"Well?" Kay demanded, eyes blazing. "What do you have to say about this. . .disgusting work?"

Harry was speechless. He was paralyzed, literally rooted to the ground.

Kay pointed a finger in Harry's face while he ranted on. "I trusted you, Harry. I asked you to look out for my son and this is what you do?" He waved his arm at the painting. "Take advantage of him? Humiliate him like this? How dare you?"

Harry tried to get the words out. He couldn't say anything, but his mind did the talking. I didn't do anything to humiliate Robbie.

"How dare you?" Kay repeated. "I brought him here so he'd be safe from that bastard Paul."

Talk, Harry told himself. Say something. Speak up. Tell him it's not true what he's saying.

"You really aren't any better than that bastard," Kay hissed. "You deserve what he got, only worse."

No, Harry thought. Here it was, his nightmare. Fired, ruined, his career over.

"You don't have anything to say?" the boss demanded. "Anything at all?"

Harry finally found his voice and said the first and only thing that was in his mind and heart.

"I love him."

Kay looked in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"I love Robbie. I love your son."

Kay looked him in the eye. "You expect me to swallow this garbage?"

"I just know I love him."

Kay's face was filled with hatred and disgust. "Get out of my sight. Take this filth with you. Don't bother showing up for work later."

In a daze Harry went over, picked up his painting and stumbled out of the building. He went over to a bench and sat down, looking at the painting. There was nothing wrong with this, he thought. Why did it cause so much anger?

"Harry? Hey!" He heard someone shouting. "Harry!"

He looked up and saw Robbie running towards him.

"Hey, babe," Robbie gave him a kiss. "I was looking for you. Why is your project out here? How did you do?"

Harry could finally talk. "Why did you take my painting? Why did you put it in that auditorium for everybody to see?"

"I thought it was perfect," Robbie said. "When I saw it I knew how you felt about me, that you truly loved me as much as I loved you. I thought you had painted it just for me. But then somebody came in and said that it was your project and that I had to bring it here."

"Did you know that your father was going to see it? And how he would feel about it?"

Robbie shrugged. "I don't know, I really didn't think about that. I was just hoping they would grade it soon so I could take it. I just love it."

"Well, he doesn't. He saw the painting," Harry said. "He's very angry. I'm fired."

"Seriously?"

"I didn't want him to find out like this," Harry shook his head. "We were supposed to sit down and talk to him about us."

Robbie scoffed in disbelief. "He doesn't mean it. He likes you, he wouldn't do that."

"He did. I'm done," Harry replied. "I don't even know how I feel right now. This used to be my number one worry all this time, and now that it's happened I don't even care."

Robbie sat next to him. "Yes you do. You're an artist. This means everything to you. You've worked very hard with your education. I should know, you never shut up about it. You weren't going to lose for anything and anyone, remember?"

"Maybe we shouldn't have gotten together." Harry found himself rambling. "I knew this was a bad idea but I couldn't resist."

Robbie turned him around to face him. "You don't mean that. We love each other, we want to be together. You don't think we deserve to be happy? Don't you love me?"

"Of course I do."

"We didn't let Paul and Liam come between us," Robbie insisted while looking Harry in the eyes. "Are you going to let my father do it?"

Harry came to his senses. Robbie was right. He was allowed some happiness in his life. "No,"

"I'm fighting for us," Robbie said. "What about you, don't you wanna fight for our relationship?"

"Yeah," Harry wanted to defend what they had. "Yeah."

Robbie snatched up the painting. He grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him back inside.

They found Robbie's father in a corner looking at his tablet. Robbie boldly approached him. "We need to talk, Father."

Kay absently brushed him aside. "Not right now, I'm in the middle--"

"Now!" Robbie yelled causing everyone nearby to jump in surprise. "You talk to me now or so help me I'll scream bloody murder right here right now. You know I can do it, I've been doing it since I was little."

Kay looked surprised, more so when he saw Robbie's hand holding tightly onto Harry's.

"What's happening, Dad," Robbie said in a calmer tone. "What did you say to Harry? Why are you being so mean to him?

"I only told him how I felt about that disgusting painting he did." Kay explained.

"It's not disgusting," Robbie said.

"As if that wasn't bad enough he had the nerve to turn it in as his project." Kay practically spat out. "Honesty, Robbie, we can talk about this later."

"No," Robbie was stubborn. "Now is good. I've got all day." He held up the painting to his father. "Take a good look at this. What's disgusting about it? All I see are two people on here that care very much for each other."

Kay tried to reason with his son. "I'm only thinking of you, Robert. I want what's best for you."

"Harry is what's best for me," Robbie moved closer and put his arm around Harry. "He's been nothing but good to me. He would never hurt me like Paul did. Harry is not a cruel person. He's the one I want."

"You don't know what you want," Kay scoffed. "It was always something new with you. I could never keep up with your little whims and fancies."

Robbie ducked his head. "That's not true," he mumbled while blushing. Harry remained silent, only listening.

Kay waved a dismissive hand toward him. "What makes you think this. . .whatever you call it. . .is any different?"

"It is different." Robbie protested.

"Didn't you say the same thing about Paul?" Kay said with a nasty smile. "Look how that turned out."

"It's not the same," Robbie insisted. "I was a kid then. I'm a man now, I know this is the real thing. We love and care for each other. I know this is happening too fast but this is it. I love Harry."

"I don't have the time to deal with your little playthings," Kay said firmly. "I am not accepting this. We are Kays, we have our good name to protect. Do you insist on dragging it through the mud every time you--"

"Wait." Harry interrupted. "Please."

The Kay men looked at him.

"Look," Harry said. "I'm not trying to ruin your family name or your reputation. I wasn't even looking for this. It just happened before I knew it. I tried ignoring my feelings for Robbie, I kept telling myself this was wrong, and I ran away from them. It was impossible. I was drawn to him."

Harry looked at Robbie who smiled at him. "I've never felt this way about anybody before," he went on. "I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life. I want to stay with Robbie." He squeezed Robbie's hand.

Kay just stood there and looked at the young men while they stared hopefully back. It seemed like an eternity before he finally spoke.

"Harry, you're fired."

Harry's heart sank. He was living his worse fear.

Then his now former boss turned to Robbie.

"Until you end this ridiculous farce, I'm disowning you as of this minute."

Robbie stared back. "Fine." He turned and pulled Harry after him. They walked out of the building to freedom.