Authors:lee_west and ceria Rating: R Pairing: Gideon/Kingsley Summary: Gideon meets a cousin and some assumptions are made. Disclaimer: We don’t own the boys at all; if we did, their story would have a happy ending. Nor do we own the rights to The Island of Dr Moreau - however, we often have delusions of grandeur. A/N: Written for the AWDT prompts, "I'm out of it for a little while and everybody gets delusion of grandeur" and "is it okay if I bring my lover…"
Kingsley knew he was a lucky person. It could only have been luck that made him stir in bed, feeling an urge to go to the bathroom right then. He tried to lie down a little bit more - even though Gideon had been gone a few hours already, the bed was comfortable. But the pressure on his bladder made him begrudgingly open an eye and look at the alarm clock. It showed almost ten o'clock.
He got out of bed and shuffled his feet to the bathroom. He looked at the mirror and considered going back to bed. But he had to go home soon, so he brushed his teeth instead and turned on the shower. He could go back to his grandfather's house and take a nap under the sun.
He was in the shower when he heard the Floo flaring and his mother's voice calling out, "Kingsley! Are you there?"
He put his head out of the shower and answered, "Taking a shower, Mum. Will call you later!"
He was indeed a lucky fellow. If he hadn't got up to go to the bathroom, Maura would have woken him up. From Gideon's bed. Whistling a happy tune, he stepped out of the shower, got dressed, made Gideon's bed and knelt in front of the Floo. He called his mother and told her he was just about to go home. "You'll be proud of me, Mum! I was a good houseguest. See? I made my bed," he said, pointing to the unused sofa.
"That's good. Did you leave anything dirty?"
No, Mum, he had to go to work, so we didn't have time, he thought mischievously. "I even tidied up for him."
Smiling in approval, she moved out of the fireplace and Kingsley Floo'ed home. He'd try to go to Gideon's game and hopefully come back to the flat after that.
He considered casting some sort of healing spell on himself when he woke the following morning. Instead, he took a cold shower and recast the cushioning spell on his broom. He wasn't looking forward to playing as a second string Chaser; he had only played the first two matches as a reserve two years ago. Since then, he'd played every match up until this year. Even Order missions or MLE assignments hadn't changed that. Of course, typically he didn't end up in St. Mungos or have a parent die either.
The sorrow was getting easier to deal with now. Kingsley's distractive presence had made a difference. As he stepped onto the pitch carrying his equipment, Sanders and Arrice both tackled him with hugs. "Whoa there," he said, almost falling over until Meg put two hands on his shoulders to help balance him as she approached from behind him.
"Welcome back, Prewett," Victor called out, already in the air. "Get geared up and get your sorry arse up here."
Nodding, Gideon dropped his things and dressed quickly, hugging the three back before he mounted his broom.
Maura sat down at the table while Kingsley had breakfast, sipping her cup of tea. "Which movie did you see last night, Kingsley?"
Swallowing his eggs and sausage slowly while he thought of a plausible story, Kingsley decided for a half-truth. "We didn't go, Mum. We swam and took the rowboat out for a while, and Gideon was tired. We stayed in, had curry and played chess and Exploding Snap." He smiled, remembering how much fun it had been, and how much he enjoyed the camaraderie with Gideon, as well as the sex.
"That's good, darling. I'm glad you're good friends with him. He is very mature and responsible, and I know he won't let you do anything your father and I wouldn't approve."
Kingsley choked on his pumpkin juice. Maura stood up and slapped his back until he stopped. "Don't drink so fast, Kingsley."
Practice was long and tedious, but Gideon, happy to be back after the last few weeks, didn't complain once. He didn't even consider it unreasonable when the coach and Victor told him to skip his lunch for a meeting. Gideon told Meg he couldn't eat with her and joined them under the tree with his food.
"We've something important to discuss," Victor said, "and, for the rest of this season, it remains between us."
Curious, Gideon nodded, taking a bite from his sandwich, as the coach said; "We need a new Captain while Victor is gone for the World Cup."
Gideon choked on his sandwich while Victor laughed at him, "Not you, Prewett. We just want your opinion."
Thankful Victor knew him well enough to know that, Gideon tilted his head while he considered their options. "Not Meg, possibly Sanders. Wood's a good team player, Arrice has a strong head on her shoulders, very level."
"All right," the coach said, "after the season is over I want you to begin scouting for another Chaser."
"Me, sir?" Gideon asked.
"I'd ask Victor, but he'll be busy with the Cup. I need someone I can depend on for scouting. Take Daniels with you, make it a few weekend trips."
"Meg would like that, sir. Thank you."
Trying to catch his breath, Kingsley almost missed his mother's next words. "Chambers is coming over; he'll be with us for a few days." She looked at Kingsley pointedly, as he coughed and tried to shake his head at the same time. "And you, Kingsley McIntosh Shacklebolt, you'll be very nice to your cousin."
"Mum," Kingsley said in a hoarse voice, "I don't want to be nice to that git."
"Not nice. Very nice. Chambers is doing much better after all his problems and he needs some company. You spend a lot of time with Santini, so you can spend some time with Chambers, too.
"Don't compare Chambers to Santini! Chambers is evil!"
"He's not, Kingsley. He was just a confused young man. I expect you to go out with him."
"I'm not going out with him!" Kingsley sulked.
"And why not?"
"We don't have the same tastes, that's why."
Her next sentence made Kingsley freeze. "But I think you do."
"We're on scouting duty after this season," Gideon told Meg following lunch, grinning.
"The two of us?"
"Yep."
"At the schools?" Meg was very excited; she hadn't seen any of the English schools and suddenly their summer off looked much more interesting.
They were back in the air after practice and Meg watched Gideon with a small smile. He was doing well, much better than she expected, and she wondered how much of it could be attributed to Kingsley.
