The night sky crept in as Agate stood in front of his house, a good 15 minutes had passed since he left the diner. His phone has been buzzing since he left, Carnelian and Jade trying desperately to contact him. He ignored it as he walked, the sharp cold air nipping at his nose and cheeks, now as well as he stands outside his house, the food in his hands still warm. The soft warm glow of the lights inside slightly lit up the yard in front of the house. He sighed and walked up to the house, wrestling his keys out of his pocket to unlock the door. His hands were slightly stiff from the cold. He got to the door, holding his keys that are frigid from the cold, and unlocked the door, the sound of his dad's uplifting music gently flowing through the door.
As soon as he opened the door the sweet smell of cherry pie wafted into his nose, his favorite. He took off his shoes and put them up on the shoe rack. His dad's large shoes sit there as well as his mom's shoes which are slightly bigger than his. Not surprising since she's ever so slightly taller than him. He sighed and walked down the hallway, painted a soft yellow color with white baseboards and outlines. Lovely family photos of them from when Agate was a fat little baby to a year ago on his birthday. They always take photos during special occasions, their memories are the most important thing to them. Agate never understood why, but as of late, he's starting to understand as he feels like he's drifting apart from his friends. As he walked into the living room the music got louder. His dad's sitting on the blue couch with too many decorative pillows, watching TV, practically falling asleep as his smooth jazz fills the room. It's his signature type of music that represents him as a whole. Soft and calm, not one to be rowdy or unpredictable.
He walked up behind him and grabbed the hell out of his shoulders. His lanky frame jolted as he turned around, a startled look on his slim long face, vitiligo on the left corner of his lips. His soft brownish-orange eyes looked at him then he sighed in relief. "You can't keep scaring me like that. I'm too old to be given these scares on the daily." He sighed and meddled with his hair, his long dreadlocks looked refreshed. His wife Ruby must have redone them while Agate was at school.
"You look cold, why didn't you call one of us to pick you up? You know I have nothing better to do than work and listen to music." Onix questioned, a slightly worrisome look on his face as he put the back of their thin hand on Agate's cheek to check his temp.
He shrugged and put a hand on his dad's shoulder "Oh my dear compadre. I'm almost 18! I'm almost an adult, I can't be relying on mommy and daddy's car to get me around. Plus I like walking in the cold sometimes, clears the mind."
His dad gave him a look and raised an eyebrow. "Mmmhmmm yeah. You're so silly."
"I know I am," Agate says with a grin.
A jolly voice calls from the kitchen that's the room across the hall. "And since you're so silly Agate why don't you go around and water the plants for me please." She practically sings the last part of that sentence.
Agate looks across the hall, his mouth agape. "Mom you have like fifty million plants in this house!"
The sound of her cooking stopped and she poked her head into the doorway of the kitchen. She had a chubby roundish face with big round eyes. Her dark brown eyes looked at him in disbelief that he would say such a thing back to her. Her long braided hair with yellow extensions in them hangs down with beads at the end of them. "Is that back talk I hear?"
"Of course not ma'am, why would I do such a thing? I'm your evil little baby, I'm too evil to stoop that low," He chuckled as he went into the kitchen to grab a pitcher to water the impossible amount of plants in the house.
"Exactly boy." She chuckled as she went back to making an assortment of treats. She stands at 5'9, just an inch above agate. Her yellow and orange striped sweater fits her body. Her broad shoulders take up most of the space making it impossible to see what she's making unless you go right beside her. Tan bell bottoms gently flow as she moves along, slightly too long covering up her darker brown slippers. The kitchen was filled with her character. Cute plants sit on the windowsill, and larger hanging plants drape down into the kitchen from a shelf they sit on. Her mixers and other cooking appliances sitting in neatly organized order on the counter that all fit together with the soft yellow of the wall and darker brown baseboards. Cute decorations of cows and lizards, a strange combo that she always liked decorating the kitchen. He chuckled and went around the house watering the flourishing plants. Growing better than any other plant Agate has seen in people's homes. They always have brown spots and look wilted in other peoples homes. Ruby always takes pride in her plants and loves them with all her heart.
Once the plants are thoroughly watered and cared for he heads back to the kitchen. His stomach craved food that he was supposed to eat.
