Clearly

I studied Pierce from afar as he curled up on my couch, typing out some e-mail or document to some random person whose identity is virtually unknown to me. His hazel eyes, his broad shoulders, his defined muscles - they all drive me wild. They're all incredibly masculine and they are so incredibly Pierce. I can't imagine him looking any other way than the way he does now. He's perfect, beautiful, extravagantly superb and gorgeous. A male supermodel would be put to shame when standing in his presence. Before I met him, I honestly thought that perfection was a level above all others, virtually unreachable, but Pierce has a way of changing my opinions.

The tapping of the keys echoed around the room as I looked at him, my hands linking around my mug as I took a sip of my tea, not knowing exactly what to say.

Today hasn't really turned out the way that we planned it to. I don't know about Pierce, but I generally think of a day full of romance and gentle caresses when a relationship reaches the special milestone of their one month anniversary. Unfortunately, before anything could really begin and we were in the process of sneaking out around noon to spend the day together, Mel was able to catch us scurrying out of the door, oblivious to our tension because we were just caught, though she wasn't even aware of what type of act she caught us in. And her obliviousness unfortunately ruined our day, happily inviting me to join them for a family dinner since her husband hasn't been home for quite a while and is eager to meet the young photographer she has told him so much about. Dinner with the family is never a good thing because fear will rock your very core if the littlest thing goes wrong.

Pierce gently placed his laptop aside, beckoning me over with a tilt of his head.

"What were you doing?" I asked around a smile, wanting to know what he had been so wrapped up in typing out just minutes ago. I quickly nestled myself into his crossed legs that were covered in a blanket, his chest still bare. He seems to hate wearing t-shirts around the house, especially when it's a rather humid day like it seems to be today. I'm not complaining though, just simply stating a new observation.

"Making a journal entry," he answered as he buried his head into my hair, taking a whiff of my new herbal shampoo.

"You keep a journal?" I asked incredulously, not really pegging Pierce for the type of guy to document his innermost thoughts and yearnings. Then again, Pierce Gordon never ceases to amaze me with his surprises.

"There's nothing wrong with that," he responded indignantly as his hands wrapped around my waist, my head still nestled into his neck. "You document everything through your pictures. I document my life through my words since I'm not at your level yet," he said thoughtfully.

"Never thought of it that way," I admitted.

"I'm bursting at the seams with knowledge that goes unknown to you," he continued.

I just rolled my eyes, curling into him as I listened to his heartbeat. We'll need to get ready soon if we want to be at his house by 7:30 without being horribly tardy. I don't want to worry about having a horrible impression with his father.

"Dalton," he murmured softly after a couple minutes have passed. I hummed in response, letting him know that I heard him and was listening to what he had to say. "I've been doing a lot of thinking today," he admitted.

"That's so unlike you!" I said around a quiet giggle, bringing my hand up to my mouth as mock outrage struck his features for a few seconds before his nervousness took over again. As usual, my curiosity peaked, never expecting Pierce's nervousness to openly shine through unless something was really troubling him.

"Please be serious," he almost begged me. "I'm worried about tonight," he admitted.

"Why?" I murmured. "It's just dinner with your parents. They don't know about us."

"I know that," he responded, "but don't you think that now would be the right time to tell them about us, or about the fact that I have even entertained thoughts about being with another man? Kill two birds with one stone - the awkward family dinner and coming out. It's just that everyone will be there," he continued, "and you'll be beside me and I don't know when another opportunity like this will present itself again."

I paused, leaning away from him and curling my knees up to my chest, my feet resting on his thighs as he looked at me, expecting a thoughtful response to his inquiries. "Coming out is never an easy thing," I began. "If you feel like tonight's dinner is ideal, then so be it. You just have to be sure of yourself and ready to accept the consequences if things don't go the way you hope for them to go since they don't always do - like it did with my family. But I'm okay with that. If they can't accept me, I'm not going to get down on my hands and knees and grovel for their approval. There's nothing wrong with being gay and no amount of hatred from others could ever make you hate yourself," I advised him to the best of my ability, referring back to my personal experiences.

