Dave and Leroy Ch. 17

Driving home, Leroy had the radio tuned to a Blues station, which the station seemed to be catering to B.B. King. Arriving, they were greeted by a silence which was okay with Leroy. He wasn't ready to deal with any kid drama.

After taking their bags to the room, Leroy unloaded the camping gear to the garage. He found his father talking to Dave in the family room when he returned. "Dad, how was Jason this past week?" Leroy asked.

"Leroy, sit down." Leroy looked at Lee and Dave.

"What did he do?"

"Leroy, just sit down," Lee responded.

Leroy blew out a breath and sat down on the couch, looking at his father. "What did Jason do?"

"Why do you automatically go to, what did Jason do?" Lee asked, and Dave shook his head.

"Well, for one, my son's not here. Two, you're talking when I come in. And three, when I asked how my son did this past week, you told me to sit down," Leroy summed up.

"That doesn't mean he did anything wrong," Lee responded. Leroy looked at his father. "Okay, something did happen, but it's not what you're thinking."

"Okay, I'm listening," Leroy responded, looking more annoyed now.

"He got into a fight." Leroy went to get up. "SIT DOWN LEROY," Lee shouted. "I remember you often got into fights when you were younger."

Leroy inhaled loudly and exhaled. "Where is he?"

"At your sisters', but before you go get him." Leroy was looking at Lee and then at Dave. He could tell Dave already knew. "You're going to know why he got into the fight."

"Well, from Dave's expression, I'm not going to like the reason. So hit me with it." Leroy responded.

*

Walking into Allison's home, Dave held Leroy's hand. Lee was behind them. They walked into Allison's living room, and there sat Allison, her husband Jason, two of his brothers, Aaron and Jeff.

"Well, I'm not going to fly off the handle," Leroy said as he looked at his siblings.

"That's not why we are here. We were hoping that you would be answering Jason's questions today."

"Jason's questions?" Leroy had forgotten entirely about what Dave had discussed in the woods.

*

Leroy doesn't know how, coming over to Allison's to get his son and talking to him about fighting. Sadly, for a good reason, but for the reason he wished that Jason would have never had to fight about. Became story time instead.

But now, in front of him was Dave's mom and dad, more of his siblings. Apparently, they were all sitting in the kitchen with Jason.

"Well, Jason, I guess I'll talk to you about the black eye later since everyone will make me delay that one." Leroy blew out a breath. "Well, spill it, what do you want to know?"

"Okay, how did your parents react to finding out?" Jason asked.

Dave spoke up before Lee or Leroy had to. "Jason, there is a reason why Sue Standish is not in yours, mine, your father's, and your grandfather's life."

Leroy took a deep breath, turned his head from side to side, which caused bones to crack, and then let it out. "My mother." Leroy closed his eyes for a second to remain calm. "Wasn't all bad before she found out that I." He turned to Dave and held his hand. "We were gay. She would do anything for her family. She still does, just not me." Leroy looked up at his father, smiled, and chuckled. "Or Dad."

"But..." Lee spoke up. "I did find out before your mother did."

"Oh God, I forgot," Leroy stated.

"What do you mean, Papa?" Jason asked Lee.

"Well, a couple of years before your Grandmother Ayers walked in on your fathers. I did."

"What?" Aaron and Jeff said simultaneously, and his other children just looked at him.

"Not anything like what your mother saw." Lee laughed. "I just walked in on them dancing and kissing in the kitchen. I left and came back ten or twenty minutes later, announcing my presence that time and then Leroy and I never discussed it."

"Never?" Aaron asked.

"No," Lee responded. "Not until after your mother found out."

Jason looked annoyed. He hoped that it would be an exciting story. "Okay, can you at least tell me about Grandma and Grandpa Ayers? What did they do when they found out?" Jason asked.

Lee may have been told the story by Dan and Sarah, but they doubt it. Dave started laughing, which made Leroy smile. "What's so funny about it?" Lee asked. Then both Dave and Leroy knew he didn't know.

"Dan and Sarah knew long before you did, Dad, I came home from a nine-month deployment, and she scared the crap out of me," Leroy responded with a chuckle. "But Jason, you should've just had your grandparents tell you." As he looked over at Sarah and Dan, they smiled.

"No, I think you should tell your son," Sarah stated.

Then Dave started because Leroy didn't know what happened before he came home in the story, and of course, some details were left out for Jason.

