Inheritance (11/30)
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Scotty watched Justin from the side of the room as Justin double-checked everything in his duffel bag. Tyler sat on his bed, tears streaming silently down her face. Kevin leaned against the doorframe, head bent slightly down. Justin picked his bag up, throwing it over his shoulder; he looked around at the others.
“Oh come on,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world. You guys have to get in a better mood, or Kitty’s engagement party is really going to suck.”
Scotty smiled softly. Justin just shook his head. He stepped over, hugging Scotty tight. Then he went over to Kevin, holding him for a few minutes longer.
“Love you,” he said quietly, patting Kevin’s back.
They separated, and Scotty and Kevin slipped out of the room so Justin and Tyler could say goodbye privately.
***
Kevin didn’t think he would’ve made it through the engagement party if it hadn’t been for Scotty. He knew when Kevin needed him to just sit there quietly as he dealt with Justin’s departure. And he knew when Kevin needed to hear some wickedly funny comments about Republicans or McCallisters.
And at the same time, not all the McCallisters were completely bothering him that day. Kevin knew it wasn’t the best idea, but he was feeling extraordinarily on edge and he definitely needed a distraction that Scotty couldn’t provide him. And Jason McCallister looked even better than he did the day of their disastrous date.
So, he wasn’t too surprised when he ended up in the pantry with Jason’s tongue down his throat. Kevin moaned slightly, clutching the back of Jason’s coat. It was the best kiss he had in a long time. And it ended far too quickly.
“Kev - whoa!”
Kevin pulled away from Jason at the sound of Scotty’s voice. Jason stumbled away, looking at the ground, blushing slightly.
Scotty opened and closed his mouth, the surprise evident on his face. “Sorry,” he said, quickly turning away.
Kevin watched him go, trying to ignore the sudden and bizarre…guilt that he felt. He swallowed thickly, but pushed the confused emotion from his mind as Jason started to back away as well. Kevin turned to him, forcing a seductive smile to his face.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Kevin asked, softly teasing.
Jason looked at him, inhaling sharply and looking at Kevin in surprise. Kevin reached out, running three fingers down Jason’s chest. Jason exhaled slowly.
“I don’t normally do this,” he said quietly. “I’m a very traditional person.”
“Maybe you can start a new tradition,” Kevin suggested, arching an eyebrow.
Jason fought a grin, leaning in to kiss him again. Kevin pulled him closer, drawing Jason’s tongue into his mouth and trying desperately to ignore the inexplicable sinking feeling in his stomach.
***
Four weeks later, Kevin stopped by Nora’s to snag some lunch before going back to work. Sarah was already there, gossiping over pie.
“Hello,” he greeted the others.
“Hi honey,” Nora said. “I’m writing a letter to Justin. Want to put in a message?”
Kevin nodded, taking the pen from Nora and pulling the sheet of paper closer. As he began to write, Sarah spoke up.
“Have you and Scotty had a fight?”
Kevin looked up, startled and confused by the question. “No. Why?”
Sarah shrugged. “I had lunch with him yesterday. He said you two haven’t hung out too much lately.”
“Well, no,” Kevin admitted. “But it’s not like there’s anything wrong. He’s got work and that internship at San Estephe, and he’s been spending a lot of time with Holly. And I’ve got work. And Jason.”
Sarah nodded. “OK. I was just curious.”
“We’re fine,” Kevin said.
But he couldn’t get her question out of his mind during the rest of his visit. As he left the house, he allowed himself to think about it more. It was true; they hadn’t seen each other much recently. And while they were both busy, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Kevin called him maybe twice a week to see if he wanted to grab something to eat or see a movie or just hang out. Scotty always had some excuse - valid, certainly, but it didn’t change the fact that he turned him down every single time and never returned any invitations. Maybe Kevin had inadvertently upset him or something.
The thought worried him, and Kevin decided to be a little late for work. He was pretty sure Scotty was working at San Estephe that afternoon, so he went there first. He asked for Scotty and was directed to the locker room. Kevin opened the door and stopped in his tracks. Scotty was changing, his naked back to the door. Kevin swallowed, watching the movement of muscles as Scotty pulled a white t-shirt over his head. Then Kevin closed his eyes, shaking himself firmly, disturbed by his reaction.
“Kevin? Why are you here?”
