THE CRUCIBLE

Chapter 6

The Challenge

         Liberty Kingdom Castle was the picture of tranquility. The many flags on the many turrets fluttered in the wind. The sea it overlooked was like glass. The sun was setting, setting so peacefully, turning the sky red, orange, gold and a few other colors that the first three made up.

         A white limo, nice but less ostentatious as the black one they had come in on Friday drove up and into the castle. This one was not a stretch and it had a wide, high, flat back. It drove through to the final gate and disgorged its passenger. The blond man went in.

         The sun went on setting. All was peace. All was tranquility. For about 30 minutes.

         Then, all of a sudden there was such a yell that it could be heard all the way to the second checkpoint.

         "YOU   DID    WHAT???!!!!!!!!!!"

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The next day...

         When Debbie learned that Hunter knew where she was going with her "errands", she dropped the pretence and asked to leave three hours before closing. She offered to just close up and bring Hunter along to see the babies and he was sorely tempted.

         In the end though, he decided no. Seeing the babies would just be too painful. He was just too much in love with them to stand knowing he could only hold them a little while and then have to leave again as if they were just some stranger's kids. Not to mention he'd have to see two certain someones, which he just couldn't stomach.

         "Are you going to be OK here by yourself until closing? This is the longest I've left you in charge for. Are you sure you can handle it hon?"

         "Yeah Deb, no problem. Besides the lunch rush has passed. It should be fairly quiet until closing. Go on ahead. Give the babies a kiss from me."

         So Debbie left and Hunter sat there at the counter waiting for the next customer. He gripped the edge of the counter and admired the interesting shade of white his knuckles were turning.

Closing time for Liberty Diner...

         Hunter washed the last dish, put it in the dishrack to dry and went out to the front to bus the tables one last time. He collected the dishes and wiped the tables at the same time. He looked out the windows for the millionth time.

         In the first time in what seemed like forever, maybe for the first time ever, Hunter had had a long, uninterrupted workday. No long break, No cut off workday, no picnic, no...nothing. He was exhausted.

         He was also glad. A whole day without the douche-bags. Finally. Peace and quiet. Sure, the Diner was busy, even hectic and noisy at times, but that's how Hunter liked it. He just moved faster, yelled louder and was able to switch to waiter mode, say his lines: What'll you have...Comin right up...Right away sir...Are you enjoying you meal?...Come again...and say them without thinking. He was able to shut off his thinking, forget that he was constantly pissed off at two annoying people. He was able to not think about the bike rides and long walks and picnics in the meadow. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Where was he? Oh, yes, pissed off. He was pissed off. He wished the Diner wasn't closing. He wished it was busy. He could forget about two annoying people. A blond and brunet who promised he'd come today.  Right now, one more annoying than the other. Although the second wasn't much better. At least he had him pegged now. He knew exactly what his promises were worth....

         He shook his head again. He realized he'd been wiping the same spot for 5 minutes. God, what was wrong with him!? Who cared for them? Who cared where they were? Who cared who they were? Who cared that he was almost their everyth - ?

         He grabbed the bussing tray roughly, clashing the dishes loudly, comfortingly. STOP IT! He had to STOP THIS! He wasn't anybody's anything! He wasn't anything at all! They'd made sure that he remembered that! Stupid lowlifes who couldn't even keep a promise!

         God, WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM!? Why should he care? He didn't care. He didn't. He didn't.

         He was at the door to the back when the bell on the door rang.

         "We're closed!" he yelled, "Come back tomorrow!"  He thunked through to the back without looking.

         He washed the last setting of dishes quickly, getting it over with, wanting to get out of there. He slopped soapy water over the glasses and rinsed them and tried not to think of how good it had felt when K had rubbed his back as he hugged him.

         He ran hot water over his wrist, pinking it. A small blister formed. He gasped in pain but it had the desired effect. He stopped thinking about the good stuff and focused on the pain.

         Dishes done, he took off his apron, punched out and went out in front to lock up.

         Awww geez! Those guys who came in were still there! They had sat in the first booth nearest the door. They sat together, facing away from him.

         "I said, we're closed! I've washed all the dishes I'm going to today, fellas, you'll have to..."

         He broke off. Oh. It was them. Hunter ignored the strange jump in his stomach that wasn't unpleasant.

         "Hello Hunter. How was your day?" Brian asked.

         "It was fine. It's over. I was about to lock up," he said pointedly.

         "Great. Why don't you do that and come sit down and relax. You must be tired."

         That was an understatement. Hunter sighed. It was obvious they weren't going anywhere. He went over, locked the door, pulled the shades, switched the sign to closed. He switched off the light to half to discourage people from thinking they were open.

         Finally, there was nothing left to do. He slid into the booth and faced them.

         "You said you were going to come today," he said to Brian sullenly, "You didn't come."

         "We've come right now," Brian said.

         ‘Oh. I thought...I thought you meant...earlier.

         "Well, since you don't want to have any outings with us any more, we...I felt it might be wise to leave you to your work and come at the end of the day when we wouldn't be a disruptive influence. And so here we are."

         "Oh," said Hunter.

         There was an uncomfortable silence.

