Where there is a will - 1. Not all redheads have a temper

“Why don’t you say something?”

Hugh sighed before motioning his fifteen-year-old sister to come in and close the bedroom door.

“What difference would it make? It’s his dementia speaking, not the granddad we love.”

“I know, but still… the things he says about you, and Mom and Dad just let him.”

“Hey, think about it, if I snap and tell him exactly how I feel about his bigoted crap, I risk outing myself. None of them know I’m gay. Right?” His question got him a stern look.

“You know I’d never tell your secret to anyone. Though, I can’t understand why you won’t come out to the rest of the family.”

“Once I’m eighteen and have a job, I won’t be dependent on living at home.”

“You don’t really expect them to throw you out, do you? It’s not like we’re devout Catholics.”

“No, but I don’t want to cause more strain on them. Having to take care of Granddad is bad enough, and Dad is fighting hard to keep his business going. It might be different if I had someone to come out for.”

“Still no prospects?”

Hugh shook his head. He might have told his sister about being gay, but he hadn’t shared his ideas of an ideal partner. He blamed internet porn for getting him hooked on tall, muscular, black guys with large dicks, but he sure wasn’t gonna admit that to his innocent little sister.

“Yeah, me neither,” Liselle said with a sigh as she shook out her beautiful red hair.

“I’m doing my best to scare the predators off.”

“What! What are you talking about?”

“You’re so naïve. There are lots of guys at school who want to date my pretty sister, but they’re all thinking about the same thing: sex. Stay away from guys like that, at least until you’re in college. Then you’re no longer my responsibility.”

Liselle was sputtering with a mix of indignation and laughter when there was a knock on the door. Their mother opened it and stuck her head in.

“What are you two doing?”

“I’m just explaining to Liselle how she needs to be on her guard against horny teen boys.”

“Mom! He says he scares guys off from dating me.”

“Well, good for him. I’m glad Hugh is protective of you at school. There are plenty of bad boys out there. I know, I married one of them.”

“Mom!”

“Don’t you end up like me with a baby in your belly and having to marry at nineteen. Not that I regret it, because your dad always provided for us, and Hugh was everything a mother could want. But life would’ve been easier if he’d arrived five years later.”

“I know it wasn’t easy to live with your parents, but they took good care of us.” Hugh smiled at his mom, who was looking worn out.

She walked in and sat down on the bed next to Hugh, who gave her a sideways hug. Liselle took a seat on the chair by his desk.

“Yes, and that’s why we have to take care of my dad while Grandma is in the hospital, even though he’s not easy to manage.”

“It’s really offensive when he says that racist stuff and…and the other things, too,” Liselle mumbled.

“Yes, I know. That’s why the home help and the nurse won’t visit when Mom isn’t there. He yells nasty words at the Latino ladies, and he’s even thrown books at some of them.”

“But he’s OK when Grandma is there?”

“She keeps him in line. I hope she survives him or I don’t know what we’ll do.”

“Grandma’s tough, and she is a lot younger than him.”

“Yes, she is, and luckily the doctor at the hospital told us today her dizzy spell wasn’t due to anything more serious than dehydration and a touch of flu. They want to keep her for another day or two to make sure her broken arm is healing properly and that her bruises from the fall are fading, then she’ll be back home.”

“And so will Granddad… what a relief.” Liselle said, and Hugh agreed.

“He’s ill; he can’t help it,” their mom objected, but without much conviction.

“That’s what Hugh says, but I think Granddad is taking advantage of the situation. It’s like he wants to shock and provoke us.”

“Well, just bear with him a couple of days more, that’s all I ask. As a reward, I’ll let you go to Patricia’s party on Saturday, provided you take Hugh with you.”

“Yes! Thanks, Mom. I’ll do my best to be nice to the old man.”

“Hey, who says I want to chaperone my little sister at a party?”

“Awww, Hugh, pleeeeze?”

“Aren’t you friends with Trent, Patricia’s brother?” his mother asked.

“Yeah, but I’m not sure he’s going to be at home. I’ll have to ask him.”

“Please, Hugh?” Liselle begged once more, and he decided he couldn’t keep teasing her.

“OK, OK, I’ll go to the stupid birthday party.”

Their mother left with a kiss on the cheek for him and a hug from an exuberant daughter.

Once his mom had closed the door and walked away, he growled at his sister. “Like I said, I’ll go, but I’m warning you. If Patricia tries to molest me one more time, I may snap and tell her I’m gay.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect your virtue.”

“Get lost.” He waved Liselle off, and she disappeared through the same door, trailing giggles.

***

When they arrived at the party, Hugh was greeted by a frazzled-looking Trent. It turned out he had been roped in by his parents to help keep an eye on the fifty teens who’d been invited to the party. He was more than pleased to have a partner in his misery, and Hugh was happy to oblige. Late in the evening the two guys were leaning on the porch railing, trying to keep track of the people in the back garden while Trent’s parents roamed inside the house.

“You know my sister has the hots for you, right?”

“I’d have to be both blind and deaf not to know. She’s being rather obvious. Not cool at all.”

