fly | madderton

FIVE

"That sounds lovely, mum. And, she's doing well?"

Taron paused after opening the bathroom door, letting his toothbrush hang loose from his mouth to create a silence, to try to figure out what Richard was doing. He stood stock still in the bathroom doorway, in only his boxers with a towel draped around his neck. It was quite a sight to witness, especially with the look of confusion present on his face.

"Good, that's good. Yeah, I'm just getting ready for bed."

He was on the phone. Of course he was on the phone, why would his mum have made the long journey all the way down to London, so soon after he had left home and with no special occasion? Taron took this as a sign that he was safe to head into Richard's room, picking up brushing his teeth once more. Richard smiled as his boyfriend entered the room, pursing his lips in a half-arsed attempt at blowing a kiss.

"I did, I did say that, didn't I?" A nervous laugh slipped past his lips, and that was when the penny dropped for Taron.

Richard was telling his parents.

On his way back to the bathroom, Taron gently rested his hand on the small of Richard's back. He had to spit his toothpaste and rinse his brush, before he could then make his way back to Richard's bedroom. Richard was pacing the room by the foot of his bed, his lower lip caught between his teeth.

"Well, it's- I don't want you to get mad, or overreact... Promise? Okay. I'm..." Taron gently kissed the back of Richard's neck, gently squeezing his hip before going to lay on the bed. He wanted to help Richard out, but wasn't too sure how. "I think- I'm bisexual, mum."

The silence that fell over the room was painful. Taron was desperate to know what was being said down the phone, but didn't want to add any extra pressure by staring. He'd known Richard's mum for a long time, and knew she could be callous when she wanted to. Of course she had always been nice enough to Taron, he was just a child for most of the time they interacted. But he'd noticed how she spoke to Richard, always getting upset over the little things. Even things that it seemed she should have control over, such as commenting on his appearance or his weight when taking pictures of the two outside his house on their first day of secondary.

"I know that, but... But it's how I feel, and I'm your son. No, no-" Richard lifted a hand to his face, turning his back to Taron. He seemed to realise his attempt at hiding his crying wasn't most effective, as he then turned back to Taron and waved him over with his free hand. Taron was quick to get up and duck into Richard's open arm, wrapping his own arms around his boyfriend. "The path I've chosen? That has nothing to do with it, mum. There's loads of straight male actors. I don't know what you- Please-"

Taron listened to Richard plead with his mum a little more, his heart breaking every time he heard a crack in his typically smooth, northern voice. It didn't take too long for her to hang up, and for Richard to envelope Taron in the tightest hug he could possibly muster. They rocked slowly from side to side, Richard's head pressed against Taron's neck.

"I'm sorry, Dicky,"

Richard shook his head, pulling back at long last to press a kiss to Taron's jaw and one to his lips, lightly gripping the other boy's cheek. "Don't, I don't wanna... She said she knew I was 'gay' because of 'the path I've chosen.' I don't even get what that means..." He wiped his eye, shaking his head and looking down at the ground between them. "I'm gonna go have a shower, then... Early night?"

"Early night." Taron replied, kissing Richard's cheek before stepping away to let him go get his shower. He dropped down onto the bed, putting on his brightest smile to flash at his boyfriend as he walked to the bathroom.

He felt bad. He felt awful, in fact. He felt as if he'd coerced Richard into liking men, and forced him to tell his parents. In reality, it was the total opposite. All Taron had done was open Richard's eyes, and he hadn't exactly rushed into telling them instantly. They'd worked through their first week of classes and had an equally busy Saturday, followed by a very lazy Sunday. They had stayed in bed until past midday, and when they'd eventually got up had only had something to eat and moved to lay together on the sofa.

Taron didn't even know Richard was planning on calling his parents. He was pretty sure it wasn't a good idea, but it had to be done at some point. At least with it done and dusted, there was no more room for anxiety over what might happen.

Even though it was over an hour before he'd usually go to bed, and he'd done absolutely nothing all day, laying in bed was making Taron weary. His eyes were falling shut, and he felt he had no choice but to curl into the duvet and let sleep overcome him.

Meanwhile, Richard was trying to rinse his hair and body as quickly as he could. Being alone gave his mind a chance to race, and whilst he usually found showering a pleasant break from the rush of everyday life, and he liked to let his mind have a wander, in that moment he couldn't think of anything worse. The tears already streaming down his face were reason enough for him to get back to Taron as quickly as he could, and if that meant hardly having a shower, so be it. He'd not exactly been doing hard exercise all day, skimping on his shower couldn't hurt.

The cold rush of air as he switched off the water hit him like a bus, but he, bizarrely, quite appreciated it. Whilst it was certainly refreshing to step out into, he did find himself racing to get wrapped in a towel, then dressed into his boxers and joggers.

When he eventually returned to his bedroom, he couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of him: Taron curled up in the very centre of the bed, the duvet tucked between his knees and beneath his arm, his slightly damp hair askew atop the pillows.

Whilst he may have had his doubts to begin with, that image certainly solidified a few things for him.

This was the life he wanted.

good morning sorry that i dipped for a few months lol