Britin – Early Morning
A brilliant preview of the sunny day to come peeked through the sheer curtains of the two, tall, floor-to-ceiling windows in the master bedroom as Justin slowly awakened to a banging, screeching sort of noise outside their home. Frowning at the unidentifiable clatter, he paused for a few seconds to gaze over warmly at his fiancé's sleeping form before dislodging himself as gingerly as he could from Brian's arms and sitting up in bed. Rubbing his eyes and reluctantly rising from his warm cocoon, he rose to grab a pair of sweats nearby that had been haphazardly thrown down on the floor last night when Brian declared they needed one more mind-blowing round of fucking as "happy-go-lucky queers," in his words, before Justin succeeding in attaching "the matrimonial ball and chain to his leg." Typical romantic bullshit from the man I love, Justin snickered silently before walking over to the windows and pushing the sheer material aside a little to determine what the cause of the noise had been.
His heart leapt in anticipation and he smiled as he realized it was a truck that had arrived to deliver the wooden laminate segments that would be used to construct a portable dance floor for their reception this afternoon after the wedding was over; several men were unloading the cumbersome pieces, one by one, and rolling them onto a wheeled flatbed dolly for transport to the rather remote location on site.
After scoping out all possible locations at Britin for their festivities, Emmett had persuaded him and Brian to hold an outdoor wedding under the grove of centuries-old maple trees that ringed the beautiful lake running along the rear of their property. At first, Brian had needed a little bit of Justin's own special form of "persuasion" to be convinced of the appeal of such an idea, but he had actually quit bitching about it once he knew how much Justin had his heart set on it. Yeah, the grassy, flat area near the water was over-the-top dreamy, yeah, it was hopelessly quaint and picturesque, and yeah, it was totally, unequivocally romantic, but the sunny, outdoor location of the green meadow with the water backdrop was just perfect in Justin's eyes and to Brian that was all that ultimately mattered.
Justin smiled; it really was happening. Today, he and Brian would finally be married. Today, all of their family and dearest friends would be here to celebrate their union. And perhaps most amazingly of all, Brian's father and grandparents would be here as well. He was so glad that Brian had finally relented and agreed to let them attend. He had promised himself at the outset when he had first discovered his partner's adoption that he would abide by Brian's wishes in the matter of how involved to become with his newly-found-family, but deep down he had always hoped that Brian would open his heart just a little wider, just enough to let these virtual strangers in. Now it seemed his most fervent wish for the man he loved was about to happen, and he couldn't wait. Brian would finally have a family that actually loved and cared about him - at least, in addition to him and Gus, of course.
He turned to smile at the subject of his ruminations, who had burrowed even deeper under the down comforter now that he instinctively knew that Justin wasn't lying next to him. Neither of them had to be awake to realize the other wasn't in their bed; somehow they just knew. Normally he would have loved nothing better than to sneak back under the covers and lie in Brian's strong, lean arms once more to wait until he woke up and they could make sweet, gentle love in their bed - he was curiously in the mood for that sort of thing this morning rather than a hard, fast, fuck - or even better, he wouldn't have minded performing a little undercover work of his own to wake Brian up right away. But today was different – there was so much to do, and he knew soon enough, Emmett would be arriving with the rest of the circus to get the Kinney-Taylor nuptials started. It just wouldn't do for the two grooms to hide in their bedroom until the ceremony; today, they needed to be front and center of all the excitement. He wanted to be front and center - he didn't want to miss one, single second of anything today...
As he looked down at Brian, so apparently peaceful and worry-free in his slumber, he debated whether to wake his fiancé up. But today, he wanted to experience every moment with his partner by his side. Walking over softly to Brian's side of the bed, he slowly sat down near him and reached over to lightly brush some hair back from the other man's eyes. His fingers trailed down the brunet's cheek and then languidly brushed over the full lower lip that was so talented and familiar to him. He marveled at how even now just the touch, smell, and sight of this man took his breath away. His heart began to beat just a little faster as he watched his lover's hazel eyes slowly flutter open. There was a momentary moment of disorientation before Brian's eyes focused on the beautiful sight peering down at him and he smiled slightly. "What time is it?" he asked sleepily. "And what are you doing out of bed without me, Twat?"
Justin smirked. "You've forgotten what day it is already, Mr. Kinney? I knew I should have withheld sex from you last night – you're already taking me for granted." His fingers left the warm lips and slowly pushed the thick comforter away to reveal the tantalizing, sexy upper body of his partner. As he stopped briefly to indulge in a little body worship with his eyes - wondering once more how he had managed to firmly lasso this magnificent man's heart - he couldn't help continuing his sensuous trek down the middle of Brian's chest with his fingers before his hand settled, palm down, on the brunet's taut stomach. He watched, entranced, as Brian's muscles rippled at his touch and he reveled in the power he held over this man. His heart did a flip-flop as Brian smiled back lazily at him, the love shining unbridled and unmasked by any sense of pretension in his almost chocolate-colored, gold-flecked eyes.
