Epilogue

Five Months Later 

It was a Tuesday morning and surprisingly the sun was shining brightly even though it said it was bound to rain in the weather forecast I listened to some minutes ago. It was Jonas’s graduation today and I was feeling a lot of emotions flow through my veins.

I combed my hair backwards and slicked it down with a colorless gel to keep it from falling into my face throughout the ceremony today, and also because I wanted to look a lot presentable. Why? Because I know I was finally going to be officially meeting his parents, as his boyfriend.

We didn’t start dating immediately after the issue with my ex-girlfriend, Eva got cleared up. Instead, he helped me get over the fact that I wasn’t just someone who goes into a relationship for the sex and that I was indeed an amazing person. Two months of us getting unbelievably closer and two months of me finally coming to accept the fact that I was actually bi and not fully gay, which means I find both males and females attractive- funny how I never noticed that I was attracted to guys until I met Jonas... I guess it was partly because of my parents, as Jonas pointed out when I mentioned it one evening.

He said my mind automatically shut out those desires before I could even begin to process it and that assuming we didn’t room together in an apartment, I might still not be ever ready to embrace my bisexuality. 

After visiting home last semester’s holiday, I edged my parents towards the idea of me liking my roommate a whole lot. My mum who thought it was just a friendship thing purposed I invite him to come along with us to the vacation in which I was supposed to pick a country we’d all travel to- to create memories. I declined the offer at first, but mum kept insisting until I texted him and asked if he’d like to come with us. He was trilled and had agreed immediately since he claimed to find the house boring as hell without me around and had been almost starving himself to death. I’ve been ecstatic too because I’ve missed him crazily in just a few days, I didn’t know how much he’d grown on me until then. two days later and he arrived at my house, piercings and all.

We went on the vacation together and it was honestly one of the few times I remembered having so much fun around my parents since the times when my elder brother was still alive, my mum was smitten with Jonas from the very start, which made it more perfect. But of course everything just couldn’t go that smoothly without something going wrong.

We just had one more day to spend in Paris before returning back home so Jonas and I could head to school, then everything went sideways. A group of gay couples walked past our table in the restaurant we were having lunch and dad spat out saliva and muttered about how they were a waste of space and would all end up in hell. I had gritted my teeth and glanced at my mum who was currently scrunching her nose in disgust as she watched them all sat around a table a few feet away from mine. Jonas and I exchanged a glance, and I knew Jonas was just going to say something stupid before his lips started moving. I pleaded with him silently, but he dragged his eyes away from mine and sat straight in his seat before asking my dad why he was so irritated about them.

I had slumped down into my seat with my heart in my throat as my dad started to rave about how they were all a bunch of maggots who are a disgrace to God. Jonas and my dad argued over that topic for a good ten minutes or so with my head and heartbeat pounding hard the whole time until my dad snapped and demanded why Jonas was defending them so much. 

“Because I’m gay,” he had replied quietly. My mum who was currently chewing a piece of carrot choked on it and started coughing while my dad remained quiet for a minute before finally turning towards me. I could remember myself feeling like I was going to melt into oil under his sharp gaze.

“Did you know?” He had asked calmly. I wanted to deny not knowing, I didn’t want to disappoint my parents, I never did want to let them down but then I remember Jonas and the fact that he makes me so happy compared to how I’d have been without him in my life. I replied with a small nod and watched my dad shake his head slowly, diss appointment and anger painted quite clearly on his face.

“So now you’re hanging out with gay men? You’re suddenly becoming close friends with them and even inviting them to your own home, huh?” He snapped loudly in the restaurant, making a few people nearby glance at us. He continued when I sank into my seat without replying, “Tell me, what, are you also gay? Was that why you never introduced us to a girlfriend? Did your so-called roommate influence you to become gay like him?”

“Dad, people don’t influence people when it comes to their sexuality, and I just started living with him a month ago. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his choice of sexuality since it’s what he likes. It’s his choice and doesn’t affect anyone else,” I replied quietly but they all heard me. To say my parents were disappointed in me was an understatement. 

