by Zach Jenkins
Inigo felt like he was watching a tennis match as Ezra and his mom argued.
“They could,” Ezra said. “But that’s a whole lot of things that would need to fall into place for a chance at that happy ending you’re describing. First of all, they’ve only been dating for a few weeks. Secondly, what if Inigo’s job in Washington doesn’t work out? Or what if Levi can’t find a job of his own out there? And, hell, let’s be real. They haven’t known each other long enough to move across the country together and set up their own little Barbie dream house. What if they don’t work out? Levi would be stuck raising a kid out there away from everyone he knows. That’s a crazy amount of pressure on these two guys.”
Ezra and his mom both looked at Inigo at the same time and finally fell silent, waiting for his input right when they’d reached the crux of the problem.
“Go on,” Inigo said. “I’ve got nothing. What I’m looking for is a solution to it all that keeps everyone happy. So far, I’ve only heard about problems that I already knew I had.” He said the last words with too much bitterness. “Sorry. I’m just stressed. Maybe I should come back another day.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Ezra said. “Mom and I steamrolled you. Of course we don’t have any easy answers. Most of the important crossroads in anyone’s life don’t. But don’t you dare get out of that chair, either. We may not be able to help you with the big problem, but we can definitely help you with a smaller one.”
Ezra’s mom hurried over to Inigo and gave him a hug. “Ezzie’s right. We can definitely help you with one decision today.”
Inigo hugged Ezra’s mom back, happily accepting the comfort she offered as only a mother can. “I’ll take any help I can get. What can you guys help me with?”
In unison, they said, “Your hair.”
Ezra spun Inigo back toward the mirror while the two of them started arguing over what they were going to do to him.
Their enthusiasm warmed Inigo’s heart. He sometimes forgot how important it was to just spend time with friends for no other reason than just being together.
When the two seasoned beauticians finally made up their mind, Inigo couldn’t help but laugh at their decision. It was ridiculous, but based on their vision, he wished he could put them in charge of all his other decisions. He definitely needed bolder thinking like that.
“I put myself in your hands. Work your magic.”
23
Levi
Levi had worried that things would be awkward after their last time together, but Inigo had seemed ready to put that strange day behind them and move on. It was fortunate because he would not have been able to keep himself mad at Inigo if he tried.
He’d seen it for over an hour now and still couldn’t stop sneaking peeks that made him want to reach out and touch it. “So…rainbow, huh?” he finally asked, wondering how long it had taken for Ezra to dye Inigo’s mohawk.
“What?” Inigo said, feigning ignorance. “Oh, you mean the hair. You like it?”
“Dude, it is truly only a look that you could pull off. I love it.”
Inigo nudged his body against Levi’s and held his camera in front of them. “Rainbows!” he said while Levi said, “Cheese.” When they were both laughing, he finally took a picture that ended up turning into a blurry mess.
“Hmm. Maybe I’ll have to have Daxter take our picture before the day’s done,” Inigo said, shoving the phone back into his pocket and sneaking a quick kiss against Levi’s scratchy face before Levi could turn and meet his lips. “You should keep a little stubble.”
“Yuck. Really?” Levi scratched his beard. “I think I look like Homer Simpson.”
“A sexy Homer Simpson.”
“Hi, Dad!”
Levi turned and waved at Daxter as he passed, riding on the back of a gorilla. The boy had run immediately to the carousel when they had entered the zoo and was already on his third ride.
“Has your ex-boyfriend shown up to cause any problems since you last saw him?” Levi immediately regretted asking the question. Last thing I need today is to be looking over my shoulder for trouble. Stay in the moment and have a good time. “If he does, we should get the cops to give him a visit,” Levi said in order to show just how unconcerned he was pretending to be about the possibility of Inigo going back to his ex.
“Nope. I’m sure he will someday, but I can take care of him.”
And that was it. A painful little silence sat between them.
Fuck. Why’d I do that?
