So You're Not Surprised

Dinner with Elena

Ryo was pulled into a hug before he could get the door open. “It’s so good to see you. I mean it’s been two months”

“Elena, try one and a half.” Ryo teased returning the hug.

“And that was too long,” Elena huffed out with exasperation.

“Well, I didn’t.” Rick interjected. The tall man put his arm around Ryo in a brief hug, “How are you?”

Ryo was only given time to smile in reply before his aunt pulled him close. “So, where is he?”

“I sent Dee out to pick up some bread. I thought you might get some of the embarrassing things out of the way.” Ryo drawled out as if seeing the fruitlessness of his planning.

“Not likely,” Rick was quick to interject, but received a sharp glare from his wife. The glare changed with lightening speed as Bikky came charging in the living room.

“Hey Bikky.” Elena also pulled the boy into a tight hug, which Bikky made some show of trying to get out of. However the smile on his face betrayed his intentions.

“How’ve you been, Biks?” Rick patted Bikky on the back.

“Okay,” he replied with a shrug. “Just hangin’ – you know summer stuff, playing some hoops, skating in the park, usual stuff”

“If you’d like, maybe we can convince Ryo to let you come and stay a weekend with us?” Elena winked at Bikky conspiratorially and ruffled his blonde hair.

“And let you spoil him rotten?” Ryo raised his eyebrows.

“I might to get away from those two.” Bikky looked over at Ryo. “Just wait till the perv gets back. They can’t stay two feet away from each other.”

“Bikky.” Ryo shot a warning look as Bikky scowled at the slip.

The typical “Whatever” came from Bikky, but his eyes seemed glued to the floor.

“Perv?” Elena looked at Ryo confused as he ushered her further into the room.

“It’s a nickname of sorts” Ryo stumbled with the words trying to find a short explanation. “Dee and Bikky, have a unique way of communicating”

“Yeah, we don’t,” Bikky shot back.

“Except when you want to play basketball, video games, get pizza or burgers instead of what I can cook here” Ryo’s tone caused Bikky to scowl again. But before the ever ready ‘whatever’ could slip out “And as I recall you both agreed to keep that unique way to a minimum tonight.”

“Fine”, Bikky scowled and headed to the couch.

“Let me lock the door” Ryo chuckled at Bikky’s momentary defeat while he went back to the door. As the lock slipped closed, the interrogation began.

“So you don’t need to leave the door open for Dee? Does that mean he already has his own key?” Elena grabbed Ryo by the arm and pulled him toward the table. All Ryo could do was blush and shake his head.

Elena had found a seat in the kitchen, while Rick made Ryo give him a job and laughed at his wife’s attempts at interrogation. She had little luck in getting anything other than blushes. Bikky had peeked his head in early on, but after hearing one of Elena’s questions, escaped to his room with a TMI comment. Ryo began to relax with the comfort of Elena’s habit of picking on him and found himself laughing at the most outrageous ones. All had just been laughing at the last try of prying into his sex life and missed hearing the lock open.

“Hey, I’m back,” Dee yelled out, as he opened the door.

“Good God, Ryo. I knew you had good taste, but wow.” Elena looked over Dee as if appraising art.

“I take it that is a good thing?” Dee raised an eyebrow at the petite woman and gave what Ryo had called “the smile.”

“Elena,” Rick cleared his throat. “Dear, your husband is standing right here and I thought the point of this get together was because he is taken.”

“Very taken,” Ryo piped in, startling himself at the statement. But Dee turned his eyes to him and his smile softened. Suddenly, Ryo knew it was the perfect thing to say.

“But, really, have you ever thought of modeling . . .” as Elena set off on her own agenda of conversation.

“So we had spent two hours looking for him, expecting him to be terrified that he was lost.” Elena was elated to be able to tell stories about Ryo. They had finished dinner and had moved to the living room. Bikky had actually stayed and was just as enthralled with Elena’s tales as Dee was. “But no, instead we saw him walking around a shop near one of the rides we had last been at. Just looking around as if he hadn’t a care in the world. It took all I had not to just throttle him right then and there. I mean, here I was, seventeen, trying to prove to my big brother that I could take care of their angel all by myself, I loss him and he didn’t even notice he was lost.” Elena looked at Ryo with exasperation. Her face fell for a brief instance, before returning to its normal devastating smile. Her blue eyes remained sadden.

Dee in particular noticed because he felt the tension in Ryo beside him. Curiosity got the better of him, letting him ignore the warning signs. “So what did his parents do when they found out?”

“You know I don’t even remember,” Elena replied, looking as if trying to remember. Dee’s instinct nibbled at him that this was a lie. But feeling Ryo relax again, Dee let it go.

“You know Dee, this is where I give the you-had-better-treat-him-right speech.” Elena smiled at Dee, as her face lightened up again.

“Don’t worry, Aunt Elena, I already told him I’d . . ..” Whatever Bikky would do was cut short by a glare from Ryo.

“Well, just so you know, I know how to shoot a rifle, and though I’m not Ryo, I won’t miss what I’ll be aiming for.”

Bikky howled at this statement.

“Elena,” Ryo groaned and put his face in his hands, wondering if this night of ‘how much can we embarrass Ryo’ would ever end.

Rick added with a wink, “I wouldn’t test her on that, I’ve seen her shoot.”

“Relax, Ryo.” Dee was chuckling. “She just realizes how hot I am, and is showing her support at keeping everyone else at a distance.”

“Mother didn’t feel the need to threaten me when we told her,” Ryo complained, trying to find a way to gain an ally in something for the night.

“Dude, she’s a nun. She does it all through guilt.” Dee gave an exaggerated sigh. “Well, except with me. Guilt never did work on me.”

“Still doesn’t,” Ryo quipped, as everyone chuckled at Dee trying to look innocent.

“Same to you Ryo,” Rick stated, “I like this guy, and I can tell Elena does too. So treat him right – got it.”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it.” Ryo couldn’t keep the smile off of his face and surprised himself when he leaned against Dee, letting Dee put his arm around him.