Asterism

37. my decision

Three chapter update! 36, 37, 38.

***

"DAD, I'm not saying you're poor, but you need to step it up."

There was collective laughter on both sides of the FaceTime call after Marley completed her tour of Aiden's apartment for Chris. Even Bryan's wife, Jenna, laughed but kissed her husband's cheek upon glancing over at his disgruntled expression.

Leo's laughter was booming from the kitchen, where he and Aiden were currently carving the seeds from their pumpkins. Or, more accurately, Leo was carving the seeds from his pumpkin messily and haphazardly, while the resident neat freak cursed him out while hurriedly trying to manage the mess on the counters and floor.

"Chris, your Dad works very, very hard," Marley pointed out, always wanting Chris to know how truly lucky he is to have him. "And he's a hero to boot. That's worth more than money."

"Thanks honey," Bryan massaged his temples tiredly, "Not all of us can be trust fund babies."

"Hey now," Aiden argued from where he was on his knees at Leo's feet behind the kitchen island, sweeping seeds into the dustpan while more fluttered onto his hair. Poor guy. "I haven't spent a penny in my trust fund," he attempted to defend, but it was weak.

He's telling the truth, but another side of the truth is that he doesn't need his trust fund. He makes more than enough from his shares of his father's company. That doesn't exactly make him exempt from the trust fund baby umbrella.

"Alright, high rise with a city view. How's the Range Rover on gas?" Bryan snorted, while Jenna smacked him.

"Better than a cop car?" Chris asked, earning more laughs, and an especially loud one from Aiden.

Bryan pulled his son into a playful headlock. "Well mine has bars on the windows in the back. Wanna see them? I got a cute inmate costume you could try on, too. Got the real cell and everything waiting for you at the station. You can trick or treat with One Tooth Billy. How 'bout that, huh?"

Chris yelped and squealed playfully as Bryan threw him over his shoulder and pretended to deliver him to his fate of clinking cans with One Tooth Billy. Jenna watched on affectionally. They were working on their pumpkins, too, but theirs were a lot smaller which meant they had made more progress and were carving already. Not that Chris was able to sit still and focus for long, but his parents were helping him out.

Leo and Aiden's usual antics were dragging things out here.

She set the laptop down as Leo squinted down at his best friend. "You down there to suck my dick or what? Move your ass, bro. I'm missing a spot."

"Fuck you, shithead. Look at the floor-don't fucking kick me!"

"Cinderella lookin' ass."

"What did you just call me?!"

"Ha! You don't even get the joke 'cuz you're so smart you can't remember names. Dumb bitch."

"You won't remember yours if you keep running your-"

Marley had luckily had the foresight to mute the FaceTime call to save Chris' innocent ears, and the approval of her adoptive Dad. Marley imagines his image of her boyfriend would be tainted just a bit were he to hear threats of violence and swearing left and right in her now primary place of residence.

After setting the laptop down facing away from the scene, and walking around the island to put a stop to the impending fight, she gripped Aiden's bicep and yanked him to his feet. "Boys. Enough."