Acceptance ~ Sequel to Perceptions & Deceptions

[kcm17480]

Now this is getting very interesting. I am always a sucker for twists in a story. Please continue.

 

[arogersb]

~ Chapter 5 ~
The Closet​

I was transfixed by the sight of Jesse Carter, whom I’d been lusting after barely twelve hours ago. There had been a noticeable bulge in his Speedos, and I’d almost been able to make out that he had a larger-than-average cut cock. Now I could see for myself that I was right. He was softly banging the door with both his hands, and every time he did, his cock flopped out from the shadows of his pubic region. Also on display was his full bubble-butt, which I hadn’t seen before since he’d been facing me.

“C’mon, Tad, please let me in,” he begged of the room’s unseen occupant.

I could hear the gruff voice of an older man reply from inside the room. “Not unless you’re ready to have that virgin ass of yours fucked.”

“I … I can’t … I’m not ready for that … please … can I at least have my clothes?”

There was no reply from inside.

I’d been amused and rather turned on when I first laid eyes on the naked twink, but this exchange had shown me the bigger picture. I realized that Jesse was involved with a much older guy, who was only using his youthful body for self-gratifying sex. Jesse looked so vulnerable and despairing that my heart went out to him. After all, I myself had been in a similarly one-sided relationship not so long ago.

Jesse was giving up. I could see it from the way his shoulders slumped. I knew that, if I didn’t make my move now, he was going to be forced into a decision he would regret later.

So I stepped out of the shadows of the hallway. Jesse realized my presence instantly once I was in the area. His tear-filled blue eyes focused on me and, suddenly aware of his nakedness, he tried to cover himself with his hands. I wished he didn’t, because I’d secretly been hoping for a full-frontal view of this gorgeous cutie, but I guessed that would have to wait.

He was extremely embarrassed and started to blush. When I thought that the sight of him naked was one of the most picturesque scenes I would ever see, I was wrong. When he blushed, he was even more beautiful. The way the rosy pink spread across his flawless alabaster skin, up to the tip of his ears and even down to his shoulders.

“You look like you need help, Jesse,” I told him gently.

He looked wary. “How do you know my name?”

“I’m Jon Leroy. You know my younger sister, Tina – very well.”

Jesse had the good grace to look guilty. I realized that, if Jesse was gay, he was just pretending to be romantically involved with Tina in order to hide his homosexuality. But now wasn’t the time to confront him about that. Jesse’s older guy might come out of his room at any time to see why Jesse had stopped pleading.

I gestured towards Dylan’s room door opposite. “Do you want to come in? I’ll get you some clothes to put on.”

The grateful look on Jesse’s face would have melted even the hardest of hearts. I unlocked the room door and started to open it when I remembered that Dylan was probably waiting for me to jump back into bed with him.

I called out to him. “Dylan, we have company. Could you, um, put something on?”

“What? At this time?” Dylan stuck his head out of the door and saw the naked Jesse standing next to me. His eyes widened. “Holy shit,” he mumbled.

“This is Jesse Carter. He is … er … in need of some clothes. So can we come in?”

“Yeah, just give me a sec.” I could hear him scrambling behind the door as he pulled on his boxers. He quickly pulled the door open wider once he was done. I was almost bowled over by Jesse in his hurry to get into the room and out of public sight.

“Sorry,” he said so softly that he was almost inaudible.

“Dylan, can you find Jesse some shorts and a t-shirt? I know he’s more my size, but all my clothes are at Mom’s.” I looked at Jesse. “Unless you’re willing to wait?”

He shook his head vigorously in reply. I nodded to Dylan, who started rummaging in his bag for some suitable clothes. I thought he was handling it very well. I mean, it isn’t everyday your boyfriend brings home some naked teenaged stud in the middle of the night.

“Here,” he said, handing Jesse a pair of cargo shorts. Jesse tried to accept them in one hand but they slipped out of his hand. All this while he’d kept his other hand firmly clamped over his crotch, although it wasn’t doing much to conceal his ample appendage. Now, without thinking, he reached out with the other hand to catch it in mid-air. In doing so, he gave both Dylan and I a clear, unhindered view of his cock. I could make out that it was a good nine inches soft. We both exchanged looks of awe.

“Could I …” Jesse started to say, then repeated in a stronger voice, “Could I use the bathroom to change?”

“Sure, go ahead,” said Dylan. Jesse disappeared. Dylan used to opportunity to turn to me and whisper in my ear. “Tell me you brought that cutie along to join in a threesome.”

I looked at him. His green eyes were twinkling with amusement.

“Dylan!” I exclaimed in mock annoyance. I whispered back, “He’s in a bit of a dilemma. Older guy, and he’s not ready to get fucked.”

“Oh,” said Dylan. I knew him well enough to sense the understanding and sympathy in that one word.

The bathroom door opened and Jesse stepped out. The cargo shorts were very loose and riding low on his hips. The waistband of the shorts was just below the base of his cock, which could be clearly seen because he shaved his pubic hair. He kept trying to adjust the shorts. Dylan handed him the t-shirt and he slipped it on. Once it was over his head, he saw both of us looking at him and started to blush again, beautifully.

