Two days after it had happened, my mom told me to invite him over for dinner. To me, this wasn't a big deal. Dean, however, was extremely nervous, and while it was extremely adorable, it was also a bit annoying.
"Calm down," I sighed as Dean paced across Elijah's living room.
"No! What if they don't like me?"
"I've never brought a boy home, they have nothing to compare you to."
"But I'm the first! That means I have to make a good impression."
I sat up on the couch. "But wouldn't you have to make a good impression even if you weren't the first?"
Dean stopped pacing just long enough to glare at me. "Not funny."
"Oh, come on, it was kind of funny."
"You suck at jokes."
"You suck in general."
"Oh really?" he sat next to me on the couch, one eyebrow raised.
"Yes, really."
"Are you sure about that?"
I shrugged, standing up and making my way into the kitchen. Looking at the time, I realized I had about ten minutes to get to my house before my mother got mad.
"I have to go," I said, going back into the living room and lacing up my shoes. "See you in a few hours?"
Dean nodded, smiling as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on my forehead. When he leaned back, his eyes were wide, his expression slightly embarrassed. "I'm, uh, I'm sorry." he stuttered.
I laughed as he cheeks turned a light shade of red, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. "Don't be." I stood up from the couch, leaving a slightly stunned Dean on the couch. "See you later."
--
"Chicken's almost ready," my mom smiled. Dean was supposed to come over in the next few minutes, and I was buzzing with excitement. Despite his worries, I knew my parents would like him.
The doorbell rang, and I heard my dad getting up off the couch to answer it. My mom and I fell silent, trying to listen to their interaction.
"You must be Dean," I could hear my dad's smile in his voice.
"Hello, Mr. Anders," Dean's voice was smooth, his nervousness almost completely masked.
Almost.
"Please, call me Hudson," my dad said. "Come on, my wife and daughter are in here."
As the footsteps neared the kitchen, my mom and I began speaking, hoping to cover up our eavesdropping.
"Dean's here," my dad said as they entered the kitchen.
My mom turned around, wiping her hands on a towel before offering Dean her hand. He took it, shaking it twice before they retracted their hands.
"Hello, Mrs. Anders," he said, a nervous smile on his face. "I'm Dean."
"Call me Christi," she smiled. My parents shared a look before going into the dining room to finish setting the table.
"I'm so nervous, Audrey." he whispered, walking closer to me.
I laughed quietly. "Really? I couldn't tell."
He rolled his eyes.
"Seriously, relax. You'll be fine."
He nodded once, and then we made our way into the dining room.
"Can I help you with that?" Dean asked my mom, offering to place the silverware at every spot.
"If you insist," she smiled, letting the utensils fall into his hands. He moved around the table, placing the utensils where they were supposed to go. My mom walked past me on her way back into the kitchen, whispering, "I like him."
--
"So you just moved here?" my mom asked Dean, taking a bite of her salad.
Dean nodded, nervously clearing his throat before saying, "Yeah, at the beginning of the summer."
"Where did you live before here?" my dad asked, taking a drink of his water.
"Kind of everywhere," Dean replied. "We move around a lot."
"Why?"
"My dad's a marine," he explained, his eyes darting back and forth between my parents.
"What does your mom do?" my mom smiled, sipping her wine.
"My mom, uh- She passed away when I was younger."
I watched my mom's face turn a dark shade of red as she stuttered out, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
"No, it's okay," he offered her a half smile, cutting the chicken on his plate.
"I really am sorry," she repeated.
"Don't worry about it, it's fine."
There was an awkward silence, the only sound being heard were the utensils against the plates. After a few minutes of that, my mom stood up, grabbing her plate.
"Ready for dessert?" she asked, leaving the room before anyone had the chance to answer.
My dad chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "She doesn't know how to handle situations like that, she thinks she's offended you."
Dean breathed a laugh, shaking his head. "She didn't."
My dad smiled, picking up his plate and going into the kitchen.
"Did I just mess up?" Dean whispered when he was out of the room.
"No," I stood up, grabbing both our plates. "Like he said, she thinks she's offended you."
I helped my mom bring out dessert, and more small talk was made as my mother tried to get to know Dean, but was also nervous, still worried she'd upset him. He stayed for about an hour after dessert, and then, checking the clock, said, "I should probably be getting home."
"Curfew?" my dad asked.
Dean shrugged. "Kind of. My dad wants me home tonight, I haven't seen him too much since we got here."
"Does he live on the base?"
"Yeah, but my brother and I are staying with some friends," he checked the time again. "I'm sorry, but I really do have to go."
"It was lovely meeting you," my mom smiled, giving Dean a quick hug. He awkwardly returned it, smiling as he said, "As was meeting you."
"I assume we'll be seeing more of you," Dad said as they shook hands.
Dean's smile returned as he looked at me. "I hope so."
--
awkward chapter i'm sorry. but i don't know how this stuff goes bc i haven't gone through it yet ayeee
but hello friends i have returned. i hope you enjoyed this :-)
did everyone have a good new year? any resolutions or goals for 2015?
