lliam stood outside the the Student Union, checking his phone for any texts as he waited for his brother to show up. Slowly, a car drove beside him. Illiam ignored it, but the driver honked his horn at Illiam. “Elian! Where’s your brother?”
Illiam blinked at the car’s driver. He was a thin red-headed young man, wavy hair done up in a style that ploofed over the left side of his face. “Not Elian. Sorry. Please look next time!”
And then suddenly Elian was there, “Osdan! Osdan, this is Illiam!”
“Oh, sorry.” said the young man, who Illiam presumed was Osdan. “Elian, he looks just like you.”
“Wow, almost like I’m his identical twin or something.” replied Illiam, leaning against the car. “Just waiting for Xander now. I think he has his classes late or- Oh, there he is.” Xander was hurrying towards the three and the car, waving his arm.
“Hello! Hello!”
Illiam waved hello to his boyfriend and he stepped over to Xander’s side. The driver of the car looked impatient. “Well, you must be Xander.”
“I have no idea who you are besides ‘Elian’s boyfriend.’”replied Xander. Usually Xander added a bit about him being the one who ruined Illiam’s life to the end of that, and Illiam was very glad that he didn’t.
“I’m Osdan.” said Osdan with a sigh. “O-S-D-A-N.”
“That’s an unusual name. May we enter your car?”
“Come right in.”
Elian reached for the front door just as Xander did so at the exact same time. Xander opened the door and Elian just kind of stood there awkwardly as Xander sat shotgun next to Osdan, who seemed like he wasn’t very happy about it.
Elian and Illiam sat in the back. It was a pathetic sort of vehicle, thought Illiam, with stains on the sheets, most likely made decades ago. Elian pointed to Xander questioningly, and Illiam shrugged his shoulders like “What are you going to do?”
Osdan begun the complex manuevers to get out of the Student Union area, and Illiam asked Elian, “So! Where are we going again?”
“I’m sorry,” said Osdan. “We don’t talk in my car.”
“What?” replied Illiam. “You don’t talk in your car?”
“Yes.” said Osdan. “I like to drive in complete silence. So, please be quiet.”
Illiam sighed (oh no, a noise) and leaned back. They were barely out of the Student Union area. A disgusting stain was just to the left of him, a rotten brown one with a horrible smell. He almost sighed again and waited for a terrible ride when his pocket buzzed.
It was from Elian. It was absolutely ridiculous that he had to text someone who was sitting right next to him.
Elian: now you see why I wanted to sit in the front seat
Illiam: have you ever suggested to Osdan he have his car CLEANED? also, whats up with the silence?
Elian: Illiam for the love of all you hold dear on this planet please don’t mention the car smell to osdan please please please
Elian: and osdan is really bad at driving.
Osdan had just backed into an area that was behind where they started.
Illiam: Yeah. I can see that.
Illiam blinked at the car’s driver. He was a thin red-headed young man, wavy hair done up in a style that ploofed over the left side of his face. “Not Elian. Sorry. Please look next time!”
And then suddenly Elian was there, “Osdan! Osdan, this is Illiam!”
“Oh, sorry.” said the young man, who Illiam presumed was Osdan. “Elian, he looks just like you.”
“Wow, almost like I’m his identical twin or something.” replied Illiam, leaning against the car. “Just waiting for Xander now. I think he has his classes late or- Oh, there he is.” Xander was hurrying towards the three and the car, waving his arm.
“Hello! Hello!”
Illiam waved hello to his boyfriend and he stepped over to Xander’s side. The driver of the car looked impatient. “Well, you must be Xander.”
“I have no idea who you are besides ‘Elian’s boyfriend.’”replied Xander. Usually Xander added a bit about him being the one who ruined Illiam’s life to the end of that, and Illiam was very glad that he didn’t.
“I’m Osdan.” said Osdan with a sigh. “O-S-D-A-N.”
“That’s an unusual name. May we enter your car?”
“Come right in.”
Elian reached for the front door just as Xander did so at the exact same time. Xander opened the door and Elian just kind of stood there awkwardly as Xander sat shotgun next to Osdan, who seemed like he wasn’t very happy about it.
Elian and Illiam sat in the back. It was a pathetic sort of vehicle, thought Illiam, with stains on the sheets, most likely made decades ago. Elian pointed to Xander questioningly, and Illiam shrugged his shoulders like “What are you going to do?”
