The microwave beeped loudly as the last of the TV dinners finished heating.
I set them on top of the plates Dennis had laid out.  It looked kinda
silly.Dennis had gotten our table looking all nice and now there were Lean
Cuisine containers on it.

We sat down and started to eat in peace, when all of a sudden, the door
swung open.  "Mark!  You gotta help me!"

I shook my head, mocking his words.  "Kane!  You gotta knock!  What, is the
damn door invisible?"

Kane stared at me for a moment, then moved to sit in the chair next to me.
"The neighbors are pissed at us again."

"I can't imagine why."  Dennis mumbled.

As if to make the situation worse, the door crashed open again and Bradshaw
ran in.  I threw up my arms in disgust.  "Dennis, we need to get a new door!
People obviously can't see this one!"

Bradshaw crossed his arms, sitting down between Kane and Dennis.  "I saw the
door, I was just following Glenn."

Maria's eyes widened.  "Glenn?"  She stared at Kane.  "You're Glenn?"

My poor brother just blinked at her. "Uhm.yeah."

She got up and threw her arms around him.  "Glennie!  Do you remember me???"

Kane just looked at me, mouthing "help me."  I took pity on him.  "Kane,
this is Maria.  You remember her."

Kane pushed her away.  "YOU THREW ME OFF A ROOF!!!!!"

Dennis and Bradshaw stared at the two of them as I busted out laughing.
"Oh, come on, she didn't push you, you fell."  I snickered.  "She did help
you a bit.  Served you right for spying."

Dennis shook his head.  "Guys, can you keep it down a little?"  He stood up.
"Here, Glenn, John, I'll make you two some Spagetti-o's, ok?"

"Don't burn them!"  I yelled after him as he went into the kitchen.

When I turned back around, Maria was smiling at me.  "Dennis seems sweet, if
a little.different."

I shrugged.  "Different he is, but he just wouldn't be Dennis if he acted
normal like everyone else."  I thought about our two houseguests.  "Then
again, in our group, he's probably the most normal."

She seemed about to make another comment, but Dennis comes back, still
making a desperate attempt to smile.  "I found one of those ready-made pies
in the freezer, I stuck it in the oven so we can have dessert later."

Maria and I smile back at him, and the rest of dinner isn't nearly as
eventful.  Conversation starts sounding at least slightly adult, even if
Kane keeps glaring at Maria and Dennis looks like he just might have a
nervous breakdown soon.

 We end up in the living room, watching a movie.  Bradshaw is, as always
making stupid jokes, I am, as always, doing my best not to haul off and
smack him.  Everything was going, if not smoothly, at least not awfully,
until Kane started to cough.  "Oh man...smells like smoke all of a
sudden..." he hacked.

Then, I noticed the trail of smoke coming out of the kitchen.  "Uhm..." I
started.

Dennis jumped to his feet.  "Oh shit!  The pie!"

He rushed into the kitchen, and I followed behind him.  Yep, the smoke was
coming from the oven.  Grabbing a hot pad, I opened the oven and pulled out
the tin.  I think it used to be a pie tin, but it was currently a deformed
piece of metal with something charred inside of it.  I set it down on the
stove.

Dennis looked at it, and his mouth did that thing where it opens and closes
but no sound comes out.  It made him look kinda like a fish.  "Everyone,
just get out," he said quietly.

I touched his shoulder.  "Denny..."

"Just go away!" he yelled.

Well fine.  Kane and Bradshaw went back for their movie while I walked out
onto the porch.  Maria followed me.  "Dennis seems to be a little upset,"
she said.

I shrugged.  "It's been a bad few months.  He has the right."

She sat down on the porch swing.  "Mark, what attracts you to Dennis?"

I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it.  I sat down next to her.
"I can't really say.  I just am."

She blinked, and suddenly I could feel her hand on my arm.  I froze, not
moving.  "Are you sure it's not just because you know he won't leave you?"
Her fingers started brushing up and down my arm.  Oh damn, she's been
talking to that damn shrink too long...

I jerked away.  "Hey look...I'm with Dennis, ok?  And not just because he
won't leave me."

She looked back at me.  "Tell yourself what you want, but all I know is the
Mark Callaway I knew couldn't stop holding the people he loved and I haven't
even seen you touch Dennis since I got here."

"Maybe I'm not the Mark you knew."  The words were out before I really
thought about them.  Hell, she was right, I hadn't touched him, but I never
really did, not when people were around...Then it hit me.  How I could show
Maria, and for that matter, Dennis, that this really was a serious
relationship?  "Denny!"  I yelled.  "Get out here!"

"I told you to leave me alone!"  came the harsh voice from inside.

"No!  I need you out here now!"  He finally came outside, looking
frustrated.  "Hey Denny, remember when you said you were real flexible?"

He stared at me.  "Yes.  No, I can't get my feet behind my head.  Why are
you bringing this up now?"

I just shook my head.  "Can you dip?"

"Can I what????"

I answered him by showing him, bending him over as far as I could tilt him,
our lips locked in a deep kiss.  I was vaguely aware of shouts and whistles
above me, but I was too involved with claiming Dennis's mouth with my own.
I had managed to get him off-balance, and now his arms were clasped around
my neck for dear life.  This only made things more fun.

Finally, when both of us were out of air, I pulled him back up and grinned
slyly at Maria.  She just closed her eyes and shook her head.  "Mark, you're
an idiot."  There was no denying the amusement in her voice.