{Jon}

Jon woke up with his face full of the smell of coconut and vanilla, rubbed off on his pillow, and for a full minute remembered nothing about the previous hours except the kindness of Kurt's hands stroking the knots out of his shoulders. Even as the memory of his boss' visit bled back into his consciousness, it seemed as if Kurt's arms wrapped around him under a pile of hanging coats still held him steady against the toxicity of what his boss had said.

Breathing in, Jon curled with his arms wrapped over his body and allowed himself to just remember being held, and Kurt unabashedly crying with him. If today had been like any other day, and he only had Cary's friendship to anchor him against the dark, he probably would have stayed in bed.

He got up.

He was showered and loose, lying in corpse pose on his yoga mat when the front door opened. "Honey, I'm home!" Kurt sang, and Jon smiled without opening his eyes.

"Goodness, are you asleep waiting for me?" Kurt threw himself on the floor next to Jon, leaning over to look in his face. Jon's soft laugh was interrupted by Kurt's kiss, light as a butterfly wing brushing his lips. His boyfriend smelled of turpentine and sweat, and Jon wrinkled his nose and opened his eyes, still smiling. The shadow of worry in Kurt's expression passed and his eyes shone back.

"Hey," Jon said, feeling oddly self-conscious after crying his face off in front of Kurt earlier.

"Hey," Kurt said back, smiling.

From the kitchen, Cary cleared his throat loudly, thumping bags down on the table. "Hellooo-gays. Lunch isn't getting any hotter."

Kurt jumped to his feet, holding out his hand to pull Jon up with him. "Pho first, hugging later. I'm starving, love."

Laughing, Jon followed him into the kitchen. The ease with which Kurt touched him, his obvious delight in being in Jon's home together, lightened the burden of worry Jon had been carrying about overstepping earlier in the week.

For a full minute there were no sounds except slurping. Cary cradled his bowl of Pho soup close to his face, neatly swirling the noodles onto his chopsticks, which looked tiny in his fingers. Kurt handled his chopsticks like they were a pair of tiny shovels, one for each hand.

"What's your day look like?" Kurt's blue eyes flashed to Jon's face as he shoved noodles into his mouth.

It took no effort for Jon to smile. "It's my afternoon with the boys," Jon said. "I'm picking them up from school and taking them out."

"Where are you going?"

Jon shrugged. "Wherever they want. It's Dusty's week to pick. Last week Jordin picked 'Build a Bear' and Dusty cried when I said we couldn't spend $300 to buy his bear. Candy-sprinkled fro-yo barely repaired the damage."

Cary muttered, "Because ice cream."

Kurt laughed, clapping his hands together. "Oh, I want to come. Douglas, have you met Jon's kids?"

Cary nodded, fishing a last piece of pork out of his broth. "Went to the zoo together last month. They said I looked like a bear. And then they said I smelled like a bear and my feelings got hurt."

Jon felt Kurt's eyes on him, and the held breath of Kurt's unasked question. He slurped the last of his noodle broth from his bowl, considering. His family members had relationships with the boys; the ministry encouraged community connections. And none of the other staff would be there.

And Jon wanted Kurt to come, to show off his kids to him. He snuffed out the acidic little voice that said this was exactly what his boss feared and what if--?

What if nothing. Jon thought fiercely back. If Jordin and Dusty caught Kurt's kindness, if they caught his humour and style, they would be better for it.

"What if I text you when I know where we're going? You could meet us there." Jon said, and Kurt's whole face lit up. "You'll come with, right?" Jon asked Cary.

Cary looked from Kurt's 'please mom?' face to Jon's. "Sure," he said, shrugging. "This one probably needs a chaperone." His dark eyes crinkled as he jabbed his thumb at Kurt

Kurt covered his grin with his fingers. "I'll be so good--I promise."

{Cary}

Kurt was as restless as a three-year old expecting a visit from Santa the rest of the afternoon. Cary gave up an hour early, packing up the truck with the other man practically skipping along behind him.

In the truck, Kurt said breathlessly. "Okay, it's my first time going out with Jon--what are you wearing?"

Cary glanced heavenward for help. "Clothes, Visser." He checked his pants: only mildly paint-spattered. "What I'm wearing now with a clean T-shirt."

Kurt's mouth hung open a second, and then he gave himself a little shake. "Oh no. No no no. Can I please please take you shopping. And me, obviously."

Cary huffed an exasperated sigh. "You are extremely high maintenance."

Kurt laughed. "Bish, please. You are extremely zero-maintenance. A little self-care would go a long way with you."

"I'm not the one going out with my boyfriend."

