The other staff members quickly dispersed, getting started on clean-up so that they could retreat quicker. The tear down and resetting of the area was done with astonishing rapidity. Cori, who'd managed to duck family greetings from his father, did his best to help. He finally sidled up to Misto, "So, this looking about cleaned up?"

"I think so," he said with a grin. "Why, eager to be elsewhere?"

Coricopat grinned back, "Maybe so. I don't know, it's nice here, but I also feel a bit cooped up sometimes."

"Are you coming over?" Mistoffelees asked, sliding up to him. "There's going to be celebratory food?"

"I was kind of planning to? I hear your dad's a pretty good cook if rumors hold true."

"Well, he makes a killer desert," Mistoffelees said with a grin and paused, looking around. "If we leave now we can get there before everyone else."

"Shall we then?" Cori glanced around, focusing for a moment longer on where Munkus and Mac were working.

"Sure, Mac can finish this up," Mistoffelees called, getting a glare.

"I can help!" Tugger chirped. Macavity gave his cousin a long look.

"You're just making up for the fact you still feel guilty," Macavity said and Tugger nodded.

Laughing and rolling his eyes at the same time Mistoffelees grabbed Coricopat's arm and started pulling him away from the still bickering cousins.

"Your car or should we drive separately?" the taller teen asked as they headed for the parking lot.

"We can take my car," Mistoffelees replied. "I mean, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all, as long as you don't mind driving me back out here."

"Well..." Mistoffelees started to tease. "I don't mind."

Coricopat offered him a grin in response, "Good to know. We'd better be off then."

o.o.o.o

Mistoffelees threw open the door to his house, striding inside. "Mom, dad," he called out.

Serafine looked around the doorway of the kitchen as Coricopat entered behind Mistoffelees, "Oh, Misto, you're here earlier than we expected."

"Sorry, is that a problem?" he asked, as Orion appeared, holding a knife from his work in the kitchen.

She shook her head, "No, not at all. How long before the rest of the guests arrive?"

"They were finishing cleaning so probably another twenty minutes both for that and for everyone to figure out their cars," Mistoffelees said, glancing between his parents. "Now, this is probably not going to run as that much of a surprise anymore, but, mom, dad, meet my boyfriend."

Coricopat glanced at Misto in some slight surprise before offering his hand, "Hello."

Sera offered him a bright smile, shaking his hand, "It's good to meet you finally."

Orion brandished the knife for a minute before setting it down carefully and shaking his hand as well. "Really now?"

"Really," Mistoffelees replied, glancing between the three of them.

Cori had watched the knife warily, "Yes, sir. It's good to meet the two of you."

"I would love to say we've heard lots about you..." Orion said and Mistoffelees rolled his eyes affectionately.

"Well, we haven't been dating for that long," Coricopat supplied quietly.

"Good to hear. You're the one who got him dancing again then?" Orion asked with a smile, something still wary in his expression.

"So, is the cake done?" Mistoffelees intercut rather abruptly.

Sera glanced at her son and then at Cori before nodding, "Yes, actually, it just came out."

"Cool," he said with a nod. "Is everything else just about ready?"

Orion gave his son a level look and nodded. "By the way, you fulfilled your task admirably."

"What, traumatizing my uncle?"

Sera laughed quietly at that, "Yes, that. You should have seen his face, it was beautiful."

"Should have filmed that rather than the dance," Mistoffelees joked.

"Even telling him you were staff had him sputtering," Orion said. "I think he thought you were following in your father's footsteps or something."

Coricopat glanced between the three, staying quiet. Serafine nodded her agreement with Orion, "I'm certain he thought something like that. I'd love to just..."

"Just?" Mistoffelees prompted. "Throttle him?"

"Throttling him sounds nice," she admitted.

"There there, mother. We live halfway across the country from him now," Mistoffelees patter her shoulder. "We can mostly ignore him."

"Mostly, yes," she agreed.

"Though," Mistoffelees glanced at Coricopat. "How long does he usually stay at the club?"

"A week," Cori answered. "Though that's the usual stay, sometimes it's more, once in a while it's less."

"Great," Mistoffelees ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I'll just be ducking in and out of doors more often than usual the next few days. No big."

"Well, you always know where you can retreat around the club," Cori offered. Which earned an arched eyebrow from Serafine.

Mistoffelees grinned. "But I think Mr. Alonzo would frown on me not working for long periods of time."

Coricopat chuckled a bit at that, "This is true."

"But thanks. So," he said, turning back to his parents. "Anything else we need to get ready before we end up swarmed with teenagers?"

