Weak in the Knees Ch. 06

Tyson Lennox showed up in their area from Vail a little over a week later. For now, he was staying with Aspen and Elias while he tried to figure out a permanent home. He was Jessie's older brother, who was by far the cousin who was closest to the twins, though Ty was a close second. For the last five years, Ty had been running Lennox Construction in the Vail area, but with him moving closer to Denver in order to take over the whole business, his younger sister Celeste was going to take over in Vail.

Ty had dark hair that was always meticulously cut short and styled, gray eyes much like the twins, and a physique that showed that he was constantly moving around and doing manual labor. Ty loved being in the middle of the work, which made him a great boss and was something both Zev and Zach had appreciated over the years.

Ty met them at the headquarters for Lennox Construction, in the meeting room. Elias was there as the Chief Financial Officer, and Zayne was there to type up the meeting minutes so they had everything written down. Zach was sitting in one of the chairs already and Zev came in with Ty and shut the door behind him.

Zev made sure Zayne was ready before he spoke. "Alright, we're here to deal with the transition of who the CEO is. I've been wanting to take a backseat anyway, and move over for the new CEO. Let it be known that Zachariah is the one who offered up Tyson as his choice of CEO instead of himself."

"I acknowledge that's true," Zach said with a tight smile. It wasn't that he was mad at Ty or upset to see him take over. He was just sad about what it meant.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence," Ty said as he put his hand on Zach's arm comfortingly. "I am happy to accept the role, but I thought that perhaps, before we sign the paperwork, that we talk about the logistics of this. You know how much I love being right in the middle of the work, but I generally have some disdain for dealing with the press and difficult clients. I just don't enjoy it."

Zach gave a confused look. "You're still more than capable of doing it though."

"Of course I am," Ty agreed with a smile. "But what I'm saying is that it might be better if we delegate a little."

"What are you proposing?" Zev asked.

"Co-CEOs, co-owners,," Ty replied with a smile, and Zach sat up straighter as he looked at his cousin thoughtfully. "I deal with the construction side of it, handle workers, keep things going as they are supposed to, make sure our managers are doing what we need them to. You meet clients, draw the designs, and deal with the press. If, eventually, you get sick enough that you can't do the designs anymore, then you'll be in charge of hiring and promoting a new lead architect. You'll also be in charge of hiring more architects, and I'll be in charge of hiring our workers on the construction side."

Zayne couldn't help but smile as he typed on the laptop. Zach was still sitting there thoughtfully, trying to find any holes in his plan. He couldn't think of any though. Even if Zach had to be in a wheelchair and couldn't write or draw, he could still meet with clients and deal with the press. It was as close to perfect as a plan could be for this.

"I see you've put a lot of thought into this," Zach commented.

Ty smiled at him. "I had a lot of time to be in my head while I packed and drove here. So what do you think?"

Zach slowly nodded his head, not able to stop the returning smile that came onto his face. He held out his hand to Ty, who gladly grabbed his hand to shake it. "I accept."

Diego had been expecting a much more somber return to the house, so he was surprised to see Zach and Zayne come in with smiles. Zach came over and showered Nadya with kisses all over her head, making her giggle at him happily. Diego hugged Zach and commented, "I am glad to see you've made peace with the transition."

"Well, it's a half transition," Zach explained. "Ty wants to co-own the business. So I still have to give up the physical part of the job, but I'll stay as the face of the company and see clients."

"I think it was a rather ingenious idea," Zayne added. "Even when Zach gets sicker, as we know is going to happen, he can still play an active part."

"Wait..." Diego interjected, "Zach has to be the face of the company? Is that wise? Y'know with that hideous..." here Diego gestured at Zach's entire face before cracking up, no longer able to maintain a straight face.

Zach stood there with his mouth hung open in mock outrage. "Oh please, you swoon at this face!"

"I told Zach not to hire you for fuckability, but maybe I should have told you not to accept a job for fuckability either, Diego," Zayne teased.

"Oh, he's usually got that thing buried in a pillow..." Diego quipped.

"Wait, Zach bottoming? You're kidding! He hasn't done that since..." Zayne started.

