"I haven't seen my folks in over five years- since I started living with Donovan. You'd think I'd feel excited about them visiting, but I'm not. I'm kind of suspicious honestly."

"How come?"

"Angelika's wedding is next month. From what she's told me, they haven't been supportive. That's not too surprising, but whatever. Our folks only talk to her when they want to complain about something. I'm just nervous about them bringing it up and starting a fight. I don't want to do that in front of you."

"If it happens, I'll be here to back you up."

"...Thanks, Andro."

He flashed a grin to hide his own budding anxiety.

Alessandro already knew how the older Kades were because he'd met them before. Frankly, he thought they were shitty people.

They didn't know about the nearly four year long relationship from high school. Lance made the cognizant decision of keeping that a secret from his family.

While, yes, Alessandro interacted with them before, it occurred quite fleetingly. He only ever saw Lance's parents on their way out of the house for work or when they went shopping. They were hardly ever home—both adults being more concerned with themselves instead of their own children.

Another reason Lance hid his romantic relationship was because his parents were very close minded. They still didn't know he was gay since he never told them. But there were times when he came close for the sole purpose of standing in solidarity with his sister, Angelika.

She had Alessandro's respect for openly coming out to her parents. That must've been extremely difficult for her.

He found it surprising that she invited the older Kades to the wedding in the first place.

Her decision in doing so was probably more to fulfill some form of expectation, rather than actually wanting them to attend.

"They're going to be here any minute, and I don't know what to do." Lance got up and started pacing in front of the television. "I'm too antsy to stay in one spot."

"I could help take your mind off of it if you'd like."

"How?"

"By telling you about the big business retreat that's coming up. I was going to wait and bring it up with the rest of the staff. I guess now is as good a time as any to talk about it though."

"A retreat? Like for team building and stuff?"

"Yeah, but it's not what you may be thinking," Alessandro explained. "Retreats at the Bale company are more like vacations. I have a business colleague who owns a hotel on the beach in Florida. She lets me rent them both out for a couple days. Have been doing it for a few years now. There's games and cookouts and bonfires. It's just a really nice time. The only thing people need to pay for is travel costs. If you decide to go, because it's not mandatory, I don't mind buying a plane ticket for you. Or we could take a little road trip together. Haven't had one of those in awhile."

"A road trip sounds fun. What about gas and stuff?"

"My car's electric, and I could find a route with charging stations for that if necessary."

"What about Rain?"

"My brother watches her whenever I go away. He's coming the night before the retreat to settle in since I usually leave early in the morning."

"Ugh..." Lance grimaced. "Me seeing your brother again after all these years would be so awkward."

"Eh, I doubt it. He knows that you're back in my life and is actually pretty supportive. He just worries about me sometimes. Don't worry though, he won't do anything crazy. Might talk your ear off, but that's probably it."

Both men let out small snickers. Joking together made the tense atmosphere feel lighter. 

Unfortunately, reprieve was short lived as the doorbell rang mere seconds after the conversation died.

Alessandro got up from his perch on the couch's armrest. He ran his hands up and down the fabric of his pants. It was done to dry the faint dampness that started building on his palms.

Lance walked over to the door with a face void of emotion. His shoulders were drawn up to his ears, and he had to manually roll them out to stop. His hands were clenched into tight fists. His frame was so stiff, it was possible that he was holding in his breath to keep himself from moving.

Lance was visibly uncomfortable. Alessandro held back the instinctual desire to make things better.

He knew it wasn't a good time to do so.

When the front door was opened, a man and woman were seen standing side by side on the welcome mat.

Mrs. Kade had short black hair that stopped at her shoulders. Her sun-kissed features were covered by a plethora of accessories; she wore dark sunglasses, a long fur coat, tights, and stilettos. Her tinted lips were pulled into a slight frown.

Mr. Kade mirrored the woman's appearance in terms of hairstyling and sunglasses. He wore a thick trench coat that stopped at his thighs. Navy slacks hugged his legs, and glossy dress shoes hid his feet. Patches of his hair were streaked with gray. Faint wrinkles could be seen near the sides of his nose and forehead.

Just like Mrs. Kade, he was also frowning. At what exactly remained unclear. But it was easy to see that they were in a bad mood.

With it getting close to April, their heavy coats seemed a bit ridiculous. It wasn't even that cold out.

