Chapter Six: Spring Break

"So," Betto drew out the word, eyes lingering meaningfully on Todd's face. "You and Levon have been really friendly lately."

"I really don't think friendly is a word you can use with Lev and I," Todd snorted at that. Though Todd could agree that they had been getting along quite a bit better since Levon visited him at school. Levon seemed to be caught in a cheerful mood that made him fun to be around, and he was much less annoying than usual.

"Friendly is exactly the word I'm using," Betto deadpanned.

"So, what?" Todd asked. "We've been getting along lately. It's not that weird. It doesn't mean anything."

"You're still standing by that stupid 'we're not friends' thing?" Betto repeated his words with heavy sarcasm and Todd threw him a glare to show he was unimpressed with the direction of their current conversation.

"What are you even talking about right now?" Todd turned his body fully to face his friend. They were standing in Levon's room where they were supposed to be grabbing the snacks Levon had hidden in his closet- a plan to stop the rest of his family from eating them. Something Todd found hilarious.

"I'm asking if something has happened between you and Levon," Betto said and Todd blinked at him questioningly.

"What do you mean by that?" Todd frowned. "You're making no sense."

"Something has been different between you and Lev," Betto stated and Todd rolled his eyes. "You two have been hanging out more, you barely fight anymore, you talked on the phone for over an hour the other week-"

"That was because I was helping him figure out what was wrong with his computer," Todd defended though he was unsure what he was defending himself from. "His dumbass downloaded some virus-"

"I know, you told me all about it already," Betto interrupted him and Todd sniffed indignantly. "This is the closest I've seen the two of you since you first spent Christmas with his family. I just want to know if anything has happened."

Todd's face heated involuntarily at the mention of Christmas and the kiss Levon had planted on him. All the almost kisses that came after that. The weird way his chest felt whenever he thought that Levon might kiss him.

"We're best friends," Betto continued. "I feel like I'm missing out on something, as dumb as that sounds."

"Everything you say sounds dumb, so don't worry about it," Todd waved him off so Betto shoved him. He chuckled, then peered at his friend earnestly. "But seriously, nothing is happening or has happened. We'll probably be back to how we were before in a few days when he starts annoying me again."

"Okay," Betto grinned at him. "Thanks."

Todd's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Betto start picking up the bags of chips and candy from the closet. "What exactly did you think was happening between Lev and I?"

"Well, I can't say I thought anything for sure," Betto began, a sheepish smile growing on his face. "And I only really got the idea from something Ophelia said."

"Tell me."

"Well, you haven't really been interested in anyone for months, and Aisha told me that Levon hasn't been seeing anyone since Thanksgiving," Betto shrugged. "So, I started wondering if the two of you had maybe started secretly dating or something."

"You're literally the stupidest person I know," Todd said flatly, ears hot and clearly unhappy with his friend's notion.

"It really seemed like a possibility," Betto defended himself, laughter rising in his voice. "I mean, you two shared a twin bed for a whole weekend."

"We share beds all the time," Todd scoffed. "That doesn't mean we're fucking each other. Dammit, Betto."

"Well, I'm glad we got that off our chests," Betto chuckled, clearly in much better humour now and Todd scowled at him, snatching the snacks from his arms and leaving the room. "Love you too, buddy!"

Todd made his way back down to the basement. Gwen and Bree had furnished it and it had been a good place to leave their kids to play so they could have their upper floors relatively clean and quiet. It was carpeted, had two sofas, an air hockey table, and a massive flat-screen TV.

Ophelia and Aisha were playing a match of air hockey with Levon standing by lazily making sure they didn't cheat. Cash and Parker were still caught upstairs in a lengthy discussion with Bree about their future wedding and plans. A conversation Todd had no interest in joining.

"What the hell took you both so long?" Levon asked as he noticed Todd coming down the stairs, Betto hot on his heels.

"Calm your tits, blondie," Todd snapped and chucked a bag of hips at Levon. "We've got your snacks."

"If you guys were fucking around with my stuff I'll kick both your asses," Levon warned, suspicion on his face at the amount of time they spent in his room and Betto laughed.

"As if you could take even one of us in a fight," Betto went over and towered over Levon intimidatingly. He was only a couple inches taller than Levon, but he had nearly thrice his muscle mass. "You're a twig compared to me."

"Maybe if you laid off the steroids," Levon grumbled and Betto scoffed loudly, shoving a cackling Levon roughly to the floor.

"Don't talk shit like that around me," Betto sniffed. "I'm an honest man."

