Something Else
Title: Something Else
'Verse: The Effect
Pairing: Chris/Seth
Rating: slash - soft
Author's Note: I wrote this piece quite awhile ago (it looks like it was last updated in June). It's a piece set in the future of The Effect. How long in the future? I think I finally decided about six or seven years. Chris is around 30, Seth about 27, I think. They're in a stable relationship.
Seth, Ethan, Elijah, and Keith belong to guiltycross. Chris, Graham, and Brook belong to me.
Seth closed the door to the apartment and turned curiously to the kitchen. The smell of food drifted towards him, luring him forwards. His feet guided him into the kitchen to find Chris working furiously over the stove. The other man was wearing surprisingly nice clothes: clean black slacks and a deep green, button down shirt. The entire ensemble was covered by a splattered, once-white apron.
"Um, Chris?" he called out uncertainly. A part of him wanted to add, 'if Chris is your real name.' Instead he settled for, "What are you doing?"
His boyfriend turned to him with a delighted smile. "You're home early! I'm making dinner." He crossed the kitchen in a few steps, kissing him on the nose. "Go shower and put on something nice."
"Are we having company?" Seth asked blankly as his stomach fluttered oddly. He paused to consider it. Chris was excited about something.
Chris laughed and patted him on the butt. "No. Just you and me, sweetheart. Go get ready! You're gonna make me burn our dinner." He shot him a disapproving look before turning around and hurrying back over to the stove, picking up the wooden spoon and stirring.
The blonde was too tired to argue any further, so he went and took the shower, washing away the restaurant-smell that clung to him. He let the hot water pound away the tension from his shoulders as he contemplated Chris's emotions further. Excitement, sure, but nervous too. And his actions. Chris hated cooking. He usually got out of it because he wasn't very good and Seth had a somewhat refined palette. Besides, Chris always pulled the argument that the restaurant owner had more expertise in the kitchen. Which was true, though not a very convincing argument, because Seth could easily throw back at him that he did enough cooking in one day, and he didn't want to do it at home too. But those were for the days they ordered take out.
When the bathroom was fully steamed, he turned the shower off and climbed out, pulling a towel around his waist and going into the bedroom. He searched his closet for something 'nice' that wasn't stained with food. He ended up with a pair of white slacks he knew Chris liked, and a dark blue shirt. When he entered the dining room, the table was set and there were candlesticks and glasses of wine waiting for him. Seth paused, somewhat in awe. Chris appeared in the doorway then-making his grand entrance, Seth suspected-a brilliant smile on his face, and the apron discarded.
"Sit down, honey." He pulled a chair out for him. Seth sat down, more for the support than anything else, still a little dazed. Chris began serving up the platters.
"Are you having an affair?" he blurted out, and wincing at the immediate flood of emotions exploding in tidal waves from his boyfriend.
"No," he said quietly, his jaw tight. Seth knew he was telling the truth, and that he was crushed he'd even asked.
"I'm sorry, it's just… What is this?"
"Alfredo. You know I'm crummy with most everything else."
"That's not what I meant," Seth said dryly.
Chris sat down and pouted. "I can't do something nice for the person I love?"
Seth raised his eyebrow. "Not when that something nice involves something you hate and avoid if at all possible." He lifted his wine glass and sipped. "You're hiding something from me," he said simply.
The brunette grinned and lifted his fork. "Eat up, before it gets cold."
Seth scowled at him, but began eating anything. "It's…. very good." Chris beamed at him. "Ethan's recipe?"
Chris's smile faded slightly, looking a little glum at the implication. Although, he was a pretty terrible cook, that was a given, and he knew he shouldn't feel offended. "Yeah," he said finally. "The man knows his pastas."
"He sure does," Seth muttered in approval, thinking back to the days when they had all lived under the same roof. Ethan's dinners had always been divine.
They ate in silence for a little while, but Seth found that the nervous apprehension he was reading from Chris was ruining his appetite. "Will you just tell me what it is?" he asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin.
"Later," Chris assured him. He sipped his wine happily. "Graham called today."
"Oh?" Seth fought off the bitterness of allowing Chris to change the subject. "How's he doing?"
"Pretty good. He has his hands full with cases, and he sounded a little stressed, but happy. He said they're going on vacation to Germany next month."
"Really? For how long?" Seth asked, picking up his fork again.