Kurt shot him a mischievous look. "You're going out with me. Assumptions will naturally be made. And I don't want anyone imagining I would date that beard."

Cary's laugh filled the truck-cab. "All right, fine. Liya wanted me to tidy up the beard too—I'm outnumbered. Gay me up Visser—that's probably easier than convincing anyone you're just out with some man friends."

"Right?" Kurt said, settling back in his seat, his mouth curling in a pleased smile.

"That's what you're calling Jon now? Are you boyfriend official yet?"

Colour rose in Kurt's face. "Uh--I am. I'm just living in hope that he ever says it back. That's how it works, right?" He laughed to himself. "Christ, Douglas, I don't know. I'm so far off the map of anything I've done before."

Cary shot him an amused look. "You're doing fine from where I'm standing. Where am I taking us for this shopping thing?"

Kurt tapped his arm, pointing. "Take the next right. My salon is on Strath. You are going to love the hot towels. And the straight razor."

"Wait, the what?" Cary tucked in his chin, looking nervous.

"Trust me, Douglas. You're in good hands."

{Jon}

Outside the elementary school, Jon leaned against the work van in the parent parking lot, watching children trickle out of the school doors. Dusty's bright red sweater caught his eye immediately, and made it easy to spot Jordin sloping along behind, his grey fleece tied around his waist so his blouse shone in the sun. Behind him, Jon noted his sister, Bea, with her slouchy knitted hat and bouncy step.

Dusty saw him first, breaking into a run. "Jon-Jon-Jon-Jon!"

Jon bent to meet him and the boy collided into his chest for a hug. Dusty smelled like sweaty hair and pencil crayons.

"Hey bud, how was your day?" Jon said.

Dusty made a face. "Spelling, ew. But recess was so great. Pops, we were playing grounders on the playground and Mac fell and skinned her knees--" A non-stop torrent of stories came out of Dusty's animated body as Jon smiled and nodded and buckled him into the booster seat he still needed because he was so underweight for his age.

A text alert buzzed in his pocket, and he checked it quickly.

Bea: <Jordin doesn't know you're my brother *eyes no mouth emoji* pls don't tell>

He glanced up: Jordin and Bea were hanging back, waiting for him to finish with Dusty. Bea tucked her phone in the bib of her overalls, her honey-brown eyes worried, watching him. Jon gave her a tiny frown. Why would it matter if Jordin knew they were siblings?

He gave Jordin a smile. "Hey Jordin, who's your friend?"

Jordin pivoted towards Bea. "This is Bea. Can she come over today?"

"Sure that's fine," Jon said. "It's Dusty's turn to pick an outing; he probably wants you to come too. If Bea is okay with that."

Bea grinned and nodded, her mustard-yellow hat bobbing, and they clambered into the van, Jordin in the front and Bea beside Dusty in the back.

"Where do you want to go, Dusty?" Jon checked the boy in the rearview.

"Bea--you're coming too?" Dusty beamed at her. "This is the best day ever." He leaned forward, patting Jon's arm. "Can we go to the zoo?"

Jon laughed to himself. "Sure we can, bud."

He texted Cary: <get ready for more bear jokes we're going to the zoo>

He texted Kurt: <meet us at the bears in 40 *grin emoji* *bear face emoji*>

The zoo was quiet on this weekday afternoon, the wide paths open and bathed in fall sunlight. As Jon and the children strolled along the curving path past Lucy the elephant and the red pandas, he thought Bea seemed more withdrawn than usual, sticking close to Jordin with her hands tucked in the bib of her overalls. Jordin was showing off for her, walking the railing along the green spaces, balancing on his worn sneakers. There was a hole in one toe and Jon made a note to pick up a new pair in a larger size. It felt like Jordin's feet were never going to stop growing.

There were two men studying the sign at the bear pen. Jon recognized the crest of Kurt's white-blond hair immediately, but not the crisp pink button-down shirt and sweater vest. In his slim cuffed pants, argyle socks and penny loafers, Kurt looked nothing like either a contractor or a rock star.

"Cary!" Bea squealed and ran towards them.

Jon blinked. If Kurt wasn't recognizable as a rock star, Cary wasn't recognizable at all. He'd mistaken the broad shouldered, neatly groomed man next to Kurt for a stranger. A turtleneck hugged the muscles on Cary's arms and chest, while his mid-thigh hiking shorts revealed an alarming amount of hairy leg. Jon wondered what on earth he could be keeping in the man-bag slung across his chest.

"Hey Honey-Bee," Cary rumbled, his one-armed hug nearly lifting her off her feet.

Jordin followed her, looking curiously from Cary to Kurt. "Oh, is this your gay brother?" he asked casually.

