Chicken Bolts ((Seth))

[chace]

The weather looked crumby. That was a good word for the weather: crumby. Not to say that it was cold or foggy or blazing hot, it just was. The temperature was such that one could be outside in muggle jeans and a muggle sweatshirt and be comfortable. No, the adjective comes from the sky. The clouds were looming over the Earth doing their very best to block out the sun. They gave the entire world a grey hue. Chace was reminded of a muggle story he once read called... oh what was it called... "The Wizard of Oz." The author describes 'Kansas,' a place in the States, as dull, boring, and very grey. In addition to removing all the colour, these clouds were looking very angry. As if clouds could be angry. But these ones were. Angry. They were going to take revenge on the people below at any second. Any second now they were going to open their gaping mouths and pour forth a flood upon the ground. Then they were going to bash into each other and cause great thunder and lightning. Any sane person would be safe within shelter finishing that holiday potions homework that Snape gave the leaving sixth years. But everyone knows that seventeen years olds are far from sane. On this crumby day, Chace and Seth could be found in one of their favourite spots, on top of a grassy hill. Seth was staying at the Coxen manor for one of his 'extended stays' and this was the final day before he was going to go home. Chace often liked to think that Seth lived with the Coxen's and when he went home he went on vacation. It usually wasn't very long until Seth came back home.

Chace lay on his back, his head toward the top of the hill. Seth lay next to him. They just stared at the looming storm. Chace bet Seth that it would be another ten minutes before the storm started but with each passing moment the clouds seemed to get angrier and angrier. Although neither of them said it, this was a little game that they were playing. Which one would chicken out first and suggest to go inside the manor? Chace was determined not to lose but if he saw some lightning he would quickly tell Seth he had won as Chace dragged Seth by the arm into the house. Chace had two younger brothers but he didn't feel nearly as protective of them as he did of Seth. Most likely because Oz has Riley and Connor can take care of himself. Seth on the other hand would be lost without Chace. It was amazing that he had even made it to second year at Hogwarts without Chace. Chace pushed himself up with his hands to adjust his position and his hand accidentally touched Seth's for a second. He smiled and gave Seth a friendly push. "Geez Seth, if you wanted to hold my hand all you had to do was ask." That was their humor. They always teased each other that the one was gay and secretly lusted after the other. Lara and Willow hated their humor. Frankly Chace thought that they were jealous of all the time that Chace and Seth spent together regardless of the jokes they made about each other. Chace supposed that he could spend more time with his girlfriend, but there was the small fact that he didn't want to. The time that he spent with Lara was fun, but he could not imagine spending more time with her than that.

Chace squinted his eyes as he saw a black shape against the clouds. It looked like a common bird. "Hey, do you ever think that birds get struck by lightning? Like what if they were together in a flock and all of a sudden BOOM a lightning bolt hit one of them. Do you think the entire flock would be done for? Although I've never heard of a bird getting hit by a bolt of lightning. At least not from the sky..." He added with a grin. When Chace was young he took his Dad's wand without permission because he wanted to perform magic with it. He didn't know any spells so he just went outside and swing it around while mumbling made up words. All of sudden a spark flew out of the end of the wand shooting skyward. Unfortunately, that stray spark found a passing bird in the sky. It burned the bird's wing. Chace can still remember the thud that the body made as it hit the ground. His mother could not tell if the bird had died when the spark hit it or when it hit the ground. Either way it was gone. Chace cried all night and promised his parents that he would behave from then on. Bruce and Yasmin decided not to punish Chace because they thought the guilt was punishment enough. Sighing, Chace rolled onto his side so that he could look at Seth. "You're going to come back for my sister's party, right?"

[Seth Wright]

Seth gave a long, contented sigh. This was the life. A life filled with relaxation, peace and quiet. Seth was always tense, so to be able to be calm like this, release all the pressure that built knots in his stomach and created invisible yet heavy burdens on his shoulders, was a relief for him. He spared Chace a glance out of the corner of his eye before riveting them back to the sky, a smile dangling off the edge of his mouth. It was just the two of them, lying out here on the dry summer grass that filled the air with a lush, pollen scent. Seth treasured these rare moments when it was just him and Chace; the rest of the world mattered little... Seth could leave them behind along with his sour memories of the past. Now - this moment in time - he had Chace, and Seth was happy. He couldn't ask for more. He shouldn't ask for more, and Seth never did. He didn't believe in God, but he still talked to himself as though someone or something else existed within him, listening and nodding and answering his never-ending queries. And Seth's conscience told him that it would be wrong to expect any more. This was the best his life could get, he knew it; and he would treasure every moment and not take it for granted. It was hard to take things for granted when you had lived like Seth, and yet Seth was so naive sometimes he was indeed capable of it. He didn't do it in a selfish way, just an innocent way. However, when he realised he had taken something for granted he would immediately correct his thoughts and thank God - well, his conscience? - for all the good things he now had in his life. Like Chace.