"No, I think your father and I can handle it," Sera answered. "Though you might see about locating some games if anyone wants to play them."

"I'll at least dig them up," Mistoffelees said, turning and heading to do just that as Orion got the knife put away.

Coricopat hesitated, glancing between Misto's parents and Mistoffelees before finally following his boyfriend.

Mistoffelees glanced back at him, offering him a smile as he went to the hall cupboard, digging around in it. "So, pleased with your shiny new award?"

"Our shiny new award," he corrected. "But, yes. I am."

"Well, I think you've been trying to get this one longer than I have," Mistoffelees replied, offering him a smile.

Coricopat returned the smile, "This one, yeah, I suppose so, but still. I couldn't have done it without you."

Mistoffelees glanced back once at the cupboard and then at Coricopat. "Well, thanks."

"Your folks seemed...rather calm about us dating all told."

"Did you expect otherwise?" the smaller asked, getting several boxes out of the cupboard and setting them down.

"I didn't really know what to expect, honestly."

Mistoffelees leaned his back against the wall, looking at Coricopat. "Dare I ask how your parents would react?"

"I...don't really know. Mom will probably react well, but I don't know about Dad. I honestly, haven't done this part of this before."

"You've never told your parents you were dating?" Mistoffelees asked softly.

Coricopat shook his head, "I'm pretty sure Mom's known, but Dad I think still has some vague thought that I'm going to settle down and have kids at some point."

"Oh," the shorter teen managed after a moment. "Sorry, I don't think I'm going to be much help with that."

"He'll deal with it," Cori shrugged. "We also should probably figure out when best to actually introduce you as my boyfriend. Probably to Mom first."

Mistoffelees shifted at that. "So, you want to introduce me to your parents?"

Cori nodded, "I mean...if you don't mind?"

"No. I mean... that would be nice."

"I..." he offered a faint smile, "I'm glad you're willing to let me do so."

"I," he started, not entirely sure how to say what he was thinking when the door thudded open and Macavity's voice could be heard, answered by his brother's. "Well, seems like the others are here now."

Coricopat glanced back down the hall, sighing slightly, "Sounds like it."

"Don't worry," Mistoffelees joked, walking past him. "I'll make sure they're nice to you or no cake. Though, I think after tonight you made a lot more friends anyway."

That earned a bit of a smile, "Thank you. And I hope so, about the friends thing I mean." He followed the other out to where the rest of the guests were arriving.

o.o.o.o

About halfway through the party, Coricopat slipped out of the front room where they were all gathered and entered the kitchen, locating Orion there, "Hello, sir."

Glancing up, Orion turned to him. "Hm? Here, hold this," he said, handing the teen a bowl as he was trying to figure out how to best make the popcorn. "Coricopat, right?"

Cori took the bowl, blinking at it for a long moment, "Yeah. That's right."

"Good to know I remember your name," Orion said with a grin. "Can I help you with something?"

The teen offered him a faint smile in response, "I don't really know. I...kind of had a question for you."

"Alright, go for it," Orion said, putting the pop corn maker on the counter.

Cori leaned against the other counter, considering whether or not to be subtle and then remembered the Mistoffelees had said his father wasn't so he figured he might as well just go for it, "I...was wondering if you could tell me what made Misto stop dancing?"

"Oh," Orion said, stopping what he was doing to look at the other boy. "You really care about him?"

"I...yes, sir. I do."

"You had better," Orion informed him with a long look before drawing back slightly. "Has he told you anything about that?"

"Not really. I mean he told me that his partner betrayed him and left him embarrassed on stage...and that he had been a little bit in love with them," Cori murmured in response.

"They'd been dancing together since they were six," Orion said, with a nod. "It got, well, weird between them after we moved out here when Misto's grandparent's died. But we'd go back to New York every summer so it seemed to work well enough. Except the last two years Plato started reacting strangely. I learned later of course that he was, well, pressuring Misto to do different things and Misto said no. Apparently he said no too many times and Plato screwed him over during a pretty prestigious event." Orion scowled thinking about it.

"Now, afterwards, we're not entirely sure whether it was just an assault, harassment, or if Plato would have legitimately attempted to rape my son, but that attempt got a stop put to it by someone else walking in. That moment sort of swore Misto off dancing. His uncle offering to pay for lawyers, and then for therapy when Misto said no was just icing on the cake. Clearly, we did not go to New York this summer." He was eyeing Coricopat the entire time he was talking, as if threatening the other boy that he had better damn well learn from this speech.

