Evolution of Life in The Mid-West

Braden’s perspective

Lunch with Zach’s mom was a cluster. She is such a manipulative bitch, which is odd because I thought she was the perfect mom, but now I know the truth.  Zach’s brother and sister have also moved out and aren’t talking to her because of the way she treats Zach.  He was given an ultimatum to convince his brother and sister to give Lance a chance, or they would all be cut from her estate.  Casey, Zach’s dad, was pissed when he heard this and promised to take care of it and told him not to worry.  I was glad but wished Zach would have told his dad when it first happened two weeks ago, but instead, he waited until yesterday to call him. 

Since the meeting with his mom, Zach has been going to a dark place. At first, I thought he was angry, and I may have slightly enjoyed the hate fucks that he gave me.  Even angry, he knew how to care for me. I was pissed that he was mad, but I enjoyed these sessions 2-3 times daily for the next four days. It was getting tough to walk or sit, for that matter. The man made me see stars and fireworks with minimal effort. After that, the well went dry; he was distant, and the anger was replaced by depression. Luckily, I got him to talk to his dad yesterday. I thought that would help, but today is not any better. Now that we have settled in our place, I’ll try to talk with him. Tonight, at dinner, I will try to get him to open up. 

Later that evening, after dinner, Zach didn’t eat. I snuggled up to him in bed, quietly told him how much I loved him and reminded him that I was always here for him.  I heard soft sobs and gently pulled him over so he was on his back, and I looked at the tears streaming out of his eyes. I went to kiss him, and he turned away.

Braden: “Baby, I know this is hard right now, but remember you are not alone. I am here for you, and we can fix anything.” 

After some coaxing, Zach spoke, “This is so fucked up. All I want is one person who wants me for me, no matter what. I want to matter. I feel so alone.” 

Braden: “Baby, I want you!  I have always wanted you. You matter to me!”.

Zach: “No, you haven’t. We were always just friends. You didn’t even like guys. Julia was the only reason you even tried it that night. You agreed for us to get together because of the pressure.”

Braden: “You are clueless, you know that!  I have wanted to be with you since eighth grade. I never saw any interest from you and was afraid to say anything. Every girl I was with, I pictured you, and that got me through it. For fuck’s sake, I only felt complete when I was hanging with you, and I was wishing I could kiss and touch you.  For fuck’s sake, before you came to my apartment that night, I kissed your dad, imagining that it was you. It helped because you guys look alike, but it wasn’t you, and when your dad stopped it, I knew it wasn’t the…

Zach interrupted: “You did what with my dad? How the fuck could you two have done that?”

Braden: “Baby, I was imagining it was you. His lips were yours. Besides, you said you didn’t care who your parents slept with as long as they were treated respectfully.  The bottom line is I love you and always have. I have never wanted someone the way I want you. Your brother and sister adore you. Your dad would do anything for you. He was madder than you were when you told him about your mom; he is taking on that battle.

Zach stood up, pretty pissed: “Yeah, well, my Grandparents won’t when my mom talks to them and tells them I am a big ol’ Mo. I have always been told that they don’t want gay people running their reputation. As for my dad, he betrayed me. I am out of here. How could you two do that to me? I am unsure when or if I will be back. I need to clear my head and figure shit out. My life is upside down because of you.”

Zach left, and I felt slightly hollow inside. He said he didn’t care who his parents hooked up with, and we didn’t ever hook up. It was a kiss. Granted, it was passionate, but mainly because I genuinely imagined it was Zach. Zach’s kisses are much more intense than Casey’s; there is no comparison.  As I sat there thinking, I began crying. After a while, the sadness turned to rage. He will not leave me for something this stupid! I could be pissed about everyone he had kissed before we were together. He didn’t care when Logan hooked up with his mom. Why am I and his dad different?  If he wants to end this, he is in for a fight. Fuck this, where could he have gone?

