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[kieksterbanjo.livejournal.com]

 Title: Still
Author: kieksterbanjo
Rating: Chapter 4: PG-13
Summary: There's no end to fatherhood...

A/N: I’m sooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry I’m late posting this. This is literally the first time in like a week I’ve known which way was up. Third year university is HARD. Lol. So I apologize immensely for my tardiness. I wish I could end this a/n on a high note but unfortunately I have more bad news :(. Because my life has been so crazy I haven’t been able to finish a fifth chapter that I actually like…which means the next posting might be late to. Please don’t hate me. I’ll try my hardest to get it out as soon as possible but I didn’t think school was going to kick my ass so much. So here’s chapter four for your viewing pleasure and hopefully it won’t be long before you see me again!

 

Chapter 4

 

            “Hey teenager.” Greg said softly as he pushed open the door to the kids bedroom the next day to find Charlie changing into a shirt that said ‘My t-shirt thinks you’re ugly’; a shirt Greg actually found amusing even though his official party line was that it was offensive.

 

            “Hey Dad.” Charlie sighed moving to sit back at the desk that had his notebooks strewn over it.

 

            “How’s the homework going?” Greg asked making his way over to the bed and sitting on it, pulling an old stuffed animal of Nick’s sister’s onto to his lap.

 

            Charlie shrugged, “Okay.”

 

            Greg nodded, “You know, not to quell your motivation or anything, but the homework they gave you was meant to last the week. Not be finished in a day and a half. You don’t have to do it all now.”

 

            Charlie blushed slightly and looked down at his papers, “I know.” He said softly.

 

            “So why are you holing yourself up in this room and making the mad dash to finish it?” Greg asked. Charlie just shrugged as he absently played with a pencil between his fingers, “Are you not feeling well?” Greg tried even though he knew that wasn’t the answer; so when Charlie rolled his eyes, Greg didn’t comment.

 

            “I’m not sick Dad.” Charlie sighed.

 

            “Then what’s the problem? Mad about summer school?” Greg asked.

 

            “Yeah. No. Kinda. I don’t know.” Charlie said exasperatedly, throwing his hands up and bringing them down to slap against his thighs.

 

            “Hey. Hey. No need to get upset. We’re just talking.” Greg said calmly, “I’m just trying to figure out what’s wrong so we can try to fix it.”

 

            “I don’t think we can fix it.” Charlie mumbled under his breath.

 

            “But you agree that something is wrong?” Greg asked slowly.

 

            Charlie sighed, “I’m mad that I have to go to summer school. I’m mad that I’m in remedial English. I’m mad that all you and Dad and Aidan and this whole family talk about is Aidan’s fancy soccer scholarship and his straight A’s and his perfectness when really this whole thing is nothing more then him leaving and us never getting to see him.” Charlie inhaled deeply after letting his whole speech out in one breath.

 

            “That’s a lot to be mad about.” Greg said after a moment and Charlie gave him a ‘see what I mean’ look, “Look, when I was little I had this green duck stuffed animal. I loved that thing. I took him everywhere with me and never let him out of my sight. His name was Maury.” Greg stopped for a second and Charlie quirked an eyebrow at him but didn’t interrupt, “So one day when I was nine I couldn’t find Maury anywhere and when I asked my mom she said that she had thrown Maury out because he was all ratty and smelly and I was too old to be carrying around a stuffed duck. I never saw Maury again.” Greg finished his story and looked at Charlie who furrowed his eyebrows at his father and was silent for several moments.

 

            “What…does that have to do with anything?” Charlie asked, breaking the silence.

 

            “It doesn’t. I just couldn’t think of what to say and I haven’t thought of Maury in a long time.” Greg said getting a far off look on his face. He was jolted out of his reverie when he heard Charlie’s bubbling laughter to his right and turned to find the teenager doubled over and holding his stomach from laughter. Greg smiled; he hadn’t seen or heard Charlie laugh in months.

 

            Charlie straightened and wiped tears from his eyes as he calmed himself down, “Phew. Wow. Thanks Dad I needed a good laugh.”

 

            “It’s what I’m here for.” Greg shrugged with a smile as Charlie calmed the rest of the way down, “But on a serious note Char?” Charlie raised his eyebrows expectantly, “You’re not dumb just because you’re in summer school or remedial English. And we don’t think less of you just because Aidan is going off to university.”

 

            “Sometimes it feels like it.” Charlie whispered.

 

            “You are one of the smartest 14 year olds I know.”

 

            “How many of us do you know?” Charlie sighed sarcastically. Greg ignored the question.

 

            “Do you know how sad it is for me not to be able to figure out a piece of technology? I used to be all into that. But you? You can program my computer to make it dance if you wanted to.” Charlie smiled sheepishly, “Just because you had one bad year in English doesn’t make you stupid. High school’s hard. You can’t just get by with natural smarts anymore. I promise you you’ll figure this out. I know for a fact that if you apply yourself you’ll be getting 90s and be out of summer school in no time.”

