by J. M. Dabney
“Go to sleep, I can fucking hear you thinking.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, ain’t nothing to be sorry about, but I’ve heard you walking the house the last few nights. Plus, you gotta have all the rest you can get, you get to spend the afternoon with my family.”
“Do I—”
“Yes, you have to, I ain’t going there by myself, plus Ma told me to bring a tattooed, totally inappropriate date to make the mother-in-law run. Grams loses her shit when Ma brings out the bong just to deal.”
He snickered. “It can’t be that bad.”
“Oh fuck, you got no idea. The woman lives to make Ma’s life hell. Ma didn’t grow up in a different class bracket; she grew up on an entirely different planet.”
“Your Mom’s not that bad. I’ve always found her to be sweet even in her weirdness.”
“Thanks, man. She ain’t for everyone. She likes you though.”
He hid his smile, but a memory pushed it away. “My mother never liked me.”
“That’s bullshit. No one cannot like you; it’s fucking impossible.”
“I don’t remember a time when she hugged me or smiled at me. She told me I was a deviant pervert.”
“Ain’t anything deviant about you. So, you like dick, I do too.”
“You never bring anyone home.” He didn’t want to admit he was secretly thrilled Lucky never brought any of his tricks home. Okay, he wasn’t stupid enough to think Lucky went without. Lucky was sexy as hell, maybe not in a traditional sense, but nonetheless hot.
Anyone looking at him would think Lucky was skinny, but under all his baggy handmade hemp clothes was a leanly muscled body. Even now perfect six-pack abs moved under his arm. Lucky was heavily pierced and tattooed just like the rest of the crew and he had his ears stretched to a 00 gauge. Like his hemp clothes, he wore natural jewelry in wood, stone or bone. Lately Lucky was favoring glass ones with tiny skull inlays.
“No reason to bring them home when I know I ain’t going to keep them around.”
“Why not,” He regretted the question as soon as it was out of his mouth.
Lucky stiffened against him, “I kinda met someone, but it ain’t going anywhere.”
“Oh, you’ve never told me.”
“It’s no big deal. Sometimes we just don’t fucking get what we want.”
“Yea.” He fell into silence and closed his eyes.
Priest focused on the steady beat of Lucky’s heart as it lulled him into sleep. Maybe a few hours of uninterrupted sleep would make him feel human. He tried not to dwell on the fact the only place he could sleep without the dreams was in Lucky’s arms. One day when Lucky’s mysterious man stopped being stupid Priest wouldn’t even have these brief moments of comfort and peace.
# # #
Chimes tinkled in every direction as he looked around the yard of Lucky’s childhood home. Two kegs with the tops cut off and holes cut in random patterns sat on either side of the porch steps with colorful flowers cascading down the sides. Recycled tires used as planters littered the yard; there was an old, claw-foot tub turned into a fountain, bird bath combo and an old rusted out Model-T covered in climbing roses and ivy vines. Even at first glance at the yard and house you knew a unique family lived here. Priest loved coming here to spend time with the Trentons.
Lucky held tight to his hand as the man dragged him up the old, tile mosaic walkway and up the steps to the porch. “Don’t make eye contact and whatever you do don’t run they’ll consider it a challenge.”
“I’ve been here before. They’re not that bad, Lucky.”
“Oh, fuck yes, they are.”
Lucky didn’t wait for him to answer and pushed open the door, the familiar scents of incense and weed perfumed the interior. Ma Lily started early. He chuckled but bit his lip when Lucky gave him a dirty look. Okay, he understood Lucky didn’t come from a typical family and the whole radical honesty was weird, but there was one thing he couldn’t deny—it was a loving family.
“Look at my boy, have you trimmed your dreads?”
“No, Ma, they’re an inch longer than last time you asked.”
“Doesn’t look like it. Have you changed your cologne? It smells—unnatural.”
“No, Ma, no deodorant or cologne—all natural.”