"An honest idiot," Todd mumbled and Betto threw him a smirk. Todd dropped all the snacks onto the coffee table and glanced at the screen where Monte Python had been set up for them to watch.

"Eat my fucking dust, twerp!" Aisha suddenly burst out as the plastic disk slid into Ophelia's goal. Todd figured, by her enthusiasm, that that was the last point she had needed to win. "Air hockey Queen over here!"

"Wow, congrats," Ophelia spoke dryly, eyes alight with amusement. "You cheated me out of another game."

"I don't cheat," Aisha denied but couldn't even keep her expression straight to make it look even slightly believable. "I have some raw skills."

"Sweetie, I can't name a single thing you haven't cheated in," Levon stated with a lazy smirk, still sprawled on the floor where Betto left him. "Those skills are about as real as Kim-K's ass."

"Rude," Aisha playfully glared at him. "Never cheated in a relationship."

"You've never been in one long enough to be able to cheat," Cash scoffed, coming down the stairs with Parker following, a plate of fresh cookies in his hands.

"I have no friends here," Aisha sighed dramatically. "All of you hate me."

Todd dropped himself onto one of the sofas and Ophelia settled onto the other one. Betto quickly took a seat beside her, Todd's eyes narrowed at their proximity, but he didn't say anything. He and Levon had gotten into a bad spat last time he had voiced his disapproval. Ophelia was a 'big girl' who could 'take care of herself' and 'needs to make her own mistakes'. Even if those mistakes came in the form of Todd's best friend.

"You're hopeless," Levon laughed slightly Todd. He seated himself next to Todd, noting the look Todd sent Ophelia and Betto. "She's not a kid anymore."

"Agree to disagree," Todd mumbled back and Levon ruffled his hair. Todd slapped his hands away.

Aisha sat with Betto and Ophelia and the happy to-be-married couple took up the last of the room with Levon and Todd. Todd didn't comment on the way Levon's legs were pressed against his. His mind was once again on those stupid almost kisses. That stupid kiss. Todd wanted to punch Betto for putting all the thoughts back into his head.

"I can't stand Jasper," Ophelia said and Levon started the movie, casting her a grumpy look.

"Did he send you more pictures of his trip to paradise?" Levon asked dryly and Todd snickered. He had been there for the first picture Jasper had sent Levon. Jasper was on a beautiful resort in Cuba with a couple of his friends and seemed to be having the time of his life. so, of course, he had to brag about it to his younger siblings.

"If he sends me one more picture I'm stealing his X-box and showing mom his porn stash," Ophelia grumbled and Betto burst out laughing, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and giving her an affectionate shake.

"I love you, you crazy girl," Betto grinned and she returned his smile, all her annoyance melting off her face and her cheeks darkening slightly. Todd let out a low sigh, turning his eyes to the movie. Fuck them for actually being really cute together.

"All of you shut up, it's starting," Parker snapped.

"We could send Jasper some pictures?" Aisha suggested, eyes sparkling. "Us having a great time."

"Make sure at least two of them are in his bedroom so he knows he's not safe," Cash suggested, ignoring her fiancé as he grumbled at them all.

"I like where this is going," Levon trailed off, eyes sparking with mischief and Todd was just glad that he was on the smaller man's good side for the time being. They all fell silent giving the movie their attention, save for when they had to laugh and crack jokes about the scenes.

Levon leaned slightly harder into Todd's side, his back pressed against Todd's shoulder. He smelled clean and faintly of cologne. Todd inhaled softly and Levon tilted his head to give him a small smile that Todd returned crookedly.

"I'm not a piece of furniture," Tod murmured.

"You're pretty comfortable, though," Levon retorted.

"I could kick you right off this couch."

"You could do a lot of things," Levon agreed. Todd didn't shove him away and Levon didn't move away.

Their faces were quite close. Todd averted his gaze, eyes meeting with Aisha's on the other couch. She was looking at him like they shared a secret, except he didn't know what the secret was. He blinked confusedly at her stare and she smirked before she looked away. Todd couldn't help feeling like he should be embarrassed. His ears grew warm in agreement.

After they'd successfully watched three Monte Python movies, they decided to set the basement up for sleeping, pulling the sofas out into two beds, inflating an air mattress and fetching blankets. It was one of the only days over the break that all six of them would be able to get together so they decided to draw their time out as much as possible by having another cringeworthy slumber party that they all enjoyed quite a bit.

It was with some debate that the beds were assigned. Parker and Cash shared one pull-out sofa, Todd and Betto shared the air mattress, and Levon and Aisha received the last sofa. Ophelia was sent up to her own room to sleep. Todd was grateful for that as he was having trouble not starting a fight while she and Betto had been pretty much cuddling during the movies.

