Sweaters & Cigarettes (53 page)

He quirks a small smile, pulling
Theo a little closer.

"I'm impressed," he says,
and Theo raises his eyebrows at him.

"Impressed, because I called
out your dad?" he asks doubtfully, and Max cocks his head.

"Well," he says. "I
do that all the time, but to see him actually react for once was weirdly
satisfying. And I love it when you get your sass on."

He smiles a little wider, cocking
his eyebrows suggestively along with his blatantly teasing tone, and Theo
sighs, unable to help smiling back. He shakes his head, scoffing as he looks
back down at his plate.

"Well, this is going
well," he says sarcastically, and Max kisses his temple.

"I'd say so, yes."

Dessert is a slightly tense affair,
but with Max now considerably more relaxed, rather than angry, it's a bit
easier. Jeanine makes a new effort at talking to Theo, as well, but Theo can
tell that she still doesn't really take him too seriously. It's apparent with
both of Max's parents that they don't really feel like what their son has with
this boy is much to concern themselves with, that it will indeed pass, soon
enough, and it's an attitude that obviously doesn't really help the situation.
It's also one which makes Theo feel gradually more annoyed, and he vaguely
thinks of how different Max's parents' response is to the relationship,
compared to his own mother's, or even his father's. His dad may not approve,
sure, but at least he takes it seriously.

Theo keeps these thoughts to
himself, though, and as the night goes on, he can't help but notice how at
least Max's mother actually, gradually, starts looking at him a little
differently. It's like she's trying to figure him out, like she doesn't quite
understand him, and Theo isn't sure if he should be comforted or unsettled by
that. But it's at least a change-up from her blatant indifference toward him,
which he supposes is a good thing.

When dinner is done, Theo has to
leave early, because it's a school night, and although he really wouldn't mind
spending more time with Max, he kind of feels the urge to leave. He doesn't
really want to be around Max's parents longer than necessary, and he's
completely sure than neither Max nor his parents mind.

So Theo gets ready to leave, after
thanking Max's parents for dinner, and he's in the middle of  putting his
jacket on, when Max is called into kitchen by his father, to help out. Max
groans and glances at his boyfriend.

"I'll be right back," he
says, and Theo nods, as Max leaves.

He's barely left alone in the hall
for more than a second, though, before he spots Jeanine, on her way back from
the bathroom, and she stops dead, as she sees him. Theo tries to give her a
polite smile, and feels pretty confident that he has managed, but it doesn't
seem to be enough. Because, to his surprise, she makes her way over to him, and
he doesn't move.

"Theo, is it?" Max's
mother says when she approaches him, and Theo suppresses the urge to very
clearly, and rather disrespectfully, articulate that that
is
in fact his
name, as has been stated several times, already. Instead, he just nods.

"Yeah," he says,
adjusting his scarf, before starting to zip up his jacket.

Jeanine nods, as though
deliberating.

"Look," she says, "I
don't know you. But you seem like a good kid. And I don't know what it is that
you and Max have, what you're doing... But it seems to have a good effect on
him. And I haven't seen him smile like that in a very long time."

She sighs quietly, glancing away
for a moment.

"I know we don't talk much,
him and I." She looks back up at Theo, looking more sincere than he
somehow expected, albeit a little uncomfortable, like she's still having
trouble talking about the relationship in any serious sense. "But I can
tell. So, I'm glad he's found something like that, whatever it is."

Theo just stands there for a
moment, a little stunned, half-expecting her to continue. She doesn't, though,
and when he realizes that, he nods slowly.

"Uh, okay," he says,
feeling rather awkward at her weird, compliment-like confession, vaguely
wondering if she would be telling him this, if she and Max's father weren't
moving away. "Thanks."

Jeanine seems to sense his
awkwardness, and she smiles a little, the expression softening her features.
Theo gets the feeling that he would probably find her really sweet, if only she
knew how to communicate better, especially with her son, and it's a realization
that honestly makes him a little sad.

He has only spent one evening with
Max's parents―he can't imagine what it must be like to grow up with them,
to be judged so harshly solely based on your accomplishments. He can't really
imagine not having the emotional support of his own mother, or Riley, even his
father, despite his distant way of expressing how he cares. Having this
instead, this indifference, this lack of trust and lack of interest, from your
own parents, about your life and relationships and opinions...

It just seems very lonely.

Max eventually comes back, just as
Jeanine leaves, and he glances at his mother, before shooting Theo a slightly
confused look. Theo only shrugs, though, and Max drops it, instead moving in
closer.

"Well," he says, tugging
a little on the front of Theo's jacket, like he tends to do. "Now, you've
met them."

"I have," Theo confirms,
and Max looks at him, a little apprehension hidden under that easy expression.

"And?" he asks.

"And," Theo replies,
"I honestly don't think I'll be missing them, when they go."

He realizes how downright
insensitive that sounds, but he knows that Max gets it, that he appreciates the
honesty. And sure enough, Max nods, before scoffing lightly.

"But we did it right," he
says, smiling humorlessly. "We tried."

Theo smiles genuinely then, and he
pulls Max in closer.

"That, we did," he says,
giving him a soft kiss. "And I'm proud of you. I know you weren't exactly
up for this."

Max huffs a small laugh.

"Proud, huh?" he says.
"That's a new one."

Theo hums in confirmation, kissing
him again.

"It's true, though," he
says. "And even though this kinda sucked, I would do it again."

He catches Max's little smile, as
he covers his mouth with his own, in short, soft intervals.

"Really?" Max says, a
little doubtfully, a little hopefully, and Theo just looks at him, pushes his
hair back with his fingers, so that he can really see those dark blue eyes. And
he nods.

