Dave and Leroy

Chapter 8 - Dave and Leroy Have a Major Disagreement

After returning from Allison's, Dave was sitting on the couch with Leroy. They were holding hands and kissing. Dave remembered Leroy had chuckled and asked what it was about.

At first, Dave was trying to remain calm when they were talking about the subject. He couldn't believe what was coming out of Leroy and where it came from.

"But, you want KIDS!" Dave raised his voice on the kid's part.

Leroy was looking at a very pissed off Dave. He didn't think Dave would take it this bad. "I just thought it would be nice. I'm home all the time now."

"YOU HAVE SEIZURES LEROY! What would a baby do, if you had a seizure, and no one else was around?"

"I just had a thought, Dave, nevermind." Leroy went to their room, and he decided to take a shower. He didn't know what else to do, he would have driven away to get his frustrations out, but he's not allowed to drive. So he walked into the bathroom and started the shower.

Leroy didn't realize Dave would be so against the idea. He actually wanted to cry, and he didn't know what to do with himself now. It wasn't like he wanted them this minute. Just looking around the family room tonight at Allison's, Leroy actually wouldn't mind being called Dad. Maybe it was just bad timing, it didn't help that he had a seizure tonight, and maybe Dave will think about it for a while. Leroy finished his shower, dried off, walked back into the bedroom and laid down. He could still hear Dave in the kitchen.

When Dave stopped picking up the kitchen and the family room, he finally had calmed down enough. He didn't realize Leroy would ever want kids. He heard Leroy get out of the shower and go to the bedroom. Dave was expecting Leroy to come back out to the kitchen, but once he didn't, Dave went to the bedroom and in a calmer voice, spoke from the doorway, "Leroy, I just never thought you would want any, you were always against them in the past."

"Forget it, Dave, it was just a passing thought." Leroy continued to lay on the bed. He didn't look at Dave or anything. "Am I a burden now to you, Dave?"

"NO, GOD NO, where's that coming from, Leroy?" Dave walked to the bed and sat down to look at Leroy.

"Because of my seizures, because I'm not working, because I'm not contributing to the household any longer. I'm sorry, Dave."

"Leroy Honey, I love you. Please don't think this. I'm just not into the kid idea right now. I'm sorry, but you were always against kids before. I just never thought I would ever hear even the thought of kids come out of your mouth." Dave tried to get Leroy to look at him, but Leroy closed his eyes and refused to open them. Dave stood and undressed, went to his side of the bed and spooned Leroy. "Honey, I love you, never think this again please." Leroy didn't respond, he did feel every bit of a burden at that moment.

*

Dave woke the next morning to an empty bed, he sat up and didn't hear any noise in the house, so he started to look for Leroy. He looked in the living room, kitchen, family room, and both spare bedrooms, no Leroy. Dave even looked downstairs, still no Leroy. He walked outside, and Leroy's truck was gone, Dave's heart sank. "Oh shit."

Dave looked at the time it was after nine, so he started calling all Leroy's family, asking them if they had seen Leroy, everyone said no. Both Aaron and Allison said they would be right over.

They both pulled up at the same time and came in without knocking. They saw Leroy's truck was missing. "What is going on, Dave?" Aaron asked as they saw him in the family room, pacing back and forth. He was getting off the phone with his family to make sure Leroy hadn't gone there.

"Leroy left, and I don't know where he went."

"What happened?" Allison asked.

"We came home from your house last night, and he asked if I would like to have some kids." Dave looked at Allison and Aaron, they seemed as shocked as he was last night. "I wasn't nice about it. I asked him how he could take care of a kid when he had a seizure. He took it as I thought he was a burden." Dave looked like he wanted to cry. "He's not a burden to me. I love him too much. I was just shocked, that was all. Leroy never wanted kids before."

"He didn't leave a note or anything?" Allison asked.

"No, how am I going to find him, what if he has a seizure while driving. Allison, I can't lose him."

"Dave, calm down, can you..." Allison started to say as Lee walked in. "Dad!"

"Where is Leroy, why is his truck gone?"

"He and Dave had a small misunderstanding, and Dave doesn't know when Leroy drove away or where he is."

*

Leroy had been parked in a little parking lot of a closed business all day. He drove for a few hours and pulled into this little place. He was depressed, Leroy hoped he wasn't a burden to Dave, but he very much felt like one. Leroy has been watching a police officer continually drive by and knows eventually that the police officer will stop and ask what Leroy was doing in the middle of nowhere. Leroy thought about driving home but didn't know where he was and has been having the odd feeling of a seizure for hours now, but it has never developed into one.

Leroy couldn't sleep at all once Dave came to bed. So he waited until Dave was asleep before he got up, grabbed his jeans and a t-shirt. Leroy walked out of the house after grabbing his truck keys. After driving for what he thought was two hours, which he never took the freeway, just surface streets. Leroy wasn't paying attention to where he drove. He wished he would have brought his phone, Leroy was so intent on getting out of the house, he had forgotten it on the dresser.

