Summary: Set in the current time frame of the story. Damon and Grant prepare for Sev and Harry’s arrival in Echo at the beginning of summer.
Warnings: OMG! It’s a fairly gen one!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Company belong to JK Rowling. No money was made on this work of fiction.
Boys of Summer
Grant sat on the edge of their bed and folded one of Damon's shirts that he had set out for his husband to wear while in South Dakota. He resisted looking at the clock on the dresser, he'd already made sure he was running on time and he didn't need to start fretting and drive Damon up the wall. He set the shirt on the neat pile already beside him and reached down into the laundry basket and pulled out another shirt. Damon was downstairs in the basement getting their bags out of the storage closest when the telephone rang. Oh Merlin, Grant groaned, please don't let that be the office, I don't need to go in today. "Damon hon, can you answer that? I think you have the portable with you. If it's the office, tell them I'm dead." he yelled as he closed his eyes and shook his head.
He just wanted to be on the road going out of town. He wanted his boy home, he hadn't seen him in months except for firecalls, and he really needed to just give the younger man a hug. He was curious as well about the young man he said he might be bringing with him. Over the years he'd seen Severus have one night stands and he knew of at least three semi serious relationships he'd had while in Echo visiting. This young man must be someone special. He smiled to himself as he folded a pair of boxers.
Damon had clipped the phone to his belt and was deep in the cellar when it went off. He stood to answer it and banged his head on the overhead shelf. "Dammit it all to Hell!" He rubbed the sore spot and tossed the suitcases out of the room before answering the phone. "What do you want?" He listened for a moment and sighed. "Max, Sev arrives tomorrow. Grant is running around here like a chicken with it's head cut off and I just nearly knocked myself out in the basement. Whatever is bothering Evan can wait. We will meet you all at the mill like always."
He listened for a few minutes more and nodded. "Yes, Grant and I have our meds. Now if you don't mind I have to finish getting ready." He stopped. "Yeah, yeah whatever Max. Sev will have someone with him this year so maybe we won't have any problems. I'll see you at the Mill. Call me back later." He hung up the phone and grabbed the bags. Damon made his way out of the basement. "Grant! Come get this shit." He dropped the bags on the floor and rubbed his head.
Grant appeared in the doorway at his husband's call and found him rubbing his head with their bags at his feet. "Who was on the phone?" he asked as he picked up the bags and turned to go back in the bedroom to pack them. Stopping a moment, he turned to look quizzically at the ex-Marine. "Do you have a headache? If you do, we have some Tylenol in the kitchen." and with that he vanished back into the bedroom. He sat back down and started fitting the clothes in when something else occurred to him. "Damon, I need you to drink the milk in the refrigerator, I don't want it to go bad and did you change the oil in the bike? It's on the list, don't forget." He was rather pleased with himself this year. He had a list for everything. He knew Damon thought he was insane, but it was working.
Damon shook his head, then grunted at the motion and yelled out to Grant as he went to the kitchen. "It was Max." He reached into the cabinet and dug around looking for the medicine. "I can't find the pills, Grant." He slammed the cabinet door then opened another door and got a glass out. He opened the fridge and scowled at the nearly full half gallon of milk left. He poured some out and then looked for Grant. "Grant!"
"I'm in the bedroom." he answered as he carefully tucked in another one of his husband's shirts. "What do you need Damon?" he called as he looked for his favourite pair of jeans to pack as well. "What did Max want? They aren't backing out on us, are they?" he asked as he shook his head. That would be all they needed this year if the big red head wasn't around if Little Bird started to act like a fool. "What are we supposed to do without him there Damon? And have you finished the milk yet? Rinse your glass if you did." he disappeared into their closest looking for the dry cleaning bag that had Damon's leathers in it. He knew he'd picked it up last week, hadn't he? Oh that was not the baseball game on TV that he was hearing, was it? They didn't have time for television, he had a list.
Damon scowled. "I am not hollering at you through this house. Get down here!" He flicked through the stations on the TV looking for the news.
