Price Family Book Store (ON HOLD)

Chapter 31- Grief at a Gathering (Part II)

Midway through the process of cooking, the two young men occupying themselves with making small talk in their kitchen heard a buzzing emitting from the door. It didn't take long for Jonah to push away from the counter that he was leaning on, sauntering out of the kitchen and towards the intercom beside the front door, answering to hear the familiar voice of Simon Price announcing their arrival.
"Sure, come upstairs, I'll leave our door unlocked," Jonah invited, unlocking the door allowing them up, offering his help when he heard Nina's voice somewhat distantly, followed by a very faint scraping.
"What's that noise?" Jonah asked them when the scraping didn't cease.

It was Simon's voice that responded, giving an extremely vague answer. "It's part of Connor's present. You'll see when we get upstairs." With that said, Jonah heard the door downstairs opening through the receiver, the couple's voices drifting into a distant echo. The receiver now back in its place on the wall, the dark-haired male unlocked their door, ready for when his lover's parents got there, and made a quick spin, crossing their living room again and jogging back through the archway into their kitchen. Meanwhile, throughout his conversation with the approaching guests, Connor had been listening whilst also proceeding with some of the last preparations before they left the rest of their food to cook slowly, his ears peeled as he tried to decipher the conversation to make meaning of the half that he heard, hoping to make an educated guess regarding who the first to arrive would be. Nothing that Jonah had said had given any indication to who they were expecting at the time.

"Who was that?" he had to ask when he watched his boyfriend entering the kitchen once again, hearing his heavy steps on the tiles that were laid out across the floor, glancing over his shoulder to give him a quick glance.

Jonah leant against the counter beside Connor, watching what he was doing, still amazed at how he could do so many things when it came to food. "Your parents," he answered as he assumed his place beside him, "they're coming upstairs now. Apparently part of your gift makes some really weird scratchy noises."

This earned him a strange look, Connor's brow furrowing in confusion, still having little to no comprehension as to what this 'part of his gift' could turn out to be. And for just a moment he pondered, before shaking his head, Jonah noticing that some of his locks had escaped the grip of the clip that Connor had put in earlier that morning.
Nothing else was said regarding the possibilities and outcomes of their parents coming to their apartment, but they'd have to wait and see- which is exactly what they did.
Jonah had perched himself on the edge on an unoccupied countertop, making the occasional remark regarding either the temperature or what he expected from the day ahead, and after talking for a few minutes, they heard the opening of their unlocked front door, the couple entering followed by a chilling gust as the outside air that had invaded the hallway found its way past their figures and into the apartment. Both young men left their places, heading straight into the living room where they were given a warm and familiar greeting.

"Hey, guys!" Simon exclaimed, clearly excited to see the two of them again. Immediately the father took Connor into his arms, his coat cold from the weather outside, sending a shiver down the curly-haired male's spine. They exchanged gentle hugs, Nina and Simon ensuring that they were both to greet Jonah as well as their son, treating him as though he were already family to them.
It was after their greetings and the plethora of quickly-exchanged words, Nina crossed the room, approaching the decorated tree and lacing down a few gift bags, followed by a small box that produced some gentle scratching noises.
"Yes, alright," she sighed, addressing the contents of the box. When Connor took a closer look, he identified a pet carrier, a small shadow moving inside it.
"Here's part of your gift, sweetie," the mother smiled, opening the carrier, out bounding a tiny, black and white cat, older but no less energetic, immediately leaping right towards Connor.