[color=lightgray][right][sub][b][color=93CB56]TIMESTAMP:[/color][/b] During [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5535131]Smoke on the Water[/url]
After [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5532034]Chill Pill[/url][/sub][/right]
[center][sub][@Aces Away] [@Hey Im Jordan] [@LovelyComplex][/sub]
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/bIFhs0z.png[/img]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240630/46e9b7427d9b8a8fa26102f413b1187c.png[/img]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240630/2f31f0d767c70533d3b5d83339a0e766.png[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Ti31mSx.png[/img]
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[indent][indent]Henry Green found himself couch locked.

This didn’t happen often, but he had known Decky needed to get stoned from the moment he saw the kid. The guy looked like he was about five seconds away from genuinely tweaking just playing the drums to [i]Enter Sandman[/i], and anyone who didn’t get into it when playing the drums to [i]Enter Sandman[/i] needed some fucking THC in them, stat. After they’d ripped a few bowls through the ol’ Stündenglass, Henry had suggested they chill out and watch TV until the twins returned.

Andy returned only briefly to tell Henry he was going to meet Amy at the game that evening, and after he’d walked away Henry took every ounce of self control and will power he had to not mention to Sully and Decky how happy he was that Andy was probably not going to die a virgin. Ethan? Ethan had either fallen in while taking a dump, or he was fucking one of the maids again. Henry couldn’t be sure, but with Ethan he found himself barely concerned. He liked that Andy had checked in.

For the past… amount of time, he and Sully and Decky had been watching YouTube videos. Specifically? They were watching kitchen gadget review videos, with Henry absently adding whichever ones got good reviews to an Amazon cart. Henry lifted a hand and pointed at the screen, [color=#b57f13]“check this shit out. Salad Chopper. Dude, definitely five stars. How could they fuck this up?”[/color] He asked the question, turning his head to look at the other two. It chopped salad. How hard could it be?

[color=#dc143c]“...Shit ain’t even…it ain’t even a [i]blade[/i],”[/color] Decky argued stiltedly with the man, glaring at the flat triangle of plastic attached to a handle. He was getting the hang of Henry’s guessing game, the man shouting out the rating he expected for each item that has come up so far. His estimations were almost hilariously incorrect, and as the man on screen smashed the vegetables into the bottom of the bowl, it seemed the trend would continue. [color=#dc143c]“It’s gotta be like…not even a star at all, right?”[/color]

[color=#c45508]“He’s just usin’ a knife now and it’s more effective, it’s gotta be- oh wait he’s breakin’ it down,”[/color] Sully loved the parts when the design expert in the video doodled out his own ideas for improvement, and aside from little comments here and there, had been more locked into the videos than both Decky and Henry combined. He hadn’t even realized Andy had [i]left[/i] left until the pause between auto-plays.

[color=#dc143c]“Don’t put that it your cart, man,”[/color] Decky continued after realizing Sully had left the conversation as quickly as joining it. He waved his hand and dropped his head to the back of the couch. [color=#dc143c]“This shit is just meant ta bleed impulse buyers and trend chaser dry for the sake’a havin’ the newest commodity,”[/color] He glanced at the man’s phone to make sure he hadn’t added the shitty little item and his faded gaze landed on the number at the bottom of the open digital cart. [color=#dc143c]“Fuckin’ christ, ya…are ya just gettin’ [i]everythin’[/i]  we’ve been watchin’? Whaddya even [i]need[/i] that shit for?”[/color]

[color=#c45508]“Dude have you seen the size of this place? Why [i]not[/i] if he [i]can[/i]?”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“That ain’t no valid fuckin’ argument,”[/color] Decky shot back, letting his head fall back once more and staring at the ceiling, still in complete awe of just how easily some people could throw their money away. [color=#dc143c]“I could actually get approved for my house loan if I could casually rock up with the amount in that fuckin’ cart.”[/color]

[color=#c45508]“You wouldn’t [i]need[/i] a loan if you had that amount on hand,”[/color] Sully argued, eyes still glued to the screen and empty coffee cup in hand as it has been for who knows how long, fingers almost completely still in a manner uncharacteristic of him. He hadn’t had to hit the insane gravity bong device nearly as much as Decky had, hadn’t inhaled nearly as deeply, and still he was higher than Decky. He did not begrudge the drug-addled boy his tolerance levels, he could only imagine how excessive the other’s habits were to need as much as he did to even feel anything anymore. Or how expensive. He looked back for a brief moment when the other gearhead scoffed at him. [color=#c45508]“It got a two outta five, by the way.”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“For fuckin’ [i]what?[/i]”[/color] Decky moaned in confusion, throwing his hands up in the air and already forgetting the conversation about money in favor of hate reacting. [color=#dc143c]“It couldn’t cut fuckin’ anythin’, dude!”[/color] His arms fell back to his side in childish dismay.

