Sparles

Authors note:

Hi guys.

For those who read my previous stories, let me guide you a little into the timeline.

It's two years later after Rick and Nate, Ross and Kyle, and Thomas and Matt got together. Since I am writing the romance genre, I hope you don't find this a spoiler ;)

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The pandemic ended and our expanding friend group is meeting new people and falling in love in different circumstances.

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Brandon and Sean are very - very slow burn, be prepared first of all to build a very special friendship before all the drama comes. And for those who think they know me, be prepared to let go of that idea (a little)

This story takes place alongside:

Own Me - Dominic's and Owen's BDSM relationship

and Why Him of All People?! - Sam's and Liam's beginning of a sweet, kind, and a bit kinky vanilla relationship

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I hope you will enjoy them. Another four stories from this timeline are written but I will release them after I will complete the first half of these three

Sparkles: Chapter 1 - Survivor

* Brandon *

Thursday, June 9th, 2022:

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And here we go again... Roll, sigh, and toss your hair back. I thought just before she did exactly so. Now, turn back at me. Right. Again, that awkward smile. Perfect... Now, which one? Shower or just get dressed?

Shower! Great! I grinned, watching Gina's naked body stroll to my bathroom. I just made a knot on the rubber and stood up. Following her.

"No."

"No?"

"No, I need to bounce. I don't have time for round two, Brandon."

My grin faded, and I leaned towards the sink. "Why?"

She looked at the huge analog clock on the wall meaningfully. I rolled my eyes and looked there. "Then you get there later for once. It's not like there's a line waiting for you to open."

"I may stay next week if you want."

"The whole week?" I got excited. I was ready to forgive her immediately, but by the smirk on her face, I knew I was again shooting too high.

"No. But I could stay for round two."

"Oh, how thrilling," I muttered, now getting annoyed.

She glanced at me with a smirk as she left the shower and wiped herself dry. "Or I don't have to."

"Gina, how many times are you going to do this? I mean, there are commitment issues, and then there is this madness, whatever it is you're doing."

Gina smirked. "You didn't seem to mind twenty minutes ago."

"Of course I did, but I was horny."

She looked at me with a smile and left. I groaned and embraced her from behind as she put on her top. "Stay."

"I'm busy, baby."

"You are not busy. You're scared shitless that you could actually feel something more than an orgasm."

"Four orgasms?" She grinned smugly. I smirked, satisfied, but scorned the moment she left my arms.

"Just go out with me. You know, somewhere where we won't fuck."

"What would the point of that be?"

I rolled my eyes. "You could see how fun I can be when my dick is not dictating the tempo."

"I know how fun you can be. You never stopped coming over to WTF." She winked and zipped her jeans.

"Give me one date."

"We had a couple."

I spread my arms, frustrated. "This is not a date."

"You knew what you signed up for. I was always honest, baby."

"Oh, stop it, Gina, seriously. We both know you like me more than your fucktoy."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't get bored playing with the same toy all the time."

"Bullshit, you keep sleeping with Chloe every night, and you are not bored."

"You see. Just consider me taken."

I arched my brows mockingly, "Do either of you?"

Gina chuckled. "Brandon, please, not again. Yes, I like you, but I will not be in a relationship again."

"It's not like the moment you start to care, everyone will die on you." I crossed my arms hurt. It was really bothering me now.

Her smirk disappeared. Hurt and anger showed on her face. Shit... Now she's mad.

"Fuck you, Brandon."

"No, Gina, stop." Too late. She's out...

I groaned and combed my hair back in desperation.

.

...

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I was on my way to the office, tapping the wheel to the rhythm and singing along to Freddy Mercury, when the red came.

"Left, right, straight, back... Left, right, straight, back... Left, right -- Right it is." I turned to the car to my right and apologized with my hand, signaling that I needed to switch lanes. He shook his head but let me. I was curious about when I would go to work today. I did this often when I went to work. It was amazing sometimes to get lost and get to know this big city a bit better. At some point, my game got me to an area where I wasn't before. I grinned, feeling lost.

As I was cruising around, I ended up in an alley and saw a man in a chef's uniform trying to move construction rubble from one pile to a smaller one. I furrowed and decided to watch him for a moment. He moved slowly, nearly carefully. My curiosity got the better of me, and I stepped out.

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"Hi, buddy...You okay?"

The little man turned around, startled, and one metal beam from the top of the pile nearly fell on him. I ran towards him and managed to hold it.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"I think you mistook your uniform today; a helmet would be wiser."

Amber eyes scanned me with a grin, and he chuckled at the sight of my shirt. I tried to set the beam back in the pile, but Amber-eyes stopped me and asked me to move it to the smaller one.

"You building something?"

"No, there is something underneath."

"What do you mean?"

His look was serious, so I just moved the beam to the small pile and came closer to him.

"There, look."

Confused, I looked at him and then peered into the dark little space between the logs, dust, gravel, and building waste in general.

