Father And Son Episode Twenty: Laying Down The Gauntlet
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Latriana stood there in shock. "James? You're.....engaged to Lars?"
"Yes Latriana..." James hugged Lars tighter. "I'm going to mary him...I can't live without him."
Lars snapped back when James held him. "He's right mom. I'm sorry if this upsets you...but I can't leave my lover...."
Latriana started to giggle. "Hehe, how CUTE!"
"What?" Lars got a confused look.
"You two must have rehearsed this a thousand times before we came. A father and son getting engaged, that's ridiculous!" Latriana laughed. "That's some backwater hillbilly stuff right there! Hell, not even hillbilly. They have the sense to not be gay!"
Lars' eye twitched. He was starting to snap. "What...is WRONG with you!?"
"Lars, relax!" James held Lars close.
"Mom, I'm GAY! I'M GAY! WHY WON'T YOU ACCEPT THAT!? WHY DO YOU INSIST ON INSULTING WHAT I AM!? TELL ME!" Lars snarled.
"You want to know why Larson?" Latriana snapped into a serious look. "You REALLY want to know why?" Latriana got angry. "Because I expected this POOR SON OF A BITCH FATHER of yours to RAISE YOU CORRECTLY! I KNEW having a FAGGOT father would make you gay! I KNEW IT!" Latriana stepped up to Lars. "And now your professing your so-called LOVE for your FATHER!? What the hell is that!?" Latriana grabbed Lars' hand. "I want what's best for you." She held his hand in hers. "I'm your mother, and mothers know best." With a swift motion, she snatched the engagement ring off of Lars' finger. "And THIS is not what's best!" She tossed the ring down. "THIS IS NOTHING!" She stomped on the ring hatefully.
"STOP IT!" Lars' rage flared. "THAT'S IT!" Lars started to break free from James' grip.
"LARS! STOP!" James tried to hold Lars down, but he was too riled up and broke free.
"GET OFF MY RING!" Lars got down to grab his ring.
"IF YOU TOUCH THAT RING, I SWEAR TO GOD THIS HEEL WILL BE IN YOUR HAND LARSON!" Latriana was just as mad as Lars.
"Try me." Lars snatched up his ring.
"You ungrateful little-" Latriana was about to stomp down when a arm caught her leg. It was James.
"If you so much as TOUCH my son, I'll have you out of this house in HANDCUFFS." James let Latriana's leg down. "You make me sick. About to attack your own son."
"You'd best leave my woman alone James." Jumeres cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.
"Take another step and I'm fucking you up!" Lars got to his feet. "Just like dad did."
"Just like dad did?" Latriana stepped back.
"Yes. It was me and dad who beat Jumeres up." Lars regained control of his anger and stood between James and Jumeres. "It was at a family reunion. Jumeres attacked me and dad because...Grandaddy is in on our love, too."
"Wait....You tried to beat up my kid!?" Latriana looked to Jumeres with a look of shock.
"I had him pinned, but then I decided to let him go." Lars held his hand up to his neck. "And then that motherfucker STRANGLED me."
"You.....strangled....Lars!?" Latriana fell to her knees.
"If it weren't for dad and grandaddy, he would have killed me." Lars bared his teeth. "And that's why I'm so antsy to kick his ass!" Lars snarled. "I SHOWED MERCY TO YOU BEFORE, BUT YOU WON'T GET THAT LUXURY THIS TIME!"
"Lars..." James tried to grab Lars, but Lars knocked his hand away.
"No dad! I'm not standing down! I'm not hiding! I'm not settling for less then what I want! What I want is YOU! And these two can either ACCEPT IT or GET THE HELL OUT OF MY LIFE!"
Latriana's eyes were wide. "Why....didn't you tell me about all this before now?"
"Well shit, I don't know, maybe SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAPPEN!" Lars gave his mom an irritated look. "You treat me like I don't know what I'm doing! You treat me like I'm an idiot. You treat me like I'm five years old mom....I'm not. " Lars stepped closer to him mother. "I'm a man. I know what I want. I know what I need. If I didn't have this beautiful man in my life, I would be a lot worse off." Lars held his mom's hand. "I'm not doing this to spite you, I'm not doing this because it seems fun for the moment. I know in my heart that Jameil Alexander is the man I want to marry. The man I want to be with forever...to grow old with. I've given him my everything." Lars stepped back and hugged his father. "And if he just so happens to be my father, then too bad."Lars smiled warmly.
"...I see..." Latriana looked at James and Lars
"Lars...I....I don't know what to say...I want to KICK YOUR ASS for getting in your mom's face like that! But..." Lars held his finger to James' lips.
