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Chapter 8

It was the morning of the fourth; the last three days had been painfully slow; Ian spent most of it gone if he could manage, when not cleaning or doing school work. After the fiasco with the warehouse he would purposely walk in front of the Oswald's home as he headed up the road to a park that was along a nature trail, by some apartments. He, Josh and Lance were out doing parkour with one another before the party, and Ian explained that his mom was back home, which is why he had not been out lately. His friends were very understanding, and they could see the dragon was distraught by what happened, so they took him out and had spent three or so hours chilling around the park and streets, before Ian was called, and told it was getting close to preparing for the party. He and his friends walked back to their gated community around two in the afternoon, which would give him time to cook, since Janet and Brad begged his dad to convince Ian to make something, offering even to help buy ingredients!

At least people love my cooking-- I guess.

He felt a little happier today hanging out with his friends instead of being stuck inside, but when he entered he felt a little annoyed now and proceeded to change clothes, wash his hands, and begin preparations. His mom was working on her own things at the same time; a crab and lemon aioli Hors 'D'oeuvres on a soft roll, and was also preparing two large jugs of Italian Spritz Punch. Janet had asked her to make so much of one thing, feeling guilty Janet was offering to bring a good deal of food, but she promised it was fine, she was used to cooking for a large house growing up.

With a great deal of hamburger meat, seasonings, and preparations to begin, Ian started to work. The beef was easy to season as he quickly added in his usual spices, turmeric, garlic, onion powder, red bell pepper powder, and a various blend of others. He mixed them just enough not to add too much air and began quickly molding them into patties, pressing his thumb down in the center to leave a depression, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and set it in a large Tupperware container. He was making enough for twenty people or so, and his hands began to feel sticky as he folded and pressed over and over, until he was done, and finally shoved the container in the fridge.

"You really took mom's cooking lessons seriously, huh?" Rebecca began over her shoulder as she had been watching her son, impressed with him. "I guess we were right in getting you those cook books?"

Ian nodded and quickly moved into the fridge to retract the crimini mushroom extract to make his sauce, so it could chill in time. He measured horseradish, honey, ginger, ketchup, and all spice and mixed together the dark, tangy salsa. His mouth was watering admittedly and he was feeling more confident with his work now, and he had made about two cups of the sauce, which he felt was more than enough and then quickly tossed it into the fridge. The next more annoying process would be the vacuum sealed tomatoes, which he casually explained to his mom that this would help concentrate flavors and texture, and he learned it offline. He vacuum compressed about a dozen tomatoes, and then stored them into the fridge with his mom's preparations, and was thankful to be done.

He washed his hands rapidly, glancing to his mom, "What?"

"Nothing sweety--just didn't expect you to grow up so fast."

Ian frowned and turned off the water, "I guess I had to."

She nodded and did not say anything else, but said he did a great job and she was truly impressed with him, but wondered if he wanted to do parkour or culinary arts professionally. Ian remarked that either was fine to him but he did enjoy cooking more because it was something everyone liked at the same time. He heard his father's truck pull in to the drive and the dragon emerged with three large white bags in his hands, putting them on the counter. He was in a tight exercise shirt, and some dark jeans; Ian avoided looking at his dad, somehow having not lost the sexual attraction to his handsome father.

"I bought four fountains, a clustering cicada--and Ian, I got this for you." Matthias pulled out a large black box with large T-rex on it, and images of the apocalypse behind it, "A Devil's playground."

Ian's eyes lit up and he could not deny how excited he was to see the big box, and he thanked his dad and nodded to him and his mom and then moved out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going boog?" Rebecca asked him, "We were going to watch a movie to pass the time, if you wanted."

"We were going to watch something, not sure." Matthias answered promptly, "You can pick, if you want."

"Paranormal Witness, Season Two." Ian said in a matter of fact way, "I'll be right back; I need to check to see if my test was graded."