“I think it’s the red hair. Can’t blame her, I suppose. Your sister is a real looker, too, with the cute freckles to match her long red hair.”

“If you knew how she used to hate those freckles,” Hugh said with a chuckle, “and she doesn’t really have that many. Not like me.”

“You wanna do a sister swap?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You and Liz could stay over. I’ll let you sleep in Patricia’s bed if you can persuade your sister to sleep in mine.”

“I have the feeling not much sleeping would happen.”

“You could be right. So, what do you say?”

“You’re not seriously suggesting I have sex with your barely legal sister and let you mess around with Liselle, who hasn’t even had a boyfriend yet.”

“I’d be very nice to her. And a brother should give his sister what she wants for her birthday.”

“Have you even been with a girl before?”

“A couple, but I want to try a redhead. They’re supposed to be hot in bed.”

“Dude, what the fuck? That’s porn, not real life.” Hugh was holding his temper in check by the slimmest of margins. He wanted to deck the slimy bastard who schemed to mess with his innocent sister for the fun of it.

“Relax, man. You need to get laid. Still have the V-card? Patricia can help you with that.”

Hugh ground his teeth to avoid snapping out a reply which would out him as well as insult the birthday girl. He walked along the porch and down the steps to the garden. Once he’d made a round and scared a few couples making out in the bushes, he felt able to return to the house. He found Liselle and Patricia in the kitchen giggling over Trent’s attempts to juggle three oranges, and his calmer mood went up in smoke.

“I think it’s time to go home.”

“Patricia says we can stay over.”

“That’s nice of her, but I have to be up early tomorrow, so I’d like us to go home. I’ll go find our coats while you say goodbye.”

He ignored the annoyed faces Trent was making behind the two pouting girls and left the kitchen. Patricia hurried after him, and he might have yelled for Liselle if Trent’s mom hadn’t arrived with a tray of glasses and plates and asked her son to help load the dishwasher. Hopefully, she would prevent her son from backing a young girl into a corner.

Patricia trailed him, trying to make conversation as he walked upstairs to Trent’s room, which had been used as a place to dump coats and bags. In spite of the warm spring night, they would need coats to wear on the way home. Liselle also had proper shoes, so she didn’t have to walk home in high heels.

Checking he had everything, he turned to find Patricia standing in front of the closed door. He sighed, but tried to avoid the confrontation he could feel hovering in the air.

“Thanks for inviting Liselle to the party and letting me join her.”

“I really like you. Will you kiss me?”

Hugh swallowed to keep from choking at her abruptness. “Ah, you shouldn’t waste your kisses on me. I’m too old, and I’m going to leave once I graduate.”

“Leave? Where are you going?”

“It’s a secret, so don’t tell anyone. Not even Liselle knows.”

“Really? What are you going to do? Join the military?”

Hugh wanted to snort. As if he was going to waste time on an institution which forced gay people to hide.

“No. I‘m going to be a firefighter. But remember, don’t tell anyone.”

“I promise. Can I kiss you once? For luck?”

He eyed her warily as she blocked the way out. “Let’s go downstairs, and I’ll give you a kiss goodbye. Okay?”

She finally gave in and opened the door. Hugh tried not to rush down the stairs, but he wanted to find Liselle and go home. Thankfully she was in the hall, saying goodbye to Patricia’s mother and brother. Hugh hurried to do the same and did his best to express a gratitude he didn’t feel.

Changed into her coat and sensible shoes, Liselle hugged Patricia goodbye and stood aside. Trent and his mother had gone back into the kitchen, and Patricia stepped up to him with hopeful eyes.

“Congratulations on your birthday, and good luck in the future.” He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips and followed up with a hug and a warmer kiss on her cheek. Stepping back, he ignored both the small gasp from his sister and the disappointed face of Patricia. They were finally free to go home.

As they walked along the road, Liselle voiced her surprise. “How could you kiss her? I thought you didn’t like her.”

“Easy enough. I imagined it was you, and all I gave her was a brotherly hug and kisses. I hope she finally got the message.”

“Oh. How come you wouldn’t let me stay over? You’re not really getting up early tomorrow, are you?”

“Yes, I am. I want to go to the gym, and afterwards I’m going to visit Grandma.”

“I thought Mom was going to visit?”

“She is, but she wants to take Granddad to Mass, and that will give me the chance to talk with Grandma.”

“Are you going to tell her?”

“Yes, I am, and another secret too, which you might as well hear now.”

“You’ve got a boyfriend?”

“No, jeez, will you leave it alone. I already told you I didn’t, but I promise you’ll be the first to know when I find someone.”

“Sorry. What’s the secret? Something good?” Liselle tucked her arm under his, and he felt a surge of affection for her. He would miss his sister more than anyone else, except Grandma.

“I’ve signed up for a three-year course to become a firefighter. I’ll be leaving soon after I graduate.”

“A firefighter? Wow, I think that’s cool – or maybe I should say hot.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Wait, what was the part about leaving?”

“The course is in California.”

“California! That’s the other side of the country.”

“I know. It’s also where they’re in need of people to fight forest fires – enough to take on volunteers and give them a hands-on education.”

“Forest fires. That’s really dangerous.”

