They followed her, and he heard, "I gotted you juice."
"Got you juice."
"No," she said, very patiently. "I gotted you juice."
Drake looked up at him and he nodded.
"It's not 'gotta', sweetheart, it's 'got'. You got me juice."
"Uh-huh. I gotted you juice."
Slayde swallowed hard, shaking with laughter.
"Thank you, sweetie." Drake's lips were twitching and he knew the man was trying so hard not to laugh at her. Drake drank the juice down and then got up, making a beeline for the kitchen before he busted a gut.
Maggie beamed, though, looking so pleased with herself.
Drake came back a few moments later, face composed. "That really was great, thank you, Mags."
"Welcome. Gonna go play." The baby was grabbed and she headed back to the playroom, Jenny at her heels.
Slayde looked at Drake, applauding. "Very nice."
"I nearly lost it."
"You didn't, though. She's so tickled. Uncle Drake, baby saver."
Drake rolled his eyes, but looked pleased. "Do I get a prize from the over six set?"
"You can have anything you want, man." Any fucking thing.
"Want you." Drake grabbed Slayde's waist and took a quick kiss.
He leaned in, and they held each other for a long minute, just breathing together.
"Kids are up," murmured Drake. "We probably should …step away." Drake didn't, though.
"Okay." Slayde soaked up Drake's strength.
Drake leaned in and took another kiss. They weren't tonsil-juggling or anything. The kisses were soft, chaste. Easy. In the end Drake rested their foreheads together and they just breathed.
God, please. Please let him continue to enjoy every second he had.
"So fucking good," muttered Drake.
"Yeah. Yeah. Perfect."
Drake took another soft kiss, fingers stroking over his belly.
"I'm thinking about a lazy, quiet day. Football in here?"
"That sounds like magic, baby." Drake gave him a sudden, shit-eating grin. "As long as you mean watching."
He pinched Drake's butt. "God, yes. Watching. Popcorn."
Drake laughed. "Just popcorn? You don't have some Martha Stewart version of football food you want to whip up?"
He arched one eyebrow. "Just for that, you only get microwave popcorn and plain chips. No cheddar popcorn and jalapeno dip."
"You see! I was right."
"Shut up or I'm burning the popcorn."
Drake collapsed onto the couch, laughing so hard he wasn't making a sound anymore. Slayde pounced, tickling Drake hard, fingers digging in.
Drake kept laughing, fending him off for a while before crying out, "Uncle."
"Uncle Drake!" The girls came running in. "We help!"
Then tiny fingers started tickling.
"Oh f--fudge!" Drake cried out, wriggling hard.
Jenny and Maggie laughed, the little sounds happy and joyous. Drake beamed at him and together they turned the tables on the little girls. He ended up blowing raspberries on Jenny's belly, her fingers tugging his hair. Drake copied him on Maggie and he held his breath, waiting to see how she'd react to that. Maggie's eyes went wide, then she giggled. Laughing, Drake did it again.
"Unca Drakey-Cakey! Tickles!"
"Drakey-Cakey?" Drake laughed even harder.
He blinked and Jenny cried out, "Cakey! Cakey, do me!"
Drake grabbed the little girl and started tickling her. "I'm Drake, not Cake!"
"Cakey! Cakey man!"
Drake shot him a look, glaring slightly,
"What? I'm innocent, Cakey Man."
"Jenny, go tickle Uncle Slide."
"No, Cakey. Unca Slayde."
Oh, score!
Drake's mouth dropped open. "What?"
"Unca. Slayde."
"How come I'm Cake and he's still Slayde?"
Jenny shrugged, kissed him with a smack, and toddled off.
"That is so not fair, man. You have them hypnotized."
"That's it. Hypnotized children." He was going to burst out laughing again.
Drake pouted at him.
"Boogala-boogala."
His words made Maggie squeal.
"You have hypnotized them!" Drake hooted at them.
"Look into my eyes, you are hypnotized!"
Drake laughed at him.
He winked, grabbed Maggie, and nuzzled her. "Love you, baby girl."
"Love you. Jenny's the baby."
"Yep. Go on, play. I'm going to make popcorn."
