I Won't Ever Hide Alone

Ch: 30 What A Trip - Part 1

"HE'S WHAT..." Carol almost spit out her wine she had been drinking. She was sat in front of the t.v. Danny, her boyfriend, sitting right beside her taking in all the news they just heard.

Dom was occupying himself with some snacks in the kitchen as he watched his boyfriend go on about the nights events. Dom couldn't help but smile at how cute he thought Julian was when he got all worked up.

Julian was pacing back and forth, not realizing how intense he may have been sounding but he didn't care. Going through the nights events over again with his mother and her boyfriend set him off into another frenzy over it all.

"Well, that's... interesting. Good for them." Danny replied to the news about the engagement and the baby. He seemed untouched by the subject.

Nobody could blame him though. Danny was a very non-judgemental, passive kind of guy.

"And that's not all." Dom entered into the living room and looked over at Julian. He nudged him. "Go on."

Julian sighed and began, "I came out to dad and he literally just shut down. He wouldn't look at me. He started moving around like he was completely uncomfortable with us. Then he asked for the check as soon as he saw the first restaurant staff walking past. I shouldn't have even said anything..." Julian slumped himself onto the couch in defeat. Dom sat next to him and leaned his head on Julian's shoulder.

"Now, hunny, you know you did the right thing. Your dad is so old school. He wasn't always this uptight, but that also is a conversation for another time. Listen to me, Julian."

Julian looked up at his mother.

She looked directly into his eyes and said, "You are brave for telling that old man exactly what he needed to know about his son. He always wanted a closer relationship with you and to get to know you, well, now he knows something he is lucky to even have been told. He will come around, Julian. He will just need time."

"But Mom, you saw how he was when we were kids. Always using gay slurs with his friends as insults and always pushing this quote on quote real man persona onto me. I don't know if he's going to accept this time."

"Then it's his loss, Julian. Not yours. Being gay doesn't change who you always were at heart. It doesn't change who you are today. If your dad cannot see you're the same beautiful boy we've always known, then he doesn't deserve you or to see you happy with Dominic."

Dom cleared his throat, "Dom." He added really quick and smiled. "Dominic is what my mum calls me when I'm in trouble."

Carol chuckled and got up from the couch. She caressed her sons face. "I love you Julian." Then she looked over at Dom and did the same to him, "& I love you too... Dom."

Both Julian and Dom smiled and Carol and Danny headed to bed.

-

"Your mum reminds me of my mum. She's so fuckin lovely. It makes me feel like I'm not so far away from home." Dom told Julian as they lied in Julian's bed together.

"She really is the best. I couldn't ask for any better. I don't know what I'd do without her..."

Dom held Julian close as they both stared up at the ceiling. Looking at all the glowing sticky stars that Julian had stuck on his ceiling a couple days prior. Dom enjoyed the fact that Julian still enjoyed some things that kids would normally enjoy. Like these stars on the ceiling. All of us adults are big kids sometimes. It breaks up the seriousness and Dom loves to be a big kid most of the time. He couldn't help but feel a comfort looking up at the glowing stars and thinking about how cool it would be after he smoked some weed.

He chuckled to himself.

"Whats so funny?" Julian asked, steering his attention to Dom.

Dom was still looking at the stars, "My thoughts make me laugh sometimes. You know..." Dom sat up all of a sudden. " We should go on a camping trip or something. Sleep under the stars together. Have Kara come too!"

Julian laughed, "Are you serious? I hate camping."

"Oh come on, babe! It'll be fun!"

Julian rolled his eyes. "Alright. Only because you asked so nicely."

-

"Camping? You?" Kara burst out laughing. Julian and Dom went to Kara's to invite her on the camping trip Dom suggested the night before.

"Yeah. Yeah. That's what I tried to tell this one over here", Julian was referring Dom, "But he insists it'll be fun. So if I go, I'm dragging you with me."

"Fine, but can we get a shower and a toilet up in this camping trip at least?" Kara asked.

"You all are so bloody spoiled." Dom shook his head and laughed. "Lets do a cabin, but I still want to sleep under the stars at least one of the nights."

"And how long do we plan on staying in the wilderness." Julian asked sincerely.

Hearing the word wilderness made Dom burst out laughing. He patted his boyfriends shoulder for reassurance, "How's 2 nights and 3 days sound to you, dramatic boy?"

Julian scoffed, "I'm not dramatic but fine! I'll survive."

-

Camping trip day...

"This trip will cleanse your mind from all negativity. It'll give you time away from the real world for a while and relax you." Dom stated as they were all on their way to the camp site.

"What are you a good witch?" Kara asked.

"Sounds more like a hippie to me." Julian joked.

Dom rolled his eyes and turned on the radio. Julian was driving. Kara was chilling in the back seat placing her ear buds in her ears.

Julian drove for about an hour until they officially reached the campsite. Dom was jumping around with excitement once they got out of the car and took a look at Julian's fathers cabin.

"This is brilliant!" Dom chirped. "You've had this cabin this whole time and we never utilized it?!"

"Yeah well once again, I hate camping." Julian said with a smile. "My dad never comes here either. So it just sits here."

"Why does he have it then? I'll take it off his hands." Dom suggested.

"Well, probably because the last time we came here, I was a teenager and in my teenie angst, I ruined the trip."

"What happened?" Dom inquired.

"I know this story." Kara added as she walked past both boys so she could place her bags inside the cabin.

"Come in, unpack, and I'll tell you." Julian stated and he grabbed his bag and headed inside the cabin. A cheerful Dom bobbing with excitement behind him.