Your son for Mine

chapter 9

The almost amused look on Mario's face slid away, replaced with one of pure ice. "You can't. Miguel's dead." Mario turned on his heel and left the room.

Shit. Lucas had just wanted to see Mario smile. Instead, he'd hit a mark he hadn't intended to hit. Lucas looked at the picture of Mario and Miguel. Miguel had been beautiful and obviously, he'd meant a lot to Mario. Lucas had just brought that loss front and center. He'd caused more trouble than he'd meant to. Hell, they'd both nearly gotten blown up because of Lucas's antics. He knew it, felt bad about it. But here at Mario's home, Mario was supposed to feel safe, and he had just inadvertently hurt him. Now they had to leave and head back out into the world where cars blew up and people wanted him dead. Lucas looked over at the happy Mario and let that tiny bit of warmth flow through him before heading out of the room.

Mario sank down onto the sofa and reached up to rub his neck. Fuck. Yet again, he'd forgotten about that stupid cut. Damn it. He'd overreacted. Lucas hadn't deserved the hostility Mario's given him. It had been a while since anyone had asked about Miguel, and he's been unprepared to respond.

"Mario?" Lucas stepped into the room. His hands were in his pockets, his voice, soft.

"Hey, lucas." Mario replied, looking up at him. "I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have been so harsh."

Lucas took a few quick steps and sat down next to Mario. Mario leaned back and rested his head on the back of the couch.

"You don't have anything to apologize for, I was being a bit too... well, a bit too me."
Mario's turned his body to face the other man. "lucas, you couldn't have known. And don't ever apologize for being yourself. Miguel's been gone a long time now."

Lucas looked up at him, his hazel eyes soft with concern.

"Did you serve with him?"

"Yeah, we met in boot camp. We were in different companies and ended up with different assignments until both companies got sent to Afghanistan a couple years later. It's like we'd never been apart." Mario gave in to the small smile that thinking about Miguel always brought out. "That picture was taken while we were on leave four years ago. He was killed three months later. I got out two months after that."

"I'm so sorry, Mario. He meant a lot to you. I didn't mean to make light of that."

"I know that. Lucas, really, please don't feel bad. You had no way of knowing." Another deep breath. Mario looked at Lucas again. He cocked his head, and the corner of his lip turned up.

"It was Miguel's idea to start the agency. We were going to be partners. In every way." Mario's voice had drifted off to barely more than a whisper.

Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked at Mario. "You mean you guys worked together. Like paired up on assignments and stuff?"

Mario shook his head and let out a soft laugh. "No, lucas, we were partners. I think you know what I mean. Last night, that was not the first time I've been to that club."

Lucas's eyes went from slits to saucers as the realization hit him. "You're gay? Like gay gay, not happy gay?"

This time Mario let out a full-fledged chuckle. "Yes, lucas, I'm gay, like gay gay. Like, I have sex with men gay. Gay."

"Holy fuck! How did I not know this? Shit. Are you sure?" Lucas was still shaking
his head, his brow furrowed a bit as if he were working out a geometry problem and trying to figure out the different angles.

"You sound like my sister did when I came out to her when I was sixteen. I'll tell you what I told her. Yes, I'm sure, I've been sure since I was twelve when all the boys in my class were turning to look at Lucy Wilson's new boobs, and I was stepping back to look at their asses." Mario's smile widened.

"Wow. Like, wow!" Lucas sat back and looked right at Mario. His mouth hung open. He shook his head again. "I think I need my gaydar checked. Jesus. Seriously, I can usually smell a hot gay man from across the state, but I was completely oblivious to you." Lucas took in a quick breath and brought his hand to his mouth. His eyes got even bigger. His face was suddenly an adorable shade of pink. "Oh shit! I kissed you. Man, I'm so sorry."

"So you wouldn't have been sorry if I was straight?" Mario snickered. "It's not a big deal, Lucas. Really. Though if I'd been straight, your car might not have blown up, because I probably would have decked you. Instead, I was just a bit dumbfounded.

"I'm just sorry. Gay, straight, either way, I shouldn't have kissed you. I was in my shock'em mode. Take'em off guard and then do what I want to. It tends to work most of the time. Except for you. Haven't managed to get rid of you yet."

"Nope, and you won't be getting rid of me. Until they catch this bad guy, you're stuck with me."

Mario smiled at Lucas and watched the light in his eyes dim a bit. Mario hoisted himself up, reached over, and placed a friendly pat on his leg. "Come on man, up and at 'em. We gotta head out before we have the FBI after us."

Lucas looked down at himself. "Um... No offense, Mario, but I'm not exactly comfortable going out in public looking like this. Got anything else I can wear?"

"Sorry. Any jeans I have would end up hanging down past your ass, and somehow I think that look would work for you less than this one does."

Lucas looked up at him with his head cocked and waggled his eyebrows. "Maybe, but at least you'd get a great view.

"Knock it off. I'll find you a hoodie. You can wear my sunglasses. We'll call the ensemble: lucas Incognito." Mario waved his hand in front of him and put some singsong in his voice. "It'll be the next big thing on the Paris runways. I just know it." Mario scrunched up his nose and quickly cocked his head and raised one shoulder.

Lucas giggled. Mario felt that giggle down in his own belly and shook his head. He couldn't hold back a smile as he held out his hand. Lucas grabbed it and let Mario pull him up off the couch. A warm comforting feeling spread from Lucas's hand and  
continued all the way down through Mario to his toes. Lucas bounced up and then they headed to find the Incognito Ensemble.

"abraham leby. Recognize him?"

Lucas sat in an aluminum chair, his back straight. He concentrated on keeping his leg still when all it wanted to do was bounce. He felt ice cold and wished they'd turn down the air conditioning. Maybe they did it on purpose so suspects would confess before they froze to death. The way the chubby agent across the table was staring him down, he was starting to feel like one. His partner, a shorter, bald man just sat there looking bored.

Lucas felt all boxed in. The room was small, way too small to be holding the six people that we're currently in it. His mother was on one side of him, his dad beside her. Mario sat on his left, quiet and steady, watching the agents with narrowed eyes. Lucas wanted to know what he was thinking. He wanted to take the hand his mother had a death grip on and put it in Mario's hand instead.

"lucas, do you recognize him?" the chubby agent asked again. Lucas flicked his eyes down at the photo. He'd never seen the man before and said as much to Chubby.

"Judge, Professor Dupont?"

"The man looks vaguely familiar. The name definitely rings a bell." Lucas's mother looked at the photo and back to the agent. His father just shook his head.

"How about his son, alex leby." In another photo, another blond man, with similar features to the first picture. This photo obviously a mug shot with the telltale measurement lines behind
him. Lucas repeated his answer from the first photo.