When the phone continued to ring the younger man paused the video on the laptop before him. He looked toward the hallway, expecting to hear Jinki rushing from the laundry room to answer it, but the man was nowhere to be seen.

“Your phones ringing!” He called out. He heard a curse and the loud bang of the dryer door.

“Can you get it for me?” Jinki shouted. Minho had already figured that the man would have asked this of him, so even before he had asked he was already rolling over to the kitchen counter to pull the phone into his grasp. He waved it at Jinki, who was smiling widely with his head poked out from the laundry room.

He slid it open without even looking at who it was, and when the person on the other line began to talk Minho really wished he had.

“Jinki Dear! How are you? You haven’t messaged me back about the upcoming family reunion at all.” The woman on the other line began to ramble. “I need to know if you have a pretty little girl to bring here with you.”

“Hello?” Minho asked softly as he tapped his fingers on his knee.

“Oh…who are you?”

“Uh, if you’re looking for Jinki he’s doing laundry. Should I leave a message for him?”

“No.. no that’s fine. Just tell my son to call me back.” 

“Uh sure.” Then the phone went dead and Minho swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared at the blinking letters.

Mom.

 When he made his way back to the laundry room his gaze was still on the phone in his lap. He was sitting in the doorway when Jinki’s curious voice reached his ears. “So who was it?”

“Uh… Your mom. I think.” He looked up at his boyfriend to see his eyes widened.

“My mom? What did she say?”

“Just to tell you to call her back and something about an upcoming family reunion or something.” Minho shrugged and placed the phone on top of the washer. “She doesn’t know that we live together does she, or that you have a relationship with a guy or at all, right?”

Jinki shook his head. “My parents and I aren’t really that close.”

“You talk to one of them every Sunday and talk for over an hour. Sure. You aren’t close.” He rolled backward and moved to turn. “Is chinese good for you? Yea okay.”

Jinki frowned and rushed after him, “Babe don’t be like this.”

Minho paused and glanced over his shoulder, “Like what? I’m just going to order dinner.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell them about you.”

Minho shrugged and continued on his way. “It’s fine Jinki. What you tell and don’t tell your parents is all up to you.”

When the man turned into the kitchen he knew there was no point in following him. He sighed and went back to finish the load of laundry. Jinki didn’t know how to explain to the younger man the reason why his parents hadn’t been told about him. Should he just sit him down and tell him it was because his parents weren’t really okay with him being gay; that they still thought this was just a phase and that he would one day come home with a pretty little girl to announce their marriage? Could he tell him that him and his parents had an agreement that as long as he didn’t talk about it that he could live his life the way he wanted but only as long as they didn’t know about it.

When dinner came Jinki went to the door and paid, but when he handed the box that he knew was Minho’s the younger man didn’t even look at him. He mumbled thank you and told him to choose the show to watch, but other than that nothing. He sat further away, so different from how they usually sat with thighs over lapping and heads on shoulders with hands clasped between them. No taking turns feeding each other, no laughing as the noodles slapped against their cheeks or nose as they slurped them up.

Every time Jinki tried to bring it up and apologize the words fell away before he was able to say them. When Minho waved off his help and almost fell in his attempt to get into his chair his heart sunk. The younger man then went off to bed without his usual bath and Jinki officially knew that he messed up completely. He sat on the sofa, his head in his hands as he heard the soft grunt from the younger man lifting himself up onto the bed.

When Jinki was on the way to the bathroom to brush his teeth when he heard the sniffle and he was rushing into the room before a thought could go across his mind. He kicked off his pajama pants and crawled up behind Minho, who had his back toward him looking out the window on the opposite wall. The sky was rather dark tonight, but the city lights shined brightly. The younger man stiffened slightly at the new found warmth against his back and on his stomach.

“I’m sorry.” Jinki whispered as he pulled the man closer. “I should have told them about you because you are my life. I know I should have, and I’m sorry. No matter my reasoning they were wrong.”

“Are you ashamed of me?” Minho asked quietly after a moment. “Is it because of my wheelchair?”

