Call Me Milo (boyxboy)

Chapter 9

"Diz, it's been a while since you've visited me," Chance says as he stands up from their table in Luna's Den. "You've been busy or somethin'?"

Dizzy sighs and looks down. "I've been having issues with my fath-"

Dizzy instantly closes his lips and Tucker remembers how Dizzy wanted his abusive father to be kept a secret from Chance and everyone else.

"What's that?" Chance asks, pushing his arms through the sleeves of his jacket.

"It's nothing," Dizzy half mumbles and also rises from the table. "Are you busy now? Or do you two have other things planned to do together?" He smirks after that last question but Tucker knows it's only to get Chance's mind off of the fact that he almost spilled the secret about his father.

"Nah," Chance replies and Tucker remains uncomfortably quiet. He wonders if Dizzy is alright but he knows Josiah is still putting his hands on his son. There's no way Dizzy is fine even though he puts up a tough front. It's just a facade.

The three walk out of the restaurant together and stop once they reach Chance's car.

"You comin'?" Chance asks.

Dizzy looks down, his hands in his pockets, and shrugs. "I mean, I guess-"

Chance flashes a wide smile and says, "Get in."

Tucker watches the exchange and lingers outside of the passenger side of the car long enough to see Dizzy's lips curve up slightly in a small smile that Chance doesn't see.

Looking back, Tucker tries to remember if Dizzy had ever shown signs of being interested in Chance, but he fails. Because for a while, Dizzy was too busy pestering Tucker to even spare Chance a second thought, at least in Tucker's opinion. Unless he was doing it for Chance's attention or chasing after his approval.

The three arrive at the new family's home and much to Tucker's surprise, a witty comment doesn't escape the mouth of the boy with the raspy singing voice. Instead, he silently follows the pair of step-brothers into their home and hangs his head down.

Chance unlocks the door with a key he pulls out from his pocket and saunters through, Tucker and Dizzy following close behind. There is no sight of either parent and Tucker breathes out a sigh of relief. It's been a while since his mother has seen Dizzy and she doesn't know how things have changed.

Chance leads Dizzy to his bedroom and Tucker takes a quick turn, dumping his belongings on the floor of his own room and closes the door.

Muffled voices sound from the outside.

"Seems like he doesn't want to hang around with us," Chance says. Tucker doesn't even have to see his step-brother's face to know that he's smirking.

"He doesn't have to," Dizzy replies. "It's better that way."

A door flies open and hits the wall.

"Is it?"

The words escape the mouth of the typically timid boy faster than he has the time to stop them and Chance's smirk grows. Dizzy lowers his eyes in a scowl.

Tucker figures Dizzy wants to hang out with Chance because of his "interest" in him. But Tucker only assumes this on the grounds of just a few observations. He could be entirely mistaken and doesn't realize it. Even so, more words pile out of his mouth despite the abnormality.

"I guess I'll be hanging out with you guys after all."

Dizzy's eyes rise to meet Tucker's as he replies. "But you don't drink."

"How would you know? You hardly even know me anymore."

Dizzy breathes out. "Because you're eighteen. You're underage, Tucker. And I know you well enough to assume you wouldn't do anything illegal even if it's just underage drinking."

"Bet."

"What?" Chance says, grinning widely. "C'mere then, brother."

Dizzy rolls his eyes as Tucker follows Chance into his bedroom. He knows he shouldn't go because his tolerance for alcohol is probably very low. But tonight, he's different. He doesn't care what happens. And he doesn't understand why.

"Diz, hit up the boys," Chance says as he plops on the floor of his bedroom, waiting for Dizzy and Tucker to do the same. "The more the better."

However, Tucker doesn't want that. Especially not if he means the guys in Xapt Calibur. But, he knows he's in no place to say anything right now.

Dizzy nods in response and sends a text to a group message which immediately gets replies as both his and Chance's phones buzz.

"Well, we've got three more comin'," Dizzy announces. "Throw me a beer."

Chance grins before tossing his friend a beer. Dizzy pulls back the tab and a hiss escapes the can as he quickly takes a sip and releases a heavy breath. He's still wearing his dress clothes from his part-time job at Luna's Den but makes no effort to change them. Tucker wonders how the guys in Xapt Calibur are going to react and perhaps find out about the secret job Dizzy desperately tries to hide from them.

"Aren't you going to change your clothes?" Tucker asks and makes Dizzy spit up his drink.

"Do I look that weird?" he asks and pulls at his shirt.

Tucker looks down into his lap. "Well... no. But won't the guys be suspicious?"

Dizzy shoots a wild grin at Tucker that takes him by surprise. "I'll tell them I just got back from a date."

Chance puffs out a laugh and shoves Dizzy's arm. "Pff, as if they'd believe that."

Dizzy smiles over at Chance and shoves him back. "Shut up, asshole."

It isn't long before a doorbell sounds followed by three hard knocks on the door. Chance crawls over to his door and cranes his neck out into the hallway before he yells, "Come in!"

"Lazy fool," Dizzy sighs and Chance just smiles.

Thundering sounds up the stairs as the boys notoriously known from Xapt Calibur run up to Chance's bedroom. Three of them pile in, no surprise to the three boys already inside. Though, Chance's welcoming grin subsides within a single second upon discovering another body enter the room.

"What's she doing here?"

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