"For football." Drake grinned at him and God, it was so good.
"For the girls. You don't get any."
Drake stuck his tongue out. "I'm not above going out and getting Doritos."
Drake waited a moment. "For me and the girls."
He grabbed a pillow, threw it at Drake. That had Drake laughing again, tossing that pillow right back at him. He swatted Drake's butt with the pillow. Drake pounced him, finger pushing into his ribs.
He chuckled. "I am making popcorn!"
"You've got a strange way of making popcorn, man. I've got to tell you, it usually doesn't involve pillows."
"Pop. Pop pop. Pop pop pop."
Drake stared at him like he'd lost his mind.
He blushed and shrugged. "I was being popcorn."
Drake cracked up again. He couldn't be any more in love if he tried.
Drake finally stopped laughing, and wrapped him in a hug, gave him a kiss. "Come on, baby. Let's make munchies."
"Let's do it."
He kissed Drake right back.
"This still isn't making popcorn." Drake didn't stop holding and kissing him, though.
"You're very observant."
"I am. For instance, this is your mouth." Drake kissed him soundly.
He chuckled. "It is! You're learning so fast."
"Ass." Drake swatted him.
"Be careful or I'll have you pushing up."
"Uh-uh. Only if the kids catch me."
"Darn." He winked, sighed dramatically, and pulled back, body reluctant to lose touch with Drake. "Popcorn."
"Yeah… I'll show you some push-ups later tonight. If you know what I mean."
"I do." It was sort of fucking amazing, really. Drake, in his bed every night.
"Good." Drake's gaze was hot, hell, he could feel the man's need pressing against his thigh.
"Popcorn. Come on."
"Okay. Only if you'll let me have some."
"Maybe."
Drake goosed him.
"At least the burned parts."
Drake goosed him again. "Butthead! And I'll take the hit on the push-ups for that."
They were both laughing as they headed for the kitchen.
Chapter Thirteen
Minds talked to the kids for a while, then Slayde took them up for their baths and Drake slid into the chair.
"Hey, Sis."
"Hey, you. Sounds like Christian enjoyed the first day of school, huh?"
"Yeah. Slayde and I stressed the entire time he was gone, but he was just flying when he got off the bus this afternoon. Told us and girls all about it."
"I can't believe I missed it." She sighed, looking so tired. "Still, there's a good chance I'll be home by Halloween."
"The kids would be thrilled, honey. They miss you bunches. And you know Slayde took about three hours' worth of video leading up to him getting on the bus."
"I know. He sent it already." She sighed. "I wish I could afford to keep Slayde on once I retire, but there's no way."
"You sure? It's going to kill him, Minds." He knew it wasn't fair to guilt her, but he could see it, in Slayde's eyes now and then, when he thought no one was looking. Drake wanted to protect the man from that.
"What am I doing to do, brother? I'm going to be home. I won't need a nanny. You know I adore him, but I'll be a full-time mom."
He nodded and sighed, trying not to be angry with her for doing this to Slayde. "I know."<
br />
"It's going to be hard on all of us." She rubbed her forehead, looking so tired.
"I know," he said again. "Who knows, maybe he'll go from being nanny Slayde to being Uncle Slayde." Fuck. Had he actually said that? Out loud?
"What? Are…What?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I just know I don't want us to go our separate ways." And being out didn't seem nearly as scary anymore as it had. If he had Slayde and Mindy on his side, and those kids to love him, he thought he could face pretty much anything.
"Oh, wow. Wow, Uncle Slayde sounds like a good idea, if you're happy with it." She looked over at him. "What about your work?"
"I don't know. I don't think I'd be comfortable being out on the job." Some guys would be fine with it, but enough would be assholes and some downright awful. It was too dangerous a job not to know if everyone had his back. He was pretty sure there was no way he could be out and a cop, just no way.
"I… Drake, I love you, but Slayde, he's out. Like out-out. Even there in Ft. Hood, Texas. Out where it could kill him." She looked him straight in the eyes. "If you can't be with him, he might not be the right…him."