 

Zach’s perspective

I drove around and couldn’t quit thinking of the two men most important to me making out.  If Braden loved me, why would he kiss my dad, and why would my dad kiss him back?  This is bullshit.  I hit the steering wheel and continued driving.  I was unsure where I was going but ended up in front of Dad’s place.  It looks like he has company; whoever it was is driving a new Lincoln.  I thought for a minute and decided that Dad must be going for someone older now; maybe I should go in and show him how it feels to have someone you trust kiss someone you care about. I stood at the front door and banged on the door.

Dad opened the door and smiled at me, “Come in. I haven’t seen you since you got your place.  Such a nice surprise. Are you OK, son?” I grunted and walked in. I looked him dead in the eye, “Dad, I am pissed at you, and we need to talk. How could you do this to me?”  Dad responded, “What are you talking about?  What did I do?” “Dad, you know what the fuck you and Braden did to me!” I shouted.  I was interrupted by a familiar voice that came from behind me. “Zachary Michael, that is no way to speak to your father. I know you were raised better than that. I may be old, but I will still take you down a notch or two.” My grandmother (Eva) spoke sternly and calmly. Before I could respond, my grandfather (Les) said, “When she is done, I will give it a go.”  Shit, shit, shit! These were my grandparents, who referred to me as their pride and joy. You can’t be disrespectful in front of them. Why were they at my Dad’s? Shouldn’t they be with my mom? “I am sorry, Grams and Gramps, I didn’t know you were there,” I said, embarrassed but still pissed at my dad. Grams is a hoot; she can fit in at a block party or an elegant affair. Grams, if crossed, would make you regret everything you ever did wrong, and Gramps isn’t any better. They both listen, and if you have good reasoning, they consider that before they react. “Let’s sit in the living room and try to talk calmly,” Dad said. 

I sat across from Dad to make sure he could see the hurt he caused. I will not discuss this in front of Grams and Gramps. I am sure they will hate him when they find out he is gay, and I will be next. 

Gramps: “Is this about your mother? I was getting ready to call her now that I have taken care of business with your dad?”

Zach: “ No, this is all dad.”

Gramps: “Eva, I need to call Becky and get some things straight out. I want to make sure she is aware of the changes we have made. Let’s let them have some time to talk and fix whatever is happening.”

I huffed and said, “If it can be fixed.”

Grams: “It can be fixed, Zach, but you must listen as much as you speak and be willing to find a solution. Go ahead, Les, and call her. I’ll be in the dining room reading my book.”

There’s no point in arguing with that woman, and after they talk to Mom, they won’t care about me anyway. Once they cleared the room and I didn’t hear them anymore, I turned to Dad.

Dad: “What is going on? What did I do? I haven’t seen you since you moved out a few weeks ago.”

Zach: “You made out with my supposed best friend and now boyfriend. How could you do that to me? How could you try and take one of the most important people in my life from me?” My voice was getting loud and emotional.

Dad: “When did I do this to you?”

Zach: “The night our family blew up!”

Dad: “Oh, Braden and I were a little high that night.  The stress got to me and probably Braden after he walked in on me at the bar and saved my ass. He was as upset as I was when we got home and found your mom and Lance in my bed. You weren’t pissed that Lace and your mom hooked up. You were with Julia at that time. None of us knew that you liked men. I stopped it, and it was just a kiss. It didn’t go any further, and it was weird because I think of Braden and one of my kids.”

I stood up, looking down at Dad.

Zach: “You kissed the man I love. You are the one I thought I could trust no matter what, and you kissed the man I have wanted for years. I have no one; Grams and Gramps won’t want me when they find out I  am in love with Braden, and I feel betrayed. I am unsure whether to contact my brother and sister because of my mom’s ultimatum. I am literally all alone!”

Grams came into the room and quietly touched my shoulder. “I couldn’t help but hear. Since I came up in the conversation, I am going to talk now, and you both will sit there and listen”.

I broke down, balling uncontrollably, “Gram’s, please don’t hate me, and please don’t tell Gramps. Mom has already removed me from her life and said I am cut from her inheritance. I want to be loved and matter. I am so sorry, I can’t help it. I tried to resist”.

Grams hugged me as I cried into her shoulder. She calmed me down some. Gram’s told us to sit and not talk until she got back in the room.  I saw her walk to the study, then she returned.  Grams sat next to me and put her hand on my knee. 