[color=#c45508]“Don’t shoot the messenger, I ain’t the one that rated it,”[/color] Sully defended, finally giving into the now distant impulse from his body and standing up to go get more coffee from the likely now cold pot Ethan had brought down. When he reached for the metal kettle and pour the liquid into his cup, he was surprised to see steam coming out of it before realizing it was one of those fancy electric ones that kept the beverage warm until turned off, and you didn’t have to keep it on the coffee machine’s hotplate. He had to admit, he was a bit jealous of that little gadget more than anything else in the basement, including the whole ass fucking bowling lane in the back corner. Turning to thank the Green boy again for the coffee, Sully blinked as he took in the empty space on the couch he’d assumed the other boy had taken upon returning from the bathroom and been this whole time. [color=#c45508]“Dude, where’s Ethan?”[/color]

Ethan had journeyed back to Dom’s Garage to retrieve Danny Boaz and some clothes for both Decky and Sully. He proceeded to stop at Sunshine Diner to once again annoy Sully’s mother, but this time to let her know that her son would be sleeping over his place. Before he left, she gave him food to take with him which had the usual orders of all those that were at his crib. Sully’s mother was a goddess of greasy diner food and it was crazy how much she remembered. His dad’s order had its own brown bag with many containers. His old man could eat and it was clear Miss Darcie knew that. With one more block to go before he’d finally return to his family’s guest house, Ethan tapped his thumbs on the wheel to the music quietly coming out of his car speaker ([url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeaUG189ojU&list=PLnWkpKC8LDRU_qWB_s4neGOYPJmUh50Ig&index=16][color=#1155cc]C’est La Vie[/color][/url] by Yung Gravy, bbno$, Rich Brian). Glancing over at the boy sitting beside him, Ethan noted the similarities Danny shared with his older brother like the naturally nice, healthy hair, even with limited grooming, and the soft facial structure. The main difference he saw was the acute sharpness in the younger boy’s eyes. Reminded him of his aunt, Hailey, but if she was kind. [color=#cba55a]“Danny boy, real talk. Is your brother always a grumpy fuck?”[/color]

Danny blinked from where he’d been staring blankly out the window with his head bobbing to the beat and turned to his brother’s new- almost certainly reluctant on Decky’s side- friend. He seemed cool enough, and uncle Hirsch had said it was fine to go with him since he’d finished all his homework. Not without several whispered threats on his youngest nephew’s safety to the tall teen, from what Danny had seen when he came back with their duffle bag and Hershey was standing just a little too close to the rich boy with too neutral of an expression. It had probably started as simple as ‘make sure he’s wearing his seatbelt’ and devolved from there. But still, he was trusted enough that Danny was allowed alone with him and Decky and Sully were sleeping over his house! He must be okay to talk to.

[color=#ff7f50]“Decky’s only grumpy ‘cause he’s sad too,”[/color] Danny revealed honestly, unable to look the older boy in the eyes as he spoke. He didn’t really like people’s eyes, especially new people. [color=#ff7f50]“Most’a the people we love are still back home and he only left for me.”[/color] Danny thought of his own best friends, Ana and Conan, who he chatted with constantly but rarely got to actually see. Deck had so many more friends his age than Danny ever did, because all of Decky's friends had happily dragged Danny along with them as well.[color=#ff7f50] “Wouldn’t ya be sad if ya were always missin’ people?”[/color]

Silence was the initial response. Ethan was taken aback by the honesty and genuinity from the younger Boaz boy. He thought of the question asked to him and the people that Ethan could immediately think of was his family and the Elite. This sudden thought made him realize that the three girls he was playing like the devil plays his fiddle with didn’t have his heart. Not in the way they deserved. Damn, those were thoughts he didn’t want to think about right now. Such an unexpected, sentimental question that forced Ethan to think more inward for once was not on his calendar for the day. He’d have to smoke more weed with his dad when he got back to bury it, like he always did. [color=#cba55a]“Are you two going to move back after graduation?” [/color]Asking that question outloud made Ethan realize he had no idea where Decky was from. Damn, making new friends was not something he did in a while (aside from Sully, but Sully was different).[color=#cba55a] “Where are you from again? Sorry, I really don’t know shit about you or your brother, so I’m just warning you if I say anything insensitive I’m just trying my best here.” [/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“Are we-? No,”[/color] Danny shook his head harshly, curls flying with the motion and a pinched look on his face. He went to bite his lip anxiously, but they were talking about Decky and Decky told him to chew gum instead, so he reached into his pocket and unwrapped one of the pieces from within, shoving it into his mouth as he thought of how to respond to the Senior. He didn’t realize that Ethan knew [i]nothing[/i] about Decky. No wonder his big brother just came off as an asshole to him. [color=#ff7f50]“I-it ain’t that we never go back- uh, Gravette, Oregon by the way- but I don’t think either’a us could move back there,”[/color] He frowned, doing what uncle Jonah had taught him and shifting his thoughts from the bad memories slowly over to the better ones. Like the ones with everyone in the Trip-S when the brothers used to hide away in the gang’s dorms for weeks at a time with Sonny. [color=#ff7f50]“It’s a really bad place, and really bad stuff happened there. It’s why when our friend Poppy found our Uncles we moved out here to ‘em. We have friends back home send us a message when our parents disappear from town and that’s when we risk visitin’. Um, can we…”[/color] Decky always said to just ask if you were uncomfortable. [color=#ff7f50]“Sorry, it’s okay ya asked, but can we stop? I don’t wanna talk about it more.”[/color]

[color=#cba55a]“Yeah, sure thing, kid,” [/color]Ethan answered, respectfully. There was a brief moment of silence as the Green golden boy continued to drive.  His home was at a distance and his mind was stuck. Stuck on his brother and how things turned out for them. [color=#cba55a]“Completely random, and feel free to tell me to shut up,” [/color]Ethan permitted, continuing to tap the wheel with his thumbs. [color=#cba55a]“Do you ever want something out of your older brother? Like how do you wish he lived life? I don’t know if I’m making sense… I’m just curious how you two support each other, I guess.” [/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“Do I ever…you’re definitely a new friend.”[/color] After that, he was silent again as his mouth opened and closed several times while he thought about the question. Having been very close to zoning out before Ethan spoke up again, the question caught him just as off guard as the others had. The Freshman boy stared at Ethan’s profile, trying to figure out the angle. His calculative gaze followed every twitch down to the thumbs tapping against the wheel as he made his assumptions and reads. What he [i]got[/i] was that that question wasn’t necessarily meant to be about his and Decky’s relationship. This was one younger brother reaching out to another. But, since he didn’t know anything about Ethan’s relationship with his sibling, it was still a guessing game on his part so all he had was his own truth for his replies.

