JudeQuincy
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That's hot.
Posts: 42
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Posted: Oct 13th, 2006 at 01:48 pm
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Storybook - Because some tales really are 'happily ever after'...
Darla looked up at Chaz, eyes wide. "Daddy... Will you tell me a story?"
Chaz smiled down at his daughter, reaching out and running a hand through her hair. "Of course, pumpkin..." She snuggled down in the blankets, a sleepy smile on her face. Chaz reached down and grabbed the closest book, knowing full well the story she wanted to hear could not be found in any books. He flipped it open to a random page and saw her eyes light up, as his deep, warm voice filled the room.
“Once upon a time, there was a handsome cowboy who lived in the city...”
~
Story coming soon.
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JudeQuincy
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That's hot.
Posts: 42
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Posted: Oct 16th, 2006 at 09:23 am
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Storybook – Chapter 1 [Once Upon a Time...]
~
This story is for Des, my faithful Maz-Girl. You inspire me in ways you will never know. This is for you. <3
~
Darla looked up at Chaz, eyes wide. "Daddy... Will you tell me a story?"
Chaz smiled down at his daughter, reaching out and running a hand through her hair. "Of course, pumpkin..." She snuggled down in the blankets, a sleepy smile on her face. Chaz reached down and grabbed the closest book, knowing full well the story she wanted to hear could not be found in any books. He flipped it open to a random page and saw her eyes light up, as his deep, warm voice filled the room.
“Once upon a time, there was a handsome cowboy who lived in the city...”
Mason paced the studio floor, his mind torn to pieces. It had been two months since Tom had disappeared off the face of the earth, and two weeks since the end of his first tour.
And yet, if you asked him about his tour, he couldn’t tell you a thing. The entire time was the same thing: wake up, talk Jude off a ledge, go rehearse, talk Jude off another ledge, do a show or press conference, talk Jude off one more ledge, sleep, then wake up for another cycle.
Not exactly what he had pictured if you had asked him what he thought his first tour would be like a few months ago.
“Mase...” a grumbling voice greeted him as he saw Jude amble into the studio. As usual, her once-bright face was solemn and her eyes were completely emotionless.
“Hey, Jude... How are you?”
“Fine.” Her answer hadn’t changed in two months. She was always ‘fine.’ Too bad even that one word was a lie. She wasn’t fine. How could she be? The man she loved—who she thought was finally going to be a man and act on his feelings—had left her high and dry, as usual.
“Jude?” A deep voice rumbled from the doorway. Mason jumped, a shiver running down his body. He turned and met their visitor’s gaze, a slow smile spreading across his face.
Jude’s face twisted in confusion. “Chaz... What are you doing here?”
“What she means,” Mason interrupted, throwing an angry look over his shoulder at her, “is hello, and how are you?”
Chaz chuckled softly. “I’m fine. How are you, Mason?” His name floated from the older man’s perfect lips and Mason’s heart stopped.
He swallowed carefully. “I’m fine... What brings you to our neck of the woods?”
“You...”
Chaz smiled at the memory, pausing to glance down at his daughter. Darla’s eyes were shut and her chest was rising and falling in rhythm. A soft smile rested gently on her lips and her eyelids fluttered with pleasant dreams. He closed the book and set it on the bookshelf. Leaning over, he kissed her on the cheek before turning off the lights and making his way down the hall to his own room.
Chaz slipped inside the door, closing it behind him. “Is she asleep?” Mason asked, looking up from his crossword puzzle. The older man nodded, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing in into the hamper before climbing in bed next to Mason.
“Mhmm, sound asleep.” Chaz stretched out his back muscles before curling up next to the other man, resting his head on Mason’s chest. “She wanted to hear a story...”
“Surprise, surprise,” Mason said halfheartedly, running his fingers through Chaz’s hair. “What story did you read her?”
Chaz sighed contentedly, relaxing into the other man. “A story of true love...”
~
A/N – It’s short, I know. But I’m tired, and it’s cute. Forgive me? What did we think? Leave me feedback please. I live for it. <3
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JudeQuincy
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That's hot.
Posts: 42
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 at 08:53 am
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Storybook – Chapter 2 [Perfect Family]
~
“Princess, we gotta get going. You’re gonna be late for school.” Mason’s voice echoed up the stairs.