Coricopat let out a long breath after that, taking his hat off and running a hand over his hair, "God...I..." He pulled his gaze up to look Orion in the eye, "I swear to you, sir. I have no intention of hurting your son, as long as that is within my power. I...he...God..."

"You got him dancing again," Orion said softly. "Which is a big deal since it's been his passion since he was three and it was hard to watch him walk away from that. I like you for that. But you had better never hurt him." He considering pointing out his large collection of knifes but decided against it. "The only reason I told you all that is I know Misto wouldn't. He would hedge and distract and lead a merry dance around the issue. But that bastard hurt him and you need to know why. If only so you never touch those issues."

The teen nodded, "I understand. Thank you for telling me."

Orion looked him over once and nodded. "I'm not sure whether that's something I should say "you're welcome" to but there you have it."

"Can I give you a hand with anything in here?" he offered quietly.

"Oh, I've got it," Orion said, waving him off. "Go out and enjoy the victory food."

That earned a bit of a smile, "Thank you." He slipped out of the kitchen, returning to the party.

Noticing him emerging from the kitchen, Mistoffelees made his way over. "Hey."

Cori offered him a smile, "Hey."

"Anything of interest going on in the kitchen?" Mistoffelees asked, leaning against him slightly.

That earned a half shrug, as Cori looped an arm around him, "Just talking to your dad."

"Okay, now you have me frightened," Mistoffelees said, only half teasing.

"I figured since your friends were so concerned about my intentions I should talk to your dad or mom since they were there when whatever it was went down."

There was a pause and Mistoffelees blinked. "Whatever it was?" he repeated back.

Coricopat glanced around, "Perhaps talk about this later?"

Mistoffelees blinked again, his stomach dropping as he realized exactly that talk might have been about. "O-oh."

Cor glanced at him, "I...I mean..."

"My room's that way," Mistoffelees said, pointing up the stairs and pushing him. "Macavity and Tugger are holding court. Go."

The taller teen stumbled slightly, having started moving already, but headed in the direction indicated. Mistoffelees followed, indicating the door and closing it behind them, leaning against it. "You talked to my father?" he almost hissed.

Coricopat flinched at that, "Yes?"

"About that?" Mistoffelees clarified. "Talking to my father is grand and great but about that?"

"I..." he dropped his gaze, "I asked, yes."

Mistoffelees took a deep breath, leaning further against the door. "A-and?"

"And he told me. And I'm sorry you had to go through that. It explains several things that I didn't understand."

"L-like?"

"Like your reaction to throwing money at problems. Like why it took so much coaxing to get you to dance. Like why you retreated so quickly after our initial kisses."

Taking a couple of shallow breaths, Mistoffelees finally nodded. "I... it's not really one of those things you just tell people."

"No. And I can understand why you wouldn't. I get that. But...I...alright, perhaps I shouldn't have gone to your dad."

Mistoffelees took another breath. "Alright, well, my dad's the type to just tell people that."

"Well, he was rather blunt, but I did kind of expect him to be," Cori admitted quietly.

"Well, it's dad," Mistoffelees murmured, looking down before finally raising his eyes back to Coricopat.

"He cares. He told me that he let me know so I wouldn't touch those issues."

"You did anyway," Mistoffelees murmured. "Alright, I sort of made you but..."

Coricopat flinched, "Sorry..."

"I, no," he shook his head. "I'm sorry, it's just not quite what I was expecting."

"What do you mean?"

"To deal with this again. To t-alright, I was thinking about it a lot I just wish I wasn't."

Coricopat sighed, "I'm sorry, I...should have left it alone."

"No, I mean, that..." Mistoffelees paused and gave up on something internal, stepping forward and sliding his warms around Coricopat's waist, burying his head in Coricopat's chest.

The taller teen blinked at that, but carefully wrapped his arms around the other, holding him close, "You're going to make it."

"I think I was already supposed to have," Mistoffelees murmured.

"I don't think there's a time limit on things like getting over trauma."

Mistoffelees took a deep breath. "My uncle wanted to pay for therapy."

"Therapy of some sort might not have been a bad idea...but it's not a cure all."

Mistoffelees sucked in another deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Shh, don't be." After another moment Mistoffelees tilted his head back up, meeting Coricopat's eyes. Coricopat moved a hand to brush some of Misto's hair back, "I'm here if you need me."

"Okay," Mistoffelees said, nodding slightly.

"Are you going to be alright tonight?"

He nuzzled against Coricopat's hand a moment. "I... I think so."

Cori ran his fingers through the other's hair, "Are you up to going back down?"

