Evan Cooper
In just two months Junior had made a lot of progress. He had been seeing Dr. Eneide, a.k.a Andrea, twice a week. The therapy sessions, although being helpful and necessary, often left him feeling agitated afterwards. He still had nightmares and he zoned out every now and then. It was clear Junior wasn't fine like he claimed to be, but he was getting there.
He could go as far as to the grocery store and to the mall, but he didn't talk to anyone expect Evan, his family, their home school teacher and Andrea. Evan couldn't blame him for that, not after what happened at school.
Home school was where Junior could prosper. Evan had never even realized how smart Junior was, as he never used to participate in the classes. Now that it was just the three of them, Junior always seemed to have an answer and he was a quick learner.
Home schooling wasn't doing any harm for Evan either: the teacher was patient with his learning difficulties and Junior was more than willing to help. Another thing was that Evan absolutely loved going to school with just Junior. Although he sometimes missed hanging with friends and playing field hockey, he didn't miss his old school or classmates.
Keeping his hands off Junior was something Evan struggled with, but he didn't want to pressure Junior to do anything he wasn't ready for. Junior wasn't fond of intimacy of any kind, he simply seemed to put up with all the kisses and hugs Evan showered him with.
That was difficult for Evan, who couldn't stop thinking about the softness of Junior's lips or the warmth of his body. Every time Evan kissed Junior, he was dying to slip his hands under Junior's shirt. He wanted to take things further so bad it was torture.
It was the morning of Evan's 18th birthday. He had opened his eyes, but in no hurry to get up. He rather laid in his spot, staring at the most beautiful guy, who was sleeping in his embrace.
There was certain delicateness in the way Junior looked: his pale skin, slim yet tall build, the plump lips, which curved up from the corners making it look like he was always smiling, the sharp jawline and the silver eyes, which were simply mesmerising. Yet Junior was far from fragile and he had made that clear to everyone who tried to mess with him.
"What time is it?" Junior mumbled, opening his eyes to slits. Even after all this time Evan's heart fluttered when the gaze of those silver eyes landed on him. He planted a kiss on Junior's forehead before checking the time from his phone. It was still early and Evan told him that.
"It's my birthday today." A wide grin spread on Evan's lips, when he saw the surprised expression on Junior's face.
"Really?" Junior chuckled.
"Yeah. Why is that so funny?" Evan furrowed his brows.
"Well.. mine is tomorrow."
"What? Really?" Evan exclaimed, eyes widening with delight. "That's awesome."
A while later they were standing in the kitchen, surrounded by Naomi, Brayden, Eliah and Eliah's girlfriend Lila. Everyone had a wide grin on their lips, except Junior, who seemed slightly hesitant about the new face in the room. It was his first time meeting Lila, but turned out they got along more than well, having the same dark sense of humor and all.
Once Evan had finished the last forkful of pancakes, he felt like his stomach was about to burst. The second helping had been a mistake, but at least it was a delicious mistake. Junior helped Naomi to clear up the table and insisted on washing the dishes. He helped around a lot and Evan was certain he was Naomi's favorite son these days.
"You're such a sweetheart." Naomi said and ruffled Junior's hair. "I'd just love to adopt you."
"Mom, you can't! That would be so weird, because Junior is my b.." Evan could feel his cheeks heating up and he quickly continued: "Because Junior's 18th birthday is tomorrow."
"I know. You're all grown up now." Naomi whispered, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
"Which reminds me: your present is waiting outside." Brayden told his brother. And, indeed, there was something waiting for Evan outside.
It was a blue Honda CR-V from the year 2007, so nothing too extravagant, but it was more than enough to make Evan's eyes go wide and his lips curve in a wide smile. He had had a driver's license for nearly two years now, but he had always thought he would have to wait for another year or two to pay for a car from his own savings.
"I'm taking Junior for a ride!" Evan exclaimed. "With my own car."
"You're such a snob." Junior noted, dryly, but couldn't fight the smile when he looked around in the car.
Dario Ortiz
After the incident with Jude things had been smooth sailing with Beau. Dario was both astonished and content to see that the former fuckboy now had eyes just for him. And, of course, Dario was head over heels for Beau too.
