19

Dinner could not have gone any better. Tears threaten to fall from Fiat's eyes as he laughs with the embarrassing stories that Leo's parents had to share. While Leo would whine and complain, he smiles along with them. The plan to rush through dinner also did not pan out and neither seemed bothered by it either.

"He was and still is the sweetest son we could ever ask for. We are so lucky that he is still so welcoming and playful with us. Leo's friends all claim that they are unable to have such a close relationship with their parents. You must be a great son. Are you like that with your parents, Fiat?" Fiat forces a smile onto his face and knows that Leo is ready to intervene. Fiat just gives him a reassuring look before turning back to his lover's parents.

"Actually, me and my folks had a falling out during high school. You know teenage issues. I still visit them for the holidays, but I don't think we will be as close as we were before. It's unfortunate, but As long as I am able to check up on them and make sure they are okay, then I am fine," Fiat confesses. He can see the pity and curiosity flash in their eyes.

"Oh, my poor boy. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure that if they knew how much you would like to go back to the way things were and have repented, they would gladly welcome you with open arms. Have you talk to them?" Leo' mother tries to be understanding, but her words feel heavy on Fiat's chest. With a stiff smile Fiat opens his mouth trying to find the right words to say.

"As much as I wish for it to happen, we just don't see eye to eye. To them, things I have done are unforgivable in their eyes. If it's okay, can we change the topic?" Fiat requests and Leo's father quickly jumps in to change it to their school life. "Classes this year seem a lot more tricky. I really have to focus more."

"Like you weren't focus last year?" Leo snorts. It earns him a glare, but he just shrugs. "Oh come on, Fiat. You didn't realize we were classmates for a majority of our classes until the last few months. If it wasn't for Ann, you probably wouldn't have known the entire year and even the few classes we share this year."

"Ann? That's Fiat's best friend right? Was the the wingwoman to bring you guys together?" Leo's mother questions and the couple burst into laughter. The irony was hilarious. "What? What? Is it true? Why are you guys laughing? I want to be an insider!"

"Yeah, give a little. How did you guys end up getting together?" His father joins in. The couple exchange glances, with chuckles still shaking their shoulders.

"Fiat was actually Ann's wingman. While she is happily in her own relationship right now, she had a very open and strong liking for me-"

"Still does, but it's more of in an admiring and seeing him as an idol sort of way," Fiat's words seem to stun Leo. "Yeah, she probably doesn't want you to know that she still is a little obsessed with you, but she is happy in her relationship and happy for me. I owe her a lot. In a way, I stole her man."

"I was never her man to begin with, love. Always had my eye on you from the start," Leo leans towards a blushing Fiat. Leo pulls away with a smirk and looks back at his parents. "Anyway, we got together in a weird way, but it makes it all a better story to tell. From the moment that Fiat allowed me to be his boyfriend, I never want to let go of him. We aren't what people expect, but if we are together, that's all that matters right?"

"Right. I want both of you to continue being happy. Don't listen to those who don't understand and are stubborn to their own beliefs. My goal as father is to make sure my son feels loved and is happy with his decisions and life." Under the table, Leo clasps onto Fiat's hand and they exchange meaningful looks. "I can tell you love each other a lot by the way you act comfortably and the way you look at each other. It reminds me of me and my wife, your mother. We were high school lovers actually. I adored her for much longer than she realized. Much like Leo, I assume?"

Leo's father continues their love story with his mother adding colorful details here and their. The entire time, both couples had looks of love and the younger ones looked at them with admirations. They had their battles to fight and bumps on the road, but they fought through it all together. Fiat realizes why Leo is the way he is and it makes him fall even more. "Your parents really didn't approve?"

"No, they are like any other set of parents who want to marry their daughter off to some well made man. Instead I ended falling in love with someone who refuses to have a company of his own and moved from start up to start up and only stayed until they went public. It made my parents believe that he is unable to commit and is going to end up broke without funds to provide for the family," Leo's mother answers Fiat. "It was hard and I thought it would end there, but my husband proved them wrong again and again. He is a trustworthy partner and investor that is seeked out for new companies that are planning to go public and eventually build branches around the country or even the world. Until this day he does not tell me if it was his original plan to be as successful as he is now or just for my parents and our relationship."

