Chapter 31
Be Thankful
Craig was driving his jeep to the airport with Fabien on the passenger’s side. He wore a green shirt, jeans, and flip-flops.
Fabien: “Sorry for not wearing my Nuklear Intoxikation shirt. I didn’t want your father to get any ideas.”
He huffed. Craig frowned.
Fabien: “That I am a fan of dead bands.”
He concluded.
Craig: “Nuklear is NOT dead! We’ll make a comeback, just you see!”
He pouted and pulled into the airport parking lot terminal, cutting off another car. The man jeered at him.
Man: “HEY! Watch where you’re going asshole!”
Craig pouted.
Fabien: “Let’s hope we don’t say the same for our relationship.”
He said dryly and glared at Craig, as he got out of the car and they entered the airport. Craig’s lip trembled.
Craig: “That ain’t gonna happen!”
He assured him and pulled up to the arrivals line where he saw a tall man with broad shoulders and a toned build with a close resemblance to him. He wore his golden curls swooped off into a pompadour haircut and bore his fiery amber eyes on Craig. His eyes shimmered when he saw Craig. Standing next to him was a short, heavyset Latina woman who wore her wavy light blonde hair past her shoulders. She had a sadness to her light green eyes and freckles scattered across her button nose. She wore a light yellow short-sleeved sun dress with yellow sandals. She brightened when she saw Craig.
Cecilia: “My son, it’s been so long!”
She reached out to cup his face. She had several gold bangles on her arms. Craig smiled a bit.
Craig: “Hey, mamma!”
Leon: “Hey, mate, how’s it goin?”
He greeted Craig with a high-five.
Craig: “Hey dad, everythin’s fine…”
He forced a smile. They walked out of the parking lot, and he opened his trunk for them to put their suitcases in. Leon threw all of their suitcases into the trunk.
Fabien: “Yes, that’s right, everything is fine. I hope Craig’s back isn't too sore from sleeping on the couch.”
He smirked. Craig froze. Leon turned to Fabien, looking confused.
Leon: “Oh, you brought your mate with ya?”
He chuckled a bit as he got in the backseat with Cecilia.
Fabien: “He lives with me.”
He replied to him.
Leon: “Ah, you’re his roommate!”
He nodded. Fabien stared at Craig with a white-hot glare. Craig tensed up and floored the accelerator, peeling out of the arrivals lot. Cecilia shot back in her seat.
Cecilia: “Craig, what is the rush?! Why did you do that? You could have hurt yourself!”
She put her hand on his shoulder.
Craig: “I’m just… so excited!”
He forced a wide grin on his face.
Fabien: “For what?”
He folded his arms over.
Craig: “For Thanksgiving, of course!”
He forced a smile.
Fabien: “Oh, how sweet, you’re excited for me to cook for you as I always do.”
He said softly and dryly. Leon gaped at Craig.
Leon: “Why are you letting a man cook for ya Craig? I hope you mean steak on the barbie! Why are you cookin’ for, mate? Don’t you got a misses?”
He asked.
Fabien: “As I said on the phone, my ‘misses’ can’t cook.”
He glared at Craig with daggers in his eyes. Craig tensed up and gritted the steering wheel. Leon burst out laughing.
Leon: “She better make up for it in the bedroom.”
Fabien: “Haha, in the bedroom? Barely.”
He folded his arms and glared at Craig. Craig’s bottom lip trembled.
Leon: “Well, what’s she good for then? Looks like you gotta get yourself a new misses, then.”
He laughed and shook his head.
Fabien: “...You might be onto something.”
He narrowed his eyes at Craig. Craig dropped his shoulders and slunk down in his seat. He zoomed through a red light and pulled up with a loud screech to their house.
Craig: “Haha, well, we’re here!”
He grinned awkwardly.
Fabien got out.
Fabien: “Yes, this is my house and Craig is staying at my house because everyone else kicked him out.”
He nodded. Craig bowed his head.
Cecilia: “Well, you are a very kind man.”
She said to Fabien and scrutinized him. Leon laughed.
Leon: “Ah, being rowdy ‘n partyin’ too hard, son?”Craig: “...Somethin’ like that…”
Fabien used the keys to open the door and let them into their house.
Fabien: “The couch here opens up to a bed. Since Craig sleeps in that. I guess he can sleep on the floor or outside.”
He glared at him. Craig frowned and pouted. Leon burst out laughing, thinking he was joking with some buddy banter.
Leon: “Very funny.”
Fabien: “Hilarious. It seems Craig’s life is one big nuclear joke.”
He hissed.
Craig pursed his lips.
