Blake & Gabe

"Why can't you just be normal" Stephanie stated as she opened the door on Blake and the young man as they were kissing on his bed. "You come home from leave one night, one night, and you're fucking some random guest from my party."

"One, we are just kissing, and two, Jeff and I have known one another for years." Blake wasn't going to make it easy on his stepmother. He's never liked her and is not even sure his father wants Stephanie.

"God damn it, Blake." She stormed out of the room.

Jeff just laughed, "I'm going to get out of here before she comes back." He rubbed Blakes' crotch as he got off the bed. "Years, huh." Jeff chuckled. "I wish. I would've loved to have been sucking this for years." He went to walk out but not before Blake pinned him against the wall for another kiss.

"Can I see you later?" Blake asked.

"How long are you in town for?"

"Just two weeks then I'm due back in South Carolina."

"So just two weeks, and that's it." Jeff smiled as Blake looked at him. "I work at the coffee shop on Monroe. Come by, and I'll suck the cream out of your eclair."

Blake laughed, "That was cheesy."

"Will it get you to stop by?"

"Hell yes, if you're gonna suck me," Blake responded.

Stephanie went back through the house looking for Brian, Blake's father. When she found him in the backyard talking to a few fellow cops, she motioned for him to come to see her. He didn't right away. He had seen the look on her face and could tell that she was pissed. He didn't want to ruin his good time.

"You need to do something about your son."

Brian took in a deep breath and blew it out. "What did he do now?"

"He had a boy in his room. He hasn't even been home for twenty-four hours, and he can't keep it in his pants." She whispered.

"Yeah Steph." Brian turned and headed into the house. He knew if he didn't talk to Blake now, she would be mad all night, and Brian wanted to enjoy his evening too.

Brian found Blake quickly, he was still talking to Jeff, but they had now moved into the hallway. "Oh shit, you better go." Was all Blake could get out before his father was in front of them. Jeff walked away as Brian looked at his son. "Sir?" Brian just tilted his head towards the bedroom.

Blake stood at attention as he has done repeatedly since he could remember. Growing up as a child of a career soldier made discipline interesting. When Blake turned eighteen and graduated high school, his father asked him what he wanted to do. Blake told him that he wanted to go into the Army. Blake could see that Brian was proud.

Brian stood close to Blake. "I just don't understand son, you're a good-looking kid. You could have any girl you want, and you still want to fool around with boys. I thought it was just a phase with you." Blake just stood there and looked forward. "Damn it son, you're here for just two weeks. Can't you try to get along with Steph?"

"Yes Sir." That was the end of the discussion, and Brian left the room so he could enjoy his night.

The two weeks went quickly by. Brian noticed after his talk, Blake didn't leave the house much or his room. Anytime Brian needed or wanted to talk to Blake, he knew he could find him propped up on his bed reading with the door open. The only time it was closed was when Blake slept at night.

The last night before Blake was to return to South Carolina, Brian came from the station and was happy that he had beaten Steph home. He came in through the kitchen door and found Blake sitting at the table eating a sandwich.

"You do come out of that damn room when no one's around." Brian smiled.

"Yes Sir." Was all Blake was going to say.

"Damn it kid." He blew out a very audible breath. "I have to live with her, you don't."

"Sir." Blake looked at his Dad, then decided to speak his mind. "Dad, no, you don't. You choose to live with her. You don't have kids together. She has always hated me, and the fact that I'm gay just makes matters worse." It was Blake's turn to blow out a breath. "She always hated that I chose to stay with you after mom and you divorced. Ask her? She told me many times. Stephanie didn't want brats even if we were teenagers taking your attention away from her."

Blake got up from the table. "But you know what, don't worry. I will promise you this. You will never see me date, kiss, or hold another guy's hand, and I will never be interested in women." Blake had made up his mind about that, even if it meant never returning home.

(Twelve Years Later)

Driving home for Blake was easy. He retired officially from the Army. He was going home. Well, he was heading to his dad's house. He hardly ever speaks to his mother anymore.

When he drove in, his father wasn't home. His dad knew he was coming and just didn't know the date. Blake noticed his dad's neighbors had their trash out to the curb, so he pulled his father's out, went inside, and started collecting what he found. Blake was tired. It had been a long drive.

Brian and Sally pulled into the neighborhood, and she noticed the trash too. "Oh, we have to get the garbage."

