Fic: Substitute Dreams 9/10
Nov. 3rd, 2007 10:14 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
princessacadra.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
mag7fansTitle: Substitute Dreams - chapter nine
Category: Delinquent AU (aka ATF Teen AU)
Characters: Vin, Ezra, Buck/Chris
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Slash, mentions of child abuse, profanity
Summary: Sequel to "Delinquent" part of the Delinquent Universe which is a spin off of Mog’s ATF universe. Ezra has joined the Larabee/Wilmington/Tanner household. Life with Ezra is anything but dull.
This is going to wind up being about the same length as "Delinquent" only with 10 chapters instead of 11 - and, yes, this is not the end of the series (I'm not that mean), I'd just come to an ending point and needed a change of titles (and, yes, I've already started the new fic, though I'll admit that the boys are only roughly following my outline of what is going to happen). *snort* Or maybe I just can't count higher than 11... though I have a fic that's 48+ chapters so I guess I can count higher...
"Chapter One", "Chapter Two", "Chapter Three", "Chapter Four", "Chapter Five", "Chapter Six", "Chapter Seven", "Chapter Eight"
Chapter Nine
Chris left the boys with the cat and her kittens to wander into the kitchen where Buck had already started breakfast. When Chris apologized and attempted to take over, Buck waved him off. “You were up all night and I’m not having you burn the house down or injure yourself making breakfast. So, what’s the final count?”
“Four.” He dropped into one of the chairs in the kitchen as he thought back over the night and Vin falling asleep on him. “Vin was asleep in Ezra’s room. I think they slept in Ezra’s bed, too.”
“That so? What makes you think that?” Though Buck’s tone was calm there was a sudden darkening about his posture that roused Chris from his drowsy state.
“There was a pillow and blanket in the room, but it didn’t look like anyone had used them. You know how Vin likes to fold his pillow and kind of smash it into shape? The extra pillow on Ezra’s bed was like that, not the one on the floor and Ezra doesn’t do that.” Chris dredged up more memories from the previous night when Buck didn’t say anything else. “The door was locked too, I heard Vin unlock it when I went to see what the noise was.”
A plate of pancakes was dropped in front of Chris and he looked up into Buck’s face. “Can't let them do that, stud. Don’t know what could happen.”
It seemed a bit ridiculous to Chris to be concerned about the boys getting up to anything, what with everything that had happened to Ezra. It honestly didn’t make sense to him. “They’re just kids, Buck.”
“Remember when we were fourteen?” Buck gave Chris a knowing look and waited for the blush that Chris hated – he’d never tell him, but Buck loved that Chris could still blush like that.
Chris felt his face turn red and ducked his head for a moment hoping the color would fade. “Yeah, but we never did anything too bad, not then.” As kids Buck had kissed him behind corners at school, out in the woods camping or on long walks, and in Chris’s bedroom. Later Chris had found out that Buck had been making out with a few other people – girls – and after he’d blackened Buck’s eye and refused to speak to him for several months they’d eventually become friends again. Chris had made it a point of only dating girls for years and years after that, but in the end his love for Buck had led him right back to him.
“No, we didn’t, but we also didn’t go through what Ezra has or know what he knows, either.”
“We don’t even know if – ”
“Chris.” The sharp tone made Chris glare up at Buck, but it also made him take notice, which had been Buck’s intention. “You can’t tell me you haven’t seen that Vin’s sweet on that boy.”
He hadn’t seen it. Once Chris was confronted with that fact a lot of Vin’s actions suddenly made a lot of sense, though. “Oh. What about…?”
Buck shook his head. “No idea.” Ezra was harder to read then a brick wall most of the time and while Vin often times pretended not to care about things it seemed as if Ezra really didn’t care. Or Ezra was that much better at making people believe he didn’t care. Buck still hadn’t figured out which one yet.
“So I should – ”
“Yup.”
“You can stop finishing my thoughts now. I’ll talk to Vin. Should we – what about Ezra?” There was a certain level of comfort that Chris had with Vin that was not there with Ezra at all. Talking to Vin, parenting Vin, dealing with Vin was as easy as breathing to him, but with Ezra it was like walking on smoldering coals to even look at him.
“We’ll stop it with Vin. If anything needs addressed with Ezra I’ll take care of it.” That was Buck, taking the leap when Chris couldn’t and as selfish as it seemed Chris was going to let him.
After breakfast Chris pulled Vin aside while Buck went out to the barn to start work and Ezra wandered off to wherever he was going. When confronted Vin at first protested and then backed down as if realizing it was not a battle he could win. If only it was as easy to talk to Ezra.
