Static Shock Fan Fiction ❯ My Happy Ending ❯ It's Nice To Know That We Had It All ( Chapter 3 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Manga-Chick 
Sometimes, people really aren't whom they seem to be.
Non Anime: Static Shock Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 10.17.2005 | Updated On: 10.26.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 549 | Status: Completed
Sometimes, people really aren't whom they seem to be.
Non Anime: Static Shock Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 10.17.2005 | Updated On: 10.26.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 549 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN STATIC OR ANY OTHER ASSOCIATED CHARAS!!
Chapter Three:
It’s Nice To Know We Had It All
With Frieda’s pregnancy, combined with Shenice Vale’s similar condition, Virgil had either coming to his house to spend some time with. Or he himself was spending time with either at their own homes. Most of the time, though, due to three sets of frustrated and exasperated parents, the girls ended up coming to Virgil’s house to hang out.
Robert Hawkins had been on his son to marry Frieda, to ‘do the right thing’, but then Shenice had come along with her revelation and threw a wrench into those plans. Due to his utter disbelief at his son’s actions, placing the blame entirely on him, Robert wasn’t very happy with his son as of late. The older Hawkins made it a point to spend some time away from the house, to avoid any arguments with his only son.
Today was Frieda Goran’s day to spend with Virgil, and they had done so throughout the morning. Frieda was ready to go home, to spend the rest of the day with her own family and Virgil had made his plans with Richie. Even as Frieda felt those episodes of being alone, of being too young to have a baby, of having a future set aside for this, she still felt independent enough to push her fears aside to live a somewhat life where she could make some of the decisions she had before pregnancy.
There were times when she was glad Virgil had his own plans, but there were definitely days when she felt she had to have him at her side. After all, it took two to make a baby.
They hadn’t really had a ‘relationship’ in a manner of speaking. They had just come to terms in that if one had an itch, the other would come over to scratch it. Frieda had lived with a roommate until she decided that moving back home would cut some of the upcoming costs. Her future with journalism would have to be set aside for a future with a baby. Having already graduated, she had been interning with a local station before finding out she was pregnant.
She heaved a sigh as one of her puffy hands found their way to her lower back, rubbing insistently at the constant pang there. Her very swollen belly seemed to jiggle with each step she took, and the baby within protested with an uncomfortable squirming that made her groan, pausing in mid-action.
It made her feel giddy and excited to know that her child was active; the feeling of the baby wiggling around in his/her warm environment was an incredible feeling. There were times when she could just sit on the couch, wrap her arms loosely around her belly and just pretend to hold her child in her arms. It was well worth all the episodes of mood swings, hours of being tired, of the constant snacking, the lack of true, comfortable sleep.
She had one more month to go–she really couldn’t wait. Her birthing plan had been organized, her doctor was friendly and uplifting, the Hawkins’ and her own family was very supportive, and the Lamaze classes really helped out considerably. Though the thought of pain of child birth made her weak headed, she was determined to see how far she could stand it until an epidermal was administered.
She gave a low groan as she paused by the couch, and slowly lowered herself onto the overstuffed cushions. She propped her feet up onto the coffee table, noting how swollen her ankles were (she simply HATED when Virgil referred to them as cankles) and adjusted herself until she was sitting comfortably. Grabbing the remote, she felt the baby shift once more at the positioning, her eyes dropping to the noticeably moving bulge of her belly. She giggled, placing a hand over the moving baby, hearing the front door open. Looking over, she watched Richie walk in, giving her a wide smile in greeting.
“Hi,” she called from the couch.
“Hi, Frieda. Wow, you look...um, glowy, today?” Richie blinked as he took in the oversized men’s tee that just barely stretched over her ample stomach, the low slinging sweats bunched at the apex of her thighs. Her brown hair, once stylishly sleek and loose, was wrapped into a very loose bun at the top of her head. Despite it all, her skin glowed, her hair was amazingly shiny and thick, and she radiated motherly content.
She snorted, reaching up to push strands of hair from her face. “I know what I look like, ‘k? I’m pregnant. I’m fifty pounds overweight.”
“You’ll lose it all. About twenty-five of those pounds are the baby.”
“No, it’s twenty-five pounds for each knocker. And thirty pounds of fluids...all in my fuckin’ ankles!”
“Well...you do have big knockers.” Richie looked at the overly large breasts that strained at the shirt’s material, and winced.
She grimaced and gave him a glare. Lifting an eyebrow, shifting so that she wouldn’t feel as if she had three chins resting on her chest, she asked, “Where are you two going, today?”
“The gym. Then...I dunno. Maybe a movie? You’re going to be with your parents, right?”
“Yeah. My mom’s actually going to come pick me up. In a half hour,” she added, looking over at the clock on the corner stand. “I don’t know what Virgil’s doing, but he should be here soon. Something about borrowing someone’s weight set.”
“Um...Frieda? Are you...okay?” Richie then asked cautiously, giving her studying stare.
Knowing what Virgil had done (but unable to place blame, as Virgil had been with both girls without being officially with one at that time) made him feel like an accomplice to some crime.
“Yes...why?” She frowned at him suspiciously.
“I...was just asking. That’s all.”
Frieda gave a sullen sigh, and shook her head, angrily thrusting the remote at the tv and flipping through the channels. “I’m just pissed! All right? I mean...I shouldn’t. I think that one part of me is glad that he said something? And another part of me wants to rip his balls off.”
Richie winced again.
“But we weren’t together. I mean, we were just messing around. And I was an idiot and didn’t think too clearly to get myself on birth control–! It just pisses me off that he’s stupid, too. Don’t everyone wear condoms?”
“Unless you’re in a monogamous relationship...”
Frieda hurled the remote in his direction. His fast reflexes had him ducking safely.
“But you would think boys would automatically slip one on when the girl’s obviously not in her right mind! In any case, I’m pissed at him because... now what? I mean, come on! He’s got two of us pregnant...man, what if we both go into labor, like, the same day?”
“Well, I–”
“It PISSES me off that he must’ve went straight for her after we fought over the stupidest thing!” Frieda then huffed, cutting him off. She crossed her arms over her ample bosom, double chin making her look more like a pouty overweight child. Her eyes, once big and bright, were now overshadowed with her weight gain and her lack of sleep, light circles darkening them from underneath. “Fucking hussy...damn her.”
“Are you really angry at her?”
“No...nah, just at Virgil. Fucking prick.” She muttered a few more things, then sighed again, holding her hands out. Richie rose from the arm of the chair he was sitting on, and pulled her up. She steadied herself against him, then pushed away to give them space. “Man...I can’t wait to be skinny again. Having all this weight on me? No wonder so many fat people are cranky. Oh, he’s got hiccups...wanna feel?”
The thought of having his hand on that swollen bump made Richie instantly uncomfortable, feeling as if he were touching something ultra-personal on his former classmate’s body. Sensing it, she rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, to settle it over the baby’s positioning. Sure enough, Richie could feel the minute bumps the baby made in his/her hiccups. It made him squirm, though, as he pulled his hand back.
