"Dude, she'll be here soon." Tripp said, leaning across the island in the kitchen to reach for the bowl of crisps that Cailen had put out.
"Calm down or you'll start getting sweat stains." He added, scrunching up his nose in distaste.
Tripp, if possible, had grown up to be even bigger than Ezekiel, though that wasn't much of a surprise with how much taller he's always been than Ezekiel. He still had his blonde hair, though it wasn't quite so golden anymore- more of a dirty blonde, and has acquired glasses over the years.
Cailen remembers the first day he had come over with them on, the boy had been mortified but he's grown to love them, claiming the girls were really into the 'nerdy' look these days.
"And no girl likes sweat stains." Airene added from her spot at the island.
Airene had grown up to be quite the beautiful girl, her hair still a fiery red and her green eyes bright and enchanting.
Ezekiel and Airene had grown close over the years, in fact the three of them had grown quite close once their differences had been sorted out. It wasn't often you found two of them without the other.
"Oh, a girl?" Asher inquired, raising an eyebrow as he set out a case of fizzy drinks on the counter to be brought down once the guests started arriving.
Ezekiel groaned and shoved Tripp to the side, making the boy stumble and nearly fall into Cailen where he stood leaning against the kitchen sink.
Tripp smiled innocently at Cailen and righted himself before turning to Ezekiel.
"Yes, a girl. Young Ezekiel here has found himself a beautiful girl to pin after." Tripp explained.
Cailen shared an amused look with Asher as they both tried to conceal their laughter.
"And not just any girl," Airene added to Ezekiel's clear dismay. "Elliana Hayes." She said as if this should mean something to Asher and Cailen.
"Guys, shut up." Ezekiel said unimpressed.
"Whom he's invited tonight." Tripp said happily.
"And who exactly is this Elliana Hayes?" Cailen inquired, raising an eyebrow at Ezekiel.
He's never heard the boy mention the name before.
"Oh, just Cheer-Captain, head of the dance committee, head of pretty much any club in the school," Airene listed off, using her fingers to count them out for everyone.
"Volunteers at the animal shelter, is on the honor roll every year, is probably going to become Queen somehow someday and take over the worl-"
"Aii, shut it." Ezekiel grumbled, sending her a glare from across the island.
"Not to mention probably the fittest girl in school." Tripp added, making Ezekiel's cheeks go a bright red. "I'm telling you Mr. Hale, she is- There are no words." Tripp said, looking longingly up at nothing in particular.
"He's been pining after the girl for as long as I can remember." Airene explained making Ezekiel duck his head in embarrassment.
"It's pathetic, really. I'm surprised you were able to invite her tonight." Airene teased.
"I hate you both. I'm finding new friends on Monday." Ezekiel declared with no real conviction as he slumped down into a stool and let his head fall onto the counter with a rather loud thud.
"Hey, we're good till Monday, Aii!" Tripp shouted and held up his hand over Ezekiel's head, asking Airene for a high five that was not returned.
"No." Airene said with a shake of her head, her face deadpan.
Cailen watched the group of friends with an amused smile, a smile that was mirrored on Asher's face as well.
These were all kids he's watched grow up from a young age and he couldn't help but be reminded of his group of friends from his teen years. He only hopes that they are as lucky as he was in being able to keep all these friends.
"Hey, the birthday boy shouldn't be looking down!" Came a new a voice, a Scottish voice that had Ezekiel's head lifting from the table, a smile on his face.
"Noah!" He shouted, jumping from the stool he just sat in and rushing over to give Noah a hug.
Noah chuckled as he wrapped one arm around the boy, his other hand holding a small neatly wrapped box.
"Happy birthday, little man." Noah said, his smile bright but instantly fading. "Or I guess it's just man now, huh?" Noah asked as the two separated.
Ezekiel nodded, eyeing the gift in Noah's hand. Subtlety was never his best feat.
Cailen glanced over at Asher, feeling his husband looking at him, and saw a desperate look on his face that he couldn't help but chuckle at.
Asher was still freaking out about Ezekiel growing up and Noah's 'man' comment didn't help.
"Here you go." Noah said, finally handing over the gift that Ezekiel immediately ripped into.
"Thank you, Noah! Wow, it's awesome!" Ezekiel said as he took in the blue and green guitar strap, the two colors swirling together through the design.
"No problem, Zeke. Saw it and thought you had to have it." Noah explained, watching the boy with a smile on his face.
"Oh, yeah... Because you know, he doesn't have like, fifty other guitar straps." Tripp stated, seeming sincere but because everyone in the room knew that Ezekiel did in fact have quite the collection, he was not being sincere.
"You're the one that still collects Pokemon cards." Airene countered, reaching out to take the strap from Ezekiel to admire it herself.
"Hey! Pokemon cards are a popular thing, and they are meant to be collected." Tripp defended.
