[right][sub][color=lightgray]Collab with [@Lovely Complex] 
Starring: [color=181313][b]Pop Wells[/b][/color] and [color=ffff99][b]Dad Wells[/b][/color]
FT: [color=C66600][b]The eldest Well baby[/b][/color][/color][/sub][/right]
[center][hr][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180915/4ba70509e397e0abad7583853f69d8e2.png[/img][hr] [img]https://i.imgur.com/xHVducQ.gif[/img]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/4OEixTf.gif[/img]
[hr][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180915/5bbd05eb83073f02ad54cbc9e7207e02.png[/img][hr][/center]
[indent]Food made everything better. Jareth Wells had learned that long before he married his beloved chef. Truth be told, marrying Remy had spoiled Jareth, because he was the best cook on the planet as far as Jar was concerned. While on tour with the band, Jareth hardly ate more than the occasional salad for survival, because he missed and anticipated the delicious treats that he would have waiting for him at home. That being said, you couldn’t top the donuts made at [i]Heartfelt Bites[/i]. So here he was, driving back from the bakery with a box of a dozen assorted donuts. Donuts that would hopefully mitigate some of his younger son’s strife. That was the goal.

Jareth drove the streets of LA in his matte black Tesla. He was wearing sunglasses, a hat, and as much of a ‘blend in with the crowd’ outfit that he could muster — which included sweatpants. He looked very… dadly. There were days that he would happily go out in full rockstar chic, be recognized, and sign autographs for fans. Going on a trip to buy donuts for an emotionally distraught son, however, was not one of those days. Today, he was simply doing his best to be a good father.

Waiting in the dreadful morning traffic, Jar tapped out a nervous beat against the steering wheel. No matter how good your life gets, how happy you are, or how much fame and fortune you’ve garnered, your old demons tend to stick with you. For Jareth, chronic anxiety is one of those demons. He is his own worst critic, and right then, in the quiet of his car, he was in the process of over-analyzing every aspect of Riley’s life as a member of the Wells family. The conclusion Jareth had come to in this analysis was that he was, in fact, a terrible father.

Eventually, after far too long spent in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Jareth arrived back home. He shoveled his anxieties to the back of his mind where he could brood and fret over them later. Right now, he had to help Riley as much as he could. To be the listening ear that he should have been all along, to offer any advice that Rye might ask for and, possibly the most important, to bring home these donuts. Jar hopped out of the car and entered his home through the side door that connected the garage to the kitchen. His husband was milling about and Jareth brought the box to the counter to set it down. [color=181313][b]“Hey. Did Rye come down yet?”[/b][/color]

The rich aroma of Mexican Chocolate Fudge Pie wafted throughout the kitchen from the oven, beckoning all those who smelt it, to want it. Guajillo chili and cayenne pepper giving the fudge that extra kick that Remy’s boys loved. A special occasion? Or did Remy simply want to bake something? Did he ever need a reason? Entering Remy’s kitchen was like entering heaven on Earth, you could not resist the delightful sensations that crawl up your nose, which only made you desire to indulge in the pleasures of food. 

In better spirits than he was before Jareth got donuts, Remy turned on his heel from checking the pie in the oven to giving his full attention to his husband, and donuts. When he turned, he revealed a glass cup in his hand filled to the brim with his morning green protein shakes, slurping it with a pink silly straw. [color=ffff99][b]“Oooh, donuts! Excellent.”[/b][/color] Placing his glass down on the counter, he reached for a  Boston Kreme and took a bite of the sweet snack before answering, [color=ffff99][b]“Rye? Yeah, he took food to go. He should be at school by now.”[/b][/color] 

Nonchalantly, Remy shrugged as if this wasn’t new news to Jareth’s ears. He licked the pudding from the hole, before taking another bite. [i]Heartfelt Bites[/i] had amazing donuts. His partner-in-cooking-crime out did herself today. Chrissa Michaelson. He’d have to schedule a pastry party or wine tasting date to catch up with her, since they were in charge of different areas of Ty’s food businesses. See how her own son is doing. As he waited for Jareth’s response, Remy’s eyes glanced over to his fruit bowl, which was empty. That reminds him! He needs to go to the gardens and get some fresh ingredients. Maybe he could get his hubby to help.  

At school? Jareth’s eyebrows stitched together in confusion. He thought for sure that his youngest son would be staying home for the rest of the week, but here Remy was acting like nothing was amiss. [color=181313][b]“He left for school? I thought he was… why did I go get donuts if…”[/b][/color] Jareth took off the hat he had worn out and ran his fingers through his slightly shaggy dyed-black locks. It had been a while since he’d been on tour, so his blonde (and gray) roots were shamefully growing in. He should probably go visit the salon soon... [color=181313][b]“I’m confused, what happened while I was gone?”[/b][/color]

[color=ffff99][b]“Your son got courage from two lovely women that came to visit, [i]very[/i] concerned.”[/b][/color] Remy nodded in satisfaction, glad it only took Hailey and Hana to pull Riley out of this down. Waving the bitten donut in front of Jareth, Remy tsked, [color=ffff99][b]“You don’t need a reason to buy donuts. I’m eating them, aren’t I?”[/b][/color] And back the donut went in his mouth. Turning around and walking to the hooks by the door,  Remy grabbed his sun hat with his freehand, [color=ffff99][b]“Since you aren’t busy, you should help me pick fruit. I already did spices and veggies yesterday.”[/b][/color] 

Jareth’s eyes followed the waving donut and he smirked at Remy, shaking his head. [color=181313][b]“Yes, you are indeed eating them.”[/b][/color] Jar inhaled the kitchen aromas deeply and peered at the oven. [color=181313][b]“And also baking something delicious, apparently. You’re evil, this is all just a ploy to make me fat. I have an image to uphold, and a husband to please, Chef Wells.”[/b][/color] He watched as Remy grabbed his sun hat and headed to the patio door. [color=181313][b]“Hey, who said I wasn’t busy?”[/b][/color] He wasn’t, so he followed along happily.