“Yes it is, but any firefighting job is. I’ll be careful, trust me; you know your brother doesn’t take chances.”

“Maybe not, but Mom’s going to have kittens about her baby boy going out to fight fires.”

“I know. That’s why I want to talk to Grandma first.”

“Good luck.”

***

As expected, coming out to his grandmother was the easy part. He approached the topic right after his mom had left with her slightly sulky father. But since he was into being a good Catholic, the man couldn’t say no to the offer of going to Mass. In addition, it was one of the few social situations where his dementia wasn’t evident. How to behave in church seemed hard-wired into him from a childhood steeped in religious traditions.

As soon as they had departed, Hugh began. “I’m really grateful you stop Granddad when he starts saying nasty things about the Latino home help and about gay people. Because, you know, I—”

“Yes, dear, I know you’re gay, so stop looking so worried.”

She’d startled him, and he took a deep breath before he managed a grin. “Why am I surprised? I never could hide anything from you.”

“I looked after you from the time you were born till you started school, and we’ve seen each other at least once a week since then. I know my Hughie.”

“And you really don’t mind?”

“No, Dear. I care about you being honest, kind, hard-working, and happy. That’s all that matters.”

“Thanks, Grandma. I knew I could count on you.”

“Have you told your parents?”

He shook his head, trying not to let his worry show. “No, only Liselle. Do you think they suspect anything?”

“Possibly, but I’m not sure. Now, I owe you an apology.”

“Why?”

“I fear Granddad’s nasty talk is partly my fault. When I first realized about you, I dropped a hint to him. He didn’t take it well and said some hateful things which quite shocked me. I told him to keep quiet or I would throw him out. That scared him, but it’s like something snapped in him and a lid blew off a deeply buried trauma. He’s muttered a few things that have made me suspicious about the time he was a choir boy, long before we met. But, he refuses to talk about it, and now he’s losing his marbles. So, don’t you take his cussing and yelling personally, my boy. Okay?”

“Yeah, I promise. Poor Granddad. I hope it’s not too bad when I’m not around.”

“He mostly behaves, but I have to admit, I’m worried it will get worse.”

“Maybe we’ll all get lucky, and he’ll pass away quietly in his sleep.” Hugh felt a little bad for saying this, but his Grandma was the most important person in his life. He hated the thought of her struggling with a verbally abusive husband caught in deep dementia.

“Amen to that. It’s not easy for him, either, and I hate seeing him suffer as he loses a little more of himself each day, but don’t you worry about me or him. Now, was there something else you wanted to talk about?”

“How did you know? Never mind, forget I asked. I’ve decided what I want to do after graduation.”

“Oh! You look excited. Tell me.”

“I’m going to be a firefighter.”

For once in his life he’d managed to take her by surprise. Before she could object or voice her shock, he hurried to explain.

“I’ve thought about this for a couple of years. It’s why I began going to the gym and run every day. I’m shorter than average, so I need to have extra stamina and strength to become a good firefighter. I’ve signed up for a three-year course in California.”

“California! Oh dear, that is so far away. When will we ever see you?”

“I’ll get time off, and I promise to visit as often as I can. And I’ll call you. Please, Grandma, this is my dream, and I need to follow it.”

“You haven’t told your parents this, either.”

“No, and it’s probably going to cause more trouble than me being gay.”

“Without a doubt. My advice is to tell them about the firefighter course first. When they ask ‘Why California?’ you tell them that’s where all the handsome gay boys are.” She ended the sentence with a long laugh, and Hugh joined in. It was indeed one of the reasons to go west.

***

Hugh came out to his parents as a future gay firefighter on his eighteenth birthday, two weeks before graduation. He didn’t quite follow Grandma’s advice but he was close. His chance came when his dad asked what he was planning for the summer.

“I’m leaving for California at the end of June.”

“California!” his mother exclaimed. “Why in God’s name are you going there, and how can you afford it?”

“I’m going to train to become a firefighter. It takes three years–”

“A firefighter? Why the fuck do you want to be a firefighter?” The disdain in his dad’s voice was harder to bear than his mother’s shriek and babble about danger.

“I don’t want to go to college, and I want to help others. I don’t like the sight of blood, so ambulance driver and police force aren’t possible options. I’m not afraid of heights or hard physical work, and I can keep my cool in stressful situations. Firefighter seems like the logical choice.”

“I offered to take you into the business,” his dad pointed out with his disappointment clear.

“I know, and I’ve enjoyed helping out on the building sites. But you’d prefer me to work my way into an office so I can take over from you one day. That’s not what I want.”

His father scoffed as he glared at him. “Well, since you’re eighteen, we can’t stop you.”

“Can’t you at least be a little proud I’ve got a goal and found a way to achieve it?”

“By going behind our backs? How were you even able to sign up, without us giving permission?”

“They reserved a place, and I did the final signing today.” Hugh knew he’d been sneaky, but if he had said anything to his parents earlier, they would have nagged him endlessly to make him change his mind.

Right on cue, his mom started to list her worries. “Why are you going all the way to California? Where will you live, and what about proper food?”

