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"I made up that room special for you." Patricia said softly, following Stacey down the hall. "But I think I can lay down some newspaper out back or somethin' for him."
Xavier wished he had enough energy to offer her a glower. But he was so tired that Stacey had needed to carry him from the truck and into the darkened house. All his remaining strength was going into keep his arms locked around Stacey's neck and even that felt like too much. Eighteen hours went by in a blink usually, but driving down the interstate, it dragged horribly. His body ached from sitting so still behind the wheel. His eyelids felt heavy and swollen, to the point where even letting them droop was very uncomfortable.
"Don'tchu tease." Stacey said with a rumbling chuckle. "You ain't got the experience wrangling' him. You're lucky he can't even stand himself up or he'd try to bite you like he did on our little praline adventure."
"Like I wouldn't bite him right back." Patricia snickered.
But she pulled the covers back as Stacey lowered Xavier onto the bed. It was soft. It smelled sweet like peach blossoms. Everything smelled sweeter down south. He missed the balsam already. Southern air was heavy and hot compared to Maine. He missed the light crispness chilling the forest around the cabin. The humidity made his head hurt. Driving became a challenge the last few hours. Stacey kissed his jaw gently as he pried Xavier's arms from around his neck.
"I'm gonna chase me down that creature that done made an honest woman outta our Flea." Stacey whispered. "You shut them eyes, Hound-Dog. I ain't never seen you so sleepy."
Xavier wanted to tell him to stay, but Stacey was right. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this tired. Not even the valley had left him this exhausted. It became cold as Stacey withdrew, and southern tones melted together as they drifted down the hall. Hushed whispers took Stacey deeper into the house. Xavier settled under the blankets. They were mint green with little orange roses stitched in. The matching lace lining scratched at his neck but he didn't care. The bed was warm and he didn't have to sit behind the wheel anymore.
Georgia would only be for a week. Xavier hadn't wanted to go. he didn't know Patricia well enough to care she'd just had her first anniversary. He didn't like her well enough to want to be a guest in her house. But he loved Stacey. That was all it came down to. Reason didn't quite have a chance against how his chest fluttered when Stacey grinned how he did when Xavier finally agreed to drive south with him.
In the depths of the house, he heard a thump followed by a yelp. Patricia had asked Stacey not to tell Bishop they were coming. It sounded like he had been cornered. Xavier hoped it would be a short reunion, and that Stacey would come to bed soon. The bed was comfortable, but he didn't like sleeping alone. It was the last thing he thought before his mind slipped away entirely by heavy, aching, sleep.
—
The clock on the wall ticked gently, rhythmically. Xavier counted each second as the sound drew him out of his slumber around three in the morning.
His sleep hadn't been a kind one. Any time he rolled, he awoke, and every time he awoke, he became more and more aware of the fact that Stacey was not in the bed like he said he would be. The more aware he became of his solitude, the more uncomfortable everything seemed to become. The blanket became too short. The mattress became too lumpy. The house was too creaky, and he heard every whisper Stacey and Bishop shared with Patricia even in the early hours of the morning.
Even worse, Patricia and Maverick seemed to be collecting cats. Three of them had come into the bed to say hello and investigate the stranger in their home. A shaggy brown one sat on his chest and swatted at his nose if he relaxed too much. A ginger one wrapped itself around his neck and purred heavily. The third was a black cat with a perfectly white face that Xavier hated looking at, because the darkness of the room made it appear almost human in its features. That one sat in the corner and watched, unmoving.
Xavier wished Stacey would come to bed already.
Within two hours, five more cats sat around him. He didn't mind the blue one that curled up on his stomach. He did mind the three that decided his eyebrows and beard needed to be licked. But he was still too tired to move, that it felt like he didn't have much of a choice but resign himself to be groomed. The house had become quiet. He still wasn't comfortable. He didn't like sleeping alone. Though after another hour or two, he settled back into a fitful sleep disturbed only by little noses and whiskers tickling his face.
The morning light crept through the window and over his eyes. Hot orange bloomed behind his lids and he winced, rolling to hide his face from the brightness. He squirmed under the blankets and reached a hand out to the space next to him. It was empty. He sat up with a frown. His head hurt. When he looked at the clock, he understood why. He'd been out for almost twelve hours.
The shower didn't make sense to him. But he reasoned that nobody's showers but their own made any sense. Bronze taps perplexed him for several seconds until he got the water running. He twisted the pine band around his finger as he waited for the water to heat up. Stacey hadn't come to bed. Maybe he would come when he heard the shower. Stacey loved Xavier best in the color blue, when he laughed, when he sang, and when he was in the shower.
The bathroom was white, with little tiny peach lines, so thin that Xavier had to squint past the fog to see them. If little painted tree frogs weren't spaced carefully between the lines, he would have lost them in the humidity.
He almost tripped over the human faced cat as he stepped into the shower. That thing had it out for him.
The shower was just as lonely as the bed. And when he stepped out the feeling grew worse as he spotted their bags by the foot of the bed.
"Sure." Xavier muttered, tossing the towel aside. The cool air chilled his skin, causing goose flesh to spread. "You can get the suitcases from the car but you can't walk the extra four steps to bed."
He realized they hadn't spent a night apart since coming home. They'd barely spent a moment without touching in some way or another. Xavier could never keep his hands to himself, and Stacey was making up for years of making him wait. The fact that he'd just spent his first night in the states without Stacey made his chest ache.
The smell of oranges and toast lured Xavier out of the room after he dressed. He hadn't eaten since the pit-stop in Beaufort the night before, and there was a chance his mood might be the result of that. He shuffled quietly out of the room, closing the door to make sure the cats didn't get in again. There were voices in the kitchen, which made his stomach flop nervously. He didn't know there were supposed to be more people there.
"I swear if they ruin my garden I'll skin 'em." Patricia was saying.
"I ruined your garden last week and got no such treatment." Molnar said. Xavier felt a little better knowing it was only Molnar. He could handle Molnar. "I'm starting to feel neglected, Rick."
"Your hide ain't good for nothin'." Patricia replied. "You'd like it anyway. They wouldn't, that's why I do it. I swear, it's like you ain't never been punished before."
"I have been, I just never learned anything." Molnar said. "That's why I like to put on a little green hat and edge the corners of the divine, and see if I can find something a little more mind altering than just a slap on the ass or a good scolding."
