The Choices We Make - 7. The Haven

"Come on, Darren, you have to admit that was a pretty awesome catch."

"Yeah, it was okay."

"Okay? That was way more than okay. That was some fancy footwork you did out there."

Darren blushed, ducked his head, shrugged. He couldn't stop his eyes from glancing across the apartment at Brody when he said, "It's just football, Jeff."

"Just football?" James mocked. "This is Texas. There's no such thing as just football."

Jeff, another wide receiver, gave Darren a friendly smack on the shoulder. "Even if it's just football, D, you won us the game."

"He's right," Brody announced as he rose from the couch, eliciting a playful groan from the twins at the sudden lack of contact, though neither turned away from the video game they were playing. "Stop being so humble for once, Darren. Soak up some praise and be proud."

A slow smile spread across Darren's face as his cheeks flushed. "I guess you're right, Brody," he admitted.

Lynette elbowed him and grinned, then whispered, "You're showing."

Darren's blush flamed darker as it spread up to his ears and down across his neck. When he glanced at Jace sitting on the couch near his brothers, he felt the blood drain from his face. The smartest kid in school was staring at him with what could only be described as an irritated, troubled expression.

James followed Darren's stare. As soon as he saw the look on Jace's face, he stood and walked over to their friend, leaned down, and began a hushed conversation with him.

The Squad, along with Lara, Jenny, Zack and Zane, and a handful of friends, had packed into Brody's garage apartment for a simple Friday night of hanging out, snacks, fellowship, and video games. Though football season had ended months before, it was impossible to avoid discussing the game considering half of those in attendance were on the school's team.

"It was a total Hail Mary pass that you caught," Lynette offered. "You won the game in the last few seconds."

"Hey!" Mike interjected. "He wasn't the only one involved in that play."

"There might have been a quarterback involved," Zack said without looking away from the television.

"Though I doubt anyone remembers his name," Zane added, also not looking away from the video game.

A hush fell over the room as everyone turned stunned gazes on the twins. They rarely insinuated themselves successfully into existing conversations, and even when they did, their input hardly ever qualified as relevant or appropriate. And jokes? They told them, sure, but the humor in them too often escaped everyone except the twins themselves. No one would ever accuse them of having rapier wit.

After a heartbeat of surprised quiet, raucous laughter broke out around the large open space. Not understanding the cause of the levity, the twins shrugged and continued with their game.

"You know Mike's the quarterback, right?" Jace asked his brothers.

They glanced at him with dumbfounded expressions. Then as one they turned back to the game.

"I do not believe we understood his position on the team," Zane remarked.

Zack shook his head. "No, I do not think we were made aware of that."

* * * * *

"I'm shocked the twins are here," Jenny admitted to Lara as they rummaged through the ice chest looking for something to drink.

Jace's sister smiled at her friend. "Dad."

"Huh?"

"Dad's not happy with Mom's overprotective attitude when it comes to Zack and Zane. He thinks she's smothering them and interfering with their development."

"I meant Brody—"

"I know. And Dad's not happy with that either. He thinks their relationship with your brother is good for the twins. The therapist and the doctor agree. He finally put his foot down about it."

"But Helene—"

"Can be a bitch," Lara whispered through a snicker, feeling like a bad girl for admitting how she felt.

Jenny nodded as she glanced at her brother, the twins tucked into each side of him as they chatted and laughed. Yeah, she could see it was good for them. That much had been obvious the moment the twins started gravitating toward Brody. Nevertheless, she wondered how long Darryl would be able to keep Helene in check. That woman seemed to have a burr under her saddle when it came to Brody. Jenny suspected that, despite Darryl's efforts, the situation was going to blow up at some point. She just hoped Brody didn't get hurt when that happened.

* * * * *

Brody stood behind the couch watching the twins school James and Jace in the art of losing a video game battle. Nobody seemed capable of winning against them regardless of the game chosen. Of course, for several years video games had been their obsession, their mutually shared fixation.