“You know they kill animals to make all those products.”
Priest stood back to enjoy the interaction between Lucky and Lily. At one time, he'd assumed Lucky was the weirdest person he'd ever met that lasted until he'd met Lucky's mother.
“Yes yes, bunnies lose eyeballs for people’s cruel need to smell good for sex when sex smells are the best smells. All sweaty and musky.”
His cheeks heated in embarrassment which happened a lot when the subject of sex came up in conversation. At twenty-five, he should be over that shit, but his cheeks still went up in flames. Priest no longer panicked like he did when he first came to Twirled World; he considered that a win.
“I raised you right. Priest, how’s my beautiful, little bear?” Lily bypassed Lucky to wrap her arms around him. Even at five-nine the woman barely came to his chin.
“Hi, Lily, thanks for having me today.”
“Oh, honey if I had you you’d know it.”
He couldn’t answer because his throat tightened and he sent Lucky a panicked look. The bastard only snorted.
“Ma, didn’t your open relationship days end a long time ago?”
Oh, he didn't want to hear about Lily's sex life.
“Yes, that worked better for my parents than me. Who knew the sperm donor wouldn’t be able to share?”
“He’s an only child. It’s expected. Now unhand my man, you’re making him nervous.”
“Oh, why do I make him nervous? So that nice bulge is only for you?”
“You know he’s only my friend and his bulge ain’t any of your business.”
“Shame because he does have a nice one.”
He found himself pried from Lily’s tight embrace and placed behind Lucky. The open conversations about sex always made him uncomfortable, but it was kind of nice to see a family so open and positive about it. He gripped the side of Lucky’s shirt. As always it was ultra-soft, all-natural fabrics and sleeveless. Lucky's jeans hung low on his hips precariously held up by intricately knotted strings of hemp with a dreaded skull buckle.
“Get Priest’s bulge out of your brain.”
“Woman, are you molesting Priest again? When did you develop a clergy fetish?”
Priest peeked around Lucky’s bicep to take in the new arrival.
An older dark haired version of Lucky appeared behind Lily. A broad smile stretched the full curves of Damon's mouth. Damon wrapped his arms around Lily's waist and tugged her back against his lean body. He felt like an asshole for the envy that tightened his chest at the obvious love between Damon and Lily.
“If they looked like Priest I’d give up my heathen atheist ways.”
“Dad, didn’t you remember she needed a ball gag for polite company?”
“Son, the ball gag is for the bedroom only.”
“Please, I came over unexpectedly a few weeks ago to find you and your Shibari session going on.”
“Sexual spice keeps a relationship healthy.”
“As you’ve always told us, so where’s Linus and his clinic visit waiting to happen?”
He started to admonish Lucky but decided against it. When it came to Linus Lucky didn’t listen to a thing he said. The siblings were constantly at each other’s throats whenever they were confined to the same space longer than a few minutes.
“He’s in the backyard, and I swear I don’t know where he finds them.”
“I heard he likes to troll Oliver Ave.”
“I swear this one is wearing dominatrix gear under her excessively tight dress,” Damon said.
He snickered from behind Lucky, and he nearly squeaked when the distinguished gentleman peeked around Lucky to see him.
“Hello, Priest, he’s
not exactly big enough to use as a shield.”
“Hi, Damon.”
“Come on, son, let’s go make jokes that will go over Linus’s date’s head. She has this nasally giggle, I think too much coke causes it, but she’s testing the radical honesty rule in this house.” Damon held out his elbow, and Priest slipped his arm through it.
“Don’t try to steal him from me.”
“Just because I’m bi doesn’t mean I want your man.”
“Uh huh, you’re getting all fucking gentlemanly and giving him that flirty smile. I know you, old man, I will end you.”
“So, possessive. How do you put up with him, honey?”
“He doesn’t give me a choice.”
“Traitor,” Lucky bellowed behind him.
Damon led him towards the kitchen and into the backyard.
