<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family:Open Sans">Eivind thanked Katherine for the ice tea, taking in the comment about Blue being too skinny. He looked fantastic compared to when he'd been found, and Eivind found himself wondering what Blue had looked like before all this happened, or if he'd always been skinnier than she preferred. He listened to Blue go on about the staircase, carefully leaving out that it was in fact in <i>his</i> home. He hoped they didn't plan on doing holidays at his place. <br/>
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“It really was beautifully done. Exactly what the home needed to break up the unimaginative space. I don't have anyone in the company with a skill set such as Blue.” Eivind was poking a little fun at himself while he went on about Blue's talent, and it wasn't just because he was fucking Blue, though he wasn't sure Louis would have believed that. All the women sounded excited for Blue. His father had more questions, mainly for Eivind. His tone didn't lose that accusatory edge. He kept interupted Blue, and it was starting to piss the wolf off. It didn't matter this man was his father. Even his own shitty parent let Eivind talk when he had something to say. Typically, he was more disappointed when Eivind didn't have an opinion at all. Blue <i>did</i> have an opinion, his father just didn't want to hear it. <br/>
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“I met a young <i>man</i> at a fair,” Eivind corrected, unwilling to take the accusation there. He didn't pursue boys, and had told Blue his opinion on the matter. He was younger than Eivind would have normally gone for, but he understood the responsibility given his position of power. Blue knew that. His parents didn't, but at the same time, Blue was still very much a capable <i>adult</i>. They were still treating him like a child. <br/>
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“Blue isn't a child. He's far less impressionable than you think. We didn't often talk about family, not because he doesn't care for all of you deeply, but because he obviously needed time <i>away</i>.” That had been the reason Blue had run off into the woods in the first place. To get away from a fight he and his father had just had. <br/>
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“You don't think perhaps he left in the first place to get away from your ideals and expectations?” Eivind was asking, holding Louis' gaze, but there was no accusation or malice behind his words. It was an honest question, one that Eivind could relate to his own father, only he wasn't alive for him to ask it now. Eivind ran too, just like Blue. He learned hard lessons out there by running, just like Blue. The pressure made him miserable. He didn't want to be what his father was trying to make him any more than Blue wanted to be a perfect straight man with a suburban home, making babies. <br/>
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“You two got into an argument, Blue defended his beliefs, because as I've said, he's not as impressionable as you think, and you decided you wouldn't hear it. I'm sure there's plenty you don't know about your son because you don't want to hear it. Truly amazing things, and maybe you'll realize that some day. I hope so. You'll never find out if you keep cutting him off at the knee and not letting him speak for himself. It wasn't my place to tell Blue what he should or should not do. When the topic came up, and we decided it was time to come back, that's what we did. That's why we're here now.” Eivind looked back to where Blue was sitting beside him, trying to look smaller, shutting down. He looked back to the rest of the family. <br/>
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“I get it. Where you are coming from. You don't know me, don't trust me. I don't expect that you would. I care about Blue. I want the best for him. It wasn't my intention to keep Blue isolated, but he's capable of making his own decisions.” Now, anyway. Unfortunately there was nothing to explain Blue's lack of contact except the truth, which neither of them wanted to delve into for practical reasons. They could hide it behind Blue's real reason for leaving in the first place. Eivind certainly had pulled his disappearing act himself many times before for less worthy reasons. <br/>
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“I don't think you have to worry so much about Blue. He's stubborn, strong, and opinionated. He wouldn't tolerate me treating him poorly for a single second. I've no intention of that, of course. Blue deserves to be treated right, and I fully understand that.” Blue had always been quick to set him straight, and Eivind had proven himself capable of learning how Blue expected to be treated.</span></span>