Flipping the Script Chapter 1
Flipping the Script by Lifak
Chapter 1 -- One Normal Day
Derek threw his keys onto the entryway table. The house was a fucking mess; the plants needed watering, again. The clutter and remnants of a busy life always seemed to be the story at home. The thought of sitting on the couch and trying to relax made him shudder. "Clean up after yourself, boys," he called, making sure his tone was more friendly than annoyed. He was done yelling at them. The only problem now was they often didn't seem to notice him speaking, or chose not to.
Elio, his younger son, was always either crouched over a drawing board or engrossed in a book. He mumbled a half-hearted response when Derek reminded him yet again to pick up his clothes and toys. Lucas, on the other hand, was usually out of the house, either with friends, at football practice, or at work. Derek tried to imagine what life would be like without having to constantly pick up after his children and sighed.
For all that Derek thought his sons did not notice him, Lucas was actually quite perceptive of his father's appearance. He had noticed his dad appeared increasingly dishevelled, far from his usual buttoned up appearance at school where he taught history.
It wasn't as if Derek's body had completely fallen apart -- he still maintained a well-built, athletic form, but Lucas saw how his father scrutinized himself in the mirror; tugging at the skin around his waist, pinching the flesh of his arms, and sucking in his stomach.
----
It was one night, after Lucas returned home from an exhausting day at work, that he decided to do something to make his Dad feel better about himself.
The opportunity came one Monday when the two of them found themselves alone in the house, with Elio away at a friend's. He approached his dad in the living room, feeling a little shy but equally excited at the thought of his father being more sexually active.
"Dad, have you thought about going on some dates?" Lucas asked, his voice carefully measured. It had been a few weeks since he first noticed his father's low self-esteem, and he felt an urgent need to do something about it. Maybe if he just put himself out there more people would notice what Lucas himself could see; his dad was certifiably hot, even if he didn't see himself that way.
"I don't know, son." Derek's voice appeared distracted, and he was absentmindedly flipping through channels on the TV. "You know I don't really have any interest in dating right now."
Lucas took a deep breath and closed the distance between them, heat surprising him as his body responded to being so close to his father.
"You deserve to be happy," Lucas urged. "You're a great catch. Why not give someone the chance?
"Look, I know my friend Jeremy's mum is single? Or maybe even Lucy's dad" Lucas said, with a little chuckle at the second suggestion. He flopped down next to his dad on the couch and brought out Facebook on his phone and started scrolling through the profiles of various single parents of his huge network of friends.
With every new picture, he'd exhale a "hmm" or "wow" and nudge Derek into looking at the screen.
"I guess I could get drinks with Martin and maybe shoot the shit a bit with him down at The Crown" Derek said after a thoughtful pause.
"Damn Dad! I didn't know you swung both ways, I was joking!"
"No, no haha, but I haven't caught up with him in a while and he might have some advice for me with the ladies"
For a moment, Derek thought this kind of talk was harmless flirtation. He had never thought of himself as sexy, but the excitement on Lucas's face as he started to set up the meet up with Martin made him smile. His son was growing up to be a good man and clearly wanted the best for his dad.
Derek decided to give in, leaning slightly into the playful vibes between them. He put his arm around Lucas, pulling him in gently.
"You're a good kid," he said, as he kissed Lucas on the top of his head. Instantly, he became aware of the tension between them. He felt his son's hair, warm and soft, under his lips. The smell of Lucas's sweat after working out that afternoon, combined with the scent of the cheap body wash he used, sent a tingle of pleasure through Derek's spine.
He suddenly realised the tingle was headed elsewhere further down, and stood up from the closeness of the couch abruptly
"All right well I've got an early session tomorrow to run before work, better get some sleep. Make sure your brother is home before 10! We can chat more tomorrow night about this."
Lucas watched as his father headed upstairs to his bedroom, the old threadbare pyjamas he was wearing doing little to disguise the hefty muscle that covered much of his dad's body.
With a smile he looked back down at the draft text to his friend Philip about their dads meeting next Wednesday and swiftly deleted it. He'd lusted after his dad long enough in secret, but now the timing was just right to finally take what he wanted.
He always suspected his father had feelings for him too, maybe not consciously, but there was always this odd tension between them, especially after Lucas turned eighteen a few months back. Hell, he probably imagined it, but this tension felt more real each day.
He headed upstairs to his own room and jumped on his laptop. What his dad really needed now was some better outfits to show off all the hard work from over the years...