"Here."

He turned on the flashlight on his phone and showed me. Now I could see little scared eyes staring at me, and I could hear whimpering.

"Oh! Okay, help me with this one."

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We started moving the material aside, and soon we could see the dirty, scared ball of fur. Amber-eyes gently picked it up, but we soon realized something was very amiss. I gasped when I saw its leg was hanging only on loose strands of muscle. That man quickly but caringly took his leg up while that pup whined, and it was visibly shaking. I took off my shirt and turned it inside out. I put it on just maybe an hour ago; I was sure this side was much cleaner than the one facing the dust and rubble when we moved it.

"Here, put him on it."

Amber-eyes nodded, gently laid the dirty creature on it, adjusting the leg very carefully, and lightly wrapped him in that shirt. The poor whelp was just fur and bones at this moment. The supposedly white fur was dark grey, and patches of orange and brown were matted. It was really an awful sight.

I looked at that man. "Where is the nearest vet?"

He shook his head, taking the pup up in his arms. "I don't know."

"Okay, come."

He nodded and followed me to my car, holding that little bundle. I opened the passenger door for him, and he looked at me for a moment, concerned.

"Sorry, buddy, but I would use something less cruel than harming a poor puppy if I wanted to kidnap you."

He scorned but sat down. I walked around the car, pulled out my phone, and looked at the nearest veterinary hospital. I found one close to my place. I sat down and started the navigation.

Amber-eyes made a cooing sound and started whispering encouraging words to that pup. I looked at them and smiled.

"You will be alright, buddy, don't worry."

Amber-eyes smiled at me softly and returned his attention to the pup.

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We walked hurriedly towards the receptionist, and she initially scorned me for being shirtless, but when Amber-eyes walked behind me with the pup, she nodded and told us to wait. Thankfully, it didn't take long. The doctor took a look at that matted whelp and glanced at us.

"I am sorry, but will you be keeping this dog?"

"Excuse me? Yes! Can you take care of him?" I growled in disbelief... Of course, I would wrap a dog in my shirt and drive him to the hospital so that I could toss him on the street right after... Geez!

The doctor gave him some water, and that sad pup could barely drink it.

"Will he be okay?"

"I can't really promise you anything at the moment."

We looked at each other and waited, watching the doctor treat him. When he rinsed his wound, the amount of purulence was disgusting.

"She's a fighter..." Doc said, smiling into its eyes.

"You bet she is!" I growled, not even knowing why, but I was determined that this dog would live!

The doctor looked at me with a soft smirk.

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"Can you save her leg?"

"At this point, that is secondary. With the condition she's in, she should have been dead a week ago. I will give her some antibiotics, and if she responds to them, I think we'll have a pretty good chance." He smiled at us reassuringly, although I wasn't sure if he believed that himself.

I nodded. "She will."

At this point, that little survivor raised her head and looked at us with doe eyes. I melted and stroked her little head. "You will, girl. Is that clear?"

She sniffed my hand and looked next to me. I turned, and Amber-eyes were tearing up.

"She will be fine," I said firmly.

Amber-eyes looked at me, and he smiled a little, putting his hand to her nose. She sniffed him and licked his index finger.

The doc gave her water in a syringe, and she drank a bit. He looked at us. "I will need to do an x-ray and a few other tests, but I promise we'll do what we can. Can you wait for a moment? I will look at her and call you back once I know more."

"Of course."

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We went to the hall, and Amber-eyes was hugging his chest as we walked. I smiled at him soothingly, and we sat down.

"Excuse me, young man, but can you dress a bit more decently?"

I looked at the aged lady glaring at me with abhorrence. Her overweight old dog was sleeping by her feet.

"No, sorry, it's very hot, and you see... I have sensitive nipples."

More satisfying than her scorn was a soft chuckle beside me. I looked at him, and he shook his head with a grin.

"It would be funnier if it were original," he smirked as he whispered.

"Well, I'm sure she finds it hilarious nonetheless," I smirked and then smiled gently at him. "She will be fine. You'll see. They wouldn't try to treat her if they thought she would die."

Amber-eyes nodded. I was about to ask him for his name when that nice lady decided it was too quiet here, and we for sure cared about her opinion.

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"I have nothing against homosexuals, but people like you, who flaunt like this, are the reason some people dislike you. Enjoy your month some other way."

I raised my eyebrow at her judging grimace and looked at the guy next to me. He peered at her. I slowly leaned to his ear, nearly sensually, brushed his earlobe with my nose, and whispered. "Man, I will seriously start acting extremely indecent if she plans to continue."

To my delight, I heard a loud scoff, and Amber-eyes smirked. He leisurely brushed his fingers down the side of my face and leaned to my ear. "Are you even gay?"

I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and laid my forehead on his with a grin, then I took his chin and turned it so I could whisper to his ear. "No. But there is no way I'm going to tell her."

