Tommy was unusually sunny the next day.  Having told his mother everything had lifted a great weight from his shoulders.  Then there was Richard.  They were together, it was official, and it was all too good to be true, but he wasn't going to let anything dampen his spirits.  He sat at the kitchen table with a  bowl of cereal and a stupid grin on his face as he professed his never-ending love for Richard Blume to his mother as she watched over him with worried amusement.
 
     She had been through her own hell with her brother when he had come out to her parents.  She had sided with him, which had won her no favors with them, and when her brother had stood up she had run away.  She had told Paul it was going to be a great experience for her but she really only wanted to escape the ever increasing tension at home.  She had escaped to Alabama and returned with a little boy and no husband.  Her mother had gotten her an interview at Caughton/Blume industries and it was the last time they had spoken.  Tommy had never even met his grandparents.  Madeline knew about rejection and disapproval and that things never turned out as rosy as Tommy was making them out to be.
 
    In working for Bunny Caughton, Madeline had many an occasion to deal with Elizabeth Caughton-Blume.  The woman had her set ideas about what was proper, and Madeline knew Tommy wouldn't fit into that mold.  Elizabeth had said as much to her face.  She made snide, backhanded comments about Madeline's parenting skills whenever she dropped in to her sister in-law's office.  She had blamed the entire truancy situation from earlier on in that week entirely on Tommy and did not have any qualms about sharing her thoughts with anybody who would listen.  Tommy Sinclair, she had decided, was a bad influence.  She had made it clear to Madeline that she did not even approve of her son's friendship with Tommy, though she would never say so to the boys.  Tommy had said that Elizabeth mostly ignored them, and Madeline had no doubt it was true.  Disapprove as she might of Madeline's parenting, she felt no reason to be a parent herself at all.  It took up too much of her valuable time.
 
    Madeline found it difficult to rain on Tommy's parade that morning.  It pleased her to see her son happy and smiling.  She was lost in thought, holding a cup of coffee at the kitchen counter while Tommy jabbered on about how much she was going to love the mysterious Richard Blume, who she barely knew anything about despite he being one of Tommy's friends and her employer's son.  The thought flickered across her mind that maybe she was a bad parent for not keeping closer tabs on Tommy.
 
    She almost dropped her mug when Tommy broke into her concerned thoughts by announcing that he was going to marry Richard and "pick out China patterns and everything."
 
    "Are you serious?"  She clucked at him and frowned.  "You know talk of marriage usually sends blokes runnin' for the hills!"
 
    "Nah," Tommy said with a shrug and a playful grin.  "You'll see!"
 
--
 
    "You're wearing a suit," Tommy said as soon as he opened the door and saw Richard standing there.
 
    "I'm sorry," Richard replied.  "I can go home and change."  He nervously peered around Tommy's shoulder, and it looked as if he was going to turn around and run right back out of the building.
 
    "Come in." Tommy tugged him into the flat and shut the door before he had a chance to bolt.  "You don't have to change; you're just making me feel under-dressed."
 
     He was smiling and joking, but Richard was too nervous to care.  Tommy sat down on the sofa in his small living room and Richard sat next to him.  They were completely silent.  The only sound was the rustling of Richard's sleeves as he continually tugged at them.
 
    "Stop it!"  Tommy finally grabbed him by the wrists and held his hands still.  "Mum will be out in a minute, can you please calm down?  You're not going to be like this all night are you?"
 
    Richard shrugged.
 
    "I'm new at this,"  he said.  "I'm afraid it's never occurred to me that...your mother might actually be okay with this."
 
    "Well, she is," Tommy replied.
 
    "Really?"  Richard frowned at him, but Tommy didn't answer.  His mother did as she stepped out from the hallway into the room.
 
    "Yes, she is," she said with a smile and an outstretched hand.
 
    "I'm Madeline, Tommy's mother.  It's a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Richard."
 
