Hey Sunshine

Why Wasn't There a Handbook For This?

WYLAN LAY AWAKE IN HIS BED, staring up at the tinted pink ceiling as his phone buzzed behind his ear. Twisting around to make it closer to himself, he pulled it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey sunshine," Jesper said. "Why are you awake?"

Wylan resisted the urge to roll his eyes (but like, fondly). "You did call Jes," he said smiling into his phone. He wished he could see Jesper. "Shouldn't you be glad I answered?"

"Well, I did call to make sure you weren't staying up late again," Jesper answered calmly. "And you failed the test gorgeous. Go to sleep."

Wylan sighed and ignored the familiar red flush on his cheeks, choosing instead to turn around on his back and stare up at the tinted pink ceiling again. "Well, Kuweii's been acting weird and I just remembered why the two of us fell out of touch," he told Jesper honestly. "I - we - we're just not good friends anymore."

"I hate it when that happens," Jesper answered. "Well you've still got two weeks left. What happened?"

"I - just - he's got his own interests, I've got mine," Wylan said helplessly, moving to an upright position. "I just don't understand him anymore. He's being really... " he trailed off, uncomfortable about saying anything rude.

"Cryptic? Irritating? Stuffy?" Jesper offered. "My dad just gave me a look and - oh! Speaking of, you want to talk to him?"

A furious blush rose onto Wylan's cheeks. Did he want to talk to Jesper's father? Wasn't the whole meeting the parents thing something that happened for a long term relationship? Had they hit the meet-the-parents stage? Was it required? Oh my god - did Jesper want to meet his father? Did Jesper want to meet his mother? Where even were mothers that abandoned their sons during key times of their life and didn't reappear until it was time for their sons' boyfriend to meet them? Was there a facility? A small unheard of island? Maybe Wylan could leave off Jesper meeting Jan Van Eck until they got married - yes, that was the plan. He was leaving it until - wait, marriage?

"I can literally hear you over thinking this," Jesper interrupted calmly. "Don't worry. I'm handing my father the phone right now. We'll talk about prospective wedding venues when we both get home."

"Wait what?!" Wylan almost choked as he heard audible movement on the other side. There was a long exasperated sigh coming from somebody, before some more movement was heard. Finally he heard a rougher voice - like Jes', but not - speak a reluctant hello.

Oh my god what if he hates me?

"- hello sir," Wylan blurted out of the blue, mind going completely blank. Goddammit what manners did he use when talking to his own father? Last time they had spoken had been cold and cut off. Oh my god what was Jesper's father saying?

"... hellooo?"

The greeting was repeated and incredibly dragged out, voice filled with uncertainty. Wylan blinked rapidly as he scrambled for a response.

"Hello," he finally settled on.

"Hello," Jesper's father repeated.

"Hi," he answered feebly.

Jesper's father didn't seem to know how to respond to that. "Hello."

"Oh my god," he heard from a fainter voice. Jesper. "Is that all you're going to say, because if so then hand me the damn phone and let me speak to my boyfriend."

"Jesper," his father said sternly. "I raised you better than this. Let me speak to Wylan. Now Wylan," Wylan took a deep breath of preparation, ready for whatever Colm Fahey was going to say next. "... um, hello Wylan."