arguments. Benji even remembered to give Missy the biggest and the littlest pieces of the pizza. Nothing said you really loved your sibling like remembering which parts of the pizza they liked best. Adrien passed Markus’ wink along to Benji who relaxed at the old signal. The Rescue Twinks were ready and able to keep an eye on Missy and her new beau.
Markus looked up from his pizza suddenly, a startled expression on his darkly exotic face. “What—oh, snap. Adrien, I think your man left his phone. I picked it up back at your place to give to you and then I got distracted.”
Benji snorted. “Oh, that must have been when we drove by Gold’s Gym and he was drooling over all the hot guys lifting weights.”
Markus rolled his big eyes expressively. “Really Benji… there are impressionable young people at the table, and neither Missy nor Adrien is old enough to be hearing this sort of salacious gossip.”
Missy perked up in her seat. “Salacious? Really? Omg, that sounds exciting. No, no, by all means, big bro, do continue with your salacity. Please.”
Adrien stifled a snicker as Missy batted her lashes at her brother. Benji scowled and stopped speaking. Markus reached across the table, handing Adrien Devon’s phone just as it began to ring. He eyed the phone warily until Michael’s name and number came up. Then he flicked the phone open with a big smile.
“Hey Michael, what are you up to? I thought you were gonna go check on Andy and make sure he’s okay… how’s that going?”
Michael paused before he answered his voice full of deep southern drawl. “Hey back, Adrien. You okay, little elf?”
Wrinkling his nose up at the elf crack, Adrien replied. “I’m not an elf anymore, Michael. You know that. And you can’t reach Devon at this number right now… he, um… he left it at my place.”
Adrien stumbled a little over the last words, his voice catching as his throat suddenly clogged up. Michael paused again before releasing a deep sigh. “I know. I picked him up from Mrs. Simpson.”
Gulping at the thought of Catherine Marie Simpson getting her hands and her rapier sharp wits on Devon right after their fight, Adrien threw his free hand in the air. “Well, Crap-doodly. That just blows, Michael. Now she’ll probably trick him into becoming her patient or something.”
Absolute silence met his statement. Adrien glanced up to find Benji, Markus, and Missy eyeing him with lifted brows and openly questioning looks. Glaring first at the phone in his hand, and then at the three in front of him, he pointed to the pizza and then each of them in turn.
“Hold on a second, Michael. I need to go where I’ll have a bit of privacy.”
Then Adrien whirled around to stomp into the kitchen. He shoved the swinging door between the dining room and the kitchen open. The door bounced back, smacking into his foot. The shoes he’d picked out for the Maid Marian costume were pretty little boots, so all that was hurt this time was his pride. He flattened one hand against the door and pushed gently. Stepping through into the well-lit kitchen, Adrien allowed the door to swing shut behind him, sealing away the delicious, greasy pepperoni and melted cheese smell of his pizza dinner.
Michael’s voice barked at him over the line. “What was that noise? Are you okay?”
Adrien rolled his eyes. “Geez, Michael, chill. You know if I was actually hurt I’d let someone know. Don’t be an ass.”
Michael grunted back at him before switching from Cavemanese to actual modern human speech. “Right, I’m just a little nervous about this whole possible stalker thing. I mean, Adrien… if I didn’t know you I’d be tempted to stalk you after that little display, you know?”
Adrien’s face was going to burn right off. “Shut up, Michael.”
Low, rich laughter rolled out of the phone. “Sure thing, Adrien, I’m shutting up about that topic entirely. Hey, where are you at? I can swing by and pick up Devon’s phone and bring
Markus looked up from his pizza suddenly, a startled expression on his darkly exotic face. “What—oh, snap. Adrien, I think your man left his phone. I picked it up back at your place to give to you and then I got distracted.”
Benji snorted. “Oh, that must have been when we drove by Gold’s Gym and he was drooling over all the hot guys lifting weights.”
Markus rolled his big eyes expressively. “Really Benji… there are impressionable young people at the table, and neither Missy nor Adrien is old enough to be hearing this sort of salacious gossip.”
Missy perked up in her seat. “Salacious? Really? Omg, that sounds exciting. No, no, by all means, big bro, do continue with your salacity. Please.”
Adrien stifled a snicker as Missy batted her lashes at her brother. Benji scowled and stopped speaking. Markus reached across the table, handing Adrien Devon’s phone just as it began to ring. He eyed the phone warily until Michael’s name and number came up. Then he flicked the phone open with a big smile.
“Hey Michael, what are you up to? I thought you were gonna go check on Andy and make sure he’s okay… how’s that going?”
Michael paused before he answered his voice full of deep southern drawl. “Hey back, Adrien. You okay, little elf?”
Wrinkling his nose up at the elf crack, Adrien replied. “I’m not an elf anymore, Michael. You know that. And you can’t reach Devon at this number right now… he, um… he left it at my place.”
Adrien stumbled a little over the last words, his voice catching as his throat suddenly clogged up. Michael paused again before releasing a deep sigh. “I know. I picked him up from Mrs. Simpson.”
Gulping at the thought of Catherine Marie Simpson getting her hands and her rapier sharp wits on Devon right after their fight, Adrien threw his free hand in the air. “Well, Crap-doodly. That just blows, Michael. Now she’ll probably trick him into becoming her patient or something.”
Absolute silence met his statement. Adrien glanced up to find Benji, Markus, and Missy eyeing him with lifted brows and openly questioning looks. Glaring first at the phone in his hand, and then at the three in front of him, he pointed to the pizza and then each of them in turn.
“Hold on a second, Michael. I need to go where I’ll have a bit of privacy.”
Then Adrien whirled around to stomp into the kitchen. He shoved the swinging door between the dining room and the kitchen open. The door bounced back, smacking into his foot. The shoes he’d picked out for the Maid Marian costume were pretty little boots, so all that was hurt this time was his pride. He flattened one hand against the door and pushed gently. Stepping through into the well-lit kitchen, Adrien allowed the door to swing shut behind him, sealing away the delicious, greasy pepperoni and melted cheese smell of his pizza dinner.
Michael’s voice barked at him over the line. “What was that noise? Are you okay?”
Adrien rolled his eyes. “Geez, Michael, chill. You know if I was actually hurt I’d let someone know. Don’t be an ass.”
Michael grunted back at him before switching from Cavemanese to actual modern human speech. “Right, I’m just a little nervous about this whole possible stalker thing. I mean, Adrien… if I didn’t know you I’d be tempted to stalk you after that little display, you know?”
Adrien’s face was going to burn right off. “Shut up, Michael.”
Low, rich laughter rolled out of the phone. “Sure thing, Adrien, I’m shutting up about that topic entirely. Hey, where are you at? I can swing by and pick up Devon’s phone and bring
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