“You have names picked out?” he asked curiously, anxiously rubbing his hand on his pants leg.
“Yeah. Darius for a boy, Amanda for a girl. Virgil doesn’t have a say in any of it. She’s having my last name. It would be awkward...you know...Oh, dammit. I’m leaking, again. I thought you weren’t supposed to leak milk until AFTER the baby comes?” Frieda then muttered, pulling at her shirt as she waddled off toward the back hall.
The back kitchen door opened and slammed shut. Walking into the kitchen through the swinging door, Richie looked over to see Virgil lugging a large crate in.
“When’d you get here?” Virgil asked, setting the crate down with a loud grunt. “Whew! That was heavy.”
“Long enough to realize that I plan on never getting pregnant.”
“If you did...man...that’d be so weird. Let me put this aside, under here, so certain people can’t bump into it and blame me for things...then I’ll get changed.”
“Make it quick. It’s almost two.”
“What’s going on at two...?”
“When the shift ends. And certain people are off for the day”
Virgil blinked cluelessly until the mental image of a well-muscled brunette that worked the front desk of the gym came to mind. He rolled his eyes, running a hand over his long dreads. “Whatever, man.”
Richie grinned, and then took over on the chair he’d been sitting upon. “I can look. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to touch!”
“You keep them hands to yourself, man!” Virgil shouted from his room.
“I’m not like you, V,” Richie murmured to himself, reaching down to retie his shoelaces.
“I HEARD THAT!”
SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.
Even after the Second Big Bang, Static and Gear continued to patrol the streets of Dakota. But even with their rigorous activities at nights, the pair liked to keep in shape. On the weekends, they often locked in two hours worth of cardio and weight lifting. Also, concerned with relying too much on their powers, the pair of them had began taking classes in self-defense; Virgil had fallen in love with Aikido and Tae kwon do, while Richie had taken considerable interest in the Isreali form of Krav Maga. Both had grown skilled in their respective defenses, and used them with confidence when they found themselves in a bind. They took their classes when they had time during the week, and usually after their work-outs on the weekends.
Francis had no idea that Richie was Gear, and Richie planned on never telling him. He also hid the fact that he took these classes, and Francis was none the wiser to his sneaking around to do his duties. He just believed the small lies Richie gave, and that was that.
It was the only time they were able to fit in such activities, as Virgil worked full time with his father at the Community Center, and Richie continued to take classes at the university in various subjects, still undecided in what to major in, and worked as a computer repair technician/programmer in one of Dakota’s computer shops. With his extensive knowledge, Richie was intelligent enough to find himself popular when it came to such issues, and as a result, made good money.
Virgil frowned as he panted heavily, wiping his forehead with a towel as the treadmill registered that he had two more miles to go. At the pace he was going, he was sure he was going to give out pretty soon. He shot an annoyed glance at the empty treadmill next to him, then over at the front desk. Richie had made it into the gym, but hadn’t yet left the front desk after changing into his workout clothes. He scowled at the sight of his best friend laughing with the brunette.
“You’re such a ho,” he muttered to himself between pants. Glancing around the area, noting the pretty woman in the free weights section, the two serious bodybuilders taking over on the weight machines off to the side, he gulped in air and slowed the pace. “S’pposed to be here together. Doing together things. Cuz, y’know, we’re doing together things. Together things that no one else knows about. Not gonna have a partner that doesn’t participate in together things when he ain’t willing to be cooperative about together work-outs. Goddamn–RICHIE! GET OVER HERE!”
Richie pushed away from the front desk to give him a startled look, then sent him a careless wave as he resumed talking to the grinning brunette. Virgil scowled heartily, and finished off the last two miles.
Wiping his face, shoulders and back of the neck, he stepped off the treadmill. It was at this time when his partner finally joined him, smiling in that careless and smug way he had when getting away with something he shouldn’t have. Virgil was long used to those expressions; understanding the reasonings behind them was something different.
“You’re married,” he said with a scowl.
“Doesn’t mean I’m dead. Besides, what’s with a little flirting here and there?”
“You’re scandalous.”
“God.” Richie rolled his eyes, removing his glasses as he followed Virgil to the free weights section of the gym. “I get told that a lot. Ivan thinks I’m one of those golddigging hoes you hear about in that rap bullshit they listen to all the time.”
“Well...maybe they’re right.”
“Virgil!”
“I mean, not about the goldigging part, but all the others in-between!”
“What ‘others in-between’!?” Richie asked, huffing as he scowled. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying myself, and if that includes enjoying myself while talking to other people, then we should all redefine infidelity.”
Virgil snorted, picking up a forty-five pound weight. He pulled that up and over his head, and twisted it so that he was holding it with both hands underneath one lip. Performing some triceps exercises, he gave Richie a look in the mirror that lined the back wall.
“I’m just saying, man. I mean, you’re all out and about, and have all these places where you meet up with certain company,” he glanced at the woman that was still working out with her weights, “and you’ve got your loved one all at home and waiting for you to come back....and you all messing around!”
Richie shifted uncomfortably, but he picked up a set of twenty-five pound weights, taking a seat at the edge of a bench. Working with them, he scowled at Virgil’s reflection. “Who’s to say that he isn’t doing the same thing?”
“Well, yeah, but...you all obvious.”
“To you! I feel okay with it, because I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong! I mean, I haven’t gone out of my way to kiss or have sex with someone that isn’t my husband. I have done none of those things with anyone but him. But I do enjoy going out and making myself feel desirable when others give me that attention. I’m obviously not getting it at home...”
“Yeah, but...it’s just...you just go right out there and do that stuff, Rich! I mean, you have that guy’s schedule down to the ‘T’. You come in only when he’s about to leave!”
“Duh, Virgil.”
Virgil thought about it, then gave a shake of his head. “You’re still scandalous.”
“Says you with two babies with two different chicks on the way. Hey, by the by, what if they go into labor at the same time?”
Virgil paused in lifting, blinking. The woman rose from her position nearby, giving them both a smirk, and left that section. Virgil watched her spandex clad ass in the mirror, then straightened his arms, lowering the weight back onto its stand.
“Shut up, Richie,” he then muttered.
“No, seriously! What’s going to happen?”
“Pops was all up on my case about that, too. Sheesh...man, I know what I did wrong. I...I dunno. Try to be there for them both, I guess. Ain’t nothin’ more I can do about it.”
“I’d do anything for you, V, but that’s something I’m not going to help you with.”
Grabbing another set of weights, he shuffled over to the other end of the workbench, and propped himself onto it, working his triceps once more. “We’re still going out, tonight, right?”
“Yeah. I don’t have a curfew.”
“We need to get to the south end. There’s a lot of activity out there.”
“Hopefully it’s another Bang Baby. I’m so bored.”
Virgil shook his head, switching arms. “No. Just gang activity.”
“You’d think they’d stop that.”
“Baddies never die in the eternal battle of good versus evil, Rich. You know that.”
SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.
