A Balance of Harmonies: Moving Out
Oct. 21st, 2011 04:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warWhen Widows shut down last time, Chrome wasn’t saved properly, so I lost all the tabs to the pages I was waiting for my day off to read. I don’t even remember what they all were.
Title: Moving Out
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter forty-three of
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: morning, thoughts on showers, wishes, a ride, a snap decision, re-meeting, back story, a need, a lunch date, uncles, a niece, bets, dimples, almost-little-brother, help, toy store, info, future plans.
Length: about 3,800 words
Summary: Kurt sets up for his apology, Peregrine meets a new friend, and Emil is ready to move.
Master list
Kurt reached over Emil to turn off his alarm. Emil wiggled against Kurt. Time to awake up, even if that didn’t mean get up. He ran his fingers through Emil’s hair. “Good morning, Princess.”
Emil gasped and pressed his ass against Kurt. Now if that wasn’t an invitation, Kurt didn’t know what was. But he slid his hand down Emil’s chest just to be sure. Emil let Kurt know, in no uncertain terms, where he wanted Kurt’s hand.
Breakfast could wait.
--
Peregrine started the coffee when he heard his men wake up. Maybe paying off the mortgage in full could wait until after they had a shower that could hold three. This would be the perfect morning for one. Peregrine was going to leave just after Kurt, so they both needed showers, but they couldn’t take one together without Emil and then leave him alone all day. He might feel left out.
Peregrine better go take one now and hope the water heated up enough for when Kurt and Emil had theirs.
--
Emil grinned as Kurt pulled him out of bed. “I want to stay in here with you all day.”
“Thanks.” Kurt kissed him soundly. “You are a great way to start the day, but I have to leave earlier here than at the condo.”
“So,” Emil took the shirt Kurt held out and slipped it on. “If we were there, we could still be at it?”
The new place was looking better and better.
“If we were there,” Kurt pulled on his boxers. “Let’s see… a seven minute walk plus ten minutes to shower and dress, and say ten minutes to eat… If we had food at the condo, I could stop by for lunch.”
Emil gave him his sexiest grin. “Didn’t get enough?”
The look Kurt gave him was more open and honest than Emil expected, like Kurt’s next words wouldn’t be a joke. “Is there such thing as enough?”
Was Kurt actually worried that he was too attracted to Emil?
“Darlings,” Peregrine leaned in the bedroom door. “You can finish this tonight. I’ve got a sitting for a portrait this evening. I probably won’t be back till late. Kurt, can you drop me off this morning? I think I left what I need at the other place.”
They really did need to be in one place or the other.
Kurt stood up straight. “I don’t have any clean suits here.”
That meant Kurt was going to have to leave even earlier. Emil was going to move as much as he could today. “Let’s sleep there tonight.”
“Good idea, Sweetheart.” Peregrine kissed Emil and pulled him to the kitchen. “This place is too warm to sleep beside you.”
That was it. “Kurt, who did you get to move your stuff? Do you think they could do it today?”
“I don’t know.” Kurt opened his phone and wrote the company name and phone number on a notepad. “I thought you wanted to move on your own.”
Emil sighed. “I just wanted to save some money, but I don’t think I could stand another week or two of not knowing exactly what is where.”
Kurt kissed him. “Do you want to join me in my shower?”
Emil grinned and followed Kurt into the bathroom. He was going to spend as much time with Kurt this morning as he could.
--
Peregrine got to the youth shelter while the boys were still at breakfast. He stopped by Andre’s office to tell him he’d arrived and set off to find the new tutor. Halfway into the community room, Peregrine realized he’d met the man before. “Christopher Stantini? Peregrine Jones, we met—”
Christopher grinned and shook his hand warmly. “…at church. Call me Kit.”
Kit, the way he’d been introduced on Sunday, was just taller than Peregrine with black hair, hip glasses, and a bow tie. His short sleeved, button down shirt was jewel-toned plaid. His manner seemed unobtrusive, just standing there, but Peregrine had seen him at work. His clothes told the real story.
Kit gestured at the walls. “Your work?”
“Mine and the boys.”
Kit grinned and his eyes shone. “But you’re the one that brought it out in them.”
He walked over to a painting Brandon had done. “These are great. How did you start working here?”
Peregrine sat on a table. “After I fell in love with a man who had been a foster child, I’d see those kids sleeping in doorways and think that if not for one man who cared, that might have been him. Then one night a boy, no more than twelve, was sobbing in the doorway of my building. I felt so horrible walking past him, but when I went down with a sandwich and a blanket, he was gone. I couldn’t bring the kids to me, so I came to them. I walked into Andre’s office the next morning and said I’d work for free.”
“And he took you up on that?”
Peregrine shook his head. “He found money for two hours a week, then five, then ten, so that’s what I work. He won’t let me volunteer. So what can I do to fit in with your work?”
“Ten hours? When?”
They discussed Peregrine’s schedule and how Kit hadn’t had a chance to work with an art teacher before. “Most small schools can’t afford them. For an hour a week, I pulled out colored pencils or scissors and construction paper and hoped for the best.”
