In the Fishbowl - 29. Chapter 29

A/N: Thanks to Jim for editing!

In retrospect, it was probably a terrible idea to let Travis drive his car, Dennis decided. But he’d been so upset, that Dennis doubted he would have denied him anything when he’d asked for the keys.

It hadn’t taken him long to regret that decision when his Oh-shit handle got more of a workout than it ever had before as Dennis held on desperately from the passenger seat.

“Where are we going?” he finally got brave enough to ask.

“See a friend. Be there in a minute.”

So Travis was angry. Dennis could tell because he was being uncharacteristically quiet. He didn’t really care for it.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Dennis tried again.

“As usual,” Travis mumbled, “someone sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Hey!” Dennis objected when Travis suddenly turned off the road behind a shopping center and took the car through undeveloped terrain that what was left of winter’s ice still clung to. This couldn’t be good for his car. He so didn’t want to have to buy another car. He refrained from mentioning it, though, when a small trailer came into view, and he curiously sat up as Travis came to a stop in front of it.

Dennis would have asked if Travis wanted him to come with, but when Travis got out of the car and didn’t even bother to close the door Dennis decided that Travis didn’t have a choice in the matter as he took the keys out of the ignition, unbuckled, and reached Travis just as he reached the front door and repeatedly slammed his fist into it. For that, Dennis pulled him back.

“Hey, you need to calm down,” Dennis insisted.

But Travis didn’t even hear him. The door opened, and a middle-aged man with a cigarette in his mouth and scruff on the face stood there, not looking at all surprised to see them. Hell, he didn’t even look surprised when Travis thrust himself in his direction. But Dennis was. He was even more surprised as he recognized the guy from the community center. Joe.

Dennis barely caught Travis around the waist and pulled him back before he could reach the guy.

“Travis!” Dennis shouted, not liking the way Travis was still struggling against him at all as he railed at Joe.

“You sonofabitch! You didn’t tell me!”

“Hi, Travis,” Joe said calmly, not seeming at all concerned that Dennis was losing his grip. “I’d ask you to come in, but I hate it when people break my shit.”

Frustrated, Dennis found himself reining Travis in, pulling his back flush against his chest before forcing him back until he was able to stand between Travis and Joe. When he released Travis but looked prepared to catch him again, Travis seemed to have better sense than to plow through Dennis, too, so settled for screaming over the blond’s shoulder.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?! Sponsor?” Travis demanded. “You’re a fucking piece of shit drunk! Where the fuck is she, Joe? Is she in there?”

“She’s not here,” Joe replied, still calm. Dennis didn’t feel calm. He wanted to feel that calm.

“Where is she?” Travis asked again, the pitch of his voice becoming somewhat irrational.

“Travis,” Dennis said, wishing that the guy would at least make eye contact with him. “Travis. What’s going on?”

Travis threw him a glance, more hurt on his face than Dennis had ever seen before as he made a rude gesture in Joe’s direction. “This asshole, convinced her to go,” Travis replied as if he were accusing Joe of sending up the nuclear blast that was about to destroy the world.

Afraid Travis would start yelling again, Dennis looked back at Joe. “Go where?”

But, Joe was still looking at Travis, and Dennis was beginning to question the older man’s sanity.

“She needed to go, Travis,” Joe stated. “Relying on you wasn’t helping her.”

“Hey!” Travis snapped. “She could rely on me! I never flaked on her! I never once...”

“But she flaked on you!” Joe responded, finally raising his voice to match Travis’s. “And you weren’t helping her, Travis, you were supporting her,” Joe added when he was sure he had Travis’s attention. Yes, Sara needs help, but she won’t get it as long as she has you around.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Travis demanded. He was beyond furious, and Dennis just wanted to take him home. He hadn’t been aware that someone with Travis’s complexion could get that red.

“It means,” Joe said, “that you need to let her go. Why do you think she didn’t even say goodbye to you? She’s not ready for you, Travis.”

