My Lion. || BXB

chapter thirty-seven.

as freddie and i walked down his street, which was also fortunately my street, we chatted about school and how i had told nick about mine and lionel's relationship. freddie seemed surprised as hell that nick had accepted it, and i still was too.

after all, i knew my friends despised lionel. but i also knew that they had their reasons. i plan on changing that before i tell the rest of them.

i followed freddie up to his porch before we hugged goodbye and i started the walk back to lionel's house. thankfully we all lived pretty close together so it wasn't that far. while i was walking, i decided to take the time to think what i was going to do about my home situation.

my dad actually hired a shrink for me, how was i supposed to get over that? i guess its only fair that i hear him out. but fuck i don't want to. if a father can actually do that to his son, did they ever deserve to have a father and son bond in the first place?

family is supposed to be never ending support. love through thick and thin, encouragement through tough and easy times. instead my dad turned his back on me the moment he found out about my sexuality.

things are different now. i feel different. i now know family isn't always just laughter and love, its pain and expectations. its unfair.

as i made my way onto lionel's porch, i stood their momentarily and took deep breaths before actually knocking on the door. i now realise thinking about my father truly stresses me out. after i knocked on the door, it quickly opened and revealed stella, lionel's sister, standing there in her pyjamas. her hair was pinned up and she had a charcoal face mask on.

"oh hi hunter!" she smiled to me, moving aside and letting me walk into her home.
"DON'T ANSWER IT!" we both heard lionel shouting from the upstairs. bit too late for that.

then, the red headed boy came rushing downstairs but when his eyes landed on mine he stopped. "stella i said—"
"too late." she shrugged her shoulders. "and what's the big deal? hunter and i are friends, nelly."
"nelly?" i picked up, my eyes flickering between the two siblings.

"i hate you stella." lionel groaned, coming further down the stairs and grabbing onto my wrist forcefully. "come on huntley." and then he pulled me upstairs. we walked across the landing and back into his room where i would be sleeping again tonight.
"so how was your night?" i heard him ask me as he was walking towards his bed to make it look neater.
"it was good, i met cormac's girlfriend. she's sweet." i nodded back to him, "did i tell you i uh— i told nick about you and i.."

he whipped his head around to look at me, "you did?" and i chuckled at his shocked state.
"i did."
lionel sat on his bed and patted a space besides him, "what did he say?" i sat down on the bed and smiled dumbly at him.
"he was a bit reluctant at first but i got him to kinda understand and he accepts it."
"he does?" lionel asked, seeming surprised, and i placed a caring hand on his.
"you're not that bad, y'know."

a few hours passed and lionel and i were getting cozied into his bed. we didn't plan on going sleep yet but it was freezing so i told him i wanted to cuddle and he of course didn't mind. by 10pm we were in bed chatting while spooning lovingly.

he was telling me more about his family and why his parents broke up. i listened carefully as he was the most honest he had been with me since i first met him.
"they fought a lot anyways so it wasn't that unexpected when they officially decided to get a divorce. stella was the most heartbroken since she thought they just got on eachothers nerves sometimes, but it was more than that. me and enzo already guessed it was going to happen sooner or later. i just didn't know dad would take enzo with him. that shit hurt."
and my heart broke a little when lionel spoke so quietly. "i know it must've been really tough. he shouldn't have taken your brother away from you when you were so young, its unfair. have you contacted your dad about finding enzo's phone number?" i responded in the most caring way possible.

he sighed, "i was going too, really, but i chickened out."
i laughed slightly, trying my best to make him smile during this conversation. "fair enough." i nodded.
"thank you." he spoke. "for letting me talk about it. i feel like i can't really mention it with my family since i don't want to bring up bad memories."
"i understand that. and lionel, i'll always be here to listen." a mumbled came from my lips, and he hummed in agreement. i felt him lift his head from the pillow to plant a kiss on my cheek.

"nelly." i giggled to myself after a moment if silence.
"shut your mouth." he groaned, flopping his head back down against the pillow.
"what does it mean?"
he sighed. "nothing, stella just calls me it. i guess it kinda sounds like lionel and somehow she got nelly from that."
"it's cute."
"its ridiculous"