Housemates (boyxboy)

Chapter 21

My mother wasn't too fond of the tattoo she noticed spiraling down my right shoulder when I returned home a few weeks later and she scrunched her face, shaking her head. I sighed, expecting the reaction I received, and threw my bag down on the couch in our small living room.  A fire was lit in the fireplace and I sat close to it despite the fact I wasn't cold.

Still, my mother hadn't spoken many words to me since I arrived but I knew it would be that way. And I knew she thought my housemates were poor influences on me without her having to say it. 

"Did it hurt?" she finally asked, walking into the living room behind me.

I turned around and looked up at the frail woman, a smirk spread across my lips. "Like hell." 

She pursed her lips before taking a seat on the couch. "What is it?"

I shrugged, looking at the tattoo once more. "Zion designed it."

When she didn't reply, I pushed myself off of the ground and threw the bag I'd brought over my shoulder before heading up to my bedroom. My father was yet to return home and I wished he'd been the one to discover my tattoo first because I knew he wouldn't care. He wasn't strict like my mother and loved to play around like the goofball he was. I was sure he would've liked it.

Anyway, collapsing on my bed after the long ride home, I stared up at my ceiling and contemplated what to do with myself. Had I been at the other house, Vincent would have probably provided me with some form of entertainment whether it meant singing karaoke or dancing ridiculously in my doorway. But he wasn't here to entertain me so I laid bored in my bed.

Peering down at my phone upon the sudden vibration, I was surprised to see when my other housemate had decided to call me.

"Hey," I answered, continuing to stare up at my ceiling.

"Cade," Alec replied. "You're not going to believe this."

"Does it involve Amber?" I questioned, figuring something had happened between the two of them. Alec's relationships were known to be quite short.

"No," he said. "It's Vincent."

I raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"His mother wants him to move back home," he said, causing me to sit up in my bed.

"What? Why?" I asked. "When?"

"One question at a time, Cade," Alec joked. "She said they can't afford his tuition and the rent anymore because his father was laid off. He has only a few weeks until the end of the lease."

"Shit," I said, looking down at my bed. "The poor kid."

"Mhm," Alec said. "I know you're going to miss him."

"Of course," I said. "But he can always visit us."

"That's true," he replied. "We just need to find someone else to take his room when he leaves."

"I'll think about it," I said, bummed at the situation. "You and Zion should too."

"Zion said he might have someone in mind," Alec told me. "But I have to go now. Amber just got here."

And with that, the phone call ended and I sighed. Vincent was probably having a hard time dealing with the situation because I knew he truly enjoyed living with the three of us. Staying at home with your parents wasn't quite the same and I was experiencing it first-hand at the moment. You see, it was my father's birthday so I figured I should return home for the weekend to celebrate. 

I didn't realize how much I would miss living with my three housemates from just a few hours being home. It wasn't like I had any siblings here to talk to either. Just my mother who remained unapproachable at the moment.

It wasn't until my father returned home that I traveled back downstairs to greet him. He grinned widely at me before pulling me into a tight hug.

"Happy birthday," I said, patting him on the back and he released me. 

"Welcome back home," he said, walking into the kitchen where my mother waited with a cake.

The three of us sat around the small wooden table and my mother lit a single candle in the middle of my father's strawberry cake. He continued to smile as I told them stories about my housemates while my mother remained emotionless. I was used to her coldness though.

Well, inevitably, the conversation arrived at the topic of relationships.

"Have you met anyone?" my father asked me, taking a bite of his cake.

I stole a quick glance at my mother, trying to see if she was interested in the direction of the conversation but she didn't meet my eyes.

Looking over at my father, I nodded my head. "Yeah."

I knew I wouldn't have a problem coming out to my father because I knew he'd support me either way but my mother was a different story. Still, I wasn't going to let her dictate who I could love and who I couldn't. Ultimately, it was my decision and my decision alone.

My father smiled. "Where'd you meet them?"

"He's one of my housemates," I said. "His name is Zion."

Finally, my mother's eyes met mine and I saw her bones stiffen while my father's smile still remained spread across his lips.

"Congratulations," my father said as my mother dropped her fork on her plate. "Zion seems like a nice kid."

"He's the one who gave you that tattoo?" she asked.

"Mmm, yeah," I said.

"It's amazing," my father replied.

I was surprised when neither parent mentioned the fact that Zion was a guy and decided to focus on my tattoo instead.

"Does that mean you're..." my mother started until her voice trailed off.

And there was the real question.

"Yeah, mom," I said. "I'm gay."

She simply nodded her head and swallowed before speaking again.

"It must've been hard for you to tell me that," she said, her voice soft. 

"You have no idea how fast my heart is beating right now," I said, forcing a laugh.

Without a word, my mother rose from her chair and walked over to me as I felt my heart speed up even more. I couldn't imagine what she was doing.

Silently, she pulled my wrist up from the table and I stood up, facing her as I raised an eyebrow before she slowly wrapped her thin arms around my back, pulling me into her.

"I'm happy for you."

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