“She didn’t say goodbye because you talked her into leaving!” Travis argued. “You... fucking tell me something, Joe. The night we met... did you know who I was?”
Joe pressed his lips. “I was there to meet you, Travis. I didn’t tell you who I was because Sara didn’t even know what I was doing. She told me about places you’d talk about... that’s how I found you. After I met you, I figured out that Sara wasn’t the victim.”

“I’m not a fucking victim!” Travis retorted, his finger pointing threateningly in Joe’s direction.

“How did you even know Sara?” Dennis asked quickly, worried that if they stayed on the particular topic Travis would only become more enraged. He was pleased when Travis looked just as interested and stared at Joe expectantly.

Joe sighed at that question, his expression suggesting that he didn’t really want to answer it. “I knew her before she found you,” Joe replied. “She walked into an AA meeting around the third time I tried to stop being a drunk. I’m not proud of it, but I took her home and we were wasted for three weeks, then she was gone. During that time she talked a lot about the past, you in particular. I wasn’t surprised when she called me almost six months later and said she’d found you. I don’t know why she called me of all people. I just know that when she did I was thinking a little clearer. She asked me to come see her; I was unemployed and figured this was just as good a place as any.”

“Then why not any other place?” Travis wanted to know. “You came here for her.” The look of disgust that crept over Travis’s face was slow, and he was horrified when he looked up at Joe. “You love her.”

“I care about her,” Joe allowed. “Why is my business. And I’m not with her, if that’s what you’re getting at. When I say she’s gone... I mean she’s gone, Travis. For you and me both. I’m upset about it, too... but it’s what was right.”

“That wasn’t for you to decide,” Travis said.

“Sara decided it,” Joe replied. “And when you’re done being angry and ready to talk about it, you know where to find me.”

Travis rolled his eyes. “Oh, fuck off! You’re a stupid piece of shit, Joe. You’re a drunk, and she listened to you. That makes both of you complete fucking idiots.”

Dennis waited for Joe to respond to that, and learned there was no point late, after Travis was already in the passenger seat of his car, wrestling with the buckle as if it had suddenly become the enemy.

Mixed between being embarrassed for Travis’s scene and equally pissed off at Joe for making him cause it, Dennis looked at the older man. “She’s really gone?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah,” Joe replied. “And someone needs to point out to him that that’s a good thing.”
.........................

Dennis frowned as Travis stood in his dark living room, and reached for his coat. “Where are you going?” Dennis asked.

“It’s late,” Travis replied. “I should get out of here.”

Travis never volunteered to leave. Dennis looked down at the hamburger the guy had left on the crooked coffee table, and frowned over the fact that it hadn’t been touched as he reached for the remote and stopped the move. “Maybe you should just stay here.”

Travis paused at the door, came back to sit on the arm of the couch, and regarded Dennis with patience that he obviously wasn’t feeling. “Look, I’m sorry about today, okay? I need to get out and do something.”

Dennis finished off his soft drink, then put down the cup. “So let’s go do something.”

Travis petulantly crossed his arms. “No. You don’t want to go anywhere.”

Dennis raised an eyebrow at that. “That’s true. But I will.”

He watched as Travis became both abashed and flustered over that. When he met Dennis’s eyes again he let out a breath. “Can we just go to bed?”

Dennis pointed at the food Travis hadn’t touched. “After you finish that.”

Travis rolled his eyes. “You definitely hung out with Mrs. Chesley too much.” But he was sliding back onto the couch, lifting the burger. Dennis watched him for a moment before reaching over to peel the coat off of him, liking that fact that there would be more steps between Travis and the door with it off.

With the movie no longer playing, and the silence in the apartment, Travis looked for ways to fill it and found himself talking around a mouthful of food. “Joe’s a fucking snake... let me think he was something he wasn’t. Bit me in the ass. I wanna kick his ass.” Travis paused, his eyes narrowing on Dennis suddenly. “You won’t let me.”

