The Temple of Heaven

by Z. Allora

  Jordon thrust his finger at Dusty. “Because of that face. Right there! I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  Dusty gathered his damp hair and secured it with an elastic band into a tail. He stared at Jordon and finally asked, “Why would that hurt me? Us?”

  Jordon’s head dropped. “I didn’t think a Japanese press would take my stuff, but I wanted to try. I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want to disappoint you. Besides, you have the Dark Angels and Justin. Zack, you have your crew and Andrew. What did I have? Nothing.”

  “What?” Zack cocked his head.

  Jordon slipped his hand into Tian Di’s. “I wanted something for me. I—”

  Slapping his thighs, Zack shook his head. “You… you have us. You’ve always had us.”

  “I want more. I needed to succeed at a publishing house that wasn’t arranged by my big brother’s manager!” Jordon raised his voice.

  “Have you?” Dusty’s calm question seemed to ease Jordon. “Succeeded?”

  “Yeah, I think I have.” Some of the stiffness in Jordon’s body relaxed.

  Tian Di wished he could hug Jordon or somehow make this situation easier.

  Zack interjected, “Of course you did. Your art is amazing. You’re probably the best artist they have.”

  “What?” Jordon stared openmouthed at Zack like it was the first time he’d heard that.

  Dusty tapped Jordon’s knee. “Good for you. Congratulations. You’ve got to know how extremely talented you are.”

  Tian Di’s heart soared as Jordon’s face lit up. He added, “Your brothers are right. You are incredible. You know I’m your biggest fan.”

  Zack growled low in his throat. Dusty kicked Zack’s foot, and he started coughing like he’d just been clearing his throat.

  Jordon exhaled like he had been holding his breath for years, then turned his attention back to his brothers. “My publisher invited me to this big dinner… and I’m going to attend.”

  “When is it?” Dusty seemed to always be the practical one.

  “This weekend.” Jordon dropped the words like they were hot.

  Zack waved them off. “No problem. There’s no show this weekend. I can get Tamaka and Ralph to cover the transfer of equipment to the next venue, so I can take you.”

  Jordon stiffened and shook his head. “No. How about you do your job, and I’ll do mine.”

  “But how will you get around, communicate, get to where you need to be?” The worry in Dusty’s tone was real and couldn’t be discounted.

  Zack folded his arms. “Yeah, you couldn’t even get to the Albany airport for your flight without a mishap. How are you going to get around Japan?”

  “I screwed up the dates, but I got here, didn’t I? There was a problem, and I dealt with it.”

  Zack tsked. “You can’t just go to Japan by yourself.”

  Jordon frowned, then opened his mouth. Nothing came out but a huff of air.

  Then scoffing at his brother, Jordon glared. “Excuse me. You were two years younger than I am when you joined a whip me, beat me club.”

  A what? Not the time to ask, but what?

  “Safer than you getting lost in Japan—alone!” Zack made a point, but Tian Di didn’t know what it was.

  “I can manage. If I get into trouble, do you have no faith I can get out of it?” Jordon pinned his gaze on both his brothers.

  Dusty wiped his hands on his jeans. “Look, Jordon, I swear I’m working hard on not treating you like a kid because you’re right, you’re not, but Japan is tough. To be honest, I don’t know that I’d be all that comfortable going alone. Remember when I took you and Zack, we had a tour guide for most of it. There are parts of the country where English is hard to come by, and getting around can be problematic.”

  Tian Di nudged Jordon and softly offered, “If you want a translator, I’m fluent in Japanese.”

  Turning to Tian Di with a big smile, Jordon said, “See, yaoi is educational. You wouldn’t mind coming with me?”

  “Always.” Tian Di couldn’t help the double meaning, and judging by Jordon’s grin, it wasn’t lost on him.

  Though catching the grimace on Zack’s face, the wordplay wasn’t wasted on him either….

  Jordon’s smile was big enough to compete with the sun. “So it’s settled. Tian Di will join me, and since there’s not another show for a week, maybe we’ll do a little touring.”

  What? Tian Di would support Jordon in whatever way was needed, so he nodded.