Chris went out to help with the horses despite his lack of sleep and Buck sent him inside so he wouldn’t stab himself or someone else with a pitchfork – Buck’s words, of course. On the way in Chris glanced toward where Ezra was propped up by the fence, apparently asleep. While it was not likely the most comfortable position to sleep in Chris was not about to wake him up. There was probably a reason that Ezra tended to stay outside as long as he possibly could. It was a reason Chris tried not to think too hard on.
#t#
Ezra was still asleep outside and Vin kept glancing out the window to see if Ezra had woken up yet. He was sitting in the shade of the barn so they weren’t too concerned about him getting sunburned or anything. After the hundredth look outside Vin froze, his eyes widening. “Chris!”
The first one there was Buck since he was awake, but Chris – who had been asleep on the couch – was immediately on his feet at the sound of his name. “Well I’ll be. Chris, take a look at that.”
“What?” Chris edged in beside them, blinking his tired eyes. Then he frowned. “Huh.” Ezra was still asleep by the fence, one arm draped back across the railing, his head tilted back. That wasn’t what made them all stare. What made them stare was that Chester had edged right up to Ezra and was nudging at him ever so gently. When Ezra twitched the horse pulled back but didn’t run away.
“Think our boy has made a friend.”
Whether “our boy” referred to Ezra or the horse Vin wasn’t sure, but it sounded okay to him. “Can you believe it?” They all held their breath when Ezra twitched again and gradually woke up and dragged himself to his feet. Chester held his ground as Ezra leaned against the fence facing away from the horse. Ezra’s arm stretched out along the fence, palm up, and the horse’s mouth went immediately for Ezra’s hand, snatching what appeared to be a lump of sugar from his palm.
“Must have gotten it from the barn,” Buck reasoned, referring to the bit of sugar, his voice sounding impressed. “Think maybe all that time he spent out there was on purpose?”
Chris was nodding his head. “Could be.” They watched for a while longer as Chester nudged at Ezra’s hand and then his shoulder before Ezra’s arm came up to touch the horse’s face. “Might have to get Ezra to continue working with that horse and see what we can do about making him less shy.”
“Making who less shy? Ezra or the horse?” Vin asked, his eyes still focused out the window.
“Ezra isn’t shy.” That was apparently the wrong response because Vin’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he turned to Chris. Though Buck didn’t react as obviously he did glance sideways in Chris’s direction and that spoke more than words could have.
#t#
Hot breath blew across Ezra’s neck, soft velvety hairs and coarser hairs rubbing against him as the horse nudged him. “‘Will you go see the order of the course?’ ‘Not I.’ ‘I pray you, do.’ ‘I am not gamesome: I do lack some part of that quick spirit that is in Antony. Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; I’ll leave you.’ ‘Brutus, I do observe you now of late: I have not from your eyes that gentleness and show of love as I was wont to have: you bear too stubborn and strange a hand over your friend that loves you.’ ‘Cassius, be not deceived: if I have veil’d my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance merely upon myself.’”
A shiver ran through Ezra when the horse nudged him again and he turned to press his face into the solid neck that was being offered to him. “Will you be Cassius? Caius Cassius.”
There was a strange tiredness that had settled around Ezra that had nothing to do with lack of sleep. He felt both sick and light-headed and the only thing that was real was the large animal beside him and the steady breaths from the horse. Ezra released the horse and pulled back and for a moment their eyes locked. “Could you fly someday with me?” The horse seemed to nod as Ezra pulled away from the fence and headed inside because he had nowhere else to go.
Ezra passed inside the front room, his arms wrapped around his stomach against the feeling of illness. Words were spoken and passed over Ezra until he heard his name, somewhat sharply uttered, and stopped.
“Are you all right?” Buck asked again when it seemed he’d finally gotten Ezra’s attention. The boy looked pale and was clutching his stomach like he didn’t feel good. As much as the instinct to touch Ezra’s forehead to see if he had a temperature was in him Buck was still able to stifle that desire.
The question rang in Ezra’s head and he stopped to consider it. Buck looked genuinely concerned, but the emotion couldn’t even touch him. “No.” Then he turned away and went back toward his room with the least amount of noise possible.
Ezra was not sure how long he was left alone when Buck came by with a hamburger for lunch and asked if he was hungry. The smell of food hit Ezra almost violently and he was across his bedroom and pushing past Buck and dropping to the floor in front of the toilet and puking up what little was in his stomach. The wall was cold against his face as he waited for another bout of dry heaving.
