In the Fishbowl - 8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks to Jim for editing!

Dennis stripped off the jacket solely used for his delivery job on the way through the badly lit parking lot to his car, hating the way that it always smelled like pizza, no matter how often he washed it.

It had been a busy night, and he hadn’t been thrilled at all when he’d been forced to load twenty-three of the greasier pizzas that the establishment offered into the back of his car when a pre-Super-Bowl party had called for delivery. Before he even thought of escaping the cold for the front seat of the car he opened the trunk for the lemon-scented air freshener Mrs. Chesley had thought to give him a while back, and gave the cab a healthy spraying of it to disguise the stench of marinara, which had made his stomach churn lately more often than not.

Buckling into the driver’s seat, he didn’t have to wait for the car to warm up, since he’d been driving it all night, and at two in the morning, the heat coming from the vents felt good on his skin. He turned on his headlights, slowly started pulling out of his chosen spot, and then found the brake when he happened to glance at the front of the store, and the figure looking in through the window.

Travis’s straight hair was concealed beneath a tightly fitting warm cap, leaving his pale face and dark features exposed to the cold, the pink hue it caused making him appear boyish. He was bundled in the same dark coat and waterproof pants that he always wore, making it apparent that he would not be easily seen walking down a dark road in the middle of the night; a habit that Dennis was beginning to believe Travis was familiar with.

Sighing heavily, Dennis thought about killing the lights and driving away quietly. It certainly seemed like something he would do. But instead of reaching for the lights, Dennis’s palm tapped the horn instead. Because really, what the hell? He was trying new things lately, or at least it felt that way, since his time had been split between more than hiding out in his room and going to work. Why not see what Travis Beltnick was all about. Besides, first impressions notwithstanding, Dennis really didn’t hate him.

Travis turned, stared at Dennis’s car across the parking lot until he recognized it, and then jogged towards the headlights. Dennis made a point to unlock the passenger door, but he was still staring straight ahead when Travis let himself into the car, breathing heavily, as if the short jog across the parking lot hadn’t been the only run he’d taken recently.

“I thought you’d call. Not show up,” Dennis thought to say.

Travis released a short laugh. “So you were waiting for me.”

Dennis looked at him finally, unsure if he was amused or baffled by Travis’s self-assurance. “I was leaving.”

“Okay,” Travis allowed. “But you still waited for me.”

Dennis rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.”

“So are we going?” Travis asked, a little impatiently as he took the time to buckle up.

Dennis leaned an arm over his steering wheel, staring out the front window for a moment. “Look...”

“Not my place,” Travis was quick to cut him off. “I just came from there, and I don’t need another ride home... yet.”

“I was going to say I don’t know what I’m up for, alright? I’m not really up for crowds. Big crowds. And if you remember, Dovan’s club isn’t really my idea of a good time, so if that’s what you’re into...”

“Actually, I think I know exactly what I want to do,” Travis stated. “No crowds. No noise. And I promise, I won’t even try to make you wanna hit me.”

“Well, take all the fun out of it why don’t you.”

Travis laughed. “There’s that sense of humor again. Good. So drive, okay? This, I think you’ll like.”

“Alright,” Dennis said, though he couldn’t help sounding skeptical. “Where am I driving to?”

“You know the park about two blocks from here? We’re going to the other side of that. I can give you directions from there.”

“There’s nothing over there but houses and a gas station.”

“Yeah. I know. Are we going?”

Dennis shrugged. “Yeah, I guess we’re going.”

The streets were as clear as expected at two in the morning, and it was nice to see that they were dry for once apart from a few patches of ice. Dennis found himself hoping that some of the snow blanketing the town would melt away soon, too. Though, he wasn’t sure it would happen with the meteorologists talking about another storm on the way, but he supposed that there was nothing wrong with hoping for a few days of sunshine. There was something wrong, however, with thinking about something as dull as the weather while he was in a car with Travis, Dennis realized.

If anything, it was because Dennis was learning quickly that it was always a good idea to pay attention when Travis was talking, if anything to keep a good defense up. It was tiring work, given that Travis was always talking.

But not tonight. Glancing sidelong at him sitting in the passenger seat, he looked tired. Almost absent as he looked out the partially fogged windows. The usual paleness of his skin looked almost ghostlike beneath passing street lights, causing the fading bruises on his face and the dark, tired circles beneath his eyes to give him the appearance of a living corpse, and for a moment, Dennis wondered if he was sick.

“Are you gonna puke in my car?” Dennis finally asked.

Travis looked at him with an amused smile curling his broad mouth. “Nope.”

“You don’t look too good,” Dennis commented, but left it at that as he faced forward again.

“I haven’t been sleeping a lot,” Travis explained after allowing a few moments to pass. “And, your dad’s been tough to keep up with lately, you know?”

“So it does bother you,” Dennis remarked, finding some satisfaction in that, which made him realize that part of his dislike for Travis had been based on the fact that the guy seemed totally unaffected by John Gordon. As far as Dennis was concerned, anyone who wasn’t affected by his father simply wasn’t normal.

