Sumo's Dad

“Might be?” Daniel said incredulously, grimacing as he settled back comfortably on the couch. “Whatever! You’re weird,” he called back, toeing his shoes off as he continued scrolling through the pasta options on the menu. Noah joined him soon after, Daniel snickering as he remembered the incident. “Look, he just wanted a little taste. How was he to know garlic rolls wouldn’t agree with him?” And they really shouldn’t have gotten so fucked up and left so much food within Sumo’s reach, but that was a whole other thing.

Daniel acknowledged him with a hum, having already selected several options off the menu. He rattled off the order: two pasta dishes, and three orders of garlic rolls— some for now, some for later. “We really should get groceries at some point though,” he mused, finalizing the order. “We won’t survive on leftovers forever.” He reached into his back pocket without a second thought, reaching for the lighter he always carried. But this one? This one was new, and Daniel didn’t remember that fact until he got it out of his pocket. “Check it out, I got it at the gas station on the way back from the airport,” he said with a laugh, sitting up as he handed the lighter over. It was pink and purple with a cat wearing shades. “It’s my new favorite until it gets lost,” Daniel said, patting the spot next to him for Noah to join him— but Sumo took it as an invitation, and hopped on the couch instead.

“Sumo!” Daniel laughed, throwing an arm around the giant of a dog. He held up his other arm, waving for Noah to come over. “I already did! It’ll be here in thirty-four minutes— and you’re wrong. We definitely have frosted mini wheats, and at least three slices of Kraft singles.”

Noah listened to the order as his mouth watered. He suddenly realized he was starving. “That could be something we can do together. Or we can order pick up groceries.” Noah did like going into the stores himself and going aisle by aisle. What if he saw something that sparked his interest he didn’t know the store had? That’s only happened a couple of times, but Noah was always amazed when it did. But he also really liked going with Daniel. 

Noah examined the lighter Daniel handed to him. He grinned looking at the cool cat. “He’s cooler than both of us combined,” he commented looking at the lighter. He chuckled when Daniel mentioned the lighter getting lost. “Maybe we should get a stock in the lighter industry. I feel like I pay for all their checks.” His gaze went over to the couch once Sumo made himself comfortable next to Daniel. Noah couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face seeing both of his boys together. 

He laughed, “Yeah, those three slices of Kraft will really get us through the next few weeks.” He pushed himself off of the arm of the chair to sit next to Daniel feeling the tension in his shoulders lessen. He put the blunt in his mouth and lit it with Daniel’s lighter. Noah handed the lighter back once he was finished not wanting to be the one to lose Daniels’ new lighter. 

He inhaled the smoke letting it settle in his lungs for a moment longer before exhaling it slowly. He leaned his head back to look at the ceiling offering the blunt to Daniel. “I think I’m going to go back to school.” Noah looked over at Daniel to gauge is reaction. “I was thinking of doing something with my hands. What do you think?”

Visiting two sets of parents turned out to be twice as emotionally exhausting as visiting just the one. Daniel should have known, but on the flight back home, Daniel felt like he was ready for a vacation from his vacation. Walking through the front door, Daniel took a deep breath and sighed, a small smile curving his lip as Sumo came to greet him after Noah. He never wanted to leave this house again.

He closed the door behind him and dropped his bag on the floor, petting Sumo real quick before heading into the living room. “Okay,” he called back to Noah announcing he was going to unpack. So soon? No thanks. Daniel flopped face down on the couch, making himself comfortable and reaching to get his phone out of his back pocket. “I’ll order us something!”

Daniel searched for options, wondering why neither had suggested grabbing something to eat before going home. Noah must be tired too, after putting up with his father’s passive-aggressive remarks for days. Anger simmered inside him as he thought about the way Noah’s mother brushed them off, trying to keep the peace, and the way Daniel himself tactfully changed the topic of conversation rather than telling the man to shut the fuck up. Noah had said not to confront the guy, but still. Daniel should have said something. And his own mother? Oh god. Daniel groaned, the thought of her making him want another drink. Sumo came to sit by the foot of the couch, distracting Daniel from the memory.

“How’s pasta sound?” he called, petting Sumo as he kept scrolling. He glanced down the hall Noah had disappeared into, suddenly tired of shouting. “You’re not really unpacking, are you? Come sit with us! Sumo says the garlic rolls look good.”

