Justin sighed loudly, putting his feet on the dashboard, watching the scenery pass with a pout. JC glanced at the sullen boy, knowing the argument was about to start again. He turned down the radio, ready for Justin’s words. “Why are we going there again?” he asked. He lit a cigarette, rolling the window down a bit to let the smoke escape. “Because it’s Thanksgiving,” JC replied. “We could have had stayed in Seattle,” Justin countered. “Had Thanksgiving there.” “Justin,” JC said. “Please, try and understand.” “I’m trying to understand,” he countered. “But I don’t get it.” He dropped his cigarette out the window and turned in the seat to face JC. “They don’t approve of you, and you know they won’t like me.” He laid a hand on JC’s arm. “So, again, why are we going?” “Because they’re my family, Justin,” JC said softly. “And I have to try, one last time.” Justin shook his head. “You should be going alone, Jace,” he said. JC looked at him and smiled. “So you’ve said. A thousand times.” JC reached over and squeezed Justin’s knee. “Don’t sweat it, Justin. I told my folks I was bringing someone, and they seemed actually excited about it.” Justin snorted. “You don’t believe me?” “I believe you want them to be happy for you,” Justin allowed. “But whether or not they will be is a different story.” JC shook his head. “You’ll see.” They’d been together for over six months now, ever since Justin had shown up at JC’s apartment. It had been a learning experience for both. Justin needed someone to believe in him, make him whole. He still wasn’t sure…not of himself, not of JC. Every few weeks, he’d be gone when JC got home from work, then show up late at night with scraped knuckles and bruised eyes. JC would gently wash his scrapes, put ice on his bruises, holding him close when he tried to leave, making love to him when he finally stayed. JC was learning, too, learning that not everything he wanted to do was wrong. Justin had found the underground world in Seattle, and would make JC punk out, go to raves, dance together, then find a quiet, secluded spot where Justin would fuck him senseless. The danger, the excitement of doing in public always made JC’s orgasms stronger, and Justin knew it, fed on it, and took him higher than he thought possible. They were both damaged people, working slowly together to heal, to find a place where they fit. *** “Holy shit,” Justin said as the car pulled into lot. “You live in a church?” JC laughed. “No, the house is on the other side of the church, but we have to park here.” He opened the door and walked to Justin’s side. “Come on, J. You can’t avoid it forever.” He held out a hand. Justin saw that JC’s hand was shaking. He looked up, seeing the nervousness in the older man’s eyes. He grasped the hand and exited the car. “It’ll be fine,” he said, kissing JC sharply. He pulled their bags from the back of the car and followed JC around the church. They approached a small house situated next to the church. It was a picture perfect rectory, like something out of a movie, Justin thought. There was even laundry on the line and a cat on the porch. There stood there as a woman came out of the house, wiping her hands on an apron. She smiled at the sight of JC, coming down the steps with her arms outstretched, but stopped when she saw Justin, her smile freezing, her arms dropping. “Joshua?” she asked, her voice strained. “Who is this?” Justin backed away at her question, until JC grabbed his hand to stop his movement. “This is Justin, Mom,” he explained. “I told you I was bringing someone with me.” Her eyes widened at their clasped hands. “Joshua, you never said it would be…I mean…you said you were bringing…we all assumed…” Justin pulled his hand from JC’s. “I’ll wait in the car,” he said, turning away. “How could you bring…that…here?” she countered. “His name is Justin,” JC said quietly, watching as Justin disappeared around the church. “And he’s my guest, Mom. You said I should bring whomever I wanted.” “Not that. Not…him.” She raised a hand to her throat, as if the words themselves were hurting her. “He’s not normal, Joshua. He’s one of those…deviants.” “He’s not a deviant, Mom. He’s gay,” JC said simply. “So am I.” She shook her head violently. “Yes, Mom. I. Am. Gay. ” JC took held her by the arms, forcing her to look at him. “And if you can’t accept that, finally, after all these years, then we have nothing to discuss.” A voice called from the house. “Karen?” JC’s father came onto the porch. “Joshua! What’s going on? Where’s your friend?” JC’s mother tore away from his grasp and ran up the steps of the porch. “Please ask him to leave, Roy,” she told her husband. “I will not have him, or his deviant friend, in my house. I do not ever want to see him again.” With that, she entered the house and shut the door. “Joshua, is that true?” his father asked. “Did you bring…” “A man?” JC finished. “Yes. His name is Justin, and he means a great deal to me.” JC looked at the house, a sad smile on his face. “I thought maybe, just maybe, you two might be