    Richard stood.  He reached for her hand, but jerked back as his sleeves rode up slightly on his arm.  He had no idea if she knew or not, but he didn't want her to see the scars.  He managed to nod acknowledgement at her once he realized how ridiculous his behavior must have seemed.
 
    Tommy noted the discomfort from where he was still seated.  His mother stood there with her hand hanging in mid-air and a perplexed expression her face while Richard stood in front of her with his left hand wringing his right wrist.  He was glaring at the floor.
 
      Tommy jumped up, placed an arm around Richard and whispered in his ear.  "It's okay," he said.
 
    Richard nodded but continued to stare at the floor.  Tommy shook his head at his mother and gave her a warning glare to keep her from saying something.  The last thing he needed was for Richard to snap at his mother.
 
    "Okay," he said out loud with a grin.  "Time to go!"
 
--
     Madeline didn't know.  She didn't know anything about Richard, because Elizabeth Caughton Blume had kept things well hidden.  She always did when things cast her in a negative light.  Most things having to do with her son she felt were in that light.  She barely spoke of him at work, and she never spoke directly to Madeline if she could at all help it.
 
    Bunny was evasive as well.  The  most she would say was that Richard was a sweet boy and that Madeline had nothing to worry about.  Despite the rocky start to the evening, Richard had done nothing to dispel that notion.  He was on his best behavior and was as mum about certain things as his mother and aunt were.  He wanted to do his best for Tommy, and once the initial nervous energy had worn away he was rather subdued.  Though he did spend most of the evening pulling at his sleeves. He wasn't quite convinced that they were doing a satisfactory job covering up the hesitation marks on the heels of his hands
      
--

  "She's amazing," Richard told him when Madeline left them at the dinner table to pay the bill.  He was still having a difficult time believing that anybody could be as understanding as she.
 
    "I wish she was my mum," he admitted.  He would have traded his two cold and unfeeling parents for just one who loved him unconditionally in an instant.

 
    "Nah."  Tommy laughed and shook his head.  "Then you'd be my brother, and contrary to popular belief, incest isn't really my thing."

--

    Bunny Caughton stared at her secretary as the woman fidgeted at her desk. Poor Madeline. Bunny knew she had her hands full with that child of hers. Though Tommy was a polite and considerate boy and very sweet, he could be a bit of a handful at times, she knew.

    "Mad, come in here please," Bunny said and asked what was the matter as soon as the glass door shut.

    "Oh, Bunny. I'm so confused," she wailed. "This parenting business has just been so frustrating lately."

    "I know dear," Bunny replied, thinking of her own son who spent more time with his headphones on than he did engaged in actual conversation with anybody in the house. It was odd, though.  She hadn't seen Tommy for a couple of days, when they were usually attached at the hip at all times.  She wondered if it had something to do with why Madeline was so upset.

    "Is it about his truancy?"

    "Not really." Madeline was turning very red, an attribute her son had certainly inherited from her side of the family.

    "You can tell me," Bunny insisted. "Nothing leaves this room."

    "Not even your sister-in-law?" She asked.

    Bunny wondered why Elizabeth was involved but vowed secrecy, and she was a woman of her word. Besides that, she disliked her husband's sister intensely. Her marriage to Dustin Blume had been more of a merger than a marriage. Bunny thought the way the couple dealt with their child was appalling.

    "Tommy had a date the night before last," she began.

    "Oh that's nice!" Bunny clapped happily. "How did it go? You know, I wish Nigel would get out there sometimes. He's always got his nose buried on that computer, and those headphones on his ears!"

    Madeline grimaced at her enthusiasm. "Look, Tom told me he was interested in boys as well as girls when he was eleven. I thought nothing of it, because I thought he was just wanting to be like his uncle because he looked up to him so much.  You remember Paul?"
 
    "Of course," Bunny replied solemnly.
 
    "I thought Tom would grow out of it, but he hasn't. It's obviously part of who he is and I'm not going to deny him that, but that isn't what worries me. What worries me is this new boyfriend. I think you know him.  His name is Richard Blume."

