The instruments are fried again, but Ted doesn't care. The armor is standing there. Just standing there, gleaming under the lights. When it moves, it's just turning its head, looking around. Ted's heart is pounding in his ears, sliding a foot cautiously forward. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Booster right next to his shoulder, staying close.

"Jaime?" Ted calls out softly, as if afraid he might startle the thing into action. "You okay?"

There's a metallic echo to Jaime's voice as he calls out, "Ted? I... I got it. It didn't even fight me."

"Yeah? Congratulations, kiddo." Ted holds out his hand and, very slowly, as if they hadn't done this dozens of times with just Jaime's arm armored up, Jaime takes it gently. The metal is ribbed and cool and microscopic teeth tickle Ted's skin; weak, barely sensible jolts of electricity passes between them. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. Kinda weird."

"How so?"

"I can see things, but not like regular seeing. Like... I dunno- different wavelengths, I guess. It's like I can feel all the technology in the room. And there's some kind of language, I guess, in front of me. Like some kind of interface."

"Like the scarab is trying to communicate with you?"

"Not really. I mean- I can feel the scarab. It's not doing anything, but it's kinda like an extra thought in the back of my brain. Like if it wants to talk to me, I know I'll know what it wants to say. That sounds weird, doesn't it?"

"A little," Ted admits. He pulls out of Jaime's grip and says, "Go ahead and power down for right now. Measuring the scarab's capabilities is going to be a little more difficult than I thought."

Ted pulls up to the curb and there's the entire Reyes family- plus Booster -out front having a sort picnic barbeque. He watches them all talking, laughing, playing and Ted feels loneliness tugging painfully at his heart. He realizes suddenly that he wants to be a part of that. He wants to have a family that actually is a family and not the mock thing he had been born to. He wants it so bad and feels so incredibly selfish for it.

There's a sudden tap on the driver's door and it makes Ted jump. He stares up at Bianca who has a plate of chicken and grilled onions that she holds out temptingly at him. "I got a promotion at the hospital. Why don't you come celebrate with us?"

Ted doesn't have the willpower to even think of turning that down.

"So this is what I look like in the armor, huh?"

"Yup."

Jaime and Booster are standing in front of a mirror with Jaime turning this way and that. "Wow. It's really kinda creepy looking."

"Well, you're certainly not going to win any cute and cuddly awards."

"I wonder if I can change it somehow."

"Why not? Give it a shot."

They spend the better part of two hours experimenting and discussing Jaime's new look, joking and teasing each other all the while. Ted sits at the table nearby and watches them. The research he'd been going through lays in front of him, forgotten.

When Ted gets invited over for another dinner three extra guests are there. They're introduced as Jaime's friends and classmates: Paco, Brenda and, Ted's pleased to see again, Traci. As he's being introduced, Brenda makes a strangled sound and reaches out to whap Jaime's shoulder. "You never told us you knew Ted Kord!"

"Ow! I didn't know it was important!"

"Oh yeah- only the owner of the biggest tech corporation in the entire city, if not state!"

"Oooooh. That's why I thought you looked familiar!"

Brenda gives Traci a betrayed look. "I can't believe a native Chicagoan didn't recognize him!"

She shrugs. "Gadgets aren't really my thing."

Dinner is a lively affair and the teens drag Ted and Booster (who Jaime's friends have been calling 'Mike' all evening) into the living room to watch a movie. It's halfway through some roadtrip comedy that Ted, warm and comfortably full, starts dozing off. He realizes blearily that he's leaning a little against Booster's side and that there's an arm over his shoulders but as his eyelids grow heavy and his face tucks against something warm that blocks the light, Ted can't bring himself to move.

There's a whistle over the line and Ted's a little happy to hear Barbara is as stumped as he is. "/I've never seen anything remotely like this. You're sure this is a language?/"

"Yup. Jaime says it is."

"/It's not following any kind of linguistic pattern I can think of./"

"Yeah, I even ran it through a pattern recognition machine and it couldn't find anything I could use as a base, either."

"/But this is a language and Jaime understands it?/"

"He says that he knows what it means when he sees it, but he doesn't know how to translate. Kinda like people that can understand a spoken language, but not when it's written down. In a very loose kind of way."

There's a considering hum and Ted knows Barbara is going to take this challenge up. "/Alright, I'll see what I can do. No promises, though./"

"Babs, you're the smartest person I know. If you can't figure it out, no one can."