"Hey, mom. Did you make dinner? It's okay if not, I'll just head upstairs to do work if not."
Ruby turned to him and gave a confused look. "Huh? I thought you were going to eat out with friends, so I didn't cook."
Onix's voice softly interjects behind him. "Yeah and because of that me and your mom made reservations for a nice restaurant today. I'm sorry. Oh, and Agate," his dad said as he took a few steps back, seeing that he was too close for comfort.
Agate turned his attention to him, Onix never really had anything to tell him for the most part. So whenever he does it's probably important. He's a very silent man, never really speaking more than a few words a day except the few good mornings, afternoons, and nights that he says. Agate asked why he doesn't speak and all he said is that he's too shy half the time to do so. But he's gotten more vocal over the years.
"The Behmans called and they sadly said that the police still hadn't found any leads to where Lexion could have gone. I- I just thought I would tell you since you're his boyfriend." He said as his voice slowly but surely got more and more silent and sheepish as he talked.
Agate stares at him and then nodded. His face was slightly contorted from the news. "Right right I. I kinda figured you know." He sighed then went deeper into the kitchen to go and heat up his slightly warm food.
Ruby looked at him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Oh Agate, I'm so sorry. I- I know this has to be hard for you. Mommy is always here if you need to talk okay?" Ruby has always been like this, trying to cheer Agate or Onix up when the worst or even the smallest of inconveniences happen in their day-to-day lives. She makes this easier and she was a big part of his support when Lexion first went missing.
Agate turned to her and smiled. "I know, I'm just stressed is all," he then grins and pats her on the back a little too hard that it feels like a slap. "You and Dad just go and have a nice night out. Don't leave your compadre for life hanging.!"
Ruby chuckled and hit him back, more than a punch than the slap that was given to her. "What I say about talking to your Momma like that boy!? Don't use that word compadre in my presence again."
Agate chuckled and nodded, "right I forgot...Compadre." He laughed as Ruby gasped and slapped him on the back.
"God you're such a goblin! Go to your room mister!" She said in between chuckles and snorts.
Agate quickly grabbed his nice and warm food from the microwave, grabbed a fork, and walked his way up to his room. Once gone Onix sighed and looked at Ruby, "I upset him more didn't I?"
Ruby rubbed her face and patted him on his thin shoulder, "Yeah, you gotta watch out honey, he might be a little goblin but he's a big softy at heart."
Onix rubbed his shoulder and frowned, looking at the floor. "Right," he looked up at Ruby and smiled slightly "well at least he's a softy and not the little demon he was becoming as a little baby."
Ruby looked surprised and then exasperated as she remembered, "God just thinking of him back then just gives me a damn headache." She turned to him, grabbed his arms, and shook him, "Like can you believe that the little shit actually ate a girl's fucking ear!? Like ripped it fully off!"
"Yeah, we still get dirty looks from the neighbor and their kids." He said with a slightly worried face. "Good thing I put a stop to it with my amazing smarts." He said with a bright but shy smile. He always had a contagious smile. Ruby smiled too.
"Like holy shit yeah. I'm still surprised that you even had it in you to do such a thing!"
"It was a good thing right?"
She smirked at him and kissed his hand, "Mmhmm, of course, all those small secret parts of you that you keep hidden is the reason why I married you."
He smiled, "Aw really?" He fiddled with his hair, something he always did when nervous or embarrassed.
"Of course," she took her finger and slowly drew it up his arm. His eyes followed intently, a shiver went down his spine,"I love drawing out those hidden sides of you. Your cunning side, your embarrassed side, your romantic side," her hand gently took hold of his face and brought him down slightly to give him a kiss on the cheek. "And my favorite sides that I might not have even found yet." She said with a cheeky tone. He swallowed then chuckled in embarrassment.
"Well, we should get ready for our date right?"
"Of course. I'll wear your favorite dress."
He smiled and started off to their room upstairs, "And I'll wear your favorite suit."
She chuckled and went back into the kitchen to finish up her sweet treats to put away. "Of course, you will sweetie."
Onix went upstairs and almost walked past Agates room but stopped. He looked at the door, no decorations on the outside of it. He took a breath and knocked on the door. The sounds of rustling escaped the room and he walked to the door. He opened it and his eyes were slightly red right crying.
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