"You ain't makin' a lick of sense."
"Well, I put on my little green hat ten minutes ago."
"…..It's eight in the morning." Lalo said.
Xavier slipped into the bright kitchen. The walls were butter yellow, with a tile trim of the deepest of reds. He was briefly reminded of home at the sight of apples sprinkled around the kitchen. The clock was shaped like an apple, the mugs had little apples painted on them, the tiles were yellow and pale, like the crisp inside of a cortland. Little daring bursts of green peeked through the orchard of a kitchen in the form of inch worms or granny smiths. Xavier offered a curt nod when the three looked up at the sound of his approach.
There was a nice wide, window that gave a lovely view of the back yard. All sorts of flowers that favored gardens waved in the warm, morning breeze. Plus many that were rather abnormal for a garden. A pond glistened just behind the garden, full of lilies and algae. Xavier watched as Stacey staggered by, dropping onto all fours as he almost lost his footing in pursuit of someone. Muffled sounds of an argument drifted up to the house.
Patricia had set out enough food for a good sized crowd. Xavier wondered how many people were actually there. He gingerly took two pieces of bread and huddled near the toaster.
"Xavier, I hope to god you ain't fixin' to burn down my kitchen." Patricia said. "I seen how you work pourin' cereal, and I worked too hard on this place to watch you ruin it. I been toastin' all morning. Sit down with everyone else and be po-lite."
"Po-lite." Molnar repeated, nodding his head along with each syllable.
"I'll slap the bald off of you." Patricia added, though the threat was ruined as a giggle lightened her tone.
The door crashed open, and Bishop- Maverick, whatever his name was now- stumbled through.
"Mornin'." Maverick grinned, a puff of laughter pushing by his lips. "Sorry I'm late. I was…..busy."
His hair had more sun than Xavier recalled, strands of hazel blending with the early silver. A fine sheen of sweat coated his bare shoulders. Xavier hadn't known much of Maverick in the military. Their meetings had been fleeting and odd, but the house, the marriage, and the freedom changed him almost to the point where Xavier felt a spark of curiosity about him. Maverick caught Xavier's eye and his grin widened.
"You're up." he said, still breathless. "That means the cats are out. I better feed 'em."
He darted through the kitchen, pausing only to press a quick kiss to Patricia's smiling lips. He almost tripped over the blue rug with a proud flamingo on it in the hallway. The rush was too excited for feline duties. As Maverick disappeared behind the corner with a final snicker, a loud slosh filled the kitchen in his absence.
Stacey stood in the doorway, soaked to the skin and covered in green pond slime. He wiped his dark hair out of his eyes, blinking the muck away.
"…..He pushed me in the got damn pond." Stacey said.
"Well, I warned you he ain't the same tightwad that whimpers when you pin him to the wall." Patricia shrugged. "You mess with Nashville out here, you get the boot."
"I was only playin'." Stacey muttered, then he shook, spattering pond-water all over the the kitchen. "I ain't nothin' but sweet."
"You ain't been nothin' but teeth."
"Words ain't enough to show appreciation you know."
"You come in here all drippy and we won't be friends."
"You're just tryin' to buy him some time to scamper. I'll get him, Miss Thang. You just makin' it more fun."
Stacey stood in the doorway and bickered back and forth goodheartedly with Patricia about whether he was allowed in all drenched how he was. Xavier used the distraction to toast his bread as he'd wanted, though he caught Stacey's eye while he waited. He hoped his frustration was evident. Though perhaps Stacey mistook it for something else, because he grinned wide, and began toeing his boots off.
"Alright then, alright." He conceded, pulling his shirt off and quickly wriggling out of his wet jeans. In only a few short minutes he stood in only slightly drier boxers. "Wet stuff outside, and I ain't gon' mess up your nice floor at all. Now if you'll excuse me, I got important business to attend to."
He cleared the kitchen in only a few strides, and Xavier barely managed a good morning before Stacey pushed him against the counter and kissed him deeply. It almost took him off his feet. For a moment, Xavier forgot to be angry, mouth opening just a hint before remembering this wasn't their kitchen, and Molnar always leered.
"You feelin' better, Hound-dog?" Stacey whispered, pressing a kiss to Xavier's nose. "I checked in on you around four, you was passed out like the dead."
"You didn't come to bed." Xavier answered quietly.
"I was catchin' up with that thing that done put me in the soup." Broad hands rubbed gently at Xavier's waist. If Xavier wasn't so annoyed still, he would have wished they would slip under the hem of his shirt. "Don't go sulkin' or nothin'. I missed you, you know. Tricia's beau hogs the covers."
Stacey kissed him again before Xavier could properly react to that. The mouth on his was warm and loving. Stacey kissed him like they were back home, and the only thing stopping him from throwing him down on the kitchen table was Patricia's breakfast spread, and all the eyes watching them. As Stacey ducked to press several sweet trailing kisses along his neck, Xavier wasn't sure he would have minded the eyes. His breath hitched a little as he leaned into the kisses, torn between the relief of having Stacey so close and the anger of knowing he'd spent the night with Maverick.
"Oop." Willard turned back around and tried to retreat back down the hall, pushing Leon as he went."Kitchen's busy, we'll come back later."
The spell was broken. Stacey pulled away with a grin.
"We got this corner reserved but if you and that Chickadee wanna take up the stove I'm sure nobody's gon' mind."
"I would." Lalo and Molnar said.
"I don't like sleeping alone." Xavier said quietly, just between the two of them. "I want you with me."
"You got some heavy eyes still." Stacey conceded, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'll come get you for a nap later yeah?"
He was gone before Xavier could ask him if they could go back to bed for awhile instead. Xavier huffed. The kitchen was crowded. Patricia was looking at him with an eyebrow raised. He decided to avoid eye contact. He was fine, nobody needed to suspect otherwise.
The toast popped up, burned to a crisp.
—
Stacey did not come find him later.
Xavier was sitting on the front porch with Ryan, wondering what Stacey's problem was. The day was a hot one, hotter than Xavier was used to. A willow oak waved gently in the warm breeze, and the grass was tall enough for Vincent to disappear completely when he lay down in it for a smoke. There was currently only a plume of smoke indicating that the ground hadn't swallowed him completely.
"……It's quieter than I thought it would be with everyone here." Xavier said, watching Leon and Willard help Patricia pick snails off the tomatoes.
