Gamzee and I spent many days doing much of the same things as we did on that mild day in June. We did our best to remember all the card games we used to play when we were young, but really the only thing either of us could recall was Go Fish, and after playing it around four times on four different occasions it quickly lost it's interest and we were left having to find something else to occupy our time.

However if I were to be honest finding things to do with Gamzee around was a great deal easier than having to find things to entertain me when I was by myself. I soon discovered that on top of a love for anything edible, Gamzee had a love of getting takeout food and walking back the nearly two and a half miles back to the park and eating it there while on the play structure. At first of course it seemed like a bit of an odd thing to do, but the more we did it, the less strange it seemed, and the more fun I had.

It was during the third visit to the park with cheap Chinese food takeout in our laps that Gamzee brought up meeting my family again.

His suggestion surprised me considering he knew what they thought of him and his past actions, however it made sense for him to be thinking about it. If we were going to continue to be... Whatever it was that we were, then we were going to have to brave them. The guilt of hiding Gamzee from them would have been too much to bare. Still, I was concerned.

"Why now? Don't you think we should wait until we have things sorted out a bit more?"

His chopsticks poked at a piece of sweet n' sour chicken. "I got it sorted in my head brother, I'm just waitin' for you."

"But why now?"

"Cause we've been hangin' together for, what, four weeks now? Things are good, motherfuckin' spectacular in fact, and if we really wanna be serious about somethin' happenin' between us, I feel like they got a right to know 'bout it." The chicken was stabbed onto the copstick's end, and he lifted it up. "Even if nothin' actually happens, I wanna make up with them."

"Make up for what?" I asked, even though I knew already.

"All the shit I did to you. If they don't wanna accept it, that's fine, I don't really expect em to, I just wanna let em know how motherfuckin' sorry I am."

I put my chopsticks down to grip his knee, and he lowered his empty one to rest over mine. Often we shared our understanding through silence, and it seemed to work.

"You're right, I just don't know how they're going to react." I shivered at the thought of my father being left alone in an empty room with Gamzee. "Dad may flip his shit. Rufioh isn't home to even try to pass judgement, but Tink..." I remembered the look of worry in Tink's eye when we had talked about Gamzee last and felt a pang of guilt hit me. It felt like betrayal, making him worry about me so much.

That low rumbling voice softened itself. "Oh yeah Tink, how is she?"

"- He." I corrected quickly.

"Shit, that's right. I'm sorry man."

I gave him a half smile and a squeeze of his knee to let him know it was fine. "Honest mistake, at least you didn't do it on purpose."

"Course not!" Gamzee said as he worked around the chicken he had now stuffed into his mouth. "Sh- He's a real chill dude! Great person, miraculous sibling, ain't got no reason to misgender someone who means so much to my favorite motherfucker."

I was reminded of how many times Vriska had intentionally done that. How many times we had gotten into arguments and she had written TRANNY on Tink's bedroom window. I hated that the most, when she set out to hurt me through the people I cared about. I had made sure to wash every bit of the shaving cream off of it that same morning that I had seen it, but I had known Tink had already noticed it because there was a hand print in the corner, as if he had needed to take a moment to compose himself after seeing it. I had really hated her then, why couldn't it have lasted?

"I really appreciate that, and I'm sure he will too."

"So..." He tilted his head to the side, bending down a bit to look up at me with the hopeful curiosity of a child. "Can we?"

Torn, I pushed around my fried rice. "I-I don't know Gamzee, it seems kind of risky.."

He didn't push it, but his words made my heart ache. "Aiight... I guess you don't wanna bring me around where anyone can see..."

"Gamz-"

"I mean, you're prolly ashamed'a me right? That's it right? That's why you haven't said yes, an you don't wanna hurt my feelin's so you just lead me on an-"

"Gamzee!" I put my takeout box down to my side and took his face in both my hands, forcing him to look me in the face, in the eyes. "No, never okay? I would never do that to you." His skin was soft under my thumb as i stroked his cheek. "You know me well enough to get I would never hurt you on purpose, don't you?"

For a few moments he looked into my eyes as if searching, and he must have found what he was trying to see, because his body relaxed from the tension that had come rushing in with his building up rage and his jaw slackened in my hands.

"Yeah... Yeah I know you better..." He lowered his head to rest his forehead on my shoulder, and I ran my fingers through his hair. "Sorry brother..."

My voice stayed soft and steady as I soothes him. "Don't be, I know I'm being really hard on you by dragging this on."

"I really am willin' to wait for you."

"Yes I know." I stroked his hair from root to tip, my cheek resting on the back of his head. "It isn't like I want to hurt you, or lead you on..." My voice involuntarily softened, cracking a bit. "I-I'm just scared.."

