Page 47 of Jockstraps & Newspapers

Chapter twenty-nine

Getting an invite to dinner

Elliot

~Two weeks later~

“I ’m going to get a jog in, you want anything from the coffee shop?” Elliot fixed the sweatbands around his wrists before taking the last chug of his pre-workout.

“Oh, yes please, could I get a latte? Can you get whatever chocolate or caramel flavor they have?” Cassie chirped from his couch.

She’d spread out all the papers for his final piece and was running through edits.

He wasn’t allowed to look, despite the fact she’d filled his living room with the piece.

Apparently it was bad luck, but he knew better.

Cassiopeia Darling wanted the piece to be perfect, and if he read it early, she might not get the reaction she wanted.

And if he gave the wrong squint, she might scrap everything .

For all her other pieces, it was fine, because she would ask him what it was he was eyeing and she’d fix it.

She appreciated his commentary on the pieces about the game or about Renner, but he knew his girl well enough.

This one truly meant something to her, so it had to be perfect.

“You got it,” he flashed her a pair of finger guns. The sweeter her coffee preference, the more stressed she was. He’d gotten to know many of her tells. Much as she knew when he was stressed himself.

They’d spent practically every other day at the other’s place. However, while she was working on his piece, she’d been determined to be in his hair at any moment of the day. Soaking up as much Elliot as I can. As if she didn’t take as much Elliot as physically possible.

He chuckled to himself, thinking of how her face scrunched and cheeks turned tomato red when he said that to her the other night. He cackled all the way to the bed where she, once more, took as much Elliot as she could.

“Love you, big guy,” she called out from the couch, ripping him from his thoughts. He spun on his hooves at the doorway, smiling at her.

“Love you too, newsie.” He watched her flush, ducking her head to get back to work. The flutter in his heart hadn’t diminished at the sound of her saying it.

Elliot pulled the door open and ducked out into the early morning sun.

Stretching out on the sidewalk outside his townhouse, he watched the golden orb rise above the trees of King’s Fall.

His mind was just the echo of the music in his ears as he took off down the sidewalk.

Normally he’d jog with Toad, but someone was currently sleeping in with a different Darling sister.

He’d have to give Toad shit for it later.

For now, he let the Dragos soak in the spectacular joy of having someone in his bed that wanted to be there because of him.

Not because of his family or the money, but because she enjoyed how he could bench press her above his head and how funny he was.

It made Elliot immensely happy to see his best friend with puppy dog eyes every time the fashionable lawyer came to the field.

His hooves brought him to the corner coffee shop before he realized. He’d gotten his two miles in without even thinking about it. Slowing to a trot so his heart wouldn’t flop out of his mouth when he ordered, Elliot raked his sweaty fur between his horns.

“Ah, there you are, son. I was expecting you to be here ten minutes ago. Must be slacking off.”

Elliot froze before slowly wheeling around to find his father perched on one of the patio chairs of the coffee shop. He slid a water bottle across the table. Elliot blurted out, “Pops?”

“I would have ordered Cassie’s drink for her, but I feared it might go cold before we finished talking, unfortunately lattes have a specific timetable.” Titan Bonesaw nodded at the seat across from him.

Elliot pulled out the chair, settling down into it suspiciously. “So...I’m your son now? Huh?”

“Look, Elle...it might not surprise you that your brothers and mother have been beating this old stubborn bull about what I said and how I said it and how I haven’t apologized for it yet.

I was angry and upset and never should have taken it out on you.

And it was this old pride, you know. I couldn’t see that you had a point.

I should want you to do better than me. That you should reach for the stars.

I mean, look at you. Look at what you’ve become and what you’ve done without ever having to ask me for help.

I...I’m sorry, son. I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised you’re so stubborn and bullheaded, when you get that from me. ”

Elliot burst with a wheeze, “Pops, you’ve got to know that I was never ashamed of what you did, and I’ve always been so grateful for what you sacrificed to save us, what you did to save Rex. But...this life...your life...I can’t.”

“I know, and you know, Jessie doesn’t regret it either.

He’s good at it too, and I think he might even get out of it better than I did.

Jessie’s so much smarter than me, it’s baffling.

And Rex, well, he’s still young and he’ll get to decide what he wants to do.

