Kaldur took a deep breath before he typed in the coordiantes. He knew that this was going to have to happen eventually and did not want this to happen the other way. Talking to Garth and Tula of his engagement was going to be one of the hardest things he has to do, besides coming out to his team and his parents. His parents, Calvin and Shalina but happily accepted his choices and only wanted his happiness. When he told the king and queen of his sexual orentation, he was nearly paralyzed with fear but was soon settled by their acceptance. The rest of Atlantis on the other hand, not as accepting. The Atlantean people barely accepted his father, who is colored, being with his mother, who is caucasian. The gossip of the town was Kaldur being born and looking more like Calvin than his mother. Facing racism in Atlantis was hard enough, he knew that coming out as gay was going to cause an uproar throughout Shayaris and all of Atlantis.
He asked Queen Mera where Garth and Tula were and she informed him that they were in the square. He swam to the square, feeling the all know glares from the citizens. Even though he has saved Atlantis several times along with the surface, he still was the "neger demoon" or the nigg*r demon to them. Swimming past the citizens, he spotted the pair near the amulet cart. He swam behind them and placed a gentle hand on Tula's shoulder. She turned too look at the hand and smiled seeing her friend.
"Hello Kaldur," she hugged him tightly while Garth placed a hand on his shoulder with a smile.
"It is good seeing you again old friend. What brings you to Atlantis? Is there an assignment for us?" he asked.
"No. I need to speak with the both of you privately."
"What is the matter?"
"I do not wish to talk about a personal matter such as this in the square. Please," Kaldur begged in a soft whisper.
"Of course Kaldur. Lead the way," Garth said, stepping in.
The three of them swam to the balcony of the conservatory. They notice there were not any classes in session, meanign they had some privacy. Kaldur placed two fingers onhis engagment ring in his pocket and found his coruage.
"My friend, what is so important that you need to tell us in private?"
"I-I am engaged," he pulled the necklace out from his pocket.
"Oh, Kaldur I am so happy for you! That is wonderful!" Tula cheered happily while she embraced her friend tightly.
"Congratulations Kaldur. I know she must be a special person for you to find the courage to propose. When will we meet her? Do you parents know? Does King Arthur and the Queen know?" Garth asked while going to hug his friend.
Kaldur instantly stiffened and took a deep breath.
"She is not from Atlantis."
"I figured as much since you rarely come home. We are still happy for you Kaldur," Tula said.
"She is not a she either. I-um-I am engaged to a man," he rushed out as he felt the atmosphere change.
"What?" Garth and Tula asked slowly.
"I am engaged to a man on the surface. He makes me extremely happy and I hoped-"
"Your gay!" Garth shouted.
"Not so loud! This is why I did not want to this conversation to happen in the square," Kaldur ordered sharply.
"I do not believe this. I knew the surface would do this to you. I knew the surface would change you for the worse."
"Garth please do not-"
"I firgured you of all people would react like this Garth. I would hope that you being my friend for the longest time would make you see differently. Apperantly I was mistaken," Kaldur explained as he became defensive.
"You are ruining your life and for what, a man who does not even know you?" Garth asked angrily.
"We have been dating since I was seventeen, I am twenty-eight years old Garth."
"Since when you were ever dating a man?"
"It was several months after you told me of you engagment to Garth, Tula. He was there for me when I needed a friend the most. I loved him for a long time, even before you told me you loved another," Tula looked down at the memory.
"You are throwing away your career. What does King Arthur say abotu this? Does he even apporve of this?"
"I told him of my sexual rentation. He approves and onyl wishes for my happiness and is proud of me coming to terms with who I am. I onyl wished that you both would accept me for who I am. Again, I was proven wrong," he put his head down in embrassment and guilt.
"Kaldur-"
"It does not matter. I only came here to tell you of my engagment and that you were and are still invited to the cemerony. I am going to assume, Garth, that you will not be in attendance."
"I am sorry my friend, but I can not support this decision. I can not and will not."
"I figured as much. Tula, will you be in attendance?"
"Yes. I will come," she agreed.
"Thank you. I must go and inform my parents of my engagement. Hopefull they will take the news with a happier tone than you have, Garth. Goodbye, old friend, Tula," Kaldur nodded to them both before swimming away, wiping the small tear in his eye.
Tula wanted to call him back but Garth stopped her. She pulled away from his touch, slightly furious at her husband.
"Tula-"
"We may not understand his choice of love or even like this decision, but that does not mean we treat him differently because of it," she glared at him.
"It is wrong Tula. Relationships such as those are wrong and immoral and-"
"He has been trhough enough pain adn hatred for who he is, and now he see us as one of those people. I do nto aprove of his relationship Garth but he is our brother."
"No brother of my would ever commit such a sin-" Tula slapped him across his face.
"How dare you. He has supported you through everything, suffered abuse for you being your friend and you have the audacity to no longer your brother. You sicken me!"
"Me? ME! He is laying in bed with another man and I sicken you!"
"He needs us more now than ever and you-oh my Neptune Garth."
"I am not having this conversation with you Tula. I am done," he moved to leave the roof.
"Are you going to tell? Are you going to ruin his life?" Tula demanded worriedly.
"Neptune will punish him for this. He does not want or need me to add to that," he swam off the roof and back to the Convertory for class.
Tula stayed on the roof top, feeling more conflicted than any time before. Cradling her throbbing head, she prayed to Neptune for guidance.
