Family Dinner || Self-Para
Summary - Ian and his three older siblings come home for a family dinner after which his mother gives him a talking to plus a little something something for the upcoming Bachelor Auction.
WC: 2,630
Without Tommy there to back him up, Ian slips into old habits too easily. Itâs hard for him to not let his brothersâ joshing get to him, and each quip at his expense makes Ianâs smile that much more strained. Everything from âHey Schoolboy!â to bets on how much cum heâs been guzzling seems to be on the table tonight, and since theyâre drinking theyâre a bit more abrasive about it too. Ian really doesnât like being around his brothers when theyâre drinking.
âHuh, buddy?â Ian had retreated inwards and completely zoned out of the conversation. It wasnât until Harrison clapped him on the back that he even realized all three of his siblings were looking at him. His mouth falls agape as he tries to think of somethingâanythingâto say, but Donovanâs snort beats him to the chase.
âSpace cadet strikes again. Howâs the view from the clouds Lieutenant Dumbass?â he chortles, both his brothers laughing boisterously now. Ian laughs along with obviously less zeal.
Annette only shakes her head, moderately eye-rolling at her brothers. âPlease donât mess with him like that. Ianâs no fun when he starts to turtle up.â While heâs sure she means well, comments like that only ever get his big brothers laughing at him harder. This is why Ian doesnât enjoy family dinners without his younger in attendance.
âWhatâs wrong, Annie? Junior too busy to be his white knight so youâve got to fill the vacancy?â
âNot that he needs it. Heâs a grown man and weâre just kidding around. Ian knows it. Look at him! Life of the party!â Harrison points right to the smile glued to Ianâs face. That gets a smile out of Annette which she attempts to hide by taking a sip from her wine glass. Harrison and Donovan never hide when theyâre laughing at him. This is why he needs his little brother. Ian always feels invisible, pushed aside, belittled, and a bunch of other things heâs not good at vocalizing whenever heâs at home. Tommy always knew how to save him.
âHave you guys spoken to him recently? I know heâs super busy, but I canât ever get him on the phone anymoreââ
âTime zones, buddy. Weâve been over this. England is a few hours ahead of us, so you canât just call him whenever.â So what if Ian has to count on his fingers to get an idea of what time it is for Tommy, itâs not like he forgets he has to! Though ⊠he doesnât say anything to reject the implication about his understanding of time zones either.
âNah, heâs been dodging me too! He goes and claims a princess and suddenly âHis Highnessâ is too good for us.â
âHis Grace. Tommy is only going to be a duke by marriage andââ
âYeah ok, we get that youâre jealous of his royal assent, but seriously Annie couldnât you at least try to not sound bitter whenever he comes up?â
Thatâs how things have always been between his siblings. They have a brash, witty sense of humor and even Annetteâs found a way to navigate those waters effectively. She can take it and dish it out without sacrificing the austerity she places in her classification. Ian was never as good as her. All he could ever do was smile through it all. As they continue to bicker amongst themselves and Ian starts to wish that Mother let him at least have a glass of wine like Annette got, he sees his father come into the room. He canât help his sigh of relief.
âBoys, mind the volume. Really, I donât know why she lets you drink on empty stomachs. You both get so belligerent!â Itâs only a gentle scolding on his part, no hints of genuine irritation are found on his face. His brothers know this as well and both take a large swallow of their beers in response. Walter McCallister, the perfect claim for a woman like Clarice, the perfect father to both wrangle and console the children she bore as they needed. Ianâs always felt closer to his father, and for more reasons than their shared classification. He was hoping to get a chance to speak with him privately at some point before dinner was over, but hasnât gotten to yet. âDinner is about to be served. Why donât you all wash up and come take a seat? Your mother is hungry and she is not in a patient mood tonight,â Walter informs before Ian can get a chance to say something. All buzzed except Ian, the McCallister children file out of the room. Ian starts to perk up a bit after his father gives him a gentle shoulder pat on his way out.
Dinner was delicious, and in typical McCallister fashion, it ends as they always do. As soon as Clarice puts her utensil down, Ian, Annette, and Walter all get up from their spots to clear the table. The Dominants will continue to sit and chat for a while. Theyâll drink and have fun waiting for the others to bring dessert and coffee if desired. Those three only get dessert as an occasional reward, so none for them tonight much to Ianâs disappointment. Thereâs a delicious-looking lemon cake in the kitchen just calling his name. Heâs even so bold as to try and finger swipe some icing off of it, but Annette slaps his hand away before he gets a chance. Ian is mid pout when a single command makes him go rigid.