My dad stormed out of the restaurant in rage with my mum trailing after him, I felt too weak to stop the tears that slid down my cheeks until Jonas pulled me into his arms right outside the restaurant, I had squeezed his shirt and cried into his shirt, feeling tired and emotionally drained. 

“I’m sorry my dad is such a homophobe,” I whispered into his shirt, but he tugged my head back and told me that he was proud of me for attempting to stand up to my dad and that we were all going to be alright.

But we weren’t alright when we arrived at the hotel. Our suitcases were already packed by the maids and loaded into a car. My parents took a different car and left a taxi for us since, apparently, we were too disgusting to sit in the same space as them. 

We finally flew back home after waiting hours at the airport in Paris before finally boarding a plane. We got to the airport in America and dad had coldly asked me to bid Jonas goodbye at the airport and that I was tagging along with him to church the next day to pray for forgiveness and confess my sins to the reverend. I refused and told them I wasn’t deserting my friend, and neither was I going to church since I hadn’t done anything wrong. Dad had been furious and had stormed away to get a cart for their luggage, leaving me with my mum. Mum didn’t bother hiding her disgust and kept rolling her eyes at Jonas whom she was hanging off since the start of the vacation.

Such a fucking hypocrite.

Jonas and I left the airport before my dad returned and my mum didn’t try to stop me, so much for being a child they really cared about. I haven’t even confirmed to them that I had indeed enjoyed making out with a guy and they were reacting this way, to say I was emotionally weak after arriving back in school was an understatement. I didn’t hear from my parents for months but surprisingly, they paid my fees for the new semester without me asking which I was extremely thankful for, along with my apartment rent, but not a word came from them... until one night. 

Mum was crying on the phone about how she had missed me so much and was sorry for deserting me, and that they were ready to accept me and my not so wise choices so far I was happy, I think they figured out that I was into Jonas more than I let on. Settling things with my mum was far easier than my dad, who only spent a few seconds with me on the phone before bidding me goodbye. Until recently when he called himself to ask if I was coming home for Christmas. I told him I was since I was grateful that he was at least trying to repair our shaky relationship.

I clipped my bowtie on and existed my room before making my way into Jonas’s room. Jonas glanced up from his task of doing the cuffs of his dark blue shirt and smiled wildly at me, his eyes slowly raked over my whole body which made color flood my cheeks as I returned his smile with mine, I was really excited for him because it wasn’t easy graduating with honors, something he managed to do despite his addiction to video games.

“Gosh, you’re so hot in a suit,” he groaned as he abandoned his cuff links and wrapped his hands around my waist before pulling me into his chest and taking my mouth in a deep kiss, I moaned into the kiss with my hands carefully splayed across his shoulders to avoid getting creases into the shirt. He pulled away and kissed my neck before burying his nose in the hollow of my collarbone and inhaling deeply.

“Fuck, I could eat you right now,” He groaned into my neck as he lifted his head and licked his way back into my mouth, I breathlessly pulled away from the kiss after a few more seconds and forced myself to take a step back, feeling a lot more turned on than I’d have preferred since we have to leave for school in a few more minutes.

“We’re supposed to be getting ready and not kissing, Jonas,” I reminded him after puffing out a breath. I lifted his wrist and started doing his cuff links for him.

“But you look so kissable right now. Why can’t we make out for a few minutes more?” He whined out which made me chuckle a little.

“Because I’ll wrinkle your shirt and you’ll ruin my hair. And neither of those things is happening right now,” I finished cuffing his links and helped him shrug into his jacket.

“That reminds me, you look so sexy with your hair slicked back this way, although I still prefer that rough look your hair falling into your face gives you a lot more, this kind of change is definitely welcomed,” he gushed out with a hot look as he raked his eyes over my whole body, making me fight back a smile as I handed him his bottle of perfume.

“Thank you,” I replied quietly as I checked myself out in the mirror in his room. He came to stand behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist before kissing my neck slowly. I bit my lips and locked eyes with him in the mirror as I coated my lips with some lip gloss.

“I love you so much, babe,” he whispered, and I smiled at him in the mirror before mouthing the words back. I abandoned the lip gloss on the table once I was done and turned around until I was facing him. I wrapped my arms around his neck while his arms banded across my waist immediately.