“Sometimes,” Travis allowed. “Only when I have a headache. Most of what he says it hot air, anyway. It would just be nice, I think, if he said it a little quieter sometimes... I didn’t hear much yelling when you were in there with him today. What was that all about, anyway?”

“Why are you so curious?”

“Just am, I guess. It seems kinda weird. You said you didn’t talk to him.”

“I don’t. Where are we going?” They’d reached the back of the park, and if Dennis kept driving the road would curve around to bring them in a circle.

“Make a left at the next street, two houses down on the right. You’ll see a white camper in the driveway.”

“A house? Where are we going?”

Travis smiled. “Don’t you trust me?”

“No.”

Travis laughed. “You probably shouldn’t anyway; that’s why you’ll see when we get there.”

“Is this something I can plan on getting arrested for?” Dennis asked, not at all sarcastic.

“Well, I don’t plan on it,” Travis replied as they reached the street, and then pointed off to the side. “Park right here.”

Dennis’s eyes narrowed uncomfortably, but he did as he was asked, and when Travis unbuckled and opened the door, he killed the engine. He still didn’t leave the car, though, not until Travis tapped on the front window and regarded him expectantly.

Sighing heavily, Dennis stepped outside and looked over the house, becoming more suspicious by the moment. There were no lights on except for a safety light on the porch, and the security stickers on the windows threatening an alarm system didn’t make him feel any better as he tried to figure out what business Travis could possibly have here.

But, whether or not they were supposed to be there, it seemed that Travis had no trouble trudging over the snow-covered lawn towards the back gate, leaving Dennis to stand there feeling like a guilty culprit before he gritted his teeth and decided to follow, if anything, out of sheer curiosity. But then Travis opened the gate to the back yard.

“What are you doing?” Dennis demanded.

“Keep your voice down,” Travis warned. “The neighbors are sleeping.”

Dennis frowned, obviously frustrated, but still followed Travis through the gate and around the back of the house. It wasn’t a large backyard, or at least didn’t seem that way with the high snowdrift piled in front of the back fence. But Travis didn’t seem concerned with any of it except for what was below the high-set deck, and Dennis nearly groaned aloud when he watched him pull up the cover of a hot tub.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Dennis said. “You’re not...”

But, Travis was already shedding his jacket before he lifted a foot to pull off his boot. The action sent him falling backwards, but landing in a pile of snow didn’t seem to bother him, either, as he got the boot off and started working on the other. “Of course I am. And you are, too, right?”

“Travis.”

“Don’t be shy. It’s not like they’re even home.”

“I wasn’t aware that made a difference!”

Travis rolled his eyes and continued to undress, pulling his shirt over his head before he dropped his pants and a tight pair of long-johns that didn’t do anything to conceal his muscled legs. He hooked his thumbs in the white boxers that wrapped neatly around a narrow waist, and looked at Dennis to raise an eyebrow. “What’re the chances you’ll still get in if I take these off?” he asked seriously, obviously wanting to.

“Slimmer than they are now.”

Travis sighed, pulled his thumbs out of his underwear and patted the elastic band before he climbed over the side of the tub, making a big show of being entirely content as he sank into the water, turned on the jets and leaned back against the wall to close his eyes, not appearing to care if Dennis decided to join him or not.

Incredulous, Dennis considered his options. Really, he didn’t see where he’d find any problems just leaving. Travis seemed resourceful, he could get himself home. But then, after another series of long minutes brooding, Dennis found himself removing his coat, though with much less enthusiasm than Travis had. What the hell? he thought once again. It had been a long while since he’d gone out of his way to do anything he’d consider troublesome behavior, and... good for him on that. But even if he didn’t want to, he had to admit that this was the most excitement he’d experienced in a while, and while the idea of getting caught where he had no business being had its frightening elements, he’d never been one to avoid breaking all the rules, and maybe, for just one night, he could do something that he’d feel entirely stupid about in the morning. Something innocent enough that there wasn’t much of a threat of guilt creeping in later.

The cold air bit at the skin on Dennis’s back once he removed his sweater, and from there it seemed like a rush to strip down to his underwear, which regrettably, happened to be a pair of tighty-whities that had a pink stain down the side from his last attempt at doing laundry. He’d never had many issues with his own body image, but that was only because there had never been a reason to, before. Suddenly, though, he was feeling a little self-conscious. He felt different than he had in the old locker rooms at school, but that could have had something to do with the tone lines and apparently used muscles that Travis was built with. Dennis had been like that once, he realized. And, it wasn’t that he wasn’t in shape now. He just felt thinner, and the only muscles in his body that had any definition were the ones he used on a daily basis. Also, it really didn’t help that his thighs were completely white while he was still somewhat tan below his knees from the last summer.

Feeling perturbed by his sudden dive into self-consciousness, he was quick to get into the water before Travis bothered to open his eyes, wincing when the heat struck his cold skin and aching toes, but after a moment of adjustment, he found himself wetting his face and enjoying the warmth. But, he still couldn’t seem to relax as he constantly glanced back at the window behind them and towards the neighbors’ houses, wondering who would catch them first. It was finally Travis’s laughter that brought his attention back to the other side of the hot tub, and as Travis stretched his arms out over the sides, Dennis’s eyes flicked to the signs of a hidden tattoo just beneath the guy’s underarm.

