Description (May contain spoilers)

Nick and Charlie accompany Harry to his parents house.

Harry

“Why did we have to dress all in black?” Nick asks, confused as to why I insisted on the three of us not ‘standing out’. Nick’s lent me a black sweatshirt and a pair of his black jeans that are only staying up through a combination of one of Charlie’s belts and some sort of miracle.

“It’s fun, init,” I reply smoothly, making Charlie giggle. It’s no wonder I used to have a crush on him at school.

“Come on, old man, enjoy it. How often do we get to go on an adventure like this,” Charlie teases Nick.

“ Old man ?” Nick asks, flabbergasted, causing Charlie to giggle again.

“Stop flirting you two, we have things to do. I want to get my own clothes back so my meat and two veg can get a bit of support again.”

“Ewwwww, too much in- Wait, Harry are you freeballing in my jeans?!”

“I couldn’t wear the same pair of boxers 3 days in a row now could I. I’d already turned them inside out.”

Charlie bends over in a fit of laughter causing Nick to swat his arm. “Hey, it’s not funny,” Nick pouts, causing Charlie to laugh even more.

Groaning, Nick says, “Let’s just get this over with.”

As we approach the house, I see that dad’s car isn’t outside – that’s a good sign, hopefully my Mum’s out too and we can get in and out without another fight. I don’t want that, not in front of more of the people I care about.

We make it to the front door and I use my key to unlock it, as I’ve done hundreds of times before. This time it feels different though, it feels like it could be the last time. I feel like I should be sad about that, and I guess part of me is, but I also feel a sense of relief. I can finally be my true self, I no longer have to hide or put on a performance to be what my father expected me to be. Growing up, I never dreamed that one day I could be out and proud, seeing a man I love.

As the door opens, we hear a loud crash. At the other end of the hall, I can see my Mum and the remains of a tea tray smashed across the hallway rug in front of her.

“Mother, what’s with all that racket,” comes the familiar voice of my father from the living room. Before she has a chance to reply, he comes lumbering out of the room, his back to us. “What have you done now Mother, clear this mess up,” he growls.

My Mum just stands still, shocked to see me standing in the doorway. Seeing her eyes are fixed over his shoulder instead of at him, my father turns around. The second he catches sight of me and my friends, the anger becomes clear in his eyes. “I thought I told you not to come back here,” he growls, “we don’t want your sort here.”

Trying not to show how scared I am, I speak as calmly as I can, “We’re here to collect my stuff.”

“I don’t think so,” he barks, “I paid for that stuff and I’m not letting some queer have it.”

“You don’t frighten me, Dad,” I say, hoping he can’t see through the façade I’m trying to put on.

“Oh yeah,” he snarls before he starts plodding towards me with his fist raised. I brace myself for a punch, my eyes closing.

Charlie

“I don’t think that would be wise, Mr Greene,” I say as I step in front of Harry and grab hold of his fist in the air. “You see, I know a thing or two about the law, and if you lay a hand on my friend, I will personally make sure he presses charges for assault and a hate crime. Especially considering you’ve already called him ‘some queer’ and in the presence of witnesses, too.”

I’m not sure where this bravado has come from, but I’m running with it. I lower his fist with my hand before continuing, “Now, what you are going to do, Mr Greene, is go back into your living room and let your son collect his belongings in peace.”

“And what if I don’t?” Harry’s father hisses at me, trying to intimidate me.

“If you don’t, I will call the police and have you arrested for threatening behaviour,” I say with all the scary calmness of my sister Tori. Without saying another word, Mr Greene skulks off into the living room, leaving us all standing shocked in the doorway.

Harry’s Mum stays frozen to the spot throughout the altercation I’ve just had with his Dad. I look over my shoulder at Harry and quietly say, “Talk to her.” But just as he goes to speak to her, his father’s voice booms from the other room, “Mother, get in here!” With a sad look towards Harry, she scurries along quickly to her husband, closing the door behind her so that we’re left alone in the hall.

Nick speaks up from behind us, wonder in his voice, “Char, that was amazing!”

“No time for that, Harry lead the way,” I instruct.

Harry

I guide my friends up the stairs to what I guess is now my former bedroom. I’m surprised when I open the door to find everything is exactly the way I’d left it. There’s dirty clothes scattered around the floor, my posters of the England rugby team blue-tacked to the walls and mementos of my favourite memories spread around the room. It’s overwhelming to see all my childhood memories being laid bare in front of me. How can I possibly pack up my whole life in one trip? 

As if he senses I’m struggling, Charlie takes charge again, “Right,  I’ll grab your clothes and pack them up. Harry, you and Nick grab anything else you want to take, ok?”

“Yes, Sir,” Nick and I say in unison, causing Charlie to roll his eyes.