“I’m sorry about Sara, Travis,” Dennis said quietly, causing a whole wave of emotions to roll over the brunet’s face. And then, his demeanor changing once again, Travis scooted himself closer to Dennis, his knee coming against his, the contact seeming no different than if Travis were to grab his hand.

“She’s the only mother I ever had,” Travis said quietly. “I wanted to help her.”

“You hated her,” Dennis pointed out, and Travis looked up, shocked by the bluntness of that, and maybe more so because there was a point to it. But ultimately, he shook his head.

“Didn’t hate her.”
“But you blamed her,” Dennis said reasonably. “And you had every right to.” He leaned forward, elbows to his knees as he met Travis’s eyes more seriously. “She was no more of a mom than my mom was, Travis. You’ve met my mom. The first time I found out about you, all I could think about was that at least she didn’t let someone beat the shit out of me.”

Travis’s eyes narrowed again, but more in defense as he chewed at the inside of his lip. “She’s the only one besides me, who remembers Allan. She remembers Allan--before Bill got hold of him. What happens if I’m the only one who remembers, and something happens to me? He didn’t murder anyone. He saved me.”

“And what happened to Allan, Travis?” Dennis asked, surprised that he even wanted to know. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been curious, but somehow it seemed more important to know, to understand why the one person he knew who didn’t let anything bother him, was suddenly falling apart.

“He was afraid... after Bill. He hid in the neighbor’s yard. An old freezer. Took them three weeks to find him.” Travis swallowed once, met Dennis eyes as if he couldn’t look away from them. “Sometimes I wonder if he knew it was happening. That he was dying. Then I wonder if he did, if he wondered why I wasn’t with him. Or why I didn’t just... find him.”

Dennis seemed to think that over for a moment. “Would you even know where to look?”

Travis looked as if he’d never actually been presented with that question before, and then shrugged. “I never even tried. Allan would have looked for me.”

“You were just a kid. If anyone had been through what happened to you... I don’t think they’d think to look, either. Allan... made a choice. Maybe he didn’t think he had another one. But it wasn’t your fault, and from what you’ve told me... you don’t need Sara around to remember him, Travis. Maybe he wouldn’t even have wanted it that way. Would you? If it had happened the other way around?”

Travis trembled noticeably, and awkwardly, Dennis found himself lifting his hand, which he used to guide Travis’s head to his shoulder. He couldn’t remember ever acting on the desire to comfort someone, but then, he was the only one there. Even if he wasn’t, he decided as Travis settled against him, he’d still want to be the one.

“I don’t know what I’d want,” Travis whispered.

“That’s okay. You don’t have to.”

.....................

Aiden found that the best lighting came early in the morning. Just as the sun came up. Things always looked warmer to him then. Colors were better. It was when his fingers itched the most for his camera. And he liked the woods, the trail through the park he’d walked a thousand times. He was going to miss the smell of pine and dirt, and the way Owen tucked himself under the hood of his jacket, bleary-eyed and wishing he were still in bed. Aiden had been missing that last thing for a while.

“Hold still,” Aiden said, and as soon as Owen looked up at him, taken off guard and then perturbed when he realized what was happening, Aiden snapped the picture.

Aiden smiled. “Thanks for coming out here.”

Owen gave an awkward shrug. He was more thankful that Aiden had invited him. Maybe if he’d had the guts, he would have suggested they do something days ago. But then, there’d been a raw ache to contend with; Aiden was leaving him all over again. Today. He was leaving today. “Do you want to go up this way?” Owen asked, indicating the hill ahead of them. “You still like it up there, right?”

Aiden gave a nod and led the way in that direction, his steps unhurried as he glanced back occasionally to ensure his company was still with him. “I want to burn through this whole roll of film before noon. I’m going to miss it here.”

Being reminded so bluntly of Aiden’s pending departure, Owen came up short, found his feet refusing to move underneath him as he eyed Aiden’s back while he moved further and further ahead. The next time Aiden looked back, he noticed the change.

