Disclaimer: If sex between two males offends you(why r u in the gay section of nifty in the first place) then please leave. If you're under the legal age( you've probably skipped this part anyway) please leave as well. All this material is mine and mine only. It is not to be copied or anything like that without my consent.
~NOTE: THERE ARE TWO FLASHBACK SEQUENCES IN THIS CHAPTER. THEY WILL BE INDICATED WITH THIS SYMBOL *** I HOPE THIS SAVES A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM CONFUSION, OK NOW ON WITH THE STORY~
~::Ocean Blue Chapter 6::~
"Answer me, who the fuck are you?!" Aiden would have gladly done just that except he couldn't breathe. Memories of HIM were rushing back and Aiden was starting to panic. His vision started to blur and he could feel himself getting dizzy. The owner of the angry ocean blues just kept screaming in his face, it was going on thirty seconds and Aiden was starting to think he might pass out. Finally he heard the voice he'd been waiting for since he had gotten pinned against the wall.
~
"Dad what the hell are you doing??" Tristan yelled, nearly screaming. Not expecting to see his son, Tristan's father was caught off guard and quickly released Aiden.
"Caught this little bastard sneaking around in our kitchen." Tristan's father said with a smug look on his face."
"Are you THAT stupid dad? This is my friend! Aiden!" Tristan yelled.
"You don't have any friends remember?" Tristan's father said simply.
"Just shut up dad! Just shut up and get the hell out!" Tristan demanded.
"Don't fucking talk to me like that!" Tristan's father said, his voice beginning to rise.
"Just get out." Tristan said in a calm, low, dangerous voice. So calm low and dangerous that Tristan's dad actually got a bit scared.
"Whatever." Tristan's dad said turning and stalking out of the kitchen muttering something about fags and sinners.
Tristan looked around the room and finally noticed Aiden, curled up in a corner, looking like he would start hyperventilating any second.
"Shit." Tristan said under his breath moving towards Aiden. He reached out to touch him, but Aiden shrunk back and whimpered slightly, like a wounded animal of some sort. Tristan, shocked and a little hurt reached out once again but Aiden jerked away violently.
"D-don't t-t-touch m-me j-just d-don't!" Aiden said clearly upset.
"Aiden?" Tristan said his eyes beginning to tear up a little.
"J-just g-g-give me a m-m-minute." Aiden mumbled trying to get control of himself. Tristan just nodded and backed away still slightly hurt.
Aiden knew he had hurt Tristan's feelings but he didn't have the time to worry about it just then. He could barley breathe and he could feel himself shaking. It was all too much; like one giant flashback. The screaming, the punching, the kicking. The bruises. the scars, the pain. All because of HIM. He'd thought he was past the panic attacks, past the fear, but apparently he was wrong.
Tristan just stood there not really knowing what to do and a little hurt. He couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty. It was, after all his own father that caused this. Tristan noticed Aiden's breathing begin to even out and inwardly drew a sigh of relief. He had been worried Aiden might have been seriously hurt.
"Aiden?" Tristan said, taking a chance and moving a little closer.
When Aiden didn't flinch or move away Tristan took another chance and rested his hand lightly on Aiden's shoulder.
"Are you ok?" Tristan asked softly.
Aiden just nodded and blushed. He was mortified to have had a panic attack here of all places. "S-sorry." He whispered looking at the ground. He knew Tristan had to think he was crazy by now.
Tristan couldn't believe Aiden was apologizing. He used his free hand to lift Aiden's chin so they were eye to eye.
"Hey, don't apologize," Tristan said with a small smile "You wanna go sit down?" He asked seeing that Aiden was still a little shaken.
Aiden nodded and stood up with Tristan's help. They walked the whole way up the stairs in silence and only when Tristan's bedroom door was closed and locked did either of them speak.
"I'm so sorry about my dad, I didn't know he would freak out on you like that." Tristan said looking guiltily at Aiden who was now sitting on Tristan's bed.
"It's o-ok." Aiden mumbled not even looking at Tristan. They sat in silence for a few moments and Tristan was starting to worry that Aiden was more upset than he was letting on.
"Aiden?" Tristan asked still keeping his distance.
"Yea?"
"Are you sure you're ok? I mean you're not mad or anything like that?" Tristan questioned, his voice cracking. He didn't quite know how he would handle Aiden being angry with him.
Mad? At Tristan? The thought never even crossed Aiden's mind. He was still upset from his panic attack and didn't even realize how he was behaving towards Tristan.
"N-no It's J-just t-that.." Aiden paused knowing if he went on he'd have to tell Tristan the truth about HIM. Aiden was never a good liar, he always blocked Tristan moved to sit next to Aiden on the bed, taking his hand.
