Disclaimer: I don't own Queer As Folk or any of its characters. However, I do own Amy and Andy Parker. Enjoy!
"Welcome home champ!" Ben exclaimed pulling his son into a tight hug.
"Dad! It's only been two weeks since you saw me at Thanksgiving," Hunter groaned but allowed himself to be led into the house.
"Two weeks? It's felt like longer than that. How are you? How was the drive?"
"It was pretty painless."
"And exams?"
"Good, I think. I don't get grades back until Monday but I'm all set to graduate in May, as long as I pass next semester's class that is."
"As if you've ever had a problem doing that!"
"So when's-"
"Michael will be home any minute. He went to go pick up something at the grocery store. Why don't you go put your stuff up in your room and then come down and tell me all about your classes."
Hunter rolled his eyes but hoisted his duffle bag back onto his shoulder and walked up the stairs. Ben couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he watched Hunter's retreating back. It didn't seem like it had been that long ago, when Hunter had just been some hustler outside of their window, but so much had happened. Though he'd gotten off to a slow start, Hunter managed to graduate High School before he turned 19. He turned his sorrows into a kickass college entrance essay and was currently a senior at Temple where he was majoring in Social Work. He was getting excellent grades and some days, he confided in Ben, he forgot that he'd ever had the life he'd led.
"Is he here?" Michael asked, coming through the door with two bulging grocery bags. Ben nodded. "How does he look? Does he look like he's been eating enough? Does he look tired? I'll bet he's tired."
"Calm down!" Ben laughed, taking the grocer bags. "He does look tired but he's just finished his exams."
"Do you think he'll still want to go out tonight with everyone?"
"I'm willing to bet he'll be able to find the energy somehow."
"Can you believe this is the last Christmas he'll be coming home from school? It could be the last Christmas he's coming home at all. He'll probably have his own house next year."
"We don't know that and this will always be his home," Ben reassured his distraught husband, kissing him on the cheek. "When's your mom coming?"
"She should be here soon. So should everyone else."
Hunter descended the stairs, unbeknownst to the two. "Hey, don't I get a hello?" he asked, grinning. Michael pulled him into a bear hug.
"Hi, I'm glad to have you home."
"What's for dinner?"
"Tofu stir-fry," Ben answered. Hunter groaned. "Hey, I know for a fact you have been living off of ramen noodles and canned tuna for the past three months so forgive me if I try to give you something healthful to eat."
"I have to eat it everyday for the rest of my life," Michael whispered. Ben gave him a mock glare.
"Don't worry. Your grandmother is bringing dessert and I'm sure it won't have any tofu in it," Ben chuckled. "Do you want to help me with dinner?"
"Sure," Hunter answered. The three gathered in the kitchen. Of course, neither Michael nor Hunter actually helped with dinner but they fell back into their usual affable conversation.
"So you're interning next semester right?" Michael asked, handing Hunter a beer before pouring Ben and himself glasses of wine.
"Yeah. Hopefully they'll hire me after graduation. The woman I talked to was impressed about my background, said I'd be a real help with the male adolescent population."
"That's great! We're so proud of you Hunter. I hope you know that," Bun gushed, tossing cubes of tofu into a hissing wok.
"Yeah I know, thanks." Michael ruffled his son's hair affectionately. He really had turned out far better than either Ben or he could have hoped. He and Hunter set the table and had just placed the last plate when the doorbell rang. They could hear a low rumble of voices behind the door. "I'll get it!" Hunter exclaimed, rushing to the door. He opened it and was immediately pulled into the tight embrace of his grandmother.
"Fuck! You've grown!" she said, holding him at arms length.
"That's impossible. It's only been two weeks since Thanksgiving."
"Don't contradict your grandmother! If I say you've grown, you've fuckin' grown!." She hurried into the house, tossing her coat on the couch before crossing the room to her son.
"It's nice to see you again Hunter," Horvath greeted with a handshake.
"You too."
