#fun fact: my dad wasn’t happy when we first got her…he built her a crib the same day

[lovenergy]

it’s my dog’s birthday. everyone wish her a happy birthday rn ‼️

[mayraki]

“The baby is crying!”

jj x reader

not my gif! credits to the owner.

summary: y/n sneaks jj into her house at night. but it looks like her baby brother gains his protective brother instincts way too early.

fun fact: I got this idea while I was playing the sims 4 and this exact thing happened to my sim😂

MASTERLIST

Surprises are supposed to be fun, right? Well, that’s what you thought. Until your dad with his new wife, Jess, told you they were going to have a baby. You were happy, of course, but having a baby brother at your age wasn’t something that you ever expected. And because your dad and your stepmom had full times jobs, your part time job became helping around the house and with your baby brother once he was born.

That took away a lot of your free time. Since you already had a part time job, working as waitress, now you didn’t had time for yourself. And that also included, time for your boyfriend, JJ. Yes, you saw him when you were hanging out with the rest of the Pogues. But that was less that an hour, since you had to be on your house and help with dinner. So, you barely saw each other. And, also, no time for what two hormonal teenagers want to do. Going to doing it almost every day, to not doing at all, had you two going wild. Sleeping over to John B’s house wasn’t an option, since your dad probably wouldn’t like the idea of her daughter sleeping with her boyfriend, so you never asked and you saved yourself from asking that awkward question.

You were not the type to do bad things, unless it was with the other Pogues. Like, drinking beer, going on private properties and getting caught by the police, pranks, stupid things teenagers do and get in trouble. Never by yourself. So when the idea came into your head after a long day of work, your stomach turned at the idea of getting caught by your dad, and him killing JJ for what you where sneaking him in the first place, but you needed him. Real bad. And that gave you the courage to tell JJ your plan.

“Am I dreaming?” JJ asked with a smirk on his face. “Is the good girl going bad?”

“Don’t be stupid! I’m being serious.” You said giving him a playfully punch on the arm.

“So am I! I would never have guessed you as the type to sneak your boyfriend to your bedroom.”

You got closer to his face and looked at his lips, and then go up slowly to his eyes. You were extremely close to him. “You want to do this or not?”

“Yeah.” He nodded quickly and his voice cracked, you let out a little laugh and went to your prior position. He got surprised at your sudden action and he cleared his throat. “Tell me at what time and I’ll be there.”

“Well, my dad likes to go fishing at night and gets home after 3, but probably falls asleep at 4. And Jess gets up for her morning workout at 5.30.” You said trying to remember.

“Seems like someone did their homework.” JJ said with a smirk.

“Yeah I did, unless I wanted to get caught and my dad to kill you, I had to.” JJ let out a little laugh and then grabbed your cheek, pulling you closer to him and uniting his lips with yours.

“You’re so cute” he said softly and you bit your lower lip. You were about to kiss him again but the alarm on your phone started to ring.

“I have to go home” you said after turning it off. “Dinner.” JJ nodded. He walked you to the door and before you walked out of the house, you turned to him and wrapped your arms around his neck. “I’ll see you tonight, then?” He bit his lower lip and looked down at your lips.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world”

~

Your heart started to race faster once you heard your dad going to his bedroom after a night of fishing. You couldn’t sleep because your head was filled with thoughts and questions.

What if you two get caught? What then? Your dad wasn’t the biggest fan after he found out, accidentally, that you and JJ were sexually active. And he would like it less when it was under his roof, next to his room. You opened your eyes in panic when that thought came across your mind.

You heard a tiny sound coming from your window and you got up immediately. You moved the curtain and JJ was on the other side with a big smile. He winked at you once he saw you and you opened the window, letting him climbed over it.

“It’s been a minute since I’ve been in your room.” He whispered looking around.

“Yeah, well, since my dad found out about us two, he doesn’t like you been in here” you said shrugging your shoulders. You walked back to your window and closed it, so the wind wouldn’t move it and make noise.

A pair of hands were going around your waist and you let out a little smile.

“I’ve missed touching you.” He said softly and your heart melted. He started to leave gentle kisses on your neck and you turned your head to the other side so he would get more space. He moved his hand to your thigh and moved the thin piece of fabric that was your short up, while touching your skin with his fingers.

You turned around to face him and he quickly grabbed your waist, pulling you closer to him. You made your way to your bed without breaking the kiss with JJ. You sat down once your legs touched the end of your bed and JJ smiled enjoying the view of your face in the dark.

He got closer to you and gave another kiss on the side of your mouth, while your back was getting on the bed. You opened your legs letting him positioned himself between them and you smiled at him. You missed him. And you could tell he missed you two, since you noticed an already growing bulge on his pants.

He started kissing your neck and you bit your lower lip. You were enjoying his touch so much that you didn’t hear what was going on outside your room, until JJ stopped kissing your neck.

“Wait” you said quickly and moved your elbows to support your head up “the baby is crying!” You whispered loudly and JJ furrowed his eyebrows confused.

“So what?”

“What do you mean so what? Baby crying means parents awake!” You said and JJ moved his ear to the wall so he could hear better.

“I don’t hear anything from the other room, maybe they’re not awake yet”

“Oh, that’s good.” You said moving JJ from on top of you “if we stop the baby from crying they won’t wake up”

“We? I don’t know how to stop a baby from crying!” He got up with a panic expression.

“You have to help me, you’ll do the milk and I’ll move the baby away from my parents room so he doesn’t wake them up.”

“I don’t know how to make the milk good for the baby, what if I fucked up the babies growth? No. You’ll do the milk and I’ll grab him” He was going to open the door but you stopped him by putting your hand in his chest.

“To go for the baby’s room you have to go through my parents room.”

“What? Why would they do that?” He asked confused.

“Oh, I don’t know JJ. You want me to call the architect who built this house and ask him ‘hey dude, what the fuck?!” You said sarcastically making your hand the phone. “It’s better if I go, because, worst case scenario, they wake up, I can say that I was going to calm him down.” You said and after a couple of seconds JJ nodded. “I’ll teach you after a get the baby how to make the milk, don’t worry about it”

You got out from your room and JJ walked to the kitchen. You moved as quite as possible to your brother’s room. You walked to the baby’s crib and you took it on your arms, but he wasn’t calming down.

“Oh, you’re going to hear this when you’re older. And when you want to bring a girl over, I’ll be the one cockblocking you.” You said to the baby.

Fortunately, you were able to get him and not wake your dad and Jess. They were very heavy sleepers.

“Mission successful” you said once you walked into the kitchen.

“Hey little dude” JJ said walking to you and the baby in your arms. But then took a step backwards after the baby started to cry louder. “I think he doesn’t like me very much.”

You let out a little laugh. “C’mon, I’ll teach you how to make the milk.”

After telling JJ how to make the milk step by step, you grabbed the bottle and once it was on the baby’s mouth, he immediately stopped crying and you let out a little sigh in relief.

“We make a pretty good team” JJ said after wrapping his arms around your waist. You were both watching the baby and you let out a little smile.

“We do.” JJ gave you a kiss on the cheek and you sat down on the couch while the baby was finishing the milk. JJ sat down next to you and when he got his face closer to yours to give a little kiss, the baby made a noise with his mouth and you both looked at him.

“I think you’re dad is not the only one I have to be worried about being protective over you” JJ said and you let out a little laugh.

“Oh god” you said looking at the baby.