"Aiden?" Tristan questioned when it seemed like Aiden wasn't going to continue.
"I d-don't k-know where to s-start." Aiden said suddenly.
"How about the beginning?" Tristan suggested with a soft smile.
The beginning, Aiden thought bitterly. Did Tristan want him to start with the day HE hit him in the stomach so hard Aiden had spent half the night puking. Or maybe Tristan wanted him to start with the time HE locked him out of the house for three days with no food and no place to go. The beginning. Aiden couldn't start at the beginning, he couldn't start anywhere. Tristan would surely think the same things HE thought about Aiden if he told. Nope. There was no way he could tell Tristan now.
"I c-can't Aiden mumbled.
"Um ok, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to." Tristan said slightly confused, but also realizing that Aiden was upset over a lot more than that encounter in the kitchen. On impulse, thinking it would make Aiden feel better, Tristan removed his hand from Aiden's and wrapped his arm around him, pulling Aiden down so that his head rested on Aiden's shoulder.
Aiden did feel better after that. They had just stayed like that for a few minutes before Aiden realized he had better get home and start dinner for his mom.
"I-i should probably get h-home." Aiden said removing himself from Tristan's embrace.
"Oh, yea I guess you should." Tristan said immediately missing the contact.
"I'll c-call you l-later o-ok?" Aiden promised standing up. Tristan stood with him and walked Aiden to the front door, not wanting any more run-ins with his father.
"See you later Aiden and I'm really sorry about my dad." Tristan said, apologizing again.
"It's o-ok."
Tristan looked around making sure his dad wasn't around and then after assuring that the coast was clear leaned in to kiss Aiden. It wasn't a passionate kiss, more like a comforting one and it was exactly what Aiden needed at the moment. Tristan broke the kiss after a few seconds, not wanting his dad to catch them.
"Bye." Tristan said grinning.
"B-bye" Aiden said with an even bigger grin.
~
After Aiden left Tristan decided to try and get some of his homework done. He was in the middle of solving a linear equation when he heard his name being called.
"Tristan! Dinner!" His mother's voice yelled. Tristan was surprised. He hadn't been called down to dinner since he had inadvertently outed himself. Usually he waited until his mom and dad went to sleep so he could sneak down and eat alone. Tristan made his way downstairs and cautiously approached the dinner table. He pulled his chair out from the table and sat down, never taking his eyes off his parents.
"Well don't just stare Tristan, eat!" His mother said in a scolding, almost playful tone. Not the tone you use with your `deviant' son.
Tristan began to eat in silence. He was just waiting for the lectures to start. When they didn't come Tristan took a risk and glanced around the table. His mother was eating as if everything was perfectly normal, but his father on the other hand was staring at his plate with this look of intense disgust on his face and Tristan had a feeling it wasn't over the food.
"So, Tristan, how was your day?" his mother asked.
"Um fine?" Tristan said unsure of how he was supposed to act.
"Fine!" His father snorted "I don't call coming home to find TWO fags in my house fine!"
"Ronald!" Tristan's mother broke in surprising the hell out everyone. His father just looked back at his plate mumbling, clearly angry about the scolding from his wife.
"So, you brought a friend home?" His mother asked Tristan gently.
Tristan studied his mother closely for a moment. She seemed genuine, the only thing off about her is she seemed quite nervous.
"Um yeah." Tristan mumbled.
"Little bastard was stealing from us!" His father interjected again.
"No he fucking wasn't!" Tristan shouted pushing his chair back from the table. He had never been really good at controlling his temper.
"Tristan sit down and watch your mouth!" His mother said, annoyed at the type of behavior going on at her own dinner table.
Tristan sat down slowly in his seat, still shaking with anger and never taking his eyes off his father.
"Ok, now would you CALMLY tell me what happened today?" His mother requested and Tristan did just that, not leaving a single detail out and by the end of the story Tristan's mother was outraged. "You could have killed the boy Ronald! WHAT were you thinking?!"
Tristan's father sat shocked at his wife's yelling for a moment then responded, "We already have enough fags in this house." His father said simply, his voice dripping with hate.
"First of all I don't want to hear you say that word again," Tristan's mother spoke sternly, "and second of all, I think....I think we've been to hard on Tristan." His mother said looking down in shame.
"To hard?!" Tristan's dad yelped in shock, "Are you kidding me Margaret?"
"No I am not kidding you Ronald, He's our son, that's got to count for something." His mother demanded.
