After everything was finally sorted out, the boys decided to stay at the beach house for the day. Tim headed to the kitchen to start preparing a large meal for everyone. Al and Willy followed him inside to help with the cooking, leaving the other couples alone in the living room to talk through their own issues. As it turned out, Al was an even worse cook than Willy, so they quickly gave him an incredibly easy job just to keep him out of trouble.
Willy washed some vegetables, glancing out toward the living room. "Do you think they'll work everything out? They had such a massive fight yesterday."
Tim smiled gently, stirring a pot on the stove. "I think everything will be fine. They love each other, and when people share that kind of love, they can get through anything."
Hearing those words, Willy felt a warm rush of comfort. Since Tim was busy with his hands full, he nodded toward his jacket pocket. "Willy, please check who is calling me. Just answer it and put it on speaker."
Willy immediately pulled out Tim's phone. When his eyes hit the screen, he froze in total surprise. The caller ID was saved as "Extortionist." Wondering who on earth this could be, he quickly swiped to answer and switched the phone to speaker mode.
A cheerful girl's voice instantly echoed through the kitchen. "Hey, my handsome hubby! Make sure you don't miss me or our children too much!"
Al, who was carrying a stack of plates, completely dropped one. It shattered loudly against the floor. He stared at Willy with wide, shocked eyes, but Willy didn't react with anger or jealousy at all.
Tim didn't even look up from his cooking, sighing with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "What do you want from me now, Nora? I didn't miss you at all."
"You're still as cold-hearted as ever," Nora pouted over the line. "Why do you always assume I want something from you every time I call?"
Tim chuckled dryly. "Because I don't have much time right now. Just tell me what you want, and I'll buy it for you."
There was a brief, playful silence on the other end of the line.
Tim pressed on, "Nora, seriously, I'm busy. I know you want something."
Nora giggled, finally giving in. "Okay, fine! My friends and I are going to a concert... Can we stay at your hotel? Oh, and can you lend me your car too? Please, please, please?"
Tim smiled, knowing her all too well. She truly never called him unless she needed a favor. "When are you going? How many days will you be staying? Just text me all the details briefly, and I will arrange everything for you. As for the car, you can take whichever one you want from the garage, but drive it carefully."
Nora squealed with joy through the speaker. "You are absolutely the best! That's why I love you the most!"
"Don't let your father hear you say that, or he'll kill me," Tim warned with a laugh. "And please stop calling me your husband, or I won't do another favor for you again."
"But you are my husband," Nora teased, pretending to whine. "When we were kids, you never complained when you had to play the role of my husband. What am I supposed to tell our children now?" She even made a fake sniffing sound as if wiping away tears.
Tim shook his head, amused. "Your memory is terrible. Back then, I wouldn't even talk to you. I used to sit by myself in the corner while you would storm over with your toys and force me to play next to you."
"There's absolutely no point in arguing with you," Nora laughed. "Okay, I won't call you that anymore. I have to run now, otherwise I'm going to be late for my university classes."
"Bye, Nora. Call me if you need anything else."
Nora said goodbye and hung up the phone.
Willy smiled, looking at Tim. "Nora seems so incredibly cheerful. Are the rest of your childhood friends like that too? I don't think we'll ever be bored around them. I really want to meet them."
Tim's eyes softened. "Nora is the youngest among us. I guess that's why she's the funniest one in our circle."
Al, who was busy picking up the broken pieces of the plate from the floor, looked up, completely baffled. "Wait, Willy, why weren't you surprised when she called Tim her husband? I was practically having a heart attack over here!"
Willy smiled knowingly. He already had plenty of personal experience with Tim's strange contacts. He had once gotten terribly jealous of Tim's grandmother because her number was saved as "Queen," and he hadn't known who she was.
Willy giggled. "Let's just say I learned my lesson the hard way. Tim, do you have everyone's number saved in such an odd way?"
Tim looked at him, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Yes, I do. Are you curious about how I saved your number, Willy?"
Now that Tim mentioned it, Willy's curiosity was instantly piqued. He opened Tim's contact list and scrolled until he found his own name. But instead of words, the contact just read: "4224." Willy stared at the screen, totally confused. "Numbers? Why? I have absolutely no idea what this means."
Tim walked over, closing the distance between them. He leaned down and whispered softly into Willy's ear, "Love of my life."
Willy's face flushed a deep crimson, his heart skipping a beat.
Al let out a low whistle from the floor. "Man, you are incredibly lucky Miles didn't hear that whisper, or a second round of fighting would have started right here in the kitchen."
They really were lucky. Miles still didn't trust Tim at all, and if he had caught that intensely romantic moment, he probably would have dragged Willy out of the house without giving anyone a chance to explain.
After dinner, Willy, Tim, and Miles walked out onto the beach together to have a serious talk.
Miles looked at his younger brother, his expression softened by concern. "Willy, you haven't been back to the main house since you had that massive fight with mom and dad. They are really worried about you. They want to invite both you and Tim to dinner this coming Saturday."
Willy swallowed hard. He really didn't want to go back to that tense environment, but he realized that this time, he wouldn't be standing alone. Tim would be right there by his side, anchoring him. He felt so much stronger now because of his husband.
Willy nodded resolutely. "Okay, we'll come to the house on Saturday evening. But we are going to stay right here at the beach until Friday. We really need to take a complete break from all the chaos for a while."
Tim added calmly, "I've actually been waiting to speak with your parents for a long time, Miles. I think we will have quite a lot of things to talk about."
Miles sighed, nodding in agreement. "Alright. The rest of us will head back to the city tomorrow morning because we have a ton of work waiting for us. We'll see you both on Saturday."