"Molnar crashed pretty hard by the pond. Andrei is making sure he doesn't roll in while he sleeps." Ryan said, watching Vincent's smoke cloud billow against the clear sky. "I figured Stacey would be making a ruckus. Where is he?"
Xavier bit the inside of his cheek. "I don't know."
"Is that why you're bothering me?" Ryan asked, raising a bemused eyebrow.
"….he slept with Maverick last night. And Patricia."
"Busy man."
"Not what I meant."
"Vince and I got in late last night. Went by their room and saw all three passed out together. That's a good friendship right there, falling asleep mid-conversation." Ryan shrugged.
"……he could have just come to bed."
"Was your little heart breaking, Xavier?" Ryan asked, a smirk tugged at his scarred lips.
"Ryan."
"Xavier." Ryan said, reaching over and tousling his hair. "You have nothing to worry about. Vince has crashed pretty hard with Patricia before, it's nothing to worry about."
"I didn't drive eighteen hours to sleep alone, and certainly not to come second to an ex…something." Xavier said, smacking Ryan's hand away. It had taken ages to untangle his hair when the cats had batted it to and fro. The brain was loose enough as it was.
"Tell him that, then." Ryan said. "Your husband is the brightest dumbass I've ever met. I like him, but the minute he's having fun he turns into a big kid. He's just not paying attention is all."
"He is having fun." Xavier muttered. He didn't want to ruin it.
Patricia was coming up the stairs, boots thumping against the porch steps with a jar full of snails in one hand.
"Ooh, we got a storm comin'." She said.
"Sky's clear." Ryan said.
"That face ain't." Patricia nodded to Xavier.
"He can't find Stacey." Ryan said with a huff of laughter.
"You didn't look then." Patricia said. "He and Ricky were puttin' up the fence out back. they got to arguin' about how far to space the pegs, then got to wrestlin', now they're passed out in the sun like one of them cats runnin' around my house. Probably bakin' their brains real good in this weather."
Xavier's lips tightened into a thin line, and he swallowed whatever vitriol he could have spat in that moment. Frustration bloomed into anger. He must not have been very good at hiding it, because Ryan shifted away from him, grimacing awkwardly.
"Well, it'd be the perfect time to have a conversation." Ryan said.
Xavier got up and went back into the house. His brain felt sharp and pointy. Maybe that was because he was so tired still from a terrible sleep. Maybe he really was that angry.
"He gonna pout the whole time?" he heard Patricia ask.
"….I would." Ryan conceded.
"…He's gonna sulk himself silver." Patricia frowned. "I see that hair tunrin' gray. Alright, you take my snails, I'll go slap that husband of his upside the head."
—
Xavier had wedged himself into the corner of the couch, face against the cushions to stop the cats from attempting to groom him again. They followed him everywhere. Lalo perched comfortably on the edge of the seat, though his back still touched warmly against Xavier's. It was a comfort that he'd been needing as the third day of the visit bled into early afternoon. Stacey hadn't come to bed even once. Patricia was sulky in the morning, visibly tired with hair coming loose from her bun. Maverick looked a little worn too. Stacey's sleepovers were taking a toll. Or at least Xavier selfishly hoped they were.
"I'm going to the river walk in a bit." Lalo said, the sound of solitaire flickering comfortingly through the living room.
It was mixed barage of pink and blue. Swirls of begonias were perched at each window, their burgundy leaves stretched happily in the sun. The rug was mulch colored, and thick and plush too. The density of the shag was interrupted only by the little paw prints of feline adventurers. The walls were adorned with glass baubels, a cat-eyed clock with a swaying tail, various seashells plucked fresh from the beach, and dozens upon dozens of little crinoid fossils peppering the walls.
"You wanna come with, hermano? Be good to get you out in the sun, I think." it was weird being called hermano and not jefe. But Xavier wasn't captain in this house.
"….Do I have a choice?"
"I'm asking nicely." Lalo replied. "I think the only reason Bishop got any peace this morning was because Patricia badgered your husband about heading down town. And I think you'll melt into the couch if I let you stay."
Lalo was the only person to still call Maverick by his call sign. Xavier didn't understand it, but he liked it. Stacey had taken the truck with Patricia, Leon, and Benny in tow. It felt strange knowing he wasn't in it. But he had slept late, and he vaguely remembered Stacey coming in to whisper a good morning. He didn't stay. Xavier's heart felt heavy, and he hadn't eaten as a result. He was starting to feel hurt, but he didn't want anyone catching on.
Vincent hopped over the back of the couch, landing next to them.
"River?" he asked simply.
"In an hour." Lalo said with a nod.
"Aces." Vincent leaned back, resting his elbows on Xavier's side, not minding how cramped the couch was getting. He lit a cigarette. "You're a puddle of sorrow, mate."
Xavier huffed in annoyance, though the added contact was nice. He wondered if he might gel with everyone easier if Stacey would just hold him for even an hour. The night before had been busy. Patricia got the fire pit going. Molnar showed Benny how to walk over hot coals, much to Maverick's frustration. Stacey caught fireflies in the blue green grass and filled a jar full of them for Patricia. The lights reflected golden off her skin. The air had smelled warm and smokey, and voices mixed with the crickets late into the evening.
Xavier hadn't minded that, but Stacey had been so preoccupied with everyone else that he only stopped fleetingly every so often to offer a comforting touch or a check in. Ryan and Vincent stayed close once Xavier had started to fall asleep in heat of the fire, surrounded by voices of people he usually really liked, but didn't have it in him to express. Andrei had woken him when it was time to go in. Stacey had gone inside to help with the dishes.
He'd slept terribly.
"Ryan's got a sweet tooth so he headed over to hit Kilwin's and get some peace and quiet." Vincent said. "After though, I'm takin' us up a little further north to that little train car in the palmetto place for a bite."
"You once wrote a poem about it the last time you drank with me." Lalo said.
"I'm tearin' up just thinkin' about it." Vincent nodded. "How about it, Hound-dog? They got pigs all over the walls. Holmes would like it. Little road trip just between us?"
God, that sounded nice. Xavier still felt too sad to eat, but the thought of having Stacey in the car with him. He looked over his shoulder only to find Vincent already watching him for a response. Vincent bounced his eyebrows expectantly.
"….I'm tired." he said, with little resistance.