"Shut up," Zach said and put his hand over his twin's mouth. "Shhh, we don't need to talk about that. Anyway, so we sign the papers in a few days, once the lawyer has it all written up. I also asked Ty to join our group for dinner this weekend."

Diego shook his head while chuckling, "You guys really know too much about each other's intimate moments! Zayne, when was the last time he had a really good bowel movement?"

Zayne grinned at him while Zach rolled his eyes. Then Zayne thought about it and said, "Probably two days ago."

Diego nodded thoughtfully, "That tracks, because--"

"Alright, enough about our twin telepathy," Zach jumped in. "It's a nice party trick, I agree, but we don't need to help him with it."

"As long as we live with each other, we're kind of going to know just about everything about each other," Zayne commented. "Whether you view that as fortunate or unfortunate depends on the person. We just pick up on each other's thoughts and vibes easily."

"Really?" Diego asked with a devilish grin while picking up his phone. "I'll have to order him one and see what happens!"

"I already have one, thank you," Zach said with a smirk. "I could always use it on you."

"Then how would Zayne be able to pick up on your vibes?" Diego asked with an innocent look on his face.

"He's got you there," Zayne said before popping a grape into his mouth.

Ty came over for dinner that Friday, when everyone else was going to be free for it. Zach had been helping Zayne in the kitchen but stopped to go answer the door. They had been all business at the meeting, but now Ty took in how tired Zach looked so he just hugged him for a moment after he got his coat off and hung up.

"Ty, you remember Brinxton, right?" Zach asked him as they walked toward the kitchen.

"I do!" Ty replied. "It's nice to see you again. Your wedding is still talked about by my mom and dad."

Diego came downstairs from changing Nadya into something she could get dirty as they were transitioning her to trying solid foods. He paused as Ty came into view and then continued into the kitchen saying, "Zach! You didn't tell me you were the second-most handsome guy in the family! Hello, I'm Zach's manny and occasional boyfriend Diego."

Diego shifted Nadya to one arm and held out his right hand to shake. Ty shook his hand and grinned at that before looking over at Zach. "I don't think anyone has ever said anything like that the entire time we've grown up. Thank you for the high compliment. It's so nice to finally meet you! Zach has told me a ton about you."

"Not that much," Zach grumbled though he was taking Diego's comments for the jokes they usually were. "I mean, really, Aspen and Jessie are the most attractive of the bunch, but we're alright for guys."

Diego gave Zach a long-suffering look. "Not everyone swings both ways, sexy. They're cute but I generally draw the line at femme-presenting folks." He turned back to Ty as Nadya lept toward him and Ty caught her deftly. "I doubt he's told you everything, but I can assure you that most of it is an exaggeration, unless he was describing my package, in which case he tends to underestimate."

Zach chuckled along with Ty's laugh though he was a little surprised at how aggressively Diego was flirting. It was the first time he had seen Diego like that, and he wasn't sure if it was still a joke or not.

"Well, everything he told me was good," Ty replied. "He said you are amazing with this little beauty and that you're very intelligent and driven, and he might have mentioned you were good in bed."

Diego smiled at the compliments, taking Zach's arm as Ty held Nadya, "I like this one, sweetie. How do you feel about 'kissin' cousins'?"

Zach scrunched up his nose at that. "I'm not sure Ty qualifies for that, unless you mean it in the older formal way."

Ty shook his head. "We're first cousins, after all." Then he turned his attention to Nadya, telling her how pretty she was and he was happy to see her again. Nadya grinned and giggled as he tickled her lightly to make her laugh. Diego noticed that the more flirty he got with Ty the more reserved Zach got so he knocked it off. After all, he wasn't trying to upset his love, he was just trying to have a little fun.

Zach went back into the kitchen with Zayne while Ty caught up with Aspen and Elias. Brielle got to the house just around the time that they were setting the dishes on the dining room table so Zach introduced her and Ty. They had met very briefly at Zayne and Brinxton's wedding, but she had been helping make sure everything ran smoothly so they didn't get to talk at all.

"Thank you all for the wonderful welcome," Ty said once they had all sat down at the table. "I know that my coming out here comes with some mixed emotions, especially for Zach, but I don't want that to affect how close we are."

