Stay (MxM)

More a Family

Ant stood aside as Dec's mother entered the living room with a polite smile and looked around.

Anne Donnelly : "This is a beautiful house "

Ant: "Thank you...er...tea or coffee?" He asks carefully

Anne looks at him surprised "It's okay... you don't have to take the trouble -"

Ant: "I was making coffee, so if you are fine with it, there is a cup waiting for you" he smiles

Anne laughs at that "Thank you, I will help you"

She follows him to the kitchen and he asks her to sit on the dining table.

Ant: "I have got this"

He keeps a cup of coffee infront of  her and sits opposite  to her. He was beyond confused by her polite attitude and the fact that she is now staring at his bruised lips is in no way comfortable.

Because the last thing he wants is Dec's mother to know what her angel-faced youngest is possible of. Speaking of whom...

Ant: "Er...I think he is still sleeping"

Anne nods understandingly as Ant looks upstairs and shouts:
"Dec!!!! Five minutes are up"

Anne looks at him surprised and her face turns to one of desperate longing. 

She gasps as Dec replies

Dec:"Can't hear ya"

Ant rolls his eyes at that "I said... Five minutes are up!"

Dec: "No...You are lying"

Ant: "I am not. Now make it fast and come back soon...we have a gues-"

Dec: "Okay...okay...stop it"

Anne: "Still hard to wake him up?"

Ant laughs "Hard is an understatement"

Anne: "Some things don't change. Do they? "

Ant smiles affectionately "I guess not"

Anne sighs and then says carefully "I know that you don't want us to meet him, but-"

Ant: "It's not about me. Look, I know why you are here and I am no one to stop you from meeting your son. It's about him. I know you will be seeing him as the same boy who left years ago but he is not. He has grown up and gone through a lot of things. He is not the Dec you know!"

Anne nods touched "I know.  But it's hard you know, especially for his brothers...they were always too close and when they saw him like that...so distant, all those feelings came out as anger. They regret it now...we all regret everything now"

Ant: "But that won't change what happened...what all he went through.  How are you going to change those?"

Anne sighs heavily "Ask his forgiveness and accept him...that's all we can do right now"

Ant sighs heavily not knowing  how to respond to that. The tension between them rises and Ant desperately wanted Dec to be there.

And then he hears Dec calling him.

Dec: "Aaaannntttttttt" he sings

Ant rolls his eyes and blushes as Anne laughed.

Ant: "Yes Declan?"

Dec: "I can't find my hoodie"

Ant frowns "Which one? Look in the top left rack, Dec"

Dec: "Not this one...Ant...I want my red one"