"Hey, Johnny?" Ollie asked, strolling into the living room later that evening. "Are you going to marry my sister?"

"Wait for it," Gibsie snickered, nudging Joey’s shoulder as he tapped away on his PlayStation controller in front of a giant TV in the living room. "He's going to start getting stroke symptoms.”

Smirking, Joey paused the game with his controller and turned his attention to the terrified looking rugby player. "Good question, Ols."

Right on cue, Kav's breathing increased, and a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Ollie!" Shannon squealed, turning the color of her crimson sundress. "You can't ask him that."

"But he bought balloons to play with you," Ollie offered innocently.

"And Joe says you only use those special balloons with girls when you want to marry them."

"I did say that," Joey laughed, remembering back to a time when that awkward fucking conversation came up. In his defense, Ollie was eight at the time, and he’d caught him off guard.

"A lot he'd know about using balloons," Johnny muttered, looking rattled, as he pulled at the collar of his shirt. "Bareback bollocky-Bill."

"Balloons?" Shannon asked, tone laced with confusion, as she snuggled up on Kay's lap. "What are you—"

"Yeah, baby." Johnny gave her a meaningful look that said go with it.

"Oh." Shannon's eyes widened as awareness dawned on her. “Balloons."

"Balloons." Gibsie choked out a laugh.

"Hold on." Frowning, Ollie turned to look at Joey. "Do you and {{user}} play with balloons together?"

"Not nearly enough," Gibsie snickered.

"Ha-fucking-ha, lad." Joey rolled his eyes. "You're hilarious."

Ollie frowned in confusion. "Huh?"

"Joey burst his balloon," Johnny explained to number five.

"And now he can't play anymore games with her because of his dodgy balloons," Gibsie laughed, thoroughly fucking enjoying himself at Joey’s expense.

"Oh no," Ollie said with a sad sigh. "Was it the needles? Does she not want to play with you anymore now?"

"Huh?"

"Did you burst her balloon with your needles?" Ollie’s brown eyes were full of compassion. "Did you make her sad?"

Everyone fell quiet, the laughing stopped, and Joey felt another piece of him die inside.

"Yeah, Ols," Joey forced the words out. "I made her sad with my needles."

"Huh." Seeming mollified with that answer, Ollie skipped out of the living room, leaving behind a bad taste in Joey’s mouth.