Craig: “Why are you doing this to me?”
He hissed under his breath to him out of earshot.
Fabien: “Why do you think, genius?”
He shot back. Cecilia observed their body language and what they were saying and raised an eyebrow.
Leon: “So, Fabien, what team do you barrack for?”
Fabien gaped at him and smiled a bit.
Fabien: “I get asked that a lot where I work and I just reply with ‘The Pink Top Pumas’, our city’s baseball team but I do that out of politeness and to keep my job. I don’t have a team and never was into sports. I just go horseback riding. I’ve been in equestrian shows for my horses, won trophies, et cetera.”
He explained. Leon gaped at him like he had three heads. He paused for a moment and then chuckled.
Leon: “Very funny, mate! I like this guy, he’s fuckin’ hilarious!”
He grinned, gesturing to Fabien. Fabien blinked. Craig shifted uncomfortably and grabbed a beer from the fridge and started drinking it.
Leon: “What’s your job, mate?”
Craig spat out his beer.
Craig: “Ya know, it’s late, we should get to bed!”
Fabien: “He asked me a question, Craig. He’s getting to know ‘ya mate.’ ”
He hissed.
Fabien: “I am a waiter at Danny Donger’s.”
He replied. Craig felt his soul escape his body. Leon blinked mutely.
Leon: “Danny Donger’s? The fuck is that?”
He laughed.
Fabien: “It’s a sports bar where the waiters are all shirtless men in hot pants. Want me to show my uniform to you? Craig and I met there.”
He smiled tightly. Craig sweated all over and tensed up. Leon quirked an eyebrow at them.
Leon: “Ah, okay, so it’s a sports bar and a gym where blokes work out ‘n show off their workouts? Sounds manly to me!”
Craig dropped his shoulders and sighed relievingly.
Fabien: “Hahahahaha, noooo.”
He smiled.
Fabien: “It’s a bar where hot shirtless men wait on you and bring your food and beer to you. It’s not for children.”
He graced him with a saccharine smile. Leon’s smile dipped into a frown.
Leon: “Okay, reel it in mate, it’s goin’ a bit far now with the gay jokes.”
He laughed awkwardly.
Fabien: “It’s the truth. It’s what Craig always wanted. I learned a lot that night.”
He smirked.
Fabien: “From Craig himself.”
He nodded to him. Craig broke out into a sweat when Leon swung his gaze back over to him.
Cecilia folded her arms and gave a knowing look to Craig.
Fabien: “It’s getting late and the floor awaits Craig. Have a good night, you two.”
He smiled and went into his bedroom, locking the door behind him. Craig swallowed hard, feeling like Fabien had just thrown him to the wolves and locked the door behind him.
Craig: “...Haha, Fabien sure is funny! We have a lot of fun together! I’m gonna head off to my bedroom now! Good night!”
He slunk over to the door down the hall, acting like it was his bedroom. He closed the door behind him and stepped into Gus’ bathroom where he curled up into the bathtub to sleep.
~
The next day was Thanksgiving. Fabien was up early getting everything prepared for the day. Craig fluttered his eyes and woke up to Gus sniffing his feet hanging out over the edge of the tub.
Craig: “..Ha, HA-HEY!”
Gus: “Holy fuck, man, your feet stink and I love it!”
He inhaled another waft.
Craig: “OI! Fuck off, cunt!”
He huffed and yanked his feet away from him, scrambling out of the bathtub.
Fabien made the turkey and the roasted vegetables. He also made some chicken fricassée and some pumpkin pie for dessert. Cecilia made some Pão de Queijo, which was Brazilian cheese bread, camarão no leite de coco, which was a one-pot shrimp in coconut sauce, and galinhada, which was a Brazilian chicken and rice dish with sausage. She made some Brazilian lemonade to drink.
Gus came out of the bathroom in his underwear and sat on the couch. Leon gaped at him.
Leon: “...Put some clothes on, mate. There’s ladies around ‘n no one wants to see that.”Craig followed after him from the bathroom.
Gus: “When I wake up. I was up all night smelling Craig’s stinky feet.”
He scratched his belly and yawned. Leon gaped at him.
Craig: “You creepy lil’ weirdo!”
He huffed and glared at him.
Leon: “Are you a poofta or somethin’?”
He asked Gus.
Gus: “No, I’m not a cloud.”
He drawled and yawned. Leon laughed at him.
Leon: “Yeah, you sure are.”
Fabien: “Have a good sleep, ‘mate’?”
He asked wryly. Craig grumbled in response.
Fabien: “Oi, mate, I made ya yer fav!”