[color=#ff7f50]“Decky raised me,”[/color] Danny finally answered, deciding that he could deal with Decky being upset with him for sharing things if it meant he got more good friends willing to understand him. To look past the attitude that was just as much protection as it was persona. It’s his fault for being so tight lipped while never setting the same restrictions on Danny. [color=#ff7f50]“Since I was born, since he was three, he raised me. It’s hard ta want somethin’ [i]from[/i] someone who gave up his whole life ta give ya yours, y’know?”[/color] Danny let that sit for a second, grinding down on his gum and resisting the urge to blow a bubble as he watched the road rushing past them. [color=#ff7f50]“Want somethin’ [i]for [/i]him, though? Absolutely. I want for ‘im ta realize it’s okay ta have a life’a his own, I want him ta realize he can have his own goals, not just exist ta help me achieve mine. I want for ‘im ta actually be happy. But he doesn’t know how and I can’t make him change the way he’s acted my whole life. I think a lotta his anger came from makin’ sure I could be a kid even if it meant he never was. He don’t know how ta interact with people his own age since he never really acted his own age. Doesn’t let himself enjoy the little things that kids do. Even with all he gave up for me, it’s rough for me too. It’s actually really frustratin’ and it’s hard ta make friends. But really, mostly I-”[/color]

Was this what therapy was like? He was feeling a little better after bringing his thoughts into the light. Danny had only ever told his best friends back home this. Danny had also never been alone with one of Decky’s friends that didn’t already know their history, at least some of it. He had wondered about that when Ethan came to pick him up, and decided that Decky did what he always does and made an offhand, sarcastic comment that got mistaken for an actual agreement. The dummy. That’s always gotten him into shit. Regardless, this was a new situation all around for the younger Boaz, and unlike his brother, he could be quite the talker if he got started.

[color=#ff7f50]“I want him ta stop thinkin’ he’s some burden on everyone that takes us in somehow.”[/color] Their parents had really done a number on him with that word. [color=#ff7f50]“Our relationship is fucked up though, or so we’ve been told, and shouldn’t be compared ta normal siblin’ relationships. We have ah…a pretty unhealthy codependency, case ya couldn’t tell by the fact that ya had ta come pick me up ta get him ta stay at your house tonight, yeah? Happens when ya spend your whole life locked up in the same room,”[/color] If he were his cousin Zion, he would have ended with a pair of jazzhands and a sing-song exclamation of ‘[i]trauma~’[/i], but he was not much for dramatics when on his own. Danny had a habit of minimizing his presence, not shouting it from the rooftops. Danny just stated things as fact and moved on, especially if he didnt want to dwell on it. [color=#ff7f50]“Ya know how aggravatin’ it can be ta see all the paths someone could be takin’ if they just [i]looked up[/i] from helpin’ ya down your own? Ya can’t be your own person if you’re constantly lookin’ out for your brother, and while I love Decky and everythin’ he’s done, I want him ta be his own person and grow in ta himself.”[/color]

Giving the boy a quick glance over, Ethan smiled, “I can see that Decky, and you, have a unique upbringing just based on your brother’s reactions to everything that surrounds me and my family. I’m sure my background can be unique too, from your perspective. Not all rich people are under one big umbrella of stereotypes and not all low income families, from different ethnicities and neighborhoods, have the same way of thinking. My father, especially for a Green, runs his ship a bit differently than my aunts. I get it though. We brothers just want our bros to be happy. Self assured. On their own path. Their own person… away from us. I get it, for real,” Ethan sighed at the thought. As much as he was worried about Andy’s romance with Amy Kwon, at least she would help him grow and find himself, finally walking out of Ethan’s shadow to be his own man. 

Finding himself even more intrigued and curious, Ethan inquired, “How about you?” Contemplative and attuned to the conversation, the senior put the focus on the younger boy, wanting to give Danny a safe space to freely talk as much or as little as he wanted to. “Apart from your brother, who is Danny Boaz and where does he see himself going?” 

[color=#ff7f50]“I know, but It’s a [i]really[/i] small town,”[/color] Danny emphasized, completely understanding the rich boy’s point while also having had little experience with it before moving to California. Gravette had a very stereotypical class division, and the line between rich and poor wasn’t just drawn, it was developed and maintained by the abandoned railroad tracks that physically split the North from the South. Wrong side of the tracks wasn’t just some saying in his hometown. Some people, like Sonny, never even crossed to the other side of the tracks unless absolutely required. However, Danny found himself liking Decky’s new friend who wanted to know more about not only his brother, but him as well. And okay, maybe talking about his brother was easier than talking about himself, maybe the simple question directed toward himself brought a blush to his face as he worked through the random shock of embarrassment that hit him as he thought of his answer.