He cast his eyes downwards and softly said, in the direction of the floor, “Thanks a lot. I’ll return your clothes tomorrow … I promise. Can I … can I go now?”

I said, “You don’t need to stay if you don’t want to …” then, as he turned to go, I added, “But at the very least you should listen to what I have to say.”

Slowly, hesitantly, he turned back to face me. I decided to get straight to the point.

“Are you gay? Absolutely certain of it?” I asked.

He nodded and kept his eyes on the floor. I could tell that he was ashamed of this confession.

Dylan spoke up. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’re in this room with a couple of gay guys. The important thing is, you shouldn’t force anyone in making you do something you don’t want to.”

For the first time since he’d entered the room, Jesse actually looked straight at us. “How did you know?”

“I deduced as much from your conversation outside the door,” I replied. After a pause, I asked, “How old is he?”

Jesse looked embarrassed. I thought he was going back to hanging his head in shame, but he continued to look at us as he replied quietly, “Forty-five or so.”

“Don’t you think that he’s more than a bit old for you?” I asked him.

“I know, but …” he choked on his words. “I can’t find anyone else … not without coming out … all the guys at school think I’m straight.”

“And so you deceived my sister into believing she was your girlfriend, just so that you could keep up your act.” I saw Dylan looking at me with a slightly disturbed expression on his face – I wasn’t sure if it was because he’d never heard me sound so cold, or over because he’d just found out that Jesse was dating my younger sister.

Jesse seemed to wilt under my stern gaze. “I didn’t mean to … I didn’t know what to do … Everyone thought it was a sure thing that I’d have a girlfriend by now … then I saw Tina was attracted to me. But I swear, I didn’t mean to … lead her on.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you didn’t,” I said sarcastically. “All Tina talks about is how great her boyfriend is. Even if you’re not convinced, she certainly is.”

Jesse turned his attention back to the floor. I could tell that he wasn’t a bad kid, just a misguided one. “I’m really sorry. I … I don’t know what to do,” he said lamely.

“You have to tell her the truth,” I told him.

He looked horrified. “I can’t! They’ll kill me – my parents, my buddies, Tina …”

“So you want to have your cake and eat it too, is that it?” I asked him.

Jesse said quietly, “I’ve never had sex before. I mean, I’ve sucked off Tad a few times before, but this was the first time he wanted to fuck me. I wasn’t ready for that – especially not bareback sex.”

Now I was the one feeling guilty for being so harsh on the poor kid. I realized that was what he was – a kid, looking to lose his virginity. He was so eager – I could see how his youthful enthusiasm could be a turn-on especially for older men. But this time, he’d bitten off more than he could chew.

I sighed. “Look, if you don’t want to do it, you shouldn’t have to. You have the right to walk away.” I only wish I had listened to this advice during my relationship with Deacon.

“I tried,” said Jesse, almost indignantly – the first sign of any emotion other than shame I’d had from him. That returned almost immediately. “But he threw me out of the room when I told him I wasn’t willing. If you hadn’t come along, I probably would have given in to his demand.” He looked at me gratefully. "Please ... you don't know how sorry I am." He looked like he was about to cry, which only served to increase my feeling of guilt.

Now Dylan interrupted, having been silent all this while. “I think he’s had enough for one day,” he told me authoritatively. He turned to Jesse. “How did you get here?”

“Tad picked me up from outside my house,” he said.

Dylan turned back to me. “Jon …,” he started to say. I interrupted before he could finish.
“I’ll drive him home.”

“You don’t have to do that. You’ve already done enough. I’ll walk,” said Jesse.

“At 2 a.m. in the morning?” Dylan shook his head. “Jon will drop you off. Even if it means I have to wait.”

“You’re not coming?” I asked. He shook his head. I understood what he was trying to tell me.

“Okay, then, come on,” I told Jesse. He followed me silently, after thanking Dylan again. Was it just me, or was Jesse checking him out? I thought his eyes lingered a moment too long on Dylan’s bare chest. I was wrong about that.

***​

It was a quiet ride to Jesse’s house, except when he gave me directions. His family lived in a mansion not too far from my parents’ home.

“Ok, this is it. Jesse started to scramble out of his seat, and then he stopped.

“I know it was wrong of me to deceive Tina. I’ll set things straight – the next time I see her,” he promised.

“Good,” I said. “Just make sure, the next time, you make a better choice than Tad. I mean, you’re not lacking looks, or anything. I’m sure you can do better next time.”

He was looking at me like I was his hero or something, which, I realized, he probably thought I was. He reached over and gave me a hug. I suppose I should have stopped him, but I didn’t see anything wrong in it. Then, our eyes met and I saw the longing in them.

And suddenly, without warning, he was kissing me on the lips.

To be continued …​

Argh ... and here I thought I'd had this story carefully mapped out but it's gone off its projected storyline again ... I had a different cliffhanger planned for this chapter. I guess it'll have to wait till the next one. Please do give your comments because I don't feel entirely happy with this chapter.

 

[smile86]

i liked it, i wanna know what happens next!

 

[Craiger]

I really like where this is going, Justin. I just barely caught up with the story and find it very intriguing. I wondered how Jesse was going to come back into the story and you certainly brought him back. I have a feeling the girls are the ones that will not accept his gayness. At least not at first. But here I go, predicting all these things and you have so many twists that I am probably wrong. Don't keep me in too much suspense.

