BendtedWreath

I haven't been online much lately due to keeping myself sane regarding work troubles (which are unending until we hire someone on). However, I wanted to give a belated welcome to @Gugleamo, @Davide, and @Kreston Bach!

“And, don’t worry. I’m making enough lasagna to freeze for you guys.” - I want to be a part of his family and get leftover lasagna, too. Homemade pasta, and everything.

A thin line of drool stained Billy’s cheeks. His body was facedown and sprawled across the king-sized mattress, and his feet were uncovered. - 🤣That's pretty realistic right there. “I just had a fun idea for the project and was running it through in my head before I pitch it to Randy.” - Or maybe they'll take the rewrite into their own hands? and hopped into his gold Jeep Grand Cherokee. - That checks out. Bet he can afford gas prices and everything. Suddenly, a thin male tooth fairy appeared, dressed in a pink tutu, and began doing a crazy combination of twerking and the hula. - 😂

“How quickly you forget the devastating fart of 1996, when your noxious gas evacuated the bedroom and almost killed your cat.” -🤣Not the cat! Well, I think Phoenix is a fitting pseudonym for a redhead, and I wonder what the rewrite for that scene they have to do will entail.

The only surprise for me is how high "general fiction" is on that list.

Paul the half-fae is also in it, as well.

The next story will get into all of that, and we'll get a clearer picture.

The biggest difficulty was trying to make it feel subtle, but not too hidden that it would be overlooked. It still felt a bit heavy-handed after all that, but this was my first completed multi-chapter story. I just have to keep working at it. Thank you! Yes, there is more, and it's already challenging. But I think (and I hope Chris agrees) that the next story will serve as a good "grand finale."

Two years had passed. Once talked about, Mystic Camp Grounds shed its warnings. Now, it brims with warmth and belonging. Altair Bran stood in the main office, now shared with Cane. He followed the wood-paneled walls, pausing at lively photos of campers, human and supernatural, that replaced faded safety posters. Altair rested his hand on a photo, lingering over all that had changed. “Lost in memories, boss?” Cane called, voice teasing as he leaned against the doorframe. Altair gla

In hindsight, the title was spot on. Drake has to find closure with not just one ex, but two! Who will you root for?

"It’ll be a great place for Jack to play.”Drake sighed. “Won’t be long now. One more sleep and we get custody. I wonder how he’s doing.” - Whoa, kids, too? They're definitely not wasting any more time. Dogs often attached to one person first before they brought in others, and Jimmy was that one. He had been from the first meeting. - Oh. That kind of adoption. “Shhh,” he said softly, cutting him off. His face was lit with inner light as he looked upward. “Drake Richmond Forrester, will you marry me?”“Yes, James Dean Calloway, I will marry you… anytime and anyplace.”Jimmy sprung back up, and grabbed him in a bear hug. “You’ve just made me the happiest I’ve ever been in my whole life. Thank you.” - No, not the eye allergens attacking! Where's that box of tissues I just had? “Nope… four more in the garage that are just about to bloom. They’ll come up every year around this time and bloom for about a month.”“Wow, you’ve been busy… and sneaky.” - With brilliant ideas. “Hey, don’t you trust me?”“Always, Jimmy… just not your aim. You have a habit of getting stuff in my eyes.”Laughter pealed out of Jimmy. “Guilty as charged.” - Ha ha! He went there. “Well, we won’t get anywhere if we argue with him. So, when do you want to do this?”“The sooner the better. Next month?”Drake wasn’t expecting that answer, and choked on his champagne, spraying it outward while Jimmy pretended to scramble sideways. It took him a few seconds to be able to speak. “You’re not serious?” - 🤣Best reaction. “Huh. Are we changing the plan?” As always, Drake’s attention was diverted when Jimmy dropped his shorts. He had to force himself to look up. Jimmy, as always, was smirking. “Maybe. Why not? We have the house and the dog, and we’re going to be married within the next year. I wouldn’t mind getting the adoption process started after we tie the knot… would you be against it?” - Might as well get the kid(s), too. “Oh? You want to talk about that now?” Drake’s voice rose a little with each word despite of his efforts to be calm. In his defense, though, he had a rather large dick partway in him, and he was craving the rest of it. - 🤣It's the perfect time. “Are you sure?”“Absolutely. The past is in the past, and Richard can’t hurt me anymore. I have the man I was meant to be with.” - Amen! -- Well, that was a good read. Took me a while to get to the end due to my day job and my ADHD. But it was more than worth it.