 

            “Yeah I guess.” Charlie whispered.

 

            “And you can’t possibly think that just because Aidan is moving here to go to school that we’ll never see him again.” Greg said.

 

            “Not EVER again. But he won’t be around anymore.” Charlie mumbled.

 

            “Not during the school year but he’s already planning his first trip home and Nick’s already got us locked to come here for Thanksgiving. But I thought you’d be all excited about Aidan leaving. You’ll be top dog once he’s gone. You’ll be the oldest. The one Isabelle, Austin and Angelica look up to.”

 

            “I don’t want that though.” Charlie sighed with a shake of his head, “I just want Aidan to stay.” He mumbled sadly and Greg’s eyes softened, finally understanding Charlie’s mood. Charlie and Aidan had always been close, despite being almost 4 years apart in age. They stuck together a lot when kids on the playground would make fun of them for their family life and out of that came a close relationship that Charlie obviously felt was being threatened by Aidan’s move.

 

            “He’s still gonna be your big brother Char. That’s never going to change.” Greg said softly.

 

            “It already is though. He’d rather be out playing soccer or hanging out with Michelle. We never hang out anymore.” Charlie said sadly.

 

Greg was at a loss for words. He couldn’t very well tell Charlie that his relationship with Aidan was never going to change. As they grew up they would inevitably be into different things and they were at an age when Aidan was trying to become his own person while Charlie was still very much defined by his family. Greg also couldn’t tell the teenager that in time Charlie would find his own niches, his own girlfriend with whom to spend his time with and that he’d miss the constant interaction with his brother less and less. Greg knew from being told similar things in his youth that Charlie would never believe him.

 

            So when there was a knock at the bedroom door Greg was thankful for it and got up to answer it, “Aidan!” He said in surprise, pulling the door open further for the eighteen year old to step in. Greg caught Charlie’s look of confusion at the sight of his brother.

 

            “I thought you went to the track with Uncle Will.” Charlie said.

 

            Aidan shrugged and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, “I was but I didn’t really feel like going for a run. I thought maybe I’d take a bike out and go riding through the forest.” He said and Charlie nodded turning back to his homework with a scowl. There was silence for several moments and Greg could feel the awkward tension in the room, “Do you wanna come for a ride with me?” Aidan asked and Charlie looked up surprised.

 

            “Are you sure?” Charlie asked guardedly.

 

            Again Aidan shrugged, “Sucks to ride alone.” Was his answer and Greg watched as Charlie’s expression went from one of skepticism to one of joy.

 

            “Yeah I guess that could work.” He said trying to act nonchalant, putting down his pen.

 

            “Awesome. But you’re pulling the bikes from the garage.” Aidan instructed and Charlie laughed, getting up and jogging from the room.

 

            Greg and Aidan watched him go before Greg turned to Aidan, “How long were you listening?” He asked knowingly and even though Aidan wasn’t looking at him Greg could see a blush spread across his face.

 

            “A while.” He said softly and Greg nodded even though Aidan couldn’t see him. Aidan began walking towards the door but stopped halfway through it and turned to look at his father, “Does Dad know about Maury?” He asked, restraining a smile but doing poorly at it.

 

            Greg groaned, “That never leaves this room.” He said warningly and Aidan laughed before walking down the hall and out of sight.

 

-- -- --

 

            “That makes complete and total sense.” Nick said in wonder as Greg told him of his conversation with Charlie that night before bed.

 

            “And yet it took us this long to figure it out.” Greg commented plopping down on the bed with a heavy sigh.

 

            “The mind of a 14 year old boy is a complex thing.” Nick consoled, plumping up his pillows before sitting against them, “It could have been any number of things bothering him. I’m just surprised considering I felt the same way when I was eight, that I didn’t see the signs.”

 

            “When you were eight?” Greg asked sliding closer to his husband and sliding to lean against his chest when Nick lifted his arm.

 

            Nick nodded, “I was eight when Will went off to college. I think I might have cried for a month before and after he left, only when no one was around of course. He was my big brother, my only big brother and I remember being terrified that he wasn’t going to be around to talk to or listen to me complain when our Dad’s strict rules got ridiculous.” He recounted.

 

            “How did your parents console you?” Greg asked, snuggling closer and entwining his leg between Nick’s.

 

            “They told me that Will wasn’t gone for good and that he would be home for Christmas. Then they gave me a calendar with a countdown until he would be home. Crossing off the days gave me something to look forward to instead of thinking about the fact that my brother wasn’t around.” Nick sighed as Greg’s foot ‘innocently’ started to rub Nick’s ankle, making his thigh, by consequence, rub against…other things.

 

            “Somehow I don’t think Charlie would be appeased with that.” Greg chuckled watching a flush spread across Nick’s face.

