#depyootee

Officially joining the Project, acknowledging his marriage to Jacob, and finally moving into the ranch meant a celebration was in order to more fully welcome Rook into his new family. As if the night of the bonfire wasn’t enough. No, the Seeds’ could apparently only partially count that as a win, so they had to set up barbecue at the house, this time inviting only their closest friends, faithful, and Rook’s fellow deputies for some reason.

“If you take off even a single thing, I’ll have you arrested,” Rook hisses at Pratt as they pass each other by punch bowl that has almost certainly been laced with Faith’s new Bliss experiment.

Pratt eyes the drinks suspiciously before grabbing a sealed bottle of water. “Same to you, Rook,” he says. “You’re the one married to the nudists.”

Which is fair, but this is Rook’s home and if he wants to walk around naked then he’s pretty sure he’s allowed to. Especially when Jacob nearly refuses to wear anything at the house and Joseph’s pants are so thin he may as well not be wearing anything at all. “Just try it,” he says and waves Pratt off with a one finger salute, and heads over to John who is being enthusiastically talked to by Hurk Jr in a flowing white robe covered in sequins and the Eden’s Gate cross.

“Hurk,” Rook says, placing himself as a buffer between his friend and his… John.

“Rook, man, I cannot tell you how glad I am that you’ve finally joined us in natural, spiritual, enlightenment.”

That’s one way to put it. “Nice robe, is it custom?”

Hurk waves his arms, causing a cascade of glitter to fall around him. “Sure did.”

“He mad one for all of us,” John mutters, then turns a bright smile to Hurk and takes hold of Rook’s arm in an iron-tight grip. “Would you excuse us?”

“Ah, still in the honeymoon phase, I get that,” Hurk says. “Have fun, you two.”

John smiles so wide, with far too many teeth, as he drags Rook away. “You’re friend does have some good ideas,” he says.

They end up at a picnic blanket by the edge of the gardens, mostly covered in the shade of the trees. Where Jacob is a long line of exposed skins, stretched out next to his still-pregnant wolf friend. They’re lit by the sunlight filtering through the leaves and so warm and comfortable looking that Rook pulls his phone from his pocket to snap a quick picture. There’s not going to be a single moment of his life with the Seeds that he’ll ever forget.

“We’re not having sex in the middle of a barbecue that we’re hosting,” he says finally, even if it seems like a much better idea now than it did a minute ago.

“That’s too bad,” Jacob says, running a hand down his chest and stopping right at his lower belly.

Rook drops onto the blanket, leaning over Jacob to kiss him. It’s deep and wet and Jacob’s lips part easily for Rook’s tongue and he tastes sugary-sweet like the fruit punch that is definitely laced with the Bliss. “I suppose you could change my mind.”

John presses up behind him, sliding his hand under Rook’s shirt. “I believe we already have.”

“No sex at the barbecue we’re hosting,” Joseph says, echoing Rook with an accuracy that would be startling from anyone else.

Rook untangles from Jacob and John and glances at Joseph who is carrying four plates carefully in his arms. “Food,” he says, taking the more precarious plates and handing them off before taking the third one for himself. “Thank you, Joseph.”

“There’s more being prepared if you’re still hungry.” Joseph sits across from him and for the first time Rook notices that he’s wearing Hurk’s sparkling creation.

He doesn’t know exactly what to say, but John makes a sound that not entirely unlike someone being strangled.

“You can’t wear that,” John says. “You can’t.”

“It’s not bad,” Joseph says.

Jacob sits up, pulling his own robe on that he had apparently been using as a pillow. “I like it.”

Rook frowns, glancing around their little area. “Did I get one?”

“She’s using it,” Jacob says, tipping his head to the side to indicate the wolf who is, in fact, sleeping on a pile of fabric that looks a lot like one of the robes. “Once she smells the meat cooking she’ll get up, you just gotta wait.”

“I say let her keep— hey—” John smacks at Jacob’s hand as he tries to sneak a handful of french fries off of John’s plate. “Get your own.”

“Already ate mine,” Jacob says around a mouthful of stollen fries.

“How—” John lifts his plate into the air, away from Jacob. “Quit it or I’ll bite.”

Jacob just grins and tries even harder, nearly knocking them both to the ground. “Sharing is caring, John, now give me your damn fries.”

Rook moves out of the way, crawling across the blanket until he’s tucked against Joseph’s side. “This is nice,” he says, watching as two of the men he loves start a damn food fight.

“It is.” Joseph presses a kiss to his temple. “I’m glad you’re here with us.”

“Yeah?” A home, a husband, whatever ill-defined but perfectly fitting thing Joseph and John are, plus a community of people who all care about each other. It’s everything Rook didn’t know he wanted and he’s the happiest he’s been in his life. “Does that mean you’ll reconsider the no sex at the barbecue rule?”

Joseph hums, staring out at their friends and the faithful, and the Peggie band setting up their instruments. “Maybe once the fireworks start.”