4 Leaf Clover - ᴹˣᴹˣᴹˣᴹ

35.

࿐࿐࿐

The dreaded day had come, a moody Monday started Clover's week. He was heavy with apprehension, terrified for what awaited him on his family estate. A part of him was deadly curious about what his family must be thinking and what they planned to do when he returned. The sky on Monday was a sombre shade of grey, with ominous thunderclouds looming on the horizon, slowly advancing towards their location. Following several weeks of uninterrupted sunshine, the impending arrival of rain was inevitable.

They were all inside the police van, Clover squished in between Elio and Yuki. Finley was upfront with the additional officer who brought Clover to the station last week. He was a thoughtful man, a silver fox who loved to converse about his own kid a lot. The three men in the back listened to his stories silently, the bumps in the road knocking them together. Clover was quite happy to listen to the stories, and then hear Finley's replies.

"So, who else has kids of their own?" The officer jokingly asked.

The rest of the van was silent for a few seconds, Clover witnessed Elio gently reaching over to signal Yuki. The Japanese man rolled his eyes.

"We're gay," Once more, Yuki's bluntness was put to good use.

"A-All of you?" The officer asked, "I thought it was just Elio and Clover,"

The van stayed muted, the rest of the men not desiring to speak about their private lives more than they already did with two words. Clover laughed silently, the very weird topic of conversation, Yuki's bluntness and the officer's reaction were enough to make the near future not so miserable. Although, it reminded Clover of what he was so dearly going to miss. For the rest of the ride, he tried to memorise the ridges in Yuki and Elio's palms.

Clover's old house came into sight, the black bricks as uninviting as he remembered them to be. A hasty thought rushed through his mind, just how did he manage to stay away from home for 4 months?

As he peered out of the window, he could see a small gathering by the door of his house. On closer inspection, it was his close family gathered there. Clover was taken aback by his mother's appearance. Despite looking ten years older than her actual age, his mother exuded elegance in a conservative red dress paired with sleek black heels. It was a departure from her usual style, as she rarely wore heels or makeup. However, her lips matched the vivid hue of her dress, a stark contrast to how she used to dress.

Clover's father looked as he always had. He was dressed in a suit, his father believed a suit could work in any situation, at work, in public and at home. It was no surprise he was wearing one now, and the tie was a striking red to match his mother's dress. Beyond his father, peering over his shoulder, was Clover's two aunties and 3 uncles. One of his cousins was also there, the one he didn't get along with.

Clover took a deep breath in as the van pulled into his driveway. The first person to clamber out of the van was Finley, then the three men squished into the back. Clover observed as the older officer met up with his parents first and began to converse with them. His lovers diverted to the boot of the van and composed Clover's packed belongings.

"You're parents look..." Yuki began, "Manipulative,"

Clover snorted, "It's the first time I've ever seen my mum wear heels or makeup, she's up to something,"

Elio peered around the van to Clover's family, "Why are so many of them here to see you?"

Clover shrugged but deep down he knew what was going to happen, "They'll probably cleanse me,"

"Cleanse you?"

"Spiritually," Clover announced, "They'll force me to bathe and then do some religious ritual to try and cleanse my mind and soul,"