“Andre couldn’t afford me either,” Peregrine slid off the table. The boys would start trickling in soon. “I pay for all my supplies.”
Hunter ran into the room and stop in front of Peregrine. “You didn’t come yesterday.”
Peregrine messed up Hunter’s hair. “I did. You just didn’t see me.”
Hunter pouted. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“I’m here.”
Hunter sighed. “Are we going to paint today?”
Peregrine nodded to Kit. “It depends on what he has planned.”
Hunter turned to Kit.
Kit nodded. “We were just talking about it.”
“I hope we can.” Hunter snatched up Peregrine’s hand in both his and squeezed it. Then he dropped it and ran out, but he stopped at the door and looked back.
Peregrine raised his hand. Hunter nodded and disappeared. Whatever Hunter wanted to talk about, he wasn’t going to do it in front of anyone else.
--
Emil called the movers. They could come by this afternoon and pack everything, but that would mean that they wouldn’t be able to drop it off until tomorrow morning. The guy promised that the truck would be locked as would the lot it would park in.
Or they could come by Monday morning and have the whole thing done in one day.
Either way the cost was pretty steep. Kurt wouldn’t think so, but Kurt made a lot more than Emil. He’d probably pay for it if Emil asked. Emil told them to come today. One more day of annoyance was better than six.
--
Kurt walked into the break room. “Anyone else coming to lunch?”
The movers had been earlier than they originally said and Emil wanted to stick around and make sure that no one touched anything in Peregrine’s studio. They would have a lunch time date tomorrow.
Beka grinned and held up her purse, but then turned back to the intern who she was talking through filling out a form.
Veronica rolled her eyes. “You guys don’t really want me along.”
“Personally,” said Kurt. “I don’t care. Eat with us or not, but I don’t want you to feel uninvited.”
“And why should that matter today when it’s never mattered before?”
She did have a point. Chambers and Zawadzki teased her to the point that lunch with them must be punishment. “Today I’m going to take everyone by the gallery my boyfriend’s paintings are at.”
Veronica jumped to her feet. “I’m coming. Is this the pretty boyfriend or the other one? I heard you have two.”
Beka patted the happy, paper-clutching intern on the back as he left. “They are both pretty, but in different ways.”
“No fair.”
Beka touched Veronica’s arm. “You wouldn’t like him. He looks like he stepped out of Fairyland, but a Punk Fairyland where all the fairies have tattoos and piercings. He’s gorgeous and delicate like he could sprout wings and fly way. Then you get up close and he’s taller than you and wearing a scowl you will never forget, as if you are not worth the effort of smiling at.”
Peregrine had scowled a lot at that fundraiser.
Veronica’s heels clicked down the hall. “How is that pretty?”
“He has stunning blue eyes.”
“So?”
Zawadzki and Ezra joined them and had to be brought up to speed on the conversation. Zawadzki laughed, “Peregrine was handsome in that academic way that you know your friend’s mother is beautiful.”
Kurt grinned. Peregrine was really hands off.
“Except,” Ezra pressed the button for the elevator, “when he looks at Kurt and you get all gooey inside. He is astonishingly beautiful. Like a China doll.”
Kurt tried very hard not to strut the few steps into the elevator. The man they were talking about was his.
Veronica sniffed. “I don’t see how that could be.”
She only thought that because she hadn’t met him yet.
“It’s the lack of hair that does it,” said Beka. “You know, like the women who are more feminine and delicate after they shave their heads.”
Chambers met them in the gallery at the bottom of the building. “Food carts?”
“You can eat where you like,” said Veronica. “But Kurt is taking me and Beka to see his boyfriend’s art.”
“Are you?” Chamber’s eyes glowed.
“Are the paintings we saw there?” asked Ezra. Then he blushed.
Zawadzki kiss his hand. “They might want to keep those from themselves.”
“I don’t know if Mike has them yet,” said Kurt. “But Peregrine is loaning them to the gallery.”
Kurt led them the few blocks to Mike’s gallery. Mike was busy talking to an older gentleman, who just happened to be Zawadzki’s uncle. The older Zawadzki was trying to haggle over the price of Waylaid, Peregrine’s painting of Kurt as a country boy. Mike seemed reluctant to sell it at any price.
“Mike,” interrupted Kurt after a look around the gallery. “Do you have those painting of Emil and me Peregrine promised you? I don’t see them.”
Mike shook his head. “I could really use them right about now.”
“And we need them out of the way. The movers are at our place now.”
“What! You’re letting movers touch his stuff.”
“No. Emil’s protecting it. But if you could send an assistant…”
“Where’s Peregrine? Is anything packed?”
“Peregrine working today, but knowing him, he hasn’t had a lunch break yet.”
Mike turned to the phone. “I’ll call. Hana, get out here!”
Hana was also Japanese, but younger, thinner, and much prettier than Mike. She grinned at Kurt. “I’ve heard about you. Uncle Mike talks about his friend the gentle giant.”
“Hana,” Mike put his hand over the mouth piece of the phone. “Remember what I said about the uncle thing.”
Hana smiled angelically. “Yes, Uncle.”