[color=#ff7f50]“Oh! I, uh, I like books!”[/color] He admitted, quietly but trying. He couldn’t talk about anything he did with uncle Jonah, but he could talk about pretty much anything else he enjoyed, and books were a big one. [color=#ff7f50]“Our friends back home always send me some or recommend some,”[/color] Decky, Charlie, Poppy, they all used to read to him when he was younger and let him read to them as he aged. Sin was more for comics and manga, but that didn’t stop her from being a part of it even if she preferred watching anime and baking together with him. [color=#ff7f50]“I like ta bake, too, but only with one person, that’s our thing. Um…Oh! The school people thought I should skip a year, but I wanted to try to be a freshman, [i]but[/i] all the work is borin’ so if they still think I can skip by the end’a this year then I’ll be a Junior next year instead. Decky was real proud’a that,”[/color] Danny’s blush was gone in favor of a grin when he remembered the way his brother had smiled at him and ruffled his hair when he’d heard the academic praise. [color=#ff7f50]“I like ta look at Sully’s homework more than my own when we’re studyin’ together, it looks more fun. Sometimes Monarch slips me little puzzles or ciphers ta play with ta keep my mind goin’. Everyone says I should be goin’ ta some nice college when I graduate.”[/color]

This was nice. Ethan found himself adoring Danny’s enthusiasm to express himself. In adversity, Decky’s little brother found little things he enjoyed and built a mentality that was resilient, adaptable and full of hope. Instead of looking back, he was looking ahead. Instead of looking in the mirror and seeing flaws, he saw his strengths and areas where he could improve. Instead of having an immense guard up, he was sizing Ethan up and allowing him a chance to build a bridge to him and his brother. That was nice to see. When Ethan was that age he was caught up with movies and AWE. Decky did good with raising this boy. It seemed he had the right tools and resources to live a fulfilled and happy life. Danny was a good kid. 

[color=#cba55a]“It’s a thing you can bake because you’re about to see your brother so baked.” [/color]Ethan joked (even though it was based on a truth). [color=#cba55a]“He’s with a pro right now, my dad, and you’re gonna’ love him. He’s such a vibe. I strive to have all chill and no stress. Just like him. Somehow my dad has cracked the code.” [/color]Nodding to himself, not really elaborating on the many stresses of Ethan Green, the senior jock pulled into the driveway and grinned, [color=#cba55a]“As my old man would say, mi casa is su casa.”[/color] Putting his car in park, he slapped his wheel excitedly and embraced his inner child, [color=#cba55a]“Your brother is going to be so hyped you’re here.” [/color]

What pulled a laugh out of the younger Boaz was not the baking joke, but Ethan's comment about Decky being excited to see him. He had no doubt his brother would be happy to have him around. [i]After[/i], of course, he was calmed down from realizing Danny had been 'kidnapped' in a similar capacity to him and Sully, and that it was his fault for being a smart-ass instead of just telling someone no straight out like he’d so dutifully taught Danny to. He had his own words for Decky that would likely shut him down just as quickly as he got riled up, but Danny figured Ethan needed a bit of a reality check himself if he genuinely thought Decky would be happy that a near-stranger was entrusted with his baby brother’s safety and transport. He also hadn’t missed the way Ethan had worded his praise of his father. It was already pretty obvious that Ethan acted more chill than he was. Not that he [i]wasn’t[/i], but his questions to Danny alone indicated he had a lot going on in the background of his mind, if not at the forefront, which [i]also[/i] seemed intentional. He’d seen Decky shove back plenty of things he didn’t want to think about at the time, he knew the look well.

[color=#ff7f50]“Your dad is tryin’a get Decky super high on [i]just [/i]weed?”[/color] Danny asked incredulously as he hopped out of the car and looked at Ethan’s forehead instead of his eyes, having not seen his brother react to the vice in any capacity more than the relaxing of his muscles in years. Then, he noticed the area around him and spun on his heel in amazement, conversation forgotten. [color=#ff7f50]“Whoa, it’s so pretty out here! Look at all these plants,”[/color] His gaze fell on the gardening at the front of the house. [color=#ff7f50]“That’s so many colors!”[/color]

[color=#cba55a]“Isn’t it dope?!” [/color]Ethan said enthusiastically, incredibly pleased at Danny’s reaction. Very unlike his brother and Sully. It was positive! [color=#cba55a]“My parents had a vision… which basically was a getaway in Spain or just somewhere not here.” [/color]His father did what he wanted and that included decorating the guest house in a way where he would be at most peace (which included all of Ethan’s mama’s anime figurines). A place that was like a great escape where the Green company didn’t weigh on him and his family. A place very much his own. A place they called home.

A smirk appeared on Ethan’s face when he registered the weed comment. He led the way to the basement and confidently assured his little buddy, [color=#cba55a]“Not just any weed…”[/color]

It was his dad’s weed. 

