Onimikeler: Meet the Crissons
Chapter Two: Threat
-...-
It was around Nine at night when the three found themselves driving through the hilly town where the reunion house was located. Onity was watching the world go by him, knowing this was the place they would be staying for the next week or two. Tyler gave Mike the last of the directions to the house, only by now he didn't need the written directions anymore. Tyler remember his way from the fact that he'd been here so much in the past.
The town was large, but more spread out, and the roads seemed lonely at night. There were a few cars, but most of the time it seemed the only ones out were them. The ground all around them had a thin layer of snow, one of which would thicken within the next few days. The roads were icy, and Mike worried about the dangers of his inexperience driving on ice, but Tyler helped him through. There were some tight, curvy roads with trees blocking the turns and there were roads that went on around what seemed like mountains, giving them amazing views.
Onity took note of the many playgrounds and parks and tourist areas they had passed by. He saw frozen over lakes and he saw camping areas and he saw lots of forest. He saw small houses in little communities and he saw big houses in communities and there were also houses of every size put in places were they looked all alone. The night sky was beautiful, and there were more stars visible then back home. The place was so different then where they had driven from.
This was the town that Tyler had visited every year until he was about 17 years old. He's spent every Christmas until then in this place. Tyler knew quite a few of the locals and he could map out some of the paths within the forests too. Coming back after three years and seeing everything again felt nice, Tyler had to admit. He didn't think about the town as a place he cared about, but he didn't think about the town a lot in general. Now that he was here again, Tyler missed it. This was a place he was glad he came back to.
"You see that store up there?" Tyler said, pointing at an old shop on the side of a hill.
The store was painted white with a brown roof, and it was covered in signs. It had a steep driveway and a small parking lot, and it was covered in snow that shined with the street light next to it. Mike took a glance at it, noticing some of the signs said candy in all capital letters.
"Once, when I was nine and Rose was twelve, we stole candy from that store." Tyler continued. "There used to be a small market behind it, and while grandma and mom shopped there, we got to look around the candy shop. It had an owner that was friend with my grandpa before he died, and he would give us candy sometimes. One day, he wasn't there, and his rude, mean step daughter was. She yelled at us so we snuck back in through the back and took candy from the barrels."
Tyler turned in his seat with a sigh. "Thinking back about it, at the time we thought we were getting back at her for being mean, but we were really stealing from the man's supply. I wonder if he still runs it."
"Candy stores always look so magical, but then I remember I can't have any of it." Onity huffed.
"Oh, that's right. I'll need to remind mom about your relationship with sugar. We always have lots of desserts for Christmas." Tyler replied. "Mom loves you, but sometimes things just don't stick in her head well. You were the first person she has ever heard of throwing up to sugar."
"He's the first person I ever heard throwing up to sugar." Mike replied.
"I can't help it! We just don't have that on my planet. Can't fathom why!"
"Oh, Oh, turn here!" Tyler turned to Mike, realizing he was about to go the wrong way.
They turned off the long road they were on, moving downward before heading back up into a few more hills. They passed an open area with trees and swings, benches and a pick nick area. There was a small parking lot, and Onity figured it was another park. Tyler stared at it through the car window, the park another place he remembered.
He found himself about to draw Mike and Onity's attention to it, but he didn't. He remembered when he was eight, and though the memory wasn't clear as day, it was there. He remembered playing with Rose and he remembered feeling a terrible ache and he remembered...well he remembered his mom's side of the story from there on. She always said she was freaking out and dad called the ambulance and just everyone was falling apart. Grandma was yelling instructions to her clueless child, Rose was crying because she believed her only other sibling was dead.
He was going to point out that that was the place he had his first heart attack, but they'd driven past it and it was too late. Besides, is that something they would want to know? Maybe not now, while they were all tired and ready to get to a place to stay. They always went to the park each Christmas, and depending on Woflie's age, and the age of Matt's kids, they would probably be back.
"Where next?" Mike asked and Tyler looked away from the window.
They were now within a neighborhood. The neighborhood with the house that Tyler would visit every year until he was seventeen. And then he would visit again now. Tyler cleared his throat and pointed out what ways to go, messing up once but that was because it was dark and there were more trees then he remembered. They kept driving up the hill, until there was an almost flat area with some fields. They drove down a long road.
"It's the next right." Tyler said.
The next right was into a driveway of a large house on the side of a hill. It had a large front and side yard and you could see a small forest behind it, going up and over the hill. The house had two stories and a small porch with a walkway connected to the driveway. A garage was a separate building off to the side of the main house.
