Fragile Threads [boyxboy]

Chapter 16

June gave Ethan a hard look. "Presentable," she muttered.

"That didn't sound very encouraging," Ethan pointed out, scratching at his neck where the collar tickled his skin. "You're the one that picked all of this out, so you can't seriously be complaining."

"The shirt is a little loose in the shoulders, but I guess if you don't notice no one else will," she complained, plucking at the cloth of his shoulders another time. "Ari's coming inside, right?"

Ethan glared at the camera ready and waiting on the kitchen table. He saw headlights flash through the front windows for a second, giving away Ari's arrival. Ethan swore and paced to the couch and back as his mother fluttered away to get the camera turned on.

Ari knocked but Ethan opened the door before he could even finish that. Ari chuckled. "Over eager?"

"Just get inside," Ethan groaned, pulling him in by the arm.

Ari's shirt was a tighter fit than Ethan's was, and instead of a tie he was wearing some sort of metalwork with an engraving and leather tassels hanging from it. It looked more western than anything else, but it suited him. Ethan still poked at it. "It's my dads," Ari commented. "He lent it to me."

"Turn, face me, come on," June insisted, camera half held up. "And Ethan stop looking like Ari's holding a knife to you. Smile."

Ethan forced a stiff smile, which he wasn't sure looked much better. Ari tickled him in the sides to get a better reaction and Ethan slapped at him for it. June got a couple more pictures. "The dance ends at eleven, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, but is it alright if we're a little later?" Ari was at least honest about it.

June frowned. "I guess. Home by one, then. I know this night child has no problem being out late." She glared at Ethan.

Ethan rolled his eyes. He could stay up late, but that didn't mean he wanted to be out. Usually he was only up late to play video games or mess around on the computer. And that reminded him. "Tomorrow you should come over," Ethan suggested quietly. "So I can kick your ass at a video game."

"Alright," Ari laughed. "We still have to stop back at my place."

"Why?" June chimed in.

"Meet the parents on my end of the deal," Ari announced.

"Did you tell them?" Ethan wondered.

"I said he," Ari admitted. "A few times. My mom kind of started crying." He shrugged stiffly. "I think it's just something about her idea of me getting married with kids one day more than anything else."

"Well maybe you can't get married now because of laws and what not," June defended it. "But maybe in a few years when that's actually relevant, it'll all be legal by then."

Ari nodded in agreement and took Ethan out to the car. Ethan leaned up against the door of the car for the short ride over to Ari's. Ari led the way up to his house, which Ethan wasn't sure he had been in since before actually finding out who Ari was.

Ari let himself in and Ethan followed. He recognized Ari's mother from the football game and gave a small, guilty wave. "Mom, I think you remember meeting Ethan, right? He was at my game. Dad, this is Ethan." Ari put his arm over Ethan's shoulder.

"Nice to see you again," his mother smiled, looking a mix of both happy and sad. "And contrary to what Ari might believe, my name is not 'mom'. I'm Nicole, and this is Matt." She gestured to her husband.

"Nice to meet you," Matt said, putting his hand out.

Ethan briefly shook his hand, noting with regret that his grip wasn't nearly as strong as the other man's. He remembered something about parents judging off of handshakes. "Nice to meet you," Ethan muttered back politely.