Parks, Parents, and Pressure
*****Previously*****
“Something I should have done a long time ago.” Liking his chapped lips again for good measure he began again. “Alex, I’ve loved you for almost three years now. For a year of that I was in denial of my real feelings and let that get in the way of our friendship, and careers. When I finally found out that you felt the same way I was going crazy inside. I really found that the feelings I had weren’t just lust, but real true love. That love has only gotten stronger since that point and I find myself growing more and more in love with you each day. When we found out you were pregnant today, I felt all-warm inside. I felt that my family was finally becoming complete, but that’s when I remembered that even though we would have that bond between this child, we would never be bonded. So here I am down on one knee and looking into your big brown eyes, and asking…Alexander James McLean, will you marry me?”
*****Present*****
AJ never knew until that point how much a few words could change somebody’s life. Yeah, with this whole baby thing he knew how a few second could change your life, but words? Listening to Marshall saying things from his heart was enough to bring AJ to tears, but that last sentence would be in his head and heart for the rest of his life. Even though he knew he heard Marshall right, didn’t mean he knew what to say back. He was speechless, nervous, and scared shitless all wrapped in one. Seeing Marshall get down on one knee could have meant a lot of things. A few AJ knew he wouldn’t be doing in a public park, where he was sure there were at least a few people milling around. A trillion scenarios were going though his head, but the one he didn’t even think about was the one that Marshall was doing. Yeah, he knew he was probably scaring Marshall to death with all this silence. He knew that he was supposed to blurt out ‘YES’ at the top of his lungs, but for some reason the words wouldn’t come. His eyes were glued at the children playing across the park. He wasn’t even really watching them, just staring into space waiting for his brain to become un numb and he could speak again.
Marshall stared at AJ hoping, the long silence wasn’t a bad thing. He knew in the back of his mind that AJ wouldn’t say no, but then the part of his mind that was thinking right now, was telling him the total opposite. He had never been the very optimistic type and always seemed to think about the worst possible outcomes of everything. So right now thoughts of AJ shooting him right there in the park was the top of the list. Yeah, it was a little extreme, but he couldn’t seem to turn his brain off.
AJ was still in his own world when he heard commotion coming from behind them, in a split second he totally forgot where he was, and the fact that he was out in the middle of a public place with the very person he was not allowed to be with. It wasn’t until the sound of the teenage boy yelling behind him that he was brought back to reality.
“Hey guys look who it is.” Yelled the boy to his friends.
Marshall, still kneeling in front of AJ looked up to see a group of five teenagers looking down at him. The looks on their faces told him this wasn’t good. This little secne would be in the newspapers tomorrow. “I think we’ve got company.” He whispered to AJ.
AJ turned around to see the boys and groaned. This day was getting more and more crazy by the moment. ‘Come on Alex think of a plan. There has got to be some reason why Eminem would be hanging around a member of a boyband.’ Then he got an idea. The boys were expecting them to do something like hit each other and pretend nothing was happening. That would make sense and make paper headlines. But if they actually played the whole thing cool like nothing happened, the boys would be so confused, they wouldn’t know what to think. Standing up from the bench he reached his hand out for Marshall to take.
Marshall looked at AJ strangely but followed along, hoping AJ had some sort of plan up his sleeve.
“Hey guys, what you up to?” Asked AJ brushing off the seat of his pants.
The boy who had spoken before looked at his friends in confusion. “Uh…nothing.”
‘Yes! It’s working!’ AJ thought to himself and smiled. “Well, it’s been nice talking to you guys, but we gota get going.” With that AJ pulled Marshall’s arm and directed him out of the park.
“What the fuck was that Aje?”
AJ smirked. “That was us playing it cool Marsh. I knew if we made up an excuse of why you were on the ground in front of me, then they would make a big deal about it. But if we didn’t act worried and just went along with it, then they would be so confused and not know what to say.”
Marshall laughed. “Only you would think of something like that.”
“That’s why you love me.” Said AJ flashing Marshall his best smile as he got into the car.
Shaking his head Marshall got into the drivers seat and started the car. Both men drove home in a comfortable silence this time, both totally forgetting about what happened at the park before they were interrupted.
*****@*****
As soon as Marshall and AJ walked through the door the phone was ringing.
“Who in the world would that be?” Asked Marshall as he walked quickly into the kitchen to grab the phone. “Hello?”
//”Hey, Marshall, it’s Denise Is Alex home?”//
“Yeah, just a second.” Marshall put his hand over the phone and yelled. “ALEX, YOUR MOM IS ON THE PHONE!”
AJ shook his head as he walked in the room. “I’m right here Marsh.”
“Sorry, but yeah your mom is on the phone.” Said Marshall handing the phone to AJ.
“Yeah I got that.” Smiled AJ as he took the phone from Marshall. Taking a deep breath he put it to his mouth. “Hey mom.”
