Acceptance part 1

Acceptance:

Follow up story for: www.furaffinity.net/view/92693…

This is a fan-fiction made as a follow up to the link above. The original stories this was inspired from are “Cruelty” and “Unconditional”. Both stories and most characters, aka the ones from the original universe, are sole property of Rukis Croax, this being a fan fiction with no intention to make a profit from.

It was done in the intention of a birthday gift to the original author.

Karma:

It had been 3 or 4 days since that evening at the bar with Reis and Marcus. Getting them introduced to Massak was the best idea I had I think at that point. It allowed Reis to relax more around me and to let Marcus know that they had friends they could hang out with instead of staying secluded at home every days off and weekends. We were even planning to escape toward the mountains all together for our next vacation week next months. Good thing the chalet of Massak’s parents was secluded, no neighbors to complain that way.  

I got off my motorcycle on the parking lot of the precinct and saw I was there earlier than Reis since his car wasn’t there. Since he always arrived in full uniform I decided to get into the locker to change and get ready for our patrol of the day. I say hi to my colleagues on my way and wave at the captain, a big pudgy brown German Shepard that hands me our patrol sector of the day on my way to the locker after I clocked in. The moment I get closer to my locker saying hi to other’s a big bear only wearing a towel around his waist gets in my way  “Hey Karma… your ‘ballet dancer’ wolf dog partner isn’t sashaying  around here yet to stare at us?”

I stare at him, quirk an eyebrow “At least he can keep up with me in chases down the streets you know?”

He glares a little at me in reaction to my comment. “Are you sure he just isn’t running after your ass in those situations?” I look at him up and down so he puffs up his chest. “Are you staring at this too?” while showing his own body with an arm.

I chuckle, drily, “Well right now I am trying to get to my locker past that big blob that you call a ‘body’ so far Trencer.” Getting everyone around us to laugh at him while he sulks away and I start to get changed.

I just finished putting on my pants and shoes and start closing up my shirt when I see Reis coming toward me. “Hey partner… had a good evening?”

I chuckle as I finish closing my buttons and grab my gun belt before I turn toward him with a smile “Are you ever going to just call me Karma? And yeah we had a good evening. Ready for another day of ‘fun in our cramped car’ to drive around?” He gives me a half smile and we go outside the locker to get our radio, car keys and, of course guns.

The moment we arrive at our assigned patrol we get called for a robbery in a residential house. We get there with another patrol and being the older officer on spot I take point on this “Take the rear entrance we take the front.” I check I got my club at the ready when I grab my gun and unlock it. I look at Reis and he nods at me ready. We take a deep breath and I walk into the door. That’s when we hear our colleagues, a cougar and an otter, getting dropped on. So we hurry and try to not be caught off-guard either. One drops from above on Reis that reacts right away by using one of our old wrestle moves and sends him flying forward but losing his gun. Another one tries to slash me with an army knife that I barely block with my gun losing mine too. I then pull out my club and start blocking his knifes attack on me while Reis is into a wrestling fight on the floor to control his opponent.

I block his attack with my club and give a kick just under his knee and while he jumps in pain I throw my club into his forehead and then give a kick forward into his stomach sending him into a wall. I then call dispatch to tell them we need an ambulance for our friends and I see Reis looking at me oddly. “What is it, something wrong?”

He chuckles in reactions “Never knew you took Muay Thai classes since school.”

I chuckle, while we both put handcuffs on the guys, “Call that… self-defense?” with a grin getting a smile out of him. We finished our report and then decide we might as well stop for lunch. While we are eating our lunch in a dinner we like I see him looking at me oddly. “Do I have something on my muzzle?”

He takes another bite of his food, still looking at me “Can I ask you an honest question?”

I smile at him while chewing my bite “I might be your superior but I thought we are friends too no? So yeah friends can ask questions to each other’s…to my point of view at least.”

