Milo #5
It should have irritated me, but I suddenly realized why it had struck me as different: he wasn’t wincing whenever he said certain things.
He had been just as nervous about this meeting as I had and had been worried about screwing something up.
Apparently, somewhere along the line, that had changed, and he felt more confident and more willing to express himself in a way that felt much more normal.
It was an amazing realization, both that he’d felt that nervous, and he was feeling relaxed.
Yeah, I was technically an adult, but most of my relationships with people noticeably older than me were marred by the fact that they were in positions of authority, like my professors, or had been there while I had been growing up.
Marshall had neither of those things and was treating me as someone he wanted to know and impress, but he was easing off that throttle just a little.
It was less about his nerves and more about me feeling like another adult, albeit one that was his son. ..biologically.
Marshall watched me for a moment and let out a low whistle. “God damn, that’s creepy to see from the outside.”
“What?” I asked, jerked out of my thoughts, and suddenly wary.
He laughed. “People always tell me I wear my thoughts on my face, and it looks like that’s genetic. You were thinking real hard about something that mattered to you, and whatever conclusion you came to made you feel better. Relieved and happy.”
I blinked. “Wow, the same facial expressions?”
“I mean, we have the same face,” he snorted, taking a drink of beer, “so it wouldn’t be surprising if the expressions came off the same.
But no, not exactly, you have your own way of doing it.
I bet I’d understand better if I saw the same reactions on the rest of your family’s faces.
I know there’s a whole debate on nature versus nurture, but this is a crazy way to see it in action. ”
“Actually, they’ve more or less settled on that.
The way I understand it, genetics lays the foundation for a lot, but the environment is usually the deciding factor in how it manifests.
You know, like I’ve got a pretty quick temper and not a whole lot of patience, but because I had a family that likes to be playful and happy most of the time, it means I’ve got a quick temper, but it doesn’t last. Or like Dom, apparently, both his parents were pretty affectionate, and other than me, he’s one of the most touchy people in a family who aren’t very touchy.
He’s still pretty damn touchy, but he’s slow to do it, figuring out what’s okay and what isn’t, and with who.
..gives bear hugs that crack your back and threaten to break it, though. ”
“I see,” Marshall said, and God, it actually looked like he was interested in my rambling. “Psych major?”
“Coding and computer systems,” I said with a shrug. “Not the exact title, but it’s what people understand best.”
“And the psychology?”
“Interesting... Eli’s majoring in psychology. He’s been through therapy quite a few times, since you know, his mom. I think that made an impression on him. He’s gonna specialize in kids. Specifically ones a lot of people call ‘difficult.’”
“I think I can see why.”
“Yeah, it’s not exactly subtle, is it?”
“No,” he chuckled. “And your other siblings?”
“Moira got a double in business administration and accounting. Mason didn’t bother with college...well, classes. Pretty sure he was on campus several times, but for different reasons than the rest of us. And Dom is a professional UFC fighter.”
“Wait,” Marshall’s eyes widened. “Dom...as in Dominic Ramos?”
“The one and only,” I said with a wink. “He’d be so embarrassed that you knew who he was just from Dom and the fact that he’s a fighter.”
“I mean, he has a solid record,” Marshall said approvingly. “And there’s been a lot of talk about how much better he’s gotten. And even more talk about whether he’ll take the championship in the next year or two.”
“He’s determined to,” I said. “In the off-season, he comes back to Cresson Point, but he’s always training. It’s hard to tell who focuses more on their work.”
“What, between Dom and... Moira?”
“Actually, Dom and Mason.”
“Really?”
“Really, really.”
“Huh, everything you said marks him as a little irresponsible...fun, but irresponsible.”
“Nah, that’s me,” I said with a grin. “Mason is stupidly good at whatever he decides to do. That club of his has only been around for a few years, and it’s really popular, up in Seattle, where bars and clubs open and close within a year constantly, but he’s been in the black since the first year, and keeps going up.
Whatever he does next is probably going to be just as good.
Both twins have a good head for business, Moira just kept hers focused on the family and lineage, which suits her.
Mason was always the adventurous one, so no one was surprised when he struck out on his own. ”
“Wait, you never mentioned Arlo.”
“Oh...that, uh?—”
“Bad?”
“A little morbid. Not the best conversation starter.”
“What, is he a taxidermist or something?”
“In a twisted way, you’re close.”
“How?”
“Mortician.”
A line of thought creased Marshall’s forehead before he let out an ugly snort. “Right, I guess that is close to a taxidermist...in a very twisted way.”
“See?” I asked with a chuckle. “Poor Arlo always gets two different reactions. Fascination in an uncomfortable way, or discomfort.”
“In an uncomfortable way? What, like people ask him all sorts of questions about dead bodies?”
