50

1. Satin: The first time Misery had ever touched fine satin, was the first night he found himself twisted up between Carter's sheets.

2. Heat: Cove had never been one to get embarrassed easily, even when he was young but the night he gave his virginity to Misery he simply couldn't stop the heat from rising to his cheeks.

3. Snores: The only time Briley ever allowed himself to break down and declare he loved Cove, his words were drown out by the other mans snores.

4. Lust: Every time Cove was asked what his and Briley's relationship was he simply said lust. But sometimes, even he wasn't so sure.

5. Loathe: For months after he began dating Brynn on a dare, Briley felt a constant sense of self loathing.

6. Dare: Even after he forgave Briley, from that day on, Brynn has always despised the game truth or dare.

7. Empty: Misery had never felt as empty as he did the night Cove told him he was the reason they couldnt have anything.

8. Presents: From the day Misery cheated on him, Carter showered the boy with highly expensive presents. He hated when even that couldn't get the boys mind off of Cove. There'd never been something he couldn't buy until now; Misery's heart.

8. Illusion: Misery would never admit it, but in his dreams he was under the illusion Cove would have loved him enough to fight for him. Alas, he was not Leon or even Briley.

9. Forbidden: From the time Cove was young, it always killed him how his father said he was forbidden to love Misery. But that never stopped him. His heart always yearned for the boy.

10. Trust: Misery never trusted anyone, that was his top rule. But then he got with Carter, and the man began making changes to his rule book.

11. Jacket: Cove never quite forgot the night he'd been with Briley and the boy offered him his jacket when he started shivering. Although at the time Cove had punched him in the arm for talking to him like a girl, he'd taken it anyways and kept it. It meant quite a lot to him now.

12. Dumb: Leon was not dumb by any means. He had a harder time than others but he did understand. Just like he understood that while Misery was around, he would always be second best.

13. Phases: Cove unlike most people found it hard to stay interested in one person for a long period of time. His love was true but if it wasn't your week you were simply out of luck. His interest switches from Misery to Leon to Briley and back to Misery all over again...

14. Call: Briley didnt like to admit when he was hurting, he even didnt want to concern his father sometimes, especially when it came to the family. So he would telephone Cove, and he would just talk to him. Never in person though, for fear the boy might see through his smile and ask what was really wrong...
But Cove already did that, just through the phone.

15. Camera: Cove had taken to asking Leon questoins about his camera lately, just to see the boy's eyes light up while he explained the answer.

16. Fear: Leon didnt fear the boogyman, he didnt fear Trever Murdock or any other large threatening man out there. But he did have fear in his heart, because one day he feared that Cove would leave and never come back.

17. Comfort: Brynn often pushed himself out of his comfort zone, just to make sure Briley stayed interested in him, especially since he found out about the dare.

18. Compare: Briley couldnnt but compare sex with Brynn and sex with Cove, a frown forming as he decided the man he no longer shared a bed with, was a better screw.

19. Smile: Cove had several pictures on his night side table, of the most important things to him naturally: Leon, Misery, and Briley. And at night, visions of different smiles went through his head. From the sly smirk surrounded by stubble, to the playful grin he'd known since he was a child to the innocent smile he'd fallen in love with...

20. Better: Briley was a man who seemed to think he was the greatest, and he could be. Yet he still refrained from asking Cove out, because Cove deserved better. The same for Brynn. After the break up he hadnt tried to get him back.
They could both do so much better.

21. Money: Truth be told, Carter had never gotten a relationship on his own, it was always the money. You'd be surprised how many people he'd bought to make them love him. He'd tried to earn their love with gifts and it'd worked. But that was exactly why his relationships where never longlasting. Shallow people made for shallow relationships. Misery was different. He didn't care about Carter's wealth and maybe that was why Carter loved him so much.

22. Comfort: Misery had never been a deep sleeper. He had never been comfortable enough with anyone to know he was safe enough to fall into a deep slumber, for he may not wake up. But as he lay against Carter, his head on the man's chest and his lips parted in tired breaths, not even world war three would wake him.

23. Affection: Carter was simply not good at showing his affection. He knew no way to show Misery how much he cared for him other than buying him anything anyone could possibly want. Even when he knew the boy didn't care for it, he simply couldn't help himself.

23. Birthday: Carter's birthday rolled around, Misery had bent himself over backwards looking for anything the man might want. The problem was, that Carter had everything in the world he could possibly ever buy with money. The man had told Misery again, and again that he did not require a present but of course he got one anyways. He didnt think much of it as he undid the ribbon and took the top off the box, but his heart stopped beating at what he found inside.
A pregnancy test.
A POSITIVE pregnancy test.
"Happy birthday, daddy." The boy grinned cheekily.