Page 13 of Damian & Jun, Episodes 9-12
Voices filtered across the hall from the other two hotel rooms they’d booked. He pulled on casual clothes and brushed his teeth. One of the security guards Damian didn’t know well greeted him when he opened the door. The other hotel room door was open. Damian went in.
His boyfriend was walking up and down by the opposite window with little Habibi propped up against his shoulder and a burp rag draped over his blue T-shirt. He still wore flannel pajama pants. Kimbo was sitting at the little table by the bed, his seven-year-old fingers flying in some sort of complicated monster story. Jun’s eyes were on him, and he nodded and raised his eyebrows at appropriate moments. It seemed breakfast had been served. Rue was playing with her spoon in a bowl of cereal. Howser was missing, but the linking door between this room and the one next door was open. Damian stuck his head in and nodded. Howser was watching sports by himself, eating a pile of eggs and pancakes. He ignored Damian. That was a problem for another time. Damian turned back to the room where everyone else was.
Armada wiped her lips with the back of her hand and cleaned it off with a baby towel. “He does that.”
Damian inclined his head in Howser’s direction. “Him?”
Armada nodded and shrugged. “He thinks he’s better than the little kids.”
Damian raised an eyebrow. “And you?”
Armada's lips pulled to the side; she shrugged with one shoulder. “He’s got Gramps’ opinions about women.”
That was not going to work. Damian made a mental note not to leave Howser alone with any staff of the female persuasion and to give Linda and Alice a heads-up. They’d keep Dana away from him entirely.
Armada looked over toward Jun and Habibi. “I can take the baby back. I told your guy he didn’t have to.”
“No one makes Jun do what he doesn’t want to do.” Damian smiled. Jun looked good with Habibi in his arms. Not that he wanted to start a family with kids any time soon, but it was sweet to see Jun with a baby.
Armada still had her eyes on Jun. “He’s good with him. Habibi doesn’t usually go to strangers.”
“Maybe it’s the dancing,” Damian said.
Armada smiled a bit. She went back to eating, casting glances toward Betti, who was sitting quietly in the corner of one of the beds, and Kimbo, who was now jumping up and down with his hands in the air, showing Jun how big the monster’s claws were.
“DaSu, coffee’s behind the TV.” Jun jerked his head toward the hiding place.
“You’re an angel.”
Jun’s eyes darkened. Damian blushed. An angel I still intend to fuck over that altar. He covered his moment of lust-driven thought by fetching the coffee. Jun had hidden it well indeed. It was still warm and smelled dark and strong. Jun knew him so well already. That or he was using Collin to cheat, which was just as perfect. He appreciated a resourceful strategist.
“So, what would you like to do today?” Damian asked Betti and Rue.
The question led to a general discussion. None of the kids had been to any of the big educational attractions in the city except for a school trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. Armada called Howser in to give his input. He came with a scowl but gave his opinion all the same. The general consensus settled on visiting the Field Museum because Kimbo and Rue wanted to see dinosaurs, and Howser voted for dead people, apparently in a bid to be contrary, but Damian decided his vote matched mummies well enough to count. Betti announced she would not look at the mummies at all. Armada reminded her there were jewels and animals, and that won her over.
Damian’s phone started to buzz with messages. Richard, Émeric, and Collin all checked in. Matthew and Hypatia offered to come help babysit for the day. He texted them back with the plan. Hypatia responded almost immediately that she and Matthew would join them at the Field Museum later on. They were members.
While Damian finished eating a meal snatched from the continental breakfast downstairs, Jun quizzed Kimbo on the ages of all his siblings.
“So, how old are you?” Jun held up all ten fingers.
Kimbo stuck out his tongue and shook his head.
Jun put all his fingers down. “This old?”
“That’s Habibi!” Kimbo giggled. “I’m bigger.”
Jun screwed up his face in intense concentration. “How much bigger? Do I need my toes?”
“No!” Rue ran over to her brother. “Kimbo’s this!” She held up all five fingers on one hand and two more fingers from her other hand.
“Oh, Kimbo’s seven. Got it. So, are you eight?” Jun held up fingers to match his words.
Kimbo rolled his eyes. “I’m bigger! Rue’s little!”
“No little,” Rue huffed.
“You’re in kinder…kinder…” Kimbo stumbled over the word.
