Page 126 of All The Things: The Last Thing He Needs Omnibus

Tony looked ready to duck when Ben towered over him. Gavin came closer to give him a little backup, but Tony still seemed like he wanted to bolt. For a flash of a second, Gavin felt pity for his best friend, but when he noticed his own bag slung over Tony’s shoulder, a box in his arms, and a few more sitting on the ground by his feet—all of them Gavin’s—his concern for Tony took a sharp turn toward irritation.

“You’re kicking me out now?” What the hell was going on?

Tony pushed in when Ben stepped aside. “I’m not kicking you out, Gav. Ben wants you to come home. You want to go home. This is stupid.” He set the box down in the middle of the living room and tossed Gavin’s duffel onto the couch. “If you guys can’t work your shit out, you’ve always got a place to stay—hell, we’ll get a bigger apartment and sign a lease and everything. But at least try.” He toed the other boxes through the door as he spoke.

Gavin should’ve guessed Tony would feel that way, and, damn it, it made sense, but something about being passed back and forth between the two of them like an unwanted puppy made Gavin want to choke them both. “Am I allowed any say in this? Is there ever gonna come a point where I get to decide where I live or what I do with my life?” He hadn’t realized he was yelling at first, but once he let it out, it felt pretty damn good. “For Christ’s sake!”

Tony glanced from Gavin to Ben—who stood stone-still, listening as the muscle in his jaw jumped and twitched. For a minute, Tony looked like he might say something, argue or agree, Gavin had no idea.

In the end Tony took a step back and said, “Gimme a call later and let me know what’s going on so I can get your car back to ya.” He looked straight into Gavin’s eyes, held his gaze for a long moment as if he was trying to convey something deeper, but Gavin couldn’t figure out what it was. “I’ve been your best friend since the day we met, Gav. I only want what’s right for you.”

When he turned and walked out, Gavin slammed the door behind him. “Maybe I’m the one who should decide what’s right for me.”

Ben stood with his arms crossed over his chest, still looking like he was chewing on a rock. When Gavin kicked one of the boxes across the room—stubbing his toe in the process—Ben finally spoke. “Maybe you should act like you’re capable of that first.”

He rounded on Ben. “Quit treating me like I’m a child.”

“I never said th—”

“First you tell me I’m too young for you, then you tell me what classes I should take in school, that I need to do something more with my life, that I need to get out more, then you tell me we need to see other people….” What had started out as a rant at high volume faded with every word. As he put it all together, Gavin tipped his head to the side and studied Ben for a moment. “You didn’t want to see other people. You just wanted me to.”

Chapter Seven

Ben

Finally. Gavin finally understood. Kind of, anyway. “I don’t… want you to, but I think that might be a good thing for you.”

When Gavin narrowed his eyes again, Ben knew he’d said the wrong thing. Big surprise.

Rather than yell, Gavin hissed, “Again, maybe I’m the better judge of what’s good for me and what’s not.”

Considering some of Gavin’s choices, especially in the last twenty-four hours, that point was debatable, but hell if Ben was going to say so. “Fine. You tell me, then. What’s best for Gavin Van Loen?”

Clearly seething, Gavin paced the floor for a round or two before facing Ben again. “A month ago, I would’ve said you.”

Ben felt like pulling back from the words as if they’d been a hit. He stood silently, though, and let Gavin go on.

“I would’ve said you, and a house somewhere safe and quiet. I would’ve said a dog and nosy neighbors and a grill on the back porch with a spare room for your mom when she comes to visit. I would’ve said a couple of kids—” Either Ben had made a sound he didn’t realize, or something in his expression stopped Gavin in his tracks. “What?”

He really shouldn’t say it and he knew it. He said it anyway. “You’re too young for that kind of shit right now.”

“I swear to God, Ben. I know you’re bigger than me and if you wanted to you could put me through the wall, but swear to Christ, if you say that to me one more time, I’m going to kill you.”

Frustrated with himself and Gavin, Ben tried to hang on to his temper. “I’m just saying to give it a decade and—”

“A decade?” Gavin sounded shocked and angry. “You think I need ten years to figure out what I want? And, then, what? We’ll have a kid, but you’ll both be in diapers?”

Apparently Ben wasn’t allowed to say Gavin was too young, but Gavin was perfectly within his rights to say Ben was too old.

Ben didn’t get a chance to comment because Gavin asked, “Do you not want that stuff too? I mean, I just assumed, but is that all too… I don’t know, heteronormative for you or something?”

In truth Ben liked the idea. Hell, he loved it. And who was he to complain if Gavin’s big life goal was to be Donna Reed with a dick? Ben made enough money to support them both, even support a family, and he invested well. He was still a little nettled by the diaper comment, though. And, if he were being honest, he didn’t feel like that big of an asshole for suggesting that Gavin look around and explore his options. Sure, his delivery had sucked, but his heart was in the right place. “Kids are fine. Hell, they’re great. I don’t mind the idea, but I’d like to be done raising you before we go out and start on another.” As far as saying the shittiest thing possible at the shittiest time possible, Ben was the new world champion.

If Gavin had slapped him for that one, he would’ve had every right, but instead Gavin stood in front of him, his whole body trembling as his eyes brimmed with tears. When Gavin spoke, his voice was hushed, full of emotion and maybe some quiet rage. “Well. I guess we don’t have anything else to talk about.” He turned on his heel and left the room.

“Gav, wait. I didn’t—” His words were cut off by the sound of their bedroom door slamming shut.

Okay, now he felt like that big of an asshole.

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