“Owen?”

Owen let out a breath, his gaze blindly on the ground as he seemed to work up a little determination and looked at Aiden pointedly. “Would it make a difference if I asked you not to go?” he asked. “Would it make any difference at all?”

The troubled look that crossed Aiden’s eyes was answer enough for Owen, but he still waited until Aiden quietly answered, “Not this time.”

Owen considered that, but couldn’t quite make sense of it as he watched Aiden walk back to him. Too late? Maybe. And Aiden’s answer was final. He was definitely leaving. But he hadn’t left yet, and they were both there. Together. And they weren’t fighting. And Aiden didn’t stop until he was so close that Owen could feel his breath on his face, the way it had always happened just before Aiden kissed him.

“But I still love you,” Owen blurted. It was as good an argument as anything for... whatever he was supposed to be arguing about.

Aiden froze, a slow smile spreading over his mouth. “I love you, too.”

“And you’re leaving.”

“Not until four o’clock.”

Owen sighed. “Can I stick around? Take you to the airport?”

“I was hoping you would.”

“And until then, are we just supposed to pretend...”

Aiden’s mouth moving over his cut him off quite effectively, and he smiled when he pulled back, brushing a dark strand of loose hair away from his eyes. “Owen, I don’t want to pretend.”

............................

Travis was used to feeling tired, but not like a zombie. Even making small conversation seemed like too much of an effort, so it probably wasn’t the best night to try to work at the club; but when Chris had called and asked him to come in, he couldn’t think of a very good reason not to.

Travis wasn’t sure he’d actually left Dennis’s place over the last few days, and if he had, he couldn’t remember. He figured the note saying what he was up to would be a pleasant surprise for Dennis when he got off work. Not that Dennis had given him any indication of being sick of his company. Actually, he’d been a pretty good sport, making no attempts that weren’t going to work to cheer Travis up. He just... let Travis feel what Travis was feeling. Most people, Travis mused, didn’t know the value of that these days. He appreciated Dennis for it all the more, and in return... well, Travis knew he was completely driving Dennis crazy.

He found himself oddly amused just thinking about the way the remote control had been his best friend over the last few days--the way Dennis went on with business as usual, politely refraining from bitching out the guy who wouldn’t get off his couch... unless he happened to be getting into his bed.

When Travis had finally walked out of the apartment late that afternoon to head to work, squinting against the unexpected brightness of the sun, he’d firmly decided that he’d have to put an end to his moping. It wasn’t like him to not be able to snap himself out of it, and Dennis seemed like a good enough reason to do just that. Besides, fuck Sara.

Okay. So, maybe Travis was still just a little bit angry over the entire situation. Sure, he suddenly had a lot more money than he was used to having, and the red envelopes in the mail wouldn’t be coming with his name on them anymore, but it had never really been about the money. Helping Sara... he’d just needed to do it, and didn’t expect anyone to understand why. Before he’d settled down in town, grew closer to people, he’d often felt she was all he had left, even when he hadn’t even known where she was, and he didn’t think she had the right to come and go as she pleased like she did. Maybe that was a tad unreasonable, but quite frankly, he didn’t care. He wanted something from her. He felt she owed it to him. And he wished that he could put words to exactly what that was.

The club had closed down after lunch, and wasn’t yet open for the evening. They were hosting a concert tonight, and a couple of band members were rehearsing on stage, but without being hooked into speakers so things were still reasonably quiet. Travis was grateful for the reprieve before the night started. He’d been fighting a headache since the night before. Dennis had suggested it was from lack of water, sleep and sunshine. Travis laughed inwardly because he was probably right. Sunshine and water he could take care of. Sleep had always been a different matter entirely for him, more so these days since he preferred to use most of the time he spent in bed having sex. And thank god he hadn’t lost the inspiration to do that when he was depressed.