With the tension finally leaving his shoulders, Miles headed back inside to join the others, leaving Tim and Willy completely alone on the shore. Since night had fallen, the autumn air was biting and cold, the wind blowing hard against their jackets. Despite the chill, they sat down side by side on the sand, tilting their heads up to watch the brilliant stars.
Willy smiled, looking up at the dark sky. "Tim, do you believe that if a shooting star falls and you make a wish, it will actually come true?"
Tim wrapped his arm around Willy's shoulders, pulling him close to shield him from the wind. "I believe that a person has to work incredibly hard to make their dreams a reality... but I also believe you should grasp every single opportunity that comes your way. So, if your heart wants it, go ahead and make a wish."
Just then, a bright star streaked across the night sky. In unison, they both closed their eyes, making a silent wish in their hearts.
"I wish we could be together forever and fulfill every single one of our dreams side by side," Willy wished fervently.
"I wish for your absolute happiness, Willy. Your presence completely lights up my dark world. You have thawed my frozen life, and slowly, the flowers are finally starting to bloom. I only want to be with you for the rest of my days, nothing else," Tim wished silently.
They stayed out on the beach for a little while longer, enjoying the sound of the ocean. But since the cold wind was growing sharper, they soon stood up and headed back inside to join their friends.
Everyone inside was completely exhausted from the intense emotional trials of the past few days. If the weather had been warm and sunny, they would have been able to run around and have fun on the beach, but with the cold autumn storm outside, they were completely stuck indoors.
Ethan groaned, slouched over a chair. "Shouldn't we play some kind of game? I know we're all tired, but it's getting incredibly boring just sitting here in silence."
Willy offered an apologetic smile. "Unfortunately, there really isn't much to do in this house. Tim bought some basic necessities for us today, but we completely forgot to think about entertainment."
Miles looked around the rustic living room, turning to Tim. "Wait, Tim, haven't you lived here in this house before?"
Tim shook his head. "No, this is not my house."
Miles frowned, confused. "Then whose house is it?"
Willy smiled proudly, answering for him. "It's actually my house. Tim's grandparents gave the deed to me the very first time I met them. Yesterday was the first time we ever actually stepped foot inside the place, which is why it's so empty."
The room fell into a shocked silence. Al and Miles stared at them with wide eyes. Who on earth hands over a beautiful beach house to their grandson's boyfriend the very first time they meet him?
Al shook his head in disbelief, looking at Tim. "Man, don't you have another friend who has amazing grandparents like that? Introduce me!"
Tim smirked, leaning back against the couch. "I do have one friend, but I am absolutely never introducing you to her. Why are you trying to date every single one of my friends, Al?"
Miles scoffed playfully from across the room. "Hey, you can't say that about our group, Tim. Logan was my boyfriend first before he ever became your friend."
Suddenly, Tim felt his phone vibrate violently in his pocket. He pulled it out, his expression instantly turning serious as his eyes scanned the text message.
It was from his team leader:
"S.O.S.
We need immediate backup. You know exactly what we are facing. Call us right now."
Tim didn't waste a single second. He stood up abruptly and dialed a secure line, his voice cutting through the room with absolute authority.
"Get ready!" Tim ordered the moment the line opened. "You have to execute the mission without me, so use extreme caution. I won't be able to arrive at your coordinates in time. Double-check every single variable and leave absolutely nothing behind. If you hit an obstacle, send me an immediate text message. The moment you are clear, let me know how it went. Evan, please take care of the rest of the crew."
Evan's calm voice filtered through the speaker. "Don't worry, boss. I'll watch over them. We'll all make it back safely."
Tim's jaw clenched, his knuckles turning white around the phone. "I'll warn the backup units right now so everything will be primed on their end. Do you know exactly what to do?"
Evan let out a soft chuckle, trying to ease the tension. "You're acting like an anxious father, Tim. This isn't our first high-stakes operation. I know you're incredibly nervous right now because you aren't physically here to anchor us, but I promise you, I will handle everything flawlessly."
"Okay," Tim murmured, his voice tight. "Move out, and keep me updated on every single thing that happens."
He ended the call, a deep wave of anxiety washing over his features. He was incredibly worried because he wasn't physically standing by their side tonight. If he were out there in the field with his people, he would be much calmer because he could actively shield them from danger. But right now, he was isolated far away at the beach house, and if they needed his immediate protection, his hands were completely tied.
Willy walked over, putting a gentle, comforting hand on his arm. "Tim... what on earth is going on?"
Tim looked at him, his eyes filled with stress. "I am sorry, love, but I have to make a few more urgent calls first. It's incredibly important."
Without waiting, Tim stepped back out onto the cold porch, dialing one number after another. Watching him through the window, he looked intensely nervous. It seemed as though there was a never-ending cycle of danger in his life; it was completely impossible for him to enjoy a single day of absolute peace.
It felt like a pattern now whenever they managed to find a quiet moment together, Tim was either forced to vanish somewhere or his phone would explode with emergency alerts. The boys were slowly growing used to the chaos, but the fear of the unknown always lingered in the air. Willy couldn't help but wonder if it was the fault of their very circle; it seemed that whenever all seven of them gathered in one place, that was the exact moment something dangerous chose to strike.
After a tense twenty minutes, Tim finally pushed the front door open and walked back into the living room. The heavy tension in his shoulders had lessened slightly, looking as though he had managed to sort out the immediate crisis from a distance.
Tim offered a deeply apologetic look to the room. "I am truly sorry, guys. I know that was incredibly unexpected and disruptive, but it was an urgent matter that required my immediate attention."
Ethan leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "Did something dangerous happen at the bar again, Tim?"
Tim shook his head in immediate denial, his lips pressing into a grim, silent line.
Willy watched him closely, his heart beating fast. If it had been a simple issue at the bar, it wouldn't have required so many frantic, high-security calls to his crew. What on earth had just happened out there in the dark?