He hesitates a few more seconds, puts his fork down, crosses his hands “You seem pretty confident about your sexuality…so I wonder, even if you keep defending me against some of our colleagues why…”

So I finish the sentence for him “Why I don’t come out of the closet?” He nods at me, I take a drink of my glass, take a breath “It’s for Massak sincerely. Being a teacher he is worried the PTA wouldn’t take it very kindly of him being gay. With the fact that we spend a lot of time together if I am out they would automatically...say he is gay too and create troubles for his work.”

He seems to think about it for a second while taking another bite of his plate, then looks up again “Do you really think it would be that bad for him?”

I take a bite of bread with sauce, and swallow before sighing “Do you remember how they were treating Marcus when we were there? And you weren’t the only one doing what he could to help him.” Understanding my subtext he just reaches over and pats my hand as a silent thank you and we continue eating. The moment we are getting ready to pay our meal I get a call from dispatch.

“Karma someone is asking if you could contact him. Just one problem…he was so much in tears that I had trouble to understand his name. I think I heard the name of varsity in the sentence.”

I gasp thinking it’s probably Massak trying to contact me. I jump out of the seat and get my cellphone to try to call him leaving Reis with his mouth open while I go toward the exit but just ended up with his voicemail. Reis come out of the dinner, I look at him in distress “Massak is having a problem…please drive me there. I am not sure if I can see very straight right now.” An ungodly amount of time later we finally pull out in front of the school and I just jump out of the car before he even finished parking then run toward the entrance of the building seeing a group of parents screaming in front of the director’s office.

A group of parents see me and I hear some people say “Good, the cops are here to arrest this degenerate.” I am about to scream for Massak’s name thinking maybe something happened to him but another parent say “WAIT he is the OTHER degenerate on the picture kissing with that…that ‘so called teacher’.”

Picture, kissing? What the fuck is happening right now? I just force my way with Reis help toward the door of the director and slam on it screaming “OPEN THIS DOOR OR I KICK IT IN I SWEAR!”

Just before I am really about to break the door Reis gets my focus on him to help me calm down. “I warned dispatch that we had a family emergency…please let’s not make it worse until we know more.”

The door finally opens and the director, an ermine, motions us in. I see Massak on a chair in front of the desk looking like he wants to disappear into the ground the way his head his down. And I can smell tears coming from him. I don’t even think twice and go to hold him in my arms, putting my face into his neck. He jumps up at first then realizes it’s me “Oh karma…I am so sorry…I really don’t understand how they got onto my picture account…I don’t understand.”

He starts crying into my chest when I hear a voice I haven’t heard in years. But mostly it’s the low growl coming from Reis that tips me off. “I should have thought that you both were bloody faggots, how else could you both defend that damn pint size fox if he wasn’t paying you back in some ways.”

I look at him, and finally recognize who the tiger in a suit in front of us is “Tobias…after all this year you still love to open your big mouth in the worse moments.” I then look at the director “Please…explain to me what is going on here.”

I see the director sigh, take a deep breath, before he puts his hands on his desk and twins his own fingers together. “It came to attention to the board here, by way of the PTA through a student that mister Ulva was gay. And they are now pressuring us to remove, what THEY consider, to be ‘an offense’ against God for the safety of their children.” I gasp in reaction while I hear Massak cry once again, while rubbing his eyes. “I am sorry but…until a commission for a hearing has been set…l need to ask mister Ulva to take a leave from the school premises while the situation has been looked more in depth.”

I feel the anger rising inside of me and what is happening on my side doesn’t help. Tobias starts chuckling “We will give proof that our kids aren’t safe around people like you. Even more when a drug addict is now a policeman too.”

Before I can punch him Reis gets in front of me and looks down at Tobias on his comfy chair. “I wouldn’t push it to far here if I was you. I don’t think you realize the kind of wasp nest you are probing since years here…”

He just laughs in reaction while readjusting his tie and I realize Massak gets up and starts heading for the door. I try to stop him but he ignores me and pushes his way through the angry parents waiting outside. One of them gets even more into my way to insult me and Massak starts running away while still crying. I push the asshole away from me and start running after Massak the fastest I can. I finally manage to catch up with him and hold his hand but he doesn’t turn around to look at me in the eyes. “I am…sorry. I just need time alone…please.” I am so shocked that I let go of his hand while looking at him go toward the exit, not turning back to look at me.