“Okay, you’ve gotta relax,” Travis stated. “Look, it’s totally cool that we’re here, alright? I know the people who live here.”

“You do?” Dennis asked suspiciously.

Travis gave a nod. “They’re nice people. All their kids are in college, and they miss them. I come over sometimes when the husband throws his back out and help out with odd jobs.”

“Another job?”

“One of the easier ones,” Travis replied. “I do this all the time, okay? They don’t care. They’ve come out here to visit at five in the morning a few times. Sometimes they make breakfast, and the last time I brought beer the old man drank one with me. So seriously, can you relax now?”

Dennis studied Travis carefully, looking for any obvious reasons to doubt him, but in the end, he decided that Travis was telling the truth. “I don’t need to relax. I’m fine.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I am,” Dennis insisted. “It’s not like I’ve never done anything ... I wasn’t supposed to, anyway. I do know how to have fun.”

“Really?”

Dennis rolled his eyes and then closed them as he leaned his head back. “Shut up.”

“Okay then,” Travis replied, yawning loudly.

“If you fall asleep, I’m not carrying you out of here.”

Travis opened his eyes to give the exposed portion of Dennis’s shoulders and chest a once-over. “Like you could,” he remarked, grinning. “But don’t worry. It won’t come to that. I just need to find the time to sleep one of these days. Who knows, maybe I’ll even stay asleep one of these days.”

“Why can’t you sleep?”

“I dunno. Maybe I’m allergic. Or I get bored to easily. Sleeping is boring. But then sometimes I have these dreams...”

“I don’t need to hear about your dreams,” Dennis said quickly.

Travis smiled. “I wasn’t talking about that kind of dream. But okay. Tell me about yours.”

“Why? Do you ever stop talking? I mean, is there really something wrong with just being quiet for...”

“Most of the time there is,” Travis insisted. “I told you, I get bored easy.”

Dennis splashed more water on his face and sank lower into the water, allowing the jets to roll waves of water over his shoulders. “I don’t dream all that much,” he finally said. “If I do I don’t remember. Haven’t since I was little.”

“Sounds peaceful,” Travis said sincerely.

“Sometimes better than being awake, I guess,” Dennis remarked.

“Oh, come on, you don’t have it too bad. That family you live with is kinda nice. I mean, you’ve even got a dog. Normal people have dogs, you know?”

Dennis rolled his eyes. “It’s not them. It’s fine, living there. Normal, like you said. It’s more a matter of wanting to be left alone and not getting it unless I’m sleeping.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there’s the part where I’m randomly attacked on the street by perfect strangers ready to hit me for money,” Dennis remarked.

Travis grinned. “I guess that would suck. But no doubt, you fend off anyone who would do such a horrible thing like a pro.”

Dennis smirked. “Yeah. I do that. But I’d be happier if I could do the same thing with my mother.”

“Your mother?”

Dennis was silent for a moment, and then shrugged as if deciding he no longer had as many qualms talking about the subject. “She got hold of the Chesleys’ number. She keeps calling me there. Then, my brother called.. I want it to stop. That’s why I went to see my dad today.”

“But, your dad’s hardly speaking to your mom.”

Dennis sighed. “Yeah, so I hear... maybe I was a little curious, too. Figured if there was something going on I should know about, he’d tell me one way or another.”

“And, maybe you wanted to see the look on his face after you saw him in that drive-thru?” Travis remarked. “Come on, admit it.”

Dennis looked off for a moment. “Seeing him like that was...scary. He thinks eating food from that place is beneath him, so...” He shrugged away the rest, trying not to look as troubled as he felt. At least Travis had the decency to occupy himself by dipping his head under the water for a minute, respectfully granting Dennis a few moments of space.

“Can I ask you something?” Travis finally said. “I mean, I will anyway, I just want you to know that if you don’t answer--I get it. Alright?”

Suspicious but curious, Dennis gave a short nod.

“I’m just wondering,” Travis said. “What made you stop talking to your family in the first place? I mean, I get people who don’t like their families... but I haven’t seen many who just... stop.”

Dennis chewed at his lip, contemplating whether or not to answer, or perhaps even the answer itself, and then finally said. “I just... don’t like who I am when I’m around them,” he decided, and then before Travis could probe further, said, “But you would know something about that, right? When was the last time you talked to your family?”

Travis seemed surprised. Apparently, Dennis hadn’t been as susceptible to his big-family story as Aiden had been. He almost smiled at being caught, but then as he thought it over, his expression became guarded until he was able to respond with a certain amount of nonchalance.

“I don’t have much of a family. My friend Kyle’s probably the closest thing, but don’t tell him that. It’ll go straight to his head.”

“No family?” Dennis remarked. “Sounds peaceful. Why’d you stop talking to them?”

Travis shook his head, as if to say that Dennis clearly didn’t understand him. “No, that’s the thing...I never talked to them in the first place, at least from what I remember. I don’t know if I even have a dad, and I went into foster care when I was two. I think once I was with a nice family who would’ve adopted me, but at the time my mom wouldn’t let them. Don’t know why, though. It’s not like she was ever around. Don’t even remember what she looks like. Just what people tell me. I think she was too young, you know? To take care of me. Fifteen or sixteen when I was born... I don’t really remember. So, no family. Just me.”