“I didn’t know you were coming in tonight.”

Travis turned, not so much surprised to be facing Kyle as he was that the way the guy was looking at him wasn’t entirely hostile.

“Chris asked me to,” Travis replied. “I guess Owen’s busy again.” Leaving it at that, he turned back towards the employee room to clock in, but Kyle stopped him again.

“Travis... I want to say I’m sorry.”

Travis turned slowly, his eyebrow arching. “Okay... so say it.”

Kyle rolled his eyes at the holier-than-thou expression on Travis’s face, which the guy was probably exaggerating on purpose. “I’m sorry, Travis.”

Travis cupped his ear as if he hadn’t quite heard that, and Kyle found it difficult to suppress the laughter he felt bubbling at his friend’s predictable antics. But still, he went on, “You were right. Whatever went on with you and Owen, it was none of my business. I should have known better... and, I like Owen. I do. I just need to get over some hangups. And, I shouldn’t have expected you to trust me with anything, when I don’t stay out of your business long enough to let you come to me on your own. With anything,” Kyle finished humbly, but when he found the ability to meet Travis’s eyes again, Travis no longer looking amused, seemed rather serious. And before Kyle could react to it, Travis closed the distance between them and hugged him. Hard, which put into perspective how broad Travis was and made Kyle wonder why he’d ever bothered to cross him in the first place.

Travis liked hugs. Lately, anyway. They made him feel better. A little bit. And when it came to Kyle, and his friendship, Travis was a little sorry he’d ever taken that for granted in the first place. Pulling back, he ignored how awkward Kyle suddenly seemed and asked, “Wanna drink tonight?”

“You mean, drink, drink?” Kyle asked surprised.

Travis shrugged. “Yeah.”

Concern tugged at Kyle’s brow. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Travis smiled. “No,” he admitted. “Not really.”

Kyle was silent for a moment, and then, “Yeah. Okay, then.”
............................

It was warm enough that Dennis would have liked to strip his shirt off, had he been in a more appropriate place. Instead he’d taken advantage of the shade beneath a tall tree behind the community center, his back against the trunk of it while he flipped through the pages of a book that he wasn’t really reading. First because he’d left his glasses at home, and second because it was hard not to pay attention to Travis, who was inflicting chaos on a group of kids and making it impossible for any one of them to win a game of red-light-green-light.

“Green light!” Travis called, and the one named Michael came ahead of the group, toe-to-toe with an older redhead. Then, just as soon as it started, Travis called red light and sent them both back to the start line for not coming to a halt in time.

Dennis shook his head at it. He’d admit, when Travis had said that he wanted to come to the community center the first thing he’d been worried about was that Travis meant to run into Joe. That’s when Dennis had volunteered to drive. He’d thought Travis would object, as he obviously didn’t want Dennis interfering in any trouble he might make. But on the contrary, Travis seemed thrilled that Dennis wanted to come along, and as it turned out, Joe was nowhere to be seen when they arrived. Still, though, Dennis hadn’t been interested in letting Travis out of his sight, so he hadn’t volunteered to do anything inside, but instead opted to grab the book out of his glove department so he would have something to do as he followed Travis everywhere he went.

But maybe, Dennis thought, he should stop worrying when it came to Travis’s mental health. He’d been aware of the fact that the kid, Michael, had been calling him. Only when Travis had first said that he wanted to come today because Michael had asked him to, it was difficult for Dennis not to be suspicious. But now as he watched, while Michael finally, won the game, and the redhead started arguing about it, and Michael responded with, “Fine. Double-or nothin’.” Travis looked positively giddy when he looked in Dennis’s direction and pointed at the top of Michael’s head.

“He’s like a mini-me!” Travis remarked, and then blew his whistle to get the kids back in line.

Dennis shook his head, wondering who in their right mind would give Travis a whistle. But in all seriousness, it was good to see Travis smiling again, and he silently regretted all the times he’d ever made a wish that Travis Beltnick would be a little bit quieter. Because quiet, just didn’t look good on him.