“Oh, God. We didn’t get any farther than last time.”Drake chuckled, still out of breath. “Was that a complaint?”“Absolutely not.” - 🤣 Well, I read the last two chapters too fast to pick out quotes. If I started, I'd have ended up pasting the entire chapters in their entirety. They were that good a read.

I'm proud of Drake finally telling Jimmy how he really felt. But what a gut punch.

Drake now realized what it was as he pictured the man’s expression; he’d looked defeated. Defeated… Jimmy. - No one wants Jimmy to feel defeated. “Yeah, she’s at my dad’s house. I called her cell and he answered.”“Wow.” - Well, at least one couple got some action. Picking up his suit bag and grabbing the handle of his rolling suitcase, he turned back to Drake. “What do you think?”Drake smiled. “You want it?”“Fuck, no.” - 🤣 “That’s an understatement. I think I’ve lost his friendship. He as much as said he’s given up.”“Friendship? Who are you kidding? You love him.” - You tell him, best sibling! “Say it again.”“He isn’t Richard. I know who Jimmy is.”“And?”“I love him… I really love him.”“Good boy… there’s hope for you yet.”“Shut up, twerp,” he said, but he was grinning from ear to ear. - 😂

I blame the train and trying to type on a small phone screen.😂

“Intimate? Are you kidding me? Fuck! I like to dance, Drake, that’s all. You know what? I give up. You saw something that wasn’t there, and I think it was because you wanted too. You found another reason to keep me at arm’s length. Congratulations.” - Uh-oh. “Why don’t you start with telling me who Dean is, because he’s not the Dean you told me about? This guy is taller than you, and his hair is the wrong color. And he’s gorgeous. You never said Dean was gorgeous.” - Haha! So sharp. The only family member he couldn't trick. “Come on, Drakey. That doesn’t sound bad to me. The guy’s a keeper. Hell, Mom and Dad think he’s great, he likes you and you like him, he put Preston in his place, and did I mention he’s gorgeous?” - Yes, remind him of all of that. Best sibling.

You were sleeping with both of us?”Richard stayed seated. “I’m not proud of it, but yes, we did sleep together once before I told you. I had to be sure, Drake… it was the final piece for me.” - Nope. I don't care if you were trying to affirm things, you don't do it while you're with someone. That's common decency. He needed to have broken things off with Drake before trying that. She was going to try to win me back when she found out about you and me. She… backed away.” “That’s so sweet of her. Sounds like a fucking fairy tale.” - Hey, at least she has more decency than Richard when it comes to that. Don’t you need to get back to your pregnant wife? Does she know you’re out here talking to me?”“She does. I tell her everything. - The kind of thing you should have been doing with Drake from the beginning? Sheech. Yeah, talking about his one-time friendship with Richard’s wife was not a place he wanted to go. It had ended the first time Richard asked him out. - Oh shit. So he gave up his friendship with Bernadette for Richard's sake, only for Richard to then go back to Bernadette. “I have trust issues, and they get in the way.” It was as honest a response as he could give.“I’m sorry. That’s my fault, isn’t it?” “What do you want me to say, Richard? It is what it is… love isn’t always enough.” - Truth. “It’s easy to see how much you mean to him.”This conversation was heading into territory he didn’t want to go. - Agreed. Even if you're trying to mean well, Richard, that is none of your business. It was surreal, and it got even more so when after loosening his grip, Richard leaned in and kissed him. It was light and chaste, but when he followed up with another one immediately, Drake felt something different as lips moved across his in a real kiss. - Richard, you are such an ass right now. “Can I just ask… do you still feel anything for me?” -Hell no, dude. Go back to your wife. Here I thought it would only be Preston I wanted to punch in the face.

