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“Does Jack have a bad relationship with his parents?”
The question comes out of nowhere. Not just because it’s been silent in Tua’s house, with Arnold reading his script to get ready for the first readthrough in a couple of days, and Tua trying to finish an assignment, but also because the last thing they talked about was how well Dean has clicked with other stage partners (something Arnold is still a little nervous about, even if he and Dean have hung out a few times).
Tua looks up from his laptop and finds Arnold looking at him with a face of honest curiosity. Tua frowns a little, because he’s more confused than anything else.
“What? Why do you ask that?” he asks back.
Arnold lifts his script. “I’m wondering what gave him the inspiration to rewrite the story like this. You know, with the families feuding because they don’t approve of guys dating guys.”
“Oh.” Tua blinks. He hadn’t thought of that at all.
“I was just wondering if Jack got that idea from personal experience,” Arnold says.
“Not that I know of. He’s not that close with his mom, but that’s more because he doesn’t like her taste in boyfriends than anything else. She’s supportive of him,” Tua replies.
Arnold hums but frowns. “I wonder what gave him the idea then. It’s so real, it seems almost personal.” He lets out a huff of laughter. “Or maybe I just don’t know enough about writing to tell that kind of thing.”
“Jack is a good writer. And people don’t always use their own experiences when they write,” Tua says with a shrug. “I don’t know where he got the idea for this one. It could have been from anywhere.”
“Right,” Arnold nods a little.
“But… well.” Tua shrugs again. “Most of us know people who’ve had parents like that.”
“Us?” Arnold quirks an eyebrow.
“Queer people,” Tua clarifies.
Arnold goes very still.
Tua gives him a small, sad smile.
The reason he hadn’t thought about how Jack got the inspiration for his version of Romeo and Juliet’s story is probably because that version is a story that Tua has come across several times in his life. He doesn’t wonder where Jack got the idea from because Tua could have had the exact same idea, if he was told to write an alternative version of Romeo and Juliet. A couple facing strong disapproval from both sets of parents? Who want to keep them apart and squash their love? That’s a classic for queer kids.
“I hadn’t even thought about that,” Arnold says, voice quiet and soft.
“A lot of people don’t,” Tua says simply. He doesn’t blame people like Arnold for not thinking about that kind of thing. He wishes he didn’t think about that kind of thing, but that’s just not where the world is yet.
“But I’ve had gay and bi friends since high school. I should have thought about it. I only thought about what it was like for them to be out at school, or if they were afraid of getting disowned.” Arnold stares down at his script. “I never thought about what it could be like to not be disowned but still have disapproving parents like this.”
“It’s a fine line, sometimes,” Tua says with a hum. “How much you can reveal to your family. How much you can be yourself without making them angry. Some parents can accept their kid being gay in theory, but don’t like when they bring home a partner.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Arnold says.
“Maybe not, but there are still parents who are like that,” Tua tells him. “Dean’s dad was kind of like that.”
Maybe he shouldn’t be telling Dean’s story, but Tua doesn’t think he’ll mind Arnold knowing this about him. It’s not like it’s a big secret. It’s just not something Dean talks about unless he’s asked, and people rarely ever ask.
“Really?” Arnold sounds shocked.
“Yeah. Back in high school, Dean’s dad tried to break up him and his first boyfriend. He insisted it was because Dean’s boyfriend wasn’t good enough for him, but Dean knew it was just because his boyfriend was a guy, and his dad didn’t like having to face for real that Dean is gay,” Tua says.
“Shit,” Arnold mumbles.
“Yeah,” Tua hums. “Dean’s fine, though. He doesn’t care anymore.”
“That’s good,” Arnold says with a nod. “Now it makes sense that Jack rewrote the conflict in the story like this. Not that it didn’t make sense before, but. It makes even more sense now, if he knows people with these kinds of experiences.”
He looks down at his script, like he’s reading it for the first time again. He flips back to the first page as well. Maybe it is kind of like reading it for the first time for him now.
