Part Three

Pairing: Reed/William, Jason/Chase
Category: Hurt/comfort
Implements: none (one little swat)
Type: pre-slash
Series: Navigating the World and Relationships
Warnings: none


Part 3


Reed grinned to himself as he chopped the avocado for the guacamole he was
making for dinner tonight. He wondered how much William would snarl tonight. 
They had been dating for several weeks now, and with each date William snarled
less. But tonight William would meet Reed's best friend Jason and his young
partner Chase. He found his grin widening as he thought of William and how
their relationship was developing.

Reed had asked William out at first, just to get to know this defensive young
man. `Not to mention how well he fills out his jeans,' Reed thought to himself. 
Reed couldn't quite pin point exactly what it was about William that made him
want to know more about him. He was good-looking with his auburn hair, slim
build, and an endearing crooked smile. And right from the start when William
first snarled at him, trying to refuse his help, Reed felt an inexplicable draw
to him.

Fortunately, Reed soon figured out that William responded to his firm voice
telling him to calm down. Once he was able to get William to tell him what his
fears were and they addressed the fears together, Reed could tell that William
enjoyed the dates as much as he did. And the more Reed learned of this special
young man the more he wanted to know.

William had told Reed how over-protective his parents had been, parents who
still saw William as their tiny son who was so vulnerable. He had been was born
seven weeks pre-maturely, with a heart condition and retinopathy of prematurity.
Like so many parents with children who had special needs, William's parents had
been guilt ridden and tried to protect their son from any kind of harm. Reed
understood that William had conditioned himself not to ask for help. As they
swapped childhood memories, Reed figured out that as a child every time William
tried to do something remotely difficult or asked for help his parents had
jumped to do the task instead of giving William the instruction and time for him
to do it himself.

The knock at the front door, brought Reed out of his musings.

"I just came over to bring you the chips and to tell you I am NOT staying," 
Reed had to move quickly out of the way as William stormed past, cane in one
hand and a reusable grocery bag full of restaurant style corn chips in the
other.

"Well, hello to you too," Reed said, remembering he had said the same thing on
their first date.

"Here, take the chips, and I'll go," William snarled as he thrust the bag in
front of him.

Yep, Reed thought to himself. The snarl is back.

"William, go put them on the table, and calm down while you're at it."

"I am calm, and I'm not staying," William said, trying to control his snarl as
he went banging into the kitchen.

"Sit," Reed demanded as soon as William had slammed the bag on the kitchen
table.

"There's nothing you can say that will make me stay," Despite his words, William
folded his can and sat down.

"Stop," Reed said as William opened his mouth to say more. "Think about what you
want to say and how you want to say it. Remember, civilized human beings here."

Reed watched as William responded so quickly to his firm, matter of fact voice.

"I don't want to stay and meet your friends. Just what I need another O&M in my
life," William huffed.

"Civilized," Reed cautioned, as he tried to figure out what William meant. He
wasn't going to let William work himself up again. "What do you mean, another
O&M in your life?"

"Your friend, the one that I'm suppose to meet, the O&M," William said in a
sarcastic voice.

"William, I don't want to tell you again, talk to me like a civilized human.
What do you mean you don't need another O&M in your life?" Reed asked again.

"Your friend, the O&M," William answered a little more subdued. "You said you
worked together."

"William, I said I met him through work. I was his O&M for a short time. He
taught at Kansas University and then he came to the University here. He needed
O&M to learn how to navigate the campus. That's how I met him." Reed
explained.

"I told you he was a professor," Reed reminded him.

"You didn't tell me he was blind," William said.

"I don't go around saying my blind friend when I talk about him. Just like when
I talk about you I don't say my blind boyfriend."

"You talk about me? You tell people I'm your boyfriend?"

"Well, since we haven't made love yet, I can't call you my lover. But yeah, I
talk about you. The point is, though, I don't put a label on you," Reed said
softly as he leaned down to kiss the bemused man then grimaced as he heard
another knock at the door. "Have you got all your snarling done, because Jason
and Chase are here?" Reed asked.