Mike’s growl was cut off, “Hey, Peregrine.”
The older Zawadzki nodded at Kurt. “You know Peregrine Jones?”
Kurt nodded back. He wanted to boast, but contented himself with, “Since college.”
Beka laughed. “So modest. Is this guy supposed to be you?”
She pointed at the country boy in Waylaid.
“Yeah, and this is Emil, and the fawn there is Peregrine.”
The others crowded around. Every compliment felt wonderful. Ezra looked up. “That’s you guys too?”
Kurt followed him over to Love’s Fruition. He smiled proudly. “Yeah, this is us.”
“Does he really look like that?” Veronica pointed to Peregrine.
“Yes,” said Kurt, Ezra, and Beka together. Beka added, “He looks happier here.”
Kurt nodded; Peregrine had come a long way in the last month. “I think so too. Peregrine paints the truth. And now guys,” Kurt looked at Chambers, “if you’ve got questions about our sex lives, visit this gallery. My lips are sealed.”
Chambers and Zawadzki made bets on how long Kurt could keep that up. Ezra shook his head at them and then turned to the small card on the wall. “Do all his paintings have this many zeros after them? He showed us some wedding portraits…”
Kurt grinned and clapped him on the back. “He has special deals for friends and family.”
“Do I count?” asked the older Zawadzki. “I’m family of a friend.”
“Now, I don’t know about that, Mr. Zawadzki,” said Hana. “I think that just applies to portraits of the friends and family in question.”
The older Zawadzki sighed. “So, I could get a picture of myself, but not of three beautiful naked men?”
“Peregrine has more ideas where these came from, and since he’s saving up to pay off his mortgage, you’ll probably see more of them. Maybe you should wait to buy one until you’ve seen the whole series.”
“Is it a series?” Hana hung Waylaid next to Love’s Fruition. “It makes a difference in how we display them.”
Kurt shrugged. “You’ll have to talk to Peregrine. I’ll tell him to come by.”
His stomach was rumbling. He needed lunch. “It was nice to meet you.”
“And you.” Hana flashed her dimples.
Zawadzki and Ezra decided to have lunch with Zawadzki’s uncle and Chamber’s wanted to take a better look at the paintings, so Kurt took Beka and Veronica to lunch. He used all those manners his mother had drilled into him. Veronica wasn’t actually bad company when Chambers and Zawadzki weren’t teasing her.
Kurt left them as they entered the office and went in search of one of the office ladies. He asked the first one he found to send someone to get him a meatball wrap about three o’clock. He hadn’t eaten quite enough. He promised her news about Diego’s new baby. He was pretty sure they’d all show up with his meal.
--
Peregrine looked from Hunter to Mike. The painting needed moved and he didn’t trust anyone else to do it, but Hunter needed to talk to him and he couldn’t just brush the boy off. “Mike, this is Hunter, my helper for today.”
Hunter’s face lit up. Mike scowled. “You trust him?”
Peregrine set his hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “He’s my almost little brother. Now, let’s go tell Andre and your new teacher that I’m taking you with me.”
Mike grumbled at the delay, but Andre said it was an excellent idea. He wanted Hunter to choose a stable home as much as Peregrine did.
Once seat belted in Peregrine called Emil to say Hunter was coming, but Emil didn’t pick up. Maybe the phone was already moved. They needed to get their number moved to the new place. He texted Emil’s phone. One more for lunch.
Emil didn’t answer. Maybe he was busy.
The door at the bottom of the stairs was propped open, a clear violation of their leasing agreement, but they were moving out anyway. Peregrine led the way to his apartment. Mike passed him at the landing and nearly collided with a guy carrying a box. Peregrine took Hunter’s hand as they leaned against the wall so the mover could get passed. Then they continued up the stairs.
Once inside Hunter stopped short. “Is this where you live?”
“This is where I lived.” All the furniture was gone. The whole place looked sad and empty. The new place would look stuffed with everything in it. They would need to do some culling.
Emil came out of the kitchen with a smile. Peregrine closed the distance and drew him into a hug. Dealing with movers and Mike, Emil would need some extra attention when this was over. Only Peregrine had a sitting tonight. Hopefully Kurt could remove the stress. He kissed Emil as his contribution.
Emil sighed as they stepped apart. “I love you.”
Peregrine rubbed Emil’s cheek. Emil turned his face until his lips brushed Peregrine knuckles. Peregrine’s body stiffened, but they didn’t have time for that. “I brought your brother over.”
Emil looked over Hunter. “Are you going to help me make lunch?”
Hunter looked down. “I already ate.”
Emil grinned. “Peregrine hasn’t. Let’s find him something before the movers pack up my kitchen.”
Hunter would be well taken care of. Peregrine needed to save his paintings from Mike.
--
Emil wiped down the counter. The kitchen was packed, save for the few things left in the fridge, a few hand towels, and the dish soap. The bathroom had one roll of toilet paper, soap, and a towel. The bedroom only had dust. Peregrine’s studio looked painfully empty. Bits of wood and canvas too small to save littered the floor.
He knew that Peregrine’s easels and brushes and paint were going straight to the new place, but this room gave Emil a small glimpse of what life would be like without Peregrine.
