. That man had made him downright addicted to him.
"Kitchen," Jeremy calls out but then some other words that Landon doesn't really hear when he's rushing over.
But he catches, "Unexpected, but you were eventually--" and some other nonsense that Landon's tired brain won't let him focus on but he softens, the tone, the familiar voice it's what he missed and it ebbs away his frustration but he still needs a nap. He's been pulling serious all nighters in a row, which Jeremy hates. Yet it's absolutely necessary. You never pull an artist out of their zones. It had been one of their early couple spats which they're still learning to compromise about. Which means they shelved it and still argue about it but the sex afterwards is worth the rising heat and the tension.
Gunpowder, and that cologne, his nose twitches like a cat and his body practically vibrates like a contented feline which is why Jeremy keeps calling all these cat nicknames, though it's a simply affectionate Russian term. The kitty comparisons came later because of how pampered and spoiled he was. And lazily idle whenever he isn't in the mood to stir chaos.
Stretching out his limbs, and walking into the kitchen, he hears movement from the dining table slight shifting and he assumes it's Jeremy. His feet gravitate towards that area and he's peering through bleary eyes and magnetized by the familiarity of that intense gaze.
The compelling greys that belong to his boyfriend.
"Landon," Jeremy says, a little too cheerfully or rather pleasantly and Landon's perception is definitely still distorted because it comes from a different part of the room. "I missed you, Kotyonok, but a surprise visit--" he seems to stop, realizing the state Landon is in since the chatter ends.
If he was more aware he'd realize it was a sign of worry and confusion from Jeremy who expected to be greeted first but then it happens.
A long stilted pause as everyone just stares at Landon in bewilderment, cataloging his actions but making no sense of it so they're not prepared at all.
Definitely not for this.
"Hello, beloved," Landon says, not as suave as he would have liked but he's been subsisting on shite coffee for days, and without further ado, plops down onto his boyfriend's firm lap, so he can kiss him soundly on the mouth.
"WAIT, THAT'S MY DAD!" The roar is fiercely desperate but a little too late.
Landon's mouth has already covered the man's who he knows isn't Jeremy afterwards, because of the texture of his lips and the stiffness of his body.
An immediate crash of a bottle on the ground interrupts the silence, heavy thudding footsteps then suddenly hands wrap around his biceps with a bruising force and drag him backwards so he's stumbling against a furnace.
"Ow," he complains with a bleary glare. "Je--"
He pauses.
Jeremy looks furious. His grey eyes so dark they're pitched black and there's a flush of anger over his tanned skin.
Landon glances back.
There's an older Jeremy sitting at the table with a woman sitting next to him. Both staring at him. Though the man seems to be as still as a statue, not breathing, grey eyes so wide his eyeballs could pop out.
Slowly, he looks back at Jeremy.
His Jeremy.
"My parents," Jeremy says firmly and he scrubs at Landon's mouth with his knuckles. "Wash your mouth out, Landon and brush your lips so hard they peel off so they can reheal again."
"Mnm," Landon has no idea what he just heard, only delighted to be touched by Jeremy as he soaks up his attentive care.
"Jeremy," he hears a soft feminine voice chide. "Don't be so harsh."
"He kissed your husband!"
"I'm not offended. An honest mistake. He looks exhausted."
"Who's this woman?" Landon accuses. "Are you cheating?"
"My mom-- if you were listening--- no, this is why I said you need a consistent sleeping routine--"
"If I catch you cheating," Landon stumbles into Jeremy, and nods off slightly against his shoulder, forgets the threat he was about to make because Jeremy's so warm, and smells so good. Through a yawn, he says, "Take me to bed. Been a while."
Jeremy's brows frown at him. Or his whole face.
But he passes out before he can comprehend anything else.
*
The sun is a smack to the face because it should be rising when Landon wants to wake up, not the other way around but he gets off the bed grumbling his complaints, and goes to the bathroom to take care of business and wash up. Once he's all refreshed and recuperated despite the dark eye circles over eye bags, wearing Jeremy's white top and a pair of sweats, he walks out.