         "Speaking of disruptive influences," Brian said, who looked absolutely sinful in a motorcycle leather jacket, with sleeves that zipped up, skintight leather gloves and a Muir cap, "I believe Justin has something to say to you. Don't you, hon?" He had his arm draped around him and he squeezed his shoulder a little too hard.

         "Yes, Brian." Justin sat hunched against the windows miserably. He had been silent and kept his eyes downcast this whole time. He wore his denim outfit.

         There was another pause.

         "I ain't gettin' any younger here," Hunter snapped, partly by habit, partly by annoyance with these two.

         Finally, Justin raised his eyes to Hunter. They were shiny with tears. "Hunter, I'm very, very sorry for what I did yesterday," he started carefully, as if reciting what he had been told to say, which in fact was the case. "I didn't mean it and your job here is not and will never be in jeopardy ever. Again , I'm very, very sorry."

         "Then why did you?" asked Hunter. He was still shaky with anger at the thought of it.

         "Oh Hunter, I don't know!" Justin cried, and now Hunter could tell this was from his heart. "I just wanted to talk and try to make things better and nothing was working. I could see I was losing control of the situation and I...just spoke without thinking. I regretted it the minute it was out of my mouth. I really did. I'm so sorry."

         "Just don't do it again," he said shakily. That was as close as he was going to do, accepting any apologies out of these twos' mouths.

         "Well! Now that that's out of the way..." Brian said as if that settled that, "We wanted to come and pick you up to take you to dinner. Your choice. See if we can't talk...try to get past this...start over..."

         "I told him and I'll tell you now! I'm not getting into any car with you so you can lock the door and kidnap me back to wherever," Hunter said.

         "No problem," said Brian. "We brought the Hog. There's absolutely no doors to lock you in."

         Hunter crossed his arms and gave them a look.

         "Hunter, for the last time...We do not want to kidnap you! If you...when you decide to come live at the palace it will be because you want to come. I mean, come on! You were at the palace yesterday. If we'd wanted to keep you there by force we would have just locked you up then and there! But we didn't. We sent you back to wherever you wished to go. And we always will, either with a driver or us taking you ourselves. I promise. Now come. Come to dinner with us. Please."

         And Brian stood and held out his hand. And maybe it was because he wanted to feel what that leathered palm felt like. Maybe it was because subconsciously he'd been waiting for him all day. Maybe it was that he was SO tired of being angry ALL the time. Maybe it was because he was so tired and the thought of someone else bringing him food was so attractive. Maybe it was a combination of a few of those reasons.

         Whatever the reason, Hunter took the leathered palm in his own and led the way out of the restaurant. And yes, even though he was straight, the leather glove felt amazing.

         When they got to the motorcycle, Hunter was not done with them yet. "I want to ride on the back!" he declared.

         Brian didn't even hesitate. "Justin...sidecar!"

         At first, Justin looked like he was going to object. Then he saw Brian's face and said sadly, "Yes Brian."

         Brian grabbed him and kissed him in that quick but hot way that managed to leave Justin discombobulated every time. "Awwww, don't worry, my pet! After all, remember the very different ride you'll be getting later on tonight!"

         "Ewwwwww!" Hunter grimaced, "Hello! Impressionable straight underage teen here!"

         Brian leered. "Well, if you don't like it, get your impressionable straight teenage ass onto the bike and let's go!"

         Hunter smiled in what seemed like forever. He couldn't help it. Brian was incorrigible. "Yes sir!"

         They all got on the bike and Hunter put his arms around all that man and all that leather. And for a minute...just a minute...it didn't matter that Brian and Justin were slumming it. For a minute...slumming never felt so good.

         BAAAARRRROOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!

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         They went to a nice but fairly inexpensive restaurant. The lighting was average and they had a high booth that provided relative privacy. It curved in a semicircle so they could all sit together and yet move apart if Hunter needed his space.  Hunter chose the place because the prices were such that he would be able to pay for himself if Brian had let him pay. Well, maybe he'd be able to afford it for one time a week. Okay, maybe, one time a month but everyone splurges once in a while, right? Right?? And also because this place had pie to die for. And guess what he was going to have for dessert?

         Before they were seated, Brian used a device and called Debbie to let her know Hunter wouldn't be home till a little later. And after a very short wait they were shown to a table.

         They slid into the soft booth with Brian in the middle. Hunter sank into the soft cushions gratefully after being on his feet all day. Not to mention the torture of having to look at soft, vinyl booths all day but not being able to sit in one. For the first few minutes he just rested and tried not to fall asleep.

         The server came. After they ordered and a comfortable silence fell. And Hunter couldn`t help it. His eyes flickered. Every time he closed his eyes he saw a green meadow waving in the wind. And the temptation to keep them closed longer and longer each time became so sweet. And he was falling into softness. The grass was soft. The leather booth was soft. There was a bed of red flowers that was even softer. There was yet an ever softer thing that Hunter couldn`t identify but he was falling into that too. Falling...falling...falling...

         The meadow was so beautiful at night. The green grasses were silvered by a huge full moon. He could hear the river running.

         "Maaayyybe thissssss wassssnnnn't ssssuch a gooooood ideeeeaaaaaa..." the wind whispered through the grasses.