This was the house that Tyler had visited almost every year of his life. It was bought by his great grandfather, whom lived in it, and eventually was passed down to Grandma Jacky and Great Aunt Julian. Though neither Jacky nor Julian lived in it, they took care of it, and shared it every Christmas with their family. The house was well kept and beautifully furnished and was their prize possession.
"So this is it." Onity gazed at the building, it's size so much larger then their small house back home. There must have been so much space within.
"Yep." Tyler said, then yawned. "This is it."
They pulled up into the drive way, parking behind three other cars. One car was that of Tyler's parents, but Mike and Onity did not recognized the other two. Their engine cut out finally, and it was silent with the distant hum of certain bugs. They stepped out of the car, slamming the car doors shut. As they went to get their suit cases from the back, they could hear a dog barking and the sound of a door opening and closing.
"Finally!"
Mike pulled out the large suit case and closed the trunk, Tyler pressing a button on the keys in his hand to lock the car. They looked up to see a dog run over to them from the house, and Rose following. The dog was medium sized with a smooth brown coat and green eyes. In his run down the porch and over to the driveway, his front left paw twitched, and he wobbled a bit. He was an old dog, but looked stunning none the less. He had a dog tag on a green collar around his neck, and as Onity knelt down to let the dog sniff him better, Onity realized this was Nelson. Nelson, the dog owned by Tyler's Uncle Joe.
"He likes you!" Rose smiled, watching Onity reach to pet the dog. The dog sniffed his hand, his tongue sticking out despite the cold of the outside. Once the dog deemed Onity to be friendly, he pushed his head against Onity's hand, as if to ask for the petting.
"Good thing too." Tyler replied.
Rose held her hands out to give her younger brother a big hug. Tyler placed his things down to hug her, finding himself being lifted off the ground for a seconds. Rose let go and stepped back, laughing.
"You feel heavier. Have you gained a few pounds?" She asked as Tyler picked his bag and suitcase back up.
"It's probably muscle." Tyler replied, stepping over to be greeted by Nelson, who seemed to remember him by how excited he acted.
"Oh really?" Rose gave Tyler a questioning look before she turned to Mike. She held her arms open and he gave her a small hug as well. "It's great to see you again. Has he really gained muscle?"
Mike smiled. "Not that I've noticed."
"H-Hey I have been doing more walking the past few weeks! A lot more! I can prove it too!" Tyler defended himself.
"Oh really?" Rose asked, seeming interested in his proof.
"You walk to the corner to defend your Pokemon gym and that's it, dude." Onity looked up at them, still knelt down next to Nelson. "Also I've noticed you eating more sweets. Caramel in particular."
Tyler sighed. "Now I've just realized my gym will be defenseless for a while." He then stood straight again. "But hey, Caramel is fucking delicious and I can't help it."
"You eat so much sugar I swear to god you're going to die because of it." Rose huffed. "And Now I'm worried because we're planning a lot of sugary treats for this holiday and I don't know if you can take any."
"Don't worry. We limit him. Don't want him with heart problems and nutrition problems." Mike replied.
"He talks big game but let's be honest here." Onity grinned, standing back up from the ground and brushing the dirt off his pants. He then smiled at Tyler. "You're not."
"Says the least threatening person I've ever fucking met." Tyler replied, about to make a comment about Onity being the least threatening alien alive, but scrapping that because his sister wouldn't get it. She couldn't get it. There was no way in hell they were going to let Onity's secret out to anyone.
That was another worry of theirs. Onity was good at keeping secrets, and could probably get away with getting jobs and things, but it was Mike and Tyler's fear that held him back. The two were so terrified that one day Onity would end up in a government lab, being dissected and tested and tortured and abused and dead. Onity knew that would never happen, as even if he was caught, he could literally just teleport out and then use a different disguise.
He's not just an alien from those movies that humans make and watch all the damn time. He's not like that. But to Mike and Tyler, he is that alien. To them, he is that mysterious being from the sky that should be hidden and cared for for as long as it stays. To them he is the ghost that befriends you but nobody else can see, and if they all did, the peace will be gone. He is the being that, if they are not careful, they will lose forever.
Onity knew this was dumb, and humans are such scared creatures, but that was okay. If it made Mike and Tyler feel better, he'd do it. So he's used to staying at home or walking around the park, and he's used to the allowance he's given. He's used to their worry restricting him from getting a job or a drivers license. It's not like they're possessive of him. He hangs out with Jeremy all the time and has quite a few friends here and there. He doesn't have to inform them of every place he goes.