Chace was always there. It was hard not to take him for granted. That was how used to him Seth was now, because Chace was always by his side. That's why Seth couldn't imagine a life without him. A life without Chace wasn't a life worth living. He could survive without Willow, even though he'd never tell her that. He loved her to pieces, but he didn't need her. And he knew she didn't need him. Their relationship was about love. But Seth's friendship with Chace was necessary. Maybe not necessary for the second eldest Coxen, but it was for Seth. He relied on it fully; sometimes too much and then he had to remind himself to grow up and out of the habit of being dependent on his best friend. But over the years Chace had also told Seth how much he meant to him. Not always with words, because Chace wasn't like that - he wasn't a wordy person - but Seth knew him well enough to tell what he was trying to convey through expressions and actions. Chace needed Seth too, to some extent, and even if that didn't equal how much Seth needed him, he was still delighted to be needed at all. No one had ever needed him. He was a burden to his mum, even if she loved him to pieces, and she reminded her of their traitor father. Eva didn't need Seth either; she was too independent, a little madam already at the age of sixteen. Chace had family too, but Seth knew he was different; he was Chace's best friend and therefore he was special.

Take now, for example. Even though the Coxen house already had five children, a harried mother and a working father, Chace still continued to insist on Seth staying over every summer for long periods at a time. Sometimes Oliver Jackson would do the same, being Oz's best mate, and a younger girl that was Connor's good friend. To Seth's knowledge Cora didn't have any close comrades her age and he wasn't surprised. Riley's best friend was Oz. Seth found it amusing that it was the female Coxens that didn't have squealing female companions over for the holidays, it was the guys who wanted their friends round. "I do not!" Seth parried Chace when his best friend changed his position and in the process brushed his hand, joking about it. If someone else had thrown such a whimsical joke at him Seth would've probably burst into a bright blush, but he knew Chace meant no harm by it; he was, after all, most natural with his best friend. "In your dreams, Chace," Seth continued to scoff with a smirk. "You're not my 'mummy'. I can look after myself." Casting a mock haughty look and then chuckling, Seth let their atompshere lapse into comfortable silence again, his eyes searching the beautifully lit sky for any signs of aeroplanes or birds. As if Chace was reading his mind he brought up the issue of the latter, and shrugging, Seth said, "Dunno. Probably." He shifted his lanky figure to turn to its side and took his eyes from the sky and laid them on Chace's thoughtful expression. "They'd probably get really confused. I hope they'd realise one of them was missing, but they might not. Re-group and continue flying... leaving that dead one behind..." Seth trailed off in a mournful tone of voice.

"Yeah." Seth perked up again with a grin when Chace said he'd never heard of it happening anyway. "I'm sure it doesn't really happen. And someone told me birds fly in patterns anyway... They're bound to notice one of them is missing. They wouldn't leave a fellow bird comrade behind... Though how they'd find and carry the corpse..." Seth burst into hilarious laughter. "This is a stupid topic. Why are we talking about this anyway? And people say I talk a load of rubbish. You're exactly the same as me, Chace Coxen. Or maybe my stupidity is rubbing off on you." Playfully flicking Chace on the ear, Seth continued to stare intently at his best friend, who still lay looking up at the heavens. Eventually Chace broke the silence again. Seth found it somewhat amusing that it was the other Hufflepuff initiating all the talking. Usually it was Seth the talker, Chace the listener. But when they were together and no one else around the last boundaries were stripped away. Chace was himself with Seth, and Seth was proud of being able to draw that part of his best friend out of his reserved shell. "Well duh," Seth replied, trying not to smile through his grimace. "Of course I am. I can't leave you on your own for the 'vultures' to pick at you." Seth's smile turned playful. "I don't like parties, but we could always sneak away at some point. You know... play some chess. It'll be more fun than talking to those sorts of people. You know what they're like. They're my least favourite sort of people..." He blushed a little then. "I'm sorry, I know that means your sister too. Not that you mind, but still..." After a short pause Seth said, "Do you think Riley and Oz will try to gate-crash the party? Would be quite... interesting."