Brian reached his hand up to cup Justin's cheek. "I didn't forget, Sunshine," he confided softly. He couldn't help reaching his hand around Justin's neck to pull the blond down for a deep, penetrating kiss that spoke volumes about the intensity of his feelings and the lack of doubt about marrying this incredible man. "It's the first day of the rest of our lives," he said melodramatically, as they finally broke their kiss and Brian smirked at him, tongue in cheek, "God help us."
Justin smacked his chest as he grinned back at him. "Well, the Ball and Chain, as you so affectionately call me, needs your help this morning, so get that hot ass out of bed and in the shower."
Brian groaned; he was afraid of this. Not only had he agreed to marry Justin in a weak moment – at least he was trying to convince himself of that - but now he would be subjected to a myriad of poking, prodding, and questioning all day long by Emmett, the tailors, and guests, not to mention a round of drilling and grilling by Debbie. "Couldn't I just wait up here until it's time for the ceremony?" he asked hopefully, running his hand up Justin's arm as the blond shivered in response. "I'm sure you can handle everything just fine without me. Just whistle when it's time to get married and don't worry, I'll come running to your side, just like Trigger."
Justin snorted as he grabbed Brian's wandering hand and squeezed it before firmly placing it down on the mattress. "No way, fucker, you get that ass out of bed now. I'm not enduring a game of 64,000 questions with Emmett and risk you being unhappy about what happens afterward. You're going to suffer right along with me."
Brian sighed, trying to pull the comforter back over his head, but Justin was too fast for him. Laughing, he tugged the cover away from the older man's face and promptly threw the entire piece of bedding on the floor, exposing Brian's glorious, but shivering body as he quickly feasted on the tantalizing sight. "Up," he said to Brian, smirking when he noticed that the man was already UP. "Nice try, Kinney," he said a little breathlessly. "But it's not going to work this morning." Brian merely sat there flopped down on the bed like a boneless chicken, lips curled under and staring at him intently in that way that always got him anything until Justin finally knew he was licked. "All right," he acquiesced finally, rolling his eyes. "We'll both take a shower – but NO fucking. Just a shower, got it?"
"Cross my ball," Brian promised, twisting his mouth in amusement. You're so fucking easy, Taylor. Rising triumphantly from bed now, he sauntered over to the adjacent bathroom door and turned to wait for his partner, knowing full well that Justin's self-discipline was quickly wilting as he stood there, facing him, in all his glory. "Well, come on, Sunshine – we haven't got all day!" he chided the man. Justin shook his head as he smiled and walked over to his lover. Pausing for several seconds for kiss #2, a few minutes later they were both nude and walking into the glass-enclosed shower together.
Of course, a shower AND a thorough fuck later, they were finally dressed in jeans and casual, long-sleeve t-shirts and ready for breakfast. It would be several hours before they would need to get dressed in their wedding attire. It wouldn't be as glamorous or elegant as the first time they had planned to be wed due to the less formal, outdoor setting this time on the grounds of Britin, but rather, the outfits, while still Armani, would be more casual in nature.
"Well, if it isn't the groom and groom!" Emmett shrieked in glee as the two men walked down the polished wooden spiral staircase and came to stop at the first-floor landing. "I was just about to have the cavalry run up and get you," he declared, as Gus abruptly appeared from behind him and shot down the hallway at them like a cannon.
"Daddy! Jus'n!" he screamed in excitement. "I get to be all dressed up today and ride a horse!" he shouted, raising his arms up as Brian swooped him up into his embrace.
"You sure do, Sonny Boy," he confirmed, smiling at his son as Justin grinned back at the tender portrait of the two. "But you're going to ride in a carriage, not on the horse, remember?" he pointed out. Emmett had arranged for the wedding party to ride from the back of the house to the wedding ceremony in a black, antique carriage powered by a team of six, black stallions. Brian had to bite his tongue to keep his sarcastic feelings spoken aloud regarding the lesbionic connotations of such an idea, but one look at how Justin and his son's eyes had lit up at the suggestion and he couldn't object.
"Yeah!" Gus cried out, his eyes shining in excitement. "I can't wait, Daddy!" he declared, beaming. "Are Grandpa and Grandma riding with us, too?"
Brian nodded his head, glad that his son had taken so quickly to his maternal grandparents; he had found to his own surprise that he was beginning to feel that way as well. "They sure are, along with Grandma Debbie and Grandma Jennifer." He was silent for a few seconds before he looked at Justin and told his son quietly, "And your Grandpa Fin and his friend will be there, too, Gus. Do you remember them?"
Gus frowned slightly as he gave that some thought. "I think so," he said, biting his lip pensively. His attention quickly drawn by a commotion out back, he squirmed in his father's arms. "Put me down, Daddy," he commanded. "I want to go outside."
Brian smiled and complied by gently placing his son back down on the ground; the little boy promptly took off like a rocket back down the hall as they heard Lindsey cautioning him from the kitchen to slow down while she hurried to catch up with him.
"Well, I'd say somebody's definitely all better now," Justin chuