[FIN] Homeward Bound

[BlackFireKitsune]

Ahh, would he ever get tired of seeing those sweet, shy reactions of his? No, he didn't think he ever would. Love warmed his smile and crinkled his eyes a tad at the corners as he took another bite of his sandwich, contenting himself with listening to his boyfriend and his mother talk. "Ahh, I see," Joanna replied thoughtfully, mulling over his response as she took another bite, chewing slowly to let herself think more. After swallowing she went on, "That's very understandable then, and sadly it's not the same way many places here, though I think it also depends on the type of people you talk to. Some people accept it but others don't. Maybe someday it'll be a more normal part of life - something that's no longer a consideration - but it is for now, especially for Abel's father," she finished ruefully. "He takes quite a while to warm up to things. It's best to expose him to just one at a time too, which is why I haven't told him about you two finding a new apartment together just yet. You don't want to overload him or anything," Joanna added, chuckling a little as she picked up her mug of coffee to take a sip.

Footsteps thunked up the porch stairs then, and Joanna hummed thoughtfully into her mug. "Sounds like your brother, Abel," she noted as she set the cup back down again and lifted her sandwich once more. "I guess Taavi and your father are still busy outside."

Indeed a scant two moments passed before a young man opened the kitchen door, bringing with him a warm breeze that smelled of flowers, fresh grass and hay before he shut it behind him. He was similar to Abel but different; a little shorter, a little wider, his hair a little longer, and as he turned away from the door and faced them, the expression on his face was a little surprised. "Oh, hey," he said, his voice a little deeper than his brother's.

"Hey man," Abel replied readily, a grin spreading easily across his face as he abandoned his sandwich and coffee for the moment in favor of standing and walking around the table to meet his brother partway for a hug. With that done he left an arm slung over the shorter man's shoulders and gestured to his boyfriend with his free hand, "Aaron, my boyfriend Zevran. Zev, my little brother Aaron."

Surprise faded from his expression, instead replaced by faint tinges of uncertainty as he regarded the stranger. "Oh, uh," he began eloquently, adding a moment or two later, "nice to meet you."  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran gave a slightly dark chuckle and nodded. "So I have discovered. Well, he can take his time! I am not in a rush to go anywhere." This last was directed at Abel with a warm crooked smile. "I can put up with Abel for a while at least," he said fondly.

The sound of footsteps made Zevran perk up attentively, and tense up internally. Ah, s**t. Was this it then?

Apparently not.

As Aaron entered Zevran gave him a crooked friendly smile, though it was paired with a rather searching look. "Ahh, Aaron," he gave a casual mock salute, "I am glad to meet you as well, you are just in time! I have half a sandwich here I could part with, on the understanding another is coming."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Zevran earned himself a fond smirky smile for his trouble. Not for the first time, Abel was glad he could bring his boyfriend along with him.

But Aaron was there now, blinking uncertainly at the unfamiliar man in their house. "Uh," he replied just as eloquently as before, his eyebrows furrowing a bit as he replied with more of a question than an actual answer, "that's okay?"

"Don't you worry about him dear, Aaron can make his own sandwich for lunch," Joanna assured him before eating another small bite of hers. "You go on and finish your sandwich."

Abel gave his brother's shoulder a pat as he chuckled and returned to his seat, though as he passed by Zev he reached a hand out to gently tweak his boyfriend's ear. Aaron, on the other hand, relaxed a fraction and turned to begin making his own sandwich with an amiable, "yeah."  

[TawnyAngel]

Talkative fellow, wasn't he! If anything he looked a bit nervous, certainly not quite sure what to do with himself. How difficult it must be to be a shy person!

Zevran grinned, nipped playfully at Abel's fingers as he tweaked his ear, and shrugged. "Whatever you prefer Aaron. How is that door coming out there? Do I need to send Abel out to help?" This last was said with a teasing glance at his boyfriend and then; "You would if I asked you wouldn't you?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Oh, uh," Aaron said in his usual eloquent manner as he paused in the act of cutting a few more slices of ham to make his sandwich with, peering thoughtfully over at the kitchen door as if it'd give him the answer to Zevran's question. "It's fine now, we managed to fix it with Taavi's help. They're just cleaning up now, I think; should be in in a few minutes probably."

Ah, that was how he wanted to play, was it? Aiming a playful smirk at his boyfriend, Abel's hand darted forward to tweak his other ear, the one closest to him this time. There were so many ways he could respond, but alas, he couldn't really say all of them. Oh well. "Trying to get rid of me so soon, are you?" He teased, but then his smile softened. "Oh I probably would, yeah. You know I'd do anything for you."

"Gross," Aaron interjected brightly, his faintly amused voice not so dissimilar to Abel's own teasing tones.

"Dude," the taller blond countered, eyebrows lifting as he stared - or attempted to - at his brother with the best shocked expression he could manage despite the grin that tried to push its way onto his face. "I know you didn't just call Mom's ham gross."

Joanna gasped as long and as loud as she could in an attempt to sound as deeply offended as she possibly could. "Shame on you, Aaron!" She chastised her younger son, though her mock-angry voice was quite at odds with the bright, amused grin on her face.  

[TawnyAngel]

For a moment he thought that 'gross' was- well the sort of thing he suspected Abel's father was thinking and started to tense up a little. Not so though apparently and realising this Zevran relaxed again and chuckled softly, teasing ran in the family it seemed! He felt more at home here already.

