I watched as he slyly put it behind his phone case to keep it there so he could have it. I saw the way he smiled at it before putting his case back on and looking up at the rest of the pictures. I set my bags on the ground before walking over to him and sitting next to him.
I pointed to a picture of my friends and I holding a trophy in a parking lot of some high school at the championship for dance team. That’s one of my favorite pictures.
He smiles. What’s the trophy for ?
Dance, we won overall during the championship off of a routine that I helped choreograph. I was a mess when they called our name because I thought it was so bad and that we weren’t going to even place, but we ended up winning.
He chuckles. Don’t even know you’re own talent, right ?
I guess you could say that, I whisper, staring in his eyes that hold an emotion that I can’t place a finger on. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him as he kisses the top of my head.
What were you like as a kid ? He asked, surprising me because it’s super random and not something I ever expected him to ask me.
Uh, I was quiet, shy. I was a closeted gay kid that thought he was wrong for how I was feeling, so I kinda just pushed all emotion away until it overcame me.
You knew you were gay when you were young ? He asked.
Yeah, I guess I always kinda knew how I felt, but I suppressed it because of my dad. He would get drunk with his work buddies sometimes and I remember them calling the gay guys in the office faggots and what not, so I didn’t come out until we sat in the car after a doctor’s appointment and he was having ‘the talk’ with me.
Why’d you come out then ?
I looked up at him as he was invested in my story. He told me that it was okay to be whatever I was because he knew I wasn’t straight by my distaste in girls, except as friends. He told me that whatever I was feeling, I should let it out, so I did. I started crying and just told him. I could tell he wasn’t too comfortable having that conversation with me, but he did it because he was my dad and he cares about me.
Joey smiles. I’m glad that you were able to tell your dad.
Yeah, it’s not the best relationship because he’s a masculine man, obviously, and he wanted to have that bond with his son that other fathers get, but he didn’t. He didn’t understand dance or gymnastics, so he let my mom take care of all that stuff. The deepest conversation we’ve ever had was about this bully that pushed me into the lockers at school after I came out.
What’d he say ?
He told me that he loved me and he would protect me if he ever needed to, but he wasn’t happy with the man I was becoming because I wasn’t masculine like him. I never told my mom about it because I expected him to, but he hid that he told his son that he wasn’t happy with who I was.
I watched as Joey’s small smile dropped and he sighed, staring down at his hand as he played with his fingers. I think that that’s how my dad would be.
I gave him a sad smile. Unfortunately, it happens quite often. You just have to learn who you are and once you start to tell people, put your guard up and don’t let anything get to you because the only thing that matters is how you feel.
How’d you do it ? He asked me.
I didn’t think about it before I did it, I just did it. I knew that my mom would stick up for me if my father ever did anything bad, so I felt safe.
He nods his head, running a hand through his hair. My mom would do the same.
So do it, just get it over with because you have someone that will stand up for you if it gets bad. I know you can do it because you’ve shown me in the last few days who you truly are and I want you to be proud of yourself for once, I tell him.
He puts his hand on the back of my neck before pulling my lips to his and I realize that this isn’t a soft touch, this is rough and this usually means that it’ll lead to more. I try to push him away as he sticks his tongue in my mouth as he runs his hand through my hair. I can’t find the strength because he is just so irresistible and he made me feel alive.
I’m able to push him away because I’m reminded by my sister who’s downstairs and the fact that we’re in my bedroom where my parents could come home any minute. Not here.
He nods his head as I catch my breath before getting up and grabbing my bags before making my way back downstairs. When Emilie hears us on the stairs, she pauses the movie again to look up at us. You leaving ?
Yeah, I’ll text Dad later and tell him that he has to take you to school tomorrow, okay ?
Alright, be careful and keep your pants on, she says and I scoff, glaring at her because if she tells Mom, I will never hear the end of it. We stop to get some food for later before going back to the apartment to hang out until he has to leave.
Joey’s POV
My parents and I walk into my room after the pack meeting that we have every month and unfortunately, it was tonight when I could be with Kade instead of here. Every month we have a mandatory meeting about everything that might’ve happened during the month, whether it’s any fights that have happened, new rules that we want to implement, or any rogue sightings seen in camp.
I’m the alpha of the White Water Pack, also one of the medium-sized packs in Virginia. I inherited the position from my dad when I turned 18 a few months ago and ever since then, it’s been pretty hectic because rogues have started to come into our camp more since I’m a new alpha and they assume that I don’t know what I’m doing.
When I found out that Kade was my mate, there were two emotions ; confusion and anger. I was confused because I assumed that my mate would be a girl even though I did have feelings for guys because it’s unusual for alphas to have a same-sex mate since we’re supposed to carry on to the next generation. I was angry because this just meant that I had to tell my dad, which will just end horribly if it plays out like I expect it to.
He’s a very masculine man, having been the alpha for 34 years. He’s a great dad, don’t get me wrong, he prepared me very well for the position and was always there when I had trouble. I just know that he has this perceived notion that my mate is a girl because that’s what he’s always told me. I’m not saying the Moon Goddess made a mistake with me because she doesn’t make too many mistakes.
After getting to know the boy that’s my mate, I’ve come to terms with it because he is a really good person and we are a good pair from what I’ve noticed between us. I do like him and I know we’re doing better than we were doing the first day when I made the stupid, impulsive decision to hurt him.
My parents and I sat down on my bed since I told them that I needed to talk to them about something and they knew it was serious by the way my hands shook in my lap. My mom, who is a beautiful woman named Lila, reaches over to take my hand. Whatever it is, it’s okay. Just tell us.
Her words gave me courage even with my dad staring at me with curious eyes. I clear my throat, tightening my grip on my mother’s hand as I imagined the beautiful smile on Kade when I tell him that I came out to my parents tonight and that is what sealed the deal that I have to do this. I found my mate.
Their eyes widen as smiles come up on their face as realization sets in at what I had just told them. Dad claps his hand on my back as he gets really excited as he imagines what this girl could look like and I can just feel the drop in mood when I tell them the gender. Mom squeezes my hand in hers as he wraps her free arm around my shoulder. That’s amazing, baby ! Why’re you so nervous about it ?
I look down at my hand that’s fidgeting with a loose string on my jeans and when my silence hits them, their smiles drop, knowing that something was wrong. They were probably thinking that she was not too attractive or not someone that would be interested in helping me take over the pack. Uh, it’s, um, I don’t know how to say this, uh.