What I'd Never Tell Him

Oli could not believe that his parents just showed up. Just like that. Out of nowhere. And everything had been going so perfectly.

When his dad rudely made Cam leave he felt stupid for not standing up to him, but that's just what he was in his father's eyes - stupid. Tom, his brother, was the smart one, and he was the failure. As much as he loved his little brother, that had always gnawed away at him.

So Cam left and his parents began their usual picking holes in everything: his life, his band mates lives, the fact that he was still vegetarian, the clothes he wore, his tattoos, his hair, why he still didn't have a girlfriend, and the list just went on and on. He was so grateful for his band mates, they got almost as much shit as he did and they weren't even their sons.

So when Cam returned for dinner, Oli leapt up to get it and was grateful for the small kiss he planted on his lips, reassuring him slightly.

They all sat down to dinner, it was tense and Oli was glad the tv was blaring out the news as his father always had it at dinner time. At least it broke the silence.
They suddenly started to talk about marriage equality and Oli felt his heart sink, he glanced at Cam who's jaw was tense. As his father started abusing "the faggots" making his mother chip in, he felt his eyes begin to sting with tears and his cheeks heat up dramatically. He could feel the guys eyes on him as they continued to slag off gay people and he couldn't take it anymore. He'd always been a failure in their eyes, and now he knew they wouldn't even accept the man he loved.

Oli rushed from the table and he heard Cam following him.
He got into the bathroom and burst into tears, sinking down to the floor. Cam came in and shut the door, kneeling in front of Oli and bundling him up in his arms.
It felt so good after all that to be back in his arms again, his smell going up Oli's nostrils instead of the foods which had made him feel more and more nauseous as his mum had cooked some sort of lamb stew and just taken the chunks of meat out for Oli.

