The drama builds! We're working our way closer and closer towards our conclusion. Make sure you R&R. Thanks guys! - B.B
Chapter 21
I had a guy out fixing the piano, and Joey and I were putting the panels up in the new room, a white molding dividing the paint from the wood below. I wore a brace under my coveralls to protect my healing joint, but over all, the recovery had been good. It was just the nagging from the blond to be careful was exhausting. When I'd been on the roof checking to see if the fireplace at the far end of the room was in tact, he'd harped at me from the ground. While I sat on a ladder re-staining the tall bookshelves at the other end of the room, he'd nagged at me from the floor where he was doing the lower shelves. I think he felt guilty for leaving me to do the carpeting on my own. As we wandered down for something to eat, I hummed the tune in my ear and felt Joey tap me. "What are you singing now?" "That's not singing. That's humming." "Sing it for me." He said with a grin. He didn't have to ask twice, my voice ringing out as we stepped into the kitchen. "Sometimes it's hard to think my time here is ending, It troubles me to think about who I've offended, But I can't live my life In the interest of those, Holding me back when I'm stood on my toes! But too many times I've been risking my life!Making decisions whilst trying to be nice it's- Better! To make your mistakes than to live without knowing it's- Better! To fall on your face than to stay on your feet! As long, long, long, as you try..." He gave a smile as he took a seat at the bar. "You feeling better about this immigration thing?" I shrugged, tugging the headphone out. "No, I haven't exactly brought it up with Randy... but... I don't know if I should stay..." I looked to the blond as I pulled out a few bottles of water from the fridge. "I want to be here. With Jack. But with everything so crazy at home I feel like I should be there... I'm worried about Maria." "Don't tell me I did all this for nothing." I jumped as the blue eyed man breezed through, dropping a folder on the bar before me. "What's this?" I asked as he moved by to refill a mug in his hand from the coffee pot. "A copy of the Japanese Constitution." "You guys have one too?" I asked curiously, peeking at the sheets inside of the folder. "The US isn't the only free country with a constitution, Jordan." Said Joey with a grin. "Yea, but I mean we have bald eagles and the Statue of Liberty. 'Merica." I said with a macho pose. "Wait... this is all in Kanji." I said with a frown, flicking through the sheets. "I guess you'll have to learn it." Said Kaiba, smirk in place. A loud, deep rumble was followed by a sharp crack, causing us all to look up as the lights flickered. "Damn, I thought this storm wasn't supposed to come until tomorrow." I said, peeking out the kitchen window to see a deep overcast, rain already starting to quicken. "Does this place have a generator?" Asked Joey, a frown on his lips as he studied the lights above. "It's in the basement." Replied the blue eyed man. "I should go look at it." I said, closing the folder. "Need a hand?" Asked the blond. "Yea, if you would." We hadn't taken two steps when another roar left the sky and the lights went out completely. "Mother fuck." I muttered, reaching into my front pocket for my trusty hand light.
"Okay, nobody move, I don't wanna pay off another vase." I said, pulling my light out and clicking the end. "Oh come on." I growled as the end stayed dark. "Does nothing work?" I whined. A light would draw our attention to where the tall man had pulled out a lantern from under the sink. "This works." "Cute." I muttered, moving to grab it. "I prefer handsome, but I'll take a compliment when I get one." I snorted as I looked to the blue eyed man. "Here." I reached to my hip and pulled out my phone. "If you need to go anywhere, you'll at least have something to see by." He accepted the device, and I took the lantern to light our way down to the basement.
"Alright, put that gas in." I filled the generator with diesel and shared a victorious smile with the blond as the lights flicked on. "Bump it." He pressed his fist to mine and I grinned. "That's not the only thing you'll be poundin' tonight -ow!" I rubbed the spot on my shoulder where he'd popped me one. Jogging up the stairs, we found the brothers on the couch, eyes locked on the weather forecast on the screen. "Good job guys, that'll keep us going for a while." Said Mokuba with a grateful smile. "Joey did it." "You bet, it runs on gas, I'm your man." Said the blond. The sound of the doorbell had my brows up and looking to the brothers. The elder Kaiba held my phone up. "Randy called... their roof is leaking." I frowned. "I told them they could wait it out at your place. Dog too." "How generous of you." I muttered, turning to answer the door. The rain was pouring down, leaving my ex, his lover, the dog and my son soaked to the bone. "Here." I held my keys out, and for once Randy didn't fight as he held out a backpack. "I packed an extra set of clothes and his uniform." I took the bag and ushered my son in. "You might have to hand crank the generator, it's under the sink with extra gas, it'll get you through the night." He gave me a look of genuine thanks. "Don't smoke my stash." I growled in clear dismissal, watching them go. As irritated as I was at losing my home to my ex for the evening, I was thankful the CEO had told them to come. I'd rather them be here then at their house where I would worry about my son's safety all night, and I think Kaiba knew that. Another rumble would have the boy at my side giving a hard jump. "It's alright hun." I murmured, rubbing his wet back. "Let's get you in a hot bath." He gave a shaky nod and I lifted him to rest on my hip.