"/And if I do figure it out, you owe me the most expensive dinner in Gotham./"

"Deal."

It's when they're trying to do a weapons test that problems happen. The scarab is fighting to gain control and Jaime is trying to wrestle it back, screaming, "No! Stop!" as its cannon arm flails around. Ted is herding everyone out of the attached observation room as Booster tries to calm Jaime and the scarab down. As the last researcher disappears down the hall, Ted turns to look back into the room and Booster is standing there, hands out placatingly while the scarab has some kind of energy charging at the end of its arm.

Ted rushes to the door, not knowing what he can do in this situation but just knowing he needs to be there-

The lights flicker momentarily, causing the lock on the door to pop. Through the crack he can hear Jaime, without the distortion of the armor, wailing "TED!"

Ted shoves the unpowered door open. Jaime is unarmored, on his knees, shivering and crying. Booster is on the ground. He's not moving.

Ted paces the hall as Jaime sits with his family. Bianca has Jaime tucked under her chin, Alberto with his arms around them both while Jaime clutches at Milagro, sleeping in his lap, like a teddy bear. Bianca and Alberto whisper little encouragements at him. Ted would be doing the same, but he knows he doesn't need to. He had tried when they first arrived at the hospital and Booster was carted away. Ted had wanted to tell Jaime that it wasn't his fault, but Jaime just looked up and there was steel in his eyes.

"I won't let the scarab hurt anyone again."

Booster is fine- a nasty burn on the chest but when he wakes up he's well enough that the doctors don't even need to keep him for observation. His suit is a different story, though- it's burned and torn and the microcircuitry (which Ted was surprised to find) has melted through. Booster doesn't blame Jaime in the slightest, the first thing he did upon waking was ask, "Is Jaime okay?"

Despite his surprisingly advanced knowledge of science, Booster has no idea how the suit works or how Ted can fix it. Skeets volunteers to help, but Ted finds having a voice talking in his ear is more distracting than not.

Finally Ted asks Skeets, "Do you want to get a little more hands on?"

"I don't understand, Mr. Kord."

"I've got more than a couple UAV prototypes going to waste. I could probably fit you inside one of them- give you mobility, arms of some kind. You know- make you more than Booster's conscience."

"I am not Booster's conscience, sir."

Ted shakes his head. "Dated reference, never mind. So do you want an independent body or not?"

There's a long pause and then, "I will be happy to assist you in this project, Mr. Kord."

Ted goes over to Booster's apartment, across the hall from the Reyes', to tell him about his and Skeets's plan. The door to the Reyes home is open and Ted peers in cautiously. Jaime is sitting on the couch with Booster and his parents. Across from them is a familiar dark haired woman and a man in a red jacket. Ted clears his throat and, after getting their attention, asks, "Am I interrupting?"

"Ted," Alberto stands and waves him in, "please, come in."

"Not trying to intrude or anything," he says a little self-consciously, "I just needed to talk to Booster."

The woman stands up, holding out her hand. "Mr. Kord, it's good to see you again."

Ted smiles guiltily, "You're a reporter from Metropolis- I remember you, I really do, but I'm drawing a blank on the name."

She smiles back, not at all insulted, "Lois Lane."

"Right, right."

"Booster called me and said Jaime was going through a bit of a tough time with the scarab and asked if I could help out a bit." She steps aside and waves a hand at her companion. "This is Superman- I don't know if you've heard of him."

"A little," Ted reaches out to shake his hand. "Thanks for stopping by."

"Thank you for all you're doing for Jaime," Superman replies. "I've had plenty of experience with powers going out of control despite good intentions."

Looking over at Jaime, Ted asks with an easy grin, "So you learning a lot from him?"

"Yeah," the boy says, eyes dancing and awed. "I'm feeling a lot better about things, actually."

That makes Ted beam at the guests. "In that case, you've got my vote for coming by whenever you want."

Lois and Superman are still talking to Jaime and his family when Ted and Booster. Booster invites him into his apartment- much more spartan than Ted was expecting. "Want a drink or anything? Beer? Orange juice?"

"Water's fine. I gotta drive later."

A beer gets pressed in his hand anyway. "Stay for a bit," Booster says, flopping down on the sofa. "We can order out for a pizza or something."

He shouldn't, but Booster's sprawl looks so very welcoming and warm and Ted can't help saying, "Alright."

