(Editing 2nd )The Eden Chase Chronicles: The Mystery Of Them (#Wattys2015 #lgbt)

Warnings Bells

After an extremely bubbly bubble-bath; three bedtime stories and me singing for a good half hour while he placed his hand on my throat to feel the vibrations- Conner is, at last, tucked up asleep in his bed; Lily's been out for the count since the taxi ride back from our eventful day at the Zoo. She was so tuckered out that I was able to change her into a clean nappy and put her into her stripy sleepsuit without her barely stirring from her slumber. She is now snug as a bug in her tiny princess bed, away in the land of nod as she snores softly; Mia's group of overly loud and silly teenage friends came over the moment we were back. The hormone ridden giggling girls had not held back in their oogling of Ethan and Serg and even poor Rhys was subjected to their drooling. I have to admit, I chuckled as all three went steadily redder in the cheeks as the girls went into group mode and made increasingly dirtier innuendos. Mia though, was not impressed with the other girls looking at her brother like that and soon after she order them to 'hang' in the park, which, if memory serves me from my own teenage years, means cheap, disgusting tasting cider; stolen cigarettes and half hearted kisses so as to prove you maturity to the group, which of course proves the complete opposite to the rest of the world; So now it's just me and Rhys sitting in the cluttered kitchen, both nursing hot mugs of scalding tea.

The aromatic steam swirls in the air between us as we sit in comfortable silence as only those close as family can.

"Ethan's cool" he mumbles slightly begrudgingly as the testosterone filled banter drifts from Ethan and Sergus who are battling it out like sworn enemies on the Xbox in the living room. Those two had been like little kids at Christmas when they realized the Parker's had one.

Initially Rhys had joined them in the car racing game they are playing ferociously, but he gets bored easily with such things so came to find me pottering around the kitchen once I had finished Conners bedtime routine.

The kitchen has always been my sanctuary in other people's homes. It is the heart of a house and you can do little things to keep yourself occupied without it seeming weird; Making tea; wiping down surfaces or even offering to make food is not considered strange. You can keep yourself busy and are not expected to automatically sit the whole time. I do hate getting a numb bum.

"Yeah" I smile as the fragrant steam from the tea washes over my face "He's alright" I smirk as i think of how good he has makes me feel; how whole.

"You been going out long?" Rhys asks, not quite hiding just how curious he is.

Ummm "Couple of weeks" I shrug. It's kinda true. I'm not really sure when to class us getting together. Is it the night he half walked me home from the cinema? When he had taken me to lunch at the greasy spoon? The wonderful moment of our first, soul consuming kiss in the Star's beer garden?

"Oh" The small sound is unexpectedly downhearted. When I glance at him, he is strangely quiet as he looks down into his mug of creamy tea.

There is a thick silence suddenly and I know he is running a script in his head. He wants to talk about something and from the question he just asked I know what leading question to start with.

"You seeing anyone?" I pry already knowing the answer

"Kinda" He glances warily up at me

I laugh at his acute shyness. They must be someone special. I don't think Rhys has ever had an official girlfriend before; none that have met the family at least.

I set the mug on the table but leave my hands around it for its warmth. "What they like?"

His whole face suddenly shines like my words have flicked a switch in his skin "Oh they're....they're just....wonderful" He gushes completely unlike himself.