"Hey, Bro."

The jock turned to find Lynette standing beside him. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him, half a grin alighting on his face. "You having fun?"

Returning the hug, she leaned her head against his chest. "Always."

James glanced over his shoulder, saw the embrace, and tried to give Brody a scowl. It looked more like a mischievous grin, though, and both Lynette and Brody stuck out their tongues at him in response. He smiled and turned back to losing another round of first-person shooter action.

"Come here for a minute," the cheerleader whispered to the jock as she pulled Brody away from the digital carnage. She stopped them near the bathroom door and pulled him close enough that she could speak quietly without being overheard. "Prom weekend—"

Brody stiffened and pulled back enough to frown at her. "Lynette, we've talked—"

"Hush for a minute and let me finish," she interjected with a playful yet stern scowl. He shrugged and leaned in again. "I'm not pushing for you to go to the dance, though I wish you'd reconsider. What I want to say is, even if you're not going, I think you and Jace should make it a memorable weekend."

"Every weekend with Jace is memorable," he said, a delirious kind of sugary happiness in his tone.

The cheerleader smiled and shook her head. Yeah, she could believe that, and she was thrilled about it. If only everybody could be lucky enough to find the kind of love the two boys shared.

"Don't be saccharine. What I'm getting at," she continued, "is that Trish and I were brainstorming the other day, trying to come up with ideas that would give you and Jace a weekend to remember, something to punctuate your senior year of high school the way prom does for most kids."

"Okay..."

"Didn't you mention one of your aunts has a cabin out in East Texas?"

"Linda. Yeah."

"Well... What if you and Jace skedaddled out there and spent the weekend together? The Squad could cover. Maybe say we're all spending the weekend camping or something. It'd be a weekend away for the two of you, out in nature and away from prying eyes."

Brody leaned back again, his expression thoughtful and his eyes distant. Then his focus snapped back to Lynette. Through a casual smile he asked, "You and Trish came up with this idea?"

"Well, not really. We just threw around ideas trying to come up with a good suggestion."

"And this is what you came up with?"

"No, not really. We never settled on an idea because the whole conversation petered out when Mrs. Kandeler started in on term paper updates."

"Oh."

"But that's not the point." She gave a little shake of her head to get herself back on track. "I thought about it afterward and realized there's no reason you two couldn't have a romantic weekend like everyone else, even if you don't go to prom. Then I remembered your aunt's cabin—or thought I remembered it anyway—and realized maybe that was the answer."

Cocking his head to one side and scrutinizing her, Brody nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "And Trish helped come up with the idea?"

"Sort of. We came up with several ideas but couldn't pin down a suggestion. I kind of ran with the ball after that and remembered Linda's cabin from last year, which brought us to this moment."

Pulling her into a hug, Brody squeezed her tight as he whispered into her ear, "I think that's an awesome idea. A really awesome idea indeed. Thank you..."

"Quit molesting my girlfriend," James barked with a playful smile.

Mike smacked the back of his head. "Don't be jealous, silly." Leaning in a bit, he added in a whisper, "You should know better."

"I do," his friend replied with a sidelong glance.

James didn't feel a bit of jealousy. Not when it came to Brody and Lynette, that is. He knew his girlfriend loved him dearly. More importantly, he knew Brody's entire being was focused on Jace, blinded by love and chained by happiness.

* * * * *

Brody grabbed a bottle of water from the ice chest. When he stood, Mike, the team's quarterback, clapped him on the back. "I'm always thrilled to know we're hanging out at your place, man." With an envious glance around the garage apartment he added, "I wish my folks would give me something like this."

"Get leukemia and see what your parents do for you," Trish remarked in a derisive tone. She wasn't terribly fond of Mike for reasons only she could explain.

"Boo!"

"Hiss!"

"Do you have to be so nasty?"

"What a bitch!"

A round of vilifying responses circled the apartment, many of the guests looking at Trish as though they'd just realized an ogre hid in their midst.