"They're outdated. No one collects them anymore and you're pathetic." Airene said uninterested as she ran her fingers along the strap.
"Only for you, babe." Tripp said sweetly, sending her a wink over the counter.
"Ugh," Was the sound that left Airene's mouth before she handed the strap back to Ezekiel, her eyes rolling dramatically.
"I'll be downstairs putting together a playlist." She announced as she headed towards the hall.
As soon as she left the kitchen, Tripp slumped in his seat, a desperate look turned on Ezekiel. Ezekiel snorted and gently put the strap back in the box for safekeeping.
"I told you, she's not going to take you seriously unless you act seriously about it." Ezekiel told his friend as Noah slipped passed them to come and greet Asher and Cailen, pulling them each into a quick hug.
"And I told you that I wasn't taking advice from a guy who could barely tell Elliana his name." Tripp retorted.
Ezekiel lifted his eyebrows at his friend, a smug look crossing his face.
Cailen was thoroughly amused to say the least and he could tell Asher and Noah were as well.
"I invited her tonight, did I not?" Ezekiel asked like this was a great accomplishment.
Maybe it was, Cailen didn't know how long Ezekiel has been pining for this girl.
"Yeah, after spilling your water on her, knocking her over in the hall, and walking into several doors while drooling over her as you passed." Tripp stated, making the red color return to Ezekiel's face.
"Okay, okay, take some advice from me, Tripp," Noah began, trying to diffuse the 'who can embarrass the other more' game going on infront of them, but Asher was already laughing, apparently starting in on a round himself.
"From you?" Asher questioned.
Noah looked quite offended by that.
"Yes from me!" He exclaimed, trying to look outraged but the emotion could never look believable on Noah's face.
Anything south of mildly content never did.
"Who else would he get it from? You?" Noah asked in mock shock.
"Well, I could probably offer better advice than you could." Asher teased.
"Yeah, says the man who knows absolutely nothing about women and who also married the first person he ever fell in love and had a relationship with." Noah countered, gesturing over to Cailen.
Cailen doesn't know how he earned the privilege of being dragged into this but he wasn't going to let it continue.
"Oh, for the love of- Hazel!" Cailen called into the living room where he knew Matthew and Hazel were looking after the little ones.
Noah and Asher cracked a grin at each other while Ezekiel and Tripp looked a bit torn between wanting to flee the scene and wanting to stay and listen to the wisdom of the adults.
A moment later, Hazel stepped into the kitchen, a three year old on her hip that had a baby doll in her hands.
"Yeah?" Hazel asked curiously as Cailen closed the distance between them.
"Tripp needs girl advice." Cailen told her, reaching out with his hands to take the toddler from her.
"I'll take little Misha, and you tell Tripp the secret behind understanding women." Cailen suggested as he rested her daughter on his own hip.
Hazel chuckled at this but turned to Tripp anyway as Cailen left the kitchen with Misha.
Misha was Matthew and Hazel's second daughter. She had gotten Matthew's honey colored eyes and Hazel's blonde hair and was quite the shy little thing.
Hazel was also six months pregnant again with yet another girl- something that Cailen always teased Matthew about.
He was going to be helpless against them once they learn the benefits of starting their sentences with 'Daddy, can I’-, not to mention being hopelessly outnumbered.
Cailen made his way into the living room where he saw Aariyah and Maddison sitting on the floor with paper and colored pencils scattered everywhere.
Matthew was seated on the couch, his eyes mostly glued to the television quietly playing a show Cailen didn't recognize, but he kept a watchful eye on the girls as a parent instinctively did without much thought.
Cailen took a seat beside him, Misha sitting nicely in his lap and holding out her baby doll to him.
Cailen knew she never went anywhere without the doll, would cry if it wasn't in sight, and that it was her most cherished possession so he always made a point of saying how beautiful the doll was.
Misha would often giggle and hug the doll to her chest but she never let him hold it, would hardly let Matthew or even Hazel hold it either if it could be avoided.
"Wil still coming by?" Matthew asked curiously, giving Cailen a side long glance before returning his attention to the television.
"Said he was, but you know... He's pretty busy. Might have gotten held up." Cailen shrugged.
Cailen couldn't have been prouder of his brother and what he's accomplished, but it often made it hard for them to see the man and had William making promises to the kids he couldn't always keep.
He had promised to swing by for Ezekiel's birthday, Cailen only hoped he kept this one.
"He'll be here." Matthew assured as if he could read Cailen's thoughts.
Cailen nodded absentmindedly as he hooked his hands under Misha's arm and lifted her, resting her on his knee.
He started bouncing her up and down, the little girl smiling at him, soon squealing when he lifted her in the air briefly. She started giggling but kept a firm hold on her doll.
"Papa!" Came an excited voice.