"Because that detail does not matter. We are together, happy and with a wonderful son who has a matching wonderful boyfriend." Fiat's father looks at his wife with love and caresses her cheek.

"Now I understand why you said you wanted to go to a start up after you graduate," Fiat turns to Leo who blushes and rubs the back of his neck as he glances at his parents. Fiat looks over to see shock and surprise. "Was that suppose to be a secret?"

"Are you planning to jump around like I do? It's a challenging route," Leo's father asks in a soft tone. Leo sits straighter and rubs his palms against his pants.

"Well, I don't know if I have the skill for that, but I want to go to a start up and hopefully be a part of it's success. After that, I may stay or leave. I can't really say right now. I just know that I want to be able to feel the joy and relief that dad feels whenever he succeeds with a company at least once. It always made me happy to see as a child and it makes me believe that Phor really is a superhero," Leo confesses. Tears well up in his father's eyes and the two stand to share a warm hug. Fiat and Leo's mother watch them with fondness. "I hope to make you guys proud."

"You can do anything, son and you will make us proud. We just want you to be happy and comfortable. As long as you turn a bad corner then we have nothing to say about your life and your decisions," Leo's father clasps a hand onto his shoulder before they return to their seats. "How about you, Fiat? Big plans? Are you aiming for a specific company? If it's somewhere I have connections to, I'd be happy to slip in a few words. Of course, it would just be enough to make sure your profile is read, but the odds will always be on your work."

"Of course! I would never want a hand out. I also have no concrete plan. I would just apply and go to wherever takes me," Fiat shrugs. Compared to his friends, boyfriend and classmates, Fiat was behind on mapping out his life- at least to the point right after graduation.

"Fiat wouldn't need the handout. Fiat can do absolutely everything. Fiat is at the top ranks of our department and this isn't even a major he likes! He's knowledgeable about everything! He is also well experienced and a hard worker. His portfolio in itself is enough to get him hired," Leo's uplifting words make Fiat slide down in his seat and flush in embarrassment. "Don't be modest, love. You're great with people of all ages. You're a born leader. You're amazing at managing your finances. You're also a bookworm of a bookkeeper as well as an unofficial pro on the badminton court."

"Leo," Fiat whines softly causing the table to chuckle. Leo's parents start to ask more about what Leo is saying and Fiat sighs. He adjusts in his seat and scratches his temple as he tries to overcome the embarrassment. "Well, I've been working and managing myself since I became a legal adult. I make sure to study hard so I can qualify for the scholarships. I work at the market by the school and I'm usually working with aunties and grandmothers, but every once in awhile, there would be kids running around. Leo was amused when I appeared one morning with not only a lip stain from one of the friendly grandmother's but stickers on my leg that I didn't realize was there from the playful kids. As for the bookkeeper and badminton, I work at the library and I was trained under olympic coaches. My parents worried that I would be unhealthy because I am smaller, so they made sure I worked out through it. It's honestly not as great as Leo is making it out to be."

"You also worked at a construction site. Did I tell you guys about the structure we made during our department retreat?..." Fiat can only lower his head as Leo tries to rise Fiat onto a pedestal. The night continues and soon the couple is left facing the adults, wondering if they were going to leave after dinner.

"We were actually planning to stay over, but seeing as you have a guest," Leo's father rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Feel free to stay! I should actually go back to my place now. I have to be at the market early tomorrow," Fiat intervenes. Leo gives him a pitiful look and he just pays his arm reassuringly. Leo's parents give him a look of uncertainty and he smiles. "It was great to meet both of you. Thank you for the lovely dinner. I enjoyed it all."

"Is that so? Did you drive? If not, Leo, why don't you take him and make sure he arrives home safely. Do you live far?" Leo's mother questions with hesitation.

"Not far at all! I can honestly just order a car for myself. Leo is already home and I would never ask for him to drive me like this-"

"Not far, who are you kidding? Mae, Phor, is it okay if he just stays over? I'll take the couch-"

"Of course he can stay over! Why not share the bed? I thought you had a big bed. No need to be so conservative and reserved with us," Leo's mother quickly agrees and her words make the couple blush. While they have napped in each other's arms while watching a movie, they have never spent the night. Not allowing them to say anything, Leo's mother steps forward and links her arms with Fiat's and pulls him along to enter the building. "So, that market. It's one of those traditional ones right? Is it far? Can I come with? I love going to those back home. Whenever I am here I always go to those commercial ones and the produce is never the same as what you would get from the markets."

