MORE BS AAAAAAAAAHH

A Familiar Taste

"Time is running out."

bullshitted the ending as usual

It was such a shock, the first time Edge was invited to a family meal with the Hofmeisters.

In the Winskill household, family dinners were hell. It started out alright, with Edge helping his mother prepare the meal. Both were excellent cooks. They'd set the table, and sit patiently until Asvaldur came.

The man then served himself, then his daughter, then his wife, then his elder son, and finally Edge. An obvious hierarchy of his favorites.

Edge would receive minimal food, but any protest only earned him a beating. His mother would slip him some leftovers after Asvaldur left if she could, but it was hard at times.

The entire meal would be eaten in heavy silence. The exception was Fairy, though. If she said something, her father would suddenly be all upbeat and happy because he'd do anything for her.

Holi always left the table first without a word. He had no love for Asvaldur, emotionally scarred from a young age as a result of witnessing his father hit both his brother and mother. He had his suspicions about continued abuse towards Edge, but his brother never confided in him and he never asked.

Fairy would eventually leave, and Asvaldur would find the smallest reason to scold Edge. It didn't matter how small and petty it was, he'd at the least beat him. In more severe offenses, he'd burn him or even starve him.

Family dinners inevitably led to Edge nursing his wounds and crying himself to sleep. If Asvaldur slept early, Janna came into Edge's room to help him and provide some comfort.

In comparison, family dinners with the Hofmeisters was a heavenly experience.

The first time Lance invited him over to share a full on family meal was a while into their relationship. They'd had casual meals at Lance's place before, but those were mostly just the two of them and maybe Hansel.

They sat around the table and instead of being silent were chattering away. Edsel, Lance's father, was a quiet man, but a very family oriented man. He was getting used to having Edge around, and was slowly opening up in front of him. Very much like if he were family.

By this point, Irmalinda was aware of Edge's home life. She'd made plenty of food, which she was used to, considering her two ridiculously hungry sons and her almost equally as hungry husband.

She filled everyone's plates generously, and they enjoyed a hot, fresh meal together. So unlike Edge's home, where waiting for Asvaldur made the food cold.

When Edge finished, she urged him to eat more, promising that it was no problem at all as everyone else was having more as well.

It was the most satisfying meal Edge had ever had.

Irmalinda then made it a point to invite Edge and Janna over for dinner on Monday nights, when Asvaldur worked late. He had no desire to confront his wife about her friendship with Irmalinda.

It touched Janna deeply that Irmalinda provided so much for Edge, as an entire day and night without being subjected to Asvaldur's bullshit was more than he even dared hope for. Not only that, but he got an incredible meal as well.

That first meal was very prominent in his memory, as it was more or less the beginning of the Hofmeisters initiating him into the family.

Afterwards, they'd gone up to Lance's room and Lance kissed him softly, long and sweet. "I will protect you."

Those same words were what made the tears in his eyes spill over as he and Lance exchanged wedding vows.

"I will protect you."

Lance had kept his promise through the years, and married his now husband. As the officiant announced them married, Edge felt Lance's lips against his own, so familiar and loving and one of the memories that flashed through his mind was that first dinner.

He felt he could never repay the Hofmeisters for what they'd done for him, but he wanted to throw a thank you dinner for them once they got back from their honeymoon. Just like that first dinner, only he wanted to host with Lance in their own home.

That dinner would stick with him forever, and so would the love of his family, as they had been in a spiritual sense all along.