Coming Home [Completed]

Ch. 18: Bad Idea

When they got to the deli, Charlie let Theo order for both of them, not really feeling up to speaking in public at the moment, and went to go find a table for them. Theo came back after ordering and started up a conversation about nothing in particular. He got up to retrieve both their sandwiches, not letting Charlie get up.

As he was waiting, Charlie noticed he'd gotten a text from his boyfriend a few minutes prior, which read "sorry can't talk rn w ppl."

Theo was careful to avoid any mention of what had just happened, both regarding Charlie's father and his subsequent episode, but the other boy felt obligated to say something.

"Well, that wasn't how I expected my first practice to go," Charlie said, cutting Theo off mid-sentence and trying to inject some levity into the evening.

"I certainly hadn't planned on telling off your dad when I woke up this morning," Theo volleyed back, without thinking. However, he quickly got serious, "is your dad... always like that?"

"Wouldn't know, to be honest. I haven't seen him in a year. Mom got full custody and told him to fuck off. He'd respected that until now. He sent me a birthday card, though."

"That's messed up," Theo commented, but then retracted, "shit, I didn't mean to sound judgey or anything."

"Nah, man, you're good and it is messed up. He completely changed when I came out or I guess that's just who he's always been underneath. I don't know. I don't care. I'm just glad he's out of my life. Well, until now, I suppose."

"Are you going to tell your mom about what happened?"

"Oh yeah, she'll go ballistic. Hopefully, that scares him off for good. I never want to see him ever again. You know, for a second there, I thought he'd actually changed and was genuinely apologetic, but then he tries to get me to go to conversion therapy!"

"What about your, um, episode?"

"Oh, that. Well, I probably won't. I'll just talk to Susan about it. She might adjust my medication. I dunno."

"You're on medication?" Theo asked, curiosity in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm looney, I..."

"No, no, I didn't mean that. I just... well, I didn't know, but I'm proud of you."

"You're actually the only person I've told besides my mom."

"Really? Lucas doesn't know?"

"I don't really talk to Lucas about that kind of stuff. We mostly try to keep things light."

"That doesn't sound like you. When we were together," Theo began but cringed at his phrasing, "you were much more open about things."

"We just don't have that kind of relationship, I guess. We had one serious conversation in the beginning, though. It was about you, actually."

"Me?"

"Yeah, who else," Charlie tried to downplay the admission with humor, before clarifying, "well, it was more of a broader thing about moving on from past mistakes."

"You consider dating me a mistake?"

"What, no, of course not. That's not what I meant. My mistake was messing up what we had."

"You didn't mess it up by yourself. I had a part to play in that as well."

"Yeah, right."

"Charlie, I really did think I was doing what would be best for you. I didn't think I could give you what you needed."

"In all candor, what I needed at the time was you."

"When we broke up, at Dalia's party two summers ago, we'd just been using each other for release that whole summer and I thought eventually you'd get bored with me and..."

"I could never be bored by you..."

"You certainly found a more exciting partner in Lucas."

"Don't get me wrong, the threesome we had was nice and everything, but there's so much that we shared that Lucas can't even come close to matching."

"You had a threesome with Lucas and another guy!?"

Charlie laughed, "that's what you took out of that?"

"I'm just a bit in shock, sorry. The old Charlie I knew was so possessive. I didn't think you liked sharing."

"I don't usually, but the opportunity presented itself, I suppose."

"And, seriously, what could I possibly give you that Lucas can't?"

"I never realized how abysmally you devalued yourself, Theo."

"No, I'm being serious here. His body is better, he's more experienced, he's more open to trying things like threesomes, which I would never do I don't think. I just don't get it."

"Theo, I'll say this once and I won't have any argument about it: you'll always be the most beautiful person in the world to me and no one on this planet knows me as intimately and completely as you do. That's what you have that Lucas doesn't."

The two boys didn't talk for a long while after that. After they'd finished their meals, they made their way back to Theo's car. Theo wanted to drive Charlie home himself, after the ordeal that he'd been through, but Charlie had been insistent on retrieving his own car.

Once they reached the rink lot, Theo walked Charlie to his car. Along the way, the two had struck up an idle conversation about the upcoming holiday. The French side of the family didn't celebrate the holiday and Mr. Broussard was an only child, so the Broussards would be having a relatively low-key meal at home, his parents, him, and his older sibling, along with Mr. Broussard's parents.

Charlie told Theo that his older brother was studying abroad so it'd just be him, his mother, and his older sister for the holiday.

"I thought you had this big family? I remember you saying your house is always packed for the day?"

"It was. That's my dad's side. They don't really talk to any of us anymore after, well, you know. And, my mom's parents are dead, so just us."

"Shit, man, I'm sorry," Theo said, plainly, but an idea was already forming in his mind as he watched Charlie get into his car, pull out of his parking spot, and then drive off into the twilight.