Occupying himself with local kids, however, did. Travis had never seemed to Dennis like the type who would be good with kids, but maybe it was one kid in particular who he was good with. Dennis didn’t know much about Michael, except for what Travis had ranted about shortly after the first time he’d visited the kid at home. Now before they went to bed, Travis was religiously checking his phone to make sure it was on, just in case Michael called. In some ways, Dennis envied the fact that Travis had something he found so important to protect in his life. In others, Dennis didn’t envy what Travis had been through to need something like that.

Travis hadn’t brought up Sara, or Joe, and neither had Dennis. He was constantly wondering if he should, though. While he’d always known that there were parts of Travis’s life that he’d tucked away and protected dearly, Dennis no longer wanted to tolerate the idea that those particular ghosts from Travis’s past were hindering him in any way.

And that’s when he finally understood. Every time one of Dennis’s own ghosts reared its ugly head, Travis seemed to be the first ready for battle. And never, ever, had Dennis had anyone try to protect him the way Travis seemed to. Sometimes it was even to a fault, especially when Travis did it in ways Dennis didn’t understand. And sometimes Travis even did such things to protect himself more than Dennis. The night of his mom’s engagement party came to mind. But regardless of the circumstances, Dennis was beginning to see that regardless of what Travis did, there ultimately seemed to be a reason behind it... even when Travis didn’t even seem to know the reason himself.

Sometimes, Dennis didn’t know whether he should hate him or admire him for that. He felt the same way when it came to Travis’s never-ending supply of courage. Courage that could cost him in some circumstances but make him a hero in others. Even when Travis had been lounging around his house, depressed as Dennis had ever seen him, he’d never once appeared to be afraid. And that afternoon, Dennis chose to admire it, wished he had it, even, when the back door to the center opened and Ben Summers walked through it.

Dennis’s book suddenly became very interesting to Dennis as he inwardly winced. If it weren’t for Travis, Ben was the one reason why Dennis never would have agreed to come here without inspiration. He was also the other half of the reason why Dennis hadn’t volunteered to do anything to keep himself busy. Anything he could do to avoid Ben, it seemed to him, would be appreciated by either one of them. But then, maybe Ben had other ideas, Dennis was horrified to realize, when he noted that the blond was coming in his direction.

Dennis could admit it. He’d always hated people like Ben Summers. The guy was too open. Way too flamboyant. Maybe not now in a plain white t-shirt, which was pretty damn formal for Ben. Dennis knew the guy on a completely different level. Like, when he wore any and every color that was sure to glow in the dark, or like, when he made out with his boyfriend in public like it was everyone’s business. It was almost as if he welcomed attention, and sometimes, Dennis felt that was why Ben and other people like him, sucked at survival. One tragic memory involving Ben and Dennis’s brother seemed proof enough to Dennis that there was a reason for privacy. And sometimes it honest-to-god killed him, that Ben hadn’t seemed to learn anything from it.

But sometimes... Dennis admired him, too, for standing his ground. Refusing to hide. Sure, the guy was a lot more skittish than he’d been when they were younger, but even he seemed to have a point to make when it came to his own life, and he was more than ready to throw it in anyone’s face. That always made Dennis very, very nervous. It made him more nervous now, because Ben wasn’t only coming towards him, he was looking pointedly at him.

Ben Summers never did that. Looked at him. Dennis made a point to become more focused on his book. The last time Ben had approached him like this Dennis had attacked him for it, both verbally and physically. He’d paid for it when Leo poured a gallon of paint over the hood of a car he’d been borrowing from his dad’s dealership at the time. Several more altercations had ensued before someone got really hurt. That someone had been Ben.

Again, Dennis didn’t see that Ben had learned anything from it. However, one minor consolation: when Dennis finally gathered the nerve to look up as Ben came upon him, it seemed that the blond looked just as nervous as he was.

