Welcome to our new place!
DM: NottListening and Widogast
NottListening Stop panicking
Widogast I can’t. I have been panicking since 4 this morning. This is a been bad all day even with my anxiety medication and it hasn’t worked.
Widogast What if they don’t like me.? This is something that he says is not an issue and I want to believe him. I do, but I also know that it can be hard to go against the family.
NottListening I understand that. But objectively, you are smart and going for a good degree. You’re polite and charming even when you sabotage yourself. And I think you underplay exactly how likable you are.
Widogast But this is different.
NottListening Of course it is
NottListening but you have been there for him and Fjord knows that better than anyone.
NottListening And I doubt he will run away just because his parents don’t like you
Widogast Aunt and Uncle.
NottListening The sentiment stands.
NottListening If you need me, I am only call away. My boss thinks you’re my brother anyway, so a family emergency will get me on the phone immediately
Widogast Veth.
NottListening And even if it didn’t I’d just answer anyway and tell them to fuck off.
Widogast Thank-you.
Widogast Out of everything this this last year has brought me, it is difficult to find something that tops you being back in my life. And even Fjord knows that.
NottListening And I am back for good. But you have a family to meet. And I know you’ll win them over.
“You need to relax.”
“You know, Veth said the same thing.” His voice was barely above a whisper in response.
They were sat outside of Fjord’s childhood home south of Houston. A small spot and all on one level. To Caleb, it was a shock to see what Fjord had meant when they were raised in very different homes. In Germany, he lived in an attached house, yes, but there was nothing truly remarkable about that. It was two stories with two bedrooms and the third was turned into an office for his mother that had a day bed in case someone stayed. Small, but nice.
Fjord’s childhood home was small and not in terrible shape, but considering the number of people who resided there, it was miniscule. The front lawn was scorched from the heat of the sun increasing too quickly and the water bill not being worth the landscape upkeep. Four cars were parked out front with three in the driveway and one on the half curb along the street. A missionary-styled home from the 1970’s that housed seven or more people at any time in a four-bedroom location. Caleb sunk in his seat for a moment and tried to pretend he was dreading the walk because of the weather and not inadequacy.
“Do I look fine?”
“I mean this in the most loving way possible, darling. But you look like a white boy. But a nonthreatening one.” Caleb grumbled unintelligibly and felt Fjord’s hand take his. “You’re gorgeous, Cay. But I also know that how you look won’t really matter.”
Caleb nodded and took a deep breath. Walking up to the door just behind Fjord and practically lead blind by the hand. He felt as though he was on the edge of a panic attack as Fjord knocked and they waited for the door to open. Inside, three different voices yelled in a muffled Spanish. The door was pulled open and a man shorter than Caleb with his black hair overtaken with gray and white with some facial hair that was growing in after a long day. Behind him in the hall was a woman who was about Veth’s height with her hair pulled back in a dark braid.
“Tio,” Fjord said, then continued on in Spanish. Caleb watched patiently and only caught a few things he remembered from Spanish class with some embarrassment. It was faster than he was used to with a different dialect. After a few more statements from both sides, Fjord turned to him.
“Caleb, this is my Uncle Ven. He’s the one who raised me with Tia Lucy. She is apparently still cleaning.”
“H… hallo sir. It’s nice to meet you.”
They stood at the door for a few minutes longer until they were informed it was clean enough inside. As they went in, Fjord muttered how the house was usually impossibly clean for how claustrophobic it could be in there. He held tight to his boyfriend’s hand as they walked through the small entryway and into the living room where a smaller, elderly women sat hunched in her padded chair as she crocheted what appeared to be a blanket. No doubt for the many grandkids and great grandkids Fjord had told him about. Fjord spoke to her and she looked up and Caleb watched as her look of confused turned to one of pure joy. She hurriedly finished the row she had been working on and put it to the side.
Caleb released Fjord so he could step forward and help his Abuela to her feet and pull her in. She was dwarfed almost comically by her grandson. Caleb watched for a moment then averted his gaze as he felt like he was watching something he was imposing on. While he had been home more recently than the five years since Christmas, but it had still not been since he had headed out to Boston the previous school year. He had stayed over the summer with Molly and the Clays with Bo’s room available to stay in. He looked back when Fjord called his name gently.