Inigo covered a yawn with his hand and said, “I need a coffee. Hey, how’d school registration go?”
Levi groaned.
“That bad?” Inigo asked.
Levi bit his bottom lip trying to decide how much to tell. He didn’t want to sound like all he was doing was complaining about everything, but Inigo had asked. And it definitely would be better than asking more stupid questions about the stupid ex-boyfriend.
“It was fine, but it was very crowded and so damn loud. I don’t know how teachers do it. Plus, all the single mothers hovered around me, hoping I was on the market, which is just annoying when I don’t know what I’m doing there and just trying not to screw anything up. I should get a fake ring to wear to the school events.”
Inigo raised his eyebrows. “Anyone I need to worry about?”
Levi shook his head, and in case Inigo needed any further convincing that none of the women there were any kind of competition, kissed Inigo’s forehead.
“I’m off the market, so I didn’t even bother looking. I finally got to the front of the registration line, though, and found out I was supposed to bring Dax’s birth certificate. I had to run home and get the copy they gave me when I brought Daxter home. Shit, I have to remember to order the real one. It never stops. Anyway, it took about fifteen minutes to get to the front of the line the first time, but when I came back the line was twice as long. So it was just one nightmare after another. But Daxter was great. While I waited in line, he ran off and made new friends right and left. School is going to be very good for him.”
Levi paused to take a breath. “Sorry. Did I put you to sleep? It felt so much more dramatic while it was happening, but now it just sounds really boring.”
Inigo chuckled. “I get it. Lines are horrible. No argument from me. When does school start?”
“Two weeks.”
“You have any other big day trips planned for you and Daxter after this?”
“Probably not anything too major. He wanted to go camping, but I talked him into doing it in our backyard instead. Other than that, just some swimming at Linda’s.” He paused a second before adding, “And whatever you and I decide to take him to do, if you’re interested.”
Levi’s heart pounded in his ears. Inigo had to know the comment wasn’t completely innocent.
Inigo threaded his fingers through Levi’s and said, “You should bring him over to skate someday. Hell, bring him over and drop him off. I’ll take care of him while you get some alone time.”
Levi’s heart soared at the response that seemed to imply a deeper commitment than someone who was planning to run off to another state would get themselves into.
He hoped.
“Oh, hey. That reminds me. It’s totally okay if you say no, but I need somebody to watch Daxter for a little while next Wednesday. Linda can’t, and I have to do a special training thing at work. My brother will be at my place in the afternoon, though. He’s flying home on leave from the military. So you’ll be able to drop him off then, and he could watch Dax until I get back home.”
Realizing he was rambling again, Levi shut his mouth.
“No problem,” Inigo said without a second of hesitation. “I can watch Dax all day if your brother gets delayed or whatever. When he’s officially there, I’ll rush Dax over. I’m sure your brother is excited to meet him. Have they even met yet? Will Dax be okay being left with, well, a stranger?”
“They’ve Skyped. And they both like Minecraft. Dax is excited to get to play th
e game with someone who knows what they’re doing, sitting right there in the same room. It’s all beyond me.”
“Cool. Maybe I’ll take him over to the mall and buy him a book and a cookie or something. Something to get him out of the house for a little bit. Plus, I have a couple things I need to buy for me, too. And then I’ll bring him home to play soccer in the backyard again until your brother shows up.”
The conversation felt so domestic that Levi couldn’t help but gain confidence that things were going to work with Inigo. He pushed aside any thoughts of Washington.
The carousel stopped. Daxter was the first one through the exit gate.
“Again, again!” he cried with both hands raised high above his head as he crashed into Levi’s body.
Levi shook his head, and used his most parental voice. “Not right now, Dax. We came to the zoo to look at the animals, so let’s go do that for a while. When we’re ready to leave, you can ride the carousel one more time on the way out, okay?”
Daxter didn’t bother replying. He grabbed Inigo and Levi’s hands and started dragging them down the path.