Jon's breath froze in his chest. Shit, that's why. Bea told Jordin her brother is gay. Bea's wide, apologetic eyes flew to his face, her cheeks flaming.

Kurt swept Jon with a look that was equal parts amusement and horror, before he slid his arm into Cary's. "Hm, what now? Cary White is gay?" He batted Cary's bicep and laughed at the other man's flummoxed expression. "You monster--keeping me in the dark all this time."

Jon bit his lip to keep from laughing too. With Kurt hanging off Cary's massive arm, they did make a striking and entirely plausible couple. It was like Kurt's superpower: the power of gay.

"What are you guys doing here?" Bea asked breathlessly.

Jon wished she'd kept her mouth shut: now they had to come up an explanation to fit the current lie.

Jordin was watching the two men with an enraptured expression, as if rainbow unicorns had appeared at the zoo. Jon doubted he even recognized Cary from the previous visit; his tattoos were concealed under the sleeves of the turtleneck, and his haircut made him look like a different man entirely. Well-groomed and expensive, Cary's resemblance to his biological father was striking, and it occurred to Jon why his friend never tidied up his hair and beard.

"Jon invited us," Kurt said smoothly, gesturing to him with a flourish of his hand. "Our humble housemate wanted us to meet Jordin and Dusty." He stuck out a hand to Jordin for a handshake, looking for all the world like gay Mr. Rogers.

"Hi," Jordin said shyly, unable to look directly at him as he shook his hand. He fingered the clip in his hair, smoothing his braid.

Dusty frowned at the group, his fists on his waist. "What's gay?"

Bea bent down to him, her hands on her knees, back in her comfort zone. "It's when men want to marry other men instead of women." This was exactly the explanation their parents had given her when she was a child. She omitted the part they had underlined and she had apparently forgotten: that it was Jon's private business and he was the only one who got to tell people that about himself.

"I like the sounds of that," Kurt remarked to Cary. "Are you going to make a respectable man of me someday?" A flash of his blue eyes found Jon.

Cary patted his hand on his arm. "Best wishes to any man who tries, sweetheart."

This made Kurt shout with laughter, and Jon bit the corner of his mouth, smiling so hard his cheeks ached. He could breathe again; damn, he was going to have to buy Cary flowers for this later.

Bea and Jordin tagged along with "the gays" and Jon stuck with Dusty, holding his hand as the little boy craned his head around to see everything. In the aviary, Jon crouched down to put his face at Dusty's shoulder. "Look up there," he said, pointing. On the branch at the top of the enclosure an owl swivelled its head from side to side, watching them with huge yellow eyes.

Dusty leaned back against Jon's chest, sticking his thumb in his mouth.

"Will it get me?" he asked in a small voice.

Jon gently brushed his thumb out of his mouth, hugging Dusty's chest with his hand to comfort him instead. "Of course it won't get you. It's in its home and we're out here. Besides, I would keep you safe."

Dusty turned and wrapped his arms around Jon's neck, hiding his face against him. "Pick-a-back me?"

Which was how Jon ended up trundling Dusty across the zoo on his back. The boy wouldn't set a foot on the ground until the second-last stop: the petting zoo. Jon slid him to the ground with a sigh of relief, rolling his aching shoulders.

In the enclosure of small farm animals, Bea and Jordin had pressed Cary into helping them catch one of the kittens, and the chickens and ducks were scattering between his hairy legs as he lumbered after them.

Jon found himself standing an arm's length away from Kurt, who was watching the excitement with his fingers against his mouth. "He's going to get chicken shit all over his new shoes," Kurt said, appalled.

"You can't take him anywhere," Jon said.

Kurt gave him one swift glance. "Did we do okay?"

"You were fabulous," Jon said, unironically. He shot Kurt a private sideways smile. "Your 'humble housemate' is glad you came."

Kurt looked relieved. "I think we'll take off now before we get you in any more trouble." He wiggled his phone. "I have one hundred adorable photos of you and Dusty to coo over at home--that I will share with no one."

Jon's face warmed. Kurt kept seeing him. He was used to being invisible. His eyes followed Kurt as the other man picked his way through the pen, dancing away from a pot-bellied pig who wanted to make friends with his pink sweater and taking Cary by the elbow to steer him away.

It wasn't Jon's imagination, was it? Kurt Visser was interested in him.

"Bye!" Bea waved vigorously. Her hat was askew and her hair was frizzing around her flushed face.

Jon checked his phone. "Maybe it's time for--"

"--ice cream!" Dusty crowed, and Jon laughed, giving in.

"Yes, exactly what I was going to say."

2498 words.