p class="MsoNormal""Is there something you'd like to tell me, son?" Mercutio's father, Angelo asked, slightly pissed at being called at 1 am. "This better be good, or I'm cutting your monthly allowance again."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Um… you don't give me an allowance anymore anyway, but that isn't important right now… I- uh… have something important to tell y-" Mercutio was cut off. "Hold on then, let me put this on speaker, El, honey, wake up, it's your son on the line. Yeah says he has something important to say." after a lot of ruffling in the back, there was finally silence as the other end waited to hear what he has to say./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh...yeah so remember how- um- Val said I had a- a partner…?" Mercutio stuttered out, looking nervously at Benvolio. The tired boy squeezed his hand supporting and smiled softly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes? What, did you break up with her or something and need a place to live in?" Angelo groaned at the other end. "Though, I'm not surprised that you are incapable of keeping a girlfriend."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMerc winced at the female pronouns and took a deep breath./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh a-actually… I… we're engaged." he whispered, still not correcting him./p
p class="MsoNormal"There was a pause and his mother, Elena spoke this time. "Oh honey, that's great. I mean, I'm sure this could have waited until morning but I am happy for you two. Now, you do realise you'll have to get an actual job to support the two of you right? I mean, there is no way you can carry on living with that hobby of yours and-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""A-actually… they have a pretty steady job too, so income isn't a problem…" merc pushed in, still not mentioning bene's gender./p
p class="MsoNormal"There was a pause. "Oh...well that's good… it's good for girls to be independent like that I suppose but I mean, after children...wouldn't it be harder… you really should get a job sweetie."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Merc swallowed his feminism for now and Benvolio wrote down on a notepad and pen from his bedside. Come on, you can't procrastinate it forever… Mercutio looked at him for a while and gently nodded, mouthing okay and took a deep breath./p
p class="MsoNormal""Anyway, what's her name dear? We should tell the rest of the family too. And where will it be happening? Oh, is it going to be a winter wedding? It's always too cold to do winter weddings here, dear and-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""His name's Benvolio."/p
p class="MsoNormal""...I'm sorry could you repeat that?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""H-his name...my partner… B-Benvolio…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""...but… that's a very masculine name, what were her parents thinking?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""H-his...His parents…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Wait...so you're…?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, I'm gay Mum…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""..."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Mum?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""..."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Dad? Are you still there?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""..."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm sorry… I wanted to tell you, but I was scared you would react badly!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""..."/p
p class="MsoNormal""... okay… I got the message."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Um… you don't give me an allowance anymore anyway, but that isn't important right now… I- uh… have something important to tell y-" Mercutio was cut off. "Hold on then, let me put this on speaker, El, honey, wake up, it's your son on the line. Yeah says he has something important to say." after a lot of ruffling in the back, there was finally silence as the other end waited to hear what he has to say./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh...yeah so remember how- um- Val said I had a- a partner…?" Mercutio stuttered out, looking nervously at Benvolio. The tired boy squeezed his hand supporting and smiled softly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes? What, did you break up with her or something and need a place to live in?" Angelo groaned at the other end. "Though, I'm not surprised that you are incapable of keeping a girlfriend."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMerc winced at the female pronouns and took a deep breath./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh a-actually… I… we're engaged." he whispered, still not correcting him./p
p class="MsoNormal"There was a pause and his mother, Elena spoke this time. "Oh honey, that's great. I mean, I'm sure this could have waited until morning but I am happy for you two. Now, you do realise you'll have to get an actual job to support the two of you right? I mean, there is no way you can carry on living with that hobby of yours and-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""A-actually… they have a pretty steady job too, so income isn't a problem…" merc pushed in, still not mentioning bene's gender./p
p class="MsoNormal"There was a pause. "Oh...well that's good… it's good for girls to be independent like that I suppose but I mean, after children...wouldn't it be harder… you really should get a job sweetie."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Merc swallowed his feminism for now and Benvolio wrote down on a notepad and pen from his bedside. Come on, you can't procrastinate it forever… Mercutio looked at him for a while and gently nodded, mouthing okay and took a deep breath./p
p class="MsoNormal""Anyway, what's her name dear? We should tell the rest of the family too. And where will it be happening? Oh, is it going to be a winter wedding? It's always too cold to do winter weddings here, dear and-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""His name's Benvolio."/p
p class="MsoNormal""...I'm sorry could you repeat that?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""H-his name...my partner… B-Benvolio…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""...but… that's a very masculine name, what were her parents thinking?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""H-his...His parents…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Wait...so you're…?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, I'm gay Mum…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""..."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Mum?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""..."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Dad? Are you still there?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""..."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm sorry… I wanted to tell you, but I was scared you would react badly!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""..."/p
p class="MsoNormal""... okay… I got the message."/p