“Hey,” I whispered with a small smile. “I just want you to know that I’m so in love with you and I’m currently bursting with pride right now since you’re graduating today,” I started to say but Jonas cut in softly.

“I don’t wanna graduate because of you to be honest. I wish I had met you when I was just starting school, then I’d have made countless memories with you.”

I chuckled a little, “I was still a minor then, remember?”

“Oh. Shit, for a second there I forgot that you’re 19 and I’m 22.” 

“Anyways, as I was saying before you interrupted, I was reminding you how proud I am of you-” I started to say again but Jonas cut in almost immediately. 

“You’re speaking like we’re departing from each other after today. Remember when I said I was going to start my second degree here, I’m still not changing my mind. It’s going to take me five more years to get a second degree and I’d have you with me throughout, remember our plans?” He asked and I nodded my head vigorously, the smile I was trying to conceal still managed to peak out.

“Once you get to your fourth year of your second degree, I’ll be starting my own second degree, and once you’re done, you’d get a part time job online and offline until I’m done with my second degree, then we’d know what else to do when that time comes, of course I still remember.” I repeated the exact plan we’ve been pondering on for a month plus now. “Personally, I don’t think we should plan that far ahead yet, because what if something happens along the way? I whispered the last part to him and watched as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth before dropping a light kiss on my lips, then on my head.

“I think I love you too much to not plan that far ahead with you in it... don’t you think so?” He asked and I nodded my head. 

“You don’t? Andy!”

“I meant I do, silly,” I replied with a small laugh against his grinning mouth before I gasped and pulled away from his arms immediately.

“Holy shit, Jonas! We’re going to be late!” I screeched while staring wide eyed at the wall clock on the far end of his room.

“Oh fuck.”

******

Turns out I was nervous about meeting Jonas’s parents for nothing since they were extremely welcoming and way nicer than I had expected. His mother had pulled me into a deep hug after the graduation ceremony just as Jonas pulled us to a less crowded side. Jonas had groaned in embarrassment and urged his mother to let go of me, but his mum ignored him and squeezed the breath out of me until I tapped her lightly against her arms. 

We hung out for some time after taking pictures with his parents and some of Jonas’s close friends which I’ve hung out with more than a handful of times, Jonas’s best friend was straight and had brought his girlfriend to the movies one time when we invited them for a double date. After the whole ruckus, Jonas’s parents had to leave unless they’d miss their flight and Jonas was a tad too eager to bid them goodbye, to my amusement.

“You seem excited about their departure,” I mused as we walked out of the school towards Jonas’s car.

“Well duh, they were hugging you all to themselves, you’re my boyfriend, not theirs,” he replied as he got into his side of the car. “Really??” I asked with a laugh as I slammed my door shut.

“Yeah.”

“That sounds so untrue,” I replied with an eye roll as I texted my best friend who was currently giving me the tea concerning Aaron.

And yes... he still wasn’t done with Aaron. Are they dating yet? No. Are they still hooking up and having dinner together almost every time? Yup.

At this point, I think Joey is in love with Aaron but is too scared to admit it due to something that happened to him in his past which he still hasn’t gotten around to share with me just yet.

Oh well.

“Actually it’s because I wanna go prepare for the clubbing tonight, and I’m seriously hungry as fuck right now,” he replied with a chuckle, and I nodded my head in realization. I’ve been invited to the club outing since Jonas and I were currently dating, and we also haven’t anything except water and a few chips since morning when it was currently some minutes to five pm.

“Please stop by the Pizza Hut and get a pizza, I’m too tired to cook and you’re totally useless in the kitchen,” I reminded him as I listened to a voice note Joey sent a few seconds ago.

“Aw, don’t say that. Y’know I’m not totally useless in the kitchen, I can boil water perfectly and I think I can make ramen just fine, amongst other things,” he argued and I laughed loudly while typing a reply to Joey.

“Really? Boiled water? Ramen? Need I remind you of that time you you had to drain the ramen at the end because there was too water or when you burned the noodles completely?” 

“You have a point,” he replied as he stopped by a Pizza Hut and quickly head into the building while I waited behind and tried to help sort out my best friend’s confusing feelings over the phone.