“Okay, Daddy. I’m coming!” Darla chimed, her soft footsteps getting louder as she hopped down the steps, hurrying over to Mason’s side.
Chaz idled in from the kitchen, sipping his coffee slowly. He looked over and his face lit up, a smile stretching across his face. “How’re my two favorite people in the world?”
“Daddy!” Darla screamed, rushing over to him and throwing her arms around his leg, hugging his tightly.
Chaz chuckled softly, setting down his coffee before picking her up and resting her on his hip. “Good morning to you too, sunshine. How are you?”
“Fine,” she answered quickly, glancing over her shoulder at Mason, who was watching them with a slight smile on his lips. “But Daddy says I’m gonna be late for school if we don’t leave soon.”
“And he’s right!” Chaz walked over to Mason, kissing him gently on the lips. “Have fun at work today. I’ll have dinner ready for when you two get home.” Chaz kissed Darla on the cheek before setting her down. “And you have fun at school today, okay?” She nodded and ran for the door, picking up her backpack and lunch bag. The two men watched her with the same loving smile.
Mason looked back at Chaz, pulling him in for a tight hug. “I love you...”
“I love you too, Mase,” Chaz mumbled, kissing him tenderly on the lips.
“I’m gonna be late for school if you two don’t stop!’ Darla whined, stomping her feet impatiently.
Mason laughed, heading for the door. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Bye, Dar. I love you, sweetie,” Chaz called out.
“Love you too, Daddy!” she shrilled over her shoulder as the front door shut behind the two.
~
Mason sat down at the soundboard, looking over at Jude. It had been almost seven years since Tom had left G Major. Jude was turning 25 in a couple months; Mason had just turned 26; Tom and Chaz were both in their thirties. Life was passing so quickly.
“How’s Tom?” At Mason’s question, Jude’s eyes widened and for a split second, her true feelings were revealed—a deep hope in Tom—before they became cold and emotionless again.
Jude shrugged. “No clue. Last I read, he was in Italy with some hooker.”
He stopped for a moment. “You’re not talking again?”
She gave him a look. “Why would we? It’s easier to find him on the front of some magazine than to actually pick up the phone and call him.” Her voice dropped to a mere whisper. “Plus, it’s a lot easier to hate him when I can’t hear his voice...”
Mason’s face fell. He hated seeing her like this—even seven years later. He hated that she still loved him, and that she probably always would. “I’m so sorry, Jude...”
She shook her head, wiping a stray tear away from her eye. She hated that he still had this effect on her. She hated that as much as she tried to hide it from the world, that pain was still there. “It’s fine. Why do you even listen to me? You’ve got the perfect guy, the perfect daughter, the perfect life.”
Mason cringed. “I’m still your friend, Jude. I’m here for you. You know that.”
She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I know, Mase. I’m sorry. It’s just... Why can’t I find a guy like Chaz?”
He held her at arms length, looking her in the eye. “Because you’re a straight woman...”
Jude laughed, hitting him playfully on the arm. “Shut up.” As if on cue, Mason’s phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, flipping it open. “Who is it?”
“Text message from Chaz,” he mumbled, his eyes scanning the screen. A smile spread slowly across his face.
“Let me see.” She reached out, grabbing the phone. Mase, Just thinking about you. Can’t wait until tonight. xoxo Love always, Chaz. Jude made a face at him before handing him his phone back. “Aww, how cute.”
“I know,” Mason said, glaring at his friend. “He’s got too much free time lately.”
“How does he like working at home?” Jude asked, standing up and stretching out her legs.
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JudeQuincy
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That's hot.
Posts: 42
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 at 08:54 am
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Five years ago, after they had adopted Darla, Mason had insisted that they buy a house in a nice neighborhood, where Darla could grow up. Chaz had agreed on one condition—that they turn the basement into a recording studio where Chaz could work privately. And so, after much searching, they had found the perfect house—a two-story, two-bath house in a quiet, friendly neighborhood, complete with fireplace, patio, and in-ground pool. The basement was big enough for an entire recording room, and Mason had even started a small garden in the background.
In the past year, since Darla had started kindergarten, they had perfected a schedule. Every morning, Mason would get Darla up and take her to school on his way to work. On his way home, he’d pick her up and the two of them would go home. During the day, Chaz would work at home and take care of the housekeeping. He’d get dinner ready for them and at night, they’d put Darla to bed and curl up together for the night. Life couldn’t get any better.
