Chapter 1
"For today, Gabriel," Leonard said in a low voice, fearful of being discovered.
"Don't rush it, Leo; there's still time," Michael smiled at Leonard, who was pacing anxiously around the room.
"Fine" Leonard finally sat on the unmade, somewhat dusty bed due to lack of use.
The six boys knew very well what they were doing; they knew it was wrong, and that if their parents discovered them, the consequences would be disastrous.
Spoiled, rich, arrogant, and somewhat rebellious is the best description of the children of surgeons, and of course, they were no exception, though it must be acknowledged that each one of them, with their different stories and family burdens, were, so to speak, unique and unparalleled… "The heirs of Seattle Grace."
"I'm almost done; just give me time, buddy." Gabriel told Leonard, resting his head against the wall for a moment.
"Anthony, do you want some?" Gabriel looked up to meet the gaze of his friend sitting on the floor, pretending that nothing was happening, probably waiting for their parents to come and give them a life lecture.
The young man with light brown hair, medium height, calm and mature for his age, couldn't understand how his friends approved of engaging in activities that clearly threatened their health. Sure, it's normal for fifteen-year-olds to be in the "live life" phase and all that, but they were different; they were the children of renowned surgeons, they should behave accordingly, right? Plus, smoking is overrated.
"You know what my answer is." He frowned at his friend's ridiculous proposal.
Alexis finally murmured, "I do want some."
Anthony loved his friends; in fact, he considered them brothers, and the feeling was mutual, but he had to accept that sometimes he had to take on the role of "the dad of the group." Otherwise, those five would probably be dead by now.
"Does anyone know when the event ends?" Samuel asked as he made his way to Michael's grandmother's messy room to be closer to his friends.
Leonard turned to look at him. "They're supposed to be here any minute; the meeting ended thirty minutes ago."
"Then I guess it's time; air out the room and…" Gabriel didn't finish his sentence before being interrupted by Anthony.
"And it's better to rinse those pretty mouths you're smoking with so your parents don't catch you and create a family mess," Anthony added.
"According to the perfect child, we should do what he says; it's the word of God," Leonard said sarcastically, as usual, and the others laughed, except for Anthony, who just frowned in disapproval at his friend's comment.
"Seriously, we need to tidy up this room, air it out, and do what Tony said." Michael looked at all his friends, seeking their support.
"Okay," Gabriel said reluctantly.
Leonard turned to Alexis, who was holding the cigarette, and subtly took it from him. "I'm just going to try it one last time."
Alexis laughed at what Leonard had just done and, wanting to annoy him, said, "Ladies and gentlemen, here is the cardio GOD CHILD, the heir to the throne, unique and unparalleled… LEONARD BURKEEE." He finished with a laugh that drew a fierce look from Leonard.
He always thought that look was identical to his mother's, his aunt Cristina's; while Leonard inherited that perfect combination of his father's big, seductive eyes, he also possessed his mother's charming almond-shaped eyes. Without a doubt, his friend's most striking feature was that exotic gaze that enchanted any girl… of course, along with that dimple in his chin that all his friends found sexy.
"Relax, pretty eyes, it was just a joke." Samuel said with a smile still on his face.
"Yeah, wait, I'm drowning from laughter, I can't contain myself," Leonard said sarcastically again.
Another trait he also inherited from his parents.
Anthony, who was reorganizing the clothes on the floor, said, "I just hope you don't drown from the respiratory failure you'll have from your lung cancer."
Both Gabriel and Samuel began to help Anthony clean the room; their parents were arriving, and if they found the room messy, they would get in trouble.
"It's better we help clean up," Leonard said, looking at Michael and Alexis.
Alexis made a slight pout, hating the idea of cleaning; however, it was worse to be reproached for leaving someone else's house dirty, so she limited herself to saying, "Ugh, whatever," practically feeling obligated to take responsibility for cleaning.
Meanwhile, Michael kept the cigarette in his mouth.
"Leonard." Gabriel murmured.
"Yeah, my love." Leonard flashed a mischievous smile.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Whatever you want, my life; that's what I'm here for."
No, they weren't a couple; it was just a normal conversation between Gabriel and the chatty Leonard.
"Just make it official." Samuel said.
While Michael continued doing his thing, smoking and admiring the view of his grandmother's garden, he was in another world, lost in thought, and decided to postpone the conversation he planned to have with Leonard.
With a smile, Gabriel replied to Samuel, "Forbidden love is hotter." Everyone in the room, except Michael, burst into laughter for a while.
Michael… kept thinking and put the cigarette in his mouth, inhaling, suppressing every word, every affirmation and revelation that threatened to escape, until he suddenly exhaled smoke, finally receiving a breath of fresh air, freedom—his long-awaited freedom. Michael was out of it; he had a lot to say, but the words disappeared.
"Clean more and talk less," Anthony quickly said.
Leonard, while making the final touches to the now clean and tidy bed, replied, "Yes, Dad." This comment caused Anthony to roll his eyes.
"The atmosphere is dull, guys; let's put on some music!" Leonard added.
"Sexy and I Know It" started playing.
"Yeah, if that's what you call music." Anthony reproached Leonard for his terrible music taste.
"Could you drop your grandma soul for once, Tony? At least for today, have some fun, man," Leonard said while getting into the rhythm.
The connection between Leonard and Gabriel was unique; they knew what to do and when to do it. Of course, not everyone liked that, especially their science teacher; whenever these two set out to do something together, you could imagine the wildest things— their complicity reached grand scales.
Leonard began to move, and Gabriel followed his steps; amidst laughter, these two young men were enjoying themselves, at least this time healthily, which finally made Tony laugh. Moments like this were why he knew he was in the right place with his group of friends, his family.
"They'd be better dancers than surgeons," Alexis added, following her friends' moves.
Anthony just watched; though he was annoyed, a smile slowly spread across his face. Those guys were crazy, but they made you smile after all.
"Come on, I know you love us" Leonard said.
"Hahahahaha"
Suddenly, everyone was absorbed in their activities, some dancing and others, Michael smoking, practically ignoring the faint sound of footsteps approaching the room, drawn in by the loud music. They had no idea what was coming next.
Samuel joked for a moment, "My grandma moves better than you, Alexis!"
They were not alone; three men came to join them at the door, just watching the spectacle, and soon a voice would break the festive atmosphere.
"What is going on here?!"
Derek Shepherd didn't take long to appear alongside Preston Burke and Jackson Avery. The loud music caught his attention, as supposedly at this hour of the night, their children and nephews should be resting. So he decided to check with his friends what was happening and found that the reality was completely different. Smoking? Was his youngest son smoking? All the talks about how to take care of themselves and not resort to habits that could become addictions—all for nothing, as his son was there, in his grandmother's house, smoking without any shame. His face showed anger and disappointment toward Michael.
"Dad…" Michael couldn't say anything; his words just evaporated.
"You'd better all have an explanation," Preston Burke finally said in an annoyed tone.
"Oh no…" Leonard managed to say to his friends, who were still trying to process what was happening.
Who would have thought? That the legacy of an entire surgical lineage would fall into the hands of these boys; the future was literally in their hands, those hands possessing the fusion of talent and skill of their parents. The legacy is not something easy for a teenager to live with; just ask Leonard Burke (son of Preston Burke and Cristina Yang), Samuel Avery (son of April Kepner and Jackson Avery), Gabriel Torres (son of Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins), Alexis Karev (son of Alex Karev and Izzie Stevens), Anthony Sloan (son of Mark Sloan and Addison Montgomery), and Michael Shepherd (son of Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey). They understand perfectly, but don't worry, Seattle Grace is in very good hands; they just don't know it.