         "Nonsense...." a deep voice rumbled. Hunter looked up with astonishment and saw that the moon was talking. "Awwwww..." the moon's deep voice rumbled right through him, "He's sleeping! Look how cute he issssss!"
         Hunter looked down again and saw he was wearing nothing but silver boxer briefs and a black wifebeater. He lay on his bed of flowers and felt positively decadent. He wondered why he wasn't cold and listened to the wind and the rushing river.

         "Besidessss, look at him!" the moon said, "He's dreaming. I wonder what it's about."

         Hunter wondered who the moon was talking to and who was dreaming.

         And then he felt a thick, smooth, slippery body slide under his neck and curve around his shoulders. He shifted and saw with horror, a leathery-smooth, huge snake had slid under his bed of flowers, under his neck and curve around his shoulders. For a moment, Hunter's terrified eyes looked deep into the snake's black, almond ones.

         "Yessssssss...." the snake hissed, "Sleeeeeeeep my Prince! Let me taste you....And you can sleeeep for one hundred yearssssssss!!!"

         The snake struck with lightning speed at Hunter's throat.

         Hunter's eyes flew open and he sucked in a huge terrified breath. He bit back a scream.

         He was in a booth. In a restaurant. He had collapsed against Brian, against his jacket. That was the ultra softness, the one he couldn't recognize. Brian had slid an arm around his shoulder and pulled him against him. That had been the "snake". He had his other arm around Justin who leaned against his other shoulder.

         Hunter came awake as surely as if he had been dashed with cold water. He twisted away from the arm and pulled away as if he were touching a hot stove. "Don't TOUCH me!" he whispered furiously.

         "Here we go," sighed Justin.

         Hunter gave him a look so dirty it made his message to the walrus-moustached driver seem like a public service announcement.

         "For a few seconds, Hunter just tried to re-orient himself with the world around him. He felt around his throat. He couldn't believe it was intact.

         "Hunter, what is it?" Brian asked.

         "Nightmare!" gasped Hunter, "Just...a nightmare I guess. Just...don't touch me! I won't let you hurt me again!"

         "Hunter please! Nobody wants to hurt you! In any way! Please, isn't there anything we can do, anything we can say to get past this?"

         "Why do you wear those clothes?" Hunter asked.

         "What do you mean? I always wear my leathers when I bike."

         "And denim. Why are you doing this? Why are you slumming again? I know what you prefer now. You don't have to...to dumb down for me!"

         "Hunter! Please try to listen and understand! The night of the test...that was the act! We are not like that!"

         "Oh God!  That's right! You're the kings! Anywhere you go, anything you do must be slumming it! Debbie's! Any pub! This place! Even that meadow I dragged you to all the time! Compared to that beacon by the sea...anyplace you go must seem like a gutter!"

         "HUNTER! Stop it! That is not what we think! Every person, every part of our wonderful kingdom is precious to us! We love Debbie and the Liberty Diner! We love the pub life. We love the people and even the poorer sections of our towns are valued to us! And we took you to the meadow! You never dragged us! If anything it was the other way around. Nothing...nowhere in this Kingdom do we consider to be a gutter!"

         "Except for me!" Hunter cried, "A Dumpster Dive picked out of the filth of the alley! A piece of trash that needed to be refined three times through a crucible before I was worthy for you! A whore who wasn't fit to take home or even know who you were, until you saw fit to show your true colors! A plaything who had no heart to break when you took everything away! Well, I did have a heart! And you did break it! And the love that had bloomed over my heart is gone! Would that I had never met you! I hate you! I cannot forget you! I know you like the back of my hand...and yet I do not know you at all! I cannot bear this! I feel like I'm going out of my mind!" He broke down weeping bitterly, trying to keep the volume down. He covered his face with his hands.

         "Hunter Kinney-Taylor! LOOK AT ME!" Brian boomed.

         "No! That's not my name! You can't make me! You can't make me!" Hunter kept his face covered with grief.

         Brian laughed a deep, rich laugh, and grabbed his biceps and pulled him roughly around to face him. He moved his gloved hands upward slowly, to his shoulders, to his neck to his cheeks. He held Hunter's face immobile and looked deep into his eyes. And Hunter looked back and was transfixed because there was now no longer any other place to look. He shuddered in pleasure. He had never felt anything so good in his life as those gloves and those fiery eyes.

         Now you listen to me, Hunter, Kinney-Taylor! And that will be your name. I will write it on any piece of paper I need to and I will furthermore inscribe it on your heart when the time is right. I am going to tell you something that I told Justin after we sent you off in the Rolls. I wanted you the minute I saw you. I wanted you, all dirty and ratty and covered in sores. From that moment, you were born to me, adopted to me, bound to me, as surely as those two babies were. I didn't care about any tests. You were always worthy to enter into my family and my kingdom."

         "Then why? Why bother with them at all? Especially the last?" Hunter cried.

         Brian cleared his throat and moved his hands down that they were wrapped around his shoulders and chest. Hunter resisted and struggled half heartedly but this time Brian would not take no for an answer and only wrapped him tighter. Hunter found himself a half willing prisoner cradled in Brian's arms.

         "Oh look, the food's here!" said Justin in this overly bright voice, and indeed it was. The waitress put down the food and gave them a bit of a look. "Everything OK, here folks?" she said, hoping there wasn't some pervy threesome going on and she'd have to call the guards.