Heaving now, Kingsley squeaked, eyes wide open, "What do I have in common with Chambers, Mum?" He didn't want to hear her answer, but at the same time, he knew he had to.
She looked at him strangely. "Kingsley, are you all right? Why are you having difficulty breathing? Here, have some water."
He drank the water in one gulp and choked again. At this rate, he'd die and everything would be all right, because then his mother would not be able to tell him that she knew that both he and Chambers liked boys.
Gideon had missed playing Quidditch. The last couple weeks had been too emotional for him. There was no death here, no sick brothers, no simpering women or consoling platitudes from people that didn't care for him. Just him, the open sky and the Quaffle. It made things strangely clear for him.
The more he played, the more he was thankful for his career. It was the first time he realized that, Gideon thought.
"Anyway, Kingsley," Maura said, whacking him on his back matter-of-factly, "you and your cousin do have a lot in common: you both like Quidditch, for instance. You can take him to a game - isn't Gideon playing? I'm sure Chambers will enjoy meeting him."
Kingsley had just regained his breath, but the idea of Gideon meeting Chambers was too horrifying. "Mum, I can't introduce the two of them. Gideon will hate him."
"Don't be silly. And I'm getting a little upset at you. Your reluctance to be friends with your cousin is bordering homophobia. I thought I had raised you better than that." Kingsley gasped in surprise - his mother thought he was a homophobe?
Maura obviously misunderstood his surprise. "You will be nice to your cousin, you will take him out with you and your friend and you won't, under any circumstance, make any offhand joke about his sexuality. Do you understand me?"
He nodded dumbly, then went to his room.
Finally home for the day, he turned down a trip to the pub with Sanders but promised to go one night this week, Gideon dropped his equipment in the corner and kicked his boots and uniform off, leaving it in the pile as well. Dropping to the floor, he stretched, letting his muscles relax.
He needed to check on Fabian, but it could wait a few minutes. Lydia was most likely just leaving work and he decided to let them to have some time to themselves first. Besides, he hadn't received the required lecture from his brother's girlfriend about dumping her friend. Not that Lydia seemed the type, but considering what Fabian knew, he'd probably put Lydia up to it to spite Gideon.
Kingsley spent the whole day in a very uncharacteristic bad mood. He decided not to go to his grandfather's house and stayed in his room most of the time, cleaning up and reading. Everything was really unfair: he only had a couple of weeks before school started and now he had the gittiest of cousins attached to him.
Chambers had been trying hard to be friends with him lately - after he came out, the git decided that he was going to be this nice person, who was at peace with himself, but Kingsley's ears hadn't forgotten being pulled and his head probably had permanent dents from all the conkings he'd received from Chambers.
Finally, after tea, he realized that Gideon might be home, so he knelt in front of the Floo and placed a call.
Gideon heard the Floo register a new caller and rolled close to it, hiding his mostly naked body until he heard Kingsley's voice.
"What's going on, Imp?"
"I had the most awful news: my gitty cousin Chambers is coming to visit."
"Why is that awful? What's so bad about him?"
"He's a git," Kingsley answered sulkily.
"And that explains so much," Gideon said. "I believe I heard that definition from you before. How long will he be here?"
"Forever, it seems. He'll be here for a few days, but he's such a git that it'll feel like ages. I wanted to go dancing with you on Friday or Saturday night and now I have this idiot with me. Which means that we won't go dancing. Ah, and my mum wants me to take him to your game, so you can meet and bond."
Oh lovely, so Chambers can learn I'm shagging him. Gideon leaned back, balancing on the heels of his feet. "Why can't we take him with us?" He forgot that Kingsley wasn't in the room with him and Fabian when the Shacklebolts were discussing Chambers and his choices.
Kingsley huffed. "How many times do I have to tell you that he's a GIT?" he shouted.
Gideon threw his hands in the air by his head, "I'm trying to help, Shacklebolt. I understand you think he's a git. It's been made abundantly clear by now." He sighed, unsure what else to say, "I need tea, why don't you come through and we'll talk in person?"
"Okay, let me tell my mother and I'll be there." He left the living-room and came back running a few minutes later. He jumped into the Floo and arrived at Gideon's flat. "Tea, you said?"
He threw on the nearest clothes he found, a Muggle tee shirt and pair of shorts, and laughed at the influence Kingsley had caused. He had adapted quickly from formal robes with pants underneath to usually having Muggle clothes nearby, if not on already.
He waved hello to Kingsley, who followed him to the kitchen for tea. That was a Kingsley inspiration as well, and he had bought a Muggle teapot not long ago, preferring it to using a wand and having a cup instantly.
Keeping his back turned for a moment, unsure what to say without sending Kingsley into another tirade, he waited until the tea was ready and handed him a cup. Gideon sat at the table and leaned back, waiting to listen.
Kingsley gulped his tea, burnt his tongue, let out a loud, "Shit!" and sulked even more. He drank the rest of his tea carefully, moping in silence. Finally, he decided to speak. "Chambers and I never liked each other. When I was a boy, he liked to make me his own personal punching bag and the butt of his jokes. My mother thinks he was a mean bastard because he was confused about his sexuality, but I think it's because he's a git.
"And you won't believe what my mother told me! She said my dislike for him is bordering homophobia. MY MOTHER CALLED ME A HOMOPHOBE!"
Snorting his tea, Gideon leaned over the table, hand cradling his forehead. Glancing up at Kingsley, he watched him for a moment before speaking - he really seemed upset. "You're not some scrawny kid anymore. He can't hurt you. And with your wit, there's no chance in hell you'll be the butt of anyone's jokes." Tempted to add, except mine, Gideon decided to not tease him.
He stood up, leaving his cup on the table, "I can go Floo your mum right now and clear up the rest of the mess, if you like."
Kingsley decided to omit the fact that it was his sharp tongue and wit that had earned him most of the conking on the head from Chambers. "What do you mean clean the rest of the mess?"
