"This is gonna be so cool, Dash!"

"Keep it down, Oli. Anyone can hear you from outer space."

"You think so, son?"

"It's gonna be awesome, Mr K!" Oli affirmed. "Mattie's gonna love all this."

"Sure hope he does," Kenneth said as he stood straight after bending over to fix something. "He wanted this for so long now. I wish I gave it to him long ago."

"Better late than never," Oli said. "...right, Dash?"

Dash, who kept himself busy with fixing the setup while listening to his dad, kept quiet and didn't offer any gesture that suggested he agreed with what Oli said. Better late than never, he thought. However, it would've been much better if everything hadn't come so late in the first place.

"And here's Mattie's new friend," Oli thoughtfully said as he went to reach inside a box and picked up what was inside it.

"Does it really eat tomatoes?" Dash asked.

"I think so," Oli answered and placed the tomato-eating creature inside the aquarium made ready for it to live in. "Mattie knows what to feed it, I'm sure."

"I wonder what he'll name it."

"It won't be too long now," Oli whispered. "He's been waiting his whole life for this, hasn't he? Let's make it worth the wait, okay?"

It was Kenneth who kept listening to the exchange between his son and Oli and from what Oli had been saying, he took to liking the boy bit by bit. Dash surely admired Oli. Mattie looked up to the boy. Both his sons followed Oli like how the moon followed the sun. And like those two heavenly bodies, his kids bathed in Oli's light.

"My mom and dad are gonna be here soon," Oli reminded. "Kei's gonna be with them."

"His Japanese best friend," Dash added and smiled.

"You still remember those cranes we made?"

"What about it?"

"I've kept the ones we made in my house. Do we still need to finish 1000?"

"Yes, Oli," Dash answered as he stared at Mattie's new friend inside the aquarium. "Mattie still has to wish for something."

"Okay..."

"I'll go pick him up right now," Kenneth announced as he headed toward the door. "Good thing you boys got excused from school."

"My dad's good at negotiating," Oli said.

"Yes, he is. I'll leave everything to you, okay? You'll all know when Mattie gets home."

"Don't worry Mr K! Dash and I are his big brothers and we'll make sure that he'll have the best time ever!"

"I'm glad." Kenneth smiled at Oli before turning to Dash who was reluctant to stare back at him. "You two are the best brothers he could ask for."

"Yep! Aren't we, Dash?"

"Yeah," Dash mumbled.

When Kenneth drove off to pick up Mattie from school, Oli and Dash finished up preparing the living room and the dining room and everything else. A large cloth was pulled over the aquarium and all the windows were closed to let in as little light as possible. Banners hung from the ceiling and balloons were scattered all over the place. Everything was all set except for that one surprise that would be placed right above the doorway.

After several minutes, they heard a car stopping over in front of the house and Oli instantly knew that it was his family together with Mattie's Japanese best friend, Kei. They went over to the door and waited for the few guests to arrive.

"Konichiwa, Kei-kun," Oli greeted as the little kid finally stood in front of him. "Hey mom, hey dad!"

"I speak English, ya know," Kei said and smiled warmly at Oli and Dash. "Where's Mattie?"

"On his way," Dash answered. "So you're his best friend."

"Japanese best friend," Oli commented.

"Duh! My mom and dad are from Japan and I was born there, but I grew up here."

"Cool."

They led Kei inside and like other boys his age, the kid bounced right in and his straight, dark hair bounced along. Kei wore his usual outfit – loose shorts and a shirt that fit his slender body quite nicely. His slanted eyes scanned around the room for some place to put the box he carried with him, wrapped in blue and tied with a ribbon.

Oli's mom and dad followed inside and immediately went to the dining room to finish what still needed to be done and placed on the table.

"Put it next to that...uhh...big thing," Oli said.

"What's under it?" Kei asked as he walked toward where Oli pointed.

"A surprise for Mattie. No peeking."

Kei giggled and placed his own surprise for Mattie beside the large rectangular thing. He loved surprises and he wasn't about to ruin the thrill for Mattie by taking a peek at the surprise waiting for his best friend.

"I'm Oli, by the way," Oli said and extended his hand for a fist bump. "...and Dash, Mattie's big brother."

"I know." Kei smiled. "Mattie says you're the coolest big brothers he ever had. I wish I had a big brother."

"Oh?"

"Well," Dash started. "We can be like brothers, too. Mattie likes you a lot."

"He does?" Kei giggled and blushed. "Of course, he does! We do stuff together!"

Both Oli and Dash exchanged careful glances. There was that same undertone of mischief and playfulness in what Kei was telling them. What...stuff was this dark haired and bouncy little boy talking about?

"Oh, no!" Kei immediately took it back. "Not that stuff! I mean, we're best buddies and we play together a lot."

There was a sigh of relief coming from Oli and Dash. Mattie was still very innocent when it came to doing `stuff' with his Japanese best friend.

"So you like Mattie, too?"

"Yep! This big!" Kei declared as he stretched his arms wide open to span his arms' reach. Then, he pulled his arms back together and lifted his hand before gesturing with his index finger and thumb that looked like he was pinching something. "...and this small."

"That small?" Oli asked, confused. "That's like...an inch."

"Hai!" Kei nodded fervently.

"We don't get it," Dash said and started copying what Kei did earlier. "How can you like him this big...and this small?"

"You'll see."

Oli wasn't quite finished with asking questions, but when his mom and dad entered the living room and signalled for them to hide, their little talk immediately quieted down. The three boys hid themselves behind the couch. Oli made sure to put the little surprise they had in store right above the doorway that when the door was pushed open, it'll all fall down.

Alex and Dianne hid themselves behind the three boys, but they didn't crouch along with them.

Kenneth pulled up in front of their house and looked toward Mattie who sat in the backseat.

"Don't worry, buddy," Kenneth said. "I'll ground Dash for leaving you behind at school."

"No, dad. S'okay!" Mattie argued. "I bet they'll be here soon. Please don't ground Dashu for it..."

"He can't leave you just like that."

"But...," Mattie stuttered. "It's not his fault. Maybe...he just walked home with Oli and...and...I don't mind if he did. Please don't ground him."

"Why don't you see if he's home already," Kenneth suggested, his voice sounding very serious. "If he's not, I have no choice but to ground him."

Mattie immediately hopped off the vehicle and went straight for the door. His heart was pounding, hopeful that Dash already got home. He even forgot that he already prepared himself just in case some surprise waited for him at home.

When he got to the door, his blood drained from his face. It was disturbingly quiet. Not one voice could be heard. As far as he knew, if Oli and Dash already got home, there should've been muffled sounds coming from the bedroom upstairs or Oli's loud voice inciting a laughter from Dash.