It was nearly two a.m., and while they were still gathered in the backyard, drinking and playing a game of Midnight ‘Shoes, Francis was already furious. Ivan shook his head as he watched the redhead look at his watch for the millionth time, then glancing inside to see if his husband had appeared in the last five minutes.
“Chill out, man, shit,” Ivan muttered around his beer. “Get your mind on other things. You call that bitch up?”
“She wasn’t home. You think he’s fuckin’ around on me?”
“...Like you should be caring when you’re all up doing the same thing.”
“Fuck that. Fuckin’ bitch. I know he’s fuckin’ with someone. He don’t even have his fuckin’ cellphone on him! I fuckin’ bought that thing so I could stay in touch with him, an’ he don’t even have it turned on.”
Ivan looked out at the two teams of three gathered around the horseshoe pit, all of them with either a beer in hand or a cigarette. Amidst the laughter and the dull thunks of horseshoes hitting the pole, dirt, or wooden bases, he listened to their constant ribbing of each other. He looked over Shiv, Dominic, Ferret, the former Bang Baby known as Boom, and two others that they’d known from past lives. He had played a few games, but had gotten bored from the monotony. Sitting on one of the deck chairs, he worked on his beer and listened vaguely to Francis’ angry muttering as he paced the deck.
“I should have him followed, huh? Just to make sure. Just to be sure that he ain’t out there, all fuckin’ up with some other guy. I should be usin’ fuckin’ condoms with that fuckin’ piece of shit. I might get something from him, from all his messin’ around.”
Ivan rolled his eyes. He was struggling not to let Francis’ anger wash over him. To not let it affect him. But the more Francis felt in the subject, the more Ivan was able to feel those hot tingles of insecurity and furiousness.
“You’re being stupid,” he muttered. “You’re the one messin’ around.”
“Yeah, but I’m careful. I know what I’m fuckin’ doin’. I take all these fuckin’ measures to be careful. He’s fuckin’ stupid enough to get caught. Fuck! It’s fuckin’ almost two thirty in the fuckin’ morning, and he’s still out. Fuckin’–! ARGH!”
“Dude, stop saying ‘fuck’,” Shiv scolded, climbing onto the deck via railing rather than the stairs. He grinned at both, throwing back the last of his beer. “What’s got you all riled, big guy? Gonna pound somebody into the dirt? That’s cool.”
“Fuck off, Shiv.”
“Ah. You’re all like that, it has to be the little R.” Shiv gave him a sympathetic look.
Ivan gave him a scoff. “He’s bigger than you.”
“Yeah, but he’s all arms and legs. Like one of them daddy longlegs. You could squish him if you just sit on him. That’s all I have to do.”
“How much you gain, anyway?”
“Thirty pounds.”
Francis looked back at him, giving him a scoffing expression. “Well, it sure shows.”
“It’s all love, man.” Shiv patted the beginnings of a beer gut, and muffled his belch behind one hand. “The ladies do not complain.”
“What ‘ladies’? Heard you been fuckin’ around with the high school lot.”
“Lies, man! Lies! I never knew she was fifteen! She looked older!”
“Shiv hits anything female,” Ivan muttered. “Don’t matter if it be human or not.”
“Once again, all lies! I never knew that was ewe.”
Both males gave him a disgusted expression, and Shiv laughed. Ivan tossed his empty beer bottle at him, but Shiv still possessed fast reflexes despite his added bulk.
He ducked, and the three heard it connect with one of the guys near the pit. At an outraged roar, Shiv straightened, glancing over his shoulder.
“So, anyway, is that all this about? Like you should be trippin’, big dude. Heard you and Cassandra got all cozy last night.”
“...Was that her name?”
“She has big titties. I’d rather do them than her. I heard she’s nasty. Not in the freaky way, but in the way that makes you wanna bleach yourself afterward.”
“Where do you get all this stuff?” Ivan asked with a disgusted sneer.
“Hey, I ain’t shamed. I gossip like an old lady. I have, like, all these contacts all over town.” He snapped his fingers. “If I want something on somebody, I just gotta call someone up. Just like that! Takes a few calls, but I always get my info. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with spreading and receiving words, y’know?”
Francis snorted, but then gave him a considering look. Ivan knew immediately without asking what he was aiming for, and searched the nearby railing for his pack of cigs. “You stupid, Stone. Just let it alone.”
“No. It ain’t right.”
“You ain’t right.”
“It just ain’t right!”
“Dude, you remind me of this one guy on Springer,” Shiv muttered, shaking his head. He walked over to Ivan, bumming a cigarette from him, taking the flame that Ivan held up above his head so he could light it. After exhaling and coughing a few times, he continued with, “He was all cool with sleeping around with all these chicks, but got pissed when his wife slept with, like, one guy. His brother. Somethin’.”
“You still watch that?”
“Yeah. On your tv. You need more channels.”
“YOU NEED A JOB!”
“I could. But you could just get another job that pays more so that I don’t have to do anything for the rest of my life.”
Francis started to give a retort when one of the guys called for him to join their last game. Considering that, he left the deck to join them, Shiv taking a seat upon the railing, watching him leave. He snickered, stabbing out his cigarette on one of the overhang support beams.
“It’s fun making him mad,” he confided to Ivan, who propped his shoes up onto the other deck chair with a bored expression. “Cuz he don’t have his powers? It’s like fuckin’ around with a bull. Waving a red flag in front of him, and seein’ how long I can last with him charging.”
“You just stupid, is all.”
“I live on the wild side, man. I like living dangerously.”
“You like livin’ where you don’t have to do shit!”
“Oh, that too.”
“You better get a job, man! People are going to start kicking ass if you don’t.”
“My ass is cushioned enough to deflect any harm. Don’t be jealous, Ivan. Just cuz I’m Asian and you all black, and my ass is bigger than yours.”
Ivan gave him a drop-dead expression, Shiv laughing aloud at himself as he lifted one cheek and swatted himself. At that moment, Richie walked out, and winced upon seeing that.
“Oh, ew,” he muttered, catching sight of Ivan sitting nearby. “I don’t wanna know what you two were up to.”
“What you implying?”
“I was straight out with that.”
“You ain’t straight.”
“Where’ve you been?” Ivan asked, glancing over to Francis, who was busy throwing his turn.
“Out. Doing things. You guys are still here? I hope you don’t make the neighbors complain, again,” Richie muttered, frowning at the group of guys in the horseshoe pit. He then looked at Shiv with a scowl. “And YOU! GO HOME!...That better not be my shirt, Shiv. I’ll seriously kick your ass.”
Shiv blinked, then climbed onto the railing, to shake what he had as Richie fumed. “It could be fun, I’ll give you some when you have none! Sharing is caring–! ARGH!”
Ivan exhaled as Shiv hit the lawn, Richie snickering as he leaned over the railing, where he’d shoved the former Bang Baby off. Richie turned around to face Ivan, frowning at him as Shiv grumbled back to his feet.
“Is Francis even here?” he asked, watching Shiv as he climb back onto the deck, brushing off his jeans.
