Some Days I’m the Windshield (but other days I’m just a lucky bug)
About 20 miles from the outskirts of Denver, there is a dense forest that expands through the base of a small mountain, forgotten by anyone besides the families that call it home and the unfortunate delivery workers who get lost inside it.
In this forest, hidden through the winding back roads, pass several dozen large estates and farms—there stands a tiny cottage. The orange, two story home stands on an acre of green grass, spotted with small groups of colourful boxes and big trees—and it’s the last place on Earth that people would expect the Son of Exy, the child of the East Coast’s most notorious serial killer, and a short blonde “psychopath” to live together.
For the three, there was no better place for someone to hide from the public eye. A home for the Exy off season where not a single paparazzi would know to go. As far as the general public knew; Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten, and Kevin Day disappeared during every off season and trying to figure out where they went was like pulling teeth.
The Colorado’s star Exy players take their time off to relax in their home instead of living in the apartment then rented in the city during the season. It was what Andrew would call, the one place that any talk of exy is banned permanently. If Kevin and Neil wanted to talk about training or anything exy related, they had to physically walk over the property line—sometimes they spent over an hour just standing on the edge of the road just to talk.
The home isn’t just a beautiful property for the trio to live and let live, though, and they aren’t the only inhabitants. Every one of the clusters of brightly coloured and hand painted boxes holds a happy group of bees and the queen they follow.
On an average week, the three would leave the clusters alone to do what they needed. They’d only interfere if some unusual activity started up around the hives and then on the weekend all three would suit up to check on each hive and provide the normal maintenance.
They made the hives bigger or smaller, depending on how the hives were growing, using smokers to calm the bees down before opening them up. Kevin liked to joke that his partners were just like the bees when they were still playing for the Foxes— only letting people in after they’ve had a smoke and an occasional drink, stinging otherwise. Often, the joke was answered with an eye roll from the shortest of the three and a playful swat on the shoulder from Neil.
Kevin knew he was lucky that they cared for him because anyone else would have been done with him after hearing that once a week.
Right now, the three were finishing up the last hive for the day before they were going inside to take a well deserved rest. The inside of a thick bee suit is the last place any of them wanted to be during the middle of the hottest day in June, especially not when last night’s rain upped the humidity to hellish levels. The rain was also the same reason for why they were checking on the bees earlier than usual, opening them up to make sure everything was still alright inside.
“This one’s good,” Neil said, pulling out a section to see if the hive had started expanding. Kevin sighed in relief at his confirmation, lessening the pumping on the smoker so they could pack up and get inside. The top was put down before they had to leave, wheeling the big wagon full of boxes and separators away before they could brush off any remaining bees.
“Both of you better take a shower before you get on that couch,” Andrew said after the suits were off, directly causing the simultaneous groans from his partners as they shuffled to the bathroom together. He knew they were going to try to “save water” by bathing together—even if they always got distracted during. It happened every weekend without fail. Andrew just used the separate shower upstairs.
Unsurprisingly, he was the first one back into the kitchen so he put the kettle on the stove for sweet ice tea. It was way too hot for cocoa and tea. A sentiment that both the cats agreed with, the two of them probably hiding in the bedroom upstairs where the air conditioning was the strongest.
Neil and Kevin came downstairs just as Andrew put the tea bags in to steep, settling on the chairs of the island.
“Now can we take a nap on the couch?” Neil asked, his soft smile growing when he saw the tea kettle.
Andrew thought about how tired he was and mentally sighed when he realized he wanted to sleep. “If you go to the bed I’ll join once I’m done.”
It was astonishing how they did this every week like clockwork. Finish with the bees, take a shower, then take a nap. About 50% of the time, Andrew would join them—the times he didn’t would be when he took advantage of the peace to read.
The two smiled and nodded, quickly going upstairs to settle for the afternoon while Andrew poured the sweet tea into a glass pitcher with ice to sit until dinner. There was a little more sugar inside for the express purpose of irritation his taller partner.
After, he was able to head upstairs to join the two for their nap.
On the bed, Kevin was laying in the middle with Neil being the little spoon. Both had already fallen asleep in the ten minutes it took for Andrew to finish making ice tea. He couldn’t blame them, though, and instead pulled off his tee shirt and pants so he could crawl behind Kevin.
His back was facing the wall and he could see his partners, safe and happy. The soft sunlight came through the bee themed curtains (Neil’s idea, of course) and was blanketing over them, bathing the two in a yellow light. A stupid though of halos flickered through Andrew’s mind and he told himself he needed to lay off those romance books that Renee kept sending him.
Andrew settled into his,no their, bed and sighed quietly through his nose as his aching muscles settled. As if by instinct, Kevin shuffled a little close—not touching, but close enough that Andrew had the choice to reach out and wrap his arm around his waist. He decided he would unless he got too hot.
He quickly drifted off with the other two—thinking how proud Bee would be if she could see him from Heaven or whatever place good people went to.
The farm, Honey Thera-bee, settled as the owners all fell asleep together.
Written by @pipedreams-and-hallucinations and posted with permission.