“You don’t want to move?”
Emil turned. Hunter stood in the doorway. Emil shook his head and walked over to get the broom. “It wasn’t my idea, but it does have its benefits.”
“Like what?”
Emil swept the dust out of a corner. “The location. And it’s got a beautiful balcony. And both Kurt and Peregrine love it.”
“Do you?”
“They bought it for me,” Emil sighed. “Do you want to come see it?”
Hunter bounced. “Can I?”
“I don’t see why not.” Being in the empty place was getting Emil down. He could clean up later. “If you do really become my brother, you can come over whenever you like.”
Hunter looked down. “Do you think he’ll let me?”
“Dad?”
“You call him that?”
“Yes, I do. Do you have everything?”
The fresh air was wonderful and even though the day was warm, it wasn’t as warm as the apartment. Emil took Hunter’s hand and turned toward the corner. Then he stopped and held up their hands. “Is this all right? I’m sorry I didn’t ask first.”
Hunter looked at their hands. “No, it’s ok.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to humor me. I won’t tell Dad not to take you in just because you don’t want to do something.”
Hunter took his hand back. “Sorry.”
“That is perfectly all right. Dad won’t make you do anything you’re not comfortable with either. You just have to say something. Which I know is the hardest part. I still don’t.” Emil blinked away the heavy feeling in his eyes. He really shouldn’t be getting into this here. He took a deep breath. “Which way do you want to go?”
They walked along the Park Blocks, then over to Tenth. Emil stopped at the toy store. Hunter wouldn’t pick anything out for himself, but he did get a little plush unicorn for Olivia. Hunter was very in tune to cute things. He’d look adorable in some of the stuff Autumn made.
Two steps out the door, Hunter’s hand slid into Emil’s. Emil grinned. He wouldn’t mention it. “When you join the family…”
Hunter glanced at him then away.
“You’ll get me and Liam as older brothers, plus four more. Sean and Aaron come home for the holidays. They will probably ignore you. They ignore Liam, Willow and Olivia.”
“But not you?”
Emil shook his head. “They are my foster brothers as well as my adopted brothers. We all lived with Keith back when he was married. Keith came out because he thought we might be gay and he didn’t want us to be ashamed of who we were.”
“Were you? Gay?”
“Yes. Sean and Aaron are a couple and I’m definitely gay.”
“What if I am?”
Emil stopped at the crosswalk. “That’s ok, but it’s ok if you’re not. You’re other brothers were born brother’s, Layton is gay, but Leon isn’t. But you won’t see them very often because Layton lives in New York, and Leon is mad at Dad over something and doesn’t even call at Christmas.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Dad says it’s his fault, but Dad would take the blame anyway. Leon was very homophobic, which made him hard to like.”
Hunter squeezed Emil hand. “Do you suppose that’s why he left?”
“Could be. So Olivia will be your sister. She’s dying to know your birthday, to see if she’s older or younger.”
Hunter pulled his hand out of Emil’s. “What if I don’t know it?”
“Then tell her it’s April third, the same day as hers and you can be twins.”
Hunter grinned. “That would make her happy?”
“Yes, it would. Then we have Willow, who wasn’t adopted, but is more a part of the family than some who are.”
Hunter’s eyes fixed on the art sculpture. “Willow was born a boy?”
Emil decided to cross the street here, so they’d end up with the block with the sculpture. “Willow was born Willow. Sometimes Willow wears pants and looks as boyish as anyone, but when Willow wears a dress she shines. She prefers she to he, but she’s not all either one. And she likes it that way. And we like her that way.”
Hunter grinned. “I like her. I like Olivia best. And Kurt. And Peregrine… And you.”
“Why thank you.” He held out his hand from the bag from the toy store and nodded to the sculpture. “You want to touch it?”
Hunter did. Moving the drop-shaped ball thing at the bottom, moved the metal strands on the top. While Hunter did that, Emil called Peregrine to say they were almost there. Peregrine was at Mike’s gallery, but he’d be back in a twenty minutes. Emil had no doubt he could keep Hunter entertained for that long.
--
Peregrine walked towards the youth shelter, Hunter at his side. “What’s up?”
Hunter shrugged.
Peregrine grinned. “You just wanted to spend the day with me?”
“No.” Hunter looked away. “Emil answered most of my questions. He says you’ll see me all the time.”
“At least once a week.”
Hunter frowned.
“But I’ll be you big brother and we’ll spend holidays together, maybe even spend the night.”
Hunter froze. Peregrine took a pace backward. “Once we get the spare room set up. It doesn’t even have a bed at the moment. Bunk beds, do you think? Olivia’s sure to cry if you get to stay over and she doesn’t. Maybe a Murphy bed in Kurt’s office.”
Hunter looked steadily at the ground. “Do you have a spare room?”
“We will. I’m in Kurt’s office and Kurt’s office, the place with the plants, is in the spare room. When we are all done, our bedroom and my studio will be on the other side of the house.” They should invest in sound proofing. Peregrine didn’t want his men to tame themselves just because guests were over. And good solid locks. “I can draw it out if you like.”
