Father And Son Episode Seven: Reunions And Revelations
"Hey, it's Lars. We...didn't exactly do anything interesting on Wednesday. Just a lot of driving....so we're going to skip it, alright?"
* * *
Thursday afternoon. The SUV finally pulls up to a house in a suburb of Empire City. There are already cars in the driveway, so they know that there are people there.
"Well, here we are kid." James stepped out of the truck. "The house I grew up in."
Lars took in the features of the house. It had a big porch, a big lawn, it looked like it had rooms to spare. The overall feeling was big. The lawn was well maintained and the house had a beautiful flower garden bordering it with vines that seemed to climb up the house like an all natural security blanket. "Wow...this place looks so nice! You really grew up here?"
James smirked. "Well, mom and dad really cleaned up after me and my siblings left." James grabbed Lars' shoulder and led him up the walkway leading through the yard and up to the porch. "Remember Lars. Be on your best behavior."
Lars smiled. "No worries dad!" Lars knocked on the door. After a few moments, they could hear footsteps coming near, then they heard the door unlocking and finally the door opened. Standing in the door was an alligator about Lars' size, but he was kind of lanky, wiry and athletic looking. He looked a bit like James only older.
"Well look who's here!" The alligator stepped onto the porch and shook James hand happily. "If it isn't my kid brother Jamiel!"
"It's nice to see you again Jumeres." James smiled down at his big brother, returning the handshake.
"Nice to see you, nice to see you!" Jumeres inched close to James. "Say Jameil, who's the big guy?" Jumeres covertly pointed to Lars.
"Jumeres, I know you know who this is." James gave Jumeres a deadpan look.
Jumeres popped a finger in the air. "AAH RIGHT! Of course!" Jumeres looked Lars up and down for a second before returning to James' side. "Seriously, is he a cousin or something?"
James facepalmed. "It's Lars, Jumeres. It's my son Lars."
Lars waved, embarrassed. "Hello Uncle Jumeres. Long time no see!"
Jumeres jumped back a bit. "WHAT!? You mean this slab of meat is little baby Lars!?" Jumeres looked Lars up and down. "The last time I saw you, you were knee high to a grasshopper and twice as thin..."
Lars smiled. "Well, I grew up. It's been almost eight years."
Jumeres rubbed his chin with his hand. "Yes it has, yes it has. You look just like Jameil did when he was your age. A bit smaller, but almost like a photocopy." Jumeres turned and called into the house. "Hey everybody, Jamiel is here! And he brought a monster with him!"
James and Lars stepped in behind Jumeres and right away were ambushed by a female alligator. She was thin and small compared to the rest of the family. She had long hair that flowed down in waves. "Oh Jameil, I haven't seen you in so long!" She hugged James tightly.
"Hehe, nice to see you again Celie." James hugged her back.
"Ooh, and who's this strapping young man?" Celie turned her attention to Lars. "Could this be that itty-bitty kid that Jameil brought us!?"
Lars blushed a bit more, growing more embarrassed by the second by all the attention he was getting. "It's nice to see you again Aunt Celie."
Celie hugged Lars. "Ooh, you've grown up so much! I feel like a midget with all these giants stomping around me!"
"Where's mom and dad?" James looked around for them.
Celie was still obsessing over Lars' growth over the years. "Momma's in the kitchen. I don't know where Daddy went. I think he's in the tool shed."
"Alright." James took a hold of Lars, dragging him away from Jumeres and Celie's invasions of personal space. "I want mom and dad to see him right away!"
As James led Lars through the house, Lars flashed him the most thankful look ever from behind the wall of red he had on his face.
"Hey mom!" James stepped into the kitchen. "You in here?"
"Here I am Jameil!" She was on the other side of the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee. She looked a lot like like Celie, but more elegant and with longer, straight hair. The only real sign of her age was the slight lightness of her black hair and a streak of gray hair that hung down in front.
"Mom!" James went over and hugged his mom, kissing her on the cheek. "It's great to see you again mom!"
"Well it's not like I'm going anywhere. I've still got a long time on this planet." Grandma Alexander joked with James. "Ooh, and who's that!? Could that be that cute little Lars?" Grandma Alex got up from her seat and walked over to Lars. "Why he's gotten so big since I last saw him! Of course, I expected him to grow that tall, seeing as he's an Alexander." She hugged Lars. "Thank you for coming to see me Lars!"