"A week. I told him to bring back pictures of the nude beaches." Chris grinned and raised one eyebrow suggestively.
Seth snorted and shook his head. "Pervert. Bet he loved that."
Chris nodded seriously. "I could practically hear his blushing."
The blonde smiled and ate another bite of the pasta. "And how's Elijah?" he asked, after he'd swallowed.
"Good, real good. Graham said he's thinking about opening his own studio, but he's a little hesitant." Chris shrugged, shoveling his own food in his mouth much less gracefully than Seth managed.
"He should do it," Seth said immediately. "Nothing better than having complete control over what you do. And he's already established himself as a skilled dancer. It would be a breeze."
Chris gave him an affectionate little smile. "I told Graham you could probably give him some pointers. I mean, yeah, it's a restaurant, and not a dance studio, but the idea of going solo is still there."
Seth shrugged awkwardly. "I suppose I could," he said slowly. He pushed his plate away. "I'm finished."
"Good!" Chris jumped from his seat and began gathering the dishes.
"You cooked," Seth protested. "Let me clean up."
"No way," Chris told him with a shake of his head. "I'll clean up. You go sit down and relax."
Seth eyed him suspiciously. "What-"
"No!" Chris cut him off with a quick kiss. "Go sit down. I'll finish up in a few minutes."
So he relaxed in his chair and dozed a little, full and sleepy. He wasn't sure exactly how long he slept. When he woke up with a start, it was to the sound of soft, slow music playing.
He followed the sound to the bedroom, which was lit by dozens of flickering tealight candles. Chris was lighting the last one when he turned to face him.
"Hey."
Seth blinked. "Hey. What's going on?"
"You like it?"
He shrugged. "Sure. I guess. But why?"
Chris grinned, a little mischievously. "Because I love you." He moved across the room towards him, slowly, sexily. "So what if I want to spoil you a little?" He kissed him on the neck.
"As long as you don't have some ulterior motive," Seth warned him.
"Me?" Chris asked innocently, his fingers working the buttons of Seth's shirt.
"Yes, you," he replied, smirking at him knowingly. "You're not about to suggest some sort of kinky sex, are you?"
"No, no sex," Chris said cheerfully, sliding off the shirt.
"Are you ill? Running a fever maybe?" Seth teased. Chris reached around to smack him on the butt.
"No sex," he repeated. "Just touching. Now get naked and get on the bed."
"Get naked and get on the bed," Seth echoed. "Be still my beating heart."
Chris laughed. "I'm suave, I know." He began digging around in a drawer for something while Seth stripped down and crawled under the sheets. Chris turned to him, presenting the item in question, and Seth raised an eyebrow.
"Massage oil?"
"Yep! I had the lady help me pick it out. Smell that." He twisted off the cap, almost spilling, and held it out. Seth took a delicate whiff. It was a good smell, wonderful, actually, nothing too strong or too sweet. It reminded him a little of the sea, somehow.
"It's great. What is it?"
"Ocean surf."
Score, Seth thought. Chris pulled off his own clothes, not bothering to be sexy about it, and joined him on the bed, removing the covers.
"Lie on your stomach, sweetheart," he instructed him. Seth obliged, rolling onto his stomach and relaxing into the soft mattress. Chris insisted it was for his back problems, but currently the only back being attended to was Seth's, and the cure was Chris's lips running down his spine, followed by his steady hands, slicked with oil, rubbing slowly and firmly. "How's that feel, babe?"
"Mmm," Seth replied. Chris laughed and kissed him on the back of his neck. He worked in silence for awhile, and Seth almost forgot all about the secrecy until he felt a sudden spike in his anxiety right before Chris spoke up.
"Do you love me?"
Wide-eyed, Seth turned to face him, pinned underneath Chris's arms. He looked him straight in the eye. "Yes. Of course."
Chris smiled and kissed him, happy again. "I love you, too. So much. And…" Seth held his breath, sensing that this was it. "We've been together for a long time. And I'm sure I want to be with you until I'm old and grey and can barely remember my own name. I'll still love you," he said, speaking rapidly now. "Do you… feel that way?" he asked hesitantly.
Seth blinked at him. "I… You idiot, is that what this is about? Yes, there. I love you. And for the life of me I don't know why, but I do want to be with you."
"Always?"
He smiled and kissed him. "Yes. Always. I'm just that stupid."