“Can you draw Emil’s Dad’s house?”
“Sure.” Peregrine would do anything to see his boy happy.
Title: Moving Out
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter forty-three of
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: morning, thoughts on showers, wishes, a ride, a snap decision, re-meeting, back story, a need, a lunch date, uncles, a niece, bets, dimples, almost-little-brother, help, toy store, info, future plans.
Length: about 3,800 words
Summary: Kurt sets up for his apology, Peregrine meets a new friend, and Emil is ready to move.
Master list
Kurt reached over Emil to turn off his alarm. Emil wiggled against Kurt. Time to awake up, even if that didn’t mean get up. He ran his fingers through Emil’s hair. “Good morning, Princess.”
Emil gasped and pressed his ass against Kurt. Now if that wasn’t an invitation, Kurt didn’t know what was. But he slid his hand down Emil’s chest just to be sure. Emil let Kurt know, in no uncertain terms, where he wanted Kurt’s hand.
Breakfast could wait.
--
Peregrine started the coffee when he heard his men wake up. Maybe paying off the mortgage in full could wait until after they had a shower that could hold three. This would be the perfect morning for one. Peregrine was going to leave just after Kurt, so they both needed showers, but they couldn’t take one together without Emil and then leave him alone all day. He might feel left out.
Peregrine better go take one now and hope the water heated up enough for when Kurt and Emil had theirs.
--
Emil grinned as Kurt pulled him out of bed. “I want to stay in here with you all day.”
“Thanks.” Kurt kissed him soundly. “You are a great way to start the day, but I have to leave earlier here than at the condo.”
“So,” Emil took the shirt Kurt held out and slipped it on. “If we were there, we could still be at it?”
The new place was looking better and better.
“If we were there,” Kurt pulled on his boxers. “Let’s see… a seven minute walk plus ten minutes to shower and dress, and say ten minutes to eat… If we had food at the condo, I could stop by for lunch.”
Emil gave him his sexiest grin. “Didn’t get enough?”
The look Kurt gave him was more open and honest than Emil expected, like Kurt’s next words wouldn’t be a joke. “Is there such thing as enough?”
Was Kurt actually worried that he was too attracted to Emil?
“Darlings,” Peregrine leaned in the bedroom door. “You can finish this tonight. I’ve got a sitting for a portrait this evening. I probably won’t be back till late. Kurt, can you drop me off this morning? I think I left what I need at the other place.”
They really did need to be in one place or the other.
Kurt stood up straight. “I don’t have any clean suits here.”
That meant Kurt was going to have to leave even earlier. Emil was going to move as much as he could today. “Let’s sleep there tonight.”
“Good idea, Sweetheart.” Peregrine kissed Emil and pulled him to the kitchen. “This place is too warm to sleep beside you.”
That was it. “Kurt, who did you get to move your stuff? Do you think they could do it today?”
“I don’t know.” Kurt opened his phone and wrote the company name and phone number on a notepad. “I thought you wanted to move on your own.”
Emil sighed. “I just wanted to save some money, but I don’t think I could stand another week or two of not knowing exactly what is where.”
Kurt kissed him. “Do you want to join me in my shower?”
Emil grinned and followed Kurt into the bathroom. He was going to spend as much time with Kurt this morning as he could.
--
Peregrine got to the youth shelter while the boys were still at breakfast. He stopped by Andre’s office to tell him he’d arrived and set off to find the new tutor. Halfway into the community room, Peregrine realized he’d met the man before. “Christopher Stantini? Peregrine Jones, we met—”
Christopher grinned and shook his hand warmly. “…at church. Call me Kit.”
Kit, the way he’d been introduced on Sunday, was just taller than Peregrine with black hair, hip glasses, and a bow tie. His short sleeved, button down shirt was jewel-toned plaid. His manner seemed unobtrusive, just standing there, but Peregrine had seen him at work. His clothes told the real story.
Kit gestured at the walls. “Your work?”
“Mine and the boys.”
Kit grinned and his eyes shone. “But you’re the one that brought it out in them.”
He walked over to a painting Brandon had done. “These are great. How did you start working here?”
Peregrine sat on a table. “After I fell in love with a man who had been a foster child, I’d see those kids sleeping in doorways and think that if not for one man who cared, that might have been him. Then one night a boy, no more than twelve, was sobbing in the doorway of my building. I felt so horrible walking past him, but when I went down with a sandwich and a blanket, he was gone. I couldn’t bring the kids to me, so I came to them. I walked into Andre’s office the next morning and said I’d work for free.”
“And he took you up on that?”
Peregrine shook his head. “He found money for two hours a week, then five, then ten, so that’s what I work. He won’t let me volunteer. So what can I do to fit in with your work?”
“Ten hours? When?”
They discussed Peregrine’s schedule and how Kit hadn’t had a chance to work with an art teacher before. “Most small schools can’t afford them. For an hour a week, I pulled out colored pencils or scissors and construction paper and hoped for the best.”
“Andre couldn’t afford me either,” Peregrine slid off the table. The boys would start trickling in soon. “I pay for all my supplies.”
