"Oh, god. Okay," Delsin muttered desperately to himself, pacing the length of his brother's house here at the reservation. Reggie ought to be counting his lucky stars that he was given that one opportunity to save Delsin's life back during the uprising. It was the only thing that could have brought Delsin here today, the night before Halloween, under such severe circumstances. The only reason he'd relented and said yes to his brother and his wife, Elena, in their desperate hour of need.

Think, Delsin, you're a goddamn sponge for ideas. This was normally true, but he also normally didn't have a seven-week-old baby wailing for his attention in the next room.

"Shit, shit, shit," he mumbled, fingers flying to his temples in agitation. There was a slight pounding behind his eyes, and with each new sharp cry from his fussy nephew it was like a fresh stab to his head over and over, never lessening.

When the little bundle of terror went eerily silent, only to follow with a particularly harsh cry, Delsin dashed into the other room in a smoky panic, thinking the kid somehow fell out of his crib. His heart was in his throat as he was only slightly relieved to see the baby still nestled deep in a soft blue blanket, wrapped up and safely in his crib. Still, his fear didn't leave him as he took in the sight of his nephew's red face, so flushed and overworked from the nonstop crying he was doing. The terrifying thought of this kid is hurting, he's gonna die if I don't do something consumed his riddled brain to the point of very carefully scooping the crying boy up and cradling him awkwardly to his chest with one arm.

Almost immediately, the ear-splitting cries had started to lessen, the sound reducing to a few shaky whimpers. Well, damn, was that all the baby wanted? This wasn't so bad, he thought as he gently rocked the baby in his arms, walking aimlessly around the small and cluttered room.

He glanced down at his nephew, only now seeing the bright tears that had escaped his tiny eyes during his fit, slowly sliding down the sides of his cheeks as little breathy pants left his shaky body. Delsin groaned at the sight, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry I agreed to this, little buddy, but your mommy and daddy needed a break; and now I see why. Yes, I do," he cooed to him cheerily, letting out his frustrated thoughts to this newborn. It wasn't like he could understand him anyway, but Delsin felt better for it. "You gotta help me out, Dakota, and let me know what you want because even with all the powers I have, mind reading is not in my arsenal."

As if in answer to his question, the baby began to stretch his head to the side toward Delsin's chest, eyes closing and tiny pink lips opening as if seeking something out. A surprised laugh escaped the conduit's mouth then, at the absurdity of his predicament.

"Sorry, kid, but you're not getting any milk from these nips."

In response, Dakota grew frustrated once more at the lack of a food source and began to pant heavily, all of that respiratory work leading up to another round of cries. Delsin whined loudly, feeling on the verge of a breakdown himself.

"Dammit, Koty, this is not how Akomish men handle their anger, okay?"

But at least now he knew what he wanted. Now, where the hell did Reggie say he put that baby formula? Must be in the kitchen. The conduit very nearly whizzed the pair of them off to the other room via smoke travel in his haste to satisfy the baby's hunger, before remembering himself. He had no idea what kind of effect that kind of quick motion could do to the normal baby, and so he tediously speed-walked his way to the kitchen.

He perused through the cabinets one-handed, not finding much in the way of the baby formula Reggie had said he'd stocked up on. After combing through all the cabinets there were, he finally found it in the very last one he tried. By now, Dakota's cries were downright troublesome; if anyone was near enough to hear them, they'd probably think Delsin was torturing the poor kid.

Okay, so he had the little tin can in his free hand. That was progress. Reading the label, he tried to figure out what to do next.

"Let's see … blah, blah, wash your hands. Blah, blah, clean the bottle. Oh, for fuck's sake, I'm not a complete idiot." He skimmed the overly informative directions on the label before getting to the good stuff. "Aha."

It said there around the pictures that all he had to do was add 1 scoop of formula to every 2 fluid ounces of water. Easy.

"Okay, bud, let's set you down." The baby's shrill wails still echoed around the house, but Delsin was unnerved to realize that he barely noticed it anymore, already acclimating to the torturous noise. In the attached living room sat a bassinet, just like a crib, but smaller and on wheels. He set Dakota in there carefully, making sure to bundle him back where he'd thrown his arms out.

"I know, I know, I'm trying, kid. Dinner'll be ready stat." Grabbing onto the bassinet, he clicked off the locks on the wheels with his clothed toes and gently dragged along the carrier behind him into the kitchen, resting it beside him as he went to work on the bottle.

There were a variety of bottles lined up by the drying board, and Delsin picked up the first one he saw, grabbing the accompanying top and setting it before him. Numbered markers lined the side of the bottle, going up to 8 fl oz. What line was acceptable for newborns?

"Oh, Jesus," he cursed softly to himself. Reggie was a goddamned fool to trust him with a task as monumental as this. A baby! A dependent living being! His brother could hardly trust Delsin with himself, and yet he was his first choice as a babysitter for his first and only son? Man, this baby must be sleep-depriving his poor brother and sister-in-law to the point of insanity.

Delsin's back pocket began to vibrate, a shrill sound competing with Dakota's cries coming into his ears. He quickly fumbled the phone out of his pocket, hoping it was his brother. He didn't even glance at the phone as he shoved it to his ear.

"Reggie."

"Uh, no?" came the meek reply.

Delsin squinted. "Eugene?"

"H-hey, Delsin. I-is this a bad time?"

"Kind of," he said, more harshly than he'd intended. He closed his eyes and he sighed, trying to calm himself. Before he could explain himself, Dakota interrupted the tense silence with a demanding sob, Delsin's eyes flying open as he crushed the phone between his cheek and shoulder to rush over to pick up the baby. It had soothed the kid a little the last time he had done it. Thankfully, his frightful squalls decreased to light whimpers again.

Eugene's voice spoke into his ear once more, voice high with alarm. "What are you doing? Please don't tell me you've leveled up to kidnapping children of D.U.P. agents. There's only so much I can go along with—"

"What the hell kind of animal do you take me for? It's only my nephew here wailing into my ears for the past ten minutes."

"Oh," he said, sounding embarrassed. As he should, Delsin thought. He did have moral lines that he respected, he wasn't just a cold, criminal as Eugene seemed to think. "Um, well, maybe… Uh, do you..."

"Spit it out, kid, I don't have all day."

"A-are you babysitting? Do you maybe want some help?"

Delsin paused, perusing the hopeful idea. "Since I'm assuming you haven't made any new friends—normal or otherwise—since your breakout, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and take it you mean you can help?"

The idea of gamer boy having any kind of knowledge about the caretaking of small humans made Delsin laugh. He didn't outright laugh over the phone, but he thought the idea was funny. The only thing he thought Eugene was capable of cultivating were his characters in Heaven's Hellfire. This he had to see.

"W-well, yeah."

It was on the tip of his tongue to question his babysitting skills before he realized it didn't matter. Company would not be a bad thing right now whether he was useful to him or not.

"Alright, then. Hurry your ass over here and help me with this … bundle." This baby had a set of lungs on him, and Delsin was beginning to question the normalcy of him.

Eugene breathed a sigh of joyous disbelief. "Cool. O-okay. I'll be over before you can finish making a bottle."

"Wait, how did you—" he started, but the kid had already hung up on him. Damn it. He wouldn't be surprised if Eugene had tapped this place, setting up micro cameras in his brother's humble abode in hopes of catching him and his wife screwing over the kitchen table.

Delsin stealthily slipped the phone back into his pocket with one hand, shaking his other arm soothingly to try and ease the riled up baby. It was no use, though, so he set the baby back into his bassinet and went back to trying the bottle.

He'd never actually seen Elena or Reggie feed the baby, only stopping by to visit while the kid slept since that was the baby's life at this stage; to eat and sleep and cry. How easy the kid had it. But he'd seen enough television shows in his youth where babies were being fed full bottles, and T.V. was based on reality, right?