"We?" Brian commented with a grin.

Sally laughed. "Okay, you have to get your garbage out. I don't because I haven't been home in over a week." When they pulled up to the house, they saw the trash out, and Sally immediately asked. "Who's at your house because we left just a few hours ago?"

"Well Sally, you have always wanted to meet my son. You're going to get your wish." Brian responded.

"Why didn't you tell me he was coming?"

"Because I knew you would clean my house, and he's a guy, he doesn't care. At least not like my daughter would, hell, Kate would expect it to be clean."

Sally laughed. "Well, the house seems dark. Do you think he's still awake?"

"If not, I know how to wake him." Brian chuckled.

They walked in, and Blake wasn't in the living room, so Brian left Sally. She tried to stop him telling him that she would meet Blake in the morning, but Brian is a very stubborn man.

Walking into the bedroom, Brian saw that his son was out cold, not knowing if he should do what he was thinking about doing. Which was calling him to attention, knowing full well that his son would stand beside his bed.

Brian decided to leave his son alone and see him in the morning. When he sat down with Sally on the sofa, she smiled. "I thought you were going to wake him."

He looked like he could use the sleep." They went to bed after some time together on the couch.

Blake woke at three that morning. He didn't want to make any noise, so he tried to stay in his bed until later, but he couldn't make it past four. He made his bed and went out to the living room. He didn't want to cook himself anything knowing that would surely wake his father.

Blake sat on the couch and picked up a magazine from the coffee table, and noticed it was a woman's magazine. He wondered if his father had turned a new leaf or hadn't told him that he was dating someone. He opened Woman's Day and started looking through it.

Brian woke at five-thirty to the call of nature, checked in on Blake and noticed his bed made, so he walked into the living room. "Hey."

Blake looked up from the magazine and smiled, "Hey dad, who's the chick?"

"Oh, you better never let Sally hear you call her that. She will knock you all the way back to Germany." Brian chuckled. They both heard someone in the kitchen fill the coffee pot in the sink and open a cupboard. "Well, I guess she's up."

"She's here?"

"Well yeah, she does spend a lot of time here."

"I heard that. I told you anytime you needed a break, I would leave." She smiled and swatted at Brian. "Hi, since your father's not going to introduce me, I'm Sally." Sally stuck her hand out to Blake.

"Blake, Ma'am."

"Oh, don't start calling me Ma'am, the name's Sally." She smiled.

"Yes, Ma... Sally." Blake chuckled.

"Well, I made the coffee. Either we can go to breakfast, or someone else is making it because I'm off duty today." Sally responded as she went to get coffee for everyone. "Blake, how do you take yours?"

"Black Ma'am."

"Blake, we are going to have to work on you." She laughed.

"Sally works down at the diner that we'll end up going to. It's the best around." Brian responded.

"Yeah but the service will suck." She smiled when she came back into the room.

"So son, what are your plans?"

"Get a job, a house, and then no other thoughts."

Sally just sat back and listened to them talk. Blake spoke about the last few years in Germany and his other assignments. But Sally noticed that he never talked about relationships. When they headed to the diner, Sally insisted on getting in the backseat so the men could sit in the front.

"I remember coming here a long time ago." Blake stated, as they arrived at Henry's. They walked in, and to Blake's memory of the place, nothing had changed. It was still an open environment where the food was prepared behind the counter, and a small kitchen was in the back for other foods. All the bar stools and booths were a little darker than a baby blue.

It was a small diner, only seven two-person, and seven four-person booths, along with the counter of seventeen seats. Brian and Sally led Blake straight to a booth and sat down. "Blake, I know a few nice women that I could set you up with," Sally stated out of the blue when their conversation was at a low.

Both Blake and Brian looked up at Sally, and Brian coughed. Blake knew at that moment that his father was still uncomfortable about his sexuality if he couldn't tell his girlfriend. "Thanks, Sally, but no thank you. I don't date."

Brian looked at Blake. Blake was happy that the food came to distract them. "A handsome man like you that doesn't date?" Sally responded back, but Brian placed his hand on her leg under the table, and it stopped her from continuing on. "Well, maybe later once you're more settled." Sally smiled.

They finished their breakfast and talked a bit over coffee before heading back to the house. "Your things arrived last week and were put in the storage unit," Brian stated.

