Title: Ante Up
Author: Courtney
Email: courtneystovall@yahoo.com
Rating: R, for a little m/m slash content
Disclaimer: If Hamilton were mine in any way, shape or form do you *really* think I'd get out of the bed long enough to write fanfic?
Summary: An all-night card game is the catalyst for confession as some truths come to light between the guys of Rawley Academy.
Author's Notes: Let me just say that I know nothing about cards unless we're talking about my computer solitaire, Hearts or maybe Go Fish . . . forgive any inconsistencies please. Just remember, it's not about the cards people! ;-)
Thanks: Everyone who sent me feedback for my previous YA stories and inspired me to write more.
--------------------------------
Part 3
Saturday, 10:57pm
"Dude, what in the hell are we watching?" Hamilton asked with a silly giggle as he gestured towards the television.
"Duh, the porno channel," Scout replied with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.
"I didn't know we got the porno channel in the dorms," Hamilton slurred back.
"We don't, that's why it's got all those wavy lines all over it and the picture keeps rolling," Will, who was the only one still even slightly sober, informed his drunk friend.
"Ohhhhh," Hamilton replied, his eyes now fixed to the screen as he squinted and tried to make out what he was seeing. It didn't seem to be working. "I was wondering what kind of outfit she was wearing," he remarked as he turned his head upside down and tried looking at the TV from a different angle.
"Dude, he's toast," Scout said to Will through a fit of giggles.
"Uh, *dude*, I hate to break it to ya, but so are you," Will said plainly.
"Yeah," Scout replied, giggling even more.
"This was a stupid idea. I was having more fun playing cards," Will said, knowing he was mostly just talking to himself by that point.
"You need more liquid refreshment," Scout said with a silly grin as he picked up the nearly empty bottle of tequila and passed it to his friend.
Will held up his hand and said, "No thanks. I've had more than enough."
"C'mon party-popper!" Hamilton piped up as he finally turned from the scrambled television set to rejoin the conversation. "Drink, drink, and be merry! Wait, I don't know anyone named Mary . . ."
Scout rolled his eyes. "What a dumbass."
"Just what I've been thinking," Will said with a shake of his head. "Alright, well I guess you two are down for the count so I'm just going to go to bed," he said as he started to get up from his seat on the floor. "Don't get into any trouble. And DO NOT leave this room! Understood?"
"We promise. Cross our hearts and hope to cry. Wait, no, that's not right. Hope to sigh? Uh-uh. Hope to fly!" With that, Hamilton stood up and started running in circles around the room with both of his arms held straight out from his sides.
"Look, Hammie's Wonder Woman!" Scout laughed.
"Wonder Woman couldn't fly, you retard," Hamilton said as he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at Scout like he was the dumbest person on earth.
"Okay, that's great. You guys pass out, okay?" Will said. Neither of his friends replied so he just nodded. "Good, great. Good night." He left the room, taking a blanket with him and shutting the door behind him, then made his way over to one of the couches in the commons area and laid down. He figured it would be best to let Hamilton have his bed for the night. At least that way those two could stay in the dorm room instead of out where everyone could see them. That seemed like a good plan. Or, it *had* seemed like a good plan until . . .
"Do you think he's asleep yet?" Hamilton said in a loud whisper from across the room.
"I don't know, let's go see," Scout replied just as loudly. Will opened his eyes to see the two stumbling across the hallway towards him. Every time they bumped into anything; each other, the wall, a random piece of furniture; they'd both laugh uncontrollably, then turn around and shush whatever object had gotten in their path. Needless to say, they were making a lot of noise. And, since Will couldn't be sure if anyone else was still on their floor or if the dean or another teacher might know they were still there and be making some nightly rounds, he knew that he needed to get Dumb and Dumber back behind closed doors.
"I'm not asleep. Go back to the room and go to bed," he said as he sat up and looked at the two of them.
"He's alive!" Hamilton shouted with a laugh.
"Shhh! Go back to bed," Will repeated.
"We're bored," Scout said, ignoring his friend's command.
"If you go to sleep then you won't be bored," he pointed out.
"Sleep is boring," Hamilton informed him.
"No, sitting around watching two drunks act like total jackasses is boring," Will corrected. "Now, what do I have to do to get you both to go back into that dorm room?"