With his mind made up and a little proud at making a deduction himself, he filled the bottle up with timid water, all the way up to the 8 fl oz line and dropped four scoops of formula into the bottle before screwing on the silicone nipple of a top. He lightly pressed his finger to the slit in the nipple as he shook the bottle up, mashing the powder and liquid together. Delsin sauntered back over to the crying baby and picked him up into his arms just as a faint knock sounded on the door.

The kid wasn't kidding when he said he'd rush over.

"Here ya go, Koty," Delsin said softly, letting the bottle fall into the baby's open mouth. As soon as the bottle touched Dakota's lips, the cries cut off so suddenly, his tiny, grabby little hands coming to shakily curl around the bottle itself. He couldn't help but smile at the innocent baby, watching as the kid speedily gulped down the milk through soft, stuttering breaths as though he were starved. His smile turned into full-on laughter when his gaze trailed up to meet Dakota's eyes. They were huge and glaring and the only emotion they conveyed was true annoyance, maybe even a little hate. Delsin tried to ignore that last part.

The knock at the door sounded again, louder this time, and Delsin glanced at it before moving to answer it.

He carefully let go of the bottle that rested between Dakota's fists and swung it open to reveal an expected and familiar sight, one of Eugene in a hoodie that was pulled over his head, glasses perched comfortably on his nose, fidgety hands in his pockets, and head down. It sprung up, though, when the door opened, and he shot Delsin a shy smile.

Delsin had gone back to holding the bottle and was propping the door open with his foot when he kicked it back a little, signaling for the other boy to invite himself in.

"Oh," he heard Eugene mutter to himself as he grasped the door handle. Delsin stepped into the living room then, settling himself and Dakota onto the sofa as Eugene shut the door behind them, turning to stand awkwardly in place. It was almost adorable to Delsin how shy the video gamer could still be, even after so long of knowing each other. It puzzled him, too, to be honest. They had gotten over that initial phase of 'What kind of person are you and can I be myself around you?' when they'd defeated Augustine together, exposing her for the fraud they knew her to be. Going through an experience like that tended to bond people, and they'd gotten comfortable with their newfound friendship in the many many months that followed.

Lately, though, he'd noticed Eugene receding a bit, hesitating hanging out with Delsin and opting to stay home more often than he usually did. Fetch had noticed as well, but she didn't seem too concerned with the change, chalking it up to the angsty state teenagers went through. The way she saw it, he'd skipped out entirely on a normal adolescence the minute Augustine hauled him in, taking away that crucial period of personal growth and replacing it with a time of distress and humiliation. Now that he was out and free from evil hands, however, she figured all that teen angst was just now coming to bite him in the ass—and maybe she wasn't wrong.

Eugene had been distancing himself, but he'd been doing it with a bit of an attitude, throwing snappy retorts at Delsin's harmless jokes; running off in He Who Dwells form whenever Fetch made some sexual crack at the kid; not to mention he'd been seeing less of that to-please smile on the video conduit and more of an annoyed grimace.

As he watched the fidgeting gamer twirl slightly in place, hands pulling anxiously on the ends of his sleeves, he suddenly felt his temper rise. "What are you doing here?"

Eugene stopped his anxious moving, throwing a slight glare at Delsin before his eyes slipped down to Dakota. The heat in his gaze lessened as he stared at Delsin's baby nephew, and he stepped closer, hesitantly.

Aha.

Cruelly, Delsin tightened his grip on the baby, enough to stop Eugene's slow-moving steps. "If you want to hold this cute, little angel you're gonna have to talk to me, Gene. A real talk, with your words and feelings. You ever do that before?"

"Don't patronize me," Eugene said, the glare back in place as he straightened, folding his lanky arms across his chest.

"I'm not— Ugh," he groaned, shoulders slumping. Eugene was definitely going through some sort of delayed puberty, he was sure of it, and he was not in the mood for it. Not when he'd been listening to nothing but whiny wails from one baby all afternoon, he didn't need to deal with another baby. "I think this was a—"

A tiny choking made Delsin break off, turning his attention to the baby in his arms. He hastily pulled the bottle from Dakota's mouth, rushing him into a sitting position in his lap and patting his back somewhat forcefully as the baby coughed and sputtered a few more times, before finally breathing normally again. The quick spike in Delsin's heartbeat stopped for a minute to give his mind time to catch up.

"Dammit, kid, you're gonna give me a panic attack," Delsin muttered. He swore every second with this kid was like a survival test to see if Delsin could keep this kid alive until the timer went off, A.K.A. when Reggie and Elena were supposed to come back from their dinner date. Babysitting an infant was no fucking walk in the park like he originally thought it was going to be. And Reggie made it sound so easy, too, setting him up for a false evening of relaxing.

"He'll probably just end up sleeping the whole time. You won't even know he's there!"

Dick, when you step through that door again...

"Delsin! Were you gonna give him this whole thing?" Eugene's scolding voice broke through Delsin's fantasies of revenge, and he zeroed in on the gamer boy who was now sitting halfway on the couch beside him, the almost empty bottle in his grip.

"What?" he said dazedly, then realized. "Oh, yeah. I figured the kid was super hungry, right? Why not feast him out?"

Eugene shook his head at him as if he were an idiot. "You can't do that. He's only an infant, their stomachs can only take so much."

Delsin's anger returned at being scolded, not liking the role reversal going on here. "Oh? And what do you know about babies? Why don't you go run off and play your games and let the adults handle these situations."

It was a cop out to mock Eugene's love of games. He knew this, and the guilt that followed had him turning his gaze back to the baby in his lap, to get away from the quick flash of hurt that flitted across Eugene's vulnerable eyes.

Eugene seemed to get over the slight rather quickly, surprisingly, and even went so far as to scoop the baby from Delsin's unsuspecting arms.

"Hey," he said with no real conviction. He'd been holding onto Dakota as a sort of insurance to get Eugene to open up to him, and it surprised him that Eugene had taken initiative. He watched in an awed sort of silence as Eugene stood up with the baby, resting him on his shoulder, one arm wrapped around his padded diaper and the other hand patting his back firmly.

As he walked in slow circles around the living room, he glanced over at Delsin, glare ever present. "Have you ever even been around a baby before?"

"What's your problem, man?" This angsty act was getting old real quick.

"You. You are my problem."

Delsin's eyebrows flew up, letting his shock color his face. "What the hell did I even do? Eugeeene," he said, whining the name out in defeat. Eugene halted his antsy moving, never stopping the patting on Dakota's back. "I hate this. I hate whatever you're going through and how it's turning you into a giant asshole."

A scoff came from the other boy's lips as he picked up his easy pace once again. "I can't believe I thought you were actually going somewhere with that thought."

"Then help me out, man! Give a guy a clue as to why you've been so hot and cold for months."

"If you wanted to know before, why didn't you just ask?"

Delsin's lips fished themselves opened and closed, his blank thoughts rendering him stupid.

Had he really never asked? Nah, that couldn't be right. It seemed like he'd been trying to get the kid to open up to him for months. Maybe he didn't outright say it, but Eugene was a smart kid, surely he could've read between the lines?

The angry furl to Eugene's eyebrows took on a new meaning as Delsin inspected him. Was he hurting all this time, and angry at him for not realizing it? Delsin would be the first to admit that he was a bit thick and tended to not get all mushy with feelings and crap, but for some reason, he thought it must have really bothered Eugene that Delsin was like this.

With Eugene as young as he appeared to be in stature and in personality, Delsin felt it was only right to assume the adult role here, so he sucked his pride deep inside himself and gently patted the space beside him once.

"Come here," he said. When he was only met with soft, wary eyes, he tried his hardest not to roll his own. "Please?" Fighting fire with fire was not going to work, clearly. At the change in tactics, the heat in Eugene's eyes lessened, and he finally took up the space beside him, easing his way down to jostle the now silent baby as little as possible.

