Chapter 11 – "Kids! Whaddya Gonna Do"

Thank God I Found You – Mariah Carey ft. Joe & 98 Degrees

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No." I pouted and winced when he placed the damp towel, doused in alcohol on my forehead. "Not so hard."

Spencer rolled his eyes, "Oh, shut it."

"Make me."

He slapped me on my lips. "Ow!"

"What?" he barked back, making sure to keep the cloth against my forehead, "You asked me to shut you up."

"It was a figure of speech."

"Well, maybe next time you'd think before you take the car and head half way across the town to confront a guy who is twice your size and much more physically imposing."

"I had that asshole beat and you know it!"

"So being dragged on the lawn is your definition of having 'him beat'." He snorted out.

I growled in immediate response and puffed out my chest, "Yeah, that was after I slammed his head onto his own car and punch the smirk clear off his face." I kissed my fist, "I'm the football player, I'm the athlete, I'm the alpha male, I'm the – ow!" I whimpered when he pressed it harder against my forehead. "That hurt!"

"It's supposed to hurt. Now keep still, alpha male."

"You mock me a lot. I seriously don't know why I love you."

He smiled bit, "The feelings of confused affection is returned."

I narrowed, "Quit watching Spartacus."

His smile widened, "Lean forward." He mumbled, moving the towel and taking a look at the little gash. He noticeably grimaced and put it back.

I frowned, "So what's the diagnosis, doc?"

"Nothing serious, Austin did put quite the dent on your noggin." He smirked, "Now you can blame him for your inability to compute thoughts and do fifth grade Mathematics."

I rolled my eyes, "I got him good on the jaw though. He looked stunned that I actually clocked him."

Spencer frowned a bit but before he could say something I raised my hand, "I won't fight him again, I promise."

He nodded, "You're lying, Ethan."

I scoffed, "How do you know that?"

"Your fingers are crossed behind your back."

Damn.

How does he do that?

"I have powers. That's how."

My eyes widened, "How did you-"

"You said the last thing aloud."

I smiled, "You know, I should thank you for saving me from a major ass whuppin'. I might have had way more than just a little bruise on my forehead if you didn't call Karla."

He moved the towel, "Yeah well next time please try and control your jealousy and I won't have to."

"No promises." He smacked me to the right of my forehead, making sure to stay clear of the bruise. That didn't mean didn't hurt. "That stung." I wined.

"Oh, man up."

"Spencer!" a little voice called and I immediately pouted.

"This kid is getting all of your attention and he's calling you by your name now."

Spencer took one of my hands into his and brought to my forehead to hold the towel. He stood up straight and dusted his jeans off of any dirt that may have accumulated while he was kneeling in front of me.

"Well it isn't uncommon to learn someone's name when you are scared half to death in the cold at night in a public park."

I lowered my head , away from Spencer's folded arms and judging eyes. He left a while after and headed to the living room where little Sammy was watching an episode of SpongeBob.

"What's going on in here?"

My head spun to the other entrance. Mrs. Haynes was looking around – wide eyed, digesting her once spotless kitchen that had become home for socks and a bloody towels.

Her eyes finally landed on me for an explanation. After a few seconds of her eyes blinking at me, I came up with the most plausible excuse I could. "Uh, I bumped my head pretty hard against one of your lovely cabinets earlier so Spencer was helping me patch it up."

Her glare softened a bit but didn't quite get turn into a smile.

However, she stepped forward, placed her black handbag on the counter and took the towel out of my hand. She shivered at it and threw it to the side. "Well, if you weren't here in the first place with Spencer and co and up to your usual shenanigans this wouldn't have happened."

"No one says Shenanigans anymore."

She must not have not heard my sly quip because she continued to inspect the cut, "You can't expect that little towel to work and you are going to ruin your shirt." She stood up straight, "Take it off."

I gaped, "Mrs. Haynes, you're married and I'm happily in a relationship."

She rolled her eyes, "Just take off the shirt, Ethan."

