Meat pie mid-afternoons and late night hours dancing with Stella passed the time.
Hours inbetween he and Carrot kept watch on each other, a caring eye turned toward a contented face.
He thought of George, his first American love, George who'd began as mere tourist with sketchpad in one hand and camera in the other, his George, sly smile and shining eyes and interest in life itself, curious, fascinated artist was his George.
Wade could sit for a length of time in the rose garden, not minding if his rump went numb, not feeling the occasional thorn prick, not when George with his nearly buzzed short dark brown hair, stood grinning and drawing his profile, black pencil lines curved across slick white paper.
George had been the One, the only he refused to share with Andrew, as each week they'd bring back a woman or two and celebrate with closed doors and shades drawn and once a month, shared a man.
But George was his only, from the first silly shy glance.
Lovely memories, dreams that turned into nightmare.
Sleek body beside him on rumpled sheets, dark brown hair against pale blue pillowcase.
Wade touched the figure happily, rolled him over.
'Ge-' he began then faltered.
'Cody?!'
It WAS Cody but a rotting corpse of one, skin peeled from his boyish face, sketeal teeth gleaming through the tattered flesh.
The room went black.
A small light glowed, evil shining through the night.
'cute, ain't he?' Bray rocked bedside.
'Nobody likes your asinine brother.' wade glared and scooted away, back, almost tumbling to the floor. 'Not even you do and besides that he resembles a crosseyed Uso.'
'Another skeleton, this one in a long floral print dress, pink with daisies, flew onto Wade and he grimaced, pulse racing.
'Meet our dear sister.' Bray grinned.
Then blew out the lamp light.
Carrot wide eyed and staring, no purrs as her human shot out of the bad dream, chest heaving, sweaty face, mouth open, gripping the sheets until his hands ached.
'You don't look so good either.'
Carrot sounded a swift bit of a purr.
'Only a nightmare, no worries.'
A bigger purr and a head butt.
Wade smiled.
'nobody will harm us here.'
He fell back into bed, sweat drying.
Not his well being he was frantically concerned about.
Great to have an extra key.
Not the time for housekeeping, they'd came and gone and now the huge house sat empty.
It was startling, all the cat supplies scattered around in each room.
Mystery to solve, he guessed.
Heath blinked bewildered, shrugged, changed into his Nexus tee from the past, slipped into the gigantic bed in the master bedroom, slept peacefully.
Close to his husband once more, breathing in the body scent, pleasant.
He didn't snore.
He did make himself at home.