“Oh, I think she’s fucking worse than the last one.” The purple wrap dress looked to be about a size too small and the six-inch spiked heels were sinking into the grass threatening to tip the woman backward.
“I thought so too. For such an intelligent man Linus isn’t very bright.”
“Maybe he’s just lonely,” Priest suggested.”
“Lonely can be cured,” Damon whispered, then raised his voice, “Linus, Lucky brought his man.”
“Priest, you still putting up with my brother? I’ve always wanted to know, are you high?”
Linus wasn’t always the nicest man to be around especially when it came to Lucky. He didn’t understand it. Maybe the man just didn’t think he fit with the rest of them. The suit Linus wore cost more than Priest paid in rent for a year. “No, Lucky is perfect.”
“Definitely high.”
“Where’d you pick this one up?”
“Don’t even start with your fucking hooker jokes. I work with her.”
“I don’t think I mentioned hooker, that was all you,” Priest said with a tight smile.
“Dominique, this is Priest, my brother Lucky’s boyfriend.”
He didn’t even bother to correct Linus. Everyone called him Lucky’s boyfriend since his first visit. He’d corrected them so many times that first visit and the next, then gave up because they didn’t stop.
“It’s nice to meet you,” The woman practically sneered at him and ignored his extended hand.
“Yea, the snarled nose like you’re smelling shit on your shoes screams nice to meet me.” He’d pushed the words through clenched teeth, and he turned to give Damon an apologetic look only to find Damon affectionately smiling at him. The older man squeezed Priest’s hand that he still had tucked into the crook of his arm. Priest tried to be nice to everyone, but this woman wasn’t going to be one of them.
“Linus, everything go well at your last clinic visit? The itching and burning stopped, antibiotics are a modern marvel,” Lucky’s voice boomed from behind him.
Dominique perked up when she looked over his shoulder, and he knew what she saw, Lucky approaching with his naturally lazy swagger.
“Why are you all over my man, Dad, come on,” Lucky wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted him a few feet away from Damon.
Anyone else would’ve picked him up he would have either gone into a full-blown panic attack or fought like hell to get away.
“Shut up, Lee,” Linus snarled. “Leave the jokes alone today.”
“Yea, united front for the evil Gram monster, did you bring it?”
“You know I fucking did, here, I can never get the damn things right,” Linus dropped something in Lucky’s extended, open palm. “I’m so out of fucking practice with this shit.”
“Won’t exactly go with the spiffy suit, didn’t you bring a chance of clothes,” Lucky asked.
“Yes, I had a work meeting before I got here. Just put the fucking things in.”
“Give me that; you got the pliers?” Priest took the baggie with the eyebrow ring and the thick steel ring for Linus’s nose.
“When don’t I have pliers, the ER would ruin my fucking shit if I let them take them out.”
Lucky placed the thin-nosed pliers on his palm. “Do I need gloves?”
“Don’t you start too, you’re the only normal one I have to deal with here.”
He rolled his eyes, with quick, efficient movements he reinserted the eyebrow ring and tightened the ends around the ball, making sure the points lined up with the indentions. The next was the septum ring. “We should get you a septum horn; this would be so much easier just a simple insert.”
“I know, but I never wear the stuff anymore.”
“I’ll order you one. I’ll let Lucky know when it’s in, and you can come and pick it up.”
“Thanks, we only do this shit when Gram comes to visit.”
“It makes Lily happy.” He finished up and realized Lucky had never moved away from him. Lucky’s slender body pressed against his back.
“Priest, come help me in the house,” Lily called from the back deck.
“Okay, behave while I’m gone.”
“Yea yea, don’t start ruining my fun.”
He chuckled as he jogged to the porch. “What can I help you with?”
“I need a couple of boxes moved.”
“Okay.” He followed her toward the back of the house. He walked into what he knew was her bedroom.
“Priest, we have to talk.”
