Brody

by Kathi S. Barton

  “Why do you think that if they’re a couple they’d forget you? I mean, I’ve tried to forget you daily, and you’re like that fungus I was telling you about earlier. You have sort of grown on me.” He told her what he’d been thinking about Ralph and his mom. “Okay, think about who you’re comparing your dad to. That is not a role model that I’d want to compare anyone to. She’s a nutball, and more than likely hasn’t loved anyone in her life. And as much as it pains me to say it, probably not you either.”

  “She said she didn’t love me. I was just her ticket. I had to ask Grandma what that meant, and she told me that Mom wanted to get more money out of Dad.” Emmi asked if it worked. “I don’t know, dork, I wasn’t born yet.”

  Emmi tickled him again, and he started to stand up to hug her. But she had him pause, she told him, until she figured this out. He waited, not sure what she was talking about until she snapped her fingers. Nothing changed, but she was happy about it. He asked her what had happened. She got down to his level before answering.

  “Did you know that Quincey is my mate?” He nodded. “Well, he’s given me some of his powers because we’re mates. So, in answer to your question, I pulled shadows around us just now so that no one would see or hear us while you were upset. I just didn’t remember how to make it go away. We’d have had a hard time paying for things if no one could see us.”

  “Yeah. That would be funny though. But you and Quincey, wow, that’s so good for you. You were so sad when I saw you the first time. That’s why I thought I could trust you. You looked like you’d been hurt enough, and that you’d not hurt me.” Emmi hugged him tightly, and he wasn’t sure she was going to let him go. And when she did, he looked at her. “I love you, Emmi. Very much. And if you don’t care, I’d like to call you my aunt too. You are the best person I know in the world.”

  “I’d be honored to have you call me Aunt Emmi.”

  They finished up shopping just as his dad joined them. She told him about his mom, and then told them both what she’d done to make her go away.

  “I made her think that she’d been mistaken about me having Jordan and that she should go home. I should have made her go to the police, but I wasn’t sure how to do that part. I’m still learning a lot of things, but that one I’m getting better at. I’ve sort of gotten a crash course in everything vampire in the last two days.”

  After transferring his bags to Dad’s car, they headed home. Jordan was tired, but he wanted to spend some time with his dad. Do what Aaron had asked him to do—make him happy. As they were taking all his bags up to his room, Dad asked him if he’d had fun.

  “I did.” Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. “Dad, are you and Aaron going to be sleeping together? Like the rest of them are?”

  ~*~

  Brody sat down on the bed, thankful that it was there so he’d not hit the floor. All day, while he was putting a man’s face back together who’d tangled with his wife who had an electric knife, he’d thought of very little but Jordan.

  “Why do you ask? Did someone say something to you? By the way, I know that you talked to Emmi and the others. But how did you know that Aaron and I were together?” Jordan sat down at his desk. It, like the rest of his room, was covered in clothing that either didn’t fit or wouldn’t by winter. Brody picked up a shirt to fold it. “I need to know what you’ve heard so that I can go from there.”

  “Nobody said anything. Not really. Emmi asked me some questions about me knowing anything about it, and she did ask me if it would bother me if you were like them. It doesn’t. Not at all. But I was with Paddy and Henry today at the mall. And they seem to be really happy. I want you to be happy. You never was with Mom, I don’t think.” Brody’s mind screamed at him to deny it, but his heart told him this was a good opening for him to talk. “Dad, are you mad at me for asking you?”

  “No. Goodness no. I just don’t want to mess up here. You’re my son, and above anything else, I want you to be happy too.” Jordan told him he was. “Good. Good. That’s good.”

  “Dad, just tell me. You’re making me nervous.” Brody thought that his nervousness couldn’t be worse than his was at the moment. “Dad?”

  “Yes, Aaron and I are going to be a couple. We are a couple.” Jordan nodded as Brody let out a long breath. He sat down again before his trembling legs gave out on him. “But we’re doing this slowly. For all of us, including you. And we can’t have your mom figuring it out either. We’re not embarrassed about it, but she isn’t a nice person, and she’ll make sure that I have a black mark against us. She’ll have grounds to take you if we tell anyone just yet. Rachel will say that the home isn’t stable or something like that. I don’t want you to lie, Jordan. But don’t make a big deal out of it, all right?”

