Brat Attack

            “Lee! Lee, where’d Ben go!?” Eli shouted from the top of the stairs. He’d seen the car pull out of the driveway from the window on the landing, and he pouted accordingly. Ben hadn’t even told him where he was going! How unfair! Was he supposed to just stand in the corner until Ben decided to return and release him? Not bloody likely!

            “Leeeeeee!” he shouted again. When Eli got no response, he shrieked louder. “LEE! WHERE DID—”

            “Enough, Eli,” Lee ordered, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. Eli stopped, biting his lip as he looked down at the older Top. “Um, Lee? Where did Ben go?” he asked, a lot more quietly.

            Lee motioned for him to come down the stairs and Eli slunk down them with trepidation. Ben had told him that Lee was not allowed to punish him physically—so he had nothing to worry about—but the older man still frightened him. He was bigger than Ben was, and though he was just as much of a softie with Eli as Ben was with Keir, his broad shoulders and rugby muscles were scary.

            Eli stopped on the bottom step, swaying slightly before he hopped off. Lee gave him a look—similar to Ben’s ‘I will not tolerate this’ look—and Eli dropped his eyes with a frown. He supposed he was lucky he had been let out of the corner, but he still didn’t like being under another Top’s scrutiny. Ben was bad enough.

            “Lee?” he murmured, brow furrowed. Lee turned his chin up and gave him a smile, sympathetic and sincere.

            “He had to go to work, kiddo. For a couple of hours, that’s all, and then he’ll be back. One of his clients called demanding his design expertise,” he informed him after a moment. Eli nodded his understanding, but he still didn’t approve. Stupid work; stupid clients. Why were they so demanding? And why hadn’t Ben told him himself?

            “How about you and Keiran do something, Eli?” Lee suggested softly. Eli shrugged, not sure if Ben would approve of Lee’s methods, but he allowed himself to be ushered into the living room by the bigger man. He didn’t want to do anything, though, and he huffed, dropping onto the couch beside Keiran.

He felt betrayed. Ben was supposed to be there to punish him, not leave him halfway through and go to work, of all places! He didn’t understand. It was all too confusing; why was Ben always so confusing? He wasn’t supposed to do things differently. He was grinding his teeth in his anger, and Keir looked from Eli to Lee and back again, poking Eli in the side.

            “Want to go outside, Eli? You said you’d show me the pond yesterday, remember?” Keir squirmed, smiling hopefully.

 Eli shot a glare at him, crossing his arms. “No. I don’t want to go outside. I want to sit here. Leave me alone. Get out of my house.”

Lee sighed. This wasn’t his house and Eli wasn’t his Brat and he knew it wasn’t his place, but he was not going to stand for this. Keir looked crestfallen; he had shifted away from Eli, into the arm of the couch, one arm wrapped around his knees. Eli was glaring daggers at the floor.

“Eli, I’m going to give you two options. Either you can go stand yourself back in the corner upstairs and wait for Ben to come home, or you can go outside and show Keir around the pond like you promised him you would. I don’t want you being a grouch all day, and I’m sure you’d rather be outside in the fresh air than staring at the plaster.”

Eli looked up at him, glare softening when he saw that Lee was being completely serious, and he sighed dramatically as he stood up. “Fi-ne. I’ll show you the stupid pond. Its not even remotely interesting and it smells bad, but if you really want to see it, let’s go.”

Keir looked up at Lee with an imploring look and Lee rolled his eyes, motioning for his lover to follow. Keir giggled quietly and hugged Lee before he traipsed after Eli. The older man was tugging his sandals on and Keir gave him a tentative smile.

Eli didn’t say anything, only ushered Keiran outside and slammed the door behind them. Lee rolled his eyes again and settled on the couch with a book, beginning to regret letting Eli out of the corner.

…

            Keir traipsed after Eli, hop-skipping. Eli turned and tried to glare at him, but Keir’s grin was contagious and he ended up laughing instead. “Where’s the pond, Eli?” he asked as Eli led him down the little suburban street and in the direction of the forest preserve nearby.

            “It’s not far,” he told him and though he was a little happier now that he was out in the sun, his stomach was still fluttering. Keiran hooked their arms together and grinned at him, but when Eli didn’t smile back, he frowned.