“That doesn’t mean he didn’t love you.”“Doesn’t it? Okay, even if he did, it doesn’t make it any better.” - I agree with Drake on this one. You’re gay until you’re not. Richard was gay too, until he wasn’t.”“Please stop comparing us. - Yeah, for goodness sake, he just explained he was a late bloomer. Pay closer attention, Drake. Drake felt awkward until Jimmy whispered loud enough for all of them to hear, “You and me are really going to class up this photo.” Drake’s and everyone else’s laughter was most certainly caught by the camera. - Not all heroes wear capes. “It was. The worst thing is, I was the one he was cheating with, and I had no clue.” “He told him I meant nothing to him… it was just sex… just fucking sex. I lay there bleeding and he didn’t even look at me.” Drake felt a slight jerk in the shoulder that touched his, but Jimmy’s voice was flat, holding little in the way of emotion. “I watched them walk out… got dressed and drove myself to the hospital.” - You didn't deserve any of that. “Drake?”“Yeah?”“Richard is walking this way.”Drake’s head swiveled to look back up the path. “Damn. I don’t need this.” - What rotten timing. They were having a moment. “No”—he watched Richard moving closer—“it’s time I heard him out.”Jimmy stood up, leaned down and kissed him.The sweetness of it rattled Drake enough he stammered. “We’re getting way too good at playing this game.” - Drake, friend, stop doing Jimmy dirty. He's being sincere.

A sideways glance revealed a broad smile on the man’s face. They were in this together, and he had no intention of pulling away. - You do make a great team. When their eyes met, Drake felt a sickening jolt, and had to look quickly away. - Unresolved indeed. He supposed that was how Preston had viewed him and Callie all this time, as half-siblings. - Which, if true, ticks me off. A white blond head popped up and turned around, giggling as he pointed at his uncle. “Hi, Uncle Drake,” the boy said before his mother had him sit down again. - Come on, Preston. Don't deprive them of an uncle they clearly care for. There was a collective gasp as she walked in on the arm of her father. A low whisper came from Jimmy. “Wow. Good looks run in the family.” - 🤣 In that fleeting moment shared, he saw her approval, and it made him feel pleased… until thoughts of his deception rose up. - No, no. Take the win. “My dad would travel anywhere to play a round of golf. He likes trying different courses, so he would definitely take you up on it. Besides, it would give him another opportunity to humiliate me,” - Ha ha! When opportunity knocks... He had no doubt she knew he was rattled by the car that had just pulled in. - Oh. He's running.

The woes of traveling by train. It tried to send my comment twice. 😂

“No you didn’t. What I heard was a man standing up for his partner and his relationship, so don’t you apologize for anything. Besides, I think it carried some weight with Preston.” - Nice! He has his future in-laws in his back pocket. I’ll spare you, and myself, the details, but Preston was the result of my mistake.” “Jesus, Mom! Are you saying Dad isn’t his father?” - Now we know the real reason he doesn't look like him. Though, it is true likeness sometimes skips a generator. “Okay, fine, but I just want to say one thing. I’m sorry for how it affected you. I get it now. I have for a while, and there’s a lot of stuff I want to say if… if you would ever stop long enough to listen.” - Dont give up! “Then you can’t, but at least we’ll know we had the conversation, or conversations, and that we finally dealt with something long overdue. I’ve made no secret how I feel about you, whether you trust in it or not. Tell me you don’t have feelings for me.”“I… I can’t. I do have some, but—” - What just happened? I swear my heart skipped a beat. 😂 “I’ve never given up hope… okay, I did, but I never stopped wishing. I fell hard for you, Drake, and I haven’t been interested in anyone else since you ended us.” - What a brave guy, putting it all out there.

As it opened, Drake heard his brother mutter, “Good riddance.” - Now I'm the one who wants to punch him in the face. Drake sure wasn't kidding about Preston. I'm glad Jimmy suggested a hotel. “Okay, that part was hilarious. You have no idea how pissed off he was when you said you thought he’d be taller.” “Oh, yes I did. Apoplectic comes to mind. I think a few veins in the man’s head might have burst.” He chuckled, but then became serious. “I didn’t overstep, did I?” - 🤣 I hope Drake reconsiders his stance. Sounds like he lost faith in Dean at some point when they were together. As it stands, I'm glad they've been candidly supportive of one another this far.

"You’re probably going to want to punch him in the face at some point, but you can’t." - 🤣 This could go south so many ways. Jimmy Dean saw an opportunity, and I hope they work things out.

That's exactly what I was going for. 🤣Et tu, @drsawzall? The good news is that it will happen. The bad news is not in this specific story.

I'm relieved you think so. I still struggle writing intimate scenes of any kind. Even implied ones. I find that hard to believe, but considering the younger group is 16, I'll leave things be. 🤣