"Or insane," Chris reminded him cheerily.
"Or insane," Seth agreed. They kissed again, but Seth broke apart to give him a hard look. "That wasn't all."
"No," Chris admitted sheepishly. "There is something else. Something big."
And suddenly, it clicked. All the sweet gestures, not wanting to have sex, guaranteeing his love for him. "Do you have AIDS?"
"WHAT?" Chris exploded, and scrambled backwards. "Jesus fucking CHRIST, Seth! I do something nice for you, you think I'm having an affair. I tell you I want to spend the rest of my life with you, you think I have AIDS. Don't you trust me?"
"I want to!" Seth shouted back. "But I'm tired of this goddamn secret! Just TELL me whatever the fuck it is already!"
"I want to adopt!" Chris bellowed.
"You-What?" Seth asked blankly.
Chris bit his lip. His voice softened considerably. "I want to adopt," he repeated. "I've been thinking about it lately. And I really think it's the next step. Graham can help us. He has these connections."
"Chris," Seth began, and laughed nervously. "That's a lot of responsibility. I mean, we're talking about a child here, not…not a goldfish!"
He buried his head under the pillow. "You're projecting. Calm down."
"I am calm!"
"I told you, Seth." He popped his head back out from under the pillow. "I've really thought this through and I want to do this. I really, really want to do this."
"But a baby? I don't know about you, but I have no mothering instincts. It's not like we can just return it if we decide we don't want it," Seth said derisively.
"Look," Chris reasoned. "What if we ask Brook and Keith if we can babysit for a weekend? Try out the mothering thing."
Seth laughed. "First of all, their kids aren't babies anymore, in case you didn't notice. Secondly, they are not going to let us watch their kids."
"Actually, they will. I already asked them. And it's better than nothing, right?"
"Huh?"
"I thought you might react like this," Chris sighed. "I thought I'd cover all my bases first." He grinned at him a little uncertainly.
Seth echoed Chris's sigh, and rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, Mr. Mom. Tell me all about it."
"Okay," Chris began energetically. "Graham said we have a better chance at getting a girl. He said it's easier for gay couples, less hoops to jump through. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. He also suggested international adoption. I was thinking China, maybe. There are a lot of baby girls given up for adoption there. As far as finances go, I've got a good fund set up that'll impress them, and a lot of money invested in stocks. Plus," he paused for emphasis. "I've got an offer on the program. And it's big."
Seth's eyebrows went up. "How big?"
"Big enough to get us a house," Chris said, beaming proudly. "A really nice house. Enough to pay for the child's needs. According to Graham's calculations, the money I'll earn on a yearly basis from that one program alone will be more than enough to keep her covered through high school."
His eyes widened. "You serious?"
"Very."
"I… wow. That's really… Wow. Why didn't you say something?!"
"Because I was waiting for the right time," Chris said with a laugh. "So…." He leaned in and nibbled gently on Seth's earlobe. "Can I tell Keith and Brook we'll see them soon?"
Seth sighed, put his hand on Chris's shoulder to dissuade him, and rubbed his eyes with his other hand. "Okay," he agreed finally. "We'll do a trial run. We'll talk to Graham about the logistics of all this. But if we go through with this, it's not going to happen overnight," he warned him.
"Oh, I know. Graham told me all about the process. It's long and grueling but I still want to go through with it."
Seth nibbled on his lower lip uncertainly. "Can I ask why you want to do this so badly?"
Chris sighed. "It's hard to explain. I just know I want to raise someone I love with the person I love. Because what could be a greater expression than that?"
Seth punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You're such a sap."
He laughed. "A sap you're in looo-ove with." He wrestled Seth down to the mattress and kissed him underneath his jaw. "Hey, remember what I said earlier?"
"About what?"
"About the no sex."
Seth fought off his smirk. "Yeah? What about it?"
"Is it too late to change my mind?"
Seth let out a few short laughs. "I guess not. But you better not change your mind about the adoption. Especially if the kid's already here. She'll be five years old, and all of a sudden you'll say, just what was I thinking? Seth, why did you let me go through with this? And then you'll ask to ship her back to Hong Kong."
Chris bit him on the shoulder. "I will not! Now be quiet. Sex time."
Seth made a motion as though zipping his lips. "Yes, sir."
Chris laughed. "Well… You don't have to be… completely silent."