“Yeah.”
“Hey, you know this guy Joe from that gym on South Gold?” Shiv asked him curiously. “You go to that gym?”
“...Yeah. But I don’t know anybody named ‘Joe’.”
“...S’not what I heard.”
“Whatever you heard was wrong, then.”
“I’m never wrong. You know, for twenty bucks, I can keep quiet about it.”
Richie gave him a disgusted look, kicking out at him. Shiv avoided his foot easily. “Shut up, Gummer! Go home!”
“The Big F prolly doesn’t like it when strange guys start calling here for you. Huh? I bet Joe doesn’t even know you’re married, huh?”
“Shut up, Shiv!”
“You cheatin’, trick?” Ivan asked, giving him a studious examination, as if he could see the evidence. He took in the pair of baggy jeans, the tight fitting black tee that displayed the width of his shoulders and tapered waist.
“No! And stop calling me that.”
“‘S not what I heard,” Shiv then muttered. “Something about bathroom stalls and personal trainers... but I ain’t confirming what I heard cuz that’s just wrong.”
“Stop being a fucking prick, Shiv. Don’t be saying stuff that isn’t even true.”
“...For twenty bucks, I might just forget what I heard.”
“...I don’t have twenty bucks, and furthermore, I am not cheating. But I don’t like it when lies are being made up to make Francis mad. You guys aren’t the ones hearing his bitching all the time. I am. I’d appreciate it if you stopped.”
“‘I’d appreciate it...’ Fuck. You even sound like a pansy.”
“I’m not a pansy!”
“Prove it.”
“I don’t have to lower myself to your age, which is obviously lower than your shoe size. And considering your shoe size, you aren’t very much.”
“Don’t be hatin’ on me.”
Richie gave him a withering look, looking back at the sound of the sliding door opening. All three looked at the four guys that filed out, all of them dressed in dark colors, all of them Richie and Shiv weren’t familiar with.
Ivan gave them a considering once over, his brow furrowing as he tried connecting faces with names. One of them looked over at him, then lifted his chin in greeting.
A tall, overly large fellow that displayed his tattoos and muscles with a L.A. Lakers jersey, this one reeked of alcohol. His friends were in the same state, all of them in varying states of being buzzed from either alcohol or drug. Ivan didn’t really recognize either, but he felt a bristle of annoyance sweep over him as he considered their actions, and their intentions.
“What’s up, Evans? You cool with us here?”
“Ain’t my house.”
“Heard there was a party. Came to see. Whose place is this?”
“Talk to the guy out there.” Ivan pointed out Francis, Richie scowling at him. The guy nodded, turning to follow, bumping into the blond as he stepped out of the way.
“What’s up?” he asked, grinning at him, pausing in mid-step. Richie scuttled away from him with a look of uncertainty, the guy following his progress. He then followed his friends off the deck, still glancing back over his shoulder at the blond that moved around Shiv.
Shiv blinked, looking at Ivan. “Who’re they?”
“Dunno. Just a group of kids, I guess. I don’t recognize any of them.”
“How’d they all know we were relaxin’ around here? They all kids? We don’t wanna contribute to that,” Shiv muttered, reaching up to tug thoughtfully on his goatee. He noticed that Richie was standing behind him, and gave him a startled look. “Oh, wait! We have a kid here all ready! Aw, did you bring them with you from daycare?”
Richie scowled at him, then punched his shoulder. Shiv gasped, startled into a few steps forward as Richie resumed looking out at the group of guys, watching them as they talked to his husband. Francis waved an arm about, gesturing at something near the barbeque pit, much to the amusement of the others. The small group grew even larger with the group that busied itself getting to know everyone else.
“How’d they know you, Ivan?” he asked curiously, glancing over at the black man.
Ivan shrugged carelessly, not bothering with a verbal answer.
Shiv frowned at them, shaking his head. “I dunno. Kids at parties, and contributing to them? I feel all wrong about that one.”
“This isn’t your house,” Ivan reminded him. “It ain’t your deal.”
“Oh...yeah, that’s right, huh? Fuckin’ awesome.”
“Why don’t you ever go home?” Richie complained, giving him a dirty look. “You’re always here! You’re always into our stuff!”
“That’s because, secretly, I want your man, Foley. That’s why I’m here. One of these days, I’m going to be the one taking care of him while you’re gone–oh, God, I think I just barfed in my mouth,” Shiv then said, turning to the side with a sick expression, tongue hanging out. He then straightened. “In all actuality, he’d probably break me.”
Scowling, Richie lifted a foot and shoved him away with a simple kick.
Ivan had to shake his head. “Shiv, you still stupid.”
“Why can’t you just love me like Ivan loves me?” Shiv then accused Richie. “Look at me! I’m a man in need of love!”
“You’re a man in need of a job and a bath!”
“...Sponge me?”
“Oh, God, the thought gives me a bad taste in my mouth...”
“You know you want it, Foley. You know you can be a man with me. Oh...god...I’ve got chunks on my tongue.” Shiv spat over the side of the railing, and turned quickly to fend off the kicks that he received for his last comment. “I can’t do this gay thing. I don’t see how you guys can be that way. Ugh, all that...stubble. And...balls...gross, and you know personally what goes on in the ass!”
“...whatever, Shiv. Shut up. You’re so fuckin’ annoying. You didn’t need powers at all to be a menace.”
“Quit it with the compliments, man. Oh, and I borrowed some of your underwear. Don’t worry, I left the lacy ones alone. They looked a little small. Somethin’ you ain’t telling us, man? Maybe, after all this talk, you just a butch chick. Or just have a really small dick. No wonder Big Red feels manly around you.”
Ivan lit another cigarette as Richie lunged at Shiv, the pair of them wrestling quite vehemently as they slammed each other off the railing and the walls of the house. Soon, their actions caused a few of the players to look over, Francis moving away from the game with a frown darkening his features.
“Not enough drama in this house,” he muttered as Shiv began to scream in pain, Richie locking his arm behind his back.
“Where’ve you been?” Francis asked as he stormed up the stairs, the blond straightening from Shiv immediately.
“Out with Virgil. What’s wrong?”
“I need to talk to you. Let’s go inside.”
“You’re not mad, are you? I hate it when you’re mad, because it’s always about really stupid things–!”
“GET IN HERE AND TALK TO ME.”
“...Fine.” Richie kicked Shiv one last time, the Asian crying ‘Foul!’ from the unexpected action.
Ivan watched Shiv climb slowly to his feet, wincing as he rubbed at his upper left thigh. “What? All talk, no action? I saw straight-out ass kicking, Shiv. What happened to you?”
“Aw, I’m drunk. That’s all. Besides, I might break him. And THEN the shit will hit the fan, cuz then you know Big Red will come up here and fatality me for fuckin’ up his sex toy.”
Ivan had to chuckle, ducking his head. “Shiv...you’re fuckin’ retarded. Go get me another beer. None of that Light shit, either.”
