“Babe! Sunscreen! Your nose!!” Mikhail hated the stuff himself, thankfully being saves from the worst of burns by his natural complexion, but Henry was his pale beauty and required protection from more than sharks. He got up from their blanket and chased him down with the bottle, holding it outstretched.

"Well everyone knows sharks are afraid of sunscreen."

Henry shook his head with a little laugh and wrapped an arm around Mikhail's waist. He leaned down slightly to press a kiss to his lips, humming contentedly.

"Are you going to rub it on me?"

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Henry was too preoccupied with being tickled to realize someone had entered, his laughs nearly drowning out the faint call of Beleg’s old nickname. His friend immediately flushed and pulled away from him completely- clearly thoroughly embarrassed- but Henry’s chuckles didn’t stop.

“Uh oh.” He snorted as he sat up, running a hand through his hair. “Well at least we weren’t testing that headboard banging thing, huh?”

Beleg slumped against Henry, hiding his face against his friend’s shirt. “Oh my godddd.” His voice came out muffled, his dad had left clearly thinking he’d interrupted something private- ugh, no, nopenope he can’t even think about it. Had he ever been this embarrassed in his life or so many times in one day? “We are not testing that ever.”

"Oh, cmon. You're not hiding now. We were still entirely clothed and we weren't doing anything pg13. Let's go meet your dad and explain and then he'll understand." Henry smiled in amusement, "Longer we wait longer it looks suspicious, Bells."

Friendly reminder I’m playing with my new pilot baby @commanderdamercn a lot lately, so come say hi

“Oh my God.” Henry chuckled as he took the picture into his hands, “I’m keeping this forever, is that okay? This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Beleg laughed. “It’s all yours. You can replace that stupid ice cream cone picture in your phone now.” But he smiled saying it, nine times out of ten he could hear the amusement in Henry’s voice when he answered the phone after seeing that picture. It wasn’t a bad memory at all. 

The smile remained bright and happy on Henry’s face as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to immediately update the contact image. Even though this was Beleg’s holiday weekend it seemed Henry would be having the most fun.

“I do like the ice cream. But I love this more. I’m going to ask your mom tomorrow for more pictures of little you. You just watch.”

“Oh god, that will make her day,” Beleg said from behind his hands, already knowing she’d want to pull out all the albums and tell the stories behind as many pictures as she could. He sighed sitting up straight and taking the picture from Henry to set on his bedside table where it would be safe. 

“I have only one choice, I have to take you out before that happens.” With that he tackled Henry back onto the bed, trying to either pin or tickle him, whichever was easier. 

“Noooooo!” He cried dramatically as he was tackled, the extended note broken with laughter. “Oh no, someone save me.”

“Ha! Not even surrender will save you!” Beleg had gotten one of Henry’s arms out of the way. Now tucking his face against his friend’s chest he went for the tickles. 

There was a single knock on the door before it opened. “Bobby–” Beleg’s father stood in the doorway.Though not past middle aged his hair too had gone grey early, he kept it cut short. He and son shared a striking resemblance, but unlike his son he needed glasses. 

These he pushed up his face now. “Pardon me.” He turned to go.

“Dad!” Beleg tried to distangled himself from Henry, face already starting to go red.

Henry was too preoccupied with being tickled to realize someone had entered, his laughs nearly drowning out the faint call of Beleg's old nickname. His friend immediately flushed and pulled away from him completely- clearly thoroughly embarrassed- but Henry's chuckles didn't stop.

"Uh oh." He snorted as he sat up, running a hand through his hair. "Well at least we weren't testing that headboard banging thing, huh?"

“Oh my God.” Henry chuckled as he took the picture into his hands, “I’m keeping this forever, is that okay? This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Beleg laughed. “It’s all yours. You can replace that stupid ice cream cone picture in your phone now.” But he smiled saying it, nine times out of ten he could hear the amusement in Henry’s voice when he answered the phone after seeing that picture. It wasn’t a bad memory at all. 

The smile remained bright and happy on Henry’s face as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to immediately update the contact image. Even though this was Beleg’s holiday weekend it seemed Henry would be having the most fun.

“I do like the ice cream. But I love this more. I’m going to ask your mom tomorrow for more pictures of little you. You just watch.”

“Oh god, that will make her day,” Beleg said from behind his hands, already knowing she’d want to pull out all the albums and tell the stories behind as many pictures as she could. He sighed sitting up straight and taking the picture from Henry to set on his bedside table where it would be safe. 