Onity grew up a very curious and independent child, and for awhile, he had nobody. Having nobody to care for you, to love you, to even talk to, tares that independence away from you. Onity has never been happier living a simple stress free life supported by Mike and Tyler. It might not have been his dream before, but it was now. He loves them so much and would give the world for them.
That is why he stands before Rose, holding back the purple glow from his eye, hiding it. It's uncomfortable, but he can stand it. That is why he plays off his odd eye colors as contacts.
"Well." Rose turned to Onity. "You're giving me a hug too, buddy."
Onity smiled and gave her a big hug. Rose was such an awesome person. He admired her a lot.
"There is no way I can't." He replied, stepping back and collecting his blanket and bag.
"And just so you know, I haven't forgotten, There will totally be sugar free sweets!" Rose told Onity. "I found some really nice recipes. Practiced them with my boyfriend before I left! All for you!"
"Thank you!" Onity was glad to hear. "Though you'll have to tell me about this boyfriend of your's."
"Yeah!" Tyler replied. "Can't believe you didn't text me!"
Rose blushed a bit. "He's new! Met him a week or two ago! Thought maybe it was too early, you know??"
"Rose, if I had a boyfriend, I'd be bringing him everywhere, showing him off, you know?" Onity replied, nudging her in the side.
"What do you mean if you had a boyfriend?" Mike coughed.
"Yeah, what the fuck are we?" Tyler frowned. "Friends with benefits?"
"Oh, So like, Let me correct myself." Onity rolled his eyes. "If I had a HOT Boyfriend, as I assume yours is-"
Suddenly Tyler flung the bag he had at Onity, hitting Onity, causing Onity to stumble, but not fall back. He caught it and found himself laughing, the air knocked out of him a little.
"I'll have your stupid fucking ass know that Mike is literally the hottest boyfriend I've ever had!" Tyler shouted.
Onity laughed. "That was aimed at you, sweetheart." He threw the bag back for Tyler to catch. "You might want to lose a few pounds."
"Also you've never had a boyfriend before Mike." Rose pointed out. "Congrats on winning the lotto your first time."
"What about me?!" Onity turned to Rose.
"Sorry!" She looked back at her brother. "Congrats on winning the gay lotto your first and second try! You are really a pro at this, huh?"
"You make this sound like it's all a game!" Tyler said.
"I like games!" Onity replied. "Especially ones like this."
"I think we should be heading inside. It's getting colder the longer we stand out here." Mike said, and the three others nodded.
"Alright!" Rose jumped into the lead, showing them to the front door, Nelson following along. "Welcome back to the reunion house, Tyler and newcomers!"
As the walked up the steps to the front door, the anxiety broke it's way in again, and Tyler and Mike realized that in a few seconds, they would be faced with relatives. Again, they were worried, as well as tired. Though their plan had been to leave if they were not accepted, it was late at night and they were not driving back the second they were met with negativity.
Tyler tried to think about what hotels were cheap and nearby that they could walk into for a room. Mike was worried about what Tyler would call him and Onity if not boyfriends. Onity wasn't worried. He was ready. Excited but ready to protect his humans from any sort of harassment.
Rose and Nelson walked in first, the three following behind. Onity closed the door behind them as they were greeted to light, his vision adjusting itself. They stood in front of the door, facing a large living room with couches and a TV playing Cops. There was dim lighting, but the inside was easier to see then outside.
"They're here!" Rose smiled and Nelson barked, as if he were announcing their arrive as well.
Sitting in the room watching TV was Tyler's parents and grandmother, whom all got up to greet him. Walking over, Mrs. Crisson hugged her son, smiling.
"I'm so glad you're here!" She said. He looked up at Mike and Onity. "You too! Welcome to our family!"
"We're glad to be here." Mike smiled in reply, he and Onity bot receiving hugs from her.
"How was the drive?" Mrs. Crisson asked. "You all look exhausted!"
"It wasn't bad!" Onity answered.
"It wasn't bad, but it was way too long." Tyler added.
"You should fly over next time!" Mrs. Crisson said. "Alice offered to pay, Don't know why you turned her down!"
"We've got our own reasons, it's alright." Onity said.
"Well come in, come it! It's cold outside, isn't it, boys?" Mrs. Crisson motioned the three to walk around, the area by the door colder then the rest of the house.
Mr. Crisson greeted his son and Mike and Onity, not really one for hugs. Tyler was about to turn to be greeted by his grandmother when another person entered the room from the hallway. It was a woman who was tall and had blonde, somewhat curly hair. She saw Tyler and a huge smiled appeared on her face.