Grant closed his eyes and counted to ten before he sat the dry cleaning bag on the bed and made his way to the living room. "Yes Sir?" he asked, he had picked up on the note of frustration in Damon's voice and thought he'd placate him a bit so he could get back to doing everything that needed to be done before they left. He waited just inside the doorway with his arms crossed at his waist and looked at the greying blond head of his husband.
Damon glared at Grant for a moment then walked forward. "I banged my head on the shelf in the basement and I cannot find the meds you said were in the kitchen. Are you certain you didn't pack them up already? He stopped in front of his sub, then handed him a glass of milk. "I am not drinking this all by myself. Now I have to leave in a few to get the bikes done and I need you to come with. If we go and have them serviced together it will be faster than if I try and do it myself. Do you want to drive mine or Sev's?" Damon smirked and reached out to run his finger down the other man's cheek.
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Grant turned, walked back into the kitchen and picked the small bottle up from the window sill above the sink, brought it back in with a glass of water and handed both to his husband. Then kissed the spot where he'd bumped his head. "My list isn't done yet Damon," he said as he pulled it out of his back pocket and began to mark things off as done. "I knew I should've done this last week." he sighed. He hated when he got like this, but he refused to take anything to ease the stress, claiming he lived on it twenty four hours a day with patients calling at all hours. Speaking of which, the telephone rang again. "Tell them I am dead please." he groaned as he flopped down on the sofa.
Damon growled and answered the phone. "No, I'm sorry, he's dead." He slammed the phone in the base. He opened the bottle and shook out four pills. He swallowed them followed by a long swig of water. "So are we going or not?"
Grant’s jaw dropped as he stared at his husband in horror. What if it had been a patient in need? He had to call back immediately, he sat up and reached for the phone, still staring at his husband as if he'd just grown a second head.
Damon jerked away the receiver from Grant. He slammed it back on the base. "Didn't you already tell them you were leaving? Haven't you already turned everything over to that woman we hired to help out...Dr. whatshername?" Damon pulled Grant up off the couch. "I need you to go with me to have the bikes serviced." He grinned at the other man. "You do still want to go and have fun right?"
"Yes...but..I...I never thought you'd actually tell them I was dead," Grant stammered and then laughed. He smiled at his husband and tucked the tails of his shirt into his jeans. "Let me slip some shoes on Damon," he paused and leaned against the older man for a moment. "I still need you to drink the milk so it doesn't sour." he said and then headed back to the bedroom for his loafers.
Damon picked up the phone and hit the redial. "Max? Sorry about that, but thanks." He listened for a moment and laughed. "Yeah I think it got him calmed down. You going to met us at the cycle shop for lunch afterwards?" Damon nodded. "Alright. Bring Allie as well and we can talk about what to set up for Sev in case this new man doesn't come. I am really hoping though this works out; he sounds better than he has in years." Damon walked to the closet and got his jacket out. "Yeah, we are on our way now. See you there." He punched the button and set the phone back down on the cradle. "Come on, Grant. I want to get lunch while we are out as well."
Grant sighed and came back out of the bedroom with list in hand. "I'm behind Damon, hopelessly behind. I should have gotten up an four, but no, I had to be lazy and sleep until six. Now I'll never be finished," he fussed as he slipped his arms into the jacket Damon was holding open for him. "Which bike do you want me to take, hon?" He asked as he tucked his glasses into their case and slid them into his pocket. It didn't matter how behind he was in something, if Damon asked him to move the moon, he'd find a way.
"Let me see that list." He dug in Grant's pockets, making sure there wasn't any more hidden, and groped him as he did so before pulling out the slip of paper from Grant's hand. He read over it and scowled. "Grant, half of these things don't even need to be done." He shook his head and pulled Grant into his arms. "Take my bike just in case Sev's starts to act up. I have been starting it but haven't ridden it in a while."
