Meet the Parents

In many roman-catholic families, a Sunday breakfast is usually followed by a visit to the church for Sunday mass. However, the Suarez clan was expecting the return of its two daughters, and thus Bobby, Ignacio, and Justin deemed themselves relieved of church duty. Not that they would have gone anyway; Ignacio only went on Christmas and Easter, Bobby knew Hilda would kill him if he told the priest about what had happened before he told her, and Justin was way too busy wondering if he'd finally received that one-way ticket to hell he'd been dreading all these years.

This morning, Papi was making breakfast as usual, singing to himself in Spanish as he tripped along the kitchen.

"You boys want some more eggs?" he called out cheerfully while stirring around egg batter in the frying pan.

Justin and Bobby, who were sitting as far away from each other as possible, each mumbled their no-thank-you's. Bobby was occupied with the paper, and Justin was frantically typing on his cell phone.

"Ay, but I made so much…" Ignacio sighed, mourning his perfect omelet which would now have to go into the trash.

"You could use some protein young man, it would help you build some muscles" Papi lectured, and pointed his spatula at Justin, who didn't bother to look up from his cell phone.

"Neanderthals are extinct grandpa, the human race developed into slender beings like moi for a reason" Justin said right back at Papi, arrogantly arching one eyebrow while still typing.

Ignacio frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?" he wondered, lowering the spatula.

Justin looked up at his grandfather. "No more protein please" he shot at him, rolling his eyes before returning to his cell phone.

Papi regarded his grandson, studying his slumped posture and his neck where his trimmed hair had begun growing out in tight, black curls. Justin could be terribly arrogant, like any teenager, but he was rarely rude. Something was up.

He looked over at Bobby who was still reading the paper while gulping down orange juice. "They haven't said a word to each other since I got back" Ignacio thought, wondering how he could have missed the tension between them. They didn't seem to be mad at each other; it was just that there was something terribly awkward about the way they interacted.

Ignacio shrugged. "It's between the two of them, there's nothing I can do" he concluded, and opened the trash bin to throw out the breakfast he'd made which no one had eaten. "What a waste" he sighed, and took off his apron and headed for the living room to watch the news.

Bobby found himself reading the same sentence over and over again, not able to process any information at the moment. Hilda was coming home tonight, and he and Justin had been walking on eggshells around each other ever since he'd caught Justin making out with Austin. Bobby had promised not to tell anyone, not even Hilda, but he felt really bad having to carry such a heavy burden. Most of all, he felt bad about him and Justin not being able to talk.

Justin on the other hand, didn't worry much about the not-talking-situation. As far as he was concerned, he would continue ignoring Bobby until his mother came back from London. If there was anyone he did not want to talk to about what had happened in the vestibule, it was Bobby.

He'd been texting with Austin all morning. Last night, Austin had called him, saying he'd told his parents about their relationship and that he was invited over for Sunday dinner. This had raised more questions within Justin than he was capable of handling, and he wanted nothing more than to call and cancel. However; he knew how much courage it must have taken Austin to break the news to his parents, and bailing on him felt so wrong. He would just have to suck it up and drag his sorry ass to Austin's, no matter how uncomfortable he felt.

Flipping back the lid on his phone, he rose from the chair without looking at Bobby. Bobby tried his hardest not to acknowledge that Justin had ever been at the table, keeping his eyes firmly glued at the TV-guide. However, when Justin was out of sight, he threw away the paper, and leaned over the table to bury his face in his arms. "Hilda is going to kill me" he groaned to himself.

Justin headed for his bedroom, deciding that picking out an outfit for tonight was a more urgent need than answering the disturbing questions that were swirling around in his head. He hadn't told Bobby or his grandfather that he wouldn't be home for dinner, knowing that they would most likely tell him he couldn't go. Given that his mother and aunt were coming home from an exciting trip to London, Papi and Bobby would want him to join the welcome home-party.

