Disclaimer: I do not own anything dealing with WWE or any song lyrics that is used as a muse. I also do not own the rights to any products or persons mentioned in the story as well.
Warning: This story does contain two words that are very negative. I try not to use them when I'm writing, but for the sake of the story, I went ahead and did it so you, the reader, can get the feel of what Heath is going through.
A/N: This is a gift to my friend, The Emcee.
Something Old
Heath sat in his grandparents' basement looking over some old family albums. He had been there since the morning after he told he parents that he was marrying Zeke. His father lost it while his mother stayed quiet and was very pale. His father kicked him out of the house and told Heath to never come back.
Heath stared down at a picture of him and his father. He wiped the tears away as they began to fall.
"Hey, kiddo," his grandfather greeted.
"Hi, Pop-pop," Heath sniffed.
Pop-pop sat down in a chair for he knew if he sat down next to Heath he might not be able to get back up. He stared at his grandson. He hated the fact that he was suffering but was trying to come to terms with what his son did.
"How ya feeling?" Pop asked.
Heath shrugged his shoulders. "How do ya suppose I should feel?" He looked to his grandfather. "My parents basically disowned me."
Pop slowly nodded. "Let me ask ya something...do ya love this Zeke fellow?"
The younger man smiled. "More than anything. He helped me through the times I just wanted to give up. He's always there encouraging me, pushing me. I can't imagine not being with him."
Pop nodded. "I always knew that ya were...," he held out his hand and shook it back and forth. "Being in the navy as long as I was, ya pick up this things."
Heath stared at his grandfather.
"To be honest...I thought ya and that Paul...John...Justin...what ever his name is would get together."
The younger man laughed. "He's my best friend. It would be weird."
Heath's granddad nodded.
"Thank ya, Pop-pop."
"For what?"
"Not flipping out like Dad."
"Now why would I do that? You're my grandson. I was there when ya were born, I watched ya grow, watched ya fall down and get back up, watched ya fall in and out of love, held your hand when ya went into surgery to get your tonsils removed, stayed up with ya when ya got sick, went camping with ya...I will always be here for ya."
"Y'all come up and grab a bite to eat now," Heath's grandmother shouted from the top step.
"Let's eat some dinner and think about how to fix this," Pop stated.
Heath nodded and walked up the stairs right behind his grandfather and into the kitchen that looked like it belonged in a 1950's magazine. The only things that were modern was the phone on the wall and the microwave. Heath sat down to a plate full of food: country fried steak covered in gravy with mashed potatoes and green beans and a roll on the side.
"This is a nice lunch, Mema," Heath stated.
"A nice lunch for a growing boy," his grandmother said.
Heath smiled. They linked their hands in pray and ate their lunch or as his grandparents would say, dinner.
"So, when can we meet your fiance?" Mema asked.
"Zeke...he's coming to pick me up," Heath answered. "I told him what happened and he took the first flight out to get here."
"Lord have mercy, he didn't have to do that," Memo said.
"He loves the boy, Agnes," Pop-pop said. "I bet he would climb a mountain for him."
The ginger just smiled.
"So...how did ya meet him?" his grandmother asked.
"He came by the school to visit," Heath replied. "He was really nice...he helped me with a problem. One of the guys was messing with me, but he put a stop to it."
"Ah, love at first sight," Memo sighed.
Heath nodded.
The day went by slowly and Heath sat outside on the porch swing to watch the sun set. He knew his folks would be upset with him for being with a man, but he did not care. In fact, they accepted it when he told them at the age of nineteen.
It was what was said that had upset him the most: I don't care that my son's a fag, but marrying a nigger will not happen. How could his father be so cruel? How could he say those things to him? His own flesh and blood.
Fresh tears started to well in his eyes. He wiped them away and caught a car driving up to the house and into the driveway. The car parked and Zeke stepped out.
Heath smiled and got off the swing and porch. Zeke held open his arms and Heath was embraced into those protective arms that he loved so much. They stood there, holding each other.
They heard a throat clearing and they pulled apart.
Pop-pop stared at them with a smile on his face. "So ya must be Zeke."
The burly black man nodded. "Yes, sir, I am."
"Ya make my grandson happy. That's all that matters."
Memo walked out onto the porch. "My goodness. Well ain't ya a big, handsome man."
"Thank you, ma'am," Zeke replied.
"He's so polite." She smiled. She looked to her husband and poked him.
"Yes, yes," Pop-pop said. "Heath, I have something for ya."
Heath nodded and followed his grandfather to his bedroom. The old man took a picture off a wall to reveal a wall safe. He put in a combination and opened the door. He pulled out a small box and closed the safe. Pop-pop looked at the box and smiled. He handed it to Heath.
Heath stared at it for a moment and looked to his grandfather.
"Open it," Pop-pop said.
The younger man did so. In the box was in gold pocket watch.
"That belong to my Daddy, his Daddy, and his Daddy," Pop-pop said. "I was going to give it to your father, but seeing how he's an ass, I would rather want ya have it. It still works."
"Thank ya, Pop-pop," Heath breathed.
His grandfather nodded. "Ya my grandson. I love ya, but that man out there loves ya even more. I can tell. He won't let ya go without a fight. The only thing I want from all my grandchildren is their happiness."
"Supper!" Memo called.
"Let's go," Pop-pop said.
They went to the kitchen to have their nighttime meal.
"Heath dear," Memo replied, "Ezekiel is so nice. He helped me set the table."
"He's always doing nice things, Memo," Heath stated.
"I bet," she replied.
"He even cooks for me sometimes," Heath stated.
"Ain't that just the sweetest thing?" Memo smiled.
"Hey, I cooked for ya," Pop-pop stated.
"You did and nearly burnt down the house," Memo reminded him.
Everyone laughed before saying grace.
"Have y'all decided the date yet?" Memo asked.
"February or March," Zeke replied. "Trying to pinpoint the date."
"That is very soon," Pop-pop stated.
"Not really," Memo replied. "Remember we were married before ya entered the Navy? Ya asked me two weeks before ya were shipped out and we got married the day before ya were shipped out."
Pop-pop nodded.
"Let them do what they want."
"Thanks, Memo," Heath said. He could feel the watch in his pocket. He looked to Zeke and smiled.
~The End~