“Grandma has been teaching me to cook, so I think I’ll eat just fine. They provide accommodation for us at low rates, and people who have taken the course before me say the houses are decent. I’ll have my own room but share a bathroom and kitchen with four other guys.”

“My mom knew about this and didn’t tell me?” Hugh’s mom sounded furious.

His sister jumped into the discussion. “I knew about it, too, but he only told us a few weeks ago. You wouldn’t want us to share something told in confidence, would you? Hugh wanted to tell you himself.”

Realizing she couldn’t win that argument, his mom went back to an earlier complaint. “But why go all the way to California? I’m sure you could have found something closer to home.”

“Yeah, I could have, but I’m hoping California’s reputation as gay-friendly extends to firefighters, too. My chances of finding a boyfriend aren’t as good here. Too much small-town ignorance and intolerance keep us in the closet till we can escape.”

Stunned silence greeted this statement, and Hugh waited nervously for his parents to deal with their shock and whatever issues they might have. He’d been pretty certain they wouldn’t snap completely or hurl abuse and throw him out. He’d never heard them express bigoted opinions about LGBTQ matters, but being tolerant in an abstract sense might not translate to a personal case of their son coming out.

Finally, his mother took a deep breath. “I guess you have a point. Is this decision due to us not objecting to the nasty things my dad has been saying?”

So, his grandmother had been right… they’d had an inkling. “No, Mom. I know it wouldn’t have made any difference, and having a fight with him about his demented ranting would’ve stressed you even more. It was easy to ignore him because I was sure you and Dad didn’t agree.”

“Thanks for that vote of confidence, son,” his dad said. “I may disagree with your choice of career, but who you date is no concern of mine as long as you’re take precautions. You know what I mean.”

“We want you to be happy and safe. I’ll worry about the dangerous work and you getting attacked for being gay, but I suppose I’ll have to trust you know what you’re doing.”

“Thanks, Mom and Dad. You’re the best. I know it wasn’t fair to spring all of this on you so suddenly. But there wasn’t really any good opportunities before now, and I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure about the chance of going to California before today.” His parents shared a look, and he could still see some trepidation, but it felt like the worst was over.

“Will you need help with moving out there? I can probably take a few days off work.” His dad’s offer started a long chat about practical matters. By the end, Hugh knew his parents had fully accepted his decisions and would do their best to help. Even if their involvement was annoying at times, such as his mom insisting on going through all his clothes and helping him buy new things, he knew their behavior was initiated by caring and concern for his future. With the prospect of following his dream, he could stand a few weeks of that without snapping.

***

Eight years later, Hugh was able to land a firefighter job not too far from where his parents lived. More importantly, it was near his Grandma, who could use some help. To everyone’s relief, her husband had passed away a couple of years after Hugh left for California. She had stayed in the house, but taking care of the place and the garden was getting too much for her.

“You know, I’ll help you sell the house and move out if that’s what you want.”

“Oh, Hughie, it’s not what I want, but I need to be sensible. I can’t afford to pay for a gardener and home help, and I can’t expect your parents to drive up every other weekend to do my cleaning and laundry.”

“I want to suggest a solution, but you have to promise you’ll say no if you don’t like it.”

“You know me. I tell the truth as I see it. What are you thinking about?”

“I’m going to start my new job next month and I’ll need a place to live. Will you let me share your house? I’ll pay rent and help you with the garden. We can hire someone to do the cleaning and laundry. I’ll take care of the shopping and help with the cooking and washing up.”

“Oh, what a wonderful idea. But do you really want to live with your family after so many years as a free man? Your mom might poke her nose into matters a lot more than if you had your own place.”

They both grinned and shook their heads over the way his mom always wanted to know what was going on in the lives of her children, relatives, and friends. She disguised her nosiness in a cloak of helpful suggestions and actions, and her gossiping was never malicious, but her lack of respect for his wish of privacy drove Hugh crazy sometimes. However, he was willing to bear it for his grandmother’s sake.

“I’d like to have the two rooms we stayed in when I was a baby, if that’s alright. They have their own entrance and bathroom, and I can lock the doors when I’m at work over the weekend to prevent any parental snooping. I trust you, but let’s not tempt Mom.” Matching grins returned to their faces.

“Of course, but that bathroom hasn’t been renovated since we put it in just before you were born. And the rooms are full of discarded furniture and storage boxes.”

“Well then, good thing I have three weeks off to do some cleaning and painting. And I bet my dad will be happy to give us a good quote on a new bathroom. I know he has spare capacity right now because one of his customers just postponed a major project.”

“You’ve been thinking this over for a while, haven’t you?”

“Ever since I got the job offer a month ago. But I did try to look into the possibilities of having my own place, preferably close to the fire station. None of those I could afford could compete with comfort in this place – and your cooking.”

She flushed with pleasure at his compliment, and he wondered at just how lonely she had been in this house since Grandpa died.

“Well, I rarely bother with hot meals for myself, but it will be nice to have someone to cook for. Then I won’t have to live off leftovers for a week.”

“So you approve of my idea?”

“Oh, Heavens yes, of course I do. I’d love to have you in the house. And don’t be shy about bringing someone home. I’ll keep my distance, unless you want to introduce them.” That old sparkle was back in her eyes, and Hugh became certain this was the right thing to do.