"Babe I'm so sorry."
"Th-th-they're n-n-never going to a-accept us C-Cam...I...I..." He kissed Oli's head and calmed him down before letting him speak again.
"They're never going to accept this..." Cam looked afraid, like he was worried Oli was going to end things between them.
"I'm never giving you up...I...I love you Cam." The other man's face was motionless and Oli shifted, his words hung heavy in the air and his heart rate went into overdrive at the thought he might've just ruined the only meaningful relationship he'd ever had.
"Really?" His voice came out choked and Oli nodded, suddenly uncaring as to whether or not Cam couldn't handle it.
"I love you. My assholes of parents being here made me think about what it'd be like to give you up, I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you, the thought of losing you physically hurts me, I can never lose you, and they...will just have to deal with this. And if they can't handle it, it's great because it means I'll never have to see them again." Cam pulled Oli against him, making the other man suddenly like jelly again.
"I love you too..." Cam said thickly when they broke apart.
"Haha!! I made you cry too." Cam laughed at him slightly, resting their foreheads together, Oli left his hands on his shoulders.
"I never thought...I didn't think you...I love you."
"I love you too."
"Can you brave going back down there?"
"Hell yes. We'll say I was sick. You go first." Cam nodded and went downstairs. Oli stood over the sink for a few minutes before flushing the toilet and going down to join the others.
"Are you alright mate?" Nicholls asked, everyone aside his parents knew he hadn't actually been sick and Oli knew that's not what he was referring to.
"Y-yes thanks. I'm fine now. Sorry."
"That's rude Oli, getting up in the middle of dinner."
"Well somehow I thought it'd be even ruder to throw up on you dad." Oli almost felt like smirking as he finally stood up to his father, he felt his band mates perk up, they knew he'd never been able to do that too.
"Well now!! Does anyone want dessert?" His mother diffused the tension and began clearing away the plates.
"No! Don't do that mum please, let me. Dinner was delicious, it wasn't your cooking that made me ill." She smiled tearfully as Oli kissed her cheek and cleared the plates.
"I'll help you take them out." Nicholls grabbed at the opportunity before anyone else could and followed him out.
"Are you ok?"
"Yep. Told Cam I loved him, and he said it back. So I don't give a shit about what they say anymore, I'm doing what I want." Matt beamed and yanked Oli into a hug.
"Oh my god mate that's fantastic!! What you did out there just then was great!!" Oli grinned and coughed when he saw his mum coming out.
"Now for dessert..." She mumbled to herself and picked up a pie from the counter, Oli and Matt grabbed the dishes and went back to the table.
"So...Cam...what do you do?" Oli's father asked him, he smiled very convincingly and replied.
"I'm an actor Sir, rumour has it I'm pretty good." The guys all had to stifle laughter as they knew what he meant by that. His father frowned.
"An actor...as in theatre?"
"I used to do theatre work when I was younger, now I do movies and TV if I can get a part." Oli's mum came out.
"Oh that sounds exciting dear!!"
"It is, thank you."
"And you aren't in a relationship either?"
"Well...I sort of am at the moment actually."
"Sort of?" His father raised his eyebrows and Oli sighed loudly, leaning back in his chair just to purposely piss off his dad.
"Well yes, I've only just started seeing this person so...but I like the person I am dating very much." His mum cooed at him and his father rolled his eyes at her.
"Yeah they're really good together." Lee piped in, Oli smiled as the others all offered lovely comments about the two of them.
"I've never seen anyone happier in a relationship."
"I think it's really made him."
"Yeah, and the person he's seeing is just amazing." They all murmured in agreement at that and Oli smiled emotionally at them.
"Oli? Have you nothing nice to say?" His mother asked.
"Of course!! Well, Cam's a great guy and we all know that the person he's seeing likes him very, very, very much."
"Well I'm very happy for you Cam, none of these young men have a woman in their lives." She began handing out the pie, Oli ate it very slowly, as though he had actually been sick.
"So mum, dad, how long do you think you'll be staying for?"
"A week I think, isn't that what we decided, Hilary?"
"Yes I think so. Is that alright pumpkin?"
"Of course."
"That's fantastic!! As a native Californian I can give you guys some great places to go to and activities to do if you're interested in experiencing America at its finest." Cam tried to impress them - not for them though, to Oli and the guys it was obvious he was trying to get them away from the house so a few of then at least would get a break from the overbearing couple.
"Well I'm sure Oli could show us a few things." His father said pointedly.
"Actually I haven't done much since I've been here besides working."
"Work? What work?" Oli would've got annoyed but he just laughed it off, annoying his dad even more.
"Me and the guys are working on our next album, I own my own company, and my comic book released its first issue the other day. But of course, that's still not enough for you - right dad?"
"Now now Oli, you know me and your father are very proud of you."
"I know you are, mum." Hilary sighed and Oli squeezed her arm.
"Don't worry. We're done." He glared at his father as he said the last bit and felt much more powerful, he cleared the plates again, this time Jordan came out with him.
"How do you do that?"
"What?"
"Keep your fucking patience man?!!!"
"Because...I'm not having them stay here all week so...I'm gonna wait until tonight or tomorrow, and tell them I'm gay and with Cam." Jordan gaped.
"No, no Oli I don't think that's a great idea."
"Relax I'll give the others a heads up." Jordan sighed.
"I'm not worried about us I'm worried about you, you can't cut the cord with your parents-"
"They're assholes. And homophobic. If they can still love me after I tell them, I'll be happy to keep them in my life, if not, bye bye." Jordan rubbed a hand over his face.
"I'll give the others a heads up, you just tell Cam what you're planning."

