Gift made a noise as if that was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “No, I quite like being babied, thank you very much. It makes up for the fact that my parents don’t give a fuck about me.” He meant it to sound like a joke, but he couldn’t quite pull it off.
Payton squished Gift’s face between his palms. “My parents don’t love me, either. I’d venture a guess that none of us have parents who truly think of us as their own. We were all adopted too late, too much money and power exchanged hands before they took ownership of us.”
Gift winced, heart twisting. “My mother birthed me and still doesn’t give a shit. So, maybe it doesn’t matter.”
“Maybe not, but fuck her. Fuck all of them.” He looked down at Gift, expression growing infuriatingly smug. “Besides, Park’s the only parental figure you need. And believe me when I say having one good Daddy is better than having two shitty parents.” He wiggled his brows.
“Ugh, I’m not calling him Daddy,” Gift cried, covering his face with his palms.
Payton pried Gift’s hands away and trapped them above his head. “No, you preferhia. Yes,hia, no,hia,spank me, hia,harder,hia,” he cried, sounding like something out of bad porn. “Which is no less kinky, by the way. It might actually be worse.”
Gift’s ears burned with a sudden warmth. “You’re one to talk. We all know how much you love Boone. He’s older than your father.”
Payton scoffed, resting his full body weight on Gift, like his own personal weighted blanket. “Whatever. I’m a psychopath. I’m incapable of love. I just want him to rail me until I forget my own name.”
“Oh, my God,” Gift said, eyes wide. “Doesheknow this?”
Payton sat up on Gift’s thighs, a grin spreading across his face. “I think it’s safe to say I’ve made my intentions clear.”
“And has he…reciprocated?” Gift asked, fascinated at the prospect.
Payton shrugged, laughing. “Not yet. But I’m wearing him down a little bit at a time. He’ll fold. They all do. Nobody can resist me for long.”
Gift rolled his eyes, but before he could say anything, Dove swung their door open, Morgan in tow.
Morgan snickered when she saw them on the bed together. “You guys decide to give up on the geriatrics and just bone each other?”
“Don’t you know how to knock?” Payton asked, sounding unbothered despite his words. “What if we were naked?”
Dove snickered. “Then we definitely wouldn’t have knocked. Come on, Payton, show us the goods,” she demanded, jumping on Payton, causing the two of them to roll off Gift and the bed.
Someone shrieked and then the sound of slapping ensued. Gift rolled to peer over the edge, feeling Morgan join him. Payton and Dove were slapping at each other like children. “No means no, you perv,” Payton yelped between gales of laughter, while Dove pretended to try to grab for his waistband.
Dove gave a high whine. “Why? I just wanna see it? I don’t even like dick,” Dove said, still grabbing until Payton trapped her wrists in one hand.
That brought Gift up short. “Wait, really?”
Dove turned to look at Gift from where she perched on Payton, her hands still held hostage. “Have I ever given you any indication that I did? Straight boys are sweaty and they smell bad and they’re mean and only care about sex. Girls are pretty and soft and they smell nice. There’s really no comparison.”
Payton sat up, not dislodging Dove. “What about you? Are you secretly a lesbian, too?” he asked Morgan.
Morgan rolled her eyes. “Gender is a construct. I don’t really care what people have in their pants as long as they can get me off and don’t get clingy.”
“Way to have standards,” Payton teased.
Morgan gave him an imperious look. “You only fuck men who get mail from AARP, so shut the fuck up.”
“Hey, you’d be surprised how much those discounts save on hotel rooms,” Payton quipped back.
“You’re all beyond damaged,” Gift said, flopping onto his back to stare at the ceiling. “We have a test in international diplomacy in thirty minutes and then we have to solve a murder. We should probably shower.”
Dove and Morgan stood. “Fine. See you in class.”
Once they were gone, Payton turned on Gift. “Wanna shower together?”
Gift choked on his own spit. “What? No.”
Payton gave him a teasing look. “Oh, come on. Saves water. There’s a shortage you know. Besides, think of how crazy Park would get if he knew we showered together.”