Ian headed into his bedroom and Matthias moved to Netflix and pulled up the season while Rebecca asked what it was, and Matthias explained it was a ghost reenactment show. She never did like those things but said it was fine if Ian really liked it, and when he came back from the bedroom he sat on the couch by his dad, while his mother took to the chair.

Ian was silent as he and his family watched the hour long episode, and they would make occasional comments, and his mother would jump now and then. It was funny to see in the middle of the day; he said nothing and did not smile, he believed he was purposely maintaining an empty expression, at this point just used to it. He felt his waist nudged by his father and he looked over at him, and Matthias mouthed to him that he needed to try talking, because his mom was worried about him.

Ian sighed, "Mom you're such a big baby, you know that?"

"What?" She asked looking over at the sudden comment.

"You keep jumping, I mean look at that--that's not even scary." Ian teased her, "You wouldn't last five minutes playing one of my games. They're walking nightmares."

His mother made a sour expression and shook her head, "I don't think I'd want to baby, haha. How do you stand these things, Matthias?"

Matthias shrugged his shoulders, "My son and I like the same things, especially movies."

"Pffft, yeah," Ian muttered under his breath.

"What?" Matthias looked over, "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Ian muttered. His father looked away and then huffed quietly, reaching up to wrap his arm around his son's shoulders, and pull him a bit closer. He felt the dragon tense up greatly, but Matthias shifted a little closer and he gently rubbed the slender shoulder, hoping his son would relax a little bit. Ian softened up after a few moments but his gaze was just the same, darkened and uncaring.

"Come on, son--don't be mad at me all day," Matthias quietly whispered to him.

Ian looked over to his dad and felt an ounce of guilt, and then relaxed him-self the best he could and leaned against his dad's chest. It felt good--a bittersweet moment of intimacy and still grudged by his parent's behavior. Ian whipped out his cell phone and quickly texted with one hand and his father looked down at his pocket, pulling out his cell phone.

<<I am so mad because I've missed you.

>>I have not been gone, Ian. I've been here the whole time, Matthias replied quickly with his thumbs.

<<No, you've been gone, trust me. This is the first time you've held me in almost a month.

<<You've not said I love you two me in two weeks either.

<<So forgive me for being mad at you, too.

? ? ?

It was now ten after seven, Ian and his family had moved down the road to Brad and Janet's house, which smelled richly of Vanilla as they were led through. It was warm and cozy, and Janet mentioned how she had spent about a year decorating the inside with sandstone, brown rugs, and it was a very couture.

"Oh let me show you these cushions: I got them from overseas, they are Ty." Janet bit her lower lip as she looked to Brad who threatened if she even dared, and Janet then giggled annoyingly, "Pennington. Get it!? Haha, come on Rebecca, let's go get some Vodka."

Ian, Mathew, and Brad simultaneously rolled their eyes, while Janet flapped her hand, giggling, then she and Rebecca moved into the kitchen to share a drink.

"OH Brad sweety, can you open the pickle jar? I was about to scream at it like Willam Belli, if I didn't get my way." She giggled again as she flapped her hand, obviously the most amused person in the compound.

"Oh my god Janet, why do I love you?" Brad began as he moved across the living room to the kitchen, as Janet handed him the jar.

"Because sweety, no other woman tolerates you dressed like Tim Cur--"

"Shall we?" Brad angrily cut her off as he grasped the pickle jar, and strained to turn the lid. He looked it at cockeyed as he tried again and huffed out, asking Matthias to come do it, calling him the "Rocky" of the group. Matthias laughed it off and proceeded to try to open the jar, and he too was stumped by its refusal to move. Janet mouthed to Ian she had put glue under it and both laughed quietly, and Janet pulled out another glass pickle jar, and the vodka, and walked out to the backyard with them. Three other families began to accompany them; The Oswalds came along with The Lewins, The Bowmans and the Lakins. Matthias set to grilling the burgers Ian had prepared. The sauces were in the fridge and he began to set up the small crab aioli sandwiches his mother prepared at the table, while Janet was in the kitchen.

