He was greeted to a boy in nothing but girly, lacey underwear.

The boy was lying belly-down on the spare bed next to his; his feet were crossed and in the air, while his arms supported his head. He had apparently made himself at home, turning the television on to blare loud music from a silly cartoon he was watching.

Dakota thought he had a nice body, with a plump shiny butt, but he quickly looked away after those thoughts.

"Um..." he said, making his presence known.

The boy's face darted over toward Dakota, and he smiled. Dakota noted his blond-ish white hair, and electric blue eyes. His perfect teeth.

He was a natural twink, Dakota deduced. He had never met someone who screamed twink essence like this boy did. He didn't mean to think about it, but Dakota wondered how many men had taken up on the boy's offer to use his body. There had to be more than one.

The boy smiled at him, plopped off the bed, walked to him, and offered a hand to Dakota. Dakota shook it politely, trying not to look at anything but his face.

"Hi," he said sweetly, "I'm Lucas."

Such a twink name as well, thought Dakota.

"I'm Dakota," he replied rather blandly.

"Hot name," he replied, nodding his head in approval. As if he had the right to judge Dakota's name, "You must be my roommate, then?"

"Yeah...uh," Dakota tried to think of a non-rude way to ask Lucas his question, "Where are your clothes?"

Lucas chuckled a little, but then his laughter died.

"I don't have any," he replied, "Your dad said he was going to get me some by tomorrow."

"You don't have any?" Dakota raised his eyebrows. Why didn't he have any? Dakota didn't want to push him for answers to his situation, so he let the question drop. "Well, you can wear mine until my mom buys you something to wear."

Lucas tilted his head to the side like a puppy.

"Mom?" he asked.

"That's what I call Nick- my dad," the word 'Dad' felt foreign on his tongue. He didn't like the feel of it.

"Oh," said Lucas, who then put a hand on his arm, smiling sweetly. For some reason the action made Dakota blush. "Thank you for letting me borrow your clothes," Lucas said. Then, he dropped his hand and sat on the bed, looking up from his lashes. "Can you grab me some? I don't want to rummage through your drawers."

Oh God, Dakota swallowed. Lucas was seemingly a master of seduction, and the entire encounter caused him to furrow his brows and blush more. He went over to his drawers to grab some sweatpants that he never wore, and he snatched one of the hoodies Lenore had given him that morning.

He handed them both to Lucas, but he wouldn't let Lucas take them without an earnest message.

"I know you are used to selling your body to get what you want," he said, "But you don't need to do it with me."

Lucas seemed taken aback, but then smiled.

"Thank you," he replied, finally covering his exposed body with some clothes. Dakota sighed with relief. He didn't want to be attracted to a boy. 

Not again. 

But Lucas was a very cute boy. From what Dakota saw, he had a perfect body. Not to mention, he seemed to have a sweet personality. 

Dakota sat his stuff on his bed, hoping he could deal with a roommate. Lucas went back to watching his cartoon. He stretched and moved in almost cat-like movements. When Lucas got up to use the bathroom, he walked gracefully.

Dakota thought Lucas was a stark contrast to the household he now lived in. Calm, graceful. Like flowing water. Dakota only wondered if Lucas would bend to someone like water would. Then he dismissed the thought.

Lucas was not an object, he reminded himself. Lucas was a person with a life of his own. He wasn't a sex toy.

When Lucas was gone, Dakota noticed a single box of belongings sitting at the foot of Lucas's bed. Dakota's curiosity was piqued, but he knew it was rude to look through Lucas's things without him knowing.

However, if Lucas didn't have clothes, then what did he have?

~{()}~

The next day, Dakota woke up to the sound of his alarm, but this time, it was muted by the sound of the shower running.

It made the alarm a little more bearable.

But he still threw his phone across the room.

Dakota decided to get dressed. He also, upon remembering what Lucas said the night before, grabbed some clothes for Lucas and set them by the bathroom door. Dakota wanted to be courteous and kind- to make Lucas feel completely at home and comfortable.

He knew Nick valued his relationships with those he helps, and Dakota didn't want to be the reason Lucas decides to leave.

He went down for breakfast, pleased to smell the waft of waffles float up from the kitchen.

