5 - The Best Charmer

"Cai, any tips for getting this thing out of me?" Hazel asked, half joking, half serious.

Cailen smirked at her, offering her a hand as she tried to put on her shoes.

"Well, sex is the most recommended method, or at least sexual arousal. Gets the oxytocin flowing... Or acupuncture, aromatherapy... or just simple relaxation, but nothing has been fully established in any of their effectiveness." Cailen explained.

He's been kind of coaching Hazel through this whole thing, even setting her up with the best doctor at the hospital he worked at.

"So I would just stick with the fun one." Cailen suggested, sending her a wink that she snorted at.

"So the acupuncture?" She teased, looking to Matthew who gave her an unimpressed look.

"Exactly." Cailen agreed, grinning at Matthew who reached out to flick him in the nose.

Cailen chuckled, swatting his hand away then pulling both him and Noah in for a hug.

"Gosh, I miss you guys. We'll get everything sorted and then have you guys over again, okay?" Cailen asked, pulling away.

"Don't worry about it, Cai. We understand and it's not like Matt and Hazel won't be in the same boat pretty soon." Noah commented. "And then it'll just be young Wil and I." Noah said, throwing his arm over William's shoulder.

"Where's Camille anyway?" Cailen asked, just noticing that Noah's girlfriend of a little over a year wasn't here.

"She's a little upset with me at the moment." Noah admitted, frowning slightly.

"The idiot asked her if she was on her period!" Hazel exclaimed.

"While they were already in a bit of a fight and it turns out... she is." Matthew added, his tone also suggesting Noah was an idiot.

"Oh, Noah... I'm gay and even I know not to do that." Cailen teased.

The blonde nodded, his frown growing.

"Suppose I should go pick up some chocolate or something." Noah said, reaching for the doorknob and pulling it open.

"Probably." Asher agreed, rolling his eyes affectionately at the blonde.

"Alright, see you guys soon. Hopefully." Cailen said as they all shuffled out of the flat.

Cailen turned after locking the door only to be met by Asher engulfing him in a hug. Not that he was complaining. They stood like that for about a minute, Asher not letting him go. Cailen could tell something was wrong and he could also take a guess as to what it was.

"Ash, we just have to give him time." Cailen assured him, feeling Asher's hold tighten around him.

"I know, I just- It felt nice. When William said 'your Dad', it felt really nice." Asher mumbled into Cailen's hair.

Cailen pulled away to peck him on the lips, lingering there for a second longer before pulling away.

"I know, trust me, I know." Cailen said because he did.

Even though it wasn't him being referred to as Dad, it still felt nice to hear Asher being referred to as Ezekiel's dad.

"But I think we need to talk to him. Ignoring it isn't going to do anything." Cailen explained, watching as Asher nodded. "But before we do that... Ash, you have got to learn to say ‘no’ to him. You can't give him everything he wants."

Asher ducked his head at this, obviously ashamed at his lack of ability to say ‘no’.

"I know. He's just too cute though." Asher chuckled, making Cailen smile. "And then he looks at me with those big brown eyes and- I just can't."

Now Cailen chuckled at this because he knew what that was like.

"Yeah, I know. You do it all the time to me." Cailen informed him though he was certain Asher knew he did this. "That's how you got that dumb dog."

"Well, maybe you need to learn to say ‘no’." Asher teased, earning a swat to the chest from Cailen. "And you love Loki. Don't deny it."

"I tolerate Loki, I love you." Cailen corrected, knowing full well that Asher didn't believe him for a second. "Anyway, that's not the point. It's not fair that I always have to be the bad guy and Zeke is starting figure out that he can get whatever he wants if he just asks you."

Asher frowned at this but nodded his head in understanding.

"Yeah, okay." Asher agreed, leaning forward to kiss Cailen quickly. "We should go talk to him." Asher said, pulling away from Cailen and heading down the hall.

Ezekiel was sitting on his bed, the covers kicked to the end and a batman action figure clutched in his hands. His head remained looking into his lap when they knocked on the door and stayed like that even when they entered the room.

Ezekiel's room looked like any other eight year old's room with his bed in the far right hand corner, a dresser in the middle of the far wall, a closet on the left with a toy chest beside it that was obviously going to waste if the toys on the floor were any indicator.

Together, Asher and Cailen made their way through the mess on the floor, careful not to step on any toys and break them. Ezekiel still didn't look up when they approached the bed, taking a seat each on the edge.

"Zeke?" Asher asked quietly, making Ezekiel lift his head to look at them. "Did what William said upset you?"

Ezekiel shook his head but they all knew that was a lie.

"It's okay if it did." Cailen assured, smiling softly at the boy. "We understand that this is a difficult situation for you." Cailen explained.

Ezekiel didn't say anything but Cailen knew what he was thinking- he had thought it many times himself when he was a kid and people would try to tell him that they understood what he was going through.

"I know what you're thinking. I know you think I don't, but I do." Cailen assured.

"What?" Ezekiel challenged.

"That we couldn't possibly understand what you're going through. But I do, Zeke." Cailen explained, watching as the challenging look on the boy’s face softened.

"I lived in the orphanage for the first thirteen years of my life. I know what it's like to go in and out of different homes, trying to be a part of different families but never feeling like you actually belong, wondering when or if you should call them Mom or Dad..." Cailen finished with a direct look at Ezekiel, making the boy duck his head, but not before Cailen saw the look of surprise on his face over finding out that Cailen had been an orphan at one point too.

"Zeke, we don't expect you to call us anything other than Asher and Cailen," Cailen went on. "If you want to call us something else, then that's great, but we don't want you to do so because you feel like you have to. We don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"We also want you to understand that we aren't trying to replace your Mom and Dad." Asher added softy. "We know we never could nor do we want to. We just want you to know we love you and will be here for you whenever you need us. Anything at all, we'll be here and we will love you no matter what, and that's all that matters."

There was a small sniffle that had Cailen leaning forward to place a kiss on the boy's head.

"Do you understand?" Cailen asked gently, looking down at the boy.

Ezekiel wiped at his nose, nodding his head and pushing a smile to his lips.

"I'm sorry." Ezekiel mumbled, not fighting it when Cailen pulled him into a hug.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, love." Cailen assured him.

"Now, why don't we get Cailen to cook us something to eat and we'll go watch Batman. Sound good?" Asher asked, smirking at Cailen.

Ezekiel pulled away with a small giggle, nodding his head at him.

"Hey, why do you get to watch Batman and I have to cook?" Cailen argued.

"Because we're Batman buddies." Asher teased, his smirk still in place.

"Because you're an amazing cook, Cailen." Ezekiel offered, grinning up at him.

"Well, aren't you a little charmer." Cailen mumbled, running his fingers through Ezekiel's hair.

He's found it's become one of his favorite things to do.

"You should take notes." He informed Asher, standing up but leaning down to place another kiss on Ezekiel's head and a kiss to Asher's lips before exiting the room to make his boys something to eat.