AN: I'm so sorry you guys. I went out of town and when I got back ff was
in the middle of the server upgrades! But I have two new chaps ready to
go! Please review!
Richie could hear Coug barking as he unlocked the front door of the team house.
"Hey, boy!" Richie greeted scratching the dog behind the ears.
"Hey, Ryan," Jacob Monday, a senior, greeted from the living room.
"Dang, Sinclair didn't tell me about this." Richie turned the corner into the living room and took in the big screen TV. "When did they get this stuff? I thought they just got a new fridge." It was customary for the departing seniors to update, replace, or add something in the house.
"I donno," Monday shrugged. "I showed up with Coug this morning and a couple hours later this stuff was delivered. Do you know how to hook one of these up?" He held up a bundle of wires that were meant to attach the TV to the Nintendo 64 sitting in front of him.
"Lemme see," Richie crawled behind the TV and began plugging wires in. "Is it working now?"
"Nope."
He moved wires around. "Now?"
"Nope."
He made a few more adjustments. "Now?"
"Nope."
"Oh wait. how about now?"
"We have contact!"
Richie wiggled out from behind the set. "Sweet. Play you one." He held up a game cartridge.
"You're on!"
*Two hours later*
"Puppy interference!" Richie yelled as Coug began sniffing at the ninjas on the screen blocking his view.
"Coug, stay!" Monday ordered with a laugh. The dog obediently sat and wagged his tail.
"You train him this summer?" Richie asked in a mix of pleasant surprise and annoyance as he stood up to see over the dog. "You're cheating!" he insisted desperately trying to find a place for his man to hide for a few seconds.
"Not my fault you're uncoordinated," Monday shot back quickly swooping in for yet another attack.
"I'm just video game challenged. You take me on in the real world and you're screwed."
"I'm so scared."
"You'd better be.I control practices. I can make your life hell."
"Point made."
"I thought so."
"A little help here?" a voice asked from the front door.
Monday promptly killed Richie's man. "I win."
"Ten laps!" Richie ordered with a grin, getting up to help whoever had just arrived.
"Yes, sir, right away, sir," Monday replied with a sarcastic salute getting up as well.
"Hey John!" Richie said taking a bag from his former roommate's hand.
"Hernandez, dude, sup?" Monday asked opening the door wider with one hand and restraining Coug, who seemed to have forgotten all of his training, with the other.
"I never thought a two hour drive could take so long," John complained. "Rich, did you see that freeway! The back up was insane!"
"I know I was tempted to kick in the four wheel drive and hop the median." Richie followed John to the room he had been given before vacation. The departing starters gave their room to the player taking their place the next year.
"Did you?"
"No, there was a cop right behind me. Monday beat me here."
"I what?" Monday asked coming in the room with a bag he had retrieved from John's car.
"Got here before me. He was setting up his N 64 when I showed up."
"That's not mine," Monday corrected. "It came with the TV."
"The seniors got that too? And all those games? That's really expensive." Richie frowned. "There's no way."
"Then where did it come from?" John asked. "Who sent them?"
Suddenly it dawned on Richie. "He didn't," he mumbled returning to the living room and looking through the games. There were eight, three of which involved killing your opponent with a sword, one motorcycle racing game, two martial arts games, one basketball, and the kicker was Grand Theft Auto. "Real funny," he continued heading straight for where he left his cell phone on the couch and dialing.
"And the mystery man is." John whispered under his breath as the phone rang it Richie's ear.
"Mac!" Richie yelled in exasperation as soon as he answered.
"Mac," Monday and John repeated with a unison nod.
"What?" Duncan asked innocently.
"I. How could you. why did you think that. you're an ass!" he finally decided on.
Duncan chuckled. "I take it all got there today?"
"I just want you to know that the only reason it's all still here is because somebody got here before I did."
"Is that the only reason?" Duncan asked. Richie could hear is devilish smile.
"Bite me," Richie grumbled. "You did it on purpose and you know it."
"Quite possibly."
"You're a jerk."
"I had some extra money lying around because there's no room and bored fees this year. Thought I'd do something for the team."
"Without asking me first? Mac, come on, dude. Not cool." Duncan laughed. "What now?" Richie demanded.
"College is really rubbing off on you."
"Wadaya mean?"
"You never said dude before and now you say it all the time."
"Oh, get off it."
"What? Rich, calm down."
"Mac you can't keep doing this," Richie insisted oblivious to the three other team members that had shown up together that were now listing to him as well.