"Ever had a hushpuppy?" Vincent asked, teeth flashing.
He hadn't. It sounded like the type of food Stacey would have waxed on about. Maybe he had. Xavier didn't always listen to every single word, he was just happy to hear the voice constantly around him. It was so quiet now.
Maverick shuffled into the living room, the heels of his palms rubbing away the sleep from his eyes. He and Molnar had been up early so Patricia could tell them to move the garden around as she liked it. Then he and Stacey had cooked breakfast for everyone and argued about seasoning. They'd almost come to blows when he threw a half cooked pancake at Stacey. He'd spent the rest of the morning sleeping after Patricia split it up so Benny wouldn't get stressed. Xavier wished he would go away. It was Maverick's house, but he was allowed to wish.
"Xavier, if you don't take your husband back, I might have to kill him." Maverick said sleepily, bracing himself against the back of the couch, hip tilted.
"Watch it, mate." Vincent said. "I need him for barbecue business later."
"Vinny, have you ever had that guy roll on you at two in the morning?"
Xavier had. He missed it.
"I'll drive us down to meet them." Maverick said. "Patricia called and said she wanted us to meet at the pink place or whatever it's called. Benny likes it."
"Forget it." Lalo said. "Vinny's taking Xavier and Stacey to Bluffton."
"Patricia has her heart set on dragging Stacey to Forsyth Park after they catch that Louis Prima copy cat."
"The park will still be there tomorrow."
"So will Bluffton."
"Look, I'm going to Bluffton either way." Vincent said, hands raised. "And if you're a friend, you'll give over Stacey."
"….this a hostage negotiation or something?" Maverick grinned. "It needs work. I don't mind handing him over, but Patricia will complain. And I prefer how she sounds when she smiles."
"We'll go to Bluffton." Xavier said, sitting up, his hair sticking out randomly from his wedged sulk. "He's my husband, he'll come with me."
"I'm not gonna stop you guys." Maverick shrugged, waving as he headed towards the kitchen for leftover pancakes. "Y'all can figure out how to sort that out without causing a scene by the Oglethorpe."
—
They went to Bluffton, but Stacey hadn't come with. He had wanted to see the Louis Prima impersonator. Xavier had been so mad that he went with Ryan to Kilwins, and let the overwhelming scent of sweetness in the freezing cold shop settle him down. Ryan got ice cream. Xavier always thought ice cream was too cold, so he bought a small, white chocolate manatee and hoped it wouldn't make him sick. He hadn't eaten all day, and was getting nauseous from it.
Xavier took the keys to the truck to make himself feel better, ignoring Stacey's attempt to pull him into a quick embrace before they drove the half hour to the corner of a street where a little trailer sat with picnic tables on the patio. There was a small red train car in the back that billowed black smoke that smelled like meat. Loblolly trees swayed around the trailer in wind that was only slightly cooler than Savannah's. It smelled nicer at least.
"Gimmie a minute." Vincent said, inhaling like he was preparing himself. "I've dreamt of this."
Xavier kicked the dusty drive, frowning. He was still angry Stacey hadn't come with them, but driving had helped clear his mind a little at least. Bluffton was quiet, with nothing happening at all. It was a long, straight, road that took them here. It was framed with willow branches and spanish moss that blew in the breeze and cast dappled sunlight through the truck. A river framed either side of the truck, and Xavier had liked the little fishing hut that sat on the edge of the shore. He'd liked it only until he turned to tell Stacey about it, and he got mad all over again and made Ryan drive the remaining ten minutes.
The inside of the trailer was small, with a wooden counter facing the tiny dining room. Vincent hadn't been lying. There were pigs on almost every surface that wouldn't be used for eating. Stacey would have loved it. Stacey would have possibly stolen one. A tired girl looked up from her book, face blank.
"You been here before?"
"I don't know why I left." Vincent replied. "Pulled pork, extra sauce, toast the bun and add some pups. I'd kill for some sweet tea too."
"Chicken." Ryan said. "Same side. Actually, two orders of that please."
The girl scribbled it all down as she hurried out the door, glasses slipping down her pale nose. Xavier watched her hand the note through the smokey window. He couldn't help but worry. She seemed too pale for this sun. But before he could think any further, Vincent elbowed him into one of the hard chairs. Ryan sat beside him, a content smile on his face as he watched Vincent's grin widen.
"….You excited?"
"Don't get me started." Vincent snickered.
"….I have every right to be pissed." Xavier said.
"Never said you didn't." Ryan replied. "What I said, was talk to him. Which you haven't."
"He's having fun." Xavier said, leaning out of the way as the girl came back to place three sweet teas on the table. "I can be mad, but I don't want to ruin it. He never likes it when we argue. Besides, I already told him how I felt."
The girl was sitting back at the counter now. Xavier glanced around the dining room. The floor was hard, beige, tile. There was a John Wayne cut out pointing his gun at them. There were pigs of all kinds- ceramic, clay, plastic, wooden, even one made out of pennies. There was a fat white one holding armfuls of apples and corn. A smaller pink one surrounded by piglets stared blankly. It was a shocking change from Patricia's carefully, lovingly decorated home. Stacey would have definitely taken one to put on their mantle. Xavier frowned, trying not to think about him.
Ryan and Vincent spoke in soft tones to each other, content to let the quiet hang between them when words ran out. Vincent's hand was curled around Ryan's, fingers interlaced. Xavier's own hand was cold. All of him was cold, actually. Stacey tended to drape over him when they sat together. Xavier frowned, trying to focus on the red and white checkered table cloth. A train choo-chooed softly as it circled the dining room above them, marking two o'clock. Despite his best attempts to distract him, the hour reminded Xavier that he and Stacey had spent a collected five minutes together since arriving three days ago.
"How much clearer could I have been?" Xavier asked suddenly.
Ryan took a sip of his drink. "Your husband has a head thicker than a tree, and your directness is about as sharp as a bowl."
"………I'm not that passive." Xavier huffed, arms folded.
"You're so passive I'm surprised you haven't fallen through the chair, mate." Vincent said.
Xavier glared at him. The girl hurried over, carrying plastic baskets lined with greasy, checkered paper. The smell of smoke and sweet sauce wafted from them. She barely got the baskets on the table before Vincent swiped some of the sauce off the table and doused the sandwich.
