The Rule of Four: Epilogue
#5 of The Rule of Four
Epilogue:
Epilogue:
They held each other awhile, basking in the intense afterglow, the sound of the gentle waves under the moon, and the inner-warmth that comes from finally embracing those you love, and Rubric found himself again thinking sexy thoughts, though his body couldn't respond...yet.
So he allowed his mind to drift for a bit, and something occurred to him. "Say, Raz? Why do you think Tony gave up so easily? He seemed pretty PO'd at you guys for 'spreading rumors' about him."
The twins snuggled in deeper, their voices thick with sex-induced lethargy. "Oh, Tony's a good guy, once you get to know him."
"Yeah, it didn't take much to convince him to...uh..." Chaz trailed off suspiciously.
Rubric pulled himself up from the pile and frowned at them. "Raz, Chaz...what is it you're not telling me?"
His mates (and he felt a thrill of excitement at the word) glanced at each other, trepidation painted all over their nearly identical faces. They lowered their eyes nervously.
"Well..."
"Uh..."
Their next string of words rushed by so quickly his head spun.
"We-kind-of-" "-talked-Tony-into-" "-setting-Dahlia-up-" "-to-clear-our-names-" "-and-get-even-with-her-" "-and-we-wanted-to-get-you-" "-out-of-the-closet-" "-and-into-us-" "-and-we-thought-you-might-run-away-if-you-knew-" "-and-it-worked-better-than-we-thought-it-would-" "-so-please-please-please-don't-be-mad-" "-'cuz-we-love-you-" "-and-we-just-want-you-to-be-happy!"
Rubric stared agape for a moment, then he and Jaron both burst into sidesplitting laughter. These two magnificent little bastards orchestrated the whole thing! They grabbed the rabbits and held them tight as they calmed down in fits and starts. "Oh god, that's rich!"
Jaron cocked his head with a lop-sided grin. "But...what would you've done if Rube hadn't recorded the conversation with your phone?"
Raz grabbed his pants, reached into the pocket, and pulled out Chaz's phone, which was identical to his but without the stickers. He grinned. "Plan B."
The panda couldn't help but laugh again. "Nice!"
The endorphins finally tipped the scales, and Rube found himself ready for another round. But before he could start anything, Jaron shifted, his gaze drifting between the three of them, his ears askew. "So...what happens now?"
Rubric considered the question a moment, as well as the motivation behind it, and gave him a gentle smile. "Now we graduate, then we hit college. I'd considered renting a house by myself, but...I think I'd rather we all room together, if that's okay."
The twins looked excited, like all their dreams had come true. "Oh, that's a great idea! I always did want live-in maids!"
"I'm more excited about having live-in lovers!"
"What about me, Raz?"
"Incest doesn't count, Chaz."
Charles's whiskers twitched and his ears drooped more than normal. "If you say so."
"I do."
Jaron's reaction was considerably less enthused. He scooped up a handful of sand and watched it slip through his fingers, then threw the rest away, and it was all too symbolic for Rubric's comfort. "What about my place? I can't just leave it."
Rubric wrapped his arms, legs, and tail around the devil's body and snuggled close. "I think you've spent enough time alone in that huge empty house. Too many awful memories. You ought to sell it and get a new place where you can make a fresh start. Work on building a new life full of good memories."
The idea startled him. "I..." Jaron bit his lip as he considered it. "That...might be a good idea, actually. I'll have to think about it."
"You're not the only one with bad memories, though." He reached out and gathered in the twins. "I think we all need to let go of the past. A new life will do us all good."
He squeezed them all tight. "So what do you say, guys? Are you ready to face life after high school? Together?"
His friends and lovers all looked at each other, then to him, and their voices rang out as one, as it should be. As it always should be. "Yeah. Together."
~Fin
((Note: There's a side-story that occurs during and after this one. Read it here: http://beta.sofurry.com/view/302512))