Call Me Milo (boyxboy)

Chapter 35

Chance hops onto his bed and releases a deep sigh as he looks up at his ceiling.

"An altercation after school kept me late," Chance says as he vaguely answers Dizzy's question.

"Was it Ms. Librarian?" Cole asks as he glances over at Chance. "Did she make you help with duties?"

"What? No," Chance replies and sits up with his legs folded in a pretzel. "Your buddy, Zerick," he continues and directs his attention to Alfie. "He's a rude fellow."

"Zerick?" Alfie asks, his blue eyes widening. "What'd he do to you?"

"We fought."

"What?" Dizzy questions and stands up quickly. He narrows his eyes at Chance and crosses his arms. "You went alone? Are you crazy?"

Chance breathes out slowly before he responds. "That guy isn't a kid anymore. He can beat the shit out of any of us."

"What do you mean?" Tucker asks, mildly confused. He doesn't know the backstory behind Vast Mith and Xapt Calibur's dark past.

"I couldn't land a single hit," Chance says, causing Dizzy to freeze.

"You should've known," Dizzy says. "I mean, he looks like a monster, Chance."

Chance falls back on his bed again and reaches his hands up to the ceiling. "Yeah, yeah."

Dizzy sits back down on the ground and reaches over to Chance's mini-fridge. He pulls out a beer and lifts the tab back causing it to hiss. He brings it to his lips and takes a sip, saying, "Ah," after he swallows.

Chance immediately jumps up in his bed.

"Wait," he says. "The fuck is Alfie doing here?"

"He's harmless now," Cole says, smiling. Though, he doesn't know the details of what had happened between him, Tucker, and Dizzy.

"Right," Chance says, oozing sarcasm. "Because he never betrayed us and caused that gang fight two years ago."

Tucker glances around at everyone, his mind racing.

"You did?" Tucker asks and Alfie's shoulders drop.

"I'm sorry," Alfie apologizes. "I'm a different person now. Believe me. You saw Zerick, too. He's different than he was back then. We all are."

"Whatever," Chance says. "Toss me a beer, Milo."

Dizzy grins and throws a can to his friend. Chance's legs drape off of the edge of his bed and his gray uniform pants ride up just above his ankles. Tucker looks over and notices the new tattoo.

"Does your dad know?" Tucker asks.

Chance sips his beer and scrunches his eyebrows at his step-brother.

"Does he know what?" Chance asks.

"That you got another tattoo," Tucker replies. "He was disappointed last time you came home with one."

"And do I care?" Chance asks. "No."

Cole laughs and points at it. "Why did you get a pair of wings?"

Chance's eyes dart over to Dizzy whose eyes are trained on the floor. But Chance just smiles and gives a short explanation.

"For Wingspan," Chance says and Dizzy slowly raises his emerald eyes. "Gotta show my support for my best friend somehow."

"That's right," Cole says. "You're in that band. I would've come to your gig that night if I didn't have to finish Ms. Librarian's assignment."

"Stop calling her that," Chance says as he laughs. It makes Cole giggle and the rest of the boys begin to join in the laughter.

The night ends after a few hours and both Alfie and Cole take their leave.

It's the second time Tucker experiences the extent to Dizzy's nickname as he struggles to walk through Chance's door. He grabs the frame to steady himself and leans into it. He isn't going to make it home in his current state and even if he does, his father is going to punish him.

So, he stays the night.

"Where should we put him?" Chance asks Tucker.

"H-huh?" Tucker asks. "Um, I don't know."

"Figured," Chance says and places his hand on Tucker's shoulder. "You can take him, step-brother."

Truthfully, Chance doesn't trust himself with Dizzy. He's slightly buzzed himself and the last time he was, he ended up confessing on a whim. He doesn't want to screw up again.

"Oh, okay," Tucker says as Dizzy returns from the bathroom. He stumbles over to Chance's bed and leans over it, about to collapse as Chance slings his arm around Dizzy's stomach and pulls him away.

"Not so fast, bud," Chance says and Dizzy sags into him.

With a huff, Chance drags Dizzy over to Tucker and releases him into Tucker's arms who staggers backward in an attempt to hold Dizzy up.

"You're staying with Tucker tonight," Chance tells Dizzy who mumbles incoherently and slumps in Tucker's arms. Tucker holds his friend close to his chest and Chance ushers them out of his room before he closes the door.

Tucker struggles to help Dizzy get into his room and drops him on his bed. Tucker bends over and places his hands on his knees as he tries to regain his breath.

"Jeez," Tucker says as Dizzy repositions himself on Tucker's bed. He's laying on his side and watches Tucker with a wide grin on his face.

Tucker frowns. "What?"

"C'mere," Dizzy says and pats the space beside him.

"There's no room," Tucker says as he pulls out his sleeping back from the closet from the last time Dizzy slept over. He hears Dizzy shift in bed and he pats it again.

"Now there is," Dizzy says, still smiling. His cheeks are flushed and his emerald eyes look at Tucker with such warmth that Tucker has difficulty declining the invitation.

So, he doesn't.

Instead, he climbs into his bed and lays down on his side facing his childhood friend. Dizzy tosses his leg over Tucker's and Tucker instantly feels his body heat up due to Dizzy's warmth.

"Tucker," Dizzy says softly.

"Y-yeah?" Tucker asks, resisting the urge to run his fingers through Dizzy's curly hair.

"That time you didn't hear what I said," Dizzy says. "Do you wanna know?"

Tucker smiles. "Yeah."

"Okay," Dizzy says and waves his hand toward himself. "Come closer."

Tucker isn't used to this side of Dizzy and figures he becomes sentimental when he's been drinking. It makes him laugh.

He leans closer to Dizzy and Dizzy whispers so quietly that Tucker has to concentrate to hear him.

"I love you, Tucker," Dizzy says and stays quiet for a moment before whispering again.

"I always have."

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Is anyone reading this? lol.