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Cody saw the tattoos every day growing up, but it wasn't until he was entering his teens that he finally understood them. Way back when he was just a kid, soon after Shaun and Zach had adopted him, and not long after they'd gotten married, both of his new dads had gotten tattoos. They were great, because it was about the beach and the water, and everything that Cody loved. Back then, Cody spent hours sitting in one of their laps as they sat down to watch one of his movies, like a true family, and ran his fingers over the design.
But now, sitting at the kitchen counter and doing his homework, he looks up when Zach comes in from the beach, scrubbing a towel through his hair. "Hey, Cody," he says, reaching out and getting a high-five, and then walking over to where Shawn was making dinner. "Hey, you..."
Cody looked down, because they were kissing again. Always with the kissing.
"You okay?" Shaun asks, causing Cody to look back up. He sees Shaun running a finger over Zach's tattoo, Cody noticing a scratch that goes right through it.
"'m fine," Zach replies. He grabs another kiss, then says, "I'm gonna go shower," and then disappears upstairs, so Shaun goes back to cooking.
"Hey Shaun?" Cody asks. "Can I see your tattoo?"
"Sure, Codes... But you've seen it plenty of times before." He pulls the pan off the flame, then steps next to Cody, pulling his t-shirt to the side.
Cody studies it for a second, then looks towards the stairs. "I never got it until now..."
Shaun gives Cody a curious look. "What?"
"Zach's tattoo looks from the water towards the beach, and yours looks from the beach out to the water. They're...like complimentary or something."
Nodding his head, Shaun smiles. "Yeah. They represent something we love, but from each others perspective."
"And the three surfboards standing in the sand," Cody adds. "The two tall ones are you and Zach. The little one's me." He looks at Shaun, giving him a questioning look. "Am I right?"
Shaun doesn't respond, but instead just smiles, giving Cody the answer to his question.