“Hey. Can I?”
Buck was holding a washcloth that he had apparently gotten wet and was kneeling beside him. When Ezra nodded Buck began to gently wash off his face and mouth. “Do you want to rinse out your mouth?”
It seemed like a good idea except for the fact that Ezra was puking again, but after that he was more than agreeable to that suggestion. When Ezra tried to clean up the floor where he had missed puking into the toilet Buck stopped him and told him that he would get that later. Buck laid out some pajamas for him and put a big plastic trashcan by his bed just in case and suggested he get changed and then left the room.
Changing was awkward and clumsy, but he managed it and slid back into bed. Buck brought him a glass of water and some juice and said he could make some chicken soup later if he was hungry. That was when Ezra’s stomach chose to rebel again and he found himself dry heaving until bile came up.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, you’re fine.” Buck was wiping off his mouth and face with the cold washcloth and it took Ezra a moment to realize he was crying. If there was one thing Ezra hated above all others it was being sick and throwing up and especially throwing up in front of someone was horrifyingly humiliating.
“I want my mama.” Ezra immediately regretted saying it, realizing how childish he sounded.
Buck smiled at him kindly. “I’ll bet you do, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to put up with me instead. What do you need? Medicine wise? You allergic to anything?”
“I’m not allergic to anything except dust and mold, but Tylenol turns my stomach. If you have aspirin, that would be acceptable though I prefer Ibuprofen.” They did have Ibuprofen and Buck gave some to Ezra and then left him be at Ezra’s request. Buck then warned the others not to bother Ezra because he wasn’t feeling too well and was not up for company.
Ezra slept for almost the rest of the day, getting up just long enough to eat some chicken noodle soup and drink some water. Vin crept into Ezra’s room to check on him and ended up on the floor with Maddy and the kittens when it became apparent that Ezra wasn’t up to talking. Buck gave Ezra another Ibuprofen after he ate and left him to sleep for the rest of the night.
The next morning Ezra was up and dressed and ready for school, much to Buck’s annoyance. “If you’re not feeling well you’re not going to school.”
“I’m okay now. It was just a migraine.”
That made Buck frown. “You get migraines that make you throw up?”
Ezra nodded unconcernedly.
“You take anything for them?”
That made Ezra pause as he shoved his last notebook into his backpack. “Yeah – there are pills, but I don’t use them unless I’m out at school or practice. If I’m somewhere I can sleep I’d rather do that. The pills make me tired and sort of dizzy and make me feel nauseous anyway so it really doesn’t help all that much.”
“You sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah.” Buck still asked Ezra if he could take his temperature using their ear thermometer and Ezra held still just long enough for Buck to do just that. “It always runs a bit high, but that’s normal for me. Oh, I have practice today, too – Mondays and Wednesdays until 5:30!” He was out the door on Vin’s heels as Buck was glancing at the temperature reading – 101.8.
-to be continued-
Next Chapter
Category: Delinquent AU (aka ATF Teen AU)
Characters: Vin, Ezra, Buck/Chris
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Slash, mentions of child abuse, profanity
Summary: Sequel to "Delinquent" part of the Delinquent Universe which is a spin off of Mog’s ATF universe. Ezra has joined the Larabee/Wilmington/Tanner household. Life with Ezra is anything but dull.
This is going to wind up being about the same length as "Delinquent" only with 10 chapters instead of 11 - and, yes, this is not the end of the series (I'm not that mean), I'd just come to an ending point and needed a change of titles (and, yes, I've already started the new fic, though I'll admit that the boys are only roughly following my outline of what is going to happen). *snort* Or maybe I just can't count higher than 11... though I have a fic that's 48+ chapters so I guess I can count higher...
"Chapter One", "Chapter Two", "Chapter Three", "Chapter Four", "Chapter Five", "Chapter Six", "Chapter Seven", "Chapter Eight"
Chapter Nine
Chris left the boys with the cat and her kittens to wander into the kitchen where Buck had already started breakfast. When Chris apologized and attempted to take over, Buck waved him off. “You were up all night and I’m not having you burn the house down or injure yourself making breakfast. So, what’s the final count?”
“Four.” He dropped into one of the chairs in the kitchen as he thought back over the night and Vin falling asleep on him. “Vin was asleep in Ezra’s room. I think they slept in Ezra’s bed, too.”
“That so? What makes you think that?” Though Buck’s tone was calm there was a sudden darkening about his posture that roused Chris from his drowsy state.
