Not 'The Talk' but certainly close enough - for @fangedredemption

[fightagain]

Now that it was Summer, Gwen was hard at work keeping herself occupied. She didn't really do well with boredom. Not with how she was wired. She needed activity. Projects. Things to work on and plan out so she kept on track with helping her dads. Keeping invoices organized for the landscaping company is one of them, and occasionally helping design projects for customers. Which, if she was going to be honest? Was her favorite most of the time.

Just not for Mrs Nielsen. Mrs Nielsen was exceptionally prone to changing her mind in a blink. Where yesterday she was perfectly fine with rows of Hydrangia lining her driveway, she'd emailed at four AM saying she's changed her mind and can they please send her something that'd show what her house would look like with Forsythia lining the driveway instead.

So Gwen was at the breakfast table, tablet and laptop sitting in front of her, carefully making edits to the photo with a small frown.

Thankfully, they hadn't started working on this just yet. They were still in the design stage, but Gwen didn't want to waste her entire Summer on just one house.

A beeping from the oven catches her attention and she stands, heading to the oven to pull out the croissant french toast casserole out and set it on the stovetop.

This is roughly when Johnny walks in and he's greeted with a hug.

"Coffee's ready. Good morning. Guess who emailed again about changes?" She's really not apologetic about starting this conversation just yet. It's a delay for the one about Demetri. Dad already knows, but Gwen wonders if Daniel told Johnny yet or if he left it to her?

Whatever the case, here's hoping this conversation goes moderately well and her boyfriend is still alive at the end of the day.

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[fangedredemption]

He mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'good morning' if you're particularly charitable, and hugs her back, albeit delayed. Mornings are always rough, too many years spent getting into too many fights taking its toll, but coffee will help. So he makes his way to the counter to get some coffee, grumbling as stiff joints protest the movement, before settling heavily at the table. One sip down, then another, and after the third he looks over at her, a little more clear-eyed.

"I'm guessing the crazy bat who can't make up her damn mind ever?"

[fightagain]

"That's the one," Gwen states as she grabs her own coffee, settling across the table from her dad with a small half-smile of irritation. "At four in the morning, no less. I wasn't up then. I just checked emails after I put breakfast in the oven and that was the timestamp."

Gwen would like to know what Mrs Nielson was doing up at that hour. Grown-ups were weird.

"I think we should give her a deadline for finalization, otherwise we won't be able to help her at all."

Which isn't one-hundred percent true? But she's sure her dad wants rid of this project just as much as Gwen does.

[fangedredemption]

"Who the hell's up at four in the damn morning?"

Another desperate gulp of coffee, more grumbling, but at least he's awake enough to smell breakfast.

"I like the deadline idea. Let's do it. ...we waiting for everybody else or is breakfast available now?"

[fightagain]

"Robby's off with friends. I think dad is still asleep. You can start eating if you want," Gwen says, handing over a plate for her dad.

"This is Nonna's recipe," she adds, smiling a bit. "I added apples, though. We had a bunch that needed to be used, so I figured they'd go well in here."

That...might be enough delaying. And she's not nervous about this. It just has to be done right.

"Hey, I have to talk to you about something."

[fangedredemption]

"I know where dad is," he quips. In the bed where he left him, although at least she answered the question he asked. He accepts the plate eagerly and starts to dig in, nodding along with her words until the last of it. Famous last words, every parent's worst nightmare.

"...okay. Should I be worried?"

[fightagain]

"No. Not hardly," Gwen states with a shake of her head, taking a bite of her own food before looking up at her dad again.

Okay, maybe she's a bit nervous. But she's not going to show it.

"It's about Demetri."

[fangedredemption]

Deep breath. Crap. Double crap, triple crap, and every shade besides; sure, Daniel had mentioned it, but that didn't actually prepare him. He takes a breath and tries to approach it with something like calm.

"Yeah? What about him."

[fightagain]

She appreciates the attempt, but waits a moment or two to say anything. Taking the time to study her dads posture, demeanor. Tone of voice. That's always important. Rubbing a spot behind her ear at the sudden spike in nerves, she keeps her own voice calm.

This is what happens when two stubborn, hot headed people are in the same room. Calm is a struggle. But this is important. Demetri is very important to her.

"We're dating. We started dating a month ago at Moons party."

Said calmly, matter-of-factly and with maybe possibly a small smile on her face.

[fangedredemption]

"Yeah. Your dad told me."

Very deliberate word choice, because it puts some distance. He knew, he's not sure how he feels about it, but every reflex is very much against on general principle because he knows what teenage boys are like. Yes, he knows he's known Demetri since he was a kid, but that's not the point.

[fightagain]

"Oh, he did?" Gwen looks somewhat relieved, honestly. If Dad talked to him about it, that gives her some hope. That makes her a little more sure this conversation's going to go well.

"Okay. That's...that's good."

Watching him a moment longer, Gwen tilts her head just a tiny bit.

"Are you okay? Honestly?" Careful honesty, Johnny. She'll tattle to Nonna and Grandma.

Probably.

[fangedredemption]

Good? No, it's not really good. He doesn't know what it is, honestly. She's too young to be dating! He knows what teenage boys are like! He takes a breath, then another one. Then sighs.

"Not really. I don't like the idea of you dating, and while he's probably a better option than some others, he's still a teenage boy."

[fightagain]

"True. But...out of all the teenage boys I know that I could possibly date? He knows me best, and is the most respectful."

She thinks that's a good argument, honestly. It's not awful. "And he's always the first to show up when something upsetting happens and I need a friend. I mean, how much time did he spend with me after I got my appendix removed?"

It was probably quite a bit.


"He's always been really good at being there for me."

[fangedredemption]

He grumbles, because it's not wrong. If he had to pick somebody, Demetri's a decent pick. Less likely to do some dumb teenage boy stuff, more likely to do other dumb teenage boy stuff.

"Yeah, well. He better not get too good at it, if you know what I mean."

[fightagain]

"Oh, my God," Gwen sighs to herself, not really meaning the exasperated phrase and just giving her dad a smile. She does appreciate his concern. Greatly, actually. Most dads in the area are too quick to try to be their kids friends. There are a lot of spoiled Encino brats in their neighborhood and Gwen greatly appreciates how hard her dads try to actually raise herself and her brother to be halfway decent people.

She can also appreciate their protective behaviors. So she's really not too mad. She's not even a little bit mad.

"Okay...you're not okay with me dating, but it's happening. It's someone I feel is the best person for me, and I have about fourteen years experience as proof. Can you at least promise to be nice to Demetri when he's around, if I promise that you and dad are the first people I go to if things go south?"

[fangedredemption]

He huffs, but yeah, he supposes that's a fair deal. He doesn't like the idea of her dating, but like Daniel had already told him, there's not much he can do to change it. She's getting older, it's gonna happen sooner or later, and at least she could do worse. He knows that, knows Demetri's not a bad choice, better than most of the other kids he knows. And teaches.

"Yeah, okay. I'll make that deal. You could do worse, I'll give you that much."

[fightagain]

"Kyler comes to mind. Any of the idiots that Hawk used to hang out with, also," Gwen states, thanking god that Hawk got his head out of his ass and that she and Demetri have their friend back. Before Kreese got his hooks in Hawk, the three of them were near inseparable. They did everything together.

And then Hawk turned into a massive ass and Demetri and Gwen were left trying to figure out how to fix it.

At the mention of Kyler or any of the others? Gwen makes a face like she wants to vomit.

"No, I'm...pop, I'm really happy with my choice. And I'm glad you're going to respect that. That's what makes you the best pop in the world." Daniel being the best dad in the world.