Tristan watched the two of them argue in shock, disbelief, and a little bit of hope. He couldn't believe his mother's change of heart, but then again if his dad kept hated Tristan and continued to voice his opinion chances are his mother wouldn't do much about it. It had always been that way. His father making all the decisions and his mother just going along with it like she was scared of what would happen otherwise. Tristan felt all his hopes fly out the window when his father demanded that his mother `stop all this nonsense', but was amazed to hear his mother's reply.
"No I will not stop! This isn't nonsense this is right!" His mother spat out standing, showing control that Tristan had never seen before, "He is our son. He is gay. You can either deal with it or get the hell out of MY house." She said firmly.
His father just sat wordlessly. Never in their 30 years of marriage had Tristan's mother ever disagreed with him like this. Tristan watched in what seemed like slow motion to him, his father get out of his chair and backhand his mother across the face sending her straight in the wall behind her. Tristan was up in a flash, pinning his father to the wall by the throat, much like the way Aiden had been pinned earlier. Tristan's father tried to kick Tristan off him but it was no use. Tristan was on a pure adrenaline high and it would be a while before him came down from it.
"Tristan stop! You're going to kill him!" His mother shouted from the floor
"Good" Tristan said simply. His voice was calm, even, and detached and for the first time since he had pinned him Tristan saw fear flash through his father's eyes.
"Tristan please!" His mother begged beginning to cry.
Only when Tristan saw his mother crying did he let go and even then he didn't really want to. His father fell to the floor gasping and holding his throat as if trying to milk more air out of it. Tristan just stood above him , breathing just as hard and shaking from the anger he was feeling. His mother lay frightened on the ground scared. She'd never seen her son that angry before. It scared her and truth be told it scared Tristan as well. He knew he'd never been able to keep his anger in control, but he'd never gone quite as far as to try and strangle someone. Then again that someone didn't scare his boyfriend half to death AND hit his mother all in the same day.
There was an eerie, almost awkward silence in the dining room, every member of the Daniels family, including Tristan was speechless. His father was still on the floor trying to catch his breath and after checking to make sure he wouldn't try anything Tristan went over to check on his mom.
"You ok?" He asked, truly concerned. His dad had hit her pretty hard.
"Yeah, think so." Tristan's mother said bringing a hand up to her eye and wincing in pain when she touched it.
"That's going to swell." Tristan said as if she didn't already know that.
Tristan was in the middle of helping his mother up when he heard a voice behind him, "You're going to pay for that you faggot."
He finished helping his mom to her feet and spun on his father.
"I'm didn't give you anything you didn't deserve, now get the fuck out." Tristan said clenching his fists, ready to fight if need be.
"Who the hell do you think you are? This is MY house and I refuse to leave!" His father yelled.
Tristan was just about to lunge at his father when he heard his mother speaking softly into the phone, "Yes, I have just been assaulted in my home....."
Tristan's father got this indescribable look on his face and turned and stomped up the stairs. About five minutes later he came stomping right back down the stairs with a suitcase in tow.
"I'm out of here." He yelled over his shoulder as he slammed the door behind him.
~
Ten minutes later Tristan and his mother, who now had a bag of peas resting on her eyes since Tristan had forgotten to refill the ice trays, were sitting at their kitchen table.
"I'm sorry Tristan." His mother said tearing up. "I'm so sorry I haven't been a better mom."
"Mom, it's ok, I mean yeah it hurts, but you changing like this kinda takes my mind off of it." He said laughing softly " uh, not that I'm not EXTREMELY grateful or anything, why the change of heart?"
"Well, a few days ago I was out looking for a new church for us to go to and I met this priest and I can't even remember how we started talking about you but we did and do you know what?"
"What?"
" His son is gay too, and all I could think about is how in the world he could accept something like that, but he seemed very at peace with it and taught me a thing or two."
"Sooo basically I owe a priest for you accepting me being gay." Tristan said trying not to laugh.
"Yes, what's so funny?" His mother asked confused.
"Talk about irony mother!" Tristan said not bothering to hide his laughter. Soon they were both reduced to mere giggles and it took them a few minutes to calm down.
"So tell me about this visitor you had today." His mother said, the mischief apparent in her eyes, "Was he someone special?"
"Um, yeah I guess." Tristan said embarrassed.
"Oh he must be to make you blush like that!"
"Mom." Tristan pleaded blushing and even darker shade of red.
"So, what's his name?" His mother asked, clearly enjoying this.
"Aiden." Tristan mumbled, looking anywhere but at his smiling mother.
"oooh, Aiden, cute name." His mother teased. "When do I get to meet him?"
"I dunno," Tristan said shrugging his shoulders, the last thing he wanted was for his mother to embarrass Aiden and himself, "He's kinda busy." Tristan lied.
