Chapter Text
The only perk of having your family close to your own home is that they can help you with a impulsive dinner you just set up three hours ago. Joe was going to have his boyfriend’s parents at his home because their plain to go to England had a tecnical problem and their one hour connection in LA turned out to be a over-night connection. Ben was thrilled to see his parents, that he hasn’t seen since Christmas, and Joe was pretty nervous because he had plans for this dinner.
Joe’s dad was still at work – and the ginger man texted him to go straight to his home after work – but his mother was happy to help him with the roast. As a british person she knew how to make a roast, even though she has lived in America since the nineties and she hasn’t cooked a roast very often.
“Ben said their parents like roast so much, mom.” Joe was all nerves with this dinner.
“They will probably make fun of american people trying to make a roast.” giggled Veronica.
“Did you miss England, mom?” the ginger man looked to her, who wore a sad smile.
“Only sometimes. But your grandparents are dead and my family is here now.” And she started to give more attention to the food, what Joe understood as a way to finish the conversation.
Joe received a text from Ben saying that he has just taken his parents at the airport, and they were going first to his apartment and then to Joe’s place. His heart was racing now. The moment he’s been waiting for is coming.
“Go shower, dude. You’re stinking.” said Luke, passing next to Joe without take his eyes off the phone.
“He’s right, Joe.” pointed his mom.
Joe ran to his bedroom, to take a shower and to change his clothes. He needed to be well dressed to the arrival of Ben’s parents. He’s only seen some pictures of them, and Joe must say he understood why the blond is so hot; even at their fourties Mr and Mrs Taylor are pretty gorgeous.
The ginger was combing his hair when the bell rang. His hands started to shake and he took some deep breaths. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” praised Joe, panicking, but when he looked at the mirror and said, serious: “You can do this, you idiot.”
Joe got out of his bedroom smiling, and he found Ben with his parents at the living room, being greeting by his mom and his other brother Cameron. They looked a bit tired; Mr Taylor was saying that they had been spending a week in Brazil and they were just going back home when the problem at the airport happened, but they weren’t angry with it. Mrs Taylor was kissing her son’s cheek while Ben was asking her to stop, between laughs.
“Joey!” exclaimed Ben with his strong british accent – Joe always mocks him for never losing it even though Ben has been living in LA for five years – and he saw his boyfriend staying still in the wall, so the blond walked to him, giving him a peck with a smile. “Come finally meet my parents.”
“Finally! We went to England during the press tour and I didn’t meet them. I thought you were hiding them from me.” teased Joe, more to try to break the tension inside him.
But it was okay, because Ben’s parents laughed with the ginger’s comment. “Nonsense. Ben talks everytime about you.” said Mrs Taylor.
“Big time.” added Mr Taylor, with a nod.
“It’s such a pleasure meet you two, Mr and Mrs Taylor.” Joe extended his hand, shaking quickly their hands.
“Stop it, boy. For you we are Roger” the blond man pointed to himself “and Debbie.” Roger pointed to his wife.
“Ben said to us you did a dinner. You didn’t have to, dear.” smiled Debbie.
“Correction: my mom did, I’m terrible at cooking.” cleared out Joe.
“Is it a break-up point, Benjamin?” teased Veronica.
“He has been saying this since the beginning, so I know where I was getting into, Mrs De-” but Ben was cut by his phone ringing. “It’s Gwil, I have to take it.”
Joe called Mr and Mrs Taylor to sit at the couch, asking them how was their trip to Brazil, they two getting pretty excited to talk about the beaches and the nights they spent at Salvador and Fortaleza, and saying next time Joe and Ben should go with them too.
After some minutes Ben sat along with them, next to Joe, hearing his parents’ stories about they trying to dance samba and forró and failing horribly, they four laughing with the way Mr Taylor was telling. Ben rested his head on Joe’s shoulder, pretty comfortable of being touchy with his boyfriend in front of his parents, the other one didn’t mind at all.
“The dinner is ready. Joe, can you please call Luke to come get dinner?” spoke Veronica.
“Be right back, guys. Please, feel yourselves at home.” Joe smiled and went out of his house.
His parents’ house was two blocks away from his. For most people it looks pretty lame to live next to their parents, but Joe never complained; his family is very close, and being around was just logical for him.
When Joe came at his parents’ house he didn’t knock at the front door, just getting in and calling “Luke, where are you? Dinner is ready.”
“Not hungry.” just said Luke, probably at his bedroom.
Joe took a deep breath. He fucking knew what this was about, and to be fair he wasn’t even shocked. But he was also not giving a fuck, because he was worried about bigger things, so Joe just said “Okay. I ask mom to get some for you later.”
“Nice.”
And Joe walked away.
When he was getting out of the house, he saw his dad parking his car in front of his house. Joe smiled when he saw the man getting out the car.
“Hi, Joseph. The dinner isn’t ready yet? I’m a bit hungry.” he asked, closing the car.
“It is, I was just calling Luke. He won’t come.” Joe shrugged.
Joe’s dad’s face changed, getting a red tone. “Let me have a word with him.”
But Joe grabbed on his dad’s arm. “Please, don’t. We can talk about it later. I just want to have a nice dinner. Ben’s parents are there and-”
“You didn’t say they are there.” he turned around and started to walk to Joe’s house, his son walking next to him.
And Joe started to explain the problem with their flight, and all the stories they said to him, and how he’s happy to meet them, and to his parents meet them.
Joe’s dad could, indeed, see the happiness on his son’s eyes. A shine that always has been on his eyes since Joe started to film the movie where he met Ben. He likes the blond; he’s polite and pretty charming.
He couldn’t pretend that he didn’t remind him someone from his own past.
“They seem pretty nice.” commented the man.
“Yes, Mr Deacon. They are. And this dinner will be amazing.” Joe assured, with a smile.
Joe asked his dad how it was at the studio today, and Mr Deacon answered, filling their walk to Joe’s house talking about new music projects the older man was getting into. The ginger knew how much he liked music, even though in some moments he thinks his father wasn’t completely happy, but he left this thoughts only to himself. He could be wrong after all.
When they arrived at Joe’s front door, his dad asked “Am I not too messy to this?”
“Not at all, dad. Let’s go meet Debbie and Roger Taylor.” Joe smiled softly to his dad.
And when he turned around to open the door he missed the older one gasping. “Who?”
But Joe didn’t notice, getting inside and taking his dad with him. “Guys, dad came with me. Mr and Mrs Taylor, meet my amazing dad, John Deacon.” announced Joe.
The same face John was wearing was printed on Roger’s: pure horror.