Wreckless ( Ddlb ) *Complete*

Parentals

Finnegan:

We pull up to Emmett's dad's house and it's cute little one story with a dormer and a half porch on the front. Fenced in back yard, flowers in the front. "It's adorable."

"It's is a shithole, just doesn't look like it. Stay close. I got mugged here about a year ago."

Well okay then. Baltimore is scary, it just is. I follow him up the steps and notice how quiet the street is. It's eerie. The weather is good and it's a Sunday evening and I expect there to be kids playing, folks hanging around but there's no one. A car passes by, blasting a stereo, and Emmett pushes me between himself and the door so I'm standing right there when it opens.

"Hey, come on in." Emmett's dad looks nothing like him. Nothing. Even if I imagine Emmett with short hair and no beard, still, no. The only things they have in common is that they're male and white. He must take after his mother.

"Hey dad, this is Finn."

"Hello" I say, proud that my voice doesn't falter. It's automatic to slip into work mode.

Emmett's dad steps back and we head in. I notice that he locks the door behind us. The house smells great and we get told to make ourselves at home. I follow Emmett into the living room and sit with him on the couch.

His dad reappears with a couple of beers, then hesitates. "Beer okay for you, Finn?"

Not my first choice but "Yeah, thanks." I have yet to see even a glimmer of his step-mother but I assume she'll eat dinner with us. She's certainly a good cook if the smells are anything to go by.

"Dad, you wanna take these in to Ruth?" He hands him the flowers and bottle of wine and I'm kind of surprised that he didn't take them in himself. Not my concern, family dynamics are hard.

"Thanks, she'll love them."

As soon as he disappears, Emmett asks softly "You okay?"

"Fine.  Did you grow up here?"  I'm imagining  a young Emmett playing out in the yard. That is, if they did that back then.  Or maybe the neighborhood has always been bad.  I wonder if he still has a room here.

"No, they bought this together.  He sold our house after."

After his mom passed.  "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, darling."

His dad comes back out, sits down and announces that dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes. Okay, Emmett wasn't kidding, this will be quick. "So, Finn, tell me about yourself."

I hate open ended questions, I'm not sure what to say. "I'm from Michigan, I'm here helping to open the Walker plant."

He perks up. "Hey, Ruth's son works there, you might know him. Brad, Brad Nelson."

I don't know him, I only know management. Emmett saves me. "He's being modest, dad, he's the Vice-President."

"Oh, are you? You're young."

Yes, I am. I hear that a lot. I'm nodding slightly when Emmett says "So that tells you how good he is."

His dad laughs. "True, true. Well good job, that's a good start in life."

"What about you, Mr. Locke, what do you do for work?" Seems a safe subject.

"I work for the Social Security admin over in Woodlawn. Been there, what is it now? Almost thirty years I think. Started in the mail room, worked my way up. Lot of changes since then, place sure has grown. Tried to get Emmett in but after Iraq he couldn't handle a desk job."

"Dad" Emmett warns.

"Well you couldn't."

Thankfully Ruth appears and announces that dinner is ready and what a dinner it is. It's the Sunday dinner that you see in old movies. The table is laden with food, including a whole roast and at least four sides. I'm pretty sure the rolls are homemade and I can see both something apple and a chocolate cake still sitting on the counter. I need to save a bit of room.

"Ma'am, this is a feast" I say honestly. "I hope you didn't go to any of this trouble for me." We haven't been introduced so calling her 'Ruth' seems a stretch.

"Oh I do this every Sunday although I admit I did do an extra dessert since you boys were coming. We're always glad to have you, Emmett, and your friends. Call me Ruth, please."

Friends. Do they know we're together? I'm sure as hell not gonna be the one to tell them. "Well thank you Ruth, this is wonderful."

"I'll send some home with you."

She's true to her word and half an hour later we manage to sort of fall into the car because we're too stuffed to move. There's a whole box full of food in the back seat. "I may never eat again" I tell Emmett.

"Me neither. Let's get home and out of the pants, that might help."

"Sounds good." We don't talk much on the way home because I can't breathe deeply enough to have enough air to talk. I look out the window while Emmett drives and it's nice. Comfortable. Easy. We get home, manage to make room in the fridge for the leftovers, and get out of anything that doesn't have an elastic waist. "Em?"

"Yeah?"

"Do they know about us? It's okay either way, I just--"

"I caught that too. My dad knows, for sure. I assumed he told Ruth but maybe he didn't. Or maybe she was trying to be polite or not overstep or something, I don't know her well enough to know how she feels about it darling, sorry."

"No worries, I just wondered. Probably wouldn't have given us so much food if she hated me."

"You might be right. You definitely made a good impression, Finn, you're good with people.  So, you have an early morning and a big day tomorrow. What would you like to do tonight? Cartoon and then another chapter?"

I don't need it tonight like I sometimes do but it sounds good and I should fill up my 'relax' tank before the week starts.  I'm not sure how long it'll be before I can free up an evening to spend with him.  "That sounds amazing, Em. If you have things to do I can just chill."

"I'll be back in ten minutes and I'll be all yours. Find something to watch and get comfy."

"Okay. Em?"

He's halfway up the stairs. "Yeah?"

"Just in case I forget to tell you later, I'm really looking forward to breakfast tomorrow."

He leans over, his hair cascading down around his face but I can still see his wicked grin. "I didn't know you liked blueberry muffins so much." I grab a pillow and hurl it towards him. "Missed!"