"Ye boys thin yer funny?" Chibs used the most stern voice he could muster at the moment.
Jax and Juice were standing next to one another, one arm jerked from each of their bodies. They felt more like cartoon character versions of themselves at that moment. They shared a look, and both tried to crack innocent smiles.
"Well? What the fuck was that about?" Tig barked finding more success in his angry tone. Water dripped over them leaving puddles all over the clubhouse floor.
Juice opened his mouth and closed it unable to really find words. He couldn't gauge if Chibs and Tig were actually pissed.
"Y'all were fightin like dogs so we broke it up like dogs. You should have seen your faces when the water hit!" Jax chuckled in his arrogance.
Chibs let go of their arms, holding their gazes. "Ye shoul see yer faces when I pull ye o're my knee."
Jax face startled and Juice darkens with flush. Juice turned away petulantly mumbling to himself as he walked over to the bar to collect his things.
"I'm going to call Jessie, check in. See you back at the house?" He rubbed the back of his neck, exhaustion from his previous panic attack evident on his face.
Chibs waved him off, watching his bike disappear around the corner of TM. Tig dialed Venus and planned to meet Juice later, he would come back with them that evening.
He clapped his hands front of his still damp body. "Aight boys, les throw a party."
It took hours more to get everything settled, everyone was bustling about setting up kegs and other generic party favors. Gemma and Chucky had been working behind the scenes to make preparations, they would be arriving soon with those. Chibs almost couldnt believe the support that he was receiving from his brothers, but he was thankful for it. Juice was patching out, this was it, he would be the first member to do so. Alive anyway.
Several hours had gone by, Juice hadnt returned yet and Chibs was getting anxious. Tig was meant to have brought him back by now. No sign of Tig and Venus either, helped ease his nerves a little.
"Tiggy, we're ye at brotha?" He spoke into the burner.
" On the road, about fifteen minutes out. Lad took some convincing to come back."
Chibs sighed, " Ye didnt spoil the surprise did ye?"
"No, I managed the drop just fine." Tig was doing his best to keep from spoiling the surprise. Juice was a ball of anxiety anyway, he knew something was going on but he wasnt sure what it was.
He sat suspiciously in the passenger seat of Tigs truck, looking out the window. "What did Chibby want?" He sighed, not expecting an answer.
"He was just checking on some work from earlier. Nothing for you to worry about, youre patching out remember?"
Juice blushed but nodded his understanding. "I thought we were going to pick up Jessie, she was going to hang out tonight."
"Yeah, Chibs told me you needed some rest though. So Jessie will drive herself over later this evening, right now we are going by the shop to pick up some stuff and then Ill take you back home."
Juice slumped down in the seat trying not to be petulant but he wasnt being successful.
"Hey Tiggy?' Juice spoke quietly.
TIg hummed in response.
"Do you think Chibs likes this, like do you think he gets tired of me?"
"Juicy, what do you mean? Why would you think that?" Tig reached over to light a cigarette, more of a nervous tic than something necessary.
Juice shrugged. "I mean I know something is going on. He is hiding something from me and you know what it is. Jessie just text me, she is already at the clubhouse and wants to know where I am. What are we doing Tig?"
Tig wasnt really sure what to say at that point. He didnt want to give away what was going on but he needed to help Juice feel better. He already saw through the lie that they were picking up his friend. "You know he loves you. We love you; Venus and me. We love all of you Juice. All of your complications, quirks, big, little, whatever."
Juice seemed to relax a little bit, he undid his seat belt to scoot closer to Tig. He snuggled into his side in part for the comfort and also because he felt like maybe Tig could use it as well.
"Y'all seemed like you really wanted to spank me and Jax. It was funny, but I dont think he would have thought so. Pretty sure he would think this whole situation is fucked up. I mean he only knows that Chibs and I are together and that I dont do well on my own. If he knew the extent of all of this, I think he would kill me."
Tig stiffened again, and the forced himself to relax he didnt need Juice to sense his unease. "Well Jax is a complicated beast. He could use a firm hand, much as he might hate it. He wont know about this though, we are protecting you. We will continue to protect you." Tig rubbed his hand over Juices bicep soothingly. Chuckling under his breath he added: "I would have liked to get his little butt over my lap this afternoon though, you are right. Little shit would have deserved every bit of it too. Not the first time I have had the thought."
Juice giggled sweetly but not fully dropping. "He is a brat, a big brat. He is more of a brat than I am and Daddy says I am a brat a lot." His voice remained big, wanting Tig to know he wasnt dropping, just stating a fact.
"You are a brat, but you're also sweet Juicy. Thats why we all love you so much. Guess you know we aint going anywhere, might as well take you back to the clubhouse. Chibs is wondering where we are anyway."
Tig pulled off on the shoulder of the road making an illegal U-turn back towards Charming.