Zach shook his head at that. "It's not mixed emotions. I'm glad you're here, Ty. I'm excited to spend more time hanging out. The only mixed emotions going on are mine about my health. It's a hard pill to swallow. I've known for a while now but it's still hard. It's not about you. It's about...losing me as I know myself."

Diego hugged Zach from the chair next to him. They usually sat with Nadya between them but Zach had placed her between himself and Ty because she had been so enamored of him. She had insisted that Ty hold her exclusively until they started setting the table. It just seemed most expedient to put her there since she would have just been more distracting reaching over her father so often. Besides, Zach and Diego so rarely got to sit next to each other at dinner unless they were eating in the living room.

Zach gave a brief smile and put his hand on Diego's arm, but he didn't react the same way he normally did. He wasn't cold about it, just distant.

Ty could tell there was some tension there so he looked at Nadya and ruffled her hair with his hand. "So, do you think you'll have another? With as cute as this tiny one is, it's almost criminal not to, though I know that means a lot of extra money spent."

Zach looked down at Nadya thoughtfully. "I don't know. Back before my diagnosis, I was considering it when Nadya was around six to eight months old. I know surrogacy can take a while and I would want my kids to be fairly close in age. It's not just about me though. That's a conversation with a lot of people."

Brinxton eyed Diego and Zach critically, then looked at Zayne. He tried to communicate his support for whatever Zayne may have to say in response to what his brother had said without words. Zayne glanced over at Diego, since it would seem that the main person he'd have to talk to about that should be him.

"We'll, of course, support you in whatever you wish to do," Zayne said to Zach. Brinxton and I are looking into IVF and surrogacy, and it would be nice to have the cousins close in age."

Aspen smiled at that idea as she put a hand on her stomach. They had somehow managed to keep their pregnancy despite the odds against them. "Mom and dad always hoped to be surrounded by a bunch of grandchildren one day."

"I think two would be my limit," Zach admitted. "With my health the way it's trending, I don't know if I could keep up with more, and I really want to be an active parent even with a nanny, or a possible second parent involved this time."

Diego wasn't sure if the phrasing of that statement was a reprimand from Zach about his behavior with Ty or what, but he withdrew a little from the conversation while he thought about it. He also quit trying to hang onto Zach's arm and just focused on finishing his meal without causing more trouble.

They finished up the meal and had some drinks after, though Zach had very little and Zayne, as always, abstained. Zach drank mostly virgin apple cider as they talked. There was a little talk about work and how the theater build was going, since Ty would be going to the site the next day and wanted an update on it. The way Zach spoke about the project made his passion and love for it really shine through.

When Ty and the others finally left, Ty reminded Zach that if he ever needed to vent about how he was feeling about the health stuff, Ty would be happy to listen. Zach hugged him tightly and thanked him.

Zach and Diego were fairly quiet while they got Nadya bathed and ready for bed. After they had her door shut and retreated back to Zach's room, Zach asked, "So, Ty gets your seal of approval?"

Diego looked at him and shrugged, "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, it's really none of my business."

Zach thought about that for a moment before saying, "For the business, you're right, but he'll likely be around a lot as my cousin and friend, and it's your home too so you do get some say in who comes over on a consistent basis."

Diego considered that. "Nadya seemed to love him," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to upset you with the teasing when he first came over. I thought I was being funny and it wasn't until later that I figured out how uncomfortable I must be making everyone."

Zach looked down at the ground, his lips pursed together in thought. "I can see how Ty is a good looking man, with a good career and very capable. You know, Zayne used to make this joke all the time that he was the discount twin and that if someone wanted the whole package, they should date me. I'm beginning to see, though, that it was far from a joke."

Diego paled. "I definitely wasn't intending to make you feel like that," he said apologetically.

Zach shook his head at that. "I know it wasn't your intention. I used to be so confident in myself. I'm good looking, capable, intelligent, and good in bed. Now, though..." He paused here and held up his hands to observe the slight tremor there. "I'm seeing more flaws than I am strengths. I don't know why, sometimes, you want to be with me rather than someone else who can pull their own weight. The teasing is okay, but I'm still feeling a little...inferior to Ty right now. That's not his fault, of course. It's just the truth."