If Dennis was surprised, he hid it well enough, and if anything, Travis was impressed by the lack of pity in the other guy’s expression. It was a relief, even, especially when Dennis changed the subject by pointing to Travis’s right arm.

“When did you get the tattoo?” Dennis asked.

Travis grinned as he held up his arm to show it off. “When I was too young to be anywhere near a tattoo gun. Like it?”

“An angel?” Dennis remarked, unable to keep the amusement from his voice. An innocent-looking angel to boot.

“Yeah,” Travis replied seriously. “I think I have one. Everyone should... right?”

***

Ryan Sader yawned widely as he stood in the middle of aisle seven at the grocery store, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of the canned goods he’d just reorganized, wondering why customers only existed to pick up a can of beans at one end of the aisle and drop it off in front of sugar-free sliced pears at the other. It was almost irritating that there was no one around at five in the morning who he could run this complaint by.

He was really getting tired of these early shifts.

Humming to himself, he stepped forward, stopped, pulled his right foot in, kicked his right foot back out--and since he was already there--he put his right foot in and shook it all about before he did the hokey-pokey and he turned himself around.

Something for the security cameras that his managers always swore were there, he figured.

Turning to walk to the front of the door--or maybe to the bank just next door to find out if they’d looked over his résumé yet--Ryan took a few steps and came up short again, but this time it wasn’t to break into the goofiest dance he could think of. Of the few customers that had come to do their shopping in the early hours of the morning, a certain blonde that had been, in his opinion, toxically ill-tempered lately, was one of them as she passed the aisle pushing an oversized but empty cart in front of her.

Lacy hadn’t seen him, but Ryan saw her just fine; her pink pajama bottoms and her favorite but warm winter coat a dead giveaway that she was about to spend her morning in a long class, and had craved something that couldn’t be found in her refrigerator. He knew this because he knew her. And why shouldn’t he? He’d known Lacy Chapman through thinking she had girlie-germs, eating the mud-cakes she’d made for him and his friends in the first grade, beating up the first boy who ever called her a name, her signature on the cast binding his first and second broken bones and through a million other things that had made them friends. Sometimes more than friends. Which, Ryan reminded himself, was his current problem with the girl. Because it had been made clear--more than once now--that they couldn’t be more than just friends. It always managed to prevent them from being good friends, and with Lacy, that was exactly how Ryan liked it. So it was now jarring for him that they hadn’t been able to get back to things being... good. And he missed her. And that accounted for the way he suddenly turned and ran around two aisles to cut her off even when he knew that he shouldn’t.

Lacy’s eyes widened in near horror when Ryan did come into her sights, but that could have been because he’d jumped out from behind the cereal aisle to grab the end of her cart with both hands, looking as if he were ready to jump over it to tackle her, and he certainly was trying to make sure that she went no further.

Once the initial shock wore off, Lacy’s blue eyes narrowed considerably, and she too gripped her end of the cart with purpose. “This is a little dramatic,” she remarked. “Even for you. Move, Ryan.”

“I can’t.”

“You won’t!” Lacy corrected.

“Right. I won’t, because you need to talk to me first. We need to talk.”

“Ryan,” Lacy responded almost carefully. “The sun’s hardly up and right now you’re between me and my Pop-Tarts. I really don’t think you’ve thought this through.”

Ryan couldn’t help it. He smiled at her. “I miss you.”

But, those words alone didn’t help Lacy smile at all. Instead, she released the cart, took a step back, and regarded him accusingly. “I can’t talk to you right now.”

“Then when?” he demanded. “I’m getting tired of... whatever this is. When are you going to stop pretending that you hate me?”

“Hate you?” she repeated, offended now.

“We don’t talk, you hang up on me, and every time I see you I feel like you’re plotting murder. Mine. It’s enough, okay? Why can’t we work this out? It’s not like we haven’t before. Shit, I don’t even care if we never talk about it, I just want... You’re one of my best friends. When do we get to go back to that?”

Lacy crossed her arms and lowered her eyes, looking sad, maybe for herself, or the situation, or maybe even for him. Ryan didn’t like it, and as it often did when he was around her lately, his stomach knotted.

“Lacy?”

“I don’t hate you, Ryan,” she finally said, meeting his eyes. “I’ll never hate you.”

“Then please, tell me what the problem is.”

“The problem is, I can’t look at you,” Lacy said firmly.

Ryan frowned, his mind reeling in many directions as he tried to figure out what she’d meant by that. He opened his mouth to ask, but didn’t when one look at her face suddenly told him that it didn’t matter why, so much as it mattered that it was true.

“Lacy...”

But, whatever Ryan might have said would have fallen on the empty space in front of him when Lacy took back control of her shopping cart, and then promptly walked away.

***

At around four thirty in the morning, the hot tub had lost its appeal when Dennis and Travis both noticed that their fingertips were becoming prunes and the negative temperatures outside of the water became more appealing than the heat.

