Thank You, Gravity
Rude Awakenings
I look at Dad in confusion. Now he wants to be around us? I don’t let myself hope he’ll turn around and accept us again. “Now you want us here?” I manage to say. Nick turns back around.
“You can’t afford a hotel.” Of course, he has to make some smartass comment to make up for being nice to us. I turn to look at Nick., and he doesn’t look too happy. I don’t know if I’d rather stay at the hotel or here. But I know that accepting his offer might make things better for us. At least he’s being nice for once.
“Nick, we should…” I whisper in his ear, putting my hand on his arm lightly. He nods.
“I guess we’ll stay here..” Nick mutters. Dad nods without saying anything, holding the door open and tilting his head towards the inside of the house. I go to the car to get our bags and Nick walks inside.
Of course Nick and I get separate rooms. Dad’s not stupid. I drop my stuff down in the same room I had last time. I don’t want to be here with Dad, but it’s better than being at a hotel. At least we have internet and food. His across the hall from me. Dad makes it clear that if we “try anything” in front of Frankie, we’re dead. It’s clear he’s still disgusted by us, and he still doesn’t want to associate with us, but I guess he feels sorry for us. Whatever.
“Hey,” I see Nick at my door a couple minutes after we’re settled in. He rubs his cheek and forehead like he has a headache.
“Hey.” I look up at him from my laptop, smiling slightly. I get up from the chair and cross over to him, and hug him tightly. “You alright?” I ask, putting my hand on the top of his head and rubbing it though to the back.
“Yeah,” he mutters, tucking his head into my neck. I hear Dad coming through the hallway and I smirk, looking at him.
“You wanna get Dad annoyed?” I smile.
“How?” Nick asks, and I quickly grab the front of his shirt and pull him towards me, clashing our mouths together just as Dad walks past the open doorway. I can feel his stare as I kiss Nick aggressively. It’s not meant to be a real kiss, just something to get attention. I pull away with a smirk and Dad huffs.
“Nicholas, go backto your room right now,” he says harshly. Nick raises his lips to the tip of my nose for a moment before he leaves without a protest. Dad gives me the most disturbed look.
“I don’t want to see that again, Joseph.”
“I’m not making any promises,” I smile, shutting the door.
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Nick and I make a point of being openly cute in front of Dad. We’re currently eating dinner, and sitting next to each other, as close as we can, holding hands under the table. Part of it is to piss Dad off, and part of it is because his touch is comforting. Dad keeps giving us those “I can’t believe you” looks that would make me feel totally guilty if it was for anything else. Dinner is totally awkward for him and rather enjoyable for us.
Dinner ends and we take our plates to the sink. Every time we hold hands or kiss, you can tell by our dad’s face how pissed off and grossed out he is. Mostly pissed. Right after dinner, we’re both in my temporary room, on the bed. The door bangs open suddenly and Dad comes in, grabbing Nick's arm and pulling him roughly off of me, and though Nick grunts in protest he pulls him to his feet on the floor. I sit up, dazed.
“Alright, you two. I’m letting you stay here out of kindness, and I don’t want to know what you two do to each other at home, but as long as you’re here I don’t want to see any of that shit. If I have to watch you two make out one more time, you’re asses are both dead. You can continue screwing each other when you get back home. Is that understood?” he glares between me and Nick, still keeping a tight grip on Nick’s forearm. Nick looks like he’s in pain.
“Dad, don‘t to-”
“Is, that, understood, Joseph?” he cuts me off, his voice raising an octave.
“Yes,” I submit quietly. Dad looks at Nick and he gives the same response.
“Go to your room, Nick.” he lets go of Nick’s arm and he glances at me before hurrying through the door.
It’s hard to sleep that night. I wait till I’m sure Dad’s asleep and sneak into Nick’s room. I slide under the covers behind him, and wrap my arms around him. I feel him move and try to turn around. “Go back to sleep,” I whisper.
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You know what the worst way to wake up is? Getting cold water dumped on you.
I scream and sit up quickly, pushing myself away from Nick. “Dad!” I shout, catching the water dripping from my hair in my hands. Nick throws the covers off of us. At least we sleep with clothes on.
“Dammit,” I hear Nick say under his breath, shivering.
“Joe, you have your own bed. And that’s where you sleep, not with Nick,” Dad tells me, holding the cup in his hand. I nod and slide out of the bed, leaving the room after our rude awakening.
Dad and Frankie go out grocery shopping, and insist that the two of us come. It’s ridiculous. Frankie makes his way towards the sugary cereal aisle and Frankie tosses in some Fruity Cheerios and Frosted Mini Wheats. I drop a box of Lucky Charms into the cart. Lucky Charms are awesome.
“Why did you two come all the way out here?” Dad asks, pushing the cart along. Frankie’s disappeared to find food on his own, and I sigh as I walk side by side with him and Nick.
“Peyton said you were worried about us.” I manage to keep any hint of sarcasm or rudeness out of my voice.
“I have been,” his voice slips into a sigh as he picks up a carton of eggs and sets it gently in the front basket. He looks at me briefly. “I’ve been worried about you since you moved out of the house, Joeseph. And then you and Nicholas,” he closes his mouth into a tight line, like he’s about to say something but stops himself. He looks back at me. “I never thought my sons would be bisexual.”
“I’m gay, Dad. Fully.” Dad gives me a weird look as he puts a box of cookies.
“Okay,” he says. “But Nick?” he remarks, making Nick turn his head.
“Dad, will you just stop giving me shit about it?!” I shout bitterly. Then I lower my voice to a slight whisper. “I love Nick and I don’t give a damn that he’s my brother and he loves me back,” I growl, taking Nick’s hands and pulling him closer to me. “So just shut up.”