 

            “Can you not bring up Charlie when you’re doing that?” Nick asked and Greg chuckled again, pushing up to straddle Nick’s hips. They weren’t naked, Greg’s boxer and Nick’s cotton pajama bottoms preventing skin on skin, but just the proximity was alluring.

 

            “This is totally one of my fantasies.” Greg mumbled tracing random patterns on Nick’s biceps with the tips of his fingers.

 

            Nick smirked, placing his hands on Greg’s hips to steady him as Nick slid down lower on the pillow to get more comfortable, “After being married this long I thought I knew all of your fantasies. And besides, sex in my parents house kind of got checked off the list quite a few years ago.”

 

            Greg leaned down and spoke right into Nick’s ear, his hot breath wafting over the flesh and making Nick shiver, “Doesn’t mean its still not near the top of the list. I think it’s something that should be experienced more then once.” And with that he licked along the shell of Nick’s ear and smiled against his temple at Nick’s answering groan.

 

            Seconds after the first a second groan tore from Nick’s lips but instead of a groan of pleasure it was a groan of frustration. Greg mirrored the groan and they both turned their heads towards the door as the light, almost not there, knock sounded again, “Do we have to get that?” Greg whispered.

 

            “Could be one of the kids.” Nick sighed, stroking Greg’s thighs comfortingly.

 

            Greg rolled his forehead against Nick’s and then fell beside him on the bed with a heavy sigh, “At least they learned to knock.” He mumbled as Nick called a strained ‘come in!’ to their visitor.

 

            Greg propped himself up on one elbow when the door creaked open and Austin shuffled in rubbing his eyes and holding his stomach, “What’s up buddy?” Nick asked swinging his legs over the end of the bed and beckoning Austin closer.

 

            “I don’t feel well.” Austin whined softly, moving to stand between Nick’s legs and leaning against him to put his head on Nick’s shoulders.

 

            Nick turned his head towards Greg and they both shared a look of alarm. After Austin’s surgery Nick and Greg were constantly worried every time Austin complained of illness or fatigue for they had been warned repeatedly of the signs of rejection.  They had been lucky over the years and the anti rejection medication Austin took everyday had been doing its job, “What exactly is wrong Austin?” Greg asked, moving to sit next.

 

            Austin shrugged and pulled away from Nick, “My tummy hurts.” He said simply.

 

            “Do you have shivers? Are you cold?” Nick asked pushing Austin’s hair off his forehead and checking for a fever. Austin shook his head against Nick’s hand.

 

            Nick and Greg began to relax. It didn’t seem Austin’s problem had anything to do with organ rejection, “What did you have to eat when Grandma took you and Izzy out for lunch today?” Greg asked.

 

            Austin look contemplatively at the ceiling for a moment before answering, “Cheese pizza, bread sticks and ice cream.” He recounted.

 

            “Yeah and he almost ate all the ice cream in the store!” The three men in the room turned to the door to find Isabelle walking through it.

 

            Nick chuckled, “Well I think we discovered the source of your tummy ache. Maybe next time you only eat one scoop of ice cream.” He advised.

 

            “Or two.” Greg added and Nick shot him a look as Greg chuckled.

 

            “Do you want to stay with us tonight Aust? Because you’re not feeling well?” Nick asked. Austin had stopped wanting to sleep in Nick and Greg’s bed when he was 5 but every once in a while he’d show up beside their bed when he’d had a nightmare.

 

            “Yeah.” He whispered and climbed into the centre of the bed.

 

            “Can I stay too?” Isabelle asked. Greg nodded and Isabelle hopped onto the bed to lie next to her brother and in minutes both were sound asleep.

 

            Nick and Greg lay down facing each other, looking over the two bodies between them and Greg raised his eyebrows with a sigh. Nick nodded, “We gave up our privacy when we decided to become fathers five times over.”

 

            “Maybe when they’re all off at college we’ll get some uninterrupted alone time.” Greg commented, putting his hand up over the space between them.

 

            Nick reached his hand across as well, clasping his hand with Greg’s and giving it a squeeze before they both withdrew them, “One can hope.” He whispered as they snuggled under the covers.

 

TBC

 

A/N: Love the feedback so if you’ve got some…you know where to leave it :)

Comments

[peezyluv.livejournal.com]

Thanks for explaining Charlie's behaviour !! and good luck with school ;-)
hope reading from you really soon
ps : don't forget to give N&G some alone time ^^ they deserve it

[katydid713.livejournal.com]

Great chapter! I think my sister was thrilled to get rid of me when I went off to college. She didn't have to share the phone or the bathroom. She even had designs on my bedroom, but my parents nixed that.

I hope school gets but, yeah third year is hard!

[ic789.livejournal.com]

Awww, you wrote Charlie's anguish about losing his older brother very well. The idea of Greg and Nick in bed, trying to be intimate and being interrupted by little folks was right on.