I laid in the bed with the boy, my headphones split between us as a song played into them while I rubbed his back. I thought maybe a warm bath and cuddle time would help the boy settle, but he'd been shaking like a leaf the whole time. The music was my last shot, and it looked like it was working. Slow, deep breaths marked his slumber, and slowly, I rose out of the bed, leaving my phone behind. Making my way back out into the living room, I sighed as I flopped down between the brothers, the blond on the floor splayed out with his back against the sofa. "You get him settled?" Asked the blue eyed man. "What I could. He hates storms, poor thing. I got him down, but he'll probably be up at least once." "I never cared for them either." Said Joey, drawing a rumble from Kaiba. "That's okay mutt, dogs are supposed to be afraid of storms." "Hey!" "If you wake that child I will kill you both and bury you spooning one another." I growled darkly, drawing their silence almost immediately. A giggle left the teen beside me and I cracked a grin.
The storm would take out the cable not long after that, but fortunately, the black haired teen was quick to offer a slew of movies they had at their disposal. Joey and him decided on one, and I didn't care enough to object. Neither did the CEO, whose stare had been locked on me since I sat down. Something was going on in that bright mind of his, and I had a feeling I'd find out soon enough. As the film started and the two beside us grew involved, I looked over. "What's your deal?" I asked softly. "What?" "You're staring at me." "So?" I gave him a clear look of impatience before looking back to the screen. "What's on your mind?" "I..." A loud, shattering boom would vibrate the very walls of the large home, and I knew instantly it would wake the child. A loud wail would confirm my fears, and a moment later out came the boy from the hall, tears running down his face. Locking on to where I sat, he dove into my arms, sobs wracking his body. I felt my heart sink. My son was upset, and there wasn't much I could do for him. Whenever he used to get this way there was only one person that could fix it. "Hey... breathe." I leaned him back and wiped his tears with my thumbs. He took a gasping breath and another sob left him as a loud boom came from the storm raging outside. "Jackson? Do you wanna go stay with Daddy tonight?" The boy gave a sniff. "I- I want Daddy." "Okay, lets go, I'll take you to Daddy." I wrapped his arms around my neck and stood. Randy was an asshole, but the boy trusted him to keep him safe from all types of monsters. At the end of the day, Jack lived with his father. "My coat's in the hallway if you wanna use it." Said Joey. "Thanks." Wrapping the boy the best I could to keep him dry, I used the back door and made a run for it. My overhang wasn't big, but it would shield us enough to wait for the man to answer the door. "Jordan?" "We had a bit of a crisis." I said, stepping inside and dropping the boy to the floor so I could take the coat off him. "Hey bud." The moment Randy wrapped his arms around our son, the boy's worries seem to vanish. "I'm going to go lay him down." Said the man, moving to place him in my room. At first I wasn't sure what to do with myself, but I noticed the blonde woman was...missing. Bubbles was curled up on a rug in the living room, where the TV was on and casting a dull light, it's picture blank. As Randy returned and I raised a brow. "Where's Mai?" "She decided on a hotel for the night." I snorted. "My place not good enough for her?" "I think she was under the impression we'd be staying inside..." Said the man quietly. "You tell her you kind of ruined that for yourself?" "No... honestly I haven't told her anything about that night..." "Shocker." He sighed. "I guess I should be thankful he let us stay here... he didn't have too." We stayed in silence for a long, awkward moment. "Do you love him Jordan?" I opened my mouth to answer, but I was a bit surprised to find that it had to be forced. "No... no, it's just messin' around. Havin' a bit of fun." I muttered. He gave me a long stare before he replied. "Alright... well if that is the case, I want you to keep Jack out of it..." My brows pinned. "Jordan, Jack doesn't understand what a 'Fuck buddy' is. What you're doing is only going to confuse him. It already has." I felt guilt well in my stomach. "If... you decide to make it serious, and you genuinely care about him, then... I'll get over it." Our eyes locked. "We both haven't been doing this right... our focus needs to be on Jack, above all else." I nodded. "I... I get it."