"I said what I said." Vincent nodded, licking some of the sauce from between thumb and forefinger. "Shop's closed, school's out, you gotta leave me to my business. My full attention is between me and this dish. Sorry, Darl. Back in ten."
"You will be dearly missed." Ryan said, pressing a quick peck to Vincent's cheek before letting him take a ravenous bite of the pulled pork. "Try the hushpuppies, Xavier. You'll feel better."
Xavier knew there was only one thing that would make him feel better in that moment, but that thing was sipping some dry gin and cranberry juice while watching an old man in a yellow suit croon in a fake Italian accent. He picked up one of the little circles of fried dough. The surface was golden brown, and still piping hot to the touch.
"…..I just thought it would be obvious." Xavier said.
"Nothing's obvious." Ryan shrugged.
Xavier popped the dough ball into his mouth. It crunched, fried shell crumbling between his teeth and releasing hot, onion and cornmeal flavored steam. He paused, heart skipping a little. Stacey would have loved this. Xavier hated that he hadn't come with. But….a small part of him was relieved he wouldn't have the share the hushpuppies.
—
Xavier pulled on his blue t-shirt. It was a rich navy color that his father had forgotten to use for many years, and so it became his. He pulled his hair back into a loose ponytail, shuffling into the kitchen around five. Ryan and Vincent decided they'd had enough of Bluffton after the traffic of Old Town slowed them to a crawl and it took them almost another hour to get back to the house. Almost instantly, the two had gone to sleep off good food and a long drive. Xavier had stayed in his room only a little while, before he couldn't figure out what to do with himself and showered the smell of meat and smoke off.
He followed the sound of voices, and dishes clattering. Everyone had gotten back late. Patricia napped most of the afternoon, so Maverick took Stacey and Andrei to a place called Peach-World. Andrei had a weakness for peaches, and Stacey had a weakness for themes. They didn't get back until the store asked them politely to leave.
Patricia was now seated at the table, a mess of cards in one hand, and several peach rings on her fingers. Molnar was holding fewer cards, a sly smile on his face.
"I'm tellin' you, you're a cheat. And god help your little soul the second I find out how you're takin' me for a fool. I will ask you one more time, and I expect honesty under my roof- Do you have and got damn threes?"
"Go. Fish." Molnar said
"I ain't playin' with this snake no more." Patrica huffed, throwing her cards down.
"Molnar, do you have any threes?" Lalo asked pleasantly.
"Anything for Lalo." Molnar said, passing Lalo his card.
"Ricky, don't cook Mole-rat no dinner." Patricia said.
"I took of that bird out of the ice box." Stacey said. "You ain't cookin' nothin' Tiger. I got thoughts and plans for this syrup stuff. You barely got a notion of salt let alone the sophistications of…"
Leaned against the entrance of the kitchen, Xavier caught Stacey's eye. He may have still been tired from the drive, but he had enough sense to know that Stacey loved him in blue, and loved to see his hair tied back.
"You touch my peach glaze and I'll toss you on the roof." Stacey said.
Xavier left the ground as Stacey's arms looped around his middle, pulling him into a warm hug, the kind that Xavier had refused when they'd set off to Bluffton. But it felt good now, it felt right. Stacey's face burrowed against Xavier's neck, peppering it with light, affectionate kisses that Xavier couldn't suppress a snicker over.
"I missed this neck." Stacey grumbled. The vibration of his voice, and the warmth of his breath felt so good that Xavier almost forgot he had a reason for wearing blue. "You ain't been around much."
"You've been busy." Xavier said, letting his fingers card through Stacey's hair.
"I missed you."
"Hmm…."
"Stacey, you took the turkey?" Maverick asked. "I bought that for Thanksgiving in a few months!"
"It's gonna go great with some of that garden sage and some peaches." Stacey said, voice still muffled against Xavier's skin. "Don't bother me, I'm busy."
"We went to Bluffton." Xavier said, pulling away only to touch their lips together. "You would have liked it."
"I went to Peach-world." Stacey grinned. "….You woulda hated it. But I gotchu somethin' called black bear jam. Since I betchu been missin' Maine. It's got, uh, blackberries-"
He kissed Xavier as he tried to recall the next ingredient, hands rubbing the small of his back.
"Blueberries-"
Another kiss.
"And…Black raspberries, but I'm gonna level with you Hound-dog, that ain't no different from the first one to me. I think I got stiffed."
"I wanna take a nap." Xavier said.
"Go lay down for a bit, I'll come getcha when it's time to eat. That is if that thing by the sink don't ruin it."
"I want you to come with me." Xavier said, very seriously. Ryan and Vincent called him passive. He wouldn't be now. "I haven't been sleeping well. Let them figure out dinner. I haven't seen you at all since we arrived."
"Aw, I got fancy plans for that bird I pilfered." Stacey said with a sigh, tugging Xavier closer. "I'll come to bed tonight, swear it on your old man."
"…I thought you said you missed me." Xavier said.
"I missed you." Stacey said simply, kissing his cheek. "I just got stuff to get busy with, Hound-dog. I let Ricky cook tonight, they'll all be eatin' tack. I ain't gonna let that happen. I missed you like crazy though. You know that Louis-look-alike sang Buona Sera? Thought of you the whole time."
Thinking wasn't enough. Xavier huffed pulled away, smoothing the wrinkles of his blue shirt, which seemed to not have the full power he would have liked over Stacey. He sat next to Patricia and tried not to be too rude when he didn't look at her. He couldn't blame her, though he wanted to. This was her house after all, and her husband, and her idea that they come visit. Stacey went back to start prepping the turkey, much to Maverick's frustration. Patricia offered Xavier a peach ring.
"You keep frownin' like that your face will freeze." Patricia said.
"If my husband keeps sleeping in your bed, then I'm sure all of me will." Xavier muttered. He took the peach ring. He didn't like peach.
"Aw, don't be so sulky." Patricia said, leaning forward so their words could be quiet. "I ain't so pleased to have him takin' up half the bed anyway. First night was nice, we ain't seen him in a bit. But I like my bed best where there ain't a giant wall of muscle between me and my husband."
She could have kicked him out, Xavier thought. But then he also thought about how stubbornly Stacey had just refused him something as simple as a half hour nap together. He tried to be forgiving. It was only their third day here, coming up on the fourth, but he also didn't believe much that any couple should be spending this much time apart, even if the house was overflowing with old friends that all needed some kind of attention or another.