*

Dave walked to the door and opened it. He wasn't expecting company. Dave had been cleaning all day because he had been waiting for Leroy to come home, and Dave didn't want Leroy to think he didn't clean when he was deployed. When Dave opened the door, he was surprised. His Mom and Dad were standing there.

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" Dave was stunned because he had been over at their home earlier, so he didn't know why they would be over this evening.

"David, is there a rule that we can't visit you?" Sarah stated as she came through the door, his dad just looked at him.

"No, I was just wondering since I had been at your house earlier today."

"Well, I thought since Leroy will be home tonight, that I would have a talk with him," Sarah responded.

Dave coughed. "What.... I mean. How did you know he was due home tonight, and what did you want to talk to him about?"

"I think you know damn well what I want to talk to Leroy about, David." Sarah looked at her son, but he tried not to give anything away. "So, do I need to spell it out for you?" She gave Dave a few seconds to come clean before telling him why she was there. "Okay, well, if he's going to be in a relationship with you."

"Mother, we are not!" Dave exclaimed.

"David, don't tell me lies." Sarah was getting angry with her son. "I've known for years or have suspected such."

Dave looked down and couldn't look Sarah in the eyes. "Yes, Mother, I'm gay."

"Well, I want to talk to Leroy now. Ask him what his hand in all this is and how much he loves you."

"Mom, please, don't." As they all heard his truck pull in the driveway. "Mom, please let me tell him."

"No, David. I'm talking to him tonight." Sarah was dead set that she was going to talk to Leroy.

The drive from the base for Leroy took forever. He was happy to be home so he could see Dave, to kiss and make love to him after nine long months. When he pulled into his driveway and saw Dave's and Dave's parent's car, he was disappointed. His thoughts of taking Dave off to the bedroom or dropping right there in the living room were delayed.

He pulled his duffle out of the bed of his truck and walked in. He tried not to look disappointed. When he walked in, he sat his duffle down because everyone stood as he came in and said hello. Dave seemed extremely worried.

Leroy stepped over and hugged and kissed Sarah on the cheek and shook Dan's hand as he greeted them. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ayers." He had looked over at Dave while he hugged Sarah, and Dave just looked down at the floor. Leroy knew something significant was up.

"Leroy, please take a seat. I would like to talk with you," Sarah stated in a firm voice.

"Mom, please," Dave said.

"David, you can either stay for this or leave. I'm going to talk to Leroy." Sarah barked back at Dave.

"Son, I suggest you let your mother speak now," Dan spoke up for the first time to Dave. "It will be easier this way."

Leroy didn't show fear, but he knew right then that Sarah and Dan knew he and Dave were a couple. Something they had been trying to keep from both of their families. He was wondering if Dave told her when he was still deployed. She didn't look thrilled, nor did Dan, but Leroy knew once she was done here, she would go and tell his mother, and all hell would break loose for sure. Leroy took a deep breath when Sarah started to speak to him.

"Leroy Oliver Standish." Sarah used his full name to scare him, and she knew it would.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"How long have you loved my David?" Sarah looked at Leroy, and before he started to speak, she put her hand up. "And don't you dare lie to me. I know the truth, Leroy."

Leroy cleared his throat. "Forever, Ma'am."

Sarah sat there for a minute and thought about it. She did know it had been forever with Leroy. She knew how Leroy looked at her David, and she couldn't remember Leroy ever looking at or watching out for anyone else like he did for David. "You know when you left, he was crushed."

"Mom."

Leroy shook his head at Dave as Sarah stuck her hand up to stop Dave from talking, not even looking at him. "David, don't interrupt me. Leroy, you know it's why he married Cindy."

"Yes, Ma'am, I know. I will never leave him again. I promise. I love your son." Leroy was looking Sarah straight in her eyes. "I will always do my best to keep him happy, Ma'am."

"Mother, I'm not a damn girl. He doesn't have to make sure I'm happy." Leroy just looked down, and Sarah turned slowly to Dave.

"I know you're not, David Andrew Ayers. I AM making sure HE'S worthy of MY CHILD like I should have done with THAT Cindy before YOU married HER." The spitefulness was coming out when she said Cindy's name.

"Mom, it's not legal to marry."

Sarah smiled, "No, but Lev and Henry are having a commitment ceremony. Why can't the two of you?" Both Dave and Leroy looked at one another and then at Sarah. "Leroy, I have noticed through the years how you protected my son, looked at my son, and now I have put it all together. It was a longing for him. A love for him." She laughed. "You two were mad at one another. You left, he got married. You come home, he gets divorced, and then there is this running around secret shit for a bit. David would fly away for a weekend here and there and not tell where he has been. Then you would start coming home and be best friends again."

