Cohen sat on the bench at the Rivercourt, feeling lots of things. Confusion. Anger. Hate.

Why could he not a normal life? With a normal family? Normal. Why was his one chance of being as close to normal fail?

He just wanted...

"Davis told me what happened."

Jake had arrived again, but Cohen was to tired to run again.

"Why did you come?"

"Roger called me."

"Well, isn't he just being so helpful." Cohen still hadn't turned to face Jake.

"Is this why you've been calling me 'Jake' for the last month?"

His only response was a nod. Realizing Cohen wasn't going to look at him, Jake walked over and took a seat next to the fifteen year old.

"What happened?" He tried again.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I didn't ask if you wanted to talk about, I asked what happened."

"I thought Davis told..."

"I want to hear from you."

Cohen took a deep breath and began. He went through how in New York, it had started with him being teased for having gay parents, how he got harrassed just for the fun of it...how his ex-girlfriend cheated on with one of the guys who was beating him up. Everything. How it escalated to the punches which led to bruises he lied about. How when he told Davis, who went to a different high school, he was accused of lying and all the fights they had gotten into.

"I just got sick of it. I wanted to get away. I wanted normal. I don't understand, why am I getting harrassed because of a decisions that wasn't even mine to make. I'm not gay. You are. Dad is. I didn't make your decision for you so why am I paying for it? And why me? There's plenty of kids in the same boat. So why me? All I wanted was normal."

Jake sighed as he listened. Why hadn't he seen this? What? Why? They had always known something like this could come up, but they had thought they had avoided it.

"Coe, the world changes, mass opinion changes, but people who don't want to change and people who want to hate others won't change. But you can't dictate your life because of them. You've got to stay strong, and fight back, not pyshically and not by yelling back. But by refusing to abandon your...normal. You have a normal, you have a family loves you and will always be here for you, you just happend to have two dads who would do anything for you, your an amazing basketball player, and an exceptional friend..."

"Your just saying that because..."

"No, I'm not just saying that. I may have a little bias, but that's because I'm your dad. You and I may have no blood connection, but I love you and I love Davis and I love Rider just as much as I love Jenny. And I love your dad and some people don't get that. They believe just as strongly that this wrong as we do that this is right."

"So, what are we suppossed to do?"

"Live. Prove to them that your just as strong as they are and nothing they can say or do will scare you. Because you know what you have."

He couldn't think of what else to tell his son.

"Come here." Jake pulled Cohen into a hug.

"We have a couple of days off of school next week for teacher conferences, so maybe I could come see Dad."

"He'd like that. We'd all like that. Come on, let's get you back..."

"Pops?"

"Yeah,"

"I'm sorry...I should have..."

"But you didn't. You had your reasons, and regardless of whether they were good or bad, don't ever regret...No regrets, okay? Promise me."

"Fine. I promise."

.Okay, so I know it was short, but no worries next one seems a pretty good length. And it's got quiet a bit of Jake/Lucas action for those missing it. This was to resolve Cohen. Okay? Yay.

Would love to read what you think.

Until next time, this is me...signing out