After scowling at her with disdain and shaking his head, the quarterback returned his attention to Brody, leaned in and quietly asked, "Is that really the reason they let you have this place?"

Brody gave Mike a considering look. Then he shrugged. "Maybe. Honestly, it probably had something to do with it. They said it was to help me learn responsibility and to prepare me for adulthood."

"Which sounds reasonable to me," James offered as he grabbed a root beer from the cooler.

Mike nodded. "Sure. I can see that."

"But," Jace began, "I wouldn't bet against Brody's childhood illness playing a major role in the decision."

* * * * *

Brody and Jace wandered about the garage apartment as they cleaned up what little mess remained from the party. Their friends weren't prone to leaving behind a disaster for others to handle. Only a few napkins and drink containers had been left behind, and only by mistake.

"Bless her intrusive heart," Jace growled snidely.

"Why do you hate her?"

The nerd's eyes snapped to the jock's, searching for any hint of sarcasm. What he found was a sincere openness and curiosity.

"It's not hate, Brody. I don't trust her."

"Trish is a friend—"

"And your ex—"

"That was over long ago, and it hardly counts considering—"

"I've heard it all before. You don't have to explain. I get it. It was new and different and you weren't as interested as she was."

"Right. So stop calling regret jealousy and stop making her out to be a bad person—"

"You trust too easily," Jace explained as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, the man he loved, the man he intended to marry and with whom he intended to spend the rest of his life. "You always see the good in people and ignore the bad."

"Hardly," Brody responded as he dropped a chaste kiss on Jace's lips. "I saw the look you gave Darren. Actually, several looks."

With wide eyes Jace asked, "What does that mean?"

"If I ignored the bad, I wouldn't recognize how your reaction to him as being less than friendly."

After huffing out an exasperated sigh Jace explained, "I'm sorry, but sometimes the puppy dog looks and longing glances and enamored stares get to me."

"It's a crush, Jace, nothing more, and it won't amount to anything. You're it for me."

"We're talking about Darren."

"What about him?"

"He's a corn-fed hunk with his blond hair and blue eyes and muscular build without an ounce of fat. I'm just this tall, skinny, plain guy—"

"Your place in my heart is a guaranteed place. It's a haven where my feelings for you will never change."

"But—"

"Besides, stop insulting your looks. You're the hottest guy I know. I love the way you look. You're sexy and enticing and hot as hell and so totally handsome."

"But—"

"It's just you, Jace. You're all I want, all I need. You're the love of my life." With that, Brody claimed Jace's lips with his own, delivering a far more passionate kiss.

The jock finally broke the kiss because he'd run out of oxygen. Both men stood panting. Brody gave a little half grin.

"What?" Jace inquired.

"You. Your eyes are glazed and unfocused, your mouth is hanging open... You look stoned."

"It's your kisses, Brody! Jesus, you leave me breathless and blathering like the addlepated nincompoop. I lose my mind with you."

"I'm okay with that."

"I'm not."

Brody looked slightly hurt.

"No," Jace whispered, nuzzling his cheek against his boyfriend's, "that's not what I mean. It's just we were talking about prom weekend and what Lynette and Trish came up with, but I can't think clearly when you kiss me. I like it, trust me, but not when I need to think about something. Because I can't. Think, that is."

"Okay." Brody took a relaxingly deep breath before adding, "So they suggested going to Linda's cabin for the weekend. Just you and me. The Squad can cover for us, say we're camping at the lake or something. Then we get the weekend to ourselves."

"Mmmm..." Jace moaned. "I like the sound of that."

"See! You were all suspicious when it's actually a good idea."

"I'm only mistrustful because Trish is involved. She's more than a tad shady, don't you think?"

"No."

Jace shook his head. One thing about Brody that worried him was the jock's inability to see the true nature of people, always choosing instead to focus on the good traits and acting as though the bad traits didn't exist.

He leaned back to meet his boyfriend's gaze. "Do you really think we can pull off a weekend like that?"

