older ezran again

also LANGUAGE!

this talks about mature and complex themes, like coming out and rejection by parents, things like that

i feel like i should try my best to cover topics like this, since it's kind of a big issue with a lot of struggling teens and adults who aren't accepted by their close ones.

so, if you need any help, i suggest either talking to a helpline, maybe a counselor, or a close friend that you trust

or me, i'm always open to give you advice :)

__

I took in a deep breath, stepping out into the living room. This was the day.

"Mom, Dad." I got their attention, sweet smiles on their faces as they turned to me, unaware of what was about to happen.

"Yes, dear?" I cleared my throat, trying to not cry or forget how to breathe. Both my parents waited patiently for a follow-up.

"I have something to tell you." My mom cocked her head, inclined to hear what I had to say.

"We'd love to know." Mustering all the courage I had, I opened my mouth to speak.

"I'm gay."

Slam.

The sound of a book smashing on the counter echoed throughout the house as I fell into silence, whipping my head to see my dad, face red.

"You're kidding." Baffled, I furrowed my eyebrows and stared at them.

"N-No-"

"(Y/N), honey, you can't be gay." My mom's eyes were drooping, her expression screaming fear and disappointment.

"Wha-"

"Sweetheart, you can't be serious... Did something happen? What about your crush that you told us all about? What about Chase?" They're fake.

"Mom-" I stammered, but she wouldn't let me finish my sentence.

"(Y/N), please tell me that this is a joke. Honey, this has to be a joke, right?"

"N-No, I-"

"Honey, please. Tell me it's a joke," she pleaded, eyes wild and desperate for the answer she craved. My eyes were like daggers, staring them down, furious.

"But what about saying you loved me no matter what?"

"We do, we really do, but not like this. Not like this!" She turned to my dad, who looked as if he was about to explode at any second. He grit his teeth and curled his palm into a fist, nails digging into his flesh.

"Out," he growled, not looking up at me. I felt like I couldn't breathe. My cheeks were flushed, unable to comprehend what he had just uttered.

"What?" I whispered, not believing what I had just heard.

"You heard me. Out." I huffed in protest, the gears in my head whirring as I heard his voice for the second time.

"Dad, please-"

"You tell me you're gay, under my roof, in my house, in front of me?"

"I-I just thought-" Tears were already on the brink of breaking through, my breaths shaky and uncontrolled.

"Get the fuck out of my house, you fucking miserable faggot."

"Dad-"

"Don't call me your father, you sick fucking dyke," he sneered, getting up, storming towards me. "Where did I go wrong in raising you, for you to turn out like this?" I shook my head, gasping as he grabbed me by the collar, dragging me towards the door. Everything was going so fast, I felt my heart race, my throat closing up. Coughing, my body slid against the wood floor, but I felt like my skin was burning, skidding against spikes.

"Faggots are mental, all of them," he muttered, slamming open the door and forcefully chucking me out, my head almost hitting the concrete as I tumbled down the small steps of the patio.

"And don't come back until you've learned to turn yourself straight. Get some fucking mental help, shithead." I winced as he kicked the door shut, the lock sliding in with a hard click. I laid there for a good minute, trying to calm myself down from my panic attack.

I was too stunned and shocked to cry, but quickly tried to take out my phone, only to find that it had been crushed underneath the weight and force of the toss.

"Fuck," I muttered, smacking my head. "You're so stupid, (Y/N). Why did you put it there? In your back pocket of all places?" I sighed, slipping the useless device back to its original spot, getting up and dusting myself off.

The sick feeling was starting to kick in as I felt my airways closing again and hot tears pooling in my eyes. I felt like vomiting. Honestly, I don't know how I was able to think at the moment, but my first thought was to head somewhere. It was the evening, and the sun was about to set.

"Who's the closest?" I whispered to myself through hiccups, the sadness finally dawning on me. The first person that came to mind was Rayla, but she was on vacation. Next was Soren, but he was busy at work. Suddenly, a boy with a brown afro came to mind, who lived about a mile away.

Ezran.

I shook my head, looked back at the closed door of my house, and ran off, incomprehensible cries and murmurs flying out of my mouth, my brain screaming at my legs to just run away from whatever haunted me. My breaths became short, but the adrenaline was all I needed as a fuel, along with a looming feeling of hurt.

When I took breaths, all that would come out were sobs and cries of anguish, one after the next as I finally reached my friend's house, breaking down at his doorstep. I was almost on my knees when the door opened, my vision blurry from all the tears, cheeks damp, hands clapped on my mouth, muffling any loud sobs that came about.