Craiger

 

[botboy03]

Very interesting chapter. I can't wait for more.

Zac

 

[miaplacidus]

I love this story. I NEED more. Thanks.

 

[arogersb]

~ Chapter 6 ~
Coming Out​

Our lips met, bringing me eye to eye with Jesse. His desire was apparent in the sapphire-blue depths of his eyes. He must have seen something similar in my eyes as well. His eyes never leaving mine, he moved his hands from where they were resting on my shoulders down to my chest. He started to unbutton my shirt. I wanted him to go further, until we were both naked and fucking each other. But then Dylan’s image flashed in front of my eyes. I knew I couldn’t go through with this and betray him. I gently pushed Jesse away from me.

“Stop,” I told him. He looked confused and upset, like some puppy whose bone I’d taken away.

“Didn’t you like it?” he asked me. “Or am I not good enough?” The sorrow was evident.

I didn’t know what to say. But I had to try and explain it to him.

“Jesse, you’re a very beautiful young man. And I’m sure that, when you find the right guy, you will actually want to give yourself to him, body and soul. But that guy … it isn’t me.”

“I thought you liked me,” he mumbled, looking away from me. I was starting to get annoyed by that habit of his.

“Please don’t look away. Your problems aren’t going to go away if you don’t face up to them.” I waited for him to obey before I continued.

“I’ll be honest with you – I find you very attractive.” His eyes lit up with hope, which rapidly faded as I added, “But I can’t have a sexual relationship with you. I already have a boyfriend, and I’m not going to let him down like this. You haven’t had a real relationship with a guy yet, so I don’t expect you to understand now but, one day, you will. Why would you ever consent to sleep with a guy like Tad?”

Jesse said softly, “I didn’t want to be a virgin. I’m already eighteen and …” his voice trailed off.

“Jesse,” I said, “I was six years older than you are now when I lost my virginity, and that was to a jerk. Trust me when I say this, you will enjoy it a lot more if you wait till you find the right guy.”

He was silent for a while. Then he said, “You really love him, huh?”

“Dylan? Yes, I do.” I knew that for certain now. If my feelings for Dylan could get in the way of a lust-fulfilling tryst with the cutest guy I’d ever met, then I knew that they had to run deep.

We sat there in silence for a little longer. Then he opened the car door and got out. He ducked his head back through the open door.

“Thanks – for everything,” he told me. “I won’t ever forget this.”

I smiled at him. “No problem. I’m just glad I could help.”

He gave me a beautiful smile in return, and then he turned and walked towards his home. I sat there for a while in my car, thinking, before I started the car and drove off, back to the motel.

***​

It was almost 3 a.m. when I got back to Dylan’s room at the motel. Dylan had obviously been waiting for me, because he opened the door almost immediately after my first knock.

I followed him into the room and flopped down on the bed.

“Tired?” he asked me sympathetically. “You should have at least let me drive part of the way to Maple Valley.” He sat down on the bed next to me.

I wondered whether I should tell him about Jesse. “Jesse came on to me in the car,” I confessed.

“You don’t say,” was his reply. I stared at him. He seemed completely unfazed by this revelation.

“You’re not worried? Or mad at me?” I asked disbelievingly.

“Should I be?” he questioned me back.

“I could have given in and had sex with him!” I told him.

“Come on, Jon. I knew you two were attracted to each other from the start. If I’d thought you were going to cheat on me, I would have insisted on coming along with the two of you just now.”

I sighed. “You’ve got too much faith in me. I’m not sure I deserve it.”

He leaned over and lay on his back next to me. “I love you, Jon, and I know that you love me too. I knew that, no matter how much you were turned on by Jesse, you wouldn’t betray me.”

“How could you know that?” I wondered. “Even I wasn’t 100% certain until tonight.”

Dylan laughed. “You’ve agreed to come out to your family just for my sake. I don’t think I need much convincing. Especially not after you turned down an offer for sex with a gorgeous and completely willing guy like Jesse.”

I snuggled next to him. “I don’t understand that. I thought he was checking you out. The two of you – you’d make a beautiful couple. Yet he wanted me to take his virginity.”

“You don’t believe you’re good looking enough to attract the attention of someone like Jesse?”

“Not just Jesse – even you. I don’t know what you see in me. I mean, I’m nowhere as good-looking as you or Jesse.”

Dylan put his arms around me. “You make it sound like you’re the ugly ducking. You should look in the mirror more often – you’re quite handsome yourself. I’m not surprised that Jesse desired you more than me. You’re his savior.”

I turned over, so that I lay on my stomach facing Dylan. “Jesse wasn’t the only one who learnt something tonight; I did too. You’re the only guy for me. I love you, Dylan.” I kissed him and laid my head on his bare chest, feeling the comforting warmth on my face.

“I love you, too,” he replied softly and kissed me on the forehead. We lay like that for a long time, our arms wrapped around each other, for a long time.

***​

“Wake up, sleepyhead!” I opened my eyes blearily. My sister, Val, was shaking me awake.

