Here Comes Trouble (Nothing Special #3)(65)

“Yes. The funeral and services are handled,” Green clarified. “But I thought maybe you’d like to talk about how you’re feeling. Now that she’s gone.”

Curtis stood abruptly. His eyes were everywhere but on them. He went back over to the side of his bed and started adjusting the covers. “I’m good. I think I’m just gonna rest, I’m tired.”

Green looked at Ruxs who looked just as uneasy as him. Just like he’d suspected. Curtis wasn’t grieving. As soon as Green brought it up, Curtis avoided it. He might need to look into getting him some professional counseling. He stood slowly, not sure if he should push. Ruxs grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door. Curtis was already burrowing under the thick comforter.

“Can you hit the lights on your way out?” Curtis said, his voice muffled in the pillow.

Ruxs cut the lights off, plunging them into darkness.

“Night, buddy.”

“Night, Curtis.”

Green was pulling up the door when he heard a sad, “Night, Dads.”

“Come on, Chris. Just give him some time. You can’t force it,” Ruxs whispered when he saw Green hesitate.

He and Ruxs walked back to their bedroom. They climbed into bed and Ruxs held onto him from behind, laying soft kisses on the back of his neck. He could feel that Ruxs wanted to get something started but Green’s heart was heavy with wanting to do the right thing for Curtis. He gently rebuffed Ruxs’ advances and turned the lights out. Ruxs sighed softly against his neck but didn’t make a big deal of it. It wasn’t long before he heard Ruxs’ soft snores behind him.

Green had a lot on his mind and sleep was not coming. He didn’t like what had happened to Curtis and he didn’t know how to help a boy that had lost the only biological family he had. He wanted to be everything Curtis needed and he constantly thought of ways he could be the best dad ever. He was also stressed about not being there to back up his partner during a major bust. He couldn’t be sure that Ruxs would feel secure and have his head in the right place with him not by his side. He was also concerned that immediately after the past couple of times – the only times – that he and Ruxs had made love, Green’s mind had been consumed with Curtis. Not giving him and his partner that very important time after sex to bond. He’d have to fix that too. Green’s head spun as the night hours ticked by.





I’ll Be Home Tonight




Ruxs sat at the breakfast bar in his task force uniform, drinking a very strong cup of coffee while he watched Green shuffle around in the kitchen making breakfast. He knew his partner, knew him better than he knew himself. He was stressing himself about Curtis, thinking it was his fault that Curtis was not grieving. When Ruxs lost his grandmother it took him six months before he could really grieve because he had to immediately take care of his self-destructive mom. There’s no rulebook to follow when you’ve lost a loved one. Everyone grieved at their own pace and in their own time. Green needed to understand that.

Curtis bounded down the stairs fully dressed and full of energy, with his book bag over his shoulder. “Morning,” he said cheerfully.

“Good morning,” Ruxs said first, Green just standing there staring unbelievably.

“Wow. That smells great. I’ll take mine to go,” Curtis said pulling the juice container out of the refrigerator.

Oh boy. Ruxs knew this wasn’t going to be good.

“Hey Dad. I see you’re in your ‘I’m about to take down some bad guys gear’.”

Ruxs ruffled Curtis’ hair when he went by him.

Green stopped flipping Curtis’ favorite bananas foster pancakes, and watched him flit around the kitchen like he couldn’t wait to get out the door. “Curtis. Where are you going?”

“School. Where else? It’s Friday. I’ve already missed one day.”

“I know. But I called your school and told them you needed some time off.”

Curtis slammed the juice carton down. “Why’d you do that? I didn’t ask you to do that!”

Green looked at his son sadly. “Curtis it’s okay. It’s excused. You can go back next week. Just a few days, okay. I think you should stay home and —”

“Hell no! I’m going to school,” Curtis yelled. “Hey!” Ruxs barked, standing and glaring at Curtis.

Green put his hand up to stop him. “It’s okay, Mark. He’s right. I shouldn’t have assumed.” Green moved the pan to the back burner, turning off the stove. “Have a good day Curtis.”

Ruxs watched Green leave the kitchen and take the stairs two at a time. Ruxs turned and faced Curtis, his face heating with anger. Curtis looked like he was sad for upsetting Green like that, but Ruxs was going to make sure he was sad, apologetic, remorseful, and most of all, educated that he was to never hurt that man again.

He walked around the counter to face Curtis. “Now you listen and you listen good, because I’m not going to repeat this. Under no circumstance are you allowed to talk to him like that,” Ruxs hissed, yanking Curtis’ book bag off his shoulder.

Curtis looked defiantly at him. “You think you can stop me from going to school.”

“I think I can stop you from seeing eighteen.” Ruxs fumed. “Do you have any idea what that man – what we all went through the ten hours that you were gone? It hurt us all. But it almost killed him.” Ruxs pointed upstairs.