           

            “What? Eli?” he questioned. Eli shrugged.

            “Ben left me in the corner,” he whined, very quietly. He looked up at Keir, who frowned back at him. Eli sighed. “He left me in the corner and he went to work and Lee let me out of the corner, Keir, but what if Ben didn’t want him to? What if I get in more trouble because I’m not in the corner like he wanted? And why didn’t Ben tell me he was leaving?”

            Keiran made a face. Eli kept walking, leading him into the forest along a bike path to take him to the pond. “Uhm, I don’t think Ben would have wanted you in the corner the whole time he was gone, Eli. Lee said he was gonna be gone for a couple of hours…I don’t think Ben expects you to stand there that whole time…and Lee will take the blame if Ben is upset you left, though I doubt he will be.”

            Eli sniffled, stopping at the water’s edge. It looked more like a swamp than a pond, the algae and lily pads so thick on top of the water. And it did smell pretty bad. Eli poked a toe in experimentally.

            “What if he is mad, though? What if Lee tells him and Ben thinks I should’ve been responsible and stayed in the corner because that’s what he told me to do? And Lee isn’t my partner, Ben is! I have to go back, Keir. I don’t want Ben to be mad at me for leaving the corner when he told me to stay put and I don’t want to get a spanking. That’s the punishment for leaving the corner and even if Lee said I could, Ben didn’t and he might still spank me and I don’t want to be spanked—I’m going back.”

            Keir screwed his nose up, shaking his head. He caught Eli’s arm as he tried to turn and walk back. “No! Eli, you haven’t even shown me the pond!” he whined. Eli tugged his arm away.

            “That’s it, you’re looking at it! It’s a pond, full of dirty, smelly water and tadpoles and fish and frogs and there are disgusting insects everywhere! That’s it! Its not exciting and Ben hates it when I come home smelling like a swamp-monster and I don’t know why I ever promised to show you this stupid place anyways!” he shouted, tears forming.

            Keir pouted, crossing his arms. “Just cause you’re afraid Ben’s gonna be mad at you—which is stupid—doesn’t mean you get to be a jerk to me, you know. I didn’t do anything wrong and I want to look at the pond!” Eli huffed and turned away, watching a frog hop by.

            He kicked out at it and it darted towards the water, and he smiled despite himself. Keir watched the older man with an uncertain frown and when Eli turned to chase the frog, he squealed with laughter and followed him.

            The frog evaded both men and Keir ended up falling into the muck on the pond’s edge, laughing loudly. Eli didn’t see him fall and turned, tripping over the man and into the dirty pond water. He shrieked and jumped up, splashing Keir who was sitting, laughing harder at his friend.

            Eli scowled at him and made as if to storm past him, but he turned, feinting, and pushed Keir under the water’s surface. Keir struggled against him; the water wasn’t deep but it was early spring and it was still cold. When Eli let him up, Keir had a fistful of pond mud and he smeared it in Eli’s face and mouth before Eli pulled away and Keir whipped another fistful at him.

            “Fuck off, Keiran! You got that in my fucking mouth!” he whined, trying to find a dry spot on his shirt to wipe his mouth out with. When he couldn’t find one, he spat instead, angry tears in his eyes.

            “You’re a big baby. I hardly even touched you with it, Eli,” he retorted, getting up and trying to brush the muck and water and algae off of himself. “Now I smell bad and Lee’s gonna make me shower again. Thanks a lot,” he griped, pushing past Eli to slip his sandals back on. Eli stuck his tongue out at him and stooped to catch a frog as it hopped past his feet.

           

            He whipped it at the back of Keiran’s head and it slipped down his shirt and he shrieked. “Not that you smelled much better before we left the stupid house,” he shouted. Keiran was crying softly as he extricated the frog from his shirt and he watched Eli storm off. He scowled at the back of his head, holding the little frog in his hand. He stuffed it in his jacket pocket and sought out a few more before he followed Eli back to the house.

            Lee looked up when he heard the door slam, not once but twice. Eli stomped into the living room, dripping mud and water and algae on the hardwood and Lee jumped up, his book abandoned. He caught sight of Keiran behind him, awkwardly kicking his shoes off.