I frowned and hoisted my baby blue tee over my head, throwing it over my shoulder and staring at her with as much innocence as I could. She moved to one of the cabinets and took out a bottle. I couldn't read the words but I was sure it was medically prescribed. She got the cotton balls from on top of the fridge and came back over.

She unscrewed the bottle's cap and placed one of the balls where it used to be, turned the bottle over, making sure that none of the liquid seeped through before turning it back to its upright position. Finally, she walked over, looked down at me and almost immediately, her eyes softened.

"This might sting a bit." The matriarch admitted and stooped down to eye level.

I swallowed and nodded. She pressed it against the wound and I admit to wincing a bit. "You know," she began, "You are a real negative influence on my son."

"Sorry not sorry." I barked back. Half of it was out of the less than pleasant stinging sensation that was currently ripping its way across my skull and half of it was the honest to God truth. I wasn't in the least bit sorry for 'corrupting' Spencer.

She gently snarled in return, "He could be a straight -" I snorted when she said straight, cutting her off. She was visibly confused for a while but seemingly waved it off and continued, "...he could have been a straight A student if you didn't convince and coax him into staying up to play videos games all of the time." she moved the cotton ball and replaced it with another, this time she just gently wiped the spot.

"I admit to being a bit of an instigator to his so-so academic performance but Spence isn't exactly Mr. Innocent either. I wasn't the one who insisted we sneak and get the new Halo when it came out."

She grunted, "Please don't remind of that night, Ethan. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw my baby boy's window torn open and both my son and his best friend missing. I expected the worst."

"A dozen cops was less than necessary, Mrs. H."

"You're right. I should have contacted the Navy as well." she retorted and stood.

I chuckled, watching her further inspect my forehead as if I was her son and smiling at her work. "You're a good mother Mrs. Haynes."

For the first time since her eyes connected with mine in weeks, she smiled. "Thank you," it faltered a bit, "I just wish my children saw me as a great one."

"Spencer does."

She shook her head, "No he doesn't. I know he doesn't hate me but it's just the little things he says and does that make me feel like I'm doing something wrong." She stopped and wiped her eyes, briefly chucking in embarrassment and turning around, "Look at me, spilling my guts and shedding a tear to my son's best friend."

I opened my mouth but closed it once I saw her eyes, shining like diamonds from the tears that were tempting to stream over onto her cheeks. I wanted to tell her that my relationship with her baby boy had passed 'best friend' and those first for letters in the title were replaced with three. I couldn't though. It would be hard to explain it to Spencer why his mother was trying to butcher me and crying at the same time.

"You don't have to feel ashamed, Mrs. H." I smiled, trying to comfort her, "Spencer loves you. Really, he does. He's just a little sarcastic is all."

She chuckled a bit, "Dorothy from the Golden Girls is a little sarcastic. Spencer is just mean."

I blinked. "I'm sorry, who?"

It was her turn to blink, "You kids and your damn internet." She grumbled, headed over to another cabinet and came back over with a small clear box in her hand. "You don't know anything about good TV shows and music. Instead it's all about Rihanna and her half covered behind."

"That's one fine behind though."

She rolled her eyes.

Wonder where Spence got that from?

She opened the box, "Which one do you want?"

I raised an eyebrow and looked down into the box that was filled with bandages with cartoon characters on them. I looked up at her with confused eyes but her only response was a light shrug.

"How about the Power Puff Ones," she suggested, "It was Spence's favorite one to get whenever he knocked his head against the dining room table while he was trying to get away from Suzy."

"Okay and," I took a pause to narrow my eyes, "Who is Suzy?"

She chuckled and un-wrapped the bandage, "The neighbor girl he had a crush on back in third grade. She moved away a long time ago. The two used to play in here all the time together." She stopped and giggled at the memory, "He would try to spell her name in his Cheerios." Her smile faltered a bit and she got that female glint her eyes all women got when they were deep in telling a story, "Of course he didn't realize that Os were all that came in the box until later but it was so cute." She frowned, "He never told you about Suzy?"