"You don't want your mum thinking you're phobic because Chambers is gay, correct?" He began walking toward the living room, "You're a legal adult now, why don't I just tell her the truth, that you're bi yourself? I'm sure she'll understand then that Chambers is just a git and it's not his sexual orientation that bothers you."
Kingsley rushed behind Gideon and tackled him to the floor, yelling, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? There's no way in hell I'll tell my mother that." He pressed his body over Gideon's to make him stop thrashing. Being heavier than Gideon, it wasn't a very hard task, and soon Kingsley had Gideon pinned to the floor. His mouth a few inches over Gideon's, he said, "So, are you going to tell her anything at all? Are you?" He looked at Gideon's mouth and, without another thought, kissed him.
He let Kingsley kiss him for a moment then turned his face away, grinning. "I wondered how long it would take you to stop me - and it's about damn time you kissed me."
He rolled them over, not an easy feat on the smooth floor, and pushed his hips into Kingsley. "If the thought terrifies you, can you imagine how it must have petrified Chambers? He probably knew for a long time before admitting it to anyone. I bet he's not anything like you or Santini. You're both comfortable with your sexuality. That's very rare, you know."
It had never crossed Kingsley's mind that Chambers must have gone through hell because of his homosexuality. He remembered having made Chambers cry, when he was about eight and Chambers sixteen: he had taunted Chambers then, saying that he was a sissy who liked boys. Chambers's reaction, pummeling him on the head and sobbing that he was not had surprised Kingsley so much that he hadn't minded the pounding, and kept repeating "Sissy!" Finally, Santini had heard the commotion and had taken Chambers away.
Kingsley had been young, but smart enough to know that he'd get in trouble for calling his cousin a sissy. Chambers obviously knew that he would see the worst of Southwood's wrath for having beaten Kingsley. Therefore, by tacit and mutual agreement, neither boy had made a comment to the grown-ups.
A sore head, but the knowledge that he'd got one up on Chambers had put Kingsley in a wonderful mood. From then on, every time Chambers swung his fist to hit him, Kingsley would just mouth "Sissy," and Chambers would squint at him, but lower his arm.
For some reason he didn't think it would be a story that Gideon would enjoy knowing, so he moved from under him and said, "We're comfortable because we like girls, too, and one day we'll get married. Our parents will never know about us. They know we only date girls."
Gideon let him move, but asked before Kingsley stood up, "Where you going? The floor too good for you?"
At Kingsley's odd look, Gideon laughed and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulling him close for another kiss.
"I wasn't done yet," he muttered between kisses.
"Hmmm…" Kingsley muttered, fully enjoying the kiss. He was feeling much better now than he'd been at home. But he still had the Chambers problem to deal with. He stopped kissing Gideon just enough to ask, "And what do we do about the git?"
"What do you want to do? Either you take him around on your own or we can entertain him. There's the game this weekend, Muggle London, Diagon Alley, all sorts of things if you don't want to take him to Shaft or Heaven. Does Santini spend time with him? What do they usually do?"
"Santini is a nice bloke – he doesn’t mind spending time with Chambers. He told me he's changed a lot and is actually fun to be with. I suppose they go dancing together, too." He kissed Gideon again while he thought about what to do. "Maybe we can take him to the game and then lose him. Unless," he laughed, "you agree with Santini, think he's all right and want to take him dancing with us."
"With us? Does that mean you don't care if he knows? Otherwise he's going to think we're mocking him by taking him to Shaft and I don't know if you want to deal with that."
"Why would I care if he knows?" Kingsley asked. "Maybe he can find another git there and leave us alone. Hey," he laughed, "Remember that fuckwit I met there, the one who wanted me to bottom for him? Maybe we can set him up with Chambers."
"That was Heaven, and yes, if you want." Personally, Gideon wanted to go to Shaft and dump him off with the git that always hit on Kingsley. He considered that thought for a moment, then dismissed it. Heaven might be a better choice after all.
"All right, let's meet him this week and decide later. Dancing is better Friday night, not Saturday since the match is Sunday." Gideon shook his head, "Never mind, I’m not playing. Either night is good. But I still need to meet him before this weekend. What do you want to do tomorrow with him?
"Er, or whenever if you have plans."
"He's arriving tonight, I think. You can come to dinner, if you want. Or, if you don't want an overdose of Chambers, we can go to the movies tomorrow night and then – I don't know – ice cream? Dinner? You may throw up, though, if you have dinner with him." He thought about something, chewing his lip. "That's good: I can eat dinner and then go to bed and I'll sleep until noon tomorrow, so I won’t spend too much time with him until we go to the movies."
Gideon didn't answer immediately, considering his choices. "First let me Floo Fabian and see what he's doing." Kingsley made to stand up as Gideon did, but motioned him to wait in the kitchen.
In all honesty, Gideon wanted to talk to Fabian alone, to check his mood. They hadn't left his father's home peacefully, and Gideon hadn't returned to help as he promised he would.
Kneeling in front of the fireplace, Gideon called out Fabian's home. When no one answered, he tried his father's and waved as Lydia knelt down to answer the call.
"Is Fabian there?"
She nodded, "He's eating dinner, want me to get him?"
"No, that's all right. What are you doing?"
"We came back tonight to go through some things. Molly is on her way as well, Fabian meant to try you after dinner."
"I'll be there soon," he promised.
Feeling immensely better after the short snogging session with Gideon, Kingsley was dancing in the kitchen to an imaginary tune when Gideon returned.
Considering Kingsley seemed in a better mood, and wasn't definite on Gideon coming over for dinner, he said, "All right. Tomorrow looks better for me. I'm going to join Fabian and Molly at Dad's house and help pack since I haven't yet.
"A trip to Diagon Alley, then the movies if he wants tomorrow. Want me to meet you at the Leaky Cauldron at a specific time?"