"For once in my life, I have a great excuse for bailing, and it just so happens that I can't use it. The irony…" Justin sighed to himself, opening up his closet only to realize he had tons of clothes but nothing to wear. He threw a glance at his cell phone to see what time it was. 6 and a half hours left until he was supposed to knock on Austin's door, washed and shaved and totally adorable.

"When I'm rich and famous, I'm totally hiring a stylist" he mumbled under his breath, wishing he'd had the liberty of asking his family for help.

I

"So at what time is he arriving?" Megan called out from the kitchen, as she was chopping onions for tonight's dinner. Her husband Pete was rinsing apples for the fruit salad they'd have for dessert, and Austin was setting the table in the dining room.

"I told him to be here around 6" Austin called back, while trying to figure out where the dessert spoons were going. "Justin would have known" he smiled to himself, feeling warm at the thought of the dark-haired boy who was soon coming over to meet his family.

"Alright!" his mother nodded, and returned to chopping the onions. She'd tried her best not to act as if she was uncomfortable with this whole situation, but she felt herself failing, at least emotionally.

"What do you think he's like?" she asked Pete, as quietly as possible. Pete looked up from his bowl of fruit, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't know. I really don't know what to expect" he confessed, leaning against the sink with his right hand.

"What if he's older?" Megan whispered worriedly, looking around to make sure Austin wasn't standing near them.

Pete frowned, looking slightly shocked. "What, you mean like a grown man? Come on Megan, I'm sure it's not that bad" he told her, despite having wondered the same thing the night before. "It's just dinner, not an execution" he reminded her, and patted her shoulder.

Megan's eyes softened. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. It's just… he's our baby, Pete" she mumbled, covering his hand with hers.

Pete nodded knowingly. "Yeah, I know" he sighed, and then quietly proceeded with the fruit salad, needing to put his hands into use. "Let's try and make the best of this, shall we? For Austin" he pleaded with his wife. Megan nodded.

"Okay. For Austin" she breathed, knowing she at least meant that.

I

Austin hadn't heard a word of what his parents had said, being too excited to pay attention to what the old folks were discussing. Ever since yesterday, he'd felt so much more at ease, knowing his secret was out. Now that they all knew about Justin, he wouldn't have to worry about telling them.

Having finished setting the table, he made a beeline for the bathroom. Shower, shaving what little peach fuss he had on his upper lip and chin, hair, outfit, dinner. "So much to do, and so little time to do it" Austin sighed, as he slipped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He put his cell phone on the washing machine, and stripped off his clothes, forming a pile on the floor. Just as he'd turned the taps to let the water heat up, his phone rang. "What the…" he mumbled under his breath, but picked up the phone nonetheless. The screen said "JUSTIN", and he instantly replaced his frown with a smile. Flipping open the lid, he put the cell phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he said as casually as possible, knowing he couldn't be 100 % sure it wasn't Bobby or Ignacio.

"Hi, it's me" he heard Justin say on the other end.

"Hey" Austin smiled. "Look, I'm about to hop in the shower, is it important?" he asked, even though he didn't mind talking to Justin.

"No… I just wanted to talk, that's all" Justin sighed, sounding awfully tired.

"Okay, we can talk if you want to. What do you want to talk about?" Austin said, trying not to sound worried. He knew Justin wouldn't cancel, and yet he couldn't stop thinking about it.

"I dunno. I'm just nervous, that's all. But I think it's in a good way… sort of" Justin stated flatly.

"Don't be nervous, it's gonna be fine. Now you'll finally get to meet my family!" Austin encouraged him, hoping it would help.

"Yeah, that's true. I'm just really worried that I'll say something stupid you know. Like, what if they don't like me?" Justin said, and let out half a groan.

"Of course they'll like you! They're actually quite cool, you don't need to worry. And besides, I like you a lot and if I like you, they must like you too. I'm sure there's some law that says they have to feel the same as I do" Austin reassured him.

"Yeah, I'm sure I've read that somewhere too" Justin giggled.