Osdan begun the complex manuevers to get out of the Student Union area, and Illiam asked Elian, “So! Where are we going again?”
“I’m sorry,” said Osdan. “We don’t talk in my car.”
“What?” replied Illiam. “You don’t talk in your car?”
“Yes.” said Osdan. “I like to drive in complete silence. So, please be quiet.”
Illiam sighed (oh no, a noise) and leaned back. They were barely out of the Student Union area. A disgusting stain was just to the left of him, a rotten brown one with a horrible smell. He almost sighed again and waited for a terrible ride when his pocket buzzed.
It was from Elian. It was absolutely ridiculous that he had to text someone who was sitting right next to him.
Elian: now you see why I wanted to sit in the front seat
Illiam: have you ever suggested to Osdan he have his car CLEANED? also, whats up with the silence?
Elian: Illiam for the love of all you hold dear on this planet please don’t mention the car smell to osdan please please please
Elian: and osdan is really bad at driving.
Osdan had just backed into an area that was behind where they started.
Illiam: Yeah. I can see that.
Finally, after nearly half an hour of effort, they arrived at a destination three or four miles from their starting point. Osdan carefully parked, then reparked, then rereparked the car.
“Alright!” He proclaimed. “Here we are!”
Xander snapped his book shut (of course he was studying in the car) and got out of the car, before opening the door for Illiam. A nice gesture, but a nicer gesture would have been letting him sit in the front. Maybe he could ask Xander about that later.
The Restaurant was a very large place, with pictures of fish plastered all over the front. “Well, here we are. The Fish Place.” said Osdan.
“Do they serve meat here?” asked Xander.
Osdan shook his head. “They serve fish here.”
Xander looked like he was suffering already. “Oh. That’s nice.”
Osdan opened the door and the others walked in. A server in a fish costume approached. “Well, hello, welcome to the fish place! Would ya like a booth or a table?”
“Why are you dressed as a fish if this restaurant serves fish?” asked Xander.
“What?” said the woman. “Um, do you want a booth, or a table.”
Xander opened his mouth to ask the fish question again, but Illiam tapped him on the shoulder. “Um, a booth.”
“No, we’ll get a table.” said Osdan. The server led them to a table and deposited fish-shaped menus in front of them. “Thank you.” He looked at Elian, smiling. “This is where we sat last time.”
Elian did not seem pleased with that. He kept his menu shut, just staring at it. “So, Um. Xander. Why don’t you tell me about yourself? I’d like to get to know my brother’s boyfriend.”
“I am Xander “No Middle Name” Nesline. I was born on December 13th, 1994. I have type A- Blood. I am originally from-”
“What, do you have a speech memorized?” asked Osdan.
Xander blinked. “Don’t we all?”
The place was silent for a moment before a waitress in a fish costume approached. “Hi Hi, welcome to the fish place, where only the finest fish are served. What will you boys be having to drink?”
“First I would like to ask about the fish costumes.” said Xander. “Why are you wearing them in a place that serves fish?”
The waitress blinked. “Um, sweetheart, I think you answered your own question.”
“But it’s nonsensical. Here, fish are on the menu. It would be dangerous to wear fish costumes in a place like this.”
“Xander, please.” said Illiam.
The giant fish head of the hat shook. “Well, I guess I never thought of it like that. Anyway, what would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have a martini please.” said Osdan. As he rustled around in his wallet for his ID, Illiam and Xander ordered water and Elian asked for a coke and was given a pepsi.
Once the waitress was gone, Elian asked, “Like, what sort of things do you like to do, Xander? Do you like it at this school? Are you ready for winter?”
“I enjoy fitness, studying, and spending time with my boyfriend, your brother, Illiam. I don’t like it as much as I did at my original school, but it’s fine. I despise winter.”
“That’s a strong word.” replied Osdan, accepting his martini from the fish waitress.
“It is cold and wet and slippery.” Xander instinctively shivered, and Illiam rubbed his arm. “How can you like it, when that foul snow clots the ground like a stain on all our hopes and dreams? Leave, damn snow, leave! I command you gone before your arrival! I command you melt into water and deny us of the horrid season that you herald!”
“Do you either speak in the most boring words possible or pretend you’re in a play?” asked Osdan, sipping his martini. “Is that your thing?”
Xander blinked and Illiam grabbed his arm tighter as he glared at Osdan. “Excuse me? What did you say?” spat Illiam.
