Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer rights apply.

Warning:Updates will most definitely be slow. Sorry, guys.
This contains SLASH, in other words: same sex couples. It also contains drug use, violence, sexual situations, and MAY contain a(n OC) death. This story is marked for mature readers only, please treat it as such.

Pairings: Will be sporadic, and a surprise. I'm not ruining the story by telling you end pairings.

Beta'd By: Sarah2437 (Thank you for your hard work!)

Getting Back Together Again

Chapter XXVII - Hooking Up Is Easy with Alcohol

Specs was in what looked like a jail cell, except instead of bars in front of him there was solid metal. His hands were held above him by handcuffs swung around a metal pipe. He had to stand on his toes so he wouldn't have to dangle by his hands. It was uncomfortable, but the more prominent concern on his mind was 'how the hell did I get here?'

He wasn't left on his own for long, however. The metal door in front of him swung forward, squeaking on its hinges.

"Dutchy," he breathed out, relief evident in his voice. "Thank fucking god. Listen, you've gotta get me out of here!" he demanded, jerking the chains that held his hands even though his wrists ached with the motion. "There's gotta be a key you can find, or-or-"

Dutchy laughed as he approached, making sure to kick the door shut behind him. "God, you're stupider than I thought. I'm the reason you're in here, you idiot," he explained, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes as he stopped halfway between Specs and the door. "I'm the one that did this to you. Or did you forget that part?"

"F-forget? Wh-what? Dutchy, what are you talking about? I don't remember anything," Specs replied, struggling against the handcuffs keeping him in place. "Listen, if this is some sick joke it's not funny, okay? Seriously, Dutch, get me the fuck down from here," he demanded, his eyes narrowing as he looked at his friend and gave another jerk to the handcuffs that held him.

Dutchy just shook his head as the smile on his face grew. "I don't think you know how magnificent you look right now. Absolutely edible," he said, licking his lips.

Specs struggled to lean back as Dutchy advanced on him, but his cuffs wouldn't let him get far. "What the fuck, man? What are you playing at? You're freaking me out. Are you a cannibal now? A zombie? I'm not playing, Dutchy. Get me the fuck down!" he yelled, nearing hysterics as he rattled the chains that held his arms above his head.

Dutchy just smirked at him as he ran his hands down Specs' sides. "You know, if you would have just given in initially, like I asked you to, I wouldn't have had to resort to this."

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Specs insisted, trying to twist away from Dutchy's touch and failing. "Given in to what?"

"Given in to me, you delicious bag of snuggles," Dutchy answered with a smile. "Or, maybe if you hadn't walked around being such a beefcake, I might have been able to control myself longer."

"Dutchy! Don't do this! 'No' means 'no', man!" Specs exclaimed as Dutchy started tearing at his shirt collar. "I do not consent, you hear me? This isn't cool," he exclaimed, twisting to get away from Dutchy and failing once again.

"This is your fault for being such a tease, sugar muffin," Dutchy replied with a smile. "I know you want it just as bad as I do."

"Dutchy, I swear to god, I will bite your god damn nuts off!" Specs shouted, suddenly bolting upright in bed. He quickly looked around, only relaxing when it became clear he was in his bedroom. Just a really fucked up fucking dream he realized, still breathing heavily from adrenaline. Specs rubbed at the side of his head. "Bag of snuggles? Sugar muffin?" he muttered to himself. "What the fucking hell?"

He needed to get out of this fake-boyfriend-whatever shit. Clearly being around Dutchy was cracking him up.

27

Spot turned in his sleep just to run into something solid. "Jack, get the fuck outta here," he mumbled before burrowing into his pillow.

"It's Jack now, is it?" Slingshot's voice asked. "You're really throwing around your crushes, aren't you?"

Spot immediately stiffened before popping his head off the pillow. He glared at Slingshot with one eye, his other remaining closed. "Wha' da fuck you doin' here?" he mumbled, running a hand through his hair that was sticking up on top of his head.

"You gave away the last bed night," Slingshot answered, smiling as he turned onto his other side in order to face Spot.

Spot blinked at him until he was able to focus both his eyes on Slingshot. "We haven't been out of beds since we started putting new recruits in the basement," he said groggily. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Slingshot rolled his eyes at him before propping himself up on his elbow. "I was being coy, dumbass. Thought we could take a trip down memory lane together."

"You're kidding." Spot blinked at him again. "I'm going to assume you're kidding," he replied before lying back down and turning over to give his back to Slingshot. "It's too fucking gay if you aren't. Go back to bed, Sling."

Slingshot sighed, lying back down and scooting over so he was pressed into Spot's back. "Probably should have just asked you if you wanted to fuck, huh?"

"Go back to bed, Sling," Spot mumbled, not moving.

"C'mon, what happened to using me to relieve tensions, huh?" Slingshot asked, throwing an arm over Spot. "You've gotta admit you've been really tense lately. And it certainly doesn't seem like running around and getting into fights with newbies is helping you any."

"It's helping just fine," Spot insisted, throwing Slingshot's arm off him and scooting closer to the edge of the bed to put some distance between them.

Slingshot popped back up on his elbow so he could look down at his boss. He cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on, Sean? This Racetrack thing getting to you that bad?"

That made Spot finally sit up. He glared down at his subordinate as he wiped at some drool on the corner of his mouth. "There is no fucking Racetrack thing," he snapped. "I don't think it's that absurd to not want to have sex before the sun's even fucking risen!" he yelled, swinging himself out of bed and swiping his pants from the floor. "Jesus, just because I'm not horny for once in my god damn life doesn't mean I've got a-" Spot clenched his teeth against the compulsion to use the term 'crush'. "It doesn't mean anything," he finished, glaring at Slingshot as he shoved his legs through his jeans.

Slingshot put his hands up in surrender but didn't move from his spot on the bed. "Clam down, alright? I didn't mean-"

"I am fucking calm, Sling," Spot snapped, pulling on a shirt and running his hands through his hair. He glared and pointed at Slingshot as soon as he saw the single raised eyebrow on his second-command's face. "Don't give me that fucking look," he snarled. "Just because I'm fucking calm doesn't mean I can't be irritated."

"They're kind of the opposite of each other, so-" Slingshot began only to be interrupted.

"I don't need to take this shit from you," Spot decided, heading to his window and swinging a leg out. "This is fucking bullshit anyway. Fuck this shit. And fuck you," he said before dropping out.

"You know that drain pipe's going to break if you keep swinging onto it like that!" Slingshot called out the window.

"Go fuck yourself, Sling," Spot's distance voice replied.

Slingshot gave a quick smile before frowning. He fell back onto the bed and sighed. "There's a big Racetrack thing," he mumbled to himself before sighing again.

27

Despite his evening plans with Bumlets, David was heavily debating just staying in his room all day, given the events of last night. He definitely didn't want to face his parents after the safe-sex talk they had all had together. And in front of Itey and Bumlets, too! David's face colored at the thought. No, not in front of, David corrected in his head. With. He couldn't think of a more embarrassing thing that could have happened. And he also couldn't believe Itey and Sarah had a conversation after that. He couldn't even look Bumlets in the eye afterward, and he was willing to bet Bumlets had felt the same.

Though, he was having trouble figuring out if he was more embarrassed about the sex talk or about the making out thing.

He wasn't really sure what prompted him to encourage that, exactly. The very memory of it made him cringe. But he had. Or maybe Bumlets had? That part was kind of fuzzy. And it had made some kind of sense at the time, David was sure of it. Then things had progressed at a pretty rapid pace. He didn't even remember Bumlets taking his shirt off. Or maybe it had been David that had taken Bumlets' shirt off? He hadn't heard the door to his bedroom open, that was for sure. Maybe he was being naive, in fact, he most definitely was, as the fact of the matter was, even as a junior in high school David had seen very little action when it came to intimate, sexual acts, even intimate, sexual acts as mild as making out with someone.

David shook his head. It was never a good sign when he started rambling in his own head.

The point was, he had never thought that making out could be so intense, let alone so intense as to cause all other sensory organs to become ignored. And to make you forget who said what and who did what.

But maybe that wasn't normal making out, and it was Bumlets that caused it to be like that. Though, admittedly, that'd probably end up even more out of David's favor. Having a crush on a self-identified straight man who sometimes slept with guys and had a really cute male stalker who he was supposed to go on a date with tonight was not an ideal scenario.

In fact, he might have even dug himself into a hole with the date night thing. Did Bumlets really still expect him to go? Surely after last night the plans had changed? Because he could really go forever until he had to see Bumlets again and relive his embarrassment. And then seeing him with another guy after what they did last night ...

"It was just an experiment," David muttered to himself, flicking the pencil he had been biting onto his desk. He dropped his head into his hands as he sighed.

"Hey, baby brother. Trouble in paradise?"

David jerked his head up to see Sarah leaning against his doorway. He should really start locking his door. "You could say that," he mumbled, running his hands through his hair. "Or you could just call it me being an idiot."

Sarah laughed as she came into her brother's room and sat on his bed. "I take it Mom and Dad's talk last night got to you a little bit?"

"Bumlets got to me a little bit," David grumbled, assuming he was quiet enough that Sarah wouldn't hear him. He knew he was wrong the moment he looked up and caught her smirking at him.