Dennis found himself closing his book and becoming defensive before Ben even had the chance to speak. “I drove Travis here. I’ll be gone as soon as he’s ready to leave.”

Taken aback, it seemed to take Ben a moment before he could get past that initial opening. But finally, a determined look fell over his delicate features and he said, “I was going to say, if you feel like reading there are plenty of kids in there who wouldn’t mind you doing it for them.”

Dennis blinked, confused. “Really?”

Ben released an exaggerated sigh. “Yeah, there are kids. But no, I wasn’t really going to say that.”

Hands on his book, Dennis found himself fidgeting, wanting to stand up. He didn’t like it when people stood over him, even smaller ones. But he remained where he was, deciding that Ben would be less nervous that way. Only, if Ben didn’t go away soon, he’d probably change his mind. “What do you want?” Dennis asked.

Ben’s mouth turned down, the look on his face suggesting that he was offended by the question. But, he straightened his spine and continued determinedly. “I’ve heard around that you’ve been having problems with your brother, and I wanted to know what it’s all about.”

Dennis’s first reaction was to suspiciously glance in Travis’s direction, but then just as quickly dismissed that line of thinking. He knew better than to suspect Travis of talking to anyone about him. But there were other people, and he knew he couldn’t put it past them. Like Owen, or any number of those other people that happened to love Owen, and as a result were being a lot nicer to Dennis than they ever would have thought to do without his influence. And with Lyle’s recent appearance at the club, it seemed reasonable to think that people were asking questions. But Dennis resented that. He resented it because his problems with Lyle had been going on far longer than any of theirs might have been, and while Ben didn’t exactly seem concerned on Dennis’s behalf, he definitely looked interested. The way Dennis saw it, curiosity had always been one of Ben’s biggest downfalls, and it took a lot not to mention that.

“Why?” Dennis finally asked him, not that he really wanted to know. It just seemed better than answering the question, because he was not going to pretend, even for a moment, that Ben Summers was his personal shrink.

Ben shrugged. “Sometimes I think about you and your brother,” Ben said slowly, and by the tone of his voice Dennis could imagine that whatever thoughts he was referring to, were not very flattering ones. “I thought you were close.”

Dennis was quick to swallow back the blatant laughter that accusation sent through his chest. “Look... we both know I’m not going to sit here and give you my life story, so if there’s something you want to ask me, then ask it.”

“Oh, fudge.” Ben suddenly cursed... or, kind of cursed. He was no longer looking at Dennis, but past where Travis had the kids, and when Dennis followed his gaze, the word he uttered was much more explicit.

“Get away from me,” Dennis ordered, wishing he would have done it in the first place as he reached his feet and waited for Leo to reach them. Dennis knew what angry looked like on Leo when he saw it. It was always sure to be provoked by one of two things. First, Dennis being anywhere where Leo had to look at him, and second, Dennis being within five feet of Ben. Two sure ways to send off the auburn-head’s temper, and Dennis had just been caught doing both of them. And it probably didn’t help that old habits died hard, and when about to be confronted directly by the first real friend Dennis had ever had, he couldn’t quite help the way he matched Leo’s angry stare, especially this time, because under the circumstances, he couldn’t see how he’d done anything wrong. That fault was Ben’s, for being too damn nosey.

And once again, Ben seemed eager to get between something he had no business being in the middle of as he stepped between Dennis and his boyfriend. “Leo, what are you doing here?”

Not bothering to respond to Ben, Leo placed a hand on his shoulder, obviously more comfortable when Ben was back behind him and further away from Dennis. “What are you doing here?” Leo demanded.

Dennis let out a breath. “Leaving.”

Leo took a step closer to him, voice lowering but still threatening. “Why don’t we go somewhere.”

Maybe because he was losing his mind, Dennis considered the offer. He was well aware that Leo had been itching to fight him for a while now. Only, he suspected that in Leo’s head it wasn’t much of a fight, more of a, kick Gordon’s ass just because...