Nick lifts the suitcase he’d been carrying and heaves it up onto the bed. He unzips it and pulls out the extra bags stuffed inside so that we can get to work packing up all of my stuff. It’s tough deciding what to keep and what to leave behind.

The posters can stay, I don’t need them when I don’t have my own walls to put them up on. I can also leave behind a few of the knickknacks I’ve collected from trips with my parents over the years – I don’t want too many reminders of them when they were the ones that kicked me out.

As we all pack up my things, I ask, “Hey Charlie, how come you knew all that legal stuff before, I thought you did something boring with books.”

Charlie replies, “I’ve been an editor on a number of crime novels, the authors like to use a lot of legal sounding language. I’ve no idea if any of it is actually true, but I learnt a long time ago that if you sound like you know what you’re talking about, most people will believe it.”

Nick is grinning at his boyfriend when I say to him, “Pretty and Smart, you best marry him Nick before someone else snaps him up.” Nick’s jaw drops while Charlie just giggles. 

Nick

I’d been thinking about proposing for a while now, but the thought never occurred to me that Charlie might leave me for someone else. Not until now that is. I’m starting to panic; of course Charlie could have his pick of guys, so why would he want to settle for me. I’m just a big rugby idiot.

As if sensing I need him, Charlie comes over and places a comforting hand on my bicep. Looking into his eyes, I don’t know how but I know we’re going to be ok, something in Charlie’s eyes just tells me that he’s as gone for me as I am for him. 

Clearing his throat to remind us he’s still here, Harry announces, “I think I’ve got everything guys.”

After a pause, Charlie removes his hand from my arm and turns to Harry “Great, looks like between us we can carry all this in one trip – especially with Captain America over here,” he teases, pointing to me. We each grab as much as we can carry, and sure enough with me carrying more than my fair share, we manage to heave it all down the stairs in one trip. Just as we’re about to leave, Harry’s mother appears from the kitchen – the door to the living room is still shut.

“Mu-” Harry starts before she places a finger against her lips to ssh him. Moving quietly down the hall so that his Dad can’t hear what is going on, she silently slips a piece of paper into the pocket of Harry’s hoodie before placing a soft kiss against his cheek.

“Mother, where’s my tea?” echoes Mr Greene’s controlling voice from the living room.

“Just coming, Father,” she calls over her shoulder before scurrying back to the kitchen. Harry could only watch after her. Once she is out of sight, he follows us back to my car. None of us speaks as we load up all of Harry’s worldly goods into the boot. Charlie and I let Harry just sit and process everything that just happened.

Harry

Once we’re all sitting inside the car, I reach inside my pocket to pull out the piece of paper that my mother slipped inside. Opening it up, I see the handwriting is shaky, much different than her usual neat and precise writing. She’d clearly written it in a rush so that my father didn’t discover her writing it. It simply says:

Coffee Morning

Next Wednesday

My Mum wants to see me, she was reaching out, I felt numb. Was this a good thing? After everything, do I want to see her? Can I see her? I’m so wrapped up in my thoughts that I don’t notice we’ve arrived back at Nick & Charlie’s home until the car door beside me is opening.

“Harry, we’re home,” Charlie speaks softly next to me. But I can’t move, I’m just staring at the note in my hands. After that everything is a blur.

🎄🎄🎄 A short time later… 🎄🎄🎄

Nick

“How’s he doing?” Charlie asks as I walk into the lounge.

“I don’t really know, he’s not said a word. I managed to get him tucked into bed, hopefully sleep will give him a chance to process what he’s going through.”

“Did you give him the sleeping pill, like I suggested?”

“Yes,” I say sarcastically.

“Good boy,” Charlie smiles, kissing me as I sit down next to him on the sofa.

“I can’t imagine what he’s going through, Char.”

“Me neither, I know better than anyone that coming out isn’t always straight forward. But I never once had any doubts that my parents would accept me.”

I squeeze Charlie tight to me, I hate everything that happened to Charlie when we were younger. I know I wasn’t there when it happened, and that I can’t change the past, but it still hurts to think of anyone upsetting the love of my life.

“What do you think his Mum wants?”

“Hopefully she doesn’t agree with his Dad and just wants to try and be a part of Harry’s life.”

“I hope so, too. But what if it goes wrong, Char, what if his Dad catches them, what if-” I start spiralling.

Placing both hands on mine, Charlie interrupts me, “Nick. Nick, listen to me. We don’t know what the future may hold, none of us can know. But we can promise that whatever happens, we will be there for him, ok?”

“Ok,” I take a breath as I stare into Charlie’s eyes.

“Whether he chooses to see his Mum or not is his decision to make, we can’t make it for him. But we have to support whatever he chooses. Promise me, Nick.”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I nod, “I promise.” I know Charlie’s right, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

“Come on,” Charlie says as he nods towards the stairs, “Let’s get some sleep.”