Broken Toys

Chapter 14

Zeke was in the kitchen puttering around with pans and bowls and wearing, of all things, boxers and an apron. There was a delicious smelling something in the oven and a pot simmering on the stove. Casey leaned against the doorway and watched, smiling when Zeke muttered something that didn't belong in such a domestic setting.

"Hey," he said quietly, moving forward. Zeke turned around and gave him a smile.

"Morning, sleepy." Casey was all sleep-rumpled and adorable and Zeke had to give him a kiss, careful to hold his flour-covered hands out of the way.

"Mmm." Casey returned the kiss. "What are you making? I'm starved."

"Thought you might be. We slept through breakfast." Zeke went back to the counter and started stirring something in a big mixing bowl. He looked back over his shoulder at Casey. "Ever make biscuits?"

Casey shook his head.

"It's easy. Have a seat and I'll show you. You can work on that while I check the other stuff." Zeke carried the bowl over to the table and set it in front of Casey, then opened a drawer under the oven and took out a cookie sheet. Giving it a quick wipe with the dishcloth he placed it on the table too. With a smile he slipped off the apron and put it on Casey. "Your turn to play dress-up."

"I can't wear this. It clashes with my eyes," Casey protested, batting his eyes at Zeke. He was rewarded with a leering grin before Zeke got back to work.

He moved behind Casey, leaning over and guiding Casey's hand to the wooden spoon. "Stir it until all the flour is mixed in, but don't overdo it or they'll taste like hockey pucks." He watched as Casey stirred the thick mixture.

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to stir. Got it? When you're done you can put them on the tray - one spoonful each 'cause they're drop biscuits."

Zeke headed over to the oven and opened the door, checking on whatever was cooking. "Ever had breakfast scramble, Case? It's eggs, cheese and sausage. Pretty good."

Casey laughed, "I thought you said you didn't know how to cook."

Zeke shrugged, "I pretty much live alone, Case. You can only eat so many McBurgers."

"I guess. I don't get to eat fast food all that often so I like it. It's better than the cafeteria food at school, anyway."

"Guess I'll find that out next week."

"Their mashed potatoes are pretty good. Better than my mom's. She uses instant." Casey's voice trailed off and there was silence for a minute. "I think this is done," Casey said quietly.

Zeke turned around and there was a funny set to Casey's mouth. "Biscuits look good, Case." Zeke leaned down to pick up the tray, stopping for a quick kiss. "It's ok," he whispered.

Casey nodded mutely.

"She makes the best mac and cheese," Casey said after a while. "Real cheese, not that powdered stuff in a box. My dad hates it but she'd make it anyway, just for me." Casey laughed a little unsteadily. "Her chocolate chip cookies are really good."

Zeke turned the burner under the saucepan to low and took the scramble out of the oven, setting it next to the tray of biscuits. He took a seat beside Casey, placing a hand on his arm in silent support.

"When I was 12, my dad went away on a business trip. I always wanted to go to New York City so my mom took me. We'd never gone on a trip like that, just the two of us. We spent a whole day in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, just wandering around, exploring. She never complained, or told me to hurry up, just let me drag her all over the place. We had a hotel room up high, near Central Park and I stayed up half the night, just looking out the window."

Casey turned to Zeke, his eyes dark with conflicting emotions. "I don't hate her," he whispered brokenly.

Zeke gathered him up and held on tight.

*****

"You really think the dean wanted pictures of the inside of the dryer, Case?"

"Just being thorough, Zeke." Casey looked up from his camera just long enough to give him a grin.

"I think that's Casey-speak for 'I'm playing with my new camera'," Billy commented, pausing in his remote controlled survey of TV programs.

"Oh, yeah?" Zeke raised his eyebrows eloquently. Billy snickered.

"Why don't you two comedians go outside or something?" Casey retorted.

"Can't move," Billy said, leaning back in the recliner. "I'm too full from all that good food."

"Well don't get used to it, Billy. You're on supper detail." Zeke settled back on the couch, stretching out. "I did my Happy Homemaker bit for today."