Sarah looks over at Dan. "Are we completely comfortable having a gay son? No, but we love you, David. Leroy, you don't have to worry, we won't tell your parents. That is for you to do or for them to figure out independently."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Will you stop the Ma'am stuff? Call me Sarah or Mom, please, if you go through with the commitment ceremony."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"LEROY!"

"I'm sorry, Sarah." Leroy took a deep breath and let it out. "We'll be going to Lev's commitment ceremony, and we...." Leroy smiled at Dave. "We just haven't thought about one ourselves, but I would be honored to call you Mom. When..." Leroy looked straight at Dave and smiled again before he finished his sentence. "...we do go through a commitment ceremony." Dave smiled back at Leroy.

Dave looked at his mother in disbelief. He didn't realize that she nor his dad would take it so well. Sarah looked over at Dave. "What, honey?"

"How did you know Leroy was due home tonight? I didn't tell you, and you just showed up. Leroy's family doesn't even know he's home."

Sarah smiled and chuckled at her son. "You have been too happy this week. Every time Leroy's away, even if it is just for drills. You are down, but when he's due to return, you get happier the closer to the time. The biggest sign is that you get your haircut, always the day he returns." They all laughed. "So when you stopped over this afternoon with your haircut. I knew he was returning tonight."

***

"Wait, wait." Jason stopped Leroy just at the end of his story.

"Yes?"

"Dad, you said Grandma Ayers said that you left Dad. When?"

Neither Dave nor Leroy had ever told Jason about either time Leroy left. "Do you want me to tell him, or do you want to?" Leroy looked over at Dave. Dave just gestured for Leroy to continue, so he did. "To be honest Jason, it was twice, and I was stupid both times."

"Leroy, no, you weren't," Dave responded.

"When, and why?" Jason just looked a little shocked. He couldn't believe that they would spend any time apart due to how much he sees that they are in love.

"First time was when we were eighteen when I first joined the Marines. Basically, it all boiled down to, I thought I was damning Dave to hell, so I wanted to let him live his life as a straight man." Dave knew the whole truth of why he left him. Jason didn't need to know it.

"What do you mean?"

"Back then, Jason, I liked both sexes, meaning girls too." Dave laughed. "And your father." Dave pinched Leroy, and Leroy chuckled. "Thought leaving me would be better than staying, but he found out quickly, well not quick enough, that we were meant for one another. Before you ask, yes, I got married for a short time. It didn't last because Leroy and I ran into one another. But my marriage wasn't going to last anyways. Cindy and I knew we weren't right for one another and were just waiting for one of us to say something."

"Okay, and the second time?" Jason asked.

Leroy took a deep breath. "I ran away after my tumor was taken out, and I lost everything I had, I thought." Dave took Leroy's hand, and Leroy smiled at Dave. "But it was just me, I had lost me for a while, and with Dave's and Doctor Watts' help, I found the piece I was looking for."

"But how can you two love one another this much, and you leave?" Jason was confused.

"Jason, there will come a time in your life when you have a strong bond with someone that love will overcome many obstacles. Was it tough for Leroy and me? Yes, it hurt a lot when he disappeared for the month. But he came back to me, and that is what mattered." Dave and Leroy tighten their grip on one another.

"I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when Sarah scared the hell out of Leroy," Aaron spoke up. "Sarah, I don't know too many people that can do that." Everyone laughed.

"Okay, what else do you want to know?" Dave questioned.

"You said, Grandma said you protected Dad. How?" Jason asked.

"Next question," Leroy said.

"Dad?"

"When kids would pick on Dave, Leroy would beat them up," Lee responded because he knew Leroy would try to avoid the question.

"Dad, really?"

"I didn't like anyone pushing Dave around," Leroy responded. "But I didn't have to do it after the fourth grade."

Aaron started laughing, "Because everyone knew if they dared look at Dave the wrong way, they were in for it. We should've known back then that you loved him, but we just thought it was because he was your best friend. He was your best friend, alright." Everyone laughed.

"How did Grandma Standish react?" Jason asked.

Dave responded before Leroy again, "She would say that your father and I were going to hell. She could never accept that we loved one another. Sue believed what the church preached that homosexuality was a sin."

"But I know Dad goes to confession. I've gone with Papa when he has driven Dad."