"I didn't say I wasn't going to be out, I said I didn't think I could be out and be on the job." So clearly, he needed a different job. Because being out with Minds hadn't killed him. Being out with Travis and Joey hadn't killed him. Being out with Slayde's folks hadn't killed him. Jesus. He was really considering this, considering letting everyone know. Well, no, it was more a matter of just not hiding it anymore than making some big announcement to everyone he met.
"But… Oh. Oh, wow. I… Shit, Drake, that's big. Cool, but big."
"You're going to have to do pushups." It just popped out of his mouth. Besides, he was far more comfortable talking about that than him and Slayde. Some things were never going to change and he was pretty sure it would have been the same even if Slayde had been a girl.
"Drake, I'm a soldier. Pushups do not scare me."
He stuck out his tongue at her.
"Save that for Slayde."
"Bitch!"
"Asshole!"
"Hag."
"Dimwit." Mindy was beginning to giggle.
"Dirt-eater." God, it had been forever since they'd played this game.
"Oh, that's low." She cackled. "Dingleberry."
"Dingleberry?" He narrowed his eyes. "Littler." It had been a terrible insult when they'd been young.
"Chunky." She pursed her lips at him.
"If you two don't behave, I'm going to take the Internet away from you." Slayde's eyes were twinkling.
"I'm not chunky," he pointed out.
"Puffy?" Minds suggested.
Slayde snorted. "Hot."
"Thank you!" He stuck his tongue out at her again.
"Like Slayde knows anything about hotness."
"Hey!" Slayde leaned over his shoulder. "Aren't you supposed to be running or something?"
"She needs to do pushups. Like a lot of push-ups." He let his hand slide along Slayde's leg out of range of the web-cam.
"Get to it, Cap-i-tan." Slayde drawled the word out.
"Two against one is not fair. I'm signing off. Love you, bro. Slayde."
Slayde waved. "Have a good day, lady."
"Bye, sis."
The screen went black and Drake leaned in and turned off the webcam. He moved back and looked up at Slayde. "She thinks she might be home by Halloween."
"That soon?" Slayde's smile was a little forced. "That's great for the kids."
"Yeah, but less great for us." He reached back and rubbed Slayde's leg again.
"Yeah. Yeah, are…" Slayde shook his head. "Do you want a cup of coffee or anything?"
Coffee was on the top of his list. "The kids in bed?"
"Yeah. Christian was asleep before his head hit the pillow."
"Cool." He rubbed his head against Slayde, and given he was at crotch height, it worked out pretty well.
Slayde's fingers stroked through his short hair, caressing him.
"We'll figure something out, baby." It was a promise, one he was going to do his damndest to keep.
"Will we? I don't want to lose you. This."
"You won't. I mean…" He took a breath. "She's going to have to let you go, but you won't be going alone."
"I. Drake? You mean…"
He met Slayde's eyes. "I don't have any plans in my back pocket, but I want us to figure this out together. I want there to be an us." There. He'd said it. Out loud. To Slayde. Jesus fuck. The best part was that the world hadn't blown up in his face for it.
"An us?" Slayde's fingers brushed his lips, the look on the man's face a slowly dawning wonder.
"Yeah, as in you and me." He'd been wrong; the best art was that sweet look on Slayde's face.
"I like you and me."
He thought maybe he'd stunned Slayde a little.
"Good." He reached up and grabbed Slayde's shirt collar, dragging him down for a kiss.
Slayde kissed him like it was the only thing the man ever wanted to do. Ever. It was a bit strange and a lot sexy to be kissing upside down like this. He liked it. Of course he pretty much liked everything about Slayde and everything he did with Slayde.
Slayde slipped around, slid into his lap. The chair creaked and groaned, making him chuckle. Grabbing for Slayde's ass, he squeezed.
"Hey." Slayde's forehead rested against his, eyelashes tickling as the man blinked.
He chuckled. "Hey, baby."
"We're an us. I've never been an us before."
"Me neither." He'd never been a lot of things before Slayde, but it was pretty cool being a part of a first with Slayde, too.
Slayde nodded, smiled again, and Christ, Drake would do almost anything for that man. "Thank you."