When Reis joined me, I realize my teeth and fists are clenched to the point I expect them to break. He tries to talk to me but I don’t hear what he says and just follow him like a robot. Rest of the day being a blur of events while I just give monosyllabic answers to most questions. Once we clocked out I just tried to call Massak on his phone but to no use, so I changed and left without any other words to anyone. I think I heard Reis calling my name…but I was too numb to really react while walking out of the precinct.

I am sitting there on a stool of the sport bar, my phone in front of me while I am holding my beer and staring into it. At times taking a slow sip just to give me something to do, then I start staring again at the bubbles climbing up the golden liquid, while the condensation falls alongside my glass. Suddenly a hand is on my shoulder, and I look up to see a golden fur that first strikes me on the small hand that is there. “Hey Karma…Reis thought that you would probably be here. He said that knowing you it would be logic you went back to linger at the last place with a happy memory to hold onto.”

He signals the bartender for a drink, while I am barely paying attention to him as he seats next to me. He is about to ask me something but the bartender puts his mug down at that moment. “He isn’t drunk if that’s what you are going to ask him.” Marcus gives him a questioning look getting a shrug from the bartender. “I been long enough in the business to know the face you were making when you opened your mouth. He had only 2 glasses and he has been nursing them so much I nearly expected them to grow breasts by now…he has mostly been acting withdrawn barely looking up and speaking a word since he arrived an hour ago.”

Marcus looks at me, with a bit of relief on his face, and I sigh in reaction. “Reis parents were drug addicts, mines were more about alcohol. I always do my best to not do like them…I just needed something else to focus on than my phone.”

I grab another sip of my glass, and I see him put his down too after drinking some and rubbing the froth from his face. “He hasn’t answered or called you since then, I am guessing?” I don’t answer so he tries another approach. “Can I ask you how you are feeling then, at least?”

I glance at him sideway, while he takes another drink of his beer. “Sad…angry…needing something to focus on and preferably stay away from my place, so I don’t want to go punch those assholes mostly…”

“I can imagine that yes…it’s a complete natural response I think. And you know that they are doing all they can to make us do a mistake by being angry.” I nod and he rubs his muzzle again. “Sincerely, I am not sure you know but I was extremely an activist when I was younger. Trying to denunciate all those shit done against us, that’s why I work hard to be a DA now…to try to manage to do a difference. You saw the ring I gave Reis…it’s my dream for all of us. One of them at least.”

I grab my cellphone and check it. “I knew about your activist past…even saw some of your online videos if I am honest.” I put my cellphone back on the counter and look at him more directly “I admit my favorite one was when you got in ‘pastor’ Bauer’s face…but you know that even if you are a DA it doesn’t mean we will get treated like everyone?” he sighs and nods while we both take another sip of our glasses, looking each other’s in the eyes. “Still…I admit I appreciate you are trying your damn best…as I appreciate you are here with me, now tell Reis to get out of the car and join us.”

He looks surprised at me “You knew?” I turn back to the counter and grab my mug with both hands. “Like he knows me…I know my partner. Partly why we work well together as a patrol squad, and as such…I know that even if he trusts me he wouldn’t be far from you in case.”

Not trying to argue anymore he pulls out his phone and texts Reis to join us but still gives me a decisive look. “I know I am only an assistant DA, and I don’t have much power around here. But you have my word that I will do all I can for Massak. You were there for me in the past, it’s normal I repay you and well…we are friends right?”

He was holding out his hand with a smile at me, decision written all over his face. I grabbed his hand with a small smile as Reis arrived and put a hand on my back. I was glad I had at least two people I could trust through this…now I just had to make Massak understand that he wasn’t alone either.

We spent a few hours talking about what we could do, preferably still legal, to counter Tobias actions and get Massak his job back. Then it was time to go back home, they had offered me to use their spare bedroom but I wanted to be at my place, in case he came. That night was horrible, all I wanted was to reassure him and be by his side. Every spot of my apartment reminding me he wasn’t with me…and I wasn’t by his side. Even if it was his decision. That night I cried myself to sleep.