Delsin scooted back and brought one leg up onto the sofa, the other firmly set on the floor. He rested his hands on his ankle, pulling at the loose strings that dangled from his pant leg. The awkward silence was eating at him, and playing coy was never his strong suit, so he lifted his head, opened his mouth and—

"Bluuuuhhh."

Delsin's eyes widened, alarmed at the loud sound as he gazed down at the source. Eugene, though, he merely laughed and stopped his gentle patting, opting for a rubbing circular motion to ease the baby's back.

"What the hell? Did that monstrous sound come from Koty?" Delsin said, watching as the other boy brought the baby down into his lap, back resting in the crease between Eugene's pressed together thighs. He brought his hands down to cup the back of Dakota's head, tilting it up so he could see the two of them. Dakota's now wide eyes darted around the room, skinny arms flailing and legs kicking. It was adorable to Delsin, and he found himself chuckling at the wondrous sight.

"Babies burp loud," Eugene said as he gazed at the baby fondly, the softest of smiles on his lips. Delsin tried hard not to get jealous that the baby could bring that out of him when he couldn't even do it himself anymore.

"You don't have to tell me that kid's got a set of lungs. I know," he said, remembering the non-stop crying he had to put up with for the past afternoon. Reggie was still going to feel his conduit fueled wrath when he stepped through that door. Oh, he had so many plans—

"U-um..." Eugene said meekly. The younger boy was biting his lip anxiously, his knees bouncing minutely. The baby vibrated with the motion which only seemed to kick his adrenaline into gear as he swung his little fists around even more rapidly, a few coos leaving his mouth.

Instead of interrupting Eugene like the last time he stuttered his way to a response, Delsin stopped the fidgeting with his pants and waited patiently for the shy boy to get on with it. Eugene swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing harshly. "Uh, I-I was just... I-I don't mean to be an asshole."

Progress.

He could feel it; could feel that Eugene was finally on the verge of a confession Delsin hadn't known he was desperate to hear until now.

Eugene brought one hand up to push his glasses nervously back up his nose and went back to the baby. "I-I just don't know what's wrong with me. Some days I feel good, and I'll rank up in my open world RPG, and then some days … some days I can't switch on." The gamer boy darted his tongue out to lick his lips, eyes forcefully focused on Dakota, as if he were trying real hard not to gaze at Delsin for a reaction. "I-I guess what I'm trying to say is, uh, I've been a bit ... frustrated?"

The word came out slowly, carefully, as if he himself had only just figured it out. Delsin tried to think back, wondering what changed in the video conduit's life recently to bring on this frustration. Did his mom try to contact him? He knew she was the one to turn him in, and their relationship had pretty much ended on that day. Maybe she reached out to him, recently, looking for a reconciliation. Honestly, there wasn't anything else that came to mind considering the kid never left his dojo, so what else could there be?

Not wanting to assume in case he was wrong and have Eugene lash out at him, he simply asked, "About what?" He kept his voice as gentle as possible, like talking to a nervous deer. Eugene smacked his lips in annoyance though it appeared to be directed inward as he struggled for the right words.

Delsin glanced down at the baby and was startled to realize that he was on the verge of sleep, his heavy head leaning back against Eugene's hands. His curled fists were resting together on his stomach, and Delsin realized he actually kind of liked the kid—when he was sleeping, that was.

"Here," he said, reaching for the baby. Eugene gave him up with little reluctance, meticulously lifting the baby in offering. Delsin slipped his hands to replace Eugene's beneath him and rocked the baby all the way to the bassinet, easing him down into it. The baby never even so much as opened his mouth, he was knocked out.

Delsin whirled around in place, taking in the nervous boy shrinking into himself on the couch. Wordlessly, Delsin nodded his head toward the kitchen, wanting to talk away from the slumbering baby. He headed in there, Eugene's soft footsteps trailing behind. A small table sat in the corner of the small kitchen, cluttered with this morning's paper and some junk mail.

"What're you thirsty for?" Delsin said as he headed straight to the fridge. Eugene never answered, so he just scooped up two cans of soda and sat down beside him at the table. As he dropped the can heavily down in front of the other boy, he noticed just how dark his cheeks were all of a sudden.

"Are you hot?" Delsin said, placing his hand against his own cheek, gauging his own temperature. It seemed fine for him, but he was so thin, he almost always felt fine or on the colder side of the spectrum. Instead of answering, Eugene averted his gaze to glance at the soda as he hastily fumbled for it, pulling the tab back and practically shoving the cool drink down his throat. He watched in something like shock, something like awe as Eugene's Adam's apple bobbed furiously with each desperate gulp he took.

He coughed, averting his gaze. "Reggie has more, you know, you can always just grab another; he won't mind. Besides, he freakin' owes me after this."

Eugene carefully set the now empty can in front of him, eyebrows furrowed. "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean he totally fuckin' ambushed me into this gig. 'Don't you worry, Del, little Dakota just ate so he should be good until we come back from dinner. Ok, don't burn the house down, bye!' I mean, the kid squalled in my ear for a good ten minutes before you arrived, tried to eat my nips for dinner, and then I didn't even mention about earlier, right after they left, when Koty left a nice big surprise for me inside that diaper of his." Delsin shuddered at the thought of earlier, which he did not want to stew in.

Instead of the look of sympathy from Eugene that his story should have conjured—and that he maybe had wanted to garner from the younger kid—all he received was a very familiar look of disdain.

"Really?" Eugene said, sarcasm dripping from the single word.

A groan stilled in his throat. Delsin had enough gall to halt it, but not before its choked off sound could be heard. "What—" he started, then remembered himself. Water with fire here, Del. He closed his eyes minutely and took a calming breath before trying again. "All right, Eugene. I'm gonna lay everything out here, okay? It's just us here. It's you, me, and little Koty, and I'm asking now."

It was pretty damn hard for him right now if he was being honest with himself. He was in the company of the most sensitive person he knew, someone who didn't shy away from their feelings in the slightest, and so it should've been easier for him to be vulnerable right now, right? If ever there were a time to let himself feel real without the fear of being mocked for feeling too strongly, now was the time. Too bad his body didn't get the message.

Palms sweaty, he wiped them on the rough of his jeans, eyes practically glued to the other boy's soft gaze. Eugene had his hands tightly gripped around the empty can, slowly crushing it in on itself until it was shaped like an apple core before he winced, pulling his hand back to inspect his palm. If Delsin were in a much more relaxed manner, he would have laughed at the petty injury.

Instead, as if it were a nuisance, he hastily grabbed the other boy's hand in both of his to glance at what Eugene had done to himself. It was nothing, of course, aside from quite a few bruising dots, the skin torn lightly around the redder spots. Eugene's skin was so pale, the bright rays of sunshine never getting to make contact with such smooth pallor. It was a shame, really, because this boy thrived in the shadows, in the dark, unkempt places no one ever dared step foot into. Eugene was so soft, though, in physicality and personality, and if anyone deserved to live out their days soaking up the good ol' Vitamin D the sun had to give, it was him.

Delsin hadn't even known he was still staring at the other boy's bruised hand until an audible swallow could be heard. It was so quiet, so still in the suddenly stifling room, that he could hear the nervous gulping of the boy beside him. He was looking at him. Eugene was watching him watch his hand, and he didn't seem the least bit put off by it. In fact, there was something shining there that he'd never seen before. It literally took his breath away as he tried to grasp the fact that Eugene was gazing at him with something other than revulsion.

How he wished he could pull that reverent look from him every day.