"For you I could conquer the world. A weekend getaway ought to be a piece of cake in comparison."

"Then let's do it."

* * * * *

Four Years Prior

Ben couldn't stop tossing and turning. Ever since he'd realized the nature of his son's relationship with Jace, his mind wouldn't stop pondering Brody's happiness and, most importantly, his safety. Jace's as well, but it all started with Brody.

Concluding he had to talk to Jayne Anne about it, he glanced at the alarm clock on his nightstand. Damn. Only a few minutes after one in the morning and he felt like he'd lost the whole night.

"A penny for your thoughts."

Ben startled, his head whipping around to look at the dark form cuddled up beside him. He could see his wife's eyes reflecting the meager light entering through the window.

Sheepish and apologetic, he said quietly, "I'm sorry, baby doll. I hope I didn't wake you."

"Waking me would require falling asleep. You made that endeavor an exercise in futility with all your exasperated sighs and mumbling and fidgeting and—"

"Alright already," he laughed. "I get the point."

Jayne Anne rolled over just enough to reach the bedside lamp. After clicking it on, she turned back to her husband, scooting up enough to rest her shoulder against the headboard. He shifted up in the bed enough to lean back into a slouched seated position, eyes staring ahead at the dark television and wall of family photos.

She reached over and gently stroked his cheek. "Share your burden, honey."

After a deep breath, he shrugged, shook his head, turned slightly to face her. "When you were Brody's age, do you remember what came along with liking a boy?"

Jayne Anne's eyes widened as a humored grin spread across her face. "That's certainly not what I was expecting."

"Please, baby doll, humor me. Tell me what you remember about the physical side of dating at that age."

With a slight nod she answered, "Okay. Well... I guess I remember holding hands, hugging, kissing, little touches, looks, exploring, trying to figure out how things worked—"

"Right. Trying to figure it out. Like sex?"

"Oh, honey, that came later, but yeah, like everyone else that age I started making my way around the bases. It was a slow process. I wasn't interested in losing my virginity for the sake of losing it. But over time the kisses became passionate, the touches went from furtive to serious, the embraces grew longer and more intimate..."

"And?" His face showed a profound interest, though not with a sexual hunger but rather with a worried consideration.

"Honey, tell me where this is going. Why would my experience at that age suddenly vex you?"

Ben's shoulders slumped and his face fell. His mouth opened and closed a few times, yet he remained silent.

"It's not about me, is it?" she asked gently.

"No." He shook his head for emphasis. "It's about Brody. And Jace."

"Oh... In what way?"

"Did you ever fear being caught with a boy? I mean fear that something really bad would happen if you were caught."

"Of course not."

"Did you ever worry someone would see you and hurt you because of who you were with?"

"Oh..."

"Did you ever think one or both of you could be physically attacked because of what you were doing? Because of who you were with?"

Jayne Anne's mouth worked soundlessly as her eyes widened.

Ben continued, "I'm worried, baby doll. I mean I'm really worried about them. Society's come a long way, but we live in Texas and bigotry and hate are very much alive and well." He turned more fully to look at his wife, his expression becoming pained and stressed. "They're at the age where kids explore their sexuality with someone else. They kiss and touch and embrace. Like you said, they start walking from first base to second to third. But straight people don't worry about getting caught. Nobody's going to bully them for it, nobody's going to beat them up for it, nobody's going to threaten them for it." He inhaled a stuttering breath, eyes glistening with fearful tears. "Nobody's going to hurt them for it, baby doll. And nobody would try to kill them for it."

Her hand came up and covered her mouth as concern widened her eyes and knitted her brows. "Oh honey... Do you think... Would somebody... Surely not..."

"I'm worried, Jayne Anne. I'd hope in this day and age it wouldn't happen, but we can't guarantee that, can we? We can't guarantee everyone who might see them would be progressive and understanding. We can't guarantee... Oh, baby doll, how do we protect our son when so many will see him as different, maybe as evil? How do we protect him from the hate as he tries to find himself? How do—"

His wife waited, watching realization dawn in his eyes, watching her husband work through a fear she'd not considered but now shared.