//”Hi sweetheart, I just wanted to call and see how you are doing?”//
“I’m doing just fine mom.”
//Denise could hear in her son’s voice that he was hiding something, but she had never been the one to pry. “And Marshall?”//
AJ laughed. “You could have asked him that yourself. But yeah he’s doing fine. Getting ready to start recording his next album actually.” AJ looked over at Marshall and almost fell on the ground with laughter. Marshall was walking around the kitchen holding his hands out from his stomach like he was fat. AJ knew that meant he wanted him to tell his mom about the baby, but at that moment all he could do was laugh.
//Denise had to hold the phone away from her ear because AJ was laughing so much. “What in the world is so funny?”//
AJ laughed. “Marshall…He’s being…crazy.”
//”What else is new, that boy is always crazy.”//
AJ took a deep breath and walked out of the kitchen so he could talk to his mom in piece without Marshall trying to make him laugh all the time. “Sorry about that mom.”
//”Don’t be sorry, I’m glad to hear you are happy. I don’t think I’ve heard you this happy in months. By the tone of your voice you almost sound like your glowing.” She said with a smile. Yea, she never expected her son to fall in love with the bleach blonde rapper, but if he made him this happy, then who was she to not support it. So far Marshall had never done anything to purposely hurt her son. So, for now it was an ok thing. “Oh, speaking of that, I got a call from Kevin’s mom. You know that we have gotten closer over the years. She called to say Merry Christmas and stuff, but that isn’t what brought me to tears. Why didn’t you tell me Kirsten was pregnant?”//
AJ felt his stomach flip flop at his mother’s words. He really didn’t need this conversation heading in the direction it was. He knew whenever his mom got on the topic of babies, she would always say something like ‘Oh, how I wish I could be a grandma, or so and so is so lucky the get grandchildren.’ No, he didn’t need that right now, mostly because he hadn’t figured out how to tell his mom that she WAS going to be a grandma. “That’s because I only found out about it yesterday, mom.”
//”I just think it’s so great that Brian and Kevin have settled down and are now having babies. I mean Baylee is just the cutest little thing, and Kevin now those will be some cute kids if you ask me…”//
“Mom.”
//”I remember thinking you and Sarah would have had beautiful kids too. She had the prettiest eyes, and your skin colors. It would have been prefect…”//
“Mom!”
//”She was just so proud to be able to tell me about Kirsten. I’m going to have to remember to give her and Kevin a call, or send them a card…”//
“MOM!”
//”What?”//
“Would you please quit going on and on about this! I’m not with Sarah anymore. (AN: Yes I know that in reality AJ and Sarah are actually still together, but in my story lets just say that the whole AJ and Sarah thing really happened back in like 1999 J) We are not having kids. I’m with Marshall, have been for almost two years now!” AJ knew he should be yelling at his mom. He never did that, but right now he couldn’t stand it.
//”Alex I didn’t mean it like that and you know it. I’ve grown to love Marshall like a son over the last two years. But you can’t blame me for wanting grandchildren. “//
AJ could hear the sadness in his mother’s voice and sighed. “Mom, do you think you could come over for a few hours? I can get Marshall to make his famous chicken stuff that you like?”
//Denise wasn’t sure what to make of the desperate tone in her son’s voice. This normally only meant he had something big to tell her. “Sure honey, I could be there around five. I have a few other things to do before then.”//
“Five would be fine. I’m gunna get off the phone now mom. I will see you then ok?”
//”Alright honey, see you tonight.”//
With that both of them hung up the phone, leaving AJ sitting in the living room in a daze. He wasn’t prepared to tell his mom about all of this. He thought telling Marshall was bad, this was going to be deadly. His mind went back to the day a year and a half ago when he told his mom he was gay.
*****Flashback*****
Denise sat on the couch looking at her son. Five minutes ago he was standing on her doorstep saying they need to talk, now that they were he wasn’t saying anything. “Honey, is something wrong?”
AJ sighed and looked down at his hands. How does one go about telling their mom that they are gay?
“Alex, you know you can tell me anything.”
AJ finally looked up into his mom’s brown eyes. “I don’t know about that mom, you aren’t going to like what I have to say at all.”
Denise scooted so she was sitting closer to her son and put her arm around his back. “Honey, just tell me.”
AJ licked his dry lips and took a deep breath. ‘There’s no going back now.’ Looking at his mom he sighed again and started. “Mom, I’m not exactly sure how to tell you this, and I know you are going to be disappointed in me, but I cant hold it in any longer. Mom, I’m gay.”