His entire body buzzed, his blood thrumming all throughout his limbs, set alight by the look of wonder and innocence radiating from Eugene. It was like he was free from all of those harsh feelings that had been plaguing him for weeks, and Delsin didn't want this moment to end. Without meaning to, he tightened his grip on Eugene's hand, ignoring the moan of pain that sounded from the back of Eugene's throat. He couldn't really stop himself from bringing the delicate, warm hand to his mouth, lips brushing the hot, sweaty palm of Eugene's, and placing a whisper of a kiss to the dotted bruises.

His eyes fell closed at the contact as he continued peppering closed mouth kisses to the slight cuts on Eugene's palm. He couldn't for the life of him explain to anyone why he had this inexplicable urge to aid him in this way, but it almost felt like he had to, like his body demanded this from him. And when had he ever been one to deny himself?

It wasn't like the other boy was complaining, not when he was too busy trying to hold in the choked whimpers that Delsin was eliciting with just his mouth on his hand. The thought of what Eugene would sound like with Delsin's lips in other places on his body had him holding back his own desperate moan at the image. The striking image of the younger boy beneath him, mouth open and panting heavily in Delsin's ear, his own hands traveling down the smooth planes of Eugene's abdomen, slowly working its way to where he could really make him—

With a quick pull, Delsin was suddenly holding on to air. His eyes flew open, breathing in deeply air he had constricted in his daydream state. Eugene was giving him his now classic look of disapproval, lips turned down on the sides as he shot him daggers with his eyes. An immense washing of feeling roved over Delsin as he took in the unexpected change, a feeling that he could only describe as frustrated.

Frustrated.

Delsin blinked. "Oh."

He said the word lowly, breathily, like a confession to the thick atmosphere that smothered them in this room. The word was like a knife, stabbing into the bubble of tension and awkwardness that seemed to surround the pair of them whenever they were in the same room together, and simultaneously letting all that bad energy out. It felt as though the past three months of push and pull had finally come to an end.

Eugene was gazing at him with ever so widening eyes, hopefully sensing the same change that Delsin could feel with that one word.

"Oh," he said again because he was a goddamn fool for taking this long to realize it. "You're in love with Fetch."

Eugene had slowly been tossing his head from side to side, desperate for escape, but he halted at this, only solidifying Delsin's questionable revelation.

Delsin chuckled to himself, embarrassed, and leaned back in his chair to shakily grab onto the locks of hair that had escaped his beanie. "Oh, Eugene. Ohhh, man, I can be seriously dense sometimes."

"No kidding."

"I know what I told you before, about how she was way out of your league, how you're cinnamon and she's hot sauce, but … you're serious about her? Who am I kidding, you must be. And it explains everything. The mood swings, the brooding angst with an amount that only teenagers can annoyingly get away with, why my face brings out that anger in you, it all makes perfect—"

"Hold on, w-why do you think that?"

Delsin's lips fished themselves closed as he thought. "About you secretly wanting to bone Fetch?"

"No, that's— Why do you think you bring out the worst in me?"

Did he say that? He certainly hadn't meant to. "Uh, I don't know. Maybe because for the past three months, whenever we're so much as in the same vicinity as each other, you always throw me glances that rival He Who Dwells, you make plans with Fetch that don't include me, which I'm not saying you have to always invite me along, but when's the last time you have?" His voice had started to drop as he continued, the hurt he'd been trying to beat down for months finally leaking through.

Seeing the look on Eugene's face, the embarrassing look of pity he held for him at that moment, was too much for Delsin.

Without warning, he jumped up from his seat, ready to make some curt joke that would effectively ruin whatever progress Delsin had been making with Eugene. For months and months, he'd been chasing after Eugene's thoughts, wondering why the kid was blowing him—and only him—off, and all of a sudden, Delsin didn't think he could handle the answer.

"Look, kid," he said, gathering the empty can off the table and heading for the trash bin in the corner of the room. "I tried with you. You can't say I haven't now. If you need to get deep, I know some wonderful therapists around here who just love to sit around and listen to teenage boys like yourself whine about your sex lives. Or lack, thereof, since—"

The air charged around him a split second before Eugene appeared in front of him, startling Delsin to where the can clanked unceremoniously to the linoleum floor. He was jumpy, nerves rattling with an unfamiliar feeling of vulnerability ghosting his skin, and he hated how the roles now felt reversed between the two of them. There seemed to be a challenge in the way Eugene faced him down, head tilted and eyes unwavering on his.

Still, he didn't give up.

A smirk that felt way too forced slipped onto his face as he scrambled to gain the upper hand. "It's no wonder you've hit a dead end with Fetch if this is how you creep around. News flash, girls don't like it when you get up in their personal space, so … so if … you..." he said, but couldn't really remember where he was going with that thought.

Had Eugene's eyes always been so deep? Goddamn, it was like staring into an abyss, a welcoming one that called to Delsin's softer feelings, urging them to push past his usual snark, all the way to the forefront. He could feel his own breathing getting shallow the longer he stared at Eugene, until an invisible cord inside him that had been pulled taught, snapped.

"Oh, fuck it," he whispered to himself, and then grabbed at the neck of Eugene's hoodie on either side, pulling him in and roughly pushing their mouths together.

A startled gasp left Eugene as their lips crashed, his glasses bumping painfully against Delsin's face. A tiny thought popped up in Delsin's jumbled mind, wondering if he should pull back. He was definitely being selfish, stealing this kiss from the younger boy, but he wasn't going to force it if Eugene didn't want it. But then Eugene's hands came up against his back muscles, clutching his shirt in a desperate bid to keep up, and that was enough for Delsin.

Before he could consciously think to do it, he'd backed Eugene up against the kitchen counter, slipping his hands up his neck—Eugene's hoodie slipping down off his head—and going even higher to cup his cheeks. His skin was burning beneath his hands, Eugene's lips sliding clumsily against his own practiced ones, but it was endearing to him. The thought that no one before him had touched these lips, that no one had taught him how to move his tongue more smoothly, made Delsin's chest get hot with an unbearable need to be that person.

Delsin pulled Eugene's head back with his hands, only a few spaces. "Slower," he mumbled into the space between their mouths, and then tentatively reunited them. This time, he could feel a slight tremble pass through Eugene's mouth as he struggled to reconcile his advice. The kiss was much more relaxed as they took their time exploring each other, Eugene much more naturally licking inside his mouth like he wanted to get to know him, like he wanted to please him.

A small moan vibrated in Delsin's throat at the thought.

Warm hands slid down Delsin's back and clutched onto his hips, the fabric bunching up in Eugene's tight grasp. The motion pulled Delsin's hips just that much closer to Eugene's and the younger boy gave a slight whine as they rubbed up against each other, the roughness of his jeans pressing harshly against his ever-growing bulge.

He knew he should probably stop. The very small, rational part of his brain was scolding him to quit being selfish with Eugene.

The kid's as inexperienced as a thirteen-year-old boy! Don't give him too much, too fast.

Then there was the other part of his brain that insisted that he was doing the kid a favor. Didn't he just confess to him how he was feeling frustrated?

Of course, with each brush of Eugene's soft lips on his own, those voices kept receding until all he could think about was the immense pleasure this virgin boy was giving him.

Delsin hastily pulled his hands from Eugene's face to grip the counter on either side of him, caging him in nice and close. His hips continued their torturously slow grind on Eugene as Delsin moved his mouth down from his lips, sliding along the side of his jaw. Eugene tilted his head back, baring his neck to Delsin, which he greedily drunk in, barely sliding his teeth over the smooth skin before sucking slightly. Eugene winced, hands tightening on his hips, as Delsin immediately lapped at the spot, soothing the small burn.

"D-Del—" Eugene said, voice an octave higher than he'd ever heard him before. Eugene was pushing back against Delsin's steady thrusts, losing the easy rhythm he had going before.

"It's okay," he said, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to Eugene's sweaty neck. "Just let go."

Acting on instinct, he pinned Eugene to the counter with his hips and gave one last rough shove of their crotches, and he was gone. The other boy stilled his frantic movement and Delsin took this moment to push himself back slightly enough to stare openly at him.