Levi apologized to a couple of women who were rocking their strollers while apparently waiting for their older kids to get back from the carousel. Levi had been turning to ask Inigo a question and didn’t notice that Daxter was pulling them right between their strollers.
His apology was brief as Daxter relentlessly dragged them onward.
“Look at that cute couple,” he heard one whisper to the other after they had passed.
Inigo leaned his head in toward Levi and said, “I don’t think we’re cute at all. I think we’re smoking hot.”
Levi could practically hear the smile on Inigo’s face. Not daring to turn because of the chance of catching one of the women’s eyes, Levi nodded his agreement. “Women are crazy about men with kids, I’m learning. You ever dump me, I’ll be swimming in single mothers.”
Levi regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.
Who says that in front of their boyfriend?
Based on Inigo’s loud, full laugh, he wasn’t offended, though. “You’ll have to get yourself a puppy, too. Dogs and a kid? The single ladies won’t stand a chance. You could probably take home half the married ones, too.”
“You’re so bad,” Levi said as Daxter stopped and spun to face him.
“Are we getting a puppy, Dad?”
Squinting his eyes and growling playfully at Inigo, he said it again. “You’re so bad.”
“And you love it.”
“No, Dax, I can’t handle a puppy right now. Maybe in the spring.” Hoping to distract Dax before he could complain, Levi changed the subject. “Where are we going? What’s wrong with all these other animals that we’re skipping?”
“I want to see the elephants.”
Levi pointed to the nearest animal house and said, “Okay, but how about we look at these first and we’ll eventually make our way over to the elephants? We have all day.”
Inigo was looking at the map. He pointed to the left. “I think they are just right over there.”
Daxter squealed and ran off ahead of them, screaming, “Elephants, elephants, elephants!”
Inigo caught Levi off guard by offering a quick apology. “I didn’t mean to overrule you. I just had the map in my hands and I wasn’t thinking. Sorry.”
Levi cupped his hand along Inigo’s jawline for a second before grabbing a handful of his mohawk and giving it a light, playful tug. “That’s for overruling me.” Before Inigo could possibly think he was really mad, he added, “Just kidding. I just wanted to touch that hair. Come on, let’s go catch up to Dax before he ends up riding on the back of an elephant.”
Levi and Inigo jogged to keep up.
Levi was amazed by watching the world through Daxter’s eyes. Everything was bigger and more exciting. It was a good reminder to Levi to make sure he gave proper attention to the good things in his life. He squeezed Inigo’s hand, hoping the message of how much he appreciated, and yes, even loved, Inigo got through. He couldn’t seem to form the words yet, but he hoped the squeeze was enough.
When Inigo squeezed back, the message he thought Inigo was sending back sent him soaring to the clouds.
24
Inigo
When the microwave dinged, Inigo stepped out of Levi’s embrace and removed the popcorn. “Two bags enough or should we make a third?” he asked.
He’d worked up an appetite from all the walking at the zoo and was pretty sure he could eat three bags by himself.
“Your call, but the sooner we start watching the movie, the sooner Dax will go to bed, and the sooner we can…” Levi waggled his eyes suggestively.
“Two bags it is. Where are the bowls?”
Levi reached into the cabinet behind him and set three bowls on the counter. He opened one of the bags while Inigo worked on the other.
While Inigo poured popcorn into the bowls, he asked, “You really haven’t seen The Princess Bride? I thought it was required watching for kids of our generation. Like Willy Wonka and Parent Trap.”
“I’ve seen Willy Wonka. I don’t know, I guess I just missed it. The title definitely wasn’t doing it any favors.”
Inigo was still stunned. He’d yelled at people quoting the line from the movie at him enough times it seemed like everyone he’d ever met must have seen it.
“Hmm. I suppose so,” Inigo agreed. “But there are just some things you have to watch just so you understand the things people say. As much as I grew up hating sharing the name, the movie is solid.”