In tears, Kaldur swam to his parent's house, more terrfied than before. He knew that Garth was not going to be pleased with the engagament but he hoped that he would at least pretend to be joyful for him. He became terrifed of what his parents would say about this. Standing at the door and taking a nervous breath, he knocked on the door. His mother, Shalina, came to the door and smiled joyfully at her son's return.
"Kaldur! My son welcome home!" she cheered loudly while hugging him tightly.
He felt slightly better while being in his mother's arms. The protectiveness of his mother's embrace sooth his nerves completely. With a soft hum, he returned the embrace as he noticed his father come from the separate room.
"Welcome home my son," he said while placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
"It is good to be home father. I come bearing wonderful news," Kaldur said as his nerve slowly crept back into his mind.
"Really? Well come on my son, tell of this glorious news. I just finished making tea for me and your father. Would you like some? You look very thin Kaldur. Are you eating? Are you working yourself too hard again? How long are you staying?" Shalina prattled on while pulling her son into the house.
"Shalina, my darling, your smothering the poor boy. Let him in the house first before bombarding him with all of these questions," Calvin said lovingly while chuckling.
"It is fine father. Tea would be nice mother, thank you. Please, may we sit?" Kaldur said while motioning to the four lounging chairs in the small living room.
"Of course my son. Please help me with the tea my son. I am getting too old for going back and forth," she said while going tot he kettle of tea.
"Mother please, you are barely in your forties yet," he reached on the top shelve for the three tea cups.
"I am close enough my son."
"My love, you are fourty-one years old and you do not look a day over twenty. Stop worrying over small matters such as those. You will always be the same twenty-one-year-old I meet in the square and you always will," Calvin expalined while going to her side and kissing her cheek.
"Even after all of these years, when ever you go on about not caring for my age, I feel like that young girl again, falling in love for the first time my darling," she kissed her husband softly while humming softly.
Kaldur chuckled softly, thinking to how Roy can be similar to his father as a small smile graced his lips. He took the cups to the sitting room and placed them down. He heard his mother gigglign softly along with his fatehr sooth humming before thye both came into the room. They took a seat ont he opposite side of their son and Shalina poured each of them a cup.
"So what is this glorious news you have for us?" Calvin asked.
"Well, I-um, I have to apologize, I am nervous about your reaction," Kaldur turned sheepish while wringing his hands.
"It is alright my son. Just take a breath and explain the best you can," Shalina explained hold reaching out to hold his hand.
"The best way I can explain this is showing you," he pulled out his engagement ring with a worried expression on his face.
"Is that-" Calvin started to ask.
"Yes. This is my engagement ring," he answered softly.
"Oh my gosh," Shalina said in shock while her eyes widened.
"My engagement is to m-my boyfriend of ten odd years," Kaldur became extremely anxious as tears of fear started to swell in his eyes.
"Oh, my son is getting married! I can not believe this! When did this happen? Where? How?" she prattled off while launching herself at her son, hugging him tightly.
"Wait, y-you are not angry or displeased?" he asked confused.
"Why? This is glorious! My son is getting married, who would not be happy?" she asked while smiling.
"I-I thought you wanted me to marry an Atlantean woman or even a woman for that matter."
"Kaldur, listne to me my son," Calvin moved to sat next to him. "If we, your mother and I, did not accept your choice of marriage, we would be hpyocrites. Our love was denied and rejected due to our, physcial appearances. Hwo could we deny and reject you for your love due to your gender? We want you to be happy my son. No matter where that happiness is. We love you so much, no matter whom you decide to settle diwn with. Okay. Never be ashame of your love. Love is a powerful weapon, more powerful than any man made weapon in the universe. Am I understood?" Kaldur looked at his father, smiling softly.
"Yes. Thank you," he hugged him tightly while all sense of nerves left his body.
"You are very welcome my son. Now, when do we get to meet this young lad. I must meet my new son in law before we give you away at your wedding."
Tehy sat and talked of when and where Shalina and Calvin were goign to meet Roy. Although his 'friends' did not accept his love, this family and Team, who were sort of like his fmaily, accpeted his love. The people who truly mattered to him accpeted his love, adn that is all that matter.
In light of everything happening in our world, I thought posting a story like this would bring light to both sides of coming out to family and friends. Part of me feels as if I should not have written this since I am a straight woman trying to tell the story of a gay man but with a knowlegde I have and the stories we hear in our socety through youtube and other forms of social media, I decided to tell this story. Love trumps hate, no matter what. Love is all we have in our world, a world so full of hatred and anger, love wins the day. So go out into the world and spread that love and spread that pride. To my LGBT+ community, it is okay to be who you are. I don't care what society or homophoic jerks say about it. You are you and no human being in a civiled society would try and force you to change. Only people those who truly love you will accept you for who you are. Whether that be gay or bi or trans or queer, it doesn't matter. We need more open minded poeple in our society who embrace change and positive energy, not those who only brign negativity. For my friends who are standig up to injustice and fighing peacfully for equaity and acceptance, thank you. Continue that fight, for you have my support. I am not part of the LGBT+ community, but I am a supporter of the community. I hope that can be enough. I will use my writing to try and bring change and hope and love to those who are in need of those attributes. I will never stop writing, I will never stop standing up for what is right. My voice may be small, but I will use it to set the world on fire. Love is Love and Love trumps hate. Be happy and proud of your identity and have a creative day or night. Bless you all and be safe.