Early the next morning I was up went for a run and had a shower before starting breakfast when there was a knock at the door. The boys were all getting ready for school I could hear the giggling upstairs. And 16 year old boys in fits of laughter wasn’t necessary a good thing but I hadn’t heard any screaming yet. And Sage was likely in the shower, so I had to leave the kitchen to grab the door.
I opened the door and found a strange man standing there with dark hair and familiar eyes except the blue coloring was wrong. He was wearing a skeltel black hoodie – the same one I owned actually and the rest of his attire was black including the black combat boots he wore. I asked, “Can I help you?”
He smiled and I couldn’t help but return it. This had to be Adam, I could see the same patterns shifting around him as I did Sage but to a lesser degree. He held out his hand and I took, “You must be Nox. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“I am. Why don’t you come in Adam. Sage is upstairs. I’ll go get him.”
He walked past me and shook his head. “No that’s okay, let him sleep. He doesn’t know I’m coming this early. I wanted to know if you needed any help? My mom says I make a mean cup of hot chocolate.”
I smiled. “I’m good actually, but you can help with breakfast if you really want to. Everyone will be down in a little bit.”
“I can boil water in the microwave and add power, I hope you don’t actually want me to do anything.” Adam confessed.
“You sound like your brother.” I said. “I watched him burn water on many occassions. I don’t know how he forgets but he does. But he is getting better.” I said as I lead Adam to the kitchen in bare feet.
“When Sage talks about you I picture something different.” Adam chuckled.
“Let me guess. You picture the stertypical gay guy?” I groaned.
“Actually, no. I expected a lot more muscle, the whole health nut freak.” Adam said as we entered the kitchen and I started back working on breakfast.
“Coffee?” I asked.
Adam shook his head. “No. I don’t like it. I’ll take any other form of caffeine you have.”
“You’ll have to hit the fridge in the basement, the Mountain Dew is down there so the boys don’t drink it all. Sage thought I was throwing it away, until he caught went into Matt’s and Fae’s rooms and saw the cans piled up.”
Adam laughed. “See health nut. The fact that you liked men never even came up. Rather obvious you know. Sage never even mentioned it.”
“I guess if that’s all Sage talks about then I should be happy.”
Adam sat down on the bar with a bottle of water and a to-go packet of some mixed drink or another. “Caffeine on the go.” I nodded. “Sage never talked much about his preferences. I mean I’ve heard all about his lovers but I made assumptions. You are the first one I’ve met.”
I grinned. “You’ll be Dev and Dee later.”
Adam nodded. “I lied. I’ve already meet Dee. Not the pleasure of Devin yet. Though I’ve heard his music.”
“You have?” I said surprised. Dev hadn’t shared any with me.
Adam looked embarrassed. “Sage and I hacked his computer.”
“Did he tell Dev?”
Adam shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Then I don’t want to know anymore. Fuck!”
“I’m sorry man, just don’t say anything.” Adam tried to be persuasive.
“So I keep a secret to protect one lover from the other? I take sides? We are supposed to have open lines.” fuck!
My phone rang and I groaned as I picked it up. “Hey Dev. You going to bed?”
He laughed, “Actually was wondering if I could crash there, so I could sleep longer.”
“Your are always welcome in our bed. It’s your’s too.”
“Alright be there in ten. Train’s running late.”
“When aren’t they.”I said before saying our good-byes.
“I think that’s the part I don’t understand. The fact that you are all in a relationship knowingly and lovingly monagamous between the four of you. Don’t you get jealous?”
I sighed. “I do all the time. But we need each other for various reasons. We’ve all got a symbotic relationship – magically enhanced.”
I set plates out and heard the boys coming down the stairs. Drake was the first one in his chair and looked at me with a disappointed frown. “No pancakes?”
I shrugged. “Nope. With all the baking Dee’s been doing for tonight, we have no flour left.”
Drake pouted as he crunched on his bacon. Matt came around the island and wrapped an arm around my waist and pressed a kiss to my cheek. My dad is picking me up from school, mind if he joins us tonight?”
