Against The Grain (THIRDS 5)

Cael turned to Ash with an apologetic smile. It had been so good while it lasted. With a smile, Ash motioned toward the pies.

“You want me to help with these?”

“Thanks. I’m going to grab the ice cream.”

Ash took the pie dishes while Cael fished out spoons, bowls, paper towels, and the ice cream from the freezer. Together they walked into the living room, a loud thump causing Sloane to sit up in concern.

“What was that?”

“That was Dex falling over. Dad gets very cranky when woken up from his nap. It’s all cute and bearable when your kids are little and jumping on your bed to wake you, not so much when they’re thirty-five years old. My guess is Dad pulled the covers from under him.” Cael placed everything on the large coffee table and turned to Sloane with a big grin.

“Expect lots of pouting.”

Just as Cael had predicted, Dex entered the living room with his bottom lip jutted out as he rubbed his arm. “He could have at least pulled the blankets out when I was facing the carpet.”

“That’s what you get for not waking me up like a normal person,” Maddock growled, dropping himself onto one of the armchairs. “Grown man,” Maddock mumbled, “jumping on the bed like he’s five. You wanna jump, I’ll give you jump. Just don’t come bitchin’ to me when you hit the hardwood floor.”

“It’s the only way you’ll wake up,” Dex groused, snuggling up to Sloane with a pout. “I hurt my arm.”

“No he didn’t,” Maddock countered, pointing to the pecan pie. “He’s just saying that so you’ll coddle him. He used to do that when he was little and he’d done something he wasn’t supposed to so he wouldn’t get in trouble.”

Dex gasped. “So not true.”

“Really?” Maddock scooped up some ice cream and plopped it down on his plate next to his pie. “When you took apart the VCR to see how it worked and I yelled at you, you started crying and saying your head hurt because the video shelf fell and hit you.”

“It did fall.”

“You were in the dining room, and the shelf fell two days earlier.”

Ash couldn’t help joining in the laughter with Cael and Sloane. Dex and Maddock continued to argue over Dex’s convenient ouchies until Sloane did them all a favor and distracted Dex with pie. In the end, Dex got his way and then some, with Sloane coddling him and feeding him. Ash had a feeling that had been Dex’s intention the whole time. He’d give the guy credit. He was damn sneaky.

After they all had their pie, Cael grabbed Dex by the ear and pulled him along to the kitchen to help him with the dishes, stating he wasn’t getting away with it this time. Apparently Dex was an expert at avoiding chores. He’d somehow managed to get away with it since they were kids.

The rest of the evening was filled with fun and laughter. They played games and teased each other. Soon Maddock had said good night and turned in. Sloane and Dex would be staying in Dex’s old bedroom. Ash said he’d be fine on the couch. It was big enough for him. Maddock had brought plenty of blankets and pillows, and the heating would keep him warm. Dex was fighting sleep, so Sloane declared it was time for bed. Soon it was just Ash and Cael. The TV was on, and they were watching some holiday movies.

Ash opened his duffel bag and fished out his pajamas. “I’m just going to change and brush my teeth.”

“Me too. Meet back here for some TV?” Cael asked hopefully.

“You got it.”

Ash used the guest bathroom downstairs, in the basement outside Maddock’s office. He changed into his pajama bottoms and T-shirt and sat on the couch with the Therian-sized fleece blanket pulled around him. He waited to see which pajamas Cael would be wearing. He had almost as many pajama bottoms as he had socks, and they were all quirky, ranging from bacon pattern to Angry Birds. He’d seen plenty of them while crashing at Cael’s after a night of boozing at Dekatria.

The house was completely silent for the first time since Ash had arrived. It was nice. He watched TV until he heard Cael’s socked footsteps drawing near. Cael leaped over the back of the couch and landed gracefully beside him. This time around, he was wearing his Captain America pajama bottoms and T-shirt. Ash took hold of the blanket and opened his arms.

“Come on. It’s warm in here.”

Cael smiled and cuddled close, his legs pulled up on the couch. Ash brought his arm around Cael with the blanket, holding him against him and covering them both up. It wasn’t as though they hadn’t sat together watching TV before, though this was the first time they sat so cozy together. It felt right.

“I like your pajamas,” Ash said, giving him a squeeze.

“Thanks. I always pictured you more as a boxers and T-shirt kind of guy for PJs.”

“Nope. Actually, I don’t wear anything to bed.”

Cael pulled back and stared at him. “You sleep naked?”

Ash nodded. “I thought you knew that.”