“I was just asking if-”
“Osdan, please.” said Elian, interrupting his boyfriend. “Let’s all have a nice dinner together! Um, so, Xander, Illiam told me that you wanted to become a doctor. Osdan also would like to become a doctor. Why don’t you… discuss that?”
“Why do you want to become a doctor, Xander? I’ve wanted to be an gynecologist ever since I realized there was such a large demand for gynecologists who know how to properly serve the LGBTQ community and experienced such ineptness at my visits. I hope to help transgender people who have to visit a gynecologist through our shared experiences.”
Xander looked down at his water. “I just want to make a lot of money.” He paused. “Also I find myself fascinated by heart surgery. Many times, I have seen myself watching a heart surgery video on youtube, and propelled into the role of protagonist in such a video. Me, the-”
“That’s disgusting.” said Osdan. “Like, literally, disgusting. You should probably talk to a therapist about that.”
“It’s not disgusting.” Xander was getting agitated, Illiam knew it. He was tapping his fingers on the table rapidly with one hand, pounding out an arrhythmic pattern. “Shouldn’t I want a job that I enjoy doing?”
“Not if you’re becoming a doctor for purely voy-”
“Hi, boys, do you know what you want to order yet?” asked the fish waitress.
“I’ll have the shrimp tacos, please!” said Elian.
“Me too.” added Illiam. At least that was something he and Elian could agree upon.
Osdan said, “I’ll have the salmon,” and the waitress turned to Xander.
Xander stared at her. “Oh. Um. I’ll have nothing, please. I’m not very hungry.”
“Are you serious?” said Osdan.
“I’m not a very big fan of fish, sadly.” said Xander. “I will eat later.”
Osdan rolled his eyes at Xander and leaned back.
“Okay, dear.” said the waitress. “Lemme know if you change your mind.”
She took the menus from the four and walked away. Soon the next part of the dinner would begin.
“Alright!” He proclaimed. “Here we are!”
Xander snapped his book shut (of course he was studying in the car) and got out of the car, before opening the door for Illiam. A nice gesture, but a nicer gesture would have been letting him sit in the front. Maybe he could ask Xander about that later.
The Restaurant was a very large place, with pictures of fish plastered all over the front. “Well, here we are. The Fish Place.” said Osdan.
“Do they serve meat here?” asked Xander.
Osdan shook his head. “They serve fish here.”
Xander looked like he was suffering already. “Oh. That’s nice.”
Osdan opened the door and the others walked in. A server in a fish costume approached. “Well, hello, welcome to the fish place! Would ya like a booth or a table?”
“Why are you dressed as a fish if this restaurant serves fish?” asked Xander.
“What?” said the woman. “Um, do you want a booth, or a table.”
Xander opened his mouth to ask the fish question again, but Illiam tapped him on the shoulder. “Um, a booth.”
“No, we’ll get a table.” said Osdan. The server led them to a table and deposited fish-shaped menus in front of them. “Thank you.” He looked at Elian, smiling. “This is where we sat last time.”
Elian did not seem pleased with that. He kept his menu shut, just staring at it. “So, Um. Xander. Why don’t you tell me about yourself? I’d like to get to know my brother’s boyfriend.”
“I am Xander “No Middle Name” Nesline. I was born on December 13th, 1994. I have type A- Blood. I am originally from-”
“What, do you have a speech memorized?” asked Osdan.
Xander blinked. “Don’t we all?”
The place was silent for a moment before a waitress in a fish costume approached. “Hi Hi, welcome to the fish place, where only the finest fish are served. What will you boys be having to drink?”
“First I would like to ask about the fish costumes.” said Xander. “Why are you wearing them in a place that serves fish?”
The waitress blinked. “Um, sweetheart, I think you answered your own question.”
“But it’s nonsensical. Here, fish are on the menu. It would be dangerous to wear fish costumes in a place like this.”
“Xander, please.” said Illiam.
The giant fish head of the hat shook. “Well, I guess I never thought of it like that. Anyway, what would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have a martini please.” said Osdan. As he rustled around in his wallet for his ID, Illiam and Xander ordered water and Elian asked for a coke and was given a pepsi.
Once the waitress was gone, Elian asked, “Like, what sort of things do you like to do, Xander? Do you like it at this school? Are you ready for winter?”
“I enjoy fitness, studying, and spending time with my boyfriend, your brother, Illiam. I don’t like it as much as I did at my original school, but it’s fine. I despise winter.”