The conversation was once again a fast-paced and familial one. After a quick comment she had said with a glance over to him, Fjord had the tell-tale signs of shyness and embarrassment. Fjord seemed to incorrectly translate her comment about him being a rather pretty young man. Her hands waved at him to call Caleb forward with her. He moved and she led him to the couch where she sat with the two boys on either side. Fjord acted as translator for her, though Ven and Lucy transitioned into English once they started talking.
GAME HOES
MT how did it go
FjordTough he is asleep right now we just got back
FjordTough I think it went well
NottListening You think?
FjordTough adjustment period but Abuela likes
HeySailor whn ur gma likes nuthin els mattrs
BigBadWulf Darrow do you type like that just because it physically pains all of us to read it
HeySailor p much
DarkAngel I’m not surprised. Your Abuela adores you, Fjord.
MissJester How was it being home? <3!
FjordTough it’s
FjordTough I honestly don’t know
FjordTough it’s nice to see everyone. I’ve missed them a lot
FjordTough but it’s weird knowing this is it. I’m officially moving out of Texas for good and there’s something bittersweet.
DarkAngel But you’ll be home for Christmas.
FjordTough yeah I know
MT I’m glad they like him though
FjordTough me too
HeySailor didnt abuela say caleb was prettier than your other girlfriends and she would have dated him too
SassyWitch Omfg
NottListening Did you translate that for him
MrPalomares2 No, he did not.
Caleb returned with Wulf not long after his Tia had left to go shopping with his youngest cousin. In that time, Tio Ven had pulled Fjord to the side and asked about his boyfriend. It was uncomfortable at first, as Fjord found himself explaining a few times how what he felt was real and true. He had explained what happened to “that lovely girl” who they had seen in call years ago. Tio had grumbled about it and had gone back to his gardening.
Fjord knelt down and started to pull weeds with him. It was a slow process. It always was. His four cousins had hated working in the garden. Abuela and Tio loved it, and that was the way young Fjord was able to bond with them. It was strange to have the rough soil that had been watered a few hours ago rubbing on his hands now. The house was not the greatest. In fact, it was cramped at best with his oldest cousin and her husband sharing the master bedroom with their two kids in bunkbeds. Tia and Tio had the second smallest room with his last cousin in the smallest. The other room was his Abuela’s. Yet, at any time, the two couches acted as sleeping space for the others to stay as they needed and as life got hectic.
“He seems quiet,” his uncle noted in Spanish. Fjord hummed and nodded. “He is nice.”
“I know it is something different.”
“I don’t get it.” His uncle admitted it freely and it made his chest burn. “But you are happy. And you have come home to see us. That is more than before him. So, it is good.”
“I’m sorry I never came home. I just had my life out there and it was hard to find a time to come home that worked.” Fjord looked at his Tio and sighed. “I am happy I came home.”
Caleb walked down the driveway through the dead grass with Wulf walking behind him. His boyfriend stopped for a moment to press a soft kiss to the temple of his Abuela, who was sitting in the shade of a swing. The woman knew that Caleb could not understand most of what she said, but at the distance both nephew and uncle could see she was talking to him about something with a smile on her face. She patted his cheek and waved in Wulf for his own hug.
“Are you coming back for Christmas?”
“I think so.” Fjord frowned and watched as the two New England boys politely nodded at whatever his Abuela was saying. “Just… ah. Caleb is Jewish so…”
He was surprised when his uncle gave a laugh. “She wont mind. But we have time to work on the family.”
“Thank-you.” Fjord thought about what he how he wanted to phrase the comment, as he knew it needed addressing. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be okay with all of this.”
“We almost lost you once before,” his uncle said after a long pause. The man rarely spoke of his flight into Jacksonville, North Carolina to see him after he was brought back home early from deployment. Or anything during that time period. “This isn’t worth succeeding. In that.”
Doc B (12:09am): pulse check
Palo (12:10am): Just finished packing up the trucks
Palo (12:11am): I think Abuela will disown me if I lose him.