"Yes, Reed, to use your phrase, I will talk like a `civilized human,'" William
laughed.

Reed suspected that William had felt his breath on his cheek and knew that he
was going to kiss him. They had shared a few goodnight kisses at the end of
recent dates. Reed smiled to himself as he knew that the crisis was over. 
William panicked but calmed quickly once Reed put his foot down. He knew that
William would be ok.

"Jason, Chase, I would like you to meet William Richardson," Reed said as the
men came into his apartment.

"William, it's great to finally meet you!" Jason said, as he and his partner
walked in the room.

"Finally," Chase grumbled. "Because lately all Reed does is talk about you!"

"Hi, it's good to meet you too," William replied.

Reed could tell that William was a little taken back by Chase's tone. Reed
wondered how William was going to react to meeting a Brat like Chase.

Jason had been the one to introduce Reed to the concept of Tops and Brats. 
Jason had assumed Reed knew all about the power structures because as Jason had
once said to him, "You all but scream Top. I can see it in your body language
and I'm blind!"

Reed hadn't known about this type of partnership but subconsciously understood
the power dynamic between Jason and Chase. As their friendship grew, Jason was
the one to help Reed understand what this need he had to protect others. Jason
had explained to him that he was a Top. Reed learned from Jason that these
desires and needs came out even more when a Top met a Brat. His Top instincts
were out in full force around William. Reed had no idea how to bring up this
type of relationship with William but he knew at gut level that William was a
Brat.

"Chase." Was all that Jason said, but Reed knew that Chase had heard a full
lecture with the one word. Reed also knew that Chase may or may not take the
warning that was evident in Jason's voice.

"Come on, let's eat before the guacamole turns," Reed said, hoping to appeal to
Chase's never ending hunger, and head off an explosion if Chase decided to
ignore Jason's warning.

"Reed's trying to get me to expand my palette," William said. "Every date we
have had so far, Reed has had me try something new. He has to run out of new
things soon."

Reed knew that William was responding to the warning in Jason's voice. He also
knew William felt the under currents but didn't know exactly what they were.

"What do you mean?" Chase asked.

"I'm a picky eater, and Reed is trying to broaden my eating horizons," William
said.

"I'll eat anything," Chase quipped back.

Conversation and laughter flowed freely, as the couples ate the Mexican feast
Reed had prepared. William accepted the light teasing as he tried the
guacamole. Reed wondered if they may still have an explosion coming as he saw
Chase's mood swing back and forth between sullen and happy.

The explosion finally came as they were cleaning up.

"Reed was telling me that you're a Jayhawk and then defected," William said to
Jason.

"Hey, no defection! Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU," Jason defended himself and smiled
as William chanted back the Kansas State phrase.

"I see you're a Jayhawk, too," Jason said.

"This is a set-up," Chase accused loudly. "Another one of your pathetic
attempts to get me to go to college!"

"Chase," Jason and Reed said together.

"This is bullshit!" Chase yelled. "You didn't want us to meet William. This is
just a fucking ploy that you and Jason dreamed up to get me to go to school!"

Reed watched as Jason took his cane, let it unfold, then grab his detonating
Brat by the arm.

Reed swore he saw icicles dripping from Jason voice as Jason led his Brat out of
the kitchen.

"May we use your bedroom for a moment? I would like to discuss something with
Chase." Jason did not wait for his reply but swiftly moved them into Reed's
bedroom. They had done this before. Reed, Jason, and Chase knew the routine.

"What? What did I say?" William asked.

"Nothing," Reed assured the confused young man. "This is an on-going battle
between Jason and Chase. Jason would like Chase to go to college and Chase is
happy being a bag boy at the grocery store. You did nothing wrong."

"Jason is a professor and his lover is a bag boy?" questioned William.

