"Wow, it's been a while since I heard that sound for the last time," Minho dryly comments, glancing at the direction the sound came from.
"Yeah, I can see that," I chuckle, making a face towards the older. "You know you're supposed to open the door now, right? Staring at it won't do anything."
"Smartass," Minho scoffs, gently pushing me off his lap as the doorbell rings again. I make myself comfortable against one of the many pillows as I watch my boyfriend disappearing through the door that separates the front door from the living area.
Then I reach out to pause the anime playing on the TV, even though we -once again- were barely paying attention to the show. With the sound gone, I can hear Minho's muffled voice through the door and even though I can't make out what he's saying, I know his voice well enough to say that he's surprised about something.
I frown, trying my best to catch at least some of the words he speaks. But it's useless, a few seconds later it's silent and the front door shuts. Then, Minho reappears, looking more uncomfortable than I've ever seen him before. I want to ask him what's wrong but then, my eyes wander to the familiar person following right behind Minho.
"M-Mom?" I stammer, jumping up from the couch immediately. Panic and confusion take over my body, it's as if I'm readying myself to get away as fast as possible if needed. My mom takes a step forward and Minho gives me a helpless look from behind her.
"Hyunjin gave me this address when I asked him where I could find you," my mom tells me, looking at me hesitantly. "I came here to talk to you."
I relax a little at her words, the tension gradually leaving my muscles. At least she isn't here to smash my skull or something like that. But I still look at her warily and she sighs.
"Why uh, don't you two sit down to talk?" Minho awkwardly suggests, gesturing towards the couch. "I'll be in the kitchen."
My throat grows dry as I give Minho a pleading look. Please don't go, I want to say. But with a reassuring smile, he turns around and disappears into the kitchen, leaving me alone with my mom.
I watch how she takes a seat on the couch and I hesitate. When I became so scared of her? I don't know. I guess I just find it hard to trust my family after everything they put me through, even my mom.
Eventually, I sit down on the couch as well, keeping a fair distance from her. I find myself fidgeting with the hem of my shirt -that I actually stole from Minho, but okay. It's not hard to guess what she wants to talk about but what exactly she's going to say is unknown. To say that I'm nervous is an understatement, anxious would be a better word. Last time I checked, she wasn't too fond of gay people, either.
After a long, tensed silence, my mom finally speaks up.
"Is he your boyfriend?" she softly asks.
I slowly nod a few times, keeping my eyes trained on her to observe her reaction. She nervously bites her lower lip before looking away. And what now? Will she blow up in anger now that she knows? It makes me feel scared; even though I don't live with them anymore, the idea of my parents hating my guts leaves me restless. I already know my dad hates me and somehow, I hold a little hope that my mom doesn't. At least don't let her yell it straight into my face. Not now, when everything finally goes well.
"Mom, please don't ruin this," I practically beg her. "I'm finally happy and-"
"Does he treat you right?" my mom bluntly asks, catching me off guard.
The words I wanted to say earlier are caught in my throat and I look at her blankly. I expected a lot of things to happen but this definitely wasn't one of them. Even though my mom looks hesitant, the is no anger or hate behind her eyes. She just looks at me like she used to, as if nothing has happened. The beginning of a warm smile plays on her lips and my heart swells in happiness.
"That's good, I wanted to make sure he does," my mom admits. "Your dad saw you last week and he told me about it when he got home. He was beyond angry, like he always was when someone that wasn't straight was involved."
She sighs before she continues, "I might not fully understand it, Jisung. But I don't hate it like your father does. I was pretending all along because as his wife, I wasn't allowed to have an opinion that opposed his. After you came out, I felt terrible for everything I had said over the years. Still, I decided not to approach you straight away, figuring you might need some time and space. And it seems like everything turned out well."
I just stare at my hands, my heart hammering loudly as I process the meaning behind her words. I'm at a loss for words, that's how overwhelmed and happy I am at this point. Even though everything was well, it still felt incomplete for a reason. And I found that reason now, because with my mom's acceptance, I feel like there's nothing holding me back anymore.
