Season 3 Episode 23 | My Best Friend’s Brother Dylan (Patreon)

All characters depicted in this story are fictional and 18 years of age or older. Everything portrayed is safe, sane, and consensual.

Episode 23: The Weight of It

I woke up the next morning feeling heavy. Not the good kind of heavy from the night before, but the kind that sits in your chest and makes it hard to take a full breath. Dylan and I were on the couch in his living room. I was curled against his chest, my head resting just below his collarbone, while his fingers moved slowly through my hair. The television was on but neither of us was really watching it. The sound was just background noise.

It had been almost twenty four hours since Jake walked out of this apartment. He had not texted. He had not called. Nothing.

I kept replaying the moment in my head. The way he stood in the bedroom doorway, frozen. The look on his face when he realized what he was seeing. And then the way he just turned around and left without saying anything else. I had tried to convince myself that he just needed time, but the longer the silence stretched, the more I started to believe I had broken something between us.

Dylan’s hand kept stroking my hair in that steady, calming way he did when he knew I was overthinking. I could feel his heartbeat under my cheek, slow and steady. For a while neither of us spoke. We just sat there, the weight of yesterday morning sitting between us like another person in the room.

“I keep thinking about the look on his face,” I said quietly, breaking the silence. “When he walked in. He looked… shocked. And hurt. Like we had punched him or something.”

Dylan’s fingers paused in my hair for a second before continuing. “He was shocked. We both saw that.”

“I feel like I ruined everything with him,” I admitted. “Jake has been my best friend since we were kids. He was the first person I ever came out to. And now he finds out I have been sleeping with his brother and lying to him about it. What if he never wants to talk to me again?”

Dylan let out a slow breath. His hand moved from my hair down to the back of my neck, squeezing gently. “My brother is not an asshole, Troy. He is just shocked. Give him some time to process.”

I tilted my head to look up at him. “You keep saying that. But you’ve been pretty quiet since yesterday too. Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

Dylan gave a small, tired smile. “Maybe both.”

His hand started moving again, this time sliding lower from my neck down my back. It was slow and deliberate. He traced the line of my spine through my tank top until his fingers reached the waistband of my shorts. Then, without saying anything, he slipped his hand underneath the fabric and rested it on my hip, giving it a firm squeeze.

I let out a soft laugh despite everything. “Dylan.”

“What?” he said, voice low and teasing. His thumb brushed lightly over my skin. “He already knows about us now. At least we can fuck while we wait for him to come around.”

I shook my head, still smiling a little even though my chest felt tight. “I am not really in the mood.”

Dylan’s hand stilled. He did not pull away, but he stopped the teasing movement. After a second he let out a quiet breath and rested his forehead against the top of my head.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “Me neither.”

We stayed like that for a while longer, his hand still resting on my hip but no longer moving in that playful way. The television kept playing in the background, some show neither of us was paying attention to. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the steady rhythm of his breathing instead of the knot in my stomach.

My phone buzzed on the coffee table.

I reached for it without moving too much from Dylan’s chest. The screen lit up with a message from Lucien.

Lucien: How are you liking the new phone? Ready to talk about a new project when you have time?

I stared at the message for a few seconds. My first instinct was to ignore it. I was not in the headspace to talk about work or LifeInParis right now. But something about the normalcy of it pulled at me. Lucien had no idea what had happened yesterday morning. To him, this was just a regular check in about work.

I typed back quickly.

Me: The phone is great. Thank you again. Are you free this afternoon? Could use the distraction.

He replied almost immediately.

Lucien: Of course. Coffee at the usual place around 2?

I sent back a simple yes and put the phone down.

Dylan had been reading over my shoulder. “Lucien?”

“Yeah,” I said. “He wants to talk about a new project. I told him I would meet him for coffee this afternoon.”

Dylan nodded but did not say anything right away. His hand was still on my hip, thumb moving in small circles now.

“You sure you want to go?” he asked eventually. “You’ve been pretty out of it since yesterday.”

“I need to get out of this apartment for a bit,” I admitted. “And maybe talking to someone who is not directly involved will help clear my head.”

Dylan was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “Okay. But don’t overthink everything while you are there. Jake will come around. It’s Jake.”

I sat up a little so I could see his face better. “You’ve been pretty quiet about it too. Are you okay?”

Dylan let out a breath and leaned his head back against the couch. “I am nervous. He is my brother. But it’s Jake. He’s always been the more understanding one between the two of us. I am hoping that still counts for something.”

I reached up and touched his jaw gently. “I hope so too.”

We stayed on the couch for a few more hours, not really talking much, just existing in the same space. Eventually I stood up and went to get ready. I took a quick shower, changed into something simple, and grabbed my new phone from the table.

When I came back into the living room, Dylan was still on the couch, scrolling through his own phone. He looked up when I walked in.

“You heading out?” he asked.

“Yeah. I am meeting him.”

Dylan nodded and stood up. He walked over to me and pulled me into a hug, his arms wrapping around my waist. He kissed the top of my head and held me there for a long moment.

“Text me when you are done,” he said against my hair. “And try not to carry the whole world on your shoulders while you are gone.”

I hugged him back tightly. “I will try.”

He pulled back just enough to look at me. “Whatever happens with Jake, we’ll figure it out. You are not alone in this.”

I nodded, even though the knot in my stomach was still there. “I know.”