         "No problem at all," said Brian, "This is my son and he's had a bad breakup. I'm just comforting him. I bet he could use a refill though. How ‘bout it, son?"

         "Sure, thanks Dad," he said trying it out again. It still sounded stilted and horrible on his end but he was touched at how easily and naturally ‘son' had fallen from Brian's lips.

         After the refill had come and they were alone again, Brian cleared his throat again loudly, "Hem! Hem!"

         "In all my life, I don't think I've tasted a juicier steak!" said Justin, in that same horrible, bright voice.

         "HEM! HEM!"

         "Are you coming down with something, Brian? Perhaps we should see Dr. David when we get..."

         "HEM! HEM!"

         "I don't know what he wants," Hunter said, amused, "But you'd better answer him before he coughs up a lung." He had squiggled around and was eating his chicken but with difficulty since Brian refused to take one arm from around his waist and pressed him up against his side.

         Justin sighed. "Yes. I expect you are right. Well Hunter, He wants me to tell you that the tests were my idea. But they were never meant to test your worth. Not like the way you mean, at least. It's not that you weren't fit to take home but you would not have been ready for royal life or the responsibilities. Tell me, before the first test; right after we met you, before we started providing for you properly, giving you extra money, clothes and whatnot, if you had found $50,000 then, would you have kept it?"

         "Well, yes, probably," Hunter was forced to agree, "But I was hungry all the time! I was hustling to stay alive. I was abandoned! I was alone! I was scared! I had nothing! If you were me, wouldn't you have?"

         "Yes, quite probably," Justin replied, "But my point is when you were ready, after you had something, after you were provided for, you changed. And so you were ready to pass through the trial of honesty. And before the second test, if you had never had the confidence that you had, if you had never been given the extra duties and responsibilities to give you the self worth that you were equipped with, would you have had been able to resist Red Hood? Or would you have fallen back into old patterns? Especially with the temptation of a fee of 50 times your normal rate?"

         "Maybe! Well, maybe not. Oh, I don't know! But when you sent him to me, I DID have the confidence and self-worth! And you took it away from me again! Do you have ANY idea how close I came to agreeing to whore for him? And not because I wanted to! I NEVER wanted to, not in my whole life! I nearly did because my new life started to fall away like a dream. At that moment, I was a whore again. He kept saying, "Just a whore...Just a whore... And I knew he was right! I knew that's all I was good for! All I was worth doing!  And YOU did that to me!"

         Justin had the decency to look properly chastened. "Oh, Hunter, I'm so sorry! I really didn't think of it that way. I was so focused on the outcome of the test and being proud of you because I was sure you were ready that didn't think of it affecting you that way. I'm so sorry."

         Hunter was silent for a bit. "Then: "Thank you Justin. That means a lot."

         "I'm glad. Perhaps now you can let go of your anger and we can move ahead? Start over?"

         "Wait."

         Hunter's word was like a shot in the dark.

         "Yes?" Justin asked.

         "Brian said you were acting. I'm still not sure whether or not to believe that. IF you were, what was the purpose of that...that display that you called the third test?"

         "To see if you could resist the trappings of material wealth. To see if you would remain loyal to your friends, your principles and yourself." Justin repeated himself almost word for word what he had told Debbie. "And you passed, Hunter! We came to tell you the next day!"

         "So I passed! But at what cost! Couldn't you see you were breaking my heart!? You sent me into an Alternate world...a kind of Twilight Zone from which I've never really emerged! And by remaining loyal to Debbie, I felt like I betrayed you! Not that I minded at that point! You were monsters!"

         "Hunter, we explained that," Brian said, "We were..."

         Hunter made quote marks in the air. "Yeah, yeah, you told me. You were "acting!" It sure came awfully easy to you though! IF you were! And yeah, I was a hustler, a street kid! I can understand the need for the first test and partways yeah, even the second! But have at any time during our time together, have I ever given you any reason to believe that I needed to "resist the trappings of material wealth"? Did I give you any reason to believe that I was going to be disloyal to you?"

         "Noooooo," conceded Justin carefully, "But we had to be careful. We had to be sure."

         "For God's sake, Justin!" exclaimed Hunter, "Think about it! Think back to that last day! I lay there in your laps and told you I loved you! I asked to be your son. I asked you to take me home! Why would I ask to be your willing, loving, good son, to be taken to a loving, stable, secure home, only to be disloyal to you somehow?"

         Both men were taken aback. Truth be told, they were so busy preparing for the crucible test that they had never thought of that.

         "And besides," continued Hunter, "If you really wanted to know or be sure, why didn't you just ask me? Or make me take some sort of vow or oath? I would have done that. And you could have trusted my word because I'd already passed the test of honesty." He ate more of his dinner but it was getting cold by now.

         Both men were astounded by his simplicity and wisdom.

         But Justin refused to give up and it was his next words that sealed their fate.

         "And what about the vast wealth that lays before you? Do you still think it means nothing to you?"