They were scattered on the beds, snacking and drinking cheap coolers while they chatted. It was warm and cheerful, and Todd could hardly stop laughing as they all got completely caught up in each other's lives. Aisha in particular, with her unbearably odd relationship with her English professor. Todd could hardly believe the stories she was telling, and he was certain that Levon and Cash would soon lose consciousness from lack of oxygen at laughing so hard. They had to remind themselves that Gwen and Bree had gone to bed and they needed to stay relatively quiet.

Cash and Parker revealed that they decided to have their wedding in the summer, and Parker's older brother was to be his best man. Todd had sent Levon a satisfied smirk at that but Levon had simply rolled his eyes. Todd and Betto were to be among the groomsmen, Levon and Aisha were bridesmaids, much to Todd's amusement.

"As long as you don't make me wear a dress I'll be happy," Levon said and Cash smirked at him.

"What if it's a really pretty blue one?" Cash asked.

"Yeah," Parker grinned. "You would look amazing in a blue dress."

"Well in that case," Levon trailed off playfully and they laughed.

"Have you guys even picked the colour scheme?" Aisha asked, and Cash shook her head.

"We picked the place and decided it was going to be a small wedding," Parker said. "That's basically all we've had time for thus far."

"And we picked the flavour of the cake," Cash tagged on and Parker's eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah. We wanted the same cake my Aunt Maggie had at her wedding. It was fucking amazing cake," Parker gushed.

"I need to find me a man that loves me as much as Parker loves cake," Aisha sighed and Betto laughed.

"I don't think you'll ever find a love that pure," Levon told her gravely. "You'll have to settle like Cash did and accept being second to such a divine pastry."

"Settle?" Cash arched a brow. "He eats me way more than he eats cake."

"TMI!" Levon slapped his hands over his ears and glared at the smirking girl while Betto and Aisha dissolved into cackles. Parker grinned, a deep blush now on his cheeks and Todd had to laugh at the group of them.

Todd's phone rang then, and he snatched the device off the bed, mood dropping exponentially when his mother's name came up on the screen. They looked up curiously and Todd struggled not to let his sudden flush of anger show. He quickly excused himself from the conversation and went upstairs, Levon's eyes on him the whole way.

"What do you want?" Todd answered the phone with thinly veiled hostility. The last time she had bothered to contact him was a text on Christmas eve and another one on New years, neither of which he responded to.

"Hello, Todd," Todd's mother spoke calmly. and Todd ground his teeth together, already pissed with her.

"That really didn't answer my question, Johanna."

"I just got home," Johanna spoke sounding extremely tired and Todd stiffened. "It doesn't look like you've been home at all, but I was sure that this was your spring break."

"It is spring break," Todd agreed. "But I'm not planning to ruin it by being in that house."

"There's nothing wrong with our home, Todd."

"That's not my home," Todd retorted. He looked around the Kipling living room he was standing in. it was dark. Everyone but the people in the basement were asleep. There were a few nightlights lit to show the way to the bathrooms and the kitchen. "That place has never been home to me."

"Where are you right now?" Johanna sighed.

"I'm with family," Todd said scathingly. He heard his stepfather's voice in the background but couldn't make out what was being said. There was a pause before she spoke again.

"Niklas and I would be very happy to see you if you decided to come home at all during your break," Johanna spoke carefully, as if to a skittish creature. Todd glared at the wall in front of him, back stiff, hands clenched. He hadn't seen her since the single day over his Thanksgiving break, but that was hardly his fault.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Todd eventually answered honestly. "I really don't think it would be a pretty visit."

"Okay," Johanna was using the sad voice. The one that used to make Todd want to cheer her up. When he was little he would go and pick her pretty flowers to make her smile. Todd was no longer moved to action by the sadness, only plagued with discomfort.

"Yeah."

"How did your exams go?" Johanna tried for casualness and Todd grimaced.

"It's pretty late," Todd trailed off. It was nearly two-thirty in the morning. "And I already emailed you a copy of my grades."

"You're right," Johanna agreed. There was an awkward pause.

"I'm going to hang up now."

"I-." She stopped, and Todd waited. She sounded ready to speak. Like she had too much to say in too little time. But she didn't. "Enjoy your break, Todd."

Todd hung up and stuffed it in his pocket. He stood in the living room, not wanting to go back down until he'd gotten his emotions back in check. He didn't want to ruin the good mood amongst his friends.