Denise looked at her son in confusion. What he was saying wasn’t making any sense. As much as she hated the fact, she knew her son was a womanizer. She was more worried about having a conversation like this one, but not her only son telling her he was homosexual. No, she was sure she would be hearing that he had gotten somebody pregnant. Yeah, she would have been sad at that but, nothing could compare to the feelings going through her at that moment. How could he be gay? He was engaged to a beautiful woman less then a year ago, yeah they had problems and finally they decided for reason she though was mutual. Now she wasn’t so sure. Sighing she looked up into AJ’s eyes and knew he wasn’t joking. “I don’t understand Alex. You have always had women around you. Either just those teenage girls who scream at you, or the lovely woman you take to your bed. I just don’t understand.”
AJ couldn’t help but blush at the thought of his mom knowing about his rather active sex life. But what she didn’t know was the other side of that sex life. He had been with other men before he met Marshall. Yeah, then it was only one night stands, or flings that lasted maybe a week, but it had been there. “I guess a better term would be Bi, mom.”
Denise shook her head and stood up walking to the window. “I never raised you to feel this way. Yes, your father has been not been around that much…actually he’s been pretty non existent.” She turned to look at her son with tears in her eyes. “I just thought that you got into the group fast enough. That Kevin would have been a good enough roll model on you and Nick.”
AJ got up off the couch and walked towards his mom wrapping his arms around her. “Mom, you haven’t don’t anything wrong. You were a great mom and believe me Kevin was a great role model, I could be a lot worse off ya know. Me being I love with a man isn’t the end of the world right?”
AJ’s last words caused Denise to look up at her son. “Your in love?”
AJ smiled and nodded. “He’s great mom.”
Denise put on a weak smile for his sake. She wasn’t going to cause her son pain if he was happy. And by the dreamy look in his face she knew he was. “Who is this great guy?”
That was the one part AJ was dreading the most. But he had gone this far why not go all the way. “His name is Marshall Mathers.”
That name sounded femiular to Denise and she wasn’t sure why. The more she thought about it, the more the name sounded femiular. Then it hit her and she looked at AJ like he was nuts. “You are in love with Eminem?”
AJ sighed. He never liked it when people said that name like it was some type of disease. “Yes, mom if you want to put his stage name into this, then yes I’m in love with Eminem.”
“What do you see in that man? Yes, I will admit he is a nice looking guy, but I’m sorry his attitude is far from your own.”
“That’s the attitude to somebody who doesn’t know him mom. Please just give him a chance. It would mean so much to me.”
*****End of Flashback*****
AJ could feel tears coming to his eyes. His mom had done more then just given him a chance. She had embrased Marshall over the years. Marshall had really became a part of the McLean family. Spending Christmas and other holidays with them. Sighing he could only hope his mom was as optimistic about this whole baby thing. Putting his head in his hands he finally let the tears fall from his eyes. Let all the emotions going through his mind leave through those tears.
Marshall walked into the room to see AJ with his head in his hands. Walking over to the love of his life he asked. “Are you alright Aje?”
AJ looked up when he felt Marshall sitting down next to him. “My mom talked to Kevin’s mom.”
Marshall knew what that meant. Talking about babies with Denise was never a good idea. “Did she give you a bad time about babies again?”
AJ only nodded and scooted closer to Marshall’s warm body for support. He really needed to be comforted by his arms. “Can you make that chicken dish you are good at?”
“Sure, but why?”
“My mom is coming over for dinner.”
Marshall pulled back to look in AJ’s eyes. “You really want to tell her now? I was just joking around back there in the kitchen. We both said we needed to talk it through before we knew what to say. You know she means a lot to me too. Her opinion is really important.”
“You don’t think I know that. She’s all I got next to you Marsh, she’s the only family I have. Her opinion means more to me then most other things. But I also hate to hear how sad she gets when she thinks she will never have natural grandchildren from her only son.” AJ sighed and stood up so he was facing Marshall who was still sitting on the couch. “We are giving her that grandchild as crazy as that seems. I know it wont be easy, but we have to tell her. And at some point the whole world is going to know too.”
Marshall looked up at AJ and smiled. “I love you.”
AJ smiled back and sat down to straddle Marshall’s hips. “I love you too.” He said before leaning down to plant a kiss on Marshall’s lips. The kiss turned passionate and both men found themselves getting wrapped up in the feeling of each other’s tongues moving against each other.
Marshall moaned into AJ’s mouth when he felt him moving slightly on his lap. Pulling back breathless he looked into AJ’s yes. “When is your mom coming?”
AJ smiled and continued to move his hip, feeling Marshall starting to harden underneath him. “We have about three hours until we need to even be getting ready.” He said while platting small kisses down Marshall’s chin and neck. “I don’t know about you, but I think our engagement needs to be celebrated right now.”
Marshall pulled back again. “Is that your really weird way of answering ‘yes’ to my earlier question at the park?”
AJ smiled again and didn’t say anything but start another passionate kiss, hoping Marshall would get the idea.