That evening, they all sat there with drinks talking lightly, Cam and everyone else knew what Oli was planning to say.
"So where will you take us then?" They asked everyone. Cam spoke.
"You could go see San Francisco, that's a great city. There's the bridge-"
"We have a million bridges in England, nothing interesting."
"But the view is-"
"From London Bridge you can see all of London."
"And from the Golden Gate bridge you can see Cisco, the sea, and it's just beautiful." Oli smiled at Cam's somehow polite arguing.
"Fine. What else?"
"There's loads of things!! There's the Yosemite National Park which is beautiful, Lake Tahoe, the Big Sur coastline, Death Valley, Disneyland, Venice Beach, the Giant Forest of Sequoia, Sea World in San Diego and Redwood national Park."
"Wow." His mum said, they were both quite shocked.
"Anything you'd recommend?"
"Well, Sea World is great, and Yosemite, the Sequoias, and probably for you guys...Big Sur. But before I go any of these places with you, you gotta let me teach you kayaking and sailing and stuff." They blanched slightly.
"Oh, thank you dear but I don't think we're built for that, we're a but old."
"Well for the other stuff yes, I uses to do quite a bit of sailing in my time."
"Perfect!! And nonsense you're not too old!! My parents have been doing it for years and they're way older than you!!"
"Thank you but I'm sure that's not true."
"No, seriously it is they're old. And I only got them into it a few years ago. You'll be fine!!"
"O-ok..." Oli was relieved and squeezed Cam's shoulder when they weren't looking.
"Thank you."
"Are you gonna tell them or do you want them to stay?"
"Depends on how much they piss me off."

Later Oli asked Cam to help him with the drinks and once they got into the kitchen Oli pulled him in for a kiss. He was about to pull away when Cam laced his arms round his waist and lifted him slightly, kissing him more, Oli was powerless to resist and kissed the other man back with full abandon.
"What the hell is going on?!?" They broke apart to see Oli's dad standing there with some glasses in his hands. He slammed them down on the counter, making Oli flinch slightly.
"I'm making out with my boyfriend dad. Why?" Oli walked out of the kitchen back to the living room, dragging a slightly bewildered Cam behind him. He sat them both down and his dad came storming in.
"What's going on Oliver?" His mum asked.
"Your son's a...oh wait...what was the word you two used..? Ah yes, I'm a faggot mum. Happy holidays." Her face dropped and she froze, his dad started yelling.
"Are you joking?!! You're..no son of mine-"
"Whatever dad just either deal with it or go. I'm not changing just for you."
"Is it true Oli?" His mum asked sadly.
"Yeah..." He shrugged in apology.
"There nothing I can do about it."
"And you-you're with this...American moron??!"
"Well he's smarter than you and he's kind too so...don't think you're in any place to say that dad."
"Don't call me that. I'm not your father. I never have been but I tried!! Tried to love you despite all your...your faults!! Never trying hard in school, the bad grades, the detentions, your sleep paralysis, your failed bands with awful music, I tried!! We both did, and this is how you repay us??!"
"Yes father, I decided to just, make myself gay to piss you off." Oli's dad made towards him and Cam, on reflex stood up.
"Mr Sykes please-"
"Don't you dare talk to me you piece of filth!!" Cam didn't move and Oli stood up, walking round the back of the couch.
"It's alright Cam. Come on dad, 'ave a go. Do what you've wanted to all these years." His dad stood there, breathing heavily, muscle in his jaw jumping erratically.
"Or are you afraid that I'm not a little kid anymore - I can actually fight back now." His dad swung at him and Oli dodged it.
"Graham!! That's enough - stop it!!!" His mum screamed at them and Oli stood back, laughing mockingly.
"Now...we are...going to try and make this work-"
"How can we?! He's a f-"
"If you use that fucking word one more time about my friends or anyone else I'm gonna hack at a fucking piece of you alright?!!" Jordan started to lose it and Cam held him back.
"Chill, Jordan it's fine."
"Graham, he is...our son!!! We can get him to a church, have the evil taken from-"
"You can't fucking drag my gay-ness out of me mum!! Look, if the two of you can't handle me actually being myself, being secure with myself, and being happy for the first time in my life? Then fine, leave." His mum started crying, she shakily sat down on the back of the couch, Cam tried to comfort her but she just shook her head and turned away.
"You are not...this is just a phase Oliver, you're coming home with us, and you can come to church with us, and The Lord will forgive you as he always has...you will become good again."
"I am good now. And it's not a phase, and I'd rather die than come back there with you, oh and one last thing - I'm an adult dad you can't make me go anywhere!!" His father thought for a moment, then his head snapped towards Cam and there was a manic look in his eyes.
"Yes I can."
"Really?"

"I'll sell the story to any magazine or newspaper that'll give me the highest price."