Escaping Perfect
folder
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
26
Views:
6,930
Reviews:
50
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
26
Views:
6,930
Reviews:
50
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
“Mom.” He whispered pitifully into her shoulder.
“Oh Honey--” Her embrace of her son tightened. As he cried, she stroked his hair and back, calming him and gentling his fragile spirit.
Warren lifted his face away from the wet surface of her blouse. Splotchy patches of redness covered his face causing Warren to feel slightly more embarrassed and ashamed than he already was. “Don’t hate me please?” He begged in a child-like voice.
Lauren ached for her son. Taking his face into her hands, she forced him to look her in the eye. Those breathtaking grey eyes were cloudy pink, and gazing back at her with absolute devastation.
How had she allowed this to happen? What kind of mother allowed their child to suffer so terribly…alone?
“I will never hate you, War-War.” The name given to him by Colby, who at the time was still having trouble pronouncing his’ n’s. “Everything will be okay. We’ll talk to your father--”
“You didn’t see the way Dad looked at me. He thinks I’m just confused.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if he was, but she quieted herself, knowing that she’d wondered about her son’s sexuality. Now, she had her answer.
Lauren held his chin steady, firmly, infusing him with her confidence. “We’ll make him understand. You are our son, and nothing, I mean nothing will change that.”
She was generally never this rigid, but this was exactly what he needed. She patted his cheek gently. “Where did you go earlier?”
“I--” Warren swallowed thickly. Sure, he’d given his mother the revelation that he was gay today. Would she still be okay with it if she had evidence to support his sexuality?
“I went to see Jace.”
“You two have become really close this year.” Mrs. Brick surmised. A lot closer than they had been in all the years knowing each other.
Warren took a deep breath. “We’re closer than ever…He’s my boyfriend.”
His mother’s face was the perfect combination of happiness and disappointment. “Oh sweetie.” He stroked his cheek again, her own eyes brimming with tears, as she tried fought away all the things she’d hoped for her son’s future. She wanted him safe. She wanted him loved. She never wanted him to feel ashamed of anything.
“I want to meet him.” She declared.
Warren gave her his first smile of the afternoon. “I want you to meet him too.”
Things seemed to be looking up, if only his mother’s vehemence about making his father understand worked.
***
Warren didn’t call Jace to give him fair warning that he was coming back, nor was he bringing his mother.
The meeting of Sheila Howard and Lauren Brick was left many things to be desired at first. The two sized each other up. Mentally, weighing and calculating which was the better mother and woman of the two.
Sheila faulted Lauren for allowing her son to become so closeted and miserable. She also faulted the woman for not putting her husband in his place immediately. She was barely over the fact that she’d nearly caught her the two boys going at it under her roof.
Lauren, on the other hand, still remembered Sheila as the too rigid bitch that she was. She faulted the woman for putting her career before her son and being so hard on love. It was almost instinctual, if not overly apparent that Sheila did not like her son. The other woman tolerated him, but did not like him. Lauren nearly scoffed when Sheila said she was primarly concerned with the boys’ futures. No, Lauren thought, Sheila was concerned with Jace’s future, and she didn’t Warren to mess that up.
If anything Jace was truly destroying Warren’s future, because a gay football player was not going to fly too well with college conferences or in the professional leagues.
To Sheila’s concern, Lauren only said, “We’re both concerned as mothers should be.”
With the chill rising in the room, the boys decided to excuse themselves. Jace and Warren headed for the backyard after snagging Jace’s camera off the kitchen counter. Jace kicked off his flipflops, while issuing Warren a cheeky smirk and walked off into the grass. Warren quickly removed his sneakers and socks and followed his boyfriend across the yard. The pair walked lazily through the carpet-lush grass, and soaked up the warm rays of sunshine and generally freedom of being together.
They were comfortable together. So much so, that talking wasn’t all that necessary. They walked along, every few feet or so, Jace snapped a picture or two. Simple beautiful things. When Jace finally allowed his camera to rest again his chest, Warren took the opportunity to slide his hand past Jace’s. They lazily swung together side by side, until Warren caught Jace’s smaller hand in his own.
“My mom thinks she can make my dad understand.” Jace looked up at him as they continued walking, with a quick measuring gaze.
“Do you think she can do it?” Jace asked. Warren laced their fingers together.
Warren had believed it when she said she would do it. However, the memory of his father’s eyes, of the anger and all out look of disgust made him hesitant to believe his mother could change his father that much. He’d just turned his back on everything his father had ever wanted for him. “I don’t think so.”
“Things will change for the better anyway.” Warren wasn’t sure how Jace could postulate that much optimism, but he’d go with it. Having faith was better than having nothing.
Jace stopped walking, bringing them to a stop at the far edge of the manicured backyard. A spot closest to the large Weeping Willow and the densest foliage on the ground; like living carpet with a perfect halo of golden light creeping through the gaps in the hanging vines. Jace positioned Warren against the tree and tucked himself into Warren’s side. He held the camera in front of them, steady and focused. The world stilled as the shutter snapped.
For an instant in time, the world was perfect. The two of them, together, young and peaceful set against a background of some Renaissance painting.
Warren wrapped his hands around Jace’s waist. “Wasn’t that shop amateurish?” After being with the other boy so long, he’d adopted some of the other’s lingo. Weren’t relationships about sharing.
Jace flashed him a crooked grin. “We are a couple of crazy teenagers in love. Sometimes amateurish is just what the doctor ordered.” Pulling down Warren into a slow languid kiss, the other boy had to agree.
Neither was aware of the pair watching them from the patio doors, nor the fact that each one’s heart was melting with the memories of young innocent love. They’d do whatever was necessary to keep it innocent.
