attracted Mrs. Hubbard’s attention. She met them in the living room, eyes wide in shock. Mr. Hubbard was right behind her.
“Where have you been?” she asked, addressing Jason directly.
“We just went—”
“You said you would be here,” Mrs. Hubbard interrupted. “We returned home from church to find an empty house. Just imagine how that made us feel.”
“Relax,” Caesar said, clapping a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “He was out with me. I was bonding with my new little brother.”
“I’m not your brother,” Jason snapped before he could help himself. He hated the idea. Caesar wasn’t family. He wasn’t blood.
“Oh-kay,” Caesar said with a grin. “Obviously we still have a lot more bonding to do.”
Mr. Hubbard ignored him. “Jason, you did say you would be here.”
“I’m sorry,” he managed. “I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
“Well…” Mr. Hubbard looked to his wife, who pressed her lips together and shook her head.
What did they want him to do, fall to his knees and beg? Jason wanted to tell them where they could shove it, maybe knock a lamp off the stupid end table just to see them flinch in fear. But in the corner of his eye, he could see the concern on Caesar’s face, feel the hand tighten on his shoulder.
“I was bored and made him tag along,” Caesar said. “You guys always want me to spend more time with the family.”
Mrs. Hubbard turned her attention to her son, lips tightening. “Next time leave a note,” she said. “Come on. You can help set the table.”
Jason was sure that last request referred only to him, but Caesar stayed with him all the way until dinner was served. Shortly after all were seated, Caesar’s phone rumbled and the texting began anew. This time Caesar occasionally looked up, eyes darting in Jason’s direction as if to make sure he was okay. Only when the meal was over did he disappear upstairs.
Jason, as much as he was beginning to despise his new caregivers, made sure to help clear the table and do the dishes. He sat in the family room and watched television with them too, just to show he could be part of the herd. For the first time in many years, he didn’t want to lose his foster placement. Jason laughed along to a lame sitcom, realizing that if he wanted more days like today, he’d have to try harder to become a Hubbard.
* * * * *
Jason’s dreams were filled with blinding sunshine. The sound of a child’s laughter echoed in the distance, a woman’s voice calling out. When he was dragged back to the waking world, he found the opposite. The room was dark, the carefree laughter replaced by a terse whisper.
“Hey!”
Jason’s face contorted as he took a sharp breath that felt like his first. As he rolled over, that breath caught in his throat. Caesar sat on the edge of the bed, white bandana gone now and his hair a mess. That wasn’t all. The hoodie and tank top were gone too. The street light outside illuminated chest hair, dark nipples, and the gentle curve of pectoral muscles. Desire rose in Jason like a hungry beast, but he pushed it back down and looked up into tropical eyes.
“I had a nightmare,” Caesar whispered. “I told you that movie was a bad idea!”
“Okay,” Jason said, trying to figure out what to do. He pushed himself up on his elbows. “Shouldn’t you be waking up your mom for this?”
“I just need company until the adrenaline goes away. You know what it’s like.”
Jason yawned. “I had a dream about an elephant on a beach once,” he said. “Scared the hell out of me. No idea why.”
“Adrenaline,” Caesar repeated. “Come hang out in my room?”
Jason felt a familiar mix of excitement and dread. “Okay.”
Caesar stood, waiting for him to get out of bed. Jason did some quick equations in his head to help the swelling between his legs die down before he stood. He strategically kept his back to Caesar as he pulled on his jeans, so he wouldn’t just be in a shirt and pajama
“Where have you been?” she asked, addressing Jason directly.
“We just went—”
“You said you would be here,” Mrs. Hubbard interrupted. “We returned home from church to find an empty house. Just imagine how that made us feel.”
“Relax,” Caesar said, clapping a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “He was out with me. I was bonding with my new little brother.”
“I’m not your brother,” Jason snapped before he could help himself. He hated the idea. Caesar wasn’t family. He wasn’t blood.
“Oh-kay,” Caesar said with a grin. “Obviously we still have a lot more bonding to do.”
Mr. Hubbard ignored him. “Jason, you did say you would be here.”
“I’m sorry,” he managed. “I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
“Well…” Mr. Hubbard looked to his wife, who pressed her lips together and shook her head.
What did they want him to do, fall to his knees and beg? Jason wanted to tell them where they could shove it, maybe knock a lamp off the stupid end table just to see them flinch in fear. But in the corner of his eye, he could see the concern on Caesar’s face, feel the hand tighten on his shoulder.
“I was bored and made him tag along,” Caesar said. “You guys always want me to spend more time with the family.”
Mrs. Hubbard turned her attention to her son, lips tightening. “Next time leave a note,” she said. “Come on. You can help set the table.”
Jason was sure that last request referred only to him, but Caesar stayed with him all the way until dinner was served. Shortly after all were seated, Caesar’s phone rumbled and the texting began anew. This time Caesar occasionally looked up, eyes darting in Jason’s direction as if to make sure he was okay. Only when the meal was over did he disappear upstairs.
Jason, as much as he was beginning to despise his new caregivers, made sure to help clear the table and do the dishes. He sat in the family room and watched television with them too, just to show he could be part of the herd. For the first time in many years, he didn’t want to lose his foster placement. Jason laughed along to a lame sitcom, realizing that if he wanted more days like today, he’d have to try harder to become a Hubbard.
* * * * *
Jason’s dreams were filled with blinding sunshine. The sound of a child’s laughter echoed in the distance, a woman’s voice calling out. When he was dragged back to the waking world, he found the opposite. The room was dark, the carefree laughter replaced by a terse whisper.
“Hey!”
Jason’s face contorted as he took a sharp breath that felt like his first. As he rolled over, that breath caught in his throat. Caesar sat on the edge of the bed, white bandana gone now and his hair a mess. That wasn’t all. The hoodie and tank top were gone too. The street light outside illuminated chest hair, dark nipples, and the gentle curve of pectoral muscles. Desire rose in Jason like a hungry beast, but he pushed it back down and looked up into tropical eyes.
“I had a nightmare,” Caesar whispered. “I told you that movie was a bad idea!”
“Okay,” Jason said, trying to figure out what to do. He pushed himself up on his elbows. “Shouldn’t you be waking up your mom for this?”
“I just need company until the adrenaline goes away. You know what it’s like.”
Jason yawned. “I had a dream about an elephant on a beach once,” he said. “Scared the hell out of me. No idea why.”
“Adrenaline,” Caesar repeated. “Come hang out in my room?”
Jason felt a familiar mix of excitement and dread. “Okay.”
Caesar stood, waiting for him to get out of bed. Jason did some quick equations in his head to help the swelling between his legs die down before he stood. He strategically kept his back to Caesar as he pulled on his jeans, so he wouldn’t just be in a shirt and pajama
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