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While Stanley and Xeno knew this time would come, it does not mean they were prepared. The two have had multiple disagreements on how they would settle this. Shockingly, Stanley was fine with taking a backseat and trusting Gen would know how to handle himself. But Xeno wanted to take the first attack and put this fear into the kid before he had a chance to hurt Gen.
But no matter how much they talked and argued, they never came to an agreement, thinking that they would have more time to decide, but sadly, tonight would be the first time the two would meet Gen’s first boyfriend.
And if they were being honest, they both were upset. Not of Gen growing up and developing new relationships. No, never that, but the fact that both of them lost the bet they had against each other. The two parents had placed bets at the end of Gen’s eighth-grade year on who they thought would date their son. Stanley had placed a good amount on Ryusui after spending the summer break teaching him how to fly. While Xeno thought for sure that Ukyo would have won over Gen's heart with the childhood friend routine, it did work on him with Stanley. But at least, neither of them won, but during winter break of Gen’s tenth-grade year, some unknown kid came and swept Gen away from the two candidates.
Some random teen named Joel Gear, who has been in his grade for a while now. Someone that neither Stanley nor Xeno ever remembers Gen mentioning before, but that did not stop Gen from saying yes when asked out.
So now Xeno and Stanley find themselves approximately two hours away from a big parenting choice. Scared the living shit out of some kid, or trust Gen's choices and stay out of it. While also within those two hours was the need to help Gen from dragging his whole closet to the dump outside and tidying the apartment. Sure, the debate of scaring the kid to death was still being decided, but they weren't going to have the kid think of them as slobs while they did it.
Luckily, between the two of them, the house looked spotless from the living room to the front door. And Gen’s clothes, mostly, stayed in his room. After Xeno’s third outfit change and Gen’s tenth (finally, Gen decided on the red lipstick over the purple one his father offered to let him borrow), Joel was expected any minute to meet Gen’s fathers and for the two to leave. And the two parents had finally come to an agreement. Just in time.
Gen was the first to react as soon as a movement was heard at the door. (To the misery of Stanley, who knew Xeno would let him live this down.) Gen swung the door wide open to be greeted by the red-headed, shy-looking boy. The mentalist grabbed onto Joel’s arm and dragged him through the front door and right in front of his fathers. The two fathers were trying their best to seem approachable and relaxed.
“Joel, these are my dad and papa, Xeno and Stanley! They look scary, but they are teddy bears! Dad, Papa, this is Joel Gear, my date!”
As soon as Joel took his attention off of Gen and looked towards Xeno and Stanley, his shy, flustered face slipped off, and suddenly, he had an undeserved confidence about him. Looking down on Xeno and Stan. “I’ll be taking your son out tonight. I’ll bring him back before eleven.” Without even a hand offered, Joel turned back to lead Gen out of the apartment.
This just ensured Stanley and Xeno’s plan for tonight. The two quickly got into discrete, bland clothes and started to follow their son and his date in Xeno’s black car. For once, Stanley was the one behind the wheel, since his driving skills led him to be able to blend in with the other drivers. Following Joel’s red sedan a couple of car lengths behind, Stanley and Xeno found themselves at a movie theater. Watching Joel run out of the driver's seat to open Gen’s door and offer him a hand.
Once the teenage couple got into the theater, Xeno and Stanley were quick to follow. The two made sure to stay just out of eyesight of Gen and Joel; one might suspect they had experience tailing someone. They watch Gen and Joel separate, Gen heading to the concessions to save them a spot in the ever-growing line, while Joel steps up to the cashier to order the tickets to get two tickets to the movie. Afterwards, Joel speedily walked over to Gen, barely able to get a sound out to Gen. Not that it seemed like Gen cared, their son was able to carry the conversation, and somehow able to stop every time Joel would get the courage to add his two senses in. Stanley stayed standing towards the back, watching the two as Xeno got their tickets to the same movie.
Noticing Gen and Joel only ordered one bucket of popcorn and one soda, Stanley quickly made his move, buying an extra cola. He then had the worker deliver it to Gen before he took off, having gotten his and Xeno’s sodas, his popcorn, and Xeno’s bag of pretzels. He was all for letting Gen find himself, but it does not mean he wanted to watch his son sharing a drink with a snot-nose brat. Especially a Pepsi soda that Gen always refused to drink.
Meeting back with Xeno, the two followed the teenagers into the seating area, sitting a couple of rows behind them. Joel was doing a great job at keeping the smile on Gen’s face with little words and more than a few inches of distance between the two. Throughout the movie, it was Gen making all the moves that the two adults noticed. Gen would pretend to jump at a scare and grab onto Joel's arm. Gen’s fingers were the ones that softly danced over the shared armrest onto Joel’s sweaty hand sitting on his lap. Gen’s arm was the one thrown over Joel’s shoulder with the fake yawn. (That move got the two teenagers to let out soft, silent giggles).