They had had an argument or two, but nothing big. Sometimes Dario still doubted whether all his issues were too much for Beau to deal with. If they were, though, Beau hid it well. Besides, Dario was finally processing his trauma with a therapist and every day he fought against the compulsions. It was a slow process and sometimes it was frustrating as hell, but at least Dario didn't have to do it alone.
Beau had his history and he had hurt Dario badly once, but during their time together he had shown to be nothing but a trustworthy and loyal boyfriend. Their story hadn't been a fairytale at any point, because those didn't exist in real life. At the end of the day, Dario didn't want a castle or a Prince Charming, but something real and tangible.
"Dario, come downstairs! They'll be here soon." Elisa rushed Dario, who was busy trying to flatten his hair, which refused to obey his will. When the doorbell rang, Dario gave up and hastily tied it in a small bun. He glanced at the mirror one more time before rushing downstairs.
"H-hi, come in. I'm Dario." He said awkwardly and smiled at Beau's parents. Beau's dad, Reed, had blond hair and pale skin, whereas Beau's mom, Evelyn, had a darker complex.
"It's so nice to meet you. I'm Evelyn." Evelyn introduced herself and hugged Dario. She had to lean down quite a bit so that Dario could hug her back.
"I'm Reed." Beau's dad said then and shook Dario's hand. Then they proceeded to meet Dario's parents.
"I'm Max." The guy looked distantly familiar with his bleached hair and tattooed skin, but Dario wasn't sure where from. "Beau talks about you all the time and I can't blame him. I mean, you're like the most gorgeous man I've —"
"Max, don't freak Dario out." Nathan warned. He hugged Dario briefly, skipping the introductions, as they were already good friends. Then it was just Beau left.
"I missed you so freaking much." Dario breathed and practically slung himself at Beau, making them stumble in the process. His arms were around Beau's shoulders and he pressed his lips against the ones he had missed so dearly. Beau put his hands around Dario's waist and pulled him closer, kissing him back in a way that made it clear Dario hadn't been the only one who had been missing it.
"Tell me about it." Beau murmured when they had to break the kiss to breathe. Then he kissed Dario again and Dario kissed him back.
Junior Campbell
They drove for hours. Neither of them talked much, while they listened to the radio and Junior leaned his cheek against the window. He had been stuck in the same town his entire life.
When they were still in the town, Junior pointed out places that were familiar to him: the construction site Paul used to work in, the antiquarian he bought his books from, the park where he got wasted for the first time,.. There wasn't much to show, but Evan listened to his stories keenly.
Outside the town Evan showed Junior a beach he had once been at and a diner they had stopped by when they had been on their way to their new home. From the diner they bought hamburgers, fries and two huge cups of soda, which they devoured in the car before driving back to Evan's.
When they were back, the house was empty. There was a note on the table, saying: 'The house is yours tonight. There's beer in the fridge. You can invite friends and celebrate. But if you break anything, you're going to pay for it.'
"Want to have a party?" Evan suggested with a smirk and handed the note to Junior.
"Sure, you can ask your friends to come over.." Junior said slowly and then added with a sly smile: "Or you can come upstairs and have your present."
"What present?" Evan asked. Junior didn't say anything, he just pushed Evan against the wall in the hallway and kissed him while his hands traveled under Evan's shirt.
"Does this mean what I think it means?" Evan breathed, pulling Junior impossibly closer.
"Well, unless you want to ask your friends to come over or to watch a movie, then —"
"Are you kidding me? This is the best present ever." Evan exclaimed, grinning. Then he lifted Junior's legs around his waist and started carrying him towards the stairs.
"Evan, shit, you're going to get us killed." Junior yelped and gripped his arms and legs around Evan tightly. Evan ignored his warning, but managed to get them upstairs without casualties. He set Junior down on the bed and followed right after.
Their lips crushed together, sliding against each other with urgency. Evan slipped his hands under Junior's shirt, sliding them along his sides and stomach. The coolness of Evan's hands against Junior's heated skin made him shiver, but it was nothing compared to the look in Evan's eyes when he pulled off the shirt. There was hunger, attraction and pure need burning in him, like Junior's body was a sight to see. Junior didn't believe anyone could ever look at him like that, but with Evan miracles happened.