CRASH!

There was a sudden crash and a loud "OH" from the kitchen as Janet had ostensibly broken something, when reaching for items on the top shelf.

"Brad sweety, I think I broke your mom's crystal!" She called out from the window.

The crowd had looked on with worry as Brad shrugged it off; calling out that it was ok, because his mother was dead. Matthias laughed and asked if she was going to be ok, and Brad said she was a tough old girl like a Lincoln, she could take a beating.

Alice Oswald, who had been near, was less than humored by the domestic abuse joke, commenting under her breath that it was rude to say that. She and Mrs. Lakin were talking amongst them-selves with Mrs. Bowman, and they began discussing church for Sunday. Rebecca was invited to join them and she happily agreed to it, and Alice was happy to see that one member of the family actually believed. The comment was a quiet stab at Matthias who merely ignored it now, and his wife talked to them pleasantly for some time.

"Brad sweety, I think I broke my ankle!" Janet called out from the kitchen once more, "I need to go upstairs!"

"Ok sweety, I love you too!" Brad called across the yard, "Get some napkins, when you're back!"

Janet continued to ramble off obscure or terrible jokes, laughing her-self into a fit where she snorted, and it was incredibly audible, and most of the people in the yard who heard it began laughing.

"Oh god, the pain--I love being treated like your Italian wife baby, I'm so used to feeling the pain." Janet called out as she moved upstairs, and Brad could not stop snickering under his breath, while Rebecca moved to go see if she was actually hurt. Ian had been smiling the whole time and the guests in the yard were conversing amongst them-selves, the Keith and Karl Lewin began discussing topics about the neighborhood, and Alice was with Maria Watson as they shared punch. Ian and his friends were chilling by the bar table talking to one another, mostly their own girlfriends, and they asked if Ian had found a boyfriend yet.

"Oh--uh," Ian muttered a little bit, and he was teased by Lance, who asked him who it was, and if it was anyone that they knew!

"Nah," Ian said with a forced smile, "We're kind of on break. He's been having some shit happen at home--so you know, I haven't seen him much lately."

"Sorry to hear that man, hope things get better." Josh told him, "So you made the food again, dude?"

"Yep, and my mom made the hors d'oeuvres. I think that the Spritz has Vodka in it, so don't drink it."

Keith and Matthias kept a distance, glancing to one another on the occasion that Matthias would look over to his son. Janet and Rebecca came out of the house and while people began preparing to eat, Brad moved off to take care of setting up the fireworks brought to them! It was darker now and the air was cooler with a nice mistral from over the fence keeping them chilled; Brad set off some light fountains to keep them entertained in the process.

"So Keith is over there talkin' about how he got some kid arrested for trespassing," Brad whispered to Matthias. "Be careful, don't eat him."

"I don't like pork rinds." Matthias growled under his breath, flipping the burgers as Brad laughed. He looked over his shoulder to his son who avoided looking at him, and Brad noticed, asking him if there was anything going on with him, he had seen Ian looking dejected lately.

"I and Rebecca keep fighting--and he is miserable from it." Matthias admitted quietly, "So my son is punishing us."

"Well at least he cares enough to let you know he is upset." Brad said with an encouraging smile, "If he didn't, you probably wouldn't even see a difference in his demeanor."

"What should I do then?" Matthias asked hopefully, "He won't even talk to me--and when he does, he reminds me how and why he is mad."

Brad sighed and shook his head, "See--when our kids were going through puberty, or are, Janet figured out how to deal with it. Such a beautiful woman--she'd just sit down, looks them in the eyes and just tells them she loves them. They throw a fit, but they'll know she loves them."

Matthias frowned and looked down, letting Brad take over with the cooking, and asked him what he would advise with his son. Brad reiterated what his wife would do and told him Ian would probably ignore him, but he would know at least his dad cared about him. He also warned that Ian would probably become even more cheesed off at him again, because his daughter did that, and he just let her get it off her chest.