  Dusty folded his arms over his chest. “Jordon, I know you’re working on setting boundaries, and Zack and I probably need to work on dealing with it better than we have, but don’t taunt.”

  Jordon pressed his lips together and squeezed Tian Di’s hand hard. “Going away with my boyfriend shouldn’t be taunting or pushing any boundary. The only one to set these boundaries would be me or him, so—”

  Zack pointed a finger at Tian Di. “Oh, you think you’re just going to go away with him. We haven’t even gotten to Tian Di yet.”

  Tian Di didn’t allow the irritation and anger at Zack’s tone to affect his expression. He simply waited, meeting Zack’s glare with calm serenity.

  “Where do you get off taking advantage of my little brother? Who do you think you are? Sweeping in and taking him to Japan! Do you think it’ll help your career?” Zack’s voice rose as the accusations built.

  Tian Di tried to formulate a considerate and kind answer because “fuck you” wasn’t a good response.

  Jordon’s bitter laugh startled them all. “No, actually both of us know I could hurt his career. A Chinese singer with a gay lover is sort of a death knell. Top it off with knowing that one nod from the King of the Drums over there, and Made in China’s music becomes a death march into the void of notes never sung. Fucknuts, I’m lucky he even gave me a second look.”

  Zack frowned and his hands squeezed into fists. “How long has this even been going on?”

  “Why is it that important?” Jordon’s voice rose to meet Zack’s.

  “I want to know how long he’s been using you.” Zack spoke through clenched teeth as he looked between Jordon and Tian Di.

  Jordon closed his eyes for a moment, then asked in a quiet voice, “Using me? Is Andrew using you?”

  Zack hit the chair’s armrest. “No! How could you say that?”

  “I know it sucks, right? Don’t you see that’s what you’re doing to me?”

  “Jordie, you know I’m not trying to hurt you. I just… this is hard for me.” Zack’s voice broke toward the end. “So how long?”

  “We’ve been seeing each other since the party.” Jordon appeared to be daring Zack to take issue.

  “Well, that’s not long,” Zack pointed out, like the time frame mattered.

  Jordon’s grip on his hand started to hurt, but Tian Di wouldn’t let go. “We love each other.”

  Zack rallied and waved off Jordon. “I’ve heard from you and your puppy love.”

  “Why don’t you respect me?” Jordon’s words held so much pain they threatened to break Tian Di’s heart.

  “What? I do!” Zack shook his head and denied what he couldn’t admit to himself.

  Jordon huffed out a breath and explained, “I shared with you that for the first time ever I’m in love, and you dismissed me.”

  “No… I mean… I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry. It seems sudden.” Zack grasped at understanding as if he were trying to save rice from the rice cooker, burning his hands as he failed to pull out a single grain. “What about you, Tian Di?”

  Trying to find his center, Tian Di was thrown for a moment by Zack’s almost-gentle question. “Your brother is simply the best person I’ve ever met. I love seeing the world through his unique artistic perspective. He fascinates me, he’s kind, his work speaks to me on a very basic level. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I love him with all my heart.”

  Zack shook his head as if he were attempting to make room for all this information that didn’t fit. “Ma
ybe this is just infatuation….”

  “Why would you say that?” Jordon glared. “‘Infatuation’ says the guy who fell in love with Andrew without saying two coherent words to him. What, should I wait and play around for years before going back to who I love?”

  Zack grimaced. “How do you know this is even real?”

  Jordon shook his head in the exact manner of his brothers. “You’re about as useful as a weather rock.”

  Tilting his head, Zack squinted at Jordon. “A what?”

  “When the rock is wet, that tells you it’s raining.” Jordon grinned big for a second, clearly enjoying his own quip more than anyone else in the room.

  Tian Di fell a little bit more in love with him in that moment.

  Zack groaned. “I’m serious. How do you know this isn’t just a weird romantic insta-love that wouldn’t survive the real world?”

  “How do you know it’s real with Andrew?” Jordon threw the question back.

  True, how did anyone know if love was real? He glanced at Jordon and his heart screamed, “Because it is.”