[color=ffff99][b]“Even if you were busy, how could you possibly resist this?”[/b][/color] Remy teasingly winked back at his husband, displaying his [i]fine[/i] body with an apron on,  before holding the door open for him, [color=ffff99][b]“And you know I always say a few pounds wouldn’t hurt. I like having meat to bite.”[/b][/color] For as long as Remy could remember, Jareth was scrawny. He’s been working on his husband’s body fat for years. Fortunately, Jareth has gained a few pounds, but still… a little more never hurt. It was in the husband’s duty to make sure his lover was well fed, like the witch did for Hansel and Gretel. The difference here was Remy wasn’t cannibalistic… he just liked to bite. [color=ffff99][b]“You know where the baskets are, do you want to start with strawberries?”[/b][/color] The chef of the household obtained plenty of family traits growing up, like gardening from his GG Robin. 

Remy’s comments on resisting and biting brought forth a chuckle and another shake of Jareth’s head. His hubby was always insisting that it wouldn’t hurt Jar to gain a little weight, but truth be told, he tried. Even after age forty, his metabolism was fast, and he never gave up his habit of going on early morning runs. It worked out well enough, the mostly teenage audience of his music scene prefer thin, attractive frontmen in bands, and thankfully he still fits that description for a few more years at least. [color=181313][b]“Strawberries sound lovely, as long as I can steal a few for tax purposes.”[/b][/color] Jareth grabbed a wicker basket and headed over to the strawberry bushes. Kneeling down low, he looked across the path at his fair-haired lover. 

[color=181313][b]“...so, you think he’s going to be okay, Rem? I can’t help feeling like…”[/b][/color] Jareth sighed. Over the years Remy had convinced him that it was best to talk about his anxieties with him, and it took almost as many years for Jareth to actually take that healthy advice. [color=181313][b]“I can’t help feeling like I failed him. Like I could have been a better father and known what he was going through. Hell, he’s so much like me, Rem, it’s terrible that it happened like this. I should have done more.”[/b][/color]

[color=ffff99][b]“This.”[/b][/color] Remy examined the strawberry for a moment making sure it was fully ripe, before cutting it by the stem and placing it in his basket. [color=ffff99][b]“Is not your fault.”[/b][/color] He glanced over to his musician and shook his head, [color=ffff99][b]“There’s only so much we can do as parents. We let him go to the party, because we know the person he is wouldn’t do something too stupid. But he was also put in an environment where peer pressure is inevitable. I think us trusting him is the best thing we could do. If you failed him, then I failed him too. But wouldn’t that mean I failed you as well? I could’ve told you all the opportunities he could’ve used your advice….”[/b][/color] 

Remy trailed off for a moment, thinking of them growing up, and their own battles they had fought, [color=ffff99][b]“...I remember like it was yesterday, you weren’t fond at first at the idea of me liking you. You weren’t sure of your own sexuality, even broke my heart because you just couldn’t say yes. In time, your time, you sorted through it all. We’re not perfect. I could’ve fallen for someone I knew who was gay, but I took the risk and fell for you. I think we’re doing alright. Our children don’t hate us, so that’s something to be proud of.”[/b][/color] 

With his right hand, he reached for his husband’s free hand and tenderly squeezed it, [color=ffff99][b]“I think he’ll be okay. You are an amazing father and I will remind you each and every day. You knew that if you kept telling him to open up, he would close himself off. You know how he is, because he’s just like you. It’s scary you guys aren’t blood. But… you know what makes me know he’ll be okay?”[/b][/color]

Jareth slowly picked strawberries from the bush and put them in his basket as Remy responded. Occasionally, he looked up from the task to make eye contact with him, when the situation most called for it. He froze up when Remy brought up their teenage years. Jar would never be satisfied in making up for the damage he did to Remy back then, he’d happily spend the rest of his life pouring every ounce of love that he could into this relationship. Into his family. Jar ran his thumb over Remy’s hand as he held it over the strawberry bushes. [color=181313][b]“What makes you know that, love?”[/b][/color] Jareth asked, though he was pretty sure that he knew the answer. Riley would be okay, because he had ended up being okay. More than okay.

[color=ffff99][b]“Because he KISSED me on the cheek! He doesn’t do it often. But when he does, I know. I know. Trevor is easier to coerce into giving me love. He actually made sure before he rode off with Hailey and Hana, to give me a nice, big kiss! Oh, and he wore the BLUE JACKET!”[/b][/color] Little signs that Remy would cling onto, which meant that today their son was fine. Who could tell about the future? But today. Riley was okay. 

Jar chuckled at his husband’s excited response over the blue jacket. He was about to respond when he heard the crinkingly of grass underfoot and turned to see his eldest son walking towards them. [color=C66600][b]“Wait… Hailey was here, and Riley left with her? What?”[/b][/color] Trevor’s eyebrows shot up with equal parts shock and concern. He immediately pulled out his new phone and texted his boys, Dames and Brian, [color=C66600][b][i]SOS - I don’t know why or how, but Hailey’s got my brother.[/i][/b][/color][/indent]