(No video today because the internet is bleh and I'm LAZY! Gotta go write the next chap! See ya in A/N below!)

Dinner was less awkward around Lucas that evening, Dakota realized, and- in fact- it felt strangely like the family had gone back to normal. As if the hype of having a new member had dwindled into something less foreign.

Dinner consisted of roast beef with slow-cooked veggies, fashioned by Nick himself. If Dakota didn't catch the firey passion in Nick's eyes while he cooked and baked, he would wonder why Nick didn't just hire a chef. After all, Nick had six children to take care of, a decently large house to clean, and- on top of that- he cooked every meal.

And, where was Xavier? Working at his boring desk job. Slowly climbing up the business ladder.

Dakota crossed 'businessman' off the list of jobs he was given- he would not end up like Xavier.

He also crossed off 'chef'- he didn't enjoy cooking, but he did enjoy watching someone cook. And he crossed off anything in the cosmetic field; Dakota viewed makeup, fashion, and hair as an art form...and Dakota never saw himself as artistic. 

He decided the best way to dwindle his decision was by process of elimination. Soap and Maria both seemed to enjoy dance- Maria and Soap both liked different kinds of dance. But again, that didn't seem like Dakota's type of job. He imagined dancing took many years of practice, of which he did not have.

He also crossed off a few others he didn't believe he could do: Therapist- he had his own problems to deal with, least of all others' problems. Scientist- he never understood science as a concept, especially not during school. Astronaut- Why was that even on the list? He had the least interest in the ominous black void that was space. Plus, Dakota found that there were so many types of doctors, how could he eliminate the entire category?

He was getting mildly frustrated until a loud moan came from the television, which shocked Dakota into looking up. It was some sex scene from an adult show, in which Lucas was showing a rapt attention to. Lucas was watching their movements with observant detail and absolutely no shame.

"Um," Dakota was about to say something, but when Lucas heard Dakota's voice, he quickly paused the show. The screen was frozen on the pleasured face of a girl.

"Sorry, is this bothering you?" he asked nicely. Lucas was still in Dakota's clothes. Dakota thought Lucas was trying to cover himself for Dakota's virgin eyes, seeing as how Lucas seemed to wear more clothing more often. Dakota silently appreciated it.

"Not really, I guess," Dakota replied. He just wanted to know more about Lucas; plus, Mr. Morgan told him to ask other people. "I just have a question?"

Lucas did that puppy-head-tilt thing that he did, which urged Dakota to continue.

"What do you want to do?" Dakota asked, "You know, when you go to college. Or get a job. Or whatever." Lucas frowned in response to that question, then sat up from where he was laying on his bed.

"Well, that's complicated," Lucas said, somewhat sadly, "I didn't get a chance to graduate high school. So...really... I can't go to college, can I?"

Dakota, digesting that knowledge, decided to take the question a bit differently.

"Yeah, I guess...but what is your...dream job?" Dakota pieced together slowly. Lucas chuckled sadly and shook his head.

"I could be a stripper. Or a sex slave. Or a sugar baby. OR! I could be a whore," Lucas joked, smiling. But this time, Dakota could tell Lucas wasn't really, genuinely smiling.

"Seriously," Dakota said, not laughing or smiling, "What's your dream job?"

Lucas looked at Dakota with surprise, sort-of awe. As if he didn't expect Dakota to be so forward. then his surprise melted slowly into sadness again. His lip twitched a little, as if he was trying to keep up his facade. Then, he sighed.

"You can't have a dream job, if you don't have any dreams," he replied, then laid back on his bed again, "I had goals once, but life disrupted them- and now I'm left with this-" Lucas gestured to the room with both arms- "A family that was never mine. No dreams. No hopes." Lucas looked at Dakota with a sly smile then, as if his facade was rebuilt, "Sorry, I got all mope-y. Why do you ask?"

Even though Lucas was clearly trying to change the subject, Dakota allowed it. He himself had his own fair share of demons that he wouldn't want to talk about.

"I have to figure out a future occupation for my life," Dakota explained dully, gesturing to the list of jobs he held. Lucas instantly hopped off the bed and sat on Dakota's, next to where Dakota sat. Lucas snatched the list from Dakota's hands. Dakota watched as he quickly scanned the list.

"It's not on here," Lucas said definitively, handing Dakota the list back.

"What's not?" Dakota wondered, looking at the list for a brief second- as if Lucas left any trace of what he was looking for on it.

"A dominant. I think you'd be a great one," he said slyly, shining those pretty teeth, wiggling his eyebrows. "I mean, obviously it'll take some training-" Lucas suddenly booped Dakota's nose, "But I think, after you pop your cherry of course, you would do brilliantly. I can just see it."

"Um, what's a dominant?" Dakota asked, feeling embarrassed that he didn't know what it was and that he had to ask.

"Oh, Koty," Lucas sighed, looking at Dakota as if he was a naïve child, "You have so much to learn. Come here." Lucas got up and gestured Dakota to follow- which he did obediently. Lucas sat next to his mysterious box of belongings, patting the floor next to him. That was when Dakota got nervous. "So," Lucas continued, resting his hands on the closed box, "These are what I use to please my costumers-"

"Customers?" Dakota asked, wide-eyed. Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Gosh, you're dense. Either that, or you really don't know...but I used to sell my body for shelter- now, I just sell it for cash," he replied, "Anyway-"

"Wait, hold on-" Dakota tried to say, but Lucas gave him a stern look that shut him up.