Travis hadn’t wanted to go home. He’d come to think of most of this night as a day off, and he was enjoying Dennis Gordon’s company easily enough. He’d even sworn the guy had smiled a few times as they talked about things of unimportance. For Travis’s part, his stories never went past the day he arrived in town, but he’d been able to get Dennis to open up some, and he’d learned a few things. He hadn’t quite believed that at one time, there had been nothing more important than football for the youngest member of the Gordon family, and after seeing Dennis with Owen Dovan a few times at the recent party, he was also surprised to learn that at one time, the two had hated each other with a passion. Dennis explained how he’d come face to face with Owen for the first time in a fight, and while Travis had trouble with the idea of Owen knocking Dennis around, the explanation of Owen defending Aiden Knightly to Dennis was believable enough. Dennis even talked about a time when he and Phil Clayton were practically inseparable. He wouldn’t go into detail about why their friendship had ended, but he did talk about a few hijinks and pranks that managed to make Travis laugh.

It was apparent that Dennis was becoming more comfortable in Travis’s company, so it wasn’t too hard talking him into going to breakfast once the sun was up. Afterwards, however, it was a different story as Dennis Gordon began to show signs of fatigue that Travis didn’t match. Still, though, when he told Dennis that he’d be bored at home, Dennis had mentioned a Nintendo from the stone ages at his house, so they’d ended up in his basement room playing for a while.

And then, Dennis fell asleep.

He’d thrown Travis a blanket and a pillow, more or less telling him that he could do whatever he wanted to do, though Dennis himself had no plans to drive anywhere until he got some sleep. So that’s why now, Travis was sitting on a blanket spread over the floor a foot from Dennis Gordon’s bed, bored out of his mind.

He’d tried to sleep, he really had. He’d even hoped that he’d get in thirty peaceful minutes in a different surrounding, but even closing his eyes hadn’t helped him relax. He’d watched Dennis for a while, wondering how anyone could sleep so... still. The guy hadn’t so much as turned in his bed since closing his eyes, and he was such a silent sleeper that on occasion he found himself leaning closer just to make sure Dennis was still breathing. Travis had let an hour go, allowing Dennis to sleep before he attempted waking him by subtly calling his name, and once-- not so subtly--by throwing a pillow at him, but even that had failed to work.

At least Travis wasn’t entirely without company, though. The little black dog that Dennis was constantly scolding had been more than pleased that someone was sharing the floor with her, and she made a fast friend with Travis, who was amused when he found that a simple belly rub could lull her to sleep, and blowing in her ear caused her to make a strange snorting sound.

Valentine, the attention hog, was on the floor in front of him now, waiting for him to scratch behind her ears again. He did so only after she obeyed a silent command to sit, which he’d been working on with her for the last thirty minutes. But dog-training was beginning to lose its appeal, and another glance at Dennis sleeping told Travis that this boredom could go on forever.

Sunshine had been creeping through the curtains covering the windows for a while now, and Travis decided that it would soon be warm enough to start walking back into town. He might have even gone earlier, if it wasn’t such a long walk. Soon he was up and putting on his coat, though, bundling tightly as Valentine sat at his feet, regarding her new friend expectantly. She was quick to follow him to the door when he made his way to it, and there he stopped to look down at her curiously.

“Are you bored, too?” he whispered down to her, and she huffed at him before her little nose started nudging at the door.

Travis glanced at Dennis once more, and then smiled at the dog. “Fine. But if anyone asks, it was your idea,” he remarked before bending down to scoop her up.

Travis made it up the stairs, doing his best to keep quiet since it was likely that the other residents in the house were just as asleep as Dennis. It wasn’t until he was nearly to the front door that the sound of a television reached his ears and he headed to the living room to investigate. Besides, he wasn’t about to open the front door when someone might hear it and wonder over a possible intruder.

With Valentine still under his arm, Travis stopped in front of the living room and found himself smiling at what he found on the couch. With puffy, tired eyes where his thick glasses usually were, and a messy head of blond curls, Reilly Chesley really could pass for a little boy, and the cotton plaid pajamas and his cross-legged pose as he stared intently at morning cartoons with a bowl of cereal sitting in his lap only added to the illusion.

Travis bit his lip to keep from laughing, and then, “Psst.”

Reilly’s head snapped in his direction and as his blue eyes grew wide he had to catch his cereal from spilling in his lap. “Uh-buh...hi,” he said, a little too loudly.

Travis smiled at him. “Uh-buh-hi yourself,” he remarked, and then explained quickly. “I was hanging out with Dennis last night.”

“Oh.”

“I’m leaving now... just wanted to let you know, so I don’t freak you out with the door.”

“Oh..oh, okay,” Reilly said, nodding.

“Okay. See ya,” Travis said, and then watched Reilly’s eyes curiously flicker to Valentine. “Um, I’m going to take the dog with me.”

Baffled, and still startled, Reilly stumbled incomprehensible words before he finally gave up and said, “Oh.”

With a smile on his face, Travis lifted one of Valentine’s paws, made her wave at the blond on the sofa, and then headed back to the front door. Reilly heard it open and close as he took a slow bite of his cereal and after a few moments of consideration, went back to watching cartoons.