“Don’t talk to me like that.” that earns me a slap across the face and the conversation abruptly ends.
“You can’t afford a hotel.” Of course, he has to make some smartass comment to make up for being nice to us. I turn to look at Nick., and he doesn’t look too happy. I don’t know if I’d rather stay at the hotel or here. But I know that accepting his offer might make things better for us. At least he’s being nice for once.
“Nick, we should…” I whisper in his ear, putting my hand on his arm lightly. He nods.
“I guess we’ll stay here..” Nick mutters. Dad nods without saying anything, holding the door open and tilting his head towards the inside of the house. I go to the car to get our bags and Nick walks inside.
Of course Nick and I get separate rooms. Dad’s not stupid. I drop my stuff down in the same room I had last time. I don’t want to be here with Dad, but it’s better than being at a hotel. At least we have internet and food. His across the hall from me. Dad makes it clear that if we “try anything” in front of Frankie, we’re dead. It’s clear he’s still disgusted by us, and he still doesn’t want to associate with us, but I guess he feels sorry for us. Whatever.
“Hey,” I see Nick at my door a couple minutes after we’re settled in. He rubs his cheek and forehead like he has a headache.
“Hey.” I look up at him from my laptop, smiling slightly. I get up from the chair and cross over to him, and hug him tightly. “You alright?” I ask, putting my hand on the top of his head and rubbing it though to the back.
“Yeah,” he mutters, tucking his head into my neck. I hear Dad coming through the hallway and I smirk, looking at him.
“You wanna get Dad annoyed?” I smile.
“How?” Nick asks, and I quickly grab the front of his shirt and pull him towards me, clashing our mouths together just as Dad walks past the open doorway. I can feel his stare as I kiss Nick aggressively. It’s not meant to be a real kiss, just something to get attention. I pull away with a smirk and Dad huffs.
“Nicholas, go backto your room right now,” he says harshly. Nick raises his lips to the tip of my nose for a moment before he leaves without a protest. Dad gives me the most disturbed look.
“I don’t want to see that again, Joseph.”
“I’m not making any promises,” I smile, shutting the door.
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Nick and I make a point of being openly cute in front of Dad. We’re currently eating dinner, and sitting next to each other, as close as we can, holding hands under the table. Part of it is to piss Dad off, and part of it is because his touch is comforting. Dad keeps giving us those “I can’t believe you” looks that would make me feel totally guilty if it was for anything else. Dinner is totally awkward for him and rather enjoyable for us.
Dinner ends and we take our plates to the sink. Every time we hold hands or kiss, you can tell by our dad’s face how pissed off and grossed out he is. Mostly pissed. Right after dinner, we’re both in my temporary room, on the bed. The door bangs open suddenly and Dad comes in, grabbing Nick's arm and pulling him roughly off of me, and though Nick grunts in protest he pulls him to his feet on the floor. I sit up, dazed.
“Alright, you two. I’m letting you stay here out of kindness, and I don’t want to know what you two do to each other at home, but as long as you’re here I don’t want to see any of that shit. If I have to watch you two make out one more time, you’re asses are both dead. You can continue screwing each other when you get back home. Is that understood?” he glares between me and Nick, still keeping a tight grip on Nick’s forearm. Nick looks like he’s in pain.
“Dad, don‘t to-”
“Is, that, understood, Joseph?” he cuts me off, his voice raising an octave.
“Yes,” I submit quietly. Dad looks at Nick and he gives the same response.
“Go to your room, Nick.” he lets go of Nick’s arm and he glances at me before hurrying through the door.
It’s hard to sleep that night. I wait till I’m sure Dad’s asleep and sneak into Nick’s room. I slide under the covers behind him, and wrap my arms around him. I feel him move and try to turn around. “Go back to sleep,” I whisper.
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You know what the worst way to wake up is? Getting cold water dumped on you.
I scream and sit up quickly, pushing myself away from Nick. “Dad!” I shout, catching the water dripping from my hair in my hands. Nick throws the covers off of us. At least we sleep with clothes on.
“Dammit,” I hear Nick say under his breath, shivering.
“Joe, you have your own bed. And that’s where you sleep, not with Nick,” Dad tells me, holding the cup in his hand. I nod and slide out of the bed, leaving the room after our rude awakening.
Dad and Frankie go out grocery shopping, and insist that the two of us come. It’s ridiculous. Frankie makes his way towards the sugary cereal aisle and Frankie tosses in some Fruity Cheerios and Frosted Mini Wheats. I drop a box of Lucky Charms into the cart. Lucky Charms are awesome.
“Why did you two come all the way out here?” Dad asks, pushing the cart along. Frankie’s disappeared to find food on his own, and I sigh as I walk side by side with him and Nick.
“Peyton said you were worried about us.” I manage to keep any hint of sarcasm or rudeness out of my voice.
“I have been,” his voice slips into a sigh as he picks up a carton of eggs and sets it gently in the front basket. He looks at me briefly. “I’ve been worried about you since you moved out of the house, Joeseph. And then you and Nicholas,” he closes his mouth into a tight line, like he’s about to say something but stops himself. He looks back at me. “I never thought my sons would be bisexual.”
“I’m gay, Dad. Fully.” Dad gives me a weird look as he puts a box of cookies.
“Okay,” he says. “But Nick?” he remarks, making Nick turn his head.
“Dad, will you just stop giving me shit about it?!” I shout bitterly. Then I lower my voice to a slight whisper. “I love Nick and I don’t give a damn that he’s my brother and he loves me back,” I growl, taking Nick’s hands and pulling him closer to me. “So just shut up.”
“Don’t talk to me like that.” that earns me a slap across the face and the conversation abruptly ends.