    Bunny gaped at her. "Richey's not gay!" were the first words out of her mouth.

    "Trust me on this," Madeline muttered. "I took them to dinner last night, because I wanted to meet him properly. They are very much a couple. It's just...they're so young, and they want to sleep with each other. What am I supposed to do? What did I do? I said sure, go ahead shag yourselves silly as long as I'm not around." She let out a frustrated groan. "Was that the wrong thing to say? I don't know. I don't feel right about it, but I don't want them to go out there in the city to god knows where to do god knows what, you know? It can be so dangerous anymore."

    "Oh, Mad," Bunny consoled her, all the while forming questions to ask her own son. "How do they even know? They're only fifteen."

    "Tommy knows," She mumbled. "We had a long chat the other night. He's not even a virgin. He's been active since he was thirteen, Bunny. Thirteen years old! What is the world coming to when it happens this young? I don't even know what to do with him. I don't want him to grow up this soon. I want my little boy back!"

    "Tell him no," Bunny offered the suggestion she thought Madeline wanted to hear.

    "That's just it," Madeline said. "I really think they might love each other, and if I was that age and I had some adult looking down on me telling me I couldn't love someone and that I didn't know what I was feeling, I know that I would be resentful. I don't want him to resent me. This isn't like setting a curfew. I mean I have never seen Tommy so happy in my life, and he can get pretty happy, but right now he's over the bloody moon! He's talking about marriage for god's sake!

    "I don't think there's any clear cut answer to this situation," Bunny said. "I guess you're just going to have to see how it goes."

    "Tell me about this Richard," Madeline said. "I met him last night he seems like a good lad.   He was really nervous at first, not that I blame him, but once he calmed down...  He seems like a nice down to earth boy, very polite and well behaved and such."

    "You don't know do you?" Bunny shook her head sadly. "I should have told you, Mad.  I knew they were all friends.  I should have told you!"
 
    "Told me what?"
 
    "Down to earth isn't the phrase I'd use to describe Richey."

    "What do you mean?" Madeline frowned. "Is he a bad kid?"

    "Oh no," Bunny corrected her. "He's very nice and usually polite, but emotionally he can be very extreme. He was diagnosed as manic depressive after he tried to commit suicide... My oh my, I can see why now. If that Elizabeth were to find out he prefers the company of men. Dear, dear, that poor poor boy. "

    "He tried to do what?"

    Bunny shook her head, sighed and explained the situation that had brought Richard to London in the first place, and when she was done Madeline looked even more despondent than she had before.

    "How could I not even know this?"  She frowned.  "Please don't tell her.  That Elizabeth is a vindictive woman, Bunny."

    "I know," Bunny replied. "I won't tell."

    Madeline gave up a despairing sigh. "My son is going to be hurt by this in the end, isn't he?"
 
    Bunny sighed along with her.  "I hope not, Mad.  Those two boys deserve to be happy."


--

    Bunny entered her son's lair that doubled as a rehearsal space/recording studio. Nigel was suspicious since she never ventured down the stairs. He was busy and wondered why she was even bothering.

    "Nigel, take the headphones off, I need to talk to you," she said.

    They sat down upon a sofa and were silent for a long while before she spoke.

    "You haven't had any rehearsals lately," she said. "You're usually making an awful racket in the guest room every afternoon!"

    "Well, I don't know if there's a band anymore." He shrugged.

    "Why not?"    

    "I can't tell you, mum," he said. "I don't really want to talk about it."

    "You're a good friend, Nigel," she said. "But Tommy's mother told me, and I promise I won't share with anybody. I think it's great that you would be so understanding..."

    "I haven't been understanding," Nigel snapped. "I've been a horrific friend. Friend isn't even the word I would use to describe myself. I mean, I can't help it. Tom is supposed to be my best friend, and ever since that kid came it's been Richey this and Richey that. Ever since he came, and now that they're together like that, I just snapped off at him. I was a bastard full stop and I destroyed our friendship with a lot of poorly chosen words and untrue accusations. So that's the story of my life, Mum. I had a friend, we had a band, we had a purpose, then he got a boyfriend, and I went psycho on them both.  It's over; I've lost him. I don't want to talk about it. I can't face him after what I said."