Leon and Benny came into the kitchen about twenty minutes later. They spent most of their time in Benny's room or out in the garden. Andrei preferred the quiet, less crowded living room. Ryan and Vincent came down around six to join. The smell of peach glaze was making Xavier's head feel clouded, and it made it difficult for him to pay attention to what anybody was saying around him. He felt lost almost in the sea of faces. He usually could rely on Stacey's hand on his thigh or his arm around his shoulders to ground him, but Stacey was standing at the kitchen stove with Maverick. They spoke quietly, little jokes passed between them on the threads of a connection that Xavier had never understood. Whatever Stacey had created with Maverick was a mystery to him, and mysteries weren't Xavier's favorite genre.
"He can stay a few extra days, can't he?" Benny was asking. "Molnar and Andrei aren't going back to California for another few days. Leon could just stay for the rest of the summer."
"I don't mind it much." Patricia said. "He can paint the sun room for all I care."
"Do you have any fives?" Lalo asked.
"Of course." Molnar replied, handing him the card.
"Thanks." Lalo kept it in his hand, seemingly just collecting whichever suits he felt like. Patricia's cheek twitched.
"Courses don't start back up for me until September." Leon said. "Are you sure you want me for that long?"
"Worst comes to worst, you and Benny spend a few weeks with me and Vincent." Ryan said. His hand was entwined in Vincent's like it was the most natural thing in the world. "We'll get Gerald and Logan to come down too. Lee and Eli are in Brooklyn, so I don't know if they'll make it."
"I made a trail of mangos leading to a little box trap." Vincent said sleepily. "Lee's visiting one way or another."
"We'll get 'im." Ryan chuckled.
"Tiger, I know you ain't skippin' the pepper." Stacey said.
"Figured the way Xavier seasons things, you'd be pleased."
"Watch it." Stacey chuckled. "You just keep them potatoes from crumblin'. We gonna roast 'em, so they can't be mushy. Where's that damn rosemary?"
Xavier rubbed his temple, wishing he had just left to take a nap or something. He was starting to feel like a veil was draping over his head, and voices were blending together. He wanted to cover his ears to get a little bit of peace, but this was the most he'd seen Stacey in three days. He was watching him cook, watching him talk to anybody but him, and now he was watching as Stacey reached up to the apple knobbed cabinets above him, hand on Maverick's back to steady himself. Xavier's jaw tensed. Patricia followed his gaze, then her mossy eyes walked back over to him in quiet study.
Vincent had called him passive. Stacey's had moved up to ruffle Maverick's hair, and Maverick through a small handful of flour at him to make him knock it off. Something in Xavier's head made a tiny popping noise. He was fairly certain that was the last nerve snapping in two.
"Stacey." Xavier said calmly, standing up. "I'm going to bed. If you aren't there when I wake up, I'm packing the truck and going home. You can find your own way back, and right now, I can't necessarily say I care if you manage to or not."
The kitchen went quiet. Xavier walked away, legs more in control of his body than his brain. The feelings of irritation, neglect, and anger had all given way to numbness, but maybe he was just that tired.
"…..I warned you." he heard Vincent say.
"Whatchu mean you warned me?" Stacey asked. "What kinda attitude was that? I ain't done nothin'."
The human faced cat was sitting by the door of the guest bedroom as Xavier approached. It looked up at him, blinking olive green eyes slowly. He leaned down and scooped it up, carrying it into the bedroom and closing the door. It sat barely for ten seconds in his arms before it started purring happily, rubbing its white face against Xavier's jaw. He didn't care for cats usually, but this was perhaps the most interest anything had shown in him for the past few days, and he would take it.
He put the cat down on the bed and crawled under the blankets. The cat stood between his shoulder blades, kneading happily.
The sounds of cooking and conversation started back up in the kitchen.
—
"Let's go watch them fireflies." Stacey said. Nerves were building inside of him, and he didn't want to think about it.
"You should go to bed." Patricia said.
Dinner had been good. Stacey was annoyed Xavier hadn't stayed. He knew Xavier didn't like peach, but the glaze on the turkey had been good, especially when he put a little saffron in it, with little leaves of sage to help make everything a little more savory. He'd done good, but it had tasted a little weird to him, and he worried that the bitterness from Xavier's departure had made the meat weird.
"I ain't too pleased with Hound-dog right now." Stacey muttered, bringing the cigarette to his lips. "I don't…..I'll just stay out here for a bit."
"He ain't too pleased with you neither."
"Ok, no fireflies. How's about we hop in the truck and drive it down 'til we find ourselves the devil?"
"I ain't no fiddle player, and you'd try to romance him. You're also just tryin' to make sure Xavier don't take the truck."
"…..He didn't mean it."
"Hoss…." Patricia sighed, slipping down on the porch swing in a comfortable slouch. "If Ricky treated me in a little bit how you're treatin' Xavier, I think I'd call up a raptor to chase him real good. Not eat him or nothin', but maybe just scare him a little."
She took the cigarette, and Stacey let her. Xavier didn't smoke as much anymore, so Stacey had been rolling back the habit. But this meant when he did smoke, it was harder to finish the joints by himself. He bit the inside of his cheek, studying the moonlight glistening on the pond. It reminded him of the river outside the cabin.
"….I ain't been bad." Stacey said quietly. "Have I?"
"You ain't been spendin' a lick of time with him. I got under-watered tomatoes less sulky than him."
"Naw, he been out and about. Patches took him to Bluffton, and I know he spent the second day with Lalo and Leon by the beach. He smelled good, salty and sandy. He found a sand dollar."
"And then you keep sendin' him to go sit alone until you're ready to kiss him up a bit." Patricia shrugged. "I might as well put him in my bug collection the way you got him just sittin' around. He'd be more pleasant anyway with the grasshoppers."
"He's scared of hoppers."
"Ok, the moths then."
Stacey let Patricia keep the cigarette. He twisted the birch band around his finger, feeling the small heads of preserved forget-me-nots against the grooves of his fingertips. It had only been six months since they'd made the rings for each other. He didn't think he'd ever take his off. Sometimes, when he first woke up, he'd watch the way the sunbeams stroked the wood and think about how hard Xavier must have worked to make it that beautiful. He sometimes worried the pine band he'd made in return was a dark, ugly thing in comparison. But Xavier never took his off either.