Throughout the movie, Xeno and especially Stanley kept finding their attention captured by the film playing. Not even noticing the few small glances thrown their way. After the movie, the teenagers played in the arcade for a few minutes. Apparently, Joel had an unknown talent for claw machines, winning Gen two rubber ducks, one split in half, white and black, the other red. Along with the rubber ducks was a small stuffed fox animal that Gen claimed was their child. Xeno and Stanley watched the two through the windows from their car.
Soon after the teens made their way back to Joel’s car, heading off to the Olive Garden close by. Once again, Joel made himself a gentleman running around to close Gen’s door or open it. Following the two into Olive Garden’s parking lot, Stanley stopped the car and turned to Xeno.
“Are you satisfied yet? While Joel is an ass to most people, he is treating Gen right.”
“Stanley, I never would have taken you as someone to abandon our son. What if, when we finally turn around, this Joel decides to take advantage of our athletically lacking son?”
“Well, he could always use the knife I gave him, or give the kid a black eye with the punch Maya taught him. Plus, I think you are forgetting that Gen doesn’t need to get physical to do damage. That kid knows how to hurt anyone with a look in the eye and just a couple of rightly placed words.”
“I know Gen is a capable young man, Stanley! He was raised by us, he is obviously the best teenager, but it is not him I am worried about. It is the others who are not as elegant as our son. Do you expect me to just sit around without taking action? Not want to try and protect him from all the evils this world has to offer? You will not let me try to take over the world, so the least I can do is try my hardest to keep Gen’s world as safe as possible.”
“First off, you know I am fine with you trying for world domination, it's just that we both just agree it is not the best plan as of now. Secondly, we can not be there for Gen every step of the way. Eventually, he will move out and create his own world without us being the center of it. And that is fine, that is what we did with your parents. All we can do is equip him with the skill we think best will help him.”
“But he does not have a Stanley with him.”
“No, but don’t forget our boy had his wits and his own ride or die friendships with Ukyo, Luna, and Ryusui. Looking at it, our son already has more for him than we did.”
“But what if-”
“But what if your coddling stuns his growth. You know better than anyone that children have to have room to flourish into themselves. That our duty as adults and parents to prepare children for the world they will be a part of. Not to hide them away. Let our little jester make his own way, and we will be there to catch him if needed.”
For once, Xeno was silent, something Stanley was not used to. Even when in thought, Xeno had a bad habit of thinking out loud. Something he started to do more when Gen moved in with them to keep a consistent noise going. So to see Xeno quietly thinking felt wrong to Stanley.
“Take this in, for it is the only time I will say this, but you are right, Stanley. I need to let Gen grow into his own. Let us head home. In any case, we need to beat the two home so they do not expect us to stalk them.” With a quick but loving kiss between the two, the adults left the parking lot, leaving Gen and Joel inside the restaurant.
The drive back was a comfortable silence, and only the ruffling of two gloves holding each other was heard. As Stanley ran his thumb over Xeno’s knuckles. A quick stop at McDonald's for some burgers and the two were home in the apartment. Not too soon, as just about fifteen minutes alters the sound of the two teenagers' conversation grew louder as they approached the front door.
Behind the door, Gen and Joel quite down, stopping in the hallway. “So, uh, I had fun? Thanks for saying yes.”
“It was a blast! Thank you for taking me out tonight!” Gen's voice echoed around the silent hallway and into their apartment. Right after a quick kiss sound was heard before the door swung open. Gen ran into the apartment, leaving a stuttering, flustered Joel with a bright red lipstick print stained onto his right cheek.
After about a minute, Joel’s footsteps could be heard leaving the hallway.
“So how was your first date, pal?”
“It was great! We watched that new movie I was telling you guys about, then he won me this stuffed fox and two rubber ducks. But I wanted him to keep the black and white one, and I kept the red one. Afterward, we went to Olive Garden! How was your next?”
“Nothing too exciting, just watched a movie and ordered food. Are you off to bed?”
“Yep! Good night! Love you, Papa, Dad!” Gen waved them off, skipping off to his room, phone in hand. Xeno and Stanley shared a smile before settling into the couch together when both of their phones went off. Turing on their phones, in their family group chat between the two and Gen, were a couple of new photos, Gen and Joel selfies at both the movies and at Olive Garden. Plus a photo of Xeno and Stanley at the theater holding hands. Along with the photos was a text message from Gen.
Thanks for the cola <3