“I have only one choice, I have to take you out before that happens.” With that he tackled Henry back onto the bed, trying to either pin or tickle him, whichever was easier. 

"Noooooo!" He cried dramatically as he was tackled, the extended note broken with laughter. "Oh no, someone save me."

“Oh my God.” Henry chuckled as he took the picture into his hands, “I’m keeping this forever, is that okay? This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Beleg laughed. “It’s all yours. You can replace that stupid ice cream cone picture in your phone now.” But he smiled saying it, nine times out of ten he could hear the amusement in Henry’s voice when he answered the phone after seeing that picture. It wasn’t a bad memory at all. 

The smile remained bright and happy on Henry's face as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to immediately update the contact image. Even though this was Beleg's holiday weekend it seemed Henry would be having the most fun.

"I do like the ice cream. But I love this more. I'm going to ask your mom tomorrow for more pictures of little you. You just watch."

He had intended to make a joke. To poke Beleg in the sides and further tease him about the name to elicit more of that hilarious blushing.

But his last words struck him hard, and suddenly he wasn’t in the mood for joking anymore.

It wasn’t as if it was the first time it had happened- a reference or joke about his parents- and he never blamed anyone for the mistake. To be fair he didn’t mention it often. Yet even though he didn’t get upset it still stung a little at the mention. Oh, how he missed them.

“Do you want to show me where I can put this?” He spoke quieter now, lightly patting the duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

Beleg would have had to have been exceptionally dim-witted or self-centered not to notice the shift in Henry’s mood. His tantrum vanished, feeling a wave of anxiety pressing against his chest. He hadn’t really been upset, but he’d smacked Henry and all Henry’d done today was help him. 

“I– Uh, this, this way.” Reaching out he took one of his friend’s hands, holding it tight. It was getting hard to breathe, but he couldn’t freak out again. 

They went down a hall off the living room, the walls decorated with family pictures. None of them with Beleg as he was now, all when he was a child. He opened the door at the end. 

“Ta-da~ my old room,” he said holding the door open. The room was tidy, yet cluttered with trinkets and knickknacks on every surface. “Look, I traded my scooter for this.” He pointed to a postcard-sized Yu-Gi-Oh! picture sitting on the nightstand in an elaborate frame. 

“Oh! And look, I kept this.” He went to his closet and pulled out a long, albeit dented, cardboard tube. A small portion covered in grey duct tape the rest in bright blue. “We used to have massive lightsaber battles on my street.” He smiled, but it faded, still worried. “Uh, Henry? I, I didn’t mean to– it’s just weird being here and seeing– I won’t, I won’t do that again. Sorry.” His eyes were locked on the carpet, there were only so many times he could mess up and apologise before Henry got tired of it.

Seeing Beleg’s childhood bedroom was enough to push the bad thoughts away, and more than enough to bring a smile to his face. While most of it was part of a Beleg from long ago, certain items reflected upon things he still enjoyed now and it amused Henry greatly.

Henry took the makeshift lightsaber from Beleg and did his best impression of the humming whoosh of the effects from the movies, poking his friend’s stomach playfully before he began to apologize.

“You didn’t mean to what?” His brows furrowed slightly, “Bells, you’ve been fine. Family gatherings are always awkward, but its okay. Your mother seems really nice and I’m sure the rest of them can’t be that bad.”

Beleg let out a breath. “I thought you were upset. Because of how I was acting before.” Well now he felt silly, but the thought of driving a friend off– of a friend not needing him… it scared him more than anything. 

He tried for a smile, gently batting at the cardboard lightsaber. “Well you haven’t met my aunts, they’re, hm, loud is probably the nicest way to put it. Here.” He grabbed Henry’s hand again and him pulled over to sit on the bed. He picked up the framed Yu-Gi-Oh picture, fumbling to take the back off to reveal what had originally been in the frame. 

A small boy with light brown hair wearing only a pair of shorts, his round belly pooched out, stood smiling up at the camera, the kitchen behind him covered in pinkish red splatters. An open-topped blender sat on the counter behind him. “Plus of having me for a roommate, I learned at a young age what not to with a blender.” 

"Oh my God." Henry chuckled as he took the picture into his hands, "I'm keeping this forever, is that okay? This is the greatest thing I've ever seen."

Aaaaaaand I’m being admitted to the hospital. Gdi.