Fiat glances back towards Leo to find a content look on his face before looking back at the elder that is hooked on his arm. He begins to tell her how great the market is and how friendly the sellers are. "You may come, but I will not be able to walk around with you. Leo can take you though. I will have to bike around to tend to the aunties and grandmother's while they still have plenty of customers."

"Oh, that sounds great! Leo, Sweetheart. We're going with Fiat to the market tomorrow morning! Make sure to be up early, so we don't make him late for work," She announces. Fiat tries to let them know that he can go on his own in the morning since he has to grab his bike from home, but she insists that they will all experience the early morning and will ride together to get his bike and drive to the market. Fiat can see the hesitant look on Leo's father's face, but the elder man agrees with his wife nonetheless. She cheers and the four enter the home. Things seem to move quickly as Leo's parents retreat to the guest room and the couple are left in the common area. They exchange glances before Leo takes a decisive step and pulls Fiat to him.

"I can stay on the couch if you aren't comfortable. I'm sorry for trapping you here, but I didn't want to have a disagreement with my parents there. They can be open minded, but if they hear how we talk out everything, they'll assume the worse. If you didn't realize, my father is one to just give in to my mom when she makes a decision. They'll expect me to do the same and while I do a majority of the time, We also try to make sure we talk things out when we have different plans," Leo explains and Fiat just listens as he wraps his arms around Leo's waist. "I know you are in a better mood right now, but I don't feel comfortable with you going home and being alone. I promised to keep an eye on you at least for tonight."

"You don't need to worry about me being alone. I'm use to it, but thank you. For keeping your word and staying by my side. How different can it be to sleep through the night rather than a short nap after a movie? We should head in to wash up before bed. Tomorrow really will be an early day for us all," Fiat smiles as he takes Leo's hand in his and tugs him towards the room. "I hope you don't mind me stealing a your clothes."

"I have no complaints, love. You know I love seeing you in them," Leo steps close to Fiat and the two giggle as they enter the room and shut the door behind them. When the two of them settle onto the bed, Leo offers his arm to Fiat and the two of them just stare at each other with smiles on their faces. Fiat turns his face and closes his eyes as he feels Leo's hand caress his cheek. "You're beautiful, love. Thank you for being so brave and amazing with my parents. They can be a bit much."

"They're great, love. I can understand why you are the way you are. You received so much love from them and it shows. While I didn't expect to meet your parents, I enjoyed it. Thank you for making sure I was comfortable throughout the night and taking care of me after meeting my own parents." Fiat responds back. His fingers fiddle with the thin shirt on Leo's torso and smiles up at him.

"Anything for you, love. Let's go to sleep now, okay? Rest your eyes and get a good night's rest. I'll make sure we are all up and ready so you are not late for work in the morning," Leo says as he comfortingly runs his fingers through Fiat's hair. Sleep looms over the smaller boy and he happily shuts his eyes as he cuddles into Leo's side.

In the morning, Leo had woken first and Fiat wakes from him rubbing his chest and calling out for him. "Love, wake up. I know you're tired, but you gotta wake up for work. I already got my parents to wake."

Fiat gasps as he sits up and clutches his head as his head throbs and his sight goes blurry. "Woah. Are your parents waiting? Oh my gosh. They woke up this early because of me and I'm the last one to wake up! Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"Hey, love. Don't fret. You had a whirlwind of emotions run through you yesterday. Even my parents thought it was a good idea for you to get a bit more rest. Just take it easy and freshen up. After your work I'll drop you off at your house and take my parents back here and figure out what their plans are. Sound good?" Leo suggests. Fiat nods and smiles as he accepts a kiss on the forehead. His eyes roam towards the clock at the side before widening and he shoots out of the bed and into the bathroom.

"My gosh! I'm going to be late! Can you grab me a change of clothes?" Fiat calls out as a toothbrush hangs from his mouth. He spits out the foam and sighs in relief when he sees Leo come in with a stack of clothes. "Thanks, love. Go out to your parents and let them know I will be out soon."

