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Ocean and Blue settle in to a routine, doing yoga in the morning and Ocean heading to the gym with Spence after. Blue and Sunny explore the woods and fields together. Blue needs his alone time every day to keep him stable.
He's moving ahead with the plans for his house. He's doing okay. He's starting to go through all of the inheritance stuff and is pretty pissed at Gervais. Blue works with a new lawyer to understand his options. He knows the first is to talk to Gervais and plans to at trials. He can't do this over the phone.
One morning on a run Sunny yelps and stops. Blue runs straight to him. He's trodden in some broken glass and cut his paw badly.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck. You'll be okay buddy." Blue says trying to sooth the unhappy pup. Blue gathers up the glass and bags it, and then scoops Sunny into his arms and runs all the way to Chris and Larry's farm.
"Chris, Chris, Chris come help." Blue calls out trying to find his twin.
"What's up?" Chris asks coming out the bathroom.
"Sunny cut her paw on some glass." Blue says trying to hold it together and not upset Sunny more.
"Poor baby, let me see." Chris says.
"Is it bad?" Blue asks.
"It isn't good. Keep him calm while I get some things." Chris says.
"You're a good boy Sunny." Blue says soothing him and stroking his head.
"I think I've got everything out, you should take him to a vet though to be sure." Chris says.
"You have to drive, I'll hold him in the back." Blue says.
"Okay, hold him and let me call ahead." Chris says.
"Thanks Chris." Blue says.
"Well your brother did a great job, great work." The vet says.
"Thanks so much. Do I need to bring him back Dr..uh..." Blue asks.
"Call me Kayden, Kayden Alexander. Take the dressing off when he starts walking normally. Bring him back if it seems to not be healing. You live up at the lake right, I think you are my parent's landlord." Kayden says.
"Really? Oh the Alexanders, the fruit orchard. It's beautiful up there. Stop by any time you're round and I'll make sure you go home with cake or cookies." Blue says.
"I will be sure to do that. I have heard rumors of your cookies." Kayden grins.
"Thanks for seeing us so quickly." Blue says.
"No problem, though with your brother's talents you could have saved yourself the trip." Kayden says.
"My brother is going to be a vet. He starts school in a week." Blue says.
Chris grins, he loves that Blue is calling him his brother. And is liking that the vet is clearly flirting with Blue.
"If you need more work experience I can always use volunteers." Kayden says.
"Do you do large animals or just domestics." Chris asks always interested in his improving his knowledge.
"Domestics, I'm the only small animal vet in the area. A lot of the large animal vets will see to farmers dogs, you know the score. I pick up the rest. I also teach a course at the college so I'll likely be seeing more of you anyway." Kayden says.
"Awesome. Uh why don't you come for dinner one night, I would love to pick your brains on training, before you're my professor and I can't ask you over. My boyfriend is harvesting great veggies right now and Blue makes the bets desserts." Chris says.
"I grab every chance I can for a home cooked meal." Kayden grins.
"Tomorrow? Blue is off in a few days after that and you do not want to miss his dessert." Chris grins.
"Tomorrow would be great. About 8? I don't tend to finish too early." Kayden says.
"Tomorrow at 8 is perfect." Chris says.
"Thanks again." Blue grins.
"You like him?" Chris asks.
"As a vet. Are you matchmaking? Because I am not ready." Blue says.
"I think having a smart, very, very handsome man to dinner to flirt with is exactly what you need." Chris says.
"What dessert do you want and am I making the whole dinner? Because if so we need to go and shop." Blue says.
"I didn't expect you to cook. I'm trying so hard to not put that sort of burden on you. But it will go so much better if you cook." Chris says.
"I know. And I am happy to. But Chris, just remember before you make double wedding plans, he might be straight." Blue says.
"He likes you." Chris says.
"He loves my dog." Blue says.
"Lets go shopping." Chris grins and Sunny barks in agreement.
