Family Breakfast

Opening the door, Alex finally saw the young man who had been knocking so patiently, "Trent!"

"Trent?!" Vikki screeched as she continued running for cover—but it was too late. "This was supposed to be our secret! Oh, and that beastly woman, Layla, too, I suppose..."

"Layla is here? What did you do to such a precious woman!?" Trent stared at the young homeowner, dead in the eyes, and whispered, "Does she hang out in a robe too?"

Alex couldn't believe these two; it had only been a few seconds, and they were already being ridiculous!

Taking the role of the adult, he gave the two bickering children some orders, "Vikki, please go get dressed if you're that uncomfortable. Trent, come on in! Let's have some breakfast!"

The fat teen gave Vikki a moment to head back to the master bedroom to change before he entered the home with Alex. Curious about what he had to eat, Alex opened the refrigerator to discover that Vikki must have had it fully stocked!

He wouldn't be able to justify too big of a meal in a single sitting. Still, he could get started on his daily requirement. Having this long-term relationship where Vikki really paid attention to things like this was turning out to be a real blessing for him!

"So, first off, no, Layla doesn't stay here. She had just visited." Alex didn't go into the details of the visitation; he didn't want to hurt the bearer of a one-sided crush.

"That's a relief! For a moment, I thought you stole the love of my life while you already had one," Trent chuckled while he helped remove some eggs and steaks from the fridge, not realizing how close to the truth he had been.

"We almost forgot the bacon!" Alex re-opened the fridge as Trent began cracking eggs into a bowl. "I don't think it counts as breakfast if you forget the bacon!"

"Jeez, are the three of us really going to eat all of this?" Trent stared at the large amount of food placed on the counter, " I know I'm a bit chubby, but you two are twigs." He had far less experience eating with Alex than Vikki did and was about to learn a cruel lesson.

Calories didn't always dictate body size, not when dinos are involved.

"Don't let him fool you! Alex, here, could eat all of this alone. He just wanted you to come over to cook for him!" Vikki had changed into a black tank top and tight black pants with chains hanging off of them and rejoined the men in the kitchen.

"Come on, Vik, you're going to scare away our chef," Alex added, chuckling.

"So, what's the deal with you two? Do you live together now?" Trent cracked the last egg as he began to add a bit of milk and picked up a whisk.

"What, I can't visit my boyfriend's house overnight? Are you my father now?" Vikki had half a mind to tip the bowl over at that question, "It's only natural I spend time with Alex."

Sick of the bickering, Alex decided to make his thoughts clear, "You two need to get along. I was hoping Trent could move in... It's not going to work if my friend and girlfriend are fighting all the time!" he put his foot down.

"Move in!?" Trent hadn't even considered the option. He planned on staying with his mother while he attended the local university.

"Move in!? To our love nest?" Vikki had other concerns.

"Love nest?!" Trent and Alex burst out laughing at the same time.

After a moment had passed so they could recompose themselves, he felt the need to explain himself to Trent.

It would be much harder to evaluate him for the herd if he didn't move in.

"Are you serious? You'd rather meet girls and bring them home to your mother during your college years? You'd rather live with your mother than me?" The young were-rex gave Trent a peculiar look out of the corner of his eyes.

"No, I guess you're right. I'm just concerned about saving money. Dorms are expensive, and my mom's house is free... What are you going to charge?" Trent seemed to be doing some simple math on his fingers, likely determining what he could afford.

"…and Could you guys at least soundproof your room and put a lock on your door?" He stared straight at Vikki, knowing exactly how she could get when she got a little too crazy.

"Couldn't we just soundproof his room and then put a lock on the outside of his bedroom door? That way, we could play anywhere, and he wouldn't know!" Vikki seemed to blush a deep red as she forced out her suggestion to Alex.

"Vik, you're going to scare him away!" He pulled her in for a tight hug to further embarrass her in front of their guest.