“There was a pillow and blanket in the room, but it didn’t look like anyone had used them. You know how Vin likes to fold his pillow and kind of smash it into shape? The extra pillow on Ezra’s bed was like that, not the one on the floor and Ezra doesn’t do that.” Chris dredged up more memories from the previous night when Buck didn’t say anything else. “The door was locked too, I heard Vin unlock it when I went to see what the noise was.”
A plate of pancakes was dropped in front of Chris and he looked up into Buck’s face. “Can't let them do that, stud. Don’t know what could happen.”
It seemed a bit ridiculous to Chris to be concerned about the boys getting up to anything, what with everything that had happened to Ezra. It honestly didn’t make sense to him. “They’re just kids, Buck.”
“Remember when we were fourteen?” Buck gave Chris a knowing look and waited for the blush that Chris hated – he’d never tell him, but Buck loved that Chris could still blush like that.
Chris felt his face turn red and ducked his head for a moment hoping the color would fade. “Yeah, but we never did anything too bad, not then.” As kids Buck had kissed him behind corners at school, out in the woods camping or on long walks, and in Chris’s bedroom. Later Chris had found out that Buck had been making out with a few other people – girls – and after he’d blackened Buck’s eye and refused to speak to him for several months they’d eventually become friends again. Chris had made it a point of only dating girls for years and years after that, but in the end his love for Buck had led him right back to him.
“No, we didn’t, but we also didn’t go through what Ezra has or know what he knows, either.”
“We don’t even know if – ”
“Chris.” The sharp tone made Chris glare up at Buck, but it also made him take notice, which had been Buck’s intention. “You can’t tell me you haven’t seen that Vin’s sweet on that boy.”
He hadn’t seen it. Once Chris was confronted with that fact a lot of Vin’s actions suddenly made a lot of sense, though. “Oh. What about…?”
Buck shook his head. “No idea.” Ezra was harder to read then a brick wall most of the time and while Vin often times pretended not to care about things it seemed as if Ezra really didn’t care. Or Ezra was that much better at making people believe he didn’t care. Buck still hadn’t figured out which one yet.
“So I should – ”
“Yup.”
“You can stop finishing my thoughts now. I’ll talk to Vin. Should we – what about Ezra?” There was a certain level of comfort that Chris had with Vin that was not there with Ezra at all. Talking to Vin, parenting Vin, dealing with Vin was as easy as breathing to him, but with Ezra it was like walking on smoldering coals to even look at him.
“We’ll stop it with Vin. If anything needs addressed with Ezra I’ll take care of it.” That was Buck, taking the leap when Chris couldn’t and as selfish as it seemed Chris was going to let him.
After breakfast Chris pulled Vin aside while Buck went out to the barn to start work and Ezra wandered off to wherever he was going. When confronted Vin at first protested and then backed down as if realizing it was not a battle he could win. If only it was as easy to talk to Ezra.
Chris went out to help with the horses despite his lack of sleep and Buck sent him inside so he wouldn’t stab himself or someone else with a pitchfork – Buck’s words, of course. On the way in Chris glanced toward where Ezra was propped up by the fence, apparently asleep. While it was not likely the most comfortable position to sleep in Chris was not about to wake him up. There was probably a reason that Ezra tended to stay outside as long as he possibly could. It was a reason Chris tried not to think too hard on.
#t#
Ezra was still asleep outside and Vin kept glancing out the window to see if Ezra had woken up yet. He was sitting in the shade of the barn so they weren’t too concerned about him getting sunburned or anything. After the hundredth look outside Vin froze, his eyes widening. “Chris!”
The first one there was Buck since he was awake, but Chris – who had been asleep on the couch – was immediately on his feet at the sound of his name. “Well I’ll be. Chris, take a look at that.”
“What?” Chris edged in beside them, blinking his tired eyes. Then he frowned. “Huh.” Ezra was still asleep by the fence, one arm draped back across the railing, his head tilted back. That wasn’t what made them all stare. What made them stare was that Chester had edged right up to Ezra and was nudging at him ever so gently. When Ezra twitched the horse pulled back but didn’t run away.
“Think our boy has made a friend.”
Whether “our boy” referred to Ezra or the horse Vin wasn’t sure, but it sounded okay to him. “Can you believe it?” They all held their breath when Ezra twitched again and gradually woke up and dragged himself to his feet. Chester held his ground as Ezra leaned against the fence facing away from the horse. Ezra’s arm stretched out along the fence, palm up, and the horse’s mouth went immediately for Ezra’s hand, snatching what appeared to be a lump of sugar from his palm.