Please be home...please be home, he kept telling himself.

He closed his eyes, crossed his fingers and pushed the door open.

The first thing that hit him wasn't the shouts coming from a group of people behind the couch. Nor was it the astonishment that forced his eyes open. None of it came hurtling down toward him as fast as the little bits of confetti that once hung over the door.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday, Mattie!" finally reached his ears.

Several confetti got tangled up in his curls while a few settled on his shoulders and what was left circled around him on the floor. One or two bits were still swaying in front of his eyes.

"Happy birthday to you..."

His cheeks recovered with a blush and it wasn't the only thing that swelled inside of him. He stood there, amazed and as his dad placed a gentle hand on his shoulder from behind him, he couldn't hold it any longer.

"Happy birthday to you..."

He cried happy tears as the few people who hid behind the couch earlier slowly approached him with a cake that was held by the brother he loved so much. Dash was smiling at him, singing to him and was bringing him his favourite moist chocolate cake.

"Happy birthday, Mattie," they all greeted.

"Dashu," he mumbled, looking up to his brother before turning to everyone else. "Oli...Kei..."

"Sup, Mattie?" Kei grinned.

"Surprised?" Oli asked.

"Mm-hmm!" he nodded eagerly and rubbed off the tears from his eyes. "Thanks!"

"Looks like no one's grounded after all," Kenneth said as he crouched behind his son.

Mattie turned around quickly and gave his dad a big hug. He was lifted up and held so closely and protectively.

"Happy birthday, buddy."

"Thanks dad!" he offered, sniffling a bit. "...you're the best!"

"It was your brother's idea. Dash had everything planned out."

"Dashu? Really?"

Kenneth nodded and set him down on the floor again for him to blow out his candles.

Dash, on the other hand, stayed quiet as he returned Mattie's thankful gaze. He held out the cake to his little brother and waited for all the ten candles to be lit off. It wasn't his idea. It was his dad's.

"Make a wish," Oli reminded.

Mattie closed his eyes once more and wished as hard as he could. He prayed with all his heart and it took him several seconds to finally open his eyes again.

The candles were blown off and everyone cheered him on. Oli messed up his hair, removing the bits of paper that got stuck in his curls. Kei fist bumped him and Dash led him to the dining room where a simple feast waited for all of them.

"This is the best birthday ever!" he kept on saying and everyone laughed along.

After a few more minutes of fervent talk shared among the boys and mild chuckles among the adults, the doorbell rang and Oli quickly went to the door.

"Are we late?" Anthony asked and behind him were Gabe and Brian.

"A `lil bit," Oli said. "...we're just starting on the cake."

Mattie got another round of well wishes from Anthony, Gabe and Brian. The little boy couldn't stop smiling and Kei was always giggling beside him.

The doorbell rang once again and it was Alex who went to get it this time.

"Glad you could join us, Frank," Alex said.

"I have nothing else to do anyway."

The two adults made their way to the kitchen and after everyone got their fill, Mattie was urged to tear open his presents. There were four boxes in total. The largest one, covered with a cloth, was stored for last.

"This one's from me," Kei said and handed his gift to Mattie.

When Mattie opened it, his grin got wider and he immediately hugged his best friend and kissed him on the cheek which got everyone silent and smiling. Kei giggled shyly and a blush settled on his cheeks for the rest of the evening.

"From Oli, with love," Mattie read the card on the next box, wrapped in red with white ribbon.

The little boy opened it and was quick to give Oli a warm hug and another kiss on the cheek. He blushed a little because of the gift Oli gave him.

"For the bravest little boy I know," said Alex as he handed his gift to Mattie.

After Mattie tore it open, he courteously said `thank you' and hugged Oli's dad and mom one after the other.

"No kiss?" Alex teased.

Mattie giggled and kissed Alex and Dianne both on their cheeks.

There was only one gift left. The large rectangular thing covered in cloth without even a ribbon nor a card attached to it. If it wasn't for his dad telling him that it was indeed a present, Mattie would've looked over it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Open it, open it!" Kei urged him on.

Everyone else, except for Oli, Dash and Kenneth, waited anxiously for Mattie to pull the cloth off.

"It's a...," Mattie trailed off, his eyes wide open, his smile turned into an `O' around his mouth. "...is this for me?"

"Yes, buddy," his dad said. "...your very own turtle."

"Thaaaank you!" he hollered and instantly forgot about the other gifts.

He let himself be carried by his dad again while giving Kenneth the longest kiss on the cheek. He hugged his arms around Kenneth's neck before loosening it and settling his head on the man's shoulder.

"Do you like it, Mattie?" Kenneth asked.

"Very much, dad," he answered. "...the best gift ever!"

"You need a name for it," Kei pointed out and started poking the side of the aquarium.

Mattie got down from his dad's arms and thought real hard of a name that would fit a turtle. His own little stuffed turtle didn't have a name. He never even thought about naming the stuffed animal.

"Pluto," Mattie declared. "His name's Pluto."

"Pluto?" Oli asked. "Why?"

"Coz he's so small and looks like a rock when he hides!"

Sure enough, Pluto remained hidden while he was baptised. He only poked his head a couple of times to get acquainted with his new owner.

"Cool." The boys agreed.

Mattie didn't forget that Dash still hasn't given him his gift. He knew that his big brother had it somewhere else. Looking over to Dash, who kept quiet and smiled gently, he knew his brother well enough to be sure that a gift still waited for him. After all, during his past birthdays since he was six, Dash always got him a present even when their uncle only brought him one when he turned seven and not anymore when he turned eight and nine.

The celebration continued, games were played and all the boys were having loads of fun. The adults stayed in the dining room and discussed some matters that concerned Kenneth and his sons. They were only drinking a little and none of them bothered for second bottle of beer.

Up in Mattie's room, the 10 year old boy was going over his presents once more. Oli, Dash, Anthony, Gabe and Brian sat on the floor while Kei sat beside Mattie on the bed.

There was a book on how to do origami from Kei, a new pair of shoes from Oli's parents and a very, very...

"Why is it red?" Brian asked. "Isn't it too bright?"

"I think it fits him," Gabe remarked. "I mean...y'know."

"Of course it fits him," Oli said. "I know what size he is."

"You do?" Anthony asked. "How?"

"Coz he measured it!" Mattie proudly said.

"You measured what?" Dash, Anthony, Gabe, Brian and Kei asked all at once.

"Uhm...," Oli paused and was met with Mattie's questioning eyes. "...I asked for a pair that would fit a 10 year old so I measured his age, I guess."

"Oh..."

"It's still very red," Brian repeated.

"I love it!" Mattie said and hugged the red thing to his chest. "When will we go swimming?"