“That’s a strong word.” replied Osdan, accepting his martini from the fish waitress.
“It is cold and wet and slippery.” Xander instinctively shivered, and Illiam rubbed his arm. “How can you like it, when that foul snow clots the ground like a stain on all our hopes and dreams? Leave, damn snow, leave! I command you gone before your arrival! I command you melt into water and deny us of the horrid season that you herald!”
“Do you either speak in the most boring words possible or pretend you’re in a play?” asked Osdan, sipping his martini. “Is that your thing?”
Xander blinked and Illiam grabbed his arm tighter as he glared at Osdan. “Excuse me? What did you say?” spat Illiam.
“I was just asking if-”
“Osdan, please.” said Elian, interrupting his boyfriend. “Let’s all have a nice dinner together! Um, so, Xander, Illiam told me that you wanted to become a doctor. Osdan also would like to become a doctor. Why don’t you… discuss that?”
“Why do you want to become a doctor, Xander? I’ve wanted to be an gynecologist ever since I realized there was such a large demand for gynecologists who know how to properly serve the LGBTQ community and experienced such ineptness at my visits. I hope to help transgender people who have to visit a gynecologist through our shared experiences.”
Xander looked down at his water. “I just want to make a lot of money.” He paused. “Also I find myself fascinated by heart surgery. Many times, I have seen myself watching a heart surgery video on youtube, and propelled into the role of protagonist in such a video. Me, the-”
“That’s disgusting.” said Osdan. “Like, literally, disgusting. You should probably talk to a therapist about that.”
“It’s not disgusting.” Xander was getting agitated, Illiam knew it. He was tapping his fingers on the table rapidly with one hand, pounding out an arrhythmic pattern. “Shouldn’t I want a job that I enjoy doing?”
“Not if you’re becoming a doctor for purely voy-”
“Hi, boys, do you know what you want to order yet?” asked the fish waitress.
“I’ll have the shrimp tacos, please!” said Elian.
“Me too.” added Illiam. At least that was something he and Elian could agree upon.
Osdan said, “I’ll have the salmon,” and the waitress turned to Xander.
Xander stared at her. “Oh. Um. I’ll have nothing, please. I’m not very hungry.”
“Are you serious?” said Osdan.
“I’m not a very big fan of fish, sadly.” said Xander. “I will eat later.”
Osdan rolled his eyes at Xander and leaned back.
“Okay, dear.” said the waitress. “Lemme know if you change your mind.”
She took the menus from the four and walked away. Soon the next part of the dinner would begin.
“How about we talk about something else!” said Elian.
“So, Illiam, you’re a psychology major.” commented Osdan. “What’s that like?”
Illiam smiled. “Well, the psychology students here are less ableist. You don’t know how nice that is.”
“So what are you planning to do with your psychology degree?”
“I think I’d like to become a therapist.”
“Well, that’s nice.” said Osdan. “It’s nice to see that someone else actually cares about people. So, how long have you and Xander been seeing each other?”
“It’s been two years.” Illiam could still remember when he met Xander on that reddit thread. He had made a snarky comment about some terrible post elsewhere on the site, and Xander had made a reply that had made him shake with laughter. They had begun exchanging messages, then skyping…
“Elian and have seeing each other for roughly a year.” Osdan looked pleased. “Professor Koremos introduced us.”
“That’s the man who’s always at the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, isn’t he?” asked Illiam. “The very short one.”
“He’s not that short.” said Osdan, who was quite short himself. “So do you visit there often?”
“I work there.” said Illiam. “I’m one of the student counselors there.”
“Oh, then do you know who the guy who keeps telling people not to come out is?” Osdan twisted his lip angrily. “If I knew who he was, I would give him a piece of my mind.”
“Alright then, give me a piece of your mind.” said Illiam.
“What?”
Illiam pointed to himself. “Give me your thoughts, Osdan. I’m that person.”
“How! How dare you!” shrieked Osdan. “I- I can’t believe you would do that to such young and impressionable people. You’re supposed to be a counselor and give people good advice!”
“Well, coming out didn’t go too well for me.” replied Illiam. “Sometimes I give advise, even if it isn’t the advice that others would like to hear. I give advise honestly, based upon the things that have happened during my own life. And if you don’t like it, there’s other people out there to give you advice.”