He was in the middle of searching for his lighter ---why did he always lose his?--- when he heard Daniel down the hall. How could he tell he wasn’t unpacking? “Uh, I might be,” He called back. Where was his damn lighter? His stomach growled at the mention of garlic. He sighed placing the blunt behind his ear as he walked out of his bedroom. 

“Oh, really? Sumo told you that,” he teased coming down the hall to sit on the arm of the armchair next to the couch. “Too bad he isn’t getting any. Not since last time.” Noah made a disgusted face thinking of the night of the never ending throw up. Who knew giving a dog some garlic would not settle with their tummy? The dog just looked at Noah slightly wagging his tail. “Look, he remembers! He loves to remind us who the real boss of this house is.”

Sumo looked innocently at Noah, who laughed pulling the blunt from behind his ear rolling it between his fingers. “I’m fine with pasta, by the way. Anything sounds great as long as I don’t have to cook it or clean it.” He looked sheepishly up at Daniel. “You got a light, babe? I can’t seem to find mine. I’ll share,” he offered. 

Daniel seemed to complete Noah in that way. When he was lacking, Daniel made up for it. It wasn’t even just lighters, it was everything they had. When Noah didn’t have a home, Daniel offered his. When Noah struggles to make some ends meet, Daniel meets them. Noah normally didn’t compare the two of them like this, but after spending over a week, back to back, with each of their parents, Noah couldn’t help, but feel like a loser. He needed a smoke.

“But also, we should order soon because I will be ravenous after this and if I recall, we have nothing in our kitchen.”

Coming through the door of their home, Noah felt exhausted. He greeted Sumo with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, which wasn’t as much he usually had when greeting his dog. “Hey, Sue. Did you have a nice vacation from us?” Sumo just wagged his tail and sniffed Noah’s legs as he patted the Saint Bernard’s head. He smiled down at the dog before moving past him into the home. He turned adjusting the backpack on his shoulder towards Daniel. “I’m going to go unpack. Are you hungry? We can...make something or order out?” The mere mention of actually doing something made him groan internally. “Whatever you want to do.” He smiled slightly at Daniel before heading to his bedroom. 

Noah wasn't sure whose idea it was to go to his and Daniel’s parents house back to back. He was pretty sure it was his own, stupid one. “It makes the most sense, Daniel. We could just get it out of the way.” If only he could go back in time and shake his past self. Noah knew visiting his parents was going to be rough, but he wasn’t prepared for Mrs. Kim’s dislike of him. Noah felt her disapproval more than his own father’s. He was usually great with parents, especially mothers, but Daniel’s mom was a completely different story. Daniel had told Noah about Mrs. Kim and her standards, but Noah didn’t think it could be that bad, but he was deadass wrong. Noah felt self conscious leaving the Kim household and the trip to his parents didn’t help that one bit with his dad. He needed to smoke.  He dropped his backpack on his bed then walked over to his dresser opening a jewelry box pulling out one of his last joints.

“Chocolate is not a summer flavor,” Babs says with conviction, shaking her head. “Chocolate is for winter only. Like, hot chocolate on Christmas or Valentine’s day candy. In summer it just melts. Summer is the time for those fruity flavors, which just further goes to prove that the peach custard is superior.”

Noah nodded his head, agreeing with everything Babs was saying. She was a smart girl. She knew her ice cream flavors. “You’re completely right, but speaking of peach custard? We should get some.”

“That’s amazing! Maybe he can teach Lola a thing or two. She’s the most stubborn dog in the entire world. I think she learned that from me,” Lucy said, letting out a laugh. Her own stubbornness often got her into trouble. “Dance classes are fine. A bit slow at the moment because it’s summer, but I can’t complain. Summer interesting though because that’s how I figure out who my committed dancers are.”

“Glad to know I’m not the only one.” Josephine chuckled. “I don’t really mind the lack of sound so it’s not what I focus on, but I can read facial expressions quite well. And I’m not really that inventive to come up with a whole alternative scrip but maybe someone else finds that entertaining.”

“Yeah, some people do.” Noah twirled his club in his hand looking at the screen. “But how do you know the plot of the movie if you just look at the facial expressions? I’ve always wanted to try to bring an old radio to see if the signal reaches, but it’s hard to find one, apparently.”