  Dusty pressed his lips together and remained silent.

  Jordon and Zack both looked at their oldest brother.

  Leaning toward Dusty, Jordon said, “Dust, even though I was young, I know how much you went through to be with Justin…. Zack, I remember that day in the diner.”

  Zack exhaled hard. “Jordie, we know how hard and painful love can be, which is why we’re worried. We don’t want you to go through what we did.”

  Jordon shrugged. “Yeah, but if someone’s worth fighting for… you do what you have to do.”

  “You’re right,” Zack conceded.

  Dusty cleared his throat. “Jordon, I promise we’re going to keep trying to see you as an adult and not the kid who would insist on wearing the Burger King crown through the McDonald’s drive-thru.”

  Jordon snorted. “Come on, though, that was the ultimate in irony.”

  Tian Di made a note to check the word irony because that didn’t seem to fit.

  Zack’s head hit the back of the couch. “I’m trying, Jordie, I am, but it’s hard for me.”

  “Yeah, well, it sucks for me,” Jordon said with just the right amount of bite to get Zack’s attention.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll try to stop being an ass.” Zack frowned.

  Dusty stood and pulled Jordon into a hug. “Justin keeps telling me I need to stop being an overprotective ass fighting everyone, including you, to keep you safe. There is no safe in this world. You’re an adult and need to make your own decisions.”

  Zack nodded. “But maybe you should have a safeword, and you use it when you don’t like what me or Dust is doing. Once I hear that and I’ll stop.”

  Safeword? Another word Tian Di needed to look up.

  “Nope. Not a chance.” Jordon was quite definite on that. “You’re going to have to listen to my words and respect them.”

  Zack pushed off the sofa and yanked Jordon into an embrace—or a headlock. From Tian Di’s angle, it was impossible to tell.

  But the daggers in Zack’s glare thrown at Tian Di were sharp and not subject to misinterpretation.

  Chapter 13

  JORDON MOANED as he snuggled into the warm body cuddled next to him. He smiled before he even opened his eyes to find Tian Di grinning at him.

  More love and affection pushed into Jordon’s bursting heart. How could he have gotten so lucky? “Zǎo ān, my love.”

  Tian Di skimmed some wayward hair out of Jordon’s eyes. “Morning to you, my love.”

  My love…. Jordon’s heart sang at those words directed from his very own love. Happiness burst through him. This was nothing short of a miracle.

  He pressed a kiss to Tian Di’s cheek. “Shower?”

  “Yes.” Tian Di raced to the bathroom with him. After using the toilet, he washed his hands and put toothpaste on Jordon’s brush.

  When Jordon was done at the toilet, he washed his hands and accepted his toothbrush. Damn. “Thanks.”

  “I know this will probably sound crazy, but I love we have kind of a morning routine.” Tian Di’s eyes had grown a bit misty, confirming Jordon wasn’t alone in the overwhelming sensations that spun around them.

  The domestic perfection of sharing a bathroom triggered a surreal wonder Jordon hoped would never end. Putting toothpaste on a toothbrush might be a small thing, but it was so much more. To have someone care for him, and to be able to take care of them, was something Jordon always hoped he’d have.

  Jordon cleared his throat. “It’s not crazy. There’s an artist, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who I never appreciated before.”

  “What did he paint?” Tian Di glanced at Jordon in the mirror.

  “Everyday scenes of life. But right now, experiencing the most mundane things with you, even brushing my teeth feels like it’s nothing short of a miracle. You’ve given me a better perspective and appreciation of everything. Thank you.”

  Tian Di adjusted the water and stepped into the shower. He held the shower gel like an invitation. “Shall we get dirty before we get clean?”

  With an offer like that? “Definitely.”

  Jordon accepted some soap. He was aware of the time, so he got right to business. Wrapping his fist around Tian Di’s cock, he started stroking.

  Tian Di rewarded him with a surprised grunt that turned into a long moan. He stabilized himself against the wall and grabbed Jordon’s erection with sexy determination.

  Leaning forward, Tian Di’s and Jordon’s mouths met in a delicious, minty kiss.