[chace]

Chace could not help but chuckle deeply as Seth took his topic of a bird seriously. That is what he loved about Seth. Every topic, even the most mundane, was serious and should seriously be discussed. Chace knew that he could bring up random thoughts, like a bird being struck by lightning, and Seth would be willing to at least think about it. Random thoughts like birds and lightning often ran through Chace's head. This is why he didn't like to talk to random strangers. They would not understand his thoughts, his worries, his hopes, his desires. They wouldn't understand Chace in the least. But Seth does. The very thought of Seth makes Chace smile. More than Lara. That very thought often worried Chace. If he was more comfortable with his best friend than he was with Lara, how could they ever be a advanced couple? Advanced was not the right word, but a couple on a deeper level than physical attraction. If he was having these very thoughts, should they even be together? Maybe it was because Chace had known Seth longer. They spent more time together than he did with Lara. After all, Seth and Chace had lived together since first year and really known each other since their second. Lara and Chace had hooked up and the end of their fifth year. Sure, Chace and Lara had known each other but it wasn't the same as living with her.

A crack of thunder was heard in the distance. Chace looked in that direction and wondered how long the two of them would be able to stay out there. Chace guessed if anything happened he could always apparate to the house and Seth could side-along with him. Chace was not sure that would be okay with the ministry but to save their lives would surely be a good reason. Chace was already seventeen and had passed his apparation test. A fact that he held over Seth's head with glee. Soon they would both be seventeen and then the real fun would begin. After they graduated from Hogwarts, Chace wanted to travel. Since they would be seventeen they would be able to apparate everywhere they went and so they would not have to waste time traveling by car or train. He had not really shared this idea with Seth yet more like he had hinted at it. He certainly had not told Lara. Lara would tell Willow right away and they would both insist that they should come. Being their girlfriends, this was probably natural. But Chace wanted the trip to be a guy trip. He wanted to be able to burp and blow off any time that he wanted. He didn't want to have to act like a gentlemen. Not yet. Chace looked at Seth who was seemed to oblivious to the coming storm. Typical Seth. It could be raining outside and Seth would be standing in the middle asking why he was getting wet. Typical lovable Seth.

Chace sighed. "I'm happy for Cora. I really am. She's my sister and I'm happy to see her succeed. It saddens me that Riley, Oz, nor Connor seem the least bit interested in her life. She did go through a divorce. This promotion to me means that she's moving on with her life." Chace turned to make eye contact with Seth. "She's not my favourtie person, but she is my family. No matter what my other siblings say about her," Chace added with a smile. Some of the things he heard his younger brothers and sister say about Cora astounded him. Perhaps they did not know Cora as well they would like. Perhaps they did. Chace wasn't going to put himself in the middle of that. If they wanted to work out the problem they would work it out. "Oh I'm sure the twins will do something. I can't remember the last party that they didn't do something to spoil it. They even crash their own parties."

[Seth Wright]

Seth, being typically unobservant, didn't notice the gradually nearing rolls of thunder from the distance. He seemed the type to be afraid of storms, but Seth had never disliked thunder and lightning. OK, he didn't like them, but he wasn't scared either. If anything, it was Chace who was always more concerned about things like that. He was, after all, more sensible. If danger was imminent then Seth would always be dragged to safety by his best friend. If there was no Chace, Seth might not have lasted as long as he had, not only in terms of fighting off the bullies, but keeping him out of stupid situations as well. Seth listened to Chace elaborate about his sister and his family and tried to smile in a reassuring way. He knew what family troubles were. His were not the same as Chace's; how could it be, when Seth only had one sister and a mother (and let's not forget the half-sister) whilst Chace had four siblings and both parents whose marriage was in tact? But Seth had family problems and in this sense he could sympathise. The Wright and Winter households lived side by side in apparent harmony to any stranger. However, the truth was that Payton had left one home to go to another, leaving a penniless woman with her two-year-old son and unborn daughter. He'd had another child by this new woman, and besides giving a little money to the Wrights, Payton had done little since to associate himself with Lucy, Seth and Eva. In Seth's eyes, he was an evil man, and always would be. He didn't hate that other woman and his half-sister, Evelyn Winter, as much as he hated Payton. It was all his fault.