[center][b][color=#059033]_[/color][color=#089033]_[/color][color=#0B9134]_[/color][color=#0F9234]_[/color][color=#129335]_[/color][color=#169335]_[/color][color=#199436]_[/color][color=#1D9537]_[/color][color=#209637]_[/color][color=#249638]_[/color][color=#279738]_[/color][color=#2B9839]_[/color][color=#2E993A]_[/color][color=#32993A]_[/color][color=#359A3B]_[/color][color=#399B3B]_[/color][color=#3C9C3C]_[/color][color=#3F9C3C]_[/color][color=#439D3D]_[/color][color=#469E3E]_[/color][color=#4A9F3E]_[/color][color=#4DA03F]_[/color][color=#51A03F]_[/color][color=#54A140]_[/color][color=#58A241]_[/color][color=#5BA341]_[/color][color=#5FA342]_[/color][color=#62A442]_[/color][color=#66A543]_[/color][color=#69A644]_[/color][color=#6DA644]_[/color][color=#70A745]_[/color][color=#74A845]_[/color][color=#77A946]_[/color][color=#7AA947]_[/color][color=#77A946]_[/color][color=#74A845]_[/color][color=#70A745]_[/color][color=#6DA644]_[/color][color=#69A644]_[/color][color=#66A543]_[/color][color=#62A442]_[/color][color=#5FA342]_[/color][color=#5BA341]_[/color][color=#58A241]_[/color][color=#54A140]_[/color][color=#51A03F]_[/color][color=#4DA03F]_[/color][color=#4A9F3E]_[/color][color=#469E3E]_[/color][color=#439D3D]_[/color][color=#3F9C3C]_[/color][color=#3C9C3C]_[/color][color=#399B3B]_[/color][color=#359A3B]_[/color][color=#32993A]_[/color][color=#2E993A]_[/color][color=#2B9839]_[/color][color=#279738]_[/color][color=#249638]_[/color][color=#209637]_[/color][color=#1D9537]_[/color][color=#199436]_[/color][color=#169335]_[/color][color=#129335]_[/color][color=#0F9234]_[/color][color=#0B9134]_[/color][color=#089033]_[/color][/b][/center]

[color=#c45508]“Dude, where’s Ethan?”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“Where’s the [i]quality[/i]?”[/color] Danny heard his older brother reply to Sully’s question from where he was hidden behind Ethan’s frame in the doorway at the bottom of the stairs. They had just arrived when Sully’s voice hit them and Ethan stopped as if to announce himself, only to get cut off by Decky’s complaint. Danny had no idea what he was complaining about, but his brother had a downright childish whine to his voice that Danny only heard when he was relaxed enough to act as such, which was extremely rare. He snuck a peek past Ethan’s side and saw the top of his brother’s head tilted back on a comfy looking couch, his hair flopping over the backing and swaying as he shook his head defiantly. Next to him was the back of the head of who must be Ethan’s father, almost shoulder to shoulder with his brother with no sign of discomfort on Decky’s part. Damn. Maybe Mr. Green really did succeed in getting him super high. Color Danny impressed with these people. [color=#dc143c]“Two outta five stars for something called a fuckin’ [i]chopper[/i] that don’t do no fuckin’ choppin’. Market that shit as a goddamn play-doh knife and [i]maybe[/i] two fuckin’ stars would be worth it-”[/color]

[color=#c45508]“Honestly the amount of times you fit the word fuck into a sentence should be studied.”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“Don’t snark me, Harper, the next product’s comin’ up.”[/color]

Danny stifled a giggle and stopped peeking, returning behind Ethan as he put together what he could from what he’d heard from his brother’s rant and seen on the tv screen beyond the couch. They were watching someone rate kitchen objects and appliances, and obviously his brother had some strong opinions on the decisions. Sonny wasn’t going to believe this, and Poppy and Charlie were going to love it. He couldn’t wait for the next video call home.

Sully looked up from his spot at the bar where he’d finished getting his coffee when he heard a faint noise at the doorway, only to raise an eyebrow at the taller boy standing in the doorway.

[color=#c45508]“Oh, there you are dude. Where have you been? It’s been like,”[/color] Sully blanked as he tried to think about the recent passage of time, features going slack as he attempted to sift through his already poor memory, now even more clouded by the herb he’d inhaled. A few seconds ticked by before he blinked and shook his head, giving up. [color=#c45508]“It’s been a long time…I think.”[/color]

[color=#cba55a]“I brought a special delivery and before I’m given shit,” [/color]Ethan stepped to the side, revealing Danny, and spoke loud enough for Decky to hear. [color=#cba55a]“It was me or my mom’s butler from the main house,” [/color]the jock explained, offering to take Danny’s bags from him to set it down somewhere safe before showing them to their bedrooms for the night. He had spent the carride thinking this through and realizing that Mordechai wouldn’t appreciate a stranger driving his brother around, so he HAD to explain himself. It was the right thing to do.[color=#cba55a] “It would’ve NOT been worth the energy to stop my dad from getting you both high as fuck and I’m pretty sure all the jews in your garage would kill me if something happened to this boy. I thought this out the moment you said you wanted your brother here.”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“What the fuck?”[/color] Decky’s head had turned as Ethan spoke, but it had almost snapped completely backwards at the sight of his baby brother bashfully blinking at him as Ethan took their dufflebag from him, Danny’s fingers curling in a little wave to his older brother.. Any chill thoughts immediately left his mind as he registered why Ethan was pleading for his life. Or at least why he should be. With little thought to how it looked, Decky took the quickest path and scrambled directly over the back of the couch, only stumbling slightly as his stoned legs almost crumbled beneath him. He was in Danny’s bubble in seconds after that, checking him over while the boy himself rolled his eyes at the hovering but didn’t push him away, even when Decky was moving his face every which way and pushing his curls away from his forehead as if he would be hiding a wound there. [color=#dc143c]“Boychik what the fuck, no- wait,”[/color] He rounded on Ethan, protective rage in his eyes.[color=#dc143c] “[i]Green[/i] what the [i]fuck?[/i]”[/color]

Decky never claimed eloquence. 

