Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 6

everything the little man owned, and this was the only thing that worked. If one could call it that.
    At one point, Samael was ready to turn the sheets into a toga, but Bran wouldn't allow it.
    At least Brandon looked better. In fact he was far too cheerful, snickering and snorting every time he glanced Sam's way, trying to rein in his amusement but failing, miserably. He had laughed so hard when Samael had come out of the bathroom in his borrowed attire, there were tears rolling down his face and he was nearly blue from not being able to breathe.
    It took him a full ten minutes to be able to talk.
    Bastard!
    Samael was glad to see the color back in his Little Raven's cheeks though. Before he'd left the bedroom for the shower, he'd paled considerably and his eyes had widened with fear. One minute Bran was looking at him as if he was an oasis in the desert. The next, he was afraid, and wearing the same expression Sam had seen too many times, on too many faces. There was no way to know what set him off. So much was going on; it could be any of it. They were basically strangers to each other, but Samael couldn't help but feel a connection to him.
    Maybe it was because he'd lost everything. Maybe because, no one had really ever seen him before. All he knew was being with Brandon felt right, and he did not want to see the man ever look at him that way again.
    As they approached the department store, Bran turned to open the door for him and lost it again. Samael was a few steps behind, and knew he probably resembled a penguin, or a black duck. Arms plastered to his side as he waddled forward, shuffling his feet to keep the stupid shoes from falling off. He could feel the shorts wedged into the crack of his ass too, so he knew the way he was moving was creating that 'very fashionable look' of raising just the inside of the shorts, making the hem fall at an angle, while the crotch bunched up. Lovely!
    Sam glared at Bran, but he was hunched over holding his stomach, so he didn't see. "Hardy, har, har," he said dryly.
    "Sorry. I'm so…" Bran looked up at him only to break down into fits of hysteria again. This had the great benefit of bringing his humiliation to the forefront of anyone in the area. Heads swinging. People pointing. Everyone trying to see what had someone roaring with laughter so hard they were wheezing.
    Maybe he should take a bow.
    "I am sooo going to get you back for this." Samael grumbled. "I have a long memory. I promise, someday your time will come." But he was trying to hold back his own amusement at the situation, and knew his lips were twitching with the effort.
    "I really am sorry." Brandon said in a squeak, trying to calm himself. "I can't help it. You're so hot, and that makes it so much worse ." He quieted for a few breaths, wiping his eyes, but before long, he let out a bark of laughter once again. "I keep waiting for you to break into song, and start waving your hands around your head, showing your whole stomach to the world. Maybe we should've tied a knot in the front of the shirt, under your chest." The last few words were almost unintelligible through the chuckling.
    He couldn't keep it in anymore, so he joined in, chortling along. He knew he looked outrageous, and the whole situation was so bizarre, there really was nothing else to do but laugh.
    He didn't remember the last time he had let himself go like this. It felt… good. Freeing. Fun.
    After several long moments– when they'd both calmed enough to function– they entered the store, heading straight toward the shoes.
    ****
    That was the best shopping trip Bran could ever remember having. He couldn't recall ever having so much fun just buying clothes. They joked, poked fun at each other, pushed one another around, and just had a grand old time.
    He would never in his life, forget Samael in that outfit. He should have taken a photo. The man was so big, so strong and manly, that he looked even more insane because if it. There's Sam, all sexy combination of GQ and WrestleMania, dressed in an outfit that says 'hand-me-downs from my trailer trash little sister.' And when he walked, shuffling his feet, trying not to fall over… Oh god . He still had to chuckle every time he pictured it. Bran's mind drifted between thinking of Tommy Boy, 'Big man in a little coat," and Samael wearing a belly shirt, dancing around and singing, "It's raining men."
    It was just too much! He thought he was going to die laughing.
    When they finally made it to the