Aaron's Dilemma - 8. Slade has another bad day...

Walking into the house, I hear Ma talking on the phone in the kitchen. Not in any hurry for her reaction to my eye, I hang back and listen.

 

“Chris is working half days at the office and at-home to help with the packing. I’m working my last two weeks from home, and Skyping in on conference meetings. I'll only go in if there's a problem that I can't fix over the phone,” she pauses. “Yeah, we’ll arrive in Boston on Sunday, not this upcoming Sunday, but the next. The movers are driving the big truck up early that Thursday morning and my cousin’s gonna drive in from New York to help them with the setup. We’ll leave early Sunday morning.” She pauses momentarily. “No, we’re driving a trailer with the more personal and expensive items ourselves. I’ve heard some horror stories about movin’ companies who have moved people long distance. So, I thought it’d be best to have the important stuff with us, just in case we ended up being one of those stories ourselves.” There’s another pause. “The kids don’t start school ‘til the following week. So, they’ll have time to rest and adjust.”

 

Slade suddenly takes my hand and pulls me towards the kitchen. “You gotta face the music sometime, baby.”

 

Upon reaching the archway, I watch my mother’s smile disappear when she sees me. With a short wave, I greet her. “Hey, Ma.”

 

She stammers, “Ma-max-ine, honey, I’m gonna have to call you back.” Ending her call, she stands in front of me before I can blink, pulling my head down for a better look. “Aaron, sweetie, what happened? Who did this to you?” My gaze drifts towards Slade. She turns to him and asks, “You did this?”

 

With an uneasy smile, he replies, “Yes, ma’am.”

 

Joking, I stand behind her. “Get him, Ma! Give him what for. Don’t let him get away with hurting your precious baby boy.”

 

She shrugs dismissively. “It’s okay. No harm, no foul.”

 

“What?!” I exclaim.

 

Ma turns to me. “Slade gets a pass for clockin’ ya. You’re lucky a black eye is all he gave you.”

 

I shake my head as they both try to hide their snickers with no real effort. “Wow, I thought you loved me. I guess I was wrong.”

 

She smiles, but the concern is still in her eyes. “Oh, hush up. All kidding aside, are you okay?”

 

“Yes, I’m fine, but I have a headache. The stuff I took isn’t working.”

 

“How long ago?” she queries.

 

“About an hour and a half,” I answer, rubbing my right temple.

 

“Go upstairs, lie down, and I’ll check in on you in a bit. You need to wait a couple more hours before you can take something else. Are you hungry?”

 

“No, ma’am, not really.”

 

“Okay. Go on upstairs. You look horrible.”

 

I mutter, “You’re truly comforting, Ma.”

 

“I do my best. Go on.” Ma plants a kiss on my cheek turns me around and ushers me from the kitchen when I catch Slade’s eyes.

 

I turn, put on my best pathetic, exaggerated pout, and bat my eyes. “Can Slade come upstairs too, Mommy?”

 

She looks at us and sighs, “Yes, but you have to leave your door open, is that understood? You may not be able to give me grandkids, but that doesn’t mean I want you practicing under my roof.”

 

The heat of embarrassment courses its way throughout my body. Mortified, I groan. “Really, Ma?”

 

“Inappropriate…definitely, necessary…yes, but you’d be getting the same speech if you were dating a girl.”

 

“I’m walking away now before you say somethin’ else.” Slade laughs as he follows me upstairs. “You wouldn’t think it was funny if the shoe was on the other foot, Jones.”

 

He laughs lightly. “You’re right. But since it’s not, it is.”

 

We enter my room, Slade gasps at only seeing my bed and the television sitting on a crate. “I know it looks and sounds weird in here, doesn’t it?”

 

He nods sadly. I wrap an arm around his shoulder, bury my nose in his hair, and then kiss his ear. He says, “I could’ve helped.”

 

“I know, but I didn’t want to put you through it. So, I did it myself while you worked your back-to-back doubles,” I answer, feeling a little nostalgic and sad, as I look around my soon-to-be-former bedroom. The memories we made together in the room are unbelievable.

 

Suddenly, my vision blurs as my headache pulses, and I stumble into Slade.

 

“Whoa! Baby, you okay?” he asks, instantly cupping my cheeks in his hands.

 

Dazed, I close my eyes, cover his hands with mine, and nod. “Uh, what, yeah. I’m sorry. It’s just this headache has me all messed up.” I open my eyes to see the worry etched in his. I smile. “Hey, Jones, I’m fine. Don’t worry, okay? I’m gonna go use the bathroom.”

 

“’Kay, hurry back,” he says warily. “You need to get off your feet and rest.”

 

“I’ll be right back,” I tell him a departing kiss.

 

After using the bathroom, I stare at my eye in the mirror. It has gotten uglier in the time it has taken us to drive back. It looks like movie special effects makeup. I didn’t think he hit me hard enough to cause the ugly bruising. The only good thing is the swelling is not as severe as I had expected it to be. I wet a washcloth with cold water, wipe my face and neck before heading back to my room.

 

I hear the multiple stations Slade’s flipping through and waiting for something to catch his eye. I enter the room, and he’s sitting with his back against the wall with a pillow behind his head. He smiles lovingly at me, and it warms me to my core. Sitting next to him, he wraps an arm around me, turns the TV off, and with a few maneuvers has us lying down with my head on his shoulder. I rest my hand on his chest, which he covers with his, and our legs entwine. He places several kisses on my forehead, raking his fingers lazily through my hair. Content, I sigh and snuggle closer to him. My eyelids get heavier with each stroke of his hand.

 

Sleepily, I murmur, "I love you so much, Slade.”

 

As I drift further, I hear him say, “I love you more, baby.”

 

<><><><><><>

 

“Aaron, wake up, sweetie.”

 

I turn away from the voice trying to awaken me from my slumber. “Go away,” I whine.

 

Ma’s persistent with the light shaking of my shoulder. “Aaron, c’mon, wake-up,” she whispers.

 

Peeking from under the sheet with my right eye; I groggily say, “I’m trying to sleep, Ma.”

 

“I know, but you’ve been sleeping for three hours. I’m checking in to see if you still have a headache.” I nod. Ma hands me two pills with a glass of water. “Here take these. Migraine pills work better sometimes on headaches. This could also be a hunger headache. Have you been eating?”

