Chapter Text
“Where is he?” Dakota asked Reid as he came down the stairs into their basement’s common room.
It was the summer of 2001. The beginning of June to be exact and the oldest Dare sibling had just finished a grueling day of physical labor. He was happy to finally be home. Dakota unbuttoned his work shirt, then tossed it in the dirty clothes basket by the bottom of the steps. His white undershirt had traces of oil from where the young adult had wiped his face and hands throughout the day.
“He’s supposed to be taking a bath,” Reid answered, not looking away from the television show he was watching. “How’d you know?” He wondered. “I thought you were working at the mill today.”
“I was. He left a message on my cell when y’all got home from church.” Dakota tied his shoulder length hair back into a messy bun.
“Wow,” Reid joked, drawing out the word. “Real surprised you didn’t leave early.” He itched his nose. “Mama said he’s gotta go to bed an hour early.”
“Thank, RJ.” Dakota ruffled the recently turned eleven-year-olds hair.
*
Dakota stuck his foot in the crack of the partly open bathroom door to open it the rest of the way. He looked at a completely naked Chevy. The kid was playing with bath toys on the wrong side of the tub.
“Hey!” Dakota called. “Get your ass in the water.”
Chevy screwed up his face in protest.
“Let’s go, kiddo.”
Chevy listened to his big brother.
“It’s cold now!” Chevy complained as he sat down in the bathtub.
Dakota tossed him a washcloth from the cabinet above the toilet. “Well, I reckon it’d been warm if you got in when Mama filled it up.”
Chevy stuck his tongue out at Dakota. He dunked a boat under the cool water, playing for a couple of minutes without making eye contact with his biggest brother. The twenty-year-old decided he'd have to be the one to make the first move tonight. Seeing how his normally talkative little brother had chosen to suddenly take a vow of silence for the moment.
“Tell me what happened today.”
Chevy set his boat on the side of the tub. “We were just foolin’ around.”
“You and Ashton aren’t supposed to sit next to each other.” Dakota reminded him, knowing who the ‘we’ was without having to ask.
“It wasn’t in service! Just class.” Chevy defended. “We had a new teacher, one of Cecilia’s friends.”
“She ask y’all to knock it off?”
Chevy rung the water out of the washcloth, “might of.”
“Kid!” Dakota chided. “Then what made you think you wouldn’t get in some type of trouble?”
“We thought she wouldn’t talk to our parents.” Chevy washed his body with the bar of soap. and washcloth. “Cos she hasn’t ever done that before.”
“So, she isn’t new?” Dakota raised an eyebrow. “How long has she been your Sunday school teacher?”
Chevy went under the water, when he came back up he reached for the combined shampoo and conditioner, mixed it together in his hands, then massaged it onto his hair. “Like a month.”
“I don’t like you doing shit just because you can get away with it.” Dakota reprimanded Chevy, “you know better.”
“Grammy saw us kickin’ up and pulled us out of class and into the hallway.” Chevy tried to brush the correction off. “Then she said to wait ‘til she found our daddies.”
“I guess that’s better than one of the uncles or Papa finding you first.” Dakota pulled up the stopper once Chevy rinsed his hair.
“She found Mama and Aunt Gracie. They all talked a while. Mama and Aunt Gracie told us we had to write apology letters.” Chevy reached for a towel and Dakota gave him the one lying across the sink. “Mama said I had to go to bed early for the rest of the week.”
“I know, it’s summer, but that’s not so bad. Mama or Daddy could’ve decided that you needed your butt whooped, baby.” Dakota reasoned. “Why did you say you were scared on the phone?”
Chevy rustled his hair with his towel, then wrapped it around his waist. “Daddy said I havta sleep in my room alone tonight, cos I need to think ‘bout what I did and not stay up talkin’ with Osh.”
Dakota hugged him, “I’ll think of something.”
*
Later that night, after Rodney and Elizabeth had gone through the bedtime routine and tucked Chevy in for the night. Dakota made his way from the sectional to his little brother's bedroom door. He brought Reid and Josh with him.
“Chev?” Dakota whispered at his open door. “Grab your sleeping bag and pillow, then come over here.”
The mirror lights were shinning on in the bathroom between the two bedrooms. Reid and Josh had already been filled in on their big brother’s plan. They had their sleeping bags set up on either side of Dakota’s. Right outside of Josh and Chevy’s door.
“No, don’t come out,” Dakota stopped Chevy when he made a move to step onto the common room’s carpet. “You still need to do what they said.” Chevy stared at him. “This is the loophole.”
“I’m confused,” Chevy stated.
Dakota reassured him, “that’s okay, Trucks. Lay your stuff down there on the floor. You’ll sleep on that side of the door and we’ll be on this side. Then Osh will be in at his regular bedtime the rest of the week. Ain’t nothing to be afraid of.”
*
Rodney went to check on the boys before he went to sleep. He found them cuddled together on the floor. Dakota’s arm was crossed over the doorway’s opening so Chevy could snuggle close to it, but still obey by technically sleeping in his bedroom alone.
“Lizzy, come down here and look at your boys!” Rodney called up to his wife.
“Why?” Elizabeth worried. “What’s wrong?” She tied her robe with a concerned look on her face, coming down the steps. “Rod?”
“Honey, nothing’s wrong.” Rodney promised. “Come see for yourself.”
Elizabeth met her husband at the youngest boys’ door. She sighed in relief when she saw their sons. “They got us on a technicality. Chev, is sleeping alone in his room.”
“That he is.” Rodney mused. “Look at them. They’re just being good brothers. I can’t be upset with them about that.” He tapped Dakota with his foot, checking to see if his oldest was still awake.
“I found a loophole,” Dakota stated slyly.
“Yeah, sweetheart,” Rodney mused. “I noticed.”
“If your mad it was all my idea.”
Elizabeth interjected, “we’re not. Not even a little.”
“We respect the way you look after them—always have, always will.” Rodney acknowledged.