"Yeah…"
Drake shook his head. "It's not in the cards, man."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
He frowned. "Huh? What?"
"I didn't know you were…shooting blanks."
"Shooting blanks? What the hell?" He stood up and glared. There was nothing wrong with him! "Screw you, Slayde."
"I. Sorry." Slayde held his hands up, face utterly shocked.
Slayde's expression was the only reason he didn't storm out of there. "Shooting fucking blanks, what the fuck is your problem? Why would you fucking say that?" Slayde didn't have any right to accuse him of shit like that. Untrue shit. There was nothing wrong with his boys. Nothing at all.
"I. I'm sorry. I thought… You said you couldn't have kids."
"I said it wasn't in the cards, man. There's nothing wrong with my guys. Absofuckinglutely nothing."
"Okay. My apologies. I wasn't… I didn't. Your balls are fine. I'm going to make the kids dinner."
"Can we stop fucking talking about my balls already?"
"You got it." Slayde disappeared, just poof, the man was out of there.
He growled softly, annoyed and frustrated. He didn't even know why he gave a shit whether or not Slayde knew there was nothing wrong with his balls, damn it.
Maybe he was losing his fucking mind.
Chapter Five
Slayde put the kids to bed and headed straight to his room, without bothering to make a cup of coffee or eat. He just had his computer and his phone and Skype. God, he hoped his peeps were around.
Travis answered his Skype, giving him a grin. "Slayde, my man."
"Travis. Hey." He tried to smile back, but he didn't have it in him.
"Joey," Travis looked to his right, "you'd better come here. It's Slayde and all is not right in his world."
Joey appeared, sitting in Travis' lap and staring at him. "Travis is right, honey. Spill."
"I just… I really pissed him off. Really. And I was being nice."
"I thought the two of you were getting along better?" Travis asked.
"I did too." He surprised himself by almost tearing up. "He just blew up, cussing, and losing it. I thought he might explode."
"What happened, honey?" Joey was all sweet concern.
"He told me he couldn't have kids, and I said I was sorry."
"And…"
"And he just lost it, yelling and cursing at me, like I'd insulted him." Like he was being a bitch or something.
"What a stupendous dick," declared Joey.
"He lost it because you said you were sorry?" Travis was still frowning. "Is he unhinged?"
"I don't know!" Slayde threw his hands up. This whole thing was insane.
"And that's all you said -- I'm sorry?"
"Yes. I wasn't nasty. I told him it sucked that he was shooting blanks. He's so good with kids."
"Well, he's just an asshole and if you think he's dangerous you tell Mindy and get him the hell out of there." Joey looked like he was ready to come right over and usher Drake out without ceremony himself.
Travis, though, he'd started chuckling. Joey glared at his lover.
"Slayde, honey, he thinks you questioned his manhood."
"I did not!" He stared at them both.
Travis gave him a shit-eating grin. "I bet you anything that's how he took it."
Joey looked at Travis, rolled his eyes. "Travis is way more butch than us, honey. Maybe he's right."
"I am right, honey. Are you sure he isn't gay?"
"Positive. Totally positive. This is the straightest man ever."
"Well, he doesn't like you making cracks about his sperm."
"Does that make him queer?" That was dumb.
"Not at all, honey, but it makes him sensitive about his sperm."
Joey started giggling and Travis' lips twitched.
"You're both asshats. Teasing me. He's a turd and you're both fired." Assholes.
"You want us to come and beat him up?" Joey asked.
There was a knock on his bedroom door.
"Hold on, guys." He hopped up, went to the door. "Yeah?"
Drake was there, looking somewhat sheepish. "Hey. Look, sorry if I shouted earlier."
"I--. I wasn't trying to piss you off, man. It's cool."
"I know. There's just nothing wrong with me, okay?"
"Okay. You're a stud. Perfectly formed."
"That's right, I am." Drake growled a little, puffed up.
He wasn't going to spring wood. Not at all. "Cool."
"Okay. Cool. You want to order a couple pizzas?"
"I? Sure. Sure. That would be great." So that was it?
Drake grunted. "The usual?"
"Yeah." He tried to sound manly, hoping the boys couldn't hear him.
Drake smiled, eyes warm. Shit, if he didn't know, he'd say the man was checking him out. "Cool."
"I'll be down in a couple."
"Cool." Drake gave him a lopsided grin and headed off, giving Slayde a great view of that ass in tight jeans.
"Oh, God." He shut the bedroom door and headed back to the bed. "This is crazy, guys."
"You like him!" Joey's eyes were sparkling.
"Shut up, you bitch." He did not.
Travis' eyebrows went up. "What's that Shakespeare line about protesting too much?"
He flipped Travis off. "I just need to get laid. Just a friendly hand, you know?" Hell, a hug from an adult would work.
"So ask for one." Joey waggled his eyebrows.
"Fuck off, man. He'd hit me. Hard." He let himself flutter dramatically. "I have a beautiful face. I don't want it mangled."
Joey laughed for him, and Travis chuckled. There was a speculative gleam in the man's eyes, though.
"Tell me you two will come up for coffee or something?"
Joey looked at Travis, who nodded. "We can come this weekend, honey. If you want us to."
"I want. Just for a couple of hours. Just to relax." They could hang out in the backyard after the kids were asleep.
"Book us a room somewhere, honey, and we'll be there."
"I'll do it." He blew kisses at the screen. "You two are made of win."
"We have your back, honey."
"Besides," added Travis, "Joey's wanted to come see your mean cop leather daddy stud since you first mentioned him."
"Shut. Up." It was a hot little fantasy though, wasn't it?
"Travis! No telling." Joey laughed, though.
Travis chuckled. "We love you, Slayde. And we'll see you on Saturday."
"Good deal. I can't