“No! To both.” Jinki squeeze his middle softly, his breath hot against the younger man’s neck. “ They think I’m going to just stop liking men one day and come home with a woman. I don’t talk about my relationships with them.”

Minho softly hiccupped, “Are you going to that family reunion?”

A soft kiss, a gentle squeeze of his middle and a gentle whisper, “No, we are. That is if you want to go with me.”

Minho looked over his shoulder at the older man, and with the help of him he managed to turn over. He searched Jinki’s face for any hint of doubt, “You want me to meet your homophobic parents?”

Jinki nervously laughed and wiped the already fallen tears from the man’s cheeks. “They aren’t homophobic necessarily. They just don’t think their perfect son likes men.”

“Well I’d hate to break it to them that you obviously love one.” He gave a small smile, and Jinki felt so much better when he felt the younger man snake his arm around his middle and press itself against the middle of his back.

“Does that mean you’ll come with me?”

“Only if we drive there.” Jinki softly kissed his nose and smiled, but it fell as Minho looked up at him with those sad eyes. “I’m sorry I over reacted. I just… I thought that you didn’t want your parents to know because they would look down on you for being with a cripple.”

“You aren’t something to be ashamed of dammit. Will you get that through that thick pretty skull of yours?” Minho gave him a small bashful smile, and a soft gasp left him as the older man pressed his lips against his own. Jinki’s hand was flat against his back, pulling him in closer as the man pressed himself against him.

When they parted Minho took a deep breath and asked with a soft red tint on his cheeks, “What was that for?”

“I was trying to show you how much you mean to me.” He replied as he softly ran his thumb over the smooth skin of Minho’s cheek.

“Hmm… I didn’t really sense that. Mind trying again?”

Jinki chuckled before leaning in once again. He’d try again as many times as Minho wanted.

                                                             --------

When they pulled up into the huge long driveway that led to the house that Jinki’s parent’s owned Minho’s stomach was in knots. From what the older man told him he had an idea on how the man’s parents would react to meeting him.

Jinki turned the car off and reached over to squeeze his hand. “I’ll be with you the entire time. I promise you.”

Minho gave him a smile, and he moved to take his chair from the back of the car. Jinki then came and lifted him from his seat, and after he was placed in his chair he fidgeted with his shirt and pants for a few moments. The older man looked at him and softly chuckled from behind his hand. Minho pouted up at him, “I’m just trying to look good for your parents.”

Jinki closed the door and walked behind him. His hands gripped the handlebars as he leaned over to gently kiss the man’s cheek. “You always look good. Relax.”

“Easy for you to say.” Minho muttered as he looked at his hands.

As Jinki’s knuckles softly racked against the wooden door, Minho felt like his heart was lodged in his throat. He felt like he was going to puke, and when the door swung open to show a small woman he really thought he was going to; Especially when Jinki rushed from behind the chair and brought her into a tight hug.

“Jinki! My dear son!” The older man chuckled softly as they parted. “You should have just flown here! There was no reason to drive.”

Jinki smiled then and looked over at him. “Let’s get inside. This July summer heat is brutal.”

When the older man moved to go behind him again his mother was grabbing his arm and pulling him inside the house, not even looking at the other man. Jinki looked over at his shoulder with an apologetic smile, and Minho returned it as he pushed his palms on the wheels. The door was shut behind him, and he looked up to see a man he recognized as Jinki’s father from the man’s photos in the living room.

“And you are?” He asked.

He opened his mouth to answer but Jinki was by his side answering for him. “This is my partner Minho. You’ve spoken with him on the phone that one time Mom.”

“Oh.” Was all that the woman said.

Minho gulped, feeling terrible for even saying yes to the offer to come here, but then he felt the familiar hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Jinki’s soft loving gaze. “I plan on spending my life with him, so I figured it was about time that you met him.”

“Son can I talk with you?”

Jinki frowned and shook his head. “I have to go get us settled. Maybe later okay Dad?”

He didn’t wait for a response, just pushing Minho toward the hallway that lead to his room. The younger man mumbled something was too quiet for him to catch, so he pushed him into the room and closed the door behind him; flicking the lock to keep out his parents. He then walked over to him and leaned down to wrap his arms around his neck. “Don’t listen to them okay? I don’t need my parents’ approval or blessing to live the life I want to live with you.”

