by Lisa Worrall
“Meg, can I talk to the boys?” There wasn’t much else Finn could say and he didn’t miss the sudden pinched look she got around her mouth.
“Aww, crap, what did they do?” Meg called their names and the Finn listened to the slap of their bare feet as they came running from their bedrooms, laughter heralding their arrival moments before they entered the room—skidding to a halt when they saw their visitors.
“Dan, Kit, Joe.” Finn said their names in turn, youngest to oldest, a brief nod of his head each time. “We need to tal—”
“It was Joe’s idea!” nine-year-old Kit cried, his blond hair shaking around his face as he pointed at his brother. “I told him not to!”
“You liar!” Twelve-year-old Joe’s face was bright red with anger at his brother’s betrayal. “Dan’s the one who wanted to go!”
“I… I…” It was all too much for six-year-old Dan, who managed two syllables before he burst into tears and ran to the shelter of his mother’s lap.
Finn felt terrible, but stealing was stealing, whether you actually gave it back or not, and he knew Meg wouldn’t want them to think they’d gotten away with it.
“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” Meg folded her arms around Dan and lifted him onto her knees. “Joseph Timothy you’d better start talking.” Finn glanced at Aiden. Both names… the kid was in big trouble.
The little boy crumpled like a house of cards under his mother’s disappointed glare and Finn felt for him, he really did. He’d been in the position Joe was in right now many a time growing up, not that he’d ever had the balls for kidnapping. His mother could hit you with a shoe from two hundred yards away, her aim had been relentless.
“We took Monty’s head and held it to ransom.”
Meg stared at her son and Finn had to bite the inside of his lip to stop himself from laughing at the expression on her face and the precise way she repeated verbatim her son’s confession. “You took Monty’s head and held it to ransom?” She shook her head slowly. “What ransom? What ransom, Joseph?”
“Four day tickets to the park, some Skittles and some M&Ms,” Joe mumbled.
“M&Ms?”
“They were the chocolate ones,” Finn said, then wished he hadn’t when Meg turned her ‘mommy’ stare on him. He smiled in apology and sat back against the cushions, keeping his mouth firmly closed.
“So, let me get this straight,” Meg said quietly—too quietly. “You three snuck into Finn’s home, stole part of his costume and demanded goods for its return?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“That’s what I couldn’t understand, dude,” Finn took a chance on interrupting again, keeping his voice low and gentle as he spoke to the already terrified boy. “Why didn’t you just ask me for the tickets? We’re buds aren’t we?”
“Yes! That’s why I couldn’t,” Joe cried, wiping at his eyes. “Mom says we shouldn’t ask for things from friends. That since Daddy went to Arizona with that sleazy—”
“Joseph!”
“Since Daddy went to Arizona, we’ve got to do things for ourselves!” Joe was openly sobbing now and Finn could feel the frustration rolling off him as he wiped the tears away. “So I couldn’t ask you and Dan wanted to go to the park for his birthday next week so bad. Me and Kit had these great parties when Dad was still here and I knew Mom couldn’t get them, and I just wanted him to have the same. I’m so sorry, Finn, Mom. Please don’t hate me.”
The little boy crumpled and Finn all but threw himself off the couch and to his knees in front of him. Taking him in his arms, he rocked Joe gently, murmuring nonsense into his hair as he cried. Now he felt like a first class asshole and wished he could take it all back. Tell his boss he’d lost the head and pay for a new one, anything to stop Joe and Dan’s sobs and rid Kit’s eyes of that haunted look. When Joe’s sobs had slowed to those heart-wrenching hiccups only children can pull off, Finn eased back onto his haunches and thumbed away the dampness on the boy’s face.
“Now you listen to me, okay?” Finn said softly, staring straight into Joe’s eyes. “Nobody hates you. Not me, and certainly not Mom, okay? So you can get that idea out of your head right now, because it just ain’t true. I know your intentions were good, but stealing is not the way to solve your problems. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Finn,” Joe said brokenly, wiping at his snotty nose with his hand. “I promise we won’t never do it again—not ever.”