"Come back with us," Scout said. "We wanna play cards!"
"Yeah, right. You two suck at cards when you're sober," he reminded them.
"But we're *great* when we have some teq-- uh, teli-- uh, some of that stuff we were drinking," Hamilton finally said.
"Umm-hmm," Will shook his head. "Alright, come on then." He got up and ushered the two back towards the room. He knew they'd just stay out there and bug him anyway and then they'd all risk getting in trouble. At least if he got them back into the room then they'd eventually pass out and he could just sleep on the floor or something.
Once the door was closed behind the three of them, Scout sat back down on the floor and Hamilton flopped down on his back onto Scout's bed. He was staring up at the ceiling and rolling his head from side to side. Will gave him a strange look for a second, then turned back to Scout. "Okay, go to sleep."
"I told you already, I'm bored! And I don't wanna sleep. I wanna play cards."
"I forgot how to play cards," Will said.
"Damn . . . well, then let's do something else," Scout said.
Will slid down to the floor with his back against the door, figuring that way if he fell asleep then he'd know if either of the other guys tried to leave the room. "Why don't you watch a movie," he suggested absently, trying to think of something to get him to sit down and shut up.
"Let's talk," Scout said then.
"Talk about what?"
Suddenly Hamilton sat up on the bed and said in a sing-song voice, "Let's talk about sex, baby!"
"Oh brother," Will groaned.
"Have you ever had sex?" Scout asked, directing his question towards his roommate.
"We're not talking about this," Will said.
"Come on, I'm serious. I'm not that drunk anymore," he assured him. "I really wanna know."
"*Why* do you want to know?"
"Because . . . I dunno, I just do. Besides, I'd tell you," he said.
"Okay then, fine," Will said, turning back to his friend and countering, "Have you?"
"I asked you first," Scout reminded him.
Will was thinking about whether or not he was going to answer the question when Hamilton piped up yet again. "I have."
"You have not," Scout said.
"Yes, I have," Hamilton said defensively.
"Oh yeah? With who?" Scout wanted to know.
"Jake," he said simply.
"Ewww! Sorry Ham, but TMI! I mean, I knew you and Jake were . . . well, you know. But I don't need any details, okay?" Scout made a face and shook his head.
"Jake and I are not gay," Hamilton informed his friend.
"Uh, Ham? You pretty much just admitted that you guys are," Will reminded him.
"I did not."
"You said that you guys were having sex," Scout said, his face still scrunched into a sour expression. Will looked at him oddly, thinking that his reaction was a bit extreme, but dismissing the thought in favor of trying to get to the bottom of what Hamilton was talking about.
"We are."
"And that makes you not gay how?" Will questioned.
"Can you guys keep a secret?" Hamilton asked in an exaggerated whisper.
"I'm sure we can," Will told him, figuring they were about to get Ham's "coming out" confession and wondering how the boy would feel tomorrow if he remembered telling the two of them this.
"Jake's not who you think," he said, looking at the two of them as though he'd just dropped the biggest bombshell in the world and waiting for their responses. Both boys just looked at him in confusion.
"Dude, what in the hell are you talking about?" Scout asked.
"He's not a he," Hamilton said. "He's a she. Er, she's a she."
"Wait, wait, wait. Put on the brakes and back up there, drunk boy," Will interrupted. "You're trying to say that Jake is a *girl*?"
Hamilton nodded and said, "Yep, the female kind."
"A girl you're dating," Scout responded.
"A girl I'm having sex with, too," Hamilton told him. "An un-gay, female girl who is sleeping with me, an un-gay, un-female guy."
"That was possibly the most stupid sentence I've ever heard anyone put together," Will commented. "But for real, Ham. Are you just saying this because you're drunk? Or because you don't want us to know that you and Jake are gay? Because it really is okay. We don't care about that. And we won't tell anyone, I swear."
"No! Will, I should not be telling you this and tomorrow I'll probably be really sorry, but I'm telling the truth. Scout's honor." He then looked at Scout, who turned his head at the sound of his name. Soon they were both laughing again.
"I should have just gotten drunk," Will said to himself. He closed his eyes, ignoring Scout and Hamilton and hoping that they'd pass out soon.
* * * * *
Sunday, 3:02am
"Will? Will, wake up," he heard someone whispering beside him as a hand shook his shoulder.