"I should let them tell you about how they met, but I think they might be awhile
so I'll tell you about the beginning of their love affair. But I think they
would prefer the term partners rather than lovers. They are in a very committed
relationship and have been for about five years now."

As they finished cleaning the kitchen, Reed related the tale of how when Jason
went grocery shopping he always ended up with the same, questioning bag boy. 
Jason would always answer the baggers questions no matter how outlandish they
were.

"How do you know what money you're giving to the cashier? How do you know where
you're going if you can't see?" Reed said, trying to mimic Chase's voice.

"Once Chase even asked Jason if he was a good lover," Reed laughed. "I think
that was when Jason figured out that Chase wasn't asking all those questions for
educational purposes that Chase was actually flirting with him."


In the bedroom, Chase tried to pull his arm free. Jason did let go but it was
only for a moment, to swat Chase on the butt.

Grabbing his arm again to hold him close, Jason leaned in and said close to
Chase's ear, "Do you really think I would bring up this issue up in front of a
virtual stranger? Yes or no?"

"No," Chase didn't say anything more not wanting to bring Jason's hand back into
contact with his backside.

"No is exactly right." Jason said softly. "Just like discipline, it is private.
Between you and me."

"I know," Chase said, just as softly but his voice held shame, not the quiet
menace he heard in Jason's voice.

"So, when we're back in the privacy of our own home, I'll help you clean that
mouth out." Jason promised him. "Afterwards, when your mouth is all clean, you
can tell me what that was all about. Ok? Can you wait until we get home or do
we need to get into it now?"

"I can wait," Chase said. Chase did want to tell Jason about the snotty new
bagger that had been making snide comments to him. But he didn't want to do it
here and certainly not in front of William and Reed.



In the kitchen, William had started to laugh as Reed told him about Chase
flirting with Jason. The laugh abruptly stopped.

"What was that?" he asked, startled.

"That was probably Jason discussing Chase's choice of words with him," Reed
said, cautiously, having heard the unmistakable sound of a hand swatting a
behind. Reed thought to himself, well, this maybe a way to bring up the
Top/Brat discussion, but it is way too soon. I don't want to scare him off.

"His choice of words?" William asked.

"Chase has, at times, a habit of using cuss words. Jason really doesn't like
it." Reed answered.

"But, who cares what kind of language he uses?" William asked truly baffled.

"Well apparently Jason does," Reed answered.

"But, why? What does it matter to Jason what kind of language Chase uses?"

"William, listen, Chase works in the public. At a grocery store where there are
families, little kids. He can, and has been, fired for using coarse and vulgar
language. Jason is protecting Chase from Chase," Reed tried to explain. Then,
he gave a sigh of relief when Jason and Chase emerged from the bedroom.

"I'm sorry," Chase said, obviously subdued.

"For," Jason prompted.

"For using bad words and ruining the night!" Chase said in a pitiful voice.

"Come here, you," Reed said, gathering Chase in a hug. "You didn't ruin
anything, and you know it. So don't try the sympathy card with me!"

Jason knew Reed was trying to reassure Chase, but he had to get him home and
deal with the problem. That was the only way Chase would calm down.

"William, it was nice to meet a fellow Jayhawk. I hope we get together again
soon. Especially if Reed cooks again." Jason laughed then turned towards
Chase. "Ok, Brat, let's go home."

After his friends left, Reed was braced for Williams' next question. He had
really hoped to put off this discussion. At least until William quit snarling
at every new experience.

"Brat?!" William demanded. "He got all over Chase for his bad words but he can
call him a Brat?"

"William, do you really want to discuss Jason and Chase?" Reed asked. "Or would
you like to sit here on the couch and let me give you the kiss that they
interrupted?"

"Oh, the kiss please," William said breathlessly.

And since he used such polite language, Reed obliged.

That discussion has been shelved, at least for now, were Reed's last thoughts as
he gathered his own Brat into his arms.

End of Part 3