He drawled in a bad Australian accent and thrust a pink cream soda float with a pink crown stuck in it and a straw that had the words, “bottom” in pink cursive letters. Craig froze.
Craig: “...Haha, cheers, mate!”
He hissed through clenched teeth with a hollow laugh.
Craig: “Why’s it say button?”
He asked.
Gus: “It says bottom. Bottom? You?”
He gaped at Craig. Craig’s heart sank.
Craig: “WHAT?! I’m not a fuckin’ bottom bitch!”
He blurted.
Gus: “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
He drawled.
Fabien: “Oh, you aren’t?”
He asked through clenched teeth.
Craig: “No, I’m not.”
He hissed back through clenched teeth. Cecilia observed their bickering and took note.
The door knocked. Gus scrambled to his feet and answered the door. Jaclyn and Hector stood there.
Jaclyn: “Ugh, put some pants on, you cretin! We’re here because this moron wants to give you… things this foolish dessert!”
She fielded scathingly.
Hector: “My new nanny made them! They’re worms and dirt!”
He giggled.
Jaclyn: “What this moron means is their gummy worms in Oreo cookie crumbles. Ugh, it smells disgusting here, Hector. Dump this in the trash along with Craig and get me a salad smoothie.”
She demanded.
Gus: “Oh, I love that shit. It’s worms because you like worms, huh?”
He laughed.
Hector: “I LOVE WORMIES!”
He jumped up.
Jaclyn: “Ugh, let’s get out of here, Hector. I’m sick of looking at this hellhole.”
She dragged him away.
Leon scrutinized them and nudged Craig, looking over at Jaclyn.
Leon: “She got a boyfriend, mate?”
He asked.
Craig: “Yeah, that guy was her boyfriend.”
He gestured to Hector. Leon gaped at him.
Leon: “...You’re shittin’ me. I thought she was his nanny or babysitter?! That retarded lil shrimp?! She needs a real man like you!”
He laughed. Fabien glowered at Craig. Craig gaped at Leon.
Leon: “You’re flyin’ solo now ‘n you’re twenty-five now, so you should get ya self a nice traditional lady like her to settle down with. How about you ask her on a date?”
He grinned, nudging him. Craig recoiled and shot up from his seat.
Craig: “FUCK NO!”
He shrieked in disgust. Leon was taken aback by his reaction and gaped at him.
Leon: “...What are ya? Gay or somethin’?
He scrutinized him, folding his arms across his chest. Craig’s heart sank.
Cecilia interjected and pursed her lips.
Cecilia: “Dear, I think Craig and Fabien are in a relationship.”
She said meekly. Fabien raised his eyebrows. Someone caught on, he thought. Craig gaped at her, taken by surprise.
Leon: “...What?! How dare you say something like that?! This is our SON! Our son is not some poofta! He’s a real man! How dare you insult him like that!”
He barked. She drew back.
Cecilia: “Well, honey, he and Fabien were arguing like an old married couple and why would he sleep in the bathroom?”
She asked.
Leon: “OUR SON IS NOT GAY!”
He roared. She drew back and embraced herself.
Leon flicked his gaze over to Fabien and stood over him, cornering him. Fabien put his hands up to defend himself.
Leon: “You’re tellin’ me my son is foolin’ around with some… shrimpy sick puppy poofta?!”
He bellowed in his face. Craig’s demeanor shifted and he shoved his father away from Fabien.
Craig: “He ain’t no shrimpy sick puppy poofta ‘n I don’t wanna be with no stinky foot queen of the bitches!”
He bellowed and panted, standing in front of Fabien. Fabien’s jaw dropped as Craig tried to protect him as he did from Dougal and others. Leon looked up at his son, mouth ajar and stunned beyond disbelief. His shock soon turned to anger.
Leon: “What have you done to my son?!”
He bellowed at Fabien, locking his glare on him.
Fabien: “I showed up at his table wearing hot pants and Craig wanted to fuck me and did.”
He smirked. Leon fumed at Fabien.
Leon: “MY SON IS NOT A FLAMING PANSY!”
He roared.
Fabien: “I would debate you but he got his ass kicked by Deimos, who is shorter than him.”
He scoffed. Craig shot him daggers for that one. Leon’s anger soared.
Leon: “WHAT?! You got your ass kicked by a little weakling, Craig?!”
He said with disappointment and and mocking tone. Craig bowed his head in shame.
Craig: “It wasn’t my fault! He cheated with some magic bullshit or somethin’!”
He pouted. Leon threw his head back and barked with laughter.