Dylan kissed me once, slow and soft, before letting me go. I grabbed my jacket and headed for the door. As I stepped out into the hallway, I took a deep breath. The apartment had started to feel heavy with everything that had happened yesterday. Getting some air and talking to someone outside of all of this felt necessary, even if I was not sure what I was going to say when I got there.I closed the door behind me and started walking toward the metro, the afternoon sun warm on my face as I made my way to meet Lucien. My mind was still heavy from the conversation with Dylan, but getting out of the apartment felt necessary. The metro ride was short, and I spent most of it staring out the window, watching the city blur past while my thoughts circled around Jake.

When I reached the café, Lucien was already there, sitting at a small table near the window. He looked up and smiled when he saw me, standing as I approached. The hug felt a little stiff on my end. My head was still somewhere else.

“Hey,” I said as we pulled apart. “Sorry if I am a bit late.”

“You are fine,” Lucien replied, his voice warm as always. “I just got here myself. How are you?”

We sat down across from each other. A waiter came by and took our orders — coffee for both of us. Once he left, Lucien leaned back slightly in his chair and studied me for a moment.

“You seem a little distracted,” he said gently. “Is everything alright?”

I hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. Mostly. Thank you again for the phone, by the way. It was really generous. You did not have to do that.”

Lucien smiled. “Of course I did. You are doing important work with LifeInParis. It deserves the right tools. And besides…” He paused, his expression softening. “Even after everything that happened between us, I still enjoy the friendship we have built. Professionally and otherwise. I am really happy for you and Dylan.”

I looked down at the table for a second, feeling a small pang of guilt mixed with gratitude. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

The waiter returned with our coffees. We both took a sip, and for a moment the conversation shifted toward work. Lucien started talking about a new brand that had reached out after seeing some of my recent videos.

“They are interested in working with you,” he said. “Something natural, in line with your style. We pitched your profile and they were quite taken with it. I think it could be a good opportunity if you are ready.”

I nodded along, but my mind kept drifting. I was hearing him, but I was not really listening. My thoughts kept pulling back to Jake, to the way he had looked at us yesterday morning, to the silence that had followed.

Lucien noticed. He stopped mid-sentence and tilted his head slightly.

“Troy,” he said, his voice quiet but direct. “What is really on your mind?”

I let out a slow breath and set my cup down. There was no point in pretending. “Jake found out. About me and Dylan.”

Lucien’s expression shifted, but he did not look surprised. He simply nodded, waiting for me to continue.

“It happened yesterday morning,” I said. “He came over to Dylan’s apartment early. He has this habit of using the spare key without knocking sometimes. He walked into the bedroom and saw us. In bed. Together.”

I paused, rubbing the back of my neck. “He did not yell or anything. He just stood there for a second, then walked out. Said he needed space. He has not spoken to me since.”

Lucien was quiet for a moment, letting the words settle. Then he spoke carefully.

“How did Dylan react?”

“He is shaken too,” I admitted. “It’s his brother. But he keeps saying Jake will come around eventually. I am not so sure.”

Lucien leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table. “Troy, darling… Jake has been your best friend since forever. He was the first person you came out to back in America, and from everything you have told me during our time together, he never judged you for it. He supported your decision to move here. He has been excited about your videos and LifeInParis. And now he finds out that his own brother — someone who has always been important in his life — has been keeping this from him.”

He paused, choosing his words. “Of course he is hurt. It is not just about the relationship itself. It’s about the secrecy. He probably feels like the two people closest to him chose to hide something this significant. That can feel like a betrayal, even if that was not the intention.”

I nodded slowly, the weight of his words settling in. “I know. I just… I don’t want to lose him over this.”

“You will not,” Lucien said gently. “But you also cannot avoid the conversation forever. Jake deserves to hear the truth from both of you properly. Not just in the middle of a shock. Reach out to him. Even if it is just to say you are sorry for how he found out and that you want to talk when he is ready.”

I looked down at my coffee, turning the cup slowly between my hands. “You are right. I’ve been avoiding it because I am scared of what he will say. But sitting here and doing nothing is not helping either.”

Lucien gave me a small, understanding smile. “It’s a difficult situation. But you care about him. And from everything I have heard, he cares about you too. That usually counts for something.”

We sat in silence for a little while after that, both of us sipping our coffee. The café was quiet, the afternoon light soft through the windows. Eventually I looked back up at him.

“I am sorry,” I said. “I have not been very present during this conversation. You wanted to talk about the new project and I have been completely in my head.”

Lucien shook his head. “It’s alright. This is more important right now. We can talk about work once things feel a little more settled.”

He finished the last of his coffee and glanced at his watch. “I should get going soon. I have a meeting in an hour. But Troy… figure this out with Jake. Don’t let it sit too long.”

We stood up together. The hug this time felt more natural than the one when I arrived. Lucien pulled back and gave my shoulder a light squeeze.

“Take care of yourself,” he said. “And when you are ready, we will talk about the project. No rush.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly. “For listening. And for the advice.”

He smiled once more, then turned and walked out of the café, leaving me standing by the table. I stayed there for another minute, staring at the people walking on the streets. The conversation had helped, even if it had not magically fixed anything. Lucien was right. I could not keep avoiding Jake. The silence was only making everything feel heavier.

I pulled out my phone as I started walking back toward the metro. My thumb hovered over Jake’s name in my messages for a few seconds before I finally typed something simple.

Me: Hey. Can we talk? Whenever you are ready. No pressure.

I stared at the message for a moment, then hit send before I could overthink it. The text went through, and I slipped the phone back into my pocket, my chest still tight but slightly less suffocating than before.

Whatever happened next, at least I had taken the first step.

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Season 3 Episode 24 | My Best Friend’s Brother Dylan