“That’s fine. God knows there is plenty of food. Just add a tick to the count.”
Fae was already at the board on the fridge and drew two lines. “Darwynn’s home, I told him about dinner and he asked why he wasn’t invited so I said he could come too.”
Matt grinned at Fae. The boys were fast becoming brothers. Sometimes I wondered if there was more than friends. Matt was definitly into boys, Fae I wasn’t sure. I think he was leaning that way because everyone around him was. I think Dee needed to have a chat with my little wolf.”
“Darwynn is welcome. I didn’t know he was back.”
“That’s what I said.” Fae tapped Adam on the shoulder. “Look Uncle Adam, that’s my seat.”
I growled inside my head and Matt pressed his hip into mine. I looked at him and he smiled. “Sage ran into Adam when he picked us up a few weeks ago and we all went for icecream.”
I heard the key in the door and left the kitchen on that note. The boys were giggling again and I heard Drake say, “Da’s here.” Then we heard stomping down the stairs and Drake giggled, “Vader’s up.”
Drake was the only calling us by parental names. Adam looked at me “Vader?”
I grinned at Adam as I explained. “I’m Dad, Dev is Da, Mom is Dee. Sage is Vader thanks to Dev. It was a funny story how the name came about. The lot of us were watching Star Wars. Mine and Matt’s first time. Fae had seen the first two but not the last in the trilogy that starts the sequence. And we watched them in order of release. Sage and Dev’s requirement. The scene where Vader doesn’t say “Luke, I am your father.” comes up and and Sage and Dev are both quoting right along with the dialog wrapped up against each other in the double wide recliner we’d bought as a group. Dee was curled up on the couch with all three boys. And I was on the floor resting against both of their legs, their knees in my back but they both and their hands in my hair, which was kinda putting me to sleep. Dev wiggled his finger and called Drake over. He barreled over the top of me and into their lap and Dev whispered in his ear. We never did get what he said to Drake. Neither one of them will spill the beans. But Drake flops over into Sage’s lap pulling his hand into his shirt and grinning up at him, ‘Vader, will you kiss my owie?'”
I heard Dev laughing before he even got in the room. I’d heard them kissing in the entry way and was waiting patiently for them to join us. I was going to have to stalk one of them if he went upstairs without saying good-night. Which was why Dev was laughing. He stepped around the island and Matt left my side so he could stand there. “I know better than to forget that. If you come upstairs I won’t get any sleep.” He pressed a kiss to my lips.
We hadn’t even done more than press lips together before Fae groaned, “Get a room.”
Which prompted Sage to come around the other side and kiss my cheek and wrap his arms around us both.
Matt laughed. “See Fae, you should know better. At least Dee isn’t here otherwise it’d be all four of them. And Dee makes it worse.”
Fae groaned and hung his head. Sage and I shared a kiss, then he let me go and started making his cup of coffee. “So Adam, you enjoying the family moment?”
Adam laughed, “I didn’t think anyone noticed me.”
Dev grinned, “Sorry man,” he held out his hand. “Devin Alexander. I got preoccupied with pretty boy and deadshot over there.”
“Deadshot?” Adam asked.
Sage groaned. “Please don’t share it.”
Dev laughed as he lauched into the whole paintball scene where Sage had missed a winning shot.
“I’m taking my breakfast downstairs.” Sage punched Dev in the arm. “You go to sleep.” He looked at Adam. “You want to join me, or you going to entertain Nox?”
He looked at me and I shrugged, “I don’t need help.”
“You sure?” He asked, and I nodded. “Alright, I’m coming.” He got up and followed Sage down into the basement.
Matt picked up Drake and Fae was already down the hall. “We’ll get Drake to school. You can spent time with Dev.”
Drake made a kiss smacking sound against his hand and threw us both a kiss. “My Da and Dad. Wuv you.”
Dev and I both said together, “Love you too.”
Dev turned to wrapping me in his arms and he kissed me properly.
The Mind of Nox 