Doc B (12:13am): Tia Lucy will come around. She hated me 2 u kno
Palo (12:15am): I know. Bedtime, we leave at 0715.
GAME HOES
FjordTough [Image Sent]
FjordTough three sleepy boys on the way back home
MT See you soon daddy uwu
FjordTough stop.
Texas was hot and unforgiving. It was Fjord in the truck with a rented car carrying the rest driven by Wulf. They had purchased a long-ranged radio for the ride in the event they became separated. Caleb road the first few hours of the trip with Wulf. He had released a lot of the anxiety from meeting the family. Wulf, for his part, was calm and understanding. He had recently brought Caduceus home for the fake relationship to take merit. Wulf had been annoyed about the “proof” of being happy longer than the group chat was aware. The man was deeply private and had no intensions of letting people in on the issues he had. But with Caleb and the family conversation already happening, it was simply easier in the moment.
“I just don’t see why they can’t be happy. I swear, once you and Astrid started dating other people, it was like I had a timer on me.”
“I don’t understand why they can’t be happy about you being comfortable.”
“I don’t know. But as long as Caduceus is willing to play along, I feel like it’s off their back. Though, the constant talk of how he is a doctor soon was…”
“Exhausting?”
“Nonstop, Caleb.” Caleb snorted at that and his friend gave him a withering glare. “When they thought, I was going to date Astrid, it was at least the standard and boring ‘pretty girl’ thing, but I should have asked Molly to stand in for this.”
“He would have,” Caleb mused.
“And made a horrible impression on purpose.” Wulf smirked and shook his head. “It seems like they liked you. The family.”
“Ja. Well, one of the uncles… well.” Caleb paused and looked out the window. “The people who matter are okay with it. Or they are at least more willing to accept than others might have been. They do seem nice.”
“I’m glad. Though his…. Uncle I think it was. He seemed intimidating.”
“Very.” Caleb sighed. “It is better than I thought it would be, honestly. It is more than I expected.”
Caleb drove next with Fjord taking the truck the second of the three legs. Wulf slept while the two continued on, checking in on each other over the radio as they went by. As they crossed into Louisiana, the radio crackled from the truck ahead and Caleb smirked.
“One day, I’ll take you to New Orleans. It’s worth the trip in the off season.” Caleb snorted.
“You just want to take me to the gay bars so you can show me off and I know it.”
“Of course, I do.” Caleb could hear the smile in his voice. “You’re gorgeous.”
“Stop flirting while I’m trying to sleep,” Wulf grumbled from his seat.
They stopped on the other side of Jackson in a questionable motel. This night, all three men did stay together in one room. The man behind the counter gave a withering look at them but said nothing. Fjord stayed up for most of the night to keep watch on their trucks. The next day, he slept in the back seat of the car while Caleb slept, and Wulf drove the truck. The two drivers kept each other awake and entertained by playing the alphabet game as they went. Fjord woke up as he was woken up by Caleb laughing at the tirade Wulf went on regarding the epic search for the letter X. He shuffled awkwardly and rubbed his eyes. Caleb blushed and looked at the road. Sleepy Fjord was one of his favorite looks. He was soft in the tiredness. He was cute with his hair mussed to one side and a pouting face.
As they turned north, Fjord took over the truck and Caleb stayed in the second car. Wulf had taken a rest for that leg of the drive through toward Virginia. Fjord bullied his boyfriend into the back seat to snap while they got another room again. As Caleb was guided in, practically dead on his feet, Fjord pointed out that this was what Wulf had wanted to avoid. The man nodded solemnly and sighed.
“At this point, I know we’re all too tired for anything more.”
Neither could really argue that.
They were practically silent for the last leg of the journey. Once they got north of Pennsylvania, they woke up a bit more, but had little desire to speak more than that. The site of Boston road signs was a welcome sign for the three tired drivers, especially the two who had just done that trip
GAME HOES
NottListening When are you having the big stream
NottListening I know I can’t make it but I could call maybe
SleevesRBS ask the adults
FjordTough adult*
SleevesRBS adult*
MT @DarkAngel
DarkAngel Can Cad and I get our hair done in peace?