"You shouldn't try and lie to the woman who gave birth to you, it never works." His mother said simply, "Bring him over after school tomorrow, I want to meet the boy who stole my sons heart." She said with a smile.
"Fine." Tristan grumbled, then a thought occurred to him, "Shouldn't the police be here by now?"
His mother looked a bit guilty for a second then with a smile said, "I didn't call the police."
"I heard you on the phone, who were you talking to?" Tristan asked perplexed.
"Oh, um...411?" His mother stated, blushing slightly.
Tristan couldn't help but laugh. It felt so great to have his family back. Well, the part that mattered.
"I'm going to bed now." His mother said getting up and giving Tristan a kiss on the forehead, "Night, and don't worry about your father everything will be alright." She said confidently.
"Night mom." Tristan said yawning, and overjoyed at the sudden change of events.
~
Tristan woke up the next morning tired beyond belief. Last night took a lot more out of him than he realized. He was tempted to just stay home and fake sick, he knew his mother would understand. But then he remembered Aiden and those amazing green eyes and jumped out of bed and into the shower.
One hour later Tristan was pulling into the school parking lot. He looked around for Tristan's car and finally spotted it along with Aiden.
"Hey you." Tristan said with a huge smile. He couldn't help it. He was happy.
"H-hey, y-you're in a g-good m-mood." Aiden said smiling.
"Yep, I know." Tristan said still smiling, "You wanna head inside?"
"Yeah sure."
As they made their way inside Aiden couldn't help but notice all the people who stopped to talk to Tristan or wave and smile at him. A few even talked to Aiden. It was like a completely different world. Tristan seemed not to notice and took it all in stride, so Aiden tried to do the same. When they got to class Aiden tried to avoid Chad's stare but found it hard. He was shocked when Tristan started to go to their usual seats. Aiden didn't know if he could last a whole class period with Chad giving him those cold looks.
Aiden felt a chill run down his spine when he heard Chad speaking to him, "Hey Aiden, what's up?"
Aiden looked over at Chad and could clearly see the greeting had a double meaning. There was nothing kind or friendly about it.
"Um, n-nothing." Aiden said. He couldn't think of much else to say and was grateful when their teacher interrupted their `conversation' if you could call it that to start the day's lesson.
The rest of the morning passed by without any incidents and when lunch rolled around Aiden found himself dreading going in the cafeteria. He even considered asking Tristan if they could just spend lunch at his house, but decided against it, not wanting to come across as `the clingy boyfriend'. So come lunchtime Aiden found himself surrounded by unfamiliar faces, with the exception of Tristan and Kelly of course, and extremely uncomfortable.
"So, Aiden how come I never see you around?" An annoying voice. Aiden looked and realized it was Amy.
"Um, I-I um..." Aiden trailed off not really knowing what to say or how to act. He still wasn't used to attention of much kind, especially not the attention Amy seemed so interested on giving.
"Aw, you're so cute!" Amy squealed so loud Aiden was surprised the glass he was holding didn't shatter.
Amy's squeal caused Tristan to look over and only then did Tristan notice exactly how much attention she was giving Aiden, and he didn't like it. Not at all. He wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure what. `How bout, back off my boyfriend.' Tristan thought with a wry grin. That'd be sure to go over well.
Much to Aiden and Tristan's relief lunch was soon over and everyone went to their respective classrooms. The rest of the day flew by rather quickly and Tristan remembered with dread that his mother had insisted on meeting Aiden today.
"Hey Aiden?" He asked as they were walking to their cars.
"Y-yeah?"
"You wanna come over today? I mean, my mom kinda wants to meet you." Tristan said, blushing slightly at how odd it sounded.
"S-she w-wants to meet m-me?" Aiden asked amazed. Tristan had told him she knew about them, but he was still surprised.
"Yeah." Tristan said beginning to fidget.
"Um s-sure o-ok." Aiden said.
"Ok, cool, I'll see you at my house in like ten minutes then?" "Y-yeah."
~
Ten minutes later Aiden and Tristan were sitting in Tristan's room waiting for his mother to get home. Aiden was flipping through one of Tristan's scrapbooks that was filled with pictures he had taken.
"These a-are a-all so a-m-mazing." Aiden complimented.
"Thanks, it's just a hobby though." Tristan said shyly. He wasn't really used to people seeing his photographs, let alone seeing them.
"Well your h-hobby's am-mazing." Aiden blurted and then blushed deeply.
"Thanks."