"See, that's what I told you!" Austin exclaimed, glad the mood had lightened.

"Austin?"

"Yeah?"

"I like you too" Justin said, his voice soft and low. Austin smiled, even though Justin couldn't see him.

"I know. I've gotta go, I'm running out of hot water here" he replied just as softly, looking forward to dinner.

"Okay" Justin breathed. "See you soon".

"Yeah, see you in a bit" Austin replied, and hung up the phone. He quickly made his way into the shower, pleased to discover the water was still warm. "You're way too lucky sometimes Austin" he told himself, and then begun to wash his hair.

I

Justin hung up the phone, and chucked it away without caring where it landed. Luckily enough for the phone, he was lying on his back on the bed, quietly gazing up in the ceiling at those plastic stars that glowed in the dark. In less than two hours, he'd be having dinner with Austin's family. How the hell had he ended up in this place? Just a few weeks ago, he had kissed Lily on stage, thinking he had a crush on her. Yes, Lily was cute as a button, and she was a great actress, but kissing her had been less than exciting. Kissing Austin however… That was completely different.

"Maybe it's just him" Justin thought, and put his hand on his belly, the weight feeling strangely soothing. "Maybe it's not about boys or girls, maybe it's about Austin".

He'd always been teased for being flamboyant. For liking fashion and musicals, for not being good at sports, for being different. He'd been called 'gay' since before junior high, but that didn't mean it was true. Right?

Justin rubbed his temples, feeling how his thoughts threatened to consume him. If he thought really hard about it, it wasn't just about Austin. He liked boys; he'd always liked boys. They just hadn't let him get close enough to discover it. Instead, they'd been pushing him around, making his life a living hell. How could he possibly be gay if all boys ever did was to tantalize him?

But Austin liked him. Austin had kissed him, touched him. And Justin hadn't gotten any sleep for days, because all he could think of was doing the same to Austin, and more, so much more.

"Fuck… I think I'm gay" Justin groaned, and pressed his pillow over his face, almost hoping it would suffocate him.

I

Austin really didn't like waiting, so he sat down to watch some TV before Justin arrived for dinner.

His brother and sister were already in the living room, watching a re-run of some sit-com from the mid 90's. As it was Sunday, and they were expecting a guest, his mom had made them both dress up, albeit casually. Joe was wearing a black shirt with jeans, and Karen had put on a purple blouse and black slacks. Austin himself had decided not to scare his mother half to death by wearing something outrageous. Instead, he'd gone for dark jeans, white skin-tight tank, and a black blazer. He usually wore colourful ensembles, preferring his clothes to be loose-fitting, but today he thought it might be nice to try something new. He wasn't sure it was "him", but at least he looked good.

"I can't wait 'til Mom sees Justin, she's gonna flip" Austin giggled to himself, picturing his parents as they realized just how… well, fey, Justin was.

Megan and Pete were anxiously putting the finishing touch to the main course, not sure what to make of themselves. Austin hadn't told them anything about the person who was coming over, save for his first name, and they were making up all kinds of terrible scenarios inside their heads. None of them had any gay friends, and they had no idea what to expect.

"I wish we didn't have to do this" Megan mumbled while folding napkins.

"I can't say I love this either, but it's important to our son and we have to go through with it. He's no different from Joe and Karen" Pete firmly told her as he watched his wife go about her business.

Megan wanted to snap back at him but swallowed whatever comment she had in stock for his statement. Of course it was different. Why wouldn't it be? Now wasn't the time to argue about it though. Serve dinner, be pleasant, act normal, try not to say anything stupid, then freak out once the guest leaves for the night. "Sounds like a plan" Megan thought to herself, not aware that she'd completely shredded one of the napkins.

I

"So, this is the gateway to hell? Had no idea it was in Queens" Justin muttered to himself as he studied the townhouse in front of him. He'd been to Austin's house once before, but his family had been out and Lily had been with them. This time he'd probably be the center of attention, but for once he wasn't sure he was comfortable with that.