"What?" He lifted his head and looked into my face, pulling me into his lap easily with his long arms and strong hands. "You ain't gotta be scared of me brother, ain't no motherfuckin' way I'd hurt, you, not never."

It felt so nice to rest my head on his shoulder as the summer afternoon turned to evening around us. It felt peaceful and intimate.

"I love you too fuckin' much to hurt you none man."

"No no, I'm not scared of you Gamzee. I'm..."

"... Yeah?"

Before continuing I cleared my throat. "I-it's just that I'm scared of relationships. There's only one other person I've ever been with in a romantic sense, and there was rarely even any romance involved in it, it was just..."

What had we been? Our loving moments had been far and in between, and emotional stability non-existent. Of course we had out moments where we opened up and really expressed ourselves, but they were spontaneous, and I never knew which Vriska I was talking to. Her personal and social selves were very different, but they both could be venomous, and both more volatile that an active volcano.

Yes, she was poison, right down to the core, but she was a person, a person I knew well and understood as best as was possible. She wanted to be with me, and since she assured me that I would and could never do better, I stayed, and let her take me back every time she wanted me.

"Don't you worry your clever little head about nothin' babe," He smoothed my hair back and kissed the top of my head softly. "I ain't gonna be a burden on ya, I wanna heal ya like you're all up an healin' me. Nothin more, nothin' less."

But she was wrong.

"Thank you Gamzee," He was gazing out into the dying light of the sun, and when he glanced at me as I lifted my head I pressed the softest of kisses to his lips. It made my heart quicken and my stomach tense, despite being anything more than a lingering peck, but it was a start, because the lips I touched weren't her lips, and he didn't force me back when I pulled away, instead he looked down at me with a lazy smile full of compassion and adoration, one I didn't think could feel that wonderful to be directed towards. It felt like the sun had returned to the sky and was shining gentle rays on my face and all over my body.

He didn't seem able to hold back the chuckle that rumbled from him. "What was that for Tavbro?"

"It was a question." Came my reply.

"And it was askiiiiinnn...?"

"W-would you like to be my boyfriend?"

Not even my stutter could have stopped him from brightening on the spot. In fact I think he liked it more that way. "Hell yeah I will brother! Aw yes, fuck yes! A thousand yes's man!" I made an exaggerated choking sound when he trapped me in the tightest hug of my life, tighter than even the hug I had received when we first met up had been. I wold give up air for the rest of my life to have those arms never let me go.


Just like I had anticipated, Dad was extremely standoffish when Gamzee came to the front door.

Of course Gamzee had been to the house several times before, but every time had been when everyone else was at work or busy with something that kept them away from home. He had never experienced the house when anyone else besides my rats and I was home.

Not surprisingly, it has started very bad.

Dad and I spend the first five minutes arguing about whether of not Gamzee should even be able to be let into the house. I wasn't proud of it, but I used my eyes to plead with him, the same eyes he new were too large and had seen too much pain and agony for my small body to handle, so when he saw them and understood how much I needed him to cooperate, he set his jaw and gestured for me to lead Gamzee inside. His piercing dark eyes never left my boyfriend as he shuffled quickly through the doorway.

Wow, it was still odd to even think that. Boyfriend...

Anyways, the next couple hours were quite the adventure.

"Sir, I completely understand why you wouldn't want me here," We were all sitting in the living room, my father forcing me to sit on the couch sandwiched between him and Tink while Gamzee sat on the sagging armchair all by himself with his knees on his elbows and his anxious eyes on the carpet. "But I can assure you that I'm here with completely honorable intentions."

"Honorable." Dad leaned forward, his hand on his knee, the fire in his eyes scorching. "Don't talk to me about honor boy. You've got no right."

"Dad-"

Gamzee shook his head to signal that he had this under control. "You're right sir, I don't know much about honor yet. But that's why I'm here, to start learning."

"No I know why you're here. You're here to try and make things worse right when they were starting to get better."

Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, Gamzee shifted in his seat. "I wasn't right in the head at the time, but things've changed now. I ain't- I'm not the same person I used to be."

"Bullshit."

I couldn't help myself. "Dad!"

"No no Tav, it's okay." Gamzee seemed to have beads of sweat growing on his forehead, from the summer heat or his own nervousness, I couldn't be sure. I knew that he had nearly thrown up before he had arrived, but only now did I see how much paler he seemed, how much his hands fidgeted to find something to focus on. "You're right sir, i-it is hard to believe, but it's been a real long time, an I've seen some specialists about this. I'm on a sturdy medication that keeps me

"Son you might think that everything is all fine and dandy after a little chit chat about your feelings but I'm not buying it. He's a menace, a scourge against humanity. He's got no right to be in my home, let alone spending any amount of time with my boy."

A fire was growing in my stomach that not even Gamzee's warning gaze couldn't settle. "You don't know anything about what happened! How can you even make that decision?"