    "You should talk to him dear," she offered.

    "I'm sorry I told you."  He stood and marched back to his keyboard. He was done talking. He felt like his mother would never understand where he was coming from, but he felt her approach from behind and squeeze his arm.

    "Are you going to let his romance ruin thirteen years of friendship, Nigel? You may have said some things you regret, we all do, but if you tell him the truth, he might understand."  She sighed. "You two were always so close; it would be such a shame if you never spoke again. I would feel like I was losing a son. If you don't do it for him, do it for me. I like baking cookies for you boys, it makes me feel like a proper house mum!"

    Then she departed. Nigel really hated it when his mother was right almost as much as he hated the guilt trips she always seemed to toss in front of him.

--

    "Alright." Nigel approached him. Tommy still didn't feel like talking to him. Nigel had been the reason for his unsolicited nervous break down the morning before, and though it had brought he and Richard so much closer together, he still wished it had never happened. Crying in front of people was just not comfortable for him.

    "Yea, whatever," he muttered and slammed his locker shut. "Excuse me, I have to go fuck somebody, because I'm a fuck machine, remember?"

    Tommy hated it though. He had never in his life gotten in a fight with Nigel. Being out of the closet was wreaking havoc on all of his relationships. Only Liam seemed to not care. It was nearly unbelievable that the former Mancunian almost seemed to be amused by the entire situation more than anything else. He was even oddly proud and informed Tommy just that morning that he had taken out a pack of hooligans single-handedly, Ninja style, in defense of his favorite poof. Of course Tommy was aware that it was a gigantic exaggeration as per usual, but he was dutifully appreciative anyway.

    "Tom we need to talk," Nigel said. "I want to apologize for what I said."

    "No," he replied. "You basically called me a slut right to my face, and that is even worse than all the people that hate me behind my back, because you were supposed to be my friend. No, my very best friend.  Do you even know how much that hurt? Do you even care?"

    "Of course I care," Nigel stuttered and fought the urge to burst into tears. "I didn't mean it. I just, Richey and you. I don't know I just felt like I would lose you totally if you went out with him. I was being selfish. I know that and I was just saying those things so things could go back to the way they were."

    "Bollocks," Tommy announced. "You and me were going to take on the world in our rock 'n' roll band, remember? I never thought that changed. You're the one who brought this all on yourself. The thinly veiled concern for Richard's well being can't hide the fact that you were jealous where you had absolutely no reason to be."

    "Jealous," Nigel gasped. "But I'm not queer!"

    "I know that," Tommy replied. "Of course I know that all too well, and that is why I can tell him things that I can't tell you, Okay? You and I will never have what he and I have and vice versa. You've got you're own little world Nigel, and I love that about you, but you don't deal well in real life do you? You don't want to talk about serious things.  You'd much rather bang on your drums or just change the subject, and that's okay. I still love you. Richey will never, ever push you out of my life. Understand?  only you can do that, and you damn well are doing a very good job of it so far."

    "I don't want to," Nigel said timidly. "I didn't mean any of it, and I know you're not related to Gracie. You're not a bastard or any of those things. You're actually the nicest bloke I know.  It would have taken me so long to be friends with Richey if you hadn't stepped up to him, and he really is a good songwriter. I still want to be friends if that's okay."

    "Technically," Tommy replied. "I am a bastard."

    "Right." Nigel shifted nervously not sure if he was kidding or not.
 
    "Look," Tommy said not bothering to explain that it was a meant as a tension reliever. "I never stopped thinking you were my friend. I hoped you didn't mean it. I just wanted to hear it from you first. I mean, we're practically married, right? We have a band together after all!"