“I know you won’t,” Finn said solemnly. “I know you won’t. But what we need to do is talk about how you’re gonna fix this, okay? First things first, where is Monty?”
“He’s in the closet,” Kit piped up. “We looked after him real good, Finn, honest.”
“Good,” Finn said, smiling brightly at the little boy. “If Mom’s okay with it, I’ve got an idea of how you can make it up to me.” He glanced at Meg, who nodded in confirmation. “Well, I’m gonna need Monty back right away, then I think my car’s gonna need washing once a week for a month, and then at the end of that month we’ll be square. Right?” All three boys and Meg nodded in unison like four little nodding ornaments on the back shelf of a car, and he suppressed the urge to giggle. “And if, at the end of that month, Mom tells me you’ve been doing your chores around the apartment and minding her good, I will see to it that Dan gets the birthday he wants.”
“Finn, you don’t—”
Finn waved a dismissive hand at Meg and looked at each boy in turn. “But if I hear one complaint from Mom that you’re not keeping up your end, or there’s one grumble about cleaning my car, the deal’s off, do you understand? There won’t be any second chances.”
“Yes, Finn, we’ll be good, we promise.”
“Well, alright then.” Finn reached up and ruffled Joe’s hair, beckoned the other two boys in to wrap all three up in a bear hug. “We’re still buds, right?” They hugged him tightly and he tousled each blond head in turn. “Cool, now go get my Monty before I change my mind.”
When the boys disappeared down the hall, Meg headed for the kitchen to make some coffee, after wrapping her arms around Finn’s neck so tightly, he was a little concerned that oxygen was becoming an issue. He flopped down onto the couch next to Aiden and scrubbed a hand over his face. Suddenly he felt drained. Is this what it felt like to be a parent? How the hell did Aiden and Meg do it without someone to lean on? Without ending up a drooling mess under the nearest table? How the hell di—? The thought stilled in his head as Aiden cupped his face and brought their lips together in a kiss so tender, so giving, that Finn felt the sting of tears behind his eyes. When he pulled back, Finn gazed at Aiden and smiled. “What was that for?”
“You’re a good man, Finn Thomas, and I love you,” Aiden whispered.
“I love you, too, baby,” Finn replied, hugging him close and burying his face against Aiden’s neck. “What?” He lifted his head and waited for Aiden to repeat the mumble he hadn’t heard. When Aiden did, his eyes widened, his heart skipped a beat and he blinked owlishly at him. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Move in with me.”
I
The moon cast thin strips of light on the bedroom ceiling through the slats of the venetian blinds hanging at Aiden’s window. Thirty-eight strips of light to be exact. He should know, he’d just finished counting them—again. Turning his head, he glanced at the green glow of the numbers on the clock radio and sighed heavily. Three-twenty-two. Look on the bright side—if you stay awake for another two hours, you can get up.
Aiden harrumphed at his over-jovial inner voice and turned onto his side, punching his pillow until he was satisfied he’d made a comfortable dent for his head, into which he settled—then pummeled it some more. He glared at the dark shapes of the pieces of the flat pack chest of drawers, left where they’d dropped after he’d taken them out of the box. He’d sat on the goddamn floor squinting at the instructions, turning them this way and that in an attempt to make sense of the diagram—without success. He’d
ended up screwing the sheet of paper into a ball and tossing it across the room in frustration. A trained monkey was supposed to be able to put that shit together—so why hadn’t he been able to fit screw A into hole B? Deciding the piece of crap was obviously defective, he’d huffed loudly and stormed from the room, barely managing to resist the immature urge to stick his tongue out at the offending furniture as he slammed the door. So much for surprising Finn with somewhere to actually put his clothes tomorrow.
Tomorrow—the word bounced around his skull like a persistent echo. Tomorrow there would be an extra person in the house, in this bed, in their little family unit of two. After tonight, he would no longer be the only parent. He worried at his lower lip, biting the soft flesh between his teeth. His head was full of ‘what ifs’. What if Finn couldn’t live with him? What if he was too settled in his ways and having another person invading his space freaked him out? What if Finn realized he was an anal retentive with a side order of mild OCD? What if Finn didn’t rinse out the shower after he’d used it, or didn’t pick up his dirty laundry and put it in the hamper, or didn’t mow the lawn in straight lines just the way he liked it? What if—what if—what if?