Maybe they were used to the heat of California. Or maybe they just wanted an excuse to show off their eccentric taste in lavish clothing.

"Lance."

"Dad."

"Are you going to greet your mother?"

"...Hello, mom."

"Afternoon, son."

Alessandro could feel the tension in the air. He clenched his jaw as this type of greeting was expected; it's how it was back in high school too.

The older Kades always had something to say about everything. He was honestly waiting for some form of derogatory comment about either the landscaping in front of the house or the décor inside of it.

Instead of leaving things to get even more awkward, he walked up behind Lance and put a steady hand on his shoulder.

And on went the mask of Mr. Bale.

"Hi! Mr. and Mrs. Kade, right? I'm Alessandro Bale, Lance's roommate. Please, come inside and relax. I can get you some refreshments while you both get settled."

"Finally, someone with decency," Mrs. Kade muttered before walking inside.

It seemed they didn't remember him. Good. Expected of course, but still good to know.

Alessandro took their coats and hung them on the rack. He motioned toward the living room for his guests to sit down.

Rain looked up at the newcomers from her bed, which had been put on the floor in preparation for their arrival. Fortunately, she didn't seem too interested in what was going on. Sleep was deemed more important, and she snuggled into her tail before closing her eyes again.

Mr. and Mrs. Kade sat on the couch opposite of Rain's bed.

"This house is gorgeous. It's like the inside of one of those magazines you see for interior decoration," she said, pushing her shades up into her hair. The action revealed a familiar pair of bluish gray eyes.

"What work did you have to do to get this type of place, Lance?" Mr. Kade added with a judgmental tone.

Alessandro bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from frowning. The question was simple, but the degrading implication underneath hadn't been hidden in the slightest.

"Ah, it's my place actually," he interceded. "I own a fashion company in the heart of the city. Lance works as a model there. He's very talented, and it's been an honor having him as a team member. He's really one of a kind."

"How did you two come about rooming together? Certainly something like that must be annoying. Even as a model, I'm assuming Lance doesn't have much money. He's just another mouth to feed and another body taking up space."

"Dad-"

"Lance just wanted to have a place a little further from busy city life," Alessandro lied through his teeth with ease. "We became fast friends, and he thought it'd be fun for us to move in together. He helps with bills, rent, and things like that. It's really taken a load off my shoulders."

"Hm," Mr. Kade hummed in response. "Never would've taken my son as responsible, but I see I was wrong."

Alessandro hid the tightening of his fists by walking behind the kitchen counter separating the rooms. Lance followed suit.

The two weaved past each other to get glasses, different selections of wine, water, and a charcuterie board they got from the market. Finger foods were originally in a plastic container but looked more elegant when put on a wooden cutting board. Everything was set atop coasters to keep the spotless coffee table pristine.

"Wine?" Alessandro asked.

"None for me, dear. It stains teeth," Mrs. Kade answered. "Plus, alcohol makes you look older, and we can't have any of that. I'll just take a water."

"Of course, ma'am. And for you, sir?"

"The same as my wife, thank you."

"Pleasure's all mine." Alessandro gave the two their desired drinks. "The usual, Lance?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Andro."

"Course. You know I've got you."

He poured black cherry wine into two glasses. The one with more in it was given to Lance as he looked like he needed the extra boost. Alessandro did too but pushed his discomfort aside.

They took quick, indulgent sips before placing their glasses onto the table. Both men sat side by side on the other couch. An awkward bout of silence settled over everyone.

"How's Los Angeles treating you both?" Alessandro asked with feigned interest. "I heard it's warmer this time of year."

"It's glamorous!" Mrs. Kade crossed her legs. "Beautiful people all around. The culture is impeccable too. We saw a play recently about this man who travels the world in search of his family who gave him up at birth. But he ended up finding a new family in the people he met on his travels. The plot was cheesy, but the visuals were stunning. Isn't that right, dear?"

"Yes, honey."

"Ooh, and we also went to a concert a few weeks ago. It doubled as a wine tasting, but-"

Mrs. Kade continued to talk with an impressive amount of vigor. She routinely asked for her husband's input, and he simply responded with a nod or hum. The man was probably not even listening as he seemed more interested in the charcuterie board.

Alessandro did his best to keep the facade of Mr. Bale in place. His mask was reserved for the workplace; but the older Kades were so tough to be around, he needed some semblance of control to not just curse them out like he wanted to.

