A Family Dinner (Friday, afternoon)

[Cres]

Even Mrs Rosacci's movements slowed down now, and Tin raised his eyebrow very high.

"She?" Tin asked, and Sweetheart grimaced mentally. She knew that tone.

"They're just friends, dad," Sweetheart hurried to say.

Tin eyed Teddy still rather suspiciously.

"Really?"

"And Bp's dating Dan, isn't she, Teddy?" Sweetheart blurted out.

[Sharise]

Teddy nodded slowly. Thankful that Sweetheart had said something. "Yes. They've been seeing eachother a lot."

[Cres]

Tin's eyebrows practically hit the roof.

"Dan's seeing a girl?" he asked, putting his fork down and staring from Sweetheart to Teddy in turns. "Why haven't I heard anything about this?"

"Yes, indeed, why haven't we heard about this before?" Mrs Rosacci seemed deeply offended.

Sweetheart grimaced and looked at Teddy, looking for help even though she realised he probably couldn't say anything to help.

[Sharise]

Teddy shook his head. "I have no idea." He shrugged. "He might not be sure about it yet."

He glanced over to Sweetheart, unsure of what else to say. He didn't know if he was helping, or making things worse.

[Cres]

Sweetheart smiled to Teddy with relief. It was a good save, in fact. Then she looked at her parents.

"Yeah, I think Dan's just waiting to see if they're going to get really serious," she said. "You know he doesn't like talking about his personal stuff."

Tin harrumphed, but Mrs Rosacci [] smiled and seemed happier.

"Sí!" she said with a laugh. "Well, I'm sure he'll come to tell us about it when the time comes. But what a strange coincidence it is that he should be dating your best friend, Teddy. How long have you and Sweetheart been seeing each other?"

"They're not dating yet," Tin put in politely for the boy.

"Oh?" Mrs Rosacci looked rather confused, but soon gathered herself and went on. "Well, then do tell us more about yourself, Teddy. Do you work yet or does your mother pay for the apartment? How is she? And your father? I can't remember if we ever met. My goodness, Sweetheart, eat, eat, it gets cold!"

Sweetheart, whose expression had grown a little more serious when Tin had answered for Teddy about their dating, smiled quickly to her mother and started to work with her spoon. Inside she was still as frozen, however. Well, there was the truth she had wanted to ask him. No they weren't dating yet. They were just friends. Friends who kissed? Friends who had slept together? She wasn't sure what to think. Oh, why had she asked him to come? Now she felt so bad she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue the dinner, but she couldn't leave. She didn't want to let her parents in on there anything being quirky. Her father would just interpret things his own way and get angry with Teddy for making his baby-girl sad. That couldn't happen.

[Sharise]

Teddy didn't even realize the change in Sweetheart's mood. There was far too much being thrown at him.

"I'm the manager of a music store called Rock of Ages." He nodded and took a sip of water. "My mom's wonderful, and my father..." He looked at the table for a split second before returning his attention to Mrs. Rosacci. "He left a few years ago and I haven't heard from him since."

With that being said, Teddy shrugged and took a bite of food. It was delicious. "This is wonderful, Mrs. Rosacci." He gave a genuine smile, and seemed unphased by the talk of his father. After all, he had had years to come to terms with the ordeal.

[Cres]

Mrs Rosacci seemed most shocked over hearing about Teddy's father. Tin seemed a little affected by compassion as well. Families meant a great deal to Italians, especially this set of Italians.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Mrs Rosacci said. "I didn't realise." When Teddy complimented the food, she cheered up a little, however, and smiled happily. "Why, thank you. It's an old family recipe."

Just then there was the sound of key turning in the lock, and the outer door opening.

"Dannie!" Mrs Rosacci called out at once, recognising her son apparently before he even let out a sound. She got up from the table and hurried to the hallway. She hugged and kissed Dan. "You took your good time! We've already begun. Oh, no, you're not coming into the dining room with that filthy leather jacket on, Dannie, take it away at once, now come, eat, eat before it gets cold. You can sit with the triplets. Look, we have company, Sweetheart brought her, friend." There was just the slightest pause before the word "friend" as though the woman had intended to use another word. She wasn't phased however, and instead walked right back to her seat, followed by rather grim-faced Dan.

"Teddy?" Dan said, having taken off his jacket. He looked surprised and frowned, stopping near his father's chair.

[[EDIT because of a minor mistake there.. I first was gonna bring Chip in too but considering he and Teddy didn't know each other at the beach, I feel it's best I only bring Dan. ]]

[Sharise]

Teddy shook his head dismissively. "Don't worry about it."

