Page 100 of Game On

“You’ve been working on this a long time,” Matt pointed out calmly, perching on the end of Dorian’s desk. “You first mentioned it way back in the fall.”

Dorian nodded. He didn’t have the heart to tell them that he’d been planning this for much longer.

“Why not tell us then?”

Unable to meet Matt’s too-penetrating gaze or Charlie’s curious one, Dorian stared at his hands. “I thought I had to have all the i’s dotted and all the t’s crossed first. If I told my parents about this, they’d—well, they’d react like Adriana did and tell me that my time and effort was better spent elsewhere, and have you done market research, Dorian?” He dropped his voice an octave, mimicking his dad. “There are thousands of subscription boxes available, and do you really want to compete with them all? Why can’t you get a normal job like your brother and be a normal, functioning member of society? And for the love of god, Dorian, stop embarrassing us with your choice of outfits and?—”

“We get it.” Charlie moved some products aside and sat on the coffee table. “Your parents are...”

“Assholes?” Matt provided.

Charlie grimaced at Matt and waved at Dorian. “I was going for something more diplomatic in his presence.”

“Why? He knows what they’re like. It’s why he hasn’t spoken to them in years.”

“Four, to be exact,” Dorian muttered. “Not that it matters right now.” Not that they mattered. At all. Nevertheless, it was hard to let go of years of what essentially amounted to emotional abuse.

Charlie placed a hand on his knee. “You didn’t tell us because you thought we’d react like them.”

“No,” Dorian was quick to correct. “I knew you wouldn’t. But knowing that and truly believing it are two different things. I spent my entire childhood being second-guessed or shut down or compared to my older siblings. It’s hard not to assume everyone else will react the same way.” Scrubbing both hands down his face, he let out an annoyed groan at himself. “I’m sorry. I should’ve given you both the benefit of the doubt and told you a long time ag?—”

“No.” Matt’s voice was firm. His win-this-game-or-else voice. “You don’t owe us anything, Dorian.”

“He’s right,” Charlie chimed in. “How and when you tell us is up to you.”

Dorian squinted at him. “I’m pretty sure I said something similar to you years ago when you were considering coming out to your parents.”

Charlie grinned. “It applies in this situation too.”

“So you’re not...” Dorian jerked his gaze from one to the other. “Mad?”

“Of course not.” Matt joined Charlie on the coffee table. “Do I wish I’d known? Sure. I’m sure I speak for Charlie too when I say that we would’ve liked to support you from the beginning. But I’m not mad.”

“And we could’ve tested products with you,” Charlie added. “That popcorn looks interesting.” He nodded at the bag Jamie had been making his way through for the past few weeks.

“It’s mushy,” Dorian told his cousin.

“Oh.” Making a face, Charlie poked the bag. “Popcorn’s supposed to be crunchy.”

“Yes. Thank you. Can you tell Jamie that please?”

As though Dorian had summoned him, Jamie stuck his head into the room. “Food’s been delivered.”

Dorian smiled, because that was what Jamie did—he made Dorian feel like he could take on the world. “We’ll be right out.”

Jamie took in Charlie and Matt before his gaze landed on Dorian with a concerned glint. “All good in here?”

“Yeah,” Dorian said softly. “Thanks.” He turned back to his cousins to find Charlie pouting.

“He knew, but not us?”

Dorian blinked. Blinked again. “Well... he sort of sauntered in here the first night he arrived, and... it was easy to tell him. I didn’t know him, so his opinion didn’t matter. Yours did. That’s why I was scared to tell you.”

“So why now then?” Matt asked, circling back to his original question.

Dorian shrugged and let out a small laugh. “I recently realized that I’m enough as I am. And people will support me or they won’t, but if they don’t, that’s not a reflection on me. It’s a reflection on them.”

Matt smiled one of his rare smiles, lighting up his dark eyes, and there was something very teacher proud of his student in it. “Can you give us a breakdown of what’s going in your boxes?”

---