“Geroff,” I mumbled unintelligibly. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost TEN,” she shouted in my ear. That woke me up. I sat up in bed.

“What did you do that for?” I said in annoyance.

“Mom told me to wake you. Do you spend half the day asleep?”

In fact I hadn’t even had six hours of sleep. By the time I’d managed to tear myself away from Dylan’s warm body, it had been past four in the morning. But of course, I didn’t reveal that.

After getting Val out of my room, I showered and dressed. Everyone else had eaten breakfast by the time I got downstairs, but Mom was more than happy to whip up a fresh batch of piping-hot pancakes for her elder son whom she didn’t see very often.

I was just finishing the last of the pancakes (and mentally reminding myself that I would have to double my workouts when I got back to Pinewood City) when my brother Tony showed up with his daughter, Cara, in tow. After handing the baby to Mom, he sat down next to me at the dining table.

He looked around quickly to check no one was around, and then leaned over to whisper, “When are you going to tell them?”

To be truthful, I’d almost forgotten about that until Tony reminded me. Dylan had only asked me how it had gone the previous day; I told him that Tony had handled it very well. Now the sinking feeling returned. I knew I had to go through with it; I just wasn’t sure when the time would be right.

Fate made the decision for me. At that moment, both Mom and Dad walked into the dining room, Mom still holding her granddaughter.

“I’ve got your back,” said Tony before they came within earshot. He looked expectantly at me.

“Morning, son,” said Dad. “I see you’ve had a late wakeup today.”

“Stephen,” chided Mom, “You should let the poor boy sleep if he wants to – he still looks exhausted.”

“He should be settling down like Tony here,” grumbled Dad. “You never visit us anymore, always giving the excuse that you’re busy with work.”

Tony exchanged a look with me. I knew he was trying to tell me that it was now or never.

I took a deep breath. “I’m afraid I haven’t been totally honest with you, Dad. The reason I seldom come down here … it’s because there’s someone in my life.” At this, Mom looked excited, but I suspected it was for the wrong reason. Beads of sweat started to form on my brow. I told myself, it wasn’t too late to back out. But I forged ahead nonetheless.

“Mom, Dad, please try to understand. It may come as a shock to you. I mean, I don’t know if maybe you’ve had some inkling of it, but … I’m never going to bring home a girlfriend. I’m … I’m not …,” I started to stammer. I could see the dawning look of horrified realization on Dad’s face even before I made the official pronouncement.

With another deep breath, I managed to say it. “I’m gay.”

An absolute and unnerving silence greeted my declaration.

To be continued …​

As always, I appreciate your feedback. I'm afraid that, due to unforeseen circumstances, I've had to extend this story's run by one more chapter. So 3 more chapters to go. Expect the next one tomorrow!

 

[botboy03]

Oh the anticipation is killing me. Very good chapter.

 

[laegolass]

Wow, great story there. All the suspense, drama and romance. isn't it great to have more chapter? The more the better. Thanks for the wonderful story.

 

[smile86]

suspense! another great chapter.

 

[arogersb]

~ Chapter 7 ~
The Love of my Life​

A few seconds passed. Then, Dad turned around abruptly and walked out of the dining room. I stared after him for a moment, and then both Tony and I started to go after him. Mom reached out a hand to stop me.

“Let Tony go,” she advised. My brother nodded and went through the door. I turned to look at Mom. I was feeling upset by the way Dad had taken the news, but I was more surprised by the fact that Mom – usually not as calm as Dad – seemed to handling it pretty well.

“You’re … you’re not shocked. But you were always the one hoping I’d get a girlfriend soon, or a wife.”

“Jonathan … I gave up on that a long time ago. I’ve suspected what you told me today, and I’m sure your father has guessed it as well before this. He’s just having more difficulty accepting his eldest son being a … homosexual.” Mom said the word delicately, but not as if she found it disgusting.

I was still not sure that Mom was able to accept it herself. “Mom … I’m not just going through a phase. I’ve known that I was gay since high school. I just wasn’t ready to tell you or Dad at the time.”

“Jonathan,” said my mother with a note of reproach in her tone. “I didn’t think for a moment that this was something you would get over. If it were, you wouldn’t have even mentioned it to us. But earlier you mentioned someone in your life … a young man. He’s the one who made you change your mind, isn’t it?” There was an understanding look in my mother’s eyes.

“Yes, Mom,” I said softly. “His name is Dylan Sullivan. I guess … he’s my boyfriend. But that isn’t what you or Dad wanted. I’ve let you both down so badly.” I broke down and started to cry. I felt ashamed of myself, but the tension of the last few minutes was too much. Even though Mom seemed to accept me, Dad didn’t seem like he was going to.

“You haven’t let us down. If God wants you to be attracted to men instead of women, then so be it. I’m your mother, Jonathan … Just because you are homosexual doesn’t mean that I love you any less than my other children. You may be 25, but I still feel like you’re my baby boy. I just want you to be happy.”

She hugged me and I hugged her back. I am probably a foot taller than my mother, but despite that, I felt truly comforted, just like when Dylan held me in his arms.

“Thanks for understanding me, Mom. But what are we going to do about Dad? I don’t think he can forgive me.”