“If I ever get a boyfriend for keeps, you’ll be the first to meet him. None of the guys I dated in California lasted long enough for me to bring home.”

“Oh, were you lonely out there?”

“Sometimes, but I had great friends, and I’m sure I’ll make new ones here. The firefighters I met before the job interview seemed to be a nice bunch of guys.”

“I hope you’ll find a special someone soon. You’re such a sweet boy.”

He winced, but hopefully she didn’t use the word sweet to describe him to anyone else. “I wish, but it’s not so easy, even today.”

Hugh didn’t need to add that moving back home would probably restrict his dating and hookup opportunities. He was OK with that because he’d had his fill of living as a single gay guy and of short-term relationships. Right now, his focus was on his career as a firefighter. The Chief at the station had impressed him with his dedication to creating a competent crew and safe working conditions. Not to mention his reaction to employing a gay firefighter, a topic which had come up after the rest of the small interview group left his office.

“We have to make an official decision and announcement tomorrow, but I’ve no doubt you’ll be offered a position. You’re by far the best qualified candidate for the job. We’re lucky you wanted to return home, Mr. O’Connor.”

“I enjoyed my time in California, but I prefer city jobs to forest fires. I’m hoping this job will be my chance to settle down.”

“A wife and a couple of kids could help with that.”

“Um, that would be a boyfriend or husband and probably a dog rather than kids.”

Hugh made sure to meet the gaze of his future boss calmly and confidently. He wasn’t going to hide his orientation if the topic came up, and this was his chance to test the waters. To his credit, Chief Jackson shrugged after the initial reaction of wide-eyed surprise.

“Whatever floats your boat. I’ve encountered my share of prejudice as a black firefighter and Fire Station Chief, and I’m not gonna give anybody else grief over something that’s no one’s business. But you may get a few comments when the guys find out, so I hope you can stand up for yourself. I’ll do my best to stamp out any harassment if you let me know about any issues that arise.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve plenty of experience in dealing with stupid jokes and locker-room banter. But it’s nice to know I can count on support if anything more serious happens.”

“Fair enough. I hope to have you with us two months from now.”

“Sounds good. You can count on me, Chief.”

***

Everything went according to plan, and Hugh celebrated with his parents, sister, and grandmother on the Sunday before he would start his new job. He’d helped cook a nice roast with baked potatoes and all the trimmings, and his mom had brought his favorite pecan pie, which she normally only made for Thanksgiving. His father contributed a tasty red wine to toast his son.

“Welcome home and good luck with your new job. I heard on the grapevine your boss got congratulated on landing a highly recommended firefighter for his crew. I’m proud of you, Hugh.”

“Thanks, Dad. I was lucky to be considered. Jackson has a reputation as a very competent chief who makes sure his crew has the best training and equipment possible.”

“Considering his youngest son recently signed up to become a firefighter, I’m sure he’ll maintain his good record.”

“How do you know this?”

“We won the contract to do some renovations at the fire station last year. I happened to be there when Chief Jackson introduced his son as their new recruit. The man was fairly bursting with pride over having a son following in his footsteps.”

“Well, I hope you’re just as proud of having a daughter who wants to take on your business,” Liselle teased their father.

“You bet I am, sweetheart. That business-management degree of yours is already paying off. It’s great to have time to talk to customers and my workers instead of being stuck in the office trying to make ends meet. Cheers, and thanks to you, too.”

“You’re welcome, Dad. And I’m happy to have my brother back with us.” She held out her glass, and Hugh clinked his gently against it before taking a small sip of the wine.

The rest of the meal went on in amiable fashion, and Hugh managed to avoid answering most of his mother’s and sister’s questions about potential boyfriends. Luckily, Liselle had recently started dating someone who their mom seemed to consider as highly suitable, so her attention soon switched to that topic.

“You’ll have to introduce me to him soon so I can decide if he’s good enough for my sister.”

“Only if I get to do the same for your boyfriend when you find someone.”

“I suppose that’s a fair deal, but Grandma will probably be the first to meet him. If I ever find anyone.”

“Of course you will,” Hugh’s mother exclaimed. “You’re handsome, and you have a good job and nice manners. Someone will realize what a great catch you are.”

Hugh resisted rolling his eyes at her typical ‘Mom’ reasoning. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I hope you’re right.”

 ***

The first six months in his new job was a mixture of elation and frustration. Hugh soon became part of the team, and the other firefighters appreciated his effort in the fire basket and on search-and-rescue missions in smoke-filled buildings. His frustration was mainly due to his failure to befriend the son of the chief. The guy avoided socializing with the crew, but Hugh didn’t think it was because Dean disliked his workmates. Sometimes, there was such a look of longing in his brown eyes when he yet again declined to join them for a beer that Hugh wanted to hug him and drag him along.

Of course, there was another reason he’d love to hug Dean, who’d inspired a few hot fantasies when Hugh jerked off in the shower. Tall, broad-shouldered, leanly muscular, and devastatingly handsome, the shy twenty-three year old firefighter recruit pressed every button of his ideal-partner dream. If only he would admit to the mutual attraction which Hugh was sure existed between them. Although, sometimes he despaired and told himself he was delusional.

