(Archived) Poth Short Stories and One-Shots

Back to the Start - Chapter 1

So we have another sequel for this month. Make sure you're caught up on 'A Brewtiful Beginning' so this story makes sense and let's get started~

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Palette hummed along to a song on the radio as his car whizzed past a welcome sign pitched next to the highway. Checking the GPS, it predicted a little more than half an hour before he and his driving companion would arrive at their destination, provided the Thanksgiving holiday traffic cooperated.

Glancing over at his passenger, he couldn't help the sympathetic smile that made its way onto his face. Goth was staring out the window with what appeared to be a neutral expression, but the way he was fiddling with the tail end of his scarf projected just how nervous he truly was.

Reaching over while still keeping his eye lights on the road, he felt around for the smaller's hand and grasped it as he said, "It'll be okay, I promise. Your family wants to see you just as much as you want to see them."

"But what if they don't like how I turned out?" the hooded skeleton immediately fussed, "What if I'm not what mom and dad are expecting? What if my brothers and sisters hate me? I walked out of their lives and ignored them for eight years... I'd be more surprised if they didn't hold some resentment toward me."

Huffing to himself as he changed lanes in anticipation of the exit ramp, Palette brought Goth's hand to his mouth; pecking a gentle kiss against his knuckles. The show of affection set a lavender blush on the smaller's cheeks that made the artist's soul titter in happiness each time he earned the reaction from his boyfriend of three months.

It should be criminal to be so adorable.

"Goth, I think you could walk into their home covered in tattoos wearing nothing but your underwear and your parents still wouldn't think any less of you," Palette chuckled, getting a snort from his companion.

Succeeding at easing the tension, he released his boyfriend's hand in favor of the steering wheel and continued, "You were the one that told me you and your mom spent the first hour on the phone crying at each other before you could actually have a conversation and your parents were the ones that encouraged us to come up for Thanksgiving break; very enthusiastically, I might add. They love you and they'll be glad to see you again no matter what you say or do.

"As for your brothers and sisters; I don't know anything about them, but if they're anything like you they'll be happy to see you too. They're your family, after all."

Goth watched the scenery pass by as he sighed, "Yeah, you're right. What-ifs are what got me into this mess in the first place; I'm probably getting myself worked up over nothing again."

"I wouldn't say nothing," Palette smiled to cover his own nerves, "I'm actually kind of worried your family won't like me."

Goth turned to him, "Why wouldn't they like you? Mom was really happy when I told him about us."

Palette offered a vague shrug in response, "I don't know, it's the usual 'meeting someone new' jitters, I guess. I just want to make a good impression."

"Honestly, you already did if mom's reaction was anything to go by," the smaller skeleton admitted, "When my older sister finally got her feelings across to her boyfriend and they started going out, mom didn't like him and gave him the third degree before he begrudgingly accepted the guy. When I told mom about us, the only question he had was whether we were still sleeping in separate rooms. After that, he started talking about you as if you were already family."

The artist risked a sideways glance in shock, "Really?"

"Yeah, really," Goth chuckled, "I was surprised that he took it so well; when I asked about it, he said something along the lines of, 'He's the reason you're back in our lives and he sounds like a sweet boy. As long as you're happy, we're happy.' It might have helped that I always told him about you before we started dating, so you had some major brownie points already."

"Wow, you make it sound like I did something really big," Palette murmured, flipping the turn signal on to make a left turn.

"You did, in a way," Goth replied absently, watching the cars pass them with a pensive gaze, "If you never showed up, I'd probably be holed up in my apartment right now, eating a T.V. dinner and watching holiday specials by myself as I did last year and the years before. You're the reason I have someone to spend the holiday with and the reason I'm seeing my family again; I would've been way too scared to do any of this on my own."

A dull ache settled in Palette's soul; even knowing the Goth wasn't a social monster and kept to himself more often than not, it always managed to surprise the artist whenever he heard just how lonely their life sounded before his arrival. He didn't fault his boyfriend since he knew the guilt from their past ran deep and they were afraid to let their walls come down, but the reminder still left him wanting to scoop them up and smother them in attention each time.

"Just so you know, if I wasn't driving I'd be cuddling you right now," Palette stated with a slight pout in his voice.

Goth chuckled at the childish behavior, leaning over as far as his seatbelt would allow to rest his skull upon the taller's shoulder, "Well thank you for not risking an accident; though I appreciate the sentiment. It's always nice to know you care."

Pulling up to a stoplight, Palette saw his chance and took the opportunity to wrap an arm around his boyfriend, planting a kiss on their cheek that elicited a bashful squeal from the smaller, "The road, Palette! You need to pay attention!"

"The light's red," Palette countered, sticking his tongue out playfully, "Until it changes, I'm all yours."

"Oh my stars, you're such a cheese ball!" Goth groaned into his shoulder; though the small skeleton had a telltale smile on their face.

"Maybe, but I'm your cheese ball," the artist crooned, nuzzling into their hood with a cheeky grin, "Do you feel feta now?"

Goth barked out a laugh, gasping as he said, "Yeah, I'm doing grate... real gouda now. I couldn't brie any happier."

Palette wheezed, opening his mouth to make a comeback when a horn blared behind them. The pair jolted upright in their seats, belatedly realizing the light had turned green midway through their banter. With an embarrassed blush on his face, the artist lifted off the brake to roll the car forward.

Silence hung over the duo until Goth laid his skull against the window and sighed, "I didn't realize how tense I was until just now; thank you."

Palette glanced over to see a contented smile on his boyfriend's face. He hummed to himself, infinitely happier that Goth was in a better mood than before and proud of himself for being the cause. Hopefully, it would carry over into a seamless and happy reunion.

"Anytime," the artist answered as he made a right turn into a housing community.

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Word Count: 1,203