Finally, a smile makes its way to her face as she opens her arms. I don't even hesitate as I inch closer to her and accept her invitation for a warm hug. It feels like it should feel and I'm about to cry out of sheer happiness.
"You're still my son, Jisung. It doesn't matter who you love, I care about you a lot," my mom tells me, smiling fondly as she removes a loose strand of hair from my forehead. "If you love him and he makes you happy, I'm happy as well."
A huge smile crosses my face as all my last worries wash away. My mother's acceptance was the last thing I hoped to happen and look at us now, my mom really came to me to basically take me back as her son. I couldn't care less about my dad; his homophobic antics aside, I never really liked him at all. Too cold, too focused on his job and using his son to maintain a high image at his company by making sure his grades and everything was on point. He even made me feel the need to hide the real me because I didn't match with his image of perfection.
"Do you want to properly meet him?" I ask, unable to hide the excitement from my voice.
With a soft chuckle, my mom nods and I jump up from the couch to get Minho out of the kitchen.
I find him there, sitting on his stool playing with one of his cats. As he hears me approaching, he lifts his head and looks at me, his eyes full of anticipation. Grinning widely, I give my boyfriend a thumbs-up and relief washes over Minho's face.
"You should properly introduce yourself," I tell him, my smile never faltering. "I really think she's okay with us being together but don't be too clingy, okay?"
As the older nods, I take his hand in mine and drag him out of the kitchen, into the living room where my mom is waiting. Once there, I find Dori perched on her lap and I chuckle. That cat sure loves attention.
"Mom? This is my boyfriend," I announce, tearing her attention away from the feline she's petting.
"I'm Lee Minho, nice to meet you," Minho tells her, bowing politely. "I promise to take good care of your son."
"I can see that, Jisung looks so much happier," my mom replies with a small smile. "You two look great together. It might take a little while to get fully used to it but I approve."
"You have no idea how much that means to me, mom," I mutter, smiling like a madman.
"You're my son, I'd do anything for you," she solemny replies. "Coming to terms with something I was raised to hate is just one of them."
I just smile, not knowing what to say. So instead, I just enjoy this moment. Both Minho and my mom seem to think the same thing. My boyfriend gently places a hand on my shoulder with a fond smile while my mom looks relieved and satisfied. It goes on for a few minutes, a remotely comfortable silence dragging between us.
"I should get going, I still have to get some groceries before your dad gets home," my mom then announces, placing Dori next to her and getting up from the couch. "Please know that you two are always welcome when your father is away from home, okay?"
"Thanks mom, I'll see you out," I announce, leading her to the front door after Minho said his goodbyes.
"I'm sorry for everything you've been through at home, Jisung," my mom sighs, resting her hand on the door knob. "I'm also sorry for playing along, not even aware of how much it hurt you."
I give her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, mom. Everything is better now. The past is in the past."
"It's amazing to see what Minho did to you, Jisung," my mom remarks. "You really look so much better."
"I know, he's the best," I grin. "I really owe Hyunjin a lot, after introducing Minho to me I basically stole his assignment partner."
My mom chuckles and ruffles my hair one last time before she opens the front door. "I hope to see you soon, Jisung."
"See you later, mom," I greet her with a smile, waving as she walks off.
Then, I re-enter the apartment, closing the front door and making my way to Minho, who's lounging on the couch. Without warning, I let myself fall on top of him and snuggle closer, ignoring the older's surprised yelp.
"Geez, baby, give a little warning the next time you decide to do this," Minho scolds, wrapping his arms around me nevertheless.
"Sorry, hyung," I giggle softly. "I'm just so happy."
"I'm really happy for you too, Ji. This calls for celebration, don't you think?" the older asks with a grin and I nod enthusiastically.
"Endless cuddles and a mac date, please," I jokingly demand. Much to my surprise, the older immediately complies as he pulls me even closer, burying his face in the crook of my neck.
"Everything for you, baby," he states, his hot breath fanning my skin. "Your wish is my command."
Finally, everything is how it should be. I have an amazing boyfriend, amazing friends and a mother that approves of who I really am. At this point, I don't even care about my dad anymore, just like he doesn't care enough about me to learn to accept me.
I'm happy now, and that's how it is.
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1 chapter left guys