The boy's smile faltered for a split second as Dan entered the house. As the man walked into the dining room and gave a rather odd greeting, Teddy could feel his stomach doing flips. "Hello, Dan." He smiled and nodded his head in greeting.

[Cres]

Dan eyed at Teddy for a while, then looked at Sweetheart.

"Hi." He looked at Teddy again. "What are you doing here?"

"Dan, stop being so rude," Mrs Rosacci said at once. "Sweetheart invited her friend over for dinner. The very least you could do is be nice to him."

Dan raised an eyebrow and looked at Teddy with a bit of a smile on his lips.

"Friend, huh?" he said carelessly. "Just friend?"

[Sharise]

It was times like this that Teddy felt thankful for being so even tempered. If this had happened a few years ago, he would have exploded by now. But now.. now he was able to keep cool and collected.

"For now," Teddy nodded. "Yes."

He wanted very badly to ask Dan how he and Bp were, but he didn't. In no way did he want to upset Sweetheart's parents.

[Cres]

Dan was about to retort something, obviously, Sweetheart could see it from his eyes, but even if she might have wanted to say something to stop it, her heart nearly stopped at Teddy's answer. "For now"? Did that mean... that some day? Oh, she felt faint in the head for even thinking about it.

The one to interrupt Dan was Tin, however.

"Yes, they seem to be just friends," Tin said with a meaningful voice and a rather dark look at his son. "How about you and this... Baby? I think you've neglected to tell us something?"

Dan jolted visibly, and blinked, looking at his father. Then he looked at Teddy and Sweetheart, his expression turning suddenly very dark. Sweetheart looked so guilty that Dan guessed who had spilled his secret. But he couldn't be angry at his little sister. He did scowl and open his mouth at first, but then he seemed to change his mind and look at his father instead.

"So I've been seeing a girl," he said and shrugged. "So? I've done that before."

"Dannie!" his mother squealed. "You've never introduced any girls to us!"

Dan looked at his mother as though he thought she was mad.

"Oh, like I'd tell you many other things going on in my life," he said, bit more rudely than he'd meant to.

At that point Tin jumped on his feet and his hand swung up, but Dan knew his father well enough, and had already stepped aside. His eyes flared as he stared at Tin. The man stared at his son back, and for a moment they both remained there quietly, staring at each other icily, Tin with his arm still a little raised, Dan defiant and scowling.

As that happened, Sweetheart instinctively shifted in her chair closer to Teddy and seeked out his hand with her own for comfort, shivering a little. She hated to watch his father and brother argue like this.

Then, finally, Tin lowered his hand.

"Well, if you are serious with that girl," Tin said with a low voice, leaning his fists to the table, "I expect you'll bring her in for a visit someday."

Dan stared at his father. Then his eyes sidled over to Teddy, and something in his expression shifted a little. It was almost a smile on his lips as he nodded slowly.

"Maybe I will," he said. He was still suspicious that Teddy might harbour some hidden feelings toward Bp. What better way to test it a little than to drive his relationship with Bp to a more serious direction?

[Sharise]

The argument didn't even phase the boy, he was raised with much more anger and violence in his life. Not that it mattered anymore.

Looking over at Sweetheart, he gave her hand a squeeze. His eyes shifted to Dan quickly as he made his last statement. There wasn't a single expression of anger or resentment on the boy's face. Instead, he smiled. "She'd like that. She's really into families." He nodded.

[Cres]

Dan was a little surprised about Teddy's reaction. Well, now. Maybe the boy really was for real with Sweetheart. Still, Dan couldn't let go of his suspicions just yet. He managed to only nod before he sat down, a bit speechless now.

He tried to think about Bp. What did he really feel for the girl? He wasn't sure. He liked her a lot, and found himself missing her when he looked at Sweetheart and Teddy together like that. But how far did that liking go?

[[ohh short. But time I have to go to sleep is nearing in again. Will get back to this after I've figured out just what the Rosaccis are gonna do next. Feel free to post for Teddy before that if he has something to say or do. ]]

[Sharise]

[[Nope, I think Teddy is all out of words. ;)]]

[Cres]

[[thought so... but he's still gonna be in trouble. >:D]]

Tin, who was still rather cross with his son, sat down again and continued eating, looking like he was on a horrible mood. Sweetheart felt bad. She hadn't expected the dinner would turn out this way. She hoped Teddy would understand.

Then, probably to turn his mind from his son - and reminded that the boy sitting among them was a likely boyfriend candidate to Sweetheart - Tin turned to look at Teddy again.

"So, you work at some kind of music shop," he said matter-of-factly. "Is that the only career plan you have?"