Poise and Rationality

What a peaceful Saturday morning. Brendon thought as he poured a cup of coffee and placed it on the kitchen table. For once, it was completely quiet in the house, no screaming or yelling of the kids, no Spongebob from the TV, just quiet. It had been a while since he had heard nothing, it was rare that he ever did. Brendon closed his eyes, sighed, and just like that it was killed, much sooner then usual. New neighbors, perhaps? He thought as he went to look out the window, where the annoying beep of a truck in reverse rang out.

Indeed, there was a moving truck backing into the drive-way of the house next to theirs. Well, I hope they're better then the Blasko's, annoying homophobes...why did they even move here? Just then, a black Saturn pulled in front of the house. Brendon smiled as a shorter black haired man exited the driver's side and met up with an equally short blonde haired man with matching sideburns in a trucker cap. The two gazed at their new house for a minute before the blonde placed a kiss on the other's cheek. They were going to be way better then the Blasko's.

It wasn't uncommon for another gay couple to move it. In fact, it was a good thing, for it meant that neighbor would get along with neighbor (for the most part) and that the new comers would be accepted. Dumont Circle was their safe heaven, where they all lived. It was a large island of twelve houses, which, after the new couple moved in reduced the unoccupieds from four to three, where the outcasts, among other things they had been called, were almost banished to. Anywhere else in society here, they were rejected.

"Morning, Babe" Ryan said as he hugged Brendon from behind.

"Morning." Brendon smiled, putting his hand's over Ryan's, which were wrapped around his waste.

"New neighbors?" Ryan saw the truck through the window.

"Yea. Now, kiss me, they're looking." Brendon chuckled as he turned around and put his his arms around Ryan's neck.

"You and your excuses." Ryan smiled before placing his lips on Brendon's.

The kiss was warm and brief, Kailie and Zackry were due in the kitchen anytime, but was just enough to give their new neighbors a bit of peace and a small show of just what they had between each other. Ryan gave a wink as he pulled away and went to sit at the table and sip his coffee.

Brendon started humming as he started searching the kitchen. Flour, from the cupboards, baking-soda, salt, and yest from their home on the shelf, and lastly, two eggs from the carton in the fridge.

"Baking bread?" Ryan asked from where he sat.

"Yea, we need some, and so I just sorta figured that I'd mak-"

"Daddy! Daddy!" Kailie shrieked, cutting Brendon off and causing him to jump, thus dropping both eggs, as she ran down the stairs into the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Both Ryan and Brendon asked in almost perfect unison.

"Zackry! He fell! And-and-and there's...he's...blood!" The little seven year-old blonde was obviously horrified.

Brendon made a mad dash for the stair-case, but a hand grabbed his wrist, Ryan.

"Bren," Ryan was completely calm. "relax. I'll go look, it can't be that bad. Kailie's young, she over exaggerates, you know that. To her a scratch is horrifying. Now, you stay with her and clean up the egg mess. It'll be fine."

Ryan could see that Brendon was scared, it was in his eyes, tears were welling. "But-but...!" Brendon stuttered. "Maternal instinct!"

"Your not a mother, Bren, your a Bear." Ryan spoke, Kailie stood not five-feet away.

Kailie looked confused behind Brendon, of course he wasn't a mommy, he was a Bear, at least, that's what she had been taught. How could he make such a silly mistake as to forget what he was? Maybe he was just worried about Zackry, but, either way, it was those two statements that got Kailie's head thinking.

"Fine." Brendon shakily sighed as he picked up Kailie and balanced her on his hip.

Ryan gave a nod at his 'wife' and child before jogging up the stairs and hanging a left into the off-white hall-way. He didn't knock on Zack's door, he put his ear to it. Sure enough, there was a soft whimper and a sniffle.

"Zack?" Ryan asked in a soft whisper as he entered the room.

He was horrified by what he found. Zackry sat on his bed, his hand over his mouth, and blood dripping down onto his hand, shirt, pants, and bed. Ryan's first instinct was to panic, but he resisted. Stay calm. For Zack. Sooth Him. Help him. His thoughts rushed by in a haze. Zack's eyes widened in fear as he realized Ryan was coming closer.

"Zack, what happened?" Normally, Ryan would of asked if the boy in front of him was okay, but the answer was obviously already a stern and taught 'No.'.

Zack only whined.

"Is it your mouth?"

A nod.

"Can you talk?"

A shake

"Can you show daddy?"

A shake.

"Please? It's the only way daddy can fix it."

Zack decided to think this time, not reply. And, after a minute of what was probably the most serious thinking of his nine year-old life, slowly and hesitantly, he moved his hand to reveal the most shocking thing Ryan had to deal with since his father's death.

There were two prominent tooth sized holes through Zack's bottom lip, about halfway to his chin, gushing a steady stream of blood all over himself and the bed. Ryan's first instinct was, again, to panic. Okay, how do I get him past Brendon without freaking him out? Ryan tried to stick to thinking practical rather then frantic. He tried to hold back tears.

"Okay, Zack, I'm going to go and get a wet wash-cloth and a towel. We gotta get you cleaned up before we take you to the hospital." Ryan ran his hand through Zack's hair in an attempt that ultimately failed of calming his son. "I'll be right back, okay?"

He gave a hesitant nod as Ryan left the room. Tears started flowing down Zack's cheeks again as they had been, in truth, he didn't want to go to the hospital. The last time he had been there was when Kailie had stopped breathing when she was little. Needless to say, it wasn't a very fun experience, and she was even bleeding. He could only imagine what they had in store for him.

Though, whatever his small innocent brain could conceive was far better then what would really happen. It was far worse then what any of the family could think of. It was a silent killer that no one would of noticed had it not been for Zack's accident. For his bleeding.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia.