After having handed in his Psychology essay, which he'd written in a late-night frenzy since the recent development in his love life had been very distracting lately, Robin had a few minutes to kill before meeting up with his boyfriend. He sat down on a bench in the square in the middle of campus, breathing in the crisp fall air. The trees burned in red and orange around him and leaves crackled satisfyingly under the soles of rushing students.
Robin was happier than he'd ever been before. He was in love, and he could feel it in his whole body. Every cell was rejuvenated and tingling. But yet, something didn't feel right. It felt like someone was watching him. Robin could feel it. He spun around, almost falling off the bench.
No one was there.
He was just paranoid. That was the mantra he'd repeated all day, but yet, the feeling wouldn't go away. The sensation of staring eyes kept burning at the back of his head, making the hairs on his neck raise.
Robin spun again.
Was there someone running around the corner? A small bird-like woman with cold eyes and bitter embraces.
He kept seeing his mother everywhere. Perhaps it was the lack of prying phone calls that made him imagine her hiding around every corner instead, ready to take him away from everything he treasured.
His recent run-ins with her felt too easy. It seemed she'd bought his lies, but he couldn't imagine Liza Erie would just release her grip on her only son just like that. She would dig her claws back in soon enough. And when she did, he needed to be ready. Robin knew he needed to spend this time coming up with a plan.
If only Ty's kisses weren't so distracting.
Perhaps he should just face her head-on. He should just go home this weekend, tell her his truth, and then figure everything else out. Maybe they could come to an agreement regarding his education, as Robin knew his mother coveted the prestige of him taking charge of his father's business. Without a university degree, he couldn't do that. Him being gay didn't change any of that.
A nudge on Robin's leg rattled him. With a yelp, he spun once again.
"Why are you so tense, Robby?" Ty greeted him, holding up the crutch used for poking. "I'm not trying to attack."
"Sorry..." Robin mumbled, elated to see his boyfriend. They'd been apart for the whole day--which felt like an eternity--as Tyler had been away for a doctor's appointment. "I was just thinking of something."
His boyfriend sat down next to him, letting a hand fondle a tense thigh. "You need to relax, Robby," he surmised. "Maybe we should go back to your place so I can help you release some tension." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and nodded toward Robin's crotch.
While the offer was tempting, Robin didn't want to miss the LGBTQ group meeting they were about to attend together. To bring Ty with him to such a gathering felt like an important step in making their relationship official: to mingle with their peers who he knew would be as excited about their coupling as them.
"Maybe afterward," he offered, putting his hand on top of the fondling hand. "How did your hospital visit go?"
"Good." Tyler flashed a smile. "The doctor thinks I'm ready to have a prosthetic leg fitted."
"That's great!" Robin knew how much his boyfriend had longed for this; to be able to walk around on two legs again and discard those pesky crutches.
"It is..." Tyler looked down, not as exuberant about this as Robin would have expected.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just that..." Tyler sighed, clasping Robin's hand in his."The fitting is in Halifax and I have to be there on Monday already. I would have to be away from you for almost two weeks as they have to make a mold first and then fit it. After that, I will have to learn how to walk again."
Tyler leaned his head on Robin's shoulder.
"I could come with you," Robin suggested, even though the mere thought of hospitals made him feel faint. Two weeks apart did sound like an eternity. It was longer than their whole relationship so far.
Tyler shook his head. "You can't miss that much of school, Robby. It could hurt your grades. And I need my super smart tutor to help me catch up once I'm back." He snuck in a kiss on a blushing cheek. "I'll have Aunt Donna with me," he assured his boyfriend. "And my cousin Lance will be there as well. He lives there so we'll stay at his house."
Robin pulled Ty closer. "I'll miss you though." He sighed. Although he did realize that perhaps two weeks apart would give him some time to sort out the issues with his mother. He could figure everything out without Tyler ever knowing.
"I'll miss you too." Tyler nestled his nose close to Robin's neck. It struck Robin that their entangled position probably was quite damning if a certain person with prying eyes saw them. But he would never untangle himself from Tyler voluntarily. "We can talk every day though. And we still have this Halloween weekend together. Perhaps we should go to that party Des talked about?"
Robin nodded. He'd never gone to a party before, but he wanted to go to this one with Tyler. What better way to experience your first party than with your boyfriend?
Which meant Robin would have to find a way to explain to his mother why he once again wouldn't come home. Because not spending this time with Tyler didn't feel like an option. Since Tyler would be away the weekend after that, Robin decided he could try to talk to his mother then instead.
