A/N- I do not own any of these characters. This story is based off the Boondocks episode 'Story of Gangstalicious' Part Two, which is not the episode where Licious gets shot. If you're a fan of Boondocks yaoi, you MUST see this episode. MUST. Ain't seen it? Try It'll be up until Feb 8th. You reading this after that? PM me and I'll fill you in on the clips you have to see. Love ya.
That being said, this story is a totally fucking spoiler for the episode. I mean, complete spoiler. But it's okay, because I told ya, so, y'know, I can't get flamed. (Does the Homie Dance with ya).
Pictures from this story will be hitting my account in a few days. PM if you interested in finding out my info. Peace.
Enjoy. Love, Sai-Chan.
The Freemans' sat around the dining room table, not one of them smiling. Huey was tapping his book, absentmindedly planning some destructive plan involving President Bush and a pipe bomb. Granddad had his head in his hand, unable to say anything at first. Riley sat stiffly, his hands folded on his skirt. No one spoke. They just remained in each other's presence for a while. Then Granddad sighed and looked over at the suitcases and boxes piled in the living room. He stared long and hard at them, then back at where his youngest grandson was playing with the hem of the tan thing. A moan escaped and he went right back to ignoring them. Huey's eyes glazed over, completely leaving the realm of his family. Had he been less dignified, he probably would've slipped out of his chair entirely. Next to him, his younger brother smoothed out the fabric that fell a few inches above his knees. His legs kicked back and forth as he thought about the night before and the conversation he'd had with Gangstalicious after confronting the rapper about his sexuality.
He knew, hands down, Licious had lied to him. He'd seen it in his face the whole time they'd hung out and played video games in the older man's limo. His favorite rapper was gay. Worse then that, though, was the fact that he'd finally realized that he himself was gay. Riley had come out of the closet only hours beforehand, to both his relatives. He wasn't so sure he was okay with it. After all, he'd freaked out so badly when he'd seen Licious kissing another man that he'd constructed a lie just to hide from it. Yet, he knew now, as Huey had explained to him the night before, that he'd done that because he was terrified of his own sexuality. Years of being rigorously taught that being gay meant he was somehow less of a man had inadvertently made him homophobic. Sitting there in a mini skirt, with painted toe nails, and a shirt short enough to pass for a bra, however, he couldn't say he wasn't extremely comfortable. He loved the way he looked in the clothing he'd been given by Licious. He liked dancing with other guys. He liked the purse he got to carry around. He liked shopping for clothes and shoes and jewelry. He liked ice and diamonds and glitter. For so long, he'd just pretended he liked all that because he was a thug and such. The skirt, of course, was the ice breaker. He was gay. Not only was he gay, he was a gay drag queen. Accepting that at the tender of eight, well, it hadn't been easy. As a matter of fact, he'd sobbed all night long, held by his grandfather. He still wasn't sure he was really accepting of it. But, after spending so much time listening to Licious fight what he was, he'd figured life would be better he just came out of the closet and embraced what he'd somewhat always known about himself.
Riley 'Esco' Freeman was a homo.
" Alright..." Granddad said in a low tone, looking up. He took in a shaky breath that attracted the attention of both grandsons. Huey shook his head, ridding himself of his day dream, whereas Riley jumped and looked up with large, fearful eyes, " Okay... Riley... is... g-g-gay..." there was a brief pause, " So... you two won't be sharin' a room anymore... now the guest room is for my cutie pies... so... Riley... you're movin' to the garage... I'll park Dorothy outside fer ya..."
Riley nodded, gripping the edge of his skirt. Huey's eyes kind of lit up, as much as they ever did. Granddad stared at them, as if in awe that this was actually happening. Then he shuddered and got to his feet. The revolutionary hopped up, a bit of excitement crossing into his usually apathetic expression. He went to start grabbing boxes to move his brother permanently out of his hair. As soon as he was gone, Granddad turned to where the younger was still sitting. Riley was shaking, fighting back fresh tears. There was another sigh, then Granddad placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a hard squeeze.
" Boy... I know this... is a difficult thing to... um... deal with... but... it's okay... I ain't gonna throw you out... Ya just have ta promise yer Granddaddy one thing," he said, holding up one finger. Riley looked up at him with those pretty tearful eyes. A moment passed between the two of them, in which it seemed that something profound was going to be said, " You wouldn't bring home any of your faggot boyfriends when you get older,"
" O-okay... I promise..." Riley whispered, wiping away his tears. Granddad let out a loud breath of relief, patting the boy's shoulder. Then he went to help Huey move all the boxes to the garage, shouting that if the thug didn't feel like doing any heavy lifting because of his nail polish, it was okay.