 

I take the pills and confess. “Not really. I’ve eaten, but I haven’t had much of an appetite lately. Plus, I missed a couple days of my meds.”

 

“WHAT?!” Ma exclaims. The force behind it makes me shrink away and grab my head. “Shoot! I’m sorry, Aaron. But you know how important it is to take your pills every single day. Do I have to call Dr. Patel?”

 

“No, ma'am! I’m fine, Ma. Normally, I’m on top of everything, but this has been a stressful weekend, and I forgot. I’m sorry. Don’t worry. I’ll be back on track tomorrow, and it won’t happen again, okay?”

 

The disappointment in her eyes is hard to miss, but Ma sighs, “I’ll let it slide this one time. But, if it happens again, I’ll shove the pills down your throat myself, is that understood?”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” I answered looking around. “Where’s Slade? Is he downstairs?”

 

She shakes her head slightly. “No, April called an hour ago, and asked him to go over to the house.”

 

“What? Why?” I bolt up, regretting the joggle, and quickly lie back down. Ma takes the glass from my hand. I can’t hide the panic in my voice. “What about Mr. Jones? He’s home from work right now.”

 

Ma runs her hand soothingly across my cheek. “Sweetie, breathe. Calm down. She told Terry she wanted to make sure Slade was okay. She also wanted him to be the one to pack up his things instead of Terry throwing them out on the lawn.”

 

I mutter. "Miss April's still gonna send him away?” Then a thought occurs to me and my heart begins to race. “Tell me Dad went with him?”

 

“He did,” she answers, smoothing back my hair.

 

Relief flows through me, and I relax. “Good. Why didn't Slade tell me he was leaving?"

 

“He was gonna, but he couldn’t bring himself to wake you. Said, ‘it’s the most restful sleep you’ve had in a while.'"

 

Looking at her, I say, “I wish he would’ve at least let me tag along.”

 

“Sweetie, I don’t think that would’ve been a good idea. You being there would’ve made an already tense situation worse. Slade did the right thing by not taking you. But don’t worry, he’ll be back soon to tell you what happened,” Ma says, kissing my cheek.

 

“You’re right. You’re right,” I sigh. “I hope she doesn’t hurt him again. He was so upset after their conversation last night.”

 

“April calling him is a good first step. Hopefully, she does right by him. Okay, I’ll let you go back to sleep, my sweet baby boy,” she says, in her annoying baby voice.

 

I cringe. “Please, stop! You know I hate it when you talk like that.”

 

She continues. “Why should I stop when my baby is in bed with a black eye and headache?”

 

“Ma, go away,” I say, throwing the sheet over my head.

 

“Fine, I’ll go,” Ma chuckles softly, pulling the sheet down, and kissing my forehead. “Love you.”

 

“Love you, too.”

 

Smiling, I watch her leave the room before rolling over to go back to sleep.

 

<><><><><><>

 

About two hours later, I awaken to a growling stomach, a sore eye, but my headache’s gone. I hear Slade’s rich voice waft in my room from downstairs. Giddy that he’s back, I quickly change into a pair of basketball shorts and t-shirt and head towards the stairs. When I reach the top step, I see Dad and Slade at the bottom talking. They look up when they hear me walking down.

 

“Hey, bab-uh, Aa-Aaron,” Slade stammers, looking uncomfortably over at my father.

 

Dad chuckles softly shaking his head. “Yeah. This is awkward, but we all need to get comfortable with it. No. That’s not true. I need to get comfortable with it. Y’all are a couple, act like it,” he says with sincerity looking at both of us. “I’ll get there. Promise. Okay?”

 

“Yes, sir,” we answer in unison.

 

Dad’s attention turns to me as I take the step above him and Slade. “That’s quite the shiner you got going there, kiddo. Some word of advice for next time, d. Don’t just stand there like a sack of potatoes.”

 

Straight-faced, I say, “Hilarious, Dad. I’m holding my sides from laughing so hard.”

 

He winks and says, “I am hilarious. I’ll book me a gig at a comedy club when we get to Boston, and become world famous. Soon, everyone will know the name, Christopher Brooks.”

 

I can’t help rolling my eyes. “Yeah, good luck with that, Dad.” Turning to Slade, I can see that he’d been crying, and I put my hand to his cheek lovingly. “Jones, are you okay?”

 

“Hold up,” Dad interjects. “Before you get into that, I promised your mama I’d make you eat. She cooked you somethin’. It’s wrapped up on the counter.”

 

“Where is Ma anyway?” I inquire.

 

“At the movies with Candy. They should be back soon.” Dad looks at his watch. “Well, I have paperwork I need to finish for tomorrow morning. You go eat. Let me know if you’re gonna go out.”

 

“Yes, sir,” I answer.

 

Before he leaves, Slade stops him and holds out his hand. “Thanks again for going with me, Mr. Brooks.”

 

Dad shakes it firmly with a soft pat on his shoulder. “You’re welcome, Slade. Now, you two go on and enjoy the rest of the night.” He nods, winks at me, and ascends the stairs. The soft click of his bedroom door closing has my attention back to my boyfriend.

 

Slade rests his forehead against my chest and holds my waist. “You feelin’ better, baby?”

 

I kiss the top of his head wrapping my arms around him. “Yeah. But, I’m so hungry I can eat a freakin’ horse.”

 

Slade rises on his toes to kiss my chin and smiles. “Well, let’s get some food in your belly.”

 

When we walk into the kitchen, I see my food on the counter with a sticky note attached to it. I can’t help smiling when I read:

 

Aaron,

When you reheat this, don’t overdo it, or you’ll dry it out!

Love, your amazingly beautiful talented mother

 

Lifting the plastic lid from the plate, I salivate looking at the pile of food.

 

“Dang! She went all out: chicken fried steak with country gravy, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and a cheddar jalapeno biscuit. I’m not even gonna heat this up.”

 

Slade shakes his head. “No. Heat it up. You know how your stomach gets when you eat cold, greasy food. You always feel queasy.”

 

“Fine,” I say, rolling my eyes and pout. “You’re such a buzzkill.”

 

“It’s not my fault you have a delicate stomach,” he smirks.

