[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 308: Between Laughter and Love

~Zayn’s POV~

He stopped and dramatically shouted, "I’m not in pain! Because I’m not single anymore, thank you very much!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Wow! Dean! Tell me, now!"

"Let me kiss your cheeks, and I will tell you," he demanded, leaning in with a mock pout.

Nantam, who had been listening to the exchange, wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Eww!"

"Deal!" I said, laughing and offering my cheek to Dean for a quick kiss. "Now, spill everything."

He was about to launch into the details when Evric stepped out of the bedroom. "Babe," he called out softly.

"Yes," I answered, watching him walk toward the living room. He stopped and greeted my friends with his usual reserved, polite charm.

He then came straight to me and whispered, "I’m hungry."

I quickly pulled away. "That’s true! I forgot, I’m sorry, babe. I’ll quickly prepare something for you."

"No, it’s okay," he cut in smoothly. "I already placed an order; it should be here soon. I don’t want to disturb you and your friends."

I looked up at him, wrapped my hand around his waist, and said sincerely, "Thank you."

He leaned down and whispered, "I should get a reward, right?" I immediately kissed him, a soft, appreciative peck.

He leaned in further, his breath warm against my ear, and whispered, "I want four rounds tonight. Sex all night."

I tapped his chest lightly. Babe."

"What do you say?" he asked.

"No, four is too much. Two is enough."

"Two, okay," he conceded quickly, his eyes twinkling. I nodded my agreement. "Now, kiss him," he instructed.

I pulled him close for another proper kiss. As I complied, I could hear Dean teasing us loudly from the sofa. "Why is it so hot in here all of a sudden? Is the air conditioning not working, Nantam?"

Nantam provided a deadpan answer. "Maybe the AC isn’t working."

Nicki just sat quietly at the dining table, pressing his phone, which was the best outcome, as his comments were rarely kind.

Just then, Evric leaned in, brushed a gentle kiss against my lips, and murmured, "Go spend time with your friends."

I went to sit with Dean and Nantam on the sofa. I noticed Evric didn’t join us; instead, he walked over and sat down at the dining table, right across from Nicki.

I watched Nicki. He’d been absorbed in his phone, but the moment Evric sat down, he glanced up. A tiny smile flickered on his face, only to vanish instantly the second his eyes landed on Evric.

I was focused on the conversation with my friends, but my attention kept drifting to the two of them. Evric leaned forward and asked Nicki what was so funny on his phone. Nicki spoke, but I couldn’t hear the words clearly. He simply handed his phone over to Evric, who looked at it and then smiled slightly, too. They were having a quiet, focused conversation.

Nantam stood up to receive a call in the hallway. That’s when Dean noticed I was staring at Evric and Nicki.

"Are you jealous, or just curious about what they’re talking about?" Dean asked with a grin.

I smiled. "None of the above. I just sometimes think maybe if I didn’t..."

Dean cut me off quickly, his tone serious. "Shh! Don’t say it loud. Nicki might hear that and actually distance himself."

He lowered his voice. "Nicki already said that even if you hadn’t dated Evric, the two of them still wouldn’t have ended up together. Their relationship was toxic. And besides, they were really young when they dated."

"You know he’s tough. None of this gets to him," Dean said.

"Yes, he looks unbothered because he refuses to show anything," I said softly. "On the outside, Nicki seems tough, stronger than Nantam, even. But that’s just the shell he presents to people. Underneath, he’s the gentlest one, the one who feels everything the deepest. He just hides it so no one sees how fragile he really is."

I sighed. "I just hope he finds someone who truly cherishes him, someone who can see past that hard exterior and bring out the best version of him. Nicki is actually an amazing person... if you get to him before he opens his mouth."

Dean smiled reassuringly. "He would surely find his better match."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Evric stood up to retrieve the food order and placed it on the dining table. I told Dean and Nantam, "We should eat."

We all sat down at the dining table, and I served everyone. As we ate, I eagerly shared my big news with my friends.

"Hey everyone."

They all raised their heads, fork in mid-air.

"I just want to let you know that I have met my son," I announced, unable to contain my pride.

"Really?" Nantam and Dean chorused.

"What’s his name?" Nicki asked, his voice neutral.

"Liam," I replied.

"Wow, that’s good news!" Nantam and Dean cheered.

"I have to tell you," I gushed. "Liam is so cute, gentle, just like me. And one more thing: Liam loves Evric so much."

Dean smiled. "Look how happy you sound!"

"Yes, I’m very happy," I confirmed. I showed them Liam’s personal picture, then a picture of Evric and Liam together, before finally showing them a picture of Liam and me.

"Evric and Liam are cute," Nantam observed.

Dean added, "He looks so fine... more than you!"

Evric, who was listening intently, immediately defended me. "Liam is cute, but my baby is the cutest."

I beamed, feeling incredibly proud and loved.

"We know, okay," Dean laughed, and Nantam just smiled knowingly.

Nicki, surprisingly, offered a genuine word. "Congratulations, bro, on meeting your son."

"Thank you," I replied sincerely.

After we finished dinner, Nicki got a call and said he would be leaving first. He leaned toward Evric and whispered something in his ear, and Evric just kept nodding.

When Nicki finally stood up to go, Evric looked at him and said, "Good luck."

Nicki gave Evric’s shoulder a light pat, then leaned in to kiss Nantam’s cheek. "See you tomorrow," he said, before bidding goodnight to Dean and me and walking out.

After Nicki left, Evric went inside. I had a casual conversation with Dean and Nantam for a while longer before we both said our goodnights, and they left.

The moment the front door closed, I hurried into the bedroom. Evric was already in bed, scrolling on his phone. When he saw me, he immediately dropped the device, his attention solely focused on me.

He opened his arms wide. "Come here," he said softly. I walked quickly and wrapped myself around his chest, hugging him tightly, breathing in his comforting scent.

Evric sniffed my hair and pressed a warm kiss there.

"Daddy," I murmured into his skin.

"Yes, love," he answered, his voice a deep rumble.

"What..." I paused, finding the right words.

Evric finished the sentence for me, a slight smile curving his lips. "What conversation was I having with Nicki?"

I looked up, nodding sheepishly. "Yes."

"I know how my baby thinks," he said, and kissed me softly.

After the kiss, Evric explained, "Nicki was actually telling me about his boyfriend. He said he managed to stop doing drugs, but he still smokes."

He continued...