Within the hour, the garage was cleared out of everything potentially dangerous or chemical and Riley's new bedroom was set up. A bed had been moved downstairs by Granddad and Tom, who'd come over to give his support. Then all of the boy's junk had either been plastered to the walls or stuffed in a dresser provided for his clothes. Granddad assured his little grand baby that if he needed another dresser to store his clothes or shoes, he'd get him one in a hot second. Tom offered to teach him how to tango or whatever should he be interested. Huey didn't say a word. He just moved the stuff and bolted off to fix up his own new bedroom; he wasn't offered any help. Riley just put everything up and watched as the two adults argued about him having a garage opener so he could let his boyfriends in so they didn't have to walk through the house. They agreed it was for the best if he didn't and left him in peace. When they were gone, the boy stood in the middle of his wood and cement room and looked around.
Everything still appeared to belong to a thug. The posters were of basketball stars and rappers and the hoop was attached to the wall above his bed. Most of his clothing were still baggy pants and loose shirts with logos from companies on them that had been endorsed by someone. Countless boots and sneakers lined the wall, along with his stacks of CDs and such. Aside from the skirts and short tops and sandals, everything was as manly as it got. However, when he glanced around, he saw all the signs he'd ignored. He saw all the clues that had pointed to his preference. Not a single thing was from a female. For years, he'd just avoided the fact that all those hoes and pretty girls didn't do it for him. Now, it just seemed blatantly obvious. So very obvious.
A whine escaped his mouth as he pulled on the hem of his skirt. He wasn't sure if he was cringing from the fact that he was embarrassed about not realizing it or because he thought he looked really hot. Either way, he grimaced and quickly pulled it off. He yanked the shirt off and tossed it onto the floor. Hastily, he jerked on some jeans that hid his toe nails and a hoodie about three sizes too big. Instantly, he looked thuggish again.
Somehow, the look didn't seem right on him anymore. He felt weird in such an outfit. A poser, for sure. Fake, one hundred percent. He couldn't wear anything that made him feel like the thing he hated the most. The unnerving feeling that everyone could see through him was too much. Groaning, Riley stripped down to his tight boxers and went to pick up the skirt again. Seeing it covered in dust, however, made him rethink pulling on an outfit resting on the oily floor of his bedroom. Instead, he shuffled over to his dresser and searched for something else to wear. He settled for a shirt of the same fashion, only in pink, and a black skirt. The combo worked, he thought, as he examined himself as best he could. Of course, he thought, now his toes didn't match. He'd have to change that. Fighting the thought that he was turning into a regular gay just by having accepted the fact, he ruffled through his stuff, looking for some new nail polish.
" Dammit. This fucked up. How the hell I only gots clear an' honey? That's gay... fuckin' messed up..." he snapped, sinking down on his plush mattress. A moment passed in which he pouted and sulked, fussing over his skirt and toes and everything. Then he snapped his fingers, slipped into his black sandals, and hurried out the door and into the house. His grandfather and Tom were talking about the rules they should enforce about boyfriends when he trooped into the room. A hush fell over the room, " Yo, Granddad, can we go shoppin'?"
" What? Why, Riley?"
" I need new nail polish. I only got two colors up in here. That's some ol' bullshit. If I be gay, I be fuckin' fly gay, ya heard? I need ta match an' this color don't work with my skirt," he exclaimed, hands on his hips as he talked. Both mens' faces fell dramatically as he talked, but he was unaffected, " Come ta think 'bout it, it's 'bout time I got some new threads, aiight?"
" Oh, Gawd, it begins!" Granddad moaned, grabbing at his hair. Tom happily patted Riley on the shoulder as he said he could get the boy some of the clothes Jazmine didn't wear anymore. Both the Freemans' gave him harsh, penetrating stares that ran down his spine and broke part of his soul off. The thug burst out in a furious tone, his hands moving with each word towards his outfit.
" Nigga! I wouldn't be caught dead in that girly crap! I wanna look like a gay thug, not a girl!" Riley shouted, stomping his foot in aggravation. Before Tom could respond, Granddad turned on him with the family fury.
" Are you sayin' I can't afford to dress my grandson!! I'll have you know I don't need no charity! I can pay for Riley's gay ass make up and his gay ass nail polish and his gay ass clothes on my own, Tom! If my grandson wants to wear a dress, I will be buying it for him! And for your information, Tom," there was a pause as Granddad grabbed Riley's upper arm and steered him around the stunned attorney, " Your daughter's clothes went out of style last sea-son! Let's go, boy. We don't have to stand here and be insulted! Not in my damn home!"
" B-But... I... wasn't..." Tom tried to protest, but the two were already gone. The door slammed shut as Huey drifted by. They looked at one another, somewhat in pity for the other, " So, Huey... how's it feel to know your brother's gay?"
