by Lynn Kelling
“The kid stood up to me, which is good, not to mention long overdue. But, Christ, the things he said. Not that they aren’t true or warranted. I haven’t been anywhere near the father he deserves, but I’ve done my best. And Brennan… Brennan reminds me of myself in a lot of ways. Tough as nails, that boy is. Not willing to take any shit. Keeps his eye on what he wants. Does his duty, even when it ain’t fair or easy to stomach. But even just being near him, seeing him—it reminds me of all the moments I should’ve had with him: his first step; his first words; his first day at school. I should’ve been there for all of it and I should’ve been there for Maggie. I should’ve stopped hiding behind my damn pride and seen her through to the end, no matter what. That was too much to lay on a boy.”
Jimmy sipped his own cup of coffee, saying nothing, knowing Charlie wasn’t saying these things to get a response.
“Evan told me about Alek. Wasn’t sure that he would,” Charlie muttered, thoughtfully.
“How about Luka?”
Charlie shook his head, “Nah. Brennan mentioned him, said they were boyfriends, but…. Man, I could beat their asses for what they’ve gotten themselves into.”
“Are you going to meet them? Alek and Luka?”
“Yeah,” Charlie grunted unhappily. “Probably this morning.” Glancing sideways at Jimmy, he added, “Which is why I’m over here to calm the hell down while I can. Prepare myself.”
But Jimmy was giving him a strange, foreboding look.
“What? Why?”
Jimmy shook his head, waved his hand to dismiss the questions. Over the phone, Charlie had gotten an abbreviated account of the complex situation with his sons, and the other set of brothers they’d been dating. He didn’t know much about what these other boys were like, specifically. The look on Jimmy’s face didn’t give Charlie a good feeling about it.
He asked Charlie, “Are you going to try to give them a chance? You should.”
“A chance to what? Violate my sons twenty different ways? Swap ‘em around between themselves like soulless pieces of meat?”
“So, that’s a no?”
“I don’t fucking know,” Charlie groaned. Slouching back against the bench, he stretched his legs and took a deep breath. “They seemed happy last night, before the argument. They did. Nervous, but happy. I don’t get to see Evan happy very much. And Brennan—he deserves all the happy he can get.”
“I’m sorry,” Jimmy sighed. “I truly am. This must be so hard for you. Does Evan know the extent of what you’re aware of? Or how long you’ve known about his orientation?”
“Nope. He thinks it was some big revelation last night, and I intend to keep it that way. I could be wrong, but I don’t think hearing his old man has known his son’s queer since before he started sprouting chin hair is gonna sit well with him.”
“Unfortunately, I agree with you.”
“Besides, I’ve gotta protect my informant. From what you say, things are strained enough between you and Evan without him knowing how much you ratted him out.”
“I wouldn’t have said anything if I wasn’t honestly concerned about what could happen if I kept it to myself,” Jimmy grumbled.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Evan used to tell me everything. He would confide in me, and I miss that. I miss his friendship more, though. But if I have to let him push me away in order to keep him from hurting himself, then I’ll put my own feelings aside and do whatever I need to do.”
They were both quiet for a long while, stewing in their thoughts and drinking their hot, bitter brew.
“You know what the worst thing is?” Charlie asked.
“What?”
“I don’t regret keeping them apart for so long. Not if it was gonna turn out like this when they got together. But then maybe this is all happening because they’re overcompensating for the shit they went through due to being apart. The loss of affection of one of their parents and their brother. Maybe it’s all my fault. What do you say, Jimmy? Am I going to hell for this? For what I’ve driven my children to do?”
“Hard to say,” Jimmy said quietly and solemnly.
Charlie laughed coldly. “Well, at least you’re honest.”
Presley wandered out of Carter’s bedroom clad only in a pair of exercise shorts, his jaw covered with stubble and eyes bleary. Yawning, he wandered into the kitchen. Alek was leaning against the counter by the coffee pot. Carter was sitting at the kitchen table, pushing some runny eggs around his plate with a piece of toast.
