Drop some cash to nifty so we can keep being distracted from the real world. https://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
Keep in touch by email/twitter/wordpress about the stories or if you're just feeling a bit lonely.
"Wait, what? You dumped Wyatt to get back with Andy, all within a few hours?" Blue asks incredulous as Spence and Andy arrive hand in hand.
"We are working it out." Andy says shyly.
Blue shakes his head and gets up to put together the food for Spence and Andy.
"Sorry, I am happy for you. I don't want to sound so judgemental." Blue says.
"Congrats guys." Chris says getting up and hugging them both.
"Well done. You might have been having a rough patch, understandable as I had left for college and you were missing me, but I think you can make it work. You ought to try." Ocean says looking at Blue rather than Andy or Spence.
"Oy, cheek." Spence grins.
"Oh boy, please let me be the one to tell Tad." Larry grins.
"Go ahead." Andy laughs.
"Larry! Do you really want to add to your brother's load right now?" Blue asks shocked at their attitude.
"Oh come on." Larry says.
"We're heading to thirty and you're all acting like we're still Ocean's age. You have everything going for you right now, I've given you a farm. You don't need to be butthurt about your dad's intentions now. Tad is supporting your dad through his grief and Ella is dead. You don't have any half siblings to share with. You have a great home and fiancé and a life that anyone would envy." Blue says trying to stay calm.
"Blue it was just in fun." Larry says.
"For you." Blue says and walks out to the deck.
"Blue, you okay?" Ocean asks.
"I'm sorry for bringing things down when we should be building you up." Blue says.
"Hell no. You were right, tormenting Tad is a total dick move. I get they are brothers and shit but it felt over the line and you called it and that is okay. Blue, it is okay to be you. You were always a good guy and college changed you and the crap you have been through changed you. But you've been back for a while. You've been you again. You've been my big brother again." Ocean says.
"Thanks. Thanks for being my little bro again. I wasn't being all moral in there. Not really. It fucking sucks to be the only single one again." Blue says.
"You'll find someone." Ocean says.
"I don't think I will. I just don't have enough of my heart left to give. Will and Gervais hold so much of it and a large part is still stone. I am back on an even keel and just about managing. I love being here and Sunny, having you around, knowing that I have made another home that you love to visit." Blue says.
"And you'll find someone who loves being here because you are here." Ocean says.
"I don't want to. I know I sound like a petulant kid. When it was just the triplet thing it was hard enough to open up. Now my family baggage takes a month to explain. I could not tell them and be accused of being cold. Or I could let it all out and they'll think I'm a fantasist. I am totally undatable and I have spent a bit of time coming to terms with that. Selfishly I thought Andy was in the same boat." Blue says.
"I wish Gervais would stop being so stubborn and call you. If he could see how you are here, he would join you. I know he would." Ocean says.
"I know you want us to have a happy ever after. It just isn't going to happen. As much as I love Gervais, and I do, really, really love him, we just hurt each other too much when we're in a relationship. You know that." Blue says.
"Maybe you can talk to him at trials. Take him some food he likes. I really need you two to be friends. I feel like the child of divorced parents right now. I hate that I hurt him when I'm with you." Ocean says.
"Maybe you should have stayed with him and spent more time with your mom too." Blue says.
"You and Sunny and this place are what I need to focus. Despite the Spence and Andy situation there is a lot less drama here. And it's selfish but I cannot deal with the grief at home." Ocean says.
"You have to be single minded right now. We are all behind you. Whatever you need, you get." Blue says.
"Does that extend for a while?" Ocean asks.
"What do you need?" Blue asks.
"I am still off the team at school. If I make the world team I am taking the semester off. It would be too much time off anyway. So, I am applying for a transfer and I want to live with you. Maybe like Chris I could live at the hotel in the week and here on weekends or more if my schedule allows." Ocean says.
"What about Garrett?" Blue asks.
"I will deal with that when it comes to it. We're happy now but we wouldn't manage long distance. And if one of us makes the team and not the other, well, fuck I know that if we're not strong enough to survive that then it is essentially over. We're putting off the breakup until after trials." Ocean says.
"You don't sound that bothered." Blue says.
"I like him a lot. Maybe I even love him. Hell we might both make the team and have an amazing time and I'll change my mind, go back to school and not be on the team so I can be with him. Train in the city." Ocean says.
"Well I will support you. Whatever you decide. Let me show you the plans. Originally I was going to have one bedroom upstairs for me. But then I figured you should have a room here. So I made the plan bigger, extending downstairs too. Putting 2 rooms and a bathroom upstairs, both with big windows and skylights." Blue says.