"Pull yourself together, Austin will be there with you" he told himself, and made his way up to the front door, carrying a large bouquet of flowers. He'd picked them out himself, and he was fairly pleased with his choice. Hopefully, Austin's family would be as well.

"Oh hell" he thought to himself, and rang the door bell.

"I'll get it!" Austin called out as he heard the door bell ring, feeling almost giddy. He rose from his armchair, ignoring his siblings who had turned away from the TV, not able to hide their curiosity.

"Karen, shut the TV off and get out in the hallway, both of you!" Pete called from the kitchen, nervously drying his sweaty hands on his jeans. He had no idea how to treat whoever was outside that door, and it worried him. He had never been confronted with something like this before, and he wasn't sure what he actually thought of it yet. "Pull yourself together man" he scolded himself, and hooked his arm in his wife's to escort her to the hallway.

Austin had hoped they'd let him get the door by himself, but naturally, they were all curious and couldn't stand waiting any longer. He opened the door, revealing a slightly nervous-looking, but adorable boy in a grey coat, his arms embracing a large bouquet of flowers wrapped in paper.

"Hi! Oh, is this your family? Hi everybody!" Justin exclaimed, waving his hand at Austin's family. "Hi" they all mumbled in unison, not sure what to think of the colourful creature in front of them.

"Wow, you brought flowers and all" Austin remarked, nodding his head at the bouquet.

"Oh yeah, these are for your mother, not you" Justin told him, moving the flowers out of Austin's reach. Austin giggled, and offered to hang up Justin's coat.

"Thanks" Justin said, and shimmied out of his grey coat, revealing a skin-tight yellow tee, a grey vest, tight purple pants, and a golden pendant around his neck. Justin never did anything half-heartedly.

"Uhm, so everybody, this is Justin Suarez, my uh… boyfriend" Austin introduced him, feeling slightly less confident than when he'd pictured this inside his head.

"Hi, I'm Justin" Justin said, and offered his hand to Pete, who shook it. "I'm Pete. Glad we could have you over" he said, smiling at the boy in front of him. "Wow, your dad totally has your eyes" Justin remarked at Austin, who felt his cheeks go red.

"I'm Megan, Austin's mother" Megan said, and feigned a smile. "Oh, then these are for you" Justin said, and handed over the bouquet. She could feel the scent of the flowers through the paper, and had to admit to herself that it was very pleasant.

"Thank you, I'll make sure they get some water" she assured him, quietly studying this stranger whom she'd been so worried of meeting. He was quite short and skinny, and younger than she'd thought he'd be, with black hair and dark skin. She thought he was somewhat Indian- or Pakistani looking, but the name "Suarez" suggested he was Hispanic. Not quite what she'd expected, but then again, neither was his being there in the first place.

"Uhm… Austin's brother and sister, Joe and Karen" she continued, and made a gesture at the two young adults next to her, who each mumbled their 'hello's'.

"Man, this is awkward" Justin thought, while keeping a smile firmly glued to his face, clenching his teeth together.

Austin regarded his family interact with Justin, and sensed he had to interfere.

"So uhm, could we move this to the dining room?" he suggested, snapping them all out of their thoughts.

"That's a great idea, I'm starving" Pete agreed, trying to lighten up the mood. The entire family turned around and marched into the dining room, leaving Austin and Justin behind. Justin kept smiling until they were out of sight, and then arched his neck back and groaned.

"Oh my God, I totally suck at this" he complained, feeling like a fish out of water.

"Oh come on, first things first. Stop worrying so much" Austin told him, knowing it could have been much worse.

"Why the hell are you so confident?" Justin pouted, rolling his eyes at the sandy-haired boy.

"I don't know, I guess some of us are just gifted" Austin giggled, and hooked two fingers in the collar of Justin's v-necked t-shirt, and pulled him in for a kiss before Justin had the time to protest.

Justin shut his eyes, more surprised than anything, and before he knew it, Austin broke away, with a wicked smile running from ear to ear.