But suddenly Dean began to accept the invitations to join the crew for a beer and a meal after work. He participated in their talk as they sat around waiting for the alarm to go off, and he even offered to help Hugh cook a meal now and then. He also seemed more focused on his job, and he gave up smoking, which to Hugh had been the only minus against a long list of things he liked about Dean. One of them being his positive reaction when Hugh came out to the crew a month later. This happened shortly after he had talked to the Chief about the possibility of being in the local Pride Parade, which had grown fairly large after a few years of initial struggle. Local businesses liked the extra income, and the City Hall liked the positive image.

The chance to come out came when Clarence asked Hugh if he wanted to go on a double date.

Hugh knew the guy was thinking of his girlfriend’s sister, who had a thing for firefighters, but he shrugged and smiled innocently. “Sure, but only if you can set me up with a nice guy. I don’t date women.”

There was a stunned silence in the large station kitchen where they were having a meal. Then one of the firetruck drivers sneered insultingly. “You mean you’re queer?”

Hugh had several stock replies for idiots like him. “You mean you’re a bigoted jerk?” He noticed Dean and several others grin and decided to go all in.

“Yep, I’ve been a gay firefighter for years, so you may as well enter the modern society of diversity and human rights. I’m thinking about suggesting the station participates in the local Pride Parade next summer. But the Chief warned me most of you wouldn’t have the guts to brave that kind of fire.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!”

“What the fuck?”

“We ain’t gay.”

Hugh waited till the general uproar stilled a bit, then he stood up. “You don’t have to be gay to be in the parade. Straight men and women are welcome to join us to show their support. When companies sponsor a float or a group, they usually encourage a mix of people to celebrate the event both as participants and spectators.”

“But why would the chief want us to do this? And how would we find the money for a float?”

“We don’t need a float. We’ll take one of the fire engines. I know we have one which is mostly used for exhibitions and school visits. It gets the name of the fire station into the public eye, and I bet we’d also gain some goodwill from the press ‒ and maybe even City Hall.”

Most of the guys were shaking their heads in disbelief, but Hugh didn’t mind. He’d seen it all before.

“Hey, it’s just an idea, and if you don’t feel brave enough to face a huge LGBTQ crowd, I understand completely. It’s probably just as scary as being the lone gay guy in a group of straight people when you don’t know if they’re humans or haters.”

He ignored the shocked faces and went over to peer into the big pot of chili con carne on the stove. He’d made it from his grandma’s recipe, and everyone had praised the taste. “There’s plenty left; who wants a second serving?”

Dean was the first to react. “Yeah, I’ll have some more, please. It’s better than what my mom makes, but don’t tell her I said that.” Everyone laughed, and the conversation turned to discussing favorite items of food in the café opposite the fire station and how they compared to home-cooked meals.

Dean and most of the younger guys brought their plates to Hugh who dished out chili with rice on the side while keeping up a light banter.

“If you want extra chili flakes, use the shaker over there. But don’t blame me if you fart fire.

“Don’t forget I used extra garlic; your girlfriends may not want to kiss you tonight or tomorrow.

“I’m trying to persuade Grandma to give me her recipe for shepherd’s pie, but I’ll need a couple of strong guys to peel, cook, and mash all those bloody potatoes. It’ll take ages to make enough to feed all you greedy guts.”

All in all, coming out had very few negative consequences, and, best of all, Dean actually made an effort to become closer friends afterwards. He introduced Hugh to his sister who worked in the café owned by Dean’s mom, and they started spending time with her and her friends from college. All of them happily embraced the gay firefighter as their new cool buddy who could tell scary stories about forest fires out west.

But even though they hung out together a lot, Hugh never managed to be alone with Dean. After a year he’d almost given up since the younger guy seemed determined to stay in the closet. Hugh couldn’t understand why, because he was sure Dean’s family and friends would have no problems with him being gay. Although, the two older brothers were an unknown factor, but Dean’s mother was a nice lady, if a bit bossy. Another thing he and Dean had in common.

Finally, he got his chance when Dean told him he’d volunteered to join the Search and Rescue group.

“If you could give me some tips about training for the SR team, I’d be very grateful.”

“Sure, where and when do you want to meet? I think it needs to be away from the station or we’ll get interrupted too much.”

“Yeah, especially if the alarm goes. I checked, and we both have Saturday off. Why don’t you come over to my place Friday night? I’ll buy some beers and cook a meal.”

“Sounds good. Six o’clock?”

“Perfect.”

***

After they’d finished discussing firefighter training and eaten the delicious lasagna, Dean got them another beer and suggested they move from the kitchen table to his living room. Hugh was happy with that, because Dean chose to sit next to him on the sofa rather than the comfy chair, which looked like his customary spot.

Dean surprised Hugh again by saying he was considering joining the Pride Parade. He suspected this was simply a prelude to Dean admitting he was gay, and he decided to push by mentioning the chief’s positive reaction to him coming out and to the Pride idea.

“I like your father. He’s a good man and a great boss.”

