Nicholas & Shayne's Bedroom, After... The Talk

[Shayne Discordia]

<He shifted into the room with the quiet click of the door behind him. Never locked, in case one of the kids had an accident, but Theo could take care of himself and Gavin pretty well. And they might just disappear, over to find Cerise or Julian.>

<The soft creak of the bed, though, was audible in the artificially-dimmed room, and the rustle of covers as the full-clothed body was slid beneath and pressed lightly against that of the man sleeping nearby, arm wrapping around the faint indent of his waist. Shayne was still fit and he still shifted fairly often (usually when the kids were being too loud for a nap and he needed to go up onto the roof) and he was very warm compared to the controlled cool of the bedroom. Lips moved down to touch on the back of Nicholas' neck very lightly, a faint smile curving the tiers.>

<He'd wait for the man to wake up before telling him about recent discussions. And whether that meant a few minutes or a few hours, he didn't mind. Shayne was still content just to have the Sparrow in his arms. Moreso, even. He praised - something - every time the man came home safely.>

[Nicholas Sparrow]

<Blue opened slowly, found the far wall just as it had been when he had gone to sleep, but a different warmth in the bed.>

Between you, my children, and Voldemort, I do believe I'll never catch more than an hour's worth of sleep, if that much.

<But he would have been lying to say that that wasn't a very contented sigh and squirm back against the larger form. Gavin had finally stopped bouncing around in his room, Theo was almost always buried in a book or drawing, and he'd thought Shayne wasn't home. . .so sleep had come on quite easily. . . even in that expensive shirt and dress pants.>

[Shayne Discordia]

Yeah. But you still love me.

<A pleased grin as he maneuvered to unbutton the man's shirt, a hand sliding beneath the rest comfortably on the indentation beneath Nicholas' ribs. A feathery kiss across the flesh beneath his ear and a content sigh before he began.>

Theo asked me what the f-word meant today.

[Nicholas Sparrow]

Mm.

<There wasn't even need to answer that. They were living together, and Shayne had partial custody of both Sparrow children. Nicholas yawned a little, smothered it into his pillow.>

<It wasn't too surprising, really, that Theo was asking about certain curse words . . . though there were two here to pick from. . .>

Four - or three-letter f-word?

[Shayne Discordia]

He knows what the four-letter word means, thanks to Cerise's dirty fu-... dirty mouth.

<Flush.>

No, he was asking about the other one.

<Shayne didn't sound put-out, just a little... he was a touch concerned about whether he really should have been talking about that kind of thing with Theo. He wasn't Theo's dad, as much as he loved the kid, and even though he had partial custody.>

[Nicholas Sparrow]

<Nicholas snorted despite the obvious lack of humor in the conversation.>

Yeah, I'm sure it was aaallll Cerise and not his two perverted fathers.

<That was certainly saying a whole lot for the kid's upbringing, and just how lacking Nicholas was in being a good father. He hadn't even been around for his son to ask that highly sensitive question. He. . .had been sleeping. . .>

<Still, Nicholas shifted a bit uncomfortably. This sort of thing just made him ill.>

. . .what did you tell him?

[Shayne Discordia]

I told him that he can love whoever he wants, no matter what gender they are.

<Shayne offered a helpless shrug.>

What was I supposed to do? I mean, I grew up in a household where my dad raped my older brother in the next room.

<A very pained wince. He hadn't meant for that to come out in quite that manner.>

Theo asked me if we were bad people.

<A depressed little sigh before he buried his face in Nicholas' shoulder, nipping the skin there very lightly. It was an offer of comfort.... to both men.>

I think you should talk to him, though.

[Nicholas Sparrow]

Well. M'not much better off. . .my dad didn't bother going into another room. He fucked me in my own bed.


<Sure, that was bitter, and he had every right to be. He had outgrown the effect it had had on his mind, but...he still hated the elder Sparrow. Extremely. In fact, Gerrolt had simply. . .vanished. Maybe he'd gotten caught again, maybe he was dead...but he was never around.>

Alright. I'll talk to him.

<Stiff bones popped as he stretched a little, arched his back before collapsing against Shayne. He leanded back a little, enough to look at him.>

I'm sure you did fine, Shayne. Theo loves you, you know that. He'd listen to everything you ever said.

[Shayne Discordia]

Mmm. But you're his dad. I'm just the guy you kiss.

<As if to prove the point, he leaned down to catch those lips in a prettily slow press, leaving with a nip to the lower tier and a pleased little smile.>

<And then, a light sigh, and arms wrapping around the other man's figure tightly, yawn buried in the younger's neck.>

[Nicholas Sparrow]

Nh.