            “What happened?” he asked Eli and Eli pointed at Keir with a disgusted look on his face. “He happened. Fucking ridiculous. I have mud in my mouth! I probably have AIDS or something now. Cholera! Diphtheria! Ben will not be happy,” he seethed.

            Keiran looked accordingly apologetic, and Lee motioned for them to move. Eli stood a moment longer until Lee grabbed his upper arm and ushered him out of the living room.

            “Go. Upstairs, shower. You both smell like crap. Eli, you go first; Keir, sit on the landing and wait your turn. I’m going to continue reading, if you don’t mind. And we’ll discuss what happened after.” Eli glared at him and Lee raised an eyebrow at him until he huffed and stomped up the stairs. Keir followed, sitting on the landing.

            Lee heard the bathroom door slam and then the water started and, satisfied, he went back to the living room. Keiran kicked his feet over the stairs, hands holding the four little frogs he had collected in his pockets, humming softly. When he heard Eli in the shower beginning to sing, he made his move.

            He carefully opened the door to the bathroom, watching for signs that Eli had noticed his entrance, but when he was satisfied that he hadn’t, he crept forward and slipped the frogs into the shower. Eli, blissfully ignorant, sang on. Keir retreated to the stairs, giggling.

            The shriek wasn’t long in coming. And it was loud. Lee took the steps two at a time—amazing considering how much his knee usually bothered him. He ordered Keiran off the landing and he moved away.

            Eli was still screaming when Lee opened the door. He spotted the frogs, one in the tub still, two on the floor. The fourth was nowhere in sight. Eli was naked, tears tracking down his face, soaking the floor, and when he saw Lee, his first urge was to hug him before he realized he was naked and turned away from him.

            “LEE! I’m naked!” he whined, hitting his head on the towel rack as he tried to hide from the man, and Lee quickly snagged a towel and covered the younger man, shaking his head. “Get them out, get them out! I don’t know where they came from! Leeeeee, I’m turning into frogs!” he wailed, and Lee helped him up onto the countertop. Eli sobbed.

            Lee hushed him, looking him over, lingering on the spot Eli had smacked on the towel rack. “You’re fine. They probably got caught in your clothes or something when you fell in the pond,” he assured him. “Sh, I’ll get rid of them, alright?” Eli nodded, scrubbing at his eyes as he tugged the towel more securely around himself, shaking. Lee secured the one frog in the bathtub and went after the other two. The cat had trapped one and he easily scooped it up and deposited in the tub with the other one.

            From the stairs, Keir called: “Lee, want me to grab this one? I can see…it. Never mind, the cat got it…” Lee looked over the railing at the cat as it killed the little frog, and he rolled his eyes, exasperated. He returned to the bathroom and fished the two remaining frogs from the bathtub.

            “Alright, Eli. Back in the shower. Hurry up,” Eli glared at the remaining frogs as Lee left, but he hopped off the counter and restarted the shower. When Keir saw the two frogs in Lee’s hands, his eyes momentarily widened. “T-that’s all of ‘em?” he asked.

            Lee descended the stairs and let the creatures back out into the yard. Keir followed him, whining, as Lee took the dead frog to the garbage. “Do you know anything about this, Keiran?” he asked, and Keir shook his head rapidly.

           

            “No, Lee. Maybe they were mad at him so they followed him here. He threw one at me earlier, so maybe they were mad because he hurt that one,” he said with a shrug. Lee laughed, shaking his head. He turned Keir’s chin up and kissed him. “Brat. I’m sure that’s it,” he agreed.

           

            Keir made a face. “Stupid Eli,” he murmured.

            “He scared me. I thought something a little more serious had happened when he screamed like that.” Keir nodded, pushing his bangs off his forehead with a muddy hand. Lee smirked at the streak of dirt he left on his face.

            “He’s just a big baby. They’re just frogs, Lee. Gosh, he was all for catching them when we were at the pond,” he whined. “Stupid baby. I’m not afraid of frogs, Lee.”

            Lee grinned. “Yes, this coming from the man who threatened the mall Santa with identity theft and fraud,” he teased. “I think you’re more of a baby than he is,” he said with a nod, and Keir pouted. “Get back upstairs, brat. He should be out soon.”

