Not Here Just to Chat

"Wait for me a moment," Rick said as he gently set Howard down and rolled up his sleeves, starting to fill the bathtub with water, intending to help Howard relax with a warm bath.

Howard remained silent, calmly beginning to undress on his own.

Hearing the rustling behind him, Rick tried to act as if he hadn't noticed, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand.

*Stay calm, Rick. If you scare him off, then what?*

Rick took deep breaths, trying to suppress his excitement as he continued filling the tub.

But before the water was even ready, Howard had already stripped down and stepped into the tub, reclining comfortably against the edge.

Rick quickly averted his gaze, feeling like he was in some kind of torment.

*This is torture! So close, yet so far!*

Rick felt both frustration and longing.

"Well? Are you getting in or not?" Howard asked coldly, adjusting his glasses as he looked at the dazed Rick.

Rick pointed at himself, startled, "I can get in too?"

"If you don't want to, I won't force you," Howard replied nonchalantly, removing his glasses and setting them on the nearby rack with an air of calm indifference.

"Who said I didn't want to?" Rick responded immediately, stripping off his clothes in record time and slipping into the tub. He quickly positioned himself behind Howard, pulling him close and resting Howard against his chest.

Howard didn't protest or pull away, simply leaning back into Rick's embrace and massaging the tension out of his own neck.

Rick's heart pounded wildly, and he barely dared to breathe, though the sound of him gulping was embarrassingly loud.

"Like an idiot," Howard muttered softly, almost to himself, having heard Rick's loud swallowing.

"What did you say?" Rick asked, not having caught what Howard said, his curiosity piqued.

Howard didn't answer, continuing to rub his neck.

Rick quickly took over, eagerly massaging Howard's neck and shoulders, trying to be as attentive as possible.

Howard relaxed against Rick, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the pampering.

"Why were you zoning out earlier?" Howard asked, his eyes still closed, staring up at the ceiling.

Because he realized that, despite knowing Rick for so long, he had never really asked about Rick's life before.

Rick hesitated for a moment before finally speaking in a quiet voice, "I saw my brother and Alex's second uncle together in the parking garage earlier. They seemed... too close."

"I know about them," Howard responded calmly.

"You... you knew?" Rick stammered in shock.

Howard's expression remained unchanged as he explained, "About five years ago, shortly after I became Alex's secretary, Alex suddenly told me to accompany him on an urgent matter, instructing me to bring a weapon because his uncle was in trouble. But when we arrived, we found Xavier Dupont beaten and tied up on the ground, and your brother lying unconscious in a pool of blood."

"Later, I asked Alex about it. He told me that your brother and Xavier Dupont were found together by Alex's grandfather, who had them both severely punished."

"Xavier Dupont is normally a stoic man, not one to show emotion. But that day, he held your brother and wept. We all thought your brother was dead."

Howard's recounting was calm, but Rick was left in shock, having never known the truth behind his brother's hospitalization.

He had always assumed Richard's injuries were the result of a business conflict gone wrong, never imagining the real story.

"They've likely been together for a long time—around ten years, I'd guess," Howard added.

"Ten years?" Rick was astonished. He hadn't noticed anything all this time.

"No wonder... Even though I'm part of the Van family, Alex's uncle has always treated me well," Rick mused, starting to put the pieces together.

"Most likely out of respect for your brother," Howard surmised.

Rick fell silent, struggling to process everything he had just learned.

"So, you brought me here just to talk about your brother?" Howard asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not," Rick quickly replied. He hadn't come all the way to the resort just to chat with Howard.

Howard didn't respond, but the atmosphere in the room was becoming more charged by the minute. Rick wasn't foolish—he knew what was expected of him in such a situation, and he certainly didn't want to disappoint Howard.

Rick had been worrying all night about Alex potentially kicking down their door, but as time ticked by and all remained quiet, he began to relax.

Howard, who had exited the bathroom first, grabbed a cigarette from the nightstand, lighting it and taking a long, slow drag.

