His moan escaped him, but didn't escape Joey's attention. Or Travis'. Drake either hadn't noticed or was studiously ignoring him.
The kids were sucking on their Popsicles, watching Joey trim down Drake's hair. Maggie went and climbed into his lap, making him jump when her Popsicle landed against his chest.
"We'll have to spray Unca Drake down."
Drake shot him a look, eyebrow going up as Joey nodded vigorously at the suggestion. He licked his lips, went to grab the hose before Drake pounced him. Travis was laughing at him, he could tell. But he didn't care. He was going to enjoy wet Drake.
Christian and the girls were in to it, too, coming to help him, Christian turning on the water. He managed to get one shot off, spraying Drake right in the chest before the man tackled him.
They rolled on the ground, Drake grabbing his wrists in one hand and holding them up over his head. "Okay, Christian, get him!"
"No!" His scream was total melodrama, guaranteed to make the kids excited.
Both he and Drake were soon utterly soaked, the kids not at all discerning about which of their uncles got wet. Everyone was laughing, playing, Joey leaning in Travis' arms, applauding. They shifted and he could feel Drake starting to get hard. The man shifted again, hips sliding away. He kept playing, though, didn't retreat.
They ended up sitting on the patio, Jenny in his arms, Maggie clinging to Drake's back, soaking and hooting with laughter. Christian was running around with the hose, singing something about being king of the hose. Joey had his phone out and was snapping pics.
"If those end up on Facebook, Drake will beat you."
"I will. To death." Drake glared at Joey, who put up and flapped his hands.
"I'll send you copies, but I swear that's it."
"Uh-huh. Okay, kiddos. Baths. It's heading toward bedtime."
"Awww." The chorus was immediate.
It was Drake who stood, Maggie still clinging to his back. "I'll do it -- you visit with your friends."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. I'll send them down for goodnight kisses once everyone's ready." Drake held on to Maggie's arms with one hand so she wouldn't slide off and plucked Jenny out of Slayde's arms. "Come on, Christian. You know I need help with the bubbles."
"Coming!" They all trooped off and he stood.
"My turn for a haircut?" He sat in the chair.
"Yep." He could hear the wicked tone in Joey's voice. "And you're at our mercy now. Let the interrogation begin!"
"I like him. He seems solid." Travis sat in front of him.
"Me too."
"He's deep, deep in the closet though, baby. He's going to wind up hurting Slayde." Joey spritzed his hair down, fingers carding through it.
"I know that he's not serious. I know that this is like…shit, I don't know, like a soul vacation for him, but…" Slayde wasn't going to tear up again.
Travis reached out and took his hands, squeezed. "But you're in love with him."
"I am. Like whoa." He held on tight, the snip-snip of Jay's scissors familiar and comforting. "I'm going to lose everything when she comes home and, God, what kind of a selfish fuck am I, Travis? To be worried about me when she's been serving her country?"
"She's not going to just cut you out of their lives, honey. She's a good woman. And of course you're worried about her coming back -- those babies are your life. You've been with them since they were born." Travis patted his hands. "And you never know, maybe the stud will find his way out of the closet."
"He's going to go back to California. She's going to move from here; she hates Texas. I'll have to find another family."
"We're your family, honey." Joey patted his shoulder. "When he does his thing, you won't be alone."
"It won't be for months anyway, right? You've got time."
Travis squeezed his hands again. "Maybe you can fatten him up, take away some of the studliness, because honey, Joey's right. He's damn hot."
"He is and he's eager and funny and real and I'm so utterly screwed." He smiled through his tears. "But it's worth it, even when he leaves."
"So stop crying, honey. If you're going to play this out to the end, it only makes sense to enjoy it while you have it. You keep worrying on what happens later you haven't got anything to remember when later comes."
He nodded. "I know. I am. I'm not missing a second." Hell, he was playing house and he knew it.
"Okay. I can't say I'm happy about what I know is coming, but I've never seen you look so happy, so I'm not going to try to talk you out of it. And me and Joey have your back."
"And your head. Phew! You look so much better now." Joey laughed, fluffing his new cut with those clever fingers.
"Thank you, honey. I appreciate it." He stood up, brushed off, and hugged them both.
The kids came trooping out, followed by Drake, who'd changed in to a pair of tight jeans and a soft gray T-shirt that hugged his muscles like a lover.
"How do I look, guys?" Slayde asked.
"Like you need to change your clothes," Christian informed him while Jenny held out her arms and opened and closed her hands imperiously.
Drake snorted. "You look fine." The tone was every day, but the look in Drake's eyes was warm, directed at him, even if only briefly.
"I think you are pretty," Maggie intoned. "And I want to read a book."
"Okay. Okay, let's go get books and another shirt for me." He took Jenny. "Give good night kisses. We'll see Joey and Travis for pancakes in the morning."
"Pancakes!" Christian hooted and began running around them.
Drake grabbed him up and put him in a fireman's carry. "It's settling down time, Christian."
He took the girls up, Drake dealing with Christian, the actions familiar and wonderful and right.
***
They got the kids settled and Drake gave Slayde a few extra