"Baby brother, are you finally going into puberty?" Sarah asked, her smirk growing. "Developing your first crush?"

"It's not my first," David muttered as he looked down at his hands.

His reply did nothing but make Sarah laugh. "But it is a crush, huh? You going to tell him?" she asked, leaning forward from her seat on the bed.

David shook his head. "No, no. It's a bad idea," he said, dropping his head even farther and running his hands through his hair. "I don't want to, and … well, I just don't want to," he said, finally looking up at his sister.

Sarah frowned at him. "Davey, you shouldn't ignore what you want just because you're scared." She reached over to punch him on the shoulder. "What happened to the new and improved, confident Dave, huh?"

"It's not that," David insisted, running his hands through his hair again. "I mean, maybe it's that a little bit," he admitted when Sarah raised her eyebrows at him. "But, it's just a complicated situation, and I don't want to make it even more complicated. Bumlets is going through some stuff. He just admitted he might have a thing for men, and he's already got a guy following him around and asking him on dates all the time. It seems cruel to run out and do the same thing. Like, it'd overwhelm him, you know?"

Sarah sighed before leaning back on David's bed to stare at the ceiling. "Yeah, I think Itey and I are over for the same reason."

"What? Really?" David asked, leaning forward in his chair. "It's not because of last night, is it?" he asked, his eyes wide. "Sarah, I'm so sorry. I never meant-"

"It's fine, Davey," Sarah said, cutting him off. "Last night just kind of made me realize …" She sighed before sitting back up on the bed and looking at her brother. "Itey's really sweet, and I can tell he's trying really hard, which is something I didn't expect." She looked down at her hands and smiled. "I realized how much I was enjoying myself with him, and I realized how much I don't want to compete." She looked up at her brother again. "Does that make any sense?"

David shook his head. "Not really, no. Sorry."

Sarah gave a humorless laugh. "I like Itey. I don't want to make things more complicated for him. And his refusal to deal with the whole," she waved a hand in the air while rolling her eyes, "Skittery thing, is already plenty complicated for him." She shrugged. "I guess I just decided that I liked him enough to not make things harder on him as he tries to get over it or fix it or whatever the hell else he wants to do."

David smiled at her. "Guess that means I'm not the only one growing as a person, huh?"

Sarah smiled back as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, just don't tell anyone."

27

Dutchy woke up to Specs stooping over him, shaking him awake. "'M I dreaming?" he asked groggily. He reached for Specs just for Specs to jerk away.

"Oh, holy fuck, you better not be, you sick, twisted fuck!" Specs yelled back. "You are not allowed to dream about me. Ever, you got me?"

Dutchy rubbed at his eye as he sat up in bed. "I don't think I can control dreams," he replied groggily. "But if I could, this would be a pretty good one," he admitted, looking over at Specs who still had a knee on his bed.

Specs immediately jerked off and stumbled several steps backward. "No! No, no, no! This," he said, pointing between himself and Dutchy, "This thing we're doing stops. It fucking stops. Right fucking now, you understand? No more hand holding, no more kissing, no more groping, no more trying to make Bumlets jealous, no more- Just, no more fucking anything, okay? I'm done. I'm fucking done."

Dutchy stared at him with wide eyes. "Wh-what? Why?" he asked, flipping off his covers and swinging off the bed. "I don't understand. What'd I do? I thought we … I thought we had an agreement. I thought you … What happened?" he asked, his voice too-high-pitched as he came towards his fake boyfriend.

Specs took several steps back until he ran into Dutchy's dresser, his eyes widening as Dutchy came towards him in only boxers. "G-g-get dressed!" he demanded, his face reddening as he bolted for the door. "I'll wait in the hallway!" he called right before slamming the door shut behind him.

Dutchy jumped at the sound of his door slamming before blinking at it. "I gotta still be asleep, right?" he asked no one. He dug some wax out of his ear with his pinky. "There's no way Specs would be in my room blushing if I wasn't dreaming," he decided, walking to his dresser to get dressed anyway.

He dug through his drawers until finding a tight shirt to pull on (had to keep himself enticing, after all). Then he remembered he was dreaming and decided that the pants bunched up on his floor would be good enough (things don't smell in dreams, right?).

He glanced at his cell phone to get the time before opening his bedroom door to Specs pacing up and down his hallway. "Ten o'clock is way too early to be getting up on a Saturday," he said with a yawn.

Specs just shoved past him back into the bedroom, making sure to close the door again. He hesitated when he realized the only place to sit was the bed before deciding to just remain standing. "Alright, listen to me, alright? Because you have a big problem with that, and I'm done putting up with it," he said as he started pacing.

"This seems like a big thing," Dutchy said around a yawn. He sat down on his bed and stretched. "Can you get to the point so I can go back to bed? Being up before noon on a Saturday should be a criminal offense."

"Dutchy! Ugh! Stop rushing me!" Specs said, smacking himself on the forehead. "I'm trying to break up with you while, at the same time, making sure you don't fucking cry! And that's not a very easy thing to do, because you're kind of a fucking baby!" he snapped.

"Alright, whatever, dude," Dutchy replied, crawling towards his pillows and burrowing under his covers, clothes and all. "That's it, right? I'm going back to bed. I'm guessing you can find the door on your own."

Specs' mouth dropped open as he stared at Dutchy. "Y-you don't care? I thought … I mean, wasn't this whole thing between us, like, er, really important to you?"

"It's not as important as sleep, Specs," Dutchy replied, not bothering to move as he explained himself. "You're done. I got it. Now, I'd really like to go back to sleep."

"I … Well, I just …" Specs just stood in place, staring at the pile of blankets on the bed.

"When I said I wanted to go back to sleep I wasn't lying," Dutchy said, turning his head slightly to make sure his pillow wouldn't muffle his voice. "So … you know … bye, Specs."

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Right. So, I'll just be …" Specs pointed towards the door before he realized Dutchy couldn't see him. "I'll just be going. You know, out the door."

"Mm-hm," Dutchy answered. "That's how people typically leave." He turned around so he was facing his wall, but didn't fully relax until he heard his door quietly shutting.

There was something seriously wrong with him if even his dreams were keeping him awake.

27

"Blinky!" Skittery greeted as soon as his friend opened the front door to his incessant knocking. "How ya doin', oh, chum of mine?" he exclaimed happily before giving Blink a pat on the back and walking uninvited into Blink's house.

Blink frowned. "Don't ever call me 'Blinky' again, Skitts," he said before turning around to look at him. "What're you doing here?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"These are some sweet digs, man," Skittery said, looking up at the high ceilings of Blink's foyer before his eyes drifted to the grand staircase that circled to the upstairs. He gave a low whistle of appreciation.

Blink's frown deepened as he crossed his arms. "I've lived here since I was five, Skittery. You already know what this place looks like. In fact, if I remember correctly, you were the one that convinced me that bungy jumping off the steps was a good idea."

"I think that was Specs," Skittery said, now actively avoiding Blink's eye. "I was a lot more well-behaved as a child, remember?"

Blink crossed his arms as he raised an eyebrow at him. "I remember you being a lot less blatant about your troublemaking, but you were no less of a troublemaker," he recalled, a smirk spreading across his face. "I also remember you bragging that you were the reason for my first ambulance ride." He laughed. "It was also my first broken bone, but I didn't want to tell you that. You were annoying enough about the ambulance thing."

Skittery smiled back. "Broken arm, right? I remember that. You were so pissed because your mom wouldn't let you play basketball with us until after it was fully healed."

"Practically an entire summer of no basketball," Blink replied. "All that time I could've been practicing: wasted. Notice I never made the basketball team after that."

Skittery laughed. "You never made the basketball team before that, Blink. Jack and Swifty were the only two that were any good, remember?"

"Yeah, we even made a rule that they couldn't be on the same team," Blink replied, his smile growing as he became nostalgic.

"Which they got so pissed about."

"I don't understand why," Blink admitted. "They should have seen it coming once they crushed us fifty-two to zero or whatever it was."

"I know, right?" Skittery asked, laughing. "Man, those were the days, amirite?'

"Well, not really that particular summer," Blink replied. "Broken arm, remember?"

"Right. Right," Skittery said, nodding at him. "Yeah, bet that really sucked. Kind of your fault though, for listening to me in the first place. Who the fuck thinks jumping off a banister is a good idea?"

Blink rolled his eye but the smile remained on his face. "What're you doing here, Skitts?" he asked again.

Skittery shrugged. "You're the one who invited me, remember? You said it'd be sweet if I showed up, so here I am," he explained before giving another shrug.

Blink stared at him for several seconds before he realized what the other boy was talking about. "I invited you over to Mush's house at seven," he said slowly. He shot a look down at his watch before bringing his attention back to Skittery. "It's noon, and you're at my house."

Skittery shrugged again, not looking Blink in the eye. "What? You've never heard of pregaming before? Sorry to say, but that's pretty lame, dude."

Blink squinted at him. "Skitts, pregaming for seven hours is no longer pregaming. It's …" He bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to think of something before giving up. "Well, I don't know what it is, but it's definitely alcoholic behavior."

"You're alcoholic behavior," Skittery muttered, crossing his arms as he frowned.

