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To say that Grayson's house was a little bit hectic would be an understatement.

Though there was a horrifying calm to the surface, everyone was actually moving swiftly and purposefully about the residence, making certain that things were in place and properly functioning before the guest arrived. Grayson thought they were really going a bit overboard, but when he voiced this, his Pop gave him such a chilling look that he'd simply ducked his head and headed back to continue setting the table.

Apparently, two new guests in short succession was too much for his parents. If he wasn't careful, they were going to start shopping for tuxedos, and then he'd have a world of awkward on his hands while he tried to explain that just because he was bringing boys home didn't mean he was dating any of them. They meant well, they really did, but seriously.

The doorbell rang, and he looked up, a smile crossing his face. Before he could round the table, however, his father held up a hand, murmuring, "I'll greet him." as he headed to the door. Grayson's face fell a little, but he figured that was his right. It was, after all, his parents' house.

And it wasn't like they'd met his first, or last, boyfriend.

Pulling in a quiet breath, he watched his father open the door, wasn't aware he was actually holding his breath until Tristan walked by and smacked him between the shoulders.

At the front of the house, Arthur Graves arched a dark brow at the sight before him, barely able to swallow a smile. Though he hadn't met many of Grayson's friends, and certainly not any of the new ones from that horrific organ smuggling ring, he couldn't help but find the boy in front of him endearing. Perhaps it was the casually messy hair, or the freckles; he couldn't say. He just knew that he warmed to him faster than he had Sue, and he stepped aside, holding the door open.

"Welcome to our home. You must be Ignacio." His voice was deep and rich, expression pleasant while he held his hands out for Ignacio's coat. "It's a pleasure. We don't often meet Grayson's friends so formally."

Arthur gave him another brief, approving look before flashing a smile that had made many a man and woman in the past weak at the knees. It was the kind of smile that was harmless even as it was so charming you could barely resist it; perhaps Ignacio could take some lessons from the elder Mr. Graves. Grayson certainly didn't have such a smile in his arsenal -- did he? -- or, at the very least, didn't know how to access it. It transformed Arthur, made him seem younger somehow without detracting from his aged good looks.

Yep, when Grayson filled out those broad shoulders he'd inherited, he was going to be a looker.

"Certainly. We're very pleased to have you. My husband would greet you, but he's in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the roast. Hopefully you like roast?" he asked, in that calm, cultured tone that wasn't affected at all.

While their son might have been very laid back and almost abhorrently lazy, it was obvious where his manners had come from.

Hanging Ignacio's coat up next to their own, Arthur placed a hand lightly on Ignacio's shoulder, leading him into the kitchen. "Yes, Grayson has been setting the table. He'll be eager to see you."

It wasn't Grayson they immediately ran into, however. Another man was in the kitchen, this one tall and more boyish looking than his husband. In greeting, he offered his cheek, expression distracted while he attempted to lift a serving dish with two immense potholders as his husband bussed it.

"Arthur, I need to set this - thank you, just there." Van placed the dish on the table, looking pleased with himself as he leaned over and prodded the vegetables around a bit with a large fork. "Yes, this will do. Grayson's just gone to wash up, he'll be back.. eventually."

Brown eyes fell on Ignacio, and a light came into them, not entirely without cheerful mischief. "And here is the man of the hour, is it? Hello, Ignacio." He set his potholders aside, wiping his palms on his apron as he rounded the corner and offered his hand to shake.

"It's good to meet you. Forgive us if we're a little out of the loop; we hadn't heard of you, but we're pleased to have you. Even if Grayson does enjoy giving me absolutely no notice. Thank God I had this roast in already, or I'd be embarrassing us all with a frozen pizza."

Van Graves was a breezier, more flippant sort of man than his husband, but it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to see why they worked together. Arthur grounded Van; Van allowed Arthur to relax, live a bit more wildly.

It was a good partnership to see.

"Oh, take a seat wherever you'd like." Van smiled again, and though it was nothing like his husband's, there was still an inherent attraction in his face. A couple of fine looking men had come together to raise a family, that was for sure.

As Ignacio was seating himself, Grayson came into the room, dressed very casually as well. It was obvious his clothes were new - most of his own had been donated, so he'd had to go shopping - but they fit him well. His jeans were a pair of dark hiphuggers, his shirt cropped off halfway down his forearms and opening to a vee, displaying a simple necklace that had been a gift. The entire ensemble was undoubtedly queer, but given the circumstances and who was wearing it, it was very appropriate.

"You made it all right." Grayson's smile was quick and friendly, nothing near his father's, but it could get there. In time, maybe. "Just in time, too. Pop's been like, no one is eating until the guest gets here."

Dropping with a boneless grace into the seat opposite Ignacio, he rolled his eyes, though his expression was still largely amused. "We're pretty serious business about company, if you hadn't noticed."