"I knew I heard that little nerd!" The woman smiled. She turned back to the hallway. "Gordon! Tyler is here! Come say hi!"
The woman walked over the room to greet Tyler. Her hair was wet and it looked like she was just about ready for bed. From the hallway then walked out a man, just as tall as her, who had grayish skin and a bald head and a small beard. He was big but he looked just as friendly as she did.
"Hello, Aunt Alice." Tyler nodded his head to her, only to be taken into a hug.
"You are never allowed to skip out on any Christmases at all, got that!" Alice said, Tyler beginning to struggle as she hugged a bit too tight. She let go with a sorry.
"I think I've gotten that message already." Tyler replied.
"It's about time! I've been emailing you for years about this! You really are stubborn!" Alice said. "But you caved! Who knew it'd date an embarrassing picture of you na-"
"Okay! Okay!" Tyler cut her off. "Enough, Wonderland, we got it."
Alice laughed. "Wonderland, huh?"
"You never stop to surprise me." Tyler said, turning to his grandmother, Jacky.
Tyler gave a sheepish smile to his grandmother, who seemed to be a bit irritated that it'd taken this long for him to get to her. But she sighed and smiled and gave him a hug too. She was short like him, a bit shorter even, and she was wrapped up in warm clothes. Her fragile white hair was pulled into a light bun. She looked relaxed to see her grandson again.
She pulled away to look her grandson in the eyes. "Alice is right. Every year you neglected to visit me was another year of torture."
"Sorry, Grandma." Tyler said. "It was nothing against you, I promise."
"Better not have." She grinned. "I only have so much longer on this planet. I want to see you grow up too, Kiddo!"
"You haven't missed much in the last three years." Tyler said.
"Nonsense, boy!" Jacky shook her head. "You graduated high school, and I would hope in college too. Where are you attending? What for? I hope you picked well."
Tyler looked away. "Uh, Haven't gotten there yet. Not enough, you know, funds for it."
Jacky placed her hands on her hips, sighing. "Tyler Trellis Crisson, you are a laugh. What made you think you'd be the only one paying for your education, which you need to look into soon! Give it time and you'll be sitting in a classroom of babies your freshmen year!"
"At least I'll look smart." Tyler shrugged.
"You're smart, you just need to consult your head more often. Make decisions based off other parts and It leads you nowhere good."
"Grandma!"
Grandma Jacky let out a small laugh before their conversation closed. Alice stepped in, beside her mom, and looked at Tyler.
"Sooo, who are they?" Alice asked, her, Gordon, and Jacky wondering the same thing.
Tyler stepped aside to allow them to see Mike and Onity. Mike had felt a bit out of place. Actually a lot out of place. This was it. He was worried about what Tyler would say. What they would say. This was a family, but to Mike, until he's accepted, it doesn't feel like his family. Onity continued to smile. These people were his family. It was all going well so far. Besides, Tyler's aunt and grandma seemed like nice people.
"So, uh." Tyler stuttered. "This is Mike and that's Onity. T-they're uh, my frie-"
Rose placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him a supportive look. A look that said not to worry. Go ahead. Tyler gulped. She had his back, as well as his mother and father. And now that Tyler thought about it, if their relationship came up later, Jacky and Alice might not get why they weren't introduced as family first. Why the fuck not?
"Grandma, Aunt Jacky, Uncle Gordon, These are my boyfriends." Tyler said, almost without thinking ahead. "Mike and Onity."
Aunt Alice and Uncle Gordon looked surprised. Grandma Jacky's eyes narrowed as she stared over the two. There was a pause in all talking that felt like ice cold water to Mike and Tyler. There was no clue what was going to happen next. Tyler watched, waited, for anything to happen. Rose and her parents also waited, hoping that neither Jacky nor Alice or Gordon would say anything negative.
"So, how has your check ups with your doctor been?" Jacky looked back at Tyler, who looked stunned.
"W-What?" Tyler asked. "I just-. Grandma?"
"You've been monitoring your health, right?" Jacky continued.
"I just introduced-" Tyler shook his head. "Are you okay with us??"
Tyler looked at his grandmother, eye to eye, trying to get her to come clean, but she held onto her stubborn look. She wanted to talk about something else. This was not good. The atmosphere of the room was changing, and the anxiety within Mike was growing, and Onity was changing his opinion on the old lady.
"Tyler." Rose sighed. She looked guilty. "I told her already. Sorry."
"WHAT!?" Tyler looked upset.
"HOLD ON!" Alice spoke up. "I- I Don't get it!?"