Lars' blush came back as he hugged his grandmother. "Of course I would come to see you on a special day like this Grandma!"
"Lars was actually the one who really wanted to see you guys." James smiled.
"Oh, so you wouldn't want to visit your parents on their anniversary?" Grandma Alexander expressed an level of deadpan sarcasm that Lars had never seen before! It was instantly clear that the true codifier of the trademark Alexander Style Deadpan was Grandma, not James.
"Oh nonono! I would have come regardless. But Lars was the one who was the most excited!" James tried to reassure his mother.
Grandma Alexander smiled. "Haha, of course you were going to come. I'm just funning with you son!"
"Is that who I think it is?" A voice called from the back of the house. It was booming and deep, but also friendly and cheerful. "Is that James, Anibelle?"
Grandma Alex turned in the direction of the voice. "Yes it is, Jameil! He and Lars arrived just now!"
"Well then let me come and see my two little men!" The voice sounded closer and heavy footsteps made the floor tremble a bit.
"Oh my...." Lars could only mumble as he saw his grandfather actually duck his head under the doorway to walk in. He was like a wall! He had clearly gained a slightly bigger belly, but he otherwise remained true to James' description as a big wall of muscles on muscles on muscles. He had to have been seven feet tall, and he had eyes for James and Lars. "Well if it isn't my little James!" Grandpa Alexander picked up James effortlessly and hugged him, giving his a kiss on the cheek. "You feel like you've gained a few pounds kid. Got to keep that body in check if you want to look as good as I do when your my age!"
James blushed and rolled his eyes in a way not to dissimilar to Lars. "Yes dad." James continued blushing as his father set him down.
"And Little Lars!" Whatever effort Grandpa Alexander exerted with holding James was tossed out the window as he held Lars up over his head with one hand. "Damn grandson, you have GROWN! You got that Alexander blood in you, that's for sure!"
Lars was at a loss for words. His grandpa was hot! And the tossing around was only making him look hotter. Lars blushed more then any of the other assaults made him combined. "I-it's nice to see you grandpa..."
Grandpa Alexander scratched his head as he held Lars under his arm like a ragdoll. "Grandpa...That sounds too fuddy-duddy for me....Call me Grandaddy Alex!" Grandaddy Alex held Lars up by the armpits, holding him at eye level and piercing him with his gaze. "Hmm.....Yup, I can tell in your eyes that your an upstanding young man. Full of passion, courage and determination!" He finally put Lars back down, Lars staggering a bit after being tossed around so much. "Your doing a great job with this kid James!"
James blushed and scratched his head. "Aww dad, hehe....Thanks..."
Lars noticed. "Hey Grandp-...Grandaddy Alex...Why are you the only one calling dad James here? Back at home, barely anybody knows his actual name.
"Oh, that!" Grandaddy Alex smiled. "You see, it's a nic-name. When Jameil was real small, people would always mistake his name for James thanks Celie running that mouth of hers about the names we were coming up with for him." Grandaddy Alex held onto James. "By the time he could talk, everyone called him James. It took him until his fifth birthday to figure out his name was actually Jameil. By that time, it just stuck and Jameil started using it as much as his real name."
Lars chuckled "Really dad? You really thought your name was James until you were five?"
James shrugged. "I was a baby back then..." James blushed as he felt his father's hands take hold of him.
Grandaddy Alex scooped up Lars in his other arm, holding both against his chest in a warm hug. "I'm so glad you two came! Celie and Jumeres stick around like flies, but you two almost never visit."
James smiled as he melted into his father's arm. "It's just that Central City is so far away...We don't usually have the time for it...."
Lars noticed his father's suddenly submissive nature around Grandaddy Alex and smirked. "I know I would want to come here more often!" Lars enjoyed his grandfather's hug just as much as James.
"So when's the party going to be?" James struggled to pull himself together in his father's embrace.
"It's going to be on Saturday night. You two are actually early." Anibelle smiled as she started to make more coffee.
"That'll give me time to get reacquainted with my kids!" Grandaddy Alex smiled widely as he started to swing James and Lars wildly in his arms. "And I'll be able to get acquainted with my grandson, too!" Grandaddy Alex looked down at Lars. "I take it you don't like Barney anymore."
Lars blushed. "Come on Grandaddy! I'm almost eighteen."
Grandaddy Alex set the two down. "Well then, Anibelle, Make some-Oh, your already making coffee?"