"Well, all right. PB & J it is."

"I like peanut butter and jelly," Casey yelled from the other room. The two older boys laughed.

"There anything you don't eat, Case?"

"Yeah, liver!" he yelled back his response, sounding muffled and Zeke had to resist the temptation to go see if he had actually squeezed himself into the supply closet to take pictures.

Billy had found a bad teen comedy to watch and ridicule and Zeke lay back on the couch drowsing, keeping tabs on Casey by the sounds of doors and drawers being opened and closed.

It was a perfect, lazy afternoon and soon Zeke had drifted off to sleep.

*****

"Not so much. No, no... oh, close enough, just throw in some more of everything else to balance it out."

"Watch it. Ow."

"Sorry."

"Is it supposed to smell like that?"

Zeke tried hard not to laugh. He'd been awake long enough to figure out that Billy and Casey were trying to cook. From the sound of things, it seemed that he was safer right where he was.

"You sure they don't have pizza delivery around here?"

"I can't find the oregano, think this stuff'll work?"

"Pasta doesn't expire, does it?"

"Where's the thing with the holes."

"Damn! That's hot."

And then, louder...

"I heard that, Zeke. Why don't you get your lazy self over here and set the table or something?"

Zeke stretched and got up, smoothing his hair and straightening his shirt as he wandered towards the kitchen.

There was a lot of steam everywhere and red splotches decorated the top of the stove. Casey was at the sink rinsing a colander of spaghetti while Billy rummaged in the fridge.

"Spaghetti and meatballs," Casey said proudly. "With homemade sauce." He grinned as Zeke eyed the red stuff in the pan on the stove. "We used a cookbook, sort of."

"Smells good," Zeke assured them, reaching over Casey's shoulder to steal a noodle.

"Tax," Casey replied, giving Zeke a smooch.

"Get a room," Billy groused as he walked past.

Zeke reached out and grabbed him, swinging him into a deep old movie kiss. Casey applauded.

"All right, wise guy," Billy said when he was upright again. "You ready to eat?"

"Guess I could stand a bite," Zeke replied, giving them both a look that told them he really meant it.

"Later," Billy said, and Casey nodded in agreement.

*****

"Delicious," Zeke declared a short while later when they'd filled their plates and carried them out to the patio to enjoy the sunshine. It was a bit early for supper, but Casey wanted to get more photos of the house and property at sunset.

There had been a loaf of Italian bread in the breadbox and Billy had made garlic toast to go with the spaghetti. Casey had found a packaged chocolate cake in the freezer and it was sitting on the counter to thaw.

"So how did the photo session go, Casey?" Billy asked between mouthfuls.

"Great. Had a little trouble in the living room what with people sleeping and all," he grinned at Zeke, "but I did get some very nice portrait shots."

"Case?" Zeke pretended to be outraged.

"Wait `til you see them, Zeke." Casey enthused, a faint blush bringing color to his face. "They're beautiful." He turned towards Billy, "Yours too, though you were harder to catch because you kept waking up. The afternoon sun was just right, gave me lots of light to work with."

Billy and Zeke exchanged looks. Casey could go on for hours like this. They shared a smile; it was fine with them.

"So when do I get to take your picture, Casey?" Billy asked when Casey had finally settled down a little. The plates were empty and they were comfortably full. The cake was still a bit cold so they decided to have it later when they watched a movie.

It took a lot longer to clean the kitchen this time than it had earlier. The stovetop proved particularly stubborn, but Zeke volunteered to take care of it so Casey could take his pictures.

"I've got a little time, yet. I want both of you to come with me," he said softly, tackling one side of the stovetop while Zeke labored over the other. Billy opened and closed cupboards and drawers, putting things away.

*****

"There, now smile," Casey called, framing his friends in the viewfinder with the cottage behind them. "Perfect." He paused, making a final adjustment, then took the picture. "Done." he yelled, lowering the camera.

"Now the three of us. Let's see if this timer works." Casey lined the camera up carefully, then placed it on the low wall and hurried over as fast as he could go with crutches on sand to join his friends. "Ready?" he asked breathlessly.

