Tragic Magic 2: Black Magic [boyxboy]

Chapter Five

My parents arrived home the following afternoon and were less than impressed with the fact that I'd basically moved my boyfriend in in their absence. They hadn't exactly been delighted that they'd entrusted my care over the summer to a family that had essentially hooked me up with their approximation of a British frat boy, and I think they'd been pretty content with the idea that there was an ocean and a continent between Tristan's genitals and mine. Ever cynical, they were impervious to his usually heart-melting charm and though they did warm to him slightly as he kept up a steady stream of conversation, they sure as shit did not fall over themselves to make him feel welcome like people usually do.

Okay, Tristan mused as we all sat down to dinner that night. I'm starting to get a clearer understanding of some aspects of your personality.

I cringed, half torn between being mortified that my parents weren't being as accommodating as Gregory and Edwin had been to me, and defending them from this arrogant, obnoxious stranger who'd randomly appeared in their house.

Kaley, and especially Maya, were getting a kick out of watching Tristan try again and again to win them over, and sat at the far end of the table, smirking. Towards the end of dinner he brought up the three of them finding a hotel to stay in, but my parents insisted they continue staying at our house, being pretty transparent about the fact that they knew we could get up to a lot more in a hotel room than we could under their roof. I was basically a festering ball of frustration and embarrassment by the time we could reasonably excuse ourselves to bed.

Kaley and Maya were permitted to continue using the guest room - I don't think my parents had fully worked out the cousin vs girlfriend thing - but Tristan was moved to the box room and I don't know who was more amused by that; Kaley, Maya, or Tristan himself.

This is a very small bed, he informed me from the box room, as I lay in a pool of embarrassment in my own room.

Then, a moment later, My feet stick out over the edge.

A minute after that, This is what it feels like to be a giant.

And, finally, Come on, Cody. I know you can hear me.

What do you want me to say? I'm sorry my parents aren't freaky supernatural wizard people who need us to do the nasty and save the world.

I'm only joking. Don't be upset with me.

You should find a hotel to stay in while I'm at school tomorrow, I responded, figuring the least he deserved while he was on vacation was to sleep somewhere where he was treated like the adult he was.

You're kicking me out?

I squirmed; I was pretty uncomfortable and wanted to just snap at him that yes, I was kicking him out, and stop being so difficult about it; but on the other hand he'd literally just travelled halfway across the world to see me and my parents were being dicks and I was being kind of a dick too.

Having you and my parents in this close proximity makes me anxious.

I get that. But it's not going to make the best impression if I just pick up and move to a hotel and refuse to spend any time with them. Think big picture here, Cody. Long term. Do you want them to like me in five years? Ten? Fifty?

I swallowed. I hadn't thought of that. I let the fact that Tristan was thinking about us still being together in fifty years wash away some of my frustration and shifted on the bed, feeling a little happier.

Oh, was all I managed to say.

They're asleep, Tristan observed, not saying anything else, leaving it up to me.