Hello! TrampledRose here, back with a new story. This story should update approximately every Tuesday, give or take.

Please check out my profile - there are other fandoms we might have in common. You may want to read some of my other works. I also post medium summaries for stories I am considering starting. Let me know if any catch your eye, via the poll or PM.

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I do not own MBAV, nor am I getting paid for this.

Father Dearest

Prologue

~3rd Person's P.O.V.~

Benny and Ethan lay on the latter's bed together. The evening twilight was beginning to cast a golden glow through the window, warming the room from the chill that came with the Septembers in Canada.

Ethan curled closer into his best friend turned boyfriend, watching the dust mites float into the aforementioned sunlight rays. He then turned his gaze into the pool of color that was Benny's eyes, just as golden. The silent emotions going through Benny showed with the shifting of his iris' as if they swirled with something akin to the dust mites. As beautiful as the light was, it was temporary. But Benny was just as gratifying, just as perfect, and would last forever and ever.

A sigh went through Benny's chest as Ethan's eyes rested in his gaze, cheeks getting slightly pink. Benny was by no means religious, but something as amazing as the person in his arms just had to have been crafted by a higher being - nothing else could explain it.

As if Benny wasn't already becoming overwhelmed in his boyfriends' wonderfulness, Ethan leaned in and brushed their lips together. Before he could decide if it was an invitation or a tease, Ethan did it again. Benny promptly decided it didn't matter, and kissed him anyway.

When Ethan finally pulled away, he once again smiled at Benny. As far as 'other half' went, Ethan was skeptical (as always). But there was no doubt that Benny filled a big role as his friend, and thus, a larger role as his boyfriend. He was respectively a part of Ethan, something deeply embedded, too far for safe and painless removal.

But that removal was the last of Ethan's intentions or worries. As far as he was concerned, he and Benny were invincible.

Several days and nights pass, with Benny and Ethan doing their couple-y routine. Both go to the same house after school, complete their homework together, and stay until dark. They were not allowed to have sleepovers anymore, since they came out to their families.

On this particular Thursday, Ethan noticed that Evelyn was moving slower than normal, though she blamed it on the changing seasons.

"Is that like a Earth Priestess thing? To be affected by the elements?" He questioned.

Evelyn chuckled. "Temperature change actually affects a lot of old people like me, Ethan. I suppose your parents aren't constantly complaining about their joints yet, bless them."

It was, at the time, enough to convince the boys.

The next day, the two went to Ethan's house, and were once again laying down together. Benny sighed, frustrated over his homework.

"I just don't understand it."

"Polarity?" Ethan asked, preparing for the same speech.

"Yes!" Benny sat up on his elbows. "Why don't they mix?"

"They just don't." Ethan shrugged.

"Okay, then what decides which quality a molecule has?"

"The composition of the substance, Benny."

"And polar molecules stick with polar, and nonpolar to their kind too. I think that's, like, molecular racism."

"That's stupid." Ethan said bluntly.

"Is milk polar or nonpolar?" Benny asked suddenly.

Ethan paused. "Polar. Because it mixes with water, not oil."

"Does polarity affect the pH level? Or vice versa?"

Ethan's eyebrows cinched together. "I don't think pH level and polarity are interchangeable, or inverse, for that matter."

Benny grunted and plopped back into the mattress. "I thought I was onto something there though." He muttered, causing Ethan to giggle.

Ethan then heard the phone ring downstairs, and almost went to get it before remembering his mom was home. But the tone of her voice on the line went from casual to urgent, and suddenly she was running up the stairs.

The boys sat up quickly, just before the door opened. Samantha stood there panting, phone clutched to her chest. Her eyes were saddened.

"Benny..." Her voice dropped, and Benny's heart followed. "It's Evelyn..."

Benny licked his lips, reaching out for the phone while Ethan sat, watching.

But Samantha shook her head. "No, Benny, she..." She glanced at Ethan desperately, as if for help. "She's passed."

Benny went outside shakily, to see it was true. Across the street, her body was being loaded into an ambulance, police officers crowding around. As he crossed, Ethan on his trail and contemplating grabbing Benny's hand, one officer approached them, presumably the one Mrs. Morgan just spoke to.

"I'm sorry for your loss." He said.

"Will she be okay?" Benny asked smally. That's when Ethan grabbed his hand.

The officer did not respond, but after a moment said, "Benny, I'll need to speak to you privately, if I may."

The boy swallowed, but nodded, squeezing Ethan's hand before letting go and following the officer a distance away.

"Now, listen." The officer started softly. "I looked you up before I spoke with the lady. I know your mom's gone. But your dad's still around, yeah? I'd like to know if there was a reason you lived here instead of with your legal guardian."

Benny stared ahead, unmoving.

"Could you tell me why? Was he unfit to care for you?" The cop ruffled his own hair. "See, there's nothing in the system, so unless you can come up with a reason he was, you go with him. If not him, then son, you end up in foster care."

The last two words hung in the air between them, and it was several minutes before Benny spoke.

"I've been with Grammy since I was very young." He said. "If I knew why, I'd tell you."

The gentleman nodded. "Then we will be contacting him about custody over you, as well as funeral arrangements. Do you have a place to stay, son, until this is sorted?"

Benny nodded, still unblinking.

"Here." The officer handed him his card. "I'll be in touch about David." With that, he walked away.

Benny moved towards the Morgan's once again, who had been watching the scene.

Ethan was genuinely concerned about his boyfriend. He had paled three shades since the beginning of his conversation.

"I'm going to live with my dad." He said to Sam. "Can I stay with you guys until that can be arranged?"

"Oh, of course you can, Benny." She said. "Do you need me to go in the house and get you anything?"

Ethan waited, but Benny had zoned out again. Finally, he whispered, "She wasn't feeling well today. And I didn't even check on her after school."

All the breath left Ethan's lungs. "Benny, don't blame yourself."

"Ethan's right. If you went home, you would've seen..." the body. Everyone finished mentally.

Benny just nodded and walk between them back into the Morgan residence.

Sam turned to her son. "You two can sleep together, if you sleep in the living room. I will be checking on you two periodically before I go to bed. But he needs you right now, more than ever. Can you handle that?"

And Ethan nodded, hoping he was right.