"Huh?" he opened his eyes slowly and turned to see Scout sitting beside him on the floor. "Scout, just go to sleep already," he replied as he turned over the other way away from his friend.
"I need to talk to you, Will," Scout said insistently. "It's important."
Will groaned and rolled back over. "What?" he asked, already prepared for some drunken ramblings that he would definitely make Scout sorry for later.
"I never have," he said quietly and something in his voice made Will realize that his friend was no longer too intoxicated to know what he was saying. He opened his eyes and sat up beside Scout.
"Haven't what?" he asked.
"Shh, we better keep it down. Ham's asleep," Scout whispered as he pointed towards the lump under the covers on his bed.
"Haven't what?" Will repeated in a whisper to match his friend's.
Scout met Will's eyes, then moved his gaze to his own hands. "What I asked you before," he said softly.
"About having sex?" Will asked him. He nodded in affirmation. "Hey look, no big deal man. Me either," he assured his friend.
"But I've thought about it," Scout told him, still staring at his hands.
"I bet there's not one 16-year-old guy in existence who hasn't," Will replied with a half-smirk. His expression changed, though, when Scout finally lifted his head to meet his gaze once again. He actually had tears in his eyes. Will wasn't sure what to say.
"Not like I have," was Scout's whispered reply.
"Hey . . . you okay, man?" Will asked as he laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. The gesture was meant to comfort him, but Scout jerked away like he'd been burned. "It's okay, Scout," Will assured him.
"I think about things that I shouldn't," Scout told him then.
"Are we talking about Bella, here?" he asked. Scout shook his head no. "Then what? You know you can tell me."
"About . . . about . . ." he struggled to find the words, but couldn't seem to decide how to tell his secret to his friend . . . his best friend. Finally, he turned and leaned closer and said softly, "About this," then pressed his lips to Will's.
Will was shocked at first. He hadn't been sure what to expect from Scout, but the last thing he had ever expected was a kiss. But then, he wasn't pulling away. Why wasn't he pulling away? They were sitting side by side on the dorm room floor, Will with his back to the door and Scout right in front of him. Scout had his hands on either side of his face and he could feel his tongue probing at his lips, begging entry. Will told himself that he was staying still because he had to, because he didn't have room to pull away . . . and yet he still opened his mouth under Scout's and allowed him inside.
Both boys groaned as their tongues tangled. Will was pressed against the door now and Scout still cradled his face in his hands as the kiss went on. Will felt his own hand reach up and run through Scout's short hair. What were they doing? The question flashed briefly across his mind, but he shoved it aside, wanting instead to just enjoy what was happening and think about it later.
Why was this so exciting? Was it because he knew that it was wrong . . . that he shouldn't be doing this with his best friend, with Hamilton sleeping just a few feet away and both of them still a little tipsy from the tequila? Or was it because he'd never done this before? He wasn't sure, but he didn't have time to ponder it any further. His thoughts were cut short when Scout pulled back finally and the kiss was broken.
Both boys struggled to catch their breath before either of them spoke. Then, they both started at once. "Look, Scout--" "Will, I--" They both stopped and Scout held his hand up and said, "Go ahead."
"I . . . um . . . what was that?" Will asked uncertainly as the other boy got up and moved away from him.
"I'm sorry," Scout said quickly as he sat down on the edge of Will's bed. "I just . . . I was trying to tell you and . . . I just . . . I don't know what to say, Will. It was the only thing I could think to do."
"Kiss me?" he questioned as he, too, rose from the floor and sat in a chair beside the bed.
"Yes," he replied, lowering his eyes to the floor. Then he looked back up at his roommate and quickly added, "Look, it was a mistake; I shouldn't have done it. Let's just forget it, okay?"
"But Scout--" Will started, not sure he could forget the very confusing and very unexpected event that had just transpired between them.
"No, Will . . . I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry." He suddenly felt ridiculous for acting on his feelings like he had and the only thing he wanted to do was take the whole thing back. "I . . . I have to get out of here," he said out loud, but directing the comment to himself.
"Scout, wait!" Will said as his friend moved past him to the door. But it was too late. By the time he got to the door Scout had already taken off down the hall. He thought for a moment about following him but then decided against it. Maybe they could use a night to themselves to figure out exactly how to handle what had happened.