They spent the next hour or so talking about various things, mostly family. Tristan told Aiden all about how he had to move and Aiden told Tristan all about being outed. Tristan explained about his mother being a doctor and spending most of her time at the hospital and Aiden explained about his mom cleaning houses and spending most of her time slaving away. Tristan explained about his dad always wanting him to be perfect and Aiden explained...well nothing. Tristan couldn't help but notice.
"What about your dad?" Tristan asked innocently, not knowing the kind of reaction it would get out of Aiden.
Aiden paled visibly and felt like the temperature had gone up twenty degrees. He was thinking about ways to avoid the question when all of a sudden he just found himself blurting it out,
"He beat me." Aiden said simply shocking both him and Tristan. There was no stutter, no waiver in his voice, just three words.
"Oh god." Tristan breathed ,still not quite grasping the concept. How anyone could beat Aiden, beautiful Aiden, was beyond him, "Um....wow."
"Y-yeah." Aiden said his stutter returning. Now that he had told Tristan he felt a strange sense of relief. He thought he would feel different, but he just felt relieved. "I g-guess y-you wanna know m-my s-story." Aiden said realizing that it wouldn't be quite fair to just say that and not explain himself.
"Only if you want to tell me." Tristan said quickly. He moved so he was holding Aiden's hand, with Aiden's head resting on his shoulder, both boys leaning back on Tristan's headboard.
"It's o-ok." Aiden sighed, knowing the story was going to take forever to tell, thanks to his stutter.
"Um I g-guess it all started when I was t-twelve and I d-didn't want t-to try out f-for some team. I c-can't even r-remember what sp-o-ort it was." Aiden started, laughing bitterly, "My d-dad wasn't h-happy a-at all, h-he had always t-thought I was s-soft or something like that and that j-just pushed him o-over the e-edge I guess.."
*** "People are gonna think your a fag! Do you want that?!" Aiden's dad screamed at the poor boy. All Aiden could manage was to shake his head and try not cry. "Just stay out of my sight you pretty boy!" His dad yelled slapping him in the face and then stalking off elsewhere. Aiden just stood in shock...tears streaming freely down his face.***
"It n-never r-really stopped after t-that, j-just got w-worse. I-It w-wasn't always hitting you k-know? S-sometimes it's j-just be y-yelling, i-it was h-horrible b-but i-it was better than being h-hit, I g-guess. S-sometimes He'd s-starve me, sometimes he'd l-lock me out...." Aiden trailed off not quite knowing how to finish the story.
"Did your um mom....did she know about it?" Tristan asked not wanting to pry, but he really wanted to know how she could live under the same roof as Aiden and not see what was going on.
"N-not u-until s-she caught h-him. B-but you have to understand she worked s-so much... I d-didn't want to b-be a b-burden t-to h-her s-so I d-didn't t-ell her." Aiden said, trying to stick up for his mother. Truthfully he still resented her a little bit for not noticing, but he'd mostly gotten over it.
"She caught him?" Tristan asked.
"Yeah...s-she c-came h-home e-early o-one n-night..."
*** "You're so fucking pathetic, get up!" Aiden's father screamed at him from above.
Aiden laid down on the ground trying to get up, knowing if he didn't it would just fuel his father's anger, but also not being able to get over the stabbing pain shooting from his arm. He hoped it wasn't broken.
"Get up!!" His father screamed once more, raising a hand to hit him again when the front door opened revealing a very shocked and very angry Mrs. Jones.***
"Oh, so your father's gone right? I mean he's not coming back?" Tristan questioned rapidly his natural protective nature coming out.
"No, he's not." Aiden said confidently. His mother had gotten a restraining order against him and so far his father hadn't tried to break it.
"Ok...um Aiden?" Tristan said softly
"Y-yeah?"
"Thanks for telling me, I know you didn't have to and I know how hard it must of been to do it." Tristan said honestly.
"I-I f-feel better now that I d-did." Aiden said meaning it. He had thought when he told Tristan, if ever that there would be tears and commotion, but oddly enough Aiden didn't feel much of anything. "So you don't l-like h-hate me n-now?" Aiden said slightly apprehensive.
"Never." Tristan said in a quiet voice trying to take it all in. He finally understood why his dad pinning Aiden to the wall like that would cause him to freak out like that. He finally understood why Aiden was so shy and skittish. It all just made him want to protect Aiden all the more and make sure that no one ever hurt him again. Ever.
Authors note: this is my first try at erotic writing so feedback is ALWAYS welcome! Please send any comments or suggestions to BLNCH@MSN.COM. I just want to say THANK YOU for everyone who sent me feedback. The response was overwhelming. You guys sure know how to make a girl feel special=) Hope everyone likes the latest chapter, it's longer than my normal size, since I won't be able to write as much next week, with my brother coming to visit and all.