"I'm really not that worried though," he insisted. "My Mom used to be a model and true to the stereotype, a great deal of the men in the industry are part of the LGBT Community, so I'm not worried about her. Marcie doesn't worry me that much either because she's got gay friends. If she has a problem with me it's just because I'm her brother, but I'm really worried about my Dad," he admitted to me. "You haven't met him yet and tonight will be your first true meeting with him though you seemed to know about him prior to your first day at work, but he's an extremely stubborn man and I've had reason to believe he has homophobic tendencies."

My eyebrows knitted together as I leaned forward and gently took Pierce's face in my hands, kissing him on the lips gingerly before pulling away as I began to pick my words carefully. "Don't take this the wrong way," I murmured, "but being that I have been around for a while and I've never met him and probably would never have met him if I wasn't invited to dinner tonight, I'm assuming that he's been absent from your childhood. Are you really that worried about him?"

"His opinions are important to me because he's my father," he stressed to me. "But he's nothing like my mother. He's my Dad, but he never truly was a parental figure to me."

"But you turned out pretty damn fine, if you ask me."

"I was content with growing up with my mother. She raised me well and I'm happy with my life," he admitted.

"Then whatever happens tonight, don't feel compelled to change for your father. If your mother accepts you, that's all that you need. You're twenty years old, you can be on your own if things go wrong, but you said yourself that your father never truly was a parental figure to you and your mom is the one who truly matters to you. Focus on that," I told him, pressing my forehead against his as a tiny smile graced his lips.

"You always know the right things to say," he admitted.

"Just know that whatever you decide to do tonight, I am here for you and I back you up completely and one hundred percent."

"You better," he said around a chuckle, pulling me in for another tiny kiss before sliding me off his lap gently, declaring that it was time to get ready after he took a deep breath. Things will most definitely be interesting tonight.

*

Pierce squeezed my hand gently under the table as his private chefs replaced our finished bowls of salad with delectable dishes of home made lemon chicken over rice and green beans. No wonder the entire Gordon family are in such great shape, they eat as if they are royalty!

I quickly dug into my chicken as I looked across the table, eying John Walter Gordon surprisingly. He truly wasn't what I had expected him to be. When I think of a heavy-weight lawyer, I normally picture a tall man in stature with slicked back hair, a perfectly pressed suit adoring his body, perfectly measured to fit his broad shoulders, with a briefcase in his right hand. And John Walter Gordon wasn't that tall in stature, though it was clear he, like his son, had quite a nice set of muscles to him. He made up for his lack of height with the way he carried himself, a menacing aura that simply screamed, "I am the man that you do not want to mess with." And I most certainly did not want to mess with John Walter Gordon, even if his beautiful wife was two to three inches taller than him and his laugh lines that fanned out from his eyes temporarily made the etched lines of deep contemplation in his forehead temporarily disappear. No, he was most definitely a man that I did not want to anger for more reasons than one.

"Dalton," he addressed me for the second time tonight, after he was first introduced to me. "Have I told you that I admire the work that you've done with my daughter?" He asked, a smile on his lips as he eyed her happily. He's proud of my work and appreciates my effort, even though there have been moments that I've been slacking. That's good, things are going well so far.

"No, sir, you haven't," I murmured once I had finished chewing, "but I highly appreciate it," I assured him.

"Please," he said around a smile. "Call me John. My wife has informed me that you have grown close to my son," he said, those laugh lines spraying out from his eyes like a Japanese fan that was just recently unfolded. "Any friend of Pierson's is a friend of mine."