“Dude! He finished it all!” JJ whispered after you handed him the empty bottle. A little laugh came out of your mouth and you took your little brother back to his room after he was calmer and his eyes were shutting down.

“What time is it?” You asked JJ once you two entered your room once again.

“5.10” he said sitting down on your bed.

You sighed and then closed you eyes. “I have to be at work in two hours, and I haven’t slept yet.” You opened your eyes and JJ had a smirk on his face. “What?”

“Your stepmom doesn’t have to wake up in another 20 minutes.” He said an you started to walk closer to him.

“True”

“Plenty can happen in those minutes” he grabbed your thighs once you were in front of him.

“You think?” He nodded.

“And I’m pretty sure when she wakes up, she doesn’t come here into your room, does she?” You shook your head. “Oh, so, that tells me; that I can be here until your dad wakes up. Wich happens in what? Two hours?” You nodded biting your lower lip. “Right in time when you have to wake up.” His back touched your bed and you got on top of him, getting your face closer to his.

“You’re pretty good at making plans too.”

“If I want something, I’ll make whatever it takes to get it. And tonight, princess, I want you.”

[polygamyff]

50. Part 3

Arriving at the Davenport home, I am nervous to be honest. I mean this could go terribly wrong and Maurice hates me for it, but I am of course being careful, Joy does not mind speaking to me at all “is she asleep still?” getting out of the truck, Marquis wants Reign to be awake but that girl is done for the day she is knocked out “oh not yet, she is tired still” walking around the truck “I got her, I will get her out” Maurice said “come, get their stuff out!” Marquis shouted, waving at these people. I am guess these are the maids or housekeepers, I think but there is a few men here. “what you think?” Maurice said, seeing these Chihuahua’s running out “ugh, god. I hate these dogs” Maurice said, seeing the woman herself. Here she is “welcome Robyn, don’t you look good” I chuckled as I made my way towards her “thank you so much, are you wearing your Sunday best, for me?” hugging her, Joy gave me a squeeze “well it is a good day, it’s good to see you. See someone different faces here” moving back from the hug “same, your home already looks beautiful, I am amazed. I have never seen something so big” looking to the side of me and at Maurice “you have” he said, I scoffed hitting his arm “don’t be so rude” shaking my head, I am guess the rows of cars are Maurice’ “are they yours?” I pointed “yeah, don’t you remember the Porsche?” I grinned, letting out an oh “oh I do, you lied and told me it was your dad’ car, I do remember that. What a day that was, Oh god! Maurice, you had your snapback on and buying sandwich, you called me Bonita and you looked so scared, I remember it all pootie, I do” how can I forget any of that “who would have thought we would be here now, with a baby. We will have to go in the car again, take you around” smiling at him “you two lovebirds, so cute” Joy said, breaking my eyes away from Maurice’ glare “I love you” Maurice pressed a kiss to the top of my head, Joy placed her hand behind my back “come on in” Joy didn’t even say hi to Maurice like at all “hey sweetie!” Joy said finally “hey” Maurice replied back, very cold hi this is, I am sorry but my hi was much more loving “this is so excited, Reign’ first time here too. She will love it. Marquis went out and bought her some toys” going inside the home, it’s so grande “wow!” I said, it’s huge. Like there two huge stairs on either side going up “is that Maurice?” I pointed “that is him, awww. An actual family picture” as soon as you enter there is a family picture “yes, it’s Maurice, Malik and Nalah. When Maurice actually wanted to hold him. He was six here, as you can see from his tan he came back from Spain” look at Maurice’ smile, he wasn’t that grumpy then as a child.

This home is amazing, like I think our home in New York is huge but this, this is crazy and I haven’t even seen it all “so this is the main room we stay in, Maurice can show you the rest, I am sure he does but if you want to find us, here is the room.” Walking in behind Joy “oh my god” I was not expecting that “what do you think?” Marquis asked, he was already stood waiting for us “the picture” I pointed at the wall “its my family” I am shocked to see the picture of us in Dubai, the opening of the hotel “I asked Rich, he was there. He took this picture, look at us” that picture, wow “I am shocked, I mean I made it to your wall” I pointed “is my dad being crazy again” Maurice came up from behind me, he placed Reign’ car seat down “I mean, I don’t know” I didn’t want to say “and we have these” Marquis made his way to the open wood fire place “we have these little framed pictures of Reign-Texas” moving closer “oh wow, ok. That is cute but I think this room is not good enough for Reign, not in that way. But she could hurt herself easily, do you have another room where it’s less dangerous?” I mean the open fire, it’s not it “don’t tell my dad that, he will rip the whole place out” Maurice said laughing “you are right, I would but we can go to another room of course” Maurice shook his head “so now we’re going to have to change the room?” Maurice said laughing “oh be quiet son” Marquis walked by him.

I think this room will be best, it’s minimal “I bought Reign some toys, also a playset she can use” Marquis moved to the side, did this man just buy Reign toys, and a whole ass playset, these workers are having to bring it in “aww you got her a walker too, this is so sweet. She is so spoilt, thank you” I said, “are they good enough?” Marquis said “yes they are, Joy knows. She raised three children of her own” I added, Marquis nodded his head “you know what, so both of you can spend time with her. I am sure Joy knows what to do but spend some time with her, Maurice can show me around. What do you think?” I mean it gives me time with Maurice and them time with Reign “we would love that, if anything we can call Maurice. You can come back” Joy said “yeah do that, it’s her day with both so why not” Maurice grinned at me, either he is laughing, or he is just happy “in her bag, she has everything in there. Her tooth at the bottom is coming through so she will bite and chew on anything so just watch her. I have all her teething things, if she is grumpy then give her something to soothe the pain. Other then that, the toys will be keeping her company, she is going to love it. She will use anything to help her stand up so please make sure it’s safe for her to do but that is it, I think she will be ok” I might as well take a damn tour around the place and also Reign gets to spend time with the nutjob Marquis, I mean it’s nice of him to buy her gifts.

Everything is just huge, like it’s crazy “your dad has all of this for what? I am not being rude but there is nobody here?” I am confused, because right now I am stood in a fucking cinema, this just looks like a cinema to me, even outside it has a whole fucking popcorn maker with all sorts of candy and drinks “well like I told you, we lived somewhere else first, he built this for us. It was his dream home, not only that the home we had. I didn’t like, you know. All glass type of shit, yeah” he walked off, I remember Maurice telling me a story about that, he didn’t like that home much “but yeah, it’s his dream home. You can get lost here but I only remember the rooms I would go too so like, this room and also. You want to see the ballroom? The room we were supposed to get married in?” side eyeing Maurice “you ruined that” crossing my arms across my chest “but then we could have fixed the issues, just got married and done deal. Now this room had held billionaires. I have had many teachings of ballroom dance I have you know” laughing at Maurice because that shit does not shock me, I mean he is a rich boy “sure, how many ladies have danced with you?” this place is huge, and Maurice is walking so damn fast “oh my dad bought this painting in France. Cost him forty six thousand dollars, and it’s trash” these people don’t care for money at all “answer my question!” I half shouted “I feel like I am in a castle, it’s crazy” there is many paintings, it’s amazing “well my dad wanted the entrance to lead up to this” Maurice dragged open the doors to the room, he turned to me “and you are the only lady that matters, if you would like to hold my hand” Maurice said as he continued to walk backwards, holding onto his hand.