"Your kids spent a lot of time listening to you--everything you say, do. They understand us like puzzles; so sometimes they need to tell us how they think." Brad laughed a little bit, "If I had a dime for every time my daughter told me off--but we have trust, because I can listen to her, as much as she listens to me."

Keith had looked over to them several times, and Matthias was growing tired of that, and asked Brad why he was such an asshole. Brad had no explanation, saying that before Ian moved her that Josh was the target; they seemed to hate other people's children, unnaturally. The real fireworks were later set off after the people had gathered to the side of the yard where the grass had been harrowed away. Ian stood a little distance from his family as he watched them off and Matthias looked over at his son with anticipation when The Devil's Playground set off. It was a glorious blaze of noise, red flares that buzzed through the air, and green flashes with white fountains that they kept fifteen feet away from! Ian admitted it was great to see, quietly to him-self, and he wondered when the last time was that he and his family had seen fireworks.

"Alice invited us to Church, this Sunday." Rebecca said to Matthias and Ian heard it within ear shot, "I think it would be good, she seems legitimately upset over what her Husband did to Ian."

"I am not interested in being around them, Rebecca." Matthias said under his breath, watching the show with a passing gaze, "I more interested in taking care of my son right now."

Rebecca nodded but she argued that perhaps it would be good to get out of the house, go somewhere else for a little while, and so something. Matthias did not disagree to this idea, but asked her why it would have to be at Church, and not some place they could all enjoy. She asked him what he had in mind but Matthias had not really thought of anything else, saying he would ask his son what it was he would like to do, instead.

"Matthias, I think it would be good--for all of us." She whispered to him, even though the fireworks did well enough to make her inaudible at times. "I want to bring Ian with me Sunday, even if you're not going."

"What good is that going to do him?" Matthias asked boldly, "What he needs for his parents to draw up a peace treaty--not be around a man who has harassed my son."

Rebecca huffed out and crossed her arms, looking at him, "Matthias it is not always about what you want. If he says no then fine, I'll go on my own; but you two were invited, and maybe it would look good on us if we decided to go."

Matthias shrugged his shoulders, "We should do what he wants, Rebecca."

"How do we even know if he does not talk to either of us?" She asked with glance to her son, "He won't look at us--so we have to try something."

Matthias did agree that point and he glanced to his son, wishing he knew what he could do to make him better, and to apologize for all that happened. Alice came by and began to talk to the both of them, asking about their religious beliefs and Matthias was adamant that he did not believe, or disbelieve in a higher power. When asked about how this would affect his son, Matthias explained Ian was also gay, and had no interested in being in a religion that persecuted his own kind in such a way. Matthias meant no disrespect and was polite as hell as he explained it to Alice, who in turn seemed accepting, but her demeanor indicated she was far from pleased with the explanation.

"Maybe he is so troubled because of his life-style choice. There are--things you can do, for people who chose that lifestyle." She said coolly, "People he can talk to; if he does not have god in his heart, then we'll help him find God."

"I love my son; he is fine how he is." Matthias cocked an eyebrow as he spoke sternly, "He does not need to be told he is wrong, or broken, or a sinner. He needs to be told he is loved, and will always have his parents by his side."

"Matthias!" Rebecca growled at him, "I am sorry Alice, he did not mean to be disrespectful."

Ian cocked his eyebrow and looked up at his mom, walking by them as he headed away from the party members, "Thanks for sticking up for me mom, glad you're friends with Westboro now."

"And what does that mean?" Keith asked now as he appeared from behind his wife, "Westboro means?"

"They're a church who protest the funerals of gay people, and soldiers." Ian muttered under his breath, casting Keith a glare, "They think being gay is a choice, and all faggots are condemned at birth. Because, even though we're created in his image, being born gay means somehow we decided to just be sinners before our brains even friggin' developed."