"Never," Seth swore.
'Verse: The Effect
Pairing: Chris/Seth
Rating: slash - soft
Author's Note: I wrote this piece quite awhile ago (it looks like it was last updated in June). It's a piece set in the future of The Effect. How long in the future? I think I finally decided about six or seven years. Chris is around 30, Seth about 27, I think. They're in a stable relationship.
Seth, Ethan, Elijah, and Keith belong to guiltycross. Chris, Graham, and Brook belong to me.
Seth closed the door to the apartment and turned curiously to the kitchen. The smell of food drifted towards him, luring him forwards. His feet guided him into the kitchen to find Chris working furiously over the stove. The other man was wearing surprisingly nice clothes: clean black slacks and a deep green, button down shirt. The entire ensemble was covered by a splattered, once-white apron.
"Um, Chris?" he called out uncertainly. A part of him wanted to add, 'if Chris is your real name.' Instead he settled for, "What are you doing?"
His boyfriend turned to him with a delighted smile. "You're home early! I'm making dinner." He crossed the kitchen in a few steps, kissing him on the nose. "Go shower and put on something nice."
"Are we having company?" Seth asked blankly as his stomach fluttered oddly. He paused to consider it. Chris was excited about something.
Chris laughed and patted him on the butt. "No. Just you and me, sweetheart. Go get ready! You're gonna make me burn our dinner." He shot him a disapproving look before turning around and hurrying back over to the stove, picking up the wooden spoon and stirring.
The blonde was too tired to argue any further, so he went and took the shower, washing away the restaurant-smell that clung to him. He let the hot water pound away the tension from his shoulders as he contemplated Chris's emotions further. Excitement, sure, but nervous too. And his actions. Chris hated cooking. He usually got out of it because he wasn't very good and Seth had a somewhat refined palette. Besides, Chris always pulled the argument that the restaurant owner had more expertise in the kitchen. Which was true, though not a very convincing argument, because Seth could easily throw back at him that he did enough cooking in one day, and he didn't want to do it at home too. But those were for the days they ordered take out.
When the bathroom was fully steamed, he turned the shower off and climbed out, pulling a towel around his waist and going into the bedroom. He searched his closet for something 'nice' that wasn't stained with food. He ended up with a pair of white slacks he knew Chris liked, and a dark blue shirt. When he entered the dining room, the table was set and there were candlesticks and glasses of wine waiting for him. Seth paused, somewhat in awe. Chris appeared in the doorway then-making his grand entrance, Seth suspected-a brilliant smile on his face, and the apron discarded.
"Sit down, honey." He pulled a chair out for him. Seth sat down, more for the support than anything else, still a little dazed. Chris began serving up the platters.
"Are you having an affair?" he blurted out, and wincing at the immediate flood of emotions exploding in tidal waves from his boyfriend.
"No," he said quietly, his jaw tight. Seth knew he was telling the truth, and that he was crushed he'd even asked.
"I'm sorry, it's just… What is this?"
"Alfredo. You know I'm crummy with most everything else."
"That's not what I meant," Seth said dryly.
Chris sat down and pouted. "I can't do something nice for the person I love?"
Seth raised his eyebrow. "Not when that something nice involves something you hate and avoid if at all possible." He lifted his wine glass and sipped. "You're hiding something from me," he said simply.
The brunette grinned and lifted his fork. "Eat up, before it gets cold."
Seth scowled at him, but began eating anything. "It's…. very good." Chris beamed at him. "Ethan's recipe?"
Chris's smile faded slightly, looking a little glum at the implication. Although, he was a pretty terrible cook, that was a given, and he knew he shouldn't feel offended. "Yeah," he said finally. "The man knows his pastas."
"He sure does," Seth muttered in approval, thinking back to the days when they had all lived under the same roof. Ethan's dinners had always been divine.
They ate in silence for a little while, but Seth found that the nervous apprehension he was reading from Chris was ruining his appetite. "Will you just tell me what it is?" he asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin.
"Later," Chris assured him. He sipped his wine happily. "Graham called today."
"Oh?" Seth fought off the bitterness of allowing Chris to change the subject. "How's he doing?"
"Pretty good. He has his hands full with cases, and he sounded a little stressed, but happy. He said they're going on vacation to Germany next month."
"Really? For how long?" Seth asked, picking up his fork again.
