“Whatever test he had in his weird teenage brain.”
It took several seconds before Tean said, “What?”
Jem just laughed.
“And I don’t know why Daniel would think I’m uncomfortable around drag queens.”
“Oh, hm, maybe it could have something to do with the time we took Daniel to drag brunch, and you actually slid under the table so that drag queen couldn’t put her wig on your head.”
“It was full of rose petals!And what if she had lice?”
This time, Jem laughed until he was lying on the porch.
After a moment, Tean caught himself smiling reluctantly, and as Jem’s laughter faded, he said, “I just don’t know anything about that kind of stuff.Wigs and makeup and clothes.The other day, Daniel asked me if he was a summer or a winter, and I asked if he was talking about his birthday, and he rolled his eyes and told me I was a basic bitch.”
“You are, babe,” Jem said, propping himself on one elbow to consider Tean.“That’s why I love you.”
Tean ran his hands through his hair.He caught Jem’s smile.“How do people do this?I mean, Jem, we’re not even his parents.We’re like his—”
“Super cool gay uncles.”
“—part-time caretakers,” Tean said, “at a failing zoo, and we don’t have any resources, and we have to make sure people don’t poke him through the fence with sticks—”
“Didn’t see this coming,” Jem said, “but that’s mostly on me.”
“—and all he wants to do is climboverthe fence and get out and run wild where literally everybody will be able to poke him with sticks, and the more we try to keep him from doing that, the more he wants to bite our heads off.”
“Is he a monkey or a tiger?Wait, can tigers climb?Holy shit, have I been living in a world where tigers can climb?”
“Tiger cubs climb trees as early as six months old.That’s not the point.The point is what are we going to do?”
“Take it one day at a time.”Jem scratched his beard.His voice was still even, but there was a tightness he couldn’t quite hide when he added, “Keep him away from the fucking chicken hawks.”
“My gosh, do you think there are more?”
“They’re all over the place.I mean, there’s a reason an old fart like Wendell gives a lot of money to an LGBTQ youth organization, and then, when he comes sniffing around, nobody’s brave enough to say boo.”
Tean caught himself pushing his hands through his hair again.“I don’t think—I don’t think we’re going to be able to keep Daniel safe, Jem.Not entirely.Not on our own.”
“I’m not going to lose my mind again, babe, but I’m not going to let guys like Wendell creep on a fifteen-year-old.”
“No, I meant—well, Daniel.”Tean waited, but Jem didn’t say anything.“We know Daniel’s interested in older men,” Tean continued.“And I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe Daniel might also be seeking some sort of affirmation or positive reinforcement because he’s fighting with Ammon.”
“Yeah, that walking jailbait loves a daddy, God help him,” Jem muttered.In a louder voice, he said, “Daniel can keep it in his damn pants until he’s eighteen.”
A laugh burst out of Tean.Jem offered a crooked grin.
“Day by day?”Tean said.
“That’s all we can do.”
Tean got to his feet, and Scipio scrambled up as well—offering the ball he was still carrying, just in case anyone wanted to play some more.When Tean held out a hand to help Jem up, the blond man straightened and winced.
“Your shoulder,” Tean said.
“It’ll be fine,” Jem said, but he had to take Tean’s hand with his left instead of his right, and he grimaced as Tean pulled him up.
“Jem, Iheardit.I want to take a look at it.”
