1

I was resting on the couch when Gii came rushing into our living room. He stopped just inside the door and proceeded to stare at me.

"What's the matter?" I put the book I'd been reading down on my chest, open so I wouldn't lose the page I was on.

"My brother called." He was clearly distressed.

"You have a brother?" That came as a complete surprise to me. We'd been together for four years, and this was the first I'd ever heard about a brother.

"Yeah." He ran his hands though his course brownish red hair. "Takumi, you and I are going to Nebraska. Dad died last night."

He came over to the couch and nearly fell down next to me. I had never seen him so devastated. Gii was always the calm one.

"Shit!" He pulled on his hair. "Why the hell couldn't they have told me he was ill?"

I didn't know what to say. I was still shocked about the fact that he had a brother.

Gii and I met over four years ago, but I had never got around to meeting Gii's family though. I knew very little about them, since he wasn't sharing much. According to Gii, the small town in Nebraska where his mother grew up was the ugliest town east of Hooker County.

When I suggested we should go see them on our next holiday, he was persistent that there weren't any reasons whatsoever for us to go there.

I asked him if he missed his folks, because I knew I would've if I hadn't seen my own in four years. Maybe his parents would like to meet me?

I was the guy their son had married, after all, just one month after same-sex marriage was declared legal.

He laughed it off.

"I'm proud of you, baby, never doubt that, but you have no idea what my family's like. You don't want to go there if you don't have to." He sighed heavily.

"There's Cousin Kenta who thinks the microwave was invented by the Russians to spy on him, and Aunt Mei who hasn't left her house for twenty years, and angry Uncle Eiji who says the biggest mistake ever when the state repealed all sodomy laws in 1977. He doesn't hesitate to tell anyone who cares to listen, either." He kept making movements with his hands as he spoke, a testament to just how upset he was. I'd never heard him speak so much about his family before. "And they all live in the same town, with a total population of 287 people. It's like a bee's nest. I got out of there as soon as I turned eighteen, and you won't miss them either. Trust me."

I had a hard time believing parents weren't important. Mine were the most important people in my life, after all. Their betrayals still hurt and to think his were still there, present and loving but he wasn't interested was too hard to even comprehend

"But what about your parents?"

"They're not so bad. They claim to have accepted I'm gay, but they won't ever understand why I choose to live with you, or any man for that matter. Takumi, please, let's forget about them. I'd prefer to live my life here and now, with you."

It was the end of the discussion. I wanted to know more about his family, and it was upsetting that he shut it down, but at the same time it was flattering to hear he preferred his life exactly as it was.

With me. I was his family, and we did fine with that.

Everybody needed a family of some kind, after all.

So, here we were. Standing outside an airport somewhere in Nebraska, waiting for Gii's family to pick us up and drive us to his family's home.

Gii's hand brushed mine. "I've been debating the whole trip whether to tell you we shouldn't be affectionate with each other while we're here. But you know what, babe? We're married. I'm not going to pretend we're not, just to please them. I'm going to treat you exactly like I do when we're at home, or with your parents, and they can deal with it. I'm not going back into any kind of closet for them."

I squeezed his fingers. "Are you sure? What if this alienates them even more?"

I still hadn't gotten him to tell me more about his brother. He clammed up every time I tried to bring it up. He stayed silent on anything family related.

"They can deal."

I saw a truck heading our way and I felt Gii tense up next to me. I watched him out of the corner of my eye.

Having known him for four years, I was pretty confident I knew him quite well.

But being here, I might see a whole new side to him. I wasn't sure if it scared me or not. There was a reason he hadn't been back there in four years, after all.

Not to mention that something must've happened with his brother that was so bad he wouldn't even talk to me about it. Me, who knew everything about him— except for his life back here in this small town. It was frustrating— and truthfully also hurtful that he wouldn't open up to me about it.

I knew one thing though, and that was that I would stand by Gii no matter what.

Because that's what family was for.

The truck stopped at the sidewalk, and I felt Gii tense up further. He grabbed our stuff, and all but threw it in the back.

I blinked, surprised at his violent reaction.

"Get in, Takumi." Gii held the door open for me and motioned for me to slide into the front seat before him.

A man, maybe a couple years older than Gii and I, sat stoically at the wheel. His head didn't turn towards us. The only reaction I could see was his hands gripping the wheel tighter.

"Norio." Gii sat down next to me and slammed the door shut.

"Gii."

That was it. Their names. All the greeting they did. It was terse, and I really couldn't feel the love between them. I knew who this had to be though— this could only be the brother.

It was like I didn't even exist though. I was definitely hurt by the lack of greeting, but judging from the greeting between the two of them, they'd only done it grudgingly. Maybe I should be happy I didn't receive such a terse greeting as well.