Emmett came in next, pinching Hunter's cheek. He was closely followed by Ted and Blake who greeted the twenty-something warmly. "Where are Brian and Justin?"
"Well, Brian spent the night in New York last night. I don't think they were going to leave until the afternoon," Ted answered. As if on cue, the phone rang. Michael answered it and after a short conversation that consisted only of "uh-huhs and ohs" on Michael's end, he hung up.
"They got off to a late start and are still two hours away but they said they'll meet us later."
The group gathered around the table and shared a very pleasant meal. Hunter and Blake discussed Hunter shadowing him at the rehab clinic and Emmett regaled the group with the wild antics of the groom's mother at his latest wedding. They enjoyed the chocolate cream pie that Debbie had brought and by the time the dishwasher was loaded, it was well past ten. They'd agreed to meet Brian and Justin at Woody's. Debbie and Horvath begged off, saying they had an early morning (They looked like they were going to have a long night.) so the six-some headed off, devoid of any female influence.
"Make sure to wear a coat," Ben told Hunter without thinking before they left the house. Hunter rolled his eyes. "Sorry, I keep forgetting that you're almost an adult!"
"I am an adult, more of an adult than you fuckers are!" Hunter joked.
"Who are you calling a fucker?" Michael asked, catching him in a headlock which he easily pulled out of, brushing his hair down. He grabbed a coat out of the closet before he headed out the door though. Emmett fell into stride beside him.
"So, any girlfriends?" he asked, wagging his eyebrows. Hunter blushed and pulled his coat more tightly around himself.
"No, boyfriend?"
"Nope. Maybe we'll get lucky tonight! As my Aunt Lula said-"
"Yeah, Woody's, that's a great place to meet women," Hunter cut in. He was sometimes struck by the strangeness of his family situation. He was a straight guy surrounded almost entirely by gay men. He wasn't complaining but it did make finding a girlfriend in Pittsburgh somewhat difficult.
"Touché!" Emmet conceded. They got to the bar and entered, immediately catching sight of Brian and Justin.
"Ah, the prodigal son returns!" Brian greeted, taking a swig of beer. Justin got up and gave Hunter a hug.
"It's karaoke night," Brian told the group once they were all sat around the table with drinks in hand. "It's too bad we can't just retire to Babylon."
"And whose fault is that?" Michael shot back, giving his best friend a gentle nudge.
"Well, I traded in my house of sin for Justin."
"So sweet!" Michael gushed.
They endured a long sequence of tributes to the great ladies of soul punctuated by bad renditions of "YMCA", "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". After the third time hearing "It's Raining Men" Hunter was wondering if he would ever see a heterosexual woman again. As if on cue, a man (who was drunk off his face) ran into their table, upsetting Hunter's untouched beer.
"What the fuck!" Brian exclaimed, jumping up lest his $600 jeans get soiled.
"I'm sorry about him. He's going home now," a woman apologized, taking the man firmly by the elbows. She was pretty in an unassuming way. She had long, dark hair and a curvy, strong build. Her eyes were dark as well and Hunter felt his heart flutter. She had a slight southern accent. Hearing her speak and seeing the way she wavered ever so slightly, she had obviously had a couple of drinks herself. The man she was holding up looked vaguely similar, the same eye shape, the same color of hair, but he was taller and lankier.
"I don't wanna go home," the man whined.
"Do you want us to all you a cab . . ." Ben asked, looking at her expectantly.
"Amy, Amy Parker and this is my brother Andy."
"Right, Amy, do you want us to call you a cab?" Ben asked
"Oh no, we'll be fine. Our apartment is just a couple of blocks away," Amy replied. "Thanks though. It's nice to know that some of you Yankees know how to show a little hospitality."
"Where are you from?" Hunter asked quickly, immediately regretting opening his mouth.
"We're from Virginia, moved up here about a month ago."
"And what are you doing frequenting such a dubious establishment? You don't strike me as a lesbian," Brian asked.
"No but Andy's gay and where else are we going to go?"
