“OhMyGod,” Daysha gagged. “You’re giving off small dick energy.”
“Wounded.” Rus clasped his chest and collapsed in his seat, sinking until his knees reached the floor. “I am moderate, I swears.”
The group laughed louder, taken aback by Rus’ pinky measurement as he held both together.
“That’s a snow day in the South.” Rus nodded frantically. “Lots of inches, right?”
Kaiden turned his attention to Daysha, composing himself. “So, you’re a lesbian?”
She shook her head. “Ace.”
“Ace ace baby,” Rus said to the tune of a song. “But she’s also my lavender wife in case the world goes to Hell.”
“More to Hell,” Daysha clarified. “The fire’s bearable right now.”
Kaiden chuckled, enjoying the conversation, and sinking into this seat as he listened to Rus and Daysha go back and forth for another five minutes, lovingly insulting each other.
“I need another drink,” Rus said, guzzling the last of his blue motorcycle. “It shouldn’t be this goddamn abomination, but I think I’m starting to like it.”
“That’s what my folks said about me,” Dylan blurted with a laugh.
“Oh my fucking god, Dylan!” Kaiden roared, cackling at the comment. “You can’t just casually drop trauma as a joke mid-conversation.”
“Is there any other way?” Dylan smirked, goofy and slightly oblivious.
“Oh shit,” Rus said. “Are your parents not cool with…” Rus gestured at Dylan up and down.
“Nope, not even the tiniest,” Dylan replied. “Part of why I’m so involved with Dorothy’s Home.”
“Okay, okay.” Rus nodded. “I gotta ask. Why name it Dorothy’s Home and not Jasmine’s Home? Like, didn’t she found it?”
“You don’t know the story? Okay, I got you.” Dylan leaned forward.
“I’m going to get everyone another round,” Kaiden said, double-checking drink requests before walking away.
He already knew the reason behind the name. Apparently, Dorothy’s Home was named after the phrase “Are you friends with Dorothy?” which used to be a code queer people used back in the 40s and 50s. Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, so it probably had something to do with the whole rainbow shit, or maybe because the Tin Man was played by a gay dude. Kaiden knew the gist; he’d heard Dylan explain it to potential donors more than once.
He also knew Dylan’s origin story. Well, the barest of details. Dylan didn’t discuss much, but Kaiden had pieced together enough to build a basic timeline. Dylan got kicked out when he was fourteen—or so Kaiden assumed. Most of the teens living at Dorothy’s Home landed there after being kicked out by their parents, so it wasn’t a stretch to think the same had happened toDylan. Though Kaiden didn’t know much about how Dylan got by until he found Jasmine at fifteen.
Kaiden didn’t press about the gap between them. It wasn’t something Dylan willingly offered, and when thinking about that time, it seemed to be one of the few moments Kaiden would notice Dylan’s smile fall away.
“Hey,” said a guy at the bar beside Kaiden.
“Oh, sorry.” Kaiden immediately scooted away, offering him space.
“No, I was like, um, saying hi.”
“Oh, sorry.” Kaiden grinned. “Loud in here. Didn’t realize.”
“Yeah, very loud.” The guy nodded in agreement, moving to close the distance between them. “Trying to grab a drink, then step outside for some air.”
“Nice.”
“Yeah, but I can’t find my lighter. Sucks.”
“Yeah, definitely,” Kaiden agreed. “I don’t smoke. I mean, not cigarettes.”
“Oh, okay.” The guy paused for a moment, and Kaiden couldn’t figure out his expression.