TBC/?
“Mom.” He whispered pitifully into her shoulder.
“Oh Honey--” Her embrace of her son tightened. As he cried, she stroked his hair and back, calming him and gentling his fragile spirit.
Warren lifted his face away from the wet surface of her blouse. Splotchy patches of redness covered his face causing Warren to feel slightly more embarrassed and ashamed than he already was. “Don’t hate me please?” He begged in a child-like voice.
Lauren ached for her son. Taking his face into her hands, she forced him to look her in the eye. Those breathtaking grey eyes were cloudy pink, and gazing back at her with absolute devastation.
How had she allowed this to happen? What kind of mother allowed their child to suffer so terribly…alone?
“I will never hate you, War-War.” The name given to him by Colby, who at the time was still having trouble pronouncing his’ n’s. “Everything will be okay. We’ll talk to your father--”
“You didn’t see the way Dad looked at me. He thinks I’m just confused.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if he was, but she quieted herself, knowing that she’d wondered about her son’s sexuality. Now, she had her answer.
Lauren held his chin steady, firmly, infusing him with her confidence. “We’ll make him understand. You are our son, and nothing, I mean nothing will change that.”
She was generally never this rigid, but this was exactly what he needed. She patted his cheek gently. “Where did you go earlier?”
“I--” Warren swallowed thickly. Sure, he’d given his mother the revelation that he was gay today. Would she still be okay with it if she had evidence to support his sexuality?
“I went to see Jace.”
“You two have become really close this year.” Mrs. Brick surmised. A lot closer than they had been in all the years knowing each other.
Warren took a deep breath. “We’re closer than ever…He’s my boyfriend.”
His mother’s face was the perfect combination of happiness and disappointment. “Oh sweetie.” He stroked his cheek again, her own eyes brimming with tears, as she tried fought away all the things she’d hoped for her son’s future. She wanted him safe. She wanted him loved. She never wanted him to feel ashamed of anything.
“I want to meet him.” She declared.
Warren gave her his first smile of the afternoon. “I want you to meet him too.”
Things seemed to be looking up, if only his mother’s vehemence about making his father understand worked.
***
Warren didn’t call Jace to give him fair warning that he was coming back, nor was he bringing his mother.
The meeting of Sheila Howard and Lauren Brick was left many things to be desired at first. The two sized each other up. Mentally, weighing and calculating which was the better mother and woman of the two.
Sheila faulted Lauren for allowing her son to become so closeted and miserable. She also faulted the woman for not putting her husband in his place immediately. She was barely over the fact that she’d nearly caught her the two boys going at it under her roof.
Lauren, on the other hand, still remembered Sheila as the too rigid bitch that she was. She faulted the woman for putting her career before her son and being so hard on love. It was almost instinctual, if not overly apparent that Sheila did not like her son. The other woman tolerated him, but did not like him. Lauren nearly scoffed when Sheila said she was primarly concerned with the boys’ futures. No, Lauren thought, Sheila was concerned with Jace’s future, and she didn’t Warren to mess that up.
If anything Jace was truly destroying Warren’s future, because a gay football player was not going to fly too well with college conferences or in the professional leagues.
To Sheila’s concern, Lauren only said, “We’re both concerned as mothers should be.”
With the chill rising in the room, the boys decided to excuse themselves. Jace and Warren headed for the backyard after snagging Jace’s camera off the kitchen counter. Jace kicked off his flipflops, while issuing Warren a cheeky smirk and walked off into the grass. Warren quickly removed his sneakers and socks and followed his boyfriend across the yard. The pair walked lazily through the carpet-lush grass, and soaked up the warm rays of sunshine and generally freedom of being together.
They were comfortable together. So much so, that talking wasn’t all that necessary. They walked along, every few feet or so, Jace snapped a picture or two. Simple beautiful things. When Jace finally allowed his camera to rest again his chest, Warren took the opportunity to slide his hand past Jace’s. They lazily swung together side by side, until Warren caught Jace’s smaller hand in his own.
“My mom thinks she can make my dad understand.” Jace looked up at him as they continued walking, with a quick measuring gaze.
“Do you think she can do it?” Jace asked. Warren laced their fingers together.
Warren had believed it when she said she would do it. However, the memory of his father’s eyes, of the anger and all out look of disgust made him hesitant to believe his mother could change his father that much. He’d just turned his back on everything his father had ever wanted for him. “I don’t think so.”
“Things will change for the better anyway.” Warren wasn’t sure how Jace could postulate that much optimism, but he’d go with it. Having faith was better than having nothing.
Jace stopped walking, bringing them to a stop at the far edge of the manicured backyard. A spot closest to the large Weeping Willow and the densest foliage on the ground; like living carpet with a perfect halo of golden light creeping through the gaps in the hanging vines. Jace positioned Warren against the tree and tucked himself into Warren’s side. He held the camera in front of them, steady and focused. The world stilled as the shutter snapped.
For an instant in time, the world was perfect. The two of them, together, young and peaceful set against a background of some Renaissance painting.
Warren wrapped his hands around Jace’s waist. “Wasn’t that shop amateurish?” After being with the other boy so long, he’d adopted some of the other’s lingo. Weren’t relationships about sharing.
Jace flashed him a crooked grin. “We are a couple of crazy teenagers in love. Sometimes amateurish is just what the doctor ordered.” Pulling down Warren into a slow languid kiss, the other boy had to agree.
Neither was aware of the pair watching them from the patio doors, nor the fact that each one’s heart was melting with the memories of young innocent love. They’d do whatever was necessary to keep it innocent.
TBC/?