Confounded: Part I - 14. Chapter 14

I moaned, filled with self-pity, when the video-com began to wail. Worse; the thing didn't stop after the normal ten seconds. Was he leaning on it or something?

I pressed the release button to let him in, and opened the front door for him, so he could come in while I returned to the bathroom, continuing to brush my teeth. I was just rinsing my mouth when I heard the front door close, and I walked out to the living room, finding Mitchell impatiently waiting for me.

"Ready?"

"Oh god, man...take it easy! I hadn't even had time to make coffee." I moaned again, still feeling very sorry for myself.

He laughed softly and came over, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me into a warm hug. Better. Warm. I hid my face into his beige... SPENCER! I knew it! Oh well, I didn't care. It was fine. I could actually sleep like this. I yawned and he snickered.

"Awww...you're really attractive in the morning, you know that?"

I hummed something, and received a firm kiss for it. But when he tried to pull away, I tightened my arms around his midsection.

"No. Stay. Warm."

He snickered again, and started to rock from side to side, humming a well-known bedtime song for kids. He was making fun of me, and I just didn't care. As long as he didn't speak.

"Lazy shit."

"Shut y'r mouth."

"Nah, open mouth. Great for kissing."
Fine, as long as he didn't talk. His mouth sought mine and he slid in, slow and warm. This was kinda nice; warm and cozy. Warm was the key, here.

"I didn't sleep a wink, last night," he whispered after the kiss.

"Tough. I slept like a baby."
I ached for coffee. No wonder I was so grumpy.

"Lovely. Great to hear. But ehm...you ready? Kit's waiting for us."

"Christ, are you guys always up at the crack of dawn?"

"Always. Well, I like to wake up to a crack; not sure about Kit. I guess not."
Funny.
"He wants to go to McDonalds for breakfast."
And suddenly I was awake.

McDonalds? They had coffee! Coffee! Mine!

"Well, get moving, you slowpoke!" I said, pulling out of the hug and grabbing my jacket. "Move!"

He looked at me, flabbergasted and then slowly shook his head.

"Can I have the manual that comes with you? I get the weird feeling I might need it."

"Less talk, more coffee. Action! I mean action."
He sighed and threw his hands in the air, giving up.

**********

Call me stupid, but I think the McDonalds peeps were just as sleepy as I was. But I got my coffee and curled up into a corner, sipping contently while Mitchell and Kit ordered breakfast. Those two were so annoyingly...awake; Kit had been yapping for what felt like hours already, just like yesterday. I peered over the edge of the cup (I had two more in front of me, steaming and waiting my attention), watching them approach with laden trays.

"You sure you don't want anything?" Kit asked, astonished, sliding into the bench beside me. I hummed somewhat and he shook his head.

"That's just not healthy. Coffee is bad for you."

"He just needs to wake up," Mitchell answered for me, "he's a bit sulky; early morning mood."

"I'm here, aren't I? Promise kept. So shut up and eat."

Kit grinned and set his teeth into an Egg McMuffin. Hmm..those actually looked pretty tasty, and my stomach growled. I eyed Mitchell's tray and saw one lying there, untouched. Reaching over, I quickly stole it.

"Hey! Go get your own!" he said indignantly, after emptying his mouth. So proper. Pfft.

"Hungry." I answered with a full mouth. "Feed me."
The choice between coffee and a bite almost did me in. He snorted, snickering and shook his head.

"It appears I've got two kids with me, here."

"Oh, fu... shaddap," I fired back, correcting myself at the last minute.
There was a kid present, after all.

"Empty your mouth before you speak."

"Yes dad," I mumbled, still with a full mouth.

Kit choked as he started to laugh and cough at the same time. I offered him some coffee, which, in my book, was an offer of enormous magnitude, but he declined, instead reaching for the carton of milk on his tray. He didn't even use the glass he'd brought. Yuck. Milk.

I noticed that Mitchell also had milk. Wonderful; I was sitting here with two udder-suckers. Great.

Then Kit asked if we were going into town; he had several items he needed.

"My printer's on the fritz, so I need a new one. And Dad, I saw this new game; can I buy it?"

"What kind of game?" Mitchell asked, "if it's just brainless shooting and killing; you know how I feel about those games. And how would you get that printer home with you? On the train? I don't think so."

"You could drive me back," Kit suggested, sounding hopeful. "That way, I won't have to bring it on the train."
Mitchell turned his head to me, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"What...?" I asked, not understanding what he meant.

"Are we taking him home tonight?"

Why was he asking me that? It was his son. I had nothing to say about it. I shrugged, which caused a frown to appear. Just then, Kit rose from the table announcing he wanted another carton of milk, asking his dad for money.

"We're a team here," Mitchell said, once he'd gone. "If you're going to be a part of this, he needs to remember that; he can't just go and say stuff like that; he needs to ask. Both of us, not only me."

Just like that. Without realizing it, he pushed my face right onto the facts; I belonged to this now. To him. To Kit.
That McMuffin suddenly pressed pretty heavily onto my stomach.

"Umm...actually, I have some stuff I need to do tonight. So if you wanna bring him down there, it's no problem; I won't be here anyway."
Oh, he definitely didn't like that; his eyes told me as much.

"Like what? What do you need to do?"

"Laundry, clean up; call that extra lover I ordered." I rolled my eyes.

"Funny. Very funny."
I grinned.

"What time are you taking him?"

"If we're driving, it's a couple of hours. So...I guess around 4pm?"

"Oh, in that case, sure! I'd love a road trip. Besides, that lover can wait."

"Oh, ho, ho...don't ever go there."
The look he shot me was a fierce one, but he grinned anyway.

"So... we're taking him?"
I nodded.

Then Kit returned and Mitchell gave him the news.