"Come on, let's go meet the parents" he grinned, and grabbed Justin's hand and led him towards the dining room.

Justin's mouth was half open in protest, and he half considered telling Austin to stop and let him walk by himself, but then he just smiled and let the other boy escort him. Austin's hand was warm in his, and that kiss had reminded him of why he was actually there in the first place.

Hand in hand, they walked into the dining room, where Austin's family was already seated. Joe and Karen exchanged looks when they saw them together, and Megan began folding and unfolding her napkin again, but they all kept quiet.

"Uhm, you boys sit here next to me" Pete informed them, and made an inviting gesture at two empty chairs between him and Megan.

"Oh, okay" Justin nodded, and took the seat next to Megan. He felt Austin squeezing his hand before pulling away, and instantly felt better. Maybe this could turn out alright after all.

"Oh, I'm totally liking the plates, kitsch is so hot this year!" Justin exclaimed enthusiastically and clapped his hands together when he spotted the white, rose-patterned plates in front of him. Joe had to stifle a snort of laughter, and Karen arched her eyebrow at the remark. Pete shot them a 'shut up or I will kill you'-look, but Austin just smiled.

"I don't get how you keep up with all of that! I could never keep track on what's hot or not" he said, sounding both amused and amazed.

"MODE magazine, of course. I sleep with it underneath my pillow, it's like my Bible" Justin casually replied, as if anyone who didn't read MODE better start or they'd degenerate into amoebas.

Justin turned to the rest of the family.

"I'm so lucky that my aunt Betty works at MODE, she's so living my dream. If it weren't for her, I'd be like, three months behind in terms of fashion" he told them, his eyes lighting up.

Pete took a sip of his wine, not sure what he was expected to say. Joe and Karen looked at him with eyes the size of saucers, and Megan was too baffled to talk. They'd never met a boy like Justin, and had never expected to either.

Megan cleared her throat, and rose from her seat.

"Karen, could you help me get the dinner from the kitchen?" she asked her daughter, who quickly excused herself and went to assist her mother, leaving all the men behind.

"You have a very lovely home mr Brennan" Justin complimented Pete once the ladies had left. Pete smiled, deciding that even though he didn't quite understand this boy, he was a very well-behaved young man.

"Thank you Justin. So uh, how old are you? You in Austin's class?" he asked, trying to show his son that he was making an effort.

"I'm 15, but I'll be 16 in July next year. Austin and I were in the same acting class, you know, with Lena Korwinka" Justin replied, taking a sip of the coke that someone, possibly Megan, had poured up for him before he'd arrived.

"Oh, the one you dropped out of?" Pete shot at his son, who felt himself flush with embarrassment once again.

"It was a mistake, okay?" Austin mumbled, his chin drooping to his chest.

"Austin's a really great actor, I'm sure Lena would let him back in" Justin enlightened them, smiling at his companion. Austin bit his lip, and smiled back at the other boy.

"Watch out, or you might get yourself some competition!" he joked, nudging Justin in the ribs.

Pete and Joe watched them, neither of them knowing what to say, but both of them realizing that this perhaps wasn't as different as they'd expected.

I

Megan took the lid off the pot roast, feeling its rich scent easing the tension in her shoulders. Karen walked up to her, and poured herself a glass of wine from the bottle on the counter.

"Oh my god Mom, he is so camp!" Karen whispered, sounding more amused than anything.

"I know, I wonder what his mother must think. The boy doesn't look older than 15" Megan muttered, angry with herself for being so uncomfortable with the situation.

"Well, maybe he could be a nice addition to the family after all. He could help me with my nails" Karen continued, and studied the long finger nails on her left hand.

Megan gasped at her remark, and snatched the wine glass from her hand and swallowed its content in one gulp. "Hey!" Karen protested, but Megan didn't care. Karen shrugged and got herself another glass. Her mother shook her head, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"I was not made for this" she groaned, and proceeded to take out the pot roast.