Chace had a similar problem in his own way. His father, Bruce Coxen, was a controlling, intimidating and ambitious man. He only cared for his eldest daughter, Little Miss Cora. Cora was about two years older than him and Chace, and she was just like her dad - proud, intelligent and a workaholic. Seth wasn't fond of either Bruce or Cora, and went out of his way to avoid them. The rest of the family did not even act like a family at the best of times, even though Seth liked them more. There were Riley and Oz, the twins in Gryffindor, who would be going into their fifth year. They were troublesome pranksters, but Riley was feisty in a way that reminded Seth of Eva, and Oz was humorous. Riley was also in the same house and year as Eva. Connor was Seth's favourite other Coxen sibling though; he was only in fourth year, a fellow Hufflepuff. He was sweet and caring and he was just a younger, outwardly friendlier version of Chace. Seth often mentioned it to him, and his friend would merely smile knowingly but say no more. And there was Yasmin, the mother hen of the large brood. She was always rushing around trying to keep things together; she didn't always succeed. She had a big heart, but she was so obsessed with her duty as Mrs Coxen that she often forgot everything else around her - like how her family just didn't jar as a family. Seth and Lucy and Eva were very close, and seeing the Coxens with their money but lack of affection for one another made him realise just how lucky he was.

"Uhuh," Seth nodded in understanding as he listened to Chace intently. Not a word slipped past his ears; normally he couldn't concentrate for more than five minutes, but Chace was a different matter. "At least Connor gets on with Cora," he pointed out in an attempt to instil some faith in his friend's view of his siblings. "Of course your sister will move on in her life. I couldn't imagine her doing anything else but that. She's too... headstrong and all that, you know?" Seth shook his head and smiled, turning around to peer at the heavens again. "I wouldn't worry about her, man. Cora's a strong one. Worry more about Connor or the twins or something. They're the ones who need your help and guidance and all that. I'm telling you from an older brother perspective." He grinned at Chace and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Stop looking like that. It's not the end of the world. It's just your family. Every family has it's, you know, bits. Problems and all that, yeah? You'll all get past it one day. And you'll live happily ever after." He said it jokily, but he hoped it to be true. Seth liked to believe in happy endings. "Of course. Family is still family. It's in your blood." A slight frown crossed Seth's face; Evelyn. Was she family to him? Seth would think about that later, because it made his brain hurt and his emotions run thick. "Yay. I don't have to dress up all night then," Seth cheered happily. "I hate wearing suits. Ugh. I have to wear that one your mum got me last time, remember? Then we'll match. Great."

[chace]

Chace didn't take his eyes off the looming storm clouds but he still heard everything that his best friend was saying. "Worry about the twins?" he asked Seth jokingly. "I'll worry more about what prank or practical joke they're going to pull next rather than how to be a good brother. Connor on the other hand..." His mind drifted to Connor his youngest brother. Connor was sweet and innocent and Chace hoped that he stayed that way forever. Unfortunately for Connor when he was born there were already four other children to look after and consequently Chace fears that Connor might have been looked over as a child. What was Yasmin supposed to do? She couldn't possibly stop the world just for her youngest son. There were four other children that needed her attention. That's probably why Connor seemed so independent to Chace. That or lonely. He could never really tell.

Chace's attention was brought back into focus when Seth mentioned something about matching at the party. He looked sideways at his best friend and smirked. "I don't know, I think you look pretty handsome in that suit," Chace knew, whether Seth admitted it or not, that Seth was a little embarrassed by the fact that Yasmin had brought him that suit. But it really had little to do with his financial situation. Yasmin would have brought him that suit even if his family was richer than the muggle Queen. The biggest reason she had got him that suit was to make Chace go to family functions. They were never about Chace. They were usually get togethers celebrating Bruce or Cora. Being the wise woman that she was, Yasmin knew the only way to get all her children to come was to guilt their friends into coming. Thus the suit. "It reminds me of some old married couple the way we match," he added.

A gust of wind blew across the boys. The breeze was not cold nor warm. It just was. Still, Chace took the hood of his hoodie and placed it over the back of his head. More for a fashion statement than actual warmth. He could see rain in the distance and didn't think it would be too long before the rain was upon them. Until then however, they could sit out there for a while. Chace had nothing more to say. He wasn't really the talking type and once he got something off his chest he wasn't one to continue the conversation. He didn't mind if Seth continued to talk. But that was listening. Listening was different. Chace sometimes thought he could listen all day long and never utter a word and be perfectly content. Much to his dismay, social procedure asked him to make some sort of response every now and again. His hand found a blade of grass and plucked it from the earth. As he looked at it he felt a drop of rain on his hand. He looked up and saw several more drops were following. Smiling he reached over, took a hold of Seth, stood up, and turned on the spot. Another day rain. Another day.