Gideon wondered how his life had gotten so out of control. At work, he had someone trying to undermine his lodge and at home, he had the invasion of relatives. Except they weren't his relatives and he wasn't used to so much company and noise around him.

Strangely enough he enjoyed the tumult and found everything amusing just like the day after Carl had arrived then Linda followed him the very next day.

Zero had found the most amusement in Jude's reaction when he couldn't recognize his Uncle's usually demure assistant. Who had replaced her normal knee length skirts with above the knee numbers. Her sensible flats and kitten heels were now red bottomed six-inch pumps, some of which showed toe cleavage. And her prim and proper white button ups were now form fitting, boat necked sleeveless shirts.

Gideon even found it fun to give hell to all of them including Carl.

He'd let out whistles of appreciation after Linda which gave the woman an ego boost. Then one time he went a little further and looked between Carl and Linda making sure they would see and be puzzled by his appraisal "But she doesn't look loose to me."

Jude was there, on a three-way call with his siblings and nearly choked.

"Loose?" Linda strode over to Carl and slapped him on the side of his head "Maybe I will accept Atticus's dinner invitation when I get back to the city, act real loose with him."

Everyone stifled laughs except for Carl who bellowed. "The hell you will. He only asked you out because he thinks you've suddenly become easy."

Linda straightened her spine in a way that aligned her curves to pop out more sexily and held her head high. "At least he asked me out. Unlike some stubborn old man I know."

"Old? Who are you calling old?"

"What is the matter with them?" Jude asked in a low tone soon as he got off the call with his siblings.

Zero cocked a brow "You really have to ask? Its unrelieved sexual frustration" he muttered quietly.

Jude then dragged Gideon out of the room scarlet faced "Don't talk about their sex lives I don't want to picture them" he'd half yelled and Zero laughed pulling Jude closer to him "So say they do get together what do you think they'll be doing?"

Without hesitation, Jude replied, "They are over forty so anything but that."

Zero laughed then stopped short of stealing a kiss from Jude's mouth. It killed him staying like that having what he wanted so close yet so far from reach.

That was last week and now he sat part of the family glancing between Linda and Carl who ate in silence. "So, everyone enjoying dinner?" he asked, he'd driven into town where a new Boston Market had opened up and bought a full dinner of chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables and dinner rolls.

Everyone glanced at each other and remained silent.

"Boris likes it," Jude said finally.

"Ah so you finally gave her a name?" he said immediately regretting the smile he had flashed Jude's way right in front of Carl.

"It was delicious, Gideon. And I'm personally grateful for your hospitality." Linda said with a well-manicured hand resting on her left chest before she proceeded to carry her plate to the sink despite his protests. She rinsed and placed it in the dishwasher. Then returned for Carl's plate pulling the dish from under him.

"Hey I wasn't done with that!" the man grumbled.

"Oh so you would rather you clean for yourself then? Because I'm turning in early." Linda said, her perfectly microbladed brows lifting.

Zero thought it best not to offer to clear up after the man and piss off Linda, a smirking but quiet Jude obviously agreed.

"Fine, here clear it" Carl muttered staring at the leftover meat on his plate gluttonously.

Jude focused on the night ahead while Uncle Carl and Zero shared a drink on the patio. He had taken Boris out for a walk and once finished washing and changing he glanced over at his empty bed.

Loneliness seemed to emanate from the double mattress, every night he had slept alone yet because one night he had spent with Gideon, one spectacular night he now craved his company.

Something he didn't initially truly want.

He knew his time with the former athlete was limited and wouldn't ever really satisfy his truest desires but his heart felt like it was literally thudding against his chest. All the way through his ears so he threw on a loose shirt and long shorts over his boxers and went in the hallway. Not at all too pleased with his visiting feuding family upstairs.

Speaking of family before he left the room, his concern for his uncle grew, something was up with him he had no doubt about it and he'd talked to his siblings over the phone. None of them had an inkling what was up but they all agreed something was up with the man.

He pursed his lips and thought hard, yet still came up blank.

Feeling a little like the roles had reversed he rolled his fingers into a fist and knocked on the door. Seconds passed before Zero opened the door wide "Jude" he said gruffly his deep baritone voice filled with longing and desire.

"Can we talk?" Jude asked.

He nodded his body blocking the doorway.

"Inside?" he prodded "So we don't get an audience?"

With a groan he stepped aside and gestured for him to come in "This is crazy" he said as he shut the door behind him "Your uncle is upstairs wide awake, we just had came inside."

"I'm over twenty-one" he reminded him "And what exactly do you think I'm here for?" He narrowed his gaze at the athlete.

Zero rubbed on his chin and whispered. "Erm...same thing I'm dying to have you for?" then he dropped his hand from his face as he let out a groan "And I'm trying to earn back your Uncle's respect and I won't get that by having sex with you with your uncle under the same roof."

Jude laughed admiring Zero's old fashioned values. "Well I wasn't here for sex Gideon, I just want us to...share the same bed."

Jude really wasn't brave or defiant enough to disrespect his Uncle and Linda any more that Zero was.

He just sincerely wanted to lie next to Zero.

And now that he heard himself say this he definitely felt easy.