 

I stick my tongue out at him, place the plate in the microwave, set the timer, and it comes to life. Sitting on the counter, Slade moves to stand between my legs and wraps his arms around me. When I lean forward, he tilts his head back, allowing me to kiss him deeply.

 

“It’s true what people say about a black eye,” he whispers against my lips when we break apart.

 

I lean back confused. “Black guy?”

 

Slade gives me a cute lopsided smile and shakes his head. “No, dummy, not a black guy... a black eye. It makes the person with it look like a sexy badass.”

 

I sit up straighter. “I am a sexy badass. I lasted a whole two minutes against my boyfriend in the ring today. He’s the one who did this to me,” I say, wiping away a fake tear.

 

Slade gasps dramatically. “Your boyfriend laid the smack down on you?”

 

I slide off the counter waving my hands frantically. “Whoa, he didn’t smack anything down on me. I let him win.”

 

Slade laughs. “Yeah, sure you did.”

 

Getting serious, I look at him. “Okay, maybe I didn’t let him win, but the black eye is for a good reason.”

 

He moves in closer. “Is this boyfriend of yours really worth having a black eye?”

 

I take him in my arms. “He’s worth a million black eyes.”

 

“He must be pretty special to you,” Slade whispers.

 

I can feel his heartbeat against my chest when I hold him tighter. “He’s my everything. What can I say? He’s my boo.”

 

Slade laughs softly pushing me away, and says, “Call me ‘boo’ again, and I’ll blacken the other eye.”

 

The microwave beeps before I can respond. I carefully grab the hot plate and take a huge whiff of the aromatic goodness. My stomach growls its approval. “It smells so damn good.”

 

“It tastes even better. I killed my plate in about five minutes. Your mom knows how to throw down.”

 

My happy moans of contentment fill the kitchen after I take my first bite. “Hey, boo, can you grab me a can of soda, and the butter please?” I can’t hold back the laughter when I peek out the corner of my good eye and see Slade sneering at me. I quickly change the topic. “How did it go with your mom?”

 

“I’ll tell you about it after you eat,” he says, walking over to the fridge. He grabs what I asked for placing them in front of me.

 

“Thanks, honey,” I say happily, and liking the way the endearment sounds coming from my mouth now and then.

 

Grabbing the butter, I spread a generous dollop on my biscuit and along the steaming cob with a few dashes of pepper and salt. Even though I’m famished, I take my time to savor the food in front of me. There’s a calmness flowing through me as I sit here with Slade. His hand rests on my knee with his thumb stroking it back and forth.

 

Once I’m finished eating, I wash my dishes and resume my place in the seat next to Slade. He sits astride my lap, places his hands on the sides of my neck, and tilts my head back. Staring him in the eyes, he clears his throat. “If you don’t start taking better care of yourself, you and me are gonna have a big problem, Aaron.”

 

“What are you talking about?” I ask, but then it dawns on me. “Ma told you, didn’t she?”

 

He grips my hair. “Baby, you know you can’t skip taking your meds.”

 

I roll my eyes. “I know this already.”

 

I try to stand, but Slade doesn’t let me. He tightens his hold on my hair, and he growls. “Aaron, you promised me that you wouldn’t make me worry about you. I hope that wasn’t a lie.”

 

I look him in the eyes. “It wasn’t a lie, Slade. It’s only been two days. I’ll take them tomorrow, okay?”

 

“You’d better not be lying. I’d hate to have to kick your ass again,” Slade says with a fake uppercut to my chin making us both laugh.

 

I quickly pout and ask, “You still love me?”

 

“Yeah, I guess so,” he answers with faux exasperation.

 

Kissing the tip of my nose, his hands glide down to my chest. Palming his firm ass in my hands, I pull him in closer. He leans forward, rubbing his nose against mine, and kisses my chin. My eyes drift to his lips as he licks them and bites the bottom one. He drapes his arms over my shoulders, scoots further up my lap, kissing me deep and hard. Once we part, we stare at each other, and I lose myself in the sapphire-blue of his eyes.

 

It’s the sound of giggling that ultimately breaks the spell.

 

We both turn to see Candace standing in the doorway smiling at us. She walks over to the fridge. “Y’all are so lovey-dovey. It’s sickening.”

 

Slade moves from my lap back to his chair. I quickly pull my shirt down to hide my erection. Slade’s warm hand resting on my upper right thigh doesn’t help the situation, and I suppress a moan by biting my bottom lip. “You have the worst timing ever, squirt.”

 

Giggling, she replies, “That’s what I'm here for, Aaron, to ruin all your romantic overtures.”

 

Candace stands on my left side, gives a two-finger salute, and lightly smacks the back of my head.

 

“What the hell was that for?” I ask, smoothing back my hair.

 

She leans in close. Her eyes are intense. She hisses, “You’re lucky I’m not kicking your ass. I overheard Mama and Daddy talking about what you did last night. How could you do something so completely boneheaded? You could’ve been hurt, dumbass!”

 

Slade’s grip on my thigh tightens, and I squeeze his hand. I look in her eyes, silently pleading, and gestures towards Slade. Candace turns her attention to him and sighs, but acknowledges with a slight nod. She sits down and changes the topic. “Mama told me you had a black eye, but this is downright disfigurin’.”

 

I recoil when she reaches to touch my left eye. “Shut up. It’s not that bad.”

 

“You should dump him for someone cuter,” Candace says, smiling at Slade.

 

He breaks into hysterical laughter, “Great minds think alike, ‘cause I said the same thing to him.”

 

They continue to make fun at my expense.

 

Slade jokes. “He went down like a ton of bricks. You should’ve heard the thud he made.”

 

“I wish I’d seen it,” she chuckles.

 

“It was funny seeing my six-foot-tall, a 175-pound boyfriend sprawled out in the ring, ‘cause of five-foot-seven, a 155-pound me.”

 

“Well, hopefully, you knocked some sense into that pea brain of his.”

 

Bewildered, I stare at them. “Y’all can stop talkin’ about me like I’m not here.”

 

Slade stands and moves behind Candace covering her mouth. “I’m sorry, baby. We’ll stop. Eeewww! She licked my hand!”

 

He wipes his hand repeatedly on her shoulder, which only makes her laugh harder.

 

I howl gleefully at their exchange. “That’s what you get for laughing at me, Jones. Hey, where’s Ma?” I ask, turning to Candace.