"So, Jimmy is helping with the expenses, but the house is completely paid off. We are also exempt from taxes because we live in the area from that explosion a few years ago." he saw clear relief wash over his good friend. "We'd basically just ask you to do your own chores."

"I think I can do that, but I'll still have to talk it over with my mom. She's not in charge of me anymore, but that doesn't mean her advice isn't good!" Trent looked around as if he was already making plans for the common areas.

"Welcome home, Trent." Alex smiled.

Breakfast had passed peacefully, and the three of them joked around like they were back in high school. Eventually, the topic of the common areas came up, and Trent was told that he could do pretty much whatever he wanted as long as he was respectful. Overall, the meal was exactly what Alex needed.

"W-w-where does it all go?" Trent stared at Alex as if he were a creature from another dimension.

"I told you, he just wants a chef; you should run away!" Vikki wrapped one arm around her boyfriend as she grabbed a plate from the table to help him

"Come on! I already invited him! We can't lose our chef!" He pulled her arm off his waist and hurriedly picked up the rest of the plates.

If there was one negative about eating a large breakfast, it was the extensive cleanup.

"Yes, I like to eat a large breakfast. I would also invite you to attend this daily feast," he grinned, knowing this would be his hook; no chubster could refuse such a delightful meal.

"How can I say no to that!? I'll make sure to discuss things with my mom… but how soon could I move in?" Trent began helping the couple clean up, almost trying to prove himself valuable.

"Whenever you want, we're not in much of a hurry. Take your time or rush right over," Alex explained,

"But, if you take too long, he might just rent your room out to Layla instead!" Vikki blushed and gave Alex a soft pinch for smiling at her suggestion.

"No! Wait, actually, that might work… Then I could crash on the couch!" Trent half-joked as he filled the sink with water to begin scrubbing pots and pans.

"Trust me. You don't want that." Alex placed a hand on Trent's shoulder and left him with the cryptic message.

The trio spent a while cleaning, far beyond what they expected, and eventually, the kitchen and dining area were shining like new. Time had taken its toll on the home, but it was still a wonderful place to be at peace.

Vikki had secretly noted a few things that she wanted to surprise Alex with while he was gone—such as repairing the fireplace mantle—but she didn't want to move too quickly. She promised herself that any other major renovations, perhaps new countertops, would have his input!

Trent left almost immediately after breakfast was cleaned up, leaving Vikki to try and sink her claws into her lover while they were alone, "Come on, babe, let's get you cleaned up and dressed for the day," she said as she pulled his wrist towards the bathroom.

"It'll have to wait… I promised Jimmy I'd be over to his house to train today; You don't want me getting fat, after all." Alexander countered her pull with a pull of his own and caught her in his chest—embracing her tightly.

"You're not going to be gone all day again, right?" Vikki returned the hug and looked into his eyes, pouting.

"No, I promise I'll keep in touch." His phone would be charged, and if he set alarms, he wouldn't forget to text her.

"Aren't your parents going to be worried if you don't check in with them on occasion?" He didn't want to push her aside, but he also needed privacy in his life. "Have you talked to your mom about what happened?"

"She said it's been taken care of and that no one in the city should bother you from now on" Vikki smiled and squeezed him tighter.

"I'm not sure what that means," she explained as she let go, exhaling comedically.

[I wouldn't be surprised if she's hiding something from you.]

[It wouldn't be unusual for a vampire.]

[Shifty creatures]

'What is your problem with Vikki?' He thought she might be holding something back, but he wouldn't admit it to the system.

[She's a vampire]

[That's the problem!]

'She's been nothing but a pleasant person and hasn't tried anything as far as we know. Hell, she hasn't even expressed a desire to feed when she's with us.' He wasn't sure how he was supposed to hate their entire race because a voice in his head told him to.

[You'll learn the truth]

He left Vikki to herself while he changed into some athletic shorts and a T-shirt. He wanted to jog to Jimmy's house and begin his training before he lost his entire day arguing with the voice in his head.

Hopefully, once he gets stronger, he'll figure out a way to silence that voice.