    Nigel grinned and was very relieved. "The Funky Mustard is back!"

    "Two days isn't much of a break," Tommy pointed out. "I wonder if our fans missed us?"

    "Fans?" Nigel arched an eyebrow.

    "Yea, well there's Richey..." Tommy counted off on his fingers. "And that bird in my Latin class, and Rita Gully, and speaking of slappers there's Cherrie, she'll go down on any bloke with a guitar."

    "Perv!" Nigel laughed.

    "Freak!" Tommy grinned back, and they walked to the lunch hall together.

--

    Petere walked out on them that night as soon as he discerned that Richard and Tommy were acting far too cuddly for being just friends. He said he didn't want to be in a band with a queer. Tommy didn't seem to be hurt by the accusation and was perfectly happy to let the kid go, but Liam chased him down and dragged him back. Richard thought Liam odd. Half the time it seemed like he wanted to be part of their group and the other half of the time he acted like he had just been stuck with them.  Tommy had threatened to sack him if he outed Richard at school, but Liam assured him that he had no intentions of being a gossip. Leave that to the birds, he said. Tommy brought a bag of gummy bears for Richard. They were all purple. He had bought a two pound bag and sat at his kitchen table that afternoon picking them all out of the mix. Richard was chuffed, but found that there wasn't time at rehearsal to properly thank Tommy.  The band practiced while Richard fiddled around with Nigel's recording equipment.  He kept one eye on Tommy as he usually did, but didn't feel the need to be discreet about it. Tommy was good. If he kept at it Richard was sure that he would have his wish of becoming a rock star one day. He was a serviceable guitar player and an even better front man. If they ever got rid of Petere and Liam and thought of a better name then they would make a great band one day.

--

    Waking up next to Tommy was a good way to wake up, Richard thought.  It was the morning after the Funky Mustard's triumphant return to the "studio". Except for Petere walking out on them for a moment, it was quite a productive session. Richard had assured them that they would have demo tapes within' the week if they kept at it. Instead of riding home with Nigel's chauffeur, Tommy had opted instead to spend the night at Richard's house.  He had been so exhausted from rehearsing for the first time in days and from talking with Nigel earlier, that he'd fallen onto the huge bed and was asleep before his head even hit the pillow. That morning he was lying curled up in a ball breathing softly, and Richard could have watched him sleeping forever, but he couldn't help himself. He reached over and brushed Tommy's hair from his face.

    "Good Morning." Richard grinned at him as his eyelids fluttered opened.

    He just groaned and rolled away taking most of the blankets with him.

    "What's wrong?" Richard rolled up against him.

    "I'm tired. Leave me alone," He mumbled. "What is today?"

    "It's Tuesday," Richard replied. "We've got to be up for school in a few minutes."

    "I can't believe it's only been five days," he murmured. "So much has happened. It's exhausting."

    "Yeah," Richard agreed. "I'm glad it's happened though. I've never felt so good about myself in my whole life, Tom. Really, I think about you every waking moment. Not that I didn't before, but now I feel like I'm allowed to."

    "You thought of me?" Tommy shifted around to face Richard.

    "All the time," he whispered. "Why wouldn't I? You're adorable, and so fucking nice to me all the time.  It was only inevitable."

    "You remember the time I came over here and you were just out of the shower?" Tommy giggled. "You want to know what I wanted to do?"

    "I can imagine." Richard smirked. "You certainly held yourself together well."

    "That, my dear, took willpower I didn't even know I possessed," Tommy assured him with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

    They glanced at each other and suddenly found the memory the most hilarious thing they had ever heard. Tommy began first, silently shaking trying to hold back the laughter, but it came anyway which caused Richard to burst out as well. The more either one laughed the more funny it became until they were hanging on to each other with tears streaming down their cheeks. It was then that the alarm clock interrupted them and cold reality took over their lives once again.