Booster's smile is dazzling. "Great! So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Oh, right- Ted digs into his pocket and takes out Skeets and his pocket computer. "I was thinking it would be easier to repair your suit if I had Skeets actually assisting me instead of yakking my ear off so we've been tossing around ideas about making him a body." He pulls up the plans for what the two of them have settled on and shows it to Booster. "What do you think?

Booster's shoulder brushes against Ted's and he really doesn't need to lean in that close but he is and Ted doesn't pull away. "This is amazing! I would love to have Skeets with his own body! That earpiece gets uncomfortable after awhile."

"And," Skeets says with his own amount of relief, "I won't have to complain about you not washing your ear anymore."

Ted wakes up on the sofa and finds leftover pizza gone cold and bottled beer gone warm on the coffee table next to him. He can't feel anything but the phantom tingle of sleep in his legs and when he looks down he can see Booster is laying on them with his head pillowed low on Ted's stomach, feet dangling off the edge. A hand rests on his waist, Booster's thumb having slipped under Ted's shirt and resting comfortably warm on bare skin.

With a little smile, Ted closes his eyes and goes back to sleep.

They're outside the lab now, having decided to move on to flying until Jaime feels comfortable about trying weapons again. Booster is talking to Jaime about flight mechanics and even if he doesn't have his suit, he still has flight ring, ready to take the boy through some easy flight patterns and to catch him if he needs to.

While they're doing that, Ted gets a call from Kimiyo who updates him on what's going on with the rest of the company. He lets out a grateful huff and says, "You are amazing, Kimiyo. Are you sure you don't want to take over all the business stuff so I can just do research?"

"/I don't think so/," she says over the line. "/As it is, I'm expecting one helluva paid vacation once you take all this responsibility back./"

"I honestly don't know when that'll be."

"/As soon as you can, Ted. I'm going crazy having to deal with these board members constantly breathing down my neck./"

Ted just laughs. "Welcome to my world."

Ted has been staring at this data for five minutes and he still can't seem to make sense of it. Or, for that matter, remember what the data was even for. After two more minutes he realizes it's Booster's ass beyond the monitor he's been staring at.

Another three minutes and he realizes he's still staring.

Frustrated and flustered Ted stands up with a frown, deciding to move his work to a laptop and another room. His eyes travel up the length of Booster's back and finds that the other man is watching him over his shoulder and grinning knowingly.

Barbara gets a translation, just as Ted knew she would. Unfortunately it comes with some very, very bad news.

"/I not only managed to translate their language into a workable alphabet for us/," she says, "/I also found out something disturbing./"

Ted is getting the last few motor connections for Skeets's new body fitted as he says, "So disturb me."

"/I've matched this language to one NASA picked up not too long ago from their deep space monitoring./"

That makes Ted pause. "Uh oh?"

"/Uh oh. The transmission is a little weak, but it sounds like these guys are invaders. It came from less than a hundred lightyears away and there's a possibility that they may be heading our way. Especially if they managed to catch our own broadcasts./"

A soldering iron gets put down and Ted's heart is pounding in his ears. "Uh oh."

The next dinner with the family is the day after. Ted tells them about the transmission. Everyone is quiet.

They're pushing Jaime a little more than Ted feels comfortable with, but Jaime insists he can take it. He's become a pretty decent flier in a short amount of time and he can use various tools that the scarab has without problems. He's still wary about doing weapons again, though, so Ted tries a new tact.

Jaime is sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall with a pillow comfortably supporting him. Ted is nearby as is Booster, both trying to get the teen relaxed.

"Alright," Ted says lowly, "make a connection with the scarab."

"Okay."

"You got it?"

"Yeah."

"Ask if the scarab will answer some questions for us."

There's a pause and Jaime's brow furrows, "It's only saying it's an infiltration unit."

"From who?"

"It won't say."

"Can you make it?"

Jaime's brow furrows more. "I'm... I'm trying."

"Try digging through it's memory."

Little flinches twitches at Jaime's face. "I can't... Every time I try, it's blocking me."

Booster puts a hand over Jaime's. "Don't force it. Let it go for right now."

Jaime sighs and slouches. "I'm sorry, Ted. I really tried."

"I know," and Ted rubs Jaime's head before Booster has the chance to. "I had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy."

"Maybe we're just going about it the wrong way."