Grams: “Zach, I love you! I can’t think of anything you could do or say to make me love you any less. Your Grandfather and I are not liars; when we say you are our pride and joy, that is what we mean. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you are, or how you are. We will always be proud of you and love you.”

My tears were flowing again and would not stop. 

Dad: “I love you and would never intentionally hurt you.”

Grams: ‘Clearing her throat’ I am still speaking, Casey.

Dad immediately shut up.

Grams: As for you, Casey, you have carried a secret for a long time, much like your son, and I am glad we finally found out. I am sorry our daughter treated you this way, and we are damn sad she is treating her child the way she is. Les is dealing with her now. Did you stop it after the kiss? Did you know that Zach had feelings for Braden? 

Dad: “I didn’t know. I thought they were both straight and were friends. Yes, I was slightly flattered that such an attractive guy would want to make me feel better, but that was all it was him trying to make me feel better. I realized after the kiss that things would never be the same, and I said no, and Braden agreed. Braden is a part of my family, and it felt weird. Braden gets a little, shall we say, relaxed when he smokes or drinks, and I am sure I meant nothing to him. Son, I love you more than life itself, and I would never want to hurt you or make your life difficult. I am so sorry that this hurt you this way.”

Grams: “Zachary, as I understand, you are mad because you weren’t honest with your feelings and are mad at Braden and your dad for not reading your mind. I’ll say it’s interesting that you are mad at your dad for kissing your future boyfriend, yet you had no problem kissing your cousin's girlfriend at Eric’s graduation party. You seemed to think that is OK, but you don’t think your dad and Braden kissing when you weren’t in a relationship is.  You need to own your feelings and forgive yourself for not accepting who you are sooner. Then you will see why you are talking from both sides of your mouth.”

Dad: “Absolutely, son. I am so sorry that I upset you. I promise I think of Braden as one of my kids, not a good time. I am thrilled you two are together, and I will do anything to keep it that way.”

Grams: “Most of what I said can also apply to you, Casey! Stop punishing yourself for who you are and start rebuilding a life. You are worth it! You can have a relationship too.”

Dad looked at me with tears in his eyes; I was sure he would start crying. The doorbell rang, and Dad went to answer it.

Braden came barging in with a determined, pissed-off look on his face. His dark eyes met mine. He didn’t acknowledge Grams and started talking loudly, “Zach, I love you; I have always loved you. If I had any idea you were into guys, I would have come out to you, but I didn’t. I have had feelings for you for a long time, and when your dad was in a bad place that night, I wanted to make him feel better and decided that maybe I would get an idea of what it was like to be with you. That way, I can have a moment to compare my fantasies to an altered reality. We only kissed, and that was it. We didn’t go further because of respect for each other and love for you. I have wanted to be with you for a long time. You will not throw this away because of your insecurities that contradict everything you said was OK with your Mom and Lance. I love you, and you matter to me. You are all I ever wanted or needed!”

Braden turned and looked at Grams.

Braden: “Grams, I respect you so much, and you have treated me like your own, but if you are going to disown your grandson because of who he loves, you are not the person I thought you were. This man is an absolute king, and EVERYONE he spends time with is better because of him. I love him; he makes me feel like no other person ever has. I will always be here for him as long as he will have me. I am sorry if that makes you sick; you can hate me instead. Just don’t hurt him!  Don’t invite me to family dinners, but don’t do that to the man I love. He has been miserable and lower than I have ever seen since having lunch with that woman he calls mom. I will not let one more person hurt him, and I don’t care if it is God himself!”

Grams: “Are you through, young man? First, we don’t care who he loves. Gay, straight, bi, trans, whatever, he is my grandson, and you are right. He does make everything better, and I am very proud of him. Second, unless you have lost your damn mind, I will not be spoken to like that again.”

Braden looked down and was slightly embarrassed. I was awe-struck simply because, besides my dad a couple of times, no one had stood up for me like that. Braden raised his head and looked Grams in the eye.

Braden: “I am so sorry, ma’am; please forgive me. I love your grandson so much it destroys me to see him hurting. I was wrong to be presumptive and disrespect you. But all I have ever heard is that you guys don’t like gay people, and they are an embarrassment to the world.”

