Roman - Part 4

Parts of Cherry Oaks have been removed on Reddit, so i just need to work out what's happening with that before I continue. In the mean time, it appears that Roman is pulling at some heart strings, so enjoy! 

All characters are 18+

Roman stood at the edge of the pool with a look so profound that even I began to tear up. Mike had been nervous at first, and it took both of us to actually get the man into the water, but that was twenty minutes ago, and now we watched as he soared through the water so majestically that I couldn't quite believe my eyes.

"I... I didn't even know he could swim" Roman mouthed, though it sounded like he was speaking more to himself than to me. I smiled.

"Well" I shrugged, "now you do".

I pushed him, but the young man was like a statue and simply turned to me with a grin across his beautiful face.

"Did the boy wearing tighty whities, really just try to push me into the pool?"

A jolt of excitement rushed through me as Roman pounced and grabbed me around the waist as I attempted to escape. A shriek of laughter erupted from me as he lifted me off the tiled floor and held me with ease over the water.

"Say 'I love tighty whities'" he laughed, holding me tight, "say it or I drop you!"

I squirmed in his arms, but couldn't stop laughing either, and a moment later I was falling.

The cool water submerged me, and underneath it, a calmness existed that made everything else extinct. I reached the bottom, my heart fluttering from the events of the day, and a second later, the swoosh of Roman's muscular body rippled the water around me, and we were together once more.

The silence was golden. It was just us, with nobody else to see, and in that moment I knew that he was everything I ever wanted.

He sparkled down here, his stunning features softened by the blue hue from the water, and his movements, slow and gentle.

His hands closed around my wrists, pulling me closer to him until our semi naked bodies touched. Was this it? Was this the moment that he would reveal his true feelings?

My heart wasn't fluttering anymore, it was exploding in my chest. The flow of the water took me even closer to him, our faces inches from each other, until a hand reached down, and grasped his shoulder.

Roman stared at me for a moment, before his laughter bubbled to the surface, and the two of us followed.

"I thought you pair had left me here" Mike beamed, the happiness evident on his face, "not that I would have minded that, if I'm honest" he added with a chuckle.

Rubbing water from my eyes I pulled myself to the edge of the pool and floated there for a moment. Everything about this entire ordeal was amazing. He was painfully beautiful. He was unnaturally kind. He had everything I could ever dream of, but the truth was, I didn't even know if he was gay.

"I want to thank you, David" Mike's voice came, as Roman swam off, "it's been a long time since I've done anything like this".

"Oh, it's no problem, Mike" I told him, "I'm glad I could help".

In the water, Mike was just like everybody else. That's why I suggested it. I recalled the look on Collie Anderson's face when he'd get in the pool all those years ago. He thrived in the water, unbound by disability. Mike was no different.

"You're a very kind boy, do you know that?" The man asked, as he floated next to me, "I meant what I said before, whoever gets you is a very lucky man".

I felt my cheeks burn. I'd never been great at accepting compliments, especially from the only person who I'd ever divulged my dark secret to. Even hearing someone acknowledge that it was a man that I was interested in, made me feel strange. Not bad, just strange.

"Thanks" I mumbled, trying to hide my bashfulness.

"He likes Italian food" Mike whispered, and squeezed my neck gently, "there's one hundred bucks in the pocket of your pants, and one more thing, son".

My eyes were already wide. Was it that obvious that I was falling head over heels for his son? Though even if it was, Mike didn't seem disgusted or angry or anything.

"Your parents don't care if you're gay. They've raised a kind, caring and amazing young man, and they'll be proud of you regardless. Trust me, I know".

With those words, Mike burst off through the water and I was left alone, once again on the verge of tears. I was thankful for the droplets running down my face already, but they weren't sad tears. They were the happiest ones I could ever remember shedding.

When we got Mike back home, the man winked at me as he wheeled himself into the living room with a beer.

What was I supposed to do now? I'd never asked anybody out on a date before, let alone someone who was as hot as Roman. Plus, his dad was sitting right there, how could I do something so uncomfortable, and not look like a bumbling idiot?

As I opened my mouth to begin what was sure to be a rambling catastrophe, Mike spoke out, and every bone in my body seemed to stiffen.

"Roman, open your eyes, son" he laughed, gulping from his can, "your friend is crazy about you, now either take the hint or someone else will".

My mouth fell open. I couldn't even look at Roman. Why would Mike say it so... Honestly?! Everything would be ruined now, everything. I cringed to myself, waiting for the young man to expel me from his house and order me never to speak to him again, until I felt a heavy arm drape over my shoulder and looked up to find him standing next to me.