"Well, the teasing may be okay, but in retrospect I was being way too flirty. I could tell when I started paying attention that it even made Ty uncomfortable. I took it too far and I'm sorry," Diego said, taking Zach's hands in his own. "As far as your supposed weaknesses, I don't see any. I see you as a wonderful and capable person who is learning about limiting himself."

Zach used his thumb to caress the skin on Diego's hand. "I'm not good at that, honestly. I've never had to before, so trying to figure out what my limitations are seems to be trial and error, with a lot of errors."

"Most people have a lot of errors, in the beginning of any new experience," Diego said.

"Did you?" Zach asked, finally looking up at Diego. "When you first got injured?"

"Oh yeah!" Diego admitted. "I spent a while in a coma. Passed out on the front lines and woke up at home in a hospital. Walking again, when it finally came to time to do that, was very frustrating."

"Sometimes I wish my issues could have been more like yours or Zayne's," Zach admitted to him. "Quick and giving a baseline after for what it's going to be like at its worst. I hate waiting to see how bad it's going to get and not knowing."

Diego seemed to have a thought strike him. "With all of this going on with you, is there any chance that Zayne could also have the same condition?"

Zach shook his head. "They've done MRIs for him as well, all through his spine for the breaks, and his head for the migraines. No lesions. His doctor says sometimes family members can get different types of autoimmune illnesses. So, whereas I have MS, he could end up only having eczema or something like that. I found some articles that link the development of MS to mononucleosis too, which Zayne never caught. I went and stayed at our parent's home and only let them leave food outside the door because I didn't want anyone else getting it because I was in hell."

Then Zach looked at him again, his silver eyes shining though it wasn't in happiness. "Zayne read some articles where men were far more likely to leave their sick partners than women were. I didn't want to add to his worries about ever getting married and being happy with someone; even if mono can get better, his case was more complicated. But now that statistic is rattling around my brain."

Diego, his eyes shining as well with unshed tears, asked, "Because of me?"

"Because I don't want to lose you," Zach corrected him. "The only person that could surpass you in importance is Nadya, but imagining my life without you...her life without you..."

Diego hugged Zach fiercely, his body wracked with sobs as he finally let loose the dam that was holding back all of the emotions he had denied over the past months between the kidnapping and being worried about Zach's well-being and thinking he had lost him because of a stupid flirtation. Zach wrapped his arms around Diego and held him close, running his hand on Diego's back soothingly while he told Diego it was okay.

"I love you," Zach affirmed quietly to Diego.

"I love you too," Diego said, just as quietly.

Zach pulled back just enough so he could look at Diego, caressing his cheek and jaw with the back of his fingers before he kissed him. Diego kissed him back, thrilled beyond his wildest imaginings that this was happening. Zach laid down on the bed while they continued kissing, forcing Diego to follow along and get on top of him to continue the kiss. Diego, always up for a challenge, followed and straddled Zach's midsection. Zach laid his arms up and to the side in almost a look of surrender, as if showing submission to Diego in that moment. It was something he almost never did, as even when he bottomed, he seemed to be in charge.

Diego smiled wickedly and set to work teasing Zach with his lips, tongue, and teeth while undressing him slowly. Zach was incredibly responsive to every touch from Diego, arching into him and moaning softly. Zach only let his fingers trail along Diego's arms and in his hair, letting Diego keep control of everything.

Diego was slow and meticulous about teasing every ounce of pleasure he could out of all of Zach's erogenous zones, whether through gentle trailing of fingertips or scratches; licks, kisses, or nibbles. As he worked, he could feel Zach's cock engorging and throbbing in his tight jeans, aching to be let out.

Zach let out a groan when it was finally freed and slapped his abs. It was leaking precum already and the head was red and waiting for attention. Diego looked down at it and then licked his lips while making eye contact with Zach. He then grinned wickedly and deliberately did not touch it for the next several minutes while checking Zach's legs for more erogenous zones. He particularly seemed to like it when Diego licked the backs of his knees.

Zach cried out in pleasure while Diego licked and sucked behind his knees, unable to keep the sounds in. Diego finally worked his way up Zach's inner thighs, alternating between them with kisses and bites until he reached his lover's balls.