Last I Saw You

TEN|TOBY

I can't keep my mouth closed. Honestly I was begining to get really annoyed. Not at Eric, or my brother, or even Reagan who wouldn't stop following me. Every. Freaking. Where.

I was annoyed at myself for not having the guts to speak up. Dad knows now and yeah it was hard but I don't think I've ever felt so closed off from him than I did in that moment. I used to tell my dad everything. And I mean everything. Yet here I was again, hiding from everybody.

Bridget set the twins' plates down and told then to take a seat. Reagan cried until she moved her to the seat next to me. I sighed. I was gonna have to help her cut her pancakes and break her bacon apart.

"Can I get four pancakes?" I took my plate from Bridget, setting it down gently on the table.

"You know the rules Tobias, " she said, frowning. "You only get two until everyone is finished eating so it's fair."

"Well I already know Eric isn't gonna want seconds so can't I just have his and mine?"

"Stop being greedy Tobias, jeez, " Pete said, taking the seat across from me.

"You have three on your plate!" I argued.

"Yeah. I helped cook the food," he countered.

"Ugh, Bridget. You and your stupid rules," I said with a groan as I gave her a comical frown.

"If it makes you feel better the pancakes are chocolate chip."

"They are!" I stabbed my for through one before shoveling a bite into my mouth. "Oh God yes!"

Everybody burst out laughing at my exclamation and quickly took their seats. And there we all sat together, eating breakfast together like old times.

"So Pa, are we going on a hunt tonight?" Callum asked, earning a glare from Bridget. Confused he frowned back, "What?"

"Are you serious?" she cocked her head to the side at him.

"Honey we talked about this. This is gonna be Toby's first hunt with me, Pete, and Dad," he reasoned. "We skipped last years hunt so that the twins could have their first Thanksgiving dinner as a family."

"True... fine, but you have to get me a present for getting stuck with babysitting." Bridget gave him a suggestive smile.

"You won't be by yourself. Eric will be here, and his mother should be coming for dinner too. Besides we'll have the hunt at midnight."

Sighing Bridget took a bite of her pancake, mumbling "Just as dense as the day we met."

"So the hunt's on?" I asked, smiling at Dad as he ate his bacon with a forkful of eggs.

"Yeah of course it is," he said.

Callum shot Bridget a loot at that.

"I never said they couldn't hold the hunt without you, Cal, " Bridget raised a brow, earning snickers from everyone around the table. "You're lucky I changed my mind."

"Yeah, yeah. Callum's in trouble. We're really having a hunt? Where? Do I need to bring anything? Whose car are we taking?" I rambled, too excited.

Chuckling to himself Dad shook his head. "Slow down Toby. You don't need to bring anything, just be there. We're going to the forest instead of the rec center like we do for your regular changes."

"We can actually go to the forest?" I said, awestruck.

"The forest we're going to is owned by the Lamb family, they've an entire section of woodland for that specific purpose. But we won't be the only family there so you'll need to be careful and stay close otherwise I might consider not taking you again until I can be sure you can handle yourself." Putting his elbows up on the table he looked me in the eye. "Can I trust you to be safe?"

"Yeah dad, you can trust me."

"Good. Bridget you don't mind if I grab some more bacon do you?"

Rolling her eyes she lifted her half empty plate. "Rules. We have them for a reason."

I didn't join in on the laughter this time. I was too busy thinking about what tonight spelled. This was like the werewolf version of a sweet sixteen or I should say bar mitzvah Heh. This was a right of passage. This was my moment to-

"You're really excited about this aren't you?" Eric said quietly, a warm smile claiming his features.

"Hell yeah I am. Im going on my first hunt tonight. It sucks that you won't be there."

"I'll be fine T, just make sure to enjoy yourself."

"How, when you're not there?"

Frowning Eric didn't say anything, just went back to eating. I waited until everyone was done eating and we had to clean to corner my dad in the kitchen as he washed dishes.

"Uh, here, need help?" I asked before rinsing them off anyway.

"It's him isn't it?" he asked out of nowhere, aiming a warm loving smile at me.

Caught off guard I blushed. How did he know? Was it from how close we were sitting? The things I said? The way I looked at him? I was staring at him a lot but who wouldn't? Eric was gorgeous.

"I don't know what you're talking about?"

"It's Eric isn't it? Has to be." He set a plate down in my side of the sink for me to rinse.

"Has to be what? What are you talking about?"

"You said you were seeing someone. It's Eric isn't it?" That was when the realization hit him. Glaring at me he asked, "How long?"

Goofy grin on my face I shrugged. "Since... Ahem- June."

"Sine Ju-! And you never said anything to me! You never said anything to me..." he trailed off.

Any time he got sad he'd always make this face that would just make him look old. I hated seeing him like that, especially when it was my fault.

"Well I was thinking about telling Callum and Pete, if that makes you feel better," I mumbled, head hanging.

"About you and Eric or just-"

"Just the... the being gay thing." I blushed. Why did I feel so awkward? This doesn't beat the awkwardness of talking girls, at least then I could just nod and go: uh-huh, yeah she's cute or whatever. Frowning at my dad I asked, "how did you know?"

"Tobias I'm not stupid, I like to think I'd know if my son had a secret boyfriend though," he said giving me a look.

"I came out to you, what more do you want?" I quipped, setting a knife in the rack.

"I hope you know that I think you're brave," he whispered, "and Eric... He's... he's a fine young man. He's got his head on straight, that for sure."

I tried not to laugh at that cause honestly, how could I not, but seeing how serious he was made it easy. I wanted to cry,I really did, and a hot shower sounded really good right about now.

"He is isn't he." I said with a nod. "Eric is... he's just so amazing and I just have the biggest crush on him and mmm..."

Blushing I tried to hide my face only face my dad to ruffle my air and chuckle. "That's nothing to be ashamed of, son."

"I know, " I whispered, another goofy grin spreading as I rinsed a fork, "I know."

N/A: I love Gale. I really do. I was gonna say he was my son even though he's like forty-eight/nine. [Insert ridiculous android emojis] I like being able to write about familial relationships like that.