Turned him gay

Jack held Liam’s gaze for a long moment before suddenly smiling. He raised a hand and gently caressed the back of Liam’s neck.

“I was worried you’d think I was getting too handsy so soon after we got back together. Besides, I can’t stay tonight.”

“Not at all. I’m clearly the one trying to take advantage of you, Jack.”

Liam finished with a playful smile and leaned forward to bite Jack’s lip lightly. His voice trembled a little as he spoke.

“It’s fine if you can’t stay. But at least give me something first… Jack, I’ve missed you so much.”

Two lifetimes’ worth of pain couldn’t be soothed by a few words or a single hug.

Noticing Liam’s uneasiness, Jack kissed his cheek and asked, “Want a drink?”

Liam chuckled softly.

“No need. Earlier, I wanted to work up the courage with alcohol before asking you for money, but I don’t need to anymore. Even without it, I’ll still lose my head around you.”

Although their long separation had made things awkward at first, they were gradually falling back into their old rhythm.

“Mhm.”

Their foreheads touching, Jack held Liam close and warned him, “Liam, now that you’re back, stay with me properly. If you run away again, I’ll break your legs and lock you up!”

Liam snorted.

“I won’t run. In this lifetime, I’ll cling to you until I die.”

“Good.”

Satisfied, Jack gently kissed Liam’s ring finger. He was already thinking about buying him a ring and making it clear to everyone that Liam belonged to him.

Now that their mission was over, they could even make their relationship official.

What was the point of being together for so long without getting married? It would be nothing but leading each other on.

……

Jack didn’t leave until Liam had fallen asleep. He left the car and keys behind and informed the hotel staff before heading home.

It was past two in the morning when he finally arrived. Kai was still awake, slouched on the couch and watching TV through a haze of cigarette smoke. He glanced at Jack with a probing look.

“Where’d you go tonight, Jack?”

“You’re still up this late? You should cut down on the cigarettes while you’re young.”

Jack didn’t answer. Instead, he switched on another air purifier. Kai had practically filled the entire apartment with cigarette smoke over the past few months.

Thankfully, Jack had strictly forbidden him from entering his bedroom. Otherwise, Liam would have thrown a fit if he’d come over and smelled the place.

“I waited up for you. Even though the mission’s over, I still get worried when you’re out this late, you know?”

Kai stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. After studying Jack for a moment, his expression changed.

“That hotel shampoo smell… You’ve just come back from a hotel, haven’t you?”

Jack sat down opposite him.

“You drink and smoke so much, yet your nose is still sharp. You undercover cops really are something else.”

“Jack.”

Kai stared straight at him and asked again, “Where did you go?”

Jack frowned.

“You’ve already figured it out, haven’t you? A hotel. I’ve just finished a mission, so I’m entitled to unwind.”

Kai pursed his lips, his voice tinged with jealousy.

“With that mate of yours from back home?”

His instincts as a police officer were kicking in again.

“……”

Jack remained silent. He didn’t like people prying into his private life, especially someone like Kai. He certainly had no intention of telling him about Liam unless necessary.

But since Kai had already guessed, there was no point denying it.

Besides, Jack was in an excellent mood after getting back together with Liam.

Kai knew he’d guessed correctly, and for some reason, it made him even more irritated. Unable to help himself, he lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and complained.

“Liam, right? You’ve been acting strange ever since you saw him today. I thought you two had some history, but it turns out you’re still involved. Though, from the way he reacted to me, he didn’t exactly seem like your wife. Is he just someone you’re seeing on the side?”

Liam’s reaction had been far too natural. Even with Kai’s sharp eyes, he hadn’t detected the slightest hint that anything was unusual.

Jack immediately denied it.

“We never broke up. He was just playing along for the operation. He’s my partner, and I don’t keep anyone on the side.”

If Jack were the sort of person who kept side pieces, he wouldn’t have spent all these years pining for that little troublemaker.

Kai seemed to understand, but then he remembered something.

“But Hannah Walsh told me you had someone you could never forget. Someone who left you grieving like a widower. She said you still couldn’t let go, even after all this time.”

Jack nodded.

“Yeah. My ‘late’ husband came back to life.”

He’d even updated his personal records to say he was married earlier that day. Now, let’s see who had the last laugh!

“Huh?”

Kai stared at him in shock. It took him a moment to understand.

“So that’s what happened… It’s him, then. I was wondering…”

He gave Jack a complicated look before speaking again.

“Jack, I like you. You probably already know that. But during the mission, we both had roles to play. Now that it’s over… do I still have a chance?”

Liam’s most striking feature was his eyes. They always seemed to hold a smile, and his gentle gaze made him look like someone who could charm anyone without even trying.