The police officer drove by again, Leroy watched him drive down the road, turn around, come back and pull into the parking lot. After calling Leroy's license plate, the officer got out of the car and walked up to his window, Leroy already had it down. "License and registration."

"Yes, Sir." Leroy pulled his wallet out, retrieved his license, and grabbed his registration out of the glove compartment.

"Mr. Standish, I've noticed you've been sitting here all day. May I ask why?"

"Kind of lost. And I have actually been taking this entire time to think, Sir." Leroy didn't mind calling this officer Sir, because he was an older gentleman. If he had been someone younger than Leroy, Leroy probably would have just called him an officer.

"Do you know there is an APB out for you and your truck?"

"It figures." Leroy shook his head and rubbed his face.

"Because the bulletin stated you were just a friend of a cop they needed to find, and you weren't wanted or anything. I had seen you here all day, and you didn't seem like you were going to be leaving anytime soon. I decided not to call it in, but I was getting off shift soon, and I can't let you sit here."

Leroy decided to tell the truth. "I'm not supposed to drive, but my partner and I had a fight. I didn't pay attention to where I was driving. I really don't know what town I'm in and I'm afraid I'm going to have a seizure because I've had the funky feeling for the past few hours. It doesn't help that I forgot my phone, and I know my partner is pissed."

"Well, what's his number, and I'll give him a call." Leroy looked at him, the officer wasn't fazed at all about him basically saying he was gay and he had a fight with his partner. Leroy gave him Dave's number, and the officer said he would be right back.

*

Dave was sitting with Lee, Allison, and Aaron, they wouldn't leave him. Dave was beside himself, and he jumped when his phone started ringing. Dave looked at the number when he picked his phone up and didn't recognize it. "Hello."

"Hello, this is Officer Pete Meyers, am I speaking to Dave Ayers?

"Yes, did you find Leroy? Is he okay? Where is he?" Dave's panic was showing through his questions.

"Yes, Mr. Standish is fine, he's in Aldie."

"Aldie is three hours from here. Will he be taken to the Middleburg Police Station?"

"No, I was going to sit here and talk with him, just get here. He said he feels like he's going to have a seizure, so bring someone with you to drive his truck home." The officer gave the address of the closed business and his cell number.

The officer went back over to Leroy's truck. "I called Dave, he's on his way, it'll take him roughly around three to four hours."

"Four hours!" Leroy looked shocked.

"You drove longer than you thought, Son. Since it'll take them a bit of time, why don't you come with me and we'll get you some food."

"Sir, you don't have to babysit me, I'll stay here and wait for Dave."

"Not babysitting a grown man, just a worried citizen is all. Come on, I'll drive you back here in an hour or so. You have to be hungry or at least thirsty, I don't see any water." The officer looked concerned.

"Okay." Leroy rolled his window up and got out of the truck and followed the officer to his cruiser. The officer told him to get in the front.

"You can call me, Pete. Do you mind if I call you, Leroy?"

"No, Sir." Leroy looked at the officer. "No, Pete, I don't mind."

"I'm going to go out on a ledge here Leroy, I don't normally tell people, but I'm gay as well. I'm not going to say, I know what's troubling you and what your fight was about. If you want to talk to me, you are more than welcome." Pete paused for a second. "Dave sounded worried about you, I don't know if it was what you were aiming at." Leroy started to interrupt him. Pete held up his hand. "I don't see that, I was just checking to see if you did mean to worry him. Leroy, you seemed lost. How long have you two been together?"

"No, I didn't mean to scare, Dave. I'm lost, this year completely changed my life. Dave and I have been together since we were sixteen, except for a few years from eighteen to twenty."

Pete took Leroy to the police station so Pete could turn in his cruiser and do some paperwork. After walking to his car, Pete took a minute while they were in the parking lot to call his partner, Chris, to inform him what was going on. To ask Chris if he wanted to meet Leroy and him for dinner or not, of course, his partner came.

"Don't mind my partner, he's nice and anything you want to talk about won't go beyond him either." Pete pulled up to a little diner in the town, and his partner was already waiting in the parking lot. "Leroy, I would like you to meet my partner Chris, Chris, this is Leroy."

They all greeted one another and walked into the diner. After small talk, Pete returned back to Leroy's fight and asked if he would like to talk about what had happened. Leroy exhaled and started to tell them it was stupid really, then went into telling them how the past year has affected his life. Last night it seemed like a puzzle piece finally was put in place, he really wanted to have a kid or two, and Dave was against the idea. But the biggest fear Leroy had was he was now feeling like a burden, he was worried Dave would get tired of taking care of him and leave.

