Haru’s Love (A Stepbrothers BL Harem) - Chapter 43

Aiden felt guilt rising in the pit of his stomach the more he thought about Isaac’s words. To be frank, he hadn’t been neglecting Haru. It was more like he didn’t have the chance to be with the boy today simply because Patricia seemed to know when to intercept his approach. She appeared desperate in wanting to talk to him, which had been why he had allowed her to be with him because he knew he would have all the time in the world with Haru. As for Patricia, she could say whatever she wanted to say and be done with it. Except she hadn’t said anything of substance yet. She had just been talking about old times, reminding him of their past relationship.

Noah’s voice came his way, drawing Aiden’s attention away from his thoughts of Haru and Patricia. “What?”

“I said, can we talk?” The brother nodded toward the sliding door. “Outside.”

Aiden didn’t know what Noah wanted to talk about that they needed to do it outside, away from the others. He nodded nonetheless and the two left.

Mason noticed them leaving and a dark frown appeared across his usually calm face.

“What’s the matter?” Reo asked.

Mason shook his head. “Nothing.”

Connor said, “How about another card game?”

Reo nodded. “You’re on.”

Outside in the dark and the cold, Aiden asked, “What’s up?”

Noah said, “So Haru is still upset with you, which explains why you got kicked out, am I correct?”

Aiden nodded. “That boy, he can be very stubborn at times.”

“We all know that,” Noah said. “Especially when it comes to you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been in love with you for so long, knowing his chances were so slim.”

Aiden chuckled. “Yeah.”

“So? What are you going to do with Patricia? She’s obviously doing her best to get you back. Have you told her you’re already in a relationship?”

“How do you know she wants me back?” Aiden asked.

“Oh, come on, it’s so obvious with the way she flirts with you,” Noah said.

Aiden shrugged his shoulders. “Hypothetically speaking, even if I were to take her back—which I won’t, because the only one for me is Haru—nothing is going to work out. She’s here and I’m over there in New York.”

Noah laughed. He sounded both pissed and amused. “Hypothetically speaking? Come on, Aiden, are you serious? She can just quit her job anytime and follow you like a pup back to New York. Don’t you get it? You’re a catch now, what with your job and high income as a real estate agent. And our youngest, Haru and Isaac, are all grown up. There’s no holding you back anymore.”

Aiden widened his eyes in understanding. Holy fuck! Why had he been so blind? Patricia was serious about getting him back the moment she had met him again, and all this time, he had thought she was just being friendly because they had had a past together and she wanted a fresh start.

He raked his fingers through his hair. “I see.”

“Now you see?” Noah asked sarcastically. “You know, Haru has that thing? I don’t know what you call it…” He thought for a moment and then said, “Intuition? That warning sign? Like he has that when those types of women are close to us, he’ll get like a panic attack.”

Now that Noah mentioned it, hadn’t that sort of reaction happened before, numerous times? When a female came close to any of the brothers, the ones who were intent on stealing them away, Haru would react and started getting sick in a panic attack sort of way.

Shit! Was this part of the Shrine Maiden gene thing? Or was this just the condition resulting from the loss of their parents? Because the ordeal had affected Haru that badly.

Fuck, he didn’t know, but he did know that he loved Haru, and he wasn’t about to lose the boy.

“Yeah, he does, doesn’t he?” he said. Feeling much calmer now, he turned to Noah. “Thanks.”

Noah brushed his word of appreciation aside with a wave of his hand. “Don’t thank me, Aiden. I’m just putting it out there for you to see clearly. When it comes to women, you tend to be a bit blind. You think they’re sweet and innocent because that’s how they usually act in front of you. You tend to attract that type, which is a mystery in itself. And besides, I’m doing this for Haru. It’s shit seeing him getting hurt and upset.”

Aiden cocked his head to one side. “You get that pissed off when you see Haru upset?”

“Why wouldn’t I when I’m in love with him?” Noah said bluntly.

Aiden’s face suddenly turned dark and hard. “Come again?”

Noah folded his arms across his chest and said firmly, “I’m in love with Haru, Aiden, since I don’t fucking know when.” He shrugged. “Maybe back when I saw him wearing those cute dresses Mom Sana put on him to pair him up with Isaac. I don’t know, I just thought he was so fucking cute and adorable, and then when he hit puberty, there’s something about him, his smells, the sight of him, it makes my heart race and my fucking dick respond.”

“Holy shit!” Aiden breathed out the words. “Holy shit!”