The sight of Eugene letting go was something Delsin knew would be etched into his memory forever. Behind his glasses, Eugene's eyes were squeezed shut, eyebrows furrowing deeply. His puffy bottom lip was sucked between his teeth so harshly so as to bite down the groans that stalled in his throat, a few choked whimpers taking its place. And then, when it was over, his face went completely slack, like someone had wiped their hand over his face and expelled all tenseness.

It was quite possibly the hottest thing Delsin had ever witnessed.

Eugene's eyes were still closed and his mouth was open as he panted when Delsin brought his hand up to hover over his mouth, his thumb centimeters from caressing the gamer's swollen, shiny lips.

I did that.

Delsin would never admit how much that fact lit some deep, fire within him.

Soundlessly, Delsin let his hand drop.

Fuck, Delsin couldn't help but think as he casually pushed himself away from the counter, away from the warmth Eugene had been providing him. He was now very aware of the somewhat painful hardness he now had in his pants, but he wasn't about to let that particular notion be known. Of course, it was hard to hide.

"Uhhhh... d-did you want me to… Um..."

Oh, god. Delsin thought he might die from secondhand embarrassment.

Delsin shot Eugene a side-glance. The other boy looked nervous as all hell, hands fidgeting together in front of him, legs clenched together at the thighs where a dark patch had noticeably formed. Surprisingly though, he kept his eyes trained on Delsin. It was no doubt that he wanted to be looking anywhere else, but he was making a conscious effort to maintain eye contact with him, and that just about tore at every single one of Delsin's sympathetic feelings.

"Nah," he said gently, readjusting his jeans at the crotch, trying to alleviate the ache. "I'm good." It wasn't ideal, but Delsin could manage until he got home later. It honestly didn't bother him, either; Eugene getting off was oddly enough for him.

"Oh. O-ok."

A few seconds passed before the awkward, heavy silence ate at Delsin, who so did not thrive in the quiet as Eugene could. He closed his eyes for a second before turning his gaze on Eugene.

"Look, this … this doesn't have to be a thing." Eugene only furrowed his eyebrows at him, so he continued, finding himself rambling with nerves. He pushed a hand through his hair, slipping the beanie off but still holding it to his head. "I don't know what you have with Fetch, or whatever, but … I won't tell her anything." His hand slid down to fumble with the beanie between his hands, leaving Eugene's troubled gaze. "I-I just figured I'd give you what you needed so you could stop being such a whiny piss baby once and for all. That was what you meant by frustrated, right? Because I can totally see how it's hard for you to come by some lovin' from the isolated depths of your bunker. Because—"

"You know," Eugene said in that harsh way he saved for his avenging angel self. "For someone who saved our kind from mass torture and confinement, you're surprisingly stupid."

"Hey, I take offense to that. Instead of insulting me, some thanks would've gone a long way. Fetch never would have—"

"I-I don't want Fetch."

That caught him up short.

Eugene was staring at him with such conviction, he was sure he wasn't kidding. Then what the hell had he been talking about? He didn't even know anyone else besides Fetch and—

Delsin blinked. He blinked two more times.

Oh.

Yeah, he thought, I could be quite dense sometimes.

Heat flooded Delsin's face at the realization. "So, if you're not in love with Fetch, then … you're in love with me?"

He whispered the words, as if he couldn't quite grasp what Eugene was clearly implying.

The other boy pulled a face, eyebrows shooting up. "What— No!" he said, and the semi dream-like state Delsin was in popped like a bubble, bursting him back to reality. "Love is a strong word, Delsin, you can't just throw it around like that." He paused, gauging Delsin's frozen expression, before sighing. "I'm not in love with you."

Nervous laughter slid from Delsin as he rubbed a hand against his chin. "So, I got a bit ahead of myself," he admitted, feeling more and more like he wanted to stab himself to get away from the mockery of this situation.

Upper hand, Del.

A devious glint climbing into his eyes, Delsin began to inch ever closer to Eugene, slinking his beanie back onto his head. "But, I am right about one thing."

Eugene crossed his arms over his chest, trying to refuse the bait and failing. "Doubt it."

"You waaant meee," he teased, his familiar smirk naturally filling his lips as he reached out to poke Eugene in the stomach with both index fingers. The softest of giggles escaped Eugene's mouth before he swatted Delsin's hands away, video-porting his way out of the room. Oh, two can play this game.

Seconds later, Delsin had sped his way into the living room in a smoky haze, crashing into Eugene. His arms slid around the younger boy instinctively, hands clasping together at the small of Eugene's back. Light hands came to rest over Delsin's chest as he tightened his arms around Eugene's waist, leaning in to give one, chaste kiss to those still slightly swollen lips.

"Caught ya," Delsin breathed when he pulled back. There was a lightness to Eugene's face, one that promised forgiveness and happiness as a dopey smile replaced the recent grimace he'd been far too used to.

Eugene's lips had just parted to speak when a soft huff sounded beside them. Looking down together, Delsin was nearly shocked to see little Koty resting quietly in the bassinet right next to them, his eyes alert as he gazed around in silence.

The muscles in Eugene's hands began to lessen their hold on Delsin's shirt, and he nearly whined. "Just leave him," Delsin urged, tightening his grip on his body. Eugene shot him a scolding look before forcefully disentangling himself from him.

"You've gotta be one of the worst uncles I've ever met," he said as he picked Dakota up and cradled him to his chest. Eugene made it look so easy as he gripped Dakota's balled up fist between his fingers lightly, humming some unfamiliar tune that seemed to keep the baby's attention. Probably some score in Heaven's Hellfire, Delsin thought unreasonably bitterly.

Delsin held his hands up in defense. "I love that kid to the moon and back, but he's only an infant. I can't play baseball with him or show him how to spray paint signs of rebellion on billboards yet. All I can do is hold him, but when I try to, he squeals white noise into my ears. I'm convinced a part of him hates me already."

Eugene kept his eyes on Koty, a smile gracing his lips for the baby's benefit as he spoke. "Probably because you tried to stuff his stomach full of milk earlier and give him a tummy ache."

"How was I supposed to know a full bottle was too much? They shouldn't make them so big if they don't want me to fill it all the way up. It's a fault on the manufacturer, I'm telling you."

Eugene ignored his complaining. Delsin watched as the two kids took up a spot on the couch before moving to sit beside them.

The air was definitely lighter than the last time the three of them sat on this couch, and Delsin was feeling brave enough to ask a question without getting his head bitten off.

"Can I ask you something?"

Like that question wouldn't raise hairs.

It was subtle, but Eugene's shoulders tensed the slightest bit as he swallowed thickly. His eyes flickered toward Delsin for a split second before answering, voice taut. "I hate when people say that. They always end up asking anyway."

Delsin hesitated, before changing directions. "How come you're so good with Koty? No offense, but I seriously doubt you play 'raising baby' simulations. And you don't have any siblings, so..."

Much to his relief, the younger boy relaxed at the harmless question, his eyes gazing at Koty but not exactly seeing him. There was a faraway look in his eyes that had Delsin wondering what he was thinking about.

"I-I had this neighbor. An old lady who lived by herself a few blocks down from my house. Mrs. Carr was her name. Sometimes, when the … when the other kids got too much, and my mom wasn't around too much, Mrs. Carr would invite me over to bake cookies with her or to help her rearrange her furniture when she felt like it was setting too long. Take out her trash, bring in her groceries, stuff like that. But some weekends, her son would come over with his newborn daughter so that she could get to know her. She let me hold her a lot, and I watched her son as he fiddled and talked out loud about how to do this for the baby and how to do that. I learned a lot just from watching them fuss with that baby. I guess I just find it really easy to interact with babies."

