One Shots

Just Another Setback

TW: homophobia

"Well, I'm sorry I couldn't be the son you wanted, dad!" Logan yelled, slamming the front door behind him.

He would probably regret that later when he eventually went back home. But he couldn't bring himself to care right now. He was pissed off and needed time to cool off and think.

This had been going on for years. Logan was just never able to be the son his dad wanted. It started when he was a toddler and found more interest in playing with his cousin's Barbie dolls than the "boyish" figurines his dad got him. Then, it was Logan choosing dance over a "real" sport like baseball or football. The day Logan came home with his nails painted black because he was going through an emo phase was the first time his dad really went off on him about his choices. He put everything out into the open, clearly not caring about his son's feelings. His dad probably thought that having feelings wasn't manly enough.

Since that day, there's been a tension between the two, like one wrong step and everything would come crashing down. And that was just what happened.

A few years ago, Logan realized that he may have had a crush on a guy in his science class but tried as hard as he could to repress it. He was already tiptoeing around his dad. And his dad basically ignored his son's existence where he could. This would definitely be the thing to end their relationship, even though it is barely even a relationship at this point.

So, he ignored his crush. Eventually, it went away. Some time passed, and he fell for a girl in his grade. They dated for a while. Logan even introduced her to his dad. It was more so as a means to get on his good side than actually wanting the two to meet. But, either way, he knew. Logan was fine and in a relationship with a girl he genuinely liked.

Well, the relationship only lasted a few more months. His girlfriend started to reconnect with her ex. She broke up with Logan because she felt it wasn't fair to any of them. He was upset, but it didn't hurt as much as he expected it to. He was more upset over the fact that his dad wouldn't exactly be happy with the news.

And then, he cried over the fact that he cared more about his dad's opinion of him than getting dumped.

For the rest of that year, Logan stayed single. Things between him and his dad were the same as always—tense but quiet. They stayed out of each other's ways when they could.

After that is where it all fell apart. Logan became more introspective. He was trying something new—figuring himself out without considering how his dad would react. The first step was admitting that he wasn't straight. Logan knew deep down that he was bisexual since middle school. He tried repressing it and ignoring his feelings. But he couldn't do that forever. It took time, but he learned to accept that fact about himself. That didn't mean he was ready for his dad to find out, though.

But of course, things never go as planned.

Logan had been texting this guy, Xavier, for a few months. They've gotten quite close, and it's only a matter of time before they start dating. Because of this, Logan decided to make his lock screen a picture of the two of them. It was completely innocent with their faces side by side, smiling at the camera. And it made him smile a little every time he looked at it.

He never worried about it because it's not like his dad ever checked his phone. And he thought that he could explain it away as a friendly thing if it came to it.

Well, he was wrong.

Logan left his phone on the coffee table while he got his charger from his bedroom. When he went back into the living room, he dad was stood there, Logan's phone in hand, with a frown on his face.

"What the hell is this?"

Logan tilted his head a little. "What the hell is what?"

"This photo." He turned the phone on and showed Logan. He saw the screen had a notification at the bottom.

Dammit, he scolded himself. Why didn't I put it face down?

"It's a picture of me and my friend," Logan feigned nonchalance.

"Bullshit, that's just a friend, Logan," his dad growled. "I always fucking knew you were a fairy. But I thought it was understood that you wouldn't go around flaunting it."

"Having a picture on my private phone is flaunting it?" Logan felt himself starting to get angry. "Not to mention, nothing in that photo implies we're anything other than friends, which is all that we are just to let you know. This has nothing to do with me or what I've done but everything with to do with how you see me."

"Who do you think you are trying to tell me off, huh? Trying to blame me for your sins? You have no right," Logan's dad was fuming now. He had stepped closer as he spoke, and Logan had a passing thought that his dad might actually lay a hand on him—something he had never done but had threatened a few times.

"Well, I'm sorry I couldn't be the son you wanted, dad!" Logan yelled, slamming the front door behind him.

He wasn't sure what he would go back to later, but right now, he couldn't think about that. He needed to calm down.

His dad really had a way of making Logan feel tiny and inferior. It's been going on for years on a smaller scale. But Logan dealt with it because his dad was his only family. He was stuck until he was eighteen. As soon as that day came, he was going to move out.

He's been working since he got his working papers at fourteen, trying to save up to rent an apartment or something, anything he could find.

He's talked about all this with a friend he made at dance some years ago. He and Piper were paired up during class for a few weeks, and they bonded instantly. Since then, they've been close. Even when they stopped seeing each other every week at dance, they kept in touch. She's told Logan a couple times that he could crash with her and her older brother for awhile if he needed a place to stay.

He didn't want to be a burden, but if he really needed to, he would ask her about it. His plan was to find a place as soon as he could once he was of age, but if he couldn't find something right away, he would talk to Piper.

Logan walked through the neighborhood, no clear destination in mind. He thought to call Piper or Xavier but quickly realized he never took his phone from his dad; he was too worried about getting out of there before his dad could do anything. Hopefully, he didn't take the phone or damage it in some way. He needed that, not only to contact his friends, but also for school and work. He hoped his dad had enough sense to think of that and leave it alone. If his dad didn't want to see or hear from him, Logan could manage that. He's been independent for years at this point. He took care of himself.

Logan hoped that one day this would all be a distant memory. One day, he would be living in his own home that he earned through his own hard work. One day, his dad would be nothing but a passing thought. One day, this part of his life would just be a rough patch. One day, he would fully accept himself for who he was and always had been. One day, all of his efforts will have paid off.

He continued walking down the street, picturing the metaphorical road ahead of him, and he was excited about what he envisioned. He had a long way to go, but he was ready to do all he could to get there and make his plans a reality.