Tyler looked at his aunt, who looked genuinely confused. She calmed herself down, realizing her voice was getting a bit loud.
"I'm sorry." She said. "I just. I've never heard of having two boyfriends? Also boyfriends? Tyler what have you gotten yourself into?"
"What have I gotten myself into?" Tyler frowned.
"Ah!" Alice shook her head. She looked at Mike and Onity. "I'm sorry! My name is Alice Dupree, and t-that's my husband, Gordon Dupree. I'm Tyler's aunt."
"U-Uh, Hello." Mike felt frozen, and he wasn't sure what to think about Alice. She looked like she was trying but her reaction wasn't that all positive either. Her wording was not planned.
"I never thought that you, you'd be, you know." Alice turned back to Tyler. "You just don't seem that way. A-And I've never heard of someone having t-two b-boy friends, and er, uh, girlfriends. H-How does that work? Are they okay with that? I don't get it."
"I'm not gay, Alice." Tyler replied. "Being in a relationship with a guy doesn't make me gay."
"What does it make you then?" Grandma Jacky asked. "Tyler, I-"
"Grandma-"
"UM. SO!" Rose rose her voice, stepping in between Tyler and the two other women. Mrs. Crisson joined her.
"It's getting late." Mrs. Crisson said. "Rose, I think you should show the boys their room. I'm sure they'd like some sleep right about now."
"Right!" Rose nodded her head.
"But Amy, I just-" Alice began but her sister motioned for her to stop and calm down.
"Alice, Calm down." Mrs. Crisson said.
Rose began to pull Tyler, Mike, and Onity away, across the living room, and down the hallway. Despite wanting to continue with his Aunt and grandmother, Tyler was relieved to be saved. Mike of course more so, and Onity was quite, thinking about the words said. He still held onto that hope that Alice would eventually come to not question them, however Grandma Jacky seemed to be more of a challenge. Also, Gordon didn't say anything, and so Onity has absolutely no clue what that man thinks. Onity want's to believe the man is no threat. He only seemed surprised. That was all Onity could gather.
The hallway was somewhat narrow and on the wooden walls were pictures. It was dark, so they were difficult to see, but Mike noticed a few pictures that had the family in them. He wanted to look at them more, and so did Onity, but it wasn't the time right now. The flooring of the hallway was a cream colored rough carpet, one cleaned just for this holiday, so it looked without a stain. Finally, Rose stopped to a door that was halfway down the hallway and to the left. She opened the door for them and showed them inside.
The room wasn't big, but it wasn't small. It had a dresser, a desk, a mirrior, two twin sized beds and two side tables. The flooring was a dull red carpet. There was a window that let in a bit of light until Rose flicked on the lights. The three placed down their bags, Onity and Mike looking around the room. Tyler, however, immediately turned to his sister.
"You told grandma without asking me!?" Tyler hissed, keeping his voice low.
Rose looked pained. "Look, I'm sorry. Me and Mom thought it would be the best thing to do in this situation."
"We were planning to hold it back! Settle in! Find the right time to let grandma and everyone know!" Tyler continued.
"That was your plan?" Rose frowned, crossing her arms. "Grandma would be so much more upset if you had brought friends instead of boyfriends."
"Would she really?" Tyler narrowed his eyes. "That's bullshit and we both now it."
"Look, Tyler, this family reunion is everything to her and Julian. If you'd told her you brought friends to a family related event, she'd probably find a hotel for them to stay at the moment they step in. You'd have to tell her they'd starve without you or you're legally supposed to have them around at all times to get her to accept their company."
"She would have been nice to them anyway, scolding me for bringing them. But now she doesn't like them!" Tyler shook his head. "She's homophobic, not friendphobic."
"Let me just remind you that you not only appeared with a boyfriend, you appeared with two. Polyamorous relationships don't exist in this human run world." Rose said. "I mean, they do, but. But tell me about another polyamorous relationship that has existed."
"I...I don't know one." Tyler fumbled.
"They are out there, I know that." Rose looked at her brother. "You are not the only ones who go through this. They are just so rare that most people grow up never seeing or hearing about them."
"I know."
Rose sighed. "Right now is the time that LBGT couples of two are fighting for their rights to love each other in a world against them. You all have that on your shoulder. I do too. But one day, some day in the future, it'll be your time again."
Tyler looked away and Rose continued.
"Humans are creatures of emotion. We thrive on our feelings. One day humans will fight so that they can love. That's it. So they can love whoever they want without judgment. There will always be restrictions, such as age, but someone will realize that who gives a shit how many people are in a relationship when it's all completely consensual?"