The picture Eugene was painting, one of a younger, lonelier version of him, quietly observing those around him and taking it all in, was almost sad. He knew he was bullied when he was in school, the painful onslaught of images that had reeled through his mind upon that first defeat of Eugene's cultivated character enough to give anyone the chills. He thought he understood a little now. Babies were safe, they weren't tainted with societal norms; all they knew was that someone was giving them attention and they loved them for that. He could see how Eugene could be drawn to such innocent affection.

Delsin sighed to himself lightly and braced himself for the question he really wanted to ask. He thought if he could get Eugene to loosen up before he asked, he might get a more genuine answer out of him.

"Why didn't you ever say anything to me?"

His tone was heavier, trying to convey that he was definitely switching topics here. Eugene turned to look at him, face painfully unguarded before he realized. His little plan had worked, though, because Eugene was unable to recover his poker face. Eugene's eyebrows were furrowed and he was frowning slightly, a rosy tint coloring his cheeks.

It almost felt like Delsin was holding his breath, waiting for the boy to speak. He hoped he didn't say anything too hurtful, or wounding to his pride. For three months, Eugene had pushed Delsin away with no explanation. He didn't want Eugene to think that it hurt him as much as it did, but it was pretty much impossible for him to keep his tone casual. After everything that him, Fetch, and Eugene had been through, didn't Eugene know that he could talk to him?

There was a reason he didn't try to make a move on Delsin, and he sincerely doubted it was because he was afraid of rejection. He just wanted to know why.

Time ticked on, all the while Eugene chewed on his lip as if in thought, but he never gave any indication that he was going to answer. It fucking sucked because Delsin already knew now, they could maybe even … continue whatever it was that was between them, but none of that mattered unless Eugene acknowledged it.

Delsin was moments away from flipping his shit when Eugene finally opened his mouth.

"Y-you're the most extroverted person I've ever met," he started, tearing his gaze away from the baby to look in Delsin's general direction. "You have a ton of friends, you're always out clubbing or tagging billboards every night, you even have groupies hanging onto your every word like you're some sort of superhero."

He didn't think Eugene noticed, but his foot had begun tapping on top of Delsin's clothed foot, the steady pressure soothing. Eugene continued. "And then there's me who's the complete opposite of you in every way. I-it just doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't make sense?"

"You know..."

"Kid, I wouldn't have asked if I did. Come on," he said gently, scooting over closer, daring to lay his arm on the couch behind Eugene's head. The boy still hadn't noticed. "We used to talk so easily, don't you remember? Actually, you were the easiest person for me to vent to."

Eugene cast him a look full of hope, wide eyes shining behind his glasses. "S-seriously?"

Delsin shrugged. "You're one of them wallflower types. Like you said, you learn a lot just by watching from the shadows, and I always felt like you understood me when I talked about something."

"I feel like that, too. A-about you, I mean. That you get it."

An effortless smile graced Delsin's lips. "See? So..." he said, leaving it up to Eugene whether he wanted to share what he was too scared to before.

He didn't have to wait long this time, the words tumbling from Eugene like he'd been waiting forever to tell someone. "We're not compatible, you and I. I-I-it doesn't make sense for me to like you." Delsin's heart beat a little faster. "You're the kind of person who would bully me if we were younger, because believe it or not, your personality is strikingly similar to those kids." Eugene was lost in his memories as he spoke, eyes unseeing as a slight furl came across his eyebrows. Then he glanced at Delsin. "Despite all that, I was willing to overlook it, because you may act like those kids, but you never treated me like they did." He sighed, his arm having long stopped the shaking motion he had going for the baby. Delsin glanced down at Dakota and saw the baby gazing mesmerizingly at Eugene. "What would have happened if I had told you? Honestly."

Delsin took in a huge breath, trying to take in everything Eugene was saying. This was way deeper than he was almost comfortable with. "Uh, I don't know," he said as he clasped his hands together on the back of his head, shrugging. "At first, I probably would have thought you were kidding." Eugene's face fell imperceptibly, and Delsin mentally kicked himself. "But … I mean, I'm totally open to it. And to be honest, you're actually kind of adorable when you go all geek on me."

On cue, the blush appeared on Eugene's cheeks, so prominent against his pale skin, and Delsin laughed on the inside. He just loved to tease the kid, and it was so fucking easy, too.

"Okay," Eugene said, trying his hardest to fight the smile that threatened to overtake his face. "But really, what would have changed?"

Delsin didn't know what Eugene was getting at, but he played along. "For starters, we'd definitely be spending more time together. You know, to get to know each other better." Delsin pretended that meant talking wise and not sexually. "And … we'd go places together, like to the movies, as unoriginal as that sounds. I actually love movies, though, and am a sucker for the classic horror genre. Ever seen Pyscho?" At Eugene's brief shake of his head, Delsin's eyes widened, and he slid his arm back behind Eugene's neck, leaning closer. "Dude, you don't know true horror until you've seen that movie, especially a certain shower scene. No game could come close to that kind of level of scary. Not even that one game you mentioned used to scare you when you were younger. Amnesia, was it?"

Eugene looked intrigued momentarily, before shaking his head clear of whatever caught his thoughts, getting back on track. "Yeah, uh... Wait, but don't you see? I-I just don't think I'm ready for all of that. The going out and the … t-the, you know." Eugene's face was flaming.

"What? The couple-y parts? Like the kissing and stuff?" The other boy didn't answer, but he didn't need to. Delsin tried to ignore the erratic rhythm of his heart, the way it hurt his chest as it beat. "But it seemed to me that you enjoyed what happened in the kitchen."

Eugene's head snapped in his direction. Eyes widening. "No. I-I-I mean yeah, I did."

"So, what, you just aren't ready to go public?"

"S-something like that."

Delsin closed his eyes, the beginnings of a headache starting to throb behind his eyes. This whole conversation felt like push and pull all over again, and it was wearing thin on Delsin's water with fire mantra he'd started. He wanted to scream at Eugene to just come out with it. Say it, just say it!

Instead, he breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with as much air as possible before blowing it out in a slow, steady stream.

Eugene huffed bitterly, turning his attention back to Koty. Dakota was still wide awake, gazing at Eugene wondrously. "You don't get it."

"You're not making it easy."

Delsin laid his head back against the couch, the ceiling a comforting sight. The plain, white ceiling not being complicated, not making out with him one second and then saying he wasn't ready for that kind of thing, not speaking in riddles. Yeah, totally comforting.

He should have never asked him anything. He should have just accepted what happened and kept his questions to himself because he's pretty sure this conversation was setting them back to where they were before Eugene stepped foot in here today. But when he eventually left after they were done here, they wouldn't be the same because Delsin knew there was a new, unexplored dynamic to their relationship, and he couldn't look at the other boy every day, not touching, not smiling, not joking with him without wanting to implode from the what if.

Delsin''s eyes were closed once more, the bland ceiling actually being the worst sight he'd seen tonight. Worse than— Okay, not worse than Dakota's cries, but it was a close—

"I-I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

Eugene's voice was so small, so soft, he almost thought he'd imagined it. But when he opened his eyes and found an apologetic look on the kid's face, all of his misery swept away in favor of trying to wipe that look off.

"Maybe a little," he offered, chastising in the least possible way.

Eugene gazed around helplessly as if the furniture in the room could provide help. He took a deep breath, holding it in before letting it all out in a steady stream of words. "Liking you isn't simple. I-I'm not saying that to be mean, but it's hard for me. You— You go out and you live your life with other people, doing new things all the time. I live my life in solitude, and I know you think that kind of lifestyle is sad and unfulfilling, but it makes me feel safe. I'm doing things that I like, the same as you, but I'm afraid that if we did hang out together, like you want to and how I wish I could, then I'd have to leave my circle of safety, a-and that's scary, Delsin."