Morning came and I had the hardest time convincing myself to get up. I loved my job, that wasn’t in question, but my worries for Massak had ended with me having the worse night in a long time. I arrive at the precinct 20 minutes earlier than usual, I had tried to call him and ended up on his answering machine again. I barely mumble a hello to anyone as I go toward my locker, only hoping to avoid talking to anyone except maybe Reis this morning, when he would arrive. But of course someone had to come and do his hardest to rub me the wrong way. Trencer, comes out from a corner of the locker room and start walking toward me only wearing a towel as most times. “So now the ‘cat’ is out of the bag I see. Or should I say the lion is out of the closet? No wonder you get along so well with Reis.” I try to ignore him, knowing others are keeping their distances from me but still watching. “And you guys are just ‘schoOOOool friIIIIEeeends’ oh I am sure you both are. Giving each other’s some ‘relaxation’ in the patrol cars while we bust our asses at work?”

I was starting to feel the nerves rise inside of me, my heartbeat and blood pressure spiking. “Shut your mouth…” he answers asking me if I wanted something in my mouth and that was too much for me. “SHUT YOUR FUCKING SHIT HOLE TRENCER! AND I DON’T EVEN MEAN THE REGULAR ONE!” my hackles are fully raised, like my fur, and I am growling at him. If look could kill he would be a pile of dust by now. “I am FUCKING DONE with your big maw that never thinks before talking, you GET THAT! MOST OF US ARE FED UP OF YOUR BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDE, YOUR COMPLETE LACK OF RESPECT AND THAT YOU GO AROUND ALWAYS PARADING ONLY WEARING A FUCKING TOWEL!”

He is a bit shocked but starts growling back at me, anger doing an interesting work on his fur. “AND I AM SO DONE WITH YOUR ‘HOLLIER THAN THOU’ ATTITUDE! None of us want to work with you anymore, we don’t trust FAGGOTS like you that just give us bad reputations!” I hear a few gasps in surprises of him saying that and I feel like my blood is boiling inside my body, while I start snarling at him. “STOP PRETENDING TO WORK WHILE YOU ARE JUST PARADING AND USING ADVANTAGES TO STARE AT US REAL MEN! YOU FUCKING FAGGOT SHIT, YOU SHOULD BE SMITTEN BY GOD RIGHT NOW AND SENT TO A CLINIC TO HELP FOR YOUR BEHAVIOR! You should even thank me for giving you a show of a real man when I go around with my towel, but now I know to NEVER get the soap from in front of you FAGGOT!”

That was too much for me and I had jumped on him, banging his head against a locker and blocked his throat with my forearm. Using my height on him to pin him helpless, while none of our colleagues were trying to get in the middle of this. “You know what you fucking blob on paws? I wouldn’t even fuck you with a stolen dick! Your attitude should have gotten you under inspections already MANY TIMES if we hadn’t all saved your ass in turn. But now I am DONE dealing with your attitude, NO ONE LIKES TO EVEN LOOK AT YOU WHEN YOU GO AROUND IN YOUR TOWEL!”

I was about to go on but our captain walks in the locker rooms “SILVERWIND, IN MY OFFICE NOW!” I let go of Trencer that falls on his ass and rubs his throat while coughing a bit. “You Trencer…I am seeing you in my office AFTER…AND GET FUCKING DRESSED UP!”

I follow my superior and I am not even sure what I was expecting. “A citizen contacted us concerning your behavior in our school yesterday. It seems that you and Officer Northcote, your partner, misbehaved in front of a group of the school’s PTA that were having a situation with one of the teachers.” Just the way he presents the situation I feel like I want to scream already but I try to keep calm. “You and your partner are some of my best officers in this precinct, and we all knew the situation about officer Northcote. And now I find out that you are TOO?”

