“You know, it’s the holidays. You don’t have to study for the GED.” Blade said to a frustrated Chance.
“I know I don’t have to.” he replied. “But the next testing period is coming up, and I want to try and take it. I’d like to pass it, but even if I don’t, I’ll know which areas I need to work on.”
Blade sighed. “Suit yourself, man.” Although he himself sounded frustrated, he was trying to be supportive and make sure he didn’t burn out before the test came up. He took the book from Chance after another half hour, and started quizzing him on different parts of the test, watching as he wrote down answers. When Blade was finished, Chance finished writing and handed it over to be graded, essentially.
While Blade took the time to do that, Chance stood and stretched, then informed him he was going to check on the volunteers and guests to make sure everything was going as it should – it would give him time to grade without Chance getting on his nerves.
While Blade stayed in the office to grade, Chance made the rounds to check on people, and make sure nothing in particular was needed. If there was, he got a volunteer to take care of it, and then he himself helped out in the kitchen for a while before heading back to the office. Blade was sitting in front of the desk with the graded paper in hand.
“How’d I do?” Chance asked.
“Take a look for yourself.” Blade said, holding out the paper as Chance sat behind the desk. He looked it over, noting what red marks there were – less than what he’d had last time, that was for sure. When he got to the last page of the mock exam, he noted the score, and looked at Blade.
“Is this for real?”
“Yeah. You got a passing score.” he said with a grin.
Chance tossed the paper onto the desk and leaned back in the chair with a grin of his own. “Man, this is just a good news kind of day, ain’t it?”
“Maybe. What else is going good for you?”
“Let me see if I can tell you first.” he said, and reached for his phone, which he’d left in the office. Sure enough, there was a text from Trish, letting him know that it was okay to spread the news. “Alright – I’ve got permission.”
“Permission from whom? And for what?”
“From Trish, regarding the baby.”
“Oh that’s right – she had an appointment today. How’d that go?”
“Great – baby is healthy, all things considered, and she’s on track to give birth on time. Oh, and we found out the gender.”
“So tell me already. You gonna be step-dad to a little boy or a little girl?”
“A little girl.”
“That’s awesome man.” he said, giving Chance a fist bump. “Congratulations. Dad know yet?”
“Not my Dad, no. But if you mean the kid’s Dad, yeah. Trish wanted to tell him first – didn’t want me to say anything until after she’d told him. That’s what the text was about.”
“How does she feel about it?”
“She doesn’t want any pink. Other than that she seemed happy.”
“What about you?”
Chance hesitated a moment before responding. “I’m scared. I mean, I’ve had a pretty messed up life – I don’t want to screw the kid up. All the same though I’m happy – happy for her, happy the kid is healthy, and looking forward to – what are you doing?”
This last part was asked because Blade got up and approached him, stood in front of him for a minute while he was talking, then leaned in and kissed him.
“You’ll be fine. Don’t worry so much.” he said, taking a couple steps back.
“What was that for?” Chance asked.
“You were getting all worked up. I thought you could use some grounding.”
“Grounding. Really?”
“Mostly.” he avoided looking at Chance for a minute and then sighed. “I feel drawn to you, okay? You’ve been good to me – hell, even invited me over to your place for the holidays so I wouldn’t be alone. You’re being accepting, and we’ve been getting along, haven’t we? It’s just – I wanted to do it, alright?”
“Okay, chill man. I’m not pissed off or anything – just surprised.”
“There’s that, at least.” Blade struggled for a minute, wondering if he should say more, then decided to just go for it. “In a way…I kinda miss what you did to me – though I could do without the other stuff.”
“What I did to you?” Chance replied, feeling lost.
“You know I’m bisexual, right?”
“Oh. Oh, you mean that. You miss it? really?”
“Kind of, I said kind of. There were times it wasn’t entirely painful – it was only really painful when you were excessively rough with me.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying I’d like to try and do that with you again, just…less rough, and definitely less Mercy.”
“Yea, no Mercy – she’s kinda…”
“Yeah. At least in the context we know her.” he paused, looking at Chance. “Are you bi?”
“I don’t know, exactly. I mean, I’ve tried it, I don’t have a problem with it – I just don’t like receiving. The other stuff is fine.”
“Would you be willing?”
“I’ll give it some thought. I’d want to talk it over with Trish first, make sure she’s not going to mind if I do. If.”
“Understandable.”
“Umm….how about we get out of the office and help serve dinner?” Chance said. “It’ll occupy our time until Charles wakes up.
“There’s other things I’d rather be doing. But…sure…if that’s what you want.”
“Man, I don’t know what I want right now, except for Chales to not walk in on us experimenting.”
“Noted. Shall we?”
Chance nodded, stood, pocketed his phone and left the office with Blade to go help out in the kitchen for a while. Mainly, he wanted to mull things over – he had the baby to think about, and now this stuff with Blade.
What a day.