Reilly was still there on the sofa an hour-and-a-half later, contemplating getting ready for school when Dennis came walking in, looking tired and a little disoriented. His arms were crossed over the t-shirt he’d been sleeping in and his sand-colored hair was sticking up at the back while he looked over the room with squinted eyes not yet adjusted to morning light.

“Reilly? Have you seen Valentine? I had someone over last night and I think she got out of my room when he left.”

Reilly looked at him oddly, his eyes widening in the process. “Travis was here.”

“Yeah. I know,” Dennis said impatiently as he began to look under any chairs that Valentine was prone to napping under.

“He left,” Reilly continued.

“I figured,” Dennis replied, smothering a yawn with his palm.

“He took Valentine with him.”

Dennis straightened himself behind the chair he’d been looking under, and stared at Reilly as if he didn’t quite understand.

“You didn’t know?” Reilly asked carefully.

More silence from Dennis. He scratched his head, frowned at Reilly Chesley, and then brought one hand to his waist, incredulous. “He stole my dog?”

***

It was uncommon for the video warehouse to be packed on a Friday afternoon, and that was exactly the case when Travis had made it into work--on time for once. Lacy was working, as were two other girls that usually preferred the later shifts and weekends. They’d looked at Travis like he’d lost his mind when he’d walked into the store with Valentine--with a leash he’d decided to pick up a little earlier--but of course, they quickly warmed to their four-legged visitor, who even managed to please the customers, especially those who’d brought in their children.

“I know I’ve seen that dog somewhere before,” Lacy commented as she and Travis manned the registers, checking out customers with their movies. Valentine wasn’t so far off, wagging her stubby tail as a group of young children fed her plenty of enthusiastic attention.

“Huh. Maybe,” Travis said.

“Where’d you say you got her?” Lacy asked.

“She’s not mine. I’m just watching her for a friend.”

“Well, she’s adorable. I should get a dog.”

“I hope it’s not a meaty one,” Travis remarked. “You’d probably try to eat it.”

Lacy slapped his arm, and the woman she was checking out laughed at their behavior. But, Lacy was hardly paying any attention to anything but Valentine. “Oh-oh. Maybe they’re not so cute... Travis! Your new friend’s about to pee all over the floor! I am not cleaning that...”

Travis had already abandoned his register to another employee to make his way over to Valentine, who he’d picked up just in time. She looked at him guiltily, but he only shook his head as he took her outside. He needed a break anyway, and as Valentine saw to her own business, Travis checked his cell phone.

He’d been sure to charge it before he came into work, not wanting to miss a call from Joe... if, the man decided to call, that was. So far he hadn’t, and Travis was becoming frustrated. He was running out of time, and was beginning to wonder if he was going to be able to keep the promise he’d made to Mr. Gordon when he swore he’d be ready this weekend. Which, was pretty much now. Or rather, tonight. He was cutting things way too close and he knew it. But as always, he tried to stay positive. Worst-case scenario, he’d find someone drunk enough on Tenth Street to sucker into being as stupid as Travis was beginning to think he was.

Maybe that was Dennis Gordon talking, though, Travis thought. He was just feeling nervous because he hadn’t planned ahead. Not enough, anyway. Another week would be good, but apart from promising Mr. Gordon, Travis needed this fight to happen tonight, too, if he wanted to have enough cash in his pocket come Monday when someone else was counting on it.

“What are you doing?” The voice that cut into Travis’s thoughts was so intrusive that it was downright unfriendly, so when he turned he was surprised to see Owen Dovan on the other side of it, and even more surprised that the unfriendly part was right.

The blond was on the street, holding a take-out bag in his gloved hand while his blue eyes were practically fuming as they darted between Travis and Valentine.

“Hey,” Travis said.

“What are you doing?” Owen repeated as he came closer, and then surprised Travis when he practically ripped Valentine’s leash from his hand. “Why do you have Dennis’s dog?”

Travis’s brow arched. “Have you talked to Dennis?”

Owen frowned. “No.”

“Then, I’m watching her for him,” Travis easily supplied.

“Why?” Owen demanded, and Travis decided to take a moment to study him. The guy was obviously bent about something, and if Travis wasn’t mistaken, he’d guess that all of this hostility was aimed at him.

“Are you alright?” he asked Owen.

“I said, why are you watching Dennis’s dog?”

Travis crossed his arms. “No reason. Why do you look like you’re about to jump over here to strangle me?”

At this, Owen had the decency to look surprised. “No reason.”

“Yeah? Why don’t I believe you?” Travis asked.

“Forget it.”

“Um, can’t, sorry. I tend to like knowing why I’ve pissed someone off when I’ve done it--and you’re pissed at me. Did Kyle say something? I didn’t forget to meet him somewhere, did I?”

Owen frowned. “No,” he said flatly, and then seemed to consider something before he met Travis’s eyes. “Why were you talking to Aiden the other night?”

So that’s what this is about, Travis realized, and was quick to keep himself from smiling. “Um... so what? I’m not allowed to talk to him?”

“No,” Owen said quickly. “I just wanna know why you were.”