"This weekend, if you want," Dash answered.

"Yep!" agreed Oli. "I bought one for me and one for Dash!"

"Riiiiiiight," came the long response from Anthony, Gabe and Brian. "...coz you measured him, too."

Oli just poked his tongue at them, Dash tried to stop himself from blushing and Mattie still didn't get what the big deal was with measuring his size. Instead, he hopped off the bed and took Kei's hand in his right hand. His cast had been removed already and he was getting used to moving his arm freely again.

"Where are you going?" the boys asked.

"I'll see if it fits me!" Mattie answered and dragged his best friend down the hallway before slamming the door to the bathroom.

"He isn't shy, is he?" Anthony observed.

"That's how I got to measure him," Oli absentmindedly mumbled which turned all of the boys' gaze toward him. "What?"

Once inside the bathroom, Mattie dropped his shorts and was about to pull his undies down when he saw Kei turn his back toward him. He stopped and walked toward the Japanese boy.

"C'mon Kei!" Mattie said. "You've seen mine many times already."

"Not in a speedo. No."

"It'll be cool!"

"It's very red."

"Yep! And I like red...I guess."

Kei giggled before turning around to be met by Mattie's eyes staring at him. The 10 year old stood taller than him by a couple inches and he could see well below Mattie's shirt.

"It's not fair," Kei said. "You're older than me now."

"I was always older than you, silly! You'll catch up in a couple months."

"I'm so sorry...," Kei paused. "...about what happened. You should've told me `bout your uncle. We're best buds."

"I couldn't. Dashu made me promise not to."

"But you told Oli."

"He's my second best big brother," Mattie justified. "He's like Dashu, but different."

"You like him, don't you?"

"Mm-hmm. But we're still best buds. Help me change?"

Kei sighed and took the red speedo from Mattie as the older boy pulled down his undies before changing into the swimwear. He stretched the fabric on his hips and heard it snap snuggly. He wiggled his cute butt a little and Kei laughed at him.

"It fits," Kei said.

"Oli measured it."

"Yeah. I get that."

"You get what?"

"You showed him your dickie." Kei giggled.

Mattie blushed a little from the realization of what it was that Oli measured. He punched his friend gently on the shoulder and hurriedly pulled up his shorts before leading both of them back to his room where the other boys were lazily waiting for them.

"So...?"

Mattie smiled and blushed at the same time. He pulled the front of his shorts down and showed everyone his brand new speedo with a healthy bulge at the centre.

"Is Dash like Mattie?" Anthony whispered to Oli.

"What do you mean?"

"The little boy's not shy. He has a boner and he's showing it to us."

"I can hear you," Dash said which broke apart the whispering between Oli and Anthony.

"Oli," Mattie started before gazing expectantly at the boy. "...you should try yours and Dashu's."

"Uhm...I left it at home," Oli lied. He actually had it in his bag and was hoping that they could try it on later tonight when there were only three of them left.

"Yeah, right," Gabe snorted. "I saw them in your bag, Oli. Something so red can't be hidden for so long."

"Try it!" Mattie and Kei insisted.

"Yeah guys," Brian said. "...we'd like to see them on both of you."

"No. Never," Dash turned down. "I'm not wearing a speedo in front of you."

"You're no fun, Dash!" Anthony hollered. "Sometimes I still wonder how Oli gets you to do things with him."

Dash glared at Anthony or at anyone who giggled and tried not to laugh. Oli, on the other hand, was amused at the really big difference between Dash and Mattie. While one brother was indignantly reluctant, the other one was obviously self-assured.

"C'mon Dash," Oli finally conceded. "It won't hurt to try."

"You didn't even tell me you bought a fuckin' speedo!"

"...to surprise you and Mattie."

"I'm not wearing those."

"Think of it this way, Dash," Anthony began. "...either you wear the speedo and let us see it, or we'll help you change into it. I'm sure we can hold you down long enough to do that and Oli won't mind, right?"

"I won't mind." Oli smiled.

With six boys poised to strangle him on the bed before pulling his shorts and boxers down and fitting him into a red speedo, Dash was left with no choice but to follow Oli into the bathroom where he could at least get some privacy.

"I'm glad you followed me," Oli whispered once they locked the door. "I don't want the others to see how lucky I am to have you."

"Shut up. If I remember correctly, you didn't mind if I got changed by all of you."

"I lied."

Oli moved closer to Dash and snaked his hands around the boy's waist while consciously pushing Dash's shorts downward. He was offered no resistance as he held Dash's eyes and slowly closed the distance between their faces.

"I don't like sharing you with others," Oli whispered against Dash's lips.

"Me, too."

As they slowly changed into their speedos, they were far too oblivious with how warm the bathroom door got as several bodies pressed against it from the opposite side. When they opened it, they were surprised and amused at how each of the other boys fell on top of each other.

"What did all of you expect to hear?" Dash asked.

"A lot more than what we heard," said Brian. "...are you guys always so sweet with each other?"

"It's none of your business," said Oli with a playful grin on his face.

"Where's the speedo?" Gabe asked.

"Right here." Oli patted his crotch and a bulge was still very obvious. The same lump was visible on Dash's shorts. "...wanna see it?"

"What else are we here for?" Anthony told them.

"Later. We want Mattie to see it first. Excuse us for a bit."

With that, Mattie was pulled inside the bathroom and the other boys were left outside with their ears against the door. Oli, Dash and Mattie moved toward the tub and started filling it almost to the brim.

"One way to try these is to get them wet," said Oli which made Mattie chuckle excitedly and for Dash to roll his eyes. "We don't have a pool, but we can fit in this bathtub."

They stripped themselves of their clothes and was soon standing proudly with all their red speedos on. The colour wasn't bright. It was just very red and with a bulge at the centre of each speedo, one would think that a worm will eat its way through the fabric. After all, their butts looked like apples...in a way or two.

"I love it," Mattie said as they all settled in the tub with their legs dangling over one side. "Thanks, Oli."

"You need to learn how to swim, after all. And speedos are the best!"

"I've never worn one before," Dash said. "And I don't think I'll be wearing one when we go swimming."

Oli smiled sadly at Dash and scanned the boy's chest. The wound healed perfectly, but the scars were still there. There were no bruises or cuts, but life was just so generous to leave an imprint of what Dash had gone through. He lifted Mattie and settled the boy on his lap to move closer to Dash.

"You can wear whatever you want," he whispered.

"Dashu..."

"It's okay," said Dash. "I have to live with it and I don't regret getting these."

"For Mattie's sake...," Oli voiced what was on Dash's mind.

Dash nodded and Mattie moved over to him before giving his big brother an apologetic hug and kiss.