Squinting with confusion, Presley said, “Alek. You’re home? What’s up?” Carter made a slicing motion across his throat, trying to tell him with a pointed look to cut it out with the questions, but it was too late.
Alek stared down into his coffee with a miserable expression. “Charlie’s home. Evan and Brennan’s father.”
“…Oh.”
Water burbled noisily through the pipes in the walls. The sound of the shower running in the upstairs bathroom was noticeable by all, just as noticeable as the passionate moans and other sex noises that had been coming from the upper floor not an hour earlier.
“That’s a good thing, though, right? He hasn’t been back since Evan was in the hospital. It’s about damn time he—”
“Evan just came out to him last night,” Alek admitted sullenly. “And Charlie accused Brennan of bringing strangers to live in the house and being a bad influence on Evan. Today Luka and I have to go over there and meet the son-of-a-bitch.”
“Oh. Damn.”
“Yeah.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Thanks,” Alek grumbled.
“You could always lay low,” Carter interjected. “Let them sort out their dad and stay out of it. Might just make it worse anyway.”
“Mm,” Alek grunted, almost in agreement.
When Luka appeared, he was dressed in a light blue polo shirt and khakis, his hair blown dry and brushed out in soft waves, perfectly coiffed, making him look like a model out of a sporty, hip, clothing catalog. Despite his honest efforts to look presentable, though, he was clearly exhausted and as morose as Alek.
Staring down at his phone as he entered the kitchen, Luka sent the message he was typing to Evan then slipped the gadget into a pocket. Shuffling toward Alek without a glance at his other roommates, Luka fell into his brother’s arms, letting Alek drag him in by a hand locked up around Luka’s shaved-smooth, chiseled jaw for a slow, urgent kiss. He caressed roughly down over Luka’s backside. When Luka broke away after an indulgent moment, Alek whispered, “You were amazing.”
They had asked Evan and Brennan permission to have sex with each other. Though strange to have to ask for the go-ahead to indulge in something that had always been just theirs to control, they wouldn’t have been able to go through with it otherwise. After everything Evan and Brennan had endured and after all of the fighting between the four of them, the last thing they wanted was to cause any more strife. But Evan had given the okay for them both. Brennan had been too inconsolable to reply for himself. It had been even more comforting than usual, for both of them, to have some intimate time together. It was good to remember no matter what might have been going on, or headed their way, they would always have each other. Their bond was a constant, able to weather all sorts of turbulence. Whatever had to happen with Brennan and Evan, they would figure it out. In the meantime, now Alek and Luka had enjoyed a welcome reminder of the strength of their own relationship.
“Evan got him out of bed, but he still won’t leave the room,” Luka said softly, with a heavy heart. “Aleksy, I have to get over there. I have to see him. I know you weren’t sure—”
“Eat something first,” Alek replied.
“Not hungry.”
Grabbing an apple from the fruit basket on the counter behind him, Alek tossed it to his brother. Luka caught it as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Struggling to get it out as quickly as he could, Luka put the apple on the table and sank into a chair, reading the message with a rap
t expression.
Carter continued to pretend to be preoccupied by his breakfast. Presley stared hard at Luka, then went to pour two mugs of coffee, sliding one of them to Luka. With Luka’s fingers flying over the tiny keys on his phone, Alek palmed his own phone and quickly dialed a number. He let out a breath of relief when it was answered after two rings.
“You want us to come over?” Alek asked, then paused, listening for the reply. Luka looked up sharply from his seat, then took a sip of coffee.
Alek turned away from them, putting his back to the room, speaking more softly into the phone and hiding his face behind a hand. “Bren, hey, I know it sounded like that, but please give him a chance. Think about what it looks like from his point of view. It doesn’t mean— Babydoll, please don’t cry anymore.”
Shocked, Carter looked up from his food at last, gawking at Alek, then at Luka who hung his head and took another sip.