 

Her laughter subsides long enough for her to answer. “I don’t know. She dropped me off and said that there was a last-minute errand she had to take care of and that she’d be right back. Well, anyway, I’m about to change the subject to your favorite topic and mine -- me. I've wanted to ask you somethin’ for a few days," Candace says excitedly.

 

I smile feeling Slade slide his hand into mine, linking our fingers. “You don’t want money, do you?”

 

She rolls her eyes. “No. I wanted to know if you guys wanted to do something this weekend?”

 

Unsure, I shrug. “I don’t know, Can. This isn’t the best time. Slade and I have some things we need to deal with, and we’re not sure how they’re gonna play out.”

 

“Sounds serious. But so is this,” Candace says, pouting with her sad puppy dog face. She grabs my free hand. “Can’t you spare one day to hang out with the only baby sister you’re ever gonna have? We haven’t done anything together the whole summer. Please?! I wuv you, big brother!”

 

I groan lightly. “That’s not fair, squirt.”

 

“Please?!” She whines. In one swift motion, she stands behind Slade and me, wraps her arms around our shoulders, and pulls us in until we’re cheek to cheek with her.

 

I sigh quietly, “It depends on what you want to do.”

 

She lets us go and in an operatic voice sings, “Kings Dominion.”

 

My shoulders droop when she mentions the amusement park. It’s the only one she ever wants to go to despite Busch Gardens as another option for us. I look to Slade. “I don’t even know why I asked. Whaddya say, Jones? Want to spend the day in the blazing sun waiting for hours to get on rides that last less than a minute?”

 

Slade shakes his head slightly. “I’m on the schedule for the rest of the week starting tomorrow. Y’all go without me and have fun.”

 

I turn to Candace. “Maybe we can go next week, squirt.” Her pout returns, but this time with pleading, watery hazel eyes. It’s her signature move. She only does it when she wants something. Sadly, I’ve yet to develop a defense for it. I throw my head back, cover my face, and groan loudly. I look at her again shaking my head. “Fuck!! I’m such a sucker! Okay. Fine. It looks like it’s you and me, squirt. I’ll buy your ticket, but no food. The last time you ate over a $100 worth all by yourself.”

 

“What can I say, I love to eat.” Candace pumps her hands in the air doing a little dance. Slade and I smile at her silliness. She stops, turns with a wide smile, and asks, “Can Michelle come too?”

 

After careful consideration, I nod. “Yeah, she can come. I’ll get her ticket, too. But I’m serious about not buying food for you. You’re gonna have to suck up to Dad for the money.”

 

Candace leans over to kiss my cheek. “You’re the best. Love you to pieces.”

 

“Love you to pieces, too. Now, get out of here. Slade and I need to finish our talk.”

 

“Yeah, sure! I’ll let you finish your ‘talk,'" she says with air quotes and an overly exaggerated wink.

 

I stand and steer her out of the kitchen. “Go away!”

 

“See you later,” she says in a singsong voice.

 

Slade plants a quick peck on my lips when I walk back over to him. He nods towards the back porch. “Let’s go watch the sunset.”

 

<><><><><><>

 

We move to the couch on the back porch. Slade’s arms wrap around me as I lie back against his chest. With my chin resting on his arm, he places multiple kisses on my neck. We watch the sun slowly descend behind the trees, but the sky stays lit with an orange-purple hue, which eventually fades to black. The stars and moon illuminate the night sky.

 

“It’s only been two days, but being back at the house -- it didn’t feel like home,” Slade says quietly.

 

I unwrap his arms from around me so I can face him. Taking his hands in mine, Slade’s eyes water. He sniffles several times before continuing to tell me about seeing his family for the first time since coming out.

 

“When I got out of the car, Jules ran and jumped into my arms. It took everything I had not to cry when I saw how different she looked. Her wide-eyed innocence is no longer there, and it’s my fault. I’ll regret what she and the others went through ‘til the day I take my last breath. They have a lifetime of dealing with situations that’ll make them question why people act the way they do. If I'd kept my mouth shut, Pa wouldn't've been their first lesson.” Slade pauses briefly. “Jules asked when I was coming back home.”

 

Moving in closer, I ask, “How’d you explain it to her that you weren’t?”

 

“The best way I could for a six-year-old to understand. I told her I was moving in with Auntie Bernie for a little while because Pa and I had a disagreement.” Slade looks at me as tears fall. “Jules told me she didn’t want me to go to hell. I asked her why she thought I was going there. She said that’s what Pa said. I didn’t know what to say to her, so I winged it. I told her he didn’t mean it. That ePa was talking out of anger, but once he calms down, he'll realize how wrong he was for saying it and apologize.”

 

The anger I feel towards his father churns my blood and makes my heart beat faster. But how I feel right now doesn’t matter, this is about Slade. I steer the conversation towards the rest of his family. “What about everyone else? Are they okay?”

 

Slade smiles briefly and nods. “For the most part, they’re fine. Kev’s pissed at me for not fighting hard enough to stay. Davey and Jordan are usually running around wreaking havoc, but today, they were quieter than I’ve ever seen them. Clay was curious. He asked why I wouldn’t do what Mama and Pa wanted so I could stay. I asked him, would it be fair for anyone to tell him who he is, is wrong? I asked, would it be okay for anyone to tell him that he can’t love who he loves? I told him denying my sexuality, and how much I love you would be the worst kind of lie. I explained that I was born gay and that there was nothing I could or would do to change it just to make Mama and Pa happy because it'd make me unhappy. I think that’s when he and the others began to understand what our parents are asking me to do. I reassured them how much I love them, and that my leavin’ has nothing to do with them. I could hear Mama crying behind us and couldn’t take it,” he sniffles. “I asked Jules to help me pack when she wouldn’t let me go. I carried her to my room, and Mama followed.”

 

Confused, I ask, “Why?”

 

“She wanted to talk to me,” he says, as I wipe the tears from his face. “She basically repeated everything she said over the phone that sending me to Auntie Bernie was for the best. She apologized for not supporting me against Pa, but then in the same breath says she can’t accept me being gay. She condemned our relationship. She honestly thinks once you’re gone I won’t be gay anymore. I told her being gay isn’t a ‘choice’ I made, it’s who I am. She started sayin’ how wrong it is. I finally begged her to stop ‘cause Jules was listening to her.”