He really did seem like the carefree sort who could lead someone on without giving it a second thought.

Who would have imagined that Jack would fall for someone like him?

He was completely done for.

When Hannah Walsh had been talking earlier, Jack had already guessed that Kai might confess his feelings. He wasn’t surprised, nor did he show much emotion.

Meeting Kai’s gaze steadily, he answered seriously.

“Kai, we’re teammates. If a person only gets one real chance at love in their life, then my heart is already taken. Honestly, I’m not interested in men at all. Except for him. No one else could ever change that.”

Had Liam turned him gay?

Of course not. Something like that only worked when both people felt the same way. Jack had simply always been the more passive one in their relationship.

When Liam pursued him, he couldn’t resist.

When that brat dumped him, he could do nothing about it.

And now that the little troublemaker had returned, Jack couldn’t even stay angry. The moment Liam shed a tear, all Jack wanted to do was kiss him, hold him close, and spoil him endlessly.

It was practically an instinct, one he had reserved for Liam alone.

Kai watched him quietly for a moment before suddenly laughing.

“Alright, I get it. It’s been a pleasure working with you. And congratulations on getting back together.”

“Thanks. The feeling’s mutual.”

Jack nodded, picked up the remote, and turned off the TV before heading to his room.

Lying in bed, he found himself unable to sleep. He took out his phone and scrolled through his messages with Liam. There weren’t many, but he couldn’t stop rereading them.

The next day, Jack and Kai headed north.

Meanwhile, Liam was left aching all over. He stayed in the hotel room and went on a massive online shopping spree, carefully arranging his deliveries around Jack’s schedule.

To be safe, he split his orders into two groups. Half would be sent to parcel lockers near his new apartment using Jack’s phone number. The rest would be delivered directly to him under his own number.

He also made sure to order from delivery services operating well away from the neighbourhood.

It wasn’t until sunset that he finally went out to check the nearby supermarkets.

There was far too much to buy, both online and in person. Visiting the same shops too often would only attract unwanted attention.

When the apocalypse arrived, delivery drivers would probably suffer some of the highest casualty rates because they were constantly on the move. Still, there was no harm in being cautious.

Survival came down to one thing: outlasting everyone else.

He had to stay alive until the very end.

He also bought several high capacity external hard drives and tablets. He downloaded countless movies, variety shows, survival guides covering every aspect of daily life, and even manuals specifically about preparing for an apocalypse.

Many official disaster survival guides included advice for the worst possible scenarios.

Having already lived through the apocalypse once, Liam combined his own experience with information from his research to prepare as thoroughly as possible.

There was no end to the things he needed to buy. It was simply impossible to get everything done at once.

Spending his boyfriend’s money and driving his boyfriend’s car, Liam had to admit that being spoiled by Jack felt wonderful!

Since he’d given a spare key to the renovation crew the day before, he didn’t need to visit the apartment for the next three days. He could return on the third day to inspect the work and pay the remaining balance.

The three days passed quickly.

On the evening of August 18, Liam inspected the reinforced doors and windows of his new apartment. Once he confirmed that everything met his requirements, he paid the remaining balance and even covered the workers’ taxi fares.

After that, he paid a locksmith from several dozen kilometres away a generous f*e to install a top quality deadbolt.

In Liam’s opinion, mechanical locks were the most reliable!

With everything finally settled, he began stockpiling supplies on August 19.

He bought goods from supermarkets while receiving online deliveries, driving around nonstop in Jack’s Hummer.

Sometimes, when he purchased large quantities from bigger stores, he arranged for the goods to be dropped off near the basement elevator entrance. As long as he kept a low profile, nobody would pay much attention.

Meanwhile, far away in the north, Jack stared thoughtfully at the bank notifications showing Liam’s spending and the tracking records for his car.

Apart from supermarkets, shopping centres, and delivery depots, Liam had also visited pharmacies and farmers’ markets.

He was definitely buying things, and judging by the range of places he visited, he was purchasing all sorts of supplies.

The pattern continued over the following days.

Jack guessed that Liam was buying as much as he could physically carry each day. Once he grew too tired to continue, he would stop and resume the next morning.

Jack wasn’t worried about the money. In fact, he transferred another A$500,000 from a different bank account to make sure Liam had enough.

Supermarket goods weren’t cheap, after all. It would be embarrassing if Liam’s payment got declined because he’d spent too much.

What Jack couldn’t figure out was what Liam intended to do with everything he was buying.

According to the car’s tracking records, Liam hadn’t visited any luxury shops. Yet he was purchasing so many everyday items that he could practically stock an entire convenience store.

By August 22, Jack could no longer contain his curiosity.

He called Hannah Walsh, the person he trusted most, and asked her to discreetly check on Liam.