I shook my head in subtle disbelief, "We didn't meet until late into fourth grade but I would think he would have told me about a Suzy."

"Oh, well, bring it up and maybe he will."

I clenched my jaw, "I will."

She nodded and patted the bandage on the bruise, "There, you're all better."

My right hand traced it, "Mrs. Haynes, why do you have all of these things in the kitchen?"

"When you have two hyper active boys who fight all the time, you're going to need medical supplies in every room – especially the kitchen."

I nodded with a chuckle. She mirrored my expression until her eyes moved down my chest. At first I thought she was checking me out but then I remembered I was shirtless.

If I was shirtless meant my chest was showing.

If my chest was showing that meant the tattoo I got of Spencer's name was bright red and clear as day.

And that meant I was dead.

She chuckled a bit but her confused eyes remained,, "Why is my son's name tattooed onto your chest – over your heart in red ink?"

I quickly grabbed my shirt and threw it on, cussed under my breath and started to stutter. Mrs. Haynes' eyes were still stuck on me and were as if they saw right through me.

"It was a dare." Someone said. It wasn't Spencer but it sounded like his voice. A deeper version of it at least.

I blew out a huge breath in relief when Kai walked into the room with a basketball and a sweaty smell accompanying him.

Mrs. Haynes faced her elder son, "What do you mean it was a bet? Spencer!"

"God, mom. It isn't that serious." Kai responded, covering his ears.

Spencer rushed in and stood by the door, "Mom, I can explain the mess," he pointed at me "Ethan-"

"No need, Ethan already told me about him ramming his head." she boomed, cutting him off short. Short enough for me to glare at him for throwing me under the bus.

He shrugged and looked back at his mother with a more cool demeanor, "So what's with the screaming of my name?"

She pointed at me, "That young boy has your name tattooed on his chest. Please tell me you don't have his name on yours."

"Hell no." he retorted quickly with the most screwed face I've ever seen. It would have hurt if it wasn't so funny.

Spencer's mother folded her arms. "Then what is it doing over his heart in red ink?"

Spencer swallowed and made eye contact with his brother who had positioned himself behind Mrs. H. Kai held up the number four so Spencer could see.

The younger brother's eyes flashed back to the steaming matriarch, "It was a dare, mom." I nearly choked when he said the same thing Kai did.

The trio looked at me confused. I laughed out of nerves and pointed to the bruise, "After sting?"

Kai pinched his nose, Mrs. H rolled her eyes and Spencer shook his head, "As you can see by Ethan's self-inflicted head wound, he's not that shiniest apple on the tree."

I would have protested if I didn't have Buttercup on my forehead.

Mrs. H sighed in defeat, "Fine, I'll accept that but Spencer you better not even think of getting any tattoos." She peered over to me, "And, Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"Get help."

I lowered my head, "Will do."

She huffed and grabbed her bag, "Clean this mess please." She demanded before exiting the room.

I breathed out, "Jesus, that was too close."

"Not close enough." Kai noted with a smirk and an apple in his hand.

"Shut it Kai. Don't act as if you didn't know Ethan was the one I was dating." Spencer interjected and came into the room fully.

Kai snorted, "You should you should be kissing my feet, little bro. It was because of my keen eye that I figured out that Ethan was the one and saved your ass."

Spencer rolled his eyes, "Oh, puh-lease, Bro. You and I both know that Josh told you at the reception."

"Be that as it may, I still saved this little thing you've got going on. If I wasn't here eavesdropping then your macho man would have spilled some very big beans onto the floor."

Spencer huffed, "Fine. Thank You."

Kai smirked, "That's all I wanted." He said with a smile and walked out the way he came.

Spencer's eyes slowly and dangerously shifted from Kai's exit to my position.

"I can explain Spe-"

"I was gone all of ten minutes to clean up mash potatoes and green beans off of the carpet and somehow you end up here with your shirt off, a Power Puff Girls bandage on your head and our secret relationship hanging by treads. It's a good thing me and Kai have the number code to get out of sticky situations or we'd be drowning in some deep, deep waters." He blinked, "How do you do it so fast?"