“SIR…” I interrupt him “…I am sorry but yes I am gay and in love with that teacher that the PTA wants to crucify for ‘the good of the kids’. They are all having a BIGGOT POINT OF VIEW and behavior. A teacher or any other job should be judged through their work and results not their sexuality!” I see him sigh deeply in reaction “You know what…I don’t have time for all this shit sir…if that’s my resignation to lower the amount of ‘gay numbers’ in your crew that you want. Well consider it done. The man I love is going through a shit hell of a time right now and he needs me more than I need the sneers and behaviors from everyone I thought were colleagues that judged me on my results.” I start walking toward the door after I saw his baffled expression “Good bye sir, believe it or not, but it was a pleasure to work under your orders until now.” Then exit without further ceremony to go grab my jacket and few knickknacks I had in my locker before I jump on my bike. I briefly consider warning Reis about my situation…but my mind is focused only on Massak as I drive my bike.

I arrive in front of his small house and just park my bike. At first I hesitate to knock and see some slander done on his front porch. Words like “faggot, butt fucker, rot in hell…” were written on his front door and car. I knock and wait for him, call out for his name. The only thing I have telling me he is in his house being my personal instinct. And my heart pulling me toward him. I try to call his phone and hear it ring inside his house. But I still don’t consider leaving…I know he is in there. And I will show him I am there for him. I just seat on his front porch and wait, regularly calling his cellphone or his name. Screaming from my position that I loved him, and I wouldn’t leave until we talked. That I would be protecting his front porch day and night…and wouldn’t care if it even starts raining.

Two hours later I get up and plaintively say in front of his closed door “Please…let me be by your side. I love you Snowflake…I want to be with you.” I am there sniffing and trying to hold the tears when he opens the door slowly. He is in his sweatpants, with an old t-shirt on and his eyes are crusted. I know he spent the whole time crying in his corner. The moments our eyes meet, we are in each other’s arms. I hold him tight as he cries on my chest and I rub his back gently. “I will never let you deal with this alone, you hear me? NEVER!” I then lift his head and kiss him deeply to make him understand I meant what I said. I had then taken him toward the shower to make love slowly and languidly to him while helping him wash his fur. Four hours later he was drying himself and I was preparing some food for us. “What time do you have to get back to work?”

At first I don’t answer and concentrate on my cooking, still in my undies and feeling more relaxed that I have been since the beginning of all this shit. But he insisted and I knew he started to suspect something. “I don’t have to go back…I left my job.” He lets out a lout gasp in surprise, while I turn off the stove and turn to look at him. “I couldn’t deal with their shit because I love the most wonderful man in the whole damn world. Tobias reported Reis and me for ‘bad behavior’ yesterday at varsity. And some of my colleagues, even my captain, were…giving me shit. I couldn’t deal with it anymore. All I could think of is that I wanted to be by your side through your problems and your emotional crash.” He gets closer to me, tears starting to fall on his cheeks again and I grab him in my arms. “I loved my job yes…but I love you more than any job in the world. You are my world Snowflake.”

I am about to kiss him when we hear some people outside screaming names toward the house, and a loud series of bangs out in the garden. My first reaction is to pull him down with me behind the kitchen counter. Once everything is calm again I discretely go toward a window to check outside and see some left overs of fire crackers floating in his front garden. “Okay THAT’S IT NOW!” he looks at me a bit worried and I go put my hands on his shoulders. “Let’s get away for a few days, they will warn you for your earring by phone and mail. They legally have to or the earring is not valid. Come to my place, let’s get a hotel somewhere, we go ANYWHERE YOU WANT Snowflake.”

He looks surprised at me for a few minutes, and I realize he is thinking about it. “But…if we are both out of job shouldn’t we try to save money? Why don’t we go to my parent’s chalet, that way at least we don’t spend extra money on rent or something…would that work for you?” I nod enthusiastically at him seeing a start of a smile finally form on his face. I then get dressed quickly and take time to close all the shutters and reinforce the windows that have nothing with planks while he prepares a bag and grabs what groceries he has. Once all is done at his place, he follows me in his car as to not let his there for more vandals, while I am on my motorcycle and we go toward my apartment. We arrive and I grab all I need before we move his car into my apartment garage and we use my car to go to his parent’s chalet. Before leaving this time I do think about sending a message to Reis but his phone seems off. So I leave a voicemail then call Marcus at the DA office and leave a message for him to their secretary. Hoping one of the other will get the message as to where we went.