            Keir huffed but turned and went back up the stairs. Lee returned to his book.

            By the time Eli had finished showering, the water had risen almost to his mid-calf and he reached down to pull the stopper out. When he realized it wasn’t there, he debated telling Lee but simply left it. Well, if he had to shower with frogs, Keir could shower in the dirty, cholera-filled water he had just sloughed off.

            He wound his towel around himself and let Keir into the bathroom. Keiran looked at the tub with a disgusted frown and Eli urged him to “be quick about it” as he left, shutting the door behind him. Keir stepped into the water, turning the shower back on.

…

            By the time Eli was dried and dressed, safely cuddled in bed with a book of his own, Keir was trying to wash himself off as best he could. The water level continued to rise, but he didn’t know what to do about it. He closed his eyes and relaxed in the warm spray, humming.

When he was finished rinsing the shampoo from his hair, he opened his eyes cautiously. The water was running over the edge and he squeaked, reaching to turn the water off. The floor was soaked and the water kept sloshing over as he squatted to try and release the stopper.

It was no use. There was something caught in the drain and he couldn’t reach it to pull it out. It felt slimy, though, and he made a face, shuddering as he climbed out of the bathtub, stepping out into nearly an inch of water on the floor. He grabbed a towel, stepped past their soaked and muddy clothes on the floor and left, closing the door behind him.

He dried, dressed and retreated to Lee’s side when he was ready. His lover shifted to give him more space on the couch and Keiran purred appreciatively, cuddling under the throw blanket Lee offered him. His hair was still damp and he shivered a little until Lee’s body warmed him.

“What’s Eli doing, kiddo?” Lee asked him. Keir shrugged one slender shoulder, yawning. “Probably standing in his stupid corner again, waiting for Ben to come home,” he said. Lee poked him in the ribs.

“Be nice. What’s the matter with you?” he asked. Keir dropped his gaze, shrugging again.

“When we were out at the pond, Lee, Eli was afraid Ben would get him in more trouble for leaving the corner. And I told him that it was okay, since you told him it was, but he started going on about how Ben’s his partner and not you. But he still has to listen to you, doesn’t he? Like I have to listen to Ben?” he looked up again at Lee with a pout. Lee put his book down and leaned in to kiss him.

“Yes, he still has to listen to me. Like you have to listen to Ben. And if I’m not around, I fully expect you to listen to Ben and I trust him to make decisions as to your well-being in my absence.” Keir nodded faintly, reaching up to catch his lips again.

“But not spankings, right? You won’t let him spank me? And you won’t spank Eli?” he said, his nose wrinkled up in a disturbed look. Lee shook his head. “No, no spankings. I wouldn’t let Ben spank you. Corner time, lines, revoking privileges, yes. But not spankings.” Keir nodded again, nuzzling his lover’s chest.

“And you won’t spank Eli?” he asked softly, just to be sure. Lee kissed the crown of his head. “Nope. I won’t spank Eli. That’s only for Ben to do, not me.” Keir frowned, murmuring something. Lee turned his face up.

“What was that?”

Keir dropped his gaze, shrugging. “Just that you’ll still spank me…” he said quietly. Lee grinned, kissing his forehead.

“Oh yes, I will still spank you.”

…

            Eventually Eli got bored of reading. He climbed out of bed, knowing Ben would be home soon and he hadn’t cleaned the mess he had left in the bathroom. He yawned, stepping out into the hallway and his foot squelched on the carpet at the door to the bathroom.

            “Oh my God,” he breathed. A circle of water extended out past the bathroom door and he covered his mouth with his hand as he opened the door. The bathroom floor was soaked.

Over an inch of water was on the floor—that stupid laminate flooring that Ben was so fond of—and it had bubbled and warped and some of the corners were turning up already. The store clerk had warned him of that and he had made Eli promise never to flood the bathroom…too late now.

            Eli knew it was ruined. He stepped in cautiously and the floor warped and squelched and he gave a little strangled sob. He kicked at their soppy clothes, looking to the tub with a groan. It was full to the top, water still dripping down the sides. Well, now Ben could get that stupid sauna tub he wanted. He went to the top of the stairs.