"Richie, why are you making such a big deal out of this? It's just a few good luck this season gifts."
"A few?" Richie repeated. "A few is some games for a system we already have. Not the games, system, and TV."
"Alright, I'm sorry. I was just trying to do something nice."
"Mac." Richie caught site of the five men staring intently at him trying to piece together the conversation and closed himself in the closet. "Next time check with me first," he whispered. "I get what you're doing and it's really nice and all but not so big. Small would be a nice change of pace, okay?"
"Okay," Duncan consented. "I'll slow down. I'm just really proud of you and I don't know how else to show you."
"You could just tell me," he suggested.
"Where's the fun in that?" Duncan asked.
"Maa-aac," Richie rolled his eyes.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm sure you have some explaining to do. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Mac."
"And Rich?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm proud of you."
Riche blushed and grinned. "Thanks," he said before hanging up and exiting the closet.
"Great, our captain just came out of the closet," Johnson, a senior, laughed.
Richie looked at him with a grin. "You know the idea turns you on," he purred imitating Amanda's saunter as he went to get a soda from the kitchen. "Anybody else want something?" He was answered by a series of 'yeah's' and grunts. "So how many of those were a yes?"
. . . . . .
"You've improved," Miller acknowledged as Richie's attack sent him stumbling backwards a few paces.
"Thanks," Richie returned going in for the kill. "Seems like you've been practicing, too," he added jumping out of the way of a counter attack from the older immortal.
"Your father is a worthy opponent."
"You and my dad?" Richie would have laughed if he had been anywhere else. He knew Greg was immortal but the idea of the man who used to kiss his boo- boos with a sword in his hand still seemed impossible for him.
"Have you not fought him?"
"Not yet," Richie managed through clenched teeth as a blinding pain ripped through his body from the nasty gash Miller had delivered.
"Pay attention, Richie; stop letting me distract you," Miller instructed.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Richie mumbled dancing a little on the balls of his feet as he awaited Miller's next move.
"So how was your summer?" Miller asked sending an easily defended attack Richie's way.
"Lots of flying between here and Washington," Richie answered keeping his eye on Miller's blade.
"So I heard. Congratulations."
"For what?" Richie asked. "Oh, captain," he realized. "Thanks."
"We'd better stop," Miller said. Richie stepped back but kept his blade up in case the offer was a trick. "You have classes and need to get showered first," he explained.
"But first I have to make it past the guys with this," Richie indicated the blood stained rip in his pants. "You do realize that I live with five other guys now. You gotta stop doing this. I spend as much money on sweats as I do on dates now."
"So keep practicing in those," Miller suggested tossing Richie a towel. "Just change into a clean pair before you go home."
Richie paused for a second. "You know, that makes sense. Good idea."
"Same time next week?" Miller asked as they both walked towards their cars.
"Yeah."
"Oh, how's Mac?"
Richie stopped and looked at Miller with an exasperated smile. "He's impossible."
"What's that mean?" Miller asked leaning on the trunk of his car.
"It's a long story."
"Give me the reader's digest version."
"He bought a big screen TV, N 64, and eight games and had them delivered to the team house."
"Sounds expensive."
"It was. He's just being nice but he has a tendency to over do it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, when I moved in with him. when I was 18. he bought me a whole new wardrobe, this fancy bedroom suite, a TV, stereo, tons of CDs once he found out what music I liked, and that's just scratching the surface. Then there're all the trips to Paris and wherever he just feels like I should go. This sword.I don't even want to know how expensive this is. my car, school, almost all my stuff. I don't really buy anything for myself when he's around. Like this summer we went to the mall and I stopped to look at this DVD player just to check them out because I don't know much about them 'cept they play movies on disks. I came home one night from the bar and there it was along with a bunch of movies."
"Generous guy," Miller nodded.
"Obnoxiously so."
"He's pretty old?" he guessed.
"Yeah," Richie agreed not willing to say just how old.
"Sounds like he has more money than he knows what to do with and couldn't be happier to have someone to spend it on."
"I guess. I wish he'd find someone else sometimes though."
"Richie, there will come a day when you are glad you have him around."
"It's not that I don't like having him around. it's just.Dad's kinda getting onto me about it. Letting Mac buy me stuff. He thinks it could get me into trouble."
Miller raised his eyebrows. "How?"
"I'm not sure. I guess he thinks someone can use it against me or something. I think the whole idea is pretty stupid, but it made me really aware of what he's been doing."