“I’ll go and talk to him now. You know your father always listens to me. He’ll come around.” Mom smiled affectionately at me. “She turned to go after Dad, but stopped to add, “You should have brought your boyfriend – Dylan, is it? – to meet us.”

“Actually, Mom, he’s here, in Maple Valley. But I asked him to stay in the motel until I knew you were all okay with this.”

“Then you must bring him for dinner tonight,” she declared.

“Tonight?” I said in amazement. “But what about Dad … and the girls?”

“Your father will come around by then. As for your sisters … you have to talk to them. Tony already knows, doesn’t he?”

I nodded. “He says he’s okay with me being gay.”

Mom smiled. “He’s your brother. You two were so close growing up. I know you took different paths in life, but you can’t just break the bond of brotherhood. And your father will see that his relationship with you is as strong as ever.”

I watched her leave the room to find Dad, and then I went out through the glass doors out to the patio. I sat on the steps, remembering the many times I had sat in that spot to contemplate things. It wasn’t any different now.

Tony came out and sat down next to me. “Mom’s talking to Dad. She told me to find you.”

“Dad’s very upset, isn’t he? I’ve been a disappointment to him from the beginning. I didn’t stay to run the restaurant, I moved away from the family home, and now I want to bring home a boyfriend.” I put my head in my hands. “Mom’s going to have a tough time convincing him.”

Tony put his arm around my shoulder. “Do you really think that you’ve disappointed Dad? Do you know that Dad is always bragging to his friends about his elder son who graduated top of his class at Stanford, and has a hard-to-get job at Kenneth-Parker? He’s very proud of you. He just doesn’t tell it to you.”

I looked up. “Really? I didn’t know that. I always thought … well you know what I thought. But that doesn’t change the fact Dad is not going to accept me for being gay.”

“Why are you so pessimistic? You weren’t this way before. Don’t tell me your boyfriend prefers you to have a tear-streaked face. Cheer up, bro. Dad will come around. Mom can be very persuasive. Don’t be surprised if Dad suddenly decides to personally invite your boyfriend for dinner.”

Then a voice behind us said, “Boyfriend?” It was my younger sister, Tina. Beside her was my other sister, Val. They must have come up behind us while we were talking.

“So we heard correctly, then. You’re gay?” asked Val.

Tony and I looked at each other. “You girls were eavesdropping on Mom and Dad, weren’t you?” scolded Tony.

“Never mind that,” said Tina, waving her hand at him. “Jon, is it true?”

I took a deep breath, and admitted, “Yes, I’m gay. And I have a boyfriend.”

For the second time that day, I was surprised by the reaction to this information.

“Cool,” said Val. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”

“Tell you earlier? Okay, something is definitely wrong here.” I shook my head in disbelief. “I thought you’d all freak out at this, but so far Dad’s the only one who’s upset. Wait, what about you, Tina?”

She shrugged. “I’m fine with it. We’ve all suspected it for a while now. I mean, it’s not as if we ever discussed it or anything but, come on – how many straight guys keep posters of boybands in their rooms and check out the boys at my swim-meet?”

I couldn’t believe I had been so transparent. I was also happy to see that Tina especially seemed to accept this easily. I was sure that Jesse would keep his promise to come out to her, and hopefully she wouldn’t be too cut up about that either.

“At least now we get to tease you about your boyfriend,” said Tina, grinning wickedly.

“Yeah, what’s he like anyway?” asked Val.

“I am not going to open my mouth on that – I’ll probably end up sounding like you girls going on about your crushes at school. But I have a photo here if you want to see.” I dug in my wallet, found the snapshot of Dylan and handed it to Val. Tina and Tony also crowded around to see the picture.

“Oh my god, he is so cute!” squealed Tina. “I half-expected it to be some ugly old guy.”

“Hey, I think I have better taste than that!” I protested.

“What’s his name? Is he the same age as you?” asked Val.

“His name’s Dylan, and no, he’s actually four years older than me.”

“Wow, that makes him … twenty-nine? He looks like he couldn’t be more than twenty,” commented Val.

“Can I have him if you don’t want him?” asked Tina.

“Tina, he’s gay.”

Tony joked, “Okay, now I’m the one left out here. I have to listen to you three gush about Jon’s boyfriend.”

“When are we going to meet him?” asked Tina.

“Mom wants him to come for dinner tonight but … I don’t know if Dad will agree.”

Then we were all shocked when we heard Dad’s voice. “Can I also see that photo?”

“Dad,” I said uncertainly. Mom was right beside him. Tina handed the photo to him wordlessly. We’d all been quite jovial but suddenly the atmosphere was uncomfortable.

Dad looked at the snapshot for a while. The rest of us waited with bated breath.

He said slowly, “So this is Dylan – your boyfriend.” It was a statement of a fact, not a question, but I nodded nonetheless.

Dad sighed loudly and said, “I can’t say I agree with all this but … your mother is right. My son’s happiness is the most important thing to me. And if this Dylan is your choice for the person you want to share your life with, then, we have to meet him. Please invite him for dinner.”

He turned and walked off quickly, but I needed to be sure. I followed him to the hallway. It was just the two of us.