            “Lee? Can you come here a minute?” he called, chewing his lip. Lee appeared at the bottom of the stairs with Keiran behind him. “What’s the matter, kiddo?” he asked.

            “Just come up here, please?” he said quietly. Lee made his way up the stairs, stopping on the landing with a muffled “oh shit.” Eli nodded, giving Keiran a glare as he came up behind Lee.

            “What am I gonna do?” he wailed. Lee hesitated a moment before he stepped into the bathroom. “Get the hamper, Eli. Keir, find me a plunger or something. And then both of you try and get as much water off the floor as possible,” he said. Both men went to do as he ordered. Eli collected their clothing and showed Keir where they kept the plunger while Lee tried to snake the drain, sleeves rolled up.

            Eli and Keir took turns scooping water in cups from the floor to the sink, and by the time Lee had managed to fish out the offending block—the fourth frog, traumatized but otherwise unharmed—the floor was substantially drier and the men were substantially wetter. Lee grunted as he stood to take the frog out, Eli glaring at it as it was taken from sight.

            The door opened when Lee was halfway down the stairs and Lee stepped aside as Eli barreled down the stairs and into Ben’s arms, already whining. Lee mouthed ‘long story’ before he slipped outside to drop the frog on the lawn.

            Ben hooked his soaked lover close, kissing his forehead.

            “Ben! Ben, you shouldn’t have left, Ben, you weren’t supposed to leave. Everything is bad, Ben. SO bad,” he whined. Ben looked up when Lee came back in and he took in his soaked appearance with a confused frown.

            “Okay, tell me what happened,” Ben urged, stroking his back. Eli shook his head, sobbing quietly. “I can’t. I don’t want you to seeeee,” he wailed, and Ben’s brow furrowed. Lee motioned upstairs and Ben finally managed to pull Eli with him up the stairs.

            He stopped on the landing with a little intake of breath and squeezed Eli’s shoulders. It was drier now, but the floor was discoloured and warping and the carpet outside the bathroom was still damp. The tub was still draining and Keiran was still scooping water from the floor to the sink.

            “What did you do, Eli?” he breathed. Eli wriggled away, shaking his head.

            “I didn’t do it, Ben! It wasn’t meee,” he whined. Ben caught him close before Eli could stomp his foot. “Okay. Somebody tell me what happened.” Keiran stepped out of the bathroom with his eyes down, frowning.

            “Uhm, I think it’s my fault,” he said quietly. Lee looked to his lover; both he and Ben looked thoroughly confused.

            “Okay, can we discuss this where I can’t see the bathroom?” Ben asked. Eli pressed close again, shaking his head. Lee caught Keir’s hand as his lover stepped close to him.

            “I think you and Eli need to talk first, Ben. Keiran’s going to tell me exactly what happened and then when we reconvene, we’ll compare details.”

            Ben nodded, hooking his arm around Eli’s waist as he glanced at the bathroom once more mournfully. His beautiful laminate flooring. He ushered Eli into their bedroom; Lee tugged Keiran with him downstairs. Ben closed the door behind him and settled on their bed with his lover.

            Eli hesitated before he crawled towards Ben and collapsed in his lap, hugging his legs. Ben smoothed his hair back from his forehead, listening to Eli’s quiet sobbing.

            “What’s up, Eli?” he purred. “Sit up and talk to me, please,” he ordered.

            From where he lay, Eli murmured: “Ben, why did you leave?” in a quiet, muffled voice. Ben frowned.

            “I had to go in to work, Eli,” he said, stroking his hair. Eli looked up at him, shifting so he was sitting on Ben’s lap, their noses touching. His face was tracked with tears.

           

            “You just left. You didn’t come and say goodbye and you left me in the corner, Ben!” he wailed. Ben’s frown deepened as he realized what he had done. Eli sniffled and pressed close against his lover. “Lee let me come out of the corner but then I was mad ‘cause you abandoned me there and Lee made me show Keiran that stupid fucking pond,” he whined. Ben pinched his butt at his cursing.