"We'll probably be dead by then." Tyler said. "But, I get your point."
"Grandma has never even considered that this was something possible. She grew up religiously and though she can see a world with other opinions just fine, it's when someone she loves takes part in something she doesn't understand that worries her." Rose said. "She'll be bitchy and unsupportive, but show her love and eventually she'll realize you're fine. You're happy where you are with them."
"Kill her with kindness." Tyler rolled his eyes. He really did not like using this tactic with disrespectful people, but it was the more mature route to go.
"Exactly." Rose smirked. "So do you forgive me?"
Tyler paused. "Maybe. We'll see."
"Um. So this room only has two small beds?" Onity's voice broke through the two siblings and they turned to see Onity and Mike sitting on the two beds, which were on opposite sides of the room.
"Yeah, the others took all of the big beds." Rose explained. "There is one upstairs but it was claimed for Matt and his wife."
"Was this her doing?" Tyler asked.
"Who? Grandma?" Rose asked. "Maybe. See, we only told her shortly after dinner. This is all new to her."
"And you didn't take responsibility into your own hands?" Mike questioned.
"Yeah, it slipped my mind." Rose answered.
"That's fine!" Onity stood up, stretching. "We can shove the two beds together!"
"See!" Rose smiled. "There you go! Problem fixed!"
Tyler looked at the beds, both seemingly heavy and across the room from each other. They would also have to move the two side tables and the lamps on them. It all looked like a lot of work and Tyler was still so worn out. Rose saw that and rolled her eyes.
"I mean you could all sleep apart, there is a third bed down the hall, but that wouldn't be gay would it?" She nudged her brother.
"Fine!" Tyler gave in. "Let's be gay as shit and move furniture around!"
"Woo!" Onity raised his arms up.
Mike laughed. "Because that's apparently what gay means."
Rose walked towards the door. "Alright! Now don't be too loud, Uncle Joe is sleeping in the next room over."
"Sleeping? Him?" Tyler looked skeptical.
"He drove up this morning and grandma kept him up, he's probably been up for over a day." Rose shrugged.
As she turned to leave out of the door, she stopped. "Anyway, if you need anything, let me know.Night you guys!"
"Goodnight!" Onity waved.
"Night!" Mike and Tyler said.
Rose walked out , closing the door behind her. Leave the boys to figure out their room, she walked back down the hallway. She could hear talking coming from the living room, and as she got closer, it began clearer. It was her mom, grandma, and aunt. When Rose entered the room, none of them stopped, and Rose noticed her Uncle Gordon sitting to the side of the three women. He was listening, but not adding.
"Mom, It's not that, It's-" Rose saw her mom trying to talk to Jacky and Alice, and she saw her mom was glad to have Rose back there beside her.
"That boy left for three years! I finally get to see him again and he's brought two random strangers!" Jacky didn't let her daughter finish.
"They're not random strangers." Rose said.
"They are to me!" Jacky replied.
"Well then they aren't random." Rose continued. "Tyler brought his boyfriends. Mike and Onity have spent over a year with him. He loves them and they love him. They are family."
"You can't have a healthy relationship with two other people!" Jacky shook her head. "I just wish he hadn't brought his drama over here!"
"This isn't a love triangle, grandma." Rose frowned. "The only drama here is what you're causing."
"Amy, I don't understand how you could let your son do this to himself." Jacky turned to her daughter.
"I let him find his happiness. Maybe it's not normal but Mike and Onity are lovely people. He's not in any danger with them at all." Mrs. Crisson shook her head. "If they had been bad people, you know Diego and I wouldn't have let them anywhere near our son."
"You and Diego obviously don't know what bad people look like!" Jacky said.
"You're being nothing but n-negative, mom, maybe you should-" Alice tried to speak up.
"Don't tell me what I should do, Alice." Jacky shot her daughter a glare.
Alice turned to Rose. "Rose, I do agree that it is sort of rude for Tyler to leave us for so long, but I want to return to a positive setting."
"Neither of you are helping with that." Rose replied.
"I just want to understand." Alice said.
"You don't have to understand to accept him!" Rose shouted. "Just because you think something is wrong doesn't mean you have to let that cloud your mind! You're both pushing Tyler away because he's in a relationship. He hasn't changed though! He's still nerdy and dumb and addicted to sweets and in danger of heart attacks and really into music!"
Rose glared at the two, seeing nothing click within them. Alice was still torn. Jacky was still in disgust.
"He's still Tyler. He just chose to open up to you about something personal. And you didn't show support." Rose said.
"I didn't mean to." Alice said.