“Dad, wait – please. I want to know … that you’re perfectly alright with this. That you’re not saying this just because Mom talked you into it. If you don’t want to have Dylan over for dinner, that's okay. He’ll understand. But please, don’t shut me out of your life.”

Dad looked at me silently. “Son, I’ve never told you this before but … of all my children, it’s you I’m the proudest of. And I know it took you real guts to be open with us about your sexuality. If you really like this guy Dylan, I’m sure you’ve made a good choice. Bring him for dinner. And don’t let him stay in that motel. He can use the guest room.”

I felt tears in the corners of my eyes.

“Thanks Dad. It really means a lot to me.” We hugged each other. And what I thought would be the hardest episode of my life had ended on a sweet note.

***​

“Am I presentable enough?” Dylan asked me anxiously. He was trying to smooth down his naturally-messy blonde hair.

“Relax. You look as gorgeous as ever. They’ll love you, I’m sure they will.”

I told Dylan it wasn’t necessary for him to wear a long-sleeved shirt with a tie, but I had to admit he looked dashingly handsome in it.

We were standing on the doorstep of my parents’ house. I squeezed Dylan’s hand as I pressed the doorbell and waited for Mom to open the door. I could see that he was nervous. I had been much worse than him earlier that day, but now that my family had accepted my homosexuality, all my fears had vanished. I was sure they would accept Dylan as my boyfriend.

“Good evening,” said Mom as she opened the door. “You must be Dylan. I’m Mabel Leroy.” She shook Dylan’s extended hand.

“Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Leroy,” said Dylan.

Mom said, “Please, call me Mabel. Come in.”

We followed my mother into the dining room where the rest of my family was waiting.

“Jonathan, will you introduce your brother and sisters?”

“Sure, Mom. Err … Dylan, this is my brother Tony. And these are my sisters, Christina and Valerie.” Dylan shook hands with all of them. “And this is my father.”

Dad stiffly shook hands with Dylan, who said, “Thank you for inviting me to stay in your home, Mr. Leroy.”

“This is my son’s home too,” said Dad. “Even if he doesn’t live here most of the time. I’ll be frank with you, Dylan. When my son told me about this, I was upset. When he was in my home, I made choices for him. But now that he’s a grown man, he has the right to make his own choices. And he has chosen you. But if you make him regret this later, God help you.”

“Dad!” I said, irritated that Dad was threatening my boyfriend almost as soon as he laid eyes on him.

Dylan laid a hand on my arm. “No, it’s okay. Your father is just trying to protect you.” He turned to Dad and told him, “I promise you, Mr. Leroy, I will never do anything to hurt your son.”

Dad smiled for the first time that day, “Then there will always be a place for you in our family.”

Mom was also smiling. “Welcome to the family, son.” I knew that meant a lot to Dylan, when she called him "son" since his own mother had rejected him for being gay.

Tina was getting impatient. “Do we all have to make soppy speeches or can we eat now?”

We all laughed and sat down at the dining table to enjoy our meal.

To be continued …​

No cliffhanger for today because this chapter has become way too long. I don't understand it. I plotted everything with a simple chapter outline, but when I actually sit down to write it, it's gone from 8 chapters to possibly ten.

I'm taking a short break now. This story will resume in 2 days' time. In the meanwhile, please leave your comments. Thanks.

 

[smile86]

very nice chapter

 

[botboy03]

Very nice. I can't wait to read the next one.

 

[laegolass]

Another great chapter. Can't wait. The longer the better.

 

[harry113]

Great chapter,arogersb, Thank you.
You are enjoying writing this story as much as we are enjoying reading it,
And because you are enjoying it the story has taken on a life of it's own!!
Looking forward to the next chapter
Harry

 

[Craiger]

Justin,

Oh! If only we all had families like Jon. That was a wonderfully warm chapter. But now we have the little twist of Tina and Jesse. I can only hope it works out as well.

I love the story and can't wait, but will have to with your little hiatus, lol, to read the next chapter. Rest well!

Craiger

 

[kcm17480]

I love this story. It is very heart warming and very well written, Yes, take that well deserved rest because you deserve it. Thanks for the story. I'll be waiting for your next chapter.

 

[arogersb]

~ Chapter 8 ~
Love and Hate​

Dinner was over. Mom had gone into the kitchen to bring out the dessert. The rest of the family was getting to know Dylan better. The girls had already managed to persuade him to help them with their Chemistry assignment after learning that he lectured that subject at Pine State University.

I followed Mom into the kitchen. She was busy scooping out vanilla ice-cream from the tub to top the apple strudel she’d baked.

When she saw me, she said, “Jonathan dear, could you get the whipped cream and spray some on top of these?”

“Sure, Mom,” I replied. As I was doing what she requested, I could hear the sound of laughter coming from the dining room. I smiled to myself, glad that my family had accepted my sexuality with hardly any hiccups and had quickly warmed to Dylan.

“Mom, thanks a lot … You really did a good job persuading Dad.”

“Your father found it very hard to deal with it. But all I had to tell him was the possibility that he might lose you if he rejected you on the grounds of your sexuality. That is what brought him around. Your father loves you very much. Never doubt that.”