"Hello?" Harrow poked his head out, looking around for a split second before noticing me. His eyes widened and his pupils dilated, quickly rushing to my aid, using his body as a brace as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, hauling me into his house.

"(Y/N)- Oh, don't cry, it's going to be alright, okay?" he whispered, gently and slowly guiding me to the couch, setting me softly on the cushions. Ezran was quick to come down the stairs after hearing the commotion on the floor beneath him.

"Dad, what's wro- (Y/N)?" He took a glance at me and ran to my side, immediately checking my face to see if I had anything wrong with me. I kept crying, feeling like the emotional train wreck would never end.

"Uncle Harrow, Ezran..." I wailed, my words almost incoherent. "I don't know what's going on..." Ezran pulled me into an embrace, furrowing his eyebrows as he muttered words of comfort into my ear. His hand was patting my back as I sobbed into his shoulder.

"It's going to be alright. Everything is going to be okay."

"I'll go get some water for you," Harrow said, walking off to go fetch a glass. My hiccups were getting worse, my body going into miniature convulsions every time I took in a breath of air. Ezran had resorted to holding me tight, using his hand to draw circles into my back.

Once I'd calmed down, which took a while, I thankfully drank the water Harrow had fetched me, my throat parched, gulping it down like I hadn't had water in days. After drinking, I set the glass down and sucked in a shaky breath, releasing it with an uneasy feeling. A few seconds of silence passed before Harrow piped up.

"Do you mind telling us what happened, or is it too much?" I sat still, looking down at my fingers laced in my lap shamefully, eyes full of regret.

"I shouldn't have told them," I whispered, voice cracking.

"Told them what?"

"That..." I paused, considering the outcome of the situation. I knew Ezran would be accepting of me, but would his father be? I knew him well enough to trust him, but I didn't know his morals. Would he throw me out like my parents had? But I had a feeling the apple didn't fall too far from the tree, and that I could tell them my secret.

"That I'm... gay." The room went silent, my rapid breathing hushed, almost to the point where I felt like I couldn't breathe anymore. The first flicker of sound I heard was Ezran's voice.

"Is that all?" he murmured, placing a hand on mine, lacing his fingers in between my own. Surprised, I withdrew my hand, looking at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Ezran smiled, his gentle brown eyes creasing with his grin.

"What I mean is that it doesn't affect anything between us. You could be anything, and it still wouldn't matter." I looked at Harrow, who had stayed quiet, though he was the one that talked frequently before.

"Uncle... Harrow?" I gulped, seeing his eyes flash, a frown reaching his face as he looked at me, kneeling down so his face was level with mine. He leaned in closer and I flinched, closing my eyes, bracing for the impact of his hand against my skin.

But it never came.

Instead, what came next was a warm hug, his arms enveloping my body, holding me tight, just as Ezran did. Letting out a small gasp, I felt as his hands curled on my back, unsure of whether to return the gesture or not. Once I saw a glimpse of his face again, there was a grin in the place of where his deep frown had been initially. He held my by the shoulders, arms extended.

"(Y/N), I'm so proud of you." He shook me gently, causing a small smile to break through. "You're such a brave person."

"H-How? My parents even-"

"They're wrong. You're owning who you are as a person, regardless of what others think." He patted my shoulder, soft eyes bearing into mine, showing a residing comfort, with no tension at all.

"I knew these two women who loved each other more than anything. Strong, independent women who weren't taking shit from anybody." I allowed for myself to laugh, but let him continue. "Coming out was hard for them, as they were both famous actors, and they received a lot of backlash. But eventually, the public warmed up to them, and they've adopted a darling girl."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I want to let you know that there will be people that don't like you. There will also be loved ones that will not accept you, and that's the hardest part. It's scary, admitting something that not all people are okay with. But I want you to know that there will always be people out there that love you unconditionally, and they will support you 100%, regardless of your ethnicity, background, gender identity, sexuality, everything. So don't be frightened by the world. Instead, welcome it with open arms and know that not everything is perfect." He let go of me, and Ezran continued, squeezing my hand.

"(Y/N), it's hard sometimes. We all will have obstacles to face. For me, losing my mom was hard. It was hard on Callum too. Losing people you care about is hard. But don't lose yourself in the process of grieving them. You know who you are. You know how to stand up for yourself. You're brave for acknowledging who you are on the inside. Don't forget that."