“But coming out is good for people.” replied Osdan, his hand gripping tightly on his glass. “Yes, it may sting, but it’s like ripping off a bandaid.”
“Oh, yes, or being completely disowned by your parents.”
Elian begun to look entirely to the side, seeming desperate for the food to arrive. Illiam felt bad for instigating conflict, but this Osdan guy was… he just was…. UGH! “And sometimes that a thing that needs to happen. You need to remove toxic people from your life.”
“My own parents?!” questioned Illiam. “Who were paying for my education and made me drop out of college halfway through my last semester!? Basically picked up my life, my plans, the way I was going, and ruined my plans completely?!”
“So this is about you, then.” said Osdan, taking another sip of his fucking martini. “You’re angry about your personal coming out experience.”
“Sure I am.” said Illiam. “My parents call me up a day before my big midterms, tell me they heard that Elian was gay, that I needed to reassure them I was straight. I couldn’t give them the answer they wanted to hear.”
“So you didn’t really come out.”
Illiam glared at Osdan, his stare focused, sharp. “Fuck you. I could have lied to them. I told them the truth. It was a terrible decision. An awful decision. I still regret it often. But I can’t go back and change it. I just have to live my life forever altered. I probably won’t be able to pursue any schooling beyond this, like I’d hoped. I can’t get any sort of financial aid from the government because my parents refuse to cooperate, because they won’t even speak to me!”
“You should try to get scholarships.” said Osdan. “That’s what I did.”
“Yeah, been there, tried that, didn’t get any. And that’s not the point. The point is that sometimes coming out is a very bad idea. Don’t hate me for telling people that.”
“But I’ve been told you tell everyone that.”
“Well, people who feel confident in coming out don’t usually ask me for advice.” Illiam leaned back in his chair, feeling as if his point was made. Osdan stood up, now shaking slightly as the fish waitress approached.
“Well, kids, we have a salmon, two fish tacos, and nothing.”
“Why did you just bring an empty plate?” asked Xander.
“We’re leaving.” said Osdan. “I can’t have dinner with you two. You just both… offend me. On multiple levels. Come on, Elian.”
Elian was simply sitting there, staring at his shrimp tacos. “You know, I think it was here that you told them. We were sitting at this table.” He paused, then added, “Our parents, I mean.” He stared at Illiam sadly. “I was just talking to them. I wanted to tell them, you know. Because we haven’t had a very good relationship for years. But I didn’t tell them. Because of you. I wanted to protect you.”
“But you didn’t.” replied Illiam. “You told them.”
“No, I didn’t.” said Elian. “Osdan showed up. And when our parents asked him who he was…”
Illiam looked at Osdan, shocked, horrified, disgusted. He despised this man. “You didn’t.”
“I did it for Elian. To help him.”
“You almost destroyed me!” screamed Illiam, getting to his feet. “Do you know how much it hurt, reading that facebook post? I regretfully inform all my friends and family that the two boys I raised can no longer be called my sons. They have-”
Elian covered his ears. “Illiam, please stop!”
“And the worst thing was seeing all the likes of our family and her friends, and all those people I used to know back home there. That they supported this. That they said YES! FUCK THOSE TWO HOMO-”
A fish waitress tapped on Illiam’s shoulder. “Sir, I know you must be very angry, but the Fish Place is a family establishment.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” said Illiam. In a quieter voice he said, “Yes! Um, they are very bad, those two-”
“I get the point.” replied Osdan. “But here you are. You can be who you really are now. You’re free.” He looked to Xander. “Aren’t you happier with him out?”
“I am happy when Illiam is happy, and this has upsetted him greatly.” replied Xander. “I think it would be best if you and Elian left.”
“I’m not going with him.” said Elian. “Osdan, you’ve been very rude to my brother and his boyfriend all night. If you’d like to apologize to them, and me, you know where to find me. But until then, I think it’d be best if you just drove us back.”
“I’m not driving you back.” replied Osdan. “Have fun at the Fish Place with those two.”
Osdan left out the door, slamming it on his way out. Illiam sat back down, looking at Elian.
“I thought you said you told mom and dad.”
“I told you that so you wouldn’t hate Osdan.” said Elian, looking sadly at his shrimp tacos. “But now you do.”
“You should break up with him.” said Xander. “I am sure you could easily find a far superior boyfriend anywhere around.”
“Xander’s right.” said Illiam. “You really could.”