ready to deal with it, to deal with me, as I am.” He spread his arms wide. “This is me, Dad. Joshua Chasez, homosexual.” His father flinched at the words. “And Justin is my lover. And if he’s not welcome here, in a house where God is always present, and tolerance is taught and accepted for everyone but your own child, then it’s time for me to stop trying. To realize that you’ll never love me for who I am.” He picked up the bags Justin had dropped. “Good-bye, Dad.” Tyler was standing next to the car, talking to Justin, who was behind the wheel of the car. JC threw the bags into the back, then hugged his brother tightly. “If you ever need anything, I’m here for you,” JC said, kissing his brother’s head. Tyler’s eyes were bright with tears. “Thanks, Josh,” he said. He stuck his hand thru the window. “It was nice meeting you, Justin. Take care of my brother, huh?” Justin slid JC a glance as the older man got into the car. “I will, kid,” he told Tyler. “Stay out of trouble.” *** “You hungry?” Justin pulled the car into the diner’s parking lot, his stomach rumbling. No answer from JC “That what I thought,” he said, turning off the ignition and getting out of the car. The diner was almost empty, the only other patrons a few truck drivers. The boys slid into a booth, Justin flipping over their cups as a waitress approached with a steaming pot of coffee. “Greetings, boys,” she said cheerily. “Happy Thanksgiving.” Justin looked up. “Happy Thanksgiving,” he squinted at the nametag. “Candy.” “Can I get you boys the turkey special?” she asked. “It is Thanksgiving, after all.” Justin slid a glance at JC’s set face. “That’ll be fine, Candy,” he said. He lit a cigarette, sliding the pack in JC’s direction. One thing he’d learned, the older man only smoked when stressed. Justin grimaced, figuring this was one of those times. JC considered the end of his cigarette. “How do you do it, Justin?” “Do what?” “Live without your family.” His eyes were sad when he looked up at Justin. “Because it seems like that’s where I am now.” “My family wasn’t like yours, Jace,” Justin said, stabbing his cigarette out as their food arrived. “They were happy to see the back of me, and never even cared.” He started eating his turkey, which wasn’t half bad. He tapped his fork on JC’s plate. “Eat. You’ll feel better.” “No ‘I told you so?’ Justin?” JC said, still not eating. Justin shrugged. “Nope.” He sipped his coffee, grimacing at the cold liquid. “What’s the point? You’re beating yourself up way more than I could.” He reached over and snagged a big piece of turkey from JC’s plate, transferring it to his own. “Hey!” JC protested the theft of food. “Law of the streets, man,” Justin said, stuffing the turkey into his mouth. “You wait too long, you lose your food.” “Now, boys,” Candy the waitress said. She approached their table, her hands holding two more turkey plates. “There’s always more at Candy’s Diner, especially for two such handsome boys.” Justin smiled, attacking the second plate. JC also started to eat, his mood improving a bit. Maybe it was better this way, JC thought. He was what he was, and it wasn’t him that had the problem, but his parents. He’d accepted himself a long time ago, and had tried over and over to explain it to his parents, to help them understand, to make them see he was still their son, that he was still Joshua. But they’ve never looked beyond what he was to see who he was. And JC realized that until they did, he’d stay away. He continued with his dinner, watching Justin eat, shaking his head. The boy ate more than anyone JC had ever met. “I love you.” Justin’s fork fell to his plate with a clank. He stared at JC with a shocked expression, opening and closing his mouth, unable to find any words. “You don’t have to say anything back, Justin,” JC said, sliding his empty plate to the edge of the table. “I just wanted you to know.” “Is this…I mean…” Justin wiped his eyes, then fixed JC with a serious stare. “Is this because your family doesn’t want you, and you think you need something to love instead?” “First off,” JC said, reaching over and grabbing Justin’s hand. “You’re not something, you’re some one . A very special someone.” He rubbed a thumb over JC’s hand. “Secondly, I’ve felt this for a long time, but I was too scared to tell you.” He laughed at Justin’s skeptical expression. “You’re not the easiest person to tell something like this to, Justin.” He smiled softly. “But I’m not scared anymore.” Justin raised a brow. “Okay, I’m scared to death, but still, I had to say it anyway.” “Pumpkin pie, boys!” Candy came to their table with two small plates and fresh coffee. “It’s my own special recipe, boys, so I hope you enjoy it.” She filled their coffee, leaving them alone once more. They ate their pie in silence. “I love you, too,” Justin said quietly, his eyes locking with JC’s over the table. They were both damaged people, working slowly together to heal, to find a place where they fit. Maybe, just maybe, they found the one place they both fit was in each others hearts.