"I'm sorry," Mattie whimpered. "I...I didn't mean to..."

"Mattie. It's not your fault," Dash argued and pulled Mattie closer. "...none of it. If I have to do it again, I will. I love you like that."

"...and I love you like this," Mattie said as he pushed himself away from Dash a little and spanned his arms like wings. Then, he gestured with his thumb and index finger. "...and like this."

"...like how Kei loves you," Oli mumbled. "Do you know what that means?"

"Yep! Kei showed it to me."

"What's it mean, Mattie?" Dash asked as he held Mattie's waist who sat on his lap facing him.

"You can only love a person so much before..."

"Guys?" someone called from outside and was knocking loudly on the door. "We're feeling left out here."

The three boys decided to postpone their talk and immediately attend to Mattie's guests. What kind of host was he to leave his friends alone and curiously pressing themselves against the door?

They dried off, changed back into their underwear and clothes before joining their friends back downstairs. They tried doing some origami, feeding Pluto a red tomato which it didn't eat and played a 3-on-4 game of basketball outside. They went back several times for some drinks and snacks and some more ice cream. Every time they passed the dining room with the adults still talking among themselves, they didn't linger long enough to listen. Only Dash was being attentive to the exchange among his dad, Oli's parents and a guy named Frank. From what little he heard, there was only one thing that his dad said that mattered to him.

~*~*~*~

Earlier, when the boys hurried upstairs to play and check out Mattie's presents, the adults decided to have a serious chat. Frank, Kenneth's lawyer, had some important news concerning his client. Alex and Dianne were there to listen and to offer any help or advice they could. Before that, they just talked about the boys' current state and some other future plans that Kenneth had in mind.

"The preliminary hearing will be two weeks from now after the arraignment," Frank told them. "We've looked over the evidence again and tried reconstructing the scene with your brother as the suspect. It's a difficult process and we can't be sure of the motive. For now, we can only rely on the testimony from one witness."

"Have you talked with your brother?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Kenneth answered. "It's no use. He won't tell me anything."

"Here's what we have right now," Frank said as he placed a folder on the table. "All evidence submitted three years ago pointed to you. The gun belonged to you, it had no one else's prints but yours and the person last seen with your wife was you. Your neighbours testified against you, saying that they heard you quarrel with her before the gun went off. Your kids were with your brother that time, right?"

"They went camping, yes."

"And they weren't supposed to return the following morning?"

"I believe so."

"Our witness says that your brother went to the front door of your house by himself. Your kids weren't with him and there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary."

"He left Dashawn and Matthew in the woods?"

"From what we gathered," Frank paused and went to one page from the other. "...the camping trip got cancelled. We checked the records of the company where your brother rented his car and that night when it all happened, he had it returned so it was near impossible for him to have taken your kids out to the woods."

"Where were they?"

"I was hoping we could talk to your kids," said Frank. "...but a reasonable answer would be that they were at your brother's house."

"He left them there on their own?"

"We don't know for sure and it has nothing to do with the case at the moment."

"So Dan went to my house and...then what?"

"He rang the doorbell, but no one answered. Our guess is that he went through the backdoor and went on to commit the crime from there. That's as much as we can reconstruct with his entry point."

"You don't have his prints on my gun...," Kenneth recalled. "No one else saw him, but a 12 year old kid. I was quarrelling with my wife and...the gun..."

"Yes?"

"I was pointing the gun right at her. She was screaming at me and I think I was drunk that night..."

"That's what you said during your trial."

"I can't remember pulling the trigger. I blacked out and that was it."

"Your wife offered resistance by launching herself toward you," Frank continued. "She had a figurine in her hands and we think it was to knock you out and offer her an escape. However, we examined the photos of the crime scene once more and from where the figurine dropped to the floor, we can infer that it hit you from the back. You were facing your wife and she was running to you so it wasn't her that hit you. In fact, we think that the broken pieces of the figurine we gathered wasn't from the one your wife had planned to hit you with."

"What are you saying?"

"Someone hit you from behind and took the figurine that your wife was holding and put it back where she got it. It was to make it more probable that you blacked out instantly with one hit, but still managed to kill her before losing consciousness."

"You're saying that it was Dan who hit me and not her? Then why did he kill her and not me? My wife was having an affair with him! Dan should've killed me instead!"

"That's our blank slate. We don't know what Dan's motives were. From what we can gather this time, your brother was trying to settle the score with you and with your wife out of the way, he could score a point ahead of you once he won custody over your kids."

"He could've killed me," Kenneth mumbled. "If he hated me so much, why didn't he just kill me and made it look like a fuckin suicide?"

"Death offers an escape," Alex interrupted. "With you still here, your brother was more than happy to see you suffer and slowly lose the family you have left. Your kids."

"We don't have a strong case, Mr Briz," Frank admitted. "There isn't any more evidence we can gather. Only one witness and he's still just a kid."

"I'm not going back in there," Kenneth determinedly said. "Dashawn and Matthew need me here. I'm finally becoming the father they need me to be."

"What made you change your mind, Ken?" Dianne asked. From what Oli told her, Kenneth was supposed to hate his kids very much.

"My wife...," Kenneth trailed off. "She had the most beautiful eyes I've seen. She lured me and I fell hard for her. She loved our kids so much and now that they've grown up, I can see her in them once more. She's cursing me from the grave and I want it to stop. I still love her and I can't stand seeing her glaring at me..."

"Did you really hate your kids?"

"I...I don't know. Perhaps, long ago...but," Kenneth sighed and took a deep breath in. "I was a law enforcer. I should've enforced the law and not made them to fit what I wanted. I'm changing all of it now. The laws I'm going to enforce will be more dynamic and I won't be the only one making them anymore. I've got my kids to do that with me."

Kenneth immediately looked toward the corner beside the counter. He could've sworn that he saw someone listening in on them, but he didn't know who it was. The boys kept passing by them, but none of them bothered to stay and chat. Thinking back to the times when he still had his family intact and to those times when he went home drunk, he could guess that it was Dash who hid himself in the corner. After all, he saw the boy do that a few times when he came home to his wife screaming at him years ago. The only difference now was the absence of eyes glaring at him from behind the corner.

"We'll see what we can do, Mr Briz," Frank assured him. "I want to win this case for you and the boys."

"Our Oliver finally knows who he is because of Dash and Mattie," Dianne lovingly said.

"We'll offer any help to keep the boys together and bring you back to them," Alex affirmed. "You can trust us."

"Thanks...," Kenneth said. "...and you can trust me that I'll change for my kids...and for Oliver who's become like a son to me now."