“I know, Mom. I’m really lucky that I have a wonderful and caring family with you and Dad as my parents. It was great of you to call Dylan ‘son’. You don’t know what that means to him … his mother practically disowned him when she found out he was gay.”

My mother pursed her lips. I could see she didn’t think highly of Dylan’s mother.
“I don’t know how she had the heart to do that to her own son, especially a likeable young man such as Dylan.”

“You like him then?” I asked.

Mom smiled indulgently at me. “If I were twenty years younger and not already married to your father, I would probably be head over heels in love with him myself. He’s a very charming and attractive young man. You’ve made a wise choice.”

“Thanks Mom,” I said, as I hugged her.

***​

“This is my room here, at the opposite end of the hall from yours. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” I said.

Dylan smiled back at me. Neither of us was entirely happy with the sleeping arrangement, but it was far too soon to expect Dad to let us sleep together under his roof.

“Goodnight,” said Dylan.

“What, no goodnight kiss?” asked Val, popping her head out of her bedroom door, with Tina beside her.

I grinned and leaned forward to give Dylan a quick peck on the cheek.

“Aw, that’s so sweet!” cooed Tina. “Our big brother has finally graduated to the level of kissing someone."

“You’d better close that door before I find something to throw at you,” I warned, half-amused and half-annoyed. The girls quickly retreated.

“You know, I really like your family,” said Dylan, chuckling. Making sure there was no one in sight, I gave him a proper kiss.

“I’ll miss you tonight,” I said, putting on a suitably doleful expression.

Dylan playfully punched me on the arm. “Don’t be silly. I'll see you in the morning.”

***​

The rest of our stay in Maple Valley passed uneventfully, except for one incident. It was the afternoon before Dylan and I were due to return home. We were both sitting on the patio when we saw a familiar guy walking up to the front door. It was Jesse Carter.

The afternoon sun picked out the blond streaks in his brown hair, and he looked more gorgeous than ever. But this time I didn’t feel any lustful urges when I saw him. I won’t deny that I was still awestruck by his beauty, but I no longer desired him in a sexual sense. His spell over me was over. He had played his role – to convince me that Dylan was my one true love.

Even from the distance I could see that he was nervous, and I knew the probable cause of it. I went into the house, with Dylan following me, in time to hear him ring the doorbell. Val opened it and a few seconds later, yelled, “Tina, your boyfriend wants to see you!”

I winced at the word “boyfriend”. In just a few moments, Tina was going to learn that Jesse could be her boyfriend. I watched as Tina came down the stairs, with a wide smile on her face. My heart sank.

“Can I speak to you … outside?” I heard Jesse’s voice. I heard the door close as Tina followed him out.

“Come on,” I whispered to Dylan. “I think he might need out help.”

Dylan raised an eyebrow but followed me silently. We stood behind the door, listening in on Tina and Jesse’s conversation. We were just in time to hear Jesse confess, “I think … I’m sure that I’m gay.”

Tina’s voice was choked. “What do you mean – gay? Then what about us?”

“I … I’m sorry … I can’t …” Jesse didn’t get a chance to finish. There was a resounding slap and Tina’s voice yelled, “You lying son of a bitch!”

The door suddenly flew open. I had no time to move out of the way before Tina ran straight into me, sobbing.

“Wait, Tina. I …” Jesse appeared in the doorway, holding one hand to his cheek. He saw me. “I thought you would be okay with this, I mean with your brother being gay.”

Tina whirled around to face him. “How the hell do you know my brother’s gay?”

I thought I should intervene. “Tina …” I said gently. “He knows because I was the one who told him to come out to you.”

Tina’s eyes snapped back to me. “How could you do this to me?” she cried, hitting my chest with her fists. “I hate you!” And then she ran past me and up the stairs. I moved to go after her, but Dylan stopped me.

“I’ll talk to her,” he said softly. “I don’t think she’s going to listen to either of you at the moment. Besides, this is my family now, too.”

I nodded mutely and let him go upstairs. I turned to look at Jesse. He’d removed his hand from his cheek, and I could see the unmistakable imprint of Tina’s hand on his cheek, a red mark against the pale skin.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled to no one in particular. Then, he added, looking at me accusingly, “I did what you told me to!”

I was about to glare at him, but then I realized I had been in the wrong as well. I’d been so self-righteous about advising someone else, that I hadn’t realized the different implications when it was your boyfriend instead of your brother coming out of the closet. I sighed.

“Well, we’d better hope that Dylan can get through to her,” I told him. “Why don’t you come and sit down? Do you … um …need something for that?” I asked, gesturing towards his cheek.

Jesse shook his head and smiled faintly. “Nope, there are worse things that could have happened … I guess. Some of them already did.”

It was a rather long and quiet wait. I could hear the indistinct sound of voices from upstairs, but not clearly enough to make out what Dylan was telling Tina. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they both came downstairs.

“I explained the circumstances to Tina and …” Dylan’s voice trailed off, letting Tina continue.

“I realize that you had my best interests at heart. I’m sorry I acted the way I did, Jon,” she apologized meekly.

“Don’t sweat it,” I said, hugging her. “If I’d been in your place, I probably would’ve done the same. Now, don’t you have something to say to Jesse?”