It was unclear whether he was smoking out of habit or because he needed a moment to process everything after finally confirming his relationship with Rick. After all, he never would have imagined that he'd end up with Rick, yet here they were.

*Maybe I really am going crazy,* Howard thought as he rubbed his temples with a sigh. His emotions were complicated, though regret wasn't one of them.

Despite Rick's impulsive nature, he was surprisingly attentive and had always treated Howard with respect.

Howard glanced toward the bathroom, where Rick was busy cleaning up.

"Are you hungry?" Rick suddenly asked from the bathroom, concerned that Howard might not have eaten due to his busy schedule.

Howard took another drag from his cigarette, not answering immediately as he watched Rick bustling about in the bathroom.

Despite being a spoiled rich kid who had probably never done any chores before, Rick had taken on everything after they got together, never letting Howard lift a finger.

"Howard?" Rick called out again when Howard didn't answer, worried he hadn't heard him.

"I'm not hungry," Howard finally replied, his voice soft but clear enough for Rick to hear.

"How about I give you a massage later?" Rick offered.

"You can massage?" Howard asked, a hint of surprise in his voice as he continued to watch the bathroom door.

"I was worried you'd be too busy to get proper rest, so I took some lessons," Rick explained.

Howard paused mid-drag, genuinely surprised by Rick's dedication.

*What a fool,* Howard thought, rubbing his forehead. Though he wouldn't admit it, he was touched by Rick's thoughtfulness.

"I'm thinking of learning to cook too, since food from outside isn't always clean," Rick added.

This time, Howard wasn't surprised. He knew that once Rick set his mind to something, he would see it through.

After finishing up in the bathroom, Rick emerged, leaned down, and planted a kiss on Howard's lips, smiling as he did.

Howard didn't get angry or pull away, letting Rick kiss him as much as he wanted.

Rick was in disbelief. Was this really his Howard, being so compliant?

Howard didn't say anything, turning his head slightly to avoid Rick's gaze as he continued smoking.

Seeing that Howard wasn't upset, Rick couldn't contain his happiness. He pulled Howard into his arms and kissed him again.

*Damn, Rick, you've really made it! You've actually won Howard's heart,* Rick thought, elated, barely able to contain his excitement.

Meanwhile, in another room, Mark was feeling bored.

Alex had left to investigate the food poisoning incident at the resort, leaving Mark alone in their room, idly playing games on his phone.

"Ugh, I'm so bored of these games," Mark groaned, lying spread-eagle on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Maybe I should see what Kyle's up to," Mark muttered to himself, sitting up with a little hum as he dialed Kyle's number.

The call connected quickly, and Mark eagerly asked, "Hey, want to come hang out with me? I can have Alex send someone to pick you up."

Kyle, who was sitting on a sofa with Richa on one side and Xavier Dupont on the other, glanced at Richa before covering the phone and whispering, "I'm kind of busy right now. Can I call you back later?"

"Is something going on?" Mark asked, concerned.

"Richa's older brother is here. He came by unexpectedly to see him," Kyle explained.

"Wow, meeting the family already?" Mark teased, clearly excited for Kyle. "Is Richa's brother as handsome as he is?"

Kyle blushed and stammered, "He's just as handsome as Richa."

*Pfft! I asked about his brother, and he ends up complimenting his own husband!* Mark thought, amused.

"Oh, by the way, Mark, are you at your husband's resort? I think I saw you earlier," Kyle suddenly remembered.

"You saw me? You're at Alex's resort too?" Mark asked, surprised.

"Yeah, Richa brought me here to relax, but I wasn't sure it was you when I saw you in the elevator," Kyle explained.

"No way, what a coincidence! I'm bored out of my mind here. Can I come over to your room and hang out?" Mark asked, already excitedly hopping off the bed to put on his shoes.

Kyle couldn't bring himself to say no to Mark, so he told him the room number where they were staying.

"I'll be right there!" Mark said happily before practically bouncing out of his room, clearly relieved to have something to do.