People Like Us Part III [MxFxM]

14

Night was encroaching on the frozen farm quickly. Darkness swallowed the blue of the snow, and hid the wolves from sight as Varian worked to put away the snacks with Adrian. His mouth still stung from the probing at the lab earlier, but he ignored it in favor of silence. Neither he nor Adrian seemed in any hurry to break it, their kissing still fresh on Varian's mind. Maybe Nathan wouldn't be too tired when he got back from the hospital that night.

If he comes back, a small voice at the back of his skull supplied, but the ringing of the phone banished his internal reply. Both he and Adrian looked up from their task at it. Setting the bag of popcorn back on the counter where he'd set it to put in a cupboard, Varian crossed over to the phone standing on its charger. It'd been so long since he'd last heard it ring, it was almost nostalgic to pick it up. As he gripped it in his hand though, he noticed UNKNOWN CALLER on the ID and paused, feeling his expression immediately become wary. Adrian seemed to see him do it, because he looked up from what he was doing to Varian, waiting.

"Could just let it go to voicemail if you don't wanna deal with it," he suggested.

"No, it's best I answer. I just don't have good history with that ID."

Nothing good had ever come from screens like that, the last time he'd seen something like it, it had been his father calling to tell him the Board was taking his sister.

"Need me and the kids to go beat somebody up?" Adrian asked, then pointed out toward the living room. "Because Corin will fuck somebody up."

There was enough seriousness in Adrian's mostly kidding tone to make Varian consider kissing him again. Inhaling deeply, Varian shook his head and hit the "On" button, lifting the receiver to his ear. Whatever was coming would come, he just hoped it wasn't too bad.

"The Joll House, this is Varian speaking," he answered.

"Varian, it's Todd."

"Oh, Todd. Hi."

All the fear that'd been building melted away and Varian found himself breathing again. Todd. Todd wasn't bad. He could handle Todd. It'd been years since he'd last heard his brother's voice, and even longer since he saw him, but the familiarity of it was relieving.

Turning to lean back against the counter like he had earlier before Adrian came in, Varian glanced out at the living room. Lex seemed to be done eating his s'mores and was in the process of cleaning himself up. Corin and Vanessa seemed to decide a marshmallow war was necessary, throwing the white puffs of sugar at each other, the sounds of them pelting off their bodies making Varian smile a little to himself. Charlie sat with her children, Lyla passed out and Reed absorbed in watching the marshmallow war from his mother's arm.

"So are we not beating anybody up?" Adrian whispered from Varian's right, making him turn to send him a small fond look before returning to his conversation with Todd.

"I got a notice from the Registry, stating your mate requested a Release of Information on me. I was wondering if you might be able to help me contact him."

"Nathan requested information on you?" Varian asked, blinking. "I bet it has something to do with what he's researching. I can give you his cell number. He's still at the hospital as far as I know."

Adrian seemed content to shrug at Varian's fond look, but still had something to say, whispering "Still an option, just saying." quietly from his place.

"That would be great. Give me a sec to find something to write with...all good." Varian gave it as soon as Todd said he was good before deciding that if the kids met Millie, they might want to meet their uncle.