Tua turns back to his homework, because it still needs to be done, even if most of his focus is on Arnold now. Arnold seems pretty focused on his reading anyway, so the conversation is probably done, or at least paused for now.
It’s quiet between them for a few minutes. Then Arnold says, “Hey.”
Tua looks back up at him. “What?”
“Do you have any experience with this?” Arnold asks, lifting his script again.
He looks worried. Really worried. It makes Tua feel warm inside, even though he knows worrying is just a thing friends do about each other. He can’t help it. Even if Arnold doesn’t have feelings for him, it’s still nice to know that he cares.
Tua shakes his head in response. “Not really. My parents love me for who I am and they’re supportive of me.” Arnold looks relieved at that, which makes Tua hesitate to tell him more. But he can talk to Arnold about everything, and it feels like this is something Arnold would like to know. So, tentatively, Tua adds, “But…”
“But?” Arnold inquires.
“But… they weren’t always like that,” Tua admits quietly.
“What do you mean?” Arnold asks. He no longer looks relieved. He’s back to looking worried instead.
Tua takes a deep breath to steady himself.
He’s fine. He loves his parents and they love him, and they’ve done everything they can over the past few years to prove that they fully support him and his choices, and that they’ll support whoever he loves too. He knows that giving them time back then had been the right thing.
None of that means that it’s not sometimes a little painful to think about or talk about.
“When I came out, my parents got… really quiet,” he begins. “They just sat there for a bit. Then my mom asked if I was sure. When I said I was, my dad asked how I could be sure, and if I’d even tried kissing a boy or a girl. I told them I hadn’t, but I didn’t need to, to be sure. And then…” he looks down at the table, “my mom started crying. And asked me why and what had happened. And when I started crying, my dad… my dad got up and walked away.”
“Tua…” Arnold mumbles.
“It’s okay,” Tua says quickly. “It took some time, but they both got their heads around it, and they fully support me now. You know they do.”
“I do, I know, but still,” Arnold hesitates for a moment. “How long is some time?”
“A few months. Maybe a little more,” Tua replies. Arnold looks so heartbroken at the thought, Tua quickly adds, “But they always told me that they still loved me. And they apologized for their reactions as well.”
“It must have sucked for you, though. It must have hurt,” Arnold says, probably unaware of just how accurate he is.
Tua nods. “It did. But sometimes parents just need a little time. And giving them that time is better than cutting ties with them immediately.”
“Did you consider doing that?” Arnold asks.
“No, not even once. Their reaction wasn’t that bad, even if it hurt a little.” A lot, but Tua doesn’t want to dwell on that. “But I gave them some time to think. I didn’t, like… push them. If that makes sense.” Arnold nods a little. “And eventually we talked, and now we’re close.”
“I see,” Arnold hum.
Then he puts his script down, gets up and moves to the other side of the table. He gently pulls Tua to his feet as well, and then envelops Tua in a tight, warm hug. “I’m still sorry you had to go through that.”
Tua melts into Arnold’s embrace. More than he usually lets himself melt when they hug.
Arnold is warm and strong, and his hug is the definition of comfort. And to top it off, Arnold is just such a good person. It makes his hugs even warmer and even more comforting. He doesn’t judge. He’s so sympathetic, without ever pitying people. He always wants to help. He always wants the best for everyone, or at least everyone he cares about.
There’s a reason Tua is so fucking in love with him.
It’s the same reason why Tua is also so afraid to tell Arnold he’s in love with him.
Maybe he will one day. They’ve kissed now, and even if that didn’t lead to anything, maybe it’s still a start of some kind. Not right now, though. Tua’s not ready to do anything else just yet, when it still mostly feels like Arnold sees him as a close friend.
For now, Tua just mumbles, “Thank you,” into Arnold’s shoulder, and lets himself enjoy the hug for as long as Arnold will let him.