Noah looked heavenward. “Well, it’s all out in the open between us now so there’s really nothing to hide.”

“Noah, can you please slow down. Just let me take it in,” Aiden said, his head spinning.

Fuck, and here he had thought he had always been the only one who had been suffering from the torturous forbidden love and desire he had for Haru. This had to be one of the saddest jokes ever.

Aiden found himself sitting down on the wooden veranda since his legs were rather weak suddenly.

“You’re in love with Haru,” he said quietly, still working on letting that sink in.

“It’s not like I’m going to tell him or anything. Since he was young, it has always been you in his eyes. Me? I’m hardly on his radar.”

“That’s not true,” Aiden said. “Shit! I’m sorry, Noah.”

Yep, he was sorry that he had been such a dick. It must have hurt Noah so bad every time he was kissing Haru and being intimate with the boy in front of the brother. After all, who could stand watching the one they’re in love with in another man’s arms?

“There’s no need to be sorry. You just behave the same like always,” Noah said. “It’s for Haru’s sake.” His tone was firm when he continued. “And don’t mention any part of this conversation to Haru.”

Aiden nodded. “Yeah.”

“It’s getting colder out here,” Noah said. “Let’s get back inside.”

Aiden nodded again.

Mason looked relieved when the two brothers returned to join them. He asked once they were seated, “What did you guys talk about?”

Aiden said, “Nothing much.”

Mason frowned. “That’s not nothing much when you both were out for there for half an hour.”

Noah said, “We were out there for that long?”

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed across the suite, which was followed by “No! Don’t! Isaac, no!”

Aiden raised his gaze to the door and said under his breath, “What the hell is Isaac doing to Haru?” He got up from his seat and headed toward the door. Noah did as well, followed by Mason. Naturally, the three brothers came into the hallway to see a most shocking sight.

Standing and with his yukata haphazardly undone was Isaac, who was pulling at Haru on the floor. Haru was wearing a red kimono, which was also haphazardly undone on his body, revealing petal-smooth skin. His face was simply beautiful and divine to look at, especially with the dark hair framing the soft features and the sensual lips that were painted a deep-red color.

Aiden swallowed hard at the sight of Haru in such an exotic outfit, and more so, in such an erotic position. Naturally, Noah found the sight too much of a turn-on for him as well and swore under his breath.

Mason came down and said, “Haru, is that you?”

Haru flushed hot in the face. “Who else could I be?”

Mason widened his eyes and said, “Holy shit.”

“Come on, Haru, stand properly and let them see,” Isaac demanded. “I worked so hard on putting it on you.”

“No fucking way,” Haru snapped. “Let go of my hand, you dick! I’m kicking you out of the room.”

“What? No way!” Isaac was so shocked at hearing the bad news that he loosened his grip on Haru’s hand.

Super pissed, Haru gathered himself up. Still flushing hot and avoiding any sort of eye contact with any of the brothers, he turned on his heel, slipped back inside his room, and then roughly slid the door shut with a loud thud.

Isaac muttered, “What do I do now? Shit, I made Haru mad.”

Mason said, “Serves you right, Isaac. Why did you make him wear that?”

“Because he’ll look like a Shrine Maiden, and I wanted to see one for real.”

Mason said, “Let me calm him down.” With that, he knocked on the door. “Haru, it’s me, Mason. Can I come in?”

Mason waited, his body tense. When Haru said, “Come in, but only you and no one else,” he sighed with relief. He turned to Isaac. “Don’t come in.”

Isaac nodded. “’Kay. Oh, and tell him I’m sorry.”

Mason nodded and then slid the door open and went inside.

Finally, Isaac turned to Aiden and Noah. He said, “Well, you two are of no help.”

He was right, the two weren’t of any help. In fact, they were still stunned from witnessing the exotic, gorgeous sight of Haru.

Noah said, “Shut up, brat. It’s all your fault.”

Isaac raised his brows. “Huh? How it is all my fault? What the hell are you talking about?”

Aiden said, “Noah is right. It’s all your fault.”

The two elder brothers were obviously referring to the fact that now they’d have trouble sleeping since the sight of Haru had already turned them on, and the exotic images would be hard for them to forget.

Then Reo and Connor turned up. Reo asked, “What’s going on?”

Aiden said, “Just Isaac being Isaac.” Then he turned on his heel and headed back into the living room. Noah did the same. Isaac was grumbling as he followed them, as well as Reo and Connor.

Reo said, “Poker, anyone?”