I swallowed, "Do what so fast?"

"Get your ass in ridiculous positions and why have you not marketed it as a skill yet?"

I lowered my eyes, "That was kinda mean..."

He blinked, "And you're kinda stupid."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to be so stupid if you would tell your parents."

Spencer's face froze and some kind of fright glazed over in his eyes, "Ethan. I cannot tell my parents that I am in a relationship with you. Did you not just see what occurred just minutes ago?"

I scoffed, "Your parents are not homophobes."

"That doesn't mean they want a gay son, Ethan."

I shook my head. "It's not fair that I have to hide my tattoo from your mom when my own mother gushes every time she sees it."

He shrugged, "That's because she's a Littman and mine is a Haynes. Being perfect is in our blood. Having the perfect All-American family is what my parents strive for. And having the perfect son is what they always wanted. They didn't get t with Kai so they want it with me."

I shook my head, "Dude, Spence, baby, it's your life. In a few years your parents are going to be dead and then what? Are you still going to try and be their perfect son then too?"

He didn't respond and diverted his eyes, "I love you, Spencer and there is no way in hell I'm going to shut up about it around any-damn-body. Including your parents. Tonight was a mistake, I should've told her but I promise you this baby, the next time she asks me, I'll tell her the truth."

I took his head and forced him to look at me, I'll tell him, her, she, he, them, they, me...you." I kissed him softly on his pink lips, "That I love you."

I let my hand drop from his jaw and slither back to my side. Spencer was breathing irregularly and staring into my orbs. I wanted him to say it back but he didn't look like he would. The fear that his mother might be listening must have paralyzed him.

I sighed, "You don't have to be scared. If they do anything to you, I'm right here to defend you. I'll stand by you, take care of you, hug you, love you until the pain leaves and be right next to you when it's time to start rebuilding again. That I promise."

Spencer's eyes were starting to cloud and I couldn't help but smile a little. As soon as the first tear fell, my hand was there to stop it, "Don't cry babe."

"Wha..." he barely got out before clearing his throat, "What did I do to deserve you?"

I shook my head, "I've been asking God what I did to deserve you every day I wake up and you're there next to me. But if there is one thing I've learned from going to church those few times, it's that you never question God."

He smiled, "When did you start paying attention in church?"

I grinned at his quip, "I guess around the time I had a lot be thankful for and I wanted to thank him by paying attention at least once."

The love of my life leaned forward and made intimate eye contact, "If you ever doubted that I loved you for a second, Ethan. If there is a shred of doubt that I am ashamed of you, then let me confirm now that I am 100 percent totally," he placed a kiss on my right cheek.

"Blissfully." The left one.

"Wonderfully." My nose.

"Idiotically." My forehead.

His eyes raced to mine, "In love."

Then came my lips. It wasn't as soft as the others but it wasn't rough. It wasn't anything sexually driven like I was used to. It was genuine, loving and reassuring. And it was the reassurance I needed.

He pulled way and rested his forehead against mine. The pain didn't matter anymore. His eyes were enough medicine to make it dissipate.

He smiled, "But Ethan..."

I smiled back, "Yes, love."

His smile dropped and he smacked me clean across my cheek, "You're an idiot! Why did you take off your shirt! OH My God! What if it was my dad, you would have been totally dead! That was so stu..."

After a while I couldn't even hear him speaking anymore. I placed him on mute and held my left cheek all while never breaking contact with his inflamed and enraged eyes because in the back of the anger, I still saw the glint of love and affection. I started watching his hands point and accuse, his cute nose flare up, his pink lips shout obscenities and his dark hair violently shake with the rest of his head.

"...What do you have so say for yourself?" I heard once I finally drifted back into reality. "Well?"

I looked at him dazed and happily confused and replied with the up most sincere honesty in the sweetest way I knew how.

"I'm so effing lucky."