Blink just raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. "You couldn't possible be nervous that you're about to see Itey in seven hours, are you?"

"What? Pft. No," Skittery replied quickly while forcing out a laugh. "I mean, why would I be? There's no reason to be. Which is why I'm not. At all."

"You are so done, dude," Blink replied with a laugh. "Come on. We can play video games or something until we go over to Mush's."

27

"You are so done, dude," Mush replied with a laugh. "Come on in. We can play video games or something until Skittery and Blink come over."

"So he is coming over?" Itey asked as he walked into Mush's house. "You're sure? I mean, he said 'yes' when Blink invited him?"

Mush closed his front door and rolled his eyes, a smile prominent on his face. "Like I told you, all I know is that Blink invited him. I'm not sure if he's actually coming over or not."

Itey whirled around to face Mush. "Well, what did he say when Blink invited him? I mean, was he angry or intrigued or sad or-?"

"I don't know, Itey," Mush interrupted. "All Blink said was that he told Skittery it was an open invitation, and that I should set up like he was going to come but not be disappointed if he doesn't show up. That's all I know."

"That gives me nothing!" Itey exclaimed, waving his hands in frustration. "It's never what Skittery says, it's what he means by what he says." he explained quickly as he started to pace the living room. "And I have no way of figuring out what he means if I don't know what he said!"

Mush grabbed his friend's arm and steered him to the couch, forcing him to sit down. "Itey, you're seriously giving me a headache. You're talking really fast and all you're doing is confusing me," Mush said. "You've gotta sit down and breathe. And stop freaking out, because you're freaking out is freaking me out."

"Ugh, I'm just so nervous," Itey explained, dropping his head into his hands. "And I was already nervous yesterday. My nervous system is in a constant state of sympathy and that can't be good for my heart. Oh, Jesus, I'm going to die young, aren't I?" Itey asked, looking up at Mush.

Mush stared at him with wide eyes. "Uh … no?" he finally replied before sitting on a chair that was caddy-corner from the couch. "Your nervous system is sympathetic?" he asked a second later, as he leaned in towards his friend. "Sorry, but I really have no idea what that means."

"It means I'm in flight-or-fight response, Mush," Itey explained. "It means I'm freaking the fuck out over here."

"Oh!" Mush replied, his eyes lighting up in recognition before he frowned yet again. "I thought you said you were taking General Biology this year because last year you flunked out of Anatomy?"

"Just because I failed the class doesn't mean I don't know it," Itey explained with a frown, crossing his arms. He glared at Mush for a few seconds before turning away and looking down at the floor. "My Anatomy class was during Skittery's study hall last year," he muttered.

"Ah," Mush replied as he nodded. "You know, I'm all for you and Skittery being together, but you really shouldn't let it affect your studies the way it does. You're really smart, Itey. There's no reason for you to be flunking any classes."

Itey sighed. "I know, I know. You can save the lecture," he said, rubbing his head. "It's a moot point anyway. I'm hoping he comes so I can have closure with him, not so we can get back together."

Mush nodded again. "Whatever you think is best, Itey. But do you think it's a good idea to tell him when we're supposed to be drinking?"

Itey shrugged. "No, probably not, but Sarah wants an answer: either I'm with him or I'm not. And she's hurt and upset, and I wanna get this done fast for her. Plus, I'm done coddling Skittery anyway. I'm not letting him do whatever the hell he wants just because I'm afraid to hurt his feelings when he so blatantly tramples over everyone else's."

27

Specs decided to forgo the subway and walk home instead. He needed time to think. He had to figure out this situation.

Dutchy didn't like him anymore? He didn't care that Specs was cutting him off? That wasn't right at all. Dutchy had been the one pushing this whole thing. They had even argued about it yesterday morning. So, what could have changed in just twenty-four hours that made Dutchy not care anymore?

Did Bumlets cave? It didn't seem likely. Dutchy would've been celebratory, not dismissive. Dutchy never acted dismissive. Ever. Dutchy cared about everything. He was either bouncing off the walls in elation or bawling about how unfair life was. He was never emotionless.

So, what prompted him to just stop caring? Did Specs say something to piss him off so bad it shut him down?

It wasn't like Specs hadn't pissed anyone off before, after all.

Davy.

Specs cringed at the mental reminder. Dutchy wasn't the only person he should be worrying about. Seemed like he was screwing everything up lately.

And he missed David. David would've been able to help him through whatever the hell it was he was going through. David was logical and smart, and he understood people. He emphasized in a way Specs had never been able to do, despite how much he tried.

He wondered how much he would have to beg for forgiveness if he went to David's house to ask for advice. Would David even hear him out before slamming the door in his face? He had been concerned enough when he had found Specs crying in the bathroom.

But then Specs had told him why and David had just got angry all over again.

There had to be some kinda magic to a guy that made you feel guilty after he punched you. There had to be a way to learn how to do that. Someone must have figured out how to teach that to people, right?

"Back on track, Specs," he muttered to himself when he realized he was going off on a tangent.

Dutchy: that was his focus for right now. He had to figure out just what the fuck had happened.

But, no matter what, Specs would make Dutchy like him again. He was certain of that. This wouldn't be like the David-situation.

27

Dutchy turned over in his sleep before blinking his eyes open and looking at his clock. His eyes widened when he realized it was already becoming evening. He sat up in bed and stretched. He was all one for sleeping in on Saturdays, but he usually didn't sleep the whole day away unless he had been doing drugs the night before, or if he'd gotten woken up at some point during his sleep.

He hadn't done any drugs, so had he been woken up? He did remember a dream with Specs in his room blushing a cute little blush and telling him he couldn't be in a pretend relationship with him anymore.

His eyes widened even more when he realized that Dream-Specs wasn't at all Dream-Specs, and was instead Regular-Specs, and holy fucking hell that was bad.

"Bad," Dutchy repeated out loud, knocking everything on his end table over in order to get to his cell phone. "Really, really, really fucking bad," he muttered before throwing his cell phone across the room when he realized it was dead. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." He grabbed at his forehead before running his hands through his hair.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Okay, Dutch, let's figure this out, okay?" he muttered to himself. "When did he come over? Early. It was really fucking early," he said as he started pacing his room. "Definitely before noon, which means it's been," he took another look at his clock, "at least six hours. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck."

He took another deep breath. "Okay, six hours. That's fine. That's nothing." It was only six episodes of Shameless. It wasn't even enough time to catch up on the new season, which Dutchy knew for a fact Specs was way behind on. It'd be totally plausible that Specs had just gone home and now he was just sitting in front of his TV being completely normal.

Okay, so, there was that crisis averted. Kind of. Sort of. Whatever. Kind of taken care of.

Next crisis: had his parents seen a good-looking guy come waltzing into and/or out of his bedroom?

"Oh, Jesus," Dutchy breathed out as soon as his brain supplied that particular scenario. "Fuck, what the fuck was he even thinking?" He pulled at his hair, wishing he had picked someone smarter to develop a crush on.

He breathed again, preparing himself to leave his bedroom in order to face his parents. Holy fuck, if he saw one Christian/Anti-Gay Camp flyer lying on the kitchen table he was going to freak the fucking hell out.

He quietly stepped out of his room and padded his way towards the kitchen. He sighed in relief when he read the note that was left on the counter for him.

Your father insisted I go fishing with him. Lord Almighty, save us all. I expect dishes and laundry done by the time we get home.

Hugs and Kisses,

Mom

Fishing meant they had left before the sun was even up, which meant Specs had definitely missed them. Thank fucking Jesus.

Then he cursed when he realized what the rest of the note said. He didn't have time to do chores right now, god damn it! He had Specs issues to deal with

He crumbled up the message and threw it in the trash before heading out the door, thankful that at some point during his sleep he had dressed.

27

Mush and Itey had been calmly playing video games without any mention of Skittery for several hours. Then the doorbell rang and Itey was overwhelmed with anxiety all over again. He grabbed Mush's arm as soon as he got up to get his door.

"What if it's Skittery?"

"Fifty percent chance it is," Mush replied with a smile, followed shortly after with a frown. "Itey, are you sure this is okay with you? If you don't want to talk to Skittery yet-"

Itey immediately released his hold on Mush's arm and quickly shook his head. "No. No. I'm fine." He took a deep breath. "I'm prepared. Good to go," he said before giving Mush a smile and a thumbs up.

Mush didn't stop frowning. "Itey, if this is going to-"

"I'm fine, Mush. Swear," he said, putting his hand up in surrender. "Go answer the door. Fifty percent chance it's Blink."

Mush sighed before nodding and heading for the front door. "Keep the game paused, okay? I know you cheated when I went to the bathroom earlier."

"It's part of the game, Mush!" Itey called at Mush's back before unpausing Super Smash Brothers and getting a few unblocked hits on Link. "Serves you right for being too good at this game," he muttered to himself.

"Skittery! You came!" Itey heard from Mush's too-loud voice.

"Fuck," Itey muttered as he accidentally walked Samus off a ledge. "God fucking damnit!" he yelled, tossing his controller away from him. So, the upside to Skittery being here was that Mush would probably be too distracted to remember the game. Itey got up to cut them off so they didn't come into the den. Best Mush forget completely that he had been crushing him at Super Smash.

