Snippet Stories

Old Habits Die Hard

"Dinner's ready! Wash yo' hands and get down here!" Cynthia yelled from the kitchen, her loud voice carrying through the house. Ronnie, the one with vitiligo and the silent one named Cole were bustling through the kitchen, grabbing plates and setting them on the counter to serve the food.

Jaxon slowly shuffled to the bathroom, listening to four other pairs of feet downstairs. His adoptive parents were quite... different. Mostly because there were seven of them, all with completely different personalities. They were all in a polyamorous marriage, although Jaxon knew that they didn't have the same rights as a two person marriage, which was unfair in his eyes. Cynthia, the strange green eyed woman with all the piercings, was the one to go to the orphanage and adopt him.

He walked downstairs to see the other four of them also walking in to help with the food. The one with died hair, who he believes his name is Koi, tried to sneak a taste of the pasta... And got smacked on the hand with a cheesy wooden spoon by Cynthia. He pulls his hand away with a hurt look before licking it and winking at her. She just rolls her eyes at her multi-colored haired spouse, muttering something like 'I ain't dealin' with y'all's bull tonight'.

Meanwhile, the red haired one, Rae and the childish looking blonde, Annie, were going to the living room to choose a movie to watch. The other male brunette, Braylon, was trying to help Cynthia with serving the pasta, but she just shooed everyone out of the kitchen saying "I am the leader mom around here, and I will serve my family by myself like a loving mother and wife, just like my dad did. Now shoo!"

Jaxon stood in the middle of the space connecting the kitchen and the living room, clutching his arm, watching this family dynamic that he didn't feel like he should be apart of, but really wanted to be. She called herself a mother. Cynthia glanced at him, her face breaking into a big smile, "Go sit in the living room, love. I'll be bringing the food out shortly. Why not help my spouses pick a movie?"

The boy hesitated, but ultimately decided to take a seat on one of the couches. There were two, plus two recliners, in a semicircle around a coffee table, facing a big-ish TV.

"Yo, what do y'all want to drink?" Cynthia called, her head in the fridge. They called out different drinks, and when Jaxon didn't say anything, she popped her head back out, raising an eyebrow at him, "Anything is fine. I don't really mind." He said.

She squinted at him like the was analysing him before going back into the fridge. Minutes later she came back with two plates of food, giving them to two of her lovers, and repeating this a few times before everyone but her had their food and drinks but her, getting different thank you's from each person. Before she got her dish and sat down she asked about the movie, and Braylon told her they decided on Pitates of the Caribbean.

Jaxon thought she really was a mom. She took care of her lovers happily, smiling softly every time she looked at them and saw them smiling. And what she said to him before he met the rest of his new parents further proves that fact. What she said in car outside made him feel like he could really stay here. This family kinda felt... right, although he had barely been with them for a day. He was still slightly uncomfortable and doubtful, don't get me wrong, but he also felt hopeful, which he hadn't felt in a long time.

Though, he did wonder why they ate in the living room instead of the dinning room. There was a perfectly good table in there.

Ten minutes into the movie and Jaxon noticed something. Cynthia and Koi ate a little too fast to be considered normal, which was concerning because they could choke and eating to fast was very bad. Cynthia, who was sitting in a recliner with her legs crossed, was closest to Ronnie.

Ronnie smiled softly at the green eyed woman, "Baby, you're doing it again. Slow down. You too Koi," She looked at her multi-colored haired lover, "You're eating to fast again, too."

They both stopped, glancing at each other then at Ronnie. Then they smiled at her, "Thanks, Bunny." Cynthia said. Koi nodded, "Yes, thanks."

Then they carried on their night, Cynthia and Koi catching themselves when they starting eating to fast again. Even when they did constantly remind themselves to go slower as to not hurt themselves, they still finished before everyone else. Cynthia waited till everyone was done and collected all the dishes, bringing them to the sink and rinsing them off, Koi going in to help her.

Jaxon decided to ask his question then, directing it to Braylon, "Hey, um, why did Koi and Cynthia eat so fast? And why did we all eat in here?"

Braylon glanced at Cole and Ronnie, who both nodded before answering.

"I'm sure Cynthia told you already, but her nor Koi had the best home lives when they were younger. If Koi didn't eat fast, he didn't eat at all. And as for Cynthia, if she ate to slow she'd get punished for it." He told Jaxon, his voice deep from his time taking *T shots, "As for eating in the living room... It reminds Cynthia of the days with her dad and sister. We eat meals in here on the weekends."

Jaxon nodded in understanding. From what Cynthia told him in the car, her mother wasn't the best person. And Koi didn't have a home growing up, he just lived in a house with bad people.

Cynthia and Koi walked back in, taking their spots back to finish the movie, but this time Annie plopped herself down on Cynthia's lap, the brunette wrapping her arms around Annie's waist. Rae rested her head on Koi's shoulder, him putting his arm on her shoulders.

When it came time for bed, Jaxon watched at they all made their way to one room. It had one huge bed in it, leading Jaxon to assume they all slept on the one bed. Just as he was about to lay down, Cynthia walked into his room, leaning on the doorframe, wearing a simple oversized shirt that no doubt belonged to Cole as he was by far the biggest in the house, with her arms crossed on her chest. She had replaced her numerous hanging ear piercings for small studs. Each a different color, like a pride parade in her ear...

"Hey, kid. Just wanted to say goodnight. I'd give you a hug, but I don't think you want one." As she turned to leave, Jaxon worked up the nerve to say something.

"W... Wait. Um, can I, um. Can I actually have a hug?" He asks hesitantly, fiddling with his fingers. He was staring at he bed to avoid looking at Cynthia, so he missed her soft and caring smile. He only looked up when he felt a dip in his bed and a pair of arms wrap around him gently.

"Of course, kid. I'll give you all the hugs you want." She said softly. Jaxon wrapped his arms around her nervously, holding her there for a little bit. He was dragging this hug out, being the touch starved boy he was, but she didn't seem to care very much. When he did finally let go, she bid him goodnight once more and left for her room.

Jaxon turned off the light and lied down, thinking.

"If Koi didn't eat fast, he didn't eat at all. And as for Cynthia, if she ate to slow slow she'd get punished for it."

I guess old habits die hard, huh.

🖤🖤🖤

1,322 words.

*T shots: Testosterone shots. I've heard trans guys call them that so that's what I called them here.

Finished this like, months ago, don't know why I'm publishing it now. It's fuckin 2:53 in the morning *shakes head*