“And this is your businessbecause?”

Owen suddenly looked embarrassed, a little flustered, but no less angry. “It’s just a question.”

Travis weighed the situation for a moment before he decided the best way to handle it. “Well, if it’s that important to you... we were talking about you,” he replied. It wasn’t a complete lie, and it was enough to take Owen down a notch.

“What?”

Travis shrugged. “I haven’t had a lot of time to get to know knew people. I heard you were available and checked it out with Aiden.”

“What?” Owen said again, and then shook his head as if to clear it. “You asked Aiden if I...”

Travis shrugged. “Something like that came up. So, about you being pissed at me...”

“Oh. Uh, look, I’m sorry,” Owen said quickly. “It’s just that... when I saw you with Aiden... I mean, what did Aiden say?”

“Huh?”

“When you asked him,” Owen replied. “What did he say?”

Travis sighed. Owen Dovan looked like he had entirely too much riding on the answer he was waiting for, and nothing about it made Travis comfortable.

“He said... you used to be together. And now you’re not.”

“Oh.”

Owen’s eyes drifted to Travis’s chest, but Travis doubted that that was what Owen was actually seeing. Placing a hand on the blond’s shoulder to get his attention, he forced another smile. “You look sad. You shouldn’t look sad. Listen... I should probably tell you...”

Owen’s eyes suddenly snapped to his. “I haven’t met a lot of new... people lately, either,” he said, and Travis blinked in surprise. “It’s just, things have been weird lately, and when I saw you the other night I thought... I think I got the wrong idea about something. I am sorry.”

“That’s... okay. But really, you should know...”

“I work at the club a lot,” Owen continued. “If you wanted to come by sometime. If you’re hanging out with Dennis now you could bring him, too... I don’t think he gets out enough.”

Travis smiled at that. “Yeah.”

“Or, on your own. I don’t usually do this--go around yelling at people for no reason. Okay?”

Travis smiled. “Okay.”

Owen shifted awkwardly on his feet for a moment and ran his fingers through his hair, likely trying not to notice the curious way in which he was being regarded as he realized that he still had Valentine’s leash and handed it back.

“So... is it okay if I walk away now and pretend I didn’t just act like a complete ass?”

Travis laughed, shrugging. “If that’s what’s gonna work for you.”

***

Aiden’s head was killing him. The pounding in his temples had gotten steadily worse over the last few days and he really, really hoped that he wasn’t coming down with the flu. He didn’t have time for the flu. He needed to develop eight rolls of film before Sunday. He needed to find a place to live. He needed to find a place to live so he could set up his own dark room and stop talking the janitor at the school into letting him use the one there. And all of this seemed like way too much work.

He’d meant to take care of things days ago, but he was definitely lacking the drive to see it through. Besides, Ryan wasn’t making it any easier since he didn’t mind having Aiden over. That of course, could have had something to do with Aiden’s insistence on covering next month’s rent. Aiden was pretty sure that Travis didn’t mind him around either... even though it was looking more and more like Aiden was still going to charge him for rent. Hell, maybe next month he’d double it, he thought bitterly as he stood across the street from the Video Warehouse to glare at what was taking place in front of him.

Enough was enough. He’d known that Owen had been spending time with Dennis Gordon. Truth be told, Aiden didn’t like it. He didn’t see any good coming from any sort of friendship between the two, but he’d strictly kept that to himself because really, it wasn’t his place to say. Not anymore, at least. Seeing Owen holding the leash of Dennis Gordon’s dog, however... he’s walking his dog now? Aiden didn’t know exactly what it was that he found so offensive about that, but he was sure it would come to him later. Walking Dennis Gordon’s dog and consorting with Travis Beltnick!

That was the real problem, Aiden decided. Travis. Travis, because he and Owen were entirely too close. And the worst part wasn’t even that Aiden could feel sparks of jealousy practically exploding in his head, it was that he couldn’t figure out which one of them he was jealous of. Owen... Owen was easy. It hurt to see Owen with someone else, period. He was in no way ready for that. He’d known that he wasn’t ready, which is why when he and his ex had set their boundaries, he’d made it clear that he didn’t want to know about it if Owen found someone else.

But Travis...Travis. Aiden knew better than to think that he and Travis Beltnick could ever become anything. Travis was shallow. Flirtatious. Much too sure of himself (and this was all perfectly good reasoning to want him far away from Owen.) But, Aiden still resigned himself to the fact that the attention he’d been receiving from Travis lately had all been flattering. Nice, even. Aiden had felt alone, and he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t contemplated at least a few of Travis’s advances. But he still knew better. Which is why he was so furious that Travis’s sudden interest in Owen was making him think over any offers Travis had made even more. And as childish as he knew it was, if anyone was going to get even a little involved with Travis Beltnick, he wanted it to be him. Especially, he thought, if that meant that Owen wouldn’t.

***

Travis Beltnick walked from his bedroom out to the living room, phone to his ear and a relieved smile on his face.

“Thank you, Joe,” he said. “You’re literally saving a life.”

“This is a one-time favor, Travis,” the voice reminded him, sounding much more sober than Travis remembered hearing it last. “And I still think what you’re doing’s a bad idea. We’re going to talk about it tonight, afterwards.”