"Brought some beer with me, too," Skittery was saying as Itey walked into the main entrance. "Figured we could always-" He stopped as soon as his eyes landed on Itey. "Ah … figured we could … uh, drink it," he struggled to finish, working hard to avoid looking at Itey. "Anyway, here it is." He shoved the case into Mush before taking a few steps farther inside. "So, where's this shindig taking place?"

"Ah, I thought, maybe, the living room?" Mush replied, trying and failing to catch Itey's eye as Skittery disappeared down the hall.

"Kitchen," Itey answered sternly. "Gotta have a table to play any card games," he explained, actively not looking at Mush. "Blink, how ya doin', buddy?" he asked before hugging the other man.

"Itey," Blink greeted with a smile. "I'm surprised we didn't beat you here."

Mush laughed. "Oh, he's been here-"

"Beat you by just a couple minutes," Itey quickly interrupted, throwing a quick shake of the head towards Mush. "Still waiting on my own beer guy, actually. He said he'd come drop it off in a few minutes."

Mush frowned back at him. "You invited some stranger over to my house?"

"If you were only here for a few minutes who was Mush playing Super Smash with?" Skittery asked as he reappeared from the hall. "I don't think he's sad enough to play a me versus me battle, do you?" He crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall and frowned at Itey.

"Don't act like I'm in some kind of trouble, you asshole," Itey snapped. "So I've been here longer than a few minutes; so what? I'm allowed to hang out with my friend if I want to."

"Of course you are. It's the lying thing I don't get," Skittery replied, smirking. "Couldn't be you were nervous about meeting me, could it? Couldn't sit still at home so you came to Mush's hoping he'd distract you?"

Itey's mouth dropped open. "I didn't … I'm not …" He frowned. "I guess if anyone could guess about my motives it'd be you," he sighed out in resignation.

"He only knows that because he did the exact same thing, except he came to my house," Blink said,offering Itey a reassuring smile before turning to frown at Skittery. "But I feel like, at least for Skittery, there was no need for him to get anxious if he was just going to turn around and be a dick."

"He's the one lying," Skittery snapped, pointing his finger to Itey. "I never said I wasn't nervous! I didn't even make fun of him for being nervous, did I? And yet you automatically assume I was doing it to be a dick! Fuck you guys! I don't know why the fuck I showed up anyway," he grumbled before heading for the front door.

Itey grabbed his arm as he passed, stopping him. "Don't assume Blink said that to be an asshole to you. He was doing it to make me feel better. Not everyone's out to attack you."

"Oh, my bad," Skittery snapped, jerking his arm away. "Of course Blink has every right to make you feel better right after you lied about something. That's perfectly normal behavior."

"Because, clearly, I lied so I wouldn't feel embarrassed," Itey snapped right back. "And you knowingly threw me under the bus for it. I assume to make yourself feel better, you fucking dick."

"Is this how it's going to be now?" Skittery growled. "So much for being friends, huh? You can't even go ten minutes without accusing me of being a horrible person."

"I never said you were a horrible person!" Itey yelled back. "I said you were a fucking dick. Because you are a fucking dick. You always have been."

"Fuck you, Itey!" Skittery spat out. "The only reason I was ever a dick to you was because-"

"Okay, that's enough!" Mush finally yelled. "Let's just drop it," he ordered in a calm voice. "You were both nervous about seeing each other; that's perfectly normal. But yelling at each other about it is silly and worthless. So drop it, got me?" He glared at both Skittery and Itey as he waited for an answer.

Skittery and Itey exchanged a look before turning to Mush and both nodding. "Yes, Mushie."

"Er, right," Blink put in, looking between all three boys. "So, let's drink now, yeah?" he asked before heading into the kitchen.

Skittery leaned towards Itey. "Mush is kind of scary," Skittery muttered as Mush followed behind Blink.

"No shit," Itey muttered back with a nod of his head before walking towards the kitchen himself.

27

"Hi," Bumlets greeted as soon as Mrs. Jacobs had answered the doorbell. "Nice to, uh, see you again," he stuttered out, not able to meet the woman's eyes. "Is, uh, David home?"

Mrs. Jacobs just smiled at him. "Of course he is, dear. You two had plans tonight, didn't you? He's in his room," she said, stepping away from the door and letting Bumlets inside. "Why don't you wait in the living room, and I'll go get him?"

Bumlets nodded as he walked past Mrs. Jacobs to get to the living room, blushing with the reminder of exactly why he couldn't go up to David's room by himself. The blush only darkened when he made it to the living room and saw Mr. Jacobs reading the newspaper. "S-sir," he greeted, bowing his head slightly before taking the seat farthest away from him.

"Bumlets," Mr. Jacobs greeted before turning the page in his newspaper. "Still going out with David tonight?"

"Yessir," Bumlets answered, nodding even though he knew David's father wasn't looking at him.

"And is this a date?"

"N-no sir," Bumlets answered, eyes wide. Jesus, he and David had really screwed things up last night, hadn't they? Why the hell did he keep doing shit like this to himself? To keep fucking up because he kept making out with guys definitely didn't seem like normal straight guy behavior, he had to admit.

Mr. Jacobs finally looked over his newspaper. "Is that a 'no' as in, 'no, it's not a date, it's just a thing that really is a date, but we're not calling it a date,' or is that a 'no' as in, 'no, it's not a date, and what happened here last night was just the result of rampant teenage hormones'?"

"Uh … the, um ..." Bumlets stuttered out, completely caught off guard.

"It's the second one, Dad. I told you that last night," David answered in a tired voice. "Hey, Bumlets," he said only a few seconds later, a smile now on his face. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm ready to go now if you are."

"Sit down, David," Mr. Jacobs demanded. "You may be ready to leave, but that doesn't mean I'm going to allow you to."

"Dad!" David replied immediately, his eyes wide. "You told me last night I'd still be allowed to go! You can't change your mind after Bumlets gets here!"

"I just want to hear the answer from Bumlets, son," Mr. Jacobs said calmly, looking at Bumlets the entire time.

Bumlets looked between David and his father before finally answering. "Uh, well, um, I guess technically it is a date, but it's not David and me. I mean, it's a date between me and someone else and David is supposed to be there as a … ah … um … as a chaperone?" he said as he looked at David for clarification.

"Now you understand when I told you last night that you wouldn't understand," David said, glaring at his father with crossed arms. "Can we go now? Please?"

"Of course you can," Mrs. Jacobs replied, walking into the room and glaring at her husband. "You two boys have a good time. When will you be home by?"

"I'll be home by curfew," David said, grabbing Bumlets by his sleeve and guiding him towards the door. "Midnight," he called out for clarification before escaping from the living room.

It wasn't until they were outside that David released Bumlets's sleeve. "Sorry about them," he said, turning to his friend as they walked to the car. "They can be a bit ... overprotective," he finished, rubbing the back of his head.

Bumlets rolled his eyes, a grin on his face as he sat down in the driver's seat. "Yeah, Davey, I kind of noticed that last night. After that trauma you think that's going to scare me off?" Bumlets asked, nodding his head at the house.

"Okay, good point," David replied, giving him a shrug. "So I take it you're feeling better about this?"

"Define 'better'," Bumlets replied, starting his car and pulling out of the driveway. He continued when it became apparent that David was still waiting for an answer. "I guess a little? Last night kind of ... " He shrugged when he couldn't think of what to say. "It was good, I guess. I mean, I gotta stop thinking in terms of black and white, I guess. Start thinking outside of general labels, I guess? I don't know, Davey. This is all pretty confusing. But, I guess I'm willing to give Bam a chance. He's kind of intense, but I can tell he's sincere, and I guess I'm attracted to that even if I'm not necessarily attracted to his physical parts. But that's something I've already proven I can get over." He looked over at David. "Is 'get over' the right word for it? Because that seems offensive. Like, I'm settling somehow, maybe?"

David put his hand on his friend's shoulder and smiled, despite the twisting feeling in his stomach. "I think you may be overthinking things again, just in a different way this time. Bam doesn't strike me as the type of guy to get offended over a small slip up anyway. I wouldn't stress about it."

Bumlets sighed. "Believe me, it's a lot easier to stress about something stupid than not stress at all. I'm kind of fucking nervous over here."

David squeezed Bumlets's shoulder again, but decided not to say anything. He was feeling pretty nervous himself.

27

"Ten is men!" Skittery announced, holding up the card before forcing it under the tab of the beer sitting at the middle of the table.

"I thought-" hiccup, "I thought six was dicks," Mush said with a slur already in his voice. He dutifully picked up his beer, not waiting to listen to Skittery's explanation

"I am pretty sure ten is supposed to be categories," Itey said after he had gotten done chugging his own beer. "What's categories if ten is men?"

Skittery shrugged. "I don't know. Jack, I guess."

"Jack is Never Have I Ever," Itey pointed out not even a second later.

"Ugh, who cares?" Blink groaned, his head resting on the table. "Can someone just draw so we can get this over with? Those two waterfall's in a row got my head spinning."

"Oh, yeah, and a king and an ace aren't both waterfalls, just to clarify," Itey said, frowning at Skittery from across the table.