I wiped tears, stood up, and grabbed Braden, kissing him. I did not care about anything other than letting my man know he was my world and had always been.

Grams: “Your heart was in the right place, and you were defending my grandson, but let’s not assume my thoughts and feelings. For God’s sake, my brother was gay, and I was very close to him. He passed in the eighties, so you never met him.”

Zach: “I am sorry that I got mad. I was jealous and hurt. I got in my head and was a mess.”

We all looked to the door when Grandpa cleared his throat and said, “Watching this unfold, they remind me of younger versions of us, Eva.”

Grams nodded her head and asked Gramps how it went with Mom. Gramps explained that she wasn’t happy he had changed the inheritance, reducing hers to 10% and giving her children the remainder except for 1.5 million. The 1.5 million has been earmarked for Dad. Mom’s inheritance was contingent on her reuniting with her children, and as long as Lance was in the picture, there would not be a lump sum distribution. Grams chuckled as Gramps continued. The clencher for her was learning that Casey was the new executor of our estate. Grams chuckled and shook her head.

I was shocked and never imagined that Grams and Gramps would support me. I knew my dad loved me, and I have never been in a relationship where someone had zero fucks to give when protecting me. I was the one who did the protecting; this change was nice. The drama sucked, but damn it, I mattered, and it felt good to be me.

I looked at Braden, and I must have had a look in my eyes because his eyes turned dark as we started to say our goodbyes.

Grams: “You don’t need to rush off. We can visit for a while. We don’t get to do that often enough.”

Gramps: “Now Eva, think about when we were their age and had a fight. I am pretty sure they have some ‘making up to do.”

Grams replied with an “Oh,” and I saw her face get really red for the first time. Dad laughed and suggested we meet for Brunch on Sunday, even my brother and sister.  All agreed. Braden asked Dad If I could leave my car at his house and pick it up later.

On the ride home, I leaned over and kissed Braden on the neck. He was so beefy and hot; his olive skin was delicious. I kept kissing and biting his neck while firmly massaging the mound in his pants. “Babe, I am trying to drive, and you are getting me hard. I thought I was going to be punished.” “Baby, you will when we get home. This is a little treat before”, I replied before lowering my head and biting his nipple through his shirt. Braden was asking me to stop but wasn’t pushing me away, so I kept going. I raised my hand off his hardness and slid it up the bottom of that black t-shirt. I fumbled with the button and unzipped to release his beast. “Babe, don’t start none, there won’t be none.”, Braden moaned.  I lowered further and licked that monster python's head. I was smiling subtly, listening to his moan. I descended on that flesh-covered stone.  I am pretty sure that fucker hit some bumps on purpose, shoving his monster into my throat. I was entirely sure the third time it happened because he used his hand to push me down further, causing me to gag. I came up, leaving his cock slimy, trying to catch my breath, and he was smiling like a cat in a creamery. Two can play this way! I descended on his hard velvety dick while massaging his thick hard thighs. ‘Bump!’ My hand moved to his balls as he pressed my head down, so I did the only natural thing and applied slight pressure to his warm sack. “Ok, OK, I’ll stop. You are so good I have never felt how you make me feel”, Braden whined. I laughed and returned, licking his shaft while teasing him. I licked the head, kissed it a couple of times, and went down and tried swallowing to go down further. The moans of the man willing to take on my grandparents in my defense were the biggest turn-on of my life. The feeling of not having to be the strongest was a new level of comfort. I continued working up and down until he gave me his warm, tangy cream. As I tried to swallow the large load, I heard Braden say, “Oh fuck, fuck, my god, babe, that was fucking amazing.” I smiled, feeling the tightening sticky remnants on my lips, still relishing in the taste left in my mouth. “Babe, will you teach me how to bottom for you, I asked as I was jerked into the door as Braden swerved. I looked straight ahead and didn’t see anything to swerve from, just looking back at the big cheesy smile on his face. He didn’t quit smiling as lights flashed behind us, and he pulled over, rolled down his window, and said, “Good evening, officer.”