"I know, and most of these questions you have you should ask Tyler himself." Her sister replied.
"Life would be so much less complicated for him if he'd just bring home a girl." Jacky muttered. "Why would you choose to live so terribly?"
Rose was angry. Like Tyler, she found herself a bit hot headed, but she tried so hard to always be calm and collective. However, topics like these were very important to her. She herself was Bisexual, and these things that her grandmother was saying about Tyler were things that she would say about her if she'd ever brought home a girl. Jacky was normally an amazing woman that Rose still loved as family no matter what. However, Tyler was so much more important to Rose. Jacky not accepting her grand child was a shitty thing that Rose couldn't stand.
"Stop being homophobic!" Rose yelled.
"I have nothing against homosexuals!" Jacky replied.
Rose looked ecstatic. "Wow! Okay! Homosexuals are perfectly fine as long as they are not a part of your family, huh!? I guess that's not being homophobic, it's being a shitty fucking grandmother!"
"Rose!" Mrs. Crission pulled her daughter's arm.
"This hurts, mom!" Rose turned to her mom. "You have no idea what it's like to live with negativity like this! We have to deal with it all the time, Tyler more so then I! I was just-" She took a deep breath and looked back at her grandmother "I was just hoping that he could find his family to be a safe place from it."
"What do you mean you have to live with it too?" Jacky asked.
"This isn't about me right now." Rose shook her head. She wouldn't make this any worse by coming out now.
"I have an idea!"
The four turned to Gordon, who finally decided to step in. The four stared, waiting for what he had to say after all this time. Gordon shifted in the chair he sat.
"Moving on from right or wrong, Why don't you tell us about those two guys, Amy?" Gordon asked his sister-in-law.
"Mike and Onity?" Mrs. Crisson asked.
"Yeah. What are they like?" Gordon nodded his head.
Alice nodded her head as well, showing she too wanted to know more. Jacky huffed, looking away with her arms crossed. With that, Mrs. Crisson took that as a good sign to move on.
"Well, Mike and Onity are two very nice people." She smiled. "They've always been very respectful to me. I've had them over for dinner a bit and the three always lead the conversations, which is nice to see because Tyler has never been one to talk much at the dinner table."
Rose continued. "Yeah. Mike is the tall, blonde one. He's pretty good at cooking and he's very hard working. Onity of course is one with light brown hair. He's a really good friend of mine too. He's really supportive and cares a lot about our family."
"You see? They're no-"
Jacky cut off her daughter. "I don't like the look of them."
Rose placed her hands on her hips. "They've been in a car for hours driving up to meet you, of course they look exhausted and worn out. If you were hoping they'd look any sort of presentable you were crazy."
"And I especially don't understand that boy with long hair." Jacky continued. "It makes him look like a woman. That's what I thought he was at first glance."
"There is nothing wrong with guys with long hair." Rose said.
"Are we even sure he's a he? What if he's one of those tr-"
"Mom! Shut up!" Mrs. Crisson raised her voice. "Onity is what he is. Please, let it all go. They've done nothing to hurt you and all you can do is complain about them."
"What sort of name is Oh-knee-tie anyway?" Jacky asked. "It sounds foreign."
"Who cares!?"
"And did you see his eyes!? They were red aND purple!"
"They're contacts!"
"You know who else has red eyes!?"
"Mom!"
"The devil!"
"Onity is not a fucking demon."
"Rose!"
"What! He wears contacts and she's calling him a demon!"
Alice fidgeted, the back and forth making her more uncomfortable. She stepped back a bit, wanting to be next to her husband for comfort. This was terrible. She had no idea how this would stop. It had to. It was so late at night and they would have more family over tomorrow and they really shouldn't be arguing like this when Matt gets here. Alice reached back to grab her husband's hand, her eyes glancing away from the three arguing to stop at the entrance to the hallway. She felt herself freeze, and Gordon saw it too.
"I'm just saying!"
"You aren't just saying! You're calling someone a demon and you've never even formally met them!"
"I can tell from a mile. He's bad news." Jack said. "A man with demon eyes and long woman hair a-a-and he's skinny! He's not masculine at all."
"I mean if I'm supposed to protect my masculinity to be male, I'll have you know I'm a bit more built then your grandson."
The three froze to the voice and turned to see Onity standing in the entrance to the hallway, leaning against the frame, his arms crossed.
"And yes, I have seen him shirtless, so I would know by visual comparison."
"Onity!" Rose whispered as he walked over. "What are you doing here?"