“Mmhmm.” Dean kept his gaze on his hands as he peeled the label off of his bottle.

“He never batted an eye when I told him I’m gay. So, I wondered…?”

“No, he doesn’t know about me. I’m not out to anybody ‒ well, except one virtual friend.”

“And me, now.” Hugh knew he was grinning like a fool.

Dean finally looked up, and he returned the smile.

“And you, but I’ll have to tell my family soon.”

“Once you’ve done that, can we maybe go on a date?”

“I’d like that very much.”

Hugh couldn’t help himself. He leaned in slowly, hoping for a kiss. To his surprise, Dean grabbed him and pulled him close. Their lips met, but then it was like Dean froze. Hugh didn’t care; he took advantage of the invitation to kiss the younger man. At first, he simply enjoyed the way their mouths fit together, but soon he used small licks and nibbles to encourage Dean to open up and let him explore. He liked being in charge when kissing, and Dean followed his lead willingly.

A loud whoosh made them jump apart, ending the amazing kiss.

“What the fuck was that?” Hugh asked.

Dean gestured towards the kitchen. “Don’t worry. I think it was my fire extinguisher going off, to prevent us from setting the place on fire.”

The joke, together with the joy of finally being able to act on his attraction to Dean, made Hugh fall back in the sofa, laughing like mad. Dean joined him and he didn’t object when Hugh took his hand. It didn’t take long before they were lip-locked again.

Once more Dean willingly followed Hugh’s lead when he began caressing his arms, shoulders and chest. After a bit, Hugh untucked Dean’s t-shirt. “May I?” Dean nodded, and soon they were both shirtless, letting their hands roam at will. Dean’s torso was completely smooth, with beautiful chocolate-colored skin covering the nicely muscled chest, and Hugh wanted to lick him all over.

He started by kissing his way down to the dime-sized nipples. Judging by the way Dean’s breath hitched as he licked and sucked gently on them, Dean enjoyed the attention. When Hugh looked up at him, Dean’s large brown eyes were filled with a mixture of lust and worry.

“I’ve never…I want to, but…no experience…do you mind?”

“You’ve never been with a man?”

Dean shook his head. “I’ve never had sex. I didn’t want to be with girls, and I never dared to do anything with guys.”

“Don’t worry, it’s cool. I was twenty before I was with a guy for the first time.”

“What did you do?”

“Mutual handjobs, later blowjobs, some frotting, if you know what that is?”

“Yeah, I’ve watched plenty of porn and read stories. Just no hands-on experience. Well, except by myself.”

Hugh grinned at the small joke, which helped relieve the tension.

“Porn is fine for jerk-off fantasies, but real sex is usually quite different. Especially if you’re boyfriends.”

“You’ve had boyfriends before?”

Hugh gave Dean another enthusiastic kiss. “Thank you for saying before. I’m also hoping that’s what we’ll be.”

“Yeah? It’s not just me having a mega crush?”

“I’ve been trying to get closer to you for months.”

“I know. I’m sorry for being such a coward. Bart, my virtual friend, has been encouraging me to come out to you.”

“I’m glad you did, I was feeling damn frustrated. But now I’m happy – and horny.”

“Me too.” Dean jumped up and pulled Hugh to his feet. He dragged him along to his bedroom, and Hugh noticed the room was tidy and the large queen bed looked freshly made. Ha, he’d not been the only one to hope they’d end up in here.

Dean turned and smiled at him, but once more he looked uncertain. It was rather cute, actually, and gave Hugh the opportunity to take the initiative again. Hugh pulled off his socks, undid his belt and dropped his jeans and underwear together. Stepping out of his trousers he stretched, twirled once, and grinned at the man staring at him with an open mouth.

“Like what you see?”

Dean nodded eagerly and let his gaze roam up and down Hugh’s body, often coming back to the erection jutting proudly from a nest of red curls.

“Now you. Or would you like me to help?”

A cheeky grin appeared on Dean’s face, and he placed his hands behind his head, making his well-shaped pecs, bi- and triceps stand out. “Be my guest.”

Hugh felt his mouth go dry at the invitation, but then his saliva glands kicked in, ready to drool all over this magnificent male. Judging from the prominent bulge threatening to burst the front of his jeans, his lover was living up to all the myths and Hugh’s personal fantasies. He wasted no time in getting Dean naked and then he sank to his knees to worship his lover’s long, but thankfully not impossibly thick, manhood.

Dean was panting hard as he looked down at Hugh’s hands cupping his balls and guiding his shaft towards his mouth. A whimper escaped him when the redhead engulfed the head and started sucking. As expected his hips thrust forward, but Hugh’s grip on his shaft stopped the motion, before the head hit the back of his throat. A hair-trigger gag reflex meant he would never be able to take his lover deep ‒ something he had learned the hard way by puking all over the first guy who tried to ram his cock in.

After more loving attention with hands, lips and tongue, he felt Dean tense up. Leaning back, he let his prize go with a last lick. “Lie on your back in the bed. I want you to come in my mouth, and then you can suck me for a bit before I let you fuck me. If you want to?”

“Bloody hell. Of course, I want to. But…but I also want to have you inside me.”