“Gimme twenty bucks.”
“Go get it now, and I won’t let it slip whatchu been doin’ with that kid’s underwear when he’s gone.”
“...Ooh...you still play dirty, Ivan. I like that.” Shiv grinned at him, then hurried off to get what he’d been ordered to do.
Chapter Three:
It’s Nice To Know We Had It All
With Frieda’s pregnancy, combined with Shenice Vale’s similar condition, Virgil had either coming to his house to spend some time with. Or he himself was spending time with either at their own homes. Most of the time, though, due to three sets of frustrated and exasperated parents, the girls ended up coming to Virgil’s house to hang out.
Robert Hawkins had been on his son to marry Frieda, to ‘do the right thing’, but then Shenice had come along with her revelation and threw a wrench into those plans. Due to his utter disbelief at his son’s actions, placing the blame entirely on him, Robert wasn’t very happy with his son as of late. The older Hawkins made it a point to spend some time away from the house, to avoid any arguments with his only son.
Today was Frieda Goran’s day to spend with Virgil, and they had done so throughout the morning. Frieda was ready to go home, to spend the rest of the day with her own family and Virgil had made his plans with Richie. Even as Frieda felt those episodes of being alone, of being too young to have a baby, of having a future set aside for this, she still felt independent enough to push her fears aside to live a somewhat life where she could make some of the decisions she had before pregnancy.
There were times when she was glad Virgil had his own plans, but there were definitely days when she felt she had to have him at her side. After all, it took two to make a baby.
They hadn’t really had a ‘relationship’ in a manner of speaking. They had just come to terms in that if one had an itch, the other would come over to scratch it. Frieda had lived with a roommate until she decided that moving back home would cut some of the upcoming costs. Her future with journalism would have to be set aside for a future with a baby. Having already graduated, she had been interning with a local station before finding out she was pregnant.
She heaved a sigh as one of her puffy hands found their way to her lower back, rubbing insistently at the constant pang there. Her very swollen belly seemed to jiggle with each step she took, and the baby within protested with an uncomfortable squirming that made her groan, pausing in mid-action.
It made her feel giddy and excited to know that her child was active; the feeling of the baby wiggling around in his/her warm environment was an incredible feeling. There were times when she could just sit on the couch, wrap her arms loosely around her belly and just pretend to hold her child in her arms. It was well worth all the episodes of mood swings, hours of being tired, of the constant snacking, the lack of true, comfortable sleep.
She had one more month to go–she really couldn’t wait. Her birthing plan had been organized, her doctor was friendly and uplifting, the Hawkins’ and her own family was very supportive, and the Lamaze classes really helped out considerably. Though the thought of pain of child birth made her weak headed, she was determined to see how far she could stand it until an epidermal was administered.
She gave a low groan as she paused by the couch, and slowly lowered herself onto the overstuffed cushions. She propped her feet up onto the coffee table, noting how swollen her ankles were (she simply HATED when Virgil referred to them as cankles) and adjusted herself until she was sitting comfortably. Grabbing the remote, she felt the baby shift once more at the positioning, her eyes dropping to the noticeably moving bulge of her belly. She giggled, placing a hand over the moving baby, hearing the front door open. Looking over, she watched Richie walk in, giving her a wide smile in greeting.
“Hi,” she called from the couch.
“Hi, Frieda. Wow, you look...um, glowy, today?” Richie blinked as he took in the oversized men’s tee that just barely stretched over her ample stomach, the low slinging sweats bunched at the apex of her thighs. Her brown hair, once stylishly sleek and loose, was wrapped into a very loose bun at the top of her head. Despite it all, her skin glowed, her hair was amazingly shiny and thick, and she radiated motherly content.
She snorted, reaching up to push strands of hair from her face. “I know what I look like, ‘k? I’m pregnant. I’m fifty pounds overweight.”
“You’ll lose it all. About twenty-five of those pounds are the baby.”
“No, it’s twenty-five pounds for each knocker. And thirty pounds of fluids...all in my fuckin’ ankles!”
“Well...you do have big knockers.” Richie looked at the overly large breasts that strained at the shirt’s material, and winced.
She grimaced and gave him a glare. Lifting an eyebrow, shifting so that she wouldn’t feel as if she had three chins resting on her chest, she asked, “Where are you two going, today?”
“The gym. Then...I dunno. Maybe a movie? You’re going to be with your parents, right?”
“Yeah. My mom’s actually going to come pick me up. In a half hour,” she added, looking over at the clock on the corner stand. “I don’t know what Virgil’s doing, but he should be here soon. Something about borrowing someone’s weight set.”
“Um...Frieda? Are you...okay?” Richie then asked cautiously, giving her studying stare.
Knowing what Virgil had done (but unable to place blame, as Virgil had been with both girls without being officially with one at that time) made him feel like an accomplice to some crime.
“Yes...why?” She frowned at him suspiciously.
“I...was just asking. That’s all.”
Frieda gave a sullen sigh, and shook her head, angrily thrusting the remote at the tv and flipping through the channels. “I’m just pissed! All right? I mean...I shouldn’t. I think that one part of me is glad that he said something? And another part of me wants to rip his balls off.”
Richie winced again.
“But we weren’t together. I mean, we were just messing around. And I was an idiot and didn’t think too clearly to get myself on birth control–! It just pisses me off that he’s stupid, too. Don’t everyone wear condoms?”
“Unless you’re in a monogamous relationship...”
Frieda hurled the remote in his direction. His fast reflexes had him ducking safely.
“But you would think boys would automatically slip one on when the girl’s obviously not in her right mind! In any case, I’m pissed at him because... now what? I mean, come on! He’s got two of us pregnant...man, what if we both go into labor, like, the same day?”
“Well, I–”
“It PISSES me off that he must’ve went straight for her after we fought over the stupidest thing!” Frieda then huffed, cutting him off. She crossed her arms over her ample bosom, double chin making her look more like a pouty overweight child. Her eyes, once big and bright, were now overshadowed with her weight gain and her lack of sleep, light circles darkening them from underneath. “Fucking hussy...damn her.”
“Are you really angry at her?”
“No...nah, just at Virgil. Fucking prick.” She muttered a few more things, then sighed again, holding her hands out. Richie rose from the arm of the chair he was sitting on, and pulled her up. She steadied herself against him, then pushed away to give them space. “Man...I can’t wait to be skinny again. Having all this weight on me? No wonder so many fat people are cranky. Oh, he’s got hiccups...wanna feel?”
The thought of having his hand on that swollen bump made Richie instantly uncomfortable, feeling as if he were touching something ultra-personal on his former classmate’s body. Sensing it, she rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, to settle it over the baby’s positioning. Sure enough, Richie could feel the minute bumps the baby made in his/her hiccups. It made him squirm, though, as he pulled his hand back.
“You have names picked out?” he asked curiously, anxiously rubbing his hand on his pants leg.