Anibelle smirked. "I know you like the back of my hand Jameil."
Grandaddy Alex hugged his wife and kissed her up and down her neck. "And that's why I love you! Your always thinking two steps ahead of me, makin' me look like a fool."
James facepalmed, blushing. "I know I'm probably too old for this, but could you two give it a rest?"
Grandaddy Alex rolled his eyes at his son. "Well shit, I'm sorry for lovin' my wife in front of the result of lovin' my wife." Once again, a new plateau for snarky deadpan was reached.
"Haha, Grandaddy got you dad!" Lars couldn't help but laugh.
"Lars..." James gave Lars a stern look.
"Jameil..." Grandaddy Alex gave James the same stern look, only twice as intimidating.
"Sorry dad." Lars snapped to attention.
"Yes sir!" James snapped to attention in the exact same way.
"Bwahaha, I'm just funnin' with ya boy!" Grandaddy Alex patted James and Lars both on the head. "You got this son of yours trained pretty good! Nice and obedient. But hey, this is a celebration, let the kid be. I'm sure he'll feel more at home if you let him relax a bit."
"A-alright dad..." James nodded obediently.
"This...is going to make life at home kinda weird...." Lars mused out loud.
* * *
It was the evening and everyone had settled in to talk.
"Hey grandaddy..." Lars looked up at his giant of a grandfather.
"Yeah Lars?" Grandaddy Alex looked down to Lars with the warmest expression ever.
"How...old are you exactly?" Lars scratched behind his head. "I'm sorry if it's kinda rude to ask."
"It's not rude at all!" Grandpa Alexander shook his head. "Let's see....Last time I checked, I was sixty-something....maybe seventy...."
Lars was amazed. "Wow! Dad was right, you do age slowly! How is that possible? You look like your still forty!"
Grandaddy Alexander gave James a stern look. "You hadn't taught the kid his own heritage?"
James shrunk down in his seat. "Well...notexactly....."
Grandaddy Alex got up from his seat. "Well that simply will not do!" Grandaddy Alex scooped up Lars and tossed him over his shoulder.
"Hey grandpa! What's going on!?" Lars was blushing again, not expecting to be tossed around so easily.
"I'm going to give you a history lesson kid!" Grandaddy Alex walked down the hall. "We'll be in the study! Don't wait up!"
Celie smirked. "There he goes. I wonder what he's going to talk to that kid about..."
Jumeres shrugged. "Probably going to try and pry into his mind."
James shook his head. "Well Lars is an pretty intense kid when he wants to be, so maybe he'll be okay...maybe..."
* * *
In Grandaddy Alex's study, he was just finishing up his lecture.
"And we Alexanders have had incredible longevity ever since."
Lars was looking on, absolutely bewildered. "So....we're descended from alligators that mated with swamp gods that embeded them with the gift of anthropomorphism with the added gift of extended lifespans? That seems kinda farfetched grandaddy. No offense."
Grandaddy Alex smiled. "None taken son. It's just a legend. I was just lookin' for an excuse to talk to you in private." Grandaddy smirked at Lars.
"In...private?" Lars blushed.
"Of course! The best way to know a person is to talk to them in private. Now, you look like you've been around the block in your short years. Got anyone special? What are you into anyway?"
Lars blushed even brighter. "Well grandaddy...I'm...well....I'm.....gay..." Lars was embarrassed by himself. He was usually one of the brightest beacons of gay pride you could come across, but under his grandfather's eyes, it was a chore to even let the word leave his throat.
"Ahh, I see. Way to go against the curve son!" Grandaddy Alex smiled at Lars warmly. "Now I'm sure your daddy told you about me, right?"
Lars nodded. "Yeah. He told me your an omnisexual."
Grandaddy scratched his head. "That's what they're calling it now? I just called it everything....."
Lars leaned in a bit closer, interested. "What's it like? To like a bit of everything?"
Grandaddy Alex leaned back. "Well, it's kinda good...and kinda bad at the same time." Grandaddy Alex leaned back forwards. "I'm everything acceptable and everything unacceptable at the same time. The freedom is nice enough, but the discrimination I got for some of my choices was pretty tough when I was younger. I just don't see any clear reason why everyone can't fuck everyone if they want..."
Lars rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."
Grandaddy Alex looked Lars up and down. "Say, that's a nice ring you got there."