Hunter ran into the room and stop in front of Peregrine. “You didn’t come yesterday.”
Peregrine messed up Hunter’s hair. “I did. You just didn’t see me.”
Hunter pouted. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“I’m here.”
Hunter sighed. “Are we going to paint today?”
Peregrine nodded to Kit. “It depends on what he has planned.”
Hunter turned to Kit.
Kit nodded. “We were just talking about it.”
“I hope we can.” Hunter snatched up Peregrine’s hand in both his and squeezed it. Then he dropped it and ran out, but he stopped at the door and looked back.
Peregrine raised his hand. Hunter nodded and disappeared. Whatever Hunter wanted to talk about, he wasn’t going to do it in front of anyone else.
--
Emil called the movers. They could come by this afternoon and pack everything, but that would mean that they wouldn’t be able to drop it off until tomorrow morning. The guy promised that the truck would be locked as would the lot it would park in.
Or they could come by Monday morning and have the whole thing done in one day.
Either way the cost was pretty steep. Kurt wouldn’t think so, but Kurt made a lot more than Emil. He’d probably pay for it if Emil asked. Emil told them to come today. One more day of annoyance was better than six.
--
Kurt walked into the break room. “Anyone else coming to lunch?”
The movers had been earlier than they originally said and Emil wanted to stick around and make sure that no one touched anything in Peregrine’s studio. They would have a lunch time date tomorrow.
Beka grinned and held up her purse, but then turned back to the intern who she was talking through filling out a form.
Veronica rolled her eyes. “You guys don’t really want me along.”
“Personally,” said Kurt. “I don’t care. Eat with us or not, but I don’t want you to feel uninvited.”
“And why should that matter today when it’s never mattered before?”
She did have a point. Chambers and Zawadzki teased her to the point that lunch with them must be punishment. “Today I’m going to take everyone by the gallery my boyfriend’s paintings are at.”
Veronica jumped to her feet. “I’m coming. Is this the pretty boyfriend or the other one? I heard you have two.”
Beka patted the happy, paper-clutching intern on the back as he left. “They are both pretty, but in different ways.”
“No fair.”
Beka touched Veronica’s arm. “You wouldn’t like him. He looks like he stepped out of Fairyland, but a Punk Fairyland where all the fairies have tattoos and piercings. He’s gorgeous and delicate like he could sprout wings and fly way. Then you get up close and he’s taller than you and wearing a scowl you will never forget, as if you are not worth the effort of smiling at.”
Peregrine had scowled a lot at that fundraiser.
Veronica’s heels clicked down the hall. “How is that pretty?”
“He has stunning blue eyes.”
“So?”
Zawadzki and Ezra joined them and had to be brought up to speed on the conversation. Zawadzki laughed, “Peregrine was handsome in that academic way that you know your friend’s mother is beautiful.”
Kurt grinned. Peregrine was really hands off.
“Except,” Ezra pressed the button for the elevator, “when he looks at Kurt and you get all gooey inside. He is astonishingly beautiful. Like a China doll.”
Kurt tried very hard not to strut the few steps into the elevator. The man they were talking about was his.
Veronica sniffed. “I don’t see how that could be.”
She only thought that because she hadn’t met him yet.
“It’s the lack of hair that does it,” said Beka. “You know, like the women who are more feminine and delicate after they shave their heads.”
Chambers met them in the gallery at the bottom of the building. “Food carts?”
“You can eat where you like,” said Veronica. “But Kurt is taking me and Beka to see his boyfriend’s art.”
“Are you?” Chamber’s eyes glowed.
“Are the paintings we saw there?” asked Ezra. Then he blushed.
Zawadzki kiss his hand. “They might want to keep those from themselves.”
“I don’t know if Mike has them yet,” said Kurt. “But Peregrine is loaning them to the gallery.”
Kurt led them the few blocks to Mike’s gallery. Mike was busy talking to an older gentleman, who just happened to be Zawadzki’s uncle. The older Zawadzki was trying to haggle over the price of Waylaid, Peregrine’s painting of Kurt as a country boy. Mike seemed reluctant to sell it at any price.
“Mike,” interrupted Kurt after a look around the gallery. “Do you have those painting of Emil and me Peregrine promised you? I don’t see them.”
Mike shook his head. “I could really use them right about now.”
“And we need them out of the way. The movers are at our place now.”
“What! You’re letting movers touch his stuff.”
“No. Emil’s protecting it. But if you could send an assistant…”
“Where’s Peregrine? Is anything packed?”
“Peregrine working today, but knowing him, he hasn’t had a lunch break yet.”
Mike turned to the phone. “I’ll call. Hana, get out here!”
Hana was also Japanese, but younger, thinner, and much prettier than Mike. She grinned at Kurt. “I’ve heard about you. Uncle Mike talks about his friend the gentle giant.”
“Hana,” Mike put his hand over the mouth piece of the phone. “Remember what I said about the uncle thing.”
Hana smiled angelically. “Yes, Uncle.”
Mike’s growl was cut off, “Hey, Peregrine.”
The older Zawadzki nodded at Kurt. “You know Peregrine Jones?”