            “Ow. Ben, I wanted to come back. I was gonna stand in the corner but Keiran wouldn’t let me leave and then he fell in the mud and I tripped and fell in the water. And he laughed at me so I…pushed him under the water and he put mud in my face and in my mouth and if I have cholera right now, its all his fault.”

Ben nodded. “And I threw a frog at him and then we went home and Lee made us shower…and there were frogs in the shower and Lee saw me naked and I hit my head and…and…” he stopped to catch his breath. “And then the water wouldn’t drain and Keiran must’ve let it overflow and he didn’t tell me or Lee so when I went to clean up our dirty clothes, it was flooded and the floor’s ruined! And Lee had to snake the drain and it was another frog! Four frogs, Ben! Four!” he exclaimed, before he pouted and dropped his gaze, playing idly with Ben’s fingers.

“I’m sorry. I should have stayed in the stupid corner and never left it,” Eli mourned. Ben stroked his hair back, smiling faintly.

“Oh Eli. I didn’t mean to leave you in the corner, sweetheart. I should have told you myself that you could leave it. I told Lee that it was alright if you left, kiddo, because I was going to be gone for a while. I didn’t want you standing there for a long time. I’m sorry, Eli.”

            Eli frowned, pressing against Ben’s chest. “Ben, I’m sorry. I was so bad. And I was mean to Keir and I was rude to Lee and I didn’t want you to be mad at me, Ben,” he whimpered. Ben patted his butt, and Eli slid up further into his lap.

            “I’m not mad at you, kitten. Of course I am upset with everything that happened…especially my bathroom…” he lamented. “And you are going to be punished, Eli. For this morning, you still have corner time and an apology to give to Lee. And for these recent events, well…I think maybe a spanking is in order. Of course, I’ll need to verify the details with Lee and Keiran…”

            Eli barely nodded. He nuzzled Ben’s chest. “I guess so Ben. I guess. I am sorry, though, and I don’t know if I deserve a spanking…” he whined, but he knew that it was justified and he wriggled in his lap. Ben rubbed his back.

           

            “Alright, brat. Get your butt back in the corner.” Eli nodded against his chest and slid off of his lap. He hesitated a moment longer before he nodded again and left to stand in the corner on the landing. He made a face at the bathroom when he saw it and hurried to his corner through the damp carpet.

            Ben headed downstairs. Keiran was sitting at the kitchen table, nervously scratching out what Ben thought might be lines. Lee looked up from his book, giving Ben a sympathetic smile.

           

            “God, I am so sorry, Ben,” he said. Ben sank into the couch, shrugging slightly. Lee put his book down. “No, seriously. Eli was being bratty and I thought if he and Keiran went outside and did something productive he’d calm down a bit. I didn’t realize he was upset that you’d left without telling him. And when they came home, I made them shower…”

            Ben nodded, closing his eyes with a groan. “God…”

            Lee frowned. “Keir admitted to bringing the frogs into the house to get back at Eli for throwing a frog at him. God, sometimes they’re like five year olds. One of the frogs tried to escape down the drain and clogged it, and neither one of them was intelligent enough to snake the drain or ask me for help and Keir let the bathroom flood. And he will be paying for that, Ben, not just in punishment. He’s writing out how he plans to pay for the damages right now.”

            Ben looked up, shaking his head. “He confessed. The damages were his fault. He brought the frogs into the house and goaded Eli. And he knew about the flooding and kept it to himself. Ben, he knows what he did wrong. I realize it takes two to tango and I’m not saying Eli had no part in it—he certainly did—but Keiran knows that he is responsible for this one.”

            Ben nodded. “When we get home tonight, he and I are going to have a little discussion with one of his least favourite implements…and hopefully his budget-planning works out so that the bathroom can be fixed as soon as possible,” he said. Ben sighed softly, running his fingers through his hair.

            “Okay. Thank you, Lee. Eli’s finishing his corner time right now and then he has something he still needs to say to you. He’s looking forward to a spanking of his own and he needs to speak with Keiran as well before you guys leave.” He looked up when Keiran appeared before him.

            “Hi kiddo,” he purred. Keiran pouted, tears in his eyes as he lowered himself onto the couch to hug Ben. He handed Lee the paper he had written out and Lee looked it over signing his name as ‘witness’. He handed it back to Keir and he signed it as well before he handed it to Ben.