 

Flabbergasted, it takes a few seconds for me to find the words to ask. “What was the point of her asking you to come over today?”

 

He shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. I thought this was gonna be good. A first step in finding some common ground and we’d go from there, but how can we when my own mother can’t accept me? I asked her to leave while I packed. It didn’t take long to grab my clothes and everything of sentimental value. I walked over to say my goodbyes when Juliet handed me Mr. Waffles. She said, ‘Here, Slay. When I sad, I hug him, and he makes me better. You’re really sad. Hug him, and he makes you better.’ I hugged them together. And oddly enough, I did feel better. After one big sibling group hug with me in the middle, I said goodbye to them, but I didn’t say goodbye to Mama. As much as I love her, I couldn’t even look at her. I got in the car, and watched them get smaller and smaller ‘til I couldn’t see them anymore,” he sniffles.

 

I move in closer staring into his eyes. “Jones, tell me what you need me to do, and I'll do it."

 

“You being here is all I need, Aaron,” he replies, putting his head on my shoulder.

 

I kiss his cheek and hug him. Slade nuzzles my neck. We hold each other for a long while. Eventually, he’s lying on his back, and I’m on my side with his legs draped over mine, and his head rests on my arm. I kiss his cheek up to his ear. I stick my hand under his shirt and rub his stomach. There’s a slight purr of approval when I massage his chest. I move to hover over him. He spreads his legs for me to settle in-between them. Slowly, I grind our hips together. There’s a slight hitch in his breathing, and he groans quietly. Stretching his head upward, Slade barely grazes his lips against mine, when my body melts over his. He wraps his arms tightly around my neck, deepening the kiss.

 

Our mutual undulating has us both moaning softly. Slade suddenly tears his mouth from mine when I rub the outline of his cock through his shorts. “Baby, stop. We can’t,” he says, trying to pull my hand away.

 

I continue to grope him while nibbling his earlobe, and whisper, “Why?”

 

Slade moans again. “’Cause we’re about to hit the point of no return with your dad and sister upstairs,” he replies breathlessly. My persistent neck kissing and licking cause him to laugh gently, but he pulls away, staring into my light brown eyes. “Aaron, your dad’s still adjusting to the news about you, about us. We can’t put him in the position to either see or hear us out here havin’ sex. It’s not right.”

 

Everything he said makes perfect sense in my head, but the little head between my legs is the one making my decisions for me right now.

 

“Please?! I need you," I whispered desperately, still rubbing our cocks together. Damn. The way his body’s reacting to mine has me so horny. I kiss him with the hope that he won’t stop me.

 

“I know, Aar, but we can’t,” Slade moans. He manages to push me away, roll off the couch, and kneel beside it with shallow panting breaths. I see the regret in his blue eyes. He whispers, “Dammit.”

 

“I don't like you very much right now, Jones,” I murmur, turning over onto my back, but I keep my eyes on his. Slade licks his lips upon looking down at my cock protruding against the flimsy material of my basketball shorts. Grabbing hold of the hard bulge, I say, “Yeah. This is your fault.”

 

He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, quickly stands up, and grabs his own large bulge. “And this is yours, so we’re even.”

 

Without another word, Slade walks into the house, letting the screen door slightly slam after him. I cover my eyes with my forearm and groan quietly to myself. He can’t be that upset, can he? I didn’t do anything I hadn’t done before in the two years we’ve been dating. When he doesn’t come back after a couple of minutes, I decide to go in after him. Just as I put my feet on the porch, he comes back out with a small baggie of ice, a hand towel, and a large bowl of ice cream.

 

Smiling, I ask, “What’s this?”

 

“This, genius, is ice and the ice cream. Duh,” he replies sarcastically. “They’re for you.”

 

“I thought you were mad at me,” I mumble.

 

He sighs. “I’m frustrated… not mad. If your dad and sister weren’t upstairs, and your mom home at any minute, believe me, I wouldn’t’ve stopped you,” Slade answers matter-of-factly, wrapping the ice in the towel, and hands it to me.

 

“I’m sorry for trying to push it,” I say softly, taking and placing the bundle over my eye.

 

“Don’t be. We’re definitely gonna make up for it,” he says with a naughty smile.

 

With the bowl in hand, Slade takes a spoonful of ice cream, holds it out to me, and I wrap my lips around the cold mix of coffee and Oreo. I savor the deliciousness as it slides down my throat. When it’s gone, I stare bewildered at him. “Did you read my mind or something? How’d you know I wanted ice cream?”

 

Slade’s brows furrow briefly. “Oh, c’mon, remember when I was driving back, and you said that you wanted me to feed you ice cream ‘cause you got stuck feeding me?”

 

I don’t recall saying it to him, but I play it off as if I do. “Oh, yeah, yeah. I guess it slipped my mind with that headache I had earlier. You’re the best,” I tell him with a quick peck on his lips.

 

“I know,” he says, holding out another spoonful to me.

 

Slade feeds me a couple more spoonfuls until I take the spoon and begin feeding him. After we demolish what is left, I turn around and lean back against his chest so I can finish icing my eye. He rubs my stomach and kisses my ear, as I caress his leg with my free hand. Once I’m done with the ice, I place it inside the empty bowl and get comfortable in my man's arms.

 

Some time passes when I start feeling tired, so I close my eyes. Slade clears his throat and asks, “Aar, when do we tell the guys?”

 

I yawn. “I don’t know, but the sooner, the better. They can’t find out from someone else.”

 

“Who’d tell them? Only our families know. Pa wouldn’t tell anyone his son’s a fag,” he murmurs.

 

Hearing him say that word hurts my heart. I tilt my head back, throwing my arm behind his neck, and let my fingers run through his short chocolate-brown hair. Peering into his sad eyes, I say one word, “Don’t.”

 

Slade places a soft kiss on my cheek. I scoot back further, which allows him to hold me tighter.

 

“I hope they take it better than my folks. I don’t think I can handle someone else turning their back on me or you,” he whispers sadly. “Josh and Randy were your friends way before I came into the picture. I’d hate for you to lose them on the count of me.”

