Israfil

Ky and Dizzy are friends again - that makes me smile. Adams advice on closure shows he’s beginning to understand the other aspects of being a parent - it’s not just providing a home but support and guidance, helping a kid navigate life and people. As someone who loves animals, Artie’s connection with them makes him all the more endearing. My heart breaks for Adam, both for what he went through growing up and his regret at losing touch with Sarah.

Ky’s reaction makes sense - if he thought they’d had breakfast together that’s some kind of signal, especially to an insecure teenager. Been in Ky's shoes and I've probably been meaner too. Can't help but feel quite bad for him given how things went, even if I was kind of routing for Dizzy in spite of myself... perhaps just like you intended, Ace. I suddenly doubt things are as simple as they appear....

Not necessarily. I think you're a tad biased Yes, Dizzy is more obviously charismatic but Ky doesn't know the whole story and Dizzy hasn't told him. Cause guys don't talk - it's a stereotype for a reason (sigh). I get the allure - but I can see why Artie is cautious and interested in Ky as well. I've known and loved my fair share of Dizzys haha

High five to Fred! You did a great job with Jeff as a hard to like protagonist. Also it’s rare to see these kinds of stories from a parent’s perspective, which is what initially drew me in. Though still not clear on why David and Simon went willingly with Darcy - assuming Fred judged it correctly.

Interesting theory - but I want to point out that yes, some people can look eerily similar to their uncle/aunt to the point they’re confused as parents. Genetics is a funny thing.

0_0 Well that escalated quickly. I know that Jeff's suicidal thoughts were kind of a big deal but I couldn't help myself rushing through them trying to find out if what happened to David and Simon. Though I can appreciate, on a much smaller scale, the feeling of addiction - knowing something's not good for you but damn the consequences just this one more time. Heh, if David makes it through this he's never going to forgive Jeff. And I'm not talking about just screaming rage, I mean the sort of way a parent can change in your eyes for the rest of your life. The change that makes you treat them like a necessary chore rather than family. The kind of permanent disappointment that remains into adulthood, after the anger fades - makes you ignore their calls and never visit even if you "forgive" them after a fashion. That forgiveness might mean you will honor certain obligations that come with family - their health, basic needs - but you will never be family again. I'm also hoping that goes for Suzanne as well, if Jeff turns out to be the reason she lost her brother.

Loved it! Also on a side note, it's kind of nice to see Carter's not as perfect as we initially thought with his thing about dogs. As a dog lover this is something I cannot comprehend haha

Wow.... Well first off, his changing views on gay guys is happening a lot quicker than I expected but doesn't feel rushed - nice work there. Secondly, Jon looking over his shoulder to make sure his dad was still there to watch was adorable and heartbreaking at the same time. Thirdly....ouch. Starting sobriety like that ain't fun (understatement of the year).

Aw, I liked Stephanie. Explains how Duncan’s father did a 180, though.

Not just for security but dogs have a documented therapeutic effect - they might actually help Riley with his PTSD

These two together is just too precious. Something about best friends banter just makes me smile. It's cool to see Riley bonding with someone other than Carter - this is actually a great sign as far as their relationship goes. In truly mature relationships both parties have to have their own circles and social bonds. Though I was thinking that Riley's instincts about Trey were going to play out - so either Eli missed something or there's something else up with Trey. Not necessarily bad, but more than meets the eye. Orrr it's just a chance for Riley to chill. I don't know haha

Jeff's redeeming moments here... It really just shows he's human and not completely lacking in empathy. He's still a fool and a drunk, his times notwithstanding, as we can see with Todd, who's of the same generation and a lot more thoughtful. The events at the end of the last chapter confirmed that when Jeff threw the bills away and sat there pouting - is this a man or a child? I smirked when Jon said he didn't like David and Simon together. Child, what's your opinion got to do with the price of tea in China? Of course, teenagers seem to think their thoughts should almost always count for something in family matters (I know I was like that) and get super pissed when told to go fuck themselves. I don't really like kids, in case that wasn't clear Though he might be on to something with how to deal with Simon's dad haha.

On one hand, yay - glad I could help! On the other - no, more chapters!

Love this story - it's fascinating. But I can't help but feel that starting from when he got back home should have been a second book. It feels like a sequel starting and I find myself forgetting that the events of earlier were in the same book. Maybe it's just the gap between the two sections but there should at least be a Part II header or some sort, even if you don't break it into two books. One story arc ends and another begins. Heck, you even labeled it as completed for a while (I think?).

Yay, I was watching for another update!

Meant to use this quote when I compared Jeff to Frank Gallagher of Shameless - forgot about multiquote... What got me is that when Todd asks Jeff if he's ever met a gay man to base his assumptions off, Jeff replies "of course not!" like that shouldn't mean anything. It's one of those times where something must be true cause "everybody knows" so there's no need for evidence or consideration....

Cause he doesn't quite get the seriousness of his kids' problems. He thinks they're fairly safe, especially now that he's kicked out Simon. On the other hand, he's also human so slightly worried about a kid he's known for years being out on the streets. Jeff's the sort of person people love to make excuses for - "oh he's not a bad guy, just ignorant" and it's things like this that prove it. Of course, ignorance can be just as damaging - my recognition of his vaguely redeeming qualities shouldn't be taken as any great degree of sympathy for him. Guy's a dick. Reminds me of Frank Gallagher from Shameless, with the alcoholism and the "I can't do anything if I dont have my drink" mentality of spending what little money they have on booze.

It’s darkly funny that he thinks David isn’t at risk because “he knows him.” If I were him I’d be pretty hesitant to rely on what I thought I knew about my family at that point. Then again, he probably feels he has no choice but to believe he knows his kids. He’s not wrong though - Jeff does seem at risk himself....

Oh right! I forgot about Jeff's presumably more level headed brother. Jeff's probably going to run to him to complain about his family woes expecting sympathy - that should go over real well. Can't imagine his brother patting Jeff on the back for this...

Well, that went about exactly as expected. Glad Suzanne is in David's corner and actually called out her dad. I've always wondered what people mean when they say "do you know what this will do to us?" when someone comes out to them. I always assumed it meant reputation but Jeff didn't once say something like "what will people think?" Heh, I've been on the receiving end (not a extreme, of course) of the "you hid it so well" reaction - from some people you get this kind of suspicious vibe afterwards - like they're wondering what else you're hiding cause you weren't "gay" enough for them to notice.

Andy would be an amusing agent - if not a particularly good one - which would probably be enough for him to keep the job with a boss like Tyrone haha. The pop star seems to be...kind of trying to empathize but it doesn’t come easy - he’s still reverting to the mindset that everyone can walk away from problems the way he can.

Had a comment right after the chapter came up but then GA cut out >_> Anyways, I suspect that Jon's problem with Simon is he represents changes in the family - something teenagers are notoriously bad at dealing with (not that he could ever articulate this properly). He feels David growing away from the family and it's easier to blame Simon for his strained relationship with his brother than it is to blame David for being gay (sure there's a bit of that there too though).

Clearly our boy Trey is used to being liked, if not out and out popular - the typical jock clique. However, I can see how his approach would work on a lot of people other than Riley. It’s pretty fun to see people like Trey realize not everyone is instantly charmed by them haha.

On an unrelated note - Riley's comeback of "I do like being below him" about Carter surprised me in that he was so comfortable joking like that. Even after he got together with Carter, he was iffy about acknowledging they were a couple - massive progress!

Cause he knows Riley can (and did) stand up for himself. I'm fairly sure he would have been annoyed with Carter trying to defend him "I don't need no help" or something along those lines. I've been friends (and more) with the type before haha. They're perfectly capable.