KANE

“Probably same idiot tomorrow.” Ilia’s smile grew as he disagreed with a slight shake of his head. 

Lex smiled again with a nod. “I’m just sayin’... even if something happens to that idiot.” He jerked his head in the direction of the offender. “There’ll always be another one.”

Ilia didn’t laugh - far too grossed out at the thought of severed fingers - but he did give Lex a crooked smile as the other man laughed. The intervention of the floor supervisor was a definite relief, and Ilia turned back to watch. “Is always tomorrow, no?”

Lex smiled to himself. It felt like a feat to get the Russian man to smile and he was always proud of himself when he was able to. “Yeah, you’re right, Reznikov. Always tomorrow... and always another fuckin’ idiot.”

“I think I will not watch.” Ilia muttered, turning his back on the idiot with a grimace.

Lex laughed and stood beside Ilia, but facing the moronic coworker in question. His and Ilia’s shoulders were almost touching. Right at the last moment, a floor supervisor intervened. “Ahh, today’s you’re lucky day, Ilia... no fingers were chopped off in the making of this workday.”

Ilia gave the blond a sideways glance, hesitating a moment before shrugging and standing back to watch. “I will not pick up fingers…”

“Nobody’s gonna make you pick up the fingers, Ilia. This is America. He can pick up his own damned fingers.”

“Nah, let ‘im do it.” Lex answered with a broad grin and a jut of his chin toward the person in question. “He might cut off his fingers and learn a damned lesson.”

“Johnny Cash? What year is this? 1995?! I am pretty sure it’s 2016.” Frankie smiled and shook his head. “This song is seriously so boring, bro. Change it.”

“What the hell, man? Johnny Cash is timeless and if you think 1995 is when his music was played a lot, well, you’re in the wrong decade my friend.” He beamed and shook his head. “Nah, it’s almost over. THen you can listen to your crap because that’s what rap is. Crap.”

“The toughest. But you are a stubborn nut.” He watched Lex take his pants off and he smiled softly before letting out a quick laugh. “I…uh…didn’t actually order an Uber. I usually wail til they’re dressed. There’s something about watching a guy getting dressed…” He shrugged. “So this is different. And I’m not sure what happens now. But you wanted breakfast right?”

“I may have been told that a time or two in my life.” Lex answered with another one of his all encompassing grins. He was naked again and made his way back to the bed, sliding underneath the welcoming covers as if he belonged there. He wrapped an arm around Harrison and pulled him back so his back was against Lex’s abdomen. “Well, we gonna eat breakfast naked? I guess we could order in but one of us would have to get the door.” He paused, chin resting on Harrison’s shoulder. “Or were you talking more like a figurative breakfast?”

“I always have your back. Don’t you fuckin’ dare say that to me.” Wes glared at his brother but then rolled his eyes. “Here….and here’s $500 more in case you can’t pay some rent this month.”

Lex glared at his brother and threw the money back at him, “I was fuckin’ kidding the first time when I asked. I don’t need your money, but if I did the point is that you should give it to me.”

“You interpret it as…your Uber is five minutes away. Should I cancel it?” He turned around and tugged at his own hair. Thinking about Izzy or anyone in a more than friendly way really bugged him. He really had enjoyed sleeping with Lex. And if it was only sex, what would be the issue. He turned back around. “If I cancel it, you have to take your pants back off.”

Lex shook his head, still all grins. Nothing could deter him. “You’re a tough nut, you know that?” He asked, his hands on his jeans. he thought about the situation for a moment then shrugged. “I don’t have a damned thing to lose, so why not?” He pushed his jeans back down. “Cancel it.”

“No, but you can work for a hundred dollars.”

“I got a job and I can’t earn that kinda money as easily as you. C’mon, why you don’t got your brother’s back?”

“I’m literally a damn baller right now. Do not try to ruin my mood.”

“Can I borrow a hundred bucks?”

“It’s one of those calendars with a cheesy ass motivational quote on each page, isn’t it?”

“Nah... it has some kind of like advertisement for the company it came from. But it does have a bunch of dumbass holidays. How you doin’, Callahan?”

“I’m not a challenge,” he said softly, turning away from him. He knew his heart belonged to Izzy and that leading Lex on wouldn’t end well. He turned back. “And I don’t catch feelings anyway. Romance is a waste of time.” He got out of bed and approached Lex, tugging at the rim of his pants as he reached him. “But you’re a good fuck so…maybe I’ll climb you again.”

“I didn’t say you were a challenge, I said what you said sounded like a challenge. And, if it wasn’t, how else am I supposed to interpret it?” He laughed, looking down at the shorter male as he came to him, complimented him, and tugged at his jeans. “And I didn’t ask you to catch feelings, either. Who’s sayin’ anything about a romance? I meant a second go. Or a third. Maybe a friends with benefits sort of thing? Seems like I might be your cup of tea, for today anyway.”

Zach couldn’t seem to pull his eyes from the floor, having gone into some zone as his brother talked. Mindlessly nodding and roughly swiping at the few tears that did roll down his cheeks as he could quite acutely feel his heart breaking within his chest. There was an odd numbness to it all - or maybe it was the shock. “Gonna have to have a talk with this Eli again…” his voice low and gruff, “The fuck is he saying it’s none of your business? None of his business more fucking like it… cousin or what the fuck ever.” Most of what Zach was saying were mumbles, and frustrated words making their way out of him. “You’re my brother, ya got every fucking right to know,” he told him, looking up to meet his gaze again. His face had to have been completely torn with emotion, the pain visible. “Why the fuck would Josh be confused? And you’re right… maybe I should stop by and talk to the family - see what’s really going on here.” 

Lex shrugged, “You may think that I deserve to know but people close to her might think the opposite. In fact, people close to her might think none of us deserve to know. now, is that the truth? No, I disagree. If something happened to you and she wanted answers, or Josh or any of the Thibaults, I’d tell ‘em, but who am I to judge how another person mourns a loss? It just sucks... finding out like this. And we don’t know when it happened or nothin’.” He sighed and reached out to clasp his brother’s shoulder. “Listen, I’m here for you, okay? And if you want me to go with you over there to talk to them, I will. As for Josh’s behavior... I can’t explain it, then again, I never was too close to him. He’s more your age. Is that out of character for him?”