  “I won’t, Dad, I promise. I don’t want to go with her. I want to stay here with you and Aaron. And Grandma and Howie. Aunt Emmi said I could go to her studio when she gets it set up. And she’s going to come and see about painting something on my walls for me.” Jordan laughed. “She said she was going to come over and paint some—well, poop, but that’s not what she said. I asked; she’s not really painting poop on my walls.”

  “Thank God.” Brody laughed with his son. “Jordan, this is really important. You understand that, don’t you? A lot of people in this world don’t like gay people. They think that they’re deviants and other things that aren’t true. But they’re not—we’re not. We’re just people, like everyone else. So you be extra careful who you tell and say anything in front of. All right, son?”

  “Yes.” He looked around his room, then back at him. “Dad, will you forget about me? I don’t mean forget, but leave me alone and stuff when you go out with Aaron? Aunt Emmi said you won’t, but I don’t know. That’s what Mom did when she found that guy, Ralph. She shoved me aside like old shoes with holes in them. Grandma told me that one. I think she’s a hoot, don’t you?”

  Brody got up and picked his son up in his arms. He’d forgotten that he was so big. He supposed he should have had a clue, what with the clothing that no longer fit him. Brody was startled by his height and weight. Jordan was growing up, and getting smarter every day along with it.

  “I would never ever forget you. Neither will Aaron. He worries about you as much as I do, Jordan. He told me that when he gets back from this assignment, he wants to figure out what you like to do so he can be a part of both our lives.” Jordan didn’t look convinced. “I swear to you, Jordan. Forever you will be the first thing in my life. Aaron will have to be second, because you have so much of my heart that he will have to wait in line, so far as I’m concerned. He makes me happy, and I probably love him, but I do love you and will forever. You might not be a part of me, Jordan, but you certainly hold my heart. Do you understand me, son?”

  “Yes. I love you, Dad.”

  Setting Jordan on the floor when he seemed to want to be let go, Brody helped him gather up his room. The first thing they did together was to put all the clothing that he was no longer able to wear in neat stacks on the bed. Then he opened the shopping bags. “What did the two of you do, buy out the store?”

  He showed him the beautiful shirts, and it occurred to Brody that Jordan had a crush on Emmi. Sure that he’d bought them because she had liked them, he asked him to try one on. He did so without hesitation.

  “It’s very soft and warm. I bet that I never have to wear a coat again with this one. I have two of them too.” He asked if they’d gotten him a coat. “Yeah. Aunt Emmi got her one too. Though after she got it, she figured that she’d not need it with her being part vampire and all.”

  His son seemed to be more comfortable with all this than he was. Which, he supposed, was about right. Jordan had been at the pack house where things were very different than at a regular school. And he’d been told that kids from a lot of different walks of life went there, mostly for safety reasons. But he also thought that him being a child h
elped too. Children, he’d figured out, were much more accepting than adults could be.

  Jordan could also do more on his computer than Brody could. Then there was the remote to the television. Brody would struggle for ten minutes before he’d have to hand it over to Jordan, who would take less than a second to get them on the correct channel. Brody watched, fascinated, as Jordan pulled up Emmi on his cell phone and talked to her on the speaker.

  “Dad really likes the stuff we got.” Emmi told them both that she’d had a good time. “Me too. And I told Dad that you would have me over to your studio as soon as you got it set up too.”

  “I’m actually almost done. Hang on and let me show you it this way first.” The phone turned and he saw the paints on shelves, as well as the canvas, in different sizes, lined up against the wall. “I don’t have anything painted here yet, but my other work is on its way from my old apartment. I forgot to let you know where our house is. Remember what I told you about it, Jordan?”