âIan, darling,â Clarice calls out from the dining room. âIâll be taking my dessert in my study. Be a dear and bring it up to me.â The tension in the kitchen is palpable. Annette and Walter keep cleaning, but even Ian knows theyâve each got a nervously watchful eye on him. Being alone with Mother in her study only means one thing: prepared to get chewed out.Â
âYes Maâam,â he responds, dejectedly cutting a suitable piece of cake for Mother and bringing it up. He has to suffer the typical âOoo youâre in troubleââs from his lounging brothers as he walks by. Itâs not like theyâre kids anymore so he doesnât understand why they get such a kick out of it, but much like when they were, Ian shrugs away from their scrutiny so hard that it looks like heâs trying to make his head disappear. âTurtlingâ as Annette so aptly put it, warranting even more joshing at his expense while he hurries to Motherâs study.
A deep sigh at the door and then a knock, Ianâs typical ritual. He canât remember a time in his life when he left this room feeling good. He enters once prompted and sets the cake down in front of her, then steps back from her desk and stands there, waiting patiently. This is a common routine and Ianâs had plenty of practice, though he does think that her having him watch her eat it is a bit much. It feels like a punishment. Then again, so have their last few chats.
âMm! That was absolutely divine. I swear, your fatherâs skills in the kitchen have never once diminished over the years. I do wish you couldâve enjoyed someâŠâ Her voice and expression are cheery, but her eyes seem very cold. Even the way Clarice cleans the fork intimidates Ian. Sheâs quite skilled at making him feel naked in a not-fun way. ââŠthen again, you havenât been a very good boy, have you?âÂ
âNo Maâam, I have not,â he says without hesitation. Confessing it out loud hurts so much. In a single sentence, weeks of âgood boysâ have been erased. Until he gets claimed, thereâs only one Dominant who gets to dictate how well Ianâs behaving, and Clarice McCallisterâs margins for grading are very clear.
âHuh,â is her only response, those cold eyes of hers repeating every scathing critique sheâs voiced recently. Thereâs no need to rehash them, Ian knows full and well how heâs failed and why heâs failed. âIan, Iâve been very patient with you. Men in our family attending Lowell has been a great honor for generations. You are the very first to turn that honor into an embarrassment. You should feel embarrassed by your inability to get claimed. Itâs no oneâs fault but your own.â
âI know. Iâm sorry, Maâam.â
âIf I had a dollar for every time I heard that, Iâd be able to reimburse myself for nine years of tuition.â
âI know. Iâmââ A single quirk of Clariceâs eyebrow is all it takes for the words to die on Ianâs tongue. He looks down at his feet, unable to handle her disapproving gaze. He feels choked up like a hot coal is burning through his throat. The ground below starts to look blurry as well. Ian is doing his best not to cry. He knows Mother hates seeing that. âIâm trying really hard. I help out and I talk to a lot of Dominants. I have a lot of friends! But I ⊠I donât know why no Dominant wants me. I do everything you suggest and itââ
âMaybe you should spend less time screwing around with taken locals and put your energies towards getting serious about getting claimed.â He visibly winces at that interruption, because in his heart he knows thereâs a lot of truth to it. âAt this point, Iâm not sure which is more humiliating. The fact that youâve been there for nearly a decade, or the fact that your highest accolade is getting labeled as the school slut.â That one hurts even more, but he has a tool to use. Luckily, in his increasingly stressed frame of mind, he remembers to take it out of the toolbox his therapist has been helping him build.
âDr. Addams saysââ
âIâm the one paying for your little headcase pow wows with Dr. Addams. The last thing I want thrown in my face right now is whatever Freudian bullshit he told you to spout at me.â
âI-I justââ
âWould you quit mumbling like an idiot? Donât slouch like that. Stand up straight, hold your head up high. If you have something to say, use your voice, Ian. How many times do I have to tell you this? Appearance is everything. Fix yourself, now!â He lifts his head but has to sniffle. Ian is full-on crying by the end of that and he just couldnât hold his tears back any longer. Clariceâs eye-roll in response only makes him feel worse. âMy sensitive little boy, what are we going to do with you?â she sighs, shaking her head. Ian stands perfectly still, trying to compose himself even though he knows heâs failing. The night has been a lot for him and heâs feeling raw from it all, but he knows whatâs coming when Mother stands and walks around her desk. Heâs thankful for it.