They were incapable of having normal conversations. Everything just had to be coupled with some negative comment or judgmental statement.

He gave fake smiles and delighted nods. Artificial enthusiasm was sprinkled in when his own opinion was asked for.

Lance stayed quiet the whole time. He kept his attention on Rain's sleeping form.

"On the topic of weddings though, can you believe Angelika?" Mrs. Kade continued. "Not only is she having a small wedding, but it's not even expensive! She's spending more money on food than she is decorations! Her dress is tacky-"

"Her dress is fine," Lance interrupted. "She sent me a picture of it when she initially went shopping. It's simple, but it makes her look nice. I think Mina will like it too."

"Of course you'd say something like that. Always the one to protect your sister," Mr. Kade grumbled.

"And what's wrong with that? She's family."

"So are we- and you never talk to us."

"Not much to talk about when all you do is talk shit."

"Hey now, no need to be like that," Alessandro piped in while trying to deescalate the situation. "We're all just here to have a good time. And in terms of Angelika's wedding, I think what matters is that she's happy with it. It is her and Mina's day after all. I'm hoping that we'll all enjoy ourselves when it happens."

"We?" Mrs. Kade echoed. "Are you going too?"

"Yes. Lance was given the opportunity of bringing a plus one, so he's bringing me along."

"Great, something else to make us look bad," Mr. Kade muttered before speaking up. "Lance, why can't you just bring your girlfriend? Or a friend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend, and Alessandro is my friend."

"I mean a friend who's a woman. For fuck's sake- I already have one queer child. I don't need another one of you ruining my image any further."

Alessandro froze. He didn't expect to hear such a blatantly homophobic statement. At least, not so early in the conversation.

Either way, it was disgusting.

Mr. Kade was invalidating his children's sexual orientations all because of some warped view on people's opinions about himself.

It took multiple deep breaths to not punch the man in the face.

"I- I'm sorry, but..." Alessandro remained speechless for a moment. "What does one have to do with the other?"

"Excuse me?"

"What does Angelika being queer have to do with your image? She's getting married- you guys should be happy about that. You should be happy for her. I don't think it really matters that she's getting married to a woman."

"Really? You too? We all know that-"

"If Mina identifies as a woman, then she's a woman. It's that simple."

Mr. Kade didn't bother trying to hide the disdain on his face. He sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat.

Mrs. Kade watched on with a frown.

Her anger wasn't pointed at her husband for making such rude commentary. It was pointed at Alessandro for trying to defend the brides-to-be.

"What- are you some sort of queer too?" she asked.

He shrugged in response. He was out and proud of it; he didn't really care if other people didn't like that.

"I am, but I don't see what that has to do with anything either. It's not like you have to be something to be supportive of it. I'm not trans, yet I still support Mina on her journey in finding herself. Just like I support her and Angelika's wedding. Their sexual orientations aren't the things that should be focused on here. What matters is that they're in love and-"

"Oh please, you call that love?" Mr. Kade jumped in. "Don't be ridiculous! What those two have is- is-"

"Their business." Alessandro felt his mask slipping as his anger started to build. "And I don't think it's very fair that you're more concerned about your opinions on Angelika's livelihood. Mina makes her happy. That should be all that matters-"

"I can't believe my son is staying with the likes of you. I thought- what, with all the money and the business- you'd at least be normal-"

Lance rose to his feet with a sneer on his face. He glared daggers at both of his parents. "Enough! I don't care if you talk shit about me, but you're not going to fucking degrade Angelika and Andro! I've put up with enough of your bullshit as it is! You're not going to keep badmouthing the people I care about!"

Mr. and Mrs. Kade rose to their feet as well, both of them clearly angered by the outburst.

"You've got some nerve to be yelling at us like that!" she screamed. "First your sister comes out as gay or pan or whatever the hell she said, and now here you are defending some-"

"I'M GAY TOO, MOM!"

Everyone froze.

Lance did his best to stand firm, but his hands started trembling at his sides. It took everything in Alessandro to not reach out and hold them.

"...Gay..? Really?" Mr. Kade asked.

"Yes, really. I've known since I was young."

"...And you just hid that fucking bullshit from me?! From us?!" he yelled in anger. "How dare you! Do you know what'll happen if people find out about this?! You could ruin us! You could ruin your mother and I! This is exactly why we left you here after you graduated from college! You were a fucking disaster then, and you're a fucking disaster now!"

