743. Chapter 743

When her phone buzzes insistently on the nightstand, Maggie assumes it’s work.

She groans and rolls over, regretful as she leaves the circle of sweet warmth around Alex’s half-naked body.

When she sees the bright smile lighting up her caller ID, though, she wakes fully, immediately.

“What happened, Jord?” she asks, her voice laced with softness and urgency.

Alex blinks heavily a few times as she watches Maggie’s eyes flood with unshed tears. She rises groggily, listening to the broken sounds of sobbing and apologizing on the other end of the phone, and kisses Maggie’s bare back.

“I’ll make coffee,” she mouths to her, and Maggie pulls her in for a silent, grateful kiss.

Twenty minutes later, they’re both wearing long sweaters and thick socks and have pancakes just going on the griddle. Maggie’s hair is swept up into a messy ponytail, and Alex’s eyes are puffy from waking unexpectedly at two a.m., but they’re both… steady. Waiting.

Sure enough, there’s a soft knock on the door just as the batter starts sizzling.

Maggie transfers the spatula to Alex’s hand with a kiss and pads over to the door. She tugs it open, and a teenage boy with a tearstained face, plain white t-shirt, and plaid pajama pants pours himself into her arms.

“I got you,” is all Maggie gets the chance to whisper, because he’s apologizing and crying the moment she shuts the door behind him.

“I’m sorry, it’s so… it’s so fucking stupid. I’m so fucking stupid, it’s a stupid holiday month, it’s stupid, I have a roof over my head and enough to eat and my parents don’t know so they can’t kick me out or do anything else horrible to me and I’m over here waking you guys up and crying like a baby and it’s stupid, stupid, I’m sorry, I should go, I’m sorry, I – “

“Whoa, hey, at least have some pancakes before you panic run into the night,” Alex soothes from the kitchen, and it draws a wet, bitter laugh from Jordan.

“No chance you’ll give me any alcohol?” he asks as he sits at the kitchen island, hopping over it to kiss Alex’s cheek before sinking into himself.

Alex and Maggie exchange a glance and a raised eyebrow.

“I really should go. This is stupid.”

“None of it is stupid, Jordan. None of it.” Alex’s voice is stern and gentle all at once, and her eyes hold Jordan’s steadily.

A few tears slip down his cheeks, without his even blinking. He sets his jaw and clenches his fists.

“Hey. No toxic masculinity allowed to hurt you in this house. You can cry, sweetie,” Maggie promises him, and he smiles slightly as he nods, wiping his face roughly with the heel of his hand.

Maggie grabs a napkin and he accepts gratefully.

“It’s just… it’s stupid.”

“It’s not.”

“Jordan.”

“Okay, fine. It’s silly.”

“Only a slight improvement.”

“Getting there.”

“It’s just… it’s on the radio, and on all the storefronts, right? Rainbows and parade mentions, and all that. My parents don’t always say anything, you know, but they’ll roll their eyes and mutter things about making a big deal out of nothing, and causing problems for themselves, like they don’t care that their son… I mean, they have to know, right? I mean… whatever. If I’m gonna be so upset about not being out during Pride month, I should just tell them, right? Tell them or stop whining about it. Either way, right, I’m stupid. For not telling them, and then complaining about it and ruining your night and – “

“Jordan. Sweetie. You’re not stupid. Not for any of it. You’re not ready to tell them because your parents could make your life a real hell, and it’s alright to prioritize those parts of your life right now. It’s understandable, and kid, it’s brave. I wasn’t out until I was outed, hell. I had no plans to tell them anything until I moved out. I get it.”

“Yeah, but that was a small ass town. This is National City – “

“Doesn’t matter. You don’t like with the big city. You live in your parent’s apartment, in their control. You’re keeping yourself safe, and that’s brave. Of course you’re upset you can’t be yourself during Pride. Pride is amazing, but it also makes it feel like everyone but you is shouting it from the rooftops, and you can’t right now. Of course that feels horrible. It’s not stupid.”

“It is,” Jordan sniffs, but there’s less conviction in his voice now.

“It’s not. And we’ll believe it hard enough for all three of us, okay? Until you can believe it yourself.”

“Corny,” Jordan shakes his head, a smile forming on his face.

“You spent too much time with Adrian before he went off to college,” Maggie jokes, kissing his cheek.

“Not enough time, more like. Adrian’s hot.”

Alex and Maggie laugh as Alex doles out pancakes for all three of them, as Jordan tells them all about who’s hot and who he ships on which shows and how much he cried over One Day at a Time.

The sun is rising by the time he talks and cries himself out, but now, there’s a soft smile on his face.

Because this might not be his house, but damn, is it his home.