"The boy knows how to find his way into our lives," Dianne figured. "I'm not happy for what he's been through, but I'm thankful to have a son like him."

From the corner where he hid, the voices slowly turned into whispers. The subject has shifted and Frank was already offering to take his leave. He clenched his fists and bit his bottom lip, but still failed to keep a tear from falling. He smiled and ran off to the rest of the boys out in the backyard.

~*~*~*~

"Dash," Oli said, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You're being awfully quiet."

"I'm fine, Oli," Dash insisted. "I still have to give Mattie his birthday present."

"You didn't tell me what it is. So...what is it?"

"It's a surprise."

"You better hurry it up," Oli reminded. "Mattie's almost done taking a shower."

Dash nodded and started preparing his gift for his little brother. Kei, Gabe, Anthony and Brian left an hour ago and Oli chose to have another sleepover with Dash and Mattie. The little boy's birthday was far from finished, after all. There was still one surprise left for him.

"I need your help," Dash told Oli. "I left it in my room and...it's quite a mess."

"Sure. Is it heavy? We can ask your dad..."

"No," came Dash's quick response. "He...he still has some things to worry about. Mattie's gift isn't that heavy anyway, but it's a lot."

"Huh?"

"C'mon, Oli." Dash dragged Oli from Mattie's bedroom to his. "Keep it down, okay?"

As he opened the door to his room, the surprise revealed itself to both of them. During the past two weeks since their last meeting regarding James' planned bust-out, Dash didn't have Mattie sleep together with him on his bed. Instead, it was him who walked over to Mattie's bedroom and his little brother was more than glad to save him some space.

They also didn't have any sleepover with Oli that time. Instead, they spent their time at home with their dad and the heavy atmosphere that Dash put up started vanishing off into space.

When they went to school or somewhere else, Dash made sure to lock his room. He stayed in the living room with Mattie until their dad came home from work. After dinner, they took their baths together and went to Mattie's room for the night.

When Dash felt sure that Mattie was sound asleep, he snuck out of the little boy's bedroom and went to his. He didn't come back until the break of dawn. He didn't sleep either. During those late nights, he kept himself busy with Mattie's birthday present

Even at school, when no one was looking at what he was doing, he still kept himself busy with Mattie's birthday present. It took two whole weeks to prepare and he made sure that on the final count, he got every single one.

"Dash...," Oli whispered, stunned by what he was seeing. "What...how..."

"It's a lot, isn't it?"

"How the fuck did you do all these?"

"I'd do anything for Mattie," Dash answered and began walking to his bed. "Even if it takes a thousand of those things."

"This is...," Oli stuttered as he scanned over the little pieces of origami crane on Dash's bed. "...amazing. You're amazing!"

"From what I heard," Dash said as he picked up one origami crane. "...you're amazing. If I'm the bravest person you know, it's `coz of you and Mattie. I'm his big brother so it's expected that I'm there for him... But you, Oli, just came busting right into my life and dragging your pillow with you."

There was something in Dash's words that resounded deep inside of Oli. It made him smile warmly at Dash as he took the paper crane from the other boy.

"I'm not that amazing, y'know," Oli whispered. "I suck at math."

"But you get it right most of the time. You know exactly what to do."

"I just felt like doing it. And...and even if I forgot `bout you long ago, something told me that I should get to know you. And guess what?"

Dash smiled as he said, "You came dragging your pillow again."

They both laughed, but when they heard the bathroom door open, their eyes immediately shot wide open. Mattie was done taking a shower on his own, as he insisted earlier since he was already 10 years old, and Dash still wasn't done with his surprise.

"Distract him!" Dash hurriedly said. "Oli, now!"

Oli ran out of Dash's bedroom and came face to face with Mattie who still had a towel around his waist. The little's boys curls dripped wet and his cheeks blushed from the hot shower he took.

"Oli?"

"H-hey, Mattie!" Oli greeted as he pressed hard against Dash's bedroom door and gripped tightly on the knob. "How was the shower?"

"Cool." Mattie smiled a bit. "But it was real quiet in there without you and Dashu."

"Well...uhh...," Oli struggled to think of a way to distract the boy. "Let's go see Pluto. C'mon!"

Oli grabbed Mattie's soft hand and dragged him downstairs while the little boy tried hard to hold onto his towel.

"But...my clothes!" he protested.

"Later!"

When they got downstairs, they ran past Kenneth, Alex and Dianne who were still having a quiet chat and who eyed them curiously. It wasn't every day that they saw a boy being dragged whose towel almost fell off, but still held onto Oli's hand and giggling.

"Cool name you gave him," Oli said as they stared at Pluto who was still very shy.

"Yep!" Mattie exclaimed as he tightened the towel around his waist. He knelt on a stool while Oli stood beside him. "I have to wear something."

"Don't worry. We'll still sleep naked later, remember?" Oli whispered.

Mattie nodded and started forgetting about his clothes.

"Do you feel cold?" Oli asked after a few minutes and noticing how Mattie shivered gently.

"Kinda..."

So Oli had Mattie stand straight on the floor and asked permission to take off the little boy's towel. Mattie let him and soon he was wearing his towel like a cape over his shoulders and went down just above his knees which was enough to cover his pecker.

"Better?"

"Mm-hmm!"

Hurry up, Dash, Oli thought.

"Where's Dashu?"

"He fell asleep."

"In my room?"

"Sort of."

"Dashu's gift is the best," Mattie suddenly blurted out.

"His gift?" Oli asked, confused. "What gift?"

"A big brother!"

Oli smiled at him and messed up his damp hair. Of course, Mattie was right. Dash was the best gift of all and nothing could ever change that.

"How `bout my gift?"

"Yours is second best," Mattie told him. "A second big brother."

"A second big brother?" Oli repeated, amused at Mattie. "What do I have to do to beat Dash?"

"You can't beat him, Oli. He's the best and I love him."

"Y'know, Mattie...," Oli paused and straightened Mattie's towel. "You're also the best gift Dash could ever have."

"I am?"

"Yeah. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have known him again. If it wasn't for you, he would've given up on himself long ago. He's the best big brother `coz he has the best little brother. Ever."

Mattie listened to every word. It made him feel good about himself. Mostly, he only thought of himself as some sort of burden that Dash had to carry over and over and over again. However, if what Oli said was true, it seemed Dash didn't complain about the burden of a little brother weighing him down. Instead, his big brother was more than happy to have someone to lift up and look toward something better for both of them.

"Thanks, Oli," Mattie whispered.

"You should thank Dash. Not me."

"Yep!" he agreed. "...but you're there to help him. That's why I have two big brothers."

"You're sweet," Oli smiled. "...and very smart. You're growing up well."