Zeke and Billy each wrapped an arm around Casey's waist, the three of them pressed together and grinning. A distant click and the photo was taken.

Casey gave both boys a one-armed hug before heading over to get his camera and finish photographing the exterior of the cottage.

By the time he completed the circuit, he was breathing hard and sweating despite the cool breeze. Navigating around in the sand was hard work, but maybe he'd have some muscles after all this.

"Done?" Zeke asked quietly.

"For now," Casey said, "I might try to get some sunrise shots though." He paused and wiped his forehead.

"Hang on tight," Zeke instructed, sweeping Casey up into his arms. "Relax."

Casey rested his head against Zeke's shoulder and closed his eyes, just breathing in the mix of ocean, sand and Zeke.

"Wanna sit out for a while?" Zeke asked as they reached the patio.

"No, I think I need to lie down a while. Leg hurts."

"The sofa it is." He eased Casey down carefully then adjusted the pillows. "How's that?"

"Good," Casey said with a smile. "Thank you." He reached out and caught Zeke's hand. "Sit with me?"

Zeke nodded and made himself comfortable on the floor, leaning back against the edge of the sofa.

"Hey Billy," he called. A minute later Billy emerged from the kitchen with a glass of water which he carried over to Casey.

"Looks like you need this, Casey."

"Thanks," Casey took the water gratefully and drained the glass. He handed back the empty glass and settled down again. "Want to watch a movie?"

It took almost fifteen minutes for them to narrow their choices down to two, and in the end they compromised and decided to watch them both.

*****

"A shrubbery!" Casey and Billy yelled. Zeke just looked at them, amused.

"I can't believe you've never seen this movie, Zeke," Casey said for at least the tenth time. He scootched closer to the older boy and grinned up at him. "It's a classic!"

"Yeah?" Zeke said, returning the grin. He leaned down and gave Casey a lingering kiss. Casey had caught his second wind and was wide awake and in a very responsive mood.

"Geez, give it a break already," Billy groused good-naturedly. "You're gonna make me miss the movie." He was seated on the sofa with the other boys, Zeke in the middle.

"Nobody said you had to watch," Zeke reminded him.

"Who said anything about watch?" Billy grabbed Zeke and Casey in an awkward hug and squeezed tight making them both gasp.

"Ooof," Casey said, wiggling against Zeke more because he liked the feel of their bare chests rubbing together than because he thought it would get him free of Billy's grasp.

"Case is having way too much fun here, Billy. What should we do about it?"

"Ticklefit!" Billy yelled, wrestling Casey so he was lying with part of his body in Zeke's lap. This put him in the perfect position to tickle Zeke even while he squirmed, trying to get away from Billy.

Before long they both turned on Zeke and set out to discover all his ticklish spots. Long before the movie ended, the three of them were lying breathless and exhausted on the floor.

"Haven't done that in a while," Billy gasped. "Joey used to love to catch me when I wasn't paying attention. I always got him back, though. He was way more ticklish than me."

"Oh, yeah?" Zeke said, grabbing Billy's foot and holding it while Casey tickled.

"Stop, stop, oh, stop," Billy begged a few minutes later, his face was bright red and tears of laughter were streaming down his face.

They finally relented and he fell back, limp, onto the pile of pillows.

Casey looked up at the ruins of the sofa - all of the cushions and pillows were off and scattered around the room. He flopped down onto the nearest cushion.

"I could just sleep right here," he told the others, yawning widely. He was suddenly very tired.

"Here, Case? When there's that big soft bed right upstairs?"

"Mmmm." Casey mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Come on sleepies," Zeke ordered. "Up you get." He turned off the TV and reached down, helping Casey up, then giving Billy a hand. He led them up the stairs and in minutes they were all cuddled together in bed.

"Will you get up and watch the sunrise with me?" Casey asked the others. They both said yes, and sealed their promise with a kiss.

Casey wiggled into a comfortable spot between them and promptly fell asleep.

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