Aiden sighed heavily and turned onto his back, staring up at the strips of moonlight once more, but steadfastly refusing to count them this time. He knew he was being irrational. And he knew that amongst all the ‘what ifs’ there was only one certainty that kept pushing its way to the fore. He loved Finn and Finn loved him. Not that he was entirely sure why Finn loved him, but he did, and asking him to move in with them had been the most natural thing in the world. Even though the suggestion had been made at a highly emotional moment and he hadn’t planned it, as soon as the words left his lips, they’d felt right.
So why are we awake? The niggling voice in his head pressed for an answer.
It was a good question. Why was he awake? Honestly? Because he was the luckiest guy in the world. Because he’d somehow managed to bamboozle six feet four of the hottest, sweetest, kindest man alive into falling in love with him, and he was forever waiting for Finn to come to his senses at any moment. Because he was at least five years older, three inches shorter and a lot of inches wider than the male model Finn should be with. And because he had no idea how the hell he was supposed to keep Finn interested, when he didn’t understand what the fuck Finn was doing with him in the first place!
Really? We’re counting slat shadows at the butt-crack of dawn because you’re worried about the size of your ass? You should be more concerned about keepin’ me interested, ‘cause half the time I’m bored shitless in here. Now go to frickin’ sleep!
Giving his subconscious the metaphorical finger, Aiden pulled the pillow over his head and finally closed his eyes.
*
Coffee.
Aiden sniffed appreciatively his eyes still firmly closed. The heady aroma pervaded his senses and elicited a deep rumbling groan in his chest. But there was something else he could smell under the rich notes of roasted beans? His nose twitched again and he heaved a sigh of contentment—bacon. Coffee and bacon in bed, could there be anything finer? Well… just one thing, and that was the scent that wafted toward him next. Aiden smiled softly, still unwilling to open his eyes, and mumbled. “Breakfast in bed? I could get used to this, you know.”
“Don’t get too excited,” Finn replied with a chuckle. “Just trying to get your ass out of there—it’s moving day.”
“How about you get your ass in here and we move you in tomorrow?” Aiden slid a hand out from beneath the covers and beckoned Finn with what he hoped was a ‘come hither’ smile, which it probably would have been if he’d bothered to open his eyes.
“I’ll tell you what,” Finn said, putting the coffee and bacon sandwich on the nightstand. “If you get up and move me in today, I’ll crawl in there with you tonight and every night after that forever.”
“How do you always know the right thing to say?”
“It’s merely one of my many talents. Talents I’ll be more than happy to share with you once all my boxes have left my apartment, and set up permanent residence in that pile of wood in the corner I assume is a chest of drawers. After I’ve put it together, of course.”
“If you want to move in here at all, we will not discuss that chest of drawers, before, during or after its assembly.” Aiden opened his left eye and glared first at the pieces of wood and then at Finn. “Do we understand each other?”
“Perfectly, dear. Now, eat your sandwich, drink your coffee and get out of that bed, we’ve got work to do.”
Half-an-hour later, fed, watered and washed, Aiden pulled on his old ratty jeans and an equally well-worn olive-green T-shirt bearing the manic countenance of Animal from the Muppets. After pulling on his sneakers and running his fingers through his hair, he trotted down the stairs and headed for the kitchen, from where Patti’s distinctive cackle could be heard. He grinned at the three of them, Finn, Kaylee and Patti, where they were huddled together around the table, the two girls enthralled by Finn’s animated telling of some story about the park. Aiden crossed the kitchen and put his empty plate and cup into the dishwasher, shaking his head fondly. An excited buzz warmed the pit of his stomach at the thought that this was probably the first of many such scenes he would walk in on first thing in the morning. But then Kaylee and Finn were always huddled together sharing some secret or another, laughing at some private joke that only two five year olds would understand. His grin widened as they dissolved into fits of giggles—god, how he loved them.
“Daddy! You’re awake!”