"What is it, Ben?" she asked sotto voce.

He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb soothingly across her cheek. "What if we give them a safe place?"

"They already have a safe place, honey. We never question what they do in his room—"

"But in his room? Do you really think they feel safe enough there to explore with each other? With the threat of being caught, the threat of being heard, do you really think that room across the hall is a safe enough place for them?"

Her face showed nothing but disappointment. Grasping his hand and holding it against her cheek, she asked, "What else can we provide, Ben? I don't know a place we can give them where they'd be protected from prying eyes, safe from discovery."

"I do." His voice came out strong, confident, energized.

"Where?"

"The storage space above the garage."

"It's a ratty, dusty, unfinished space."

"It could be more."

"What do you mean?"

"What if we turned it into a garage apartment?"

"Well... Oh my..."

"What if we cleared it out, added a bathroom, maybe a kitchenette, painted and furnished it, made it a haven for the boys?"

Nodding, a grain of interest growing into a thrilling pearl of satisfaction, she smiled, eyes crinkling. "It could be a safe place for them."

"Right. It's above the rest of the house, thus no shared walls. The floor is the garage ceiling, so nobody below."

"An inside and an outside entrance."

"There'd have to be rules."

"And an explanation."

"What do you mean?"

Jayne Anne gave her husband a patronizing look. "Honey, we can't tell them why we're doing it."

"Why not?"

"Talking about it needs to be their idea, when they're comfortable and sure and ready."

"Oh... You're right."

"I always am."

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her in for a kiss, then she settled her face against his shoulder as he said, "I want our son to be safe."

"Me, too, honey. I want him and Jace to figure out who they are individually and together."

"Do you really think this is a good way to help with that?"

"I think it's an excellent way to help with that." She kissed her husband then, an intimate and passionate kiss that left them both wide awake and gasping. Settling her forehead against his chin she added, "I'm so glad this was bothering you, honey."

"I'm just glad you agree. And I'm glad we have a place we can provide."

"And I'm glad you're such a good father." She met his gaze then, her eyes full of desire. "Now how'd you like to be a good husband by helping me burn a little energy."

Ben waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I like the way you think."

* * * * *

"We think it'll help you learn responsibility and prepare you for adulthood."

"Okay..." Brody said, his voice unsure and his eyes wide.

"There will be rules," his mother added, squeezing her husband's hand as she saw her son's face light up as he realized the enormity of what they'd offered him.

"Oh. Yeah. Of course."

"You'll be responsible for most of the work," Ben explained. "You'll need to help move the junk stored up there. We'll go through it to identify what to get rid of and what to move elsewhere."

Brody nodded yet remained silent.

"We'll have contractors do the major stuff, but you'll have to paint, assemble or move furniture, move all your stuff up there."

"Okay." A wordless moment passed before he asked, "Anything else?"

"Rules," Jayne Anne reminded him.

"Right. And they are...?"

Ben squared his shoulders before saying, "No guests without permission and nobody's to be there unless you're there. Jace is the only exception to those rules. Otherwise... No parties without permission. You do your own laundry here in the house. You do all the cleaning. You do all the minor repairs. You tell us of any major issues. You keep your grades up. You do your chores. You treat it like you treat your room down here—don't tear it up or damage anything, though we understand accidents can happen. You keep the doors locked at all times."

"Both of them?"

"Yes," his mother answered, "because this is your private space. We'll respect that as much as possible, but there might be times when we have to go up there unannounced, though the house rule will be that we have to knock before coming inside."

"Oh. Well, okay. Any other rules?"

"No drinking or drugs."

"Dad..."

"I'm just saying, Brody. We trust you, otherwise we wouldn't be doing this, but you need to understand the rules. Because if you break them, we might ground you or take away privileges or, in the worst of cases, move you back downstairs."