“Nice to know you’re versatile, too. We’ll get to that eventually.” Hugh didn’t want to get into a discussion about the necessary preparations, which he had done before he arrived. He was pleased they hadn’t been in vain, including buying extra-large condoms and lube.

Getting up, he pointed to the bed. “Now get on the bed, while I get a few supplies.”

He walked out of the bedroom, along the hall and into the kitchen where he’d left his rucksack. As he bent over to retrieve the bag with lube and condom, there was a soft, choked sound behind him. He turned his head, expecting to see Dean, but no one was there. Shrugging, he grabbed the bag and walked back to the bedroom. On the way, a large red fire extinguisher hanging on the kitchen wall caught his eye. Thinking of the earlier joke, he grabbed the handle and took it along.

“Here we are… lube and condoms, plus this, just in case the bed catches fire.”

Grinning at the stunned expression on Dean’s face, Hugh set the fire extinguisher on a chair and stalked over to the bed.

“Um, I know this is gonna sound silly, but would you put the fire extinguisher out in the hall?”

“Sure, but why?” Hugh thought he heard a breezy sigh behind him, but that had to be his imagination.

“Ah, um, my dad gave me that, so…” Dean didn’t finish the explanation, but the pleading look on his face made Hugh want to hug him.

Turning around he quickly dumped the fire extinguisher in the hall, jumping a bit in surprise when a small amount of foam shot out with a whoosh. But he was too focused on what awaited him inside to spend more thoughts on a faulty fire extinguisher. Closing the door firmly behind him, he proceeded with his plans to make Dean’s first time as fantastic as possible.

***

Later, as they were holding hands and catching their breaths next to each other, Dean asked him to stay the night.

“I want to wake up next to you, if that’s alright with you?”

“Of course, it is. I’d like that too. I just need to call my grandmother and tell her not to expect me for breakfast.” Hugh hesitated, then made a snap decision. Why waste any more time, when he knew what he wanted. “Or to expect both of us, if you’d care to join me?”

“Seriously?”

“Absolutely. We always eat a large breakfast at ten when I have the day off. We can sleep till nine, take a quick shower and drive over there. She’d love to meet you.”

“You’ve told her about me?”

“Well, she knows I’ve fallen for one of my firefighter colleagues, and I pointed you out on my copy of the official station photo.” Hugh could feel himself blushing, but he didn’t mind, because sharing this with Dean was part of the intimacy he’d been craving. “She was thrilled I’d finally found a nice guy, but I told her it might never be, because you could turn out to be straight.”

“So, she knows I’m black?”

Hugh smiled, pleased Dean had the courage to bring up the extra challenge they might face as an interracial gay couple. They needed to be honest and open with each other, in order to make this work.

“Yeah, and I’ll admit she was surprised at first. But she’s more interested in what kind of person you are and whether you’ll make me happy. My parents and sister should be OK, and my other relatives don’t matter.”

“My sister likes you as a friend already, but the rest of family might take longer to get used to you being white than being a guy. I fear my brothers may object to both. Although, you being a firefighter and in good standing with my dad will help.”

“This is one reason I’d like to introduce you to my grandmother. She’s a wise old lady, and she knows a lot of people in the community. If she approves of you as my boyfriend, half the battle is won.”

“She won’t tell anyone, will she? I need to talk to my family first.”

“Don’t worry. She knew about me being gay and wanting to be a firefighter, and she never said a word to my parents when I asked her to keep both secrets for a while. But it’s absolutely fine to stay here, too.”

Dean rolled over onto his front and went silent for a while, but Hugh understood why he needed time to think. He let his hand do slow circles on the broad shoulders, working its way down the smooth back to reach his lover’s delicious bubble butt. Those tight buttocks were just the right size to fit into his hands, and he longed to pull them apart and bury his tongue and later his dick in the virgin hole hidden between them. Judging by the way Dean had writhed and moaned when he circled a fingertip moist with lube gently on the tight spot, rimming would be a welcome exercise. His boyfriend might be inexperienced, but he was eager to learn and showed lots of talent. Hugh looked forward to exploring all the other ways he could get fucked by Dean, even if he did enjoy their first doggy-style coupling. Looking over his shoulder, while stroking his cock and seeing Dean towering over him as he held his hips and pummeled his ass, had pushed him over the edge.

A sigh from his lover brought Hugh out of his pleasant memories. “Talk to me, Dean. We can work something out. Whatever you want.”

“No, I’ve already decided meeting your grandmother will be fine. I was just thinking how happy I am compared to before you came into my life. It would be fucking stupid to let fear or the opinion of other people ruin our chance of… this… of love.” He stumbled over the last word, but he’d said it, and that made Hugh feel as content as he’d ever been.

Hugh couldn’t stop grinning as Dean continued. “Why waste more time when we don’t know how much we have.”

“That’s my brave firefighter. We’ll face the dangers together and walk with pride. Love conquers all.”

“Oh yeah? Well, why don’t you give your grandmother a call, and I’ll heat up the blueberry pie and dig out the ice cream. And after that, I’m gonna conquer your ass all over again.”

Hugh’s grin fired up again. “It’s a deal.”