"Halloween Party sounds great!" Robin exclaimed, trying to hide the juggling going on in his mind.
"Awesome! I already know what costumes we should wear. I may even have asked Donna to buy them for me." Tyler smiled quizzically, making Robin a bit worried about what these costumes were.
Tyler's gaze fell on Robin's watch, which was in his eye line since Robin's arm rested around his shoulder. "Oh shit, we gotta go! Don't want to be late, the snacks might be out!"
Quickly, Tyler grabbed his crutches and got ready to stand, but first, he leaned in for a kiss. Robin froze. He once again thought he saw something in the corner of his eye. Someone who was watching him.
"What's wrong?" Tyler asked, confused about Robin's sudden reluctance.
"Nothing..." Robin mumbled, not wanting to weigh Tyler down with his burdens. It was only paranoia anyway. "There's just a lot of people around."
Tyler nodded, but the confused look remained. "Let's go then," he said, standing up without claiming the desired kiss first.
Looking anxiously both ways as he rose, Robin followed his boyfriend toward their destination. A brisk walk through campus and an elevator ride later, they were there.
"There you go." Robin held the door open as Tyler made his way inside the classroom. His boyfriend's gaze immediately fell on the well-stocked snack table.
"There's donuts, chocolate chip cookies, and soda, tea, or coffee for you to drink." Miss Horn swept her hand over the well-filled snacks table to showcase it to the students gathered for the weekly LGBTQ section meeting. Robin wondered if she'd baked the pastries herself, as they all looked homemade--and mightily delicious at that.
She waved to the just-arrived boys, looking thrilled to see them together. "Come on in guys, we're just getting started."
"Sorry we're late," Tyler mumbled toward the gathered group, whose eyes were all directed at him, his crutches, and his missing leg. It must be difficult to subject himself to shocked looks and curious whispers every time he entered a room. Robin wished he could shield his boyfriend from all the prying looks. "We kind of forgot about the time."
"I'm just happy you're here, Tyler," Miss Horn said with a warm smile.
"I would have come sooner if I knew there were so many snacks," Tyler replied with a longing look toward the table.
"I'll get you some snacks, Ty," Robin said, knowing balancing both crutches and pastries would be a difficult act.
Tyler shone up with a smile. "I'll sit down over here, cutie," he said, pointing with a crutch toward a table in the front, far from the hidden corner in the back where Robin sat last time, but much more accessible.
With a paper plate filled to the brim, Robin soon sat down beside his boyfriend. Tyler immediately shoved a chocolate chip cookie in his mouth. "Thank you, Robby," he mumbled with sugar-encrusted lips."I was starving."
That seemed to be a constant state for him. Tyler was always either starving or actively eating.
Robin grabbed a cookie as well, trying to make the sweet taste wash away the lingering anxiety in the back of his mind. Everything was fine. No one was watching him.
Feeling somewhat safer inside the classroom, where walls shielded him from all-seeing eyes, he leaned toward Tyler to pay back the kiss he owed his boyfriend. It didn't take much prodding for Tyler to turn his head and unite their lips.
The kiss tasted of chocolate chip cookies. Sweet, soft, and nourishing. It convinced Robin that everything was fine. He believed it because Tyler's lips told him so.
He would be able to solve everything. He would be able to find a way to deal with his mother. He would be able to be with Tyler.
After the meeting, as Tyler talked to some newfound friends and made sure there were no snacks left over, Robin snuck to the front of the classroom.
"Miss Horn?" he asked cautiously, not wanting his boyfriend to overhear.
The counselor looked up, flashing another warm smile. She had the kind of nurturing presence he'd always longed for. "Yes, Mr. Erie," she replied. "I'm glad you were able to bring Tyler here today. You two look very happy together."
"We are," Robin replied, a cheesy smile adorning his lips. "I was wondering though... if maybe you would have time to talk next week. You said I could come to you whenever." He suddenly felt nervous, maybe this had just been a polite offer.
"Of course!" the counselor replied. "Is everything alright between you two?" She looked toward Tyler.
Robin nodded. "Yeah, this isn't about Tyler. I wanted to talk to you about..." he hesitated and looked down, knowing that as soon as he told the counselor about everything that had happened to him she might urge him to press charges. Which he was probably not ready for yet.
But he had to start somewhere.
"My mother," he concluded, looking up with determination. "I need to talk about my mother."