"Wow I have not seen that look in a while." Will says. Blue is talking to Kayden on Chris's deck and the pair are spoiling Sunny.
"What look?" Ocean asks.
"The look..." Will begins.
"He gave you when you first met. I remember. I'm sorry for being such a dick this summer. I forgot just how happy you made him. Gervais and Blue together made me happy. You made Blue happy." Ocean says.
"Hey Will, I didn't expect to see you." Blue says running over to hug his ex hard.
"The guys have all gone home for a day to pack and see their families. So I came home to do the same. Who is the guy? A date?" Will asks.
"Sunny's vet. Chris is attempting to matchmake. But I don't even know if he's gay and he isn't my type anyway." Blue says.
"He's hot. He's a vet so caring and smart. Looks a little older than you, he's local." Will says.
"Maybe he's a good match for you." Blue says disappointed. He thought Will was back for him, he looked up and seeing him standing there with Ocean was like the first time seeing him.
"I'd never do that to you." Will says.
"What? Date someone I'm not interested in?" Blue asks.
"Blue, you don't need to hide your feelings on my account." Will says.
"I'm not. Come on in, dinner is almost ready and I have cooked up a storm." Blue grins.
"I can smell it." Will says.
"You are so mean. I will have to go careful." Ocean says.
"Oh I may have made a special dessert just for you." Blue says and hugs Ocean.
Will smiles at them and follows them in.
"He looks like himself again, fully himself." Ocean says.
"Dinner for friends, old and new, he's in his wheelhouse. This is the real him. He wants to give you a sendoff and integrate this new guy and shower us all with love for taking care of him. Chris might have organized this but Blue would have done it anyway. This is Blue's coming out dinner. He's himself again and he's thanking us for being there." Will says.
"Oh Blue you are spoiling us." Ocean says as Blue starts filling the table with dishes.
"This butter is the best ever. Its from the Wilson farm. I experimented and made a few flavor versions too, please try them with the bread. Well maybe not you Ocean." Blue says.
"You and Heidi were always after a decent butter." Will says.
"I know. She would love this one." Blue grins and finally sits down.
"This looks incredible. I am bidding for leftovers right now." Kayden says.
"Eat what you can because between Chris, Larry and Andy you will be lucky to get a second spoonful." Will grins.
"Save room for dessert." Blue says.
"He has been in the kitchen all day, cooking for us and baking things for Ocean. Ocean bro you are in for a treat because he has come up with two new flavors of those cookies and they are so good." Chris says.
"Way to spoil the surprise." Blue huffs.
"Sorry bro but if I didn't explain they were for Ocean early, then Andy would stuff them all in his face between dinner and dessert." Chris says.
"I would not, I would have hidden them from you all so I could eat them all tomorrow." Andy grins.
"How did you survive while I was gone?" Blue asks.
"Our grocery bill was astronomical and we single handedly kept Cheryl in business." Spence grins.
"How do you all know each other?" Kayden asks.
"Will and I used to date. Chris is my twin, we have a triplet sister, we didn't grow up together though. Andy and Spence have dated since high school, we were all roommates in college. Ocean I have known since he was tiny, he'd come to a yoga retreat where I grew up each summer. Will and Spence are his gymnastics coaches. Larry I met when I dropped out of college and moved into his area. He and Chris have been dating for a while now." Blue says.
"Blue, way to make the guys head spin." Spence says.
"No, no, I think he's right. Might as well bombard the guy with everything while the food is this good. He'll be more forgiving. Blue and I were in a kind of witness protection type program for seven years. My mom, not our bio mom who raised Blue, the woman married to our bio dad, her family is a bit mafia like. Also I used to date Andy." Chris says.
"That is a lot of information." Kayden says.
"And yet you are still sat here eating. Proof that Blue's food is the best." Will grins.
"It is incredible. Are you all vegetarian? You guys are pretty muscular." Kayden asks.