"We'll talk about it later. And- just so you know- I don't want your virgin bullcrap about me being a dirty whore, okay? I can do what I want with my body, alright?" Lucas was building up the same defensiveness that he demonstrated toward Dakota before- so Dakota raised his hands in surrender. "Great," Lucas continued, then his face softened slightly again, "Now I want you to take a look at these things because I'm curious to see what you think about them."

"Um-"

"Hush! It's an experiment, okay? I'm not going to stuff a butt-plug up you or anything," Lucas continued.

"What's a buttplug?" Dakota blushed. Lucas waved him off.

"Questions later. Just listen for now," Lucas slowly opened the box. Dakota watched as he pulled out some things- things Dakota had never seen nor could describe. Lucas also set aside some extremely short shorts- so small, in fact, they looked like underwear. Those must be the shorts Lucas was wearing the night he went to the club.

The club.

"Are you saying that the night you went out was to sell yourself?" Dakota asked, bewildered, "To strangers?" Dakota didn't think that the cute, innocent Lucas would do such a thing and be so relaxed about it

"How else am I going to make money? I have this beautiful body. I might as well use it," Lucas replied, setting the last few things out.

"But Nick would provide for you anything you want-"

"I don't want to be Nick's burden," Lucas shook his head, "Or anyone's, for that matter. I want to be mine and mine alone."

"You can't be a burden if you are welcomed with open arms," Dakota replied.

"You can. It's happened to me before," Lucas revealed, then looked up to Dakota- pointing at a round bulbous object with a point- "That's a buttplug, by the way." Dakota realized that Lucas was changing the subject again. Again, Dakota let him do it. Lucas gestured to the display of objects. "All these things are used for pleasure in kinky sex."

Dakota frowned.

"Okay, so... why are you showing them to me?" Dakota asked.

"Because I think you would make a good dominant," Lucas replied.

"Um, like as in...you think I would- you know- give instead of receive?" Dakota tried to explain. Lucas rested his face in his hands, and sighed defeatedly.

"You have so much to learn," he grumbled, then lifted his head, "I guess I'll have to teach you."

"Teach me sex? Because I don't-" Dakota tried to explain, but Lucas beat him to it.

"No! No! Not like have sex with you. I get it. You want to do it with someone special," Lucas rolled his eyes, "I'm talking about educating you verbally. Without sexual activities. As in, make you aware of something that might take others years to discover. However..." Lucas smiled deviously, "If you want to pop your cherry with me, I would offer my service-"

"No!" Dakota interrupted, now hiding his blushing face, "No, thanks!"

"Your loss," Lucas shrugged, "Anyway, what do you think?"

"About you teaching me?" Dakota asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm not quite sure," he replied.

"Well," Lucas suggested, "I'll give you some time to think about it."

Lucas asked Dakota if he wanted to examine any of Lucas's toys, but Dakota decided he didn't want that. It was kind of weird for him. And it made him mildly uncomfortable. Lucas read that feeling in Dakota very easily and decided to save the sex lessons for another day.

~{()}~

Dakota went to sleep that night late in the evening, the choice of several careers floating around in his mind.  He tried to keep his mind off of what Lucas had offered- what Lucas told him- how Lucas acted- who Lucas was. So far, Dakota had gathered his puzzle pieces but had not let his mind linger on puzzling the pieces together.

But as the sun laid down to sleep, and the moon rose high in the sky, the eery moonbeams lit up the room- streaming into the room of the two boys like a beacon. The calm peaceful stillness causes the mind to wander into crevasses they dare not reach by day. The moon was full, Dakota noticed, unable to sleep, and not a cloud or star was in the sky. As if the moon was too bright to let the stars overtake its shine.

The moonbeams outlined Lucas perfectly as the boy slept, like a halo around his body streaming from out in the cold through the glass.

I don't have feelings for him, Dakota told himself. In fact, he frowned at the thought of liking Lucas. He wouldn't dare leave his heart in the hands of that temperamental, dirty-

Dakota frowned at himself now. He was being a child, and he knew it. He was taking his anger out on Lucas in his mind. Sure, Lucas had shown his flaws, but he also revealed to Dakota numerous other things.

Dakota had learned that Lucas had secrets. He was a prostitute. He acted innocent when he wasn't. He was strange in his behaviors, a bit weird even. He was extremely defensive, at seemingly random times, but so was Dakota before he had anyone to lean on. 

Dakota also knew, however, that Lucas was decently kind. He was considerate of others' feelings. He was self-conscious- he had to be if thought he was a burden. And Dakota knew, most of all, that he was confident, independent, and seemingly strong.

Not physically, but mentally strong. You had to be when living on the streets.

Last of all, Dakota knew Lucas had a story- every kid without parents had a story. Dakota didn't know how Lucas became all the things that made him who he is, but he knew if he found out it would be too close for comfort.

It would be because he cared for Lucas a little too much.