"Who was that?"

He jerked up from where he had slowly sank into back into bed, heart hammering in his chest as he stared at Edwin leaning against the doorway, looking for all the world as if he had always been there.

"Who was what?"

"That boy that just left."

He averted his eyes, mouth already opening to form some sort of excuse, "A friend." Because wasn't that the way one started? As friends?

John is nothing to be ashamed of, something at the back of his mind said firmly.

His little brother raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Why then, do you both look like you just had a good snog?"

He shook his head, "Excuse me?"

John is nothing to be ashamed of.

Someone had told him, or something had happened, if by the way John had looked so certain he wanted him to leave as quietly as possible, to make John ashamed of himself. He may not be the smartest person, but he knew that if he were sleeping with a female, he wouldn't be hesitating to say it.

"Are my eyes deceiving me?" Edwin drawled.

"Listen." He started, shoving his covers away, "You can't tell anyone."

"Oh bloody hell it's true." Edwin looked fascinated, as if he were a specimen to be poked and prodded at, and his eyes narrowed irately.

"Edwin. You don't tell anyone. I'll tell… eventually."

His brother closed the door behind him, stepping into his room, "No wonder you're not bothered by the banging. So when did you meet this boy?"

"Last night."

"Huh." Edwin's eyes flickered to the ceiling in thought, "Well he is hot. In a way. I see the appeal."

"You can't tell, alright?" he insisted, hands grasping at the edge of his bed.

"Fine, fine."

He pressed his lips together, a finger tapping against the arm rest as his mother pulled up at the charity homeless shelter, but he made no move to get out.

"What is it?"

"Mum…"

Because she meant a lot to him, and he didn't want her disapproval. If she asked him to cut it off, he would. He really would.

"Yes?"

"What- what do you think of gays?"

She frowned, confused, and he watched her carefully, as discreetly as possible, out of the corner of his eye. "I'm alright with them. I suppose. They can't help the way they were born. Why?"

"So you wouldn't mind if… say, Edwin, was… gay?" he ended weakly, spine ramrod straight as he watched her eyes widen.

He wasn't throwing his brother under the bus, he was just feeling things out.

"Why? Did Edwin say anything to you?"

"No. It was just a question."

"Oh." She made a thoughtful noise at the back of her throat, looking out the car, "I could handle it. It wouldn't be the end of the world. It's just… strange, you know."

He nodded, smiling painfully as he met her eyes, "Yeah, yeah."

"But it's totally fine," she added hurriedly, "If Edwin is gay. Fine."

"Right."

Estelle frowned at the wheel, as if piecing something together, which would be fine, because he found it would be a lot easier than saying it out himself, but then what left her lips were "He had been ordering dildo's."

"What- Edwin?"

His mother nodded, turning to him, "I don't think it would be that much of a shock." She said to him, as if confiding in him.

"Mum, Edwin's not gay." At least, he didn't think he was.

"Oh." She shrugged, "Alright then."

"Would it bother you if I was gay?"

She stared at him as if asking him where the hell this was coming all of a sudden. He stared back, dread curling in his chest as the silence thickened.

"No." she smiled, at least she tried to smile, "No, why would I be bothered?"

"Because if you are I can break up with him." He blurted out, remembering how she told him he was too nice for this world, and wondering whether or not she would still think that if he were a gay.

Or a bisexual.

He hadn't had John explain that to him.

Estelle looked alarmed now. "Him? So soon? I mean, just after Laura-"

"It's a new thing. I'm just- I'm just trying it out," his heart sinking at the look on her face, as if she was trying not to be disturbed and still was.

His heart was doing a lot of funny things lately.

"So soon after Laura?"

He didn't think he wanted to be with her anymore anyway. "Yes. If- if that's okay with you?"

She looked at him hard for a moment, scrutinizing him, her eyes roaming over his face, "I think I could handle it." She said finally, leaning back, satisfied somehow. She must've found something she liked.

"How old is this boy?" she asked casually.

"He's… 18."

She blinked at him, "A bit young, isn't he?" she tried, eyes narrowing uncertainly.

"His name is John."

She sat back, "Oh."

"… Is it still okay?" he ventured tentatively.

She smiled at him, and it didn't look as painful as it did before, which was good, "Yeah. Do you want me to break it to your father? He's…"

"A bit of a mess?"

He was still a bit nervous around her, but the first stage was passed, at least, for his mother, the rest of his family, he didn't know yet, but her opinion was the only one he really cared about.

"Yeah…" Estelle looked as if she was remembering something unpleasant.

"Never mind. I'll tell him with the rest of the family."

"Of course." She leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek, "I love you," she said, "No matter who you like."

He nodded, significantly more relieved than he was before, "Thanks, mum." He said softly.

Estelle and Paul, going by the episodes, are cool, or trying to be cool, with homosexuals. Thus Estelle's reaction. Edwin's general attitude is i have no fucks to give.