Incident 8 Tis the Season to be Outed
Ross put on his pants the same way as everyone else. Reluctantly.
Granted, his reason for that had changed: usually, because it was morning, and who wanted to face that? But this morning, the reason had changed.
Ross looked back, pausing in getting dressed to give a fond smile at the man still stretched out in the bed behind him.
Glenn slept utterly dead to the world, no pun intended.
He sprawled out along the dark blue sheets, pale skin with the freckled back in sharp contrast to the bedding, face half-buried in the pillow, a thoroughly sated man intent on getting his rest. He was so inviting that way, Ross nearly shucked clothes and returned to curl back around him.
Damn college forms. If they weren’t due today, he’d give responsibility the middle finger.
But Ross really had to finish up college prep today.
There were lab fees due, books to buy, supplies to gather, and his ID to get done before January fourth hit him.
He’d have no time later, not with the mix of holidays stretching out ahead of him.
Hannukah celebrations had two more days left, Yule twelve, and traditional Christmas celebrations took three.
Ross would be neck deep in celebrations for the next two and a half weeks. At least.
Sighing, he finished getting dressed, tiptoeing out of Glenn’s bedroom and heading out. He hadn’t thought to grab extra clothes before coming over last night. Early this morning? Ugh, his mental clock was hopelessly screwed up because of his nocturnal boyfriend.
What was time, anyway?
Regardless, it meant he had to go back to his own place long enough to shower and change, then head to campus.
Ross grabbed his coat and snuck out quietly, then shivered in the chill of the December morning.
It had snowed the past few weeks, and several inches just sat about, stockpiling with every snowstorm.
Ross glared at the pileup on the road, as it was just thick enough to give him trouble.
The designated snow plowers were already at work, clearing driveways and the road leading in.
Ross gave them a wave as he headed across the street.
He eyed his own driveway, still not cleared, with judicious eyes.
Yeah, no way his little Civic could clear that much snow.
Casting about, he spied the nearest person with a snow shovel.
It was his newest minion, Hairy—er, that was to say, Bobo.
(And really, who in their ever lovin’ mind named a half-orc Bobo?)
“Bobo!”
Bobo’s head popped up and he loped towards Ross like a happy puppy expecting a pat on the head.
Which was about the level Ross treated him, as he was loyal but not too bright.
Bobo was swathed in a cap, gloves, bulky jacket—the works, in an effort to keep him warm as he worked.
Ross couldn’t see much more than his eyes and nose, but he was clearly smiling. “Hi, Ross!”
“Hey yourself, big guy. Thanks for clearing out the snow, I know it’s a chore.”
“Naw, it’s not bad. And Chloe always makes us hot chocolate for afterwards, when we’re done.”
“Yeah? I didn’t know she did that. Cool. Can I ask a favor and have you tackle my driveway? I need to get out in about thirty minutes.”
“Oh, sure, sure.” Bobo ducked his head uncertainly. “Have you gotten my paperwork all done yet?”
“Yup, all done. I got the boss’s signature on things last night, and I’m submitting them in the mail this morning. So expect a packet in the mail soon that’s got your 401k info, your insurance, and all of that, okay? Make sure you don’t throw it out with the junk mail.”
Bobo didn’t have a great track record with employers.
He tended to get shuffled between one megalomaniac tyrant to another.
Ross was something new for him. And he considered Ross his boss, not Glenn.
He’d learned he could ask Ross things and get an answer.
But there were moments, like now, when he wasn’t sure where he stood.
Ross was glad Bobo trusted him enough to ask.
Bobo didn’t understand that paperwork wasn’t a fast process—it took months sometimes to get it all in line—but Ross was trying.
And almost done, really. The retirement plan and insurance were the last of it.
And he’d finally figured out what to do with Bobo.
Turning the man into one of the groundsmen for the clan suited him well, as he was good at manual labor and preferred working outside, even in the dead of winter.
Relieved, Bobo went back to smiling. “Okay. I’ll keep an eye out for it.”
“Cool. I’m going to shower and get dressed. Thanks for the driveway.” He gave a smile and headed in.
Ross managed to get inside and to his bedroom before his phone went off. He checked the screen before answering, “Hey, bro.”
“Hey,” Levonn answered with a grunt. “I’m on my way to work, don’t have time to really talk, but thought I’d better warn you. Mom’s really not feeling happy with you right now.”