"A week. I told him to bring back pictures of the nude beaches." Chris grinned and raised one eyebrow suggestively.
Seth snorted and shook his head. "Pervert. Bet he loved that."
Chris nodded seriously. "I could practically hear his blushing."
The blonde smiled and ate another bite of the pasta. "And how's Elijah?" he asked, after he'd swallowed.
"Good, real good. Graham said he's thinking about opening his own studio, but he's a little hesitant." Chris shrugged, shoveling his own food in his mouth much less gracefully than Seth managed.
"He should do it," Seth said immediately. "Nothing better than having complete control over what you do. And he's already established himself as a skilled dancer. It would be a breeze."
Chris gave him an affectionate little smile. "I told Graham you could probably give him some pointers. I mean, yeah, it's a restaurant, and not a dance studio, but the idea of going solo is still there."
Seth shrugged awkwardly. "I suppose I could," he said slowly. He pushed his plate away. "I'm finished."
"Good!" Chris jumped from his seat and began gathering the dishes.
"You cooked," Seth protested. "Let me clean up."
"No way," Chris told him with a shake of his head. "I'll clean up. You go sit down and relax."
Seth eyed him suspiciously. "What-"
"No!" Chris cut him off with a quick kiss. "Go sit down. I'll finish up in a few minutes."
So he relaxed in his chair and dozed a little, full and sleepy. He wasn't sure exactly how long he slept. When he woke up with a start, it was to the sound of soft, slow music playing.
He followed the sound to the bedroom, which was lit by dozens of flickering tealight candles. Chris was lighting the last one when he turned to face him.
"Hey."
Seth blinked. "Hey. What's going on?"
"You like it?"
He shrugged. "Sure. I guess. But why?"
Chris grinned, a little mischievously. "Because I love you." He moved across the room towards him, slowly, sexily. "So what if I want to spoil you a little?" He kissed him on the neck.
"As long as you don't have some ulterior motive," Seth warned him.
"Me?" Chris asked innocently, his fingers working the buttons of Seth's shirt.
"Yes, you," he replied, smirking at him knowingly. "You're not about to suggest some sort of kinky sex, are you?"
"No, no sex," Chris said cheerfully, sliding off the shirt.
"Are you ill? Running a fever maybe?" Seth teased. Chris reached around to smack him on the butt.
"No sex," he repeated. "Just touching. Now get naked and get on the bed."
"Get naked and get on the bed," Seth echoed. "Be still my beating heart."
Chris laughed. "I'm suave, I know." He began digging around in a drawer for something while Seth stripped down and crawled under the sheets. Chris turned to him, presenting the item in question, and Seth raised an eyebrow.
"Massage oil?"
"Yep! I had the lady help me pick it out. Smell that." He twisted off the cap, almost spilling, and held it out. Seth took a delicate whiff. It was a good smell, wonderful, actually, nothing too strong or too sweet. It reminded him a little of the sea, somehow.
"It's great. What is it?"
"Ocean surf."
Score, Seth thought. Chris pulled off his own clothes, not bothering to be sexy about it, and joined him on the bed, removing the covers.
"Lie on your stomach, sweetheart," he instructed him. Seth obliged, rolling onto his stomach and relaxing into the soft mattress. Chris insisted it was for his back problems, but currently the only back being attended to was Seth's, and the cure was Chris's lips running down his spine, followed by his steady hands, slicked with oil, rubbing slowly and firmly. "How's that feel, babe?"
"Mmm," Seth replied. Chris laughed and kissed him on the back of his neck. He worked in silence for awhile, and Seth almost forgot all about the secrecy until he felt a sudden spike in his anxiety right before Chris spoke up.
"Do you love me?"
Wide-eyed, Seth turned to face him, pinned underneath Chris's arms. He looked him straight in the eye. "Yes. Of course."
Chris smiled and kissed him, happy again. "I love you, too. So much. And…" Seth held his breath, sensing that this was it. "We've been together for a long time. And I'm sure I want to be with you until I'm old and grey and can barely remember my own name. I'll still love you," he said, speaking rapidly now. "Do you… feel that way?" he asked hesitantly.
Seth blinked at him. "I… You idiot, is that what this is about? Yes, there. I love you. And for the life of me I don't know why, but I do want to be with you."
"Always?"
He smiled and kissed him. "Yes. Always. I'm just that stupid."
