There was only about a week left in the Christmas holidays, and Aiden had finally worked up the proper courage to talk to his father concerning a very important matter. It was one thing to talk about doing it all the time, but actually do it was another thing entirely. However, he got a push in the right direction when his father kept pushing business associate’s daughters at him during every single Christmas and New Year’s party they’d been to. He was sick of it.
So, with a determined mind, but more than a little nervousness, he knocked on the door to Emory’s office.
“Come in,” Emory said after a moment.
Slowly, and with some hesitancy, Aiden opened the door and entered the room.
Emory swiveled his chair around to see who was there, and when he saw it was Aiden, his mouth tightened. “Yes, Aiden?”
“I have something important I’d like to discuss with you,” he said neutrally, establishing eye contact and not wavering under his father’s hard stare.
Raising an eyebrow, Emory gestured to the chair across the desk from him. “Sit down.”
Aiden crossed the room and took a seat in the chair. However, he didn’t launch into his topic, giving himself a short moment to recollect himself again.
“I thought you said it was an important matter,” Emory said, raising an eyebrow. “I wish you would quit stalling.”
“I’m not stalling. I’m collecting my thoughts so that I can best express them in the way I want them to come out,” he replied, almost defensively.
“Are you considering learning to speak decisively?” Emory asked. “That would be a change.”
Aiden’s expression iced over, nearly mimicking his father’s. “I’ve changed a lot, not that you’ve paid any attention.”
“You have not made a habit of paying much attention to my directives, so I hardly see how my treatment of you is different,” Emory said darkly. “With your subpar grades and your lack of beneficial social interaction and your disinterest in furthering the family name in a positive way…”
“I would hardly call my friends unbeneficial social interactions. All connections are good connections. I also wish you would realize that we’re reaching an age where no one cares where you come from or who you’re related to. It’s more about who you are as an individual.”
“I was not even aware that you had more than one friend, that inferior Hayes boy. It is not as if you even have much merit as an individual, is it?”
“Don’t you dare insult him. He’s twice the person you are.”
“He is useless. He has his legs, but his grades are mediocre. He has no future, just like you.”
“Success is not measured in money or fame. It’s measured in how you feel about yourself as a person and how those important to you feel about you. If you love who you are and the people you love love you back, then I’d call that success.”
“I was not aware that you loved who you are. I was not aware that anyone did.”
“Like I said before, you haven’t been paying attention.”
Emory raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
“Yes, really. Because if you had been, you’d have seen the changes. I’m not the same quiet, timid person I was just months ago.”
“That’s nice,” Emory said. “I thought you mentioned having something important to discuss.”
“Right, I do,” Aiden replied. “I want you to stop shoving girls at me. It’s never going to work.”
“I know you are awkward and uncomfortable, but you really do need to start worrying about making a proper match.”
“I’m not going to like any of them, even on the most basic of levels.”
Emory’s face darkened. “Why is that?” he asked, his words clipped.
“Because all they care about is our family’s wealth and reputation. They don’t care about who they end up with as long as they get lots of shiny things to show off as a result. Because none of them have been the slightest bit interesting to me, and you’ve been trying for years. It’s never going to happen. And because... because even if none of those things mattered, there’s someone else that does.”
“You have a girlfriend?” Emory asked disbelievingly.
“No,” Aiden replied honestly.
“Then I’m not sure I understand.”
“Think about it.”
“You aren’t engaging in sexual intercourse with a girl you are not in a relationship with, are you?”
“I’m not.”
“Then I do not see an alternative that is logical.”
“Then... try illogical.”
“There are no other options.”
“Try illogical,” he repeated.
“There are no other options,” Emory repeated.
“You’re not trying then.”
“There are NO other options,” Emory said gruffly. “Are you going to continue to waste my time?”
Aiden looked squarely at his father. “It’s not a girl and it will never be a girl,” he said plainly.
“So you are choosing to be alone?”
“No. It’s not a girl, but I’m not alone.”
“I do not believe you.”
“Why not?”
“Because my son cannot be a pansy.”
Aiden’s jaw clenched. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Emory said calmly. “My son cannot be a pansy.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“It cannot happen.”
“What cannot happen?”
“You are not gay,” Emory insisted. “You could not be that much of a disgrace to the family name. We raised you better than that.”
“How a person is raised doesn’t change who they are at their core.”
“I already told you that you are not gay.”
“And I am telling you that I am.”
“Well then you are wrong. You will grow out of it.”
“It’s taken me seventeen years to realize it. I really don’t think it’s going to change any.”
“It will. It is simply you latching onto any basic form of attention that anyone gives you. A boy paid attention to you, I am assuming, so you fancy yourself in love.”
“I wouldn’t call it love just yet. But there is something there, and it isn’t just latching onto attention. It’s not like I’ve rushed headfirst into this. I’ve given it a lot of thought. It all makes sense. The only reason I’m telling you about it, though, is because I’m tired of trying to hide it and I wanted to tell you face to face instead of you hearing through the grapevine.”
Emory looked at him seriously. “And you are not going to change your mind?”
“I’m not.”
Emory looked Aiden straight in the eyes before announcing, “Then you are disowned.”
“I honestly expected nothing different, so if you were hoping to upset me with that, you’ve completely failed.”
“We will have you taken out of our wills and removed from any official documents as our heir.”
Aiden only nodded, staring directly at him.
“You will be permitted to stay in this home, but I do not expect to see you unless an encounter is required. You are no longer my son, you are merely a resident of this home.”
“I suppose I should congratulate you then. Because I know you never wanted me as heir and now you’ve got that, with what seems to be a valid reason in your opinion. The only thing keeping your life from being perfect is that Sam is still dead.”
Emory’s face darkened. “Get out. Get out of this room, right now.”
"It's the truth. And he wouldn't be if it weren't for you."
“Get out!” Emory screamed at him, his composure breaking.
"It's all your fault. You now have no sons because you are so set on one mindset and one goal that you won't bend for anything."
Emory snapped, his magic pushing Aiden backwards towards the door. “Get out.”
"With pleasure," he said opening the door and leaving.
Emory magically locked the door behind Aiden, taking a deep breath and returning to his work to distract himself.