“Mase? Hello?” Jude’s soft voice brought him out of his memories.
He looked up at her. “Oh, he loves it.”
“We should probably get some work done,” Jude reminded him. “Your voice warmed up yet?”
“Mhmm.” Mason grabbed his guitar from the case and walked to the other side of the glass, sitting down on the stool. He hummed a few scales under his breath and fingered a few chords before strumming the opening notes to a new song.
Jude sat down at the soundboard, Mason’s rich voice drifted through the headphones and into her ears and she smiled. She liked this new setup. When Tommy left, G Major had been down a talented producer and singer. Without Tom, Jude had no inspiration to sing, and she refused to finish her album. When Darius gave her an ultimatum, she offered to produce. At first, Darius was wary, but after a month or so, when it seemed obvious that Tom wasn’t coming back, demand for another producer was too high to say no. Jude hadn’t recorded a song since Tom had left, but she was a fantastic producer.
“Jude!” Darius’ voice boomed from the doorway. She tugged the headphones off and looked up at her boss. “Phone call for Mason. Line 3.”
Jude nodded, pressing the intercom button. “Hey, Mase. You got a call.” He stopped strumming and locked eyes with her. “Line three.”
Mason set his guitar down and made his way over to the hone by the soundboard. He picked it up carefully. “Hello?”
“Mr. Fox, this is Julia Barnes, the principal at your daughter’s school. I think you might want to come down here...”
~
Mason slammed his car door shut, hurrying toward the front doors of the school. His mind was racing. The principal refused to give him any more information over the phone, insisting he come down to the school. His worry grew with each passing second.
Stepping through the door, he made a beeline for the front office. An older woman was sitting at the desk, a fake smile plastered on her lips. “May I help you?”
“My name is Mason Fox. I am Darla’s father,” he muttered, a bit out of breath.
“Oh yes, go right on back. Miss Barnes is waiting for you.” She motioned him back, and he followed, knocking on the door at the end of the hall.
“Come in,” the voice from the phone answered. He opened the door enough to slip in before shutting it behind him. A redheaded woman looked up from her desk, offering him her hand. “Mr. Fox, I presume.”
“Mason,” he responded, shaking her hand warmly.
“Mason,” she agreed. “Have a seat.” He sat down across from her, looking at her nervously.
Mason swallowed loudly, searching for the right words to say. “Miss Barnes—”
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you,” she interrupted, and Mason exhaled sharply. He’d never been so happy to be interrupted in his life. He nodded slowly. “Earlier today, during kindergarten recess, there was an incident involving your daughter.”
Mason’s heart stopped. “Is she okay?”
The principal nodded. “She’s down in the nurse’s office with your husband.”
He shook his head, tugging off his cowboy hat and running his hands through his hair. “He’s not my husband, but... That’s not important. What happened?”
Miss Barnes folded her hands on her desktop. “As you may or may not know, next Monday is Open House, and the children were talking about their parents at recess. One of the boys asked Darla about her mother, and she said she didn’t have one. When asked why, she got defensive and said she had two dad’s which was better than a mother and father. One of the older boys said something very offensive to her, and she hit him. He knocked her on the ground, and she cut open her arm. A teacher rushed over and broke it up as soon as he saw it. Darla went to the nurse’s office right away and I telephoned you and your...partner.”
“Oh, my gosh,” Mason breathed, his hand covering his mouth.
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JudeQuincy
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That's hot.
Posts: 42
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 at 08:56 am
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“She’ll be fine. She’s just shaken up.” Mason couldn’t understand how this woman was so calm. An older kid had beat up his angel and cut her arm because her fathers were gay, and she didn’t see something wrong with this?
Mason furrowed his brow. “What is being done about this other child?”
“The older boy?” she asked, her eyebrows raised. “His parents came and picked him up. They wished to take care of it themselves.”
“So nothing is happening?” Mason fumed, his hands balled in fists in his lap.
“Mr. Fox, I can assure you this will never happen again,” she replied very diplomatically.
“You can be sure of that,” he spat, standing up. “I want to see my daughter.”