Jesse quickly interrupted. “I’m the one who should apologize. I was the one who was wrong. I probably deserve more than just a slap. I’m really sorry it didn’t work out. It’s my fault, not yours. I’ll tell the guys at school that too if you want,” he offered.

Tina seemed recovered from her outburst earlier. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t know why I got so worked up. I mean, that’s the norm in high school anyway. Within a week, no one will be bothered about our breakup.”

Jesse, however, wasn’t forgiving himself so easily. “But it was wrong of me to lie to you … I used you. I don’t blame you if you hate me.”

“I don’t … I won’t tell anyone about you being gay until you’re ready to come out, either.” She smiled tentatively at him, and he gave her one of his beautiful smiles in return. They were a little uncertain about it, but I was sure that, in time, everything would be set right. Some handsome in-the-closet teenager would fall in love with Jesse, and Tina would also find a new boyfriend. And they probably wouldn’t remember this. It’s the meaningful relationships that you keep with you forever. I looked over to Dylan. As always, I was sure he knew what I was thinking, and smiled at me. Maybe he wasn’t as good-looking as Jesse, but to me he was the most beautiful man in the world.

***​

I was very impressed by Dylan’s handling of the affair, so I planned a little surprise for him. I’d called ahead to make the necessary arrangements and, after spending some time convincing the other person about it, we were finally nearing our destination. Before we’d left that morning, there had been plenty of goodbyes and a return invitation from Dad for both of us. Dylan was Tina’s new hero (and a hunky one to boot, she said).

Dylan was puzzled when I turned off Route 81A about half-an-hour before we reached Pinewood City.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

I grinned mysteriously. “It’s a surprise,” I told him.

“Well, it had better not be an unpleasant surprise!” he warned.

“I’m sure you’ll like this one. By the way, did you bring your driver’s license?”

“Yeah, of course. Does this place we’re going to need it?”

“We may need it to convince someone, just in case.”

“Who is this someone?” Dylan insisted on knowing.

“You’ll know in a short while. We’re here,” I announced as we parked our car beside a house on a shady avenue in Carson, a town about half an hour’s drive outside Pinewood City.

I led the way up the garden path to a pleasant, if rather small, house. I’d only been there once before, mostly limiting our correspondence to email. I rang the doorbell.

The door was opened by … none other than Martha Montgomery. She gave a gasp of astonishment when she saw Dylan. Dylan, for his part, was surprised by her reaction having never seen her before.

“Don’t worry, Martha, this isn’t him.” The ‘him’ I was referring to was, of course, Deacon Sullivan, Dylan’s identical twin who had been responsible for Martha getting pregnant out of wedlock. Her parents had accepted her back briefly, until she gave birth. Then, out of shame for their daughter being an unwed mother, they told her to give the baby up for adoption. Martha had refused and come to stay with her elder brother, who was gay and had similarly been disowned by their parents.

“Dylan, meet Martha Montgomery. Martha, this is my boyfriend, Dylan Sullivan.” I could see the shocked recognition in Dylan’s eyes now that I revealed Martha’s name.

Martha looked undecided, and then hesitantly extended her hand. Dylan, likewise unsure about this meeting, shook her hand.

“Martha, Dylan isn’t like his brother. He doesn’t do what his brother did to me … to both of us. Can we come in, please?” I asked.

“When you told me about this … I didn’t expect him to be so alike,” said Martha. She seemed doubtful.

Dylan looked uncomfortable. “If you aren’t fine with this … I’ll go. It’s okay, Jon. I’ll wait in the car.” He started to turn back.

Martha’s voice stopped him. “There’s no need for that. I know from what you just said, you aren’t like your brother. Besides, if Jon trusts you enough to call you his boyfriend, then I don’t have any reason to doubt this. Please, come in. I’m sure you want to see your niece.”

Dylan looked at me and Martha uncertainly, and then smiled contentedly. I knew he loved children, from the way he’d interacted with my own niece, Cara. I was sure he would love the opportunity to get to know Martha’s daughter, five-month-old Molly.

The introductions aside, we stepped into the house. Martha went in to get the baby from the living room. We heard a car pull up in the driveway. “That’ll be my brother, Jake,” said Martha as she emerged with the infant in her arms. I’d met Jake the other time I’d been at Martha’s new home, where her brother was supporting her. He was a bit older than me, but younger than Dylan. A good-looking guy, who was always smiling. Even as he walked into the house, his smile was on his face. But then his eyes locked onto Dylan, who was about to take baby Molly from Martha’s arms.

The smile evaporated; his face was contorted with rage as he shouted, “You bastard! How dare you come here after what you did to my sister!”

Martha and I realized that he’d made the wrong assumption. We both tried to say, at the same time, “No, wait” and “It’s not what you think.”

But he didn’t give us the time to finish our sentences before he punched the stunned Dylan squarely on his face.

To be continued …​

The penultimate chapter will be published in two days’ time. Thanks for all your feedback and comments – please keep them coming.

 

[botboy03]

Wow. I can't wait to read the last chapter.

Zac

 

[laegolass]

wow, another great chapter. Didn't expect how this chapter ends. Really like the part about the family member and when Jesse came out to his sister.

*sigh* hope my family is that way.