His mother’s house was… suburban from the outside. It was a two-story, painted a pastel yellow color (that reminded him of Keir for some reason) and had a cement driveway. They had a white picket fence, a tire swing on the Oak in their yard, and a sign on their door that said “Blessed” in swoopy cursive with a flower wreath around it.

“Oh, how quaint.” Michael pursed his lips, which meant he actually didn’t think it was cute. They all got out of the car and walked onto their porch to knock on the door. After a few moments a man answered. He was probably middle aged, with brown hair and a kind face. He smiled, but he could tell it was forced.

“Oh, you must be the Erebus’s. Come on in, Lizzie is making dinner.” His accent had that thick, southern drawl that the South was known for, and it made Silas want to throw up at the sound of it. He moved aside, allowing the trio to file through the door

“Thank you!” Michael chirped, giving him a smile.

“I’m Jayson, Elizabeth’s husband and the pastor for First Baptist just around the corner. It’s nice to meet y’all. Are these your sons, Mr. Erebus?” The man, Jayson, asked, looking between him and Michael. When Jayson’s eyes landed on Silas, he stopped to take in the piercings on his face, but fortunately didn’t say anything about the chain connecting his Labret and left lobe piercing.

Silas snorted, using his hand to stifle the snicker forcing its way up his throat. This was already a shit show and he was living for it. His dad didn’t do as good of a job holding back his laughter, leaving Michael to answer the clearly confused human.

Michael placed a hand on his chest, pretending to look completely surprised. “Oh honey, you flatter, but I’m twenty-seven. I’m Ciaran’s husband.” He revealed, and it was Jayson’s turn to be surprised. He looked completely bewildered, like he’d never encountered an openly gay couple before.

Silas rolled his eyes, deciding to tune them out before Jayson said something ignorant, soaking in his new home. The living room was fairly spacious, and Christian magazines spread across the coffee table and board games peeking out of the shelf beneath it. There was an Xbox hooked up to the TV on the entertainment center, and pictures of a younger boy with scruffy brown hair were hung up on the wall. “Is that your child?” He blurted out, interrupting something his dad was saying. Everyone fell silent, looking over to the pictures hung up on the walls.

“Ah, yes. That would be Ethan, Silas. He’s at a friend’s house right now so that we could get you settled in peace.” Jayson answered and before he could even process how he felt about having a half-brother, a woman came out of the kitchen as she dried her hands with a hand towel.

He hadn’t seen his mother since he was about a year old, so he wasn’t old enough to actually remember her. His dad had shown him some pictures of her though, so he sort of knew what to expect. She was older now, probably in her mid-thirties, but she still had plain brown hair and hazel eyes. He thought that he might feel some spark of happiness, or maybe even anger, but all he felt was anxiety as his mother looked at him. She broke into a big smile, her eyes becoming misty and she approached him. “Oh, my sweet Silas. You’ve gotten so big.”

Then she went to hug him.

Without even thinking about it, he took a step back, melding into the shadows and reappearing across the living room. Shit. He hadn’t meant to do that. Elizabeth looked scared, but also sad that her embrace had been rejected. Jayson’s mouth was gaping open, like he couldn’t believe that had just happen.

Not going to lie, he felt like crying.

Not like that was going to happen in front of these people though. He should probably apologize, but instead he found himself snapping. “Do not touch me.” He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

“Right, sorry.” Elizabeth cleared her throat, swiping some of her hair away from her face. “Well, dinner is about ready. So how about we go ahead and eat?”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Well, I wasn’t so sure that the whole witch thing was true when Lizzie told me a few days ago, but after seeing that, well I don’t know what to believe.” Jayson broke the silence at the dinner table, chuckling in a way that was probably meant to be casual, but it came out more hysterical than anything. “What other magic tricks can you do, Silas?”

Magic tricks? That was kind of offensive. “Would you like to see?” He asked, extending his hand toward the stupid human and giving him a smile. His dad, as if sensing what he was about to do, grabbed his wrist before Jayson could even think of taking it. “Silas, do not forget your rules.” He warned, and Silas rolled his eyes and snatched his hand away, looking back to the food on his plate. Elizabeth had made roast and potatoes and cornbread, none of which he was particularly fond of.

“I suppose now is a good time to set some expectations.” His father continued, and Michael perked up. Silas just knew he was about to say something embarrassing; he could just feel it in his soul. “Yes! Before Ciaran turns your brains to mush with all the boring witch stuff, you need to know that Silas is a picky eater.”

“He is?” Elizabeth questioned and Silas just groaned. “Michael, I don’t think this is important.”

“Of course it is. You’re a growing witch, you need to make sure you keep your health up.” He insisted, shooting him a glare. Silas rolled his eyes and looked away as he stood up. “I’m gonna go get my luggage out of the car.” His dad passed him the keys without a word, and he tried to ignore Michael’s high-pitched voice saying something about vitamins while he exited the house.

Once he was out in the humid air, he sunk down onto the porch stairs, propping his head up with his hands while looking down at his lap and trying to figure out why he was putting himself through this awkward torture. Then Keir’s stupidly pretty face crossed his mind and he had to remind himself that here was better than there.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before.” A voice called, and Silas felt annoyed that he couldn’t have a second of peace, that is, until he saw the voice’s owner. The boy was likely around his age with a mischievous smile, pretty blue eyes, and an obnoxiously printed button down. He was cute. “I sure as heck have never seen you around. What are you doing in my neighbor’s yard, stranger?”

“I’m Elizabeth’s kid.”

The boy raised his eyebrows but didn’t question the matter further. “Well then. You gonna be here for a while? Schools let out today, and they’re having a bonfire to kick off the start of summer.”

“Are you inviting me?” He asked, that sounded a lot better than bringing his luggage inside and dealing with his absent mother.

“If your mom lets you. I’ve heard she’s really strict.”

Silas rolled his eyes. Like he was going to let some woman he didn’t know control him. “She’s barely my mom. I’ll be right back.” He headed back inside the house, only because he still had his dad’s keys.

The dining room fell silent as he walked in, and Silas could feel the tension in the room. Not that he cared. “Hey Pops, this cute boy asked to go to some bonfire, so I’ll see you later. You guys are staying in town for the night, right?”

His dad was nodding, and Michael was in the middle of telling him to have fun when Elizabeth interrupted. “Ciaran, does this boy not have any structure at all?” She asked, then turned toward him, clearly exasperated. “Who is the boy? How late will you be out?”

“I don’t know. Does it matter?” He asked, and Elizabeth scoffed. “It does matter. You can’t just go off with strangers. It’s dangerous.”

Her reasoning had him laughing. “You’re funny. It’s him who should be scared of me.”

Then he left the house, and fortunately the boy was still waiting behind the white picket fence. “What’s your name? I’m Silas.”

The boy sent him a stunning smile. “Isaiah Winters.”