Leon: “What happened to you, Craig? You used to be a man. Now you’re getting your ass handed to you by short pansies ‘n now you’re brainwashed by them to think you’re one of them, too?! Pink Top City? More like Poofta Top City. This place is turnin’ you into a poofta!”
He shook his head at him. Craig trembled and looked down at the ground.
Fabien: “Debatable. He was dating Andreas before he came here, so I don’t think it was this city.”
He wagged his head. Craig swallowed a lump in his throat and Leon’s eyes looked like they were about to burst out of his sockets.
Leon: “...WHAT?!”
He bellowed at Craig.
Cecilia: “...You didn’t know, dear?”
She asked meekly. Leon gaped at her and then turned back to Craig.
Leon: “NO, BECAUSE OUR SON ISN’T A POOFTA!”
He rasped.
Gus: “Why do you keep calling him a cloud?”
Fabien: “English is not my first language but I don’t think it’s another word for a cloud. I have a hunch of what it means… and I think it’s obvious Craig is only into men. He cheated on Veronika with me.”
He pointed to him with his thumb.
Craig: “It ain’t a cloud…”
He sighed.
Leon: “WHAT?! YOU CHEATED ON VERONIKA?!”
He rasped.
Fabien: “Yes… with me.”
He added with a smirk.
A vein popped in Leon’s head and he let out a mighty roar.
Leon: “CRRAAAAAAAAAAAIG!”
He roared at the top of his lungs. Craig recoiled and flinched, huddling in the corner like a puppy dog.
Craig: “...Y-Yes, dad?”
He asked meekly. Leon scoffed.
Leon: “Pfft, don’t ‘Y-yes, dad’ me.”
He did a high-pitched voice, mocking him.
Leon: “It’s YES, DAD?! Answer me like a man and stop cowering in the corner like a weakling!”
He snapped at him. Cecilia knelt to Craig.
Cecilia: “Leon, don’t scold him. He’s scared of this!”
She said firmly but gently. Leon scoffed and laughed.
Leon: “Scared? Men don’t get scared. You’re weak.”
He spat. Craig scrambled to his feet and straightened his posture.
Craig: “I’m not scared ‘n I’m NOT weak!”He said with strain. Fabien watched him.
Fabien: “...This is why he doesn’t open up emotionally. He couldn’t tell me he couldn’t read, struggled to be vulnerable with me, and tried to put on this tough guy act. I knew it had to do with you and you proved me right.”
He smirked. Craig bowed his head. Leon laughed at him.
Leon: “Emotions are for women and weak men. Men need to be tough. We can’t be vulnerable. Of course Craig can read, he’s not a retard! Clearly, your father didn’t raise you to be a man ‘n didn’t raise you right! Otherwise, you wouldn’t be a poof!”
Fabien: “...Actually, my father similarly raised me but wanted me to be an extension of himself. Unlike Craig, I didn’t kowtow to his demands or become what he wanted. I did what I wanted. Craig is a weakling because he’s afraid of you and wouldn’t admit he’s with me.”
He sneered at Craig.
Fabien: “I guess Tristan is right… for once… about you.”
He said to Craig.
Leon: “Well then you don’t respect the man who raised you, then. You’re disobedient and weak. HA, Craig is not afraid of me and he’s not a fucking poofta. Craig is weak because he associates with fuckin’ pooftas like you. Come on, Craig, we’re takin’ you back home to Selene Valley ‘n setting you straight! It’s time for you to come home and stop this bullshit.”
He commanded sternly. Craig shifted his eyes.
Craig: “I don’t wanna go back home, I wanna stay here with Fabien!”
He blurted. Leon’s face crumpled.
Leon: “...What?!”
Craig: “I wanna be with Fabien!”Leon’s eyes flared like hot coals.
Leon: “YOU ARE COMING BACK HOME, NOW!”
He bellowed and commanded, his face as black as thunder.
Craig: “NO! I WANNA BE WITH FABIEN! I LOVE HIM!”
He cried and grabbed Fabien. Fabien’s eyes widened when Craig said he loved him and wanted to be with him.
Fabien: “Y-You love me?”
He quavered. Craig nodded in confirmation and embraced him.
Craig: “Fuckin’ oath, I do.”
Fabien’s eyes widened.
Fabien: “No one ever told me they loved me—”
Before Fabien could finish his sentence, Craig locked his lips on his and threaded his fingers through his hair, kissing him deeply.
Leon’s face turned red as a stop sign. His eyes bulged with rage and his nostrils flared like a bull’s. Then his skin started to feel clammy. He breathed ragged short breaths.
Cecilia: “Honey, are you okay?!”
She asked and knit her eyebrows. She held his hands but he barely grasped hers.