"Lemme see…I'll wake up at noon, have a very long shower, then eat something – I can't talk to him with my mouth full – and then we can go. What about two?" He held Gideon by his waist and kissed him soundly on the mouth. "Say hello to your git for me! Being with him tonight will be good practice for tomorrow."
Gideon rolled his eyes; Kingsley either loved or hated people it seemed. "I'll do that." He set the cups in the sink and grabbed Kingsley's shoulders, pushing him toward the fireplace. "Have a good night."
He followed him a couple minutes later, calling out his father's house before he stepped through the Floo.
***
Kingsley spent the rest of the day in a strenuous exercise program. He felt that he had a lot of energy to spend and didn't want to be hyper when Chambers arrived. He knew he had to be at his most alert against his cousin and exercising made him relax and focus.
***
Chambers arrived promptly at seven. He was dressed conservatively in khaki trousers and a button-down striped shirt and was carrying a suitcase with him. Kingsley had hoped briefly that Chambers had changed his mind and had decided to come only for dinner, but the sight of the luggage crushed his dreams.
Maura hugged Chambers affectionately and Kingsley noticed that his cousin was clinging a little too much to his mother, whispering something like "Thank you so much, Aunt Maura," into her ear. McIntosh hugged his nephew warmly – apparently old Mac wasn't bothered by the fact that he was hugging a man who liked other men – saying out loud how happy he was to see Chambers again.
With all this loving going his way, I'm afraid Chambers will take permanent residence here, Kingsley thought bitterly before moving forward at a stern look from his mother. He extended his hand to his cousin, thinking that it was certainly a goodwill gesture. The only times he and Chambers had touched had been rather painful for Kingsley.
To his immense shock, Chambers strode towards him and enveloped him in a bear hug. "Kingsley! I'm really happy to see you!"
Wishing he could say the same, Kingsley patted his cousin's back awkwardly.
For the first time in many years, Gideon wasn't looking forward to seeing his brother. Stepping into his father's house surprised him. The sturdy but unfashionable furniture was gone, the den was littered with boxes, some were closed, but most were open, haphazardly thrown together with miscellaneous items in them.
"There you are," Molly said, carrying an armload of items, "We're separating the things we found into three boxes, one for each of us of things we made as children. The open empty boxes are for the kitchen, the half filled boxes are Mum's old clothes for dress up."
Molly turned around and nodded toward two closed boxes. "I also boxed up some toys I found from your childhood. I thought you and Fabian might like them for your own children someday. I kept some of them for Bill and Charlie as well."
Too stunned to process the bit about having his own children, Gideon said, "Dad still had Mum's stuff?" He had looked years ago right after she first died when he had trouble sleeping and couldn't find anything.
"In the attic. Fabian's up there now, going through things. He could use some help."
"On my way," Gideon said.
Feeling his mother's eyes on him, Kingsley answered a little more warmly, "Nice to see you, too, Chambers." He hoped that was enough and, just to show good faith, picked up Chambers' suitcase and started lugging it upstairs, into the guest room. He looked at his cousin from over his shoulders, "Don't you want to come up?"
"All right," Chambers answered, following Kingsley to the second floor. "But why don't you just levitate it? You can do magic legally now."
"I like the exercise," Kingsley said with a small smile. And I'd love to drop this fucking heavy suitcase on your toes, git. Are you moving in? Let me know, because I'll move out.
He opened the door with his foot and put the suitcase on the bed. "Tomorrow we'll go to the movies with a friend of mine and then maybe have dinner? I thought you'd like to stay in tonight and chat with Mum and Dad, so I didn’t plan anything at all."
"That sounds fine. I'd love to spend a quiet evening with you three."
Oh, joy! "Let's go down, then. Dad's probably expecting us to have a drink with him."
Poking his head through the hole in the attic, he winced as Fabian coughed, holding his head.
"You all right, brother? How's the head?"
"Fine. Did you finally leave your flat?"
Gideon pretended he didn't hear it. Fabian had every right to complain, or so Gideon believed. He was burdened enough, between their father's death, keeping Gideon and Kingsley's secret and his recovery.
Eventually, Gideon would speak to him. However, today wasn't the time and Gideon swallowed the bitter words with a grimace.
"I saw Molly downstairs. She boxed up toys for our children."
Fabian sighed, "I’m out of it for a little while and everybody gets delusions of grandeur."
"Pardon me?"
"Molly thinks you're going to have children, she asked Lydia if she wanted Mum's wedding dress, she kept some of Mum's old clothes because she thinks she'll have a girl this time, and you, brother mine, think I may choose to ignore the albatross around your neck."
"He's not an albatross."
"Whatever."
"So when's the wedding?" Gideon teased.
"I didn't take you for the maternal type."
"What makes you think that's my role?"
"Why do you make me think about it at all?"
"I've seen pictures of Mum's dress; Lydia would look nice in it."
Fabian took a deep breath, and held it for ten seconds. Gideon counted silently for him, fingers tapping against a dusty wood crate. He closed his eyes and nodded once, indicating he was done arguing.
"Malfoy was here today. We need to check on Dad's accounts."
"Why?"
"He said Dad owed him money. Did you know anything about that?"
"Mum borrowed a lot from Uncle Ignatius years ago. What's wrong?"
"He implied we owe him since Dad is gone and can't finish paying him back."
"Malfoy can piss off if he thinks we're giving him money."
Despite himself, Kingsley had to admit that Chambers was trying hard to be as un-gitty as he could. He was a pleasant company for dinner, not once trying one of his tricks on Kingsley, entertaining Maura and Mac with stories about work, He was a photographer with his own small start-up studio, and had some interesting tales about the people who came asking for the most outrageous pictures.
At one point Kingsley started laughing about one of Chambers's stories, then realized he was laughing at a Chambers story and closed his mouth. It was one thing to sit at a table and be civil to Chambers, but a totally different thing to be friendly with him.