"I don't think it's anything to worry about." He put his hand on Richie's shoulder. "But if starts bothering you again and you can't talk to Greg or Mac, you can always come to me."
"Thanks," Richie smiled weakly. He hadn't meant to unload on Miller. The last thing he wanted was someone else deciding to take him under their wing and help him. He could take care of himself just fine if everyone would just get him the chance. "I better get cleaned up; I don't want to be late to class, Coach would kill me." They said their goodbyes and parted ways.
Richie drove home, snuck his sword back into its hiding place in his closet, and got into the shower before going into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Hey, Feinglod," he greeted as he sniffed at the milk. "Is this any good?"
"Smells funny but tastes fine," the senior shrugged taking another bite of Cocoa Puffs.
Richie got a bowl out of the cabinet. "Good enough for me," he decided pouring himself a bowl. Coug barked from the back door and Richie leaned back in his chair to let the dog in.
"Where were you this morning anyway?" Feingold asked.
"Out," Richie shrugged. "Why?"
"I was going to see if you wanted to go to the gym with me and Monday, but you were gone before we could ask."
"Oh, I was running."
"Oh, maybe next time. We were kinda hoping you could show us some of those yoga things?"
"Poses?" Richie asked. "Why?"
"We kept hearing a lot about how good it is for your muscles and it really seems to work on you. You never stay hurt long. So we decided to try it out. And you seem to be really into it so we thought we'd ask."
"Oh, sure. Whenever is fine with me. Just not Thursday mornings. it's kinda a thing with me."
"Hernandez says you meditate too."
"Yeah," Richie answered slowly.
"Maybe you could share a few of your secrets. I can't seem to get the hang of it."
"Oh, sure." Richie tried to hide his smile. He never thought he'd be such and influence on anybody. He did yoga and meditated because Mac forced him into it and now it was part of his routine. he never thought he'd have someone coming to him to ask for pointers.
"Thanks."
"No problem. You know next time Mac's down here, I'm sure he'd be glad to help you too. He's the one that got me into it."
"That'd be great," Feingold seemed genuinely pleased with the offer.
"Anytime," Richie said glancing at his watch. "I'm gonna be late!" He slurped the last of the milk out of his bowl as he got up to put it in the sink. Then he shouldered his bag and ran for the door with Coug bouncing around his legs the whole time. He glanced at his watch again as he started the car. He had fifteen minutes; he could make it.
Richie could hear Coug barking as he unlocked the front door of the team house.
"Hey, boy!" Richie greeted scratching the dog behind the ears.
"Hey, Ryan," Jacob Monday, a senior, greeted from the living room.
"Dang, Sinclair didn't tell me about this." Richie turned the corner into the living room and took in the big screen TV. "When did they get this stuff? I thought they just got a new fridge." It was customary for the departing seniors to update, replace, or add something in the house.
"I donno," Monday shrugged. "I showed up with Coug this morning and a couple hours later this stuff was delivered. Do you know how to hook one of these up?" He held up a bundle of wires that were meant to attach the TV to the Nintendo 64 sitting in front of him.
"Lemme see," Richie crawled behind the TV and began plugging wires in. "Is it working now?"
"Nope."
He moved wires around. "Now?"
"Nope."
He made a few more adjustments. "Now?"
"Nope."
"Oh wait. how about now?"
"We have contact!"
Richie wiggled out from behind the set. "Sweet. Play you one." He held up a game cartridge.
"You're on!"
*Two hours later*
"Puppy interference!" Richie yelled as Coug began sniffing at the ninjas on the screen blocking his view.
"Coug, stay!" Monday ordered with a laugh. The dog obediently sat and wagged his tail.
"You train him this summer?" Richie asked in a mix of pleasant surprise and annoyance as he stood up to see over the dog. "You're cheating!" he insisted desperately trying to find a place for his man to hide for a few seconds.
"Not my fault you're uncoordinated," Monday shot back quickly swooping in for yet another attack.
"I'm just video game challenged. You take me on in the real world and you're screwed."
"I'm so scared."
"You'd better be.I control practices. I can make your life hell."
"Point made."
"I thought so."
"A little help here?" a voice asked from the front door.
Monday promptly killed Richie's man. "I win."
"Ten laps!" Richie ordered with a grin, getting up to help whoever had just arrived.
"Yes, sir, right away, sir," Monday replied with a sarcastic salute getting up as well.
"Hey John!" Richie said taking a bag from his former roommate's hand.
"Hernandez, dude, sup?" Monday asked opening the door wider with one hand and restraining Coug, who seemed to have forgotten all of his training, with the other.