"Okay, love. See you in a bit," Leo kisses the top of his head and leaves. Fiat washes his face and quickly changes into the new set of clothes. Everything is a lot longer on him and he is grateful for the belt that Leo provided. He tucks in his shirt and folds the pant legs to fit him better. Patting down the nest he has for hair he steps out of the room to find the family gathered with smiles and fresh looking faces. They turn to look at him with a welcoming gaze. "You ready, love?"

"Yeah," Fiat croaks. It had been a while since he has woken up to a full house and the sight of it makes his heart clench. He quickly clears his throat and nods to clarify his answer.

"Oh, are these Leo's clothes, Fiat? You should keep at least two sets of clothes here for yourself. Leo, look at him. He is drowning in your clothes!" Leo's mother approaches Fiat and takes a good look at his attire.

"I like him in my clothes," Leo frowns as he encases him and leads them all out the door. Fiat blushes as the parents laugh. Fiat is all smiles as he sits in the back seat with Leo's mother, but then feels embarrassed when he sees the look on their faces when they pull up to his building.

"I'll just be quick and lock my bike onto the back," Fiat mumbles and rushes out of the car to avoid their judging gazes. The idea that Leo's parents would see his home had completely gone past him. He keeps his eyes forward as he rushes up to his home and single handedly carry his bike down. Continuing to avoid their eyes, he locks his bike. When he hears the last click he takes a deep breath before slipping back into the car.

"So, Leo tells me that there's a place that you get the best chocolate ever. Is this true?" Leo's mother surprises him and he looks over to see the kindest of eyes. He nods without a word and her smile widens. "Oh! I can't wait to try it. Between you and me, I have the worst sweet tooth! They always try to keep me away from it."

"I'm the same! I love all kinds of sweets. Desserts are my favorite part of a meal," Fiat grins and the two fall into the conversation of the ranking the best desserts. Every now and then, the son and father in the front seat would comment about how unhealthy it is to eat all of the sweets that they do, but the two in the back do not seem to care. They are lost in their own world up until Leo calls out that they have finally arrived. Leo helps Fiat take down his bike and Fiat walks with the family up until his first stop. He introduces them to the nice auntie before leaving them to their own adventures. Leo had tagged along a couple times and is good in directions, so Fiat has no worries leaving them. Every so often he would pass them in between his routes and waves at them, or calls out to the vendors to make sure to take care of them. The market has the best environment and it is for that reason that he has such a hard time letting go of this job despite it's early hour call in.

"Love!" Fiat looks up as he was setting his most recent package to deliver and blushed when he sees a couple that was calling for each other. He moves faster and hops onto his bike as he ignores the teasing gazes of the elders around him.

"Oi! Love, be careful!" Fiat ignores the call of endearment this time and nearly bumps into a jutted out crate. His wheels screech and he quickly steps his foot down to catch himself. He apologizes to the vendor he almost ruined and sighs. "Love, are you okay? Where is your head? You almost hurt yourself."

Fiat's eyes are wide as he looks up to actually find his lover. Leo repeats himself and Fiat apologizes to the worried parents before turning back to Leo. "Sorry. I didn't notice the crate corner. Did you guys already go through the entire market? Did you buy anything?"

"You must be tired. Look at you, you're sweating!" Leo's father points out and Fiat reflexively wipes away the falling sweat.

"Don't mind the sweat, look at those lipstick marks. Leo, you weren't kidding when these aunties and dote on him. Who wouldn't?" Leo's mother walks over and pulls out a tissue from her bag to wipe away the marks. "You know, when we would ask around about you, they only had good things to say about you. Do you have a lot more to do? Leo says we should wait for you to ask about the chocolate."

Fiat chuckles and lets them know that there was only a little bit left. He tells Leo to bring his parents towards the medicinal roots and herbs. Fiat had told the grandmother working there about them and has a nice package for them to take. "Fiat, you shouldn't have."

"I can't have my first meeting with your parents and not give them something. It isn't much, but I heard even a little is good for their health," Fiat grins. He pats Leo's hand before biding his short farewell to continue his route around the market. When he is finally finished, he cycles slowly through to spot the small family and grins as he hops off and approaches them. "Sorry! I stopped to help someone carry some boxes."