 

I turn taking both his hands and hold them to my heart. “I love you, Slade. You’re the one I can’t lose. Don’t get me wrong. I love Josh and Randy like brothers. It’ll hurt like hell if they reject us. But if they can’t accept us, then we’re better off without them.” Slade doesn’t look convinced. He’s about to say something, but I put a finger to his lips and smile. “Let’s tell them first. Then we’ll deal with the aftermath. Let’s get it over and done. How about after your shift tomorrow, but only if you want to?”

 

He thinks it over for a few seconds and nods. “Yeah. Sure. That’s good.”

 

“I’ll call them,” I offer, but I soon realize I don’t have my phone. “Damn. My phone’s upstairs.”

 

“Use mine. It’s charging in the living room.”

 

I kiss his forehead. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

 

“You’d better be,” he says, smacking my ass hard when I bend over to pick up the bowl. I jokingly shake my fist at him before rubbing the sting from my butt cheek, and he laughs.

 

Once I dump the baggie of water and wash the bowl and spoon, I hear the front door open.

 

Ma calls out, “Where is everyone?”

 

“Hey, Ma,” I say, walking towards her. “Dad and Candace are upstairs. Slade’s out back.”

 

She places her keys on the hook by the door.

 

“Okay. Oh, sweetie, how are you feelin’? You eat your supper?” she asks, looking me over carefully.

 

“Yes, ma’am, I did. Thank you. It was delicious. I feel a lot better,” I say, giving her a hug and a kiss. “Where’d you go?”

 

“Ah, I think I should tell that to Slade. Can you go get him for me please?” Ma asks, peering around me.

 

“Can it wait? I’m grabbing his phone. We’re gonna call the guys and have them meet us tomorrow. He’s a little nervous about telling them,” I say quietly.

 

Ma smiles kindly at me. “Aaron, I know everything will work out fine. You boys are thick as thieves.”

 

I shrug. “I’ve known Josh and Randy since the first grade. But even after all these years, I have no idea how they’re gonna react to the fact that Slade and I are gay, and that we’re boyfriends. If Slade’s parents can treat him like there's something wrong with him, what's to stop them from hurting him too?"

 

Sympathy pours from her eyes as she stares up at me. “Sweetie, the only way you’re gonna find out is by telling them. And if they don’t want to be your friend after everything y’all have gone through, then screw ‘em. You don’t need negative people in your life, who’ll try to bring you down, and steal your sunshine.”

 

Leave it to her to put everything into perspective.

 

I laugh softly. “Thanks, Ma.”

 

“You’re welcome. Okay. Now, go grab Slade for me,” she repeats.

 

I look at her and can’t gauge her expression, so I instinctively go into protective mode. I cross my arms like a bouncer to deny access to the man I love. I shake my head. “No, ma'am, I'm sorry. He's still upset about this afternoon. I can’t have you upsetting him more.”

 

She places her hands on my biceps squeezing them. “Aaron, calm down. He’s not gonna be upset with what I have to tell him.”

 

“Miss Dani, what’s wrong?” Slade asks, coming up from behind me.

 

“Let’s go sit down, and I'll tell you," Ma says, gesturing her hand towards the living room.

 

Once we’re seated, Slade asks again,” What’s wrong?”

 

“Okay – um, I know what happened when you went home. I didn’t like what I heard, so, I went to talk to your mother,” Ma explains, looking at Slade.

 

“That’s the errand you had to run,” I ask dumbfounded.

 

Ma nods and continues looking at Slade. “I know I should’ve stayed out of it, but what’s goin’ on isn’t right. This weekend has been stressful for all of us, especially, for you. You’ve had more downs than ups in these past 48 hours. The fact that it’s because of your parents pisses me off to no end. They’ve made this about them. You need their support, but they're too selfish to give it to you. The worst thing about all of this is April. You’re hurting, and she's more concerned about herself. She's wondering what she could've done to keep you from ‘turning gay,' and about what you need to do to get back into her good graces. The ultimatum your folks gave you is cruel. They're sacrificing your happiness for their own to save face. I held my tongue ‘til she accused you of ruining your family. I shut her down real quick and let her have it.”

 

Slade’s eyes widen. “You hit her?”

 

Ma laughs gently. “No. I didn’t hit her. But I did tell her to get her head outta her butt, ‘cause it’s your parents who are ruinin’ your family, not you. I told her if they keep using your sexuality as a negative against you, that it’ll destroy the love you have for them. I also told her that she has every right to grieve for the life she dreamt of you meeting a girl, falling in love, getting married, and having children. It’s what I did. But I told her you can still have all those things, but to picture Aaron by your side instead of a girl. She asked how I dealt with it. I explained it took time, but seeing how much you and Aaron love each other made it easier.”

 

He looks at me and smiles, but I can see the sadness in his eyes. I kiss his forehead, and he places his head on my shoulder.

 

Ma smiles at both of us. “I told her God doesn’t make mistakes. If He wanted everyone to be the same, He would’ve created us that way. No one ‘chooses’ to be gay considering all the hatred out in this world. I let her know, gay people face enough opposition from strangers, they shouldn’t have to deal with it from their family.”

 

Slade smiles appreciatively. “What did she have to say to that?”

 

Ma shakes her head and shrugs. “Nothing. She was quiet for a while. We started talking about your siblings. Your talk with them opened their eyes to how unfair your parents are being. The boys are angry, and you know children Juliet’s age have no filter, they'll tell you exactly how they feel. So, she told April flat-out that she was mad at her for making you sad. Then she told her, she was most mad at her for making you go away ‘cause she wanted you home with her. They’ve started to show their dislike for the whole situation.”

 

He shifts closer, gripping my hand tighter. “What? What’ve they done?”

 

“Other than the answers of ‘yes, ma'am' and ‘no ma'am,' they aren’t talking to her. I saw it for myself. Usually, they’re all hanging around her, but not tonight. They were upstairs playing and only came down if she called them, to get something to snack on or to drink.”

 

Slade tries to hide his smirk, but he’s unsuccessful. “Really?”

 

Ma answers happily, “Yes. We talked a bit longer. This is the good news I have for you. And considering how things ended between you two today, she thought it’d best for me to tell you.”

 

Skepticism sets in his eyes as he asks, “What news?”

 

She takes hold of his free hand and smiles. “She’s gonna let you talk to your sister and brothers whenever y’all want, but, you can only see them with her approval.”