"Would you shut up," Skittery hissed, glaring at the boy across from him. He looked next to him at Blink before looking over the table at Mush. They were both content staring out into space. "Did you wanna get 'em drunk or not?" he whispered to Itey.

"Drunk? Yes. Did I want to give them alcohol poisoning? No," Itey snapped. "Let's just get this game over with so they can sleep it off, alright?"

"Right, then you can go over to your precious new girlfriend's house and talk about boys and paint each other's nails or whatever," Skittery replied back, glaring. "Didn't realize hanging out with me was suddenly so miserable."

"It is when you act like this," Itey snapped back. "You don't get to be a dick one minute and a self-loathing little shit the next and expect me to like you!" He stopped his rant when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked over to Mush, who now had his head on the table just like Blink.

"S-should talk'n'li'ing room," Mush slurred out, waving his hand towards the hallway.

"Right, livingroom," Itey replied when he finally deciphered exactly what it was Mush was trying to say. He gave a sigh as he rose from the table.

"What? Have you two been planning for this?" Skittery burst out, leaping out of his chair to glare between Mush and Itey. "What are you? Intervening me?"

Itey rolled his eyes. "It's not an intervention, dumbass," he muttered. "It's a talk between you and I. Mush is just looking out for your privacy." He started heading for the living room. "Let's go," he demanded before grabbing Skittery's arm and dragging him along.

"Fuck you," Skittery replied even while he followed along. "You can't insult me and then just tell me what to do!"

Itey didn't answer, instead content to walk them into the living room before taking a seat on the couch. "Skittery," he finally said as the boy took the seat next to him. "I can't keep doing this with you."

"Doing what?" Skittery asked, raising an eyebrow. "We aren't doing anything, Itey. Or did you forget? You're with some bitch or whatever now," he replied with a scowl before turning away from him.

"That," Itey snapped, pointing at him. "What you just did. No more, you got it? No more being jealous of something you've never admitted to liking! No more being a dick and then acting like a sad sack when people treat you the same way. No more threatening Sarah. No more claiming I'm yours when you spent years being adamantly against exactly that!"

"Never realized I was such a burden to you," Skittery muttered, staring at the ground. "Certainly had no idea you were that unhappy with me, especially considering how often you told me you were happy," he said, finally looking up at Itey. "If you had such a problem with what we had you should have said something sooner."

"I did!" Itey snapped before sighing again, trying his best to calm down. He took Skittery's hands into his. "Look, Skittery, I did like what we had. That's why I … I mean, I would have never … I was there because I wanted to be, okay? But I need something more than just a good time. I want someone who cares about me and isn't afraid to tell me. I want someone who will be there for me emotionally, and who isn't afraid of their feelings. Do you understand?"

"And Sarah …?" Skittery replied, still looking at the ground as he moved his hands out of Itey's reach. "Sarah … she … she can …?"

Itey sighed again, not wanting to finish the thought but knowing he had to. "And Sarah can do all that," he finished for Skittery.

"So what if I could?" Skittery asked, his gaze shooting up from the floor to look at Itey..

Itey forced out a laugh. "What if you could do what for me? What if you could actually talk about your emotions? What if you could actually tell me for the first time ever that we were more than just fuck buddies?" He sighed again. "You can't, Skitts. You know you can't. And even if you did it wouldn't be anything more than drunken ramblings, and you'd only doing to beat Sarah."

"I'm not trying to make your life a living hell! Stop acting like it!" Skittery snapped. "You should know me better than that. You should know that I … I shouldn't have to tell you that I …"

"That you what, Skittery?" Itey snapped right back. "Because I do need to hear it. I want to hear it. It's a struggle loving someone who won't ever admit to loving you back, you know that? It hurts. And I can't just keep letting myself feel like … like I'm second class to you. Or not worth it. Or-"

"You are worth it," Skittery declared, a stern look on his face as he took Itey's hands this time. "I know I'm terrible at being sentimental, but I thought it was okay because it was you and you know me. But if you want to hear it then I'll say it: I love you, ya dumb bastard. I care about you, okay? I feel like someone is ripping a hole in my chest every time I see you with Sarah. I hate that you seem so content with her, and I want you to be just as content with me. I miss you, and whatever you want is yours as long as I can have you back."

Itey ripped his hands away as a tear ran down his cheek. "Is the only time you can tell me that after you've had eight beers?" he snapped. He looked down at the floor, no longer able to handle looking at Skittery's face. "It doesn't mean anything when you're drunk," he declared, standing up from the couch and walking away. "Tell me when you're sober, and I might take you seriously," he called behind his back.

It wasn't long after that Skittery heard the front door slam shut. He dropped his head into his hands as he wondered what he'd said wrong.

27

The club was dark, loud, packed, smelly, and instantly reminded David of why he had never agreed to go to a club ever in his entire life. "How do you think we're going to find him in this mess!?" he shouted to Bumlets, hoping that the other boy somehow had better hearing than he did.

"I don't know!" Bumlets shouted back, standing on his toes to try to look through the crowd. "I guess we didn't really think that far in advance!" he admitted loudly. "I never really thought I'd be here, even after I agreed to it!"

"Bumlets!" David yelled, getting as close to his friend's ear as he could. "I have absolutely no idea what you just said!" he admitted.

A loud "What?!" from Bumlets was all he got in return.

David rolled his eyes before tugging on Bumlets's sleeve. "Let's go outside!" he insisted loudly, even though he was confident his friend wasn't hearing anything he was saying. "We can talk out there!" he uselessly explained to an unhearing Bumlets.

Bumlets nodded anyway, either through some form of telepathy David knew he didn't have or from context clues. He let David guide him through the crowds until they reached an exit for the back porch. David hurled himself out the door, relieved that the noise, people, and smell didn't follow them out. Or, at least, not as many noises, people, and smells were outside.

"I'm guessing this isn't your type of scene," Bumlets said with a girn, taking in David's anxious posture.

"I guess when I agreed to this I didn't really take into consideration the location," David admitted, pushing himself into a corner to be as far away from all the strange bodies as he could. "How are we supposed to find him in this mess?" David asked, repeating his question from earlier to avoid talk of the massive anxiety he was feeling from being in such a large crowd.

Bumlets scratched the back of his head. "I don't know," he replied. "I guess I never really thought this far ahead, because I never really thought you would agree to it," he admitted again, still having to talk loudly over the music that was permeating the smoking area.

"Should I have said 'no'?" David asked loudly to be heard over the music. "I thought you were serious about giving him a try," he said, pushing closer to Bumlets in the hopes that he wouldn't have to keep yelling.

"I am serious. Kind of," Bumlets admitted. "I mean, I'm serious about giving him a chance," he explained over the music. "But I wasn't exactly serious when I agreed to meet him out here. I wasn't thinking of the logistics of it."

"Well, do you have his number or anything?" David asked, looking over the crowd in the hopes of finding the man in question.

Bumlets looked at the ground, and his answer of, "No," was barely heard above the music. He looked up at David as he explained himself. "Me trying for this is kind of a new development, if you remember," he said, giving his friend a pointed look.

David felt his cheeks heat up as he was reminded of exactly how he had convinced Bumlets to go after Bam. He instensly hoped that it was too dark for Bumlets to notice his obvious blush.

"I didn't want to ask for his number because I thought it would encourage him," Bumlets continued.

"And now you want to encourage him?" David asked, forcing himself not to cringe at his own question. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer. In fact, he was pretty sure he didn't. There were only two options, after all. Bumlets would say 'yes', which meant he had feelings for Bam, which meant Bumlets didn't have feelings for him. Or, the other option, Bumlets answered 'no', which meant he was straight, and didn't have feelings for him. Either way, David lost out. Not that he should even being thinking of this in terms of his crush, because it was already decided that he was going to ignore it. Bumlets was a good friend, and David wasn't willing to risk their new friendship on whatever fling Bumlets would allow while he was questioning his sexuality. It was a situation David didn't need to put himself in, and he knew this, so there was no sense in still thinking about it. Sarah hadn't seemed to have any trouble putting Itey behind her, and those two had been on actual dates. If Sarah could put her feelings aside, then David should be able to, as well.

"I don't know!" Bumlets burst out after several seconds of silence, shattering David's inner monologue. "I want to at least see where this might lead," he admitted. "I have no idea if I'm doing the right thing, or if I'll even like it," he explained. "But if I never try I'll never know, right? And it does help a lot not to put labels on myself," he said before squeezing David's shoulder to show his gratitude. "I'm still nervous and confused and everything else, but it takes a lot of stress off me to not have to worry about who I am on top of everything else."

David nodded, rendered speechless as he adamantly tried to think of a reply. "It's great that you're finally thinking outside of labels," he decided to say after several moments of silence. "And if we can't find him, I'm sure he'll understand the mix up."

"Not with my luck," Bumlets replied, too quiet for David to hear him. "Do you think we should wait out front or something?" he asked in a louder voice. "I've never had to wait for someone at a nightclub before," he admitted. "Any idea where he would go to look for us? Or where he would be?"

"Bumlets, I've never even been in a nightclub before," David reminded his friend before gesturing to the smoking area around them. "I didn't even know this place existed before we got out here."