Kaylee practically flew out of her seat and into his arms, climbing him like a monkey up a tree. Her little arms closed around his neck and he turned his head to bury his face in her baby-soft hair, inhaling the strawberry shampoo she insisted on using. Returning her hug full force, he pressed tickling kisses to the soft skin of her cheek eliciting fresh giggles. “Good morning, Cupcake, did you sleep well?”
“I think so,” Kaylee replied, a frown creasing her brow. “But I don’t know for sure, ‘cause I was asleep.”
Aiden covered a snigger and set her back on her feet. “Very true. Are you all set for your day out with Aunt Patti?” Patti had suggested to Finn and Aiden that she take Kaylee out for the day so she wasn’t under their feet and they could move Finn in and unpack in peace. At first Aiden hadn’t been convinced it was a good idea. Finn’s moving in affected Kaylee just as much as anyone else in the house, and he wasn’t sure cutting her out of the actual moving in process was appropriate. Of course, when he’d express this concern to Kaylee herself, she’d shot him down with a condescending glance and firmly indicated in no uncertain terms that she’d much rather go out with Aunt Patti than move boxes with him and Finn. So much for not wanting her to feel left out.
“Yes,” Kaylee grinned excitedly and trotted back to the table to Patti’s lap.
“What do you have planned?” Finn asked, reaching out to loop a strand of hair behind her ear.
“We,” Patti said, “are going to spend the day at the beach with some of Aunt Patti’s friends, ain’t that right, sweetie?”
“In other words you and your cronies are going to teach my daughter how to stir a cauldron properly?” Aiden sat down next to Finn and leaned in to receive his kiss.
“You’re funny.” Sarcasm dripped from each word and Aiden’s grin widened at his Aunt’s disdain. “You know she’s not allowed to do more than simple incantations until she’s ten.”
Aiden rolled his eyes as she stood up and told Kaylee to say goodbye to them. He hugged Kaylee for as long as she would allow and then had to reluctantly let her go when she struggled out of his grasp and clambered onto Finn’s lap to repeat the process. Aiden shook his head in wonder as she practically bounced out of the kitchen, and wondered what sort of day Aunt Patti had let herself in for. The slamming of the front door was the only indication they’d left a few minutes later and Finn grinned widely at Aiden.
“So, are you ready?�
�
“Of course, I’m ready,” Aiden said, a sudden panic knotting his stomach. “Aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Finn cupped Aiden’s face in his hands and stared into his eyes. “Are you freaking out about me moving in?”
“What? No, of… No!” Aiden frowned at the smirk on Finn’s face. “What’s funny?”
“You are totally freaking out,” Finn said, pressing his lips to Aiden’s. “I thought you’d freak way before now. I mean you’ve had a whole week to over-think everything, but Patti’s the one who called it. Which means I owe her twenty bucks.”
“You were betting on me freaking out?” Aiden glared at Finn. “Seriously?”
“Aww, come on, babe.” Finn’s voice was soothing and he batted his eyelashes. “It was just a little fun. You do over-think every little detail. It’s all part of your charm and one of the many reasons I love you.”
“Don’t try and butter me up, the damage is done,” Aiden said, knocking Finn’s hands away and crossing his arms in frustration.
“Are you telling me you didn’t freak out?”
Aiden avoided Finn’s gaze for as long as he could and then threw his hands up in the air signaling his surrender. “Okay, okay… maybe a little.” He sighed heavily and grabbed one of Finn’s hands in his. “I love you, so much, but I can’t deny I’m scared. It’s been the two of us for so long, you know? I just don’t want to screw it up.”
Finn dropped to his knees in front of Aiden’s chair and slid his arms around his waist, pulling him to the edge of the chair so his stomach was against Finn’s chest. “Neither do I,” Finn said earnestly. “I’m scared, too. I’ve never lived with anyone before. Well, except Chris, and he doesn’t count. You think I’m not worried my singing in the shower isn’t going to drive you crazy? Or the fact that I squeeze the toothpaste from the middle is going to make you want to kill me in my sleep? God, we’ve both got a million and one bad habits that’ll probably make us want to strangle each other after a week, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give it a try.”