"Morning, my beloved," he yawns, spotting his boyfriend sitting on the sofa with a glass of vodka on the coffee table and a laptop screen is being frowned at. Too early to drink but he's hardly going to judge anyone on bad habits.
But Jeremy ignores him.
"Jeremy?"
"Go back home."
Landon stares at him blankly, blinks, then he glances around looking for any clues, but there's nothing but a blur since his mind is unable to grasp onto anything. But he's being kicked out by his boyfriend.
"Fine," he says flatly. And he leaves with diginity, head held high and gait of a prince without appearing as if he's been ruthlessly thrown out of his own castle.
Fuck him.
After taking out his phone, he angles it and takes a selfie with a peace sign, and captions it, Guess who's single now?
He posts it vindictively on his IG story and waits for a few seconds before the door crashes open behind him and Jeremy stomps out hurriedly.
"Landon, delete that, and get back here."
"No, you said to go home."
"You kissed my dad!"
"An accident." Landon says, pocketing his phone after deleting the post.
"That's all you have to say?! He's way older than me! And we don't look identical!"
"I was looking at his eyes, Jer," Landon says and uncomfortably he turns around. Jeremy looks gloomy. "The kiss was hardly anything since I knew right away that everything about it was wrong. If it was you I wouldn't even be able to think."
"You weren't thinking when you kissed him!!"
"That's...fair," Landon says, squinting in thought. "Should I apologize to him?" Is that the proper thing to do? He'll make it up to Jeremy somehow.
"My parents are staying at the hotel, and I don't want you around them for a while."
Landon frowns. Not sure what that twinge in his chest is. "I see," he says.
"My dad, Landon, my dad!"
"I didn't mean to kiss him."
"You're not seeing him again," Jeremy decides and Landon rolls his eyes.
"Whatever. It's not like we're headed towards marriage."
Jeremy seems to be frozen but his eyes are raging.
"Well, what now," Landon says, tossing his hands up in exaggerated helplessness.
"Come back inside," Jeremys says with an eerie glint in his eye, and that's why without hesitation Landon chooses to turn around and run instead. And he's chased by a persistent tracker around the perimeter of the cottage before he's tackled over and pinned down.
The screams are not one of horror, but can haunt any unsuspecting person hiking through the woods for days.
*
The next time Landon properly meets the Volkovs it's at their penthouse in New York.
"Mr. Volkov," Landon says coolly, unaffected and definitely not a bit uncomfortable as he faces his boyfriend's dad. "Nice to meet you."
Adrian Volkov stares expressionlessly. "I'm married. And straight."
"Yes, I know."
His jaw clenches.
"I'm only interested in your son," Landon says.
"Your interest in my son is why you kissed me, so how can I be sure you won't do it again?"
"Dad," Jeremy doesn't sound embarrassed but rather pissed.
"Adrian," Lia says on the other hand, but through a giggle like her husband is the funniest man on the planet when Landon wants to shove him to the bottom of the ocean but he resists those dark thoughts because this is Jeremy's dad.
This is for Jeremy.
"Won't be a reoccurrence now that I know you exist," Landon promises. He looks at Lia and says, utterly serious, "I see from whom Jeremy has gotten his sweet, gorgeous looks from."
She looks delighted by the compliment but Adrian hovers possessively over her, glaring at him and while he and Jeremy had the same grey eyes, Landon thinks it's Lia that makes up Jeremy's beauty.
"Enough," Jeremy says from his side, grabbing his wrist and tugging on it. "The introductions are over."
"I want to chat for a while more," Lia is a dignified woman so she's ampting it up with a playful pout. And Landon stares at her, captivated by the parts that were given to mold Jeremy, subtle but noticeably present.
"Don't think about it," Adrian growls fiercely, shoving his way between his wife and Landon.
"Stay away from my boyfriend," Jeremy growls, unnecessarily.
Landon contains a deep sigh in his chest while Lia shares a commiserating look with him, but there's amusement glinting in her dark eyes.