“We’ve talked about this, remember? How could he not love you?” Alek said gently, “He’s just worried about you. It’s what dads do. Listen. Listen to me. You want some backup? You want us to head over? It’d take some of the attention off of you for a while. Yeah? Okay. We’ll be there in an hour. Get something to eat. Go for a run. You’ll feel better.”
Alek sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his mouth. His posture changed. “You want me to lay him out? Because I will. Just say the word. I’ve wanted to get my hands on that bastard since the day I found out what Evan went through. I’ll play the part of Evan’s dutiful boyfriend all day long, but if he hurts you again, I swear to god… Okay. All right. I love you, too. See you in an hour. Hold on.”
Alek handed the phone to Luka, ignoring Carter’s astonishment at the endearments. Presley caught Luka’s eye for a brief moment. Glumly, Luka pressed the phone to his ear.
“Hey Cupcake,” Luka started, smiling as he said it, but with sadness in his eyes. For a long moment, he just listened. His face worked, battling to mask the emotions boiling inside him. Taking a deep breath, he asked stiffly, “What can we do?”
Brennan replied and Luka asked, “Is that going to make it better or worse? Okay. I love you. Don’t let Evan have too much coffee; he’s freaked out enough without adding caffeine jitters. Okay. Bye. Love you too. Bye.”
Hanging up the phone, and passing it back to Alek, Luka wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand and grabbed the apple. After taking a big bite, he returned Carter and Presley’s disapproving stares with a hard look and asked around a mouthful of fruit, “What? You got a problem with somethin’?”
“…No. No problem,” Carter murmured, softening.
“Good,” Luka frowned.
“We gonna be gaining a roommate or two?” Presley asked.
“Hopefully not. Not like that, anyway. We’ll see. First, we try to smooth things out,” Alek said.
“You’re gonna smooth this out? You two are each screwing both of that man’s barely legal sons and you think you’re gonna ‘smooth that out’?” Presley gaped.
Alek shrugged, “Yeah.”
“You motherfuckers are crazy,” Carter said, shaking his head.
Luka took another bite of his apple and picked his phone back up as it vibrated. He read the message on the screen. “Evan thinks we should try to look nice, but not dress up too much. So, for you, like button down shirt, but no tie?”
Alek quirked an eyebrow at him, “Seriously? You’re coordinating our outfits with Evan?”
“Yeah, “Luka nodded. “Oh, and he says to tell you don’t you dare show up with your hair slicked back. He says it makes you look threatening. And old.”
“Fantastic,” Alek groaned wearily. “Is that all?”
“Don’t glower too much. And try to look shorter.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“What? It’s true. You glower.”
“He knows I have a phone, too, right?” Alek asked, wandering out of the room, heading to the stairs.
“And don’t wear anything that shows off your sexy muscles too much!” Luka called.
Carter snorted into his orange juice, chuckling.
“Okay, that’s it. I’m fucking calling him,” Alek snapped.
“Sorry, he just got into the shower.”
“Of course he did. Fuck me sideways.”
Once the door to Alek’s room had thumped shut, Presley turned to Luka and observed, “You look like hell, man. What happened to you? You not sleep or somethin’?”
“Don’t ask him that!” Carter moaned with dread.
“Oh. That’s totally Alek’s fault. I’ve gotten used to sleeping next to Brennan, so sleeping with Evan instead is just as good, since they’re the same size and cuddle in similar ways, but Aleksy’s too big anymore. It’s all different, so I finally managed to fall asleep at, like, four a.m. then he got a raging boner around eight and he just kept on fuckin’ me ‘til about a half-hour ago. The man’s got some serious goddamned stamina. Of course the cock ring probably helped. I came three-and-a-half times. It was awesome. But yeah, a nap would really help right about now,” Luka said matter-of-factly, chewing more apple.
Presley squinted, “How do you come half-a-time?”
“Stop asking him to explain things! You know what happens when you do that? He explains things,” Carter scolded. Standing from the table with the pair of them watching him with amusement, he added for good measure, “Don’t encourage him!”
“I like when you encourage me,” Luka smiled at Presley.
