Remedial Lunacy {LGBT}

Chapter 3 - The secret

“Are you sure you are Okay?” Matt asked as he helped Connor into the house. “You shouldn’t have to put up with that kind of behaviour.”

“Matt please drop it.” Connor pushed himself forward and away from him. “You get used to it when you have been out as long as I have, he’s just pissed that I ‘tricked’ him into thinking I am a real man.”

“You are a real man.” Tom closed the front door and hung the car keys on their hook.

“That may be true but I can hardly prove it by forcing him to the ground and ploughing him now can I?” Connor thumped himself in the thigh but felt nothing. “And this has nothing to do with me being in a chair either.”

“One day mate, one day we will find a way of making it happen.” Tom placed his hand on Connor’s shoulder. “We will keep appealing, keep saving money and praying for a lottery win.”

“I know.” Connor let the tears fall, he let the emotions take hold and reduce him to a sobbing mess.

“I didn’t know until now.” Matt pushed Connor into the living room and set him up in front of the television. “And trust me, I don’t think any less of you. If anything I admire you.”

“How?” Connor looked up, his eyes red and swollen from crying.

“You didn’t attack him for being an asshole; but you didn’t let him walk all over you.” Matt walked into the kitchen and flicked the kettle on. “And those tears are from the frustration of your situation, they are not a direct result of what was said.”

Connor looked to Tom who was searching for the remote control. “Don’t ask me, he just knows. Can’t take him anywhere without him honing in on someone.” He slid his hand down the back of the sofa and retracted the device from its hiding place.

“How did you two meet again?” Connor laughed, “I don’t recall how you managed to hook such a perceptive person.”

“The secret is that I don’t judge what I see.” Matt passed a hot mug of tea to Tom. “Do you want a cup?” He smiled before going to the kitchen to retrieve his own mug. “There is enough judgement and hatred in this world and it only makes peoples’ lives more arduous.”

“Are you sure it is okay for me to stay the night?” Connor lifted himself onto the sofa and folded his chair out of the way. “I would hate to be a burden on you.”

“You are fine, and my mother will not mind you sleeping on the sofa.” Matt lifted Tom’s mug and placed it on a coaster. “This one however; he is driving my mother nuts.”

“Me?” Tom spluttered. “That woman is high maintenance, you have the benefit of living in that environment, my mother doesn’t care about things like coasters or if the right key is on the right hook.”

Connor allowed his chuckle to evolve into a hearty laugh. “Your mother let you keep a pizza under your bed for three months, no wonder you are having difficulty remembering a coaster.”

“Three months.” Matt’s face fell and the colour drained from his cheeks, “Three months?”

“It grew its own fur coat for the winter.” Connor struggled to breathe; he clutched his ribs as a dull ache began to grow.

“I threw it out soon after.” Tom looked innocently to his fiancé. “It was a science experiment.”

Matt exploded into full hysteria. “What kind of experiment? Did you think if you left it long enough it would grow legs and run away?”

“Tom we both know it was because you were too lazy to take the damned box downstairs.” Connor wheezed “But you have grown up a lot since then and now you know that it is socially unacceptable to allow something to fester for that long in your room.”

“Pfft.” Thomas threw himself back in the armchair and huffed. “You’re just doing this because you fell off the damned bed and put your foot straight in the damned thing.”

“Ok that’s enough.” Matt waved his hands in surrender. “Please can we change the topic?”

Thomas leaned forward and clicked on the television, the screen flicked into life and he began flicking through the channels. He continued flicking, waiting for a response from either of his companions, but nothing came. “Seriously you two are letting me pick what to watch?”

“I’m still recovering from the glimpse into your youth.” Matt picked up his mug and took a shaky sip. “I had no idea I was shaking up with a Neanderthal.”

“Oh look classic horror movies.” Thomas selected the channel and wiggled in his chair to get comfortable. “You want to get a real insight to my ‘youth’ then you should sit and watch some of these.”

“No.” Matt snatched the control out of his hand and switched to re-runs of CSI. “Nightmares about that damned pizza are terrifying enough.”

“You know for someone that wanted to change the subject you seem to be rather fond of going back to it.” Tom looked smugly at his horrified partner. “I think you secretly love the idea of your foot sliding in the gooey furry mess that is a three month old pizza.”

“Yuck, gross, no.” Matt shook his head and ran from the room and into the kitchen, his fingers plugged into his ears to avoid hearing any further details.

“Thomas, you do actually want to marry him right?” Connor hauled himself back into his chair. “Then perhaps you should quit before you do some intense psychological damage.”

“But…” Thomas leant forward and gave his most pitiful look.

“Yeah you won’t be getting any of that if you keep going.” Connor gave a smug grin. “Now go and apologise before you get denied what was previously promised.” He winked.

A few seconds passed, suddenly Tom’s confusion melted into surprise and then embarrassment, his cheeks glowed pink as he hurried towards the kitchen. He poked his head around the door frame, “I see you planning to move and do something, do you need anything in the kitchen?”

“A glass of water.” Connor gave his friend a suspicious look and then slid back onto the sofa.

“Five minutes.” Tom said as he dived into the kitchen.