After dinner, the four Shacklebolts sat down for a game of cards; Kingsley was paired with Chambers against his will, but a stern look from Maura made him accept his fate stoically. They played until late; it was the first time that Kingsley had been partnered with Chambers and it surprised him to see how well they played together.
"Did you ask Molly?"
"No. She, well, worries so much; I wanted to talk to you about it. I think we should handle it on our own."
Gideon nodded, "I agree."
They worked in silence packing most of the night, Lydia downstairs helping Molly with the clothes and things. Gideon didn't talk much unless Fabian began the conversation, and within a couple hours, they were both happily reminiscing about their days as children, before they began at Hogwarts.
Molly finally climbed the stairs, shaking her head at both of them as they laughed over silly stories.
"It's late and Arthur has been alone with the children all night."
Gideon gasped, "You better run, Molly. I'm sure by now Bill has tied him in knots to a tree in your back yard…"
Fabian laughed, "And Charlie is trying to make cookies. Again."
Molly rolled her eyes, "Not likely. I spelled the books so that only I can read them. I refuse to spend another afternoon cleaning flour and sugar off the ceiling."
She hugged her brothers good night.
***
Kingsley woke up the next day at noon. He took a lengthy shower and dressed slowly. Finally, he dragged his feet downstairs and met Chambers and Maura, animatedly talking over lunch.
"Well, Chambers, look at that! Your cousin decided to grace us with his presence."
Chambers laughed. "He might as well sleep late while he can, Aunt Maura. This is his last summer as a free man."
Kingsley blinked. Chambers was defending him? He sat down and ate in silence, listening to his mother and cousin incessantly chatting. He wouldn't mind staying there longer – the more Chambers and Maura connected, the less time he's have to spend with his cousin. But he wanted to go to the movies, so, excusing himself, he told his mother he was going to call Gideon. He ran to the living-room before Chambers decided to follow him.
Gideon stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his hips. The cold water dripped down his back, making him shiver. His flat was chilly; either that or practice was strenuous enough to keep his warm all morning.
His tiff with Fabian seemed over, though Gideon needed to speak to Kingsley about not aggravating it. Happy, he whistled a silly tune as he walked to the kitchen wanting tea, when he heard the Floo make noise.
That had to be Kingsley.
The sight of Gideon with a towel wrapped around his hips brought the broadest smile to Kingsley's face –the first one since Chambers had arrived.
"Hey, sexy, care to show me what's underneath that towel?" he asked cheekily.
"Come on through and I'll do more than show you, Imp." Gideon knelt down, one hand holding the towel tight, "How's it going, all right so far?"
Kingsley shrugged. "He's strange. I think he's been hexed. He is trying really hard not to be a git." He bit his lip in thought. "Hey, can I really go through?" He laughed at Gideon's surprised face, "Not now; if I disappear, my mum will accuse me of leaving him behind. What I meant was, can we meet at your flat? And then we can go to London from there."
"Of course. You know that; just not until I get dressed, please. I don't want to walk around naked in front of your cousin."
Kingsley rolled his eyes. "Better not. He might attack you. We have to change anyway, and he's a peacock; it'll take him ages to get dressed. Half an hour, then?
"Half an hour, then." Gideon said, nodding his head in agreement. He said goodbye to Kingsley and stood, beginning the tea before he dressed.
Pulling on pants beneath his jeans – he had to annoy the Imp and wear them – Gideon found a tight black tee shirt to wear. He ran the towel over his head then settled his hair with his fingers, tucking the sides behind his ears. It was getting too long; he'd been too busy to get anyone to cut it recently.
Pouring a cup of tea, he settled on the sofa to wait for Kingsley and Chambers.
Kingsley rushed upstairs, shouting for Chambers to get ready to go. He put on the tight black jeans Santini had sent him and a Ravenclaw blue t-shirt and went downstairs to patiently wait for Chambers. It was a well-known fact that Chambers took an enormous amount of time to look just right, so Kingsley was utterly surprised to see his cousin ready to go.
"Ready?" he blurted.
"Yep. Is this okay?" He was wearing jeans and a polo shirt, and Kingsley, very begrudgingly, had to admit he looked very nice, just the right attire for an afternoon and early evening in London. Of course Chambers had no clue they'd be going to a gay bar, but he could always Transfigure his clothes into something trendier if he wished.
"Kingsley, darling, these jeans are very tight on you," Maura observed, eyeing him critically.
Before Kingsley could answer, Chambers interrupted, "It's the fashion, Aunt Maura. And it looks like something Santini would wear, no?"
It was the second time Chambers stood up for him; Kingsley now knew for sure that his cousin had been hexed. "Mum, we may go out after dinner, so we'll probably sleep at Gideon's, all right?"
"I don't think so, Kingsley. Where will he fit both of you?"
"Chambers and I can share the sofa." Kingsley was actually hoping Chambers would find some nice company at Shaft and leave him and Gideon alone.
"Is Gideon all right with it?"
"Of course, Mum," Kingsley answered curtly. He hadn't asked, but he imagined it wouldn't be a problem.
"Fine, then. Don't forget to clean up before you come home tomorrow."
Nodding, Kingsley motioned Chambers to follow him to the Floo. A few minutes later, he tumbled out of Gideon's fireplace, followed almost immediately by Chambers. The two Shacklebolts waved their wands to clean their clothes and Kingsley strode towards Gideon, pulling him into his arms and kissing him soundly on the mouth.
Gideon recoiled, shocked by Kingsley yet again, and stepped back as far as possible. Kingsley had a tight grip on his arms and Gideon couldn't extricate himself without a scene - didn't even try. He wasn't sure what to think, the man with Kingsley, who had to be Chambers, looked surprised, but not shocked.
Gideon sighed, of course not. He knew that Santini knew about them, and he shouldn't be surprised that Chambers knew about Kingsley's habits as well. Gideon smiled at him then turned toward Kingsley. Who, of course, was looking at him with an irritated expression on his face.