I

"Thank you so much for all the great food Mrs Brennan, I won't have to eat for a week now" Justin told Megan after having finished his meal and dessert.

"Oh, it was nothing, I enjoy cooking for guests" Megan said, feeling herself warming up to this boy. Her having 3 glasses of wine might have had something to do with that.

"I've never had pot roast before, we usually have enchiladas on Sundays" Justin continued, not sure he was comfortable with the calm demeanor of this family. At home there was always drama, drama, drama, but here, no one was shouting or interrupting anyone.

"Oh right, your family's Mexican, right?" Pete asked, remembering Justin telling them that an hour earlier.

"Uh huh" Justin nodded, silently thanking the Mexican culture for teaching him how to handle rich food. However, it had not taught him how to drink without having to pee.

"Uhm, Austin, where's your bathroom?" he mumbled to his companion, needing a break almost as much as he needed to go.

"I'll show you" Austin mumbled back. They both turned to the other members of the family.

"Uh, would you excuse us, I just need to show Justin something" Austin told them, and they both rose from the table and made their way to the bathroom next to the hallway.

"He's a nice boy" Pete remarked once they were out of sight, his hands clasped and his elbows resting on the table.

"There's nothing wrong with him Pete, it's just that he's so… well, fey" Megan sighed, waving her hand at him while pouring herself some more wine.

"I think he's funny" Karen quipped, stealing the bottle from her mother before she drank all of it herself.

"Yeah, funny as in gay" Joe muttered, still not quite over the fact that his little brother had brought a boy home.

"Joe, stop it" his father warned him, and Joe shrugged, and helped himself to some more coke. His mother, despite being Irish-American, refused to let beer into her house, and he wasn't much of a wine drinker. "Coke it is then, Joe" he thought, wishing he'd been somewhere else.

"Look, this isn't easy for any one of us, but I think we'll have to give this Justin guy a break. He's been nothing but polite and well-behaved since he got here. Not to mention that Austin trusts us enough to bring him home to dinner" Pete lectured them, feeling himself meaning every word he was saying.

He hadn't raised his son to be ashamed of himself, so why should he suddenly be ashamed of his son?

His words hit them like a wall of fire. If Austin had brought a girl home, they wouldn't have treated her like this. Instead, they'd been mocking Justin internally, not showing much enthusiasm for his presence at their table.

"Yeah Dad… you're right. Maybe we should give this dude a chance" Joe agreed, and the rest of the family nodded, all agreeing that they should suck it up and be nice to Justin.

I

"The bathroom's here, to the left" Austin told Justin as they entered the hallway. Justin opened the door, and Austin turned around to head back to the dining room, but he felt a warm, ring-adorned hand grab his own and pull him into the bathroom.

Justin locked the door behind them, and pressed the sandy-haired boy up against the wall, locking their lips in a fierce kiss. Austin felt himself responding, and let his hands find Justin's hips.

A few seconds later, they both pulled away, both boys breathing heavily.

"You're so gorgeous" Austin mumbled, letting his eyes caress Justin's dark features.

Justin leaned in, resting his chin against Austin's shoulder. This experience was so different from anything he'd ever been through. He couldn't seem to stop touching Austin. Then again, why would he want to?

They held each other for a while, enjoying the comfortable silence between them, and the warmth of their bodies pressing against each other.

"I was thinking today" Justin mumbled into Austin's ear.

"Yeah? What were you thinking?" Austin asked, feeling Justin's warm scent fill his nostrils.

"I thought… maybe… maybe I'm gay" Justin said, sounding even younger than he was, like a child that needs solace from its parents.

Austin didn't say anything, but he had too been thinking about what their relationship actually meant. The more he thought about it, the more obvious the answer was.

"And I thought… maybe I should come here tonight, to find out. And to meet your parents of course, but maybe to see if I really want to be… you know…" Justin continued, pulling back to look Austin in the eye.