After that, they began poking the aquarium again and Oli even picked up Pluto and settled him on the stool. Mattie forgot about his towel once and it fell down his shoulders and dropped to the floor. His little pecker, which was growing up well also, didn't poke at Oli. He just giggled shyly before wrapping the towel around him once more.

"Mattie!"

They both heard Dash calling from upstairs and Oli was already smiling widely as he began dragging Mattie once more back to his room. They passed the adults in the dining room again and more curious eyes followed the cape that flew over Mattie's back. It seemed superman forgot to put on his undies.

They saw Dash waiting for them in front of Mattie's bedroom which had its door closed. Dash shot a questioning look toward Oli as he scanned over Mattie who didn't mind keeping his towel over his crotch. Mattie just wore it like a cape – proud and long.

"I have a surprise for you," Dash said as he knelt before Mattie and pulled the ends of the towel to cover up his little brother. "Close your eyes."

"What is it?" Mattie asked excitedly.

"See for yourself, okay? I know you'll like it."

Dash kept his hands over Mattie's eyes as he guided the boy into the bedroom. When they got past the door, he removed his hands and stared at Mattie's genuine look of astonishment and disbelief.

"Dashu..."

"You like it?"

"It's...the best present ever!"

Oli hid his laughter when Mattie hollered. Just a while ago, Dash was Mattie's best gift. Right now, 1000 origami cranes that littered the boy's bed while some were on the floor easily topped off the best big brother in the world.

Mattie ran over to his bed, dropping his towel in process while making sure not to step on the multi-coloured paper cranes on the floor. All of it were done using construction paper and all of it were perfect. The wings were folded straight and every other folded corners and edges were done impeccably.

"Mattie said you were the best gift he could ever have a while ago," Oli whispered to Dash. "You just beat yourself with these cranes you made."

"He's the best gift I could ever have, too," Dash said. "...besides you, Oli."

Oli giggled and walked over to Mattie who now knelt carelessly on the floor without any clothes or fabric on his slender body. He ruffled Mattie's hair once more and when the boy looked up at him, he could see that Mattie was trying not to cry.

"Mattie? Is something wrong?"

"It's just...," Mattie sniffled. "1000 cranes, Oli."

Dash also made his way toward Mattie and sat beside his brother. Mattie let himself be pulled into a hug as he kissed his big brother on the cheek and started to cry a little on Dash's chest.

"Thanks...Dashu."

"Happy birthday," Dash whispered.

Mattie nodded against his chest and kept on sniffling. Oli rubbed his back to soothe the sobs after he wrapped the towel on Mattie's shoulder once again.

All three of them forgot that they left the door open. It didn't matter too much, but to three other persons, it let them see how close the boys have gotten. Alex and Dianne smiled warmly. Kenneth kept his composure by closing his eyes tightly for a few seconds and breathing in deep. He smiled at last and nodded to himself. He could feel his wife hugging his kids and he also felt that same tenderness from when he first met the girl of his dreams. His wife came back to life and it was everything he could ask for.

As the night progressed, Alex and Dianne went home and left Oli to spend the weekend over at Kenneth's. Inside Mattie's bedroom, the paper cranes took over the single bed so they all decided to sleep in Dash's room until they figured out what to do with all those birds. They slept on the floor once again with Mattie in between Dash and Oli, as it had always been.

"You still haven't wished for something," Dash said as he glanced at Mattie who snuggled to Oli's side.

"I'm giving it to you, Dashu."

"Huh? What are you saying?"

"It's my birthday and I already wished for something earlier," Mattie pointed out. "...you made those cranes so it's your wish."

"But...I made them for you."

"I love all of it, but it's still your wish."

"He has a point, Dash," Oli said. "You made those cranes so it's your wish."

"Mm-hmm!" Mattie added.

"My wish, huh," Dash whispered as he looked up to the ceiling. "I...I don't know what to ask for."

"You don't have to think of something right away," Oli said. "Just keep it for now."

"Okay."

"This is the best birthday ever," Mattie whispered as he moved closer to Oli.

"...and you have plenty more to come,"

That night, they slept peacefully without anything that burdened them. Their hearts felt light, their snores were silent and their clothes lay forgotten beside the bed. Mattie had his arms around Oli. Oli hugged Mattie closely. Dash, as much as he could, embraced the two boys that kept him from giving up on himself.

~*~*~*~

Lying on his bed alone, Kenneth thought back to the wonderful years of his marriage and family life. He reminisced his wife's tears as she bore her first child. He remembered her kissing Dash's little hands when the boy came out and yawned for the first time. He could see her caressing Mattie's newborn cheeks while Dash, who was almost three years old by then, kept watch over the sleeping baby.

They had great times together as a family. They were the role models in their neighbourhood. Their kids were growing up to be strong and were always there for each other.

When Mattie cried in the middle of the night, Dash surprised them by lifting his little brother from the crib and singing him a lullaby to the best that he could. Dash was very attentive to Mattie's needs and didn't hate his little brother for getting too much attention at times. Instead, he doubled the affection that his mom and dad gave Mattie.

When Oliver came into their lives, Mattie instantly gained the protection of two stubborn boys. At night, when Mattie woke up crying, it was Dash who held him in his arms and Oli who sang him a lullaby. During the day, Dash and Oli taught Mattie how to take little steps forward and backward and soon enough, all three of them were running around the house.

During those times, Kenneth got promoted to being the chief of his own police force and his work doubled. He seldom came home. However, Dan was there to look after his boys and help his wife around the house. He trusted his brother. He had convinced Dan that he wasn't gay. All of their younger years were instantly forgotten and they didn't talk about it anymore.

His wife got even more beautiful, but he already sensed that her affection for him slowly died away. She didn't show it much, but he knew from how she looked at him. There was guilt in her eyes. Guilt that had eaten her heart as the years passed by.

Kenneth became a full-time law enforcer and a part-time father and husband. He came home late at night to his wife sleeping alone on her side of the bed. She curled away from him, but he always kept his arms around her as he fell asleep.

He began seeing less of his boys and Oliver. He arranged for Dan to take them on camping trips instead of himself. Criminals kept him busy and unsolved cases kept him awake behind his desk.

When he learned of what happened to Oliver's parents, the case was immediately assigned to his task force. They gathered whatever they could and eventually put the guilty behind bars. When he wasn't working on the case, he thought differently of Oliver. He had seen the boy kissing Dash and he was reminded of how he kissed Dan too many times when they were younger.

He sought out to get rid of the friendship between Oliver and Dash. When Oliver was adopted, he was thankful and he began straightening his sons as he laid down some new rules to follow.

Man up, he once told Dash and Mattie.

Boys grow up to be men, not sissies and homosexuals, he kept on reminding.