Amber-eyes chuckled and looked at me with sparkles in his eyes. We grinned, and soon, I felt his hand on my knee.

"Excuse me, miss, but I think this is very inappropriate. Can you ask them to stop?"

We watched her speak to the receptionist who welcomed us when we came in with the pup, and she smirked at us. "I'm sorry, madam, but I don't think they've done anything wrong. Mister, could you fill this form for me, please?"

I let go of Amber-eyes, stood up, and went to the counter.

"This is unbelievable. My late husband and I stood up for you people when you two weren't even in diapers, and now I am treated like a homophobe? All I am saying is that I don't wish to be sitting here with a half-naked person."

I stared at the lady, and in a way, I felt a bit sorry for her. What are the chances she lives alone with this meaty dog that will soon be gone? I sighed and returned the filled form to the receptionist.

"Hello, madam. My name's Brandon." I smiled at her soothingly and offered her my hand. She looked at me as if she wasn't sure if she was offended or relieved. "Beth."

I smiled and kept my hand there. She leaned closer shortly and shook it.

"I am sorry if you feel uncomfortable. I lent my shirt to a puppy we brought here. She is fighting for her life right now, and at that moment, something like a dress code wasn't a priority for me."

Her look instantly changed, and her body language became more welcoming. "Oh! I am sorry I didn't know."

I just nodded.

She started to mumble, and I just smiled kindly and engaged with her in short, heartwarming small talk. Amber-eyes joined us after a moment. In the end, she looked like a very nice lady, and I was right... loneliness can be tough.

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"Excuse me, Mr. Watts?" I turned. The nurse came to us. "The doctor would like to speak with you."

"Sure." We stood up, and then Beth grinned at us widely. "You two make a lovely couple. I hope your puppy will get well soon."

I looked at the guy. I still didn't even know his name, but I smiled at her. "Thank you."

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We moved a bit further away. "Didn't you want to tell her?"

"I didn't have the heart to admit we were mocking her." I shrugged my shoulders. "Can you play gay a moment longer? I promise I won't pester you."

Amber-eyes grinned. "I think I can manage that. But no pestering."

I grinned. "Scouts honor."

He just chuckled.

I looked at him walking. "What's your name, by the way?"

He turned to me. "Sean Evans, nice to meet you."

We shook hands. "Brandon Watts, pleasure."

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The doctor was waiting for us in a little room with a couple of cages. Sean and I walked in, and that furry girl was lying there. Her raised head followed us, but her eyes looked glazed.

"She is still very young. I believe she can't be older than three months. We gave her some antibiotics, and all we can do now is wait. We fixed her leg so she wouldn't move it. At this point, we cannot operate until the infection is gone."

He proceeded to tell us our options. Then he asked whether we wished to save her leg and have her have four screws holding the bone together or if we would like to amputate and added that she would just adapt naturally. He also mentioned that the first option is much more expensive. I suppose with me coming there only in dirty jeans and Sean in a dirty chef's uniform, the doctor assumed the cost was an important detail. I frowned at him and told him to save her leg if it was possible. Doc nodded and took us to his office. He calculated the cost, and let me tell you, I totally understood. I think I could buy some posh dog with papers, cheaper. But I didn't care one bit. I looked at Sean, and he had the same look. "Save her leg. We'll cover the cost."

Doc nodded, and we moved on.

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"Can I have your contact information as well in case we won't be able to reach your partner?"

We looked at each other and chuckled. "We are not together."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought..."

"We were just making fun of that lady at first, but please don't tell her. We didn't have the guts to tell her that."

Sean raised his eyebrows and chuckled as he shook his head.

"If I may ask, who will she be living with then?"

Sean and I exchanged glances. "We'll decide later. Right now, the important thing is for her to be well."

Doc nodded and wrote something on his computer.

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Ultimately, we both gave him our contact and agreed on visits. We were leaving when Beth was just making her way out. She gave us a beautiful smile and waved at us.

"Well, that was fun... Do you want me to take you somewhere?"

Sean sighed and looked at his phone. "I think I should probably return to work."

"Where do you work?"

"At that restaurant where you found me."

"That was a restaurant?"

Sean looked at me with a confused frown as he sat down and put the seatbelt on. "Well, that was the back door. What were you doing there?"

"I was driving around and got lost."

He raised his eyebrows in astonishment and laughed. "Okay... Well, how about lunch?"

"I'd love to, but I need to go to work. Let me drive you, and you can treat me to lunch after we visit our girl." I started the engine.

Sean chuckled. "What did you put under the name?"

"Survivor."

Sean arched his brow and smiled. "We could come up with a real name eventually."

"Sure, I'd love to."

"Do you need me to put it in navigation?"

"Nah, I think I got it. I live close by, so I think I know where to go. I just got over there RPG style initially."

Sean laughed. "Well, I call this a side quest, all right."

I glanced at him and grinned.

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>>Chapter 2 - Brandon vs. the protective big brother