“Yeah. Darius for a boy, Amanda for a girl. Virgil doesn’t have a say in any of it. She’s having my last name. It would be awkward...you know...Oh, dammit. I’m leaking, again. I thought you weren’t supposed to leak milk until AFTER the baby comes?” Frieda then muttered, pulling at her shirt as she waddled off toward the back hall.
The back kitchen door opened and slammed shut. Walking into the kitchen through the swinging door, Richie looked over to see Virgil lugging a large crate in.
“When’d you get here?” Virgil asked, setting the crate down with a loud grunt. “Whew! That was heavy.”
“Long enough to realize that I plan on never getting pregnant.”
“If you did...man...that’d be so weird. Let me put this aside, under here, so certain people can’t bump into it and blame me for things...then I’ll get changed.”
“Make it quick. It’s almost two.”
“What’s going on at two...?”
“When the shift ends. And certain people are off for the day”
Virgil blinked cluelessly until the mental image of a well-muscled brunette that worked the front desk of the gym came to mind. He rolled his eyes, running a hand over his long dreads. “Whatever, man.”
Richie grinned, and then took over on the chair he’d been sitting upon. “I can look. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to touch!”
“You keep them hands to yourself, man!” Virgil shouted from his room.
“I’m not like you, V,” Richie murmured to himself, reaching down to retie his shoelaces.
“I HEARD THAT!”
SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.
Even after the Second Big Bang, Static and Gear continued to patrol the streets of Dakota. But even with their rigorous activities at nights, the pair liked to keep in shape. On the weekends, they often locked in two hours worth of cardio and weight lifting. Also, concerned with relying too much on their powers, the pair of them had began taking classes in self-defense; Virgil had fallen in love with Aikido and Tae kwon do, while Richie had taken considerable interest in the Isreali form of Krav Maga. Both had grown skilled in their respective defenses, and used them with confidence when they found themselves in a bind. They took their classes when they had time during the week, and usually after their work-outs on the weekends.
Francis had no idea that Richie was Gear, and Richie planned on never telling him. He also hid the fact that he took these classes, and Francis was none the wiser to his sneaking around to do his duties. He just believed the small lies Richie gave, and that was that.
It was the only time they were able to fit in such activities, as Virgil worked full time with his father at the Community Center, and Richie continued to take classes at the university in various subjects, still undecided in what to major in, and worked as a computer repair technician/programmer in one of Dakota’s computer shops. With his extensive knowledge, Richie was intelligent enough to find himself popular when it came to such issues, and as a result, made good money.
Virgil frowned as he panted heavily, wiping his forehead with a towel as the treadmill registered that he had two more miles to go. At the pace he was going, he was sure he was going to give out pretty soon. He shot an annoyed glance at the empty treadmill next to him, then over at the front desk. Richie had made it into the gym, but hadn’t yet left the front desk after changing into his workout clothes. He scowled at the sight of his best friend laughing with the brunette.
“You’re such a ho,” he muttered to himself between pants. Glancing around the area, noting the pretty woman in the free weights section, the two serious bodybuilders taking over on the weight machines off to the side, he gulped in air and slowed the pace. “S’pposed to be here together. Doing together things. Cuz, y’know, we’re doing together things. Together things that no one else knows about. Not gonna have a partner that doesn’t participate in together things when he ain’t willing to be cooperative about together work-outs. Goddamn–RICHIE! GET OVER HERE!”
Richie pushed away from the front desk to give him a startled look, then sent him a careless wave as he resumed talking to the grinning brunette. Virgil scowled heartily, and finished off the last two miles.
Wiping his face, shoulders and back of the neck, he stepped off the treadmill. It was at this time when his partner finally joined him, smiling in that careless and smug way he had when getting away with something he shouldn’t have. Virgil was long used to those expressions; understanding the reasonings behind them was something different.
“You’re married,” he said with a scowl.
“Doesn’t mean I’m dead. Besides, what’s with a little flirting here and there?”
“You’re scandalous.”
“God.” Richie rolled his eyes, removing his glasses as he followed Virgil to the free weights section of the gym. “I get told that a lot. Ivan thinks I’m one of those golddigging hoes you hear about in that rap bullshit they listen to all the time.”
“Well...maybe they’re right.”
“Virgil!”
“I mean, not about the goldigging part, but all the others in-between!”
“What ‘others in-between’!?” Richie asked, huffing as he scowled. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying myself, and if that includes enjoying myself while talking to other people, then we should all redefine infidelity.”
Virgil snorted, picking up a forty-five pound weight. He pulled that up and over his head, and twisted it so that he was holding it with both hands underneath one lip. Performing some triceps exercises, he gave Richie a look in the mirror that lined the back wall.
“I’m just saying, man. I mean, you’re all out and about, and have all these places where you meet up with certain company,” he glanced at the woman that was still working out with her weights, “and you’ve got your loved one all at home and waiting for you to come back....and you all messing around!”
Richie shifted uncomfortably, but he picked up a set of twenty-five pound weights, taking a seat at the edge of a bench. Working with them, he scowled at Virgil’s reflection. “Who’s to say that he isn’t doing the same thing?”
“Well, yeah, but...you all obvious.”
“To you! I feel okay with it, because I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong! I mean, I haven’t gone out of my way to kiss or have sex with someone that isn’t my husband. I have done none of those things with anyone but him. But I do enjoy going out and making myself feel desirable when others give me that attention. I’m obviously not getting it at home...”
“Yeah, but...it’s just...you just go right out there and do that stuff, Rich! I mean, you have that guy’s schedule down to the ‘T’. You come in only when he’s about to leave!”
“Duh, Virgil.”
Virgil thought about it, then gave a shake of his head. “You’re still scandalous.”
“Says you with two babies with two different chicks on the way. Hey, by the by, what if they go into labor at the same time?”
Virgil paused in lifting, blinking. The woman rose from her position nearby, giving them both a smirk, and left that section. Virgil watched her spandex clad ass in the mirror, then straightened his arms, lowering the weight back onto its stand.
“Shut up, Richie,” he then muttered.
“No, seriously! What’s going to happen?”
“Pops was all up on my case about that, too. Sheesh...man, I know what I did wrong. I...I dunno. Try to be there for them both, I guess. Ain’t nothin’ more I can do about it.”
“I’d do anything for you, V, but that’s something I’m not going to help you with.”
Grabbing another set of weights, he shuffled over to the other end of the workbench, and propped himself onto it, working his triceps once more. “We’re still going out, tonight, right?”
“Yeah. I don’t have a curfew.”
“We need to get to the south end. There’s a lot of activity out there.”
“Hopefully it’s another Bang Baby. I’m so bored.”
Virgil shook his head, switching arms. “No. Just gang activity.”
“You’d think they’d stop that.”
“Baddies never die in the eternal battle of good versus evil, Rich. You know that.”
SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.SS.
It was nearly two a.m., and while they were still gathered in the backyard, drinking and playing a game of Midnight ‘Shoes, Francis was already furious. Ivan shook his head as he watched the redhead look at his watch for the millionth time, then glancing inside to see if his husband had appeared in the last five minutes.
