Chapter Text
After the first month of earnest whispered ‘I love you’s from Scam, it became an obvious game.
Another month full of portals opening at various points in the week. Scam leaning casually over the edge of them to smile and wink and tell him he loves him, all perfectly timed to continually burn up whatever Jodie had been holding at the moment.
Jodie hadn’t been counting everything he’d lost to this game, but he was relieved that the times it had be reports, he’d always been heading to the shredder anyway. In its own way Scam’s game had been working, the intensity of the flames had lessened recently but it was still a fairly large inconvenience.
So when Scam opens a portal next to him while he’s brushing his teeth, leaning on it like it’s a windowsill, he’s no longer surprised.
“Hello again handsome~! Did you miss me? You know I’ve missed you ~<3” Scam rests his hand on his cheek. “We fought some guys yesterday and one of them had a ruby that was the same color as your eyes, and I couldn’t help but think of you~”
Jodie smiles, rinsing his mouth and putting the toothbrush which he was sure Scam was hoping to watch him melt, down on the sink. “Of course I missed you…”
“How much~?” Scam smiles “I need to know~ it’s very much a competition”
He laughs softly “hm, enough to want to pull you through that portal and smother you with kisses”
“What a delicious way to die! I think I’m ready! I’m a willing sacrifice if that’s my method of expiry~!” Scam laughs, rolling over so he can play dead, dramatically hanging half out of the portal. He opens one eye to see if Jodie has picked up his toothbrush again.
Jodie laughs and picks it up. “Go ahead”
“Oooh? You’re giving me permission~?” He turns back over and grins
“Does that take the fun out of it?” He laughs “Sorry, I’m just glad I get to see you so often…and I like hearing you say it…”
“I love you~”
Jodie blushes but notably does not catch on fire, which surprises even him.
“Finally~!” Scam grins and climbs out of the inky black void of the portal to pull him into a kiss. Jodie leans in, tossing his toothbrush back behind him towards the sink so both his his hands are free to try and pull Scam closer, stumbling forward until Scam’s back hits the wall.
Scam breaks the kiss grin stretching ear to ear. He peppers his face with kisses, punctuating each one with an ‘I love you’, thrilled that he could without getting burned.
Jodie smiles and pulls him closer, resting his head against Scams chest, confident in how he’d been feeling he decides it’s time to finally say it… “Scam… I love you too”
Scam freezes, all three eyes widening, his tail flicking back and forth. “Jodie~” his face completely magenta from how hard he was blushing. “How off the table is spending the night?~”
“I’m still not ready for anything like-“
“Just sleeping~ I mean the just sleeping sort of spending the night~” he could wait as long as Jodie needed for anything else.
“That sounds nice…” he nods and pulls back from the embrace to lead him out of the bathroom and into his bedroom.
“You’ve never let me in your bedroom before~” Scam grins “Maybe I’ll ask to stay every night~”
“You’re saying that like I would tell you no…” he climbs into bed already in a tshirt and flannel pj pants. He was starting to feel a little nervous.
“I suppose I need to actually wear Pajamas from now on then~” With a snap of his fingers he was dressed in a silk pajama set. He lifts the blanket and climbs under the covers, His four arms wrap around Jodie’s waist, pulling him close.
Scam was in no way ready for how intensely the bed would smell like Jodie, now completely surrounded by the smell of cinnamon and leather. He hadn’t prepared himself for how warm it would be with Jodie nestled against his neck, His fingers tracing circles on Scam’s back as he starts to relax. It was comforting and he knew he wasn’t going to want to leave in the morning.
“Glenn and Nicky are coming home tomorrow… They’ll be here for breakfast” Jodie yawns.
“Oh.” He’d have to be gone then, fairly early too since Jodie was a morning person…He gently runs his fingers through Jodie’s hair. “Don’t worry~ I’ll leave before they get here~ Nicky won’t-“
“Scam I want you to join us… I think It’s probably time to tell Nicky that we’re seeing eachother”
“You’re sure?~”
“Yes…he’s probably got a pretty good idea something’s up anyway. “ he smiles and leans up to kiss his cheek. “Goodnight Scam… I love you”
“I love you too~”
———
Of all the people to show up for the Close-Foster family meals, Nicky had not expected Scam. He eyes him suspiciously through the doorway but doesn’t yet say anything about it. “Is mom coming?”
“Not today, she’ll be here tomorrow though, she misses you too” Jodie pulls him in for a hug. Morgan wasn’t an uncommon guest in hell, they’d remained friends after the separation and if Jodie was right there was interest growing between her and Glenn so she was going to be in his life for the long haul.
Glenn raises an eyebrow when he sees Scam standing as awkwardly as he feels by the breakfast table in the next room. He walks over and pats him hard on the back “I was wondering where you got off to last night”
“Don’t expect me to sleep at camp ever again~ Jodie is just so deliciously comfortable, I’m intent on breaking him out of his habit of being an early riser~” he smirks.
