More (Boyxboy)

Chapter Seventeen

Michael spent the remainder of the afternoon in Kalen's room, unpacking boxes and putting things where he was instructed to. When they were done, just in time for their mother to call them down for dinner, the room once again looked like it belonged to Kalen, and Michael was exhausted.

He felt even more so the second he stepped into the kitchen after changing into the business casual his mother had requested of them for the evening– "Like a nice family," she had said, but Michael wanted to correct her and tell her that happy families typically didn't care so much about how they looked for a simple meal and were more than grateful to just spend time together (he didn't, of course)– and spotted his father sitting at the usually empty head of the table. The man was nodding as he listened to Joe talk about something, paying him no mind when he entered, and Michael quietly rounded the empty end of the table to go take a seat beside Joe.

His brother had moved up a few chairs to sit in Brad's usual seat at their father's right hand, so Michael sat where Pierce usually would. When Daniel and Kalen made their appearance a few minutes later, the conversation finally stopped as their father stood to hug his youngest son. Michael watched it happen, eyes slightly narrowed as he tried to think if his father had ever hugged him before. He was sure he would have been able to recall such an instance; it probably would have over ridden him with anxiety.

When they parted, Kalen had a large smile on his face, and their father seemed fond. "You did well this semester, I presume?" he asked the youngest. On Michael's right, the chair pulled out and he jerked in surprise, eyeing Daniel weairly as he took a seat. Daniel usually sat on the other side of the table from him, but he didn't question it, only scooted his chair a little closer to Joe's to give him more room.

"I think so," Kalen answered, pulling out the chair across from Michael just as their mother entered the room. She was wearing a dress and high heels, and Michael resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"This is ridiculous," Michael said under his breath to Daniel, who grunted quietly in agreement. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Fine," Daniel offered gruffly. It sounded like a lie, and Michael was going to ask him for clarification, but didn't manage to before he was distracted by Ian bringing glasses of water to the table, the sleeves of his white button down rolled up to the place just below his elbows, exposing his forearms.

Dinner commenced as Michael expected it to. Kalen spent the first fifteen minutes talking about school with their parents, and then Joe and his father took over in discussing business. This was marginally less interesting to Michael than Kalen's life at college, so he tuned them out and focused on the steak and potatoes Ian had prepared for them.

He was deep into the process of cutting it, marveling at how tender it was– did this man make everything perfectly?– when Kalen's leg kicked out under his table into his shin. Hard.

"Ouch! Kalen!" he scolded loudly, tucking his leg under his chair so it couldn't be viciously attacked again. "What do you want?" Kalen didn't respond, only flicked his golden eyes off to the side multiple times until Michael got the message and looked to their father. The man was watching him with half lidded eyes. He looked displeased. "Oh, I'm sorry. What?"

"Your brothers will be joining me Monday at work and I was asking if that was something you'd like to do as well," his father offered, blue eyes boring into his own, making him feel as if he couldn't give the answer he wanted to.

"Oh". Michael grimaced and adverted his eyes down to his plate, stabbing aggressively at a piece of stake. "Kalen too?"

"Michael," his father warned, voice low like his name was a threat. Swallowing, Michael looked back up again, jaw clenched. When he turned his face back to his dad, his eyes caught on Joe, who was just staring at him, eyes telling him just to appease the man. "Your brothers have been attending work with me quite often, and you have yet to do so even once. I'm afraid they'll have the advantage over you when it comes to getting a job".