" Huh? Riley? I've known he was gay for years. I can't believe it took y'all this long to figure it out," he stated in a deadpan voice, giving the older man the same degrading look he always did when his intelligence outshone an educated adult. Tom twitched, that old hatred burning back to life, " I mean, I expected Granddad to be oblivious until Riley figured it out, but you, Mr. Dubois... I thought yer whole anal rape thing would make you hyper sensitive to this kinda thing... oh well. I don't care. I'm just glad I finally got my own damn room. Bye,"
With that, Huey marched up the stairs. His fro bounced as he headed happily back to his own room, leaving Tom downstairs to fend for himself. So as not to be yelled at later, when the others came back, he just helped himself to some chips and left, locking the door behind him as he went.
By the time Granddad was done proving he could provide for his grandson's new lifestyle, Riley had a couple grand worth of new outfits and accessories. The backseat and trunk were stuffed with bags, each one of which was jammed with boxes and clothes and make up and shoes and purses and everything. It took about ten minutes just to move the load from the trunk to Riley's room, with the garage door open and all. Another half hour went by as the boy emptied out all his old thug clothes and stuffed his drawers full of the new things. Smiling with sheer happiness, he stood back and admired his reflection in the new full length mirror his Granddad had picked out so he could scrutinize his appearance like real women and gays did, presumably. He tried on some of his favorite outfits, smoothing the fabric over his curvy hips. He knew he ought to have a problem with the look of him in such femmy clothes, but he didn't. He just adored it.
In a way.
There was a nagging voice in the back of his head that told him this wasn't right. He couldn't say it was the Bible or religion or God. He'd never been very religious. The whole concept had gotten in the way of his hooligan lifestyle, no matter which way he tried to mold it. Thus, he'd given up on it altogether. Nevertheless, he stood there, hands rubbing the sides of his bare waist, and felt a little ashamed of himself. Perhaps it was Licious, telling him over and over that he wasn't gay, therefore making it obvious that being gay in their world wasn't right. He knew that, of course. He also knew he looked amazing in that mini skirt with those cute ankle boots and short shirt.
" Man... why can't I just be happy wit who I is?" as he said it, he hugged himself with sorrow written on his young face. Slowly, he collapsed to his knees and sat there, shivering in his isolated room. Tears trickled down his face, " Why I gots to be gay? Why I gots to like this? Why I gots to hate this? Why can't I just like this? What's so damn w-wrong with it? What's wrong wit me wantin' ta dress this way? Ain't hurtin' no body..."
Hiccuping, he sobbed to himself. No one else appeared to hear his cries, leaving him to face his sorrows alone. In the end, Riley just curled up in his bed and rolled a bottle of hot pink nail polish around on his sheets. He longed to find someone to talk to about everything going through his head. Yet, the only gay man he knew refused to admit his secret. Everyone else was either straight or asexual. They'd never questioned their sexuality. They'd never wanted to wear a skirt. They'd never felt this way. Of that he was sure. Therefore, he just laid there and cried, wishing he could run to his family and ask them for advice. He knew he'd just end up embarrassed or even more confused.
Unfortunately, his choking sobs drew the attention for him.
The door opened and footsteps walked over to the bed as he sat up, wiping away his tears though they kept coming. His granddad gingerly took a seat next to him, gazing down at him in an uncertain way. They stared at each other for a moment. Then, Riley was swept into a tight hug, his head cradled against his grandfather's shoulder. The gesture was reminiscent of the evening before when the closet door had been opened thanks to Licious. That alone calmed the boy as he squeezed the older tight, curling his tiny body into the lap of his guardian. Granddad stroked his hair, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath.
" I'm sorry, boy... it's okay. I'm not okay with this, but I'm okay with you... I never thought I'd have this problem. Not with you, anyways... I tried to stop this... but I know it's who you are... and that's okay, boy..." he stumbled for the correct words, holding onto Riley's shoulders and looking down at that feminine creature looking right back at him. He took in those big eyes, that short top, that skirt, those boots, and he had to fight a rather violent scream. He swallowed it painfully and took his grandson's hands in his, " I'm going to need some time... to adjust... to this... but... that doesn't mean... I hate you... it's okay, okay, boy?"
" 'Kay..."
" But don't get used to the shoppin' sprees. That's it. You're spent. You're on your own, boy. You want you some new shoes, you get out there and get yourself a sugar daddy like everyone else," he finished, standing up and pointing at all the discarded bags. Riley blinked, then cracked a smile as his grandfather nodded and left, deeming everything alright.
For a couple of minutes afterwards, Riley just sat there, glancing around at all his new things and the pile of his old clothes. Then he gave a laugh and fell back against his pillow. A smile crossed his face as he shook up the nail polish and it's lovely color swirled. He had a whole new wardrobe, his own room away from his entire family, and no one was screaming about him being homosexual. Things were going pretty good, considering. As soon as he rid himself of that nagging voice, he knew things would be perfect. He just needed to find a way around that. Until then, he just stuck cotton balls between his toes and started to wipe off the old color so he could apply the new one.
To be honest, he could get used to this lifestyle.