Blue was growing weary of the snippy back and forth. He was proud of his wolf. Despite his mother's passive aggression and his father's aggressive aggression, Eivind was conducting himself well, refusing to bend to his parents' old fashioned ideas about what was and wasn't appropriate. Seven years separated Louis and Katherine, so what if the difference between Eivind and Blue was just an extra four? Was it really that horrific? Did it immediately suggest that Blue was nothing more than a cute little toy for Eivind to play with? Blue might have worried about that at the beginning of their relationship, but Eivind had done everything in his power to prove that wasn't the case. The wolf was serious about him; he had always been serious. Eivind had killed for Blue within hours of meeting him, but that certainly wasn't something Blue could bring up casually to prove Eivind's dedication.<br/><br/>"I can't fucking listen to this," Blue spat out, shaking his head and pulling his hand away from Eivind's burying his face into his palms for a long moment before he began once more. "You guys are being fucking ridiculous."<br/><br/>"Blue, watch your mouth," Katherine huffed, but Blue just scoffed in response.<br/><br/>"No, Mom, I'm not going to watch my mouth. I'm tired of this. I didn't come back to do whatever this is. I came back because I missed you guys. I missed you and I wanted to say I was sorry for leaving. I was angry, frustrated, and you know what? Eivind was right. Completely right. I left because I can't stand all of these draconian expectations you try to impose upon me."<br/><br/>"Expectations? We expect you to work hard, but you seem incapable of doing that!" Louis spat, his voice a few decibels louder.<br/><br/>"I<i>do</i>work hard!" Blue snapped. "Art is hard! It takes years of study and practice to be as good as I am, do you even understand that? I stay up all night working on my techniques. I can draw, paint, and sculpt. You just don't like it because art is subjective. You can't measure it by anything! You'd only consider my life a success if I managed to become the next fucking Picasso, and even then you'd probably just call it a fluke."<br/><br/>"Blue, honey, you're missing the point--"<br/><br/>"No, Mom, I'm not missing the point. I hurt you all by leaving and not contacting you. I get that, and I'm sorry. I surprised you by coming back here with someone you didn't expect, someone who you initially would never approve of no matter how nicely he dressed or well he spoke. But you guys got married when Mom was my age. So you can't sit there and act like I'm incapable of making my own decisions about who I want to spend my life with. It's hypocritical and fucked up."<br/><br/>"You think you're mature enough to get married?" Louis laughed, a genuine grin upon his face. He didn't want to hear any more of Blue's little tantrum, but the implication that a young man without a job or means to survive in the real world could just run off and get married if he wanted to was too ludicrous to entertain.<br/><br/>Blue shrugged his shoulders, unsure how to respond to his father's jab. The idea of getting married was intimidating to him to say the least. He and Eivind were mated, and that was enough for the moment.<br/><br/>"It sounds like Eivind here would be more than happy to tie the knot if that meant getting what he wanted," said Louis, snorting.<br/><br/>"He wouldn't have to," Blue replied, a hint of smugness to his voice. "We've already had sex."<br/><br/>A harsh silence swept through the living room as Louis and Katherine stared, wide-eyed at Eivind and Blue while Little Bird and Chrysanthemum did the opposite, both pretending to be absorbed in their phones, though neither were at all paying attention to where their thumbs swiped. After a very long, pregnant pause, Louis release a low, rumbling breath, reminiscent of a growl.<br/><br/>"Girls, go to your rooms."<br/><br/>"But, Papa," began Little Bird.<br/><br/>"Now."<br/><br/>The girls looked at one another and slowly stood up, both of them waving weakly to the mated couple before ascending the steps, though they didn't retire to their rooms as commanded. Instead, Little Bird opened and closed both bedroom doors while Chrys quietly settled at the top of the steps, out of her parents' view. Birdie soon lay down next to her.<br/><br/>When he believed the girls to be in their rooms, Louis leaned forward in his chair, eyes hard on Eivind. "Tell me. You going to pay for his schooling? Because I'm sure as hell not, and Blue can't do it. Blue has one more year left of school. That's $25,000 out of your pocket just for tuition. You want to buy all of his art supplies? Another couple thousand over the course of the year. Maybe Blue finds himself a job and can provide for himself, maybe not. You going to support him? Not just with money, but with his emotions? His moods, his tempers, his fire?<br/><br/>"Blue is strong. Blue is wild, always wandering. He could never sit still, even as a baby. He is like you said, stubborn. Very stubborn. You want him? You want him through the good and the bad? How do we know when things get hard you won't abandon him, hm? How do we know you're not just manipulating a young, idealistic man into wandering aimlessly with you?<br/><br/>"Blue needs direction. He needs focus. We have no reason to think this is something you can provide for him. As far as we are concerned, you are nothing more than a distraction."