Shane expected the evening with the Williams to be more awkward, but it was the opposite. Shane already was familiar with Chance and Zane, and he got very comfortable around Sara and Will. Sara was a very pretty woman with dirty blond hair short hair and a curvy figure. Will was handsome with the same dirty blond hair, he had a built figure but softer than Zane's. They were very accepting of Shane the moment they saw them holding hands. Sara clapped happily, shouting that she knew the two were dating. Shane was almost saddened by how healthy the family dynamic was, jealous of how accepting everyone was.

"Hey, you okay?" Zane pulls Shane into a hug.

"Yeah, I just wish my parents were that cool."

Zane paused, "they don't know yet?"

"I can't do it. They'd kick me out if they knew."

"Oh baby boy, I'm sorry," the hug tightens.

"What, is everything okay?" Sara bites at her nails seeing the mood died to sadness.

"My parents don't know yet, they'd definitely kick me out if they knew. I'm just kinda jealous of how accepting you are. Sorry, I know that's wrong of me," Shane wipes at his eyes.

Zane pulls away and grabs Shane's face, "No. You're feeling are valid. Don't worry, you're not in the wrong. If that ever happens you have us, and you have your aunt. Don't ever be afraid to come to us if something goes wrong okay?"

Shane nods with a smile, then tears slip from his eyes. Sara smiles ad Zane and gave him a nod, then stepped away to give them a moment.  Zane kiss those tears away, now smothering his partner in hugs and kisses, hoping to see Shane actually smile.

"Hey, how about you go take that shower, then after I'll give you some lessons. Just cool down for now, go clear your mind."

Shane nods and gently pressed their lips together before they both head up the stairs. Zane shows him the door to the bathroom and the door to his room. Shane heads into the bathroom and Zane goes back downstairs. Zane's mother pulls him into a sudden hug.

"What's wrong?" He asked and held her shoulders.

"You two are really good for each other. You should've told us sooner you were dating. We already know about the boy, he helped you on the day of your attack at school. You could've told us, you know how we are, we love you no matter your orientation or identity."

"I know, it just slipped my mind. I've been busy recently. I just saw everyone from the city, then Shane and I started dating, and now I have a boxing match coming up," he starts rambling.

"A match?" Will pops his head up from a book. "You didn't tell us that, when is it?"

"Actually, you gonna be a little upset with me," he gives a shy smile.

His parents nod and point to the seat next to the couch. They sit and listen as Zane explains what happened at school that morning, and why he had a sudden boxing match. They weren't disappointed or surprised about the matter, they were worried. They saw Zane, the Zane still in the city. They worried he'd slip up and go back to his past. The returning at 3 in the morning, the sudden alcohol smell in his room after disappearing for the night, the anger and depression, the shutting everyone out. They worried.

Zane knew what they worried about, and he knew that their worries were pointless, but still valid. He promised to never go back, so he wasn't ever going to go back. Instead, he reassured his parents that everything was okay. He snuck up the stairs as his parents talked about him, he sighs when he gets to his room. A few minutes later Shawn knocks on the door and is let in. Shane gawks at Zane's room. his walls were red, and 2 had black soundproof pads checkered along all the walls. One wall is dedicated to his guitars, headphone collection, and various records mounted in each red square. An expensive drum set tucked away in the corner, not a speck of dust on anything. Postures of bands overlapped messily on one half of the next wall, and on the other side were 3 neat shelves holding various awards and medals.  Next to the shelves, closest to the closet were 7 folded black belts hung neatly. Shane walks over and examines the awards and black belts.

"You... weren't kidding."

"Yeah, I've been training my body for years. It's a way of coping, mainly, with my PTSD," he steps beside Shane and points at a trophy. "My first boxing tournament win. I was 15. I got my 16-year-old opponent with a knockout Gavin taught me. 1, 2, 1, 2, 3. We were younger back then, so a simple jab, cross, jab, cross, and hook got him easily. I plan on using this with Jay. I plan on getting him with a TKO with this combo for our final round, I'll just have to extend the combo a little. I might make it 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 6-" Zane rambles, but Shane stops him.

"I have no clue what any of that means," he laughs lightly.

"Sorry, I get carried away sometimes. You don't have to understand, I just want you to be there in my corner as I beat Jason's ass in the ring."

"Now that I understand," Shane laughs and turns around to hug Zane. "Thank you for protecting me, I really mean it."