“Well that and they’re the type of people who aren’t uncomfortable with death and dead bodies like the second sort are, but they also ask probing questions about him .
Like, there has to be something wrong with him to do that for a living,” I said, frowning heavily.
“He says it doesn’t bother him, but he’s also the best out of all of us at hiding his feelings.
People treat him like there’s something wrong, and there’s nothing wrong with him.
He’s weird , but what brother doesn’t think their brother is weird? ”
“But only you’re allowed to treat him like he’s weird,” Marshall said with a chuckle.
“Spoken like someone who knows a thing or two about siblings.”
“I do.”
“So, do I have aunts or uncles? Or both.”
“You had an aunt and an uncle. Sophia died about ten years ago...I told her Derrick was going to kill her one day, but she never liked to be told what to do.”
“Oh shit, I’m?—”
“And Casey wasn’t much better. I told him that if he was going to play around with drugs, he shouldn’t go near certain ones, but of course, he just had to know.
And I’ll say the same thing to you, if you’re going to play with hard drugs, avoid shit like meth and heroin.
Both will ruin your life. Roll on Molly, snort those lines, whatever, but don’t touch the rest. Otherwise, you’ll end up a husk and freezing to death in a city park. ”
“Jesus.”
“Oh, and your grandparents died when you were young, your grandfather to an industrial accident and your grandmother a year before Casey died, cancer that time.”
My chest ached. “Sheesh, no wonder you didn’t blink when I mentioned Arlo’s job. You’ve dealt with dead people enough.”
“I...yeah, I guess I have,” he said, looking at me in a mixture of confusion and affront.
I felt my face warm. “Holy shit, that was...the stupidest way to put that. I’m so fucking sorry.”
To my surprise, he tilted his head back and laughed. “No, I mean, you weren’t wrong, but most people aren’t quite that blunt about it.”
“I wasn’t trying to be blunt,” I whined. “It just...came out.”
“It’s alright,” he tried to assure me. “A harsh thing from a good place is better than a gentle thing from a bad place. It’s cliché as hell, but it taught me how short and precious life is.
I’m just glad my parents died before they had to lose both their children; it would have broken their hearts to bury two children before their own time came.
So I try to make the most of my life, enjoying it without destroying it. The results have been...mixed.”
I fidgeted. “There are worse cliches to fall back on. At least you still get to enjoy yourself. You didn’t let all that pain bring you down.”
His smile briefly said that the pain had done more damage than he was saying, but then it was replaced by a smile that was almost a dare. “Speaking of, I think we’re both owed a fun night if you’re still interested.”
“Am I ever. Are we going to drink ourselves stupid?”
“How stupid can you get?”
“Is that fatherly concern I’m hearing?”
“Ha, no. I could drink people under the table by your age, and have gotten even better at it since. Just wondering how careful I need to be.”
“I guess there’s only one way to find out, huh?”
Marshall grinned. “Alright, then why don’t you show me the good places to go when you’re looking to have fun around here?”
“That I can do,” I said and then winced. “That is, if you’re alright with getting hit on.”
“Your crowd might be a little young for my tastes, but you know.” He shrugged.
Oh God, he was open to the idea of people my age hitting on him, which was.
..I mean, it was fine . It wasn’t like I had any hang-ups about him getting hit on, or even hitting on them back.
..or getting laid, I supposed. Everyone would be legal adults, legally able to drink at that; I wasn’t going to start casting judgment.
It wasn’t like I hadn’t been with someone much older than me, which required those older guys to be willing to be with a younger partner.
Still would be a little weird.
“The real question,” he said as he took another drink and smirked. “Can you handle it if someone tries to pick both of us up?”
“So long as that answer is a no, then I’ll deal,” I said with a laugh. “It’s only disturbing to hear it from my boyfriend’s lips.”
“Hard to argue with that,” he said with a snort, setting his glass down. “Alright, while we wait for the night to come to life, why don’t you tell me more about yourself?”
“What do you want to know?” I asked. I’d always hated these kinds of conversations. There were so many stories, and my interests were all over the place, but the minute someone asked, it was like someone erased the entire file in my head.
“Well, let’s start with what the hell possessed you to start a TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube devoted to the dangerous, weird shit you do,” he said, arching a brow.
“Oh shit, you know about that?”
“Came across it by accident. I’m one of your followers.”
“Really? Weird. Guess you were braced for the resemblance between us then.”
“That’s what caught my attention. Thought I had a kid I didn’t know out there until I heard you mention you lived here.”
“Interesting, one day we’ll have to address that whole knowing I existed, but didn’t say anything until now.”
“But not tonight?”
“Not tonight. Tonight is for casual and fun.”
“Good deal...now tell me.”
“Alright, so?—”