While we are driving I am finally managing to make the man I fell in love come out of his depression. Showing me again who he really is, while we just laugh and talk together, forgetting about our problems and that we both might be out of job. At least me for sure since I had quit mine but him…he might still have a small chance. But we would cross that bridge when we get there. Two hours of driving later and we are in the middle of a luxuriant forest, and just that was reason enough for me to breathe deeply the fresh and pure air from this surrounding. I look at him and see that he has an even bigger smile when he looks around the place. I might have had my best idea in a while with my offer of leaving the city for a bit. My first check was to be sure we had network on our phones, in case they call him for the hearing. Then we moved the few luggage we had with us. I was setting up the kitchen, to prepare him a big romantic dinner while he was turning on the electric breaker and the water in the house. Once he was done he turned on the water in the sink the strongest he could. “I don’t know when is the last time someone was here, so it’s best to let it run for a bit, normally we should have hot water in 40 minutes. More or less.”

I give him a tender kiss by surprise, and then put my forehead on his. “I am so sorry you are going through this Snowflake…I really am. I don’t even know if it was my fault for insisting we went on vacation together. Or if I could have done things differently…all I know is that I wanted some time with you.”

He starts rubbing my arms that are holding his body, gives a lick on my nose. “I don’t know babe. I think it was my fault for putting those pictures online…even if as private. But I wanted to spend some quality time alone with you too…I guess it had to happen sooner or later. I had to be kicked out of that closet one day and be honest about who I am.”

My head shots up to look him in the eyes “Who you are is NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OFF! You are a great and kind guy, you care for students and for people. You are smart, caring, sweet, and so damn amazing…every day I can’t imagine you actually fell in love with me too. I can’t believe that you actually want me back and it’s not a one side street feeling here.” I look at him, trying to hold back my tears, and breathing his scent. “Every day of my life I thank God to have you by my side…and I worry that you will get fed up with me because I am not as smart as you. Every days I really thank God for putting you in my life and giving me that feeling that someone loves me…that’s why also I don’t want to believe what they are all saying about us…being an abomination.” I pull him into a tight embrace “A love so big and pure…can’t be anything as bad as they are claiming it is…I can’t agree with them.”

He gives me that tender smile in return that always makes my heart skip a beat. “So you mean like me I can’t believe I met and discovered love with such a wonderful man. One that actually loves me back and shows me every day the amazing lion he is, to the point of being a cop to keep some order in our life. And risk his life for the future of kids like you had told me?” We had then shared a long lengthy kiss full of passion and love. Before I, reluctantly, let go of him and started working on a romantic dinner for us. Then made love to him by the fire place.

Two days later:

It’s a beautiful afternoon and I am chopping wood for the fire, under the blazing sun. Stopping a second to rub the sweat off my forehead, using my shirt before hanging it on my belt once again. Massak had gone inside to get us lemonade as he had been doing some laundry for us. It’s true that the weather didn’t really need a fire on evenings, but I had discovered another kink of mine during this trip. I simply couldn’t get enough of making long, passionate love to him by the fire place with the stars visible out of the bay windows. He was my star, the light and love in my life. And we both knew it was only a temporary solution but it did wonders on our nerves and worries. Until that day I heard a car coming up the road.

I admit at first I was worried it would be intruders or someone had found out “where the gays were hidden”. But my smile got brighter when I recognized it was Marcus and Reis’ car. They parked near my car and I ran to them to give them a big hug, lifting Marcus in the process while he squealed. Then they both rubbed their shirts once I let them go “Hey guys…hmm sorry for the sweat. I was happy to see friendly faces.”

Reis shrugged it off, since he was only wearing a muscle shirt, but Marcus wasn’t as pleased on the results on his clothes. He then looks up at me “I won’t ask why you both left, we saw the ‘art’ on his house, but you REALLY could have left more information than just a ‘we went to his parent’s chalet’ don’t you think? Like an address maybe?”