Gus: “Maybe he’s having a heart attack.”
He drawled. Craig froze and his heart sank. Leon felt a heaviness and stiffness in his chest and his right arm felt as if every ligament was being torn away. He sat on the chair panting.
Cecilia: “Honey, are you okay?! Craig, your father isn’t responding!”
She cried. Their voices were muffled. He clutched his chest and fell over, losing consciousness.
Craig: “Holy shit! DAD?!”
He cried, shaking him.
Cecilia: “SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!”
She cried. Fabien nodded and used the kitchen phone to dial 911.
The ambulance showed up to the house in a few minutes. The neighbors gathered by watching as the paramedics wheeled Leon on the gurney. Trevor was with Hector and leaned over.
Trevor: “Between us, I think he smelled Jaclyn’s feet.”
Hector snickered.
Cecilia cried as they loaded her husband into the truck.
Cecilia: “Craig, please tell Makayla about her father! She has to see him!”
She cried. Craig’s lip trembled and he nodded.
Fabien: “Do you want me to drive you or do you want to drive me?”
He asked Craig and put his hands on his arm. Craig pursed his lips and nodded.
Craig: “...Can you drive?”
He asked meekly, with struggle in his voice to ask for help.
Fabien: “Of course, get in. We’ll go to Deimos’ first and get Makayla and to the hospital.”
He said and got into his car. Craig wordlessly nodded and got in with him.
~
At Deimos’ place, Tristan, Deimos, Celeste, and Makayla sat at the backyard pool patio waiting for Victor to tell them to come to Thanksgiving dinner with them. Tristan wore a black three-piece suit with a light purple pressed shirt, a dark purple tie, and black wingtip Oxfords. Deimos wore a black sports jacket with a purple leopard print shirt with a few buttons undone, black dress pants, and black loafers. Celeste wore a black strapless mini-dress with four belt buckles on the waist, black fishnet hose, and black boots with a diamond anklet around them. Makayla wore a long-sleeve black velvet dress that hung above her knees and shiny black heels.
Celeste: “I’m beginning to think… your Dad doesn’t want us there.”
Tristan looked away and cupped his chin. More like Ivy doesn’t want us there but Papa also, he thought with hurt. Deimos held Tristan’s hand and petted it. Tristan smiled at him.
Monica came in.
Monica: “Makayla? Your brother and his boyfriend are here to see you.”
Tristan: “ ‘Boyfriend’?”
He raised his eyebrows.
Deimos: “What do they want?”
He muttered. Makayla sighed.
Makayla: “Why would they want to see me?!”
Fabien and Craig came in with Craig looking distraught. Tristan scrutinized them. Something happened, he thought.
Makayla: “What do you want, Craig?”
She then paused when she saw his face. She had never seen that look on his face before.
Makayla: “...What happened?!”
She trembled. Craig tensed up and sniffled.
Craig: “I-I KILLED DAD!”
He bawled. Makayla’s jaw dropped. Tristan raised his eyebrows. Deimos gazed at him.
Makayla: “...What?! What do you mean?! What are you talking about?!”
She pressed him.
Fabien: “We don’t know but your father is at the hospital. He passed out and wasn’t responding.”
He said to her. Makayla froze.
Fabien: “Your mother asked us to tell you.”
Makayla: “...What happened?!”
She asked them.
Fabien: “...Craig told Leon about us and he… he loves me and then Leon started acting funny and then he… passed out.”
He explained. Makayla was too stunned to speak.
Makayla: “...Wait, you told him?!”
Fabien nodded soberly.
Celeste: “He took a heart attack or two or more. He’s a goner. If he’s not, he won’t be the same.”
She drawled.
Craig: “I knew he was gonna kill me for bein’ gay, but I didn’t think I’d kill HIM for bein’ gay!”
He bawled into his hands. Fabien held him close and held his head to his chest. Craig clung to him. Makayla’s jaw hung open, still too stunned to speak.
Tristan: “Are you okay, Makayla? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
He asked calmly.
Fabien: “I can take her.”
Makayla gaped in bewilderment.
Makayla: “...Has hell frozen over?!”
Her voice trailed off.
Makayla: “All right…”
She nodded.
Deimos: “We’ll be fine. We’ll save you a plate.”
He said to her.
Celeste: “We have to get Ivy’s permission.”
Tristan put his forefinger to his lips.
Tristan: “Not now.”
He whispered.
Makayla: “Thanks, guys! I appreciate that!”
She flashed them a smile. Deimos smiled at her and Celeste flashed her a toothy grin. Tristan just nodded. Makayla went with them and they all sighed.
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