Adrianna’s eyes wandered as they moved through the house and she rambled on about the small town of Frostford. She never would’ve thought this would be where her family would settle down after her dad left the army but as the years had gone by, she’d fallen more and more in love with the little town. “I haven’t been a lot recently, though it was something I remember doing a lot in high school. It’s really good though.” She grinned as she took a seat beside Noah. “Very much so. It’s some tradition I was told about basically within the first few days of starting school and then next time I know, I’m climbing up the thing. It was mainly after school games or somethin’ like that, sneak a few beers up there and drop ‘em down to the bullseye at the bottom. If you end up stickin’ around for a while I’ll take you up sometime, it’s been way too long since I went up there, honestly.” The memories of climbing up and down the tower always made her smile and brought back fond memories of her school years. 

Noah listened to the antics of Adrianna in high school involving dropping beer bottles from a water tower? He laughed shaking his head. “And to think your Dad thought I was the bad influence on you,” he teased. “That does sound fun, though. I don’t think I’ve ever climbed a water tower or had the opportunity.” He looked around at his home for the next several months. He was already dreading this mess of a project. “Yeah, maybe sooner is better rather than later. You got a favorite place to eat around here? I haven’t been out much since I came here. I’m up for all kinds of local suggestions.”

he just laughs at that. it’s the least amount of energy he has ever put into pissing someone off.

“I just don’t really think bald is your look,” Nadia admitted as she tilted her head to the side, “This whole lots of hair look that’s kind of wild is what works,” she paused a moment, “but quite honestly, if you shaved it all off and rocked it, I can’t say I’d be surprised.”

Noah grinned at the compliment. “I had it shaved for the Navy and haven’t done it since I got out.” He pulled the ends looking up at his hair. “And I know a few people who would be devastated if I were to shave it anyway.” He looked back at Nadia. “Maybe next summer.”

“We could, but that’s not the right attitude to toss one together. We used to have giant block parties when I was a kid, just think of this as a floatin’ one. You think Sumo can handle a little deeper water?”

Noah felt like he hadn’t been part of a crew since he was a military brat. “That would be really cool. Weather's getting hotter, so I’m down for a party barge. Uh, probably not. He’s a big dog, heavy fur. Sounds like I’ve gotta invest in a dog float.”

“Hmm… good question. I’m not sure. I mean, I know we’re not professional photographers but people here can’t possibly believe we’ll use the pictures for evil? But I can ask Aurora about it just to be sure and if we need a form or whatever I think she can type it for us.

His eyebrows rose looking at Ace suspiciously. “Have you seen us? We have evil written all over us, but good. A professional’s opinion would be needed at this point. Other than that, I think we can get started as soon as we want.” He took a drink. “Should we ask people if they wanna be in it or just do some landmarks?”

The moment a dog was shown to her, Asia pocketed her Airpods immediately and felt the need to spring into action. Her eyes squinted as she looked around the area they were currently standing in, biting her bottom lip. “I ain’t seen ‘im but i can help ya look?” she loved animals more than she did people and was incredibly saddened thinking about a dog being lost and afraid without their parents.

Noah gave her a polite smile when she offered to help him look. “That would be great. Thank you so much for the offer.” He pressed the button on the side of his phone to close it. He kept the phone in his hand just in case Daniel or someone called him to let him know they found Sumo. “I have a couple of other people looking as well. I don’t think he cold have gotten far. He really likes how to smells at Shula’s, so I was headed over there now.”

“Awesome, thanks!” Daniel rest his wrist atop the steering wheel to keep the car going straight while he opened the cheese stick. He glanced at his phone on the dash with the map open. “Why? You tired of being stuck with me?” Daniel grinned. “I think like two hours, is that what that says?” He had to squint a bit to make out the numbers, but he was almost sure that’s what it said. One hand back on the steering wheel, Daniel used the other to eat his cheese. “Donkey Kong Junior. I kind of want to keep it?” He glanced at Noah out of the corner of his eye, to gauge his reaction. “I have nowhere to put it, I’m never gonna play it, and I’m not even sure if me and Alvaro will get it to work, but it’s Donkey Kong.” And it was only costing him three hundred dollars? Amazing.

Noah chuckled, shaking his head. “Never. Just curious.” He leaned towards the phone on the dash confirming it did indeed say two hours. He took another bite of the jerky as Daniel answered his question. His brows lifted. “That would be cool.” He thought about their home for a moment as to where it could go. “It might fit in the living room if we move the couch and the entertainment stand around,” he murmured. He knew Daniel had a soft spot for the the 1980′s game, plus it would be kinda cool to have an arcade game to just play whenever. “I mean, if you ever get it working, but I have full confidence in you.” He gave Daniel a sincere smile then took another bite of his jerky.