Levi picked up two bowls and headed toward the living room. “Well, let’s go get me caught up with modern culture.”
They sat down next to each other on the couch, but had to slide a little further apart when Daxter wiggled in between them. Levi leaned over Daxter’s head and gave Inigo a light kiss. Inigo wanted more, but knew it would be inappropriate until the kid had gone to bed.
“Gross,” Daxter said with a groan while shoving their bodies apart. “Does this movie have monsters?” Daxter asked. “I love monsters.”
Inigo smiled at Levi while mussing Daxter’s hair. “No. It doesn’t really have monsters. But it does have plenty of R.O.U.S.s. And kissing isn’t gross, dude.”
They had already fast-forwarded through all the previews while making the popcorn. Levi pressed play and set the remote on the coffee table. “What’s a R.O.U.S.?” he asked.
“Shh. I’m not handing out any spoilers,” Inigo said. “You’ll just have to watch.”
Levi propped his feet up on the coffee table and ate a handful of popcorn. “Hey, is that the kid from The Wonder Years?” he asked, with his mouth still half full. “That was one show I used to watch with my mom. Man, my dad hated that one.”
“Shh,” Daxter hissed. “I can’t hear what they’re saying.”
Inigo tossed a handful of popcorn at Daxter, but he was so mesmerized by the movie already that he didn’t fight back.
They were all silent until the first kiss.
“Gross. What is it with you grownups and all the kissing?” Daxter asked.
“You’ll understand someday,” Levi said.
Inigo moved his arm to the back of the couch and ran his fingers oh so lightly down the back of Levi’s neck, causing goosebumps. Inigo had to tug on his ear twice before Levi realized he was trying to get his attention.
Inigo nodded toward the kitchen and whispered, “We should go get some drinks.”
Levi shook his head and pointed at the screen. “This is a good part. But I’ll take a pop if you’re going,” he adding, playing innocent.
“Me, too,” Daxter quickly agreed.
With a groan Inigo rose. While marching to the kitchen, he said, “You two will be the end of me.”
Levi and Daxter shushed him at the same time.
When he returned with the drinks, he stood and watched them from afar. It was such a sweet sight to see how much they had bonded in just a few short weeks.
Inigo respected how great of a job Levi was doing under what seemed like difficult circumstances. He wasn’t sure he would have been able to act so selflessly in the same situation.
“Why are they going into the forest?” Daxter asked, pressing his body up closer to his dad’s. “That place looks scary.”
“Because those other guys will kill him if they don’t,” Levi said, wrapping his arm protectively over Daxter’s shoulder.
“But isn’t that where the R.O.U.S.s live?”
“That’s what they’re saying. But I guess sometimes you have to pick the lesser evil.”
They both jumped when the fire erupted for the first time. Inigo chuckled as he sat back down on the couch. “You guys going to be okay?”
Daxter threw a handful of popcorn at him.
I probably shouldn’t have taught him that. Levi is going to kill me.
The chatter subsided and was replaced with plenty of laughs as they all were swept away by the magic of the movie.
Even though he knew it was coming, Inigo gasped and even teared up a little when the Inigo on the TV said, “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Levi and Daxter watched the scene with their mouths half open in amazement.
Inigo hadn’t seen the movie in years. He wouldn’t blame people for quoting that line anymore. It was a pretty powerful moment.
He was already making plans for the three of them to dress up as characters from the movie for Halloween if Levi wanted him to trick-or-treat with them.
If, he stressed to himself.
He’d let the romance of the movie carry him away a little too far, and Halloween was still a long time away. He poured what was left of his popcorn into Daxter’s bowl and slid to the far side of the couch to lean against the armrest where he could watch Levi watching the movie.
Daxter cuddled even tighter against his dad. Without even seeming to notice what he was doing, Levi stroked Daxter’s head. The two of them looked so happy and content.