Kurt nodded back. He wanted to boast, but contented himself with, “Since college.”
Beka laughed. “So modest. Is this guy supposed to be you?”
She pointed at the country boy in Waylaid.
“Yeah, and this is Emil, and the fawn there is Peregrine.”
The others crowded around. Every compliment felt wonderful. Ezra looked up. “That’s you guys too?”
Kurt followed him over to Love’s Fruition. He smiled proudly. “Yeah, this is us.”
“Does he really look like that?” Veronica pointed to Peregrine.
“Yes,” said Kurt, Ezra, and Beka together. Beka added, “He looks happier here.”
Kurt nodded; Peregrine had come a long way in the last month. “I think so too. Peregrine paints the truth. And now guys,” Kurt looked at Chambers, “if you’ve got questions about our sex lives, visit this gallery. My lips are sealed.”
Chambers and Zawadzki made bets on how long Kurt could keep that up. Ezra shook his head at them and then turned to the small card on the wall. “Do all his paintings have this many zeros after them? He showed us some wedding portraits…”
Kurt grinned and clapped him on the back. “He has special deals for friends and family.”
“Do I count?” asked the older Zawadzki. “I’m family of a friend.”
“Now, I don’t know about that, Mr. Zawadzki,” said Hana. “I think that just applies to portraits of the friends and family in question.”
The older Zawadzki sighed. “So, I could get a picture of myself, but not of three beautiful naked men?”
“Peregrine has more ideas where these came from, and since he’s saving up to pay off his mortgage, you’ll probably see more of them. Maybe you should wait to buy one until you’ve seen the whole series.”
“Is it a series?” Hana hung Waylaid next to Love’s Fruition. “It makes a difference in how we display them.”
Kurt shrugged. “You’ll have to talk to Peregrine. I’ll tell him to come by.”
His stomach was rumbling. He needed lunch. “It was nice to meet you.”
“And you.” Hana flashed her dimples.
Zawadzki and Ezra decided to have lunch with Zawadzki’s uncle and Chamber’s wanted to take a better look at the paintings, so Kurt took Beka and Veronica to lunch. He used all those manners his mother had drilled into him. Veronica wasn’t actually bad company when Chambers and Zawadzki weren’t teasing her.
Kurt left them as they entered the office and went in search of one of the office ladies. He asked the first one he found to send someone to get him a meatball wrap about three o’clock. He hadn’t eaten quite enough. He promised her news about Diego’s new baby. He was pretty sure they’d all show up with his meal.
--
Peregrine looked from Hunter to Mike. The painting needed moved and he didn’t trust anyone else to do it, but Hunter needed to talk to him and he couldn’t just brush the boy off. “Mike, this is Hunter, my helper for today.”
Hunter’s face lit up. Mike scowled. “You trust him?”
Peregrine set his hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “He’s my almost little brother. Now, let’s go tell Andre and your new teacher that I’m taking you with me.”
Mike grumbled at the delay, but Andre said it was an excellent idea. He wanted Hunter to choose a stable home as much as Peregrine did.
Once seat belted in Peregrine called Emil to say Hunter was coming, but Emil didn’t pick up. Maybe the phone was already moved. They needed to get their number moved to the new place. He texted Emil’s phone. One more for lunch.
Emil didn’t answer. Maybe he was busy.
The door at the bottom of the stairs was propped open, a clear violation of their leasing agreement, but they were moving out anyway. Peregrine led the way to his apartment. Mike passed him at the landing and nearly collided with a guy carrying a box. Peregrine took Hunter’s hand as they leaned against the wall so the mover could get passed. Then they continued up the stairs.
Once inside Hunter stopped short. “Is this where you live?”
“This is where I lived.” All the furniture was gone. The whole place looked sad and empty. The new place would look stuffed with everything in it. They would need to do some culling.
Emil came out of the kitchen with a smile. Peregrine closed the distance and drew him into a hug. Dealing with movers and Mike, Emil would need some extra attention when this was over. Only Peregrine had a sitting tonight. Hopefully Kurt could remove the stress. He kissed Emil as his contribution.
Emil sighed as they stepped apart. “I love you.”
Peregrine rubbed Emil’s cheek. Emil turned his face until his lips brushed Peregrine knuckles. Peregrine’s body stiffened, but they didn’t have time for that. “I brought your brother over.”
Emil looked over Hunter. “Are you going to help me make lunch?”
Hunter looked down. “I already ate.”
Emil grinned. “Peregrine hasn’t. Let’s find him something before the movers pack up my kitchen.”
Hunter would be well taken care of. Peregrine needed to save his paintings from Mike.
--
Emil wiped down the counter. The kitchen was packed, save for the few things left in the fridge, a few hand towels, and the dish soap. The bathroom had one roll of toilet paper, soap, and a towel. The bedroom only had dust. Peregrine’s studio looked painfully empty. Bits of wood and canvas too small to save littered the floor.
He knew that Peregrine’s easels and brushes and paint were going straight to the new place, but this room gave Emil a small glimpse of what life would be like without Peregrine.
“You don’t want to move?”