He kissed the top of his sub's head. "Will you relax, now? Allie and Max are going to meet us and we are all going to have lunch. Then if you like she will come back and help you finish this. But it doesn't need to be done today." He released Grant and looked at him. "If you don't calm down though, Max will be here to check you over. Do you want that, Pet?"
Grant stuck his tongue out at his husband as he was manhandled in search of more lists. "Meanie." he groused as he let himself be pulled close and kissed. "You wouldn't make Max do that, we are leaving tomorrow." He reached out and took the keys to his husband's bike from their hook and then handed Damon Sev's. "I'll follow you then?"
Damon raised an eyebrow. "Do you doubt me, My Own?" He pulled Grant into his arms once again. "Sev's going to behave this year and we will have a good time visiting you mother on the res. You know she likes it when we bring Sev out there." He raised Grant's face and pressed a kiss to his generous mouth. "I just want to relax this year, Pet. Alright?"
"I do too Damon, I'm just nervous about him bringing someone. I just want it to work out for him." he said as he relaxed against his man, letting his head drop down and rest on his shoulder. "I just don't want to have to watch him go through what he's done in the past, one day we won't be there to patch him up again."
Damon rubbed Grant's back. "So do I love. You heard him last year though and for once he didn't get into too much trouble. So all we can do is wait and see." He ran his fingers through Grant's hair and sighed. "Come on, let's get going."
Grant followed Damon out to the barn and pulled the tarps off of the bikes, he looked at Damon's black Road King and then at Sev's bike...he was glad they were taking the Road King to Sturgis. It might be the bigger bike, but it was certainly more comfortable for his old bones. The bike Damon had bought when they had started dating was parked next to his own, he didn't think Damon would take any amount of money for the bone rattling thing. He waited with his helmet on and astride their bike while Damon did a quick check on Sev's and started it up. As soon as the older man rode slowly out of the barn, he followed along behind, out to the road and into to town to the cycle shop.
Damon pulled into Fly's cycle shop and turned off Sev's machine. It was running good but he didn't want any problems especially with this new man of Sev's coming over. The other man had raved on and on about the boy and Damon wondered how the Englishman would take to America. He hoped for Sev's sake that everything was smooth sailing. He looked around and spotted Allie and Sarah walking into the White Castle. He waited while Grant dismounted.
"Did it run okay?" Grant asked as he undid his helmet and tucked it into one of the saddlebags. He raised his hand in greeting to Allie and little Sarah as he stood next to Damon and looked over Sev's bike. "Did you want me to wait here with you or get Max?"
Damon shook his head. "It ran fine but I will be glad to get them both serviced." He pulled out his wallet and gave Grant some money. "Go on and sit with Allie and Sarah. Get us something to eat, I'll wait on Max."
"Don't be long, okay?" Grant said as he took the money and gave his husband a shy smile, the same smile he'd given him all those years ago when the young blond had offered to help him get the cow back in the pen. He turned and walked into the White Castle shaking his head, he knew that there was very little here that was good for his man to eat, he wondered if he'd picked the place on purpose.
Little Sarah ran up to him and held her arms up to be held, smiling he scooped up his little adopted granddaughter and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he carried her over to where Allie was sitting and deposited her in a booster seat. "Hey Allie, are you ready to leave in the morning?" he asked as he leaned over and kissed the young woman on the forehead.
Damon grunted and looked up the street as Max came down the road on his cycle. He smiled as Grant crossed the street and shook his head. The big red head pulled up sans helmet a grin plastered on his face. Damon walked over to the other Dom and held out his hand. "What's going on, Max? Got everything ready to go?"
Allie smiled at the older man she looked up to like a second father or mother in Grant's case. He was so fussy; it reminder her of a mother hen. "All ready. Max is on his way, he wanted to get our bike done today as well."
Allie ruffled Sarah's hair and stood to get them a horde of the little burgers the restaurant was famous for. "Max gave me some money, said lunch was on him today and if you were to fuss about it then he would sedate you." She blushed and cleared her throat. "How about you all? When does Sev arrive? I missed him."