His wife hated him for it. Though she kept quiet as she glared at him, he could sense her heart growing colder and colder as the years passed. They saw each other only a few days a week before it turned into a few days a month. He was obsessed with his job and he started seeking other pleasures outside of his house.

He loved his wife too much to ever think of having an affair with another. Instead, he began wasting himself as he drowned bottles after bottles of liquor. He came home before dawn, drunk with a headache. However, he still managed to get up and report for his work.

A few months before Dash's ninth birthday, the silence between him and his wife broke into millions of pieces. He still cared for his kids and he didn't want them seeing him shout at his wife. Still, he knew that Dash was well aware of how he began hitting her.

He started relying on Dan ever more to keep his kids away while he settled things with the woman he loved so much. Besides, Dan always got his kids home safely and hurriedly running toward their mother while he was set aside. However, Mattie kept on coming to him and asking him to play with them. Dash had already distanced himself from him.

Three months after Dash's ninth birthday, his wife told him that Mattie was not his son. She didn't drop any names and he couldn't think of anyone bold enough to have an affair with the wife of the chief.

Luckily, Dash and Mattie went with Dan on another camping trip so he had no reason to hold back. He drew his gun and pointed it at his wife with his trembling hands, but he didn't show that he was reluctant to pull the trigger.

She snarled at him, dared him to shoot her. He could've shot her already when she told him that Mattie was not his son. However, he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to the eyes that once held so much affection and tenderness. His wife kept glaring at him, but all he could see were the dreams that they had wished for before they got married.

They had worked hard to build a family. He didn't want his wife to take any sort of job so she could pour all her attention into caring for their kids. He took care of the finances while she took care of the rest. She held their family together. She was the only girl and she was loved so much because of it.

His hands kept on trembling, his gun still pointed toward her.

His head hurt a lot and he was starting to take in slow and shallow breaths.

After that, he could not remember anything else. The world turned black and his gun had suddenly went off.

~*~*~*~

Breakfast was served, the boys were dressed in their boxers and loose shirts while Mattie still wore his PJ's and Kenneth read his newspaper. He had barely slept the night before since he was thinking so much on how to win his acquittal. When he heard three boys clear their throats, he put down his paper and stared expectantly at them.

"Dad," Dash began. "...I have something to tell you."

"What?"

"Me and Oli...we're..."

"Mr K," Oli interrupted. "...I love Dash and he feels the same way."

He looked at them and they watched him intently. He took another sip of his coffee before going back to his newspaper.

"Dad?"

"Mr K?"

"How do feel about this, Mattie," Kenneth said.

"Huh?" Mattie uttered, surprised. "Uhm...Oli doesn't make Dashu cry...unlike..."

"I understand," Kenneth uttered and went to the next page of his paper. "They don't make you feel left out, do they?"

"Nope. Oli's my bf, too!"

The newspaper was placed on the table again as Kenneth stared blankly at Mattie who looked nervously back at him.

"How do feel about this, Oliver?"

"I know that I love Dash more than anyone...," Oli answered. "Mattie, too."

"Dash?"

"Uhm...I'm gay, dad. I can't do anything `bout it and..."

"Neither can I," Kenneth finished off. "One thing I learned from all this is that we can't linger for so long in the past. I've changed how I think about things and..."

Oli, Dash and Mattie waited anxiously for Kenneth to finish. Several seconds passed and still not a word followed.

"...your mom would be proud of you. I am, too. Not as much as her years ago, but you've already proven yourselves to me now."

"Dad...are you okay?" Dash asked doubtfully.

"Yes, Dash," Kenneth answered. "Boys grow up to be men who can stand up to their fathers and make them see who they really are. That's one of the changes I've made to my rules."

"An amendment!" Oli cheerfully declared.

"You're the bravest boys I know. I can ask for nothing more."

The heavy atmosphere disappeared. The fragile silence between Dash and Kenneth broke into smiles that settled on Oli's and Mattie's lips. Dash was far too stunned by his dad. Kenneth went back to his newspaper and no one could see the small smile on his lips.

Lara...our boys are all grown up now, Kenneth told himself.

"You're not going to talk `bout birds and bees," Oli said. "...right, Mr K?"

"Birds and bees fly away," Kenneth told them. "You boys already have a nest and some honey here."

Oli and Mattie giggled, Dash blushed and breakfast was soon over.

Later that morning, they all went out to go swimming in one of the nearby indoor pools. Oli and Mattie wore their speedos proudly while Dash just sat by the poolside. Mattie had some floaters on both his arms as Oli lifted him over the water so he could practice his strokes and time his kicks.

Soon enough, Mattie was able to float on his own without anything or anyone holding him up. He still needed to learn how to swim through the water, but at least they made some progress. Gabe joined them after they grabbed some snacks. Anthony and Brian had some more important things to do, they were told.

"Tony's getting sucked, I bet," Gabe mentioned.

"How `bout you, Gabe?" Oli asked. "Is there anyone I should get to know?"

"Uhm...there is someone and well..."

"Who's he?"

"She," Gabe corrected. "I have a girlfriend now."

"You do?" Oli, Dash and Mattie asked at the same time.

"One of her friends saw me bringing James down at the playground and I sort of...looked cool to them."

"Hah! You weren't the only one who fought him, y'know."

"Yeah, but you already have Dash. I found myself a girlfriend so you should be happy for me, Oli!"

"I am," Oli affirmed and drew Gabe into a hug before whispering, "I'll miss you."

"Me, too...you were always the best."

"Who knows, she might be able to stand your little dick..."

"Hey!" Gabe shouted. "Not cool! Of all people, you should know how big I am!"

"Yep!" Oli giggled. "I feel sorry for her, already."

"Can we not talk about anyone's dick?" Dash mumbled, annoyed at the indiscreet conversation between the two boys. "Go teach Mattie how to swim and don't make him listen to someone getting sucked."

"Are you jealous, Dash?" Gabe asked.

"Of course I am! How can Oli just talk about your dick and not mine?!"

Well, their conversation was mostly kept to hushed levels so that no one could hear them. Still, Dash blushed at once, thinking that someone did overhear them talking about dicks.

Oli and Gabe laughed real hard while Mattie was feeling sympathetic for his big brother. Though, he was still very curious with who was bigger. Dash or Gabe?

"C'mon, Mattie," Oli said as he guided Mattie back into the pool. "Let's leave Dash alone so he can think about his dick."

"You're lucky, y'know that?" Gabe told Dash.

"I know already. Oli's amazing."

"I don't mean that. I mean...Oli's size and how he still has lots of room to grow."

"Fuck, dude," Dash. "No more dick talk."