"Another minute or two," Mistoffelees replied, head still tilted back. He paused, leaning up to press a kiss to Coricopat's mouth.

The taller teen hesitated for a moment before gently leaning into the kiss, but pretty much leaving it up to Misto to lead this time.

"I'm not breakable," Mistoffelees murmured, drawing back.

That earned a blink, "I know?"

"Okay," Mistoffelees said, claiming a harder kiss. "We should get back down."

"We...really should yes..." Cori did not look like he quite wanted to.

Mistoffelees grinned, tracing his face before letting his hand drop. "Don't worry. You'll be allowed back here."

The other returned the grin, "Good to know."

"Come on," Mistoffelees murmured with a swallow.

"After you?" Coricopat offered. Smiling, Mistoffelees turned and held the door open. Cori offered him a smile and slipped out of the room.

Mistoffelees followed, making sure the door was closed and led the way down the stairs.

o.o.o.o

Getting to work one morning, several days later and after all the fuss about the show had died down, Mistoffelees was going to clock in when he saw Coricopat approaching. "Hey."

Cori offered him a bit of a smile, "Hey..."

"How're you?" Mistoffelees asked, leaning forward slightly but not quite touching the other boy.

"I'm…doing well, you?"

"Oh, you know, another exciting day of work. Sorta glad it's only a month left of actual work," Mistoffelees tilted his head, smiling.

Coricopat returned the smile, "This is true..." He hesitated for a long moment, "Would you be willing to join me and mom for lunch? We were talking about a picnic..."

"Your... your mom?" Mistoffelees asked, blinking. "Are you sure?"

The taller nodded, "Yes? I mean, if you don't mind?"

"I, no," he said, shaking his head. "I mean, as long as you don't think she would mind me working here and everything."

"I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind."

He swallowed. "Great. So, lunch time then?"

Coricopat nodded, "Lunchtime. I'll come by then?"

"Sounds great. I'll be ready then," Mistoffelees glanced around before leaning up and kissing Coricopat quickly before swaying off.

The other boy smiled, watching him go and then slipped away to let his mom know that they would have a guest for lunch.

o.o.o.o

Mistoffelees glanced around the kitchen area, noticing as Griddlebone and Macavity slipped off and Tumble and Tugger seemed to be discussing something over one of the staff tables. He smiled at that, looking toward the entrance as he clocked off for the break.

Coricopat showed up a minute or so later, picking up the picnic basket the primary chef had prepared and sidling up to Misto, "Hey, you set?"

"I think so," he said, glancing down at his clothes. "If this is alright of course."

"It's prefect. It's a picnic, not a formal dinner."

"Alright," he said with a smile, slipping his arm through Coricopat's. "Lead the way then?"

Cori leaned over to kiss the other briefly, "Leading the way." He guided him out to where they were meeting Jelly for lunch. Jelly was waiting out in a section of the golf course near one of the water traps. It could be considered actually rather scenic if not the fact it was obviously a golf course. She arched a brow at seeing the smaller teen with her son.

Coricopat offered his mom a bit of a sheepish smile, "Hey, Mom."

"Ducky. And... Mistoffelees, correct?"

The smaller teen blinked at both the name and the fact she remembered his name. "Yes, ma'am."

It caused her son to blush slightly, "Mom, I wanted to introduce you to Misto. We're...well, dating."

Her eyebrows went up but she smiled. "So, you're the one that yelled at the Hollister boy that one night?"

"I, oh, right, you were there," he said, blushing as well and nodding. "Yeah. That was me. It's nice to actually meet you."

"It's lovely to meet you as well," she said with a nod. "Take a seat. How long have you been dating then?"

Coricopat settled down next to his mother, setting the picnic basket down, "Since...well, since before the talent show." He glanced at Misto, trying to decide if they could count shortly after the staff ball game.

Mistoffelees glanced between them, seating himself across from the pair. "Since rehearsals really."

"Really?" Jelly glanced at her son for a long moment.

Coricopat seemed very focused on serving the food as he nodded, "Yeah, sounds about right."

She glanced between the pair of them, smiling slightly. "Well, it's nice to formally meet you. Since the golf game where you were, well, all but attacked by my daughter that is."

"All but-oh, right," he managed and shrugged. "No worries. I survived."

"Still sorry about that," Cori murmured.

"I lived," he replied softly. "Though I have no intention of caddying again so long as I'm here if at all possible."

His boyfriend nodded slightly, "Sounds like a good plan."

Jelly smiled. "My daughter is honestly not the best at golf anyway. It's not my favorite sport either, I must admit, but their father enjoys it." Jelly paused and leveled her son with a long look. "When are you introducing him to your father?"