         Hunter rolled his eyes. "Good Grief! Of course it meant...means something to me! It means a good home is waiting for me and security and a promise of education and a nice future. It means a stable home. You never hid the fact that you were rich! You wouldn't tell me who you are and now I know why. It would have made me all subservient and changed our dynamic drastically. I just figured you were some celebrities, I didn't know or wealthy paranoid industrialists...or just paranoid," he finished nastily, "Whatever the case, I knew you would tell me when you were ready. But otherwise, I didn't care about the money. You guys gave me everything I desired anyway and besides I gave back $50,000, remember? I work in a greasy spoon. I never asked you for a dime...did I? Does that seem like I'm hot for your money? In fact, it seems like the - GAK!!..." he gagged suddenly, "...like the - GAK!!..." he gagged again.  And without further ado, his eyes rolled back into his head.

         "Good evening, vain and foolish kings!" said Guardian in quite a different voice. It was deep and rich and full of disdain.

         "Hunter no! Oh no.... Come back....Come back to us!" Brian said worriedly.

         "All in good time, O King with lying lips!" said Guardian, "We have chosen the first test for you to endure. Since the matter of wealth is such an issue with you, we have chosen a test of Poverty! Since you are so concerned with how he will deal with the life of luxury, desire, and ease, the life YOU have lived your entire life, you will deal with life with none of these things. He will shortly issue a challenge! That challenge will be the test! Do not fail! This will also help him to come to terms with who you really are since he cannot come to grips with your identity. Are you the snobs? Or the kind hearted parents you portray? He does not know. He has no faith. He does not trust. He does not love. The flower is dead!"

         "But in fertile ground, new flowers can grow again," reminded Justin.

         Hunter's eyes fluttered shut. There was a pause. Then they snapped open again. "The ground is fallow," he declared.

         "Fallow ground can be tilled and made fertile again."

         Guardian's face snapped around and his white, unseeing eyes found Justin's tranquil but creeped out ones. "Well, aren't we just doing a fantastic job so far...." he said sarcastically, "Pass your test! Do not fail."

         His eyes fluttered shut. They snapped open and Hunter was back. "...like the only ones who are really concerned about money here are you two!" he said, resuming his sentence where he had dropped off.

         "Hunter...are you OK, honey?" Brian asked, looking into his eyes.

         Hunter twisted away. "Don't coddle me! And don't avoid the issue! I'm sick and tired of you accusing me of being a money grubber! Why, even here! Don't you realize why I picked this place!? It was so if I wanted to...if I had to, I could pay my own way!"

         "You will never have to!" Brian declared, "Never! Right, Justin?" he asked pointedly.

         "Of course not!" answered Justin easily.

         "My God! You really don't understand! And why would you! You've both lived in ease and comfort your entire lives. I get up at 6 am, rush to the Diner with Debbie run off my feet all day, wash so many dishes, I can still smell the soapy water, and do it all again, every day, all day just so maybe....just MAYBE...I can afford a place like this once a month! I've only been at it a month and a bit and I'm exhausted! Debbie's been doing it her whole life! It boggles my mind!"

         "You know, you don't have to be working there at all," Brian said seductively.

         "OHHH!!!" Hunter ground out in real frustration, "You still aren't getting it! It's obvious I DO have to! Otherwise, the blond bill collector...over there,( he jerked a thumb) will just think I'm trying to cut a hole in the bottom of your coin purse! And what about Debbie!? Or all these people who work here! Or the dancers and bartenders that work the pub-crawl you enjoy so much! And the waiters and grocers and cheesemakers and....and...whoever else! THEY have to! They have to and together they make up a functioning town. And if they don't...they starve! Do you have any idea how scary that is to a person? How hard!? How cruel? NO, of course not! You've never had to work a day in your life!

         "Hey, I work plenty hard!" Brian said defensively.

         "Not like this you haven't! Hunter shot back unrelentingly, "And what about you!?" he addressed Justin scornfully. He was developing an increasing disrespect for Justin that he couldn't quell.

         Justin thought about it. Before he got here, under the sea, he had been a child, and lived as a child, as a pampered prince. And when he got here...well, he worked on his art a lot but that was creative and hobbyish and...fun. He set his own hours and didn't NEED to do it. Not like Debbie or Hunter. He was ashamed to admit defeat but he did so, eyes downcast.

         "I thought so! Why...I bet you couldn't last an hour at Debbie's!"

         "What???" Brian asked, aghast.

         "You heard me! Working off your feet, taking orders, serving food...and not dropping anything...in skates no less! You wouldn't stand an hour! A minute!"

         "We could too!" they declared.

         "Oh yeah!?? How ‘bout it then? I challenge you! A whole week! A whole week working my shift at the Liberty Diner! In those damnable skates, no less!! And no castle! You stay somewhere close, in something you'd be able to afford as if you were relying on that with your income! A rooming house or an inn. No gold. No jewels! No crowns! No titles! No nothing! Work and live as if you were a couple of regular Joes who need to work! And if you do it, I'll live with you that week," he promised, "But partly to make sure you're keeping up your end of the challenge. No sneaking out and high ending it! What do you say?" Hunter took the last bite of his chicken and sat back, with crossed arms, and admired the horrified and aghast filled faces he had created.

         However, after about ten seconds, Brian bowed his head and said, "All right Hunter. You got it."

         "I knew it! I knew you couldn't get your hands dirty! I knew you - What? What did you say?"