They look at Booster. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you're treating the scarab like you're treating any kind of tool. We've seen it recognize and act, so I think it's safe to assume it has at least limited intelligence."

"You mean," Ted says slowly, sounding out the idea, "treat it less like a weapon and more like... Skeets?"

"Something like that, yeah."

Jaime chews at his lip and thinks it over. "I could give it a try. I've had sort-of conversations with it before, but it was mostly like using an interactive user's manual."

"So start treating it more like a friend," Booster says, "it may be more accommodating that way."

"You realize it can hear everything we're saying, right?" Ted asks.

He gets a shrug in reply, "If it doesn't want to cooperate, there's not much we can do whether it knows or not."

"I'll start talking to it," Jaime says. "I hope whatever these invaders are, they'll wait until we have a better idea about what's going on."

Skeets is finally fitted into his new body. He takes a day to get familiar with it and all the things he can suddenly do now. When Booster sees him flipping around their heads, he laughs and crushes Ted into a tight hug and Ted can't help the brief thought of 'he's going to kiss me' from going through his head.

He's disappointed when Booster doesn't.

The tests have halted since Jaime began attempts to commune with the scarab. It takes some time but they start getting some inconsequential information. The scarab is known as Khaji Da- apparently equivalent to a rank and serial number -and was programmed by a race called the Reach. It interacts regularly with Jaime, but gives precious little information. Ted sighs and marks this as a dead end.

Ted and Skeets finally finish Booster's suit, giving it a few upgrades as they go and Booster is even more ecstatic than before and decides to take Ted out to dinner as thanks. Ted agrees because he can't think of a reason not to. Booster puts on the suit and flies around, getting used to it again. Ted can't believe he's forgotten how good Booster looks in the thing and spends the entire afternoon just watching him.

It's a fancy enough place that they have to dress up and Ted has a hard time trying not to stare at Booster. Ted orders something creamy and starchy that he can never let Barbara know he even looked at and when Ted gives the waiter his menu, he finds Booster watching him.

He shifts a little nervously. "What?"

Booster just smiles. "Nothing."

The waiter comes and pours them wine. Ted gives it a taste, letting it distract him from Booster for a pitiful half minute. When he looks up, Booster is still watching him and Ted feels his stomach knot.

"Would you stop?"

"Stop what?"

"Looking at me like that."

"I can't help appreciating an attractive man."

Realization crashes down on Ted and he can feel a flush threatening as he asks, "Uh, is... is this a date?"

Booster just smiles that small, sly smile and his eyes are such an intense blue it makes Ted's skin prickle. "Do you want it to be?"

"I... I don't know. I mean- I'm not- I don't-" Ted takes a gulp of his wine to steel his nerves and says lowly, "I'm not gay."

Booster's smile grows and Ted can feel his face turning red, feels like he's being laid bare before Booster's knowing gaze, "I'm not, either."

Booster's mouth is hot on Ted's skin, burning slow, torturously wet kisses down his chest, his stomach, his hips and it leaves Ted breathless, urging him on with little whimpers and lip-bitten pleas. Suddenly there's Booster's tongue and Ted gasps and bucks and sobs, finger's leaving red streaks over Booster's shoulders and back and it's not enough- not nearly enough but it's everything-

Ted drifts asleep soon after, exhausted and pleasantly aching and he can almost remember Booster's arms gently wrapping around him and the tender kiss against his temple.

He's a little embarrassed by it all and Ted doesn't know if everyone around them acts like nothing's changed because they don't think it really matters or because he's the boss. It's not so much the fact that it's another man that causes Ted's embarrassment as it is the fact it's Booster. Booster who pretends to sweep through life effortlessly; who takes his role as Jaime's mentor and protector far more seriously than Ted ever expected; who takes the time to make sure Ted is eating right and sleeping regularly and supports and encourages him whenever frustration makes Ted snappish.

Booster with his flashing smiles and knowing eyes, who makes Ted hyperaware whenever he's just in the same room and makes Ted shiver with every brush of his shoulder or fingertips. Who's unafraid to trace his lips over Ted's stubbled jaw at any moment just to see if he can get away with it. Who constantly fills every part of Ted's mind that isn't focused on Jaime or the scarab.

Ted wants so badly to loose himself in Booster that sometimes it's difficult to breathe and that scares the shit out of him.

