The Father The Son The Campe Diem

Childhood's End

"Max? Max, sweetie, it's time to get up. Breakfast is on the table, and you don't want it to get cold! Gwen made your favorite, chocolate chip pancakes!"

A familiar hand ruffled his hair gently as Max stirred in his half sleep, slowly opening his eyes to David's goofy ass smiling down at him. Max didn't budge as he kept the blanket over his nose. He wasn't born yesterday.

"You burned them again, didn't you?"

David laughed sheepishly, his cheeks turning red.

"Only the outer parts this time! It was the inside that was uncooked...at least I didn't burn the kitchen down this time!"

A loud female voice echoed from down the hall.

"YEAH YOU ONLY FUCKED UP ONE OF OUR LAST USABLE NON STICK PANS ASSHOLE"

David's entire face went red as Max burst into a fit of laughter, kicking the covers off of him and heading towards the kitchen to hoist himself up onto the counter. Gwen had her usual resting bitch face going on, but a hint of humour behind it.

"What ya cookin' hot stuff?~"

"Watch your mouth you little hairball. The bacon is almost done. Get off the damn counter and sit at the table."

She smirked and handed him a piece of crispy bacon as he hopped off the counter and onto the table. Literally. The legs wobbled a bit as he kept his balance with the strip still in his mouth.

"Can you actually fucking not roam around this house like a goddamn animal Max?! You don't pay the bills...Jesus!"

"Well, it looks like some bitch got her tampon in a twist today. But I gotta say, this shit is pretty damn good, Gwen."

Though he couldn't see it, Gwen couldn't help but smile proudly to herself as David took happy strides to the table, smelling all the good food.

While David started talking Gwen's ear off before she threatened to slap him with the skillet she was using, Max watched them bicker back and forth, amused by their banter. Though he didn't outright admit it, he really enjoyed their company and all the efforts they made to give him the one thing he never really had: a family.

It made him smile.

"It just sucks that you have to go home soon, doesn't it Max?"

His head shot up as he almost choked on his bacon. He didn't understand. Wasn't he already home? Where was his other home?

Just then, the door opened, and two indistinguishable figures appeared. One was shorter in stature and the other was stocky, hands bigger than half of Max's body.

"What the fuck is going on here?!"

"Get your useless ass in the fucking car, Maxwell."

"Fuck you! You're not my family, you never were!"

Max ran behind David and Gwen, who picked him up and hugged him tightly. He felt warm in their embrace. He felt safe. He felt something horribly wrong.

Nothing. Not a goddamn thing.

"Oh Max"..David whispered softly in his ear while holding him close

"Did you do something to make them hate you so much?"

Max froze and tried to wriggle out of their grip, only for them to clutch onto him tighter as he tried to desperately get out of this fucking shithole

That sinking feeling came up in his throat again as he struggled. Did anyone actually care? Would he be stuck in the hands of a pair of deadbeats for good?