Elian didn’t reply to that, and Illiam hefted up the plate of salmon. “Well, Osdan’s not going to eat this. Do you want it, Xander, or can Elian and I share it?”
“Why don’t we just get all this to go and go to a place Xander would like?” said Elian. “Since he doesn’t apparently eat things besides meat. No offense, Xander. I can be kind of a picky eater too. For example, I hate most pork.”
“I also hate most pork.” replied Xander. “I enjoy bacon, pork clouds, ham, canadian bacon…”
Xander then went on to list most of the varieties of pork. In the end, the manager of Fish Place told the trio they were being kicked out for Illiam’s public outrage, and Illiam paid and they walked down to a burger place slightly down the street before they caught an uber back to campus.
“Well, here we are.” said Illiam. “Xander and I could go back, or we could hang around here for a bit longer.”
“I’d like you to introduce you to my residents!” said Elian. “They’re all super cool. You’ll love them. And most of them will be very happy to hear that Osdan and I may be breaking up. They hate him!”
The night ended with Illiam and Xander staying in Elian’s oversized room, watching Madoka Magica until they fell asleep. Though the meeting of the brothers had a rocky start, Illiam was glad he and Elian had attempted to introduce each other to their boyfriends. It had all kind of worked out in the end.
“So, Illiam, you’re a psychology major.” commented Osdan. “What’s that like?”
Illiam smiled. “Well, the psychology students here are less ableist. You don’t know how nice that is.”
“So what are you planning to do with your psychology degree?”
“I think I’d like to become a therapist.”
“Well, that’s nice.” said Osdan. “It’s nice to see that someone else actually cares about people. So, how long have you and Xander been seeing each other?”
“It’s been two years.” Illiam could still remember when he met Xander on that reddit thread. He had made a snarky comment about some terrible post elsewhere on the site, and Xander had made a reply that had made him shake with laughter. They had begun exchanging messages, then skyping…
“Elian and have seeing each other for roughly a year.” Osdan looked pleased. “Professor Koremos introduced us.”
“That’s the man who’s always at the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, isn’t he?” asked Illiam. “The very short one.”
“He’s not that short.” said Osdan, who was quite short himself. “So do you visit there often?”
“I work there.” said Illiam. “I’m one of the student counselors there.”
“Oh, then do you know who the guy who keeps telling people not to come out is?” Osdan twisted his lip angrily. “If I knew who he was, I would give him a piece of my mind.”
“Alright then, give me a piece of your mind.” said Illiam.
“What?”
Illiam pointed to himself. “Give me your thoughts, Osdan. I’m that person.”
“How! How dare you!” shrieked Osdan. “I- I can’t believe you would do that to such young and impressionable people. You’re supposed to be a counselor and give people good advice!”
“Well, coming out didn’t go too well for me.” replied Illiam. “Sometimes I give advise, even if it isn’t the advice that others would like to hear. I give advise honestly, based upon the things that have happened during my own life. And if you don’t like it, there’s other people out there to give you advice.”
“But coming out is good for people.” replied Osdan, his hand gripping tightly on his glass. “Yes, it may sting, but it’s like ripping off a bandaid.”
“Oh, yes, or being completely disowned by your parents.”
Elian begun to look entirely to the side, seeming desperate for the food to arrive. Illiam felt bad for instigating conflict, but this Osdan guy was… he just was…. UGH! “And sometimes that a thing that needs to happen. You need to remove toxic people from your life.”
“My own parents?!” questioned Illiam. “Who were paying for my education and made me drop out of college halfway through my last semester!? Basically picked up my life, my plans, the way I was going, and ruined my plans completely?!”
“So this is about you, then.” said Osdan, taking another sip of his fucking martini. “You’re angry about your personal coming out experience.”
“Sure I am.” said Illiam. “My parents call me up a day before my big midterms, tell me they heard that Elian was gay, that I needed to reassure them I was straight. I couldn’t give them the answer they wanted to hear.”
“So you didn’t really come out.”
Illiam glared at Osdan, his stare focused, sharp. “Fuck you. I could have lied to them. I told them the truth. It was a terrible decision. An awful decision. I still regret it often. But I can’t go back and change it. I just have to live my life forever altered. I probably won’t be able to pursue any schooling beyond this, like I’d hoped. I can’t get any sort of financial aid from the government because my parents refuse to cooperate, because they won’t even speak to me!”
“You should try to get scholarships.” said Osdan. “That’s what I did.”