"For you, I would."

♦

Things start happening pretty fast, after that. In a
matter of days, Max's parents have emptied their house and moved out of it, and
by the time they're off settling in at their new place, several hours away, Max
has practically made himself at home at Gavin's. With a little help from Theo,
it doesn't take him long to unpack and get his posters plastered on the walls,
and although his new room is slightly smaller than his old one, and actually
much brighter, he makes it his own pretty quickly. He and Theo spend most of
his first weekend there unpacking and fixing it up, and Gavin treats them to
pizza, while pointing out how Theo really should get a tattoo.

"I'd be happy to do it,"
Gavin says, in that British, burned-whiskey rasp of a voice, and with that
wicked smile that Theo still hasn't gotten quite used to. And Theo says thanks,
but no thanks, at least not yet. Although, he must admit that he's starting to
feel like getting a tattoo actually might not be a half-bad idea, somewhere
down the road.

Despite his new living situation,
Max still spends a lot of time at Theo's house, even more than before. It's not
that he doesn't like it at his new home, because he does, but as he puts it, it
can get a bit much, and he doesn't want to impose more than necessary. Instead,
he's trying to
ease them into it,
these people who have taken him in
,
while
Theo points out that Gavin and his wife
did
invite Max
to live with them, after all, of their own accord.

He gets Max's point, though; even
though the whole solution to his problem has been resolved, Max is still a bit
apprehensive about simply accepting it. He's still waiting for it to blow up in
his face, as though his new surrogate family will suddenly change their minds,
and throw him out. Theo doubts very much that that will happen, but he decides
to simply let Max come to terms with that, himself. He needs to realize, after
all, that he's not a burden, like he seems to think, and that he's actually
worth the time and energy he feels is simply wasted on him.

Max is having dinner at Theo's
place, tonight, which has become a very casual affair, compared to the first
few times it happened. Both Riley and Theo's mother have accepted him
wholeheartedly, and it makes Theo smile to see just how much Max appreciates
that. He's still not quite used to this, after all, to actually be part of a
warm and supportive family environment, and Theo can tell that it makes him
happy to be, even if just for a night.

Eric generally isn't home, when
they have dinner; he tends to work late at the garage, a few days a week, and
Theo has honestly kind of gotten used to that. In other words, he and Max still
don't interact much, so when it turns out that Eric will actually be home, this
time around, Theo is a little surprised. And a little anxious, honestly,
because as far as he knows, Eric still feels apprehensive about the whole
relationship between this odd boy, and his son.

Theo, Max, and Riley are in the
process of setting the dining room table (which they have to use, since they're
more than four people, for once), when Eric shows up. He looks a little
uncomfortable as he enters the room, but when he clears his throat a little,
they all look up. And to Theo's utter surprise, he's actually turned toward
Max, like he's the one he wants to talk to.

"So," Eric says gruffly,
while Max just looks at him, as though unsure whether to prepare for a cold
shoulder or a verbal beatdown. Not that Eric has ever said or done anything bad
to him, at least not since that first dinner, ages ago, when he talked like
that. But still. He seems to take a small breath, and Riley and Theo both
watch, as casually as they can, while their father tries to speak.

"You're not moving,
then," Eric says, and Max nods, before another few seconds follow, in
oddly tense silence. Then Eric exhales.

"Listen," he says, a bit
apprehensively, as though he would rather not be having this conversation.
"I know we haven't gotten along. I haven't exactly been...
welcoming."

Understatement
, Theo thinks, but he says nothing.

"And you're a bit of a
weirdo." He sounds strangely honest, but where most people would be
uncomfortable or offended, Max just cocks his head, with an expression that says
Eric has a point, and that he personally agrees. "But you seem to make my
boy happy. I have no idea how, but you do. So..."

Eric glances away, looking
downright miserable, like he just wants to end this whole conversation.

"So, I guess what I'm trying
to say is," he continues, "I'm glad you're staying."

No one moves a muscle, and Theo
only vaguely notices that Amy has made her way into the room, as well, and that
she's just standing there, as stunned as everyone else. Eric looks up at Max,
and for a little while, Max doesn't respond, just blinks, in a way that makes
him look more baffled, and more human, than Eric has probably ever seen him.
Then, finally, he nods.

"Thanks," he says, and
Eric lets out a small breath, as though relieved. Then he nods as well, and
says nothing more, while carrying on like the conversation didn't happen,
making his way into the kitchen to help out.

It did happen, though. It did
happen, and Theo meets Max's eye.

"Did he just―" Max
says, gesturing vaguely, and Theo feels a little stunned, for a moment, before
he nods. And Max looks at Riley, who just shrugs, and they all hear Amy let out
a relieved sigh, as she turns around to head back into the kitchen.

"Finally," she murmurs,
and Theo can't help but smile.

♦

The sun is shining. For once, in what feels like ages,
the sun is actually shining, and the sky is actually a brilliant blue.

It has been a couple of weeks now,
since Max's parents moved, and although Theo figured it wouldn't make much of a
difference to Max, he can't help but notice that his boyfriend seems lighter
than before, more relaxed. It's almost as though just being away from that
house, and instead just being around people who genuinely care about the little
things, like how his day has been, his opinions, how he feels, what he likes,
is really making a difference. It's really making a difference, and Theo can
see that the change he has slowly seen take place in Max, is reaching a new
level, somehow.

His personality hasn't changed, but
rather the way he sees himself. Where he used to see himself as a waste of
space with no real worth, Max has finally realized just how untrue that is. At
least, from what Theo can tell. Because he swears that that look in Max's blue
eyes is completely different, than it was a few months ago. And it makes him so
very happy to see.