He kissed him back very briefly, "Sorry 'bout that, I forget that some people are more comfortable with this than others." He stood there, not moving, one arm wrapped around Kingsley's side where Chambers couldn't see it, fingers caressing bare skin. He tried to walk forward to say hello, but Kingsley hadn't let go of him yet.
Gideon waved hello from where he stood and said, "Nice to meet you, Chambers. I'm Gideon Prewett."
Kingsley finally let go of Gideon. "Sorry about my manners. Gideon, this is my cousin, Chambers. Chambers, this is my friend, Gideon."
With an enigmatic smile, Chambers walked towards the two other men and extended his hand to Gideon. "My pleasure. Prewett, you said? Related to Fabian Prewett? He was in my House, Gryffindor, although I was one or two years ahead of him."
Kingsley made a funny face: it was a sore point for him, the fact that Chambers had been sorted into Gryffindor and he, who considered himself much braver than Chambers, had been put in Ravenclaw. In his mind, Chambers should've been a Slytherin.
"Nice to meet you." Gideon grinned at Kingsley when he saw the look. He turned toward Chambers.
"I'm not surprised both of you were Gryffindor, and yes, Fabian is my brother. He's an Auror for the MLE in London now."
Gideon shook his hand firmly, stepping away from Kingsley. "I understand we're headed for Muggle London for a movie, correct?" He stepped back toward Kingsley and pushed his shoulder against his, "then dinner?"
Whoopie! Gryffindor must have been a bundle of joy those days: the two greatest gits in the world together. He nodded. "And then Shaft?" he asked both Gideon and Chambers.
"Erm…" Chambers answered a little uncomfortably. "I don't think I'll go to Shaft with you." Kingsley opened his mouth in surprise, but Chambers interrupted him. "You both should go, though. I'll…go somewhere else and meet you here whenever you want to go home, Kingsley."
Very put off with this sudden change to his plans, Kingsley huffed. "Well, I'm not going home tonight. I'm spending the night with Gideon."
Chambers shrugged. "I figured as much – you told your parents you'd sleep here."
"So what's this thing about waiting for me?"
"I'll meet you here in the morning. Whenever you wake up and are ready to go."
"And where will you sleep?" Kingsley shook his head in disbelief.
"I'll get a hotel room. It's not a big deal," Chambers answered calmly.
"Why don't you want to go dancing?" Kingsley knew that the git was being difficult on purpose.
"I don't want to dance with random men," Chambers explained.
"Why not? You like dancing."
"I do. But now I have a boyfriend. I love him, he loves me and I'm not about to go dancing with strangers," Chambers said with a smile.
"A boyfriend? You have a boyfriend?" Kingsley asked, surprised that someone would actually like Chambers enough to be his boyfriend.
"Yes, I do. A very nice bloke. I hope you get to meet him soon; we're renting a flat together when I get back home and I would like you both to come visit and meet Nigel."
Kingsley started; Chambers was going to live with this bloke? Next thing he knew, Chambers would be asking Southwood, "Grandpa, is it okay if I bring my lover to our family reunion?"
He snorted. That would go really well in his family: a bloke bringing another bloke to the family reunion. He just imagined how the Shacklebolts would react to their new "in-law."
Unsure how to respond to that comment and surprised to be included, Gideon only smiled at him. "You certainly don't have to go if you don't want to. And I might be able to do better than a hotel, if you like. If you'd like to meet up with Fabian later, I can arrange that."
He glanced at Kingsley, "Only I might suggest not mentioning Nigel to him, he's a bit uncomfortable with the subject right now."
"I really didn't know Fabian that well, to tell you the truth. But don't worry about me. Dinner and the movies will be just fine. I have some friends in London and will spend some time with them."
He smiled knowingly at Gideon. "So Fabian doesn't approve of the two of you, I take it?"
"He, er, stumbled on the truth in an abrupt fashion. It's more the age factor that concerns him. Fabian is very much against not bending the law in any fashion. Since he knows, it makes him an accomplice, and he hates that."
Gideon glanced at Kingsley, wondering if he should say anything else, but chose not to.
A little uncomfortable with the sudden chumminess between Gideon and Chambers, Kingsley interrupted them with a loud, "Well, are we ready to go? I want to see The Island of Dr Moreau; is that okay with you both?"
"Sounds great," Gideon said. He began walking to the door then stopped, "Apparating or the Underground?"
Kingsley grabbed his waist. "Let's Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron and then take the Tube to the theater."
***
Chambers stopped at a telephone booth right outside the Leaky Cauldron and made plans to meet a friend of his that evening after dinner. Soon the three of them were on their way, Kingsley walking between Gideon and Chambers but feeling oddly out of the loop. They were engaged in a lively conversation about a certain professor who'd left by the time Kingsley had started. He started brooding a little, moved to the other side of Gideon closer to the shop windows, and distracted himself with them.
Gideon kept an eye on Kingsley during the conversation, frowning at his back once or twice, but didn't call him back. He was torn between changing the conversation to include Kingsley, and leaving Kingsley to learn that not everything revolved around him. He knew that Kingsley didn't want to be around Chambers, and figured he could help best by entertaining him.
Every so often, he walked closer to him, casually brushing his hand against Kingsley's arm or back, whatever was nearest. Chambers smirked when he caught him doing it but Gideon ignored it.
Eventually Gideon turned the conversation around to Quidditch, hoping that would interest both of them.
"That's right. Uncle Mac said you play Quidditch professionally, right? I enjoy watching it, but I can't play at all."
Of course not. You'd probably break down and cry if a Bludger passed within a mile from you. Kingsley wanted to jump into the conversation, but he was sulking a little more now. Maybe Gideon could entertain the git with his tales of bravery and skill on the pitch. After all, Gideon had plenty of experience dealing with gits.
Walking a little faster, he saw the theater and rushed to buy the tickets.