This room is beautiful “wow” that is all I am saying, this is just beautiful “may have I this dance?” looking down from staring at the detailed painting on the ceiling “uh yeah” I laughed smiling at him, he pressed a kiss to my hand “see, if we did got married. We would have been here, right about” he looked around him “mhmmm, here. This is where the dance would have happened” I am so amazed right now, I bit my lip and nodded slowly “I can’t dance like that, you know” Maurice put his hands on my waist “you have, remember at my birthday. You can do it, just let me take the lead but you can” placing my hands around his neck “now let’s imagine the music” Maurice began to sway and the sound of his humming with his eyes closed, I think it’s 1 +1. I tried to help along as well but I am not good at this, I will embrace the moment. Maurice opened his eyes laughing, laughing at my failed attempt at this. Placing his chin just on my head “relax” he said “it will happen” I closed my eyes and tried to throw away my worries and soon enough I was swaying to the music, my smile grew. Just as I was getting the hang of it, Maurice moved his hands. Moving my hands from around my neck and twirled me around “now that could have been us” he pulled me into him “I want more” he nuzzled the side my neck “soon, this is what you get. The things love does to you Bonita” he let me go, I am so in love with this man.

I really enjoyed that dance, I want that for my wedding, I am sad that I missed out on that but soon I will have that dance “so this is where I used invite all of my hoes, I used to get blowjobs here and everything” smacking his back “be quiet, open the damn door” he is stupid “I am joking, nothing much in this but honestly. I used to stay here the most, I did not want to stay with Noami and” Maurice pushed open the double doors “fun fact” Maurice turned to me “I have never invited her to stay here, she has never slept here either so you are the first, my one and only lady here” his room is pretty basic, you can tell he never stayed here at all “I just laid my head here and then left to do my thing” his bed looks so nice “looks like my dad got the crib in here already, that man does not wait at all” Maurice sat on the bed “who put the cases here?” I pointed at them “the housekeepers, it’s ok. So what do you think?” walking over to the side table “is this” picking up the photo “Mami” Maurice said “you and Paula? Hasn’t your mom ever seen this? I mean that is sad” look at my baby, he looked so happy “look at your no having teeth ass, so cute. She is holding you like she is her own, that is cute” placing the photo back down “who is this baby?” he has a random baby photo “oh erm, it’s Malik. He used to play about saying I loved him, he left it there and I never picked it up after that. But this is where we will sleep, I mean it’s big but pretty basic” it is a nice room but very minimal “you need to walk me back here because honestly I will forget where this place is” the home is just too big.

I cannot believe I am seeing horses; I am excited to see them in real life “you not see one in real life? Let me get them to bring her closer, she is my favourite” Maurice walked off, I am not about to walk any further because my heels are not made for this at all. This is so beautiful, Marquis has horses in the back, from what I can see he has three but the black one is majestic, and I want to see it up close. Maurice jogged back over to me “he will bring her over, do you know her name? I named her, she is called Tiki” crossing my arms across my chest “Tiki? Why? What a random name, god Maurice. She is beautiful, oh my god” I don’t care, I am stepping on the grass for this. She is the sweetest thing but huge “hey girl, Tiki!” ok I am scared, she is huge but Maurice did not care, he jumped right in hugging her “it’s me girl” I cooed out, she knows him “you can touch, she won’t bite. This is Robyn” she is so beautiful but I am scared a little, reaching my hand up and letting the back of my head slowly stroke her “you are so perfect” I said “you can ride her, if you want?” shaking my head, I am scared to do that “tomorrow, I will prep her. You will ride her, she is fine. Ain’t you girl” I am so amazed seeing this, things like this in Texas would make me want to settle here. I mean to wake up and see this, I could see it “hey, you two!” looking behind me seeing Joy “you want to come and have some tea?” looking at Maurice “you can go if you want, I am going to just see to the other horses, I will be with you” this is my chance to say something, well something “don’t be too long” walking off towards Joy “tea?” I said laughing “yes, Marquis likes his tea. Reign is awake, she was a little diamond, she woke up and whined a little but now she is playing her little heart out” least my daughter is happy “I wanted to ask Joy” I said as we made our way back into the home “did you sign a prenup?” I mean it’s a logical question “I did, that is something I had no choice in that is why Marquis doesn’t like that Maurice is not making you do it” letting out an oh, that is interesting and I can’t wait to hear more.

[tempist-flower]

Second Chances ch 3- Where We Are

At this point in my life, I hit the seven month mark. How did I know? My new parents had something planned for when I hit seven months. what it was I didn't know, but I don't think it was anything big. Other then the fact that I could crawl now, nothing eventful has happened at all. I still had no idea what time I was in, and I was still considered a bit of a fussy baby. I yearned for the day I could start being independent again. It seemed like such a far off dream at this point. One that would eventually come true, it was just taking a long ass time.

Currently it was early in the morning and I was being dressed for the day. Both my parents were wearing aprons and had thick pairs of gloves, the kind that you usually garden with. I think my new mom was finally going back to work part time again. One thing I did learn is that some of the plants grown here were collected and traded with other villages. Some of them were even used as the main ingredients in potions. Yes, potions. I actually thought they wouldn't really exist in this world but they do. I wonder if that means things like elixers and phoenix downs existed here too. I guess I would find out as I got older.

While my mom was dressing me, my dad was packing a diaper bag. Xander has already left for school, he probably left before I even got up. As soon as I was dressed both parents double and triple checked the diaper bag before picking me up.

"Are you sure you have everything?"my mom asked. "We don't want to leave them without enough to take care of her."

"Yes, I checked the bag. I think there's enough in this bag to last a week." my dad said. "You act like this is our first child all over again. Most become pros after the first kid you know."

"Oh hush you, there's nothing wrong with being prepared."

I toned out the rest of their conversation as they headed towards the door. If I had to guess, it sounded like I was going to a daycare or something similar. Hey that was something interesting I guess. So far my only trips outside have been to the neighbors, or to the small garden behind the house. As they walked I tried to take in more details. The village looked pretty simple, and much bigger then I thought. Several houses and streets stretched out a lot father then I could see. This place looked more like a small town then a tiny little village. We passed several houses and shops. Items, weapons, clothing, furniture, and several other things you would see back in my own world. The only difference was that some of the shops were built right into people's homes. Most of the houses we passed were small and only had one story. The shops were more obvious by having at least two stories.

As they walked I took in more and more of the surrounding around me. Many people were out working or just walking around shopping. There were few children walking around, some on their way to school it seemed. I wonder what that would be like? There were a handful of teenagers scattered here and there lazing about and enjoying the weather it seemed. It was a warm day out, I assume it's always warm here, or maybe I was born during winter and I just didn't know it. Does it snow here or is it warm year round? Judging by how most of the people here had some sort of tan I could assume it was the latter.

As fun as people watching was I could feel myself dozing off a bit as my parents walked. I lost track of how long or how far they've been walking but I assume it was at least a few blocks. Fighting to stay awake was becoming more and more of a struggle and I knew I would completely fall asleep soon. I hadn't even been awake a full two hours yet and here I was getting sleepy again.

At some point I believe they finally reached their destination as felt their steps finally stop. That was followed by knocking, and then I heard another voice talking to my parents. However I was too tired to properly pay attention to whoever my parents were passing me off to. Vaguely I remembered my mom kissing my forehead and my dad bidding me goodbye as I finally dozed off. I just hope they weren't abandoning me...