“Where are we going? I vote for ice cream. You’re buying, right?” Dennis cringed when he found Travis next to him, looking at Leo with a little too much interest. Leo didn’t seem any happier to see him than Dennis.
“Get lost, Travis,” Leo demanded.

“You get lost,” Travis replied, eerily calm under the circumstances. “We’re not doing this here.”

Ben, seeming overwhelmed, couldn’t seem to decide if he wanted to pay attention to the kids Travis had left unattended, or to his boyfriend, who currently looked like he wouldn’t mind taking on Dennis Gordon or anyone else who cared to join them.

“We aren’t doing anything,” Leo retorted, still eyeing Dennis. “I don’t know you, Travis, and this has nothing to do with you.”

“Leo!” Ben urged. He’d decided to try tugging at Leo’s arm, but to get him moving was obviously going to take more than that.

Travis shrugged. “What can I say? I’m not good at minding my own business. And he came here with me,” he said, nodding at Dennis. “He’s leaving with me. You can tag along if you want, but you don’t get to touch him.”

That’s it. Dennis, feeling rather indignant at being rescued, gave Travis a small shove that left him a foot closer to Leo. “Why can’t you just back off?” Dennis snapped, eyeing the redhead warily. “I’ve done everything I can to stay out of your life, so stay out of mine.” He paused and looked at Travis. “We’re leaving. I’m leaving. Are you coming?”

When Travis continued to regard Leo with an avid amount of curiosity and more than just a little bit of annoyance, Dennis walked off without him. Maybe a good thing, Travis thought, since while Dennis didn’t see it, the first thing Leo did was attempt to go after him. Travis didn’t mind at all that Leo ran right into him instead.

“I don’t have a problem with you, yet,” Leo warned.

“Oh, but you’re about to,” Travis said quietly. “I know why you’re so angry with him.” That seemed to take both Ben and Leo a little off guard, but Travis didn’t bother to explain when he continued. “I’d be angry too. But your problem is, you know nothing and assume just about everything. Everyone does with him. Just because he’s okay with it, doesn’t mean that I am, and trust me, Leo, you’re the one who doesn’t want to have a problem with me.”

Leo snorted. “Are you threatening me?”

Travis considered. “Actually, yeah.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Leo retorted. “But, just because I’m curious, why would you, take up with Dennis Gordon?”

Travis sighed, a real smile touching the corners of his mouth. “Because he’s been a good friend to me. Maybe if you stopped being pissed off about it and started thinking for a second, you’d remember he was probably a good friend to you, too.”

Travis walked away, not very concerned that Leo would come after his back, too. It would have been very stupid of him to do so, anyway. Travis hadn’t gotten physical with anyone for weeks, except Dennis, but sometimes that just wasn’t the same thing. He had plenty of hostility pent up and with no outlet for it Leo had chosen a bad day to confront Dennis. And speaking of Dennis, he had his car running but hadn’t yet left when Travis leaned through the driver’s side window. “I can’t leave without saying goodbye to Michael,” he said, his eyes moving slowly over the stressed places on Dennis’s face. “Will you wait for me?”

Dennis pressed his lips, regarded Travis sidelong. “You know, Leo has every right to think...”

“I don’t really care what he has a right to think,” Travis cut him off patiently. “So if this is your way of telling me to stay out of it, you’re going to have to try something else. He’s an asshole, and he doesn’t get to talk to you like that. I won’t let him.”

Dennis’s brow flew up. “You won’t let him?”

Travis shook his head. “Nope.”

Dennis cocked his head at the stern expression on Travis’s face, and then found himself turning in his seat to watch his boyfriend’s back as he headed back towards the center, and slowly, Dennis’s mouth turned up, because once again he found himself amused by Travis Beltnick, and maybe this time, a little touched, too. Because maybe it was a good thing, Dennis thought, to have someone who had his back no matter what, even when he didn’t deserve it.