"Ian you are not going to speak to them like that!" Rebecca raised her voice with a threatening tone, "You apologize to them, this instant, even if your view disagrees!"

Ian cocked his eyebrow at his mom and then to Keith, "I am sorry you're compelled into a parade of ignorance to hate, or shame people you do not know. You must be lovely people at home."

At that Matthias moved away from Rebecca and Alice and decided to pour him-self a red cup of the Spritz, ignoring his wife and that annoying woman. He downed it quickly; admitting it tasted delicious, and had all ready drank four beers, so he felt looser, and calmer. Rebecca gave him an earful about what he said to Alice and that she was just stuck in her old ways, but Matthias was not having any of this and told Rebecca that she should not _ever _accept that kind of talk about her son, even if the woman was considerably stupid. Rebecca sighed, agreeing, saying she was merely trying to ease the tension between the two of them, and Matthias had probably just made things worse because Alice was going to head to the Church about those comments. She was genuinely worried for Ian's well being, and was concerned over their jobs as parents, which Matthias held little concern with.

"Let her, I am not intimidated. But if they say a single word about my son, I'll break some arms," Matthias warned quietly under his breath to Rebecca, who backed away at the smell of alcohol on his lips.

"You're just trying to make this as hard as possible aren't you?" Rebecca snarled at him, "I am going to speak to our son about this; you've obviously done a great job teaching him respect, Matthias."

"Rebecca," Matthias looked over at her in exhaustion, "Just shut up."

After the fireworks show was ended the guests were prepared to leave with Mrs. Lakin and Alice Oswalds decided to perform some kind of sermon, thanking god for the evening, and their independence. Ian decided to leave quietly, saying nothing else and Matthias followed after his son, telling Rebecca Ian felt sick and needed to be walked home, to keep up appearance. He followed Ian back to the house and Ian walked in with a full belly and was exhausted, oddly, and kicked off his shoes.

Matthias followed after him, and then two stood in their own home now, and Matthias asked him if he left because he was not in the mood for the preaching either.

"She is nice, but I was not in the mood to see people cry." Ian muttered quietly.

"I know, Ian." Matthias agreed, and he looked over to his son, "You look tired, you should go to bed."

Ian nodded and glanced to his dad, "Why did you leave?"

"I did not want you to walk home alone." Matthias confirmed to him, "You've been quiet all night, as well. I am sorry about your mother's. . . "

"I do not even care right now." Ian cut off his father.

"Ian, why are you mad at me?" Matthias asked him calmly.

Ian shrugged his shoulders idly at his dad and said it was nothing important, but Matthias asked him why he refused to talk to him now. Ian said he was just tired and wanted to sleep, but his dad grabbed him by the forearm and held him still, and Ian staggered, looking back at his dad. His expression was soft and he looked concerned, more than he had been in the past weeks.

"Come on, son--don't shut me out, don't be like me." Matthias urged him, "I am trying, Ian."

Ian sighed, and crossed his arms over his jacket. "Dad--after we had sex, I felt like I was growing closer to a man that I could say I loved more than anything ever. You were like--everything to me, I loved seeing you smile! And now--now I don't think you even care about any of that, because you're just too busy arguing with my mom! I am sick of this shit!"

Matthias opened his mouth to argue, but he closed it and nodded, standing there, listening to his son berate him. Ian went over almost everything that had been in his head, getting increasingly more poignant with his spiel until he had almost had a catharsis from the amount of expunging of thoughts on his father. Matthias was unusually quiet to Ian, and he was unsure what he was doing, growing suspicious enough to ask him why he had not said a word to him yet.

"Because you deserve to talk, and have a voice, son." Matthias answered coolly, "I've been neglecting you, and you deserve to yell at me, if you want. I want this to be about you, because that is all I have, is you, son. But--to answer you, I do still care about you like I did when we had sex--but I just have not been able to give you the love that you deserve. I am sorry, Ian."

Ian nodded a little bit and looked away, "Do you still--love me like, you know, a boyfriend?"

