Thank you for all the fantastic reviews! Luvluv deserves particular mention because she has faithfully reviewed each chapter in great detail and the reviews are much fun to read.
A few comments – many reviewers have said that they love the confident Marco in the story. In my humble opinion, it is not me who wrote the confident Marco – the Marco on Degrassi is actually an incredibly confident, empowered character! I often find that I don't like stories where he is portrayed as a wimp because they don't feel consistent with the character to me. If you watch the Episode, "Moonlight Desires" (which despite the fact that Dylan and Marco break up in this episode, is one of my fave Marco episodes), you will see Marco shift. He accepts himself, what he needs from a partner, and won't take anything less. He continues to be an independent and strong character all through season 5. (even before season 5, it takes confidence and guts to come out in highschool. No wimp could do it).
This is likely the second last chapter. Soon we will see how the story really unfolds as Marco and Dylan will both be back for season 6. Yay!
Chapter 9 – There's a first time for everything
Marco was sitting down to dinner with his parents later in the week, casually chatting about the upcoming World Cup with his dad. When his mom sat down she interrupted, "Marco, hunny, I was thinking of making your favourite chicken cacciatore tomorrow night for dinner…"
"Great…sounds good, Ma," Marco replied, slightly confused at the advance announcement of a regular dinner.
"And I thought maybe you would like it if Dylan came over for dinner too…you know, I don't think he's had my chicken cacciatore before…"
"Wha – are you serious, Ma? Pa?" Marco couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Marco, we talked about it. I think it's time that we got to know Dylan better if he is your, um, you know – "
Marco was going to finish her sentence for her but then paused, wanting to hear if his mom was actually comfortable with the word.
"Your boyfriend." She finished with relief.
"Wow. Ma, I would love to invite Dylan for dinner. If you guys really mean it….And yeah, he is my boyfriend again," Marco looked at his father, "and things are going really well, actually. But do you really mean this? Pa?"
Marco's father looked down and then up again. "Marco. I still don't totally understand this. I mean, why don't you like girls…your friends, Paige, Ellie – they are beautiful girls…but you don't like them? I don't get this, Marco."
"No, Pa. I don't like them. Well, I do, of course, just not that way…and yes, they are beautiful…but I'm gay, Pa. I know you know that. Just like Ellie liked Sean, and you fell in love with Ma, and Paige liked Spinner, that's how I feel about Dylan. I know that's not how you want it to be. But that's how it is…That's who I am."
"Marco, would you change it if you could?...I don't know if you can…but would you?" Marco's dad pleaded.
Marco looked sadly into his dad's eyes, "Dad, it can't be changed, so ultimately the question is unanswerable. But I'm going to answer you anyways, because I want you to hear this," Marco looked down, breathed and looked directly at his dad, "Dad, I would not change who I am. I would not change being gay even if I could. I love who I am, my friends, my family," he looked at his Ma, "and I have Dylan again. And he loves me. The only thing I would change, Pa, the only one thing I wish would be different, is for people to accept me being gay without them wishing that it wasn't the case…Do you know how much it hurts to be rejected by someone you love for who you are?"
"Oh Marco," his dad shook his head, his eyes raw with emotion, "I don't wanna hurt you, son. But I am an old fashioned man,…so please, …forgive my need for time…Your mama, she is very persuasive. And I am learning to accept this…So if your mama wants Dylan to try her chicken cacciatore, who am I to deny someone your mama's cooking?" he smiled, "Dylan likes soccer? Maybe we can talk about soccer."
"Thanks for talking about it this time, dad. I love you…And I'm sure Dylan will be excited to have Mama's cooking, I talk about it all the time after all," Marco's mom beamed from the side, "And of course Dylan likes soccer, dad. He's a total sports fan…" Marco's speech got quicker with excitement, as he started making his way for the phone, dialing Dylan's number, "And we can talk about soccer, hockey, food, whatever….he's just a person," Marco smiled warmly at his parents, shaking his head at his dad's nervousness.
"Hey Babe. What's up?...You will never believe this…My mom is making chicken cacciatore tomorrow-"
"No! Shocking…"
"No. shut up…Listen. She's making chicken cacciatore because she wants you to try my favorite Del Rossi dish…" Marco paused, waiting for the information to sink in.
"Are you saying that…are you going to bring me leftovers when you come over tomorrow night?"
"Very funny. Dylan, my parents are inviting you to dinner with us tomorrow night…Yeah, just the four of us…Yeah, they still know I'm gay…Yeah, and they know that you're my boyfriend. My mom even used the word to describe you – 'if Dylan's your boyfriend we think it's time we got to know him better.'"