"I know plenty." one of his hard fingers jabbed Gamzee's direction, his glare growing in intensity as he spoke. "He's the one that messed up your friends isn't he? Are you just gonna ignore all the shit he's done, just because he gave you a speech about how good he is now and how much he's changed? Are you really going to do that?"

This kind of confrontation was new, but somehow my body knew how to react and forced me to my feet despite the same hand that had been pointing grabbing my wrist to try and make me sit. I could feel both Gamzee's and Tink's eyes on me as I wretched out of my father's grasp and huffed with anger.

I knew I wasn't big, or intimidating in any way shape or form, but I hoped that maybe my emotion could push past those facts and get my point across.

"You don't get it, do you Dad? Gamzee makes me happy. He treats me gently, but with respect. He says sweet things, but doesn't make me feel like a child. I missed him for so long, and I've finally got him back, but the moment he tries to come to you for your approval of our relationship like a decent person would you turn around and act like you're some kind of holy figure that can tell when someone is evil or not."

I already knew I was pushing him too far, but my father seemed to want to make sure I knew by standing up himself and squaring off with me. Finally he sees me stand up for myself, but it's against him. I could almost see the betrayal in his eyes.

"Tavros P. Nitram, you talk to me with respect right this instant."

"Why? You don't deserve it!"

"Tavros!"

Both Tink and Gamzee stood up now, and they both shared the same look of pure fear in their faces. Such different faces, but they both shared the same love for me, and they both knew this could get ugly fast.

I couldn't let them see the ugly, and apparently neither could my father because without even looking at them he snapped his arm up and pointed at the front door.

"Both of you. OUT."

Gamzee tried to come up to reason with him. No Gamzee don't, he'll turn on you! "Sir please I think we need to-"

"I said GET OUT YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

"Dad please, think about what you're doing!"

Dad turned on Tink now with fire in his eyes. "BELL, IF YOU TWO DON'T GET OUT I'M GOING TO KICK BOTH YOUR ASSES!"

That got all of our attention. It had been years since he had called Tink by his birth name, and for him to do it now made us all scared, so with reluctance Tink touched Gamzee's arm ans whispered for them to go. He looked at me, his big blue-indigo eyes full of fear for my sake, but I attempted to puff my chest and nodded for him to go, so he wouldn't have to see me scared, or worse, cry more. They left just as my dad turned back to me and continued glaring daggers in my direction.

"Apologize."

I squared my shoulders. "No."

"Tavros Nitram-"

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm your FATHER, THAT'S fucking WHY."

Of course I knew there was no way I was going to win this battle, but it was one that I was prepared to lose. No matter how badly my eyes burned or how much my stomach shivered with anxiety my eyes didn't leave his, not for a second.

"You're crossing into dangerous territory by acting this way now apologize now!"

"When have I ever acted up Dad? Tell me? Until this very moment when have I ever gone against you?"

He gnashed his teeth. "Never! that's why that fucking piece of shit is coorupting you!"

"HE'S not the one doing it! Do you want to know who was? That stupid bitch that's your old girlfriend's niece! She's been torturing me for years!"

This made him seem exasperated. "Oh really, we're bring this back up?"

"Yes! We are! because you never listened to me! You were too busy thinking about your dick in some hooker's vagina to pay attention to your ow-"

That was when I felt his firm hand lash out across my cheek for the first time.

It sent me stumbling back, hitting my legs against a table and crying out in pain. I was kneeling down with both hands on my swelling face when Tink burst back into the house with Gamzee pushing past to see me. He looked stunned, then he spun to look at my father with such fury I was scared he was going to kill him. My fears were subdued when Gamzee's gaze went to follow Tink , who rushed past him again to kneel beside me and hold my face in his cool gentle hands.

"Tav, oh baby are you alright?!"

"Get out of here!" My father shouted.

"No Dad stop!" Tink was holding me against his chest now, so that I could feel the binder under his shirt, and only then did i notice I had been crying since I felt my tears soak into his shirt. "Gamzee, go home! I'll handle this, just go!"

All eyes turned to my boyfriend, who looked around as if the whole world was conspiring against him. When his gaze fell back on me again I nodded a second time to tell him to go. I hoped he understood, that I would contact him as soon as I possibly could, and that I was so sorry to have let this happen, but there was no way to make sure, and so with a self loathing grimace he stared at me long and hard to silently tell me he loved me and then turned around to slump out of the house with his fists by his sides.

The sound of my father slamming door behind him echoed through my brain and signaled the end of my summer freedom.


(Sorry it took so long for me to update you guys! I've been crazy busy with applying to college and making sure I end this year with good grades, not to mention housing complications... but that's a topic for another day! don't forget to comment and give me your opinion on how this one came out, and let me know if there's anything I should add or change! Happy reading!)