Kevin opened his eyes again. “Hi,” he said, his voice sounding strangled. He cleared his throat and started over. “I wanted to see how you were. It’s been a while.”
“I’m fine,” Scotty replied, turning away again.
“Really? Because we haven’t talked in, I don’t know, in a few weeks, and I thought maybe you were…mad at me.”
“This may come as a shock to you but what’s happening to me has nothing to do with you.”
Kevin walked forward, straddling the bench as he sat down. “Fine. What does it have to do with?”
Scotty sighed loudly, rubbing his eye with a few fingers. “My tuition was due, so I fell behind on my rent. And my car insurance. And my phone bill. Turns out being a cooking student and apprentice sous chef isn’t the road to financial freedom. I lost my apartment.”
“What? Where have you been staying?”
“Oh, friends’ futons for a while. And now I’m…I’m staying with Holly.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“How’s that working out?”
“Surprisingly well,” Scotty said with a small smile. “It’s been…fun.”
“That’s great.”
Scotty nodded, reaching out for a clean jacket. He pulled it on. “Yeah, so see, we’re fine.”
Kevin tried to ignore the fact that Scotty’s voice seemed ever-so-slightly strained. “OK,” he accepted.
“I have to go to work now,” Scotty said.
Kevin sighed, standing up. “Do you want to grab dinner tonight? Catch up?”
Scotty turned away, closing his locker door. “No plans with Jason?” he said in an extremely cheerful voice.
And Kevin figured it out. He lifted his head, inhaling in sudden realization. “You don’t like Jason,” he observed out loud.
Scotty looked at him, then turned away again. “Of course I do. Well, I barely know him, but he seems perfectly fine.”
Kevin decided to push it, test out his little theory. “So why don’t the three of us do something together? You can get to know him.”
“I don’t want to intrude. A third wheel is never fun,” Scotty said firmly.
“I think it’s time you two knew each other,” Kevin said with a smile, secretly amused by Scotty’s apparent jealousy and at the same time wanting to reassure him that he still had a place in Kevin’s life. He remembered having basically the same conversation with Justin, back when he first started dating. Little brother insecurity, Kevin forced himself to think. “After all, you two are both important to me, and I’d like you to get along.”
Scotty sighed. “Fine,” he agreed.
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Scotty watched Justin from the side of the room as Justin double-checked everything in his duffel bag. Tyler sat on his bed, tears streaming silently down her face. Kevin leaned against the doorframe, head bent slightly down. Justin picked his bag up, throwing it over his shoulder; he looked around at the others.
“Oh come on,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world. You guys have to get in a better mood, or Kitty’s engagement party is really going to suck.”
Scotty smiled softly. Justin just shook his head. He stepped over, hugging Scotty tight. Then he went over to Kevin, holding him for a few minutes longer.
“Love you,” he said quietly, patting Kevin’s back.
They separated, and Scotty and Kevin slipped out of the room so Justin and Tyler could say goodbye privately.
***
Kevin didn’t think he would’ve made it through the engagement party if it hadn’t been for Scotty. He knew when Kevin needed him to just sit there quietly as he dealt with Justin’s departure. And he knew when Kevin needed to hear some wickedly funny comments about Republicans or McCallisters.
And at the same time, not all the McCallisters were completely bothering him that day. Kevin knew it wasn’t the best idea, but he was feeling extraordinarily on edge and he definitely needed a distraction that Scotty couldn’t provide him. And Jason McCallister looked even better than he did the day of their disastrous date.
So, he wasn’t too surprised when he ended up in the pantry with Jason’s tongue down his throat. Kevin moaned slightly, clutching the back of Jason’s coat. It was the best kiss he had in a long time. And it ended far too quickly.
“Kev - whoa!”
Kevin pulled away from Jason at the sound of Scotty’s voice. Jason stumbled away, looking at the ground, blushing slightly.
Scotty opened and closed his mouth, the surprise evident on his face. “Sorry,” he said, quickly turning away.
Kevin watched him go, trying to ignore the sudden and bizarre…guilt that he felt. He swallowed thickly, but pushed the confused emotion from his mind as Jason started to back away as well. Kevin turned to him, forcing a seductive smile to his face.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Kevin asked, softly teasing.
Jason looked at him, inhaling sharply and looking at Kevin in surprise. Kevin reached out, running three fingers down Jason’s chest. Jason exhaled slowly.
“I don’t normally do this,” he said quietly. “I’m a very traditional person.”