Emil turned. Hunter stood in the doorway. Emil shook his head and walked over to get the broom. “It wasn’t my idea, but it does have its benefits.”
“Like what?”
Emil swept the dust out of a corner. “The location. And it’s got a beautiful balcony. And both Kurt and Peregrine love it.”
“Do you?”
“They bought it for me,” Emil sighed. “Do you want to come see it?”
Hunter bounced. “Can I?”
“I don’t see why not.” Being in the empty place was getting Emil down. He could clean up later. “If you do really become my brother, you can come over whenever you like.”
Hunter looked down. “Do you think he’ll let me?”
“Dad?”
“You call him that?”
“Yes, I do. Do you have everything?”
The fresh air was wonderful and even though the day was warm, it wasn’t as warm as the apartment. Emil took Hunter’s hand and turned toward the corner. Then he stopped and held up their hands. “Is this all right? I’m sorry I didn’t ask first.”
Hunter looked at their hands. “No, it’s ok.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to humor me. I won’t tell Dad not to take you in just because you don’t want to do something.”
Hunter took his hand back. “Sorry.”
“That is perfectly all right. Dad won’t make you do anything you’re not comfortable with either. You just have to say something. Which I know is the hardest part. I still don’t.” Emil blinked away the heavy feeling in his eyes. He really shouldn’t be getting into this here. He took a deep breath. “Which way do you want to go?”
They walked along the Park Blocks, then over to Tenth. Emil stopped at the toy store. Hunter wouldn’t pick anything out for himself, but he did get a little plush unicorn for Olivia. Hunter was very in tune to cute things. He’d look adorable in some of the stuff Autumn made.
Two steps out the door, Hunter’s hand slid into Emil’s. Emil grinned. He wouldn’t mention it. “When you join the family…”
Hunter glanced at him then away.
“You’ll get me and Liam as older brothers, plus four more. Sean and Aaron come home for the holidays. They will probably ignore you. They ignore Liam, Willow and Olivia.”
“But not you?”
Emil shook his head. “They are my foster brothers as well as my adopted brothers. We all lived with Keith back when he was married. Keith came out because he thought we might be gay and he didn’t want us to be ashamed of who we were.”
“Were you? Gay?”
“Yes. Sean and Aaron are a couple and I’m definitely gay.”
“What if I am?”
Emil stopped at the crosswalk. “That’s ok, but it’s ok if you’re not. You’re other brothers were born brother’s, Layton is gay, but Leon isn’t. But you won’t see them very often because Layton lives in New York, and Leon is mad at Dad over something and doesn’t even call at Christmas.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Dad says it’s his fault, but Dad would take the blame anyway. Leon was very homophobic, which made him hard to like.”
Hunter squeezed Emil hand. “Do you suppose that’s why he left?”
“Could be. So Olivia will be your sister. She’s dying to know your birthday, to see if she’s older or younger.”
Hunter pulled his hand out of Emil’s. “What if I don’t know it?”
“Then tell her it’s April third, the same day as hers and you can be twins.”
Hunter grinned. “That would make her happy?”
“Yes, it would. Then we have Willow, who wasn’t adopted, but is more a part of the family than some who are.”
Hunter’s eyes fixed on the art sculpture. “Willow was born a boy?”
Emil decided to cross the street here, so they’d end up with the block with the sculpture. “Willow was born Willow. Sometimes Willow wears pants and looks as boyish as anyone, but when Willow wears a dress she shines. She prefers she to he, but she’s not all either one. And she likes it that way. And we like her that way.”
Hunter grinned. “I like her. I like Olivia best. And Kurt. And Peregrine… And you.”
“Why thank you.” He held out his hand from the bag from the toy store and nodded to the sculpture. “You want to touch it?”
Hunter did. Moving the drop-shaped ball thing at the bottom, moved the metal strands on the top. While Hunter did that, Emil called Peregrine to say they were almost there. Peregrine was at Mike’s gallery, but he’d be back in a twenty minutes. Emil had no doubt he could keep Hunter entertained for that long.
--
Peregrine walked towards the youth shelter, Hunter at his side. “What’s up?”
Hunter shrugged.
Peregrine grinned. “You just wanted to spend the day with me?”
“No.” Hunter looked away. “Emil answered most of my questions. He says you’ll see me all the time.”
“At least once a week.”
Hunter frowned.
“But I’ll be you big brother and we’ll spend holidays together, maybe even spend the night.”
Hunter froze. Peregrine took a pace backward. “Once we get the spare room set up. It doesn’t even have a bed at the moment. Bunk beds, do you think? Olivia’s sure to cry if you get to stay over and she doesn’t. Maybe a Murphy bed in Kurt’s office.”
Hunter looked steadily at the ground. “Do you have a spare room?”
“We will. I’m in Kurt’s office and Kurt’s office, the place with the plants, is in the spare room. When we are all done, our bedroom and my studio will be on the other side of the house.” They should invest in sound proofing. Peregrine didn’t want his men to tame themselves just because guests were over. And good solid locks. “I can draw it out if you like.”
“Can you draw Emil’s Dad’s house?”
“Sure.” Peregrine would do anything to see his boy happy.