“What,” He asked as he heard the legs of a dresser scrape loudly across the floor and he turned to find himself trapped. “What…What are you doing, Lily?”
“This is really for yours and Lucky’s own good.”
“What’s for our own good?”
“Intervention. It’s been a long time coming.”
Priest looked around for an escape, but he didn’t see a way out except the windows. He knew she’d try to stop him and he’d never do anything to hurt Lily. A loud thump and a curse, then thundering steps alerted him Lucky was coming to his rescue.
3 IT’LL ATTACK IF YOU MAKE EYE CONTACT
“Son, don’t get mad, this is for your own good.”
Lucky shot his dad a shocked look and then glanced towards the house as he watched his mother lock the door and smile at him.
“What the hell is the crazy harpy doing?”
“Didn’t we say intervention?”
“Dad, Priest doesn’t know how to protect himself, you’ve sent an innocent into the den of crazy.” He took off running even as he yelled over his shoulder.
She may have locked the fucking door, but the windows were never locked. He forced one of the windows open and dived through it; his shoulder crashed into a large shelf, and he grunted in pain. He quickly recovered and rolled to his feet.
Lucky jogged down the hallway to his parent’s room, tried the door, it wasn’t locked, but wouldn’t open. “Ma, did you put furniture in front of the door?”
“We know you pick locks. This has to be done.”
“Lucky, what the hell is going on,” Priest’s voice shook.
He needed to soothe his pretty bear or the man would go into a panic attack. He hadn’t dealt with one of those in awhile, and he didn’t want to when he couldn’t get to Priest. “Baby, curl into a ball and play dead until she’s bored. It’ll be over soon.”
He peeked through the tiny crack in the door and then pressed his ear to it to see if he could hear what was going on. Dammit, he should have known she’d try something. Three years of putting her off, pretending he was happy with friends, and all the times he made sure they were never alone. It all fucking ended now. She was going to ruin the best friendship he’d ever had.
“Priest, I just wanted to talk to you without my son running interference.”
Meddlesome Harpy, Lucky mentally growled.
“Interference?”
“Don’t engage the wild beast.”
“Shut up, Lucky, this is between my boy and me.”
“He’s not your boy, he’s mine, now back away from him slowly and let me in.” Lucky pounded his fists against the door and cursed as it b
anged against the dresser but didn't budge.
“No, I’ve done this your way, it’s over with.”
“Why are you peeking into Ma’s room,” Leigh-Lou asked from beside him and he looked to find her leaning back against the wall beside the door.
“She’s got Priest trapped in there.”
“You knew she’d do this sooner or later. You’re the only one that’s going to give her a son-in-law.”
“She doesn’t fucking get it. She doesn’t know.”
“There’s something you didn’t tell Ma, are you fucking insane? You know what happens when she finds out about lies by omission. She goes crazy. She’s like a fucking shark in a feeding frenzy.”
“You’re not fucking helping, now shut up so I can hear.”
Thankfully his twin fell into silence as they listened at the crack between the door and frame.
“You’ve been coming around for over two years and you know I love you like you’re one of my own, but what you and Lucky have isn’t healthy.”
“Ma, shut the fuck up, this isn’t your business.”
He was fucking tired of people making comments about what Priest and he had. They were best friends, they’d do anything for each other, and it was no one’s business what did or didn’t go on between them.
“I will poke your eye out or pierce your eardrum if you don’t keep quiet.”
“Threats of violence are beneath you.” If he could just keep her distracted she’d grow bored. The fucking woman had the attention span of a gnat on speed, but she’d also been stewing about this one for too long.
“I know what you’re doing.”
“Of course, you do. This is why radical honesty sucks as a parenting model. Ma, I’m begging you don’t do this, you don’t know what’s going on.”
He hollered as an air horn went off on the other side of the door.
“Why the fuck do you have that?”
“It comes in handy sometimes. Now I’m talking to Priest and ignoring you.”