Slowly, everyone was taking their seats; Arthur at one end, Van joining him after he hung up his apron, Tristan giving Ignacio a suspicious look and then seating himself between the guest and his brother. Before anyone had a chance to wonder if there should be something else going on, the food was being passed around and conversation began to flow.

"Thank you, Ignacio. You can feel free to call me Van," he added, pausing in the progress of eating his own dinner. "We're fairly informal around here."

Grayson nodded, busily attacking his own meal; had he not had a mouthful of food at that time, he might have added to the conversation. As it was, Arthur gave him a long, mildly exasperated look, and then glanced back to their guest. "And you may call me Arthur, if you would like. Grayson tells us you two ran into one another at the music store?"

This kind of polite interest was common in their house when it came to guests, so Grayson didn't pay it much mind. He figured Ignacio was a talkative sort, and if he intended to survive the dinner (and possibly come back for more dinners) he'd have to get used to it. It might have seemed cold, but the truth was, Grayson was just looking out for him. His parents were an amiable sort, but once they decided they didn't like someone, it took a bit to sway them back. They seemed to have a favorable opinion of Ignacio so far, but half the time he didn't know what they were actually thinking.

His hand hovered between the two pitchers, trying to decide between water and milk, when he settled for the latter. Pouring himself a glass, he looked over at Ignacio curiously, wondering how he would interact with his parents.

After all, how Ignacio treated his family was a very big selling point for Grayson. He liked the other boy, sure, and so far he'd been nothing but polite, but he wasn't really showing who he actually was. So the apparent regard he held for them could be simple politeness, too. He hoped not.

He rather liked Ignacio.

It was a little odd for Grayson to see someone be surprised by the informality of his parents, but then, he'd had a lifetime to get to know them. While the Graves could be very particular about some things, including their children's manners and respect for their elders, they were surprisingly lax when it came to themselves. It wasn't that they wanted to be their sons' best friends, just that they had agreed there were enough points of confusion in the world without them having to figure out which "Mr. Graves" everyone was referring to. It was a little strange for Grayson to think of calling his parents by anything other than Dad and Pop, but Ignacio was hardly his brother, so he couldn't expect him to adopt the familiar titles that Elke had.

He took a long drink of milk, wiping his mouth afterward and giving Ignacio a cheerful smile. "We're glad to have you. It's nice to mix things up once in a while and get some new faces around the table."

Van lifted his drink to the comment, a gesture that had the potential to look ridiculous considering it was only water, but managed to retain some bit of dignity nonetheless. At his elbow, Tristan snorted, casting Ignacio another skeptical look.

Under the table, Grayson kicked him lightly.

"Ow." Leveling a glare at his brother, Tristan asked in a long-suffering tone, "Don't you have any friends who are hot girls, Gray?"

He considered it a moment, then decided not to dignify that with an actual response. Instead, he rolled his eyes, asking Ignacio, "Do you need a lift back home after dinner, or did you want to stay the night?"

His parents were so used to Grayson inviting people over that they didn't even bat an eye. Actually, they encouraged it, and so Arthur said without much ado, "Yes, you're welcome to stay if you'd like, and your parents are amenable."

Tristan looked mildly horrified, as any self-respecting middle school aged boy would, and Van had to delicately cough into a napkin to keep from laughing aloud. Grayson just grinned, deciding he liked the way Ignacio handled his brother - not meanly, but showing that he wasn't bothered by his quips - though the smile faded when he expressed that he would manage to find some place to sleep. If it wasn't home, and it wasn't here, where would he go?

Grayson didn't know Ignacio well at all, but that comment didn't sit well with him. He could tell without even looking that Arthur's gaze had sharpened as well, though for different reasons; Arthur had come from a bad home life and built his way up slowly, though not without a lot of struggle, heartache, and hardship along the way. He didn't like to see others struggle, and he and Van had worked hard to make certain their home was always as close to a safe haven as it could be. Grayson and Tristan had been raised on the philosophy that a safe roof over your head was always preferable to uncertainty, and they knew that they were to offer the spare room when it was needed.

So, he frowned just slightly, the look a bit unnatural on his face. "It wouldn't be any trouble, Nacio." Still, he didn't want to press the issue and make his new friend feel awkward, so he settled for giving him a meaningful look and going back to his dinner.

Smoothly, from the head of the table, Arthur added, "At the very least, we hope you'll stay for a bit after the meal and spend some time with us."

Grayson shot his father a grateful look, knowing full well that he was hoping to convince Ignacio to stay too. Neither of them knew what Ignacio's home life was like, and whether or not finding "somewhere" to stay was actually preferable to going home, but they would both rest easier knowing the teenage boy was tucked safely under a roof.