I'm assuming a few hours had passed before I next woke up to a new place. I knew this wasn't my house but it was decorated similarly. Maybe all the furniture was made the same. The only real difference I took notice of was the crib I was in. The sheets and toys in it were blue, as was most of the other things in the room. So wherever I was they had a baby boy somewhere. That baby definitely wasn't in the crib with me, I would have noticed another child in here. I didn't have much time to take in all my surroundings, mostly because they were so similar to mine at home, before I heard footsteps on the other side of the door.

A woman walked into the room and gave me a friendly smile when she saw I was awake. She looked to be no older then her late 20's, but she could have passed as younger. She had long black hair tied in a braid to her waist and blue eyes. She was wearing a simple dress shirt and a plain skirt with a half apron tied around her waist. In her hand was was a bag, I think it was my baby bag. She must be my baby sitter. Coming over to the crib she scooped me up and carried me over to what looked to be a changing table, cooing to me in that infuriating baby talk. I toned her out. She was nice don't get me wrong, but I've grown incredibly tired of hearing that baby talk. If my ears could bleed from it I'm sure they would. At least she didn't drown on like some others.

I tried not to pay attention as she changed my diaper, and ignored the taste of that disgusting mush she fed me. I wish they could make baby food taste better. I knew tit was the best I was going to get for a while, and once again dreamed for the day I could eat real food again. As soon as both embarrassing deeds were done, she picked me up again and carried me out of the room. As she walked I saw glances of photos in the hallway. Pictures of her and several other people, but the one that stood out was of a man who I could only believe to be her husband. She walked too fast for me to get a get a good look look at his picture, but since it looked like a wedding photo I think it was safe to say he was her husband.

We came out into what could only be the living room, and I immediately noticed the baby in the room. Well besides me of course.

They were playing on a large hand knit baby blanket on the floor. There were plenty of teething rings, and stuffed animals surrounding them. Currently they were playing with a stuffed chocobo and drooling all over it. I couldn't see his face because he faced away from me, but I knew this had to this lady's kid. Or maybe she was just babysitting him too. I could tell he had black hair that was sticking all over the place, and was wearing a blue onesie that had little chocobos all over it. I admit that was pretty cute. If I had a kid before I died, I'd definitely buy that for them.

The mystery lady walked over to the large blanket and gently set me down on it a few feet from the little boy. He was too focused on his current toy to notice me, and I didn't bother to make myself noticed. I had no idea how I was supposed to act in this situation. I was fine with just observing him for the time being, and did so for a few minutes. The baby finally left his current toy in search for something else, and that's when he rolled over and noticed I was also on his blanket. looked at me and I noticed he had the same blue eyes as the Mystery Lady. Maybe this was his mom after all. Up close he looked to be the same age as me, maybe give or take a couple of months. He almost looked confused to see me, like he's never seen another baby before. He probably never has.

I continued to stare at him as he stared at me, before he finally cracked a toothless smile and made a happy noise while crawling over to me. I didn't do anything as he tried to crawl towards me, I didn't know what to do. I could have been in this situation before but hell if I knew how a baby is supposed to react to certain things. The closer he got the more anxious I started to get and let out some type of noise. It must have been a bad noise because Mystery Lady sat down next to the two of us. She picked me up and pulled me into her lap away from the little boy's grabby, saliva covered hands.

As soon as I was in her lap he stopped in his advances towards me. Good, but now I had another problem. I didn't really like being held in general. I had gotten used to my new parents, but not with anyone else. I tried to struggle in her lap as much as a baby could struggle to be let go. As I struggled in her lap I started to cry which seemed to have a effect on the other baby in the room. After watching me struggle and hearing me cry he started to cry to. Expertly she rocked me in one arm to calm me down, and scooped up the little boy in her other arm. Mystery Lady rocked us both in her arms humming softly and soon enough she got us both to stop crying.

I had stopped crying sooner then he did, but he calmed down soon enough. Damn was she good. Gently she set us both down on the blanket with a smile on her face. Mystery Lady gently patted both of our heads before finally settling her gaze on the little boy.

"Oh Zack, don't worry sweetie, she's just a little scared." She said gently as he started heading towards me again."You'll be a good boy and be nice to Thorne won't you?"

That kid was really interested in me and I didn't like it. Why can't he-

Wait... did she say Zack?

[the-beastslayers-queen]

Magic and Moonlight: Chapter 14

Chapter 14 is here darlings! Tagging @queenofthearchitect @wwepoppunkprincess @balorrollinsambrose @bethany99stuff-blog @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk @sassyspacedust and @afauss2009 If you want to be tagged, hit my inbox. Enjoy!

Tonight I was dreamwalking. I was hoping to dreamwalk into Colby’s dream, and I really thought I did.

I was in a meadow, tall grass all around as I sat up on a boulder. I noticed that I wasn’t pregnant in the dream, making it seem pretty promising. But it was the man that approached me, that made me realize that I wasn’t in Colby’s dream.

The man wasn’t really a man, but a teenage boy, maybe nineteen-years-old at most. But this boy had Colby’s long hair, the wind blowing it out of his face. He had a very thin beard, like he was just starting to grow it. He had the same jawline as Colby too. But as he got closer, I saw he did not have the same nose or eyes as Colby. Instead I saw that he had my nose and my eyes. And seeing him up close I knew who was here with me.

It was my son. It was Tyler.

“Tyler,” I furrowed my brow at the boy, “This can’t be really happening right now.”

“Hi mom,” he smiled, just like his dad, and came to sit beside me on the boulder, “This is very real. But you’re not dreamwalking, I am.”

“But why,” I asked him.

“To tell you to not give up on Dad,” he replied, “Dad is so close to being back. It’s up to you to get him back the rest of the way. You already know the spell.”

I shot up awake from my dream only to find Colby on the edge of my bed. I stared at him, scared the hell out of my mind. Colby grabbed hold of my shoulders.

“Easy, Thea,” Colby stroked my hair calmingly, “It was just a dream, okay. You have to calm down for Tyler’s sake, okay.”

“I saw him, Colby,” I breathed, trying to catch my breath, “He was in my dream just now. I talked to him.”

“Well he is your son,” he chuckled a little, “He’s already using his magic. But did he have a lot to say?”

“Yeah,” I took a deep breath, “Just advice for me involving you.”

“Well it’s still early,” Colby got closer to me, “How about you try to get some more sleep and I’ll get my things settled for the weekend. I’ll bring you some breakfast later.”

When I woke up again, Colby was coming in with a tray of scrambled eggs, bacon, a mug of coffee, 2 forks, and a mug of tea. I smiled as I sat up, getting comfortable as Colby set the table over my lap.

“I brought us breakfast,” he greeted me, “I even fixed you some tea, just the way you like it.”

“Thank you,” I replied before I took a sip of my tea, humming at the fact he did it exactly how I like it, “You really remembered how to make it the way I like it.”

“How can I forget,” he smiled, trying to make the smile reach his eyes.

“Alright,” I moved the tray off my lap and placed my hands on his cheeks, holding him close to me, “I’m done letting this go on anymore.”

I stretched out my magic, going deep into Colby’s mind, trying to find the spell Morrigan placed on him to turn him against me. I found it and I began to untangle its barbs out of his mind. I was struggling so hard, I hadn’t noticed my nose was bleeding from the excessive energy I was expending to do this. But once the last piece of it was out, I released him from my hold and slumped back against my pillows, exhausted.

