Splintered [Complete | GB+SB]

Fourteen: Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness

Sean called someone, told them not to page him unless there was an emergency, because he had to take care of some family business. Then he stripped off his coat and down to his undershirt, kicked off his shoes, and laid in my bed with me — we were twined together like ivy on a trellis — and we talked for the longest time. Just talking. Maybe some kissing. But barely any groping. Okay, I was groping his chest. And arms.

He told me about his family, about how he was abandoned as an infant and I cried picturing how close we came to never having Sean Green in our lives. He told me about joining the Academy, and meeting Owen, and some of the craziness the two of them got up to as kids. He was in the middle of telling me the story about how they met Kota, Luke, Gabe, Nate, and Victor, when the door opened and I heard a familiar voice shout, "Oy! Trouble! I'm here to gussy you up so you can go home!" and Gabriel pushed back the privacy curtain. He looked like a My Little Pony exploded on him, wearing dark wash jeans, electric blue kicks, a bright orange tank top, with a thin red hoodie that hugged the muscles in his arms and shoulders. He had orange studs in his ears, and his hair was perfectly tousled, almost like someone had been running their hands through it, and I felt a stab of jealousy that I tried to swallow down.

"What the fuck, Doc? Aren't you supposed to be working? I can tell you right now not a soul is going to believe that this is an examination, if you know what I mean. But for a favor and a chance to play intern, I'll vouch for you with Dr. Roberts." Gabe grinned at us knowingly, with one eyebrow cocked up, and I made a face at him. He ambled over and sat down on the bed on my side, squishing up on me until we moved over a little then he laid down with us. I was still half-draped over Sean, my head resting on his shoulder and my hand on his chest (not at all taking advantage of the situation), and Gabe just rolled up against me playing big spoon: his head on the pillow situated so he could see over the crown of my head, his arm resting on top of my arm, and his hand holding the hand that was on Sean's chest. "Now this is what I'm talking about... a Sean and Gabe sandwich with Sang as the filling," he said with a contented sigh. "I mean, not as good as a Taylor brothers sandwich, but it'll get the job done..." he continued slyly and I elbowed him in the gut causing him to start coughing. Which sounded a lot like laughing.

"Pardon me?" Sean asked, giving us both the side-eye with a bit of gleeful surprise like he was front row for the best show in town. "Was that in reference to something or just wishful thinking, Gabriel?"

Gabe pretended to zip his lips and shrugged innocently, leaving me to either deny it or 'fess up.

"You're the one who had North stay with me yesterday," I narrowed my eyes at Sean, "what exactly did you think was going to happen?"

"That you'd both get some much needed sleep!" Sean said, acting scandalized but I knew he was faking it. "Not do.... whatever it was you did! And just how did Luke get involved?" He couldn't help it, the big gossip was practically giddy over this.

"Luke woke us up because they had a shift—"

"That they were a half hour late for," Gabe added helpfully. I turned my head and shot a glare back at him.

" —and North didn't want to kiss me before Luke had—"

"He's a man of honor," Sean said proudly, and Gabe agreed. I hissed at both of them.

"—so Luke kissed me so I could kiss North and then there was all kinds of kissing—"

"And all kinds of other stuff if my sources are correct," Gabe confided in Sean over my head, ignoring me snarling at him to keep his mouth shut.

"Oh, my..." Sean pretended to look askance at me, but his eyes were crinkled on the edges and he was clearly trying to hold back laughter. "You are a vixen! When you mentioned Kota, Owen, Luke and North earlier, I didn't realize that the Oxford comma was purposely missing in your list of conquests."