Book of Stories Long and Short

The Result of a Dinner Party

Warning! This chapter contains swearing, abuse, and slight NSFW content.

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They sat around the dinner table, four adults eating peacefully while two boys continuously shared anxious looks. Perry Matthews and Oliver Quin were about to execute a risky plan after making a difficult decision. After weeks of intense conversations and heated make-out sessions, the two boys finally decided to out themselves to their parents.

Perry cleared his throat, put down his fork, and began to speak. "So.. We've got s-something to tell you." Oliver tried to kick Perry's foot from under the table as his boyfriend stuttered, something they had been working on and trying to avoid. Though right next to Perry, he missed.

The two sets of parents stared at their sons. Then each one made eye contact with one another.

Oliver's mother, Ursula, straightened her posture. "Hmm.. And what may that be?" She blinked. Perry took a deep breath before making a nodding gesture towards Oliver, signaling that it was his turn to speak. Oliver slowly raised his hands from their place in his lap and placed them on the wooden table, palms down as he stretched all of his fingers and applied some of his weight.

He swallowed. "I've sucked his-"

Before Oliver could finish, Perry clamped a hand over his mouth. Perry gave his boyfriend a death glare before removing his hand from the latter's mouth. Oliver crossed his arms as he slid down the chair, he pouted and waved at Perry, a signal meaning that he was finished talking.

The boy's parents sat, waiting, suspecting, and now very curious.

Perry took another breath. "What he was trying to say was.." One more breath. "We're dating."

Gasps emitted from Ursula and Perry's mom, Winona. Oliver's father's eyes widened, and Perry's father rose from his seat. The now-standing father bent over the table, staring at his only child with eyes full of burning-hot anger and rage. "What." He spat, no hint of question in his single word.

Perry visibly flinched and immediately reached to his left, swiftly placing his hand atop his boyfriend's and grabbed it. The ladder squeezed the shaking hand he was holding.

"Answer me, goddammit!" Perry's father barked.

Winona reached upwards and placed her right hand on the small of his back. "Calm down, Terrence. They're just pulling our legs!" The woman chuckled before staring at the boys with a stern smile on her face. "Right?" She questioned through clenched teeth.

Perry opened his mouth to speak, Oliver beat him to it. "No. You're wrong."

Winona fixed her gaze on the boy who spoke. Perry's head whipped to the side and he stared at Oliver with a look of panic and disbelief. Oxwell, Oliver's father who had been eerily quiet since the start of dinner, cleared his throat and rose from his seat. He motioned for Oliver to follow him into the hallway. Reluctantly, the boys unclasped their hands and Oliver followed.

No more words were exchanged while Oxwell and Oliver were absent. Perry kept his eyes on his hands as they fiddled in his lap. He could feel his parent's eyes burning holes into his forehead. However, he couldn't help but stress over what his boyfriend may be experiencing. He sighed.

"Shut up." Terrence spat. Perry looked at his father, confused. "I didn't say-" "Shut up!"

The conversation ended quickly and Ursula began to clear the table. The dining room was silent save for the faint crashing sound of plates being stacked on top of each other. The silence continued for a minute straight before a loud cry could be heard from the nearest hallway.