“Thea,” Colby got closer to me, “Thea, are you alright? Babe, come on answer me. Fuck.”

“Colby,” I looked at him through half-opened eyes, “Did it work?”

“Yeah it worked,” he was smiling down at me, happiness reflected back at me, “I’m back. I’m here, okay. I’m not going anywhere, okay.”

I just smiled and let my head fall back, trying to regain my energy as best as I could. My spell took a lot out of me. Morrigan’s original spell was very strong, making it that much harder to break, but I broke it. I got Colby back.

“You’re bleeding babe, hang tight okay,” Colby ran off to my bathroom and I could hear him getting a wash cloth wet to clean me up. Once he came back, he began to clean me up, “You can’t do that kind of magic again, you hear me. I don’t want you to hurt yourself or Tyler just for my sake. But thank you for bringing the real me back.”

“I needed you,” I told him, “I can’t raise this baby on my own. And he encouraged me to try this spell anyway.”

“Hey Tyler,” Colby had his face down at my belly, talking to Tyler, “Don’t tell your mom to be risky again, alright. She has to stay safe for you and me, okay.”

I just laughed before I started to feel hungry, damn it Tyler. I grabbed the tray and put it back on my lap and started to dig into the breakfast Colby made for me. Colby sat there and laughed as he watched me shovel the scrambled eggs into my mouth.

“Slow down or you’ll choke,” Colby berated me while he kept laughing.

“Why do they make it so hard to build a damn crib,” Colby grumbled as he sat on the floor of my bedroom, trying to build Tyler’s crib, “Like damn it the instructions make no sense.”

“I could have had this built two hours ago,” I bragged as I leaned against my door frame, “But no, someone insisted on building it by hand.”

“I don’t want you using magic and risk draining yourself out. So I’m building the crib,” he protested, “After this morning, I’m taking zero chances, missy.”

“Oh relax,” I handed him the cup of coffee I brought up for him, “Putting together a crib is child’s play compared to getting Morrigan’s spell out of your head.”

“Nope,” Colby grabbed his coffee and took a sip, “I’m not chancing it.”

“You know what,” I put my hands on my hips before I stretched out my magic and built the crib anyway, “I’m doing it anyway. So ha!”

“You little,” Colby put his cup down and got up, picking up quickly and gently dropped me on the bed, “You are such a stinker.”

“I try,” I giggled.

Colby hovered above me, his eyes staring deeply into mine. I hadn’t been this close to him in such a long time, and I missed being like this. Colby leaned down, closing the distance between us, and pressed his lips against mine, sharing our first kiss in six and a half months. I was in heaven. I had missed feeling his lips against mine, kissing me so tenderly.

“I’ve missed this,” Colby sighed as he pressed forehead against mine, “I’ve missed being like this with you.”

“Me too,” I replied. I suddenly gasped and Colby leapt up off of me.

“Hey are you okay,” he asked, worried he might have hurt me.

“No I’m fine,” I started to laugh, “Tyler just kicked. I think he likes mommy and daddy getting along at last.”

“Thea,” I smiled as I saw Dean and Roman came into view as Colby and I left the airport.

Colby had asked me to come to see Wrestlemania. I’m at eight months now and I look ready to pop, but I had another month left before then. But I knew if I’m not careful, Tyler could come early, so I was always on guard, and so was Colby.

But now that we were back around the Authority, we had to be careful to not let it slip that I got Colby back and he was madly in love with me again. So I had to make sure I was at the top of my game while Colby acted like a dick to hide that I fixed his mind.

“Hey Rome! Hi Dean,” I greeted my two other favorite wolf-boys, “Thanks for picking us up.”

“Damn dollface,” Dean took in my appearance, “Are you smuggling a watermelon under your dress?”

“Seriously, Ambrose,” Colby groaned, “She’s still having mood swings.”

“It’s okay,” I rubbed Colby’s shoulder, “I think it’s funny. But you need to come up with better jokes if you plan on being the fun uncle, Dean-o.”

“I’m for sure going to be the fun uncle,” Dean replied, looking offended I’d suggest otherwise, “Because I can’t be the push-over uncle because Roman has that on lock.”

“Sorry you can’t be as easy-going as me, Uce,” Roman smirked, “Besides, I have to be the push-over since I already have to be the tough parent with Jojo.”

I was hanging out in my hotel room, just watching a movie and eating my dinner in bed when the lights in the room went out. I looked around, but I had a feeling I knew why the lights went out. Because once the lights came back up, I saw my old nemesis standing at the foot of my bed.

Morrigan.

“I see you couldn’t stay away for the sake of your baby, Thea,” she sneered at me.

“I have a truce with your lackeys,” I warned her as I conjured a shield around me, prepared for her to try to cast any magic on me, “You hurt me, and I’m sure you’ll be in trouble.”

“I’m here because I know you broke my spell on Colby,” she smirked, “But don’t worry, I won’t put it back on him. I left it there to have fun with you. And I wanted to test your power.”

“So what do you want,” I asked her.

“I came to warn you,” she got closer to me, “If you even think of trying to end me, I will make sure to take out someone you love when I go. Maybe I’ll take your son. Or maybe your mom. Oh or better yet, I’ll take Colby.”

“You harm any of them I’ll bring you back just to kill you again,” I sneered at her.

“Don’t worry,” she smiled at me, “For now they’re safe. I’ll see you around, Thea.”

And like that she was gone.

I was out in the crowd, enjoying Wrestlemania. Colby had me sit with his mom and step-dad. He knew his mom and step-dad could keep you safe and look after you while he was working the show.

Right now, Roman was in his match, the main event for the WWE championship was well underway. Brock Lesnar, who is a were-bear, yes a were-bear is a thing and much more menacing than a werewolf, was giving Roman the fight of his life. I was so worried for Roman, when I saw a shock of blond running down the ramp, I gave out a shriek. Colby was coming in with his briefcase. He was cashing in on Roman and Brock tonight.

“Seth Rollins is cashing in his money in the bank contract,” Jillian Garcia called out to the audience, “This will now be a triple threat match.”

With that, Colby went ham and kicked Roman out of the ring before going for a stomp on Lesnar. Roman came back into the ring a moment later, just as Brock rolled out of the ring. Colby went for another stomp, this time on Roman. This time he went for the pin and got the win. He was losing his damn mind as he celebrated his huge win. I was screaming and crying, so proud of him. I hugged his mom, overjoyed that our Colby got to have the biggest Wrestlemania moment of his career so far.

Colby

Thea and I were in her hotel room. Just like when we were back in NXT, Thea was holding my new title, the big WWE championship title, in her lap. She was just tracing the jewels on the belt, completely in awe of the fact I won this tonight.

“I’m extremely proud of you,” she sighed happily, “I think Tyler is too. He’s been moving around like crazy since you won.”

“Well I’m glad I made our little man proud,” I beamed like a little kid, “Have you been okay, though. Nothing’s sore right?”

“I’m okay,” she smiled, “How are you though? You got caught mid-air by Orton into a RKO.”

“I’m good though,” I replied, “Now are you hungry, babe?”

“I am,” she replied.

I got out of our bed and went to go find the room service menu over by the couch. As I grabbed the menu, I heard Thea let out a whimper before she started to groan in pain. I immediately ran back to her side.

“What’s going on,” I asked her, “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“Colby,” she sucked in a painful breath, “I think Tyler’s coming early.”

