In the Beat of a Wing {boyxboy}

Chapter Thirty-Nine

~Sunday 21st April 2013~

"Another drink, Edee?" Mitchell asked politely as he rose to his feet and collected his wife's glass too.

"No, thank you, I'm already halfway to tipsy," Eden helped Mitchell collected Nola and Audrey's glasses as well, following him into the kitchen.

"I think Nola likes having you here, you let him drink," Eden smiled, leaning on the counter whilst Mitchell busied himself pouring the correct drinks into their retrospective glasses.

"Well, he isn't a kid really, only physically. I've let Audrey drink for years now, well, Archie started that actually. It's not a big deal if it's in a safe place and she knows it isn't acceptable out in night clubs or anywhere because she could get hurt," Mitchell hadn't stopped smiling all night, his mood affecting all around him. Eden was happy that his father was happy, and he liked feeling like his family was whole once again.

"I'm sure Nola would have something to say about that," Mitchell chuckled, "I think he takes a lot from Archie, it worried me how similar they were when he first reached out to me."

"I don't think anyone could be quite like Archie, he was one in a million," Eden helped Mitchell carry the drinks into the living room, having quietly noticed that Penn still hadn't come down from his room. Usually, Penn was the first down to meet Eden, since they were closer for unspoken reasons, but that night he had been absent entirely. Mitchell had mentioned he was sick, Eden had his suspicions that it might have been something else. Maybe even someone else.

"I'm gonna go see Penn, I'll be back in a minute," Eden excused himself from the living room, checking his phone as he walked up the stairs.

Malcolm: Just set off, be there soon x. Eden felt a swell of happiness hit him when he read Malcolm's text, he had been excited to see his boyfriend all day. In fact, he had been anticipating seeing him since he made plans for Malcolm to join him for family dinner.

Eden: Can't wait, drive safe, doll x. Eden slipped his phone back into his pocket, continuing up the stairs to Penn's room. He knocked on the door lightly, wondering if Penn might actually be asleep when he got no response, slowly entering the room and realising he was entirely wrong. Penn hadn't been asleep, there had been a completely different reason he hadn't responded, mostly because his mouth was full.

"Rei, how did you even get in here? You're supposed to be dating Mal, we don't need another scandal right now," Eden couldn't quite manage to suppress the giggle that bubbled from within him when Penn sat up swiftly, all wide eyes and flushed skin, coughing a little and wiping his mouth.

"Eden, you have impeccable timing," Reivon grumbled breathlessly, resting another pillow under his head so he didn't have to crane his neck to see Eden, "five seconds more and I wouldn't be lying here with blue balls."

"Rei!" Penn hissed, hitting Reivon's shoulder, his blush seeming to deepen more and more as the seconds passed of him still sitting straddled on the vampire's lap, "do you have to be so vulgar?" Penn added in a more delicate voice, still avoiding Eden's eye. Reivon sat up, cupping Penn's cheek, whispering something in his ear that Eden couldn't hear from his place still lingering by the door, but whatever it was clearly meant something as the boy began to blush once again, biting down on his bottom lip.

"So you're not sick then?" Eden chimed in, making Reivon chuckle as Penn rested his head on the man's shoulder.

"No, I'm sorry for lying," Eden realised that as much as Nola took after Archer, Penn was probably closer in personality to he was at a younger age. Quiet, skittish, and overly shy. He'd grow out of it, Eden knew that, he certainly had himself.