SleevesRBS no
DarkAngel I’m thinking next Thursday so Molly can be there as I assume that’s okay
NottListening That works for me
WhatsurPoison Is this the fabled “apartment opening night”
Dynamis What would you call two nights ago if not that?
SleevesRBS a drunken gay mess honestly
FjordTough I mean…
SassyWitch He’s just salty because he will be in California by then
MT well I’m salty that we could fly out with him
SassyWitch Same, though
Dynamis I will try to get you both over here in the winter instead, so you can escape the snow.
NottListening How to ensure you stay with someone for the next few months
GreenTea I think in Molly’s case it is because our mother adores Essek.
SassyWitch I’m apparently dad’s fave so I’ll take it
NottListening You know, I was concerned about you three when you first started
NottListening But I’m glad you seem to be figuring it out
SassyWitch Thanks <3
GreenTea I am simply glad that I now have my camping friend through this now that my two brothers are dating his friends. It has been nice.
WhatsurPoison Cad, you’re like… goals for a good guy
HeySailor tru tho but u lov me 2 rite
FjordTough He really is though
WhatsurPoison of course I love you boo you’re my sbackup plan for paying for grad school if I don’t get the assistance I need for the next two years
ItsYaBoi Sorry?
HeySailor i txt u abut it
ItsYaBoi I didn’t realize you were serious!
MissJester What’s this owo
WhatsurPoison Darrow said we could get hitched so I can use his education benefits to finish school if I can’t get the full thing covered
DragonQueen It’s a sound business plan
FjordTough At least you know before rather than most of the junior idiots who marry after two weeks
HeySailor mami will love her neway
MT ah yes contract marriages
SleevesRBS That was a result I was not expecting out of you two meeting tbh
ItsYaBoi Same.
SassyWitch Same
DarkAngel Eh, Darrow is charming, I see it.
HeySailor luv u 2 bb
SassyWitch So if I got this right. Fjord and Darrow are friendly ex lovers. Both of whom have been or are married to Caleb, but Darrow is also the husband of my boyfriend who is also married to his best friend and dating Essek.
MT yep
HeySailor aye
FjordTough sounds about right
BigBadWolf Why am I in this chat?
MissJester Because you loooOOOOoooove us <3
DragonQueen <3
SassyWitch <3
BigBadWolf No
MT <3
MrPalomares2 <3
NottListening <3
BigBadWolf …
BigBadWolf <3
“Hey y’all,” Fjord said brightly as the stream shifted from “Beginning Soon” to the live screen. “I know we’ve been absent for a while and It’s great that everyone has stuck around for so long. Today is a bit of a weird one, as it’s the whole house in one spot, but here it is.”
The apartment had borrowed Caleb’s series of folding walls to blank out anything that would be too easily identifiable. On the couch and the small love seat that was brought up from Texas and a chair found on Craigslist, its occupants and a select few others were spread out across. Beau and Yasha were on the love seat while Molly sat next to Cali and Rissa was on the other side. Reani was in the kitchen with a few of her friends who had come over to cook with Yasha in between rounds of Mario party. It was nice to have people over, especially now that everything was set up and cleared out. A bookshelf in the corner with the small trinkets they had collected and pictures. Another filled with actual books and binders of notes from classes.
Caleb sat at the dining room table, manning the different chats as Beau and Molly both hosted the stream that was done through Fjord’s site. Largely because the equipment was all Caleb’s from his own VR set up. Astrid was with him on her computer to mod the chats with him and Essek was doing the same, but from his family’s home in San Diego, as he was on the week-long break to see them before his internship started at Raytheon. Nott was on call with Reani as they cooked, though the voices floated over their conversation.
“We’re not starting on the first round of this as we had to test a few things out. But we have a few fan favorites here to play with us and a full house. So, let’s get this new leg of the journey started.”
He heard a snort from his boyfriend and looked over to see the man had pulled out the delicate chain around his neck and was holding the longer and shorter chains. He smiled at that. It had been two weeks since their trip to Texas. Since then, they had barely seen each other. That was understandable, of course, but it made seeing him all the better for the small house party. It felt like start of something new. And he hoped that the redhead would be there for the rest of it.