It's after school on Friday when they come in, Booster looking surprisingly closed off and Jaime like he doesn't actually want to be there. Ted peels away from the researchers and approaches them. "What is it?"

Booster gives Jaime a little nudge and asks, "You want me to tell him?"

Jaime shakes his head. "No. It's my thing, I should do it."

"Alright," he rubs Jaime's head affectionately. Before he leaves, Booster gives Ted a sharp look that says even with whatever the men have between each other, he'll always side by Jaime first. That actually makes Ted feel better about the whole thing.

"Alright, kiddo," Ted says, leading the two of them off to the side where they won't be overheard, "what's up?"

Jaime screws his eyes tight and lets out in a rush, "I know these tests are important and I know you're doing all this to help me and I really, really appreciate it, but... I want to be able to hang out with my friends. Do normal kid stuff like see a movie or go to a mall or whatever. I know I said I want to be a hero with Khaji Da, but I also want to have a life, you know?"

Ted just looks at Jaime for a long moment, taking the boy in: the straight line of his shoulders, the tilt of his chin, the certainty lining his mouth and eyes and for a brief second Ted remembers how Jaime looked when he first came into the lab, trying to hide behind Booster, inside of himself and Ted can't believe they were once the same boy just months ago.

He smiles and claps a hand on Jaime's shoulder. "If you want to stay out until all hours of the night, you should be asking your parents, not me. I can't keep you here if you don't want to be and I'm not going to force you." Jaime's eyes are large and his smile brilliant and Ted can't help but feel proud of him. "So what were your friends planning on doing this weekend?"

"Brenda and Traci wanted to go bike riding in Palos-Sag Valley and since Paco's got the license and truck, they roped him into driving."

"Sounds fun. You need anything?"

"Well, I don't actually have a bike or anything, but Traci said she knew a place where I could rent one."

Oh, Ted has heard all about Traci- if not from Jaime, then from Booster. "Tell you what- why don't you head to the mall and have her help you buy one on your check card? And maybe get dinner for the both of you? I'll reimburse the cost of the bike and let your parents know."

"What- really?"

"Yeah, really." He pushes Jaime toward the door. "You go have fun, kiddo!"

"Thanks, Ted!" Jaime gives him a tight hug before running off to tell Booster and then, with a last wide-grinned wave to them both and the room in general, Jaime disappears out the door.

Ted claps his hands and calls out, "Alright everyone- early weekend! Go home!"

As confused (but grateful) scientists shamble about, gathering their things, Booster swaggers up from behind and rests his chin against Ted's shoulder. "That was awfully sweet of you."

Ted gives a lopsided shrug, not resisting as Booster's hands circle his hips. "Jaime's a great kid, he deserves a chance to have fun, have a girlfriend, be an actual teenager..." His voice trails off as Booster starts placing wandering kisses against his neck.

"Well, now that we have the weekend free, what should we do about it?"

Ted licks his lips, "You're not going to go with them?"

Palms press against Ted's stomach, following the length down and down and Ted can't keep his hips from flexing back against Booster's. "He doesn't need a chaperone and I'm not going to crash his date. Besides, if I leave you alone you'll probably find more work to do."

Ted laughs, a breathless little thing as Booster sucks hard at his neck. "Just... lemme call Jaime's parents first. Then we'll do whatever."

"Whatever?"

He turns in Booster's arms and kisses him. Booster's taste melts on his tongue and it takes a herculean effort for Ted to pull away. "Start thinking up options, Future Boy. I have a call to make."

It's close to summer break and the Reyes family plans to go to Mexico City to visit relatives and Jaime has developed a comfortable enough relationship with Khaji Da that Booster decides he doesn't need to go with them. Jaime's been depending less and less on Booster recently- on anyone, really. Ted doesn't really remember seeing him grow up, but when he looks back at it, the growth is absolutely there.

One day Jaime isn't going to need them at all and Ted can't help but feel, well, depressed by that thought. Hardly a year he's known that kid and he feels as much a part of Ted's life as his left arm. He wonders if Booster feels the same, if he thinks about it at all.

Of course, asking that is the last thing on Ted's mind as Booster leaves the bathroom naked save the towel on his waist, skin still damp and warm. All Ted has is Booster's thigh-length bathrobe and that still feels like too much.

Booster comes to stand over Ted, laid out on the blonde's couch, squirming a bit at the undeniable heat and want in Booster's eyes. "Well, isn't this a pretty sight?"