Danny’s hands grabbed his wrist and returned his focus to him, drawing it from Ethan. His brother was frowning at him in that pouty way that told him to stop and think about his actions. [color=#ff7f50]“He was tellin’ ya if ya would’a actually [i]listened[/i], Decky,”[/color] Danny admonished, sticking his tongue out when Decky scowled at him. Then, he blinked owlishly at Decky and stuck his bottom lip out. [color=#ff7f50]“Are ya sayin’ that he’s lyin’? Ya didn’t want me here?”[/color]

[i][color=#dc143c]Manipulative brat.[/color][/i]

Decky sighed, fist unclenching along with his jaw. [color=#dc143c]“I didn’t say that, but I also didn’t say I wanted ya [i]here[/i] I was just-”[/color]

[color=#c45508]“I mean you did say to call the garage and have him pack bags for us.”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“What, [i]now[/i] your fuckin’ memory works?”[/color] Decky snapped as he turned to Sully, glaring at the other boy as Danny gripped his wrist tighter in reprimand. Sully stared Decky dead in the eye and then threw back the rest of his coffee. When he was finished, he continued to give Decky a blank look. 

[color=#c45508]“Ouch.”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“Get fucked, Harper.”[/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“Decky!”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“I was bein’ fuckin’ sarcastic!”[/color] Decky exclaimed, getting back to the matter at hand. [color=#dc143c]“It was sarcasm! Jesus what the fu-”[/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“Ya know better than ta use that type’a sarcasm around people with the means and whims,”[/color] Danny once again betrayed him. The bitchface he threw his younger brother was especially reserved for the boy, and it quickly morphed into a glare when he saw that his little brother’s eyes were shining with amusement. [color=#ff7f50]“We’ve talked about that. Encouragin' impulsive action.”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“You shut up.”[/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“Sounds like ya should have shut up yourself earlier.”[/color]

Henry could put up with a lot of distractions.  Decky and Sully’s chatter was white noise that barely competed with the video he had playing on the TV. But, once Ethan showed back up, things went to shit. Sadly, that was something that happened a lot. Henry got it though. When he was Ethan’s age? [i]He[/i] was the Green who made things go to sleep. After Decky’s younger brother told him to shut up, Henry jumped in.

[color=#b57f13]“Decky, shut up. You’re harshing the vibes, dude. Think about how chill we just were! You keep yappin’ and you already missed damn near the whole herb chopper review! What if we need to chop herb?”[/color] Henry gestured toward the TV with a wave he knew would be ineffective. He turned away from the boys and back toward the TV. He sank back into it and grumbled, [color=#b57f13]“I’m finishin’ my fuckin’ video. Kid’s already here. Stop being a baby. Hey, kid. What do you want to eat?”[/color]

He waved a hand toward the bar, [color=#b57f13]“somebody get Decky another bowl.”[/color]

Decky stared at the back of the head of the man who just told him to shut up, mouth slightly agape. His brother was now laughing at him audibly instead of just with his eyes, swinging his arm back and forth from where he was still holding Decky’s wrist in a grounding manner. Was this whole fucking room against him? Jesus. When Henry asked Danny what he wanted to eat, his baby brother went quiet, prompting Decky to look back to him. Danny was now looking at the ground and making himself small, and Decky sighed at the display. Trusting adults was still a problem for both of them, but the second Danny was addressed by a new one he tried to disappear into the floor. He saw Sully moving out of the corner of his eye to fulfill Henry’s demand of another bowl, and forced himself to relax as much as he could, to stifle his trigger reactions and focus on his brother.

[color=#dc143c]“Danny, it’s okay, he means it. Have ya eaten dinner?”[/color]

[sup][color=#ff7f50]”No…”[/color][/sup]

Decky was going to scream at his uncle for letting him leave without eating.

[color=#dc143c]“[i]So?[/i] What do ya want?”[/color] When Danny continued to fidget with his eyes on the ground, Decky looked to the ceiling for strength and pulled his little brother into a tight hug while addressing Henry. [color=#dc143c]“He likes olive pizza.”[/color]

Henry could hear it in the air. The way the laughter snipped away the second he said something and the way Danny never actually (or just barely had) answered his question. He hopped to his feet and walked around the couch to the group of boys as he spoke. [color=#b57f13]“Cool, pizza’s cool. One with olive. What about ice cream? Can’t have dinner without dessert. Chef can make a killer brownie, and he doesn’t go home for another two hours. We got time boys.”[/color] He looked down at Danny - the younger boy may not have seen it, but Henry hoped he could at least feel that he was talking directly to him. [color=#b57f13]“Do you fuck with video games, Danny?”[/color] He paused, and cleared his throat.

[color=#b57f13]“Do you like video games, Dan the man?”[/color] This little dude needed to relax just as badly as his brother did. Well… maybe [i]almost[/i] that bad.

Decky didn’t even try to withhold the warning glare he sent the taller man as he neared, but turned just slightly so that Danny could peek out from his spot with his face pressed into his older brother’s chest. His little brother was tense but not shaking, so that was at least a sign that Danny had already done a bit of his own mental work on the ride in when it came to accepting the Green patriarch as safe. Danny did end up peeking up at the man, his grip around Decky’s middle tightening a bit. Decky took this as a cue to do his part in bringing Danny around by making Henry’s part easier for the suddenly frazzled boy, including completely ignoring the whole private chef thing.

[color=#dc143c]“Ice cream.”[/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“I-”[/color] Danny shifted his face so his mouth wasn’t muffled. By the time his gaze had trailed up to Henry’s chin, it dropped back to his shoulder, never really reaching his face. He squeezed Decky tighter still, but his big brother did little more than grunt and adjust his own hold, dropping one hand onto Danny’s head and ruffling his soft curls encouragingly. [color=#ff7f50]“I like ice cream.”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“Video games.”[/color]

[sup][color=#ff7f50]“No, not really. Sorry sir…”[/color][/sup] Danny whispered, looking away from the man completely.

