Fine Line // Eddie Munson x Reader

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

"Thomas, wh-- What has she told you?" Your moms cheek were an unhealthy shade of red, eyes wide and bulging in her horrified shock. Guilt was written all over her face and suddenly years of working hard to put up the perfect mask of the perfect wife are shattered into pale wretchedness. 

"I thought this bullshit with Munson was in the past, Deb." Your father was seething through gritted teeth, shucking off his jacket and tossing it onto the nearby armchair in his frustration. Telling in itself. Your dad was always calculated and calm, dangerously so at times of anger, and always hung his jacket. Tossing it carelessly in such a way showed lack of restraint on his part. It makes you take a step back as he regards your mother with an icy glare. "Is it true? What I've just been told?"

"You can't seriously believe-"

"Is it TRUE?!" His voice booms and leaves you trembling in spot. He'd never been this mad before. The two of them fought like cat and dog regularly but never to this extent. To this level of sheer rage.

But your mom simply clams up in response, jutting her chin out in indignation as slender arms fold across her chest. "I-- I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer."

"Mom, come on. Dad deserves to know the truth, don't you think?" Perhaps adding fuel to the fire was risky, but there was already no going back now. You had to bait her, had to see just how far she was willing to go to maintain her little facade to keep you away from Eddie. She whips a dangerous glare your way, protruding eyes flaring with a newfound heat. "How dare you? You promised me that--"

"Don't you dare blame her for this." Your dad cuts in, reflexively stepping in front of you and extending an accusatory finger her way. It felt undeniably at least a little good to see your dad defending you. "Is it true? Tell me - right now."

A long moment passes. Her glance flicks between the two of you, weighing up her options. A heavy sigh has her shoulders deflate. "No. No, it's not true. But, Thomas, she--" A pause, extending a hand in gesture to you though she didn't look away from your dad. "She was going to go out with his son. We can't allow that. All our hard work, all your hard work... She's going to ruin it if she gets into a relationship with him. You know that."

Shoulders shift in front of you, making way for the bewildered glance coming from your dad. "Is that true?"

Instinct tells you to lie. No doubt a trick learned from your mother. But a weak nod acts instead, fearful of his wrath should he find out you were lying as well. "Yes. I was going to go out with him. He's nice, dad. He's kind to me."

"Stop." He says, stretching out an open palm gesturing for you to stop talking. He huffs in frustration and rakes that same hand through thinning brunette hair. "We'll talk about that later. You- Stop trying to get out of this one." He points to your mom, who buckles once more beneath his furious gaze.

"I did what I had to. She's out of control, Thomas."

"Me?! Out of control?" You step in front of your dad, the insinuation from her flaring your own anger. It seems the fuse is short all around tonight. "You told me I had a different dad to stop me going out on a date with someone perfectly acceptable!"

"Okay, he's not acceptable--"

"You didn't seem to think that about his dad when you were trying to f--"

"Hey!" Fingers wrap around your bicep, loosely, in warning. Cut off by the hand of your father, you pout up at him in petulance for stopping something that was simply the truth from slipping from your lips. "Go to your room. You're not helping anything right now."

Exhaling a huff, you nod slowly, attempting to keep in his good graces in hopes he continued to defend you while you weren't there. "Okay, dad. I'm really sorry-- I love you."