"Hmm?" Lars looked down at his hand and noticed he was still wearing his wedding band. He never took it off unless he was taking a shower or washing his hands so after a while, he just forgot it was there. "OH!"
Grandaddy Alex inspected the ring closer. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was a wedding ring....You married already Lars?"
Lars blushed. "Well....not exactly...but...well...err..." Lars had a hard time getting out the words he wanted to say. He was afraid to tell his grandfather what the ring meant, even if he was probably the most understanding person in the world.
"Yes Lars?" Grandaddy Alex gave Lars an intense look.
"Well...it's a-" There was a knock at the door.
"Yeah?" Grandaddy Alex called through the door.
"Lars..." It was Anibelle. "Could you come up to to the living room for a moment?"
Lars and Grandaddy Alex gained matching looks of confusion. "Wha?"
* * *
The two reached the living room where they found Celie and Jumeres tearing into James.
"What's the ring for then Jameil!?" Jumeres gave James' a suspicious look. "You ain't married to that Latriana chick."
"No, never! I hated that bitch!" James shook his head.
"There he is!" Celie ran over and grabbed Lars' hand. "Aha, I knew he was wearing a ring!"
"What's this?" Grandaddy Alex stood by, curious.
"Let's see." Jumeres took both their hands and put them together to compare the rings. "A matched set..."
Lars gained a shocked expression as the reason for his being there became frightfully clear. "Shit...."
"Well Jameil!? What the hell is this!?" Jumeres gave James and Lars both a hateful look unlike any other as Celie stood by, shocked.
"Well...It's just...That..." James stuttered, nervous.
"Yes? What is it Jameil!?" Jumeres pressed his questioning even harder.
"Well...me and Lars....we..." James was seriously stuck, he couldn't make words. Under the hateful eyes of his older brother, James had frozen up. Sensing his lover's distress, Lars took over as the mouthpiece for them.
"We're engaged, alright!?" Lars saw the words form in his mind, but they sounded like they were coming out of a mouth that wasn't his. "I love my dad, and he loves me, so we're getting married!" Lars stood with James, holding his hand.
The room was quickly thrown into silence with the confession. Jumeres' face grew more and more contorted with hate as time passed.
"Your...engaged to your son? That means that....you didn't...." Everyone could see Jumeres' fassade of acceptance break away as the hate inside grew.
"Yes we did." Lars leaned up and kissed his father on the lips.
The kiss snapped James out of his wordless trance. "Lars...Thanks..." James wrapped his arms around Lars and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. "Thanks for helping me, love..."
Lars held his father's hands as he spoke, the pride that had faltered earlier coming back in full force. "That's right, we love each other in that way. I don't think I'd want any other man more then my father! He's my soul mate." Lars left his father's arms, taking a stance in front of him. "You got a problem with that Uncle?"
James held out his hand to his son. "Lars, Take it easy kid..."
Lars stood his ground. "No dad! I'm not going to let him make my lover feel like shit for his personal choices! I know you and your history with Uncle Jumeres. You can't fight him." Lars gained a cocky smirk. "I, however, don't have any history with Uncle Jumeres. So if you have a problem, take it up with me! Leave my husband out of this! You've done enough to him..."
Jumeres gained an angry scowl. "I knew you were a faggot James, but I had no idea you were so fucked up! And that son of yours is even more fucked up!" Jumeres looked as if he could lash out at any moment. "I'm going to have to knock some sense into that sick head of yours!"
Celie reached out for Jumeres. "Jumeres no!"
Anibelle could only look on in shock as Jumeres and Lars stared each other down.
"You don't seem to know how much I love this man..." Lars shook his head as he watched Jumeres getting ready to fight his own nephew. "I would give up my life for him. I would go through hell for this man, I've done it before." Lars got into a braced position. "So beating up my puny, hate filled uncle is nothing!"
"I've seen enough!" Grandaddy Alex shattered the tense air with his booming voice. Without hesitation, he stepped in, grabbing Jumeres by the collar. "Leave those two kids alone Jumeres!" He slowly let Jumeres down. "How dare you force such a personal confession out of your own brother!? How dare you speak such hate in this house!? And how dare you raise even a violent FINGER to your only nephew!? You should be ASHAMED of yourself!"
"ME ashamed!? What about THEM!?" Jumeres pleaded his case to his father.