She nodded and ushered him out. “Second door on the left,” she instructed, pointing him down a hallway. He nodded curtly, hurrying through the door she mentioned. Chaz was sitting in a chair near the door, Darla curled up on his lap. Watching his daughter cry into Chaz’s shoulder, Mason choked back a sob, the back of his hand muffling the sound.
Chaz looked up, locking eyes with Mason. “I love you,” he mouthed, stroking their daughter’s hair soothingly.
“I love you too.” The words were soft—a mere breath from his lips—but he couldn’t muster anything else. The two men watched each other with pained eyes, and Mason said the only words left to say, “Let’s go home.”
~
“She’s all tucked in,” Mason muttered, sitting on the edge of the bed and tugging off his socks.
Chaz crawled up behind him, resting his hands on the other man’s shoulders, massaging gently. “Did she not want a bedtime story?”
Mason shrugged. “She was really quiet, and she just closed her eyes and curled up as soon as she got in bed.”
“Daddies?” Darla’s soft voice drifted over to them. Two sets of eyes darted to the door, where the young girl was standing, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Can you come read me a bedtime story?”
Mason looked over his shoulder at Chaz, who nodded, sliding off the bed. “Sure, sweetie.” Bending over, he scooped her up, resting her in his arms and carrying her to her room. Setting her down gently on her bed, Chaz pulled the blankets up to her shoulders and sat down on the chair next to her bed. “What story do you want to hear?”
“The one with the cowboy,” she said instantly and he chuckled to himself.
“Of course... Where did we leave off?” Chaz reached over and grabbed the book from the night before, flipping open to a random page.
Darla curled up in her blanket, watching her father intently. “The gorgeous singer had come to see the handsome cowboy at work...”
“Oh, yes...” He let his eyes focus on the book as he continued his story, “So the gorgeous man walked into the studio, only one thing on his mind...”
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JudeQuincy
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That's hot.
Posts: 42
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 at 08:58 am
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“Me?” Mason squeaked, his voice catching in his throat.
“Yes, you.” The younger man’s heart stopped at Chaz’s pointed words. “Can I talk to you out in the hall for a moment?”
Mason stole a look at Jude, who nodded absentmindedly. He swallowed hard before following the older man out the door, shutting it behind them. “Yes?”
“It’s about Tom.”
The younger man’s heart stopped at those three words. “What about him?”
Chaz looked around nervously before looking back at Mason and locking eyes with him. “I’ve been in contact with him.”
Mason’s eyes widened. “You what?!” he exclaimed, in a hushed whisper.
“I’ve been talking to him almost every day since he left,” the older man mumbled, looking at the ground. “He’s coming back to Toronto tomorrow, but only for a day. And he doesn’t want to see her.”
“But why?” Mason asked, brow furrowed.
Chaz paused, choosing his words carefully. “Because he’s leaving. For good.”
“But what—”
The older man held up a hand, silencing Mason. “Mase, I’m sorry. I can’t tell you anything else. I wasn’t even supposed to tell you all this.”
“Then why did you?” he asked harshly, but his tone barely fazed the other man.
“Tom asked me to keep her busy tomorrow, so she doesn’t see him. But me tagging around would be a little suspicious. I need you to keep her distracted tomorrow, so he can get in and out without hurting her anymore than he already has.” The two men were silent for a moment before Chaz added, “And I trust you, Mason.”
Mason’s eyebrow’s narrowed suspiciously. “Chaz, you barely know me.”
“We’ll have to change that sometime...” Before Mason could respond, Chaz lowered his voice seriously. “Will you do this for Tom? For me?” The younger man was still caught up on the rumbling tone of Chaz’s voice. He nodded slowly, licking his lips nervously.
“Of course.”
“Thank you, Mason.” Chaz pulled him close, in a tight embrace.
Chaz’s voice drifted off and he looked over at the bed, where Darla was lying, fast asleep. He set the book on the shelf next to the bed, leaning over and kissing his daughter’s forehead gently. “Good night, Dar.”
~
Was this a good enough birthday present, Des?  |
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JudeQuincy
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That's hot.
Posts: 42
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 at 02:54 pm
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Thanks, Des. I'm glad you liked it <3
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 at 04:29 pm
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Aww I  this story!!! So cute 
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 at 09:14 pm
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Nope, just a little slow to jump on the bandwagon 
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Storybook: Because some tales really are "happily ever after" - (Read 300 Times)
already!