” Titan took a sip from his paper to go cup, likely black coffee with coconut syrup and a scoop of sugar.

Just as Elliot used to make for him on early mornings when Mom was doing nightshifts.

“And Stevie?” Elliot cocked a brow, smirking.

“What can I say, kid thought he was untouchable. I was only going to have a conversation with him. Especially after I heard he’d been harassing your girl too.

Kid couldn't close his mouth and wouldn’t stop mouthing off.

So...I showed him that no one is untouchable.

” Titan shrugged nonchalantly, “Too bad he won’t be here to see the rest of the season.

Gonna be a season to remember, I think.”

Elliot shook his head. Cracking his water bottle open, he tossed a chug back before sitting back in his chair. “And don’t worry, Cassie’s not going to tell a soul. She’s barely even brought it up since, basically put it out of her mind.”

“As she should,” Titan raised his coffee to Elliot. The Minotaur’s clinked drinks before taking heavy sips. “That brings up my next point. Your mother asked, that if you could forgive this old bull for his stubborness, if you might consider coming home for dinner tomorrow night?”

Elliot snorted, “So you didn’t come here just to apologize?”

“I came to apologize with the express direction that if you forgave me and we came to an understanding, that I was to invite you. Your mother warned me that I was not to use it or her as leverage to get you and I to see eye to eye.” He grinned at Elliot, causing the younger minotaur to roll his eyes. Titan laughed, “You know your mother.”

“I do, Pops. And I appreciate you meaning what you said. I’ll ask Cassie, but guaranteed we can come to dinner tomorrow.

” Elliot would have to thank his brothers and mother for making him say it out loud.

Titan Bonesaw might have ruined Stevie McMatterson because he loved Elliot still, and Elliot knew that.

..but having him say it out loud, having him admit he was wrong, that was better than destroying the punk rich kid.

“Good, now know that I’m telling your mother that you said yes and if you’re even a moment late, it’s not my fault.” Titan pointed at Elliot with a stern look.

Elliot burst into cackles, “Yes, Pops, I know.”

“Good, I knew I raised you smart.” Titan reached across the table to slap at his bicep. “You doing okay? You’ve finally finished your heat, right?”

“Yes,” Elliot groaned happily, “I thought I was going to burst into flames or rip a seam in my uniform.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time a Bonesaw needed their pants stitched back together during a heat. It won’t be the last,” Titan snorted, finishing his coffee. “Ask your mother about the heat when you were conceived, she had to practically sew all my britches back together for four weeks on end.”

“Ew! Pops!” Elliot roared, clamping his hands over his ears as Titan roared out with mad laughter.

Yet it was nice to laugh with him again.

To talk about things again. Elliot told him about the games, about the league and Fenn’s words, about Cassie and their discussions of what happens next.

Titan gave him a tiny lecture about telling his mother about any plans to move in together or anything past that.

Then they ended up talking about the shop and Elliot didn’t hate it.

Titan talked about the shop gossip, about Cassie’s very dead car, about the last tow they had to get from the middle of the haunted woods, and about Jessie getting a nose full of grease while doing an oil change.

“And there’s this little fluff ball in the shop, can’t scare the little shit out of the shop.

He came out of someone’s trunk and now we’re stuck with him.

Dragon’s, I fucking hope it’s a cat because if it’s actually a skunk or something I will lose my shit.

” Titan climbed to his feet. Elliot was in stitches, tossing both their empty drinks in the trash.

“Anyhow, see you tomorrow night son. And, if you can, bring a copy of Cassie’s latest newspaper clipping. Your mother’s been collecting them.”

“See ya, Pops. I’ll get a copy for her.” Elliot headed inside to get his girlfriend’s coffee, unsure what to do with all the brimming happiness inside him.

They’d talked it out.

They’d talked.

Warm latte in hand, a bag full of breakfast for his frantically editing girlfriend, and a skip in his step, he took the portals back home. Titan had a point, lattes had a time table... and man did he have a lot to catch Cassie up on when he got home.

Sure, he’d missed the other two miles back home but...he could always try and convince his girlfriend to come jog with him later. Ha! He'd end up piggyback carrying her for extra burn instead. Just how he liked it.