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Chase noticed Nox rubbing his jaw slightly as they watched But I'm a Cheerleader.
"What's up?" he asked, poking Buddy's cheek.
Buddy grumbled a wince. Somehow. "The back of my mouth just hurts," he replied, tucking the tip of his tongue against his left farthest molar.
"Is it your wisdom teeth?"
"My what?"
"Your wisdom teeth. Are they coming in or something?" Chase moved to try and look inside Nox's mouth. Nox wouldn't let him, so Chase settled back down.
"I should hope not," Buddy scoffed, laying his head in Chase's lap. Chase stroked at his jaw, feeling a gentle swell just at the corner of it.
"Why not?"
Nox shrugged. "There's little use to them. Humans are meant to evolve things they don't use out. It's probably just... I don't know. Talking too much, a scrape from something."
Chase raised an eyebrow. "We'll talk about it at your next dentist appointment."
"Lovely."
...
And sure enough, Nox's wisdom teeth were growing in.
He got scheduled for an appointment at another dentistry location, still in the same town but on the opposite side.
Deacon drove Chase and Nox there. Chase wanted to be there for moral support, hoping to focus on Nox on the way back home.
Speaking of which, Buddy was higher than Heaven in the backseat.
"You can't sit next to me," Nox slurred around the gauze when Chase tried to sit in the center seat. He had a bit of a lisp, but Chase found it endearing.
"What? Why not?" Chase asked, reaching across Nox to buckle him in.
"You're not a turtle."
"Do you want me to be a turtle!"
"Yes!"
"Okay, I'll be a turtle."
Buddy looked out the window for a bit as Deacon drove. "Why are there two roads?" he asked suddenly, his head falling against Chase's shoulder.
"There's only one road, honey," Chase said carefully.
Nox began to cry. It was very rare for him to do so, so Chase was instantly worried.
"You're not a real turtle," Buddy sobbed, trying to wriggle away from Chase.
"What sounds do turtles make?" Deacon asked from the front, his voice calm like he was talking to a child.
Nox thought for a minute, his eyebrows furrowing. "Blah," he grumbled as Chase wiped the tears away, his voice gravely from anesthesia.
"Blah," Chase repeated, adjusting the ice pack wrap thing to make sure it was still over Nox's sore spots.
Nox cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, you are a turtle?"
"Yes, I am," Chase agreed.
"The floor must be so sad," Buddy sobbed, nudging off his shoes. "It's down all the time and getting walked all over and never gets to do anything!"
"The floor wouldn't be the floor if it didn't choose," Chase said. He pressed a kiss to Buddy's cheek. "But that's very sweet."
"It can't even pray."
"The floor holds everything up, though." Chase wiped at Buddy's eyes again.
They stopped at McDonald's to get Buddy something cold to drink. The ice cream machine wasn't broken this time.
"I feel like... like a Y/N," Buddy mumbled around his straw. "Throwin' up gang signs n' junk." He slotted his chocolate milkshake between his legs and started doing the hand part of the Macarena. Then he started touching his hand against the door. "Out the window... Where's the window?"
"Hey, maybe don't put your hands out there yet," Chase yelped, taking Buddy's hands off the door. Buddy shook a hand free and slammed his palm against the glass.
"Oh. Oh." Nox tapped his hand against the glass a few more times. "Cold."
Chase couldn't help the snort that came out. "Do you like the cold?" he asked.
Nox turned to Chase suddenly, his eyes wet again. "Do you still love me?" he asked, his voice crackly as he began to cry openly.
"Yes, I love you!"
"Are you sure you still love me?"
"Yes, Buddy, I'm sure!" Chase pressed a gentle kiss to Nox's forehead.
Nox grinned. But then he looked at the front seat, at Deacon. "Are you okay with this?" he asked.
"Okay with what?" Deacon replied.
Buddy, instead of elaborating, turned back to Chase. "Are we married yet?"
"No, not yet," Chase chuckled, pressing one more smooch to Nox's forehead.
"Why?"
"Because we're 18 and 19 and... well, I guess it's legal but too early right now."
"And?"
"We have to wait a little longer, Buddy."
"So you hate me and want me to die and perish."
Chase heard Deacon stifle laughter from the front.
"Deacon!" Buddy slurred, suddenly sitting forward. Chase grabbed his drink so he wouldn't spill it. "Can Chase marry me?"
"If he wants to," Deacon giggled, covering his mouth with one hand, fisted, while keeping the other on the wheel.
"He's really nice to me!" Buddy was sobbing again. He had gotten the anesthesia of doom and despair apparently.
"He is, isn't he?"
Buddy turned back to Chase. "Am I pretty?"
"You are very pretty," Chase replied honestly, pressing yet another kiss to Buddy, now to his hair.
"Uh-uh."
"What do you mean, 'uh-uh'?"
"You wouldn't tap tha..." Buddy dozed off. He jolted awake after a few minutes. "You wouldn't kiss me if I was a rock, would you?"
"I would."
"You would?"
"Promise. If I knew it was you, I promise."
"Okay. Cool."
"I wouldn't kiss any other rock but you."
"You're not a rock whore or a human whore."
Chase inhaled deeply. "We can go with that, sure."
Buddy went back to sleep.
"Where do you think the sky starts?" Deacon asked Chase.
"In yo' butt," Buddy hicced, then he giggled. He tapped the pad of his index finger against the tip of Chase's nose. "Yours."
"In my butt? Why in my butt?"
"Yeah... 'unno. Stupid question. I love you." Buddy clapped his hand against Chase's cheek/jaw face bit.
"I love you, too. I'll try to ask less stupid questions."
"Is okay. I love you."
"I love you too, Buddy," Chase laughed gently.
"But I love my husband more."
"And who is that?" Deacon asked with more giggles.
"Uh... I forgo' his name..." Buddy trailed off, snuggling against Chase's side.
Chase smiled and rested his head on top of Nox's as he went back to sleep. Nox was out cold for a long time until they reached Sugar Springs. He woke up again and started bawling again because he hated chicken and raisins combined together. Chase figured that was pretty reasonable.
"I don't wanna hate Terrence!" Buddy cried as Deacon pulled the car into the driveway.
"Then hate raisins," Deacon suggested as he shut off the engine, unbuckling.
"But I like grapes."
"Grapes are superior," Chase agreed.
"Don't mock me."
"I'm not!"
"Wait.. Wait, pumpkin, cornflake, in a row. Wee."
"...Sure."
Buddy was quiet for a while, and Chase thought he fell asleep. Suddenly: "The naked man fears no pickpocket."
"That sounds like it's written on a bathroom stall in a bar," Deacon snorted.
Chase brought Buddy to the house while Deacon grabbed his medicine. Buddy went back to sleep for a while longer.