I suppressed the urge to gag within my mind, knowing now that this man was incredibly superficial and shallow. He cares more about his image than he does about his son's life. He never would have any knowledge as to what's going on in Pierce's life unless Pierce made the cover of a magazine - something that happens quite a bit - or Mel personally pulls him inside to inform him of something. If he truly knew his son, he'd know that he despises his birth name and prefers his nickname, the one that his mother has faithfully raised him under since he was named after his grandfather and his full name wasn't extremely modern.

"Yes, sir--John," I immediately corrected myself, squeezing Pierce's hand under the table again as my way to notify him that I stand behind him no matter what. "Pierce and I have most definitely grown close during my welcome here."

"They balance each other out exceptionally well," Mel observed. "Pierce is often out and about, asking Dalton questions about his photography instead of hiding away in his room doing God-knows-what with his free time." Leave it up to Mel to help push us in the right direction without knowing how much motivation she is inadvertently giving Pierce.

"I don't blame Pierce for liking his room," Marcie said absentmindedly, pushing a piece of shrimp around on her plate until her father cleared his voice in a way that told her to stop playing with her food because it was impolite. She complied to his silent command before continuing. "It's a place away from the paparazzi where we can do absolutely anything and be ourselves. We could run around naked if that was what we pleased," she said around a giggle, one that was echoed around the table for a few seconds before silence overtook us.

"So, Pierson," his father said after clearing his voice. I couldn't help but notice how Pierce visible tensed beside me, making me believe that he didn't enjoy when his father often focused on him during their rare family dinners. "Have you given anymore thought to law school?" Ah, I understand why. He wants to force his profession on his son who is none-to-willing to take control of an empire. Pierce is not an argumentative person, a trait that a lawyer must possess.

"No, I haven't, Father," he murmured, cutting off his father with his explanation before he could give him a speech of disapproval in front of everyone. "I have, however, been doing a bit of research lately," he said evasively, and it was only then that I realized how Pierce was planning on going about this.

"Really?" He asked after he swallowed his food. He seemed generally pleased with his son, something that I have a feeling is rare.

Pierce nodded his head, an uneasiness overtaking his normally cool exterior. "I've been looking into things concerning the LGBT Community lately," he admitted. "Fighting for same sex marriage is a large concern in society these days and I think it would help to have some big faces, such as myself, identifying with such a great and controversial cause."

John seemed to pause, analyzing Pierce's words as his eyes turned to slits, his mouth barely working at chewing at the noodles in his mouth. I shifted in my seat uneasily, not knowing what to expect, and then he finally opened his mouth to respond, "I love it!" He said animatedly. "Supporting such a huge cause will gain so many more supporters from the homosexual community! This gets us so much face time! Brilliant, Pierson, absolutely brilliant!"

Pierce cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting in his seat just as I did moments ago, sparing a glimpse at his mother who was looking between the two of us understandably, her hands covering the smile that was on her lips as she gazed at her son with nothing but pride evident in her eyes. I knew she would be the one on his side.

"That's not really what I was talking about, Father," he said for a second. "I'm not doing it for publicity. I'm doing it because the cause is important to me. I identify with it," he stressed, sparing a glance towards Marcie who was banging her head against the table animatedly, in shock that her Dad was being so oblivious. If this moment wasn't so important, I may have chuckled at her actions.

"I love meat, but if the rates of vegetarians in California were going up, I'd support PETA!" He said around a laugh, shoveling another bite of chicken into his mouth.

"Dad," Pierce finally said exasperatedly, almost pleadingly. "You're missing what I'm trying to tell you. I'm... gay," he finally got out. "I don't want to be a lawyer," he continued. "I never wanted to be a lawyer. You wanted me to be a lawyer and you want grand kids, but I can't give you that." He turned to Marcie before continuing, "Marcie can give you that, but I can't. She can get married and give you grand kids and take over the branch, but I'm going to marry a man and we will be lucky if we adopt or even have the right to get married in this damned state." He said, awkwardly, looking at his father in a way that stated he was so clearly willing him to understand.