"Max threatened to sedate me? I think not," he snorted indignantly, he may be Damon's submissive, but he was Max's elder and that boy would show him some respect. He straightened up and took Sarah's hand and led her to the counter as he eyed the menu board with distaste and distrust. "Foul garbage." he muttered under his breath as he looked for the least offensively greasy grease clot he could order for Damon and himself.
"We brought our bike and Sev's in to be looked over. If I'd known I was going to be driving one of the bikes, I probably would have dropped it off on my way to the office yesterday, my schedule is all off now." he sighed as he stepped up and ordered their food, waving Allie's money away and paying for it himself. "Buy something for the poppet with it," he told her.
"Severus will be here in the morning; he's supposed to be bringing his young man with him as well."
"Everything is fine Damon, how are you and Grant doing? I see you got him away from the house," the big red head laughed. "Was lunch on his list?" Grant's lists were well known among the tight knit group as well as the fact he got a little spastic when something was going on. "Hey, what do you know about the guy Sev's bringing this year?" he embraced the older Dom and opened the door to the shop out of respect to him.
Allie blushed again. "Um Grant, I think he was kidding. Don't get upset, please." She quickly order several dozen burgers for her little group. She listened as Grant grumbled again about the menu. She shook her head. "Great, I can't wait. He's good guy when him and Max aren't all liquored up and acting like yaboos. I can't wait to meet the new guy. Do you think his friend will be ok with us all?"
Damon chuckled. "Max, I swear them damn lists are going to be the death of me. No lunch wasn't on his list and he is going to be mad as a wet hen about the food choice." He shrugged. "He used to be Sev's student and good Christ you should have heard him bitch about the boy. Now he's got him trained up and it sounds like he has fallen hard, Max." He signed in the cycles and tossed the keys to Fly’s boy, Robert.
Damon chuckled and patted Max on the back as they left the shop. "I think you may have lost your mischief making mate."
Grant thought for a moment and considered his answer, he had been thinking the same thing. "I really cannot imagine Sev getting into a relationship with someone without them at least knowing and you know how he is. If they gave him crap over it, he'd walk away, that's what happened with Mark." He looked sceptically at the tray in front of him and wondered if disinfecting the food might be a possibility.
"Perhaps the new friend will keep his butt in line this year, I know I am not in the mood to bail him or Max out of jail again this year." he sighed as he picked up a French fry and dipped it into mayonnaise.
"I'll be honest Damon, Sev goes a little too far. Almost like he's looking for someone to try to kick his ass." Max said with a shake of his head as they entered the burger joint and spotted their submissives sitting at a table in the corner. "You are right, he doesn't look like a happy camper."
Allie pinked again. "Grant, the food isn't that bad. Max, has told me that he isn't going to get up to the normal misadventures." She rubbed her tummy. "I think parenthood is finally making him grow up." She looked up as the door opened and she grinned. "There's the guys." She stood and let Max slide into the booth and then pulled Sarah back around to the end of the table. She slid a box of burgers, a cup of fries and a large soft drink over to Max. "Is there anything else you need, Sir?"
Damon sat down next to Grant and grinned. "You ordered the greasiest thing on the menu for me, right?" He put his arm around the sub and stole one of Grant's fries. He then dipped it in the mayonnaise and held it out to his man. "How ya doing Allie, Sarah?" He winked at her and then ruffled Sarah's hair.
Max shook his head and kissed his wife and submissive gently before kissing his young daughter. "Thank you for ordering dear, sit down and eat, we still have plenty to do today."
Grant looked at Damon and just shook his head. "How can you eat something called a Slyder? I mean really, the image I have alone of what it is doing in the digestive tract is enough for nightmares." he sniffed as he set the meal in front of his husband and shook his head. "Why didn't we go across the street Damon, at least there the food isn't toxic." He pulled a napkin to him and began a list of things he'd need to do in order to finish everything on time now. He absentmindedly nibbled the end of a French fry and set it back down with a sigh. He picked up his cup of water and drank instead.