“Must have gotten it from the barn,” Buck reasoned, referring to the bit of sugar, his voice sounding impressed. “Think maybe all that time he spent out there was on purpose?”
Chris was nodding his head. “Could be.” They watched for a while longer as Chester nudged at Ezra’s hand and then his shoulder before Ezra’s arm came up to touch the horse’s face. “Might have to get Ezra to continue working with that horse and see what we can do about making him less shy.”
“Making who less shy? Ezra or the horse?” Vin asked, his eyes still focused out the window.
“Ezra isn’t shy.” That was apparently the wrong response because Vin’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he turned to Chris. Though Buck didn’t react as obviously he did glance sideways in Chris’s direction and that spoke more than words could have.
#t#
Hot breath blew across Ezra’s neck, soft velvety hairs and coarser hairs rubbing against him as the horse nudged him. “‘Will you go see the order of the course?’ ‘Not I.’ ‘I pray you, do.’ ‘I am not gamesome: I do lack some part of that quick spirit that is in Antony. Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; I’ll leave you.’ ‘Brutus, I do observe you now of late: I have not from your eyes that gentleness and show of love as I was wont to have: you bear too stubborn and strange a hand over your friend that loves you.’ ‘Cassius, be not deceived: if I have veil’d my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance merely upon myself.’”
A shiver ran through Ezra when the horse nudged him again and he turned to press his face into the solid neck that was being offered to him. “Will you be Cassius? Caius Cassius.”
There was a strange tiredness that had settled around Ezra that had nothing to do with lack of sleep. He felt both sick and light-headed and the only thing that was real was the large animal beside him and the steady breaths from the horse. Ezra released the horse and pulled back and for a moment their eyes locked. “Could you fly someday with me?” The horse seemed to nod as Ezra pulled away from the fence and headed inside because he had nowhere else to go.
Ezra passed inside the front room, his arms wrapped around his stomach against the feeling of illness. Words were spoken and passed over Ezra until he heard his name, somewhat sharply uttered, and stopped.
“Are you all right?” Buck asked again when it seemed he’d finally gotten Ezra’s attention. The boy looked pale and was clutching his stomach like he didn’t feel good. As much as the instinct to touch Ezra’s forehead to see if he had a temperature was in him Buck was still able to stifle that desire.
The question rang in Ezra’s head and he stopped to consider it. Buck looked genuinely concerned, but the emotion couldn’t even touch him. “No.” Then he turned away and went back toward his room with the least amount of noise possible.
Ezra was not sure how long he was left alone when Buck came by with a hamburger for lunch and asked if he was hungry. The smell of food hit Ezra almost violently and he was across his bedroom and pushing past Buck and dropping to the floor in front of the toilet and puking up what little was in his stomach. The wall was cold against his face as he waited for another bout of dry heaving.
“Hey. Can I?”
Buck was holding a washcloth that he had apparently gotten wet and was kneeling beside him. When Ezra nodded Buck began to gently wash off his face and mouth. “Do you want to rinse out your mouth?”
It seemed like a good idea except for the fact that Ezra was puking again, but after that he was more than agreeable to that suggestion. When Ezra tried to clean up the floor where he had missed puking into the toilet Buck stopped him and told him that he would get that later. Buck laid out some pajamas for him and put a big plastic trashcan by his bed just in case and suggested he get changed and then left the room.
Changing was awkward and clumsy, but he managed it and slid back into bed. Buck brought him a glass of water and some juice and said he could make some chicken soup later if he was hungry. That was when Ezra’s stomach chose to rebel again and he found himself dry heaving until bile came up.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, you’re fine.” Buck was wiping off his mouth and face with the cold washcloth and it took Ezra a moment to realize he was crying. If there was one thing Ezra hated above all others it was being sick and throwing up and especially throwing up in front of someone was horrifyingly humiliating.
“I want my mama.” Ezra immediately regretted saying it, realizing how childish he sounded.
Buck smiled at him kindly. “I’ll bet you do, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to put up with me instead. What do you need? Medicine wise? You allergic to anything?”
“I’m not allergic to anything except dust and mold, but Tylenol turns my stomach. If you have aspirin, that would be acceptable though I prefer Ibuprofen.” They did have Ibuprofen and Buck gave some to Ezra and then left him be at Ezra’s request. Buck then warned the others not to bother Ezra because he wasn’t feeling too well and was not up for company.