"It's how I met Kingsley," Gideon said smiling at his back as Kingsley left them. He rolled his eyes at Chambers who looked at him oddly again and Gideon tried to control his blushing. For some reason, he felt like a damn bird discussing that.
"He really hates not being the center of conversation, doesn't he?" Gideon said softly.
"Yes. He's spoiled. Not sure if you know it, but Aunt Maura miscarried quite a few times until she managed to carry him to term. So he's one of the youngest cousins – there are two younger girls, but they are from my uncle's second marriage - and our grandfather thinks he's the cat's meow. He's also the only grandchild who's wanted to follow the family tradition of having one Shacklebolt in the MLE.
"Aunt Maura is a wonderful person and she's strict with him, but everyone else spoils him rotten." He smiled at Gideon. "I used to be jealous of the attention he received, and it was especially hard before I understood what I was and came out. Now, frankly, I like him – he's my cousin, and we are a very close-knit family. I came here because I am finally happy and it's time to make amends, I think. It's nice to get to know you, too, Gideon. He needs someone who treats him just the way you do."
"I believe I knew that, yes." Gideon glanced at Chambers, "He really will make a good Auror, Moody and Fabian already think so. He's spoiled, I agree, but he's got a good head on him."
Gideon shrugged his shoulders, "The only thing different about me is that I know and accept his crazy ways. We're not much different in that aspect."
"Oh, he's definitely quite intelligent. I too have no doubts he'll be very good in his career." They arrived at the theater, where Kingsley was waiting with the tickets. They found their seats and were munching on popcorn and chatting – mostly Gideon and Chambers – before the movie started.
It was then that Chambers, who was sitting next to Kingsley, asked him, "So, besides Santini, who else knows that you are dating?"
Kingsley sputtered his drink. "Dating? Who's dating?"
Confused, Chambers pointed at Gideon and Kingsley. "You two?"
"Chambers, you're an utter git," Kingsley said angrily, standing up and asking Gideon to let him go by. He'd have to go to the loo to clean the mess he'd made. "No-one is dating here. Gideon is my friend. You're such a girl – just because you have a boyfriend, you think everyone has to have someone, too. We're friends, that's it." With that, he stormed out of the theatre.
He ignored the hollow feeling that Kingsley's callous words left. It was only the truth, they weren't in a relationship. Besides, he would leave for Hogwarts in a few short weeks, and Gideon had to face the truth that he most likely wouldn't see Kingsley after that.
Chambers opened his mouth, and Gideon, assuming he was going to apologize, shook his head. "He's right, we're just friends. Kingsley isn't the type to consider this anything else, and I don't either. Not really. We're friends."
Chambers looked at Gideon for a few seconds before nodding. "I'm sorry for bringing it up, then. But I'm glad you think like that. It's not a good idea to fall for him. He's just like the other Shacklebolt men – they fool around, shag whoever is around and then, one day, get married to a nice girl.
"Santini had told me that Kingsley had mellowed a bit since you two started dat- erm… became friends, and he thought it'd be a good idea for me to come here and make peace, especially now that I am in a relationship." He shook his head and continued, with a wry tone, "But I think Santini is wrong. Kingsley's still the same – brash, obnoxious, and an insufferable spoiled brat."
Gideon nodded, uncomfortable with Chambers' impression, but unable to refute it. Kingsley was a brat, but he had more qualities than just that. It was a shame Chambers couldn’t see them - not that Kingsley gave him a chance.
"Have fun with him, but don't get attached; you're a nice bloke, and he'll break your heart."
Kingsley was coming back, a fierce scowl on his face. He took his seat between Chambers and Gideon as the lights were dimming.
***
As soon as the movie ended, Chambers excused himself from dinner. He said the friend he was going to see had mentioned to him he could come at any time. He'd have dinner with her and would sleep at her place. He claimed that they had a lot to talk about . She was a Muggleborn witch and Kingsley could Floo her flat when he was ready to return home the next morning.
He shook Gideon's hand warmly, saying a sincere "Good luck to you." To his cousin, he merely waved, dismissing him with a "See you tomorrow."
It seemed as though Chambers had already decided Gideon's fate, which aggravated him, but not enough that he didn't regret meeting him. He wondered if Santini would be any different, or if he'd assume as well that Gideon was nothing but a fuck to Kingsley. Shaking his head after Chambers left, Gideon ignored the whole line of thought. He wasn't going to meet Santini. There was no reason to meet Kingsley's extended family at all.
Feeling awkward about the whole conversation before the movie, Gideon leaned against the wall, folding his arms, deciding to change the subject totally. "Well, we're free to do whatever you want. Where to for dinner?"
"To tell you the truth, that fuckwit killed my good mood." Kingsley was glaring at his cousin, who was walking towards the Tube. "Anything will do – Italian all right with you?"
Of course he did, since it didn't involve you. "Italian is fine." Gideon pushed away from the wall and followed Kingsley quietly.
***
Once they sat down to eat, Kingsley's mood improved considerably and he and Gideon engaged in a lively conversation about the movie. Kingsley pushed all thoughts of Chambers away: he really couldn't believe that his cousin would be so stupid as to imply something so outrageous.
But he knew he only had a few more days before he went back to school, and by Merlin he would have fun while he could. "It's too early to go dancing. Do you want to go back to your flat and go to Shaft later?"
"Always." Gideon followed him out of the restaurant and smiled when Kingsley turned into the alley next to it. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was looking, Gideon wrapped one arm around him and Apparated near his flat.
He pulled his wand free to unlock his door and opened it, ushering Kingsley inside. Toeing off his shoes immediately, he settled on the sofa, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaned back, closing his eyes.
Kingsley straddled Gideon's legs. "Sleeping already, Mr. Prewett?" He kissed Gideon's mouth and weaved his fingers through his hair. "Getting long, isn't it?"