"Waffles again?" Dakota asked, eyeing the waffle maker. Nick nodded.

"You didn't get to eat any yesterday, and they're your favorite so," Nick smiled, gesturing to the bowl he was mixing, "I made more."

That made Dakota smile. He didn't do it often because he hated his smile. It was crooked and thin, with closed lips. He had never smiled with teeth like Lucas did.

"Good morning!" Avil said, skipping happily to the seat next to Dakota. Because of how early he woke up to finish his makeup, Avil was usually the most awake and energetic by the time everyone else got up. "I heard we have a new brother! I'm so excited to meet him! He's here isn't he?"

"In the shower," Dakota commented.

"How was he last night, by the way?" Nick asked, which made Dakota blush, "He didn't get too snappy at you, did he?"

Dakota was one kid that, when upon adoption, snapped at everybody. He wasn't used to having a family, and he didn't know how to handle all of the positive attention.

"He was nice," Dakota replied, "Weird, but nice." 

Avil snorted. "He'll fit right in," the boy replied. Dakota enjoyed seeing Avil's makeup looks in the morning. That day, he had a blue night sky painted on his eyes, with little stars painted on his cheeks and nose as freckles.

He matched it with a loose blue rain jacket and some leggings, as pure usual.

"Everyone in this house belongs here," Nick commented, then chuckled, "I think."

It was then Lucas peeked out from behind the corridor. He was as silent as a cat and had, somehow, shown up at breakfast without anyone hearing.

Avil shot out of his chair.

"You must be the new guy!" he gasped, stumbling over to Lucas before giving him a hug. Lucas looked shocked but hugged him back.

Dakota remembered how shocked he was when he was first hugged by Avil. He would never forget it.

"Nice to meet you," Lucas said politely, "I love your makeup."

Avil suddenly got shy and gushed.

"Thanks," he said modestly.

"You should do mine tonight," Lucas smiled, which caused Avil to almost explode in excitement and hug Lucas again. Lucas then looked at Nick, "I hope you don't mind me going out?"

"Not at all," he replied, "Do you need a ride?"

"No, it's not far," he replied.

"Okay, but I'll give you pepper spray," Nick replied, "You don't know what the hooligans will do on these streets."

Lucas smiled in appreciation. Dakota thought Lucas was a ball of sunshine.

"Big brother!" shouted a small voice, before Jason careened into Lucas's back, "Big brother is new!" he said, snuggling into Lucas from behind. Lucas giggled and snickered at the little boy, who would not let go of him.

"We has new broder?" asked Jordan, who was nowhere close to being awake enough to run. Jordan also seemed to have a little harder time at speaking. Jordan rubbed his eyes before sleepily stumbling on his toddler legs to Nick, who lifted him up to hold him. He yawned.

"Jor-an Jor-an!" chanted Jason, running around the couch, "Chase me! Chase me! Let's play!"

Jordan shook his head and snuggled his face into the side of Nick's neck. 

Then Jason, wanting attention, ran up to Nick, jumping up and down.

"Up! Up!" he demanded. Nick gave into his demands and lifted him up as well. Avil, as per usual, got up to help Nick cook since his hands were full of two-year-old children. Maria walked in just then as well. "Daddy!" Jason declared, "We need kisses!"

Nick smiled and kissed Jason on his forehead; then leaned down to kiss Jordan. Jordan just hmm-ed and fell back to sleep, so Nick went into the living room and sat him on the couch, pulling a stray blanket over him. Meanwhile, Jason gave Nick a kiss back- basically eating Nick's cheek with his weird, open-mouthed kiss.

"Jor-an sleepin'?" Jason asked after he was done, looking down at his twin brother with concern.

"Yes, dear," Nick replied, "Jordan is really tired."

"I kiss Jor-an good night," Jason declared, wiggling out of Nick's arms, only to be set down. He rushed over to Jordan and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek too. Then, he climbed up next to Jordan on the couch and cleverly used the remote to turn on the television- but he didn't turn it up too loud, as if he was making sure not to wake Jordan.

Nick re-took charge of the food, thanking Avil for taking over while he dealt with the two.