“Yeah, been there, tried that, didn’t get any. And that’s not the point. The point is that sometimes coming out is a very bad idea. Don’t hate me for telling people that.”
“But I’ve been told you tell everyone that.”
“Well, people who feel confident in coming out don’t usually ask me for advice.” Illiam leaned back in his chair, feeling as if his point was made. Osdan stood up, now shaking slightly as the fish waitress approached.
“Well, kids, we have a salmon, two fish tacos, and nothing.”
“Why did you just bring an empty plate?” asked Xander.
“We’re leaving.” said Osdan. “I can’t have dinner with you two. You just both… offend me. On multiple levels. Come on, Elian.”
Elian was simply sitting there, staring at his shrimp tacos. “You know, I think it was here that you told them. We were sitting at this table.” He paused, then added, “Our parents, I mean.” He stared at Illiam sadly. “I was just talking to them. I wanted to tell them, you know. Because we haven’t had a very good relationship for years. But I didn’t tell them. Because of you. I wanted to protect you.”
“But you didn’t.” replied Illiam. “You told them.”
“No, I didn’t.” said Elian. “Osdan showed up. And when our parents asked him who he was…”
Illiam looked at Osdan, shocked, horrified, disgusted. He despised this man. “You didn’t.”
“I did it for Elian. To help him.”
“You almost destroyed me!” screamed Illiam, getting to his feet. “Do you know how much it hurt, reading that facebook post? I regretfully inform all my friends and family that the two boys I raised can no longer be called my sons. They have-”
Elian covered his ears. “Illiam, please stop!”
“And the worst thing was seeing all the likes of our family and her friends, and all those people I used to know back home there. That they supported this. That they said YES! FUCK THOSE TWO HOMO-”
A fish waitress tapped on Illiam’s shoulder. “Sir, I know you must be very angry, but the Fish Place is a family establishment.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” said Illiam. In a quieter voice he said, “Yes! Um, they are very bad, those two-”
“I get the point.” replied Osdan. “But here you are. You can be who you really are now. You’re free.” He looked to Xander. “Aren’t you happier with him out?”
“I am happy when Illiam is happy, and this has upsetted him greatly.” replied Xander. “I think it would be best if you and Elian left.”
“I’m not going with him.” said Elian. “Osdan, you’ve been very rude to my brother and his boyfriend all night. If you’d like to apologize to them, and me, you know where to find me. But until then, I think it’d be best if you just drove us back.”
“I’m not driving you back.” replied Osdan. “Have fun at the Fish Place with those two.”
Osdan left out the door, slamming it on his way out. Illiam sat back down, looking at Elian.
“I thought you said you told mom and dad.”
“I told you that so you wouldn’t hate Osdan.” said Elian, looking sadly at his shrimp tacos. “But now you do.”
“You should break up with him.” said Xander. “I am sure you could easily find a far superior boyfriend anywhere around.”
“Xander’s right.” said Illiam. “You really could.”
Elian didn’t reply to that, and Illiam hefted up the plate of salmon. “Well, Osdan’s not going to eat this. Do you want it, Xander, or can Elian and I share it?”
“Why don’t we just get all this to go and go to a place Xander would like?” said Elian. “Since he doesn’t apparently eat things besides meat. No offense, Xander. I can be kind of a picky eater too. For example, I hate most pork.”
“I also hate most pork.” replied Xander. “I enjoy bacon, pork clouds, ham, canadian bacon…”
Xander then went on to list most of the varieties of pork. In the end, the manager of Fish Place told the trio they were being kicked out for Illiam’s public outrage, and Illiam paid and they walked down to a burger place slightly down the street before they caught an uber back to campus.
“Well, here we are.” said Illiam. “Xander and I could go back, or we could hang around here for a bit longer.”
“I’d like you to introduce you to my residents!” said Elian. “They’re all super cool. You’ll love them. And most of them will be very happy to hear that Osdan and I may be breaking up. They hate him!”
The night ended with Illiam and Xander staying in Elian’s oversized room, watching Madoka Magica until they fell asleep. Though the meeting of the brothers had a rocky start, Illiam was glad he and Elian had attempted to introduce each other to their boyfriends. It had all kind of worked out in the end.
Author's Note: Yet another Xilliam story? With the amazing (terrible) pairing that is Eldan.
My mother liked this story.
Word Count: 3174 Words
Date: November 17th, 2015
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