Warning! Slash and alternate universe. Don't like, leave now.
I own nothing at all.
He looked over at Zero sleeping near him. Zero's face was lit in the starlight, and there was a flower petal in front of his nose that moved back and forth as he breathed. It reminded Stanley of something out of a cartoon. Zero breathed in, and the petal was drawn up almost touching his nose. Zero breathed out, and the petal moved towards his chin. It stayed on Zero's face for an amazingly long time before fluttering off to the side.
Stanley considered placing it back in front of Zero's nose, but it wouldn't be the same.
That was the exact moment. The exact moment I realized it.
I was in love.
Not only was I in love.
I was in love with my best friend.
It was the can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence, out of the park, world series kind of love.
And I couldn't do one thing about it.
I listened quietly to see if he was truly asleep.
He was.
And there in the moonlight on God's Thumb, my muscles overpowered my brain.
I leaned in very slowly to kiss him...
"Dad! Kids! Time for dinner!" My oldest son Deacon was yelling from the kitchen. Four of my five grandchildren groaned loudly. My youngest grandchild, Justin was too young to be away from his parents for very long.
"Come on, Dad! Grandpa Stanley was telling us the story of God's Thumb!" Yelled Kelly. She is the only girl of all of my grandchildren. She's second youngest but she's always remembered Grandpa's story of God's Thumb.
"Yeah. He was just at the part where Papa Hector kisses him!" Said Shaynne, the eldest of my grandchildren. He was 15, but still loved my old, cliched stories.
"Well, don't ruin it for the little ones, son!" Deacon smiled. "Okay, but hurry up with the story, Dad. Pap's waiting to cut the turkey."
"Alright, already." I laughed. When I turned back to my grandchildren, they were all shaking with excitement.
"What happened then Grandpa?" Fred questioned. Fred is my middle grandchild. He was born very early, and doesn't have very long memory. He's expected to live for about five more years. He'll make it longer. He is a Yelnats, after all.
"Are you sure you're ready to hear the end?" I asked them playfully. They jumped and whooped and giggled. "Well, then Papa Hector kissed Grandpa Stanley," The children gasped, as if they've never heard it before. "And they lived happily ever after."
"Yay!"
"Woo!"
"Yay Grandpa and Papa!"
Shaynne helped me up off of my chair and I walked into the kitchen. I saw the most beautiful sight a person could lay their eyes on.
My partner of 48 years was sitting at the end of a magnificent feast. To his right was my first adopted son, Deacon. He was 41. Hector and I adopted him when we were only 22. The fortune made it easier for the government to trust us. But we would have still fought as hard as possible to get him, if we hadn't been fortunate. On Deacon's right, his beautiful wife Lily.
To Hector's left, Deacon's biological sister, Asher. We were 27 when we found her, and very experienced in raising a child. To my daughter's left was her lovely husband Martin.
The remaining chairs were filled with grandchildren.
Following to the right beside Lily, Shaynne, Fred, and Kelly.
Following to the left beside Martin, Corey and Justin.
I looked at my big, beautiful family and noticed there was something missing.
There's a chair next to Hector. It's empty. Oh yeah. That's where I go.
I sat down with my family and after the big dinner, I was quite tired.
"Hey Dad. Since it's Thanksgiving, and we all have alot to be thankful for, you and Papa wouldn't mind giving us a demonstration of the God's Thumb story, would you?" I laughed as Asher finished her sentence.
"What'd ya think, babe?" Hector asked me, smiling.
"I think now would be the best time."
I leaned in very slowly to kiss him...
Sorry if you don't like all the detail about the children. I wanted to give them more character.
The names of the children/grandchildren are from The Outsiders, Harry Potter, my own mind, and some wonderful people I call my friends.