"Oh, hun! You are too sweet," Leo's mother approaches him for the nth time since they met and surprises him by giving him a big sniff kiss to his cheek, much like the rest of the aunties and grandmothers in the market. Leo exclaims with shock as Fiat freezes. Leo's mother just chuckles a she pulls away and remembers to wipe away any mark she had left. "I couldn't help it. Leo, you keep this young man close. I need him as a son. I refuse otherwise."

Fiat's eyes water and he fails to hear Leo agree with his mother. The only thing ringing in his head is the words he wished to hear from his parents. I need him as a son. Fiat does not even realize a tear has fallen until a finger swipes it away. Leo and his family are looking at him with concern and he just laughs at himself as he wipes his eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I'm just relieved that you accept me."

"Oh, son, you have not given us a single reason as to why we should not accept you. See! It's so easy to refer to you as our son. You just let us know if Leo here is causing you any discomfort or problems. We will make sure he is put to his place," Leo's father adds and while it is meant to make him feel better, his chest clenches with his words. Leo embraces him, probably having an idea on the thoughts running through his mind.

"See, love. My parents like you. Now you can think of them as your parents also. Fair warning though, when they are in town, they may request at least one meal so I hope you can make time," Leo rubs his side soothingly.

"Of course I would make time," Fiat smiles through his tears eyes. Glancing around, everyone had looks of love and fondness in their eyes. This is a moment Fiat has looked for for years. While it may not be exactly how he wished, he felt happy and warm. He turns to Leo with a grateful smile. "Thank you, love."

"Anything for you," Leo responds and kisses the top of his head. They are happy.

*******

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

thoughts?

I wish I had Leo's parents~ They seem so cool. I also love the relationship that Leo has with them. It seems so easy to feel welcomed and not left out in anything.

Can you just imagine the emotions running through Fiat? It is a complete 180 from how his parents.

I hope everyone has a good relationship with their parents, but if you don't, I hope you have someone who takes on the supportive and influential role you need.

You are important and special in your own way~

xxdctuan

—— HELP ——

So...I think I'm writing another LeoFiat book. It will be unrelated to this book, BUT I have two ideas. I need your help on what you want to read and what I should expand on. They will definitely have a different feel and tone as this one. It will also be written in third-person (limited) but instead of focusing on events surrounding Fiat and his thoughts, it will focus on Leo.

Here are the two ideas. Please comment on the idea number line on which one I should proceed to write:

𒊹︎IDEA #1𒊹︎

Leo is an actor and the story reveals all the hard work that comes behind the scenes of being in the spotlight. Leo enjoys the job, but the keeping the facade of a constant happy and friendly person is tiring. There seems to never be a moment where he can just exist.

Fiat is a regular person who physically meets Leo in an interesting way and an even more interesting way online. Leo is so use to people approaching him with intentions and Fiat has a way with his words an actions that both annoy and interest the actor.

Leo spends his free time playing video games online and teams up with a Sova main [A character that locates enemies and eliminates them with precision. Is most recognized for his custom bow] named, 'TheSeer'. That player is Fiat who is ironically, visually impaired. Yes, that's right. After losing his sight at a young age, Fiat has worked hard to be able to live independently. Why he has he worked on the skill to play games? That is because it is what has given him peace of mind, much similar to someone else.

Leo learns that Fiat is visually impaired the first day he meets him and has judging thoughts on him, but does not know that 'TheSeer' that he has been playing for a few years is him. This story tells how these two very different people somehow find their way to each other in more ways than one. How will things turn when everything comes together and they the only step they can take is towards each other?

𒊹︎IDEA #2𒊹︎

Leo and Fiat are childhood best friends. They spend every waking moment together, but one summer, Leo and his family move to London, separating the two friends.

Time apart changes people and when Leo returns after his last year in university, he is surprised to find out who his best friend had grown to be. Leo finds Fiat to be a trouble maker who instead of striving for his dream to be one of the best basketball player, has become a part time bartender. Leo tries to understand his childhood best friend and wonder where everything had changed.

When they had contacted each other while apart, Fiat use to tell him everything, but at some point has responded dryly and they stopped doing phone calls and kept their conversations through text, allowing the other to lag his responses with the excuse of being busy.

Feeling frustrated after dragging Fiat to his unkept apartment, Leo confronts his friend to get his life together. Fiat shoves his face in front of him and stuns him.

"You left me all those years ago. You have no say on what I do with my life. You want me to better my life? Then why don't you make me?"