Soon, they all had breakfast together as a family.

~{()}~

Lucas stayed at home, by himself, while the family traveled in the car. Nick mentioned Lucas being too old for high school, so Lucas was going to keep Nick company at the house while the rest of them were at school.

Therefore, school was normal for Dakota. He was not angry anymore. In fact, he felt perfectly fine when he walked to homeroom, even after seeing Lenore across the room. He sat down with Soap and Ethan, who were not doing a hair-do because, surprisingly, Soap had cut their hair to a short bob.

"What happened to your hair?" Dakota asked them. Ethan groaned and looked absolutely devastated.

"That's what I asked them!" Ethan huffed, hiding his head in his arms, "I love the look, but now I don't have my precious long hair to work with!"

"He's having his middle-aged crisis over my hair," Soap explained, who was busy doing what looked like last-minute math homework. Soap had their now-short hair pinned up with a clip in the colors of the pan flag.

The clip was no-doubt Ethan's favorite clip that Ethan wore all the time. Dakota was happy for his friends making relationship progress.

"I'm not middle-aged!" Ethan huffed, then stopped and backtracked, "Do I look middle-aged? Because I don't want to have wrinkles this soon."

"You don't have wrinkles," Dakota answered honestly. Soap looked at him with wide eyes, then said through their teeth-

"Don't lie to him, Kota," they scorned jokingly. Ethan dropped his jaw at Soap, as if he was severely offended.

"I'm ignoring you," Ethan replied, looking away from Soap pettily, "So, Dakota, what's up?" He said, pettily giving all his attention to Dakota to Soap's distaste.

"I got a new brother yesterday," Dakota replied.

"No way!" Soap gasped, snapping out of their annoyance, "Who is he?"

"He doesn't go to our school," Dakota commented, "He's too old to go back to high school."

"Oh," Soap considered this, then said, "What's he like?"

"He's nice," Dakota shrugged, trying to avoid the juicy details of their meeting. Soap rolled their eyes.

"You're useless," they remarked, folding their arms.

"Was he cute?"Ethan asked. Dakota shrugged. He had never told anyone that he liked boys- not even Nick.

"He was for a guy," Dakota said, trying to sound completely straight.

"Ooh, you have to introduce me then," Ethan smiled, getting excited. Soap glared at their math homework with the fury of a thousand dogs barking at a mailman.

Dakota smirked at them.

"Maybe someday," he promised, as the bell rang.

~{()}~

Mr. Morgan revealed in English that they were starting the senior project and to submit a career that they were interested in as a start. Dakota almost ran a pencil through his desk trying to figure out what to write down. So far, in the "Career" blank, he had put "TBD."

Mr. Morgan was walking through the aisles of the classroom to check each teenager's work. Dakota figured Mr. Morgan was responsible for giving advice on what parts of the project would be available for different careers. Dakota watched as Mr. Morgan looked at a girl's paper and scowled. He picked it up and replaced it with a clean sheet.

"Prostitution is not an appropriate career to do your project on, Ms. Abigale," Mr. Morgan reminded. Abigale tried not to laugh. However, Mr. Morgan's attention was drawn to the rest of the class, "Anyone else who puts an inappropriate career on their paper is going to have detention.

Dakota just wanted to die. He wanted to fade out of existence. Sometimes school was nice, but now was not one of those times. He felt like the period went on and on and on.

"Mr. Moore," Mr. Morgan said when he glanced at Dakota's paper, "Why does it say TBD on your paper?"

"It means 'to be determined'," Dakota clarified, shifting in his seat.

"I know that. You have had your whole life to think about a career," Mr. Morgan chided, "I'm surprised you don't have anything in mind. Maybe this will help."

Then Mr. Morgan started the tedious and humiliating process of making everyone say their career out loud. He heard Ethan say, "Hairstylist." One girl replied, "Teacher," in which Mr. Morgan replied, "Oh, you poor soul."

Firefighter, Accountant, Rheumatologist- whatever that was.

None of those rang a bell in Dakota.

When Mr. Morgan asked, Dakota said he figured it out- just to get Mr. Morgan off his back.

But by the end of the period, the blank still said "TBD."