<Very. . .very tired. And Shayne was extremely comfortable.>

What's that supposed to mean, huh?

<Tone was lightly kidding, of course. They did a lot more than kiss. . .but. . .well. . .with the boys around. . .>

[Shayne Discordia]

Mm. Theo's been kissing boys, and he asked if you and I kissed. He says he doesn't like tongue.

<Shayne found it all terribly amusing. Helped that he knew who Tommy Morrison was. Kind of. Didn't much like the kid, but at least he wasn't... a rapist or something. Hopefully.>

[Nicholas Sparrow]

<As tired as he had been, Nicholas sure sat up awfully quick the moment he heard that, turned and stared down at Shayne.>

My son. . .has been kissing other...other boys?

<Theo had to have found out about it eventually, even with Nicholas trying very covertly to shield him certain things. But if he had...well...advanced far enough to know whether or not he liked tongue? That was definitely something to be concerned about and put a stop to immediately.>

[Shayne Discordia]

... A boy. I know the kid, it's... relatively harmless. If you make a big deal out of it, you'll scare him off. It's really his choice, you know. Who he kisses and all.

<Shayne was handling this rather well. At times, it seemed that he and Nicholas acted as something of a balance - the more upset Nicholas got, the calmer Shayne became. Kind of amusing.>

<A hand moved up to run soothingly along the arch of his lover's spine, a rather languid light in those silvery depths.>

[Nicholas Sparrow]

I'll ruin his family if he hurts my son.

<That. . .was more of a promise than a threat, and quite suitably growled. But he wouldn't hurt the child. Just his parents. Nicholas sighed heavily, leaned forward to rest elbows on his knees and rub hands over his face.>

Alright. So. Gentle. No getting angry.

<Knowing that Shayne knew whichever kid Theo had taken whatever kind of interest in was sort of soothing. Shayne would have told him had the kid been...questionable. But still - Theo had kissed a boy. Not good.>

[Shayne Discordia]

Mm, no. In fact, you should let him tell you. I think he'd be more comfortable with that.

<Shayne sat up, wrapping arms around the other man's waist, and nuzzled lightly into his back with a comforted air. Digits rubbed lazy circles against Nicholas' sides, threaded in beneath the loose fabric of the unbuttoned shirt.>

<A slight, pleased smile.>

I'm going to have a talk with the boy about doing that sort of thing at school... Gods, I hope he did it at school.

<Shayne sighed faintly. Sudden scenarios, then - Theo and Tommy in a bathroom, an alley, a bedroom... Shudder.>

[Nicholas Sparrow]

Yeah. Dad's going to be uncomfortable either way. . .

<Over the past few years, Nicholas had gotten adjusted to having to explain things to Theo a bit more thoroughly than before, because he was getting more and more inquisitive. Gavin. . .not so much. . .but that quiet streak certainly worried Nicholas sometimes.>

<He leaned back against Shayne, laid a hand on his and looked almost...thoughtful for a moment. Completely betrayed how close he was to having an early heartattack. Well...not so early,not anymore.>

Alright. . .thanks.

Do you think he's. . .that boy's. . .that they've had sex? Did he say anything like that?

<If the Morrison brat had touched Theo like that...no. That was just something he was never ever going to think about, even when Theodore turned sixteen, eighteen, whatever. But just as he was proving now in saying he was going to talk with Theo, Shayne had been the only one to keep him from completely failing at this parenting thing.>

[Shayne Discordia]

No, Nicholas. I don't think Theo has had sex. I don't think he's gay, either, so don't jump to any conclusions. He's young, he's experimenting... let him figure it out for himself. If you tell him that it's bad, what he did, not only will he hate you for being hypocritical, he might end up denying his sexuality, which could make him insane and/or self-mutilatory.

<Psychology had always interested Shayne. He even taught a course on it at the school.>

[Nicholas Sparrow]

<That sigh wasn't so much relief as it was a bit of disappointment.>

...at least we know that if I ever get killed or something, you'll still be the perfect father for both of them. How do you understand this shit? I mean...am I being too protective?

<Not really, no...Nicholas was just extremely paranoid about seeing either of his children grow up into complete sluts like he had been.>

[Shayne Discordia]

Nah, you're not being too protective. You're just worried that Theo's going to hurt himself. It's normal.

<Hummed out softly before he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Nicholas' jawline, sighing lightly against the stretch of flesh beneath his chin.>

As for understanding it... It's just one of those things. I dunno.

<Almost cute with the puerile shortening of the phrase, half-sleepy as he pulled the other man a little closer.>