This story is a work of fiction, and it is not real. The places and locations may exist, but I take huge liberties. There is no explicit sex scenes in my stories, but I do allude to them. If you are offended by the act of two people of the same sex engaging in relationships, or are offended by taking different twists on religious ideology, this story is not for you.

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Challenges: Eddies Chapter of Life

Part II

December

Eddie and Lucy were walking down a street that was designed to be a walking shopping center. Everywhere was decked out for the holiday season. There was cheery Christmas music playing, and people seemed to be taking in the sights and sounds. Of course, it was Atlanta, and the weather seemed to be opposite of what the theme was. But Eddie loved this time of year. People seemed happier, and more friendly. Of course that would come crashing to an end on December 26.

“Hey let's go into this shop real quick!” Lucy said, pulling Eddie into a shop they were near. It was another clothing shop, and Lucy loved them.

“What are you looking for?” Eddie said with a sigh. This was the fourth shop that they had been in.

“I am looking for something okay?” Lucy said with a wink and moved into the back of the shop. Eddie let her go, and started to examine some of the clothes. They were a series of shirts with clever sayings on them, but nothing he could ever get away with wearing at home. He giggled at the one that had a unicorn that was farting rainbows across a christmas tree. The wording said “Making your Christmas magical.”

He moved around and looked at the various necklaces and jewelry items. Again there were several rainbow items that were intended for the gay community. Eddie felt a pang of guilt and resentment. People could be open with their feelings and people in general didn’t seem to have any significant problem with it.

“Ready?” Lucy said coming up beside him causing him to jump. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He said smiling. He glanced back at the jewelry before turning around and followed Lucy out the door. He noticed the bag that Lucy had in her hand. “I see you found something?”

“Yep.” She smiled. “Just what I was looking for.”

“Going to show me?” Eddie reached for the bag.

“Nope.” She snachted it from his reach. “Later.”

They walked a bit more down the walkway and decided to get a snack from one of the restaurants that lined the street. It was a little cafe that served various types of food. They just ordered something to drink and a large order of cheese fries.

Finding a table in the back of the cafe they sat down and dove into their fries. Eddie was more hungry than he thought.

“Have you thought about what is going to happen next year?” Lucy asked, playing with a fry in the cheese sauce.

Eddie stopped mid-bite and looked at Lucy. The question was not out of the blue. Afterall, they would be ‘graduating’ from the Facility, and they would be turning 18, and would not longer be forced to go. They also would have to face some form of music as their parents might fully reject them for who they were. He had avoided thinking about it all together.

“I don’t know.” He said putting the fry down. He had lost his appetite. “I don’t know.”

“Did any of this BS work for you?” Lucy didn’t look him in the eyes, just focused on the fry she was dunking in the cheese.

“Nope.” He chuckled. “Still gay.”

“Same.” She said with a sigh. “I don’t want to live a lie, but I also don’t want to lose my family.”

Eddie sat in silence. He was not sure how to respond to that. He wanted to stay with his family, but over the course of the year he had grown cold to them, and even wondered how they could treat him like this when he was a miracle baby to begin with. He was grateful for Lucy on so many levels as she provided him an escape.

“Eddie?” A voice behind him asked with an astonishing degree of hesitation.

Eddie turned around. “Yes?”

In front him was Billy from the Facility. He looked great and much happier than he had ever been before.

“Billy!” Eddie jumped from his chair and gave the other a deep bear hung. He pushed to hold back tears. In the back of his mind he always feared the worst would happen to Billy over the ‘break’ from the Facility.

“Hey.” Another man, older, but almost a direct replica of Billy took Eddie from his hug.

“Oh sorry.” Eddie stood back and looked down to the floor. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just happy…”

“This is my brother.” Billy laughed as he realized what Eddie must have thought. Such an intimate hug, some people might think otherwise. “Eddie, this is John.” He glanced at Lucy and smiled. “That is Lucy.”

Lucy was standing next to Eddie by now. “Hey Billy. Nice to meet you John.” She extended her hand, which John took and gave a firm handshake.

“Sam.” John grinned and looked back at Eddie. “So, you're the one that Billy won’t stop talking about?”

Eddie blushed. He didn’t know what exactly Billy had said, or how accepting John was of this whole thing.

“Don’t worry.” John grabbed Eddie and gave him a bear hug. “I am glad you gave him the attention he needed.”

Eddie tensed as the man grabbed him and held him tight. It took him a few moments to relax and he reached around and gave him a hug. He took a deep breath as he realized he had been holding his breath. John was intoxicating.

“Would you like to join us?” Eddie asked pulling away from John, feeling his face get flushed and he was sure he was blushing.

“Sure.” John smiled, and was trying to hold back a laugh. This just made Eddie blush even more.

“So how have you been Billy?” Lucy asked as they all took a seat around the table.

“Pretty good.” Billy said, pulling a fry out of the pile. “John was livid when he found out what our parents had done by sending me to that facility.”

“I cannot believe they did that.” John said with a fire in his eye. Eddie was shocked that he had such an emotional response to it, even after several months. “Mom and Dad are religious, but I didn’t think they would force anyone to go to get ‘cured.’” He shook his head.

“John told them that he would sue for guardianship on the basis that they were endangering me.” Billy smiled at John. He then frowned. “Which I am sure would have been the end of me if he hadn’t.”

“Billy…” Eddie started, reaching over and grabbing his hand.

“It’s okay.” Billy smiled, he looked like he was holding back tears. “Mom and dad decided to let me be, and I have been mostly staying with John.”

“Are you in college?” Lucy had started eating again, but thought about the response that Eddie had to John. Everyone could tell the response.

“Yea.” John said with a chuckle. “I am 19.”

“Girlfriend?” Lucy started to pry more into John’s background. This was more for Eddie than anything.

“Interested?” John winked at Eddie. “Yes. I have one. We have been together for about 6 months now.”

“Oh,” Lucy laughed, “I may want to steal her then.”

They all laughed as the tension eased a bit.

***

After talking for half an hour, John got up and said they had to get going. They still had to get some more presents, and then head to their parents house.

“I am so glad you are doing well Billy.” Eddie hugged him hard. “I won’t lie, miss seeing you at the Facility, but it is no place for you. You are lucky you have your brother to watch out for you.”

“Me too.” Billy hugged him back tight. Billy whispered into his ear. “Sorry he isn’t into guys.”

Eddie started to laugh, and pulled away. Now he looked at John. John looked at him hard for a moment. He was doing the thing that most people did when they stared into his eyes. They liked to shift from one to the other, trying to determine what eye they preferred. John took a step closer and brought himself inches from Eddie's body. Eddie could smell him again, and he had to resist the urge to close his eyes and take a deeper breath.

“Two…” John squinted at Eddie. “Hum.” He pulled Eddie in for a hug and said nothing more. Eddie was used to some of that. People wanted to mention that he had two colored eyes, but usually stopped short of that. He pulled away from Eddie. “You are special Eddie.” He looked at Lucy and gave her a hug as well. “Take care of yourself too.”

With that the two brothers walked away, with John’s arm warped around his little brother. Eddie couldn’t help but feel his heart being pulled in a variety of directions. Why did John have such an effect on him. He had smelled and seen attractive guys before.

“Come on heartbreaker.” Lucy punched him in the arm. “Let's finish this up. We still haven't talked about the future, and what we are going to do.” She glanced back at where John and Billy had disappeared into the crowd. “Not everyone had a knight in shining armor to save us from the depths.”

***