"I never thought a two hour drive could take so long," John complained. "Rich, did you see that freeway! The back up was insane!"
"I know I was tempted to kick in the four wheel drive and hop the median." Richie followed John to the room he had been given before vacation. The departing starters gave their room to the player taking their place the next year.
"Did you?"
"No, there was a cop right behind me. Monday beat me here."
"I what?" Monday asked coming in the room with a bag he had retrieved from John's car.
"Got here before me. He was setting up his N 64 when I showed up."
"That's not mine," Monday corrected. "It came with the TV."
"The seniors got that too? And all those games? That's really expensive." Richie frowned. "There's no way."
"Then where did it come from?" John asked. "Who sent them?"
Suddenly it dawned on Richie. "He didn't," he mumbled returning to the living room and looking through the games. There were eight, three of which involved killing your opponent with a sword, one motorcycle racing game, two martial arts games, one basketball, and the kicker was Grand Theft Auto. "Real funny," he continued heading straight for where he left his cell phone on the couch and dialing.
"And the mystery man is." John whispered under his breath as the phone rang it Richie's ear.
"Mac!" Richie yelled in exasperation as soon as he answered.
"Mac," Monday and John repeated with a unison nod.
"What?" Duncan asked innocently.
"I. How could you. why did you think that. you're an ass!" he finally decided on.
Duncan chuckled. "I take it all got there today?"
"I just want you to know that the only reason it's all still here is because somebody got here before I did."
"Is that the only reason?" Duncan asked. Richie could hear is devilish smile.
"Bite me," Richie grumbled. "You did it on purpose and you know it."
"Quite possibly."
"You're a jerk."
"I had some extra money lying around because there's no room and bored fees this year. Thought I'd do something for the team."
"Without asking me first? Mac, come on, dude. Not cool." Duncan laughed. "What now?" Richie demanded.
"College is really rubbing off on you."
"Wadaya mean?"
"You never said dude before and now you say it all the time."
"Oh, get off it."
"What? Rich, calm down."
"Mac you can't keep doing this," Richie insisted oblivious to the three other team members that had shown up together that were now listing to him as well.
"Richie, why are you making such a big deal out of this? It's just a few good luck this season gifts."
"A few?" Richie repeated. "A few is some games for a system we already have. Not the games, system, and TV."
"Alright, I'm sorry. I was just trying to do something nice."
"Mac." Richie caught site of the five men staring intently at him trying to piece together the conversation and closed himself in the closet. "Next time check with me first," he whispered. "I get what you're doing and it's really nice and all but not so big. Small would be a nice change of pace, okay?"
"Okay," Duncan consented. "I'll slow down. I'm just really proud of you and I don't know how else to show you."
"You could just tell me," he suggested.
"Where's the fun in that?" Duncan asked.
"Maa-aac," Richie rolled his eyes.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm sure you have some explaining to do. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Mac."
"And Rich?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm proud of you."
Riche blushed and grinned. "Thanks," he said before hanging up and exiting the closet.
"Great, our captain just came out of the closet," Johnson, a senior, laughed.
Richie looked at him with a grin. "You know the idea turns you on," he purred imitating Amanda's saunter as he went to get a soda from the kitchen. "Anybody else want something?" He was answered by a series of 'yeah's' and grunts. "So how many of those were a yes?"
. . . . . .
"You've improved," Miller acknowledged as Richie's attack sent him stumbling backwards a few paces.
"Thanks," Richie returned going in for the kill. "Seems like you've been practicing, too," he added jumping out of the way of a counter attack from the older immortal.
"Your father is a worthy opponent."
"You and my dad?" Richie would have laughed if he had been anywhere else. He knew Greg was immortal but the idea of the man who used to kiss his boo- boos with a sword in his hand still seemed impossible for him.
"Have you not fought him?"
"Not yet," Richie managed through clenched teeth as a blinding pain ripped through his body from the nasty gash Miller had delivered.
"Pay attention, Richie; stop letting me distract you," Miller instructed.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Richie mumbled dancing a little on the balls of his feet as he awaited Miller's next move.
"So how was your summer?" Miller asked sending an easily defended attack Richie's way.
"Lots of flying between here and Washington," Richie answered keeping his eye on Miller's blade.
"So I heard. Congratulations."
"For what?" Richie asked. "Oh, captain," he realized. "Thanks."
"We'd better stop," Miller said. Richie stepped back but kept his blade up in case the offer was a trick. "You have classes and need to get showered first," he explained.