"Or insane," Chris reminded him cheerily.
"Or insane," Seth agreed. They kissed again, but Seth broke apart to give him a hard look. "That wasn't all."
"No," Chris admitted sheepishly. "There is something else. Something big."
And suddenly, it clicked. All the sweet gestures, not wanting to have sex, guaranteeing his love for him. "Do you have AIDS?"
"WHAT?" Chris exploded, and scrambled backwards. "Jesus fucking CHRIST, Seth! I do something nice for you, you think I'm having an affair. I tell you I want to spend the rest of my life with you, you think I have AIDS. Don't you trust me?"
"I want to!" Seth shouted back. "But I'm tired of this goddamn secret! Just TELL me whatever the fuck it is already!"
"I want to adopt!" Chris bellowed.
"You-What?" Seth asked blankly.
Chris bit his lip. His voice softened considerably. "I want to adopt," he repeated. "I've been thinking about it lately. And I really think it's the next step. Graham can help us. He has these connections."
"Chris," Seth began, and laughed nervously. "That's a lot of responsibility. I mean, we're talking about a child here, not…not a goldfish!"
He buried his head under the pillow. "You're projecting. Calm down."
"I am calm!"
"I told you, Seth." He popped his head back out from under the pillow. "I've really thought this through and I want to do this. I really, really want to do this."
"But a baby? I don't know about you, but I have no mothering instincts. It's not like we can just return it if we decide we don't want it," Seth said derisively.
"Look," Chris reasoned. "What if we ask Brook and Keith if we can babysit for a weekend? Try out the mothering thing."
Seth laughed. "First of all, their kids aren't babies anymore, in case you didn't notice. Secondly, they are not going to let us watch their kids."
"Actually, they will. I already asked them. And it's better than nothing, right?"
"Huh?"
"I thought you might react like this," Chris sighed. "I thought I'd cover all my bases first." He grinned at him a little uncertainly.
Seth echoed Chris's sigh, and rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, Mr. Mom. Tell me all about it."
"Okay," Chris began energetically. "Graham said we have a better chance at getting a girl. He said it's easier for gay couples, less hoops to jump through. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. He also suggested international adoption. I was thinking China, maybe. There are a lot of baby girls given up for adoption there. As far as finances go, I've got a good fund set up that'll impress them, and a lot of money invested in stocks. Plus," he paused for emphasis. "I've got an offer on the program. And it's big."
Seth's eyebrows went up. "How big?"
"Big enough to get us a house," Chris said, beaming proudly. "A really nice house. Enough to pay for the child's needs. According to Graham's calculations, the money I'll earn on a yearly basis from that one program alone will be more than enough to keep her covered through high school."
His eyes widened. "You serious?"
"Very."
"I… wow. That's really… Wow. Why didn't you say something?!"
"Because I was waiting for the right time," Chris said with a laugh. "So…." He leaned in and nibbled gently on Seth's earlobe. "Can I tell Keith and Brook we'll see them soon?"
Seth sighed, put his hand on Chris's shoulder to dissuade him, and rubbed his eyes with his other hand. "Okay," he agreed finally. "We'll do a trial run. We'll talk to Graham about the logistics of all this. But if we go through with this, it's not going to happen overnight," he warned him.
"Oh, I know. Graham told me all about the process. It's long and grueling but I still want to go through with it."
Seth nibbled on his lower lip uncertainly. "Can I ask why you want to do this so badly?"
Chris sighed. "It's hard to explain. I just know I want to raise someone I love with the person I love. Because what could be a greater expression than that?"
Seth punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You're such a sap."
He laughed. "A sap you're in looo-ove with." He wrestled Seth down to the mattress and kissed him underneath his jaw. "Hey, remember what I said earlier?"
"About what?"
"About the no sex."
Seth fought off his smirk. "Yeah? What about it?"
"Is it too late to change my mind?"
Seth let out a few short laughs. "I guess not. But you better not change your mind about the adoption. Especially if the kid's already here. She'll be five years old, and all of a sudden you'll say, just what was I thinking? Seth, why did you let me go through with this? And then you'll ask to ship her back to Hong Kong."
Chris bit him on the shoulder. "I will not! Now be quiet. Sex time."
Seth made a motion as though zipping his lips. "Yes, sir."
Chris laughed. "Well… You don't have to be… completely silent."
"Never," Seth swore.