Happy Here and Now

"So that bastard just left you?" Jay asked through gritted teeth. I nodded while looking down at my fingers, finding them quite interesting at the moment. Jay has always been like an older brother to me. I remember him saying he would kick any guy's ass if they hurt me in any way. I remember Matt saying that too, and the funny thing is, he had hurt me the most.

He should just kick his own ass right now, maybe Jay could join in.

"Yeah. But it was mostly my fault. I was stupid enough to think we would last for a while. Even a few years would be okay, you know, so Bruce could have real parents. A real family. But no..." I trailed off.

"Don't even try to put this on yourself," Padge started, "That fucker knocked you up and couldn't even stick around to at least support you and your son. Or at least be a father to him." I just shrugged, not knowing what to say.

Matt stayed silent. He hasn't said a single word since since the story, or since he found out Bruce was my child. Was he really that shocked I had a kid? Why does it matter to him anyway, I haven't seen him in over seven years.

"So what are you doing back in Wales? You just keep moving back and forth, first you move to Wale from the states, then back to the states from Wales, now back to Wales from the States. Damn girl." Moose said, causing me to chuckle a bit.

"You know why I moved to Wales and then why I moved back to the states the first time, but the reason why I moved back to Wales was because my grandpa had died, so I came back for his funeral.. and you know how much I loved my grandpa. Then I realized how much I missed Wales, I decided to just move back. Then I met Mark and had Bruce here.." I trailed off, and they all nodded.

Nikki came down and took her place back on Padge's lap. "Batman took forever to go to sleep dude, I had to tell him a story. I was just gonna read him a book but the little devil insisted I made up my own. So I made up one about ninja's and fucking unicorns and shit. And how stuffed animals would try to tickle leprechauns to death and how bears could smell your fear, and that if you were really scared they'd kill you." she said, and we all stared at her.

I blinked a few times before responding to that. "Are you fucking insane?"

"Yes."

I sighed, shaking my head. "Now Bruce is going to have the wrong ideas about stuffed animals and bears." I told her.

"The hell with that, he loved my story! He ain't scurred." she mumbled, crossing her arms across her chest.

Padge then coughed, not knowing what to do. "Nik, your friend Emily here is an old friend of ours." Moose says, deciding to speak up. Nikki looks at Moose, then to me, then to the rest of the guys.

"For reals? This isn't some kind of sick joke?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

I laughed. "How would it be a sick joke dude, it's not even horrible." I said, trying to lighten the mood. I looked over to Matt and he just looked at me. I quickly looked away, and back at my hands.

Someone began knocking on the front door furiously, having me -and the rest of the guys, plus Nikki- snap our attention towards the door. The knocking stopped, and we continued to stare. "WELL ARE YOU GONNA LET ME IN OR NOT?" Looks like Ryen is here.

"Door's open dipshit, and you probably woke up Batman!" Nikki yelled, then hushed herself realizing she too might've woken up Bruce. Ryen swung the door open, bouncing in and slamming the door shut. "What did I just say." Nikki growled, glaring at Ryen.

Ryen shot her an apologetic smile before glancing at the four men sitting in Nikki's living room. "Hey hey hey, it must be hot men day." she said, doing her best impression of Fat Albert. Which was... done very poorly, if you ask me.

Nikki snorted before wrapping an arm around Padge's shoulder. "Eyes off ma' man, you damn galah," Nikki starts, using her Australian slang. Ryen just stared at her, blinking a few times.

"You know I could insult you in Tagalog as well but I'm not mean like you." Ryen said, skipping over to sit next to me. Nikki muttered a 'bull shit' before introducing the boys.

"Ryen, this is my boyfriend Padge, that's Moose, Jay, and Matt." she said, pointing them all out. "Boys, this is Ryen-"

"WAIT YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND?!" Ryen screamed, and Nikki threw the remote at the short half Filipino (though she hardly looked it, she looked more American than she did Filipino, but the girl knew how to speak that language fluently) girl sitting next to me. "Bitch I was just asking! Why are you so damn violent!" she whisper/yelled this time so she could avoid having something else thrown at her.

"You're just as violent as me, dumbass. And yes, I do." she said with a smile.

"Holy shit you got a hottie mchotpants. WHOA! You're just as hott! And you! You too! Ahh I'm gonna get a heat stroke from all the hotness going on in here," Ryen said, fanning herself. I laughed and shook my head. She's so fucking stupid.

"I know I am." I snapped my head over towards Matt. The first thing he's said since the story, is 'I know I am'?

"Conceited bastard." Nikki said jokingly.

"Hey, I can't help myself from being so damn hot and having girls want me. It's a gift and a curse." he said with a smirk. I just stared at him in shock. He changed.

"Yeah fucking right." I mumbled, glaring over at him. He gave me a strange look before turning his attention to Padge who began to speak.

"How many woods could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? HOLY SHIT I CAN SAY IT NOW." he said excitedly, and Nikki smacked him upside the head.

"Batman is sleeping, remember." she said, and he smiled sheepishly before pecking her on the lips. It took all I had to not go AWE. It was too cute.

"I'm sorry love." he said, and they started giving each other Eskimo kisses.

"That's so fucking cute," I said quietly, and Ryen went awe.

"Man, why can't I get a guy like that." Ryen mumbled next to me.

"Well there are three other single men in here, better snatch them up before someone else does." Nikki says to Ryen, hearing what she had said.

Ryen obviously took this literal because she studied the three boys. She kept looking back at Matt, and every time she did, he'd wink, and I'd clench my firsts.

Don't pick Matt, don't pick Matt, don't pick Matt.

"You, you're my type. Let's go on a date tomorrow night." she said, pointing over to Jay. I guess he really is her type. He's a trouble maker, just like her.

"Ha, suckas," Jay said, flipping Matt and Moose off, which they gladly returned the favor.

"Whatever, I've got a date as well, man." Matt smiled at Jay, and I frowned. He had a date?

"Since when did you have a date?" Moose asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Since now." he said, then looked over at me.

"You're going on a date with Emily?" Nikki asked, shooting her eyebrows up.

"Only if she wants to." he said, still looking at me with a smile. Everyone stared at me, wanting to know the answer.

"Yes." I blurted out.

At that moment, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.