Massak arrives at that moment and gives them both hugs too while I just say “Oops” and Reis chuckles in reaction. “It’s okay he could get the address by searching for his parent’s properties in the end so it wasn’t THAT difficult.” He then looks at us a bit more seriously. “NOT that it’s not nice to see you both looking a bit better than last time but…we have some stuff we need to talk about more seriously here.”

I sigh “Happy intermission is over isn’t it? Would you both mind if I go get a quick shower at least first?” They nod and I leave them with Massak to go get a shower. Trying to relax my back under the running water for a bit longer than I normally would, I then come out in jeans and enter through the kitchen. “I am going to assume, since the time it is, that you both didn’t eat either. And I will prepare something for all of us, if you aren’t scared of my cooking.”

Reis nods and I offer them all some beers that we had while I start chopping the veggies. After his first sip Marcus gives one of his look. “They are trying to go behind your backs guys.” I stop on my motions and look up at him “They are…going with the fact that since you always ‘lied’ about your sexuality and the hearing will happen at varsity that you shouldn’t be there. Because it’s in the school premises and it gives you more occasions to be near the kids again.” He holds his bottle with both hands and looks down at it “Plus…since Karma has contacts with the police precinct it could be too dangerous for the kids too.”

Massak lowers his head in a sigh and sadness, but my reaction is a bit more extreme than that. I stick the knife in the cutting board while growling “WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THOSE ASSWHIPES AND THEIR RETARD REASONS I SWEAR!” that makes them all jump in reaction, between the bang and my scream. “EVEN a damn serial killer is allowed to be present at his tribunal but we are to not be in view to HEAR THE ACID SHIT THEY GOING TO SPIT ON US!! SINCERELY WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THEM!?”

Marcus gets up to look at me more directly. “RIGHT NOW it’s Massak's job that is on the line not yours. But indeed, there is talks that depending how this goes, to put you and Reis on an earring board too.”

“THIS IS OUR LIFE!” he looks surprised at my statement. “I DON’T even talk about the possible hearing Reis and I might go through after, even more since I gave my leave. I mean about the fact that HE IS THE MAN I LOVE. They hurt or attack him it’s like they DO IT TO ME TOO!” Massak gets up, come closer to me and hold me close, while I pass an arm around his chest and breathe deeply. “I think you BOTH know what I mean. Isn’t an attack on Marcus like an attack on you Reis? ISN’T IT THE SAME FOR YOU Marcus?” They look at each other’s a second then nod at me. “DID ANY OF THEM BOTHER TO LOOK AT THE RESULTS HE HAD ON HIS JOB WITH THE KIDS? OR ARE THEY SAYING HE ‘THREATENED’ THEM OR ‘REWARDED’ THEM WITH MORE THAN COMPLIMENTS? SHIT THIS IS COMPLETELY FUCKED UP I SWEAR!”

Massak holds me tighter against him and starts rubbing my chest “Please babe…I am not disagreeing with you but…it’s not their fault. They are on our side.”

I clench my fist and look down “Sorry guys…I am just past anger and frustration at this point. All I want is to have a life by his side…if it wasn’t intended by God, why am I so happy to have him by my side? Are they really going to tell us that the Devil does it on purpose?”

Reis gets closer to us and grabs the knife and chopping board “I think I better take care of that part at least instead of you Karma.” I nod a thank you at him while I pull out the pan, and the meat from the fridge, to start working at least on that part.

Marcus joins us in the kitchen area, while we are all working on something. At a moment he grabs some mixed spices and looks at the container. “I am absolutely not disagreeing with you Karma…I really am not. Like those spices everyone is different, and the mix at the end can still be exquisite and perfect for different use. We are different in our choice of sexuality and the person we love, but it doesn’t mean we are bad and should be shunned. Differences scare some people, or they don’t want to try to understand and open their minds. But differences also make it that we can manage to create very different stuff and reach different goals.” He then looks up at the three of us “I am not going to make you believe I will manage to change the world. But I am not giving up…and even less when it’s about friends. I know they would attack my job too if I wasn’t working for the DA and he wasn’t happy with my job. And that is a selection process I don’t want to agree with either.” He gets closer to Reis, leans his head against his shoulder. “I will be honest at first I hated the idea of Reis being a cop, I think you know it. But since he is, he really changed and for the best. He became way more open and forward, while at the same time I can see he is proud of himself. And not just for him but also for others.”