         "I said we'll do it. We'll make a go of the Diner for a week."

         "But...but..butbutbutbut...."

         "Ohhh...That's a lot of butts for a straight boy!" said Brian wickedly.

         Hunter took a deep breath. "I just meant...Well, I had no idea you'd accept!"

         "Well we'll have to make some arrangements. But I don't see why not."

         "Ahhhh!" Hunter objected, "No substitutions! It's all or nothing!"

         ‘I just mean....there's the babies to think about. And the running of the Kingdom."

         "Oh. All right...Hmmm....OK then....How about this? I can take over Debbie's duties, which are more supervisional. I'll ask her to train me more in the next week. While I'm doing her job...mainly bossing you two shmoes around, she can take the week off and help the nannies or nurses or whoever you've got running things there with the babies. And as for the throne, isn't there anybody you trust that could take over for a while? Like regent or something?"

         "Yes," Brian said, "As a matter of fact there is. The Remington Twins have already done that once for us."

         "They might not now..." Justin said sorrowfully, "They're not too happy with me right now."

         "I don't blame ‘em..."growled Brian

         Hunter sighed. It was time to let Justin off the hook a bit. "I can speak to them a bit. And you can ease up on him a bit too, Brian. The fact is that as soon as I got back to the diner I was considering quitting the Diner and looking for another line of work. Before Justin even got there."

         Justin looked shocked. You're not thinking...You're not..."

         Hunter rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not...Trust you to think that! You see, the fact is..." He explained about wanting to have a job that was more than never-ending food service.

         "But what will you do?" Brian asked concernedly, "If you need any help looking..."

         "No need. I already asked the Twins if I could work at the Box Factory. It wouldn't be much better work at first but at least there's room to move up eventually."

         "That's great, Hunter! I'm so proud of you!" Brian said, patting his back and rubbing it a little. Hunter shut his eyes tight and tried to ignore how good it felt.

         "So...are we on? Ready to really slum it?" he said pulling back abruptly. These two were still not off the hook by a long shot.

         "Brian sighed. "You're really not going to let that go, are you?"

         "Not by a long shot buster!"

         "All right. Well, in the mean time, would you like some pie?"

         "Hunter snorted indignantly, "Yeah, I want pie!" And Brian's look, he mimicked Brian's sigh and said, "Fine! Yes please!"

BJJHBJHBJHBJHBJHBJHBJH

         They were almost finished dessert when disaster struck again.

         Hunter had finally loosened up a little to feel halfway human again. He still didn't like them anymore and at the moment he really didn't like Justin but he was relaxed and he wasn't resisting Brian's paternal arm around his waist anymore.

         Honestly, he'd forgotten all about it. And so, when he reached for his last bite of pie and his cuff fell open a bit, exposing his wrist he honestly had no idea what he was talking about when Brian said sharply, "What's that!?"

         At first Hunter thought he was talking to Justin. But when there was only silence, he looked up and saw Brian's furious glare. "What's what?"

         Brian grabbed his wrist and exposed the burn. The blister was progressing nicely.

         "This! What's this!?"

         "Nothing. It's nothing!" He pulled his sleeve up over it again.

         "It most certainly is not nothing!" Brian grabbed him and pulled his sleeve down again. "It's a burn! You've been burned!"

         "Brian, really, it's nothing! It's...it's, well, it's just nothing! Don't worry about it!"

         "It most certainly is not nothing! It's localized! It's -  it's...who did this!?"

         "What? Brian, nobody did it! Well, I mean it was done but nobody did it! It was an accident! Just an accident!"

         "An accident!? What do you mean?"

         "I just had an accident with some hot water when I was washing dishes! It's no big deal!"

         Justin just watched in amusement. He knew he was in the doghouse with both of them anyway and even if he wasn't there was nothing he could do. When he got like this, Brian was like a force of nature, unstoppable. If he was jealous he didn't just get green eyes, he got a whole green face and he was as overprotective as 10 mother bears. Justin took a bit of his pecan pie and settled in to watch the show.

         "Are you sure? That sound like an excuse! The excuse of a victim! Did somebody do this to you? Who did it?"

         "What!? NO! Nobody!"

         Brian started to hyperventilate. "IS SOMEONE ABUSING YOU!? TELL ME!

         "WHAT!? No! It was just an accident! An accident! And be quiet! You're attracting attention!"

         "What kind of accident? Tell me exactly what happened!!"

         "Brian!! Can you lower your voice! What's gotten into you?"

         Brian lowered his voice but his eyes grew darker and more intense. "Tell...me...what ...happened!"

         "Geez Brian, what's wrong with you? I just ran the tap too hot one time, that's all!"

         Brian grabbed him by the chin with a leathered glove and forced him to look into his eyes "Are you sure! That's all?? Just an accident!?"

         "Yes!! For fuck's sake Brian!! Calm down!!" Hunter twisted away from those damnable strong but gentle hands and turned to Justin. "Can you tell me what the hell's going on?"

         Justin shrugged. "Meh! He gets like this sometimes! It's best to just go with it."

         "I will not!"

         Brian threw down some money. "Come on. We're going!"