The atmosphere in the truck was tense all the way from the airport to Gii's family home.

Gii's brother kept his eyes on the road at all times. His lips were pressed tight together. Gii was staring out the window, all broody. And I was sitting in-between them, wondering what the hell to say to relieve the tension. It was uneasy, to say the least. I was afraid to move in case it would slice up the tension and something would erupt.

I couldn't come up with anything, and the whole ride had been spent in silence until we pulled up in front of a nice-looking house with a wrap-around garden that seemed to be well tended.

"Mom's with the funeral director. She should be home soon. She made up your old room for you." I didn't know if he sounded angry or upset. Maybe a bit of both. But with that said, Gii's brother got out of the truck and headed inside without a single glance back.

Gii got out as well without a word.

"So that was your brother."

I jumped down from the truck after Gii. I watched as he reached back for our bags and took mine once he held it out to me.

"Yeah. That's Norio."

"He was… rude." I couldn't find another word to describe him. He hadn't even greeted me. It'd been like I was invisible.

"He's still angry with me." Gii put his hand on the small of my back and gently pushed me towards the stairs up to the house.

"For what?"

"For being me."

Gii led me quickly up the stairs and into what could only be his room. I turned in a slow circle to take it in. It was sparsely furnished, only with a bed, a desk, and a bookcase.

"I see they've redecorated." Gii chuckled, but it wasn't a happy kind of chuckle. More bitter than anything. He pointed to the walls. "I used to have posters up there, of half-naked guys.

"I bet that wasn't popular."

"Not at all. I used to have posters of girls, before I came out, just for cover, you know. But once I did come out, I covered these walls with posters of half-naked, fit guys. My parents didn't like to come in here after that." He dropped his bag on the bed. "This bed is made for one. If she thinks I'm going to sleep away from my husband, she's sorely mistaken."

I scratched awkwardly at the back of my neck.

He'd had an argument with his mom the day after he'd told me we were going to

Nebraska. Apparently I hadn't been very welcome, but he'd refused to go without me. I couldn't help but wonder if there even was a room made up for me or if I was supposed to find some other form of sleeping arrangement.

"Let's go downstairs. I need something to eat."

I followed Gii out of the room and back down.

We walked into a big, brightly lit kitchen, only to find it occupied by a young woman. I almost walked right into Gii when he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Miya?"

The woman turned with a big smile on her young face. "Gii!"

She came out from behind the counter, and my eyes instantly fell to the pregnant belly jutting out.

Gii saw it too, because he took a step back when she reached out to hug him.

"What're you doing here, Miya?" He had an expression on his face I couldn't decipher.

She gave up trying to hug him and instead crossed her arms. "I'm helping your mom out. This isn't easy for her."

Gii was still staring at her belly. He wasn't saying anything, and it didn't seem like she was going to be volunteering information either.

"Hi. I'm Takumi." I stepped in front of Gii and held my hand out to her.

She regarded me with deep, brown eyes for several moments but eventually shook my hand. "I'm Miyako. Nice to meet you, Takumi. So, you're the guy who stole Gii's heart?"

I liked her. I think. She didn't seem hostile or anything, at least. "I guess I am."

"He's my husband," Gii said from behind me, putting a heavy hand on my shoulder.

"And I expect him to be treated as such."

Her lips pinched as her eyes found Gii again. "I made my peace with you a long time ago, Gii. But I can't make promises for anyone else."

Peace with?

Peace with what?

When Gii didn't say anything, she turned back to the counter. "I've made sandwiches. Feel free to take what you want."

She motioned towards a heaping plate.

"Thanks, Miya." He said it grudgingly.

She leaned against the counter while we both took a sandwich.

"These are real tasty." It wasn't a lie either; they really did taste good. I got a smile in return for it.

"So…" Her focus rested on Gii. "Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?"

Her eyes widened a bit in irritation. She motioned to her belly. "Aren't you at least a little bit curious who knocked me up?"

"Well, since you're here, apparently to help my mom, I'm guessing Norio did. And I've got nothing to say to that." He shook his head as if he was disappointed.

"Gii—" The front door opened and closed and footsteps could be heard coming towards the kitchen.

I knew it was Gii's mom the moment I laid eyes on her. They had the same eyes, the same course, brownish red hair, though hers had a bit of silver in it now.

"Gii." She was terse.

"Mom." He eyed her, then turned to me. "This is Takumi. You remember I told you about him? My husband?"

"Yes, hello." Her nod was just as terse as her voice. "May I speak with you? Alone?"

She turned and walked out, and after throwing me a glance, Gii followed.

I was left in the kitchen with Miyako.

"So how do you know Gii?" I asked, hoping to avoid another tense and awkward silence.

"He's my ex-boyfriend."