"….Ricky been treatin' you good?" Stacey asked, changing the subject.
"He's been a challenge, but most rescues are." Patricia snickered. "Really though….I didn't think it was possible to get treated so good. You know what he did just before y'all got here? He sewed little yellow apples into my apron. I didn't ask him to or nothin', he just said he saw an opal apple at the store and realized I didn't have that variety in my kitchen yet."
"He got a brain in that head, and he's usin' it good I guess."
"And he got Ajani to teach him how to not be scared of bugs no more. Cause he knows I don't like seein' 'em swatted. He'd still chicken-shit about it though. When he catches a spider, he runs like he got dinosaurs on his tail again and puts it in the garden."
"….you know Xavier started growin' jasmine in our bedroom?"
"That ain't a bedroom plant."
"He got weird little lights for it. It's been growin' for the past year or so. The smell is so good. Makes me sleep a little better without no nightmares."
"How long you two been wearin' them rings now?"
"Only a few months." Stacey said. "I made his and asked him if he felt like gettin' hitched or somethin', and he laughed. He laughed more real than I ever heard him, cause he made me one too and was plannin' to ask the next week."
"And you got him sleepin' all by himself, with Ricky's cats botherin' him."
"………I just been excited to see y'all." Stacey said, the nerves giving way to a pool of guilt. "We only got each other up in the cabin. Hound-Dog loves the quiet, and I do too. Sometimes it's like we're the only two people in the world up there. But the second I set eyes on you and that Tiger I just gotta be 'round y'all every second."
"I think I've had to spend a few nights alone since the wedding. Ricky has to go train some new people, or he's had to duck back home to help his sister and mama or that tall. old, man that lives in the woods all by his lonesome. I think those were the worst nights of my life, worse than I think anything before Vietnam, and the Valley….sometimes I woke up feelin' like Ricky was nothin' but a real good dream, even though the bed still smelled like him. Only proof I really had that he happened to me was this here weddin' band."
She held up her hand to inspect the ring set as it glistened in the moonlight. Crimson garnets hugged a well-loved diamond.
"Alright." Stacey muttered, rubbing his face. "Alright, I get it. Now quit waxin' on about lonely nights. You're fixin' to make me burst into tears."
Patricia grinned wickedly. "I think I howled in the backyard once or twice. My poor heart done broke in two."
Stacey shook his head, a low laugh rumbling in his chest. He took out his pack of cigarettes, hand-rolled and seasoned with sage and passed it to her.
"You finish them things. I got me a catfish to catch."
He headed back inside. The house was dark. Lalo was asleep on the couch, wrapped in patchwork blankets that had seen many generations of tired people. Ryan and Vincent had left to watch the boats on the evening water downtown. Molnar was happily asleep out on the back patio. Andrei was seated on his thigh watching the fireflies. Maverick was somewhere or another. Patricia had whispered to him to get scarce, Stacey supposed. She was a clever thing, and had probably been planning to say a word or two about Xavier since that morning.
Stacey padded carefully down the hall, tripping only a little when one of the many cats Maverick had taken in scampered across his path. The guest room door was closed, and there was no bag waiting to be thrown into the truck, so Xavier was probably still sleeping. But if Patricia was right about how lonely things could be without the other half of his heart in bed, he would still be wide awake and pouting. Stacey had a few words for him anyway.
He eased the door open, and was immediately met with the sight of a black cat with a perfectly white face perched on the bed. It blinked at him.
"Ghoul." Stacey whispered.
"Ma." the cat replied, and hopped down onto the carpet.
"Hound-dog." Stacey whispered. "I know you're up."
Xavier didn't reply. The mound of blankets where he buried himself didn't move. Stacey eased himself onto the mattress, carefully feeling for the form of Xavier to lower himself onto. The pressure of Stacey's body on his got Xavier squirming, trying to put distance between them.
"Go away."
"Oh-ho, and here I thoughtchu was beggin' me to come to bed." Stacey chuckled, pulling back the blankets to reveal his husband's scowling face.
"I've changed my mind. You're selfish, and I don't want to be near you."
"Well, that's a cryin' shame." Stacey said. He settled in, resting his cheek in his hand. "Cause I only got eyes for you, hands too if we get that door shut."
"Go sleep in the garden." Xavier tugged the blankets back up, but it was a pointless struggle. Stacey was stronger.
"I think you're the one who's bein' rude now." Stacey said. "I'm comin' in tryin' to be sweet and you ain't nothin' but sour."
"Go away." Xavier said again.
"Lemme under them blankets."
"Jump up your own ass and die."
"Oh, he's nasty." Stacey laughed. "He's pissed. He's gon' regret those words-c'mere."
Stacey tried to peel the blankets back further, but Xavier had buried himself deep with the sole intent of refusing to be uncovered. The two wrestled for a minute or two, before Xavier grabbed one of the mint green pillows with orange lace and smacked Stacey in the face with it.
"Oh!" Stacey yelped.
"That's the least you deserve. Now, go."
"….Now, you know I got myself a rule about those who swing first."
"I'm telling you to go away!" Xavier hissed. "Stacey-!"
But Stacey would not go away. He grabbed the edges of the blanket and gave a fierce tug, managing to yank it free enough for Xavier to relinquish hold of it in favor of trying to fend Stacey off instead. Stacey dodged a kick and threw the blanket aside, fairly certain he might have buried one of the cats. It would be fine though. Xavier hit him with the pillow again, and Stacey allowed it. He draped himself fully over him, pinning him to the mattress with ease, before snaking his fingers under his shirt and prodding at his ribs in a warning tickle.
"No!" Xavier flailed and yelped, much louder than he'd probably intended. "Cut it out!"
"Naw, You was mean." Stacey replied, prodding again.
"Stacey, STOP!"
Xavier's hands stopped smacking and pushing, and instead grabbed at Stacey's wrists. He held them tightly, not twisting them, not pushing them, merely holding them tightly to make sure they didn't tease any further. Fast, shaky breaths passed between the two. Stacey couldn't stop his lips from curling into a mischievous smile.
"You best let me in that bed, or I swear I'll do it." he whispered.
"There are people sleeping." Xavier whispered back, nervous laughter putting a tremble on his words. His voice pitched up in a panic as Stacey prodded him a third time. "Don't!"
"I'm stayin'."
"You're staying." Xavier conceded quickly. He could never finish what he started with Stacey. Never once since they'd met, had he ever been able to.