Bumlets frowned as he looked up in thought. He really had no idea how to contact Bam. He didn't even have Sean's number, for Christ's sake.

"You do look cute when you're lost in thought," Bam's low voice suddenly said in his ear.

Bumlets jumped a few inches into the air before turning to glare at the other man. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he snapped half a second later. "Don't sneak up on someone like that! How'd you even find us?"

Bam raised an eyebrow at him as a grin spread across his face. "Why? Were you trying to play hide and seek?" He leaned in closer to Bumlets. "If you like games, I've got a better one we can play later," he offered with a wink.

"Why the hell is Jack with you?" David asked, both out of curiosity and to steer the conversation away from whatever lewd games Bam was hinting at.

Bam rolled his eyes. "It's a work thing," he explained with a shrug.

"He means a gang thing," Jack replied, smirking at David.

"Dude," Bam said, elbowing Jack in the stomach. "What the fuck, man? First, don't run around fucking telling everyone and their mother! Jesus, you think this is a game or something, big mouth? And second, I haven't even told my date yet, you fucking cock sucking son of a bitch!" he yelled. "God damn it, if Boss hadn't already told me not to kill you I'd hang you by your feet and bash your brains in with a fucking bat."

Jack had backed up a few steps, hands raised in surrender. "Yo, dude, I'm not the one scaring the hell out of my date, am I?"

Bam's head shot to the side to see both Bumlets and David standing several feet away and staring at him with wide eyes. He really had to learn how to solve conflicts without threatening death. Spot wasn't the best role model when it came to personal relationships. "I wasn't really going to string him up by his feet and kill him," he said, turning to Bumlets and forcing calmness into his voice. As soon as they got home he was going to string Jack up by his god damn fucking feet and kill him. How dare that idiot ruin his date already? "Boss is just a little bit tense that we're traveling so far out of our jurisdiction, so to speak. He just wanted to make sure I had backup if I needed it." He turned to glare at Jack. "Not that this imbecile was my first choice."

David turned his own glare on Jack, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I can't imagine why you wouldn't want him protecting you," he replied sarcastically.

"If I hadn't've volunteered you wouldn't have been allowed to go at all." Jack snapped at Bam, choosing to ignore David's comment. "You should be grateful."

"Please," Bam replied, rolling his eyes. "What do you think Spot would've done if I told him I didn't want backup? Maybe he wouldn't've let you go out alone, since you're still so wet behind the ears, but I'm a senior member. He knows he doesn't have anything to worry about with me," he explained, nose in the air as he frowned down at Jack.

Bumlets glanced to his side at David, making eye contact as he offered a shrug of apology. So, Bam was definitely a gangster. It wasn't like Bumlets hadn't guessed, but it was different to have it confirmed. So now, not only was he a straight man on a date with another man, that other man worked directly under the Brooklyn gang leader. Really, considering how his life had been going recently, he shouldn't have been surprised. "So, I heard this place doesn't ID?" he asked, because if he was stuck here with David, an asshole, and a gangster he really needed to have a drink.

27

"Where's I'ey?" Mush asked, his face still pressed down on his kitchen table.

"Where's S'itts?" Blink returned, lifting his own head from the table to look across at his friend. "'S room spinin' f' you, too?"

Mush turned his head so he could look at Blink, but didn't raise his head from the table. "I wanna lay down."

"'S your house," Blink pointed out before groaning and laying his head back down. "I'm real dizzy."

"Where's I'ey?" Mush asked again before closing his eyes.

"P'ob'ly banging S'itts," Blink replied. "Knew it'd happen," he said smugly before groaning once more. "Can I lie down?"

"Bed's around somewhere," Mush offered, picking up his head to look at Blink. "You gonna need s' help?"

"I need everything," Blink groaned. He pried his head up from the table once again. "Get up. I need help."

""Where's I'ey?" Mush asked for a third time as he slowly lifted himself out of his chair. He clung onto the table for a few seconds as he tried to stand upright while the ground started shifting below him. "I don't like this."

Blink shook his head before wincing when he felt the spinning of the room speed up. "I don't like this either. Bad idea," he said, slowly getting up as well. "I don't think I can make it up stairs."

Mush nodded. "No stairs," he agreed, even though he had forgotten why they needed stairs in the first place.

"Couch?" Blink asked, stumbling towards the living room. "We can both fit on the couch." He pitched forward and fell in a heap on the ground. "Mush! I need you!" he called out, his voice suddenly bordering on hysterical.

"I'm coming, Blink!" Mush replied, running forward two steps before he tumbled onto the floor as well. He started crawling towards the other boy. "I'm coming, buddy!"

"Ugh, which way's up?" Blink asked as he rolled onto his back. "Where am I? Where is everyone? Did everyone leave?"

"I'm right here," Mush said, appearing by Blink's side. He laid down beside his friend on the floor, putting his head on Blink's chest. "I'm not going to leave, Blink. Ever," he promised.

Blink smiled as he wrapped an arm around Mush's shoulders. "I know, Mush. Never doubted for a minnite."

"Lo'e you, Blin'," Mush mumbled, snuggling into Blink's side as he closed his eyes. "You're real comfor'able, too."

Blink nodded his head. "You too, Mush. Le's stay li'e this, 'kay? I's way better than couch or bed."

27

"Go easy, alright?" Bam asked, handing Bumlets a glass of water. "That's your second shot in less than an hour." He leaned on the bar next to his date. "I take it you aren't having a wonderful time?" He leaned in closer, making sure the bartender nearby wouldn't be able to hear them. "Or are you trying to take advantage of their underage drink policy?" he asked with a smirk.

"Can I choose all of the above?" Bumlets asked, taking the water and wishing he could smoke inside the club. "Where'd Jack and David go?"

Bam shrugged. "Out to smoke maybe? Why? Afraid to be alone with me?" he asked, leaning towards Bumlets and holding on to his smirk.

Bumlets frowned at him. "Well, considering the last time we were drunk and alone together, yes. There is a reason I wanted to bring a friend, you know."

Bam's smirk dropped as his eyes widened. "That was mutual!" he hissed. "I thought you … I never meant …" He sighed before flagging the bartender down and motioning for a shot himself. "It was a mistake. I'm sorry, okay? I was under the impression that it was mutual. If I didn't think it was …" He reached for the shot the bartender put in front of him and took it in one go. "I'm not that kind of person."

Bumlets took another sip of his water. "Right, yeah, I know," he muttered. "It was a misunderstanding. I didn't mean to throw it in your face," he admitted to the ground.

"Yeah, ya did," Bam replied, picking up his beer and taking a swig. "You're trying to push me away. But I didn't mean to take advantage of you, and you should know that. I was gentle, wasn't I? I was slow, right? It's not fair to keep blaming me when I didn't make you do anything. I know what rape is like, alright? And what we did?" Bam shook his head. "That wasn't it."

"Sorry," Bumlets muttered. He took another sip of his water, wishing it was beer and wondering if Bam had even heard his apology through the booming of the club. "You're just … You're intense, man," he explained, forcing himself to look up at the other man. "Too intense. And it's the only thing I've ever said that gets you to back off."

"You ever hear of asking?" Bam grumbled, taking another sip of his beer. "It's not like I don't hear, ya know."

Bumlets raised an eyebrow at him. "Right, which explains why all the times I've told you to back off you haven't. Is there some sort of safe word I'm supposed to be saying or something?"

"That, beautiful baby, comes later," Bam promised, the smirk back on his face as he threw an arm around Bumlets's shoulders. "Presently, all I want is a chance. And you haven't given that to me yet, so pardon me for pressing."

"What the hell do you call this then?" Bumlets asked, shrugging out of Bam's hold.

"I'd call it a last ditch effort to get rid of me," Bam replied, taking another sip of his beer. "I ain't dumb, you know. I don't need a high school diploma to know that you only came on this excursion because I told you I'd leave you alone afterwards." He glared at Bumlets's open mouth. "I also know what the word excursion means, you asshole."

Bumlets immediately lifted his hands up in surrender, still holding his water cup in one hand. "Hey, I didn't mean it like … I mean, that's not why I was surprised."

Bam just crossed his arms and continued glaring. "I never went to high school," he admitted. "Who the hell needs to? I'm way smarter than these dumb kids running around these days. Spot says school's useless anyway. I've got no reason to go.

"That wasn't what-"

"The internet exists for a reason, you know?" Bam interrupted. "No sense sitting in some fucking room memorizing dumb facts I can spend five seconds looking up online."

"I never said you were-"

"I can diffuse a god damn bomb," Bam interrupted again. "Bet they never taught you that in school! And it's way more useful. When the fuck's Algebra ever going to save your life?"

"Listen, I never said-"

"While you useless fucks are sitting in a classroom wasting your time I'm out in the real world doing shit," Bam continued. "I know how to make bombs and guns and dismantle them. I'm a pretty good shot, too. Better than some of our snipers. And I'm one of Spot's right hand men. That means something, you know? And-"

"Would you just shut up for one god damn second and listen to me?" Bumlets finally snapped, throwing his hand over Bam's mouth. "I don't give a good god damn fuck that you aren't in school. I was surprised because I was under the impression you weren't even listening to me when I said I didn't want to go out with you."

