"Nero, go tell Moore that it's time for cake." Scott said.

"Okay." Nero nodded and slipped out of the kitchen.

"What do you want?" Matt asked Mark.

"Why are you here?" Scott asked.

"Yo." Jeff said. "I'll handle this, okay? Mark, why don't we go talk somewhere private?"

"Sounds good." Mark nodded and followed Jeff out of the kitchen.

Scott sighed and ran his hand through his curly hair. "This can only mean one thing."

"Trouble." Billy said.

"Exactly." Matt replied.

--

"Moore!" Nero exclaimed as he practically bounced up the stairs. "Moore!"

"What?" Moore laughed.

"You ain't never gonna guess who's here!"

"Um...the blond guy from your math class that you have a crush on?"

"I ain't got a crush on him and no." Nero scowled. "Now c'mon, guess."

"There are other things I rather do than guess about who's here." Moore whispered and pulled Nero into the bathroom.

"Fuck, Moore..."

"Exactly what I was planning on doing." Moore smiled and locked the door.

"We can't." Nero whimpered. "My 'rents are already suspicious and they sent me to look for you..." The rest of his words were swallowed by a passionate kiss.

--

"Start talkin'."

"I just wanted to see you." Mark said softly. "It's been so long..."

"Not long enough."

"Things are different...I'm different."

"Right and I can still do a Swanton off a 20 foot ladder." Jeff snorted.

"I bet ya could if you put your mind to it." Mark smiled.

Jeff ignored the butterflies that were forming in his stomach and glared at Mark. "Whatever."

Mark chuckled. "I always did make you nervous, Kid."

"I ain't nervous." Jeff sputtered. "Anyway, you still ain't said why you're really here and what you want."

"I came to give you this." Mark whispered as he handed Jeff a small box. "Happy birthday, Kid."

Jeff silently opened the box and pulled out the item, which lay inside. "A bow tie?"

"Not just any bow tie...the one I wore the night we went to that fancy restaurant for our one month anniversary. Remember?"

"How can I forget?"

*~*

"Kid, c'mon! Our reservation is for seven thirty and it's already seven!"

"I'm comin'! I woulda been ready if somebody hadn't attacked me."

"I did not attack you." Mark scoffed.

"Sure ya didn't, MD."

"Hey, is it my fault I find you irresistible?"

"Um, yeah." Jeff grinned as he emerged from the bathroom. "How do I...holy shit!"

"What?"

"You're wearing a tux!"

"Yeah, I am and I'd appreciate it if you didn't advertise it."

"I'm sorry." Jeff smiled. "I just ain't never seen ya in one."

"Well take a good look cause it ain't gonna happen again." Mark laughed as he pulled Jeff close. "I only wore it because it's our one month anniversary and I wanted to look nice for you."

"You look sexy." Jeff whispered and nuzzled Mark's neck.

"Behave or we're staying here all night."

"So?"

"So I want tonight to be special. First we're gonna go dinner, then to that special mountain top we found to look at the stars, and then back here for some lovin'."

"Mmm, that sounds like heaven." Jeff murmured.

"It sure does." Mark smiled. "So let's get goin'."

"Okay." Jeff grinned. "Oh MD?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I have your bow tie as a souvenir of tonight?"

"You sure can."

*~*

"You never got to give it to me because we were too busy makin' love." Jeff whispered as he fingered the silky material.

"Then we broke up a month later."

Jeff nodded.

"It's yours, now."

"Twenty years too late."

"Maybe not."

"What?"

"Jeff, I'm movin' to Cameron."

"Why?" Jeff asked. "Why not move back to Texas?"

"Too many memories there." Mark replied. "Plus I always liked it here, you know that."

"Mark, I think that's a bad idea."

"So do I." Scott said as he walked over to them.

"Scotty, please." Jeff whispered.

"It's okay, monk." Scott reassured him. "Look Mark, I don't know why you came back or why you showed up tonight nor do I want to know. I do know that if I see you around my husband again, I will rip off your dick and feed it to you, got it?"

"Are you threatening me, birdman?" Mark chuckled.

"It sure looks that way, doesn't it?" Scott smirked.

"Is there a problem out here?" Matt asked as he walked out with Billy.

"No." Scott said. "No problem at all. Mark was just leaving, weren't you?"

"Yeah." Mark replied. "Yeah, I was."

--

"You never told me who was downstairs." Moore smiled.

"Ya didn't give me a chance to." Nero smiled tiredly as he zipped up his jeans.

"Sorry." Moore whispered and kissed Nero's forehead. "Tell me."

"The Undertaker." Nero grinned.

"What?"

"The Undertaker is here!" Nero squealed.

"What is he doing here?" Moore asked.

"He came to see your Uncle Jeff."

"Are you shitting me?"

"Hell no."

"What the hell are we doing up here then? Let's get downstairs."

Nero grinned as he unlocked the door then darted down the stairs.

Moore laughed as he followed his cousin.

"Hey, where is everybody?"

"Maybe they're out back."

"Moore." Billy said when his son stepped outside. "Get your jacket, we're going home."

"Why?" Moore asked. "What happened?"

"We'll explain later." Matt replied. "Let's go."

Moore and Nero exchanged confused glances.

"Call me later." Nero whispered.

Moore nodded and headed back into the house with his parents.

Nero sighed as he sat on the back steps and watched as his parents stood there having what could only be described as a heated discussion.

--

"You okay?"

"Yeah." Nero whispered into the phone.

"Do you know why they were fighting?" Moore asked softly.

"Something about Taker...Mark."

"That's all I got from my 'rents too." Moore sighed. "I'm sorry, Kid."

"Me, too." Nero sniffled.

"Are you crying?"

"No."

"Nero..."

"I'm scared they'll get separated." Nero replied.

"That won't happen."

"How did ya know?"

"Because they're madly in love with each other." Moore smiled.

"Like us."

"Exactly. Now stop worrying and get some sleep."

"I will." Nero whispered. "Mo?"

"Yeah Kid?"

"Love you."

"Love you, too." Moore whispered. "Night."

"Night."

--

"Come to bed."

"In a minute." Jeff replied as he discreetly slipped the small box that Mark had given him into a dresser's drawer.

"Are you still upset with me?" Scott asked.

Jeff shook his head and crawled into bed. "I know you were just protecting me."

"Just seeing him again makes me so angry." Scott replied and kissed Jeff's forehead. "I'm sorry your party was a bust."

"Don't worry bout it."

"I love you."

"I love ya, too." Jeff replied softly. "Let's get some sleep."

"Sounds good to me." Scott smiled. "Night."

"Night." Jeff whispered. He watched as his lover fell asleep then quietly slipped out of bed and padded over to the dresser. He pulled the box out of the drawer and opened it. A faint smile crossed his lips as his fingers touched Mark's bow tie.

*~*

"It's yours, now."

"Twenty years too late."

"Maybe not."

*~*

"Maybe not." Jeff whispered.

*~*End*~*

Read story #5 Regrets in the Bedtime series