As much as he wanted to be annoyed at the fact that Eugene was basically saying Delsin wasn't worth the risk of leaving his 'circle of safety', he couldn't find it in him to be mad. Upset, maybe, but that covered a lot of things.

Eugene's issues ran deeper than the surface level Delsin was used to dealing with when it came to other people. His problems had nothing to do with Delsin and were there long before they met, even before Eugene realized he was a conduit. This was why Delsin couldn't find his scorn—because he couldn't expect to be the one all, end all for this youthful boy. He couldn't magically cure what Eugene himself hadn't been able to overcome with just his ... well, it wasn't even love they shared. A mutual like, maybe? Whatever the hell it was, it wasn't an overnight remedy for Eugene's issues.

That didn't mean he couldn't try to help.

"Hey," Delsin said gently, slinking ever closer to the other boy until his chest was pushed up against Eugene's free arm. "I do get it. You're worried that I'm gonna try to thrust you into my kind of world, one where there's light and joy and life..." he said, trailing off. Eugene shot him a glare, and he pasted on a sheepish grin. "But, I know that it's not gonna work like that. You need time to adjust if this is what you want." He paused. "Is this what you want?"

The other boy bit his lip, before locking eyes with him. He nodded.

"Good," Delsin said. "Then, I'm willing to give you the time you need to adjust. It's not easy reacclimating to a new lifestyle if my change to living as a self-aware conduit has anything to say about it. And I won't force you into anything you're not ready for. You say the word, and we'll zap back to your place. Besides, there are perks to always being available to a bed," he said, quickly reaching over to nibble on his ear. Eugene bumped his shoulder up so suddenly it jerked into Delsin's throat painfully.

"Ah! What—"

"Shit! I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to, you just—"

Pain blossomed in his throat as he gingerly cupped it in his hand, a feeling like a bruise in his throat making it hurt when he swallowed. "Yeah," he said hoarsely, trying to laugh but stopping at the slight burn it caused. "Note to self: never try to give you surprise kisses—or surprises of any kind."

"I thought you already—"

Before Eugene could tell Delsin what he already, Dakota made the strangest sound. It was only once, and it was like a snort of air, and when Delsin glanced down at him, he was disturbed to see that Koty was—

Smiling.

"Are you kidding me?" Delsin said, the throat pain already receding to a dull ache. "Do you see this? The little devil can feel my pain, I'm telling you, and he's laughing at me."

Eugene mumbled something, amused, under his breath as he shifted on the couch, gripping Dakota in both hands as he sat the baby down in his lap, hands under his armpits. Dakota's head was still a little wobbly, and Delsin's hand shot out to catch him before he threw his head back.

"Don't be ridiculous. Dakota doesn't have those cognitive skills yet. He didn't know you were hurt; you just caught him in a laughing mood."

"Don't underestimate him," he said seriously. Eugene only huffed a laugh. "Earlier, when I was feeding him, it was so strange, it was like he was giving me the evil eye. I just felt so hated when our eyes connected, and that's not a feeling I'm used to."

"Okay, Delsin, whatever you say."

Eugene effectively closed the conversation, and Delsin sighed, defeated. Maybe it was all in his head. Honestly, was Delsin going crazy thinking this baby had it out for him? It sounded too strange to say out loud, and maybe that's why Eugene shrugged him off. Huh. One afternoon with Dakota and he was already losing it. He suddenly understood how Reggie and Elena must have felt, being with the kid non-stop for weeks.

All right, you little brat, Delsin thought good-naturedly, gazing down at the kid. Sorry for thinking you a demon child.

Uneasily, Delsin inspected Koty for any sign that he understood his silent apology before shaking his head at himself, chuckling. What a crazy thing to do.

Eugene turned his head toward him and they were so close now, his face was only inches from his. He half expected Eugene to pull away, but was pleasantly surprised when he stayed still, gazing down at his lips only briefly before flitting back to his eyes. "What's so funny?"

His words breathed hotly on Delsin's lips and he suppressed a shiver. "Just thinking about how tomorrow is Halloween, and how Fetch is hosting the block party this year. Which leaves me free to do whatever you feel like doing."

He'd already promised Fetch that he'd DJ at the party, but he was fairly certain she could forgive him if Eugene felt like staying in. Once he told Fetch about everything that happened today—well, not everything, but enough to get the idea—how could she begrudge him a day off from society?

Eugene gnawed on his lip, something he tended to do when he thought about all the possibilities to a question—including all the answers that made him anxious to his stomach.

Delsin intervened to save the kid some anxiety. "We can just stay in and watch movies if you want. Fetch's party is on the table, but we don't have to go. She'll understand." She'd probably chew their asses out for ditching her, but he wasn't going to mention that.

In the back of his mind, he knew enabling Eugene and agreeing to stay home whenever he wanted wasn't the best thing for Eugene. But whatever started in their kitchen was so new, Delsin didn't want to complicate that by being the over-bearing boyfriend.

Wait... boyfriend? Was that what he was?

Delsin had never really been anyone's boyfriend before. There were people around the reservation that he'd dated before, but that's all it was—dates. Nothing long-term, nothing more than casual; only nights he could share with someone so he wasn't so alone.

But Eugene was... This was different. Eugene was one of his best friends, one of his most trusted confidantes. He knew things about Delsin that nobody else knew, not even Reggie. There was something about the gamer boy that drew Delsin in, that called out to him and begged to be let into his soul. Somewhere along the way, he'd unknowingly opened that door and let him in.

"Um," Eugene said, "w-we could watch that movie you were talking about earlier."

Delsin could see it in his face that Eugene was feeling guilty. Maybe because he thought he was dragging Delsin down by wanting to stay in. Well, he'd have to remedy that.

Closing the distance between them, he brought their lips together and sucked very gently on the other boy's bottom lip. It was a bit difficult from the angle because of their hands holding onto the baby, so he kept it short, and pulled away, leaning his forehead against Eugene's.

"Sounds pretty awesome to me."

Eugene looked relieved when they pulled away. "Great. I don't have that movie, so you're gonna have to bring the DVDs."

"Never fear, my horror virgin. I'll bring plenty of R rated classics to catch you up on. Let's see, you definitely gotta see The Shining, nothing scarier than— Ugh! What the hell is that smell?"

Death itself crawled up Delsin's nostrils, filling the sweet air with a foul aroma, choking him almost immediately.

Eugene's face wrinkled up as the smell hit him, and he glanced at Dakota. "Ew," he said, and for the first time glanced at Dakota with something less than a smile. Delsin didn't know why he felt smug at the sight.

Delsin glanced at his watch. "He seriously couldn't have waited another thirty minutes for Reggie to get back?"

He was just about to scoop Dakota up and take care of business when Eugene stood up, holding the baby carefully to his shoulder. He shot Delsin an affectionate smile, one that sent all his nerves buzzing with warmth. "I got it."

"The diapers and wipes are in the hall closet," Delsin called out as Eugene headed out of the room. As soon as he was alone, he flopped himself along the length of the couch, falling face-first onto one of the throw pillows in the corner.

He could feel a dopey smile take over his entire face and he no doubt looked like a grinning fool, but he didn't care. He was just so happy. In the span of a few hours, his relationship with Eugene had taken many turns, and gone from 'friend who's been distancing himself' to 'guy he's more than likely going to bone tomorrow night.'

It was crazy how much could change in an afternoon. Behind it all, Delsin had the sudden thought that none of this reconciliation would have happened without Dakota. That damn baby brought them together if he thought in relative terms. He laughed to himself. Maybe he'd have to tell Dakota this story one day when he got older.

For now, though, he was thrilled to have a bitchin' time with his boyfriend tomorrow.

Keys jangling was what slowly roused Delsin's sleepy consciousness from the almost nap he was about to achieve.

"Shh! Dakota could be asleep, Reg. Quit shaking those keys around."

"You try opening a door without the other keys jangling everywhere."