"Dad....you don't have to say anything..." Lars hugged James tightly. "I'll never leave you. I'm sorry for going off on you mom, but I just can't leave dad...He's mine..."
". . .This is bullshit." Latriana huffed a bit. "But....I guess I...don't want to upset you if this means so much to you...." Latriana rolled her eyes. "You say your gay? Go ahead, be gay. And your fucking HIM?" Latriana grimaced at James. "Help yourself! Your an adult, like you said, I can't control you." Latriana smiled a bit. "Do what makes you happy Larson."
"Thanks mom...Thank you so much..." Lars left his father's side and hugged his mom.
"I still don't approve of this, mind you. But I can't exactly stop you. It wouldn't be fair..." Latriana gave James a pirceing look. "But you had better NOT fuck up our kid anymore then he is now! I'm only allowing this as a favor to Larson."
"Hey, don't look at me like that woman!" James stepped back a bit, off-put by her stare. "Just because we're in love doesn't mean I'm giving him any breaks." James smirked. "In fact, he just got off punishment for letting his grades drop at the start of the year."
"His GRADES DROPPED!?" Latriana growled.
"It was only C's mom!" Lars patted his mom's shoulders to calm her down.
"Only C's!? In my family, we only accept PERFECTION!" Latriana huffed.
"That's what I said!" James nodded.
"Hey, you guys actually agreed on something!" Lars smiled. "...if only it wasn't about my grades...."
"Well isn't this just a tender family moment?" Jumeres sarcastically clapped as he drew attention to himself. "We still got business to settle."
"Your right." Latriana nodded, turning to Jumeres.
"Now then, you said-" Jumeres was cut off by Latriana, in a fit of rage, slapping him hard across the face, knocking him onto the couch.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? PICKING A FIGHT WITH A KID!? What are you, some sort of psychopath!? And then when you loose, you decide to STRANGLE HIM!?" Latriana's eyes flared with rage. "Why I should KICK YOUR SORRY ASS RIGHT NOW for even laying a FINGER on my precious baby!"
"Ow...Weren't you just getting ready to disown him?" Jumeres rubbed his cheek.
"Hell no! I may not approve of his lifestyle, but I'm not going to disown him because of that! And don't try shifting the attention off you!"
"You tell him mom!" Lars cheered from a safe distance.
"You think me and dad worked you over? Wait 'till SHE gets her hands on you. You'll be eating steak through a straw!" James chuckled.
"Listen baby, it was a mistake! I wasn't thinking right! I never should have put my hands on Lars. Could you please forgive me!?" Jumeres begged.
"Seriously?" Lars rolled his eyes. "You went from "Strangling the fag out of me" to groveling on your knees?"
"I don't think I could ever trust you with my son again Jumeres..." Latriana shook her head. "But....I...guess you could probably try to make it up to me..." Latriana nodded.
"Oh thank you! I really do care about you Latriana!" Jumeres smiled and hugged Latriana.
"Back off!" Latriana pushed Jumeres off her. "You got a LONG way to go before I even let you TOUCH me!"
"Oh.....okay..." Jumeres smiled sheepishly.
"Now where were we?" Latriana turned to James and Lars. "Oh yes. Do you two have any more deep dark secrets to tell me?"
"Nope, that's about it mom." Lars smiled widely. "I swear, that's it!"
"Okay then. I guess I can head back to the hotel. I got paperwork to do." Latriana walked to the door. "I'll be here for a bit, so I'll pick you up for dinner or something later this week Larson." Latriana hugged Lars tightly. "Then you can tell me the whole story behind this..."
"Okay mom. See ya later!" Lars waved as Latriana headed out the door.
"I...guess I should go..." Jumeres slowly stepped to the door. "See...you two...later..."
"Hey!" James gave Jumeres a threatening look. "Touch my son again and your dead for real. That's a PROMISE!"
Jumeres shrugged. "This entire family is trying to kill me..." Jumeres shrugged as he walked out the door.
"Yeah well we don't take very kindly to people threatening our 'kin!" Lars called out to Jumeres from the door before slamming it.
". . . . .Lars?" James looked to Lars.
". . . . .Dad..." Lars smiled back at James.
"My boy!" James ran over and scooped up Lars in his arms, kissing him. "Hehe, see? I told you it wouldn't be as painful as you thought."
"Dad, shut up." Lars smiled warmly at his father.
"Don't talk to me like tha-" Lars caught James in a kiss before he could finish.
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"Hey, Lars here. Oh. My. GOD! That was HORRIFIC! But mom seems to be....tolerant...of it....Dad was right. We had to face this problem head on. And now that she knows...I think we'll be a lot better off. Now that she knows, I don't have anything to fear."