[color=#dc143c]“Don’t apologize, tell ‘im what ya do like.”[/color] Danny nearly whined in complaint, his face red as he hid it against his brother’s chest once more. [color=#dc143c]“Danny.”[/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“Ugh! Card games and brain teasers and riddles and puzzles!”[/color] Danny spit out in one anxious breath, barely pulling away from Decky to speak before trying to hide again.[color=#ff7f50] “Now stop!”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“Good job boychik,”[/color] Decky praised, leaving it at that as his brother had asked. He looked at Henry with a raised eyebrow, doing his best not to sound too protective or defensive when he said, [color=#dc143c]“Well? That’s all you’re gettin’ at the moment.”[/color]

[color=#b57f13]“Well, well, Danny Dan the mystery man, we [i]do[/i] have something in common.”[/color] Henry’s words flowed with a rhythm, the rhyming way he’d said Danny’s name rolling off of his tongue in a sing-song voice. Henry beamed, and he could not help but make grand gestures with his hands — that was just how he talked, really — as he continued to speak, [color=#b57f13]“I, too, am a card game enjoyer! I like Pokémon, Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and I [i]do[/i] like poker, but Ethan don’t got hands in it, so he wouldn’t wanna play. Puzzles? Riddles? Brain teasers? … I got some Lego you can play with, but you’re in the wrong house for brain teasers. Sorry to say, but me and the lads smoke too much weed and Alicia takes too good care of us to let us feel dumb [i]all [/i]the time.”[/color]

[color=#cba55a]“Real,” [/color]Ethan responded, with his phone out and texting the chef, glad his dad jumped in to calm Decky’s storm. [color=#cba55a]“What other toppings? I’m a meat lovers kind of boy.” [/color]He walked around everyone, giving the Boaz brothers room to breathe. He hoped ultimately they’d all decide to watch a movie. He had a long day.  

Decky was the only one to notice Danny’s flinch at Henry’s sudden hand movement, but that was because he was literally holding the boy. Danny was much better at containing his physical reactions to things like that than Decky was, the older Boaz boy typically halfway to a defensive stance when he was caught by surprise. Had he not been focusing on Danny, he likely would have embarrassed himself. When Henry began to list off his interests, Decky quickly found himself tuning out while Danny stared at the man with wide eyes. When Ethan asked about other toppings, Decky shook his head at the other boy.

[color=#dc143c]“I’ll just share with Danny, I don’t mind olives.”[/color] Danny frowned, distracted from Henry for a moment as he pulled away from Decky with a disagreeable frown while Decky glanced down at him in warning. Defiantly, Danny opened his mouth anyways.

[color=#ff7f50]“Ya [i]hate[/i] olives ya liar.”[/color]

Decky’s glance became a glare. Before he had a chance to respond though, Henry was off on another one. Facepalming, he groaned out. [color=#b57f13]“Jesus christ, Decky, are you [i]lying[/i]? To your friends [i]and[/i] your little brother? Bro, that’s just fucked up. If you hate olives why would you want pizza with olives?!”[/color] Henry demanded. From the over exaggeration of his words and motions, it was (hopefully) clear enough that Henry was being playful.

[color=#ff7f50]“[i]Yeah[/i] Decky, why’re ya lyin’?”[/color] Danny caught on to Henry’s energy immediately. His voice was still quiet, but it was gaining confidence as he teased his older brother. This was exactly what he’d been talking to Ethan about in the car, his brother unwilling to do something as simple as ask for his own pizza topping and instead just willing to have whatever Danny wanted even if it made him sick was only a small glimpse of the bigger problem. [color=#ff7f50]“Sully’s gonna give a toppin’, why won’t you?”[/color]

[color=#dc143c]“Why are ya bein’ such a gremlin all’a the sudden?”[/color] Decky sighed tiredly, decidedly not responding to Henry and keeping his head down to lock eyes with and glare at his baby brother, who grinned up at the embarrassed tint to his cheeks. He couldn’t believe his little brother just threw him to the fucking wolves like that. [color=#dc143c]“Sully, what do ya want?”[/color]

[color=#c45508]“Pepperoni’s fine. What do you want?”[/color] Sully replied simply while motioning that the device was ready to deliver another hit for the gearhead. Decky glared at his friend who very easily volleyed back what was meant to be diversion. 

[color=#ff7f50]“He likes bacon ‘cause he’s a bad jew,”[/color] Danny giggled as he was gently but deliberately shoved away from his brother as Decky beelined for the bowl, exchanging places with Sully who walked up in confusion.

[color=#c45508]“What was that about?”[/color] He looked down slightly, blinking as Danny latched onto his arm. [color=#c45508]“Hey little dude.”[/color]

[color=#b57f13]“Oh, nothing. Decky’s just being a baby, that’s all. Seems like it’s kind of par for the course, huh, Danny?”[/color] He tossed a grin and a wink down to the youngest boy. [color=#b57f13]“Oh, dude. Don’t forget dessert, what are you in the mood for? Brownies ala mode? We could get that and watch cartoons. Everybody likes cartoons.”[/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“Cartoons?”[/color] Danny asked shyly, only half hiding behind Sully. This time, when he looked to the elder Green, his gaze flickered briefly over the man’s entire face before flitting away again. Shifting from foot to foot, Danny hummed as he thought of Henry’s question. [color=#ff7f50]“What’s alamode?”[/color]

[color=#b57f13]“Oh, man. It’s just warm fresh brownies with ice cream on top, it’s only the most delicious thing ever. We’re gonna get you some pizza. We’re gonna get you some brownies ala mode. And then? We’re watching We Bare Bears. A most [i]excellent [/i]evening if I do say so myself. What do you think, brother man dude?”[/color] Henry beamed, and it was an undeniably welcoming smile.