"Thanks for being on the receiving end for me."

"It's no problem son, I'm glad to have you back." And Brian was happy to have his son back living near him.

Over the next few months, Blake started his job with the police department his father worked for. He found a house that he liked. Brian hated to see him move out, but he knew he needed his own space.

Sally stopped over one afternoon when she knew Brian was still on shift and Blake didn't have to work.

"Hey Sally, what can I do for you?" Blake asked as he walked out to meet her.

"Well, I want to know a few things," Sally stated as she walked toward the house, into the kitchen, and sat at the table.

"Coffee, tea, or anything?" Blake asked and Sally shook her head.

"Blake, why don't you date?" Sally was blunt.

"I just don't," Blake responded, but Sally wasn't taking that as an answer. "Sally, it's complicated."

"No, it's not. You either like women or men, and you go out on a date." Sally didn't even look like she was disturbed at the idea that Blake could be gay.

"It's still not that simple."

"What's stopping you Blake?" Sally looked at him. "Do you know what you're interested in?"

"Yes."

"Men?" Sally asked, but Blake didn't answer. "Blake, I have seen how you have watched some of the men that I know are gay. You look very interested in them. Why don't you ask them out?"

"Because I have a rule."

"Which is?"

"My father will never see me touch, kiss or date another guy. I told him that years ago. He's not happy to have a gay son. I know this."

Sally looked sad for Blake. "Blake, Brian loves you. He wouldn't care who you date."

"Sally, you didn't even know I was gay. He can't even tell anyone. He's had more than enough time to get over the fact. He's still not ready to see me date. I'm okay. I'm not lonely."

"Did you ever?"

"Yeah Sally, I did, love's a bitch, so it won't kill me not to date for a while. Maybe it'll keep my heart from breaking another time." Blake frowned, remembering Klaus his last relationship of five years that left him back in Germany, the reason Blake finally left the Army. He decided not to reup to continue out his twenty years like he planned. He cut them short at the twelve-year mark.

Sally sat and talked with Blake about other things, not returning to the original subject. She wanted to bring it up with Brian next. Sally told Blake that he needed to come over on Sunday for dinner, and Blake said for a free meal, he would be there.

When Brian came home, Sally was waiting with dinner on the table. "Well, this can't be good," Brian stated when he walked in and saw all the food. "You never have food ready when I come home." He kissed her neck.

"Well, I can have dinner ready occasionally when you come home." Sally smiled.

Brian sat down, and Sally sat his plate in front of him, and he started dishing out food. "Honey, why doesn't Blake date?" Brian had just put a fork full of food in his mouth and almost choked.

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do," Sally stated. "It's because he's gay, isn't it?"

Again Brian choked on his food. "Are you trying to kill me? Couldn't you have just asked me about this before feeding me?" Brian looked at Sally. "How did you find out?"

"I watched him," Sally stated. "It wasn't hard to realize what he was into when a pretty woman would walk by, and he didn't even notice her. But a certain type of guy would, and Blake would continue watching until he was out of sight."

"He doesn't do it around me."

"Yeah, he does. You just don't pay attention. Watch him. He's looking at certain guys." Sally explained. "But Brian, I asked him, and he said that he will never date, touch or kiss another guy in front of you. Why is that?"

"Oh God." Brian put his fork down and pushed his plate away. "This is one of the reasons why you haven't seen him."

"What?" Sally questioned.

"Sally, we've been dating for eight years. In that time, did he ever come home?" Sally shook her head. "One of the last times he stepped foot in this house, that is what he told me." Brian dropped his head. "He would let me come see him, but he would never come here. I always figured it was because he was dating someone, and he could explain a couple of days' break to his partner but not longer. If he came here, they would probably want to come with him or something."

"He did mention that being here not dating will be good. To not have a broken heart for a while will be nice."

"So he was dating when he was away?" Brian asked, and Sally nodded.

"Why did he say that he wouldn't date, touch, or kiss in front of you?" Sally asked.

"It was when he was eighteen. My ex caught him in his room with another boy, and all hell broke loose. I honestly didn't want to deal with it and gave him a hard time, telling him why he couldn't date girls. She hated that he was gay and really hated that Blake chose to stay with me instead of going with his mom. I reprimanded him for it, and for the rest of the time that he was home between boot and training. Blake stayed in the house. The last day he was home, I made it home before my ex and caught him out of his room, and that is what he told me. I see he is still holding true to it."