"Yeah… Yeah, I've been thinking the same" Austin told him, feeling his heart racing. They hadn't turned on the lights, and the bathroom was only illuminated by what little light came in through the window and the lamp on the porch outside. It was exciting to stand there all alone with Justin, knowing they could get caught.

"Really?" Justin asked, sounding somewhat surprised. He'd never considered that Austin had doubts; he was always so confident.

"Yeah. I think… I think I'm gay too" Austin breathed, saying it out loud for the first time.

"And… well, if it gets tough, we could always be gay together… you know…" he continued, trying to comfort the other boy whose big brown eyes looked so lost.

"Be gay together" Justin repeated, feeling the laughter bubble up within him.

"Yeah… oh, wait a second" Austin said, suddenly realizing how funny it sounded. Justin felt his body shake with laughter, and Austin quickly put his hand against his mouth to shut him up, but had difficulties keeping quiet himself.

"Shh, they'll hear us!" Austin shushed him, not convincing any of them. Feeling their bodies tremble, they pressed their lips together to try and muffle the sound of their laughter.

"Mm, Austin?" Justin giggled against Austin's mouth.

"Mhm" Austin replied, feeling his laughter change into something different.

"I really need to pee" Justin said, and they broke their kiss, both still laughing.

"I should probably get back" Austin smiled, and kissed Justin again, both boys unable to break away from each other, but with one last kiss, Austin slipped out of the bathroom.

Justin couldn't stop himself from smiling, even though his heart was heavy. Now that they'd said the words out loud, there was no going back.

I

"Thank you so much for having me over, I had a great time" Justin told the family as he tied his scarf around his neck.

"We enjoyed having you here son, you're welcome back anytime" Pete told him, knowing that it would mean much to Austin.

"It was really nice to meet you Justin. The flowers were gorgeous" Megan said, this time with a more sincere smile on her face. That didn't mean she liked the idea of him dating her son though.

"Take care man" Joe said, and Karen pulled him in for a hug, having already decided to accept him. Austin took down his coat from the hanger and handed it to him.

"You sure you'll be okay by yourself?" Austin asked as he helped Justin put on the grey coat.

"Yeah, I've called a cab, it should be here any minute" Justin assured him, wishing it had been okay for him to ask Austin to come with him.

"Uhm, I'll come outside and wait with you" Austin said, and slipped into his father's black coat and boots. He opened the front door, and felt the chilly late autumn air hit his face.

Justin waved at Austin's family, glad that the evening was finally over.

"Goodnight everybody!" he said, and shot them one last smile.

"Goodnight!" they called back in unison. "Be right back" Austin told them as he and Justin slipped out through the front door.

I

"Wow, never thought coming over for dinner could be so exhausting" Justin let out as they were heading for the sidewalk down by the road.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm glad you could come though" Austin said, and turned to the dark-haired boy who had stopped by the gate to wait for the cab to arrive.

Justin studied the face of the boy in front of him. "So handsome…" he thought to himself. A boy his own age, light at heart and confident. Maybe a little too cocky for his own good, but then again, so was Justin.

Still looking at Austin, he grabbed the edges of Austin's coat and pulled him closer. Their breaths were like smoke in the cold night air, and they both shivered slightly.

"I think my cab's on the way" Justin mumbled, bumping his nose into Austin's.

"Yeah, I can hear it coming down the road" Austin said softly, feeling cold and warm at the same time.

Knowing that they wouldn't be alone for long, they leaned in to kiss goodbye, their lips chilly against one another.

"Love ya" Justin mumbled against Austin's lips.

"Love ya too" Austin replied, and then broke away, and let Justin get into the cab, softly waving at him.

By the window, Austin's mother watched her son as he picked up his phone to read the text Justin had sent him from the cab.

She'd seen them as they walked hand in hand together, and she'd been shocked to see them kissing. Shocked, because she'd never seen two boys kiss before, and surprised because it looked strangely normal.

Feeling her head swirling with new realizations, she turned away from the window to get ready for bed.

TO BE CONTINUED