Lance deflated. He looked off to the side in shame. His bottom lip trembled.

The facade of Mr. Bale shattered completely.

"Are you fucking serious?!"

Alessandro's incredulous tone made everyone look at him. He rose to his feet and shielded Lance by standing in front of him. Green eyes held so much fire, the older Kades took a step back in shock.

Alessandro's frown was deep. He clenched his jaw hard enough for his teeth to start aching. "Do you know how fucking important this is to him?! He just came out to you, and your first response is about yourself?! Are you both delusional?!"

"Now you listen to me-"

"No, you listen to me!" he interrupted Mr. Kade. "There is nothing wrong with Lance being gay! Just like there isn't anything wrong with Angelika marrying a woman or Mina being trans! They're just being themselves! They're just trying to live the lives that are best for them! And you think some fucking image of yourselves means more than that?! That's a load of bullshit! There's nothing wrong with them! You may find it 'disgusting', but I think they're all brave- especially Lance! He knew how you'd react to knowing his sexuality, but he told you anyway! He stood up to you because he wanted to protect his sister! But you're too stuck on caring about yourselves- that you don't care about hurting him!"

"Andro, please. It's fine-"

"It's not fine," Alessandro momentarily lowered his voice to respond to Lance. His anger returned as soon as he began addressing the older Kades again. "I don't know what you two were expecting when you showed up here! You know how much Lance cares about Angelika- but you came here to badmouth her anyway! What, did you think he'd just side with you? Did you think he was going to let you put her down just because she wasn't here? How shallow can you be?!"

Mr. and Mrs. Kade took a step forward. Alessandro took one in response.

This wasn't something that he was going to back down from. Not when Lance's feelings were on the line.

"I don't need you to tell me how to raise my kids!" Mrs. Kade shouted.

"Is it really raising when you were never there for him?" Alessandro countered. "Is it really raising when you're more concerned about your job, or your wallet, or other people? Is it really raising when you make fucking implications that Lance has to sleep around to get by?! Newsflash- that's not fucking raising your kid! That's neglecting and abusing them!"

"We don't need to hear this shit," Mr. Kade said as he and his spouse started making their way toward the front door. "Clearly my wife and I aren't welcome here. We really had hopes that you were keeping better company, Lance. We also hoped that you weren't like your sister. Guess we were wrong."

Alessandro couldn't hold back his protective rebuttal. "You don't fucking deserve your children! Lance has fought tooth and nail to get where he is! He's faced hardship after hardship- and has still managed to rise from the ashes! You may think he's despicable, but I think he deserves the world! And if you disagree with that then maybe he doesn't need you!"

"We don't need him either."

Mr. and Mrs. Kade didn't bother putting their coats back on after retrieving them. They simply left with the frowns they came in with.

The front door slamming shut echoed throughout the house. Tense silence followed after it. 

Alessandro took a deep breath to calm himself down. He raked a hand through his hair. Wanting to make sure that everything was okay, he turned around.

Lance's eyes were wide and glossy. He looked like he was moments from crying. He was still visibly upset, but amazement overshadowed any negative emotions.

"Andro- you- I-"

A tight hug stopped him.

Lance's head was cradled, and he was held firmly against Alessandro's chest. It took a moment, but the embrace was reciprocated.

"Your parents don't fucking deserve you, Lance. To hell with them."

"They- they really just disowned me. Just like that. That really just happened."

"...I know. I'm sorry."

They didn't say anything else for awhile. Arms tightened when bodily trembles started. Sniffles could be heard, but the sounds were muffled against Alessandro's shirt. Wet splotches started forming on the fabric near his sternum. Soft passes were made through strands of black hair in response.

"It's..." Lance cleared his throat to get rid of a strong waver. "...It's relieving. I don't have to worry about them now."

"No, you don't."

"...Andro, did you mean all of that? About me? And my sister and Mina?"

"Of course I did," Alessandro answered without skipping a beat. "You're all going to be better off without your parents. They held you guys back. Just because they were family doesn't give them the right to hurt you. You don't need them. There are other people in your life who care about you the way you deserve to be cared about."

The hug was released. Bluish gray met green, and the rest of the world melted away.

"...You mean people like you?" Lance asked, a small smile forming on his lips.

It forced a blush to erupt onto Alessandro's cheeks. "Yeah, people like me."