  “Yes, you said that a vampire’s lair is like their special place. No one enters unless they for sure want to die, and anyone who is invited is trustworthy and a friend.” Brody was impressed, with both of them. “We have to have dinner, then watch a movie later. Do you and Quincey want to come over and join us? We’re having burgers and French fries.” Brody laughed when Emmi told him that asking his dad first might be good. Jordan looked at him.

  “Yes, please come over. Aaron is out of the country until sometime tomorrow, and we’re just the two of us until they all return. Mom and Howie went out to dinner.” She asked if Jake and the rest were coming over, and this time Brody looked at Jordan. When he agreed, Brody laughed. “Why not? I don’t know how much hamburger we have, but we’ll think of something.”

  “And sometime soon, very soon, we all need to get a taste of you. Just so we can find you. Quincey only needs scent, I guess, but since I’m not up people’s asses all the time for a scent, I need to bite you.” She wiggled her brows and they both laughed. “We’ll see you guys in about a half an hour. I’ll let the rest of them know too.”

  By the time Brody and Jordan figured out that they didn’t have nearly enough food for them, everyone was piling into the kitchen. Apparently, they had stopped at the local market on the way in. There were bags upon bags of food everywhere. Most of it was pre-made, as few of them really cooked, but he was fine with it. He wasn’t alone in his life anymore. Brody had friends.

  Paddy and Christy were at the grill. Quincey was filling glasses with ice and pouring tea for everyone. There was potato salad, macaroni salad, chips, as well as pickles and other condiments. He was just pulling out plates that had only arrived today when Jordan came into the dining room with his computer. Before he could tell him no electronics at mealtime, he saw Aaron on the screen.

  “Hello everyone.” They all cheered and Brody had to sit down as Aaron told them he was glad to see them. “I’m having good luck today, so I should be home sometime after midnight. Tomorrow morning at the latest. I forgot to extend my stay at the hotel there in town, so I’m hoping that I have a place to stay since Emmi moved out of her apartment and gave it up.”

  Everyone turned to Brody and he felt his face heat up. But before he could say anything, like come here, Jordan spoke first.

  “Come here, Uncle Aaron. We have lots of bedrooms, and the towels came today too. Dad will probably wait up for you, so you don’t even have to have a key.” Jordan looked at him and winked. Brody burst out laughing. “I just thought this would be fun for everyone since Uncle Aaron told me his phone number before he left, and with us all here and he’s not, we could just talk to him.”

  “It was perfect, Jordan. I was just thinking about all of you anyway, and how much I missed you guys.” He looked to his right, then said something in another language before looking back at the camera he had on his end. “I have to get going. But if it’s all right with you, Brody, it would make me feel good to come there.”

  “I would like that too. And Jordan has a list of things he needs to ask you as well.” Aaron laughed and said he’d be home soon. “Bye, and I’m so glad we all got to see you.”

  The rest of the night was a blur of fun and laughter. But most importantly, getting acquainted with each other. Brody ate too much food, and when the pies were brought out, he groaned but ate two pieces of peach anyway. Clean up was an affair as well. Everyone, like when they were cooking dinner, did their part with taking on a task. Conversation was light and fun. They didn’t bring up the divorce, nor the relationship between he and Aaron, but just about everything else under the sun was fair game.

  At nine, when everyone was leaving, Jordan went up to his bed with the biggest smile on his face. He was almost asleep as Brody was tucking him in. And when he kissed him good night, he held him a little longer than usual. His little boy was growing up, too fast, Brody thought. It was only a matter of time, he realized, before Jordan went to middle school, then high school. Before Brody knew it, he’d be off to college. Laughing at himself as he made his way down the stairs, he wondered when he’d gotten all melancholy and gloomy.

  Setting himself up to wait for Aaron to come home, he watched a movie. There had been too much food from earlier and he was still stuffed. But he found himself in the kitchen making popcorn. He was making fun of himself when his phone went off—the guard house.

  “Dr. Downs. I know that you and Mr. Wright know each other, but I wanted to make sure that he’s welcome at this time of night.” He thought about what to say. “If he’s going to be a regular, then I can just pass him through from now on.”