"Leroy, the man I spoke to on the phone was worried to death about you. I don't think he'll be leaving you anytime soon. You two have been together too long to think because you got sick he is going to leave you. Son, you can't be running off in the middle of the night because you had a disagreement. Life is full of disagreements. If Chris or I did that every time we got in a major fight, hell we wouldn't be together after these thirty plus years."

"Leroy, it's tough, I don't know how many fights you've been in, I'm assuming enough over these past fifteen years." Leroy nodded his head. "You will just need to sit down with Dave and talk to him about your feelings, as you said a lot has changed in this year. Did you want kids before?" Chris asked.

"No, I was living my life, living my life with Dave. I didn't want to share him with anyone or anything. I don't know what changed inside of me. I was just sitting in my sister's family room with the baby on my lap, and I could see Dave and me with a little one, to complete our family. I don't know where it came from, it was just all of a sudden what I wanted." Leroy sat silent for a minute. "I know Dave is right, how could I take care of a baby when I can't drive or do anything."

"Don't sell yourself short Leroy," Chris said. "You drove here, you didn't drive back because you were afraid you were going to have a seizure. So it is possible to drive."

"But I'm not supposed to drive."

"In this state, you can as long as you have been seizure free for at least ninety days. Your medicine will help you, it might never take the seizures completely away, but it will help." Chris responded, and Pete nodded.

"The medicine has helped out a lot. I used to have a seizure almost daily, now I'm down to once or twice a week. It has taken some time, but I'm seeing the signs of one coming on, but again today, I've felt it most of the day, and it still hasn't come."

"Well, I can't tell you to stop worrying, that is on you. All I can say is to give it time, you never know what tomorrow will bring and talk with your Dave." Chris responded and Leroy nodded.

They finished up their meal and Pete decided it would probably be best to get Leroy back to the meeting spot, Chris decided to ride with them. They talked about anything and everything, Chris and Pete talked about how they had met those many years ago.

Two and half hours after Pete called Dave, Dave pulled into the lot. "That boy must have broken every speeding law out there." Pete chuckled.

Leroy got out of Pete's car as Dave got out of his. Leroy walked as Dave ran towards him and threw his arms around Leroy and kissed him. Dave put his forehead to Leroy's and just stood there for a few minutes. Pete and Chris had gotten out of their car, and Aaron had gotten out of Dave's.

"Leroy, I love you. You're not a burden to me. If you want ten kids, we will adopt ten kids. I'm sorry, I love you, Babe." He kissed him again, and Leroy had tears streaming down his face. "Leroy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I know it has been a bad year for you, I just didn't know how much this meant to you."

"It's okay Dave, I'm sorry as well. I shouldn't have driven away, I knew it was a mistake, and I was scared to drive home. I didn't even know how I got here. Hell, I still don't know where the hell I am." Dave placed his forehead back to Leroy's, and again they stood there for a bit until Pete cleared his throat.

Both Dave and Leroy turned to Pete, "Dave, this is Pete and Chris, and this is my brother Aaron." They all greeted one another, and Dave thanked Pete for finding Leroy. They all talked for a bit and exchanged numbers.

Before they parted ways, Chris pulled Leroy to the side. "Leroy, I was like you, I didn't want kids for the longest time, and then one day out of the blue, I wanted them, and Pete didn't. Give Dave and yourself time, it'll happen."

"Did you end up having kids?"

"Yeah, my sister donated the eggs, and we found a surrogate to have the kids for us. We ended up having one of each; they are living their lives and doing well, we even have grandbabies on the way. Just be patient and it will work out for the best. Please give us a call when you need it." Leroy actually hugged Chris and walked back towards Pete and shook his hand, Dave and he drove home with Aaron following in Leroy's truck.

The drive home took three hours, Dave didn't speed going home, they did call Aaron to see if he wanted to just take Leroy's truck home and switch them the next day, but he told them he might as well pick his car up tonight. It was after ten when they pulled in the driveway, Aaron said his goodnights and walked to his car and drove away.

Dave took Leroy by the hand, and they went to the bedroom. They undressed, laid down in bed and Dave cuddled up to Leroy. They laid there for the longest before talking. "Babe, I love you. You scared me so much when I woke up and couldn't find you."

"I know Dave, I was stupid, I just needed to get away and think. I didn't realize I drove so long, I really thought I had only driven for two hours, and I'm glad I didn't start seeking my way home because I would have been even more lost. Dave, forgive me, please, I won't do it again."

"No, I'm the one that needs to ask for forgiveness. Honey I know things have changed for you and you were trying to ask me about kids. Whatever you would like, Babe, we will do, I don't want to lose you."

"Dave, I don't want them right this minute, I was just bringing up the idea. I don't know when and if we will or if you want them, I was just thinking about it. I don't want to be a burden to you, and I feel like I am."

"Leroy you never have and will never be a burden to me, I love you. Please never think that again." Dave pulled Leroy to him and held him tight.

"I love you too, Dave, more than you will ever know."

Edited 10/20/2021