Matthew Williams is pacing.
He's nervous, anyone with eyes could see that. But in his defense, he's about to do probably the scariest thing he's ever done.
He's going to come out to his parents.
Now, that doesn't sound as terrifying as it actually is. It would be different if his parents weren't hardcore, by-the-bible Christians, and it would be way different if they were, for example, hippies.
Matt's having second thoughts as he slowly descends the spiral staircase of his parents house. It's not as if he's particularly attached to his parental figures, it's just that he has nowhere to go if they kick him out. He's also extremely aware that he grew up as sheltered as possible, and that he has literally no idea how to survive on his own.
He pauses at the bottom of the stairs as that thought enters his head, but shakes it away quickly. If worse comes to worst, he could always stay at Alfred's house for a while.
Matt inwardly cringed at that. Don't get him wrong, he loves his annoying, brash, overbearing, controlling, loud older brother, it's just...
It's just...
Well, I'm sure you know.
In any case, he could lay low at Al's place until his parents calmed down enough to think rationally.
That is, if they needed to calm down.
But then Matthew wondered if Alfred would even allow him to stay. Alfred was a well-known secret agent guy, after all, and god forbid Matthew get hurt at the hands of some hooligan.
But Al had always had a hero complex, so Matt would likely be just fine in his care.
Matthew could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he silently entered the kitchen, his purple eyes taking in his parents sitting across from each other at the table. His father was sipping coffee, reading the newspaper, and his mother was typing away at her laptop.
He hesitated before clearing his throat quietly. His parents looked at him curiously, and Matt's already loud heart seemed to skip a step in apprehension.
"I, uh, wanted to talk to you guys about something," Matt said quietly, pulling out the chair at the head of the table. His father sighed and folded his newspaper carefully, and his mother pulled her laptop screen down almost all the way.
They looked at Matthew attentively, likely for the first time in months.
Of course, he thought dryly. The only time I get their undivided attention is when I don't particularly want it.
But he couldn't back down now. His fingers tapped out a tuneless rhythm on the table, and he cleared his throat again nervously.
"What is it, Matthew?" his father said impatiently. Matt swallowed and steeled himself.
"I... discovered something about myself recently..." he began haltingly. "And I thought you two should know."
Matthew's father raised a brow. His mother nodded, urging him on silently.
Well, he thought. Now or never.
"I, um, found out... th-that I like, uh," Matt squeezed his eyes shut. "Men," he half-whispered.
There was complete silence. You could hear a pin hit the ground, it was so quiet. He wondered if his parents had even heard him.
Matthew peeked one eye open and discovered that his future was not looking very bright.
His mother looked devastated, and he was pretty sure his father's face was not supposed to be that colour. I mean, he looked a little like an overripe radish... if radishes had facial features and stuff.
"Oh, Matthew," she whispered sadly. She looked like she had just found out her child was dead, which he probably was, in her eyes. If not, he was about to be, because holy shit his father had never looked so angry in his life.
"Matthew Williams," he said lowly. "You know full well that I do not accept this type of disrespect in my household."
Matt gulped inaudibly. He couldn't remember why he thought this was a good idea. He couldn't remember what his heart had sounded like before it felt like it was stuck in his head, beating wildly.
His mother looked on the edge of tears as his father continued. "You have ten minutes to pack your belongings and get out of our sight," he growled. "You may never, ever show you face to us again, do you understand me?"
Matthew nodded, feeling dazed. He hadn't actually thought that his parents would outright abandon him, but there was no going back now. He stood up carefully, turned around, and marched back upstairs.
Matt didn't feel anything as he threw clothing into a large duffel bag. He thought, dimly, that maybe he should cry, or get mad, or something. But he just felt empty.
Eight minutes later he took one last look at his bedroom before quietly closing the door behind him.
Nine minutes after, he dropped his house key into his father's hand.
A few seconds ago, the door to his childhood home slammed shut behind him.
But he still didn't feel anything.
~~~~~
I'm back, babies!
First off, I don't actually know how that whole kick-your-gay-child-out thing works, but that's how I pictured it. I still feel like I did a terrible job haha.
Secondly! I don't even know what this type of writing is, it's definitely not my usual, but I figure that since this is just an epilogue it doesn't really matter a whole lot. So, uh, sorry if it sucks!