"It'd probably be better," Ted delicately pinches the corner of the towel between his thumb and forefinger, "with you in me."

Booster's grin widens and he obediently straddles Ted's waist. "The best kind of genius..."

Everything about Booster is amazing- his smile, his eyes, his body. The way he smells, the way he just melts against Ted and purrs as hands move up his thighs, under the towel to squeeze Booster's ass and make him gasp into Ted's mouth-

The door of Booster's apartment is tossed open and Jaime says, "Booster, you wouldn't believe- whoa!"

Ted panics, shoving Booster off of him and onto the floor. He lands with a heavy thud that makes Ted and Jaime wince.

"Ow," Booster mutters, "you owe me so much sex for that."

Ted isn't paying that much attention, though. He's looking sheepishly at Jaime, face blazing red and robe now tucked securely around him. "Um..."

"Okay- one," says Jaime, more than a little shellshocked, "you guys should've told me you were sleeping together. Two, please lock your door from now on?"

"Jaime," Ted is practically pleading, "it's not what it looks like."

"Sooooo... I didn't just interrupt you guys about to have sex?"

There's a pause and Booster is giving Ted a look that says 'you better think about what you're about to say very carefully'. Ted runs a hands through his hair and says, "Okay, maybe it is what it looks like."

"Look, Jaime," Booster finally stands, readjusting the towel back around his waist, "do you think we could get dressed and then we'll talk about this?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

They take Jaime to a burger joint because that's always the best place to come out of the closet to someone that's practically family. Booster is the only one that doesn't seem uncomfortable at the table.

"Alright, I think maybe I should tell you guys what I burst in on you for, first," Jaime tells them. Clearing his throat he says, "Khaji Da isn't willing to talk to us more about the Reach, but it's agreed to let me use its nonlethal weapons without usurping control."

Ted's eyes brighten. "That's great! We can finally categorize some of its offensive capabilities!"

"So now that I've told you my news," the boy says, dumping so much ketchup on his burger it's practically swimming in it, "I think you need to tell me yours."

"Okay," Booster says easily, "we're sleeping together."

Ted chokes on his drink. "Booster!"

"What? It's true!"

"Don't say it like that!"

"How would you say it?"

Ted's mind is blank and all that comes out of his mouth is a lost croak. "...I don't know!"

"Then problem solved," Booster turns back to Jaime. "We're sleeping together."

There's a half mouthful of burger that Jaime's attempting to speak around as he asks, "Are you dating?"

That makes the two men look at each other. "Yes?"

"Maybe?"

Ted ruffles his own hair, slouching back in the booth. "We've been spending so much time together before and after we got together, I don't know if it really counts as dating or not."

"At least you're spending quality time together," Jaime says decisively. He keeps eating, mumbling around his food and Ted has to resist the urge to dab the kid's mouth like his mother used to do. "So does this make you two my dads now? Well, since I already have a perfectly good dad, I guess it would be more like my two gay uncles?"

Ted sputters a reflexive, "I'm not gay!"

"My two bi uncles, then." Jaime looks to Booster, "Are you bi? Because saying 'my one gay and one bi uncle' is a bit of a mouthful."

Booster just shrugs, "If that's what you call it, whatever. I'm not so sure I'm happy with the 'uncle' thing, though."

"That's what you're focusing on?" Ted asks incredulously.

"Is the sexuality part not accurate?"

"Well... no."

"Then obviously it's this 'uncle' label that's problematic."

"What's problematic about it?" Jaime asks before popping a couple fries in his mouth.

"I've never had an uncle," Booster admits with a thoughtful frown, "are they considered cool relatives?"

"Only if they're cool people."

Satisfied with that answer, Booster grins. "Alright, bi uncles it is then!"

Ted muffles an 'argh!' into his hands. It eventually turns into a chuckle and then a laugh.

"You're acting weird again," Booster nudges Ted's foot, "stop it."

The older man finally sits back, dropping his hand almost casually over Booster's while his foot strokes not-at-all-casually over Booster's calf. The hand below his twitches and he can see interest sharpen Booster's eyes. "Alright, since you two are so determined," Ted grabs his cup and raises it. "To family."

Two other cups clink against his. "To family!"

"And, by order of my newfound uncle-ness: Jaime, stop talking with your mouth full."

"Mrph."