“What,” I was dumbfounded, “He’s not due for another month. How is this possible?”

“I don’t know,” she was sobbing in agony, “Just get me to the hospital before I deliver him in this hotel room.”

[reginaldbelchhuggins-blog]

The Short and Miserable Romance of Victor Criss

Chapter 2: First Kiss

Pairings: Henry x Victor, with some side Butch x Mrs Criss Rating: M Warnings for this chapter: Implied/referenced domestic abuse, period-typical  attitudes, homophobic language, noncon elements, and some underage sexual exploration Warnings for later chapters: Violence, homophobia, racism, and sexism that are all period-typical; canon-standard content; underage sex, smoking, and drinking; noncon elements (but no actual noncon); canonical character death; major character death; strong language Chapters: [1], 2, [3], [4], [5], [6], [7] Ao3: [x] Summary:

Told from Victor's perspective, each chapter details either a first or last moment of Vic's growing relationship with Henry Bowers as they navigate homophobia, mental issues, and the growing influence of It. The first two chapters are pre-1988, the middle two will be where the sex is, and the final two are where the romance goes south

Chapter 7 could act as a stand-alone told from Henry’s perspective

Story prompt: The first and last Meeting/Kiss/Time of your OTP

A/N: This chapter, since the Bowers gang are 11-12 years old, draws more on the book for inspiration. Namely in regards to Victor and Belch's personalities, and the flavor text/referenced events. I also used some real life influence, such as my own personal experience with awkward 12-year-old flirting, and the actor playing Victor Criss in the new movie being a dancer (if you didn't know that before, you're welcome.)

Constructive Criticism is, as always, appreciated. Any type of comment is much loved. My editor is another author on this account, Ambiguous, but I am also using the Hemingway app. If you see any grammatical mistakes / continuity errors, please feel free to drop it in the comments so I can correct.

August 1985

The four boys stood side by side in their underwear, staring down the long drop from the edge of the quarry to the lake. Reginald “Belch” Huggins was the tallest, having reached six foot by his 12th birthday. He had skinny legs and broad shoulders, and made a huge splash as he hit the water despite having pretty good form.

Patrick Hockstetter was the second tallest and definitive widest. He was the personification of the word "butterball." He was a vaguely boy-shaped lump of splotchy colored flesh. He howled like a madman as he leaped second, tucking his feet up underneath him to form a cannonball. Belch was coming up for air when the waves caused by Patrick slapped him in the face.

Victor, although he was giggling, felt dread as his turn to jump came up. He was pale and skinny. The others argued over whether the platinum blonde of his hair made his skin whiter, or whether it was the other way around. Either way, he was nothing more than a sparkle of starlight in his white Hanes.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself—

And screamed as he fell forward, pushed, betrayed , by Henry. He was still screaming when his body broke the surface and the murky depths swallowed him whole.

Henry was the one all the girls talked about in a nice way. He wore hard work like it was a tee shirt. It left him with a golden tan, and the slightest definition on his chest that hinted at the body he would have in a few years. Belch lifted Vic onto his shoulders so they could watch Henry leap from the cliff. They cheered as he jumped backwards, getting in two solid flips before splashing down.

The quarry filled with their laughter as the boys played. It was the first time in a long year that they’d had any fun.

They swam until long after the sun had set, and the mosquitoes were coming out to feed. None of their parents were expecting them home. The Criss’ believed Vic was at the Huggins’. Mrs Huggins believed Belch and Henry was at the Criss’. Patrick’s parents might notice if he wasn’t here for breakfast. But they didn’t seem to care what he did since his baby brother Avery had died in the crib five years prior. Butch wasn’t allowed to know anything at all.

Vic still felt the chill that had run down his spine when he opened his bedroom window that night almost a week ago. Henry was standing outside with tears and snot streaming down his face, shaking. He’d had a whopper of a bruise on his neck that he still didn’t explain. Vic thought it looked an awful lot like Butch’s hands, and drew his own conclusions.

“He killed her,” Henry had said. As soon as he was inside Vic’s room, he’d pulled Vic into a tight embrace. That was the first hug of the year, but Vic couldn’t even enjoy it. Henry was trembling so bad. “Butch killed my mom!”

It wasn’t true. She’d survived, but her face was disfigured. Henrietta Bowers had taken her beating, and the one Henry was due for making trouble for Butch. Henry, of course, told Vic all about how it was his fault for making trouble with the Rabbi's boy -- a shy kid a few grades behind them. And while he cried and blamed himself, Henrietta was pulling herself into their sedan, running away to the WomansCare shelter, leaving Henry behind. But he didn’t know that as he held his best friend, his body racked with guilty sobs. He wouldn't know that for a few days, and by then, he'd tell Vic he didn't care. He only knew he'd last seen her in a bloody heap on the kitchen floor, and then he'd ran.

He was only twelve - life wasn’t supposed to be that difficult.

Henry would have stayed with Vic, but Butch had been making regular visits for many years. Vic still pretended sometimes it was just to talk because the truth made him uneasy in so many ways. Instead, Henry wound up staying with Belch. Mrs Huggins wouldn’t give up Henry if Butch set her on fire, so they knew he was safe there. Though Vic had to fight a lot of instincts not to go over there every day, knowing Henry was safe, for even a little while, made things better. Vic didn't even mind collecting, and completing, Henry's homework for him. Mr Caplan never commented on the sudden improvement of Henry's handwriting, either.

In fact, Mrs Huggins and Mr Caplan were some of the few adults who actually gave two shits about them. If Vic had lived to see his 16th birthday, Mrs Huggins would’ve taken him and Belch and fled to somewhere normal. His disappearance would have been credited to the pervert, so no one would look for him. His parents would be, in a small way, glad to see him go. It would have been a nice life, too. But things didn’t happen that way.

The safety of Belch’s house came with the price of freedom, and without freedom, Henry got bored. So grabbing his dad’s old tent from the garage, it had been Belch’s idea to go camping. He was tired of the piss attitude Henry got whenever he was bored, but was too nice to say anything. So far, it had been a good idea.

The boys put on their shoes for safety reasons, but were still too wet for their clothes, as they went about setting up camp. Patrick built a nice fire, and stared deep into it as he burnt every hotdog he touched to a blackened crisp. Belch was setting up the tent - his dad had showed him how once upon a time, before the accident. Henry and Vic sat around with the small radio, trying to find the right mood music. It was one of the last true purely happy memories with Henry Victor would have, and somehow, he knew it. So he was taking all of it that he could.

“Ooh, stop here!” Vic slapped Henry’s hand. That earned Vic a nasty glare, and a punch on the shoulder. “Dude, it’s Queen. You always have to stop on Queen. It’s an unspoken rule.”

“No I fucking don’t,” Henry spit back. “I listen to real rock music not that psuedo-hippie bullshit. And if you don’t get your fucking hand off my radio I’m going to shove it up your ass.”

“You’re going to shove my hand up my ass or the radio?” Vic asked, sarcastically. “I need to know how much to prepare.”

“Keep talkin’ like that and it’ll be both. First your hand, and then the radio. How you like that?”

With a huff, Vic sat back and crossed his arms. “Fine, you get to pick the tunes, and tell us when to stop swimming, and what comics we can bring. Anything else you want, master?”

“Maybe,” Henry said, eyeing Vic coolly. “My boots haven’t been licked in a long time. Got some real nasty shit crusted up on them.”