He then smiles toward me “And I bet it’s thanks to your friendship, and acceptance before we knew about you, that it was possible too. And I don’t want him to lose that. I remembered you in varsity as I was doing researches, before being a cop you were more the violent kind with people getting in your way. It was probably, like for Reis, because of how your parents were. But all of us found a role in life thanks to our jobs and we dedicate ourselves to it, we show we are good at it even.” He takes a sip from his beer and gives a smile. “They REALLY shouldn’t judge us for our sexuality but our results.”

Reis pull him into a tighter one arm hug and say “Tomorrow evening at the hearing you can count on us to be with you. And they won’t stand in our way to prevent us to get in I think between you and me Karma.”

We all enjoy dinner while talking and I surprise them by opening a bottle of vodka since I generally avoid hard alcohols. While we all talk about the hearing we are planning to “crash” tomorrow I try to enjoy my food. But even if I get compliments about the way I cooked the meat I can’t say I really enjoy it fully. I can’t shake the bad taste in the back of my throat due to what those assholes are trying to do to him…to do to US. Once we are done Marcus and Massak talk about how they can try to deal with the accusations and I just refill my glass before I go out on the balcony. I swirl my glass while I lean my elbows on the balcony and look at the stars. Trying to calm my nerves by feeling the calm of nature, while crickets do their night music, I was taking deep breaths of the night air. I am taking a sip when I hear someone walking outside on the balcony, since when the sliding doors opened I hear Massak and Marcus were still talking, I could guess who it was. “Ever wonder if he is watching us from somewhere? Wondering if he did something wrong to us or how we are going to go through his trials?” Reis shows in my peripheral vision to lean against the railing and look at the stars with me. “You know me, I am far from overly religious, even if any at all. It’s just with everyone spouting at us that this is not ‘God’s will’, and other stuff like that, I can’t help but start to wonder in some ways.”

He reaches over to pat my back gently then gives a squeeze on my shoulder. “I can guess what you mean yeah. It’s true that even if you aren’t much religious you can’t help but wonder why…even if just because they keep using God as reference and ‘witness’ for their belief.” He then turns his back on the view, to lean against the railing and take a sip of his glass. “But to my point of view, I am still amazed I found someone like Marcus that loves me and wants to stay by my side. Despite all the bad stuff about me.” I elbow him gently, in reaction to his comment, and he chuckles a bit. “Like you I don’t think highly about myself, Marcus sees stuff in me that I don’t. And I think it’s the same for all of us. I see stuff he doesn’t see in himself and I bet it’s the same for Massak and you.” He then looks toward me with a small corner smile. “Same ways I see stuff in your partner that I bet you don’t see about yourself and the other way around. I know you quit your job, not only because you got fed up, but also to try to avoid problems falling on me after. You can’t fool me you know on that point.”

I shrug and take a sip of my glass while I turn around and look at our boyfriends working together, Marcus being so much more animated than Massak in the discussion. “It was partly my hope yeah…but also I couldn’t let him deal with this alone anymore. Not like my goal avoided the shit to rain on you in the end anyway. I am sor…” but he elbows my side before I can finish and I laugh at that. “We are both not that different from each other’s in a way, and our choice of boyfriend isn’t much different either. But I am sure none of us are about to give up on our goal.” I smile at him a bit wider “We all found happiness and we aren’t going to let some bigots stand in our way or try to break it. We are both way to stubborn.”

He smiles back and lifts his glass “And both ready to stand in the face of danger for our love and close friends.” We both toast at it with big smiles and drink from our glass, before we just laugh together at our school years or work time. Its then time for all of us to go sleep and the guy don’t manage to find out which one is the room we used since our arrival. Just the big bright blush on Massak’s face made them understand we didn’t, technically, use any beds since we arrived. I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. This was stuff I cherished, and I wasn’t ashamed off at all, even if I wouldn’t advertise it in front of everyone.