         Justin managed to scarf down the last bite of his pie and drop the fork just before he felt a few fingers loop through his belt loops and pull. Oh boy! Again with the belt loops! Justin sighed and rested on his heels and just enjoyed the ride. He looked over at Hunter who was similarly being pulled along by a wrist (his other one) encased in a black-handed vise grip. Hunter was struggling mightily.

         "Brian!! Leggo!! Leggo my arm!! Stop this at once! What are you doing!? Have you gone crazy!? Brian!"

         Justin tried to advise him: "You may as well enjoy the ride. He's not going to stop or release you. And you can't get away. I'd say we're looking at a Class 6 overprotective Queen Out."

         "I AM NOT QUEENING OUT!" Brian yelled, totally Queening out. Thank God they were in the parking lot by this time.

         But of course, Hunter, being young and inexperienced in these things, did not stop struggling till they reached the bike. Justin sighed and rolled his eyes and just enjoyed the ride as he slid along on the backs of his heels. "Brian, stop, Brian calm down. Oh no. Oh no. Brian, stop." Justin said in a flat monotone, as he knew his words would go unheeded and unheard. Damn Alpha Male.

         "Get on the bike!" Brian growled to Hunter.

         "Wha - What are you gonna do?" Hunter quavered, a little scared about now.

         "I'm taking you home. Then we're going to have a little chat with Debbie about her defective plumbing. And how she's going to have it replaced and overhauled! No-one burns my son, accident or not!"

         "Brian! You're totally overreacting! Debbie can't afford any such thing! Calm down!"

         "Get...on...the... bike!"

         Justin got in the sidecar. He knew departure was imminent.

         "Not until you calm down!"

         "Last chance! Then you can walk home and I have my little chat with Debbie without you! Now get on!"

         Hunter got on. He couldn't let that happen.

         "Brian! Would you calm..."

         BAAAARRRRROOOOOMMMM!!!!!

         And then there no more opportunity to talk over the motor and the bike moved so fast the world went by in a blur.

         In no time, they were at Debbie's. Brian pulled over and rose off, huge and unstoppable. He was breathing like a Brahma bull.

         Hunter jumped in front of him. "Brian! Stop! Calm down!" he said quietly but intensely as the street was dark and quiet and the hour was late.

         Brian advanced and Hunter was carried along a few paces holding onto his chest.

         Brian stopped and picked up Hunter by his arms until they were eye level. Hunter's feet dangled. "Nobody abuses my son!" he growled. He pivoted and set Hunter down to the side. He continued on.

         Hunter grabbed onto his waistband and pulled. It was like pulling on a brick wall. Now he was dragged along by his heels.

         "There's two things wrong with your statement! NO-body abused me and I am NOT your son!"

         That brought Brian up short. "I thought we settled this. You ARE my son. You were bonded to me when I first saw you. I explained that."

         "You just explained that! And it doesn't mean I feel the same way! Not any more! Now calm down!" And keep your voice down! This is a working class neighbourhood! All these people need to sleep! Including Debbie! I won't let you disturb her!"

         "Debbie's going to have a lot more to worry about than being tired in a few minutes!" he growled.

         "NO! Brian, stop this at once! She's done nothing wrong!"

         Brian turned back toward the house and started up the walk like an unrelenting dark avenging angel. Hunter grabbed onto his pants again.

         "Uh, little help here!" he called to Justin.

         Justin sighed. "I told you, there's nothing you can do. I'd say we've upgraded to a Class 7. Ohh, I remember this one time in a bar not too long ago....ohhh, that poor waiter...."

         Brian wheeled around so fast Hunter was lifted off his feet. "He offered to buy you a drink!!" he stage whispered furiously.

         "Brian, for the umpteenth time...He asked what we wanted to drink! He was taking our order! We're still not allowed back there now! And I really liked it there!"

         "Bahhhhh! I saw the way he was looking at you!"

         Justin rolled his eyes. "But I only have eyes for you, my love. Try to calm down."

         Brian huffed in satisfaction. He turned back and started back up the walk again. Hunter was thrown around again and was as ineffectual as if he were now a part of Brian's body, like a tail.

         "Brian stop!"

         Brian reached halfway up the walk.

         "Brian! STOP! Don't you dare!"

         Brian was three quarters up the walk.

         Hunter ran, leaped onto Brian's back and grabbed him around his neck. This bent Brian over a bit. But otherwise did not stop him. He straightened up and continued.

         "Brian! Stop! It was an accident! An accident! Debbie had nothing to do with it! I refuse to let her suffer! She can't afford such a thing that you are demanding! Leave her alone!"

         "An accident that could happen again!"

         He reached the porch.

         "Stop!" Hunter said, still hanging off his neck, "I'll - I'll come with you! I'll come with you! I'll be your son!"

         Brian stopped. "What do you mean?" he growled.

         "If you stop now I'll - I'll come with you for the week! Until the challenge! I'll live with you as your son for a week! But you have to stop this foolishness! Right now!"

         "You'd do that?"

         "Hunter went limp in defeat...and relief. "Yes. I'll do anything you say."

         There was a minute of silence while Brian considered his proposal. Hunter was just starting to breathe easier when:

         "Sorry. No deal. I told you before, you already ARE my Sonny Boy just as much and as sure as little Gus is.  When you come to the palace to live it will because you want to stay forever, not just a week. A week's just not good enough. I'd never be able to let you go again. And especially not because you're "doing whatever I say"."