Vic couldn’t help but smile, and had to cover it by pretending to rub the chapped skin from his lips. He didn’t really care that Henry was being a little bossier than usual. If Henry had told him to wear his mom’s lingerie, Vic would’ve showed up in a saucy pink ensemble. But he was in a weird mood, and craved every morsel of attention he could get. Needling Henry was the quickest way to get a bite in, so Vic was being, as his Mama would say, incorrigible.

But it was time to take a break. Henry was growing frustrated, and Vic didn't want to ruin his first night out in forever. So instead, he said, “Sure thing. Let me just go chop my balls off first. Maybe then you’ll stop twisting them,” and stood up. He caught Henry looking as he walked away, and blew him a kiss. If anyone else had done such a thing, Henry would have rearranged their face. But Vic was special. He had special privileges to get away with more, as long as it wasn’t too gay.

As Vic sat down on a blanket by the fire, Patrick handed him a beef flavored stick of charcoal. He managed to find some pink colored meat in the layers underneath, and then ate it in three large bites. He watched Henry’s face scrunch up in concentration as a song warbled into existence.

When Belch finished up the tent, he came and sat beside them. Drawing deep from his chest, he proved his nickname was well-earned. He started burping along to the chorus of the song Henry had stopped on – Blue Oyster Cult’s Don’t Fear the Reaper.

Vic and Patrick were howling with laughter, but Henry was not amused. He turned up the volume, trying to drown Belch out.

“Is that coming from your mouth?” Patrick was in awe. He hadn’t hung out with them that much yet so it was forgiven that he’d never heard Belch’s true talent. “Oh, that is freaky. Do it again.”

Belch got up and began to bob his head not unlike a chicken, burps breaking out every time his face came forward. He shuffled around with the grace one would expect from a boy of his stature. This broke Patrick up into tears.

"I fucking hate all of you," Henry said.

Vic was on his feet, too. He was so giddy from laughing that he took Belch’s hands and began to dance. Belch didn’t think anything of it, and was kind enough to burp in the opposite direction of Vic’s face. Henry turned the dial on the volume again until the speakers were vibrating. Vic and Belch both started singing along, louder than the radio. They sang along until the song ended, even as Henry threw pebbles and rocks at their feet.

As Billy Idol’s Dancing With Myself started playing, Belch and Vic let go of each other. Henry gave up and went after a hot dog. Patrick gave him a cigarette instead, and the two shared it as they watched Vic and Belch dance – but mostly, they watched Vic.

Not surprising, Vic was a much better dancer than Belch. The spry blonde wasn’t doing anything complicated. He'd picked up a few things from movies and music videos, and practiced until they looked okay in the mirror. Where Belch looked like a bag of potatoes being swung with great enthusiasm to the beat, Vic looked like he was actually dancing. In a few years, he could compete against Michael Jackson himself.

When that song was over, Vic plopped to the ground. That seemed to break some kind of spell. Henry looked around, nervous like he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. Patrick let out a deep breath, and his livery lips split into the biggest, curliest smile Vic had ever seen outside of a cartoon. Henry cleared his throat and handed Patrick the cigarette. He then stood up, rubbing at his crotch.

“I gotta piss,” he said, as if it needed explaining.

“Want someone to hold it?” Patrick asked.That was the first time he'd done one of his weirder jokes, and it took them all by surprise. Patrick locked eyes with Vic. Vic found himself unable to look away as Patrick held one of the hotdogs down near his crotch, and started rubbing it. Vic knew what he was simulating, but the blackened outside was cracking and peeling. Instead of imagining a regular dick being masturbated, Vic's mind conjured some filthy, disease ridden thing. He gagged, earning him another smile from Patrick.

Henry did a double take, scowling: “What the fuck did you just say?”

“I’m just saying, bosses need a right hand man,” Patrick said, putting a weird emphasis on right hand. He bit into the wiener he’d been flogging. “Someone to wipe your ass and hold your dick and all that jazz.”

A rose color blossomed on Henry's cheeks as he realized how he'd misunderstood Patrick. He blinked a few times, and then pointed at Patrick. “We don’t do that homo shit around here, alright?”

“It’s not homo,” Patrick called after him. Then, with a wink in Vic’s direction: “Not unless you want it to be.”

Vic shifted in his seat. He was Henry's right hand man, or so they said. The image of him on one knee, hand out for Henry to rest his dick on, crept into Vic’s brain. It was compelling in a strange way, and Vic shivered, not sure how to process how it made him feel. Maybe Henry had seen the same thing in his mind, because he looked everywhere but at Vic. He slapped Patrick on the back of his head before disappearing into the underbrush to relieve himself.

The three of them lit up the last cigarette. Vic took a long drag, let the smoke escape through the side of his mouth, and then passed it onto Belch. They got halfway through when Vic saw Henry out of the corner of his eye. He was standing behind a tree, and gesturing with his head for Vic to follow. Belch and Patrick didn't seem to notice, and had started discussing which actresses they wanted to bang. Vic flicked his eyes back Henry's way, and the bigger boy was gone. A small ball of excitement forming in his belly, Vic stood up. He brushed leaves and dirt off his ass, and started heading in the way he saw Henry go.

“Where you going?” Belch asked, coughing.

“Paris,” Vic shot the answer over his shoulder. Patrick’s titter followed him as he walked along the side of the lake. He tried not to make too much noise, listening for Henry. He wound up going a good ways down before he spotted his friend leaning against a tree.

Moonlight splashed against Henry’s young frame. His blue eyes were searching the sky, a small smile curling his lips. Vic was struck with how beautiful Henry could be. Even with fading bruises marking his body, he was ethereal. There were so many things going on in Vic’s head, he wasn’t sure exactly what his body wanted to feel. He was queasy, and happy. Nervous.

You don't even know what he wants, Vic's brain said, being reasonable. But Vic did know what Henry wanted. It was the same thing Henry always wanted when he shuffled Vic off into private. He wanted some kind of touch that wasn't painful; some kind of affection that wasn't laced with poison. He wanted Vic to hug him, to pet his hair, to reassure him that he wasn't a monster, or stupid, or whatever other terrible thing Butch had planted in his head.

But there was something different in the air. Henry was contemplating too hard about something. There was only one way to find out what that something was, so Vic snapped his fingers, then hit the side of his right hand flat with the palm of his left. It was a nervous tic he’d picked up from his Papa. He did it again as he strode towards Henry, looking around at the area of the Quarry they were in.

They were right at the curve of the lake, where the moon was the brightest. It gave the area a strange blue tint, like they were caught in the glow of a battery operated lantern.

Henry turned his head when he heard Vic approach, and watched him with a thoughtful expression. When Vic was close enough for a good conversation, he started picking up pebbles and tossing them into the lake. The tiny splash they made was good noise. Plip.

“How come I’ve never seen you dance before?” Henry asked, picking at his cuticles.

Vic shrugged. Plip. In went another pebble.

“You saw me dance at Veronica Grogan’s birthday party,” Vic said. He could clearly see the conga line of eight year olds with no coordination trying to do the Locomotion. It had been a spectacular mess, but loads of fun.

“That doesn’t count,” Henry said, rolling his eyes. “I mean like you were dancing just now.”

Vic shrugged again. “Just haven’t felt like it, I guess.”