“…gross. Look, if you two are getting more serious about each other that’s great, but I know you like to say stuff that’s not exactly kid friendly…just remember Jodie is Nicky’s dad so when you say weird shit it’s going to effect him”
“oh no worries Glenn~ I wouldn’t dream of upsetting my future step son~”
“Oh I really really don’t like that. Scam, listen, Nicky’s approval is a big deal, don’t fuck this up.” He pats him on the back again “if you do, you can just toss any future you’ve got in you head out the window. The kid matters more than you, comprende?”
He actually hadn’t considered how important this breakfast could be before right now. “Even if he loves me~?”
“It won’t matter if Nicky wants you gone”
He stands up a bit straighter. “Well I certainly don’t want that~ I suppose I should actually say hello now~” he steps away from where Glenn cornered him, walking as casually as he can up to Jodie and Nicky. “Good morning Nicky~ I hope you slept well? Yesterday sure was fun wasn’t it~?”
Nicky makes a face “we had to kill like three guys yesterday… so I mean … yeah I guess?” He looks to Jodie “Dad… why is he here?”
Jodie pats Nicky’s shoulder “let’s all go eat and we can talk about it?”
Nicky, having not gotten the answer he wanted, looks at Glenn. He finger tuts ‘what’s going on?’
Jodie catches the movement out of the corner of his eye and glares at Glenn mouthing ‘don’t you dare’
Glenn looks between the two “He’ll tell you, just wait…”
Nicky grumbles but heads to the table regardless, sitting in his usual spot.
Jodie relaxes, waiting for everyone to sit down infront of their pancakes. “So, how was your week?”
Glenn just shrugs and starts digging in “still net zero info.”
Nicky doesn’t touch his pancakes yet. “My week was fine.” It was a terse response. He didn’t like that Jodie was hiding something from him.
Scam was nervous now, how do you impress children? Surely if he hadn’t made a positive impression with all his jokes and japes over the last year or so, there wasn’t going to be much more he could do? He absolutely has to get Nicky’s approval…Sweets maybe? He reaches over, hand outstretched, various types of unwrapped candy oozing from his palm and dropping onto Nicky’s pancakes.
Nicky tries not to gag and pushes his plate away, looking at Jodie with urgency. “DAD.”
Glenn cracks up “holy shit”
Scam hesitates and then slides his uneaten plate of pancakes towards Nicky. “Apologies~ I just thought you’d like sweets~ don’t all children wish they could have candy for breakfast?”
Jodie just buries his face in his hands “Scam what are you doing?”
“Was that the wrong move?~” Scam takes the plate covered in candy and unhinges his jaw, pouring the contents of the dish into his mouth. “There, it’s gone~!”
Nicky frowns. “Dad. Why is Scam here?”
Jodie sighs “yeah okay…I was kind of hoping this would go a bit smoother…”
Scam fidgets with a fork, he’d fucked up. It’d been only a few minutes into the breakfast and he’d blown it.
“You know how your Mom and I haven’t been together for a while? Well… Scam and I really like each other and-“
“What?!” Nicky wasn’t sure what exactly he was feeling besides pure unadulterated shock.
“We love each other” Jodie looks as nervous as Scam is. “So he’s going to be around a lot…”
He wanted his dad to be happy but… this was the weirdest possible choice. “Am…I going to have to call him ‘dad’?”
“No, of course not…” Jodie relaxes and reaches out for Scam’s hand, still looking at Nicky “Are you… okay with it?”
“I mean he’s really weird Dad…but yeah…just… how long have you guys… been dating?”
Scam grins “The week after next is our three month anniversary~! I’ve never been so excited about the passing of time~<3”
Jodie blushes “you’ve been keeping track?”
“Of course I have~ Every minute I get to spend as your lover means so much to me~ ” he leans on the table, resting his chin on his hands, his grin widening, absolutely smitten with Jodie.
“Oh god, please don’t call my dad your ‘lover’… just say boyfriend….” The reality of it was starting to hit Nicky. Scam was part of his dads life, potentially forever judging by how sweetly they were staring at each other.
Glenn pats Nicky on the back “they’re kinda grossly sweet together huh? You should be happy for your dad”
“Yeah I am…but…. If Scam hurts him I’ll kill him myself”
Glenn laughs “you’re a good kid.”
Jodie smiles and holds Scams hand across the table. Nicky being on board meant they were free to be open about how they felt for each other now.
Scam was relieved, He’d been accepted, albeit begrudgingly, but still accepted none the less. This meant he was part of the family now didn’t it? How wonderful! His grin widens and with a lilt of curiosity asks “How long until we consider Marriage?~”
Jodie instantly ignites.