"I don't mind, little emo. I really don't," Shane swallows and pulls him and Zane to sit on the bed. "What's on your mind?"

"When you had the big fight, you said that all Jasons were assholes..."

Zane nodded, "I didn't realize others heard that. It was supposed to be for my brother," Zane fakes a chuckle and grabs Shane's hand. Zanee takes a few deep breaths before beginning.

"Remember how I told you about my uncle?" He continues when Shane nods. "His name is Jason. He really did a number on me. That day I had the attack, when the SRO restrained my hands with the cuffs all I could see and hear was my uncle on top of me, pining me down while beating the shit out of me in a drunken rage. That's why I freaked out as I did, that's why I broke the SROs nose and almost broke my wrist to get those damn cuffs off."

Shane nods, waiting for Zane to continue. He could tell Zane was finally ready to open up about his past, even just a little. And Shane was going to be there to listen. Zane moved them so they were laying down, staring at the black ceiling.

"When I got to the city I had to adapt. It was easy to pickpocket people and make them feel bad for the orphan on the street, but really I was fine. I had built my own support system out there. There was a teener, he was living on the streets with his mother. He was so happy to be on the streets. I was so young, he was almost 5 years older than me. I asked him how he could be happy like that... He and his mother escaped from domestic abuse, but they chose to be happy about it. I thought about how I could turn this dark, gloomy, cold, and filthy place into a paradise. Once I saw it from their perspective, it became easy for me to be happy again. I was put back into the group home. When I was adopted I went back to the city often. At first, my parents were nervous to let me, but one day they saw me with Ethan and John in the city. I can't remember exactly, but I was with them and our turf. Back then there were very few of us, maybe 10. We were skating, and I knocked my head against the ground pretty badly. I know that everyone laughed at me, and my parents were about to run over and grab me to take me to a hospital. Until I started laughing with the guys, and they helped me up and checked on me. My parents told me that they just watched as the turf helped me, laughed with me... They saw how happy I was with them. I think that was when everything changed."

"How so?" Shane asked carefully, they turn to face each other.

"Well for starters I was allowed in the city as long as they knew I had a type of protection there. But, they stopped tiptoeing around me. Having them so cautious around me didn't help me open up, so knowing they were truly comfortable with me, I was able to be truly comfortable around them. Then boom, when I was comfortable around them everything fell into place. Now, I know who my families are."

"Families?"

Zane smiles, moving forward slightly. Shane swallowed and moved forward, their lips brush gently, breathing into one another's.

"I want you to be part of one of my families," Zane grabs the boy's chin and pulls gently, their lips smack into soft kisses. "You've proven to be very important to me."

"Why me?"

Zane grins and pushed himself into the boy's lips. Zane licks Shane's lip lightly, Shane nods and opened his mouth. They closed their eyes, embracing each other as their emotions pour out onto the bed.

"You," Zane paused and backed away. "You are so special. God, you are so gentle and kind. You saved my life, a complete stranger. I could've hurt you, bad too, yet you helped me. I tried to scare you away in school, but you kept coming back. You were so cute, persistently trying to get even just a word out of me. And now, here you are, hearing a whole speech. The moment we connected in the music room, I knew I could trust you. I knew I liked you more than a fling, and I knew you would be good for me. How long has it been since I've talked like this? A long while. Moving farther away from the city was the hardest thing, but I'm so glad I can be with you here. I'm so glad I met you. You and your stupid but oddly attractive blond hair. Oh, yeah, why did you bleach it blond?"

Shane laughs, pushing their noses together to peck his lips.

"Because my family's having a big party, and I don't think tucking my hair into a hat will look good in a suit."

Zane pecked Shane's lips between laughs.

"Hey, this may be an odd and obvious request, but does Z still have that suit?"

"It was beyond repair, Z got a new one."

"Does Zane have a suit?"

"I do, why? Asking me out on a date?"

"Would you consider an evening at a rich people's party a date?"

"Hey, as long as there's alcohol and I get to be with you, that's the best fucking date I could ask for."

"Alcohol? Really?"

"I'm not an alcoholic, but I do like to drink. And it depends on who I'm with."

"Who?"

"The guys you've met, and my brother. That's basically it. And you, but I didn't want our first date to be me getting drunk off my ass and annoying you."

"You couldn't annoy me."

"How are so sure?"

Shane laughs and pecks Zane's lips, mumbling "trust me".

—