         "Damn you, Brian!" Hunter railed in a furious whisper. He beat against shoulders that seemed to feel nothing.

         "Now there's the Hunter I know and love," Brian chuckled. He stepped onto the porch.

         "Brian, stop!"

         He stepped up to the door.

         "Brian, STOP!"

         He raised his hand to pound on the door.

         Hunter grabbed his arm. "Don't! I did it!"

         Brian stilled. "What did you say?"

         "I did it! I did it, OK, and it wasn't an accident! Debbie has nothing to do with it, doesn't even know and there's no defective plumbing! I DID IT!"

         Brian just stood there for a minute. Hunter relaxed, feeling the tension go out of his arm. Then: "You can get down now." Brian said.

         Hunter slid down to the ground.

         "Why?" Brian asked, turning to him.

         Hunter grabbed his wrist. "Come back to the bike and keep quiet, and I'll tell you," he said. Thankfully, miraculously, Brian allowed himself to be pulled along like he was shell-shocked, like a zombie.

         "Why?" he asked when he got back to the bike, "Why did you do it?"

         Hunter looked at the ground and shrugged his shoulders.

         "Hunter!? Why ? Tell me!"

         "I dunno, OK! I dunno!"

         "Is this...a regular thing?"

         "No! I dunno why I did it! And I didn't know you were gonna freak out about it!"

         Brian crossed his arms over his chest. "That's not an explanation."

         Hunter's lip wobbled and the sidewalk went blurry. "You didn't come," he said softly.

         "What was that?"

         "You said you'd come!" he said louder but trying not to shout. "I waited all day! Then Debbie left as well and I was left alone for hours! The diner was mostly empty! And then all I did was wait and wait and wait and think how much I HATED you! But then all these other thoughts kept poking through and I just wanted them to stop!"

         "What other thoughts?" asked Justin.

         The picnics in the meadow...Horsebackriding...That time we went swimming and you wouldn't come in the water...that walk in the park and you'd tell me...stuff...that time you...Hey! Why're looking at me like that?"

         Justin was smirking and nodding and Brian's eyes had gone all doe eyed and dewy and they were both looking at him like they had spotted the most cutest bunny rabbit ever!

         "You missed us," said Brian softly.

         "I - I - just - just SHUT UP! Just Shut up! I didn't!..."

         "Oh, Sonny Boy, I miss you too!" Brian exclaimed and squished Hunter into an exuberant hug. Hunter struggled ineffectually, his arms waving in the air.

         "And Hunter, I know, I've made a few mistakes recently...but I miss you too, Justin added, enfolding him from the side.

         Hunter's face was crammed against Brian's big male chest. He couldn't speak He could barely breathe. And Brian's hands were tracing that amazing pattern against the small of his back again. Hunter found himself melting, getting lost in the pleasure. It would be so nice to let go, float, pretend he was loved and cherished and...

         NO! He had to resist! He couldn't pretend! He couldn't.

         "Hmmmmpphh! Ger-off!! Get off! Get off!" Hunter struggled mightily and finally managed to twist free. He took a huge cleansing breath.

         "OK, fine! I guess I was missing you a bit! But I was missing what we did....before. And I didn't WANT to miss you! I wanted to hate you! I wanted to focus on the pain! And so I...I just ran the water extra hot for a few minutes so I could! Right before you came in actually. But it's not a regular thing! I just needed ...a shock."

         "Oh Hunter! It's OK to remember the good times!" Brian enfolded him from behind, this time a little more gently. "Those were the real times! The real us! And we enjoyed every minute!"

         "I don't believe you!" Hunter said shakily and stubbornly.

         "I know! I know! And you hate us! But we love you! Even if you don't believe us, we'll always love you!"

         Hunter sniffled and said nothing.

         "And I'm sorry! I should have been more specific. I'll remember to be from now on. Just promise me you won't hurt yourself again."

         Hunter said nothing, processing everything.

         "Promise me!"

         "OK! OK! But what am I supposed to do to shut off the good stuff?"

         "Don't shut it off," said Justin, "Hunter, I know you don't believe this but that was the real us. And we'll prove it to you. Somehow....we'll prove it to you. And we'll have more outings like that...and we won't...be slumming it," he said overriding Hunter, correctly seeing that he was going to object.

         "How do I know that?"

         "Because next week, all week, we shall humble ourselves to you and make ourselves as low and obedient to you as you want. And if that still isn't enough, we'll think of something else. But we willget past this and earn your trust back. We must. We need you."

         "We'll see. Well, thanks for dinner. I better get in to bed." Hunter pulled away and started to walk into the house."

         See you tomorrow!? Between noon and 2? We'll start making arrangements and go visit the Twins!" called Brian.

         "That's the lunch rush. Can we make it 2-3?"

         "OK!"

         "OK, then."

         "Good night son! See you tomorrow!"

         "I'm NOT...your son!" Hunter called back. They both just laughed and drove off.

         "I'm not..." Hunter whispered to the dark and then dark and silent street as he watched them go. "I'm not!"

         But even to his own ears, he didn't sound so sure anymore.

TBC