“Maybe you can start a new tradition,” Kevin suggested, arching an eyebrow.
Jason fought a grin, leaning in to kiss him again. Kevin pulled him closer, drawing Jason’s tongue into his mouth and trying desperately to ignore the inexplicable sinking feeling in his stomach.
***
Four weeks later, Kevin stopped by Nora’s to snag some lunch before going back to work. Sarah was already there, gossiping over pie.
“Hello,” he greeted the others.
“Hi honey,” Nora said. “I’m writing a letter to Justin. Want to put in a message?”
Kevin nodded, taking the pen from Nora and pulling the sheet of paper closer. As he began to write, Sarah spoke up.
“Have you and Scotty had a fight?”
Kevin looked up, startled and confused by the question. “No. Why?”
Sarah shrugged. “I had lunch with him yesterday. He said you two haven’t hung out too much lately.”
“Well, no,” Kevin admitted. “But it’s not like there’s anything wrong. He’s got work and that internship at San Estephe, and he’s been spending a lot of time with Holly. And I’ve got work. And Jason.”
Sarah nodded. “OK. I was just curious.”
“We’re fine,” Kevin said.
But he couldn’t get her question out of his mind during the rest of his visit. As he left the house, he allowed himself to think about it more. It was true; they hadn’t seen each other much recently. And while they were both busy, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Kevin called him maybe twice a week to see if he wanted to grab something to eat or see a movie or just hang out. Scotty always had some excuse - valid, certainly, but it didn’t change the fact that he turned him down every single time and never returned any invitations. Maybe Kevin had inadvertently upset him or something.
The thought worried him, and Kevin decided to be a little late for work. He was pretty sure Scotty was working at San Estephe that afternoon, so he went there first. He asked for Scotty and was directed to the locker room. Kevin opened the door and stopped in his tracks. Scotty was changing, his naked back to the door. Kevin swallowed, watching the movement of muscles as Scotty pulled a white t-shirt over his head. Then Kevin closed his eyes, shaking himself firmly, disturbed by his reaction.
“Kevin? Why are you here?”
Kevin opened his eyes again. “Hi,” he said, his voice sounding strangled. He cleared his throat and started over. “I wanted to see how you were. It’s been a while.”
“I’m fine,” Scotty replied, turning away again.
“Really? Because we haven’t talked in, I don’t know, in a few weeks, and I thought maybe you were…mad at me.”
“This may come as a shock to you but what’s happening to me has nothing to do with you.”
Kevin walked forward, straddling the bench as he sat down. “Fine. What does it have to do with?”
Scotty sighed loudly, rubbing his eye with a few fingers. “My tuition was due, so I fell behind on my rent. And my car insurance. And my phone bill. Turns out being a cooking student and apprentice sous chef isn’t the road to financial freedom. I lost my apartment.”
“What? Where have you been staying?”
“Oh, friends’ futons for a while. And now I’m…I’m staying with Holly.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“How’s that working out?”
“Surprisingly well,” Scotty said with a small smile. “It’s been…fun.”
“That’s great.”
Scotty nodded, reaching out for a clean jacket. He pulled it on. “Yeah, so see, we’re fine.”
Kevin tried to ignore the fact that Scotty’s voice seemed ever-so-slightly strained. “OK,” he accepted.
“I have to go to work now,” Scotty said.
Kevin sighed, standing up. “Do you want to grab dinner tonight? Catch up?”
Scotty turned away, closing his locker door. “No plans with Jason?” he said in an extremely cheerful voice.
And Kevin figured it out. He lifted his head, inhaling in sudden realization. “You don’t like Jason,” he observed out loud.
Scotty looked at him, then turned away again. “Of course I do. Well, I barely know him, but he seems perfectly fine.”
Kevin decided to push it, test out his little theory. “So why don’t the three of us do something together? You can get to know him.”
“I don’t want to intrude. A third wheel is never fun,” Scotty said firmly.
“I think it’s time you two knew each other,” Kevin said with a smile, secretly amused by Scotty’s apparent jealousy and at the same time wanting to reassure him that he still had a place in Kevin’s life. He remembered having basically the same conversation with Justin, back when he first started dating. Little brother insecurity, Kevin forced himself to think. “After all, you two are both important to me, and I’d like you to get along.”
Scotty sighed. “Fine,” he agreed.
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