"Come on, baby. Let's go up to bed." He suddenly had a powerful need.
"You don't want coffee?"
"Why would I want coffee when I can have you?"
"That's an amazing answer." Slayde looked at him like he was magical.
He laughed, but he was pleased and he stood, wrapping his hand with Slayde's. "Thanks, baby."
"Come on, let's go fuck like bunnies." Slayde looked pleased as punch. "You realize we're going to bed at seven-forty-five on a Monday night, right?"
"As long as there's fucking, I don't care what time it is." He gave Slayde a look. "And by fucking I mean fucking with you."
"That's mutual."
He beamed. Fuck, he cared for this man. A surprisingly enormous amount. Like maybe an in love amount.
Slayde went to lock up, and he heard Maggie's little feet heading down the stairs, pat, pat, pat.
He bit back his groan. "Hey, Mags, why aren't you asleep?"
"I tired. Tried. I want you." She held her arms up to him.
He picked her up and headed back upstairs with her. "You need another bed story?"
"Uh-huh." Her arms wrapped around his neck, squeezing tight. "I go to school tomorrow?"
"No, baby, not for another year." He went into the girl's room and put her back down into her bed.
"But I go too!"
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but you have to be five before there's kindergarten."
Her bottom lip pooched out, began to tremble.
Oh God. Panic filled him and he threw Slayde under the bus. "Maybe Uncle Slayde can make lessons for you to do."
"Like Christian? I write, too?"
"Sure honey, you can learn to write, and to say your alphabet and count…" At least he hoped she could. Slayde was going to kill him, but at least he'd headed off the weeping.
"One, three, four, five." She settled into his lap, fingers twisted in his shirt.
"One, two, three, four, five," he corrected, beginning to rock her.
"One, two, three, four, five." So smart, this sweet girl. So fucking smart.
"Good girl. After that comes six, seven, eight, nine, and ten."
"Seven, seven, eight, mine, ten."
"That was close. Six, seven, eight, nin
e, ten."
"Six, seven, eight, mine, ten." Her eyelids were getting heavy.
"Good job, baby girl." He kissed the top of her head and kept rocking her.
"I not a baby. I'm big like Christian. I'm big, too."
"You are, Mags. You are." He kissed her forehead and laid her down on the mattress, pulled the covers over her.
"Sleep in my bed with me?"
"No, sweetie, you need to sleep on your own. You're a big girl, remember? Besides, you've got Jenny right over there in the crib."
"You sleep in Unca Slayde's bed."
His cheeks heated, but he nodded. "I do."
"When I grow up, I sleep in Mommy's bed?"
How was he supposed to answer that? "You don't like your own bed?"
She shook her head, then nodded, so confused and tired she couldn't think straight.
"Okay, sweetie. Why don't you go to sleep? We can talk more in the morning." He kissed her forehead again.
She grabbed his hand, held on tight. He held it until she fell asleep and her hand slowly went lax. Letting go, he dropped another kiss on her forehead, checked on Jenny, and quietly crept out of the room.
Slayde was in the shower, humming softly, the sound barely audible over the water.
Drake went into the bathroom. "It's only me."
"Hey. She conk out?"
"Yeah. You almost done or you want company?"
"If she's sleeping, come on in."
"She's sleeping. Finally." He stripped off and joined Slayde in the shower, reaching for all that wet skin.
Slayde moved into his arms, brought their lips together in a quick kiss. "I'm going to make her worksheets, am I?"
He tried to look contrite. "She was going to cry -- I panicked."
"She's got you wrapped around her little finger."
"Probably." He knew he'd had to try harder with her than the other two and that made her acceptance of him seem more special.
"Definitely." Slayde was laughing at him. "You're going to miss them, almost as much as I am."
"Well, we'll just have to convince Mindy she wants to settle in California so we can visit a lot." He figured it was the best place to be out. Besides, he knew the weather and it rocked.
"Oh, I like that idea. You think Mindy will go for it?"
"She loved it the times she visited." He would bet she'd be happy to come back, especially if there was built in babysitting fairly nearby. "We'll convince her." He'd do anything to make Slayde happy.
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