The Levine residence...

The next day, Ian was now fully dressed in one of his new outfits (a fresh red T-shirt and form-fitting jeans) as he sat down in the living room waiting for his dad and stepdad to come downstairs as well as Tremaine's arrival.

Last night's dinner party proved that his new life as a gay man would be taken more seriously now that Antoine Deveraux bound him to the rules that Tremaine laid out for him to follow down to the letter. And thanks to the magical binds that were placed on him, he would have no other choice but to follow them to the letter. Not only that, gentle reader, he knew that he would have to be mindful of what he would say or act around others lest the curse would be multiplied by ten.

Antoine Deveraux was definitely not one to be messed with, Ian thought as he glanced at his Casio G-Shock watch (gifted to him by Ciara). Ten minutes past eight. "Wonder what's taking them so long?" he muttered to himself.

As if on cue, both Joseph and Victor bounded down the stars as they were also in form-fitting T-shirts and jeans. "Morning, son," the latter said. "Slept well?"

"Slept just fine despite being hit like a truck thanks to the spells that Deveraux laid on me," Ian replied, keeping his tone even. "He really did a number on me with his magical binds that locked me to the rules that I'm to follow."

"As he should," Joseph replied. "This isn't a game anymore, Ian. Your actions at Mama Kaneva's really offended the Deveraux family as well as Asha's since she's Antoine and Tremaine's cousin. If anything, you deserved much worse."

"Don't I know it?" Ian remarked.

"But, think of your new life as a stepping stone for you to live a new life that can be a testament for your future," Victor said gently. "Yes, this will force you to start over and maybe have you understand what it means to be a gay man, but at least you can start being more open to new opportunities and take on new challenges. And maybe, just maybe, you can be more accepting to the minorities of society."

Ian nodded just as the doorbell rang, Joseph excusing himself to answer it. "I just pray that I don't end up making a total ass of myself."

"Just as long as you stick to the rules that Tremaine laid out for you, you can't go wrong."

And speaking of Tremaine, the young man (dressed in a semi-formal outfit of pastels) strolled into the living room carrying a covered baking dish with Joseph following suit. "Sorry I'm late," he said. "I had to make a small errand for Asha and I brought over some muffins that Aunt Veronica made. Blueberry bran."

"Very nice," Joseph hummed as the young man revealed the pastries in question, the scents of lemon and berries filling everyone's noses. "Won't we have a seat and get things started?"

"We shall," Tremaine replied, glancing at Ian. "I think that your son will agree."

"I do," Ian piped up, the magic that he felt in his head glowing with power.

Minutes later, the men were sitting down with Ian in the recliner facing his dad, stepdad, and his mentor who took the three-seat couch. "Ian, the comments that you made on your old social media accounts as Ivy were very tasteless and demeaning," Tremaine began. "Being men is not what you had perceived for many. Not all of the male species are known to be cold, heartless, and selfish. We have our feelings and we do have emotions other than pride and anger. Sometimes, we often don't show it because of the toxic values that force many to live by. And regarding gay men, we're not always about sex, partying, or even the stereotypical perverts who prey on children. We live various lives whether we're businessmen, law-enforcement workers, service workers, or even teens and young adults trying to survive in this crazy world."

"And contrary to your previous beliefs, we do have our burdens to bear," Joseph continued. "The media's standards tell us to keep our collapsing worlds propped up, to keep up appearances and be tough at all situations. Did you ever stop to think that men would sometimes cry in the dark when they do have moments of despair?"

Ian thought for a moment. "Not really," he admitted.

"Exactly," Victor remarked. "And did you even stop to wonder what really goes on in our heads?"

Ian shook his head.

"Then how can you base your claims on what you see on TV or hear about in the news?" Tremaine asked. "Yeah, there are still those guys who stick to the toxic masculinity standards because they follow their predecessor's views. But there are many who do show that they care and deviate from what's been expected. Like Antoine often said, people need to look beyond what they see and understand how the world works through someone else's eyes."

"I never really thought of it like that," Ian commented. "Grandma would've had a heart attack if she was alive and heard what you said, though. She's mainly the key factor of how I was back when I was Ivy."

That last statement made Victor and Joseph pause, both of them getting the message. "We'll discuss about her later," the former said. "Anyway, son, you being a man will show you how it is and how the male population deals with life."

The doorbell rang twice. "I'll get it," Joseph volunteered, standing up from his place and walking out of the living room.

Tremaine turned his attention to Ian, eyes full of curiosity. "Your grandmother, was she-"

"Let's just say that she was a lot like I was back when I was Ivy and that she had a big bone to pick with my granddad after he left her for a man himself back in the day," Ian cut his mentor off. "And up until she died, she hated him and my father for their lifestyles. If she was alive, I could bet she would face a similar fate like I did. She would be no match for your cousin or his mother, much less your great-great-great aunt Celestine Deveraux."

"For a fact she wouldn't," Tremaine agreed, "but you see that her ideals got you into this mess, right?"

Before Ian could reply, his face warped into one of shock as he saw a young man wearing a sleeveless white compression shirt and black jeans with matching shoes enter the living room with a petulant look on his face. He had a slightly-athletic frame, curly and golden-brown hair styled in a surfer look, and a tanned complexion that looked as he was born to live on the beaches of California's coast.

Following him were Joseph (who was carrying several glasses of lemonade) and Mr. Andrews (dressed in a similar athletic look as the young man stood in front of Ian. "Well, Levine, Deveraux has gotten the both of us," he said with a Valley-Boy accent.

Ian's eyes went wide as he recognized how he spoke with so much sarcasm and contempt. "Pilar?" he breathed.

"It's 'Patrick' now, but yeah," Mystery Guy corrected. "And damn, who'd thought that Antoine Deveraux was really true to his word?"

Don't get too comfortable just yet, folks. The morning continues before Ian and Patrick are met by one Antoine Deveraux who decides that they need a bit of incentive to keep them on the right path. It's coming up in the next chapter, so don't go anywhere!

Dedicating this to SugarAndSpice8. Media: "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals.

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