Jacky looked shocked that he even appeared. To her his sudden appearance was only more proof the man was a demon. Say his name and he's there, listening. She glared at him, hoping that maybe it'd keep him from walking any closer. But Onity wasn't stopped. This crazy old lady wasn't a threat to him. Well, He didn't believe she'd be a challenge for him.
"I'm so sorry you had to hear these terrible things." Mrs. Crisson told Onity.
"No, no, it's all fine. I'm just sorry I didn't grow up with gender shoved down my throat." Onity said, meeting eyes with Jacky.
Jacky was so much more angry now then before, this so called random stranger, whom she claimed to be demonic, appearing and taunting her. She hated looking at him. She hated being in this position. She wanted to leave. But she was stubborn. Most Crissons are stubborn. The others watched the two, scared of what would happen. Rose and Amy knew Onity to be a relaxed and respectful person, but how would he react to this woman insulting him? Alice and Gordon, who didn't know this man at all, and wanted to believe in him, had no idea If he'd continue their argument and make this worse. Alice wanted to sadly to leave as this atmosphere was tearing her apart inside. It was so negative.
"I don't like your attitude. I don't like the way you talk to me." Jacky began. "As long as you are in my house, you have to respect me. I'm not having your weirdness. I'm not having sarcasm or sassy comments."
Onity listened, his face unchanging as she talked. He still watched her, he still kept eye contact. He listened. As Jacky talked, the more the others worried about his reaction. What would he say?
"As long as you are in my house, you will keep within your boundaries. I don't want you anywhere you aren't allowed. I don't want you messing with anything you don't own. As long as you are here, you will respect me and my family and if you do anything wrong, anything at all, I'm kicking you out."
She paused and Onity did not say anything as she cleared her throat.
"This goes for your blonde friend too."
Jacky was done, and she too waited for Onity to say something. She glared up at him still, waiting for him to fire back. For him to say something demonic or defensive or stupid. Onity blinked a bit, standing up straight and nodded his head. The nod caught them all off guard.
"Alright." He said, his voice nonthreatening. Calm.
That was not what they expected.
"If those are your rules, I have no choice but to obey them." He said, and then relaxed his posture. "But listen to me this one time. If I respect you, you need to respect Tyler. If I am to respect your decisions, you are to respect Tyler's decisions."
Onity was a man of his word. He knew there were no real rules in place, but this woman owned the house, and as long as he was her guest, and as long as she was some sort of family, he would follow what she placed down. This woman was not a woman he agreed with, but he was not above her here.
"He brought me and Mike along with him because he loves us. To him, we are just as much his family as you are. If you can't do this, if you can't be there for him when the whole world is against him, he'll leave. And we'll leave too. He doesn't care if you're family if you can't support him."
He leaned forward. "He won't be here for Christmas with you. And He won't ever come back. You won't hAVE a grandson any longer."
With that, Onity stepped back, his head held high. He meant everything he said. He knew that if Jacky kept this up, Tyler would leave. Tyler would never want to come back. Onity can't say for sure, but that would probably lead to Jacky never seeing her grandson again. Onity knows that that is not what Jacky wants. He can only hope that Jacky understands this. He can hope she gets the hint and shuts up.
"Was that a threat against my family?" Jacky asked.
Onity let out a deep breath, stepping back. Whatever. He tried. Whatever happens now happens and all he can do his hope.
He shrugged. "No, It was a threat against my family."
Onity turned and walked back across the room to the hallway. If this woman thought these things about her grandson, he wasn't family to her, and so it wasn't a threat against her family at all. He stopped at the doorway again, turning back. He faced the other this time, ignoring Jacky completely.
"I'm sorry for causing all of this, Mrs. Crisson!" He smiled to Tyler's mother. "I hope you all have a goodnight." He continued, looking to Rose and Amy and then to Alice and Gordon.
"Onity, it wasn't your fault." Rose replied.
Onity shook his head. "I'll fit the bill this time, Rose. I hope the head of the table will take responsibility for things next time."
And then Onity walked off, back to his room. That was it. And then it was Jacky who walked away, into the kitchen to be away from people.
"I think we should go to bed." Alice said, her voice quiet.
"Mom used to listen." Her sister sighed. She turned to Rose, but had nothing to say.
"It's okay." Rose said.
"I hope Tyler stays." Mrs. Crisson said.
It was something they all agreed on. They all agreed this was a terrible way to start the vacation. Mrs. Crisson yawned and then, with a goodnight, walked off to head to bed. It was late. She was worn out from the negativity. Diego was probably already asleep. They all were tired. Hopefully things would be better in the morning.
Hopefully.
-...-