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.Once he got inside, he slammed the heavy wood door twice because the sound was so very satisfying.Eyeing the glassware as he hustled past, Andy entertained a full blown mini-movie in his head, where he smashed every single piece of stemware in the pretty hanging racks he’d installed last month.His ears itched to hear the sound of glass breaking over and over against the gorgeous glazed tiles of his kitchen floor.A single finger’s span from the first row where the martini glasses hung in sleek splendor under their recessed track lighting, he caught sight of the little Looney Tunes jelly jar glass Michael had given him.Bugs Bunny smirked at him from the shelf where Andy kept his most prized glasses.If he started with the martini glasses, it wouldn’t be long before he ripped open the glass fronted cupboards and smashed everything they held as well.Michael gave him the stupid glass the year Andy was placed with his first foster family.Drawing in a ragged breath, Andy snatched his hand back.He stood, locked in place with muscles shaking under his skin for several long moments.Then he reached forward as slowly as the IRS returning money they’d been overpaid.He opened the door with fingers that trembled, scooping out the grotty little jar and cradling it against his chest.Then he walked all the intervening steps to his bedroom as though the fate of the world depended on the precise, light placement of each toe within his shoes.Crawling into bed, jacket, pants, shoes and all, Andy curled into the smallest ball he could.One hand continued to cradle the jelly jar to his chest while the other pulled the comforter up to press a spot that smelled like Michael up against his face.Andy pretended he wasn’t rocking himself slowly back and forth in the bed while a muted keening noise slipped up his raw throat and out from between the tightly clenched edges of his expensively capped teeth.The lack of control alone would be cripplingly embarrassing, and though Andreas Weiß had lived through the most humiliating experience of his life right in front of Michael, he would never be that pathetic again.He allowed himself an hour buried in Michael’s scent and the warmth of his own soft bed, and then Andreas Weiß got up from where he had lain.Setting aside the jelly jar, right up against the mirror in a well-defended spot at the back of his dresser, Andy stripped the bed methodically.He meticulously bundled up, carried through the house and finally placed each sheet, pillowcase, and lastly the duvet cover into the washer.Pouring in lavender scented laundry detergent like a benediction Andy paused to close his eyes.Blinking damp eyelashes open, he closed the lid and made his way back through the heavy silence of his house to start getting things ready for the long awaited costume party.**** Opening the door to the outside, Devon paused to visibly sniff at the air.Michael sat right outside the front door, just like he’d promised.A stray ray of sun caught the hood of the Jeep, gleaming brightly and reflecting the late afternoon sunshine.Devon grinned, motioning for Michael to stay put behind the wheel.Michael snorted quietly to himself.As if he'd let Sergeant Soto get in the driver’s side of any vehicle when he was coming off being as rocky as he just was.Devon slipped into the passenger’s side, his face washed clean and a smile stretching his mouth wide.Michael slanted a narrow eyed look at Devon.The dork grinned back at him with all the exuberance of a two month old chocolate lab.He actually bounced a bit in his seat as he started speaking.“I fucked up, but I’m gonna make it right.I wanna keep him forever, and forever means fixing things when you fuck up.” Michael frowned, shaking his head to clear his longish bangs away from his eyes.“Sarge, what the fuck are you talking about?”Devon gave an anemic little laugh, which Michael refused to call a giggle.Former military men, especially ones who were six foot five with oodles of special training in take down tactics did not giggle.With one eyebrow creeping higher by the second, Michael eyed his former sergeant and held his silence.Devon did not disappoint him, caving to the need to gossip about his relationship with Adrien in less than sixty seconds.He wiggled around in the passenger seat, his hands moving in vague half circle shapes as though he were trying to turn a steering wheel.Michael’s eyebrow hit the far limit of its upward mobility just as the words began to tumble from Devon’s mouth.“I tried to make him stay in so he’d be safe, and he told me to fuck off.I got mad and shook him—just trying to shake some sense into him, you know? So, anyway—he’s a scrappy little thing.Knocked my hands right off him and told me to get the fuck out.Said if I wanted a chance with him I was to come to the party tonight, in costume, and be polite to him.”Michael blinked at the lucky-to-still-bebreathing-idiot sitting next to him.Holy Christ on a pogo stick, the man was obviously watched over by legions of overworked angels.He wouldn’t even dare to pull that shit on his little brother Sammie—or as the twit had taken to calling himself (so as not to be confused with Adrien’s younger brother who was also named Sam)— David pronounce it Daaveed.“And what are you planning to do?” Devon tilted his head and narrowed his eyes slightly as he handed Michael another to go cup of sweet smelling cocoa and an old fashioned tin of cookies embossed with smiling snowmen on a navy blue background.“Here, Mrs.Simpson said those are for you.What am I gonna do? I am going to find a costume for tonight, of course.He said come in costume, quote-because it’s a fucking costume Christmas party-end quote.”Michael snorted.He took a sip of the cocoa, winced and gasped at the blisteringly hot feel of the cocoa flavored lava in his mouth before setting the cup cautiously in the driver’s side cup holder.Michael double checked that the lid was securely on before putting the Jeep into gear in preparation to pull out of the parking spot.“Damn, that’s hot.Catherine Marie thinks everyone has an asbestos tongue like her… shit, my tongue is gonna fall off.Okay, yeah, the Twinks are throwing a costume party this year for Christmas.At their Halloween party Andy got a bee in his bonnet about how they should have more costume wearing fun during the rest of the year, and the whole Glitter Crew jumped on the bandwagon
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