Coricopat glanced at his mother innocently, "What? Oh, after he's done working here probably?"

"Ducky," she drawled and Mistoffelees ducked his head down to hide his smile.

"Mom, do you really think introducing our caddy and waiter as my new boyfriend would be a good idea with Dad?" Her son didn't even register the endearment anymore.

"So, after he quits then?" Jelly asked with an arched brow.

Mistoffelees twisted his mouth from side to side for a moment. He did not quite like the sound of that.

Cori dropped his gaze, picking at his food, "I...yeah? Maybe?" He glanced toward Misto for a moment.

Mistoffelees sighed and nodded. "It might be the best plan," he murmured. "If you're going to anyway."

The other blinked at that, "Of course I am."

That got a smile from the smaller teen as he started picking through the food in front of them. "Oh, okay. So, afterwards, toward the end of summer then."

Jelly considered him. "So, a student at the high school then?"

"Yeah," Mistoffelees nodded. "I moved here in sixth grade."

"He plays quite a bit on the sports teams," Cori murmured, finally eating something.

That got Jelly's brows up. "Really now?"

Mistoffelees nodded. "Cross country, basketball, and baseball."

"Cori used to do baseball," Jenny said.

"I know," Mistoffelees replied, with a faint smile. "He almost beat us at the staff game earlier."

Coricopat smiled slightly, "It was a good game."

Jelly glanced between them. "What, was a game of sports the door to true love?"

That startled a laugh out of Mistoffelees. "Well, almost?"

"Sports and dance," Cori murmured, grinning faintly. "But it's not like it's the only thing."

"I would hope not," Jelly said and Mistoffelees nodded.

"The dance helped though."

Jelly looked over at him. "You seemed to dance well at the show," she remarked.

"I used to do it a lot more," he admitted softly.

Coricopat nodded slightly, "You're still quite good though."

"Thank you," Mistoffelees murmured. "I only took a year off."

"How long were you dancing?" Mrs. Zimmerman asked, working on a sandwich.

"Since I was three."

Jelly's brows shot up at that answer.

Coricopat opened his sandwich, picking off several things from it and closing it again, "Well, anyhow..."

Jelly cleared her throat. "So, you moved here in sixth grade?"

"From New York," he replied, picking his own sandwich.

Coricopat finally settled in to eat the rest of his sandwich, but paused to murmur, "His folks came for the talent show, I don't know if you got the chance to meet them."

"I didn't, I'm sorry to say," Jelly replied.

"I'm sure there will be another chance," Mistoffelees replied. In fact, he was fairly sure his mother already knew of Jelly Zimmerman.

"They're rather nice," Cori commented.

"What do they do?" Jelly asked.

"My mom's an event planner," Mistoffelees said after swallowing. "So, weddings especially but also big parties and things. My dad owns the Greek restaurant down off Fourth Street? He's the main cook there too."

His boyfriend blinked, "I guess that explains opting out of the Greek place that one time."

Mistoffelees glanced back at him. "Yup. There's nothing quite like having a Greek chef as a father."

"They sound charming," Jelly remarked.

"That's only because I haven't mentioned the time I came home to an entire cooked goat on the table."

That earned another long blink from Coricopat, "I don't think I'd heard that one."

Mistoffelees smiled at Coricopat as Jelly just blinked at him. "Oh my."

"My mother put her foot down there," Mistoffelees said, grinning. "I don't think he's even allowed to cook another goat for my graduation."

The taller teen bit his lip at that, grinning, "Where did he cook it?"

"Out back on a spit," Mistoffelees replied and Jelly looked a little faint for a moment.

That earned a bit of a laugh from Cori, "You're serious?"

"Completely," he replied. "Mom and I vowed never to leave him alone all day on a special event again."

Jelly was laughing behind her sandwich. "You must have quite the family..."

Coricopat grinned, "I think you'd like them, Mom."

"I would love to meet them sometime," she replied and Mistoffelees smiled.

"Sometime," he agreed. "Soon, hopefully."

Offering Misto a smile, Cori finally settled back a bit, relaxing a little more. Mistoffelees began to relax as well, chattering with Jelly and Coricopat for the rest of the lunch period.

There we go. When you have a character who refuses to talk about themselves straight, give them a father with the subtly of a brick! We hope everyone enjoyed this particular installment, and always remember how much your author's enjoy feedback! We will eventually take this story through the third film, but we have the rest of the summer to get through first. Cheers and we hope everyone sticks around for the next third or so of the story.