“You’re not gonna start lecturing me, are you?” Travis replied as he watched Ryan on the sofa as he pet Valentine and popped yogurt-covered raisins into his mouth. “I might decide not to like you as much.”

“Not a lecture,” Joe said over the phone. “But you promised to hear me out. I still have your word on that, right?”

“Hey,” Ryan suddenly called from the sofa as he waved the box of raisins over Valentine’s nose. “D’you think these’ll make her poop?”

“You got it, Joe,” Travis said, and then to Ryan with a stern finger raised in his direction, “If she does, it’s your mess to clean up.” Ryan wisely put the raisins away.

“Alright,” Joe said. “I’ll see you later.”

“Don’t forget,” Travis insisted.

“How much can I forget in an hour?” Joe replied.

Travis sighed. “Right. I’ll buy you a steak or something afterwards. We’ll talk.”

He hung up happy, took in a refreshing breath, and looked at Ryan again.

“Do you think you could watch her for a while? She should be fine, just take her outside before you go to bed.”

Ryan looked at him oddly. “Shouldn’t you get her back to your friend?”

Travis shrugged. “I’ll get around to it.”

It was then that there was a disruption at the front door--loud insistent knocking that made the walls shake. Travis exchanged a curious look with Ryan, who frowned as anyone would when their home was being assaulted. He moved off the futon and headed to the door, and Travis picked up Valentine to make sure she didn’t follow, ignoring the way that she squirmed in his arms.

The knocking stopped only when Ryan pulled the door open, and if someone hitting it in the first place hadn’t surprised him, what he found outside certainly did.

“Gordon?” Ryan said. “What the hell do you want?”

“Where is he?” Dennis demanded.

Ryan’s broad shoulders stiffened. “Excuse me?”

“Whoa,” Travis said quickly, not in the mood to deal with the posturing of either of them as he forced his way past Ryan, only to have Dennis snatch Valentine out of his arms.

“You stole my dog,” Dennis said, disgusted.

“Um, borrowed,” Travis corrected.

“I knew I’d seen her before,” Ryan remarked as he looked at Valentine, and then he raised an eyebrow at Travis, with a look that could have passed for either amused or baffled. “You stole a dog? His dog? Why am I not surprised?”

“You’re not helping,” Travis informed his roommate, ushering him back into the apartment. “I’ve got this. Alright?”

Ryan shrugged, gave Dennis one more glare, and then shut the door as if he no longer cared to see what was on the other side of it.

Travis turned back to Dennis. “Like I said... borrowed. We were bored, and I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“You and the dog were bored? I mind!”

“Yeah. I see that. But, as you can see, she’s perfectly fine,” Travis insisted, though, currently Valentine appeared a little uncomfortable in Dennis’s arms; as she struggled to lick his face and he held her at bay her enthusiasm struck Travis as a little irritating, since he was trying to have a conversation here, and he suddenly took her from Dennis, placed her on the ground and ordered her to “Sit.” She did, and Travis sighed, feeling unexplainably relieved by the end of the disturbance, while Dennis stared down at his dog as if he didn’t quite recognize her.

“You made my dog sit. How’d you make her sit?”

“I don’t know; look...”

“Where’s your phone?” Dennis suddenly asked.

Frowning, Travis took it out of his pocket and then objected when Dennis started scrolling through his phone book.

“You have my number!” Dennis pointed out. “Why didn’t you call to tell me you stole...”

“Borrowed.”

“You could have called!”

Travis crossed his arms. “If you were so worried, why didn’t you call?”

“Because I don’t have your number, and I would have been here sooner but I got called in to work. What the fuck is your problem, anyway? Is this normal for you? Walking around... taking things that aren’t yours?”

“Are you really that pissed off at me?” Travis countered. “Or do you just feel obligated to be?”

Dennis considered. “A little of both.”

“Fine. Then can we do this later? I’ll show you how to make her sit.”

Dennis frowned. “You took my dog.”

“I was going to give her back... I’m sorry, okay? I’d never hurt her. Listen, we really can do this later, but right now, there’s somewhere I have to be.”

“Fine. Let’s go. I’ll give you a ride so I can yell at you some more in the car before I decide whether or not I feel like killing you.”

Travis actually smiled at that. “As much as that sounds like fun, I don’t think so. Where I’m going...you don’t want to go.”

Dennis’s brow knitted, and something in his posture became uneasy as he knelt down to attempt holding Valentine again. “You’re fighting tonight?”

“Your dad’s meeting me in half an hour.” Travis waited for any response Dennis might have to that, but when there was none, he took a few steps forward, intending to leave.

“Travis...”

Travis smiled. “Thanks for letting me borrow your dog, okay? It was fun. Maybe I’ll call you. Tomorrow.”

Dennis shrugged, as if whether or not Travis actually did that didn’t make a difference. But then as Travis walked away he suddenly called out, “Hey...maybe you can call me tonight. Let me know how things went.”

Travis laughed over his shoulder. “You don’t wanna know anyway... but sure. Okay.”

“Yeah,” Dennis said under his breath, “okay.”