#vincentcooper

[gingerbeardmansim]

Almost 18 and soon graduating from Evergreen High, Tatsuo Valliet had become even more rebellious than he had been since becoming a teen.. His father and him, had very little in common, or at least in his opinion anyway, so he stayed away from the house as much as possible. He was just waiting for the day to go away to school. His reprieve from his home, was his to hang out with his friend, Dominic Morales and Dom’s current boyfriend Vincent Cooper. His father was not fond of Dominic, or that his son spent so much time there. He felt Dominic being older was a bad influence on Tatsuo. If his father knew Dominic was gay and in a relationship with an older man, who had a son, it surely would be even worse!!

So, of course, Tatsuo never revealed that bit of information!

TATSUO - “Hey Dom, thanks for letting me come over and hang!”

DOMINIC- “Tat, you are always welcome here, my friend. Our door is always open for you, you know that.”

(from the kitchen)- VINCNET- “Hey Tatsuo, want a grilled cheese? Keenan your sandwich is ready, get in here!”

TATSUO- “No, I’m good, but thanks, Vincent.”

[gingerbeardmansim]

VINCENT- “Listen, Tat. From my experience, running away is not going to solve the problem, that will just intensify things. And why are you going to the city college, didn’t you apply for Britechester and Foxbury? I filled out all the scholarship and student aide information for you.”

TATSUO- “I still have not heard anything!! I am just going to apply for Evergreen Community College. I could stay here until school starts.”

VINCENT- “And what after school starts? They don’t have housing for Evergreen Community College, Tat. Listen, stay here tonight if you want. But you have to go back home tomorrow. Follow up with those applications and aide forms. Your grades are good enough for both Brite and Foxbury.”

DOMINIC- “That sounds like a good idea, Tat, I can help you tomorrow while Vincent and Keenan go to his mothers. If you follow up, it shows interest.”

TATSUO- “So if that don’t work out, I can’t stay here?”

DOMINIC- “Tat, you know you are welcome to come and hang out anytime, but moving in would make things really difficult here. We are already cramped for space, not to mention you can’t sleep on the couch every night!”

TATSUO- “Yeah, you are right I suppose.”

VINCENT- “I have confidence you will hear back from one of the schools very soon. Hang out tonight, follow up tomorrow with Dom’s help. You can sleep in Keenan’s room tonight, we got him new bunk beds.”

TATSUO- “Okay, sounds good guys, thanks!”

[gingerbeardmansim]

Most of his visits to Dominic’s and Vincent’s was Tatsuo’s safe place. A sounding board. Dominic would listen, and Vincent would give advise, if Tatsuo asked for it. A place to go, without fear of reprisal and complain about his father, and his mother for that matter, as she would never step in and take Tatsuo’s side.

TATSUO- “Would you believe that he told me that if I did not take out my nose ring, that HE would rip it out and didn’t care if it ripped my nose off. And, mom? She just stood there with her arms crossed and never said a word!”

DOMINIC- “That was just an idle threat Tat, he wouldn’t really do that. He said the same thing when you got your ears pierced and it never happened”

TATSUO- “True, but I think he is just waiting for the right moment. Probably when I am sleeping! I just don’t know how much longer and I can take it. I Can not wait until I graduate. You know I will be 18 in a month, I could just run away until school starts at the city college.”

DOMINIC- “That’s crazy, Tat, you don’t have that much longer, and where would you go?”

TATSUO- “I could just stay here, with you, Vincent and Keenan!”

DOMINIC- “I’m not sure Vincent would be agreeable to that, Tat. I mean we only have the two bedrooms--”

TATSUO- “I’d sleep here on the sofa, I wouldn’t be in the way, I swear.”

DOMINIC- “I really don’t know, that would be his call, I mean this is his place, after all.

VINCENT- (Coming in from the kitchen) “So? What’s my call?”