  “Yes, he’s going to be living here too.” Mr. Taylor said that was good, and he heard him wave Aaron on through. “Mr. Taylor, you’ve not seen my ex-wife around, have you? I don’t want you hurt either.”

  “Nope, not a peep from her. But I will tell you, Dr. Downs, she won’t get past me unless I’m dead. And if she gets to you, then you got her for trespassing. Don’t waste no time talking to her either. You just blow her fucking head off.” He didn’t want to think of this man hurt because of Rachel. “I’m just like you, Dr. Downs. An immortal. So unless she gets a head shot in and it sticks, I’m going to be just fine.”

  Brody thanked him and started to the front door. Then what he’d said hit him. Immortal? He wasn’t immortal. Was he? Tonight he’d exchanged blood with all the shifters and vampires that had come by, and allowed Jordan to do the same. But an immortal?

  As soon as he heard the knock at the door, all thoughts of living forever flew out of his mind. Aaron was home. Aaron was here now. Opening the door, he stepped aside as Aaron entered and asked where Jordan was.

  “He has school tomorrow, so he’s in bed.”

  No sooner had he said that than Brody found himself on his back on the floor, with Aaron tearing at his clothing.

  “So much for waiting.”

  They were both laughing as they touched each other.

  Chapter 6

  Aaron didn’t know what would be too much for Brody, but for himself, he was totally and completely overwhelmed. Rolling to his back, he let the coolness of the tile beneath him cool off his body. Brody rolled too, but to his side, and looked at him. It was then that he realized that his shirt was torn up and his belt was undone.

  “We should go upstairs.” Aaron nodded but didn’t move. Neither of them did. “I want to sleep with you. Very much so. But I don’t know if I’m ready for sex at the moment. I will more than likely change my mind as soon as we get up there, but for now, I just want to be held by you.”

  “That sounds perfect.” Aaron stood up and helped Brody. They were headed to the stairs when he looked at him. “I’m guessing that you had a talk with Jordan. That kid is smart, Brody. We have to get him into some computer classes to help him along.”

  “You’re right, he is, and I think he’s helping with the computer classes at the pack school. They l
ove him there. About us? Actually, he had a talk with me. I guess he’d been thinking about the other couples, and was worried that once you and I got together that we’d forget about him. I was going to talk to you about that. We need to make sure we include him in a lot of our day to day things.” Aaron said he was thinking the same thing. He loved Jordan. “When this is all over—I don’t know how it will work other than to have you as his guardian too—but I’d like for you to have just as much say about him as I do. That way, if I’m working and can’t get away, you can made decisions for him as well.”

  “Good idea.” They were at the top of the landing when they both stopped for a moment. “So, I can move into your room? Or should I have my stuff in one of the other bedrooms? To me, that makes sense. As Jake said, we can’t give her anything she can use to get our son.”

  When he didn’t correct him, Aaron reached for Brody’s hand. It was a little too much right now. Neither of them had had a clue that they had been with the wrong sex all their lives. And Aaron, while he was away, had thought about his life around women.

  “When I was seventeen, this girl I knew in college took me to her room and did all kinds of things to my body. She never let me come, nor actually have sex, but my God, I spent the next week, until she came home again, with a raging hard on.” They were in the bedroom now. “I remember thinking when I finally did have sex with her—or I should say, came all over her—it wasn’t all that satisfying. Not that, like I said, I didn’t come. But it was more of just a release than actually having a climax.”

  Aaron was naked before Brody. He didn’t own any pajamas, and wasn’t sure what to do about it. But when Brody got into bed in the buff, he joined him. The two of them laid there for several minutes until Brody spoke.

  “My first disappointment with sex was with Rachel. She had way more experience than I did. But like you, it wasn’t all that satisfying. Anyway, it was our wedding night, and I was like a teen virgin, hard as stone and waiting for my new wife to come out and have sex with me.” Brody turned to him. “That’s all I’ve ever had with women. Sex. There wasn’t any making love. Nothing about it that made me think that this was it, the thing that all men want. Anyway, our wedding night was about to happen, and when she came out of the bathroom I just stared at her.”