“Chill out, man, shit,” Ivan muttered around his beer. “Get your mind on other things. You call that bitch up?”
“She wasn’t home. You think he’s fuckin’ around on me?”
“...Like you should be caring when you’re all up doing the same thing.”
“Fuck that. Fuckin’ bitch. I know he’s fuckin’ with someone. He don’t even have his fuckin’ cellphone on him! I fuckin’ bought that thing so I could stay in touch with him, an’ he don’t even have it turned on.”
Ivan looked out at the two teams of three gathered around the horseshoe pit, all of them with either a beer in hand or a cigarette. Amidst the laughter and the dull thunks of horseshoes hitting the pole, dirt, or wooden bases, he listened to their constant ribbing of each other. He looked over Shiv, Dominic, Ferret, the former Bang Baby known as Boom, and two others that they’d known from past lives. He had played a few games, but had gotten bored from the monotony. Sitting on one of the deck chairs, he worked on his beer and listened vaguely to Francis’ angry muttering as he paced the deck.
“I should have him followed, huh? Just to make sure. Just to be sure that he ain’t out there, all fuckin’ up with some other guy. I should be usin’ fuckin’ condoms with that fuckin’ piece of shit. I might get something from him, from all his messin’ around.”
Ivan rolled his eyes. He was struggling not to let Francis’ anger wash over him. To not let it affect him. But the more Francis felt in the subject, the more Ivan was able to feel those hot tingles of insecurity and furiousness.
“You’re being stupid,” he muttered. “You’re the one messin’ around.”
“Yeah, but I’m careful. I know what I’m fuckin’ doin’. I take all these fuckin’ measures to be careful. He’s fuckin’ stupid enough to get caught. Fuck! It’s fuckin’ almost two thirty in the fuckin’ morning, and he’s still out. Fuckin’–! ARGH!”
“Dude, stop saying ‘fuck’,” Shiv scolded, climbing onto the deck via railing rather than the stairs. He grinned at both, throwing back the last of his beer. “What’s got you all riled, big guy? Gonna pound somebody into the dirt? That’s cool.”
“Fuck off, Shiv.”
“Ah. You’re all like that, it has to be the little R.” Shiv gave him a sympathetic look.
Ivan gave him a scoff. “He’s bigger than you.”
“Yeah, but he’s all arms and legs. Like one of them daddy longlegs. You could squish him if you just sit on him. That’s all I have to do.”
“How much you gain, anyway?”
“Thirty pounds.”
Francis looked back at him, giving him a scoffing expression. “Well, it sure shows.”
“It’s all love, man.” Shiv patted the beginnings of a beer gut, and muffled his belch behind one hand. “The ladies do not complain.”
“What ‘ladies’? Heard you been fuckin’ around with the high school lot.”
“Lies, man! Lies! I never knew she was fifteen! She looked older!”
“Shiv hits anything female,” Ivan muttered. “Don’t matter if it be human or not.”
“Once again, all lies! I never knew that was ewe.”
Both males gave him a disgusted expression, and Shiv laughed. Ivan tossed his empty beer bottle at him, but Shiv still possessed fast reflexes despite his added bulk.
He ducked, and the three heard it connect with one of the guys near the pit. At an outraged roar, Shiv straightened, glancing over his shoulder.
“So, anyway, is that all this about? Like you should be trippin’, big dude. Heard you and Cassandra got all cozy last night.”
“...Was that her name?”
“She has big titties. I’d rather do them than her. I heard she’s nasty. Not in the freaky way, but in the way that makes you wanna bleach yourself afterward.”
“Where do you get all this stuff?” Ivan asked with a disgusted sneer.
“Hey, I ain’t shamed. I gossip like an old lady. I have, like, all these contacts all over town.” He snapped his fingers. “If I want something on somebody, I just gotta call someone up. Just like that! Takes a few calls, but I always get my info. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with spreading and receiving words, y’know?”
Francis snorted, but then gave him a considering look. Ivan knew immediately without asking what he was aiming for, and searched the nearby railing for his pack of cigs. “You stupid, Stone. Just let it alone.”
“No. It ain’t right.”
“You ain’t right.”
“It just ain’t right!”
“Dude, you remind me of this one guy on Springer,” Shiv muttered, shaking his head. He walked over to Ivan, bumming a cigarette from him, taking the flame that Ivan held up above his head so he could light it. After exhaling and coughing a few times, he continued with, “He was all cool with sleeping around with all these chicks, but got pissed when his wife slept with, like, one guy. His brother. Somethin’.”
“You still watch that?”
“Yeah. On your tv. You need more channels.”
“YOU NEED A JOB!”
“I could. But you could just get another job that pays more so that I don’t have to do anything for the rest of my life.”
Francis started to give a retort when one of the guys called for him to join their last game. Considering that, he left the deck to join them, Shiv taking a seat upon the railing, watching him leave. He snickered, stabbing out his cigarette on one of the overhang support beams.
“It’s fun making him mad,” he confided to Ivan, who propped his shoes up onto the other deck chair with a bored expression. “Cuz he don’t have his powers? It’s like fuckin’ around with a bull. Waving a red flag in front of him, and seein’ how long I can last with him charging.”
“You just stupid, is all.”
“I live on the wild side, man. I like living dangerously.”
“You like livin’ where you don’t have to do shit!”
“Oh, that too.”
“You better get a job, man! People are going to start kicking ass if you don’t.”
“My ass is cushioned enough to deflect any harm. Don’t be jealous, Ivan. Just cuz I’m Asian and you all black, and my ass is bigger than yours.”
Ivan gave him a drop-dead expression, Shiv laughing aloud at himself as he lifted one cheek and swatted himself. At that moment, Richie walked out, and winced upon seeing that.
“Oh, ew,” he muttered, catching sight of Ivan sitting nearby. “I don’t wanna know what you two were up to.”
“What you implying?”
“I was straight out with that.”
“You ain’t straight.”
“Where’ve you been?” Ivan asked, glancing over to Francis, who was busy throwing his turn.
“Out. Doing things. You guys are still here? I hope you don’t make the neighbors complain, again,” Richie muttered, frowning at the group of guys in the horseshoe pit. He then looked at Shiv with a scowl. “And YOU! GO HOME!...That better not be my shirt, Shiv. I’ll seriously kick your ass.”
Shiv blinked, then climbed onto the railing, to shake what he had as Richie fumed. “It could be fun, I’ll give you some when you have none! Sharing is caring–! ARGH!”
Ivan exhaled as Shiv hit the lawn, Richie snickering as he leaned over the railing, where he’d shoved the former Bang Baby off. Richie turned around to face Ivan, frowning at him as Shiv grumbled back to his feet.
“Is Francis even here?” he asked, watching Shiv as he climb back onto the deck, brushing off his jeans.
“Yeah.”
“Hey, you know this guy Joe from that gym on South Gold?” Shiv asked him curiously. “You go to that gym?”
“...Yeah. But I don’t know anybody named ‘Joe’.”