“I liked it. You should do it more,” Henry said. Vic turned to look at him, and Henry was staring off in the distance. He was rocking against the tree. Vic rolled it over in his mind before he said a quick, “Thanks.”

“I like… I like a lot of things you do,” Henry sounded like it was difficult to say what he was saying. Vic supposed for someone like Henry, it might have been. He wasn’t used to using his words to express the things inside of him. So Vic didn’t interrupt him. Instead, he stood up, hand full of glittering pebbles, and gave Henry his full attention. "I like that you're smart. I know I rag on you a lot for it, but that's just something I have to do. Can't have the guys thinking I'm soft on you." Henry paused. He took a deep breath. Vic was curious now. “I like the way you smile. It makes me think of cats and happy shit. Your face makes me think of cats...like the way their faces just… stick out...”

Vic waited a few moments, making sure Henry was done. Henry was blushing, his eyes refusing to look at Vic. Vic didn't know what to say to that. He took the sentence apart and examined every piece of it. He came to the conclusion Henry was trying to compliment him, and decided to return it.

Dropping the pebbles in to make a pattering of plips, Vic was forming his thoughts before speaking them.

“Well, thanks, Hank. Your face makes me think of..” Vic wanted to say Kevin Bacon , but he stopped himself. He could do better. He needed to do better. “You know when it’s cold outside but the sun is shining? Or when your mom hangs the towels over the heater so your ass doesn’t freeze in winter?” Henry nodded. “That’s what I think of when I look at your face. When everything else is just fucking cold, I can look at you and feel warm.”

"Why?" Henry asked, scrunching up his face.

"Because you're my best friend," Vic said, and at that moment, he truly believed it. The way Henry made him nervous sometimes - like they were dancing on the edge of the quarry's cliff, waiting for the other to take the plunge first - he had never felt for anyone else. But as Henry closed the distance between them and took Vic’s hands in his, Vic knew he never would. Just like Vic was special to Henry, Henry was special to Vic. Henry ran his thumb over Vic’s, and Vic massaged circles into Henry's palms. Although they didn’t hold hands as often as they did when they were little, Vic didn’t think this usage of physical affection was anything other than ordinary. At least, not until Henry brought one set of hands up to his lips, and gave Vic's a little kiss. This drew small laugh from Vic, who asked, “What’re you doing?”

“Thanking you,” Henry said. He decided to elaborate when he saw the frustration on Vic’s face. “For helping me with Butch, and… just shut up and let me do this, because it's never happening again.”

He kissed Vic’s hand again. Turning their hands over, he kissed Vic’s wrist, and then his forearm. It wasn’t unpleasant, but Vic was too confused to really appreciate the moment. Henry drew the line at kissing. They'd tried it once - a kiss on each cheek - and had decided it was too weird. He was even more confused when Henry stopped kissing his arm, and, instead, brushed his lips against Vic’s. It wasn’t a kiss, exactly. It was testing for one. When Vic didn’t resist, Henry put a little more force into it.

Vic lit up like a sparkler on the fourth of July. He felt dizzy, smelling the lake on Henry's skin, and their pheromones intermingling. As Henry kept kissing him, he thought he might pass out. Like the dames in the movies, just swooning over their cowboy. Vic brought a hand up to Henry's hair, and pulled him in closer.

He hadn’t noticed Henry had dropped his hand until he felt it, warm and soft, sliding into his underwear, cupping his penis. He couldn’t speak. He tried to, but he was scared when he realized what Henry was doing. What he was really doing. It felt good. Vic knew he needed to tell Henry to stop before they got caught, but he didn't want him to stop.

But if he did those things, what did that make him? Was he queer? Was Henry? A bullet of fear broke through Vic's heart as he thought about Butch finding out. He could see Henry - so big when he was with his friends, and so small in Butch's shadow. Butch would crush him, grind him into dust. The thought made Vic's heart twitch. The image of Henry's face, caved in, an eye jutting out, was so vivid that if Henry's mouth hadn't been there to catch it, he would've gasped.

“No,” Vic said, pulling away. Henry didn’t seem to hear him. He just stepped in closer, and went back to it. Vic squeezed the wrist of the hand fondling him as tight as he could, and pulled it away from him. Henry looked down at the wrist, and then took a step back, jerking it from Vic’s grasp.

“I thought you liked me,” Henry said, sounding hurt. His face twisted into something so full of hate, it was worthy of Butch. “I’m not a flamer. If you tell anyone, I’ll-”

“I do!” Vic said, before the fear could really settle in Henry, and Vic lost him. Lost everything. “I do like you, Henry. But can we just�� do more of what you were doing before? I liked that.”

Henry licked his lips, and reached out to brush the hair behind Vic’s ear. He ran his thumb along Vic’s lip. Vic thought maybe another kiss was coming, but instead, he pulled Vic by the hand until he was falling in step behind Henry.

“You think you could maybe get those hotdogs away from Fucknuts before he burns all of them?” Henry asked, starting back towards their camp.

“Yeah, okay,” Vic said. “Henry...” He wanted to ask what’s next? But he had the feeling they were in dangerous territory. So he never finished his sentence.

“And where the fuck are the marshmallows? Didn’t I tell you to bring marshmallows, the big kind?” Henry turned to walk backwards while he talked. Vic was in awe that he didn’t trip even once.

“I’ll get them for you, Hank,” Vic said. That brought another smile to Henry’s face. He hopped in place a couple of times, and then broke out into a full sprint. He always tried to get a head start because Vic was faster, but the younger boy passed him easily, as always. By the time Henry actually made it back to the others, Vic was whipping Patrick with a burnt wiener as the two boys laughed, and Belch had a skewer of Marshmallows ready for smores.

Henry went back to Butch the next day, deciding to take his punishment like a man. Vic didn’t see him again until school started. He was unsure of how things were left between them, so he didn’t say anything, letting Henry make all the moves. Sporting a shiner and a cracked lip, Henry draped his arm around Vic’s neck while Patrick and Belch were in Home Ec, and dragged him into the bathroom.

“We can do that stuff you like,” Henry whispered. “But I want to try something.”

Vic sat on Henry’s lap, his boots planted against the wall so anyone who entered only saw Henry’s underneath the stall. They took turns filling their mouths with smoke, and, on Henry’s suggestion, each other’s tongues. It was nice. Henry came home with him after school. They made out until Mama called them down to dinner.

The next week, Henry started dating Veronica Grogan, but Vic knew it wasn’t the end of whatever madness had gripped them that night at the Quarry. Henry was a lot like Butch in that sense. Sure enough, he watched Butch come ‘round the house in the afternoon for his Mama, and Henry come ‘round in the evening for himself. And Vic was just fine with that. He didn't know if he was gay, or straight with an exception. He knew Veronica was just some thing to throw people off their scent, and that the more he and Henry sucked face, the closer they felt.

Sometime before Christmas, Vic looked at Henry from across his bed and realized he might just be in love. He didn't really know what love was - his parents certainly didn't know enough to tell him. But as he brushed the hair from Henry's face, he knew that if Butch ever caught them, he would take every last punch Butch had to throw if it meant Henry got away safe. They weren't just best friends, or brothers. He wasn't just some right-hand man, there to keep Henry's mission on point and to reel him back if he got in too deep. Henry had become his everything, and he was the only thing keeping Henry alive, sometimes.

And sometime before the new year, after Butch was reinstated on the force after a long and grueling suspension, Henry realized the same thing: that Vic would die for him. He only needed to ask.