Work Text:
[Google translate sucks, theres real translations in the end notes]
Max kicked open the door and trudged inside his house, backpack sliding across the ground as he threw it to the wooden floors. Daniel, who had been seated comfortably on the couch, was on his feet in moments, hands reaching instinctively for the knife he was no longer permitted to have. After the shock subsided, he sat back down and gestured for Max to join him. The irritated boy did as instructed, and flopped face first into the cushions with a muffled groan.
“Well hello there Max! What’s got you so tightly wound?” Daniel asked, his usual smile stretched across his face.
“It’s just… ugh!” Max responded, followed up with a couple more seconds of unintelligible grumbling.
Daniel stayed silent, giving his boyfriend’s son an odd look. He waited patiently, however, until the blue clad kid had collected himself enough to speak.
“Latin.” Max sat up like a proper human. “It’s kicking my ass.”
Daniel’s eyes flashed something dangerous, but he quickly blinked it away.
“Although I doubt David would approve of your language, would you care to elaborate?”
Max threw his hands up into the air. “My teacher expects us to just know the language. Like, if I knew how to speak Latin I wouldn’t be taking that dumbass fucking class!”
Daniel was quiet again. His hands were laced together in his lap, eyes gazing towards them in what seemed to be a deep thought.
“Well,” he glanced down the hall, where he knew David was working. “I could help you out.”
“Really?” Max looked taken aback. “You know Latin?”
The blonde’s grin spread impossibly wider as he whispered, “I sure do.”
Daniel retrieved Max’s backpack and got the two of them settled comfortably at the kitchen table, a variety of papers and books splayed out in front of them. The blonde scooped one up and opened the cover delicately, turning each page with care.
“What would you like to start with, Max?” Daniel asked, accidentally giving away a bit of his excitement.
“I don't know. Let’s just start with pronunciation or something.”
“Sure thing!”
Daniel shifted through a couple more pages, passing more than a few yellow place holders.
“Okay, This is something good so start with. Ready?”
Max nodded.
“Sanguis bebimus,” Daniel said slowly, voice brimming with pride.
Max tried to repeat, but fumbled over syllables and failed to follow the basic rules.
“Remember, in Latin, we pronounce every letter. Try again, San-guis bebi-mus.”
“Sanguis bebimus?”
Daniel clapped his hands quietly and shot Max one of the proudest looks he had ever seen.
“Good job! Let’s try another one. Cor-pus edi-mus.”
“Corpus ed-i-mus.”
Max scribbled down a few notes in hopes it would protect him from Daniel’s blinding smile. They continued through a few more phrases before ending on Daniel closing his book with a satisfied smile and shine in his eyes.
“Okay. I think I’ve got it. Should I read it back or what?” Max asked, crinkling the corners of his paper.
“Please do!”
Max cleared his throat and began speaking, but was cut short by David walking into the room looking rather exhausted.
“Sorry Daniel, I had to finish something up real qui- oh. Welcome home Max! I didn’t hear you come in. What’re you two up to?”
David approached the table and scooped up Max’s notes curiously.
“Nothing. Daniel was just helping me out with Latin.”
The redhead cocked an eyebrow and skimmed the scribbly handwriting before looking at Daniel crossley.
“Daniel. We’ve talked about this. I don't want to Max involved in stuff like that.” He pointed to the books.
“Stuff like what?” Max asked, suddenly feeling rather forgotten in the minds of the two people keeping him from starvation.
“Don’t worry about it, kiddo,” David smiled. “As for you.”
He pointed at Daniel and the blonde got up, shoving his knife deeper into his jean pockets while doing so. As he draped an arm around David, muttering cool reassurances, he sent a wink back to Max and they left the room; leaving him with decent punctuation, a whole lot of vocabulary and more than enough confusion.