Part four to the 'How to Mess Up With a Soulmate' series.
Thanksgiving break had come upon Joe, David, Genes, and Babes apartment. Gene wasn't a celebrator of the average thanksgiving as his Pagan thanksgiving was in September. But Babe roped him into flying down from Cambridge to Philly to see his family.
While Web practically begged at Joes feet to go to thanksgiving dinner with him at his parents house. They'd moved back up here after Web started at Harvard.
"Please Joe it'll be fine!" David signed as they both dressed for the day.
"I've only met your parents like a total of four times and it was just because we happened to be at your house while they weren't on vacation." Joe stopped folding clothes and sighed.
"Plus if things get too bad we can just come home," David smiled and walked over to their bed placing a kiss on Joes forehead. Joe blushed and wrapped his arms around Webs waist pulling him into the bed next to him.
"I swear if your mom says anything stupid I'm going to actually leave," Joe signed and smiled connecting their hands together. Joe kissed David's knuckles and smiled.
"Oh shit we have green bean casserole in the oven," David jumped up and Joe didn't catch a word but shook his head. He put their clothes away and knew they'd be leaving soon.
Joe groaned and laid his head back as they pulled up the huge driveway of the Webster's house but he'd be lying if he said it wasn't like a mansion.
He dragged his hands over his face and yawned.
David sighed as he parked in the circle drive.
"It's going to be okay, I promise." David signed then held out his pinky. Joe smiled and linked it.
"I'm a little scared but let's get this over with," Joe smiled and opened the door climbing out of David's car. David opened the trunk and Joe grabbed out the casserole and followed David in.
As he stepped into the grand house it smelled of ginger bread. Joe looked around at the high ceilings, white modern decor. Sure it was flashy and cool but he'd rather be at his Ma's house on the ocean eating her turkey.
"Oh David!" His mom came flooding down the hall and hugged him. Joe had to take a step back so the casserole didn't spill.
"Mom this is Joe," David signed and motioned to him before taking the casserole from Joes hands.
"Oh can you tell him it's a pleasure to finally meet," she smiled at David.
"Mom he can read lips," David sighed. Joe waved at her and nodded.
"Okay, well your dads in his office but I'll take casserole of the kitchen so Howard can warm it up." She smiled taking the casserole.
"Wow this is going great," Joe signed and smirked.
"It'll be okay," David smiled and kissed his cheek.
"So who's Howard?" Joe asked as they walked to the living room.
"Our chef," David laughed as he signed. They walked into the living room and sat down David sitting almost on top of Joe.
His mom came back from the kitchen with some photo albums.
"I thought I'd show Joe some of your baby pictures David," she smiled. Joe smirked and nudged David.
"Well I'd love to see those," Joe signed and moved over to the couch next to David's mom. Giggling at the pictures of David in the bathtub.
"Mom," David whined moving over to sit by them.
"These are so good Mrs. Webster!" Joe signed.
"He said he likes them Mom," David sighed, "Oh no not these!"
David tried to grab the photo album from Joe. Joe slapped his hand and laughed as he turned the page and it was David when he did Gymnastics briefly when he was in middle school.
"David! You never told me," Joe fumbled his signing as he laughed.
David's dad came in like on cue and cleared his throat. David and his mom going silent and looking at him.
"David who is this?" He pointed at Joe.
"Harold don't be rude, this is David's boyfriend remember? He was coming for thanksgiving." She sighed leaning over the back of the couch to look at him.
David tapped Joes wrist and signed whay just happened to keep him in the loop.
"Oh, so why don't we eat then." He chewed his lip.
"Okay," David nodded and set the photo album on the coffee table. He stood up and took Joes hand.
Sure his mom was easy to be around but his dad was a whole different story.
David could feel himself sweating through his button up. Joe stopped David half way to the living room.
"Why did everything get so tense?" He signed looking at David, "David whats going on here?" Joe mouthed David's name.
"Just everything is going to be fine, we can talk when we get home okay?" David signed not voicing any of it.
"Okay," Joe sighed and followed David into the dining room. There was a gold plated chandelier and everything was white.
Joe sat down next to David and the Webster family cook served them. It felt wrong was the only way Joe could feel.
His family was lower middle class. They were comfortable but sometimes it was hard to scrape money together for bills. Let alone new hearing aids for Joe and extra spending money to give to the siblings.
They awkwardly plated food for themselves and ate in silence.
Joe glanced at David every so often.
"So David how are your classes going?" Mrs. Webster broke the silence.
"I'm doing good, Gene has been helping me study." David nodded, "Joes the best when it comes to powering through late night studying."
Joe glanced between David and the look Mr. Webster was giving him.
"David I hope you're not distracting yourself from your study's by living with friends." Mr Webster began.
"Do not start with this Howard. David is happy can you not see that." Mrs Webster's hands flew up.
"What's going on?" Joe signed grabbing David's attention.
"I think we should go..." David signed as David's dad began to say things about Joe that David didn't even want to hear.
David stood up from the table and pulled on Joes wrist to get him up.
"No you need to tell me what's going on! I'm Deaf not stupid, you can't just shut me out from whatever is going on." Joe hissed his signing clipped and angered.
"We'll talk about it in the car, thank you mom for everything!" David signed and pulled Joe out with him to the car. Joe pushed at him the whole way home trying to get him to open up about the short and tense visit. But David couldn't budge, he didn't want to tell Joe what his dad thought about him.
He didn't want to hurt Joe.
Joe sat at the table scrolling through his phone taking occasional drinks of a bitter White Claw. They were David's but Babe had drank everything else in the apartment or taken it to his parents house this weekend.
David came out of their room going to the kitchen for another cup of tea.
He glanced at Joe in the dim light of his phone screen. He sighed putting the tea kettle back on the burner and turning it back on.
Joe got up and walked to the kitchen grabbing another White Claw from the fridge.
David sighed putting out his arm stopping Joe.
"What?" He moved his hand briskly letting out a groan.
"I can't let us go to bed angry. Remember we agreed to not do that anymore?" David signed as he shut the fridge.
"Okay then tell me what happened today." Joe waited patiently leaning against the fridge. Then David's tea kettle steamed and he sighed turning his attention to the tea.
He put a new tea bag in and poured out the water into the mug. A ceramic mug with little candy hearts painted on it. Joe had made it for David when they were in high school together.
David started walking towards their room and Joe groaned, following him.
They both sat across from each other on the bed and sipped on his tea.
"So?" Joe mouthed.
"My dad thinks you're a phase of my life." He began, "Wont except that you're my soulmate. That you're my fucking boyfriend." He set his mug on the night stand.
"I thought him seeing us together would change his opinion. But I guess he thinks I'm throwing my life away to chase you and play interpreter for all our friends." David sniffled looking down before looking back up and picking up his hands again.
"I just. He doesn't get it and I don't want it to be like that. I wanted him to except and love us the way my mom does." David rubbed his eyes gingerly.
"It's okay," Joe signed and then tackled David into a hug. Peppering kisses all over his face. They pulled apart and laughed David kissing Joes knuckles.
"So you're my personal interpreter?" Joe giggled.
"I guess I am," David smiled and Joe wiped Webs tears away with the pad of his thumb.
"Well thank you," Joe snuggled into David and kissed his cheek.
"And I'm not wasting my time doing it and I know that for a fact." He smirked running a hand through his brown hair.
"I know you're not wasting your time because I love you." Joe winked and kissed David all over once again. Nothing would break them.