"Well, hey, we were wanting to leave anyway. Why don't we walk you home," Michael cut in, casting a knowing glance at his son.
"O-okay," Amy said, tightening her grip on Andy who was looking hungrily at a boy who'd just walked in. "Andy, seriously, how did you get so drunks so quickly," she mumbled.
"Why don't you go home with the nice men Ames. I think I'm gonna to have a little snack," Andy slurred.
"No, you're coming home with me," she said firmly. Andy rolled his eyes.
"My ass does not say thank you."
"So shall we go?" Hunter asked, standing up and taking a final swig of his beer.
"Sure," Amy stated uncertainly.
"Great, let's go. We'll see you all tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Brian asked, grabbing his coat.
"We're all going to my mom's. Lindsey and Mel are coming. I told you like three weeks ago," Michael said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh I remembered but I figured we'd be heading to yours for the after party."
"We'll see you tomorrow," Ben laughed, handing Michael his coat. They all exchanged hugs and "goodbyes" and "see you laters" before Ben, Hunter, Michael, Amy and Andy spilled out onto the sidewalk.
"You know this wasn't necessary," Amy said, blushing. "I could have gotten Andy home by my lonesome-not that I'm not appre-appresh-grateful."
"Oh, it's no problem," Hunter hastened. "Liberty Avenue can be a bit dicey."
"I'm such a bone head but I think I've forgotten your names," Amy said, hoping to change the subject.
"Oh, I don't think we told you!" Ben exclaimed. "I'm Ben Bruckner. This is my husband Michael Novotny and our son Hunter."
"Son? You don't look old enough to have such an old son."
"Adopted," Michael explained.
"Oh," Amy replied.
"So you've been in Pittsburgh a month?" Hunter asked.
"Yeah, one glorious month," Andy crowed. "Wait a second," he said, clutching his stomach. "Plees 'scuse me." He proceeded to the curb, fell to his knees and expelled the contents of his evening.
"Andy!" Amy exclaimed.
"Is he okay?" Ben asked.
"He'll be fine. We've had a long week and I guess he hit the bottle a little too hard tonight. Come on hon. Let's get home." She helped him to his feet but his legs were shaking so badly that she swerved under his weight, right into Hunter. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's really no problem," Hunter blushed.
"Here, we'll get him," Ben said, taking Andy's other arm. Michael came up behind and took the weight off Amy. "Just walk ahead and we'll follow you."
"Thanks," Amy replied and walked ahead of the threesome, closely followed by Hunter. "I'm sorry you didn't meet Andy on a better day. He's usually a lot more up standing than he seems now." Andy groaned in response. Ben chuckled.
"We've all been there. He's just lucky that he has a sister willing to take care of him."
"Yeah, well, if we don't take care of each other, who will?"
Michael refrained from saying "your parents".
"So who's older?" Hunter asked, his hands shoved self-consciously into his pockets.
"Andy, by about a minute," Amy replied.
"You're twins?"
"Yeah . . . fraternal." They walked in silence for a few minutes before Amy came to a halt. "So this is us."
"We'll take him up the stairs if you want us to," Michael put in. Andy seemed to be asleep.
"No, it's fine. Y'all have done enough for us tonight! Thank you so much it's been a pleasure talking with you and I'm sure Andy would said thank you if he wasn't so shit-faced."
"It was no problem, really. It was a pleasure meeting both of, well one and a half of you too," Ben smiled. Amy slid under one of Andy's arms, taking her brother from Ben and Michael who retreated, leaving Hunter alone.
"So, would it be-er, could I call you sometime? Or, well you could call me. I could-"
"You don't want to get mixed up with me. That's for damn sure. Tell your parents thanks again." There was not a tremble or note of hesitation in her voice. She turned, hoisting Andy up as she did before walking into the building and up the stairs. Hunter was left to wonder how he could have repelled her so quickly, with so few words. He joined Ben and Michael and they began their trek home. Better luck next time.
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