“Hopefully the rest of your family is okay with me.”

“They will love you.” Jinki kissed his cheek before going to plop onto the bed. He turned over and flashed a smile over at him.

Minho eyed the sheets, at the Spiderman comforter. “Did you have these as a teenager, or were these the only ones that were left for your mom to put on after you left?”

Jinki pouted. “Spiderman is cool okay! Don’t judge Mr. Pooh dorm sheets!”

“Hey! You love my Winnie the Pooh sheets.”

Jinki laughed then, “Yea. They remind me of you. Innocent and warm.”

There was a knock on the door and both men frowned. “I guess your family heard word that you are hear.”

“Yea… are you for it? We can stay in here if you are too tired. Maybe take a nap.”

Minho shook his head and smiled. “There’s no need for a nap. I came here to make you look good to your family. So let’s go!”

He pulled on Jinki’s arm and the man stumbled off the bed laughing. “Hey I’m old. Don’t break me.”

Minho slapped his softly. “Sure sure.”

Jinki blushed and moved to go visit family; trying to ignore Minho’s giggling behind him.

                                                              --------

Later that night after most people had gone home, or retreated to the rooms they would be staying in the house Minho and Jinki were sitting on the couch watching a movie when both of the older man’s parents walked into the room. “Do you mind if we talk to you?”

Jinki shook his head and moved away from Minho’s side and went to press pause on the dvd player. He turned the lights up a little and returned to his spot next to his boyfriend. Minho clasped their hands together and leaned his head on the man’s shoulder, because he was tired but mostly shy, and Jinki seemed to calm him a little more the closer he was to him.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Would you rather do it alone Dear?” His mother asked as her eyes moved between the two men on the couch.

Jinki frowned deeply. “If you think you can’t say it in front of Minho then you shouldn’t even say it at all.”

“Son we just want what is best for you.” His father commented.

“Who the hell are you to know what’s best for me?” Jinki asked calmly, really thankful that Minho’s other hand was rubbing soft circles into the top of his hand. “Minho is that person for me. Why can’t you just accept that?”

“Because he’s not right for you!” His mother hissed. “Not only is he a he, but he’s in a wheelchair. He’s probably just with you because of the fact that you take care of him!”

Minho gulped and hid his face against the older man. “How dare you.”

Minho had never heard that tone come from Jinki, and if he was honest with himself it scared him.

“What?”

“How dare you even think that low of him! I love him. I want to live with him for the rest of my life and yet you think that I’m just going to drop him and date someone that isn’t what I want; what I need.”

“We know what you need. You need a woman who can father you children and be your equal.”

“Shut up will you.” Jinki snapped, his voice rising. “With the children and the crap about my ‘equal’. If we want children we’ll adopt. I’m not your little boy. You don’t know the man I’ve become so how the hell would you know what my equal is? I love you both I do, but I’m going to be with Minho for the rest of my life, if God so grants me that, and nothing you say will change that. So why don’t you just accept it and learn to love him like I have?”

His mother tutted and stormed off, while his father was visibly fuming. He soon left after his wife, and Jinki let out a harsh breath as he slumped against the back of the couch. Minho looked up at him and squeezed his hand. “You didn’t have to say those things.”

“Yes I did,” Jinki replied, his eyes still closed for a moment before he was glancing over at him. “I meant what I said. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Your my partner Minho.”

The younger man giggled. “Partner huh?”

“Yea. We can’t get married, but you are way more than a boyfriend to me.” Minho blushed, but a huge smile was on his face as he snuggled closer to the man. “So if you want you can say you have inlaws that you hate.”

“I don’t hate them.”

Jinki chuckled, his anger and frustration leaving his body with every moment Minho was pressed against him. “Mhmm. Disdain? Is that a better word?”

“Their my inlaws,” Minho began. “I feel about them as any man would.”

Jinki chuckled as he kissed the top of the younger man’s hair. “Tomorrow I have a surprise for you.”

“What is it?”

“You get to meet Rowdy.”

“Rowdy?”

“My horse.”