"But first I have to make it past the guys with this," Richie indicated the blood stained rip in his pants. "You do realize that I live with five other guys now. You gotta stop doing this. I spend as much money on sweats as I do on dates now."
"So keep practicing in those," Miller suggested tossing Richie a towel. "Just change into a clean pair before you go home."
Richie paused for a second. "You know, that makes sense. Good idea."
"Same time next week?" Miller asked as they both walked towards their cars.
"Yeah."
"Oh, how's Mac?"
Richie stopped and looked at Miller with an exasperated smile. "He's impossible."
"What's that mean?" Miller asked leaning on the trunk of his car.
"It's a long story."
"Give me the reader's digest version."
"He bought a big screen TV, N 64, and eight games and had them delivered to the team house."
"Sounds expensive."
"It was. He's just being nice but he has a tendency to over do it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, when I moved in with him. when I was 18. he bought me a whole new wardrobe, this fancy bedroom suite, a TV, stereo, tons of CDs once he found out what music I liked, and that's just scratching the surface. Then there're all the trips to Paris and wherever he just feels like I should go. This sword.I don't even want to know how expensive this is. my car, school, almost all my stuff. I don't really buy anything for myself when he's around. Like this summer we went to the mall and I stopped to look at this DVD player just to check them out because I don't know much about them 'cept they play movies on disks. I came home one night from the bar and there it was along with a bunch of movies."
"Generous guy," Miller nodded.
"Obnoxiously so."
"He's pretty old?" he guessed.
"Yeah," Richie agreed not willing to say just how old.
"Sounds like he has more money than he knows what to do with and couldn't be happier to have someone to spend it on."
"I guess. I wish he'd find someone else sometimes though."
"Richie, there will come a day when you are glad you have him around."
"It's not that I don't like having him around. it's just.Dad's kinda getting onto me about it. Letting Mac buy me stuff. He thinks it could get me into trouble."
Miller raised his eyebrows. "How?"
"I'm not sure. I guess he thinks someone can use it against me or something. I think the whole idea is pretty stupid, but it made me really aware of what he's been doing."
"I don't think it's anything to worry about." He put his hand on Richie's shoulder. "But if starts bothering you again and you can't talk to Greg or Mac, you can always come to me."
"Thanks," Richie smiled weakly. He hadn't meant to unload on Miller. The last thing he wanted was someone else deciding to take him under their wing and help him. He could take care of himself just fine if everyone would just get him the chance. "I better get cleaned up; I don't want to be late to class, Coach would kill me." They said their goodbyes and parted ways.
Richie drove home, snuck his sword back into its hiding place in his closet, and got into the shower before going into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Hey, Feinglod," he greeted as he sniffed at the milk. "Is this any good?"
"Smells funny but tastes fine," the senior shrugged taking another bite of Cocoa Puffs.
Richie got a bowl out of the cabinet. "Good enough for me," he decided pouring himself a bowl. Coug barked from the back door and Richie leaned back in his chair to let the dog in.
"Where were you this morning anyway?" Feingold asked.
"Out," Richie shrugged. "Why?"
"I was going to see if you wanted to go to the gym with me and Monday, but you were gone before we could ask."
"Oh, I was running."
"Oh, maybe next time. We were kinda hoping you could show us some of those yoga things?"
"Poses?" Richie asked. "Why?"
"We kept hearing a lot about how good it is for your muscles and it really seems to work on you. You never stay hurt long. So we decided to try it out. And you seem to be really into it so we thought we'd ask."
"Oh, sure. Whenever is fine with me. Just not Thursday mornings. it's kinda a thing with me."
"Hernandez says you meditate too."
"Yeah," Richie answered slowly.
"Maybe you could share a few of your secrets. I can't seem to get the hang of it."
"Oh, sure." Richie tried to hide his smile. He never thought he'd be such and influence on anybody. He did yoga and meditated because Mac forced him into it and now it was part of his routine. he never thought he'd have someone coming to him to ask for pointers.
"Thanks."
"No problem. You know next time Mac's down here, I'm sure he'd be glad to help you too. He's the one that got me into it."
"That'd be great," Feingold seemed genuinely pleased with the offer.
"Anytime," Richie said glancing at his watch. "I'm gonna be late!" He slurped the last of the milk out of his bowl as he got up to put it in the sink. Then he shouldered his bag and ran for the door with Coug bouncing around his legs the whole time. He glanced at his watch again as he started the car. He had fifteen minutes; he could make it.