* * * * *
Author: Courtney
Email: courtneystovall@yahoo.com
Rating: R, for a little m/m slash content
Disclaimer: If Hamilton were mine in any way, shape or form do you *really* think I'd get out of the bed long enough to write fanfic?
Summary: An all-night card game is the catalyst for confession as some truths come to light between the guys of Rawley Academy.
Author's Notes: Let me just say that I know nothing about cards unless we're talking about my computer solitaire, Hearts or maybe Go Fish . . . forgive any inconsistencies please. Just remember, it's not about the cards people! ;-)
Thanks: Everyone who sent me feedback for my previous YA stories and inspired me to write more.
--------------------------------
Part 3
Saturday, 10:57pm
"Dude, what in the hell are we watching?" Hamilton asked with a silly giggle as he gestured towards the television.
"Duh, the porno channel," Scout replied with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.
"I didn't know we got the porno channel in the dorms," Hamilton slurred back.
"We don't, that's why it's got all those wavy lines all over it and the picture keeps rolling," Will, who was the only one still even slightly sober, informed his drunk friend.
"Ohhhhh," Hamilton replied, his eyes now fixed to the screen as he squinted and tried to make out what he was seeing. It didn't seem to be working. "I was wondering what kind of outfit she was wearing," he remarked as he turned his head upside down and tried looking at the TV from a different angle.
"Dude, he's toast," Scout said to Will through a fit of giggles.
"Uh, *dude*, I hate to break it to ya, but so are you," Will said plainly.
"Yeah," Scout replied, giggling even more.
"This was a stupid idea. I was having more fun playing cards," Will said, knowing he was mostly just talking to himself by that point.
"You need more liquid refreshment," Scout said with a silly grin as he picked up the nearly empty bottle of tequila and passed it to his friend.
Will held up his hand and said, "No thanks. I've had more than enough."
"C'mon party-popper!" Hamilton piped up as he finally turned from the scrambled television set to rejoin the conversation. "Drink, drink, and be merry! Wait, I don't know anyone named Mary . . ."
Scout rolled his eyes. "What a dumbass."
"Just what I've been thinking," Will said with a shake of his head. "Alright, well I guess you two are down for the count so I'm just going to go to bed," he said as he started to get up from his seat on the floor. "Don't get into any trouble. And DO NOT leave this room! Understood?"
"We promise. Cross our hearts and hope to cry. Wait, no, that's not right. Hope to sigh? Uh-uh. Hope to fly!" With that, Hamilton stood up and started running in circles around the room with both of his arms held straight out from his sides.
"Look, Hammie's Wonder Woman!" Scout laughed.
"Wonder Woman couldn't fly, you retard," Hamilton said as he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at Scout like he was the dumbest person on earth.
"Okay, that's great. You guys pass out, okay?" Will said. Neither of his friends replied so he just nodded. "Good, great. Good night." He left the room, taking a blanket with him and shutting the door behind him, then made his way over to one of the couches in the commons area and laid down. He figured it would be best to let Hamilton have his bed for the night. At least that way those two could stay in the dorm room instead of out where everyone could see them. That seemed like a good plan. Or, it *had* seemed like a good plan until . . .
"Do you think he's asleep yet?" Hamilton said in a loud whisper from across the room.
"I don't know, let's go see," Scout replied just as loudly. Will opened his eyes to see the two stumbling across the hallway towards him. Every time they bumped into anything; each other, the wall, a random piece of furniture; they'd both laugh uncontrollably, then turn around and shush whatever object had gotten in their path. Needless to say, they were making a lot of noise. And, since Will couldn't be sure if anyone else was still on their floor or if the dean or another teacher might know they were still there and be making some nightly rounds, he knew that he needed to get Dumb and Dumber back behind closed doors.
"I'm not asleep. Go back to the room and go to bed," he said as he sat up and looked at the two of them.
"He's alive!" Hamilton shouted with a laugh.
"Shhh! Go back to bed," Will repeated.
"We're bored," Scout said, ignoring his friend's command.
"If you go to sleep then you won't be bored," he pointed out.
"Sleep is boring," Hamilton informed him.
"No, sitting around watching two drunks act like total jackasses is boring," Will corrected. "Now, what do I have to do to get you both to go back into that dorm room?"
