Xavier glanced around as he stepped into Mike and Alex’s home casually, looking for his new boyfriend Junious.
“Hey babe.” He smiled softly as he found the boy, his arm winding around his waist.
“Hi.” Junious chirped with a smile. There was a few second pause before the boy’s eyes narrowed. “What are you even doing here?”
Xavier simply chuckled as the personality switch occurred.
“Didn’t take your pills today, huh?”
“Is it any of your business?” The boy snapped before his features softened. He hung his head and spoke softly. “No…”
“It’s okay.” Xavier shook his head, pressing a kiss to Junious’s temple. “Just take ‘em tomorrow, for me.”
“Okay…” Junious nodded. “Why should I?” He scoffed.
Xavier laughed, ruffling the boy’s hair before continuing to look around at the family he’d never met before. It was his first time here but Junious had wanted him to come.
“Xavier?” Gabriel McDaniels arched an eyebrow from across the room as he made his way over.
“Hey Gabe!” Xavier smirked softly, nodding at the other boy as he approached them.
“What are you doing here?” Gabriel cocked his head.
“I’m here with Junious.” Xavier nodded to the boy by his side.
“You two a thing?”
“You could say that.” Xavier smiled. “I didn’t know you were related.”
“He’s my….” Gabriel paused. “Something. I don’t know. Like uncle or something. I don’t talk to him much.” He shrugged.
“How do you two know each other?” Junious asked softly, a small frown forming. He knew Gabriel had had sex with just about everyone he knew… “Have you fucked him?” He snapped.
Gabriel rolled his eyes but spoke calmly.
“We met at-“
Xavier shot the boy a desperate look, shaking his head discreetly.
Gabriel frowned but paused.
“Um, we met at… the hospital. I was dying and he was getting surgery or something.” Gabriel nodded but he wasn’t sure why Xavier wanted him to lie. They’d met at a life support meeting. For people with AIDS.
They spoke for a while before Xavier had to leave. Gabriel walked outside after him.
“What was that back there?”
“He, um…”
“Xavier, don’t tell me you haven’t told him.”
“Uh…”
“Xavier!” Gabriel hissed. “This isn’t something you can keep secret. He has a right to know if he’s your boyfriend.”
“Look, I’m gonna tell him… eventually….”
“Tell him NOW.”
“I’m just waiting for the right time.”
“He has to know Xavier.”
“I won’t do anything with him while he doesn’t know, I’m not an asshole.”
“But still. You gotta let him know before he gets attached. He should have a right to decide if he wants to get involved with someone like us.”
“Someone like us? We’re not another species, Gabe.” Xavier sighed, folding his arms. “I’m just like them.”
“Except for the fact that you’re going to die repeatedly until you never come back, damnit.” Gabriel snapped, his eyes narrowed.
“Whatever, I’m going home.” Xavier turned on his heel and began to walk in the other direction.
“If you don’t tell him, I will.” Gabriel called after him. Xavier said nothing.
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Gabriel McDaniels looked around as he walked into the large room, an exhausted look on his face. Calvin had begged until he went to this stupid Life Support meeting. It was like a therapy thing he guessed, for people with AIDS. He’d been against it but gone anyway. Their were about twenty chairs formed in a circle in the center of the room. Several people were already there. Two girls, looking quite depressed as they murmured two each other, one blonde and one brunette. An man that looked to be in about his forties with short black hair and a goatee to match, a black woman sitting by herself with her hands in her lap. And one other boy that caught Gabriel’s attention. A rather muscular, young looking boy with plenty of tattoos and light brown hair that hung lightly in his face.
After a few minutes when it was clear no one else was coming, the older man stood, looking at the rest of them.
“Alright, let’s begin. As most of you know, I’m Paul.”
“Hi Paul.” Everyone murmured except for Gabriel and the other boy.
“Any newcomers this week?”
Gabriel raised his hand, thinking he was the only new one until finally the other young boy raised his hand with a sigh.
“Alright then, let’s go around and introduce ourselves.”
They went around the circle, starting a few people away from Gabriel. They said their name, age, how long they’d had the disease, and how they’d gotten it, along with how they were feeling today.
“Uh..” Gabriel looked up when it was his turn. “I’m Gabriel, I’m 18, I’ve had AIDS for about four years and I got it from sleeping around. Oh, and I’m feeling alright.” He felt pretty stupid. This whole thing was stupid.
He paid attention to no one else until the other newbie spoke.
“I’m Xavier, 19. I, uh, just got the disease a few weeks ago… from my girlfriend. I’m okay today.” Terrified was more like it. But it didn’t show.
Xavier had been the last one to introduce himself. They spoke for a while, Paul asking if anyone had anything they’d like to share. A few people shared before Paul gave them the last few minutes to talk on their own.
Gabriel just sat their quietly until he felt someone slide into the seat beside him.
“Hey, Gabriel?”
“Hi.” Gabriel glanced up to see the boy he now knew was named Xavier.
“You alright, you’re quiet.” Xavier noted.
“We all have AIDS, aren’t we supposed to be depressing?” Gabriel smirked lightly.
“Oh, uh, I guess you have a right to be…” He trailed off awkwardly.
“Relax. I was just kidding.” Gabriel let out a small chuckle.
“Oh.” Xavier smirked softly. “Sorry, I’m not usually this awkward. Just…”
“Stressful time? I was a mess for the first couple months after I got it too. It’s alright. So you got it from your girlfriend?”
“Yeah… apparently she’d been sleeping around on me. She passed it on to me before she knew. But one morning, I woke up and there was a note on the counter, saying we’ve got AIDS. Then I found her in the bathroom… dead.”
“Wow… um, I’m sorry…”
“Yeah. She slit her wrists…” Xavier trailed off.
“Your pretty open aren’t you?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. He wouldn’t have gone spewing this shit to random strangers.
“I guess so… just don’t really have anyone else to talk to.” Xavier shrugged, glancing around the room.
“Well I suppose you can talk to me.” Gabriel smirked. “Why’d you come over here in the first place?” He had a pretty good idea he knew why…
“You looked the most like me. Plus, you’re like beautiful. But you knew that.”
“I did know that.” Gabriel laughed lightly, still smiling at the boy though. It’d been a while since someone thought he was beautiful now that he looked sick most of the time.