For all her talk about hating hysterics, sheâs very good at dealing with Ianâs. She tenderly grasps the back of his head and brings his face into her neck, embracing her son. Ian wraps his large frame around her in turn, sobbing uncontrollably now that heâs been given the all-clear. Heâs incoherent, inconsolable, but Clariceâs soothing touches calm Ian down. When she feels heâs gotten enough of it out of his system, she pushes him back gently by his shoulders. One hand goes to cup his pitiful face, stroking his cheek with her thumb as he whimpers out the last of his outpouring. âIan, itâs just you. Even Tommyâs grown up and done it now. Not to mention heâs taken our âmarrying upâ speeches seriously. I mean, heâs claimed into royalty! Itâs bad for my image to have you still at Lowell with not even a prospect while all your other siblings have done so well. We need to change that, right?â
âY-Yes Maâam. Iâll try harder.â Eventually, she smiles and he smiles through his teary eyes in return. He mustâve finally said the right thing.
âGood boy.â There it is, the two words that uplift him more than everything else. A single phrase is capable of washing away all the cold pricklies and replacing them with warm fuzzies. Heâs feeling better already. âBut what am I always telling you?â
âMy looks are my most important asset?âÂ
âExactly!â she praises. âYouâre such a beautiful boy. Though, you could probably benefit from shedding some weight. Did you have to get so bulky?â Ianâs used to criticism being attached to Motherâs compliments. Her standards are extremely high. âI donât expect you to be able to come up with a solution, which is why Iâm going to help you. When Harrison was at Lowell, I did something for him before the Bachelor Auction. Iâve decided Iâm going to do the same for you.â
He starts to wipe his face and continues to compose himself when Clarice turns around to her desk. He canât see what sheâs scribbling out, but after hearing some paper tear he figures what sheâs doing. âNow, I know Iâve expressed my hesitation about doing this before, but Ian the auction has only ever resulted in you being a glorified whore for a night. How many times were you purchased by someone who had actual intentions of claiming you?â Out of eight times, the answer is none, and the pause it takes for him to mull this over is long enough for the rhetorical nature of Clariceâs question to be apparent. âMy point exactly. This year, youâre taking matters into your own hands.â
Ian looks at the check, amazed at the amount. Heâs never held that much money in his life, and it means the world to him that Mother has faith in his ability to do this.
âBut Maâamââ
âNo buts, just promise me youâll spend it wisely. Donât waste this opportunity. Choose a Dominant carefully, one you have a shot with. Itâs okay to think of a game plan too. In fact, you should ask Annie for tips. Iâve never seen anyone wrap a Dominant around their finger quite like her.â
Ian nods, sniffling still but smiling nonetheless. âThank you, Mother. I wonât let you down. Iâm gonna get a great date and Iâll get claimed. This will be my last year at Lowell, I promise.â Clarice smiles and dismisses Ian with a nod. He holds the check to his chest, feeling like heâs living a dream. Mother is right, this year heâs not leaving anything to chance. Heâs going to make the right choice and finally get claimed.
The next couple of days on campus, Ian tried to keep his ear to the ground and figure out who heâd focus his bidding efforts on. Annie gave him some tips for how to plan the date in a way thatâll keep a Dominant interested, but that doesnât help him choose. Itâs not until he gets some alone time in the game room that he makes up his mind. Feeling the green of the pool table reminds Ian of a memory he hasnât visited recently, only because he failed to find the need. But now ⊠itâs giving him inspiration. âItâs settled then. I know what Iâm going to do,â he says to himself, resolute in a way thatâs almost uncharacteristic. Ian isnât sure if heâs going to be able to live up to his promises by going for who heâs thinking, but heâs sure that itâs the best option given his predicament. âThe Bachelor Auction is just around the corner. I have to make sure Iâm ready. Iâm going to land a Dominant, bring him home, and Mother will be so proud sheâll call me a good boy a whole bunch. Iâm sure of it.â
