Brian took a breath, "I thought it was odd when I went out to see him, that I never met anyone he was friends with, and we hung out together the entire time. I would tell you this when I came home from visiting him. I just never really thought about it afterwards until you said it now."

"Do you have a problem with him being gay?"

"Honestly?" Brian asked, and again Sally nodded. "I wish I could say no, do I wish he was straight and was in love with a woman, oh hell yes. But I know he's not, and I'm ashamed of myself that I can't admit it."

"Have you talked to him about it?" Sally asked, and Brian shook his head. "Why don't you?"

"I don't know. It's not an easy subject to broach."

"Brian, you just do it."

"Sally, I will."

To Brian, it was just easier not to bring it up with Blake, and Blake never brought it up with Brian. Sally stopped trying. If they wanted to live a lie, she decided to just let them, but she could tell Blake was getting too comfortable in his surroundings.

A couple years went by, Brian retired from the force, and Blake was moved from second to first shift. The station didn't want both Parker's working on the same shift. Everything just became normal. They didn't even think about Blake's needs. Blake did but not openly.

*

"Central, 1017." The Dispatcher called.

"1017, Central," Blake called over his radio. He had been sitting on the side of the street watching vehicles drive by him for twenty minutes. He's been a patrol cop now for five years, and he's still unsure if he's making a difference in anything he does.

"1017, there has been a report of a disturbance at 328 Hatley."

"1017, Central, I'm en route." Blake chuckled, old Mrs. Friedrich probably watched out her windows again, and the juveniles next door were making too much noise.

Blake wasn't far from Mrs. Friedrich's home. He pulled into traffic and turned west on Bradley and then north on Hatley. Blake pulled into Friedrich's driveway, told dispatch that he arrived, and exited the patrol vehicle, placed his cap on and walked up to the residence. Before he could make it to the door, Mrs. Friedrich opened it.

"Blakey." She smiled, and he smiled back.

"Mrs. Friedrich, ma'am. You called in a disturbance."

"Blakey, why don't you come in for some coffee."

"Mrs. Friedrich, you know I'm..." Blake looked down at her and just shook his head. "Yes, Ma'am, I could use a cup." He followed her into the kitchen and smiled. Blake pulled out his notebook and pen. "Mrs. Friedrich, why did you call this time?"

She sat a cup of coffee down in front of him. She knew now that he drank his black. "It's those damn kids next door. They're always there, they never go to school, and I think they're drinking."

"Ma'am, you know, the Thompson's kid has graduated, he might be drinking a lot, but he's of age and works nights. So, Ma'am, you know that only leaves the day."

"Well, does he have to be so loud?"

"Ma'am, that's something I can do something about." Blake went to get up, but she stopped him.

"Well Blakey, you need to finish your coffee first."

"Yes Ma'am." Blake smiled.

Mrs. Friedrich is lonely, and Blake knows it. He has been on a few calls to her home for quote-unquote disturbances. Blake thinks that Central has been sending him to her house because most officers won't pacify her like he will. Once Mrs. Friedrich would allow him to leave, usually, around fifteen to twenty minutes, he walked over to the Thompson's house.

Todd Thompson is used to police officers showing up, especially when he saw the patrol car in Mrs. Friedrich's driveway. He waited around the door. When Blake knocked, he answered right away. "Hello Officer Parker."

"Todd, how are you doing today? How's your job going?"

"Tired, and it's good, I guess." Todd sighed and smiled. "Did I do something to disturb Mrs. Friedrich?"

"Don't know, you tell me?" Blake responded.

"She's just too nosy for her own good. I swear I was just with one person, and we were in the backyard." Blake looked at Todd, and he sighed again, even louder than before. "It was my girlfriend, okay."

"Todd, take it inside next time."

"Yes Sir. Can I go to bed now? I only stayed up because I saw your car."

"Yeah Todd, remember if anything did go wrong in this neighborhood, you would like having Mrs. Friedrich around. They see more than you know, and she's only lonely."

"I know, Mr. Friedrich died a few years ago. Thank you Officer Parker."

Blake walked back up to her home and knocked. "Mrs. Friedrich, Todd apologized, and he'll try to keep the noise level down."