"Wow, Marco. I am amazed….Of course, I'll come,…what should I wear?...what should I bring?..." Dylan answered nervously.
"You're worse than my dad," Marco laughed, "don't worry, Dylan. I'll be there too…'kay. Love you beautiful. Talk to you later. Bye."
Later that night, Marco crawled into bed, dialing Dylan's number. They had started talking almost nightly, when they couldn't be together, usually chatting until one of them almost fell asleep lulled by the other's voice.
"Hey babe," Dylan answered, "I was hoping it was you….I just got into bed too. Yeah, tomorrow's going to be pretty crazy. I will definitely be on my best behaviour…hey, are you still coming over after dinner to hang out with Paige and Alex…yeah 'cause my parents are going to be away for the weekend, and we'd have,…you know, …privacy."
"Yeah, definitely still coming. I hadn't forgotten. You, me, your bed, no parents….I can't wait 'til we both have dorm rooms this year…," Marco sighed, frustrated.
"Yeah," Dylan laughed, "But then there won't be any excitement in having our own space anymore.Do you remember when I first got my dorm room at U of T?"
"Totally," Marco nodded to himself, "Before we had your room, we couldn't…you know…but maybe I hadn't been ready to anyways. But wow, it was pretty awesome when it finally happened…actually, when each part of it finally happened…" Marco insinuated.
"I'm blushing right now." Dylan said, remembering their many firsts crammed in a single bed in his dorm room. Then, a little more boldly, Dylan asked, "what was your favourite time?"
Marco laughed at the question, "Gotten over your shyness, eh?...Well, I guess I can answer that then… it was all so intense for me, so many firsts…I think the sexiest time for me was when we were first naked together, and when you know…you went down on me for the first time," Marco whispered now blushing.
They were both quiet, remembering the night a few weeks after Marco had been elected President of Degrassi, had come out to his mom, and had told his parents he was sleeping at Spinner's to study. Marco was incredibly happy, out, confident, with the hot undergrad student he was beginning to love. They had been making out on Dylan's bed, shirts off, breathing heavy, when Marco started to undo the button on Dylan's jeans.
Dylan stopped him – "Marco babe, I have to confess that I am incredibly turned on right now. And um, if you wanna stop where we normally do,…which is totally fine, completely fine-"
"No Dylan. I want to…" Marco looked up with his big brown eyes at Dylan, cheeks pink, "to,um…want you to take your clothes off. And um, …I'll take mine off too…but only if you want to," Marco quickly added.
"Are you kidding, Marco?" Dylan fiercely kissed Marco's mouth as he helped him slide off his own jeans, followed by Marco's. Their bare legs intertwined as each could feel the other's excitement. When Dylan sensed that Marco was not going to make the next move, he began to slowly push down Marco's boxers, "you can stop me, you know?" Dylan whispered.
"I know," Marco gazed up at him, "but I won't." As Marco kicked his boxers off, he quickly removed Dylan's boxers, as they lay naked together for the first time.
"You're beautiful, Marco." Marco blushed under the intensity in Dylan's gaze, as Dylan looked at him. Then he looked at Dylan, and his amazing body.
"Dylan, you're perfect,…And I am so blushing," Marco admitted.
"No shyness, okay?" Dylan lay on top of Marco, as they kissed deeply, exploring each other's bodies, hands on backs, squeezing butts, tongue on neck, stomach. It wasn't planned, but before either one of them thought about it, Dylan kissed lower, slowly putting Marco into his mouth.
"Wow…Dylan…feels so good, don't stop," Marco breathed heavily.
Dylan didn't.
Marco remembered feeling that amazing sensation between tears of happiness and complete laughter that only comes with a significant first. He and Dylan had been sitting quietly on their respective phones for a few seconds.
"Yeah, definitely an amazing Marco and Dylan moment," Dylan agreed, "That was one of the first times I saw that despite your initial nervousness,… and your newbie status…you actually really aren't so self conscious,…and that you are undeniably both sexy and sexual" Dylan smiled, "I love that about you, Marco."
"I probably showed that to you again on top of the car, eh?" Marco teased.
"Definitely. I was like, 'is this Marco - french kissing me in broad daylight in front of the school?' And then it was like 'of course. This is of course who you were going to become once you were totally out. You weren't going to let the world treat you differently than everybody else."
Marco smiled. Dylan saw him…and understood him. "I love you babe."
"I love you too, Marco."
