Story Orgy Monday...Farewells & Greetings pt. 6

Happy Story Orgy^™ Monday!

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Okay – Pip and Dwight are back again...let's see how it goes. :)

This week's prompt:  "Shh. You hear that?"

And now for your reading pleasure…

Farewells & Greetings

pt. 6

copyright © 2014 Havan Fellows

Dwight sat on the bench in the neighborhood park on the outskirts of the kid's playground. He loved coming here on the weekends and watching the kids go crazy working off all their pent-up energies from being boxed into a classroom during the week. The place was built after the townhouses went up. The residents of the close-knit community got together and petitioned the county for it; Dwight and his late boyfriend Riley included.

It was a safe place for the kids to go and play within walking distance of the townhomes. Since his neighborhood had a low turnover rate of people moving in and out, everyone pretty much knew each other and had for years, adding a sense of security to the relaxing area.

He had just opened his book in hopes of actually finishing the novel this weekend when someone sat on the bench next to him.

"Hey, haven't seen you out and about lately. Maggie and I've been worried.  How are you doing?"

Dwight looked at his unexpected company. Bret Cureton and his wife Maggie were in their mid-thirties and lived a block south of Dwight. Riley and he had often babysat for them. Dwight looked up...if Bret was here his twins would be, also. Sure enough there were his twins, Daisy and Drew, racing to see who got to the rope spider web first.

He smiled as Daisy beat Drew and stuck her tongue out at him.

"My god they've grown!" Dwight turned back to Bret. "It hasn't been that long since I've been over, has it?"

He lost his smile when he saw Bret frown. "It's been almost a year. They're seven now; you never responded to the birthday invite we sent you."

Dwight wracked his brain, trying to remember an invitation. He sure wouldn't have missed the twin's party on purpose.

"Their birthday is in January...honestly we weren't surprised that you didn't show." Bret patted Dwight's leg in comfort. "Or upset, for that matter. We understood...understand...but we still worry."

January. No wonder Dwight didn't remember the offer. That was a few months after Riley's death...Hell, Dwight didn't remember much of anything he did in those six months. The idea that he hurt the twin's feelings, being so young they couldn't comprehend his thoughtlessness and understand like their parents.

A quick jolt of anger at the teenagers that destroyed so many lives flashed through him.

Another hand, a different one, landed on his shoulder and immediately started massaging the back of his neck. One hand became two and Dwight knew without a shadow of a doubt who his impromptu tension reliever was...and the anger that tried to burn him from the inside out with hate extinguished as immediately as it appeared.

"Hello, Pip." Dwight couldn't stop the smile that always came to his face when he said that name.

A swift kiss to the shell of his ear followed by the flick of a tongue got more than his mind's attention. "Shh. Hear that?"

Dwight listened, but all he heard was the giggles and sounds that happy children made when left to their imagination in a playground well stocked with things to climb and swing on.

"Hear what?"

"Exactly!"

Pip jumped over the back of the bench and landed beside Dwight. He reached over Dwight and stuck out his hand to Bret. "Well hello there, I'm Pip."

Bret laughed and shook the offered hand. "Hi. You just popped out of nowhere, didn't you? I'm Bret Cureton, friends with Dwight."

"I do love making an entrance." Pip clasped his other hand on top of Bret's and gave all three a final shake before letting Bret's go. "It's my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Bret. I too am a friend of Dwight's."

He sat back and crossed his legs, nodding out over the play area. "So which ones are yours?"

Bret gestured to the two curly black haired kids running in circles around the swings. "Those two." He raised his voice and called Drew and Daisy over.

Their heads popped up to answer their father's call.

"Mr. Dwight!" Daisy gave a happy scream.

Drew immediately ran to him with Daisy fast on his tail.

They both stopped short right in front of Dwight, Drew threw his arms out as if he had plans to tackle Dwight but stopped himself last minute. "Mr. Dwight." He smiled.

Daisy pushed her brother out of the way and finished the movement he started, climbing into Dwight's lap and hugging him. "Hi Mr. Dwight. You haven't babysat us lately. Mommy and daddy ask Aunt Viv to watch us now. I don't like her, she won't play board games with us. Don't you still like us?"

Drew tugged on Daisy's arm. "We're big kids now."

"I don't care. I don't like those Playstation games she tells us to play. They are all about"—she leaned forward and lowered her voice as if about to tell Dwight a huge secret—"they all have guns and bad guys in them, I don't like it." She again sat back and spoke normally, "and I don't like her. She never reads to us like Mr. Riley and you did." Daisy's perfect pout tugged at Dwight's soul.

"I do miss the reading. You left us in the middle of the book, but we saved your page." Drew looked at him hopefully.

"Um..." Dwight glanced from the kids to Pip before settling on Bret, begging him with his eyes for help.

Bret hefted his daughter from Dwight's lap to his and reached for his son's hand. "Remember when mommy and I told you how Mr. Riley got hurt and had to go stay with grandpa in heaven?"

Two heads nodded in unison.

"Well Mr. Dwight was upset when that happened and needed some time." Bret looked past Dwight to Pip and grinned a little. "I think he might be ready to take on two crazy seven year old in a game of Monopoly soon."

"But Mr. Riley won't, right daddy?" Daisy questioned.

Dwight jumped in and answered this one, "No, honey. But you know, he'd want us to play and read even without him, because he'd want us to have lots of fun just like we did when he was with us."

"That's right." Bret scooted his daughter from his lap and stood up, stretching the muscles in his back. "It's time for us to head home. Maggie went to her sister's for the afternoon and I told the kids they could cook her dinner."

"We're making chicken nuggets and tater tots." Drew beamed.

"With broccoli." Bret informed his son, whose smile faded slightly.

Everyone laughed as Bret ushered his twins toward the sidewalk and their townhouse.

"You know, I think you missed an opportunity there." Pip shoulder bumped Dwight.

"Huh? What opportunity?" He looked from Pip to the retreating backs of his friends.

Pip looked at him and smiled. "That Drew kid was obviously challenging you to a game of Monopoly. You didn't accept the challenge; he wins by default."

Dwight's sanity must've been slipping, because he actually understood Pip's personal language this time. He handed Pip the book he still had in his hand and gestured that he'd be right back.

"Bret." He jogged over to the sidewalk where they now waited for him. "Hey, um, next time you need a sitter, give me a call?"

"Absolutely." Bret smiled and grabbed his arm, squeezing it once before waving and walking home with his brood.

Dwight walked back over to Pip. He figured the grin on his face probably looked goofy, but damn, he suddenly felt really good.

As he approached the bench Pip uncrossed his legs and gracefully stood. Dwight walked right up to him.

"How did you find me?"

Pip leaned over and brushed his lips over Dwight's ever so slightly.

"And so our third date begins..."

To be cont'd...

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Don't forget to check out the great stories on my fellow orgiast's blogs! :)

Lee Brazil's story: click here
Hank Edwards' story: click here

If you are interested in reading the first book to this prompt story...Farewell...you can find it here at ARe...hope you enjoy!