"Knew you'd wake me up," he mumbled against Kingsley's lips. He wrapped his hands around Kingsley's back. "Too long, needs cut."
It was a warm night and Gideon rubbed his fingers against his damp back, sliding them under the hem of the shirt. Slowly pushing it up, he opened his mouth for a deeper kiss.
"No, don't cut it," Kingsley whispered against Gideon's mouth. "I like it like that." Gideon's hair was very soft and Kingsley enjoyed playing with it. He was happy now, just the two of them with the git somewhere else. Deep inside he knew that Chambers had done something nice for him: he could have decided to go home and then Kingsley would have to go, too. Kingsley had no clue what had happened to make Chambers offer to even spend the night in a hotel so he could be with Gideon.
Shrugging, he decided that Santini might know what Chambers' ulterior motive was.
He spread his legs further apart, forcing Kingsley to readjust, removing any gap between their hips. Gideon liked this best, alone in his flat, splayed comfortably on the sofa, Kingsley's body covering his. Lazily kissing him, he could feel Kingsley harden against him, silently proving why they worked so well. Sliding his hands across Kingsley's torso, he listened as Kingsley's breathing changed pace, then hitched as Gideon rolled one nipple between his fingers.
Impatiently pulling the tee shirt off, Gideon replaced fingers with teeth, sucking it hard. He moaned, and Gideon gently inserted one finger inside the front of his jeans, rubbing it back and forth, teasing him.
Merlin, Gideon made him feel good! Kingsley moved his hips slightly backwards to give Gideon better access into his jeans, and then decided to help, unbuttoning the waistband.
He stopped kissing Gideon, his lips moving first to Gideon's jaw and then to the earlobe. He took it gently in his mouth, sucking on it. He didn't have much space to move his hands, but told Gideon in a low voice, "Let me take your shirt off, too."
"Whatever you want," Gideon leaned back slowly, reluctant to let go. He held his arms up long enough to let Kingsley pull his shirt off and maneuvered himself along the sofa to lie down, Kingsley covering him.
He was going to miss this next month, when his sexual encounters went back to strangers met in a pub that he refused to bring home. Their familiarity with each other amazed Gideon, as Kingsley pulled his hair back with his fist, then tilted his head out of the way as Gideon automatically put teeth to collarbone.
They fit in a way that Gideon had never let anyone else try. Even here, on his uncomfortable sofa. Together they pushed Kingsley's jeans carefully over his hips, leaving bare skin for Gideon to touch. Which he eagerly did; Gideon knew what he could do without panicking him and took full advantage of it, pressing their pelvises together.
"Whatever I want? Are you sure?" Kingsley asked with a smirk.
Gideon nodded, curious about his grin. "Anything. Just tell me what to do."
"The only thing I want now is my cock in your mouth and yours in mine. Game?"
"Always."
Kingsley slid to his side and helped him shed his clothes into a messy pile on the floor. He left his wand close, assuming he'd need it later, and turned back toward Kingsley, reaching for his neck to kiss him.
"You on top or me?"
Kingsley shrugged and Gideon grinned. He kissed him quickly then pushed Kingsley onto his back and sat up, turning around.
Holding his hips up until Kingsley grabbed them, Gideon teased his cock with feather-light caresses from his tongue until Kingsley groaned and shoved his hips up.
"All right, all right," Gideon muttered, chuffing under his breath.
After that, there was nothing Kingsley wanted to talk about. He teased, licked and sucked, just as Gideon was doing to him. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to watch Gideon's face when he came, allowed him to be free to enjoy his own sensations. Holding Gideon's hips firmly, he came and waited for Gideon to follow. The way that his mouth was being fucked hard, it shouldn't take much time.
Lost to all thought except the sensation from Kingsley's mouth moving, Gideon paid no attention to how hard he thrust; all he knew was that he didn't want it to end. His fingers were wrapped around Kingsley's balls, caressing them as he nuzzled the soft skin. He finished with a quiet groan, burying his face against Kingsley's thigh to muffle the noise of it.
Aware enough to not collapse onto Kingsley, Gideon, grumbling under his breath, forced his legs to be steady long enough to turn back around. He looked for his wand but it was just out of his reach as he lay down, head on Kingsley's damp shoulder; his hips nestled between Kingsley's spread legs.
Tired and clearly not thinking, he took Kingsley's arms, one slung across the back of the sofa and the other reaching for his wand, and wrapped them around his back, holding them still until Kingsley laced his fingers together. Kingsley opened his mouth, but Gideon didn't let him speak, he held his fingers firm against it, neither man looking at the other, until Kingsley closed his lips.
Cradling his hands around Kingsley's head, he lazily massaged his temples with his thumbs until Kingsley began taking deep, even breaths. Gideon's last coherent thought was that Chambers didn't know his cousin the same way he did, and pressing a soft kiss against Kingsley's neck, he fell asleep on his chest.
***
A crick on his neck made Kingsley wake up from deep slumber. A little confused by the ache and a strange weight on him, he forced one eye open and remembered where he was: in Gideon's flat, on the sofa with Gideon sleeping soundly on top of him.
Moving his head around to alleviate the crick, he looked at the clock on the wall: three a.m. They had fallen asleep after that mighty nice blow job and had forgotten about Shaft. They could still go, but Kingsley imagined that Gideon wouldn't be too keen on it: he had to wake up early the next morning. And the git would be waiting for Kingsley to go back home.
The git. Softly caressing Gideon's back, Kingsley decided that his cousin was a complete imbecile who just didn't know any better. How could he imply that he and Gideon were dating? Dating meant they were boyfriends. Being a boyfriend meant being romantically involved and only a prat like Chambers could think that he and Gideon were like that.
Shaking Gideon gently, Kingsley said, "Let's go to bed, Gideon. It's more comfortable and I hate to think about my mum's face if she calls us tomorrow and finds us here."
Gideon nodded sleepily and led the way to the bedroom.