#boy troubles

Wish me luck <3

Just little scribble of Rouge helping shadow figure out his feelings. What else are big sisters for?

dedicated to all the girls who've been the temporary options, second choice & the "in between".

How Percy found out about Charlie and Bianca

Percy was proud of himself. Although he had 3 teenagers inside his house, he hadn’t caught any of them kissing or being too close with their boyfriend or girlfriend which would embarrass them. After Zoe and Charlie entered the phase in which everything their parents do is lame and annoying, Percy felt a bit self-conscious like he had to prove himself to a bunch of 12-year-olds. But like, nobody had ever prepared him to deal with teenagers. How was he supposed to talk to a teenager who liked to believe that he was wrong about everything? Even at his school, he was used to dealing with younger children until recently. Having twins going through puberty really helps you deal with the daily drama of the beautiful paradise straight from hell called Hell.

After tiptoeing around them for a few years he started relaxing again. Zoe was very open about who she was dating; guy or girl and she brought whoever she was with at her at home without telling anything to anyone. Charlie from the other hand was a puzzle. Percy had no idea if or who Charlie was with. Zoe would occasionally mention a name of the girl Charlie was with, but Percy lost count from a point onwards. It also didn’t help that Charlie wouldn’t talk at all if anyone dared to bring up his love life and Percy preferred rather than push him to just not address the matter at all. It wasn’t like it was his business. If Charlie was healthy and happy, he didn’t care what he was doing.

A month ago, Charlie had come to him for some advice, but after that Charlie was on radio silence again which to Percy’s mind meant that things hadn’t gone well for Charlie and his ‘mystery girl’. And once again Percy didn’t say a word about it.

He was proud of his perfect streak of being at the right place and the right time and not embarrassing his children unless he had to. Well, he enjoyed embarrassing them every once in a while, like being the parent who cheers the loudest in the stands for their kid. But like he had appreciated that Sally didn’t mention his sleepovers with Annabeth or the fact that they kept his door closed, he wanted to be the same way with his children.

It was 5 pm and he was in the kitchen preparing dinner for later. The house was mostly quiet except from Lana’s music blasting from her room. Zoe entered the kitchen through the back door after her track practise. “Hey, dad.” She greeted him as she took a banana from the counter and headed upstairs without uttering another word.

For the past few days she had been acting a bit strange and kept a distance from Charlie. When Annabeth tried to address the matter she admitted that nothing was going on, so they stopped asking as there was no point in pressuring her. After he let the food on the stove, Percy decided to take some of the folded and ironed laundry upstairs.

Theo was mostly unbothered by his presence as he was working on some equations that even looking at them fried Percy’s mind. Lana couldn’t even listen to him because of the loud music and Zoe took her stuff and resumed her homework.

He knocked Charlie’s door, but he didn’t get answer. He decided to just open the door. He was just studying with Bianca, so he wouldn’t really be interrupting anything. He opened the door, and before he could even process what was happening in front of him he gasped loudly, catching Charlie’s and Bianca’s attention. Who were making out on Charlie’s bed. “Dad! Knock the door.” Charlie said as he saw him in a frozen state by his doorframe.

“I knocked the door. I-“ his brain short wired and didn’t know how to react. He let the basket on the floor. “I should go.” He said and closed the door behind him.

Percy went back to the kitchen, and he winced as he realised that he gasped. He gasped. Like he could have reacted any other way, but he decided to gasp. “What happened? Why did you gasp?” Theo asked him from the banister.

“Nothing to worry about it.” Percy replied.

“It didn’t sound like it. Are you going to Target?” Theo questioned him.

“What do you need?”

“Whiteboard markers and M&Ms.”

“I have markers in the office.”

“I used all of them.”

“Then, I’ll go to Target.” Percy said and grabbed his car keys. As he entered the car, he texted the family group if anyone needed anything from Target. Half an hour later, he came back to the house and to his surprise Charlie was sitting on the kitchen island. He looked at him but didn’t say a word.

“Look. I know I shouldn’t have gasped.”

“You shouldn’t have.” Charlie replied.

“I’ll knock twice from now on.” Percy promised him, as he looked bothered by the fact that he was interrupted.

“Thank you.”

“So, are you dating?” He asked mostly out of curiosity.

“Yes, for a week now.” Charlie admitted. “I didn’t want to say anything because you would make a big deal out of it.”

“I wouldn’t make a big deal out of it.” Percy bragged as he sat across him. He caught himself staring at Charlie’s neck where a dark purple mark was there. A hickey.

“What? Why you stopped talking?” Charlie asked him, as Percy once again lost his colour. “Come on, dad. It’s just a hickey. It’s not the first time I’ve come with a hickey.”

“No, I’m totally cool. Like a river. Like the ocean. No problem. Everything is alright.” Percy reassured himself. He didn’t even know why he was so bothered. He liked Bianca a lot and Charlie had liked her for a long time. But he was frozen like his brain couldn’t function with the new information.

Charlie put his plate in the sink and turned to him. “I am going to go upstairs. When you stop freaking out over a hickey, you’ll know where to find me.” He pressed him on the shoulder and headed upstairs.

Zoe was sitting in the living room and Percy decided to join her. “How are you feeling about the whole Charlie-Bianca situation?”

But I thought you were a submissive, I hear you all cry. I am. But sometimes, most reluctantly, I have to don my dominant hat.

I'm a single mum of two boys, 16 and 14. They lost their Dad to cancer in 2010. We had our struggles during his illness and since. My 16 year old is sound. This wasn't always so. Only just a year ago he was having problems. But we've worked really hard to overcome these and now he's happy with who he is. But, my 14 year old is a different story. He's a completely different character from my eldest. Even through his problems, my eldest kept going. With school, with life's difficulties. My youngest just doesn't seem to care. He's continually late to school. Doesn't complete homeworks. Is defiant to me. He even tries to be aggressive to me. He doesn't care. I'm at my wit's end with it all. I've tried my hardest to be caring and to understand. Everyone has. I've arranged counseling for him but he won't partake. I'm now facing being taken to court because of his lateness to school. They are viewing it as truancy. I have to work to keep a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and clothes on our backs. Unfortunately this means that I have to leave home in the mornings before my youngest does. I do my best to make sure he's set to go before I do, but ultimately I have to trust that he will get himself out the door and to school. He isn't keeping up his end of the bargain. And so tonight I had to once again put my Dom hat on. I've taken away his phone. He can have it when he goes out, for safety reasons. But he won't be doing that for a while because he's grounded. I've removed his X-box and laptop from his room. He'll get them back when he's proved himself trustworthy again. He's banned from drinking anything but water and milk. No tea, no coffee, no drinking chocolate, no pop. He won't be getting any sweets or treats. He has to do his homework under my supervision at all times. I hate this! I hate being the enemy. I have never imposed such restrictions on him all at once before. But I truly fear for him.

If anyone has any logical suggestions as to how to deal with this I would be grateful to hear them. Especially from men. Because, with the best will in the world, I am not male and I do not understand the mind of a 14 year old lost boy.

Thank you.

Magpie'69 💜☠️🍒