"I'm pescatarian, always have been, same as Blue. I'm a gymnast so I'm working out every day." Ocean says.
"I eat anything, I love Blue's food and while Spence and I sometimes grill up steaks we stick to Blue's eating style most the time. So weird that we did even when Blue was gone." Andy says.
"That is weird. But you were a produce farmer and so had all those veggies to use." Blue says.
"I think we always hoped you would walk in the door for dinner." Spence says.
"You're all really close." Kayden says.
"We fight, have stupid feuds and hold grudges but we all love each other heaps." Chris says.
"Chris and I have only been back in the open a few months. We're still finding our feet a bit. So if we are somewhat social awkward it is because we don't spend much time with people who are not around this table. And they're pretty used to us." Blue says.
"I think you are all being incredibly welcoming and open. My parents love you, after letting them stay. They love it here; your rent is affordable and they get to live close to me. I love having them close by." Kayden says.
"So, are you straight?" Ocean asks.
"Ocean!" Blue exclaims.
"He's at a table of gay men and doesn't seem at all uncomfortable. He didn't ask to bring anyone, so he's probably single." Ocean says grinning.
"I'm gay and yes I'm single. I am super happy to meet all of you, however unbelievable your background." Kayden says.
"The way I figure it, if you like any of us you'll probably look us up after. We might as well give you the bullet points so it isn't a shock." Blue says.
"On that note, I was kidnapped earlier this year, left in the woods to find my way home." Ocean says.
"And Ocean was the too gay gymnast who is about to compete at world trials and Will got a medal at the Olympics." Chris says.
"Any more surprises?" Kayden asks.
"Do you like Blue ice-cream?" Will asks.
"No way? That isn't you." Kayden says.
"Only the first few months. There is ice-cream with dessert, you can judge." Blue says.
"So the vegan ice-cream was you?" Kayden asks.
"Yes. That was me and Ollie. Ocean's mom's wife Marsha started selling it first from her deli and it flew out the door. Given we were set up by a dairy farmer it was a hard sell to keep up with the development." Blue says.
"But they did it and it worked, it got them into national stores. Still one of the biggest sellers for Mom and Marsha. You like it?" Ocean asks.
"I tried being vegan, I'm a vet and well aware how bad the dairy industry is. Anyway, I ended up living on that and Green's tomato soup, I don't have enough time to shop and cook and I lived on those until my mom told me to eat. I still love it." Kayden says.
"The soup was us too. My veggies, Blue's recipes." Andy says.
"I was gone before production started. I will happily come to your place and fill your freezer with my real soups and meals. I've been prepping for Chris starting school." Blue offers.
"I would pay you. If tonight is anything to go by I'd be totally spoiled." Kayden says.
"Ahh we can barter, some of your parent's fruit will do it." Blue grins.
"Is he always like this?" Kayden asks.
"Too generous for his own good. Don't turn him down though, he loves to cook and take care of people." Ocean says.
"And it is the best damn food you'll ever have, make sure he makes pies and brownies too." Andy says.
"Stop making more work for me." Blue says slapping Andy round the head as he gets up to get dessert.
"Ocean bananas, banana yogurt and veggie marshmallows for you. When you get back from worlds I promise there will be a giant banana toffee cheesecake for you and do you remember those cookies I used to make, with the gooey filling?" Blue asks.
"I best make that team." Ocean says feeling emotional at the memory.
"Abby's favorite cookies." Andy says.
"OMG what is that?" Kayden asks as Blue puts a cheesecake down.
"How did you make that without me noticing?" Andy asks.
"What kind is it?" Will asks.
"It is my take on a toffee apple. Let me know what you think, it might be a bit too sweet. I'll grab the ice-cream too." Blue says.
"Is this burnt toffee ice-cream?" Kayden asks taking a spoonful.
"Yeah an experiment. I think its good." Blue smiles.
"So good. You are better than your namesake commercial stuff for sure." Kayden grins.
"I hate all of you." Ocean grins.