Bam shrugged, looking at the ground as Bumlets took his hand away from his mouth. "I just wanted a chance," he admitted just loud enough to be heard over the music. "I didn't know how else to make you give me one if I didn't give you some kind of ultimatum."

"Bam, I-"

"I know what that word means, too, ya know," Bam interrupted, jerking his head to look at his date. "'Ultimatum'. Doubt Spot even knows that one, and he goes to school."

Bumlets ran a hand through his hair. "That's great, but I really don't give a fuck how good your vocabulary is if you don't understand the word 'no'," he brushed off. He sighed. "Look, I'm willing to give you a chance, alright? But after tonight, if I say 'no' you've gotta take it as a 'no'. I don't want to have to keep telling you."

"Right, right, I know that," Bam replied with a nod before waving his hand at the bartender and motioning for two more shots. "I already told you I know what an ultimatum is; you don't have to go around rewording it for me."

Bumlets sighed before finishing the rest of his water. "It's not a question of whether or not you know what it means," he explained. "It's a question of whether or not you'll accept the answer I'll give you at the end of the night."

"Course I will," Bam promised, nodding at the bartender when she put two drinks in front ot him. "You're going to have a fantastic time," he promised, handing Bumlets one of the drinks. "I promise," he said, suddenly all smiles as he held up his drink for Bumlets to cheers him. As soon as the glasses clinked together Bam shot back his drink in one go and started pulling Bumlets towards the dance floor. "Can't have a good night without some dancing, right?" he explained with a smirk.

Bumlets quickly finished his shot and prayed that David would somehow know that he was supposed to intervene.

27

"Bumlets looks like he's having a good time," David pointed out from the other side of the bar. He took a small sip of his shirley temple. "I knew if he put himself out there he'd enjoy it."

"That right?" Jack asked, eyeing David before taking a chug of his beer. "Because you've been kind of a sad sack all night. Bam got us into a really fucking awesome night club, dude, and you aren't even fucking drinking."

"I don't have to drink to have fun," David insisted before taking another sip of his nonalcoholic drink. "Excuse me for wanting to have a good time and remember it."

"Do you ever put on your big boy pants?" Jack griped, rolling his eyes.

"Do you ever act responsible?" David snapped back. "I don't even know why you're here in the first place. Why'd Bam even drag you along?"

Jack frowned. "Spot gets paranoid when we're this far away from Brooklyn, so he makes us take some backup." He shrugged. "It's like the buddy system, except it's a gang, and it's to make sure if we get jumped we'll have someone to jump in. I guess Spot's pretty well known for being a sadist, so people don't treat us so well if they know who we are and think they can get away with it."

David frowned back. "I shouldn't be surprised at all that this is the sort of thing you wandered into. A gang, Jack? What the hell were you even thinking? You're going to get yourself killed."

"Don't act like you give a fuck," Jack demanded, taking the shot that was placed in front of him and swallowing it in one go. "You don't know the kind of shit I've had to put up with. We're not friends, remember?"

David glared back. "I don't think I could forget if I tried," he muttered back before getting up from his place at the bar. "I also just remembered that I don't have to talk to you," he continued, turning away and starting to head for the outside smoking area. It was quiet there. "Enjoy your new career of voyeurism," he made sure to yell loud enough so that Jack would hear it.

"Wait just a god damn minute!" Jack shouted back, picking up his drink and following David outside. "Don't act like this is my fault," he demanded. "You're the one who was a dick the last time I tried to be nice to you, so don't start acting like you're the victim in this!"

David whirled on him as soon as they were both outside. "Because you think you're the victim? Because I was never nice to you, right? Especially at the start of our French project when I tried to bully you into doing all the work!"

"Are you still dwelling on that?" Jack asked, just to be ignored.

"Oh, wait a minute, that wasn't me threatening you, that was you threatening me," David accused. "Man, I had almost forgot which one of us was a complete douchebag. Good thing I remembered, huh?"

Jack took a long chug of his beer. "Look, I'm not saying I wasn't a douchebag, alright? But I'm trying my best to be nicer, and you're not giving me any sort of chance whatsoever. So what am I supposed to do, huh?"

"I don't know, Jack, a god damn apology might be nice," David snapped back before downing half his shirley temple.

"Seriously?" Jack asked as he rolled his eyes. "Just how juvenile are you?" he muttered before raising his voice. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? Things haven't exactly been easy for me, you know? Not that it's any excuse to be taking it out on you or whatever." He raised an eyebrow at David. "That good enough for you?"

David sighed as he crossed his arms. "Everything's always come so easy for you," he said. "When we were kids I was so jealous of it. You always seemed to do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. You always had everyone wanting to be your friend, and you were always so carefree. And you're still like that. And while I don't bequeath you that good fortune, it does make you tremendously unsympathetic to the plights of others."

Jack rubbed at his forehead before running his hand through his hair. "David, I seriously have no idea what half of those god damn words mean, but i did understand that a guy with both his parents and an awesome sister and brother and a roof over his head is calling me too fortunate for my own good. And isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" he asked before finishing the rest of his beer and turning to go back inside. "I need another one," he grumbled before pointing at David's drink. "You want another shirley temple there, pumpkin?"

David finished his drink in one swallow before handing it to Jack. "Make it dirty," he said, doing his best to hide his cringe at the decision.

27

Blink stirred slightly from his coma when he felt someone squeezing his ass. When he turned around he saw none other than Dylan Rieder lying beside him with closed eyes. "Hot fucking poppa," he muttered to himself.

Suddenly Dylan snapped his eyes open. As soon as he saw Blink he smiled. "Well, hey there, baby," he greeted before he yawned.

God, he was cuter than Blink had imagined when he yawned. "You know you're the only reason I ever watched professional skateboarding? You are seriously so much better than Tony Hawk. I mean," Blink looked the man up and down as he paused in his ramblings, "at least looks better you're miles above Tony. Can't say much about skill; never paid that much attention."

Dylan stretched his arm over Blink and moved in closer, resting his head lightly against Blink's shoulder. "I know, Blink," he hummed. "It's very flattering. Especially since you must be the sexiest guy I've laid eyes on period."

"Jesus, Rieder," Blink replied, rolling back against the other man. "Keep talking like that, and I'm going to come before you even touch me."

Dylan rolled them both over so he was on top and smiled down at Blink. "Wouldn't that be an accomplishment? And what if that's what I was trying to do?"

Blink smirked up at the man before moving his hips up to meet Dylan's. "I'd say to put more fist into it, darling. "You can't just tease me with words when I want that ass so bad."

Dylan's smile grew as he sat on Blink's hips. "You want my ass, huh?" he asked, making sure to grind into Blink's penis. "It certainly doesn't seem like it. You've been awake for at least five minutes, and you haven't ravaged me once."

Blink needed no more prompting to flip them around so it was Dylan on his back. "Baby, if you were waiting on me to take the lead you should have said so as soon as I woke up. I'd have already put you back to sleep by now," he said, moving down Dylan's body to rip off his pants before moving back up and kissing him.

Dylan groaned, shifting his hips up so Blink could take off his pants properly. "That's the way," he muttered, his eyes closed once again. "I want you to do everything to me."

Blink groaned back before taking off his own pants. "God, you are so sexy when you talk," he said, crawling up Dylan's body in order to kiss him.

"You're so sexy when you breath," Dylan returned with a moan as soon as Blink pulled away.

Blink was more than content to do anything and everything Dylan asked for, especially if he kept saying things like that. But, maybe, if he had known it was actually his best friend he was pressing his naked body against he might not have been as comfortable.

27

"You can't say you aren't having a good time," Bam said as Bumlets looked around for David once more. "Stop acting like you need to be rescued." He spun Bumlets around so they were dancing back-to-front. "I'm not doing anything to you."

"You're grinding your dick into my ass," Bumlets pointed out between clenched teeth.

Bam gave a dramatic sigh before drawing back. "Only in an attempt to loosen you up. You are way too uptight. You want another shot?"

"Not particularly, but I have a feeling I'm going to need it if I'm stuck here with you all night," Bumlets replied. "Would you stop touching me?" he asked, jerking his arm away from where Bam had been rubbing it.

Bam immediately crossed his arms and pouted, keeping his posture even when the people dancing around him bumped into him. "You made it perfectly clear I only have one night before you leave forever. Excuse me for wanting to take full advantage of it."

Bumlets glared back before someone bumped into him, which forced him to run into Bam.

Bam pulled him back by the shoulders and smirked at him. "Now who's being touchy, huh?"

"You know very well that wasn't me!" Bumlets snapped before rolling his eyes. He grabbed Bam's hand and started leading him off the dance floor, content to knock into anyone in his way.

"Man, I had no idea you were such a butch dude," Bam said above the music, his smile widening as they got closer to the bar. "You're like a caveman or something. I'm digging it."

"Do you ever just shut the hell up?" Bumlets snapped back. "And stop acting like I'm going to dump you in the river after this date. I told you I'd give you a chance and I am, alright? I seriously am. I'll admit I didn't want to at first, and you do seriously make it difficult when you press things, but I'm letting you, aren't I? But the guilt tripping has got to fucking stop. The more you guilt trip me the more I wanna tell you to go screw yourself."