"Come back with us," Scout said. "We wanna play cards!"
"Yeah, right. You two suck at cards when you're sober," he reminded them.
"But we're *great* when we have some teq-- uh, teli-- uh, some of that stuff we were drinking," Hamilton finally said.
"Umm-hmm," Will shook his head. "Alright, come on then." He got up and ushered the two back towards the room. He knew they'd just stay out there and bug him anyway and then they'd all risk getting in trouble. At least if he got them back into the room then they'd eventually pass out and he could just sleep on the floor or something.
Once the door was closed behind the three of them, Scout sat back down on the floor and Hamilton flopped down on his back onto Scout's bed. He was staring up at the ceiling and rolling his head from side to side. Will gave him a strange look for a second, then turned back to Scout. "Okay, go to sleep."
"I told you already, I'm bored! And I don't wanna sleep. I wanna play cards."
"I forgot how to play cards," Will said.
"Damn . . . well, then let's do something else," Scout said.
Will slid down to the floor with his back against the door, figuring that way if he fell asleep then he'd know if either of the other guys tried to leave the room. "Why don't you watch a movie," he suggested absently, trying to think of something to get him to sit down and shut up.
"Let's talk," Scout said then.
"Talk about what?"
Suddenly Hamilton sat up on the bed and said in a sing-song voice, "Let's talk about sex, baby!"
"Oh brother," Will groaned.
"Have you ever had sex?" Scout asked, directing his question towards his roommate.
"We're not talking about this," Will said.
"Come on, I'm serious. I'm not that drunk anymore," he assured him. "I really wanna know."
"*Why* do you want to know?"
"Because . . . I dunno, I just do. Besides, I'd tell you," he said.
"Okay then, fine," Will said, turning back to his friend and countering, "Have you?"
"I asked you first," Scout reminded him.
Will was thinking about whether or not he was going to answer the question when Hamilton piped up yet again. "I have."
"You have not," Scout said.
"Yes, I have," Hamilton said defensively.
"Oh yeah? With who?" Scout wanted to know.
"Jake," he said simply.
"Ewww! Sorry Ham, but TMI! I mean, I knew you and Jake were . . . well, you know. But I don't need any details, okay?" Scout made a face and shook his head.
"Jake and I are not gay," Hamilton informed his friend.
"Uh, Ham? You pretty much just admitted that you guys are," Will reminded him.
"I did not."
"You said that you guys were having sex," Scout said, his face still scrunched into a sour expression. Will looked at him oddly, thinking that his reaction was a bit extreme, but dismissing the thought in favor of trying to get to the bottom of what Hamilton was talking about.
"We are."
"And that makes you not gay how?" Will questioned.
"Can you guys keep a secret?" Hamilton asked in an exaggerated whisper.
"I'm sure we can," Will told him, figuring they were about to get Ham's "coming out" confession and wondering how the boy would feel tomorrow if he remembered telling the two of them this.
"Jake's not who you think," he said, looking at the two of them as though he'd just dropped the biggest bombshell in the world and waiting for their responses. Both boys just looked at him in confusion.
"Dude, what in the hell are you talking about?" Scout asked.
"He's not a he," Hamilton said. "He's a she. Er, she's a she."
"Wait, wait, wait. Put on the brakes and back up there, drunk boy," Will interrupted. "You're trying to say that Jake is a *girl*?"
Hamilton nodded and said, "Yep, the female kind."
"A girl you're dating," Scout responded.
"A girl I'm having sex with, too," Hamilton told him. "An un-gay, female girl who is sleeping with me, an un-gay, un-female guy."
"That was possibly the most stupid sentence I've ever heard anyone put together," Will commented. "But for real, Ham. Are you just saying this because you're drunk? Or because you don't want us to know that you and Jake are gay? Because it really is okay. We don't care about that. And we won't tell anyone, I swear."
"No! Will, I should not be telling you this and tomorrow I'll probably be really sorry, but I'm telling the truth. Scout's honor." He then looked at Scout, who turned his head at the sound of his name. Soon they were both laughing again.
"I should have just gotten drunk," Will said to himself. He closed his eyes, ignoring Scout and Hamilton and hoping that they'd pass out soon.
* * * * *
Sunday, 3:02am
"Will? Will, wake up," he heard someone whispering beside him as a hand shook his shoulder.