"THEY looked like a pair of lovers protecting each other from prejudiced assholes like YOU." Grandaddy Alex turned to Lars and James. "I knew there was something I liked about you Lars. Your a powerful young man, you know that? Willing to stare down any threat to protect the man you love regardless of what anyone says! Why it almost brings a tear to my eye! And I know that you only get that kind of honorable love and dedication from proper parenting. James, you have a fine son and husband here."
"So.....your okay with us?" James felt relief unlike anything he's felt before.
"Well of course! Love is for everyone, no matter who they are. You two make a cute couple, even. Hell, I'd probably want a night with Lars if I was a few years younger."
Lars' powerful stance buckled as he blushed brightly. "Hehehe, thanks grandaddy..."
Grandaddy Alex turned to Jumeres. "As long as I'm head of this household, you will NOT discriminate against any kind of love. Especially a love as strong as the love these two share! ESPECIALLY after that crappy Vegas marriage you went through."
"Jumeres got MARRIED!?" James' covered his mouth, not sure if he was expressing absolute shock or absolute entertainment.
"For, like, five weeks. Then that slut he picked up tried to make off with his money." Grandaddy Alex shrugged casually, knowing that he was probably destroying Jumeres. "Really a shame."
Jumeres was completely embarrassed by this new turn of events. "Did...you have to tell them about that dad?"
Grandaddy Alex smirked. "Hey, we're all dragging personal affairs out of people today, why not." His smirk disappeared and was replaced with a look of such frightful seriousness that it could crush the strongest of wills with a simple glance. "NOW APOLOGIZE TO YOUR LITTLE BROTHER AND HIS HUSBAND BEFORE I SHOVE MY BOOT SO FAR UP YOUR BONY ASS THAT YOU TASTE LEATHER IN THE BACK OF YOUR MOUTH FOR A MONTH!!!"
Jumeres was completely crushed. "O-okay dad..." Jumeres turned to Lars and James. "I....I'm sorry....I had no right to lash out at you because of your personal choices..."
James and Lars looked to each other, nodding in agreement. "Apology accepted Uncle." Lars held out his hand to shake Jumeres' hand.
Jumeres returned the handshake. "I got to say that weirdness aside, you two are the closest set I've ever seen. And you got a serious pair of nuts, standing up to me like that."
Lars smirked. "What can I say? When you love something, you got to protect it from everything." Lars returned to his father's arms, nuzzling his chest. "And I love my daddy more then anything in this entire world..."
James hugged Lars tightly. "Mmh...Lars, I love you too..." James kissed Lars on the forehead.
"Wo-hoah! Why don't you two lovebirds get a room?" Grandaddy Alex joked with the two.
Celie was still a bit uneasy about the whole thing. "Just when did this whole thing start with you two?"
James looked down at Lars. "A few months ago, but the feelings have been there for a long while."
Lars nodded. "I just couldn't stand not being with him anymore. I had to have him. It was all my idea...Though dad was the one to start things off in bed."
Celie covered her ears. "Okayokayokay! I was just asking how long it had been...because...you know..."
James shook his head. "OH! Nonononono. Before that, there wasn't anything going on between us. Despite how we felt, we were just father and son. No creepy pedo stuff."
Celie nodded. "Oh. I guess it's okay then. By our standards anyway."
Anibelle put her hands on her hips and smiled warmly. "Well now that that's out of the way, how about we get to work on some dinner?"
"Ooh, I can cook!" Lars waved his hand.
"I'll help out." James nodded in agreement.
"We have to eat something low carb, though. I'm on a diet." Celie looked down at her body.
"Hell are you on a diet for girl? Your skinny as a rail." Jumeres chuckled at his sister.
Everyone left into the kitchen except Grandaddy Alex, who watched Lars and James holding hands as they walked into the kitchen. "Hmph, my son and my grandson together. I guess it runs in the family." Grandaddy Alex chuckled heartily as he joined them.
* * *
"Hey, it's Grandaddy Alex! I guess I stole the ending reflection from Lars, didn't I? I'm so proud of those two kids, it makes my heart burst! James grew up from that little kid too shy and afraid to admit he wanted his daddy into a man who knows what he wants and takes it regardless of the risks. And Little Lars! I should probably be callin' him Little Badass after he took on a man more then twice his age in the name of love! Jumeres pretty much traumatized James into submissiveness as a kid, so Lars was there to fight for him! With our incredible Alexander longevity on their side, I can see those two being lovers for a long, long time!
