TW-bad relationships with parents & gender conforming mindsets :)
The sun was shining, the weather was warm. Both of the boys had broken out their shorts and t-shirts today as they played Mario Kart in their lounge competitively, Maverick on the floor, Remi on the couch, like usual. The sun danced around their apartment through the open window, allowing their fake plants to breathe, because neither of them were responsible enough to keep real ones alive. Mav, in ‘amazing’ sportsmanship, drops his remote and crosses his arms in anger. “I just know you’re a cheat, Rem. There’s no way you can win 10 times in a row like that without cheats!”
“You’re just bad at it, dude.”
Remi gets up and ruffles Maverick’s mop of hair on his way to the kitchen to make a coffee, while Maverick just sits there thinking about his non existent career in professional Mario Kart racing as his character does NPC laps in the background. There’s a knock at their apartment door, making Maverick get up and say, “I’ll get it!” he twists the doorknob with his left hand, the bandages retired and the large burn scar debuting. An older, presentable looking man was stood up straight, staring at Maverick’s bed hair and un-ironed shirt with a disinterested look. “Oh! Mr Lieutenant Lane! I, uh, wasn’t expecting you, today!” Blabbed Maverick, clearly shocked that Remi’s father was here without him hearing anything about it. Usually Remi would stress clean for a week in advance, years ago when Lieutenant Lane would still visit, so this was strange. “Clearly.”
The monotoned man looked at the messy yet homey shared apartment with distaste. His combat boots make a clunk sound as he walks into the living room without being invited. “Mav, who was at the door, was it those idiots who sell spoons, again?”
Mumbles Remi as he rubs his face with one hand the other holding his coffee. “Uh-“
Begins a heavily awkward Maverick. Remi looks up and immediately stiffens at the sight of his father. The second he makes eye contact with the Lieutenant, Maverick swore he could see Remi’s heart rate rising and his grip on his mug tightening. Lieutenant Lane, stares at Remi, a very blank stare. “Pink.”
He spat in an accusatory tone, rather than an observational one. The man hadn’t seen his son in several years, and the first thing he comments on or rather, ill-judged on was the colour of his son’s hair. “It’s uhm. It’s been like that for a while.”
Confirms Remi, carefully picking out his words. “I, for one, think it looks great on him, sir.”
Maverick immediately regrets his words the second they leave his mouth. “This has nothing to do with you, boy.”
Maverick winced. He’d always tried to get on Lieutenant Lane’s good side, but it never worked. Or maybe there wasn’t anyone in the world good enough for the Lieutenant. Not even Remi. “You’ve changed.”
The disgust was blatantly obvious in his tone. “You used to take pride in how you presented yourself.”
“I still do, it’s called having a personality.”
His eyes glanced at the stained coffee rings on the table, the empty mugs laying around and the dust behind the tv. “This is what this is? Grossness is personality now? This is the complete opposite of pride, Jeremy.”
Maverick awkwardly shifted his weight before stupidly opening his mouth again. “It’s… lived in. Homey, if you will.”
Maverick offers a small smile, brows furrowed. “I wasn’t talking to you. The adults, are talking.”
The lieutenant’s voice was sharp, hitting Maverick in all the wrong spots. His attempted friendly smile flushed off his face. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, too hurt to find the right words, so he turned around and walked out of the front door to his own apartment… Remi stared at the door, angry at everything. “Great job.”
He spoke sharply, voice sarcastic. “You’re here for not even 10 minutes, and you’ve already torn everything down. Maverick included.”
Remi was glaring at his Father who was staring back with no emotion. “If the man cannot handle authority, maybe he shouldn’t have responsibility of his own.”
Remi takes a hasty step forward, ready to yell at his Father, but the Lieutenant shuts him down. “He shouldn’t need a hopeful young man, like yourself, babysitting him. His parents are there for that job.”
“You mean, his foster parents.”
He says hoping that’s who he meant. His father just scoffs. “Ah yes.. the Millers. They collect strays and raise them for a living.”
“Don’t talk about Eloise and Tom like that. At least they raised and cared about Mav, without giving up on him the moment he didn’t quite fit the family picture.”
“Don’t you know it’s disrespectful to refer to your elders as their first name?”
“That’s your takeaway from that?”
Remi stares at his father, hurt and angry. “Get out of my apartment…”
His tone didn’t express anger, just tired disappointment.