"Is that so" he smiled, and I couldn't answer him. "Well, I guess we'll have to find that out for ourselves, dad".

The man shook his head and laughed as he turned back to the television, I remained frozen in place.

"Wanna go for a drive?" He asked me, and his dad chuckled.

"Now we're getting somewhere" he snorted, and Roman grinned.

"Um..." The words felt heavy in my mouth. "I... I uh..." My cheeks were burning red again, why were they always burning red lately? "I wanted to um... I..."

"He wants to take you on a date to that Italian joint in town" Mike said casually, "so both of you go and get into something more appropriate and give me a bit of peace and quiet".

I wanted to kiss Mike. I looked up at Roman who was staring at me, and winced as I waited for an answer.

"Are you asking me out on a date, Davey?" He whispered, and all I could do was nod.

Roman stepped back, and I held my breath as he strolled toward the stairs.

"Meet you by the car in twenty minutes" he said flippantly, and I watched him saunter up the stairs without a care in the world.

I exhaled deeply, feeling the sweat trail down my body under my t-shirt, and caught Mike smirking at me from the other side of the room.

"Have fun, kid" he winked, and with a grin spread widely across my face, I leapt from the house and charged home.

Donned in the only white shirt that I owned, with a red tie strangling me, and a pair of black pants that I hadn't worn since my uncle's wedding five years ago, crushing my manhood, I shuffled from my bedroom and bumped straight into my dad.

"Well aren't you looking... Uncomfortable" he chuckled.

"I um... I don't have anything else" I replied awkwardly pulling the tight fabric from my crotch.

"How long do you have?" He asked, and I painfully dug my hand into the pocket of my pants and checked my phone.

"Ten minutes".

Dad pulled me into his bedroom and began searching through his closet. A few minutes later, I pulled on a pair of much more comfortable pants, and dad began re-tying my tie.

"You look great, son" he nodded, flipping and flapping the red velvet through his hands, "he's a lucky guy".

"Everyone keeps saying that" I half laughed, "I think I'm the lucky one".

Even though it was already brutally obvious, the words still refused to come out. I wanted to tell him, I wanted to tell him so badly, but how could I simply blurt out a secret that I had tried so hard to protect for so long?

Back when I was being viciously tormented as a kid, I told them so many made up stories that I began to forget what my new black eye was for. Never once had I ever divulged that the cruel bullying was for one reason and one reason only, and now I was supposed to just give up?

"He seems like a nice guy" dad said, tightening the tie to my neck, "so maybe you're both lucky".

We stared at each other, and I nodded.

"Do you need money?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"Dad"

He didn't answer, he simply waited.

"I... I... I want to tell you something".

He was my best friend as well as my dad, and even though I knew that the revelation wouldn't be as shocking as I expected, I still couldn't help but feel that I was somehow letting him down. What man wants their son to grow up gay? How would I ever give him grandchildren, or how would he ever introduce me to his friends? Hey, this is my gay son and his gay boyfriend.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and felt his hands on my face.

"You're gay, David" he said, and I exhaled. "You're gay, and we love you more than you'll ever even understand. You're gay and you are your little brother's biggest hero. You're gay and all we ever want is for you to be happy".

He kissed me on the forehead and fixed the shoulders of my shirt.

"You're gay and your bedroom is a mess by the way, so when you get home from your date, you better get your ass in and clean it".

I laughed, a wet, teary laugh and hugged him tighter than I ever had before.

"Thanks dad" I whispered.

"No, son" he breathed back, squeezing me, "thank you".

"Who are you and what have you done with Davey?" Roman grinned as I walked toward him. I laughed, but I was yet to work out how to properly take a compliment.

"You look good" I nodded, and he did.

He too, wore a white shirt, though it was much more casual than mine, with the top three buttons open to reveal his tanned, solid chest. His pants were beige, and matched his shoes, and suddenly I realised how bad I was at being gay.

"Do I look like I'm going to a wedding?" I groaned, as Roman loosened my tie a little and unbuttoned the top button on my shirt.

"Maybe a little" he smirked, "but if that's you're way of proposing to me, then you'll have to try a bit harder than that!"

We both laughed as we got into the car. I simply sat there in awe. Finally, after all these years, my secret was no longer a secret. My dad hadn't just taken it well, he'd taken it better than I could have ever imagined. It felt like the weight of the world had been taken from my shoulders, and now I felt like I could do anything.

"Thank you for today, Davey" he said, placing his hand on my knee, "you've no idea what it means to me... To both of us".

I dropped my hand onto his and the two of us stared at each other as the butterflies returned to my stomach, only this time they soared through the rest of my body, too.

"Ready?" Roman asked, and I nodded with my biggest smile yet.