"Okay. No problem." When he realized they had nothing else to say on the matter, a beaming grin swept across his face as he asked, "When can we get started?"

Jayne Anne bumped her husband's shoulder with her own, feeling her son's giddy energy and thrilled happiness as it filled the dining room. "Is today too early?" she asked with a smile.

* * * * *

Two Months Later

"Here are the keys. There are locks on the inside and outside doors. Your mother and I have the other set."

Brody accepted the keys graciously and respectfully. He was beside himself. He was going to have the garage apartment. All their work had turned it into a refuge, a safe place with no prying eyes and no chance of anyone barging in or overhearing. It meant he had to be responsible, dealing with chores and laundry like any adult, but it also meant he and Jace had a private haven where they could spend time together, be together, explore their growing relationship together.

His mother said, "Remember the doors are to remain locked at all times."

"No parties or guests without us knowing," his father added.

"I remember the rules, Dad." He rolled his eyes for effect. Then: "But you said Jace—"

"Is the exception," Jayne Anne clarified.

Ben smirked playfully. "He's practically our adopted son already. Besides, you two are rarely apart."

"And we trust him."

"Okay." Brody took a deep breath. "So I can starting moving my stuff?"

"It's all yours."

Both parents laughed as he jumped up from the chair and ran to his room, pulling out his cell phone as he went.

* * * * *

"I can't believe how lucky you are," Jace remarked as he dropped onto the bed and sighed. "This is so awesome. I wish my parents would do something like this for me."

"Well, my parents did it for both of us. Remember you're the exception to all the rules, so this is as much your place as it is mine."

Brody slowly pushed Jace back on the bed and knelt over him. The jock leaned down and kissed his boyfriend with a passion that lit fires in both boys.

Left breathless and gasping when they separated, Jace asked, "What's gotten into you tonight, jock boy?"

Griding his crotch against his boyfriend's, making clear the kiss had affected both of them, Brody whispered against Jace's lips, "I want to christen our new space, nerd."

Despite being called a nerd, Jace couldn't help but smile. Brody had called it their space, not just his. And it felt like that, too. Jace had helped as much as possible during the construction and painting and moving. He'd poured plenty of hours and sweat into the garage apartment. Of course, he'd been selfish in that endeavor, realizing early on what kind of opportunity it would provide them, what kind of secure space it would be once finished. Just what they needed to explore and grow their relationship.

"What did you have in mind?" he murmured against Brody's lips.

Sitting upright and stripping off his shirt in one fluid movement, Brody replied, "I want you to make love to me."

Jace gasped, bit his lip, smiled. They'd been slow in their sexual exploits, making clear early on that they wanted their relationship to be based on more than sex. They wanted sex, sure, but they didn't want that to be the foundation of what they shared.

Starting with kisses and light touches and cuddles, they'd escalated over time to discovering each other's body with hands and lips and tongues, then to hand jobs, then to blow jobs, then to rimming and fingering. But they hadn't taken the last step yet. They'd enjoyed their year of slowly expanding erotic pleasured as their feelings grew and solidified. Now, however, Brody sounded ready to take the next step. And Jace thought that was a really good idea.

Running his hands up Brody's bare torso, enjoying the feel of the muscles moving beneath goosebump-pebbled skin, enjoying the sounds of his boyfriend's contented sighs as they gave way to needy and ragged breaths, enjoying the sight of the hot jock who wanted the nerd inside him, Jace leaned up and captured one of Brody's nipples with his teeth, sucking it into his mouth and working it with his tongue.

Brody's moans and writhing fueled his desire. Releasing the nipple for a brief moment, Jace smiled up at Brody's wanting expression and said, "I think I'm ready, too."

Brody captured Jace's lips in a fiery kiss as he unbuttoned his boyfriend's shirt. He couldn't wait for Jace to make him his own, to be inside him, to make love to him. And now they had a place where they felt safe to let the sexual side of their relationship grow to its full potential.