“...S’not what I heard.”
“Whatever you heard was wrong, then.”
“I’m never wrong. You know, for twenty bucks, I can keep quiet about it.”
Richie gave him a disgusted look, kicking out at him. Shiv avoided his foot easily. “Shut up, Gummer! Go home!”
“The Big F prolly doesn’t like it when strange guys start calling here for you. Huh? I bet Joe doesn’t even know you’re married, huh?”
“Shut up, Shiv!”
“You cheatin’, trick?” Ivan asked, giving him a studious examination, as if he could see the evidence. He took in the pair of baggy jeans, the tight fitting black tee that displayed the width of his shoulders and tapered waist.
“No! And stop calling me that.”
“‘S not what I heard,” Shiv then muttered. “Something about bathroom stalls and personal trainers... but I ain’t confirming what I heard cuz that’s just wrong.”
“Stop being a fucking prick, Shiv. Don’t be saying stuff that isn’t even true.”
“...For twenty bucks, I might just forget what I heard.”
“...I don’t have twenty bucks, and furthermore, I am not cheating. But I don’t like it when lies are being made up to make Francis mad. You guys aren’t the ones hearing his bitching all the time. I am. I’d appreciate it if you stopped.”
“‘I’d appreciate it...’ Fuck. You even sound like a pansy.”
“I’m not a pansy!”
“Prove it.”
“I don’t have to lower myself to your age, which is obviously lower than your shoe size. And considering your shoe size, you aren’t very much.”
“Don’t be hatin’ on me.”
Richie gave him a withering look, looking back at the sound of the sliding door opening. All three looked at the four guys that filed out, all of them dressed in dark colors, all of them Richie and Shiv weren’t familiar with.
Ivan gave them a considering once over, his brow furrowing as he tried connecting faces with names. One of them looked over at him, then lifted his chin in greeting.
A tall, overly large fellow that displayed his tattoos and muscles with a L.A. Lakers jersey, this one reeked of alcohol. His friends were in the same state, all of them in varying states of being buzzed from either alcohol or drug. Ivan didn’t really recognize either, but he felt a bristle of annoyance sweep over him as he considered their actions, and their intentions.
“What’s up, Evans? You cool with us here?”
“Ain’t my house.”
“Heard there was a party. Came to see. Whose place is this?”
“Talk to the guy out there.” Ivan pointed out Francis, Richie scowling at him. The guy nodded, turning to follow, bumping into the blond as he stepped out of the way.
“What’s up?” he asked, grinning at him, pausing in mid-step. Richie scuttled away from him with a look of uncertainty, the guy following his progress. He then followed his friends off the deck, still glancing back over his shoulder at the blond that moved around Shiv.
Shiv blinked, looking at Ivan. “Who’re they?”
“Dunno. Just a group of kids, I guess. I don’t recognize any of them.”
“How’d they all know we were relaxin’ around here? They all kids? We don’t wanna contribute to that,” Shiv muttered, reaching up to tug thoughtfully on his goatee. He noticed that Richie was standing behind him, and gave him a startled look. “Oh, wait! We have a kid here all ready! Aw, did you bring them with you from daycare?”
Richie scowled at him, then punched his shoulder. Shiv gasped, startled into a few steps forward as Richie resumed looking out at the group of guys, watching them as they talked to his husband. Francis waved an arm about, gesturing at something near the barbeque pit, much to the amusement of the others. The small group grew even larger with the group that busied itself getting to know everyone else.
“How’d they know you, Ivan?” he asked curiously, glancing over at the black man.
Ivan shrugged carelessly, not bothering with a verbal answer.
Shiv frowned at them, shaking his head. “I dunno. Kids at parties, and contributing to them? I feel all wrong about that one.”
“This isn’t your house,” Ivan reminded him. “It ain’t your deal.”
“Oh...yeah, that’s right, huh? Fuckin’ awesome.”
“Why don’t you ever go home?” Richie complained, giving him a dirty look. “You’re always here! You’re always into our stuff!”
“That’s because, secretly, I want your man, Foley. That’s why I’m here. One of these days, I’m going to be the one taking care of him while you’re gone–oh, God, I think I just barfed in my mouth,” Shiv then said, turning to the side with a sick expression, tongue hanging out. He then straightened. “In all actuality, he’d probably break me.”
Scowling, Richie lifted a foot and shoved him away with a simple kick.
Ivan had to shake his head. “Shiv, you still stupid.”
“Why can’t you just love me like Ivan loves me?” Shiv then accused Richie. “Look at me! I’m a man in need of love!”
“You’re a man in need of a job and a bath!”
“...Sponge me?”
“Oh, God, the thought gives me a bad taste in my mouth...”
“You know you want it, Foley. You know you can be a man with me. Oh...god...I’ve got chunks on my tongue.” Shiv spat over the side of the railing, and turned quickly to fend off the kicks that he received for his last comment. “I can’t do this gay thing. I don’t see how you guys can be that way. Ugh, all that...stubble. And...balls...gross, and you know personally what goes on in the ass!”
“...whatever, Shiv. Shut up. You’re so fuckin’ annoying. You didn’t need powers at all to be a menace.”
“Quit it with the compliments, man. Oh, and I borrowed some of your underwear. Don’t worry, I left the lacy ones alone. They looked a little small. Somethin’ you ain’t telling us, man? Maybe, after all this talk, you just a butch chick. Or just have a really small dick. No wonder Big Red feels manly around you.”
Ivan lit another cigarette as Richie lunged at Shiv, the pair of them wrestling quite vehemently as they slammed each other off the railing and the walls of the house. Soon, their actions caused a few of the players to look over, Francis moving away from the game with a frown darkening his features.
“Not enough drama in this house,” he muttered as Shiv began to scream in pain, Richie locking his arm behind his back.
“Where’ve you been?” Francis asked as he stormed up the stairs, the blond straightening from Shiv immediately.
“Out with Virgil. What’s wrong?”
“I need to talk to you. Let’s go inside.”
“You’re not mad, are you? I hate it when you’re mad, because it’s always about really stupid things–!”
“GET IN HERE AND TALK TO ME.”
“...Fine.” Richie kicked Shiv one last time, the Asian crying ‘Foul!’ from the unexpected action.
Ivan watched Shiv climb slowly to his feet, wincing as he rubbed at his upper left thigh. “What? All talk, no action? I saw straight-out ass kicking, Shiv. What happened to you?”
“Aw, I’m drunk. That’s all. Besides, I might break him. And THEN the shit will hit the fan, cuz then you know Big Red will come up here and fatality me for fuckin’ up his sex toy.”
Ivan had to chuckle, ducking his head. “Shiv...you’re fuckin’ retarded. Go get me another beer. None of that Light shit, either.”
“Gimme twenty bucks.”
“Go get it now, and I won’t let it slip whatchu been doin’ with that kid’s underwear when he’s gone.”
“...Ooh...you still play dirty, Ivan. I like that.” Shiv grinned at him, then hurried off to get what he’d been ordered to do.