"Huh?" he opened his eyes slowly and turned to see Scout sitting beside him on the floor. "Scout, just go to sleep already," he replied as he turned over the other way away from his friend.
"I need to talk to you, Will," Scout said insistently. "It's important."
Will groaned and rolled back over. "What?" he asked, already prepared for some drunken ramblings that he would definitely make Scout sorry for later.
"I never have," he said quietly and something in his voice made Will realize that his friend was no longer too intoxicated to know what he was saying. He opened his eyes and sat up beside Scout.
"Haven't what?" he asked.
"Shh, we better keep it down. Ham's asleep," Scout whispered as he pointed towards the lump under the covers on his bed.
"Haven't what?" Will repeated in a whisper to match his friend's.
Scout met Will's eyes, then moved his gaze to his own hands. "What I asked you before," he said softly.
"About having sex?" Will asked him. He nodded in affirmation. "Hey look, no big deal man. Me either," he assured his friend.
"But I've thought about it," Scout told him, still staring at his hands.
"I bet there's not one 16-year-old guy in existence who hasn't," Will replied with a half-smirk. His expression changed, though, when Scout finally lifted his head to meet his gaze once again. He actually had tears in his eyes. Will wasn't sure what to say.
"Not like I have," was Scout's whispered reply.
"Hey . . . you okay, man?" Will asked as he laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. The gesture was meant to comfort him, but Scout jerked away like he'd been burned. "It's okay, Scout," Will assured him.
"I think about things that I shouldn't," Scout told him then.
"Are we talking about Bella, here?" he asked. Scout shook his head no. "Then what? You know you can tell me."
"About . . . about . . ." he struggled to find the words, but couldn't seem to decide how to tell his secret to his friend . . . his best friend. Finally, he turned and leaned closer and said softly, "About this," then pressed his lips to Will's.
Will was shocked at first. He hadn't been sure what to expect from Scout, but the last thing he had ever expected was a kiss. But then, he wasn't pulling away. Why wasn't he pulling away? They were sitting side by side on the dorm room floor, Will with his back to the door and Scout right in front of him. Scout had his hands on either side of his face and he could feel his tongue probing at his lips, begging entry. Will told himself that he was staying still because he had to, because he didn't have room to pull away . . . and yet he still opened his mouth under Scout's and allowed him inside.
Both boys groaned as their tongues tangled. Will was pressed against the door now and Scout still cradled his face in his hands as the kiss went on. Will felt his own hand reach up and run through Scout's short hair. What were they doing? The question flashed briefly across his mind, but he shoved it aside, wanting instead to just enjoy what was happening and think about it later.
Why was this so exciting? Was it because he knew that it was wrong . . . that he shouldn't be doing this with his best friend, with Hamilton sleeping just a few feet away and both of them still a little tipsy from the tequila? Or was it because he'd never done this before? He wasn't sure, but he didn't have time to ponder it any further. His thoughts were cut short when Scout pulled back finally and the kiss was broken.
Both boys struggled to catch their breath before either of them spoke. Then, they both started at once. "Look, Scout--" "Will, I--" They both stopped and Scout held his hand up and said, "Go ahead."
"I . . . um . . . what was that?" Will asked uncertainly as the other boy got up and moved away from him.
"I'm sorry," Scout said quickly as he sat down on the edge of Will's bed. "I just . . . I was trying to tell you and . . . I just . . . I don't know what to say, Will. It was the only thing I could think to do."
"Kiss me?" he questioned as he, too, rose from the floor and sat in a chair beside the bed.
"Yes," he replied, lowering his eyes to the floor. Then he looked back up at his roommate and quickly added, "Look, it was a mistake; I shouldn't have done it. Let's just forget it, okay?"
"But Scout--" Will started, not sure he could forget the very confusing and very unexpected event that had just transpired between them.
"No, Will . . . I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry." He suddenly felt ridiculous for acting on his feelings like he had and the only thing he wanted to do was take the whole thing back. "I . . . I have to get out of here," he said out loud, but directing the comment to himself.
"Scout, wait!" Will said as his friend moved past him to the door. But it was too late. By the time he got to the door Scout had already taken off down the hall. He thought for a moment about following him but then decided against it. Maybe they could use a night to themselves to figure out exactly how to handle what had happened.
* * * * *