"But you've had girlfriends," his Dad sputtered, taking the napkin out of his lap and throwing it onto the table dramatically.

"The last girlfriend I had was when I was seventeen, Dad," Pierce murmured, abandoning being polite and no longer referring to John as 'Father.' "I've been pretty sure of everything since I was around sixteen years old, but I didn't want to upset you, but I couldn't stand leading a poor girl on. You wonder why I haven't dated the past three years. You'd never approve," he stressed, "but I'm happy the way I am. I-I have a boyfriend," he murmured, turning to look at me thoughtfully before he curled his strong hands around one of mine, cradling it to his chest delicately as if it anchored him to his chair right now and prevented him from fleeing. "Today's actually our one month anniversary," he said as an afterthought.

I wanted to lean up and peck him on his lips, telling him how proud I was of him, but at the moment it seemed as if I was incapable of forming words and showing any huge signs of affection seemed inappropriate since his father wasn't taking this well. Instead, I opted to lift his hands up to my lips, gingerly kissing a few of his knuckles before looking back at him, mouthing to him that I was proud of him as I looked back to both of his parents. Mel was smiling, tears forming in her eyes, while it seemed as if John was fighting the urge to become red-faced and have smoke billow out of his ears. Marcie was just leaning against the table, observing everything as it went down, completely unsurprised and not the least bit perplexed.

"Congratulations on such an important day," Mel said happily, smiling at us.

"Thank you," I murmured, holding onto Pierce's hands tighter. "Mister Gordon," I murmured, having a feeling that he would no longer want me to refer to him by his first name. "I just want you to know that you have an amazing son," I said sincerely, staring him directly in the eye though the hatred that fueled through them was slightly unnerving. "He makes me happy and for some ungodly reason, he insists that I make him happy too. I don't deserve him," I assured him. "I really don't, which makes me enjoy every second we have together even more. He is so intelligent and kind and beautiful," I stressed, "and he has such a bright future ahead of him. And I don't really know what's going to happen from here," I admitted, looking down for the briefest of moments as sadness overtook me, but I looked back at him, connecting our eyes once more since I wanted this to end shortly. "But this past month has probably been one of the best of my life and I harbor so much respect and adoration for him as a person, his beliefs, his cute little quirks that no one gets to see through the magazines, and most of all, his family. I just ask you that you'll give us a chance since it's clear that you're not necessarily approving of... us. Not for me, but for him. That's all I wanted to say."

I looked around the table, smiling at Mel because she had such a huge one on her lips. I leaned up and pressed the smallest of kisses to Pierce's temple. "I believe I've overstayed my welcome," I announced quietly. "I will show myself out."

"No!" Pierce almost screamed, jumping out of his chair and fumbling around awkwardly since they seemed to form a blockade around him. "Don't leave," he begged, "not now."

I looked at him before looking at his mother, who was nodding silently, knowing that I can't stay underneath this roof without special permission anymore, but tonight is okay. I can stay tonight no matter what happens with his father. His mother gave me permission and he wants me here, tonight he needs me here, so I'll be here for him.

"I'll meet you upstairs," I told him, curling our fingers together for the briefest of moments before turning around and walking towards the staircase, leaving him behind.

"I'm coming with you," he called as he turned around, whispering something that I couldn't hear to his parents before jogging towards me, helping me upstairs, his hand on the small of my back, breathing ragged in my ear.

"I meant what I said," I assured him as we got to the top of the stairs. "Whatever happens, this past month really has been one of the best of my life," I murmured, winding my arms around his neck and kissing his lips, knowing he needed the silent assurance that a kiss can bring more than anything else right now.

An almost strangled sob broke from his throat as he half-dragged me to his bedroom, uttering only two words of thankfulness as he realized a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and he no longer has to carry its burden. A sob tore free from his throat, mixed with tears of happiness and uncertainty as I pulled him into my chest, his words resonating in my mind, layered with admiration.

"Thank you."