"How terrible of you Aaron! You know I think you might be nearly as terrible as your brother which is quite a feat, he's the worst." Zevran crinkled his nose at Abel. "But I put up with him because he is so very obliging, and he makes good coffee. Also," now he smirked at Aaron, "he never calls my food gross."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Aaron spluttered a little as he was ganged up on, his face flushing somewhat, though the bright smile on his face belied his amusement. "I am literally the worst," Abel agreed with a broad grin and a chuckle, and crinkled his own nose at Zevran in return. "I would never call your food gross, for one because it's the best and for another, I'd be left to starve!"

Joanna turned her 'fury' on her older son. "I thought my food was the best!"

Abel immediately shoved another bite of his sandwich into his mouth before he could insert his foot into it again instead.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Oh-ho, I like this game!" Zevran smirked at Abel and lounged back in his chair as much as you could in a kitchen chair and also as much as you could without resting your weight against the healing injuries on your back. "You were saying how my cooking was the best? Would you like to elaborate on that once you have swallowed?" Zevran turned his smirk onto Joanna. "Do you ever wonder how a Rattata feels trapped between a Persian and a Liepard?" He was learning his pokemon related turns of phrase quite well he thought, and this seemed like an apt time to use one.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Aaron perked up and watched the trio with obvious interest, a lopsided grin forming on his face.

Joanna grinned brightly and chuckled. "I always have wondered!"

Abel finished his bite of sandwich and shook his head. "Nope," he replied promptly and leaned back a little in his seat, grinning broadly as well, "not gonna happen. There's absolutely no way I can win this game, and no way I can get out of it without starving myself somewhere. I am not even about to play this game."  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran leaned one elbow on the table and then propped his chin in his hand to better exaggerate his inspection of Abel's expression. "Don't tell me, there is somebody else who secretly cooks for you and is better than both of us? I am hurt Abel! You should have told me so I could get some tips from them. And speaking of tips," he sipped his coffee and then toasted the cup towards Joanna, "my pastry is still no good, I am sure I followed the instructions you sent me last time but it still didn't come out very crumbly. Perhaps you can show me while we're here? I am sure a fruit pie of some kind will be called for at some point."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel scoffed at the thought and reached for Zevran's other hand to pull it close and press a kiss to his knuckles. "I would never cheat on your cooking. Or you," he added almost as an afterthought, though the smile he aimed at him was warm and deeply fond.

"Oh, of course!" Joanna perked up visibly, abandoning the line of teasing in favor of talking about baking. "There's always a call for fruit pies dear. Maybe tomorrow or the day after? We've plenty of time to talk about cooking or baking while you're here."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Good answer," Zevran smirked again, squeezing Abel's fingers fondly as he spoke.

"I had definitely hoped to cook some things with you while we're here," Zevran continued swiftly to Joanna. "I may have an ulterior motive for this! But you will not find out what it is until later on." There were still some blank pages at the back of the book he'd created to fill, he hoped he had the energy to do more than merely spectate as it was done.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel squeezed Zev's fingers gently in return, his smile still fond, then picked up his mug with his free hand to take another sip of coffee. Joanna's eager smile brightened and turned curious as she peered over at Zevran keenly, as if studying his face would give her the answer to her unspoken question about what his ulterior motive could possibly be. "Oh, do you? Well, I can wait! We can definitely cook together while you're here though dear, ulterior motives or not! I've been looking forward to having you in my kitchen," she finished, aiming a warm smile at him.  

[TawnyAngel]

When Joanna studied him Zevran winked. "I hope you will think it worth the wait!" Abel was certain she'd love it and so he wasn't worried about that, he just wasn't quite sure how to go about giving a sincere gift... well, to somebody who wasn't Abel anyway. "But regardless we shall have excellent fun, and spend a lot of time laughing while everyone else in earshot wonders if they are the joke," he added mischievously, nudging Abel as he spoke as though to indicate who the probable joke was about. "In a very caring way of course."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Oh, I'm sure I will!" She replied brightly, though her gaze remained keen and curious, almost searching. Not that that stopped the amused grin or the chuckle at his words. "We'll have loads of fun, I'm sure, and of course! We only tease because we care -- right Aaron?"

The named gave a huff as he put his assembled sandwich in the press, though he couldn't help the amused smile on his face, and Abel smirked over at his boyfriend as he returned the gentle nudge. As Joanna the last bite of her sandwich, more footsteps sounded on the porch. Unlike when Aaron came in with one set, this time there were several; a heavier set, a lighter set, and a handful of faster, almost scrabbling sets. The latter sets became clear as the door opened and a Flareon and Jolteon with coat patterns similar to Isaac's darted inside ahead of Abel's father. "Hey guys," Abel said with a grin to the pair of eeveelutions as they darted over to say hello first to him and then to Zevran, their eyes bright and eager as they practically danced in place. He'd greet his father and introduce him in just a minute, once he wouldn't trip over excited Pokémon.

"Hello dear," Joanna said without turning around as she wiped her fingers off on a napkin, then stood up from the table. "I'll bet you and Taavi are hungry after all that work, I can make you some sandwiches if you'd like."

"Oh sure, thank you," the taller man replied as he promptly turned to wash his hands off in the kitchen sink.