Stacey lowered himself down on top of Xavier fully, resting his chin against his chest He pulled his hands of of his shirt, and instead tucked them under his back. The two were quiet for a few moments, watching each other in the soft shadows of the guest room. The moon glowed through the window, putting two little lights in Xavier's brown eyes. Stacey ducked his head, pressing a kiss to Xavier's chest, then a little further to his neck, before touching their lips together. Xavier hesitated, but the second kiss melted him, and his hands came up to hold Stacey's face.
"…..I'm mad at you, Loon." Xavier said quietly. But he let Stacey kiss him again.
"You be mad." Stacey said. "I'll just keep kissin' until you ain't no more. You just say when."
And he did.
Stacey lost count of how many times he kissed him, though he remembered at some point Xavier whispered forgiveness to him. Lazy kisses soothed them both until anger and worry gave way to the love that always had them wrapped around each other like ivy. Xavier's legs hooked around Stacey, drawing him closer. Stacey's hand gripped Xavier's thigh, drawing out a soft sigh. Then, somewhere in the house, they heard Maverick curse, and a piece of silverware hit the floor.
The spell broke.
"….I ain't feelin' you up on Miss Flea's good sheets." Stacey said with a chuckle.
"I'm not letting you." Xavier replied, a soft smile tugging at kiss swollen lips.
"You best watch out though." Stacey said, touching their noses together. "Cause the second we start on the road again I'm gettin' us a hotel. A whole week is too long to go without touchin' you."
"Well…" Xavier said. "You wouldn't have had to go that long if you'd come to bed like I asked-Hey!"
Xavier gasped as Stacey nibbled a ticklish spot on his neck.
"Don'tchu get mouthy when I got you pinned, Hound-dog."
"Alright, alright, just let me sleep already." Xavier snickered.
"Hey…." Stacey said. "I'm sorry…."
"Shut your eyes, Loon." Xavier said. It was spoken with such affection that the tension stretching tight in Stacey's chest released, forgiveness smoothing the nervous muscle of his heart.
—
Xavier couldn't sleep. The clock on the wall said two-fifteen, and Stacey was asleep on his chest. The weight of him was such a comfort that he didn't think he could possibly do anything but watch him. His eyes traveled the course of Stacey's face, tracing freckles, the shape of his nose, his cheekbones, his hair, and the little scars across his eyebrow. And when he'd mapped out every inch of Stacey's face, he did so again and again.
He'd missed him. He'd missed him so much it hurt to not look at him. He was frightened if he closed his eyes, Stacey would disappear.
Xavier stroked his finger gently down Stacey's nose, then across his cheek, then through the softness of his hair. The door human faced cat trilled curiously and bounded up onto the bed. It trotted across Stacey's bulk with caution, unfamiliar with the shape of him. Xavier almost felt bad that he couldn't pet it. His hands were buried in Stacey's hair.
"You best not be doin' nothin' sinful in that bed." Patricia whispered. "Those are my good sheets."
"Relax, we're not." Xavier said with an annoyed huff. "And be quiet. Stacey's asleep."
"Look atchu two all snuggled up at long last." Patricia snickered, padding into the room and scooping the human faced cat up. "Only took him a good scolding from you and me."
"…What did you say to him?"
"Puttin' it nicely? I made him feel just plain awful 'bout leaving you to cry yourself to sleep each night."
"I never cried."
"You got close." Patricia said with a wink. "I saw them eyes wellin' up. I ain't havin' nobody cry on my anniversary week."
Xavier turned his attention back to Stacey's sleeping face. Unfortunately, Patricia might have been right. Just watching Stacey sleep reminded Xavier of how unbearably lonely the two nights without him had been. He loved Stacey too much to be apart from him. He loved being able to watch him sleep again. He inhaled deeply, trying to control himself as his eyes stung a little.
"Patricia……I really missed him."
"Course you did." Patricia said, kissing the cat on the head as she cuddled it. "I ain't your fondest fan, Xavier Alexander. But you love that man with your whole heart. Believe me, it ain't been easy watchin' my husband curl up with him neither."
"How do you know my middle name?"
"Your daddy writes me letters complain' 'bout you."
"No he doesn't. Where's Maverick?"
"He's makin' me a peach cocoa for all I been puttin' up with, sharin' my bed with a giant and what not."
Stacey grumbled in his sleep and snuggled further against Xavier's chest. Xavier wrapped his arms around him, kissing his hair gently to keep him soothed. He didn't want Stacey to wake up. He didn't want to share him with Patricia anymore, but he could tell Patricia wasn't interested in taking up any more of their time.
"….Thank you." Xavier said quietly.
"Listen to you bein' so po-lite." Patricia giggled. "You get some sleep I'm takin' you and hoss antiquin' tomorrow."
—
Xavier slept so deeply, he was almost confused waking up to the feeling of Stacey kissing his jaw. He inhaled, the morning air tasting dusty and sweet in his throat. The light from the window was warm and comfortable. Stacey was on top of him, kissing him so softly that he didn't want to move, fearing he might stop it He lay very still, letting Stacey's mouth explore him slowly, and wishing they were at home in their own bed. But he could handle a few days more. Patricia had made sure of that.
"I wanna get us in that shower." Stacey rumbled against his cheek.
Xavier turned his head, a grin spreading across his face. That was all he'd wanted to hear all week.
It was a little after ten when they finally made their way to the kitchen, which was much quieter than it usually was. Patricia sat at the table, reading over a journal on seashells it looked like, reading glasses perched on her nose, and half a croissant sitting forgotten in her hand.
"Ricky took everybody to that little squat n' gobble shack up over the border." She said, without looking up. "Can you imagine squeezin' all them people into such a lil booth? I told him ain't no way Holmes is gonna fit, and Xavier would get so worked up he'd either faint or blow the whole stupid place up."
"Oh, the second." Stacey said, and pulled Xavier into a tight hug. "He'd rest easier knowin' a place with such a name ain't around."
"Well, I'm takin' y'all to The Breakfast Place. Plain and simple."
"As long as they have waffles, it's fine." Xavier said, letting Stacey kiss along his neck. He smelled clean from the shower still. It felt so good to be the center of his attention again.
"Oh, they got waffles. Patricia nodded, then she gave a sly smile. "They also got normal names this time too for you to say without blushin' like last time.