Ross sighed. And that would be the other issue he had to do something about before it blew up in his face. “Yeah, I know.”
“Any reason you’re not wanting her to come over?”
“What? She did come over for my housewarming.”
“You know good and well that’s not the issue. She’s used to dropping by, seeing you. Having you over regularly for dinners. That all stopped when you got the new job. It worries her.”
Yes, he was well aware. Ross had been trying to put her off, just until he got his feet properly under him and could manage the clan well enough that his mother didn’t see something she shouldn’t.
He still hadn’t properly gotten that level of control.
And now he and Glenn were lovers, and there was absolutely no hiding that.
It was in the way Glenn looked at him, as if he were wonder incarnate.
Ross had no defenses against that look and basically turned to goo whenever he was anywhere in Glenn’s orbit.
His mother, observant woman that she was, would take one look at them and just know.
“It’s…not the job. I, um, got a boyfriend.”
Levonn sucked in a breath. “Oh. Oh, yeah? Co-worker, I take it?”
“Uh, well, he’s my boss. Actually.”
Levonn groaned, loud and long. “Ross, you know dating the boss is never a good idea.”
“Trust me, I know. But I think it was kind of inevitable. Since the day I started, I realized I was attracted. That he was attracted. It’s part of the reason I couldn’t let Mom anywhere near here.
She’d pick up on it pretty quickly. Glenn and I have now been dating a solid month and a half, and…
.” Ross trailed off, not sure how to explain it.
He’d dated before, and the relationship always seemed to suffer about a month in.
He could tell by that point if a breakup was imminent, and it generally had been.
His longest running relationship had been six months, and that hadn’t been romantic, but a friends-with-benefits arrangement.
But for every day he spent with Glenn, Ross wished for even more time. He didn’t see the end in sight. Rather, he felt he solidly stood at the beginning of something amazing. And Ross clung to that hope, as he dearly wished for it to be the case.
Levonn heard something in his tone, and in his silence. “It’s going super well, isn’t it?”
“Amazingly well. I couldn’t imagine a better boyfriend, and he’s very supportive of everything I want to do.
He’s changed my work hours so I can go back to college and finish my degree.
And it’s not just that. He does little things to help me out.
He’s cooked dinner several times when he knows I’ve had a long day.
He changed plans for one of our dates and turned it into a home date because I was dead on my feet and didn’t have the energy to go out. ”
“Damn.” Levonn let out a low whistle. “So he’s thoughtful. I’m actually getting jealous over here. He got a sister?”
“Sorry, bro.” Ross grinned briefly at just the idea. “But you see why I’m holding onto him?”
“Yeah. Shit, yeah. Even if the sex is not that great, he still makes a great partner. Is the sex okay?”
“The sex is fucking fantastic and hot enough to strip paint from the walls.”
“So, you’re literally sitting on a goldmine over there.”
“Not sure I’d phrase it that way, but basically. And there’s no way Mom can casually pop over here without seeing it. It’s obvious in how Glenn looks at me, how he reacts to me. How I react to him. A blind man can’t miss this.”
“Yeah. Yeah, no, I hear you. But Ross, isn’t it about time you told Mom the truth anyway?”
Ross sighed. “Yeah, probably. She still tries to introduce me to nice girls sometimes. And that’s gotten really old. I just don’t know how she’ll take it.”
“I don’t know either. I really don’t know where she stands. But I do know it’s time to tell her. Because it sounds like you really like this guy. And don’t you want to be with him without constantly looking over your shoulder?”
Now there was perspective for you. And honestly, that was the best incentive ever. Because Ross really did want to live and date and love without worrying about what his mother thought.
“Yeah. Yeah, I do. Okay, I’ll call her a bit later. I’m heading to campus now to finish getting ready for the new semester.”
“Okay, just don’t put it off much longer. I think she has every intention of barging in on you tonight after work; that’s how done she is.”
Ross winced. “Warning taken. Thanks.”
“Good luck. Call me if you need me. Bye.”
Sighing, Ross mentally planned on calling Levonn in. Because backup, always helpful to have on hand.
He went through the motions of getting showered, dressed, something simple for breakfast—lunch?
Brunch? Who the hell knew at this point.
As he went through the motions, his mind fixated on the possible responses of his mother when he dropped the two bombs of “I’m gay” and “I have a sexy boyfriend.” But he honestly didn’t know how to predict this.