Work Text:
This is going to be a disaster. Jim knows it, Zheng knows it, they all know it.
A necessary one though.
The four of them moved in over a week ago to their new place. It just didn't feel right to be at Olu and Jim's old apartment anymore.
It was too small and as their relationship with Archie and Zheng grew and progressed, they started to fill their own spaces as well, which were never good or big enough for what they needed.
Their new house is so much better, it's beautiful and spacious, way more comfortable for all of them. It has a master room that they share and individual rooms for each of them.
A huge kitchen for Archie to bake and Oluwande to cook. A home studio for Zheng to play her music. An art studio for Jim to paint. It’s perfect.
They even have the chance to think about pets now. Archie is having the time of her life researching how to take care of a snake. They might even get a few chickens too.
Now that they have settled in though, things feel serious enough that their family wants to come over.
That means a day they have dreaded has come. Auntie and Nana are meeting each other for the first time.
Don't get them wrong, Jim loves them both and so do their partners. Both have been incredibly supportive of their relationship, despite having some reservations at the beginning.
However, both of them have strong personalities, they can be very intense and this could be the recipe for an uncomfortable evening.
Which is why Jim finds Zheng frantically cleaning up in the living room, while Olu and Archie prepare dinner in the kitchen, when they come back from the store.
They ask Zheng if she needs help with the cleaning but she is on hyper focused stressed mode and declines the offer nicely, at least the nicest she can manage when she's like this.
Jim then goes to the dining room to set the table, their guests will be arriving soon and they really want this to go well. Auntie and Nana are their only extended family after all, it would mean a lot if they could get along.
About 10 minutes later, they hear a knock on the door. Nana arrives first, she brings cake and a bunch of tupperware containers full of her traditional food.
“Por si acaso” she says “I know you are all very busy so maybe you don't have time to make home cooked meals. You can bring me back the tupperware when you come home to visit.”
It's an excuse, she just wants to spoil them, Oluwande is a literal cook and makes sure they all have the healthiest diet. They all thank her anyway.
When Auntie arrives, Jim can feel Zheng tense up immediately so they walk with her to the door. Rubbing circles in her lower back the whole time to help her relax.
Her relationship with Auntie has improved a lot in the last few years but Zheng still has a full body response when she comes around. It's like she can't help it, she goes back to being the little girl that was too afraid of letting her down every time.
Jim knows it's temporary, once Zheng is with Auntie for a few minutes, she is reminded that things aren't the same and she regains her composure. That doesn't mean they aren't all here to support her in these situations.
When they open the door, Auntie is holding a big bag on her right hand and flowers on her left hand. Of course she brought them food too.
They greet her, Zheng takes the flowers and Jim takes the bag. Then they all head for the dining room.
It goes way better than they expected it to, Auntie and Nana actually get along pretty well. They get to know each other over dinner, there are a couple of snarky comments here and there but nothing to worry about.
The closest call they have to a fight is when they start discussing who should wash the dishes, they both insist it's a courtesy after you’ve been invited over for a meal.
That's until Archie explains to them that there is a dishwasher in the kitchen, neither of them really has to do it. They're equally horrified by technology after that.
Oluwande brings them to the backyard, which quickly becomes Auntie's favorite part of the house. She starts talking about all the plants that she will give them from her own garden.
The most surprising moment of the afternoon is when they sit together to have some tea (which they made on their own, despite Jim and Zheng offering multiple times to make it for them). They talk for hours. From plants, to cooking and how different it was growing up in their time.
Zheng, Jim, Archie and Olu take advantage of it to cuddle and unwind for a while in the living room. They had been really tense thinking about and preparing for this moment and as it turns out there was nothing to worry about.
Jim decides to go back outside to check on them, uncurling (a very reluctant to let them go) Archie from their lap and placing her on Zheng's lap instead.
They walk silently to try to get a peek of their conversation and they hear them talking about how happy and proud they are. Jim feels like their heart might burst in their chest, they will tell their partners later. They're pretty sure some tears will be shed about it.
When they all go back inside, Oluwande has prepared a leftover bag for Auntie and Nana to bring home. Nana gives them her blessings and Auntie gives them a soft pat on the cheek.
It's nice to see them so smiley and content.
Zheng calls a cab for them, they insist to share the ride so she doesn't have to pay so much.
They leave but not without the promise to come over again and help them make the new house, a home. Jim is sure they will.