 

I wrap my arm around his shoulder and kiss his temple. “That’s awesome.”

 

Slade releases a long, shaky breath. He stammers, “Wow, uh – uh, tha-that’s -- a wow.” He pauses momentarily. An eerie, detached calm sets in his voice when he says, “Thank you, Miss Dani. That’s great news. But, I’ve never needed Mama more than I do right now, and she turned her back on me. The fact that I’m gay changed her feelings for me. She says she loves me, but I don’t feel it. She's not doing this for them or me. She's doing this to make herself look good, and to make me talk to her when I want to see them. A few hours ago, she watched me say goodbye and did nothing. So, I’m not gonna get my hopes up, only to have her change her mind again. I can’t go through having my family taken away from me a second time.”

 

My mother and I watch in stunned silence, as Slade crosses the living room to grab his phone from the table and walk out.

 

I stand and call after him. “Jones?!”

 

He doesn’t stop. The back-screen door opens moments later and closes with a soft thwack.

 

Ma’s voice wavers as she wipes the corners of her eyes. “Sweetie, I’m so sorry. I honestly thought he’d be happy to hear the news. I guess April’s made a bigger mess of things this afternoon than I thought.”

 

I kneel and kiss her cheek. “It’s not your fault, Ma. I’m gonna go check on him.”

 

She grabs my hand. “I know you two like to go out on drives. If you want to get away for a little while, it’s okay. For tonight, I’ll extend your curfew to 2 am.”

 

I nod slightly. “I might take you up on that. Thank you.”

 

“I’ll see you in the morning. I love you, sweetie.”

 

Kissing her cheek again, I reply, “Love you, too, Ma.”

 

I take a deep breath heading towards the back. I can hear Slade talking on the phone when I reach the door.

 

“… after my shift tomorrow. Yeah. We’ll meet you guys at the field by six. Yeah, later, Josh,” he says, ending the call. He turns his head when he hears me come outside. I squat in front of him, letting my hands move up and down his thighs. He offers a half-smile.

 

“I know you don’t wanna talk. I'm just saying, I love you, and I’m here if you need me," I say with a quick peck and hug. “Ma extended my curfew, wanna go for a drive?”

 

Slade leans forward, his forehead against mine, and he mutters, “Baby, as good as that sounds, I’m too exhausted. I’ve got an early shift tomorrow. All I wanna do is go inside, curl up in your arms, and go to sleep. Can we do that?”

 

“Yeah. We can do that,” I reply, kissing the tip of his nose.

 

We both stand, hug each other, and kiss briefly. We head inside, locking up the house before retiring for the night.

 

<><><><><><>

 

We're sitting on the grass after having thrown the football around for half an hour when we told the guys we needed to talk to them. The shocked looks on their faces are funny, but then again, not funny. I could potentially lose two of my best friends, and it has me nervous.

 

Randy looks dumbfounded. His stare moves between Slade and me multiple times. He clears his throat and says, “So, let me get this straight. Y’all aren’t straight, and you’re a couple, right?”

 

“Yeah,” we reply in unison.

 

“Aaron, you leave next week. Why tell us now?” Josh asks his facial expression the same as Randy’s.

 

“Look, something happened this weekend, guys,” I answer, looking towards Slade, and then back to Josh. “We wanted to be alone. So, we went to his family’s lake cabin. We lied and told our folks we were going with y’all to the quarry. After you called looking for us, our moms' went on a rampage. When we finally admitted where we were, they demanded we get back home. We were driving back when we realized we couldn’t keep lying, and we decided to come out to our parents. Well, I only had to come out to my dad, ‘cause my mom has known about us for over a year.”

 

“What?!” They both exclaim.

 

I nod my head in confirmation. “Ma knew. She never said anything ‘til she saw how upset I was about leavin’ Slade.”

 

Looking a little lost, Randy asks, “Ok, so y’all came out. What happened?”

 

“Dad’s having a hard time, but he’s trying his best,” I answer quietly. “Candace doesn’t care.”

 

Slade goes next using fingers for each thing that happened to him. “Disowned. Kicked out. I’m moving back to Norfolk to live with my aunt. I can’t see my siblings without approval. They think I'm a perverted degenerate who’s going to hell.”

 

I grab his hand with the hope my touch can ease the hurt he's feeling. He squeezes my hand and holds it on his lap.

 

“Dude, that’s fucked up. I can’t believe Miss April,” Randy whispers harshly, but his face lights up. “Wait. You can stay with me. My folks love you.”

 

Slade shakes his head. “Thanks, Ran, but I can’t. They’ll want to know why my parents kicked me out. I can’t handle coming out to anyone else right now.”

 

“I-I-I don't know what to say, Slade,” Josh replies. “When do you go back to Norfolk?”

 

“I’m leaving with Aaron. He’s driving me to Auntie Bernie’s, and he leaves for Boston from there.”

 

“This sucks ass. I finally accepted Aaron ditchin’ me, ‘cause I thought I had you as backup against this meatball here,” Josh says, gesturing with his thumb towards Randy. "Now you're leaving too? Are you really gonna leave me alone to deal with this all by myself?”

 

Slade smiles sadly. “I don’t have a choice, man.”

 

Melancholy, I ask them, “Are y’all okay with the fact that we're gay? You still want to be our friend?”

 

“Dude, if I didn’t stop being your friend after you stole my Yu-Gi-Oh! card, what makes you think I would over this?” Randy says, throwing his hands in the air, and looks at me like I’m an idiot. "You being gay ain't even a factor for me, man."

 

Chuckling, but still reserved, I reply, “I didn’t steal it. You lost the bet. It’s not my fault you tripped over those boats you call feet.”

 

“Whatever, man. We could’ve done best two of three,” Randy says, with a dismissive the wave of a hand. He looks at both of us, grabs our necks, leans in, and says, “You’re my brothers, and you always will be. Nothing's ever gonna change that, ‘kay?”

 

Josh scoots in closer. “Same goes for me. We’ll always be ‘The Four Musketeers’.”

 

He puts out his hand, I put mine on his, Slade’s on mine, and Randy’s on his, and we recite, “All for one and one for all, and seven ate nine.” We perform our secret handshake and laugh.

 

Randy looks to all of us. "That won't be the last time we say that. We'll be saying it until we're in our hundreds. Bro hug!"