"I love it. I loved the idea from the start. Though I worry it means you'll get over run with visitors. But it will be nice to have our moms stay here. Thanks for giving me a home. I know I had no right to keep the farmhouse but it still stung to hand it back to Gervais. Especially having George living there and Birch working in the barn." Ocean says.
"Have you done it already? Signed it over?" Blue asks curious.
"Not yet, no. We've not had time." Ocean says.
"And you never asked Will to move out? I mean he was going to be at the lake all summer but he didn't have firm plans for after." Blue says.
"Fuck Blue. They pushed us all out. I never liked Birch and I always hated George." Ocean says.
"I don't want to be a part of another plot. I totally fucked up the last one. But be aware I gave Gervais half my inheritance from Abby in part because he gave you the property. To compensate him for that. Turns out my inheritance was a lot more than I thought and he was more than compensated." Blue says.
"I don't want to live there. But my mom and Marsha would love it, wouldn't they? Their place is okay but they would love the garden and use it just like you planned." Ocean says.
"You can't throw Gervais out?" Blue says.
"I might. I just might. Man you have given me some fire to compete with next week. And a hell of a lot to think about." Ocean says.
"You guys okay?" Spence asks.
"Do you think it would be okay if I didn't sign the property over to Gervais? Given Blue compensated him for giving it to me by giving him half his inheritance?" Ocean asks.
"Holy shit Ocean." Spence says.
"Well? You're pretty unbiased I think." Ocean says.
"You sign it back over my dead body." Andy says.
"What he said." Chris says looking mad as hell.
"And you were mad at me for intending to tease Tad?" Larry asks with a grin.
"I'm sorry for being a jealous dick." Blue says.
"Jealous?" Larry asks confused.
"It sucks being on the shelf with no prospects and no chance of any, when you are all so happy. I love you all and I'm happy for you, but I am also bitter with jealousy. I know I'm probably still not ready to be with anyone, probably not ever." Blue says.
"Nope, we are not on board with the pity party." Chris says.
"Sorry for being honest." Blue says.
"Blue you are gorgeous inside and out. Anyone would want you." Andy says.
"But would they want a guy with my history?" Blue asks simply.
"Larry has taken me on." Chris says.
"Larry knew your story, or the lead up to it at least. He only needed to be filled in on the last part." Blue says.
"You have a crazy history, so do all of us." Andy says.
"Right and you are all with people in the group. I ran out of those." Blue says.
"I found Wyatt." Spence says.
"Yes, you did. Are you saying I'm rich enough to overcome my issues? That I should be a sugardaddy?" Blue asks frustrated.
"Fuck you. Lash out all you want Blue. Just remember you don't get a free pass forever." Spence says.
"Well just leave before I say anything worse. All of you." Blue says, and runs off with Sunny.
"How bad is it?" Chris ask hanging back.
"I thought he was doing so well. I think he is and that is the issue. He's worked on himself, he's mostly in control, has a project to work on and wants to share it with someone. He wants to share his life with someone and he's so scared that no one will accept his past. You can't blame him for that. Gervais and Will won't accept him for who he is now. Not as a boyfriend. He is finally looking to the future and has fallen into another black hole. Andy gets to be happy with the love of his life and Blue gets nothing." Ocean says.
"And a few hook-ups won't help. He needs love. We all best get looking for someone for him. Lots of someones." Chris says.
"Well I leave it in your hands, I'll take over when I'm back from worlds." Ocean says.
"Deal. Call me any time if you are worried about him. And don't give away that house. Blue is only just waking up to the money thing. I think we, and probably Spence, as he knows big money, should go through it all with Blue properly. Once you are back. He trusts us, despite being mean to Spence tonight." Chris says.
"He loves us, us five, Will and Gervais." Ocean says.
"Yeah." Chris says and hugs Ocean goodbye.
"All okay?" Larry asks as they walk home.
"No, Blue is better. That means Blue is waking up to reality and he's right. His baggage is a lot. Not just our story but Will and Gervais too. And after worlds I need Spence or Andy to give Ocean the real story on Gervais, all he did to Blue in school." Chris says.
"You were as bad, worse. Ocean might hate you." Larry says.
"I'll risk it. Gervais put Blue right, he picked him up and got him half way functional. I don't get what went wrong, why he accepted any money. Why he thinks he can have half the inheritance and the farm property. Why he didn't want Blue to come here, live here. It might be nothing but it has all been buzzing in my head and I need to fit the pieces together." Chris says.