"How's your mom doing?" Levon asked and Todd jolted, spinning around and seeing the leaner man propping himself against the doorframe. Todd scowled but found he didn't have the energy to maintain the expression.

"Well, she didn't die in Mexico," Todd replied sarcastically. That's where her last trip had been to. She posted several pictures on her Facebook page that Todd hated to admit he checked up on.

"There's always hoping for the next trip," Levon smirked a little and Todd had to laugh.

"I'm going to be so pissed if she dies on her next trip," Todd grunted. "I have some pretty big fights with her planned for the summer."

"If you've already scheduled those in, it would be awful if you had to cancel them," Levon agreed and Todd grinned. He dipped his head, then peered at Levon.

"Shouldn't you be down there making sure no one spills beer on the air hockey table?"

"As if they would wreck the hockey table," Levon scoffed. "They love that thing more than they love me. I swear they only became friends with me because I told them I owned one."

"I'd believe that," Todd snorted. "That's how you got me to come over for the first time. That and you bribed me with your mother's homemade cookies."

"I would hardly call it bribing," Levon grinned. "More like persuaded you."

"You did everything you could to try and be friends with me," Todd said, tone fond. "You were persistent, you bribed me with sweets, you pretty much stalked me, and acted like I was the most amazing person you had ever met."

"I don't know how you managed to resist," Levon teased.

"You annoyed the hell out of me," Todd told him. Levon pushed off the wall and approached him, making Todd's heart rate double. "You were always so fucking perky, and it made me want to hit you, like, ninety-percent of the time I was around you."

"That's past tense," Levon pointed out, smiling slightly. "Does that mean you don't want to hit me as much now?"

"You've gotten slightly less annoying with age," Todd admitted. "Slightly."

Levon hummed at that. He was quite close to Todd now, standing about a foot apart in the center of the living room. Todd felt warm all over; couldn't help noticing how Levon's pajama shirt was loose enough that it fell slightly off his shoulder and defined his collarbones. Levon's long, elegant neck, handsome, impish features, bow lips that his tongue slipped out to wet.

"Do you want to hit me right now?" Levon asked him and Todd felt the air between them shift.

"No," Todd answered, voice thicker than her expected. He shifted awkwardly, blood rushing past his ears as Levon inched closer.

"What if I told you I was thinking about kissing you right now?" Levon asked, quieter now and Todd wondered if the other man could hear his thundering pulse. Todd felt almost light-headed. "Do you want to hit me now?"

"No." Todd blushed at his admittance, thankful that Levon wouldn't be able to see it in the dark room.

Levon's fingers touched his chest tentatively before they curled into the fabric, moving closer and tugging Todd closer. Todd didn't resist and soon there was hardly a breadth of space between them; their noses brushing and their breath mingling. And then they were kissing.

It was much less hesitant than their first kiss. Todd responded as best he could as Levon's lips molded against his, moving gingerly as if he were afraid Todd were about to disappear. Todd pressed their lips firmer together, eyes snapping closed, his legs quaking beneath him.

Then Levon was releasing his shirt and gripping Todd's cheeks with both hands, responding with an eagerness that made Todd breathless. Levon's tongue snaked out along Todd's bottom lip and Todd parted his mouth slightly to allow the kiss to grow deeper. His hands went up to grip onto Levon's shirt, unsure what else he should do with them, but wanting to do something.

Todd couldn't be sure how long that kiss lasted. How long their lips were locked, their tongues were rubbing against each other, and their hands clung to each other. But they eventually parted, breathing rather heavily, foreheads pressed together. Todd wasn't sure he wanted to open his eyes to face what had just happened. Todd wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Levon swiped his thumbs along Todd's cheeks then massaged his hands down along Todd's throat. Todd slowly opened his eyes to find Levon was already staring at him, eyes hooded and smile warm.

"Kissing you would so be worth a black eye," Levon whispered and Todd breathed out an almost non-existent laugh. Levon chuckled. He tilted his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of Todd's mouth before he stepped away. His hands fell to his sides, and Todd's untangled from his shirt. The faced each other. Todd couldn't find words to describe how pleased Levon looked. How stupidly beautiful he was when he was smiling like that.

Todd wasn't sure if he was happy or nauseated. He was quite certain he was ready to sleep for the next three days.

"We'd better head back down before they all come stomping up here and wake my mothers up," Levon said and Todd nodded numbly. Todd trailed after the grinning man trying to calm the storm in his mind.

***

Thanks for reading! Maybe vote if you enjoyed it! xoxo

Happy Monday :)