Ezra slept for almost the rest of the day, getting up just long enough to eat some chicken noodle soup and drink some water. Vin crept into Ezra’s room to check on him and ended up on the floor with Maddy and the kittens when it became apparent that Ezra wasn’t up to talking. Buck gave Ezra another Ibuprofen after he ate and left him to sleep for the rest of the night.
The next morning Ezra was up and dressed and ready for school, much to Buck’s annoyance. “If you’re not feeling well you’re not going to school.”
“I’m okay now. It was just a migraine.”
That made Buck frown. “You get migraines that make you throw up?”
Ezra nodded unconcernedly.
“You take anything for them?”
That made Ezra pause as he shoved his last notebook into his backpack. “Yeah – there are pills, but I don’t use them unless I’m out at school or practice. If I’m somewhere I can sleep I’d rather do that. The pills make me tired and sort of dizzy and make me feel nauseous anyway so it really doesn’t help all that much.”
“You sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah.” Buck still asked Ezra if he could take his temperature using their ear thermometer and Ezra held still just long enough for Buck to do just that. “It always runs a bit high, but that’s normal for me. Oh, I have practice today, too – Mondays and Wednesdays until 5:30!” He was out the door on Vin’s heels as Buck was glancing at the temperature reading – 101.8.
-to be continued-
Next Chapter
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-11-04 03:15 am (UTC)It seems that Chester has a new name, I enjoyed the allusions - Shakespeare or am I mistaken?
no subject
Date: 2007-11-05 12:17 am (UTC)No, you're not mistaken - "Julius Caesar". :) I love Cassius.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-04 03:34 am (UTC)Excellent story. Looking forward to more!!!
no subject
Date: 2007-11-05 12:31 am (UTC)"Vin, you are not to sleep in Ezra's room if the door is locked or closed. Especially if the door is locked."
"But Chris - !"
"Vin, I'm serious."
Vin glared at Chris like he had just forbade him to breathe and then his expression cleared. "Okay." It wasn't as if Chris had said that he couldn't sleep in Ezra's room, just that he couldn't sleep in his room if the door was closed or locked.
"That includes not sleeping in Ezra's bed, Vin." It wasn't hard to talk to Vin about this and Vin seemed to get what Chris was saying.
"All right." That was something Vin could live with and that might be better for him in the long run. It was, after all, a better excuse than "I'm not ready".
-end scene-
Yes. Buck is awesome. Chris should listen to him more. :P
no subject
Date: 2007-11-04 10:35 pm (UTC)Thank goodness Chris doesn't back down and isn't a quitter, 'cause raising Ezra sounds like a challenge. Chris and Ezra are alike in many ways, in my opinion. Both stubborn like there's no tomorrow, and independent. While Chris has learned to rely on Buck, on occasion, Ezra still needs to learn that, sometimes, leaning on the right people can be the best thing.
“Ezra isn’t shy.” That was apparently the wrong response because Vin’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he turned to Chris. Though Buck didn’t react as obviously he did glance sideways in Chris’s direction and that spoke more than words could have.
Bet Vin and Buck both wanted to smack Chris, uh? Sometimes he doesn't turn on his brain before talking. But he wants to do the right thing and he cares, that's more than something.
Love how you had Buck handle the sex talk with Chris, and how he's taking care of Ezra. And Chris being oblivious to Vin's crush is so Chris-like.
Great chapter!
no subject
Date: 2007-11-05 12:42 am (UTC)Ah, we are so hard on poor Chris for being clueless (which he is) but he is a good guy and he really does try. So, kudos to Chris for sticking in there. Even when Buck is secretly laughing behind his back.
*snort* Sex talk with Chris. omg I love that; I guess I really didn't think of it as a 'sex talk' but it was, wasn't it?
no subject
Date: 2007-11-05 01:09 am (UTC)We're lucky Buck has noticed, or no one would know how to handle Ezra. Well, except Vin, but he needs someone to take care of him as well.
Even when Buck is secretly laughing behind his back.
Buck is totally amused by Chris!
I guess I really didn't think of it as a 'sex talk' but it was, wasn't it?
lol. Yeah, it was the Delinquent version of the dreaded pre parent-teen sex talk: "Who should talk to the kids?"
It couldn't have been any other way, I think. Chris talking about it with Ezra... I can't see that going well.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-07 05:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-07 07:37 am (UTC)Ah, perhaps Chester senses a kindred spirit. Or, more likely, Ezra does a really good impression of a rock (and the treats help). LOL There is no weakness with Ezra - at least none that he will acknowledge. He has to be the best and the strongest.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-07 07:43 am (UTC)