 

We stand. The four of us cluster together in a tight hug and step away from each other. Slade grabs my hand, smiles at me, and I smile back.

 

“Y’all aren’t gonna start making out, are you?” Josh asks with a weird look on his face.

 

Slade and I laugh. Suddenly, Randy waves his hands. “Wait. Does this mean you've checked me out in the shower?”

 

“Hell, no!” Slade says, with his face scrunched in disgust.

 

“Not even once, bro. You’re not my type,” I answer, throwing my arm around Slade’s shoulder.

 

Randy groans clutching his heart. “Dang! A simple ‘no’ would’ve done it.”

 

The four of us hang out for a little while longer before we say our goodbyes for the night. After Josh and Randy have gone, Slade turns to me with a bright smile. We don't say anything else. We walk to my truck and drive back to my house.

 

<><><><><><>

 

Two nights later, Slade and I bask in our post-coital bliss. The sexual tension between us before this night was palpable. Four long days, that’s how long it had been since we made love, but it wasn’t from lack of trying. My family and our friends ruined all our attempts to be together. Our only relief, a couple of blowjobs during passionate, but quiet makeout sessions.

 

We're inside the carport where I parked my truck tonight, lying inside the cargo bed on top a few layers of comforters to cushion our bodies. I’m on my back with a partial part of Slade’s body across mine. After riding me deep and hard until he came all over my chest, this is where he ended up. Our breaths and heartbeats finally begin to slow. He moves to lay beside me with his head on my shoulder. I clumsily remove the filled condom and wrap it in a paper towel. And I wipe my chest the best I can.

 

The warmth of our lovemaking starts to wear off and cool our bodies. Slade grabs a blanket to cover us and snuggles in closer.

 

My mind wanders. I begin to think back to the times we’ve made love, and Slade’s reactions during. And I can’t help the question that flows from my mouth. “Jones, what does it feel like?”

 

“Huh?” he answers, tilting his head back. “What does what feel like?”

 

"Sex. I know what I feel when I’m with you, but I don’t know what you feel when you're with me. I mean, does it feel that good."

 

Slade props himself up on his elbow. “Why’re you asking?”

 

I shrug. “Curiosity.”

 

“Yeah, but I’ve already described it to you,” he answers, staring back at me shyly.

 

“You kinda did, but not really. Please tell me,” I plead, moving to sit cross-legged.

 

He appears unsure of how to answer my question. But after a minute, his eyes drop from mine, and he clears his throat. “Remember when I told you that I was already yours in mind and soul.” I nod. He continues. “Well, I had to let my body feel what I already felt in my head and heart, that it was natural for you to be inside me. I couldn't let the pain keep me from being with you because it would eventually start to feel good.”

 

He stops. I beckon him on. “And?”

 

Slade smiles sweetly, but he doesn't answer my question. Instead, he asks one of his own, "Why're you asking me about this, Aaron?”

 

“I told you, I’m curious. Keep going and tell me,” I press.

 

“It’s not like I’m an expert or anything. We’ve only been together a few times, but I’ll tell you this.” He mimics my sitting position, takes my hands in his, and leans in closer. His voice is low and deliberate. “I love feeling the weight of your body on top of mine. When you look into my eyes, it makes all that discomfort go away. I become more aware of my body, craving for you to touch me anywhere and everywhere. You hold me like you’re holding on for dear life. When you do that, I want to keep you inside me for as long as I can, ‘cause I know I’ll miss having you there when it’s over. And then something unexpected happens.”

 

Feeling turned on, I take a small swallow, and ask, “What?”

 

He licks his lips, and my gaze falls to them before looking back in his sapphire-blue eyes.

 

“You’ll go in at the right angle and hit my prostate. I shatter a little every time you do. It’s like I don’t have control over my own body. I never knew I could make the sounds I do, but it feels so good that I can’t help it. You make my body feel something it’s not used to feeling. You become unrelenting when you see what you’re doing to me, but it never hurts. And when I come, feeling you inside me causes the most earth-shattering orgasm I’ve ever had in my life. Well, until we do it again, and that one becomes the most earth-shattering orgasm.”

 

We chuckle together, but I hold his gaze. “That’s what you feel? Is it like that every time?”

 

“Pretty much. If we weren’t in love, and you were just some random hookup, I don’t think it would feel or mean the same,” he whispers, threading our fingers together. He stares at me. “Baby, why the sudden interest?”

 

I chew my bottom lip repeatedly before answering. “It’s not sudden. I've always had dreams of you making love to me.”

 

"You want me to top you?" he asks in disbelief.

 

I nod slightly, clutching his hands tighter. "Yeah. We've never been a one-sided relationship. Everything you do, I do and vice-versa. It makes sense that we both experience everything we have to offer each other. And I want you to be my one and only, forever and ever."

 

Slade scoots in closer. His eyes are wide with bewilderment. “Aaron, how come you never said anything.”

 

Shrugging, I answer, “You were already having a hard enough time. I didn't want to put more pressure on you by telling you. It wouldn’t’ve been fair to either of us. It was easier letting you set the pace, and knowing when the time came that you’d be ready when it was my turn.”

 

“Oh, my god, baby,” he coos, placing a hand against my heart, and patting it repeatedly. “This right here is why I love you so much. You’re too good to be true sometimes, Aaron David Brooks.”

 

I cover his hand. “You’re not so bad yourself, Slade Michael Jones.”

 

“You let me know when you’re ready,” Slade says, kissing the corners of my mouth. "I'll do everything I can to make you feel, the way you make me feel when we make love."

 

He kisses my forehead, nose, and lips softly. Releasing my hands, he straddles my lap and hugs me tight.

 

I smile knowing that I am already ready to give myself to him before I leave for Boston.

 

<><><><><><>

 

Nine days later (the day before I leave):

 

We square off, standing naked body to naked body. I am angry and hurt. My jaw and fists clench repeatedly. I never saw this day going the way it had, but here we are, and I still don't know how it happened.

 

I grab Slade's head, forcing him to look me in the eyes. His glare hurts but not more than the words he just said to me. My question comes out as a growl. "What did you say to me?"

 

Slade's eyes narrow, and the gut-wrenching words spill again from his mouth. "We're over! I don't wanna be your boyfriend anymore."