"Were you scared that I stopped?" Matthias asked him slowly.

"I was. Because--you just stopped all together, and I know it was because you and mom fought a lot. But it--it fucking sucks, seeing my dad so god damn miserable, and I just can't do anything to help you!"

Ian was frustrated and just groaned and moved away to his room, and Matthias followed quickly and sat with him on the edge of the bed. Ian had kept expecting him to yell or something like that, but his dad was abnormally silent. Matthias finally relaxed his hand over on his son's leg and gave it a gentle squeeze, and promised him that he would never stop loving him.

"I still want my son to look at me as his father, and his lover.I am proud to have you as my son. You're very intelligent and gifted, and you have a lot going for you: despite all that has happened you have never quit." Matthias looked up to his son with all the concern and sincerity he could.

Ian's lip twitched and he looked away with a slight blush at his red scales, though it was not noticeable in the dim room. "Thanks dad--you were there for me, a lot, so it was kind of thanks to you."

"No Ian this was all you, you have the strength neither your mother nor I have; and you have enough ambition for three people!" Matthias gently pressed his hand down and moved to hold his son's hand in his, and Ian finally returned the movement with a soft squeeze. He quavered a little bit, feeling coldness at his body from the anxiety of it all, being touched as if it were the first time; he forgot how it felt. His father moved closer and wrapped his arm around him and intimately held his son, apologizing for all of the neglect, and asking what he could do to repay him for being as strong as he was.

"I just want to be with my dad again," Ian managed to say while he felt him-self shaking like a mess. "I just really missed you, calling me yours, and holding me."

Matthias nodded and gently rubbed his son's chest tenderly, wrapping his tail over Ian's while their snouts rested against one another. The touching bodies brought on an ecstatic and blood pumping sensation, Matthias knew he had to protect his son from that feeling again; he could not ever let that way. Ian held onto his dad as tightly as he could now and kissed him at his big neck and softly breathed into it, and gently curled his tail over his dad's.

"I love you so much Ian," Matthias said quietly to his son, "I'm so sorry for what we put you through."

"Dad it is ok," Ian assured him, and gently rubbed at his big chest, feeling the soft cotton, and hard muscles underneath. Matthias looked down into his son's blue eyes and smiled at him, and Ian gazed into his dad's strong amber coloured eyes. They osculated their lips together in a soft, passionate movement as their breaths washed over one another, and Ian's heart swelled as he felt his dad hold him protectively. The thick arms wrapped around his body tightly and he moaned low, tasting the hot, slick mouth and tongue with a shiver of intimate warmth.

"Dad I love you so fucking much," Ian whispered to him as he began to feel over his father's firm abdomen.

"You have got to stop cussing," Matthias growled under his breath as he softly brushed his lips over his son's, "Or else I swear your dirty mouth is coming nowhere near my body."

Half an hour later Rebecca came home and she was beyond livid with her son after being embarrassed, and Matthias tried to tell her that he was not in the mood for it tonight. She seemed unable to comprehend he did not want to argue, as she pressed him further and further for a reason why he was so unwilling to cooperate, and Matthias asked if she had even heard what the Oswalds said. Rebecca demanded to know where her son was, and Matthias said he was sleeping, and told her as well to go to bed, before she started arguing with him at almost two in the morning. Oh she bellowed and fussed, and Matthias kept his calm the best that he could until Ian eventually exited from his room and looked at his mother defiantly, telling her that it was late, and he just wanted to go to bed.

"Well then Ian, you're grounded; your games--gone, your laptop--forget it, you're only going to do school work, that is it. Bring me your cell phone."

Ian looked at her in disbelief as she held out his hand, and shook his head, "You can forget it. You're not in charge of me; you lost that right when you abandoned me."

"Ian," Matthias looked over his shoulder to his son, holding his hand up to him, "Go to your room, and just go to bed."

Ian looked to his dad and nodded, before glaring at his mom and slamming the door shut in his bedroom.