“No, I’m honestly curious. How do you come half-a-time?”
“Presley! For fuck’s sake!”
“Well, if you start to, like its crawling right up your balls, you grab really hard right at the base of your nuts and squeeze—”
“Do you see? Do you see what you did?” Carter roared, throwing his arms up in defeat as he stormed out of the room. “I’m not gonna be able to get this shit out of my brain for days!”
“He’s a mite testy this mornin’,” Presley confided under his breath to Luka, winking. “He’s kind of sore, if you know what I mean.”
Luka gasped, “Whoa. Whoa. Wait. Wait a minute. He bottomed? First time? It was his first time, right? Oh my god! No wonder. Wow.”
From the next room, Carter bellowed, “What are you telling him, Presley?!”
“Nothing, dear!” Presley called back sweetly.
“I’ve gotta go congratulate him. That’s awesome,” Luka said eagerly, starting to stand. Presley planted his hand on Luka’s shoulder and shoved him back down.
“Don’t even think about it. I’d like to keep my balls firmly attached to my body, thank you very much, and if you go in there and congratulate him on taking a cock, he’ll be wearing ‘em as a damn necklace. Keep your ass sat down.”
“Eh. Okay,” Luka shrugged. “I’ll catch him later. Or maybe just install some hidden cameras in your bedrooms. Kidding! I’m kidding. Kind of.”
Chapter 19
Defiance
Evan leaned back against the trunk of his car and dialed Jimmy’s number. Brennan was out on a run. After asking Charlie if he could bum a few cigarettes, Evan sought out some solitude outside. Without knowing Evan quit the habit months ago after a long, difficult journey toward being nicotine-free, months filled with torment from the effort of maintaining his willpower, Charlie complied with the request and effectively enabled his son’s habit once again.
With the lit cigarette dangling from between his lips, Evan figured he had time to smoke two of them and shower the smell away before anyone else found out. There was guilt, but after everything, smoking didn’t seem like too horrible a betrayal. It made him feel good, relaxed, as the nicotine entered his system. He savored the taste and liked the instant buzz it gave him. It was like old times, when things were less complicated. He took a deep pull, inhaling and holding the smoke in his lungs, and put the phone to his ear.
The call was picked up right away. “Evan?”
“Yeah,” he grunted, blowing out a tendril of
smoke from the side of his mouth.
“I was wondering when you would call. If you would call. How are you?”
“You just saw me last night.”
“Yeah, but now it’s just you and me, right? So tell me. How are you?”
“Peachy. Fucking amazing. You?”
“You seem hostile.”
“That’s because I am hostile. What did you tell him? Hmm? What does Dad know?”
“I think you should ask him.”
“No, I’m asking you,” Evan snarled.
“Okay. Let’s see. You want to know if Charlie is aware of the polyamory or the incest… or both.”
Almost dropping the phone, Evan fumbled as he turned it off, ending the call.
“Fuck! Shit! Damn it!” He stared at the phone, his hand trembling and eyes huge with terror. Without thinking, he put the cigarette back in his mouth and inhaled.
He had no idea what to do.
The phone rang. Jimmy.
“Fuck,” Evan hissed. He glanced at the house with his father inside as he realized he’d been shouting. The phone rang about six times before going to voicemail. Evan started walking. He was fully aware of how this was going to play out. If he didn’t take Jimmy’s call, Jimmy would come over, so Evan headed in the direction of Jimmy’s trailer, knowing he wasn’t able to speak about this with him over the cell.
He encountered Jimmy halfway between their homes. Jimmy was clearly surprised to see him.
“Look,” Jimmy said calmly holding up his hands like he was surrendering or something, even while there was still a good ten feet between them, “I’m not trying to attack you.”
“The hell you’re not!” Evan yelled.
“Charlie doesn’t know about you and Brennan from me. He might be able to figure it out on his own, though. I mean, you give off a vibe when you’re together, you and Brennan, and I wasn’t one hundred percent sure about the incest until now, seeing your reaction. I, uh, I guess it’s true then, huh?”