"Yeah," Gabe smiled. "Coz now I have some pussy for my own."

They both laughed and even though Gabe still didn't get to see his first pussy, he hoped one day that his girlfriend would show it to him. It would be a real adventure considering that up to a very recent point in his life, all his tongue managed to lick were some...lollipops. Yep, no more dick talk.

After quite some time in the pool and when they all realized that their fingers and toes wrinkled already, they decided to call it a day and spend the rest of the weekend back at Kenneth's. Gabe excused himself since he was supposed to meet his girlfriend somewhere for their first date.

When they got home, they found Kenneth nowhere. He had been seeing his psychiatrist every week and he had another appointment this afternoon. A key was left in some hiding place so the boys had no problem getting into the house and they were soon eating leftover cake from last night.

"You think Pluto likes cake?" Mattie asked.

"Maybe," Oli said. "...but let's be safe and not feed him some. He might get high on sugar and start running off."

"Turtles don't run!" Mattie argued.

"Who knows, Mattie...who knows," Oli mused before turning to Dash and asking, "How `bout that wish of yours?"

"I think I know what to ask for."

"Really? Did you wish for it already?"

"Not yet...I'm still not sure, but...I'll definitely wish for it soon enough," Dash told him.

It wasn't such a simple wish. It was sort of a vain hope, but Dash wanted to know if wishes could come true. Even the most outrageous ones.

If our mom was here, Dash thought, but still didn't wish for it.

"I was thinking...," Oli mumbled. "To celebrate your dad's approval of us, why don't we do something special?"

"Something special?" Mattie asked excitedly.

"Yeah...like a party or something..."

"No parties," Dash said. "It isn't special when there are people around. I only want the three of us to do it."

"And since the both of you are my bf's...I'll give each one of you that special thing!"

"Cool!" Mattie shouted.

Dash couldn't help but sigh at Oli. He didn't want Mattie to feel left out and he did give Oli permission to teach his little brother the basics of how to feel good.

"You're up first, Dash."

"What? You mean now?"

"Yep!"

Without too much argument, Dash followed Oli up in his room which was now devoid of any origami cranes. Those little birds were still scattered on Mattie's bed and they didn't know what to do with all of it.

They locked the door to the bedroom and Mattie agreed to stay outside in the hallway and wait for a little while. He didn't care if he's second. He just wanted to be there for his two big brothers even if it meant listening to their moans and grunts from the opposite side of the door.

"Dash...," Oli began as they sat on Dash's bed. "...I'm glad your dad changed so much."

"I'm still not convinced," Dash said. "Not till I'm sure it's for real."

"What do you mean?"

"I won't let my guard down just `coz he seems nice right now."

"But..."

"It'll take more time for me to trust him completely. You understand, Oli?"

"Okay...," Oli sighed. "I have your back."

"Thanks."

They sat there silently. They didn't know what to say next, but it wasn't awkward to just be staring at each other longingly.

"I wish you could swim with us without being afraid," Oli whispered.

"I'm not afraid," Dash argued. "...it's just...I don't like anyone staring at me."

"I know. I won't like it, too, if I got stared at."

"I don't even know if my scars will heal."

Oli nodded sadly and moved closer to Dash. He placed his hand on Dash's thigh, just below the hem of his shirt.

"Can I ask a favour?"

"Anything, Oli."

"I don't want to hurt you, Dash...but," he paused, unsure whether to go on or not. "...I want to know what you've been through."

"You want to feel my scars, don't you?"

"If that's okay with you..."

"You always avoided touching me here," Dash said as he placed his hand on his chest down to his torso. "...I know you don't want to hurt me, Oli. It's okay. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Oli nodded once more and started pushing Dash's shirt up. The other boy surrendered completely and let Oli's hand travel up from his torso to his chest. The scars were still there. And no one knew if it'll ever go away.

"I want to take this away...I want to just..."

"Oli," Dash interrupted when he saw Oli trying real hard not to cry. "...I'll take more wounds if I have to. I'm the bravest person you know, remember? For Mattie's sake...and yours."

"But...you don't deserve this!" Oli contended. "No one should deserve this."

"I know, but I have to live with it now and I don't regret one thing."

Oli rolled up Dash's shirt before stripping it off the boy. He gently pushed Dash on the bed and leaned over his chest. It looked like an armour scraped by several swords, but remained intact despite the cracks it had. Ever since he started doing stuff with Dash, he didn't linger for too long on the boy's chest. Instead, his kisses always trailed down quickly toward Dash's erection. He was afraid of hurting the armour some more.

"It's okay," Dash whispered. "You're not hurting me."

So Oli finally leaned down and placed a wet kiss on one of the scars. It felt different from the rest of Dash's tender skin. It was a world apart from the how Dash's lips felt against his own.

"I won't let anyone hurt you anymore," he whispered. "You've had enough already."

"...but if anyone tried hurting you," Dash told him. "I won't mind one more scar."

"I love you, Dash."

"Me, too..."

Before long, Dash was lying naked on his bed and Oli's kisses overwhelmed his whole body. It brought back several more memories as he closed his eyes to Oli's tongue going over his whole length. The images kept on coming and it became more vivid when Oli began stroking him before sending him over the edge.

Those memories, he held onto for so long. And right now, it was Oli who brought it back to life.

~*~*~*~

And that was the first time Oli kissed Dash's pecker indirectly. They repeated the game several more times and just when they finally felt brave enough to remove their undies while playing it, Oli left Dash...longing for more and dreaming of the day they'd meet again.

~*~*~*~

"Oli," Dash whispered as he now crouched in front of Oli's dick. "...truth or kiss?"

"Huh?" Oli asked, dumbfounded. "Truth or kiss?"

"Yeah...it'll be fun."

Oli giggled before saying, "Kiss!"

Dash smiled and let his memories catch up to the present. He didn't need to live in the past anymore. Their game of Truth or Kiss had finally caught up to them.

Outside Dash's bedroom, Mattie sat quietly against the door. He thought of what Kei told him long ago. The logic was simple, but the deeper meaning was what mattered most.

"You can only love someone so much," Kei told him once. "...so much that you can't explain how big...like...like this..."

Kei spread his arms like wings.

"...then you see that it all comes down to this..."

Kei gestured with his little thumb and index finger.

"That small?" Mattie asked.

"An inch," Kei said. "...it all comes down to an inch and you can't get closer than that. My mom told me that."

Now, Mattie understood what an inch was. He could be in love with Oli for so long...so long that it grows out of proportion, but he couldn't get closer to the older boy with just one inch keeping them away.

His big brother might've crossed that inch already, but he knew that it was impossible.

"There will always be something in between," Kei added. "An inch is always an inch, no matter how small."