[color=#ff7f50]“We [i]what?[/i]”[/color] Danny asked askance, his features unknowingly morphing into a look very similar to the one Decky had given the older man when he’d first recommended the kitchen appliance videos. That was also a lot of designations thrown at him at the end there, and he had no idea how to respond to it. [color=#ff7f50]“It’s a show about naked bears?”[/color] Danny startled when Decky started cough-laughing from his seat at the bar, the smoke from his latest hit puffing out with each exhale. Danny stared at his older brother in surprise.

[color=#dc143c]“Now that I gotta see.”[/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“You’re so [i]weird[/i].”[/color]

[color=#b57f13]“But first? A movie with dinner. Decky, you go ahead and hit another one if you want. E? Did you put the order in? Your brother’s off at the game with his girl… not friend. Not girlfriend yet, for sure. But god I hope he pulls it off. Finally! My point is, pick out a movie, text the chef, and then we go to the couch. It is time, boys… to chill. You guys fuckin’ need it!”[/color] Henry said, pointing toward the couch.

[color=#cba55a]“Andy’s what?!” [/color]Ethan called out in surprise. Falling to the couch in pure disbelief, yes having sent the order of pizzas and brownies and ice cream to the chef, Ethan was brought to the sudden realization that his older brother was becoming a man, probably at this very moment. Exbitionist style. Lawd, the Devil stole his brother’s soul and he couldn’t be prouder. [color=#cba55a]“Damn, never thought he’d move that fast. First time under the bleachers? Wild. Oh a movie! We have two options. Risky Business, if you bitches haven’t seen it, it would be nice if you did before my…” [/color]Ethan stopped himself. He almost revealed to his dad that he was having a big bash tomorrow at the family vineyard with Risky Business as the theme. [color=#cba55a]“It’s just a good movie, okay? Or Clerks. That’s just a must. So which is it going to be?”[/color]

Sully tilted his head when Ethan trailed off of one sentence that seemed to lead to him talking about his party, but he supposed the taller boy was still trying to be subtle despite Henry already calling out the whole situation earlier during the whole music game. [color=#c45508]“My uncle likes Clerks,”[/color] He offered, both for Ethan to know and for little Danny to help make a decision. He looked down at the little dude. [color=#c45508]“All I really know about Risky Business is that scene everyone knows with Tom Cruise in his underwear dancin’ to Bob Seger.”[/color]

[color=#ff7f50]“Well that’s…”[/color] Danny tilted his head right back at Sully’s description while his brother looked over and once again laughed at them from the counter. He could not [i]believe[/i] Decky was acting like that from weed alone. Decky couldn’t help it though, he looked up just in time for Sully to do his little head tilt and to watch Danny follow soon after, and the sudden realization that he’d missed earlier, that Danny was clinging to Sully’s arm like a koala while Sully just let it happen, was cracking him up. Danny liked to study with him because he got to spend time with someone who just accepted his presence and didn’t dote or hover. Decky knew that, he just didn’t expect the comfort to extend outside the office so much that Danny would use Sully as a secondary anchor when Decky left him to float for a moment. It was hilarious how Sully literally didn’t do anything to ask for it and people just flocked to him. Sully may never really realize it since his relationship with most of the gearheads began through AJ’s interest and investment in him, but the streamer was definitely a social floater with his strongest ties being held down in four different groups. 

The Thespians favored him despite him not being one mostly because of his job building their sets. The Media kids knew him as one of the three hosts of the Morning Show alongside Rye and DJ, while the Gamers got the more enthusiastic version of him from his streams, aside from Oli who likely knew Sully best. Lastly, the Gearheads got him for everything else that made him Sully. The dude’s obsession with flipping old junkers for fun more than for his videos, his trade knowledge, his faded moments, and his heart that would get ripped apart in their school if he let it. And he would let it, the dumbass. 

Now, looking at Ethan, Decky realized this poor fuck was about to be added to another clique, and god help his fuckin’ soul because it was the [i]Elite[/i].

[i][color=#dc143c]It was nice knowin’ ya, Sulls.[/color][/i]

Deciding to move it all along, Decky rolled his eyes after finishing the last of the hit and blew out the smoke before deciding to give Ethan a hand.

[color=#dc143c]“Let’s do Risky Business, Danny and I have seen Clerks a shitton,”[/color] He got up and deliberately made his way to the couch, Danny detaching from Sully to follow him. Taking a spot at the corner of the L shaped section, Danny settled in next to him while Sully settled at the foot of the longer cushion near Decky’s feet. He rolled his eyes at the obvious intent to go back for another coffee soon in the other boy’s positioning. How he still just slept whenever he needed to was a mystery. With his brother at his side and his nerves settled once more, Decky felt the high washing over him again as safety blanketed his senses for a moment. He almost called Ethan by his last name again when he spoke up to the boy, but saved it at the last minute before the sentence got to his lips. [color=#dc143c]“Oh, Ethan,”[/color] Decky stared the rich boy dead in the eye.[color=#dc143c] “If ya ever pick my baby brother up without my [i]express permission[/i] again, I'll beat you're ass.”[/color] He held the gaze even as Danny poked him in the side and he finally let Ethan see the smile he'd been hiding.

[color=#dc143c]“But thanks.”[/color][/indent][/indent][/color]