"Don't just.." Junior's voice trailed off as Evan's hands latched him again. Evan tilted him to lie on his back, his lips trailing to his jaw and down his neck. Junior gasped and then gulped, feeling the heat of Evan's lips brushing over his throat. He barely noticed how Evan's hands moved down to unbuckle his belt.
"Shouldn't I be the one giving the present?" Junior breathed, involuntarily arching his back under Evan's touch. He bit his lip in nervous anticipation.
"This is my present." Evan smirked, tucking at the belt and opening it with practised hands.
"You're out of your mind." Junior gushed, but lifted his hips so that Evan could pull off his jeans.
Evan showed him what it was like to be touched with care and burning urgency, what it was like to be fucked. Thoroughly.
***
The rest of the evening they just snuggled on the sofa, watching some not so interesting action movies and drinking cold beers. Junior didn't have to look in the mirror to know there were marks all over his body, and he was surely going to scold Evan about his primitive manners. Later.
It could either have been the aftermath of a good fuck or the alcohol in his system, which made Junior blurt out those words. His head rested on Evan's chest while Evan's arm held him close. Junior yawned, fighting a content smile.
"I love you." He muttered, making Evan turn his head from the screen so quickly it was a miracle he didn't break his neck.
"What did you say?" Evan breathed, his eyes wide and surprised.
"Mm." Junior hummed and closed his eyes, already half-asleep.
"I love you too." Evan murmured back, tightening his hold around Junior.
The day of Junior's 18th birthday was nothing like he had imagined. He had waited for it his entire life, just so that he could get away, but now all he wanted to do was belong.
Beauregard Green
"I'm a professor and I give lectures at different universities, but I'm afraid Dario gets his intelligence from his mom." Samuel laughed. Turned out all Dario's parents were highly educated, which explained how they could afford living in a house like that.
"Oh, so you're smart as well?" Evelyn turned to look at Dario.
"No, not really. Just a little above average." Dario muttered.
"Don't know where he got his modesty, not from me that much is for sure." Gavin chuckled.
"So, tell us a little about yourself. How old are you? What do you enjoy doing? What will you do after you graduate?" Reed inquired, his slew of questions making Dario shift on his chair.
"Um.. I'm nineteen, I just had my birthday like a month ago. I like drawing, reading and studying languages. After I graduate, I.." Dario let his voice trail off, thinking. "To be honest I haven't really thought about that yet."
At the end of the dinner all the five parents wanted to have a little chat by themselves in the kitchen, while the twins were told to get ready for bed and the older kids hung around in the garden. Beau and Max were smoking and chatting, while Nathan was whispering with Dario.
"What are you two talking about?" Beau asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I was just telling Dario how whipped you were by him from the day you met him." Nathan grinned and continued, imitating Beau's voice: "'He's got these beautiful dark brown eyes and long wavy hair. I sang to him and he fell asleep on my lap.'"
"'Oh, you should have seen him.'" Max lamented, pressing a hand to his chest and plastering a love-struck expression on his face. Then he continued: "'He's gorgeous!'"
"Shut up, both of you." Beau grumbled, feeling blood rushing to his cheeks. He was used to his brothers' bickering, but not in front of Dario.
"Then we asked him if he was high." Nathan continued, only getting more into the story.
"Turns out he was high in love. Having a Dario high." Max grinned.
"Besides, he had just bored you to sleep with his horrible voice. How romantic is that?" Nathan cracked up, looking like he was ready to run, if Beau decided he had gone too far.
"Give your brother some credit." Dario scolded Nathan and Max grinning shyly. "His voice was so fucking perfect I was about ready to fall in his arms the second he opened his mouth."
Joking or not, Beau could feel his cheeks turning even redder, which must have been a new record for him. While his brothers still laughed, Beau slumped to sit next to Dario and buried his face on his shoulder.
"You're all so horrible." Beau mumbled, while Dario chuckled and turned his head to kiss the top of Beau's head. Maybe introducing Dario to his brothers wasn't such a great idea after all. There would be no end of the bickering now.
Just wait until your sisters are old enough and it's my turn to return the favor..