"Honestly, you are so— Aw, would you look at this," Elena said softly. "Reg, come here!"

Delsin didn't have to open his eyes to know what she was looking at. He could feel the heavy weight on his thigh, where he knew Eugene's head lie. Right after Eugene had come back into the room from changing Dakota's diaper, he'd slumped down next to Delsin, and he had noticed just how dark the younger boy's eyes were. He'd looked so tired, and before he knew it, he was drawing Eugene's head down into his lap, the baby resting comfortably on Eugene's chest, and the three of them had taken a nap right there on the sofa.

Or, rather, the two of them. Delsin never quite reached that goal of sleep, and now he'd have to wait just a little longer.

"Okay, now what— Woah," Reggie said as he came trailing into the room after finally untangling his keys from the door. "Wait, what?"

"I didn't know Eugene would be coming. Are they..." Elena said, confusion lacing her tone.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I, in fact, did not know anything about this." Reggie sounded alarmed, and Delsin had to bite down on his tongue to keep from laughing.

"Huh. Maybe it's new. Aww, but look at how he's holding them both with that one arm." Delsin heard a thwack and the accompanying Ow! before she spoke again, voice berating. "You never hold Dakota and I like that."

Delsin's chest was burning with the intense need to laugh out loud. He could imagine how high Reggie's eyebrows were to being scolded.

"I'm sorry, but am I in trouble here?"

Elena grumbled to herself before stepping closer, her high heels clacking against the hardwood floor sharply. "Should we wake them, or... They just look so peaceful. Even Dakota, and I didn't think he liked strangers. He always cries when we show him to our friends."

So, it wasn't a Delsin-hate thing. It must have just been a Eugene-like thing. Well, he couldn't be mad at that; Eugene was pretty likable for the Rowe men apparently. Even Reggie, once he'd gotten over his initial bout of distrust.

Reggie said, "I think I read in a Mommy and Me book that babies can sense your emotions. Yeah, like if you're feeling sad, then they'll want to be with you and cheer you up. Maybe that's why he's comfortable with Eugene."

"First of all, you read a Mommy and Me book? Also, I think that only applies to animals. And what do you mean 'that's why he's so comfortable with Eugene?' What's wrong with him?"

Delsin could feel himself tensing up, not liking the direction this was going.

"From what Delsin tells me, the kid never leaves his house. He's a strict homebody. I think he just spends his time playing games and being a-social."

"That's sad," Elena said, her voice dropping even lower. Then she perked up. "We should invite him over. Like, as a co-babysitter with Delsin. He seemed to trust him enough to invite him over, and clearly Dakota likes him, as well, since he fell asleep on him. You know Dakota can't sleep unless he's comfortable."

Now that wasn't a bad idea. Not only did Dakota like Eugene, but Eugene enjoyed Dakota's company, as well, and with a little bit of non-forceful prodding on Delsin's end, he was pretty sure Eugene would accept that offer. It would be a good start to getting Eugene out into the world again.

Reggie didn't seem as enthusiastic. "I don't know..."

He couldn't change Elena's mind, not when she was in the right here.

Delsin found his voice. "That's a nice thought, Elena," he said. His voice was rough with sleep, and he cleared his throat, slowly peeling his eyes open.

Elena jumped from her stance in front of him, a hand flying to her throat. She had been standing in front of him, peering down at her son perched on Eugene's chest. "Jeez, I thought you were asleep."

Delsin glanced down at the two boys wrapped up in his right arm, a lazy smile spreading on his face. "I think it'd be nice if you asked Eugene to babysit with me. He really adores the kid."

"You think so?" she said, looking hopeful. Elena was a kind woman, always worrying about if everyone was being taken care of. Especially those she thought of as 'troubled' which Eugene fit in nicely in that category.

"Totally. Eugene was a blessing today, and he got more laughs out of the kid than I ever could."

Except when I was getting hurt.

Elena smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Thank you so much for this. You have no idea how badly Reg and I needed some time for ourselves. To just go out and not have to worry about Dakota."

"But all you did was worry about Dakota," Reggie said, hands on his hips.

"Well," she said, defensive. She half turned to glance at her husband. "I can't help it. I want a break, but when I get it, I worry about him."

"I told you he would be fine for a few hours. And see? The house is still intact, baby and all. Now, can we please go get some sleep before he wakes us back up in a few hours? I am so beat," he said. As he passed by the couch Delsin was sitting on, he leaned down. "And you and I have things to talk about." It was clear he was talking about Eugene and their questionable display.

"Love you, too," Delsin called out as his brother left the room. He turned to Elena. "Such a grouch, today. What's up?"

She held out her hands as if the answer should have been obvious. "It's Dakota. It's all him. He keeps us up all night, and then we have work in the morning and then dropping him off at daycare, which we do not like by the way, but what else choice do we have? It's not like we have a babysitter available to us at all—" Her eyes brightened. "Unless—"

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but a full-time babysitting gig might be too much for Eugene right now." At her deflated look, he rushed on. "But don't write it off completely. I'm sure once you get him over a few times, Dakota will charm him enough into agreeing."

"I hope so." Elena sighed and reached down to carefully disentangle Dakota from Eugene's arm that was slung around his body. Dakota stretched and curled as she picked him up, looking like a cat in her hands. "Thank you, again."

"No worries. I'd be happy to come over again." He really wouldn't, not until the kid was a bit older, but if Eugene was there to help him, then it couldn't be so bad.

"Don't think I won't take you up on that since you offered." Oh, boy. She smiled once more as she headed toward the hall. "You boys can let yourselves out. Goodnight."

Delsin had just turned back around to wake Eugene when he heard it.

Don't you dare come back here without the angel boy.

His head whipped around at the voice, just barely catching a glimpse of Dakota's dark and beady eyes over Elena's shoulder before they bounced out of sight.

What. The. Fuck.

Okay, was he seriously going crazy right now, or did his seven-week-old nephew just threaten him?

Delsin's blood ran cold as every limb in his body tensed. "Eugene," he whispered harshly, shoving the other boy roughly in the shoulder. He glanced down as Eugene mumbled in his sleep tiredly, flipping onto his side to get more comfortable. "Eugene, wake up!"

All he got was a non-committal grunt before his patience snapped. He began slapping his cheeks firmly, enough to spur the conduit into action.

"Ah, what the hell," he said, smacking Delsin's hands away. He raised up, pulling his glasses off his face and wiping the lens with his shirt. "Where's Koty?"

Delsin didn't even have time to think about how hot Eugene's sleepy voice was because he was too busy debating whether he was going insane.

Eugene clumsily placed his glasses back on his face and focused on Delsin. "Woah, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I-I-I—I just... Koty just spoke to me. Like, in my mind spoke to me."

Eugene's face crumpled, annoyed. "Stop messing around, I'm way too tired for your crap."

Delsin huffed. "I'm serious. Elena just took him back into the room and he told me not to come back here unless I had you in tow."

"Oh, really?" Eugene's lips lifted up on the sides, a lazy grin. "Is this your way of asking me to come back with you when you're asked to babysit?"

"I'm not—"

"Because you know I will. You don't have to make up stories."

Delsin was half out of his mind right now, and Eugene thought he was making up stories. Still, he tried once more. "But—"

"Come on," Eugene said, hopping to his feet and dragging Delsin along with him by the hand. "I think your horror movies are coming to haunt you in real life. Babies talking telepathically to you? Really? Even I know reality from fantasy."

Eugene started walking them to the front door, and the more distance he put between himself and what happened on the couch, the more he could almost believe he'd imagined that voice. Eugene was right. He did just get done watching Christine the night before, and it wasn't uncommon for his imagination to leak into his real life.

"Yeah," Delsin said through nervous laughter. The tight grip he held on Eugene's hand was comforting, and he drew strength from that. "Talking babies? That'd be insane, right?"

Happy Halloween!