  Damn, Jordon was so close already. First orgasm of the day always happened way sooner than he expected.

  “I’m going to come,” Jordon moaned, and came.

  Tian Di purred and thrust into Jordon’s fist until he grunted moments later.

  The water rinsed away their cum.

  Tian Di rested his head against Jordon’s. “I love you, and I adore taking showers with you.”

  “Yeah?” Jordon searched Tian Di’s face for any need unmet, and only found his lover grinning and relaxed. Though how long would he be satisfied so easily?

  He kissed Jordon on the nose. “Best way to start the day.”

  Jordon felt his worry untwining.

  “Although I think any way we start the day would be the best way, as long as I start the day with you.” Tian Di’s words wedged into Jordon’s brain, making him happy.

  The only response Jordon had was to press his mouth to Tian Di’s. He clung, trying to put all the love in his heart into the kiss so he didn’t say something cheesy.

  After their shower, Jordon dried Tian Di’s back and rubbed the excess water out of his long hair before he used the towel on himself.

  Tian Di scrunched product into Jordon’s hair, then smoothed some onto his own. He bent over to dry his long hair.

  Jordon took a peek at the view. Damn! Even Tian Di’s feet were lovely. His legs were toned, though not overly muscular. It would be seventh heaven to sculpt him.

  He enjoyed watching Tian Di shrug into one of his T-shirts. “It looks good on you.”

  Smoothing his hands over the cotton, Tian Di said, “Thanks. Now are you sure you’re okay? I don’t have to go to the band meeting. I can postpone the guys—”

  “No! If anything, you should be early to any band meeting and stay late from now on. I don’t want us being together impacting you or Made in China in a bad way. We have to show everyone it’s not going to affect your dedication to your career.”

  Tian Di gave him a nod. “You’re right. But what about you?”

  “I’m fine. I’m going to pack for Japan.” Though just saying the words whipped terror through him.

  For some reason diarrhea of the mouth had struck him last night. He’d be meeting with his publisher, though he hadn’t thought through the implications of what going on vacation might mean. Didn’t that imply taking things to the next step… sexually?

  Added to that, he’d bet visitors
in the shape of overly protective brothers, or their agents, would be appearing soon.

  Jordon sighed. “This whole setting boundaries and trying to hold them is draining. Although when I look at you, it’s totally worth it. You deserve a partner, not someone everyone feels they need to babysit.”

  Tian Di stalked over and surrounded him with his arms, making him feel supported, loved, and not smothered.

  After a hug that could have doubled for a rub-off session, Jordon walked Tian Di to the door. “Go to your meeting, and I’ll see you afterward.”

  With another three kisses, Tian Di slipped out the door.

  Even though he knew Gwen was sleeping, Jordon texted, He’s perfect! Tian Di will be coming to Japan with me as a translator & then for a short vac! He signed off with a kiss emoji and the artist emoji. Maybe she’d have advice for him.

  He checked his messages. Oddly enough, nothing from Dusty or Zack. He was not quite sure how he felt about that. Was it possibly progress, or were they ignoring him?

  Jordon texted Robin, If you got any time, stop over.

  Within two minutes there was a tapping at his door.

  “Hey, that was quick.” Jordon let Robin in.

  Robin hugged him and then grabbed Jordon’s face to stare at him. “Are you okay, sweetness?”

  “Yeah.” Jordon frowned and took in Robin. He wore a soft teal jersey on top of a dark teal T-shirt and black jeans, making him look casually pulled together by a stylist. His normally pristine mane of blue-green hair was held down by a scrunchy hat. “I didn’t mean to drag you here.”

  “No problem. Now catch me up on your world.” Robin led Jordon to his roundish hotel love seat, which attempted to be modern but got lost with the dated plaid pattern that fought the stripes scattered throughout the room.

  Jordon filled him in on the brotherly discussion, ending with “And somehow I invited Tian Di to come away with me for a couple of days after my publisher’s event.”

  “How romantic! Why does this upset you? I’d thought you’d be excited. It was a bold move on your part.” Robin plucked a long strand of dark hair off Jordon’s T-shirt.