Chapter 74 - Vol. 3: Noah To Haru - 74

Haru

Akira pointed at me. “Him.”

Logan turned to look at me. “That’s you?”

“That’s not me,” I said, but Logan wasn’t listening.

He called out to Tristan. “Come here. It’s Haru wearing a female kimono, and he is the cutest.”

Damn, I had thought that embarrassing scene of me would stay in the past, not to emerge again, ever. But it appeared I was wrong, thanks to idiot Isaac.

Tristan whistled in appreciation the moment he saw my picture. “That’s one beauty, all right.”

Reo said, “Well, of course he’s a beauty, he has the Shrine Maiden gene, after all.”

“Shrine Maiden gene?” Logan asked. “What the hell is that?”

I said, “Reo, shut up.”

Isaac said, “It runs in the Onos family bloodline, and it has the power to make men fall hard for Haru.”

Akira said, “I’ve heard of it. Wow, so it’s real?”

Reo said, “Very much so.”

Akira chuckled. “If you were a girl, you’d be in real trouble, Haru. Every man is just going to be vying for your attention.”

Isaac said, “You got it wrong, Akira. Haru got it worse than if he was a girl. Not only are girls vying for him, but men, too.” He nodded. “We have a shitload of trouble keeping him safe, you know. They stalk him.”

“Really?” Akira asked.

Isaac nodded. “Like those two.” He pointed to Tristan and Logan, which made everyone laugh.

At this point, I gave up on trying to stop either Isaac or Reo from blurting out about my embarrassing past. I let them have their way, and they seemed to enjoy it to the max. Was it that fun to be drooling over my photos? I wondered.

The party continued, and it wasn’t long before some got a bit drunk from the alcohol, mostly Mason’s friends and both Logan and Tristan. The loud noise of chatting continued, too, and a few hours later, I got a bit tired, of everything really. I slipped out and headed back up to my bedroom.

Flopping on the bed, I sighed deeply. I shut my eyes for a second, just taking in a breather.

“You okay?”

I opened my eyes to see Mason standing at the threshold of my door.

“Yeah,” I said. “I just suddenly got tired.” I chuckled.

Mason came in and then closed the door behind him, shutting the noise out as well.

“Then rest,” he said, taking a seat on the side of the bed.

“Are you going to stay here with me?” I asked.

“You want me to?”

Why did I have the feeling he was leaving it up to me to make the decision?

I thought about this for a moment and then nodded.

He gave me a gorgeous smile. “Then I’ll stay here with you.” He moved onto the bed and made himself comfortable, resting his back against the headboard and his legs across the bed. He patted his thigh. “Here.”

He wanted me to use his thighs as a pillow, like I had sometimes done when we had been younger.

I didn’t need another invitation. I moved and made myself comfortable, my head resting on his thighs and me facing his way. I pulled a pillow into my arms and hugged it tight against my chest. I smiled. There, I was feeling a little better already.

Mason started stroking my hair, and I closed my eyes, just feeling his warm hand on me. We didn’t speak for a while, which was great since we were both fine with being just like this, enjoying the silent moments between us.

It was a bit later, as I was about to doze off, when Mason said, “Haru, what do you think about poly relationships?”

I fluttered my eyes open. “Huh? You mean like between Sakura, Sebastian, and Darcy?”

Mason nodded.

“I don’t judge,” I said and then smiled. “I think it’s cute. They look like they really love each other, which is all that matters.”

“So, you’re okay with poly relationships?”

“Yeah,” I said. “What about you?”

He smiled. “Does it matter what I think?”

I frowned. “Well, no, but I want to know.”

He said, “I’m actually all for it.”

I widened my eyes. “Are you actually in a poly relationship right now?”

Just as that question came out of my mouth, I felt a little...sick in the stomach. The thought of Mason in a polyamory relationship just didn’t sit well with me. Actually, the thought of Mason in a relationship with any person didn’t sit well with me.

Shit! What the hell was this? Why was I feeling this way? If Mason had a romantic relationship with other people, why would that have anything to do with me?

I frowned, confused by my own feelings.

I said, “Even though you did say you don’t find girls interesting.”

Mason chuckled. “Are you pouting?”

He was eyeing me, and I felt my face flushing hot. “I’m not. Are you seriously in a poly relationship?”

“If I were, how does that make you feel?” he asked.

I stared at him. “Does it matter how I feel? It’s your relationships, right?”

“Then why did you ask?” he retorted.

He got me right there. I said, “All right, it doesn’t sit well with me. You in a poly relationship or any relationship for that matter.”

He cracked up smiling, his eyes twinkling. “So you don’t like me being in any sort of romantic relationship with other people?”

I thought about this for a moment and then said, “Can we change the subject?”

He must have noticed me getting embarrassed because he laughed. Fuck, he had beautiful laughter. When he managed to calm down, he said, “No, I’m not in any poly relationships. But in the future, I’d like to be in one though.”

“Really?” I asked.

He nodded. “What about you? If you happen to fall in love with men other than Aiden, would you consider going into a poly relationship then?”

I nodded without hesitation. “Yeah, I mean love is love, right? If I do fall for other guys other than Aiden, then I’ll consider it, though Aiden has to agree to it, too, and of course, the other party.”

Mason smiled widely. “Sometimes I think you’re too accepting, Haru.”

I pulled a face. “Yeah, I know. It’s my flaw, which I happen to have a shitload of, by the way, at least according to Noah.”

He chuckled. “I love all your flaws, Haru. They’re unique to you and they’re cute, which makes you even more...adorable.”

“Really?” I asked, angling for more compliments.

I knew I was about to get a few extra when a loud voice called out, “Haru? Where are you?”

It was Tristan. What the hell?

The door cracked open loudly, and I sighed. It looked like my down time was over.

“Hey there, Haru,” the man said. “Come here and let’s have some fun together.”

Mason, looking a little pissed, got up from the bed and said, “You’re not spending any more time with Haru. I’m taking you back down.” He got the slightly drunken Tristan back out into the hallway and then shut the door, leaving me inside.

So, I was allowed to have a bit more down time then? I smiled and then rolled around and made myself comfortable again, the pillow tight in my arms against my chest. “Poly relationship, eh?” And Aiden’s face appeared in my mind’s eye.. Behind him, I saw Noah, and I swore under my breath. “Shit!”