           

            “I’m sorry, Ben. I’m gonna pay for the bathroom…to get it fixed. I hope it doesn’t take long, b-but it might with school and everything. But I’ll pay for it first and then I’ll work to pay for school if I have to ‘cause I’m so sorry, Ben. So so sorry.”

            Ben looked over the sheet with a little frown. Keir had written that he promised to pay off the damages in installments over the next month; Lee had made him write down exactly how he would get the money and how much he felt he would owe. Ben noted that he had written that he would work double-time at the library, and he crossed a few things off, changing the clause so that he could pay it back in installments whenever he could, not have to work as much and then he signed it himself.

            Keir took the sheet back and looked up at Ben, nodding thankfully. Ben tugged him into his arms for a hug and Keiran pressed against him, hiccupping. Ben smiled over the boy’s shoulder at Lee and Lee nodded, reading over the sheet approvingly.

            “Thanks, Ben,” he mouthed and Keiran clung to Ben for a minute longer before he squirmed out if his embrace and back into Lee’s arms.

            “Thank you, Keiran, for offering to pay for the bathroom,” he said softly. Keiran nodded faintly, pressed close to Lee. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to let the bathroom flood and I really didn’t want to make Eli mad today. I’m sorry,” he murmured. Ben nodded faintly.

            “I know, kiddo. It’s alright. You’re forgiven, sweetheart. I think you and Eli need to talk to each other, though,” he said softly. Keiran nodded.

            Ben called Eli down to the bottom of the stairs. He folded him in his arms and kissed the top of his head before he released him to apologize to Lee. Eli sat at the far end of the couch while Ben took Keir into the kitchen to make tea.

            “Hi,” Lee greeted. Eli squirmed in his seat. Lee smiled at him encouragingly.

            “Lee, I’m sorry. For everything. For this morning, first of all. I was so bad. I…shouldn’t have said those things to you. I feel so bad, Lee! You’re not stupid and you don’t love your work more than Keiran and I know you wouldn’t ever spank me even though I deserve it so badly.”

            Lee nodded. “It’s okay, Eli. I do put work first sometimes, especially when I know Keiran is in a safe place and he doesn’t need me, but I do know that he doesn’t like it. And I know you didn’t mean what you said, Eli.” He reached out a hand and Eli took it hesitatingly.

            “And for after this morning…for being rude to you and for yelling at you and being grouchy. I know I’m not allowed to be that way with Ben, and I shouldn’t do that with you either. And…Keiran and I were really mean to each other and made a huge mess and ruined the bathroom and the day. I’m sorry for all that.”

            Lee tugged on his arm until Eli moved into his hug. He stiffly hugged him back but Lee didn’t let him go until he hugged him properly. Lee rubbed his back.

            “Thanks, kiddo. It’s all over now, okay? You’re forgiven.” Eli nodded and sat back when Ben and Keir returned with tea. Eli shifted into Ben’s lap when he sat down and Keir stretched out, his head in Lee’s lap, feet on Eli’s thighs.

            “I’m sorry Eli,” Keiran murmured after a moment over his mug. “For throwing mud at you and tripping you. And for putting the frogs in the shower.”

Eli pinched one of his toes. “It’s okay. I threw a frog at you and held you under water. And even though I might have cholera, I’m sure Ben will take care of me while I die. And the frogs in the shower were kinda funny, even if we killed the bathroom,” he said softly.

           

            Keir smirked, nodding faintly. “Yeah. Kinda funny,” he said, but when he looked up at Ben, he amended that. “Well, the frogs were funny, but not the mess…”

            Eli took a sip of his tea. Ben hooked Eli close, kissing the top of his head. He closed his eyes, feeling Keiran shift on the couch, curling his feet up under him. Ben was stroking his hair soothingly, and Keir reached out a toe again to poke his leg.

            “Eli? Before we leave, can you show me the rest of the forest, do you think?” Eli cracked an eye open when he heard Ben groan at the question, and he grinned, turning to kiss Ben’s cheek.

            “Yeah. As long as we avoid the pond,” he said.

Keir nodded, very seriously.