Bam pressed his chest into Bumlets's back in order to yell in his ear, a needed manuavere thanks to the loud bass pulsating around them. "You want to screw me?" he asked for clarification.

"No! I-" Bumlets replied loudly, spinning around to face Bam now that they were off of the dance floor. "How is that the only part you heard?" He rubbed at his forehead. "I swear everything you do is designed to give me a god damn headache. I was trying to be genuine, and you just-!"

Bam rose his hands up in surrender, a smirk on his face. "Relax! Relax, baby!" he motioned to the bartending for two shots as he kept his hands raised above his shoulders. "You really do need more alcohol. You are way too uptight." He surged forward to give Bumlets a peck on the lips.

Bumlets returned it on instinct before frowning at Bam once he realized what happened. "You're the reason I'm so uptight!" he pointed out.

"I'm also the reason you get shots," Bam reminded him with a smile before approaching the bar and taking the two shots the bartender had just brought over. He handed one to Bumlets. "And I heard you just fine; it's called teasing."

"Well, you're teasing is fucking annoying," Bumlets griped before taking the offered shot. He didn't bother to wait for Bam as he immediately downed it in one go. "I'm going to end up with high blood pressure because of you," he muttered.

"Ha! Clearly you need to hang out with Spot more if you think I'm the one you have to worry about on that one," Bam replied before throwing back his own shot. He took Bumlets's empty shot glass before setting them back at the bar. "I don't know why you're suddenly so high strung," he said as he turned back around to face Bumlets.

"Because you're driving me absolutely nuts!" Bumlets snapped. He sighed before resting his head on Bam's shoulder. "I really am trying to give you a chance, but you make it so fucking difficult to take you seriously. Half the time I think you're just doing this for some sort of bet."

"Baby," Bam replied, drawing back so he could look into his date's eyes. "You think I would do that to you? I like you sweetums, I swear I do. Wouldn't be trying this hard if I didn't."

Bumlets gave a shrug as he stared at the floor. He didn't bother backing away, despite the fact that they were less than a foot apart. "You're so flippant all the time, it doesn't make you seem genuine," he explained just loud enough for Bam to guess what he was saying over the music.

"Oh, I'm fucking genuine," Bam promised before leaning forward and pressing his lips against Bumlets's. Bumlets returned the kiss, much like last time, except this time, Bam didn't bother pulling back.

27

"Oh, they're making out now," David announced, his body swaying slightly and his eyes wide as he looked away from Bam and Bumlets.

Jack started to roll his eyes just to stop when he discovered it made the entire room spin. "Of course they're making out, you idiot; they're on a date. Please tell me you know what happens on dates."

"I know what a date is!" David snapped back, clutching the table top next to him in order to steady his body. "And it doesn't always mean making out. Sometimes, it's strictly a getting-to-know-you-better thing!"

Jack scoffed before taking a swing of his beer. "Only if you're on a date for twelve-year-olds."

"It's not completely unheard to get to know someone before you start in on the …" David waved his hand around as he searched for the right word. "... on the physical part of the relationship."

"Jesus, you are a twelve-year-old," Jack accused. "You make it sound like you've never even been on a fucking date before."

David colored as he took a large gulp of the long island Jack had brought back for him the last time he had gone to the bar. David had to admit it tasted better than his shirley temple, but judging from the warmth in his stomach and the cloudy feeling in his head after only his first one there was quite a bit of alcohol in it. "Well, I'm gay, and, currently, the only other gay men I know are focused on men that aren't me, so excuse me for not having much experience," he explained, and if nothing else, the fact that he was opening up to Jack was proof enough he was way too drunk to be alive.

And Jack, in true fashion, did nothing but laugh at him.

David glared as Jack set down his beer down in order to wipe a tear from his eye. "I'm glad my hardships amuse you so much," he snapped before taking another swig of his drink. Since he had come to the club he had wanted nothing more than to go home, and the feeling just seemed to be getting worse the more the night pressed on. He was starting to think leaving the house for anything more than school was a horrible idea.

"Relax there, Davey," Jack replied as he got his breath back. He put a hand on David's shoulder and squeezed. "I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just nice to see the great and perfect David having normal hardships is all."

"Well, I'm glad it's so hilarious that I can't find a date," David said, not letting up on his glare. "Yes, statistically, it's a bit of a problem finding someone romantically. I get why that'd be so funny."

Jack shook his head. "That's not the funny part," he explained. "The funny part is that you're here to babysit this guy you like on a date he's on with another dude. You've always let yourself get talked into the worse possible spots. Guess I'm just glad that hasn't changed."

David choked on air before staring at Jack with wide eyes. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. Bumlets is a friend, he's not-"

"Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that," Jack replied with a smirk. "You're just grossed out by a kiss between two guys even though you're gay. It's got absolutely nothing to do with jealousy."

"I never said I was grossed out!" David snapped, sloshing some of the drink out of his glass as he jerked forward. "It's the opposite, if you must know! It's really hot. Bumlets is really hot. I just-"

Jack burst out laughing again. "Yeah, I know, Davey, because you totally have a crush on the guy. And you just let him go on a date with someone else because you can't stand up to a friend. You've always been like that."

"What do you mean? I stood up to you, didn't I? I stood up to Specs! I can speak up for myself if I have to, thank you very much!" David shot back.

"Yeah, except you've made it more than clear that I'm not a friend, haven't you?" Jack pointed out before taking a swig of his beer. "And, if word around school is correct, it seems you and your pal Specs had a falling out, and I'd bet it's right around the time you stood up for yourself." Jack put air quotes around the last three words before rolling his eyes, despite the way the room spun as soon as he did it.

David glared back. "And exactly what's with the air quotes?" he snapped. "You think that doesn't count as standing up for myself? And what do you know about anything anyway?"

"I mean that you don't stand up to friends," Jack replied. "It's like you're afraid that suddenly people won't like you or something. You've had the problem since we were kids."

"And exactly what does the 'great and perfect David' mean anyway?" David asked, more than content to ignore Jack's answer. "I've never said I was perfect or great. You make me sound like a pompous ass."

"Because you've got a lot of shit, is why," Jack answered. "You got awesome grades, you've got an awesome brother and sister, awesome parents. You've got a nice house with a warm meal every night. You've got-"

"Well, who the hell doesn't have that, Jack?" David snapped. "Who thinks stuff like that's a blessing?"

"I don't fucking know, maybe someone who doesn't have any of that stuff," Jack snapped back. "You know how someone like me goes off and joins a gang? Because that was my only fucking option for a roof over my head. You know how I can keep going back to them night after night? Because I don't have any parents or siblings to give a fuck about what I do! So fuck you if you don't think having those things is worth celebrating."

David stared at Jack with wide eyes for several seconds before he remembered to say something. "Jack, I-I had no idea. I'm sorry, I-"

Jack just shrugged it off as he took a sip of his beer. "It's been like this forever, Davey. It's not like it matters so much anymore."

27

Racetrack frowned down at his phone as his call to Blink eventually went to voicemail. The same thing had happened with his call to Mush. Obviously the two were together, that part wasn't surprising. Maybe they were watching a movie and both their phones were on silent?

Figured something like this would happen the second he was allowed out of his house. His mom had left for some sort of teacher's conference for the weekend, and after he had done all his chores his dad was nice enough to finally let him out of the house. It was just his luck that even after all that he still couldn't catch up with Blink and Mush.

He really missed his friends.

He sent Mush a quick text, just to tell him to call him because today he was a free man, before pocketing his phone and thinking of another plan of action.

He supposed he could go to the racetrack. That was always his go to when he was hanging out by himself, and it'd been forever since the last time he went.

He felt his stomach knot in guilt - he'd promised his dad he wouldn't go - before he clenched it down. He didn't necessarily have to go to Brooklyn for the racetrack. Maybe he could just go visit Sean and then maybe drop by the racetrack because he was in that area anyway.

But definitely Sean first, and then he'd see what else he could do in Brooklyn. Maybe he'd go to the racetrack and maybe he wouldn't. Or, maybe, he'd go to the racetrack just to look for Swifty, and not to gamble at all. Surely there wasn't anything wrong with that, was there?

Sean was the first priority though. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him after school yesterday, after all, and the guy was still acting overly weird. Racetrack was determined to get to the bottom of it.

So, course set, Racetrack started walking towards Brooklyn - he still didn't have his car back, thanks to Sean's great plan to completely and utterly trash it.

He let his thoughts wander back to Sean, who, admittedly, had been far from normal since the day they met. At least he used to make sense though. Race had always had a problem seeing Sean as the scary gang leader, but the Sean of the past few days had been downright skittish.

Maybe there really were cloned Seans and this was one of his replacements?

Racetrack snorted to himself. If this was a clone it was the worst clone in existence; it acted nothing like Sean.

Racetrack was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the black town car slowly pulling up to the sidewalk behind him. He didn't realize anything until he suddenly had a cloth covering his mouth and nose, and he was being pulled into the car.

Quickly after that he fell into unconsciousness, making it impossible for him to notice anything else.

TBC

I know, it took forever for me to post. Hopefully I made it up to you with the long chapter. I'll try to do better next time. :)
Please remember to review!