"Yes, I go. It's sort of ingrained in me. I've been doing it all my life." Leroy responded.

"But you don't go to church?" Jason asked.

"No," Leroy responded. "Doesn't mean I don't believe in God or anything."

"But Dad, if homosexuality is against the church," Jason started to say, and Leroy looked at him. "Why or how could you...."

"Jason, is this you asking, or is this the idiot you protected us against?" Leroy responded.

Jason looked down, "Leroy?" Dave started to say.

"No, I would like to go and talk to this kid's parents." Leroy looked at Jason. "Jason, what do you think about homosexuality? You can tell me the truth. It won't hurt me."

"I have two Dads. Kids make fun of me." Jason looked at Leroy. "What am I supposed to do, Dad? I love both of you. Does it sometimes make me feel bad that I must defend myself because of it? Yes, but I hate it too." Jason looked down and spoke softer. "They say I'm going to turn out just like you, and I'm not. I'm not anything like you two. I like girls."

Leroy didn't know how to comment back on that. He looked down at his hands and stood up. "Leroy?" Dave questioned.

"I need to take a walk." He patted Jason on the back and started to walk out of the house.

"Dad?" Jason was worried.

"It's okay, kid. I'm sorry." Leroy walked through the door and shut it.

Everyone looked at Dave. "I think that hit a nerve. I'll go talk to him."

Dave walked out and found Leroy sitting on the side of the house. "Babe?" Leroy looked up at him, and he could tell something was off, so Dave walked faster to him. "Leroy?"

Silent tears were coming down Leroy's face. "I was hoping he wouldn't have to ever fight this battle. He's miserable because we love one another."

"Jason loves us," Dave responded.

"I know that. It just sucks that he has to defend himself to the point of saying he's not going to be like us. He's only eleven."

"Dad?" Jason was coming over to them and Leroy tried to wipe away his tears the best he could.

"Yeah, Kid?" Jason sat down next to Leroy and Dave smiled, he decided to let them talk and walked back into the house.

"Dad, I'm not embarrassed of you, I do love you. It's just sometimes when the bullies get on their kick of harassing, it just becomes too much." Jason looked down at his hands. "This time Dad, I didn't walk away, like I normally do. And when John got in my face and told me I was going to turn out just like you. I told him, that I hope I do, that you're a great man, but I like girls and hit him." Leroy chuckled, making Jason look at him.

"Jason, I'm still sorry that you have to fight, mine and your father's battle. You shouldn't have to. I can't protect you against this and I wish I could."

"Dad, they're idiots." Jason smiled. "And Dad, I think I can protect myself fairly well, you taught me."

Leroy hugged Jason and chuckled, "Apparently you dropped your right because you didn't block the punch to the face or you didn't move out of the way, like I taught you."

"Dad!" Jason laughed and Leroy hugged him tighter.

"Kid, I love you."

"Ditto." Jason smiled and Leroy smirked.

"Come on, help your old man up."

"Dad, just to let you know. We all have a meeting with the principal next week." Jason grimaced. "Will you please not preach?"

"I'll try, that is all I can offer you. When is this meeting?" Leroy asked.

"Wednesday after school because of Dad's work schedule they asked when the best time was. Even Papa agreed when he picked me up from the principal's office."

"Well, why don't you run inside and tell everyone bye." Leroy asked.

"Why don't you want to come inside?"

"I'm sure my eyes are still red." Leroy told the truth he didn't want others to know he had been crying.

"Dad, it's okay. Boys can cry too." Jason told him.

Leroy chuckled, "Yeah, but my family doesn't get to see me cry. I'm the oldest, they're supposed to depend on me, and..."

"Yeah, yeah yeah, and you were a Marine and a Marine isn't supposed to show emotions. They are supposed to be machines." Jason sarcastically said.

Leroy laughed. "When have I ever said that?"

"Am I wrong?" Jason asked.

"No comment, go get your Papa and Dad and let's go." Leroy watched Jason run over to the front door and into the house as he walked over to the car and leaned against it.

"Where's your father?" Dave asked Jason when he came in.

"He wanted me to get you and Papa and go."

"Why?"

"Dad, I can't say it out loud." Jason walked over and whispered in his ear.

"Of course, have a seat for a few minutes Jason."

"What was his reason?" Allison asked.

"His big brother complex is coming out again." Dave stated.

Jason laughed, "That's exactly what he said too."

"Oh shit. He's human, not a fucking machine." Allison said and Jason was cracking up.

"What's so funny?" Dave asked.