--

    Tommy sat quietly at the large table in Richard's cavernous dining hall.  His mother had requested his presence in the study, and he'd just returned with a huge red mark on his cheek, and he was trying very hard not to cry.  Tommy discerned that his mother must have hit him, and from the look of it she had hit him hard. They sat in silence and finished their food before heading off to the carport. Richard informed the chauffeur that they would be taking the limo that morning. Nigel joined them shortly, and they embarked towards school.

    Tommy wondered just how he'd gotten to that point in his life. He was in the arms of the boy he had spent three years falling in love with, in his limo, and his mother had just slapped him. It was starting to bruise, and Tommy had no idea what he was supposed to do.

    "Do you really have to cuddle like that?" Nigel asked.

    Richard gave his cousin a dirty look before tilting his boyfriend's head up to face him and planting a long kiss right on his lips.

    "Does that answer your question?" He asked.

    "Arsebiscuits," Nigel barked. "This is so wierd."

    "Hush up, Nige," Tommy said, and Nigel was compliant.

    The rest of the ride was silent. Richard was clinging to Tommy like he would never let go.

    "I don't want to go," Richard said as they pulled up to the school.

    "Library, study period," Tommy commanded and fleetingly kissed him before they exited on opposite sides of the vehicle. Nigel followed Tommy and whispered in his ear.

    "What happened to Richey's face?"

    "His mum slapped him," Tommy muttered sadly and Nigel looked flabbergasted enough that Richard noticed as he hopped around the vehicle.

    "You told him," he snapped and marched angrily away without another word.

--

    Tommy knew that Richard wasn't going to meet him as he sat in the library staring at the clock on the wall, waiting and wondering. He was getting fidgety as he tapped a pencil on his geometry book at an exponentially faster rate. He couldn't decide if he was upset, or angry, or sympathetic, but he was disappointed for sure.

    He asked the librarian if he could use the toilet and she was happy to oblige him with a hall pass.  Somehow he had managed to get on her good side, though she was constantly reminding him to keep working at his studies and not to let any distractions to get in the way of his education. He never bothered to mention that he had never had any intention of attending any universities.  The only reason he worked hard enough to keep his scholarship was so that he could be near his friends.

    He ambled down the hall and passed up the closest toilet. He walked to the one on the other side of the building; the one closer to Richard's class, and found him standing there in front of the mirror inspecting the bruise on his cheek. Tommy didn't say a word as he wrapped his arms around him and lay his head on his shoulder.

    "I'm sorry I told Nigel," he murmured.

    "It's Okay," Richard replied and pushed him away so he could look him in the eye. "You can't tell, Tom. You can't tell anybody. Not the police, not your mum. My parents have a lot of money and they've paid people off before.  They'd do anything to keep the Blume name clean. You wouldn't believe how dirty is actually is. If you tell it will only make it worse for me. This was just my mum. I don't want to try it out with my dad."

    "There's got to be something," Tommy said. "It's...it's wrong. There's got to be a way to..."

    "You see in such black and white, Tom," he replied sadly. He felt like he was suddenly a burden and that wasn't something he wanted. "There is no wrong when it comes to the Blumes. I'll be alright. You've got to promise not to tell. It really isn't that bad. Promise!"

    "Okay," Tommy relented against his better judgement.

    Richard hadn't wanted to dump his problems onto him. Tommy and his mother had the most incredible relationship that he'd ever seen between a parent and a child. He didn't know what it was like to fear one parent and be ignored by the other. Tommy saw things as they should be and not how they actually were.

    "You should put ice on that." Tommy reached up and gently touched the dark mark on his boyfriend's cheek. Richard couldn't help wincing at the touch and he instantly pulled away.

    "You know," Richard felt himself saying. "You could kiss it and make it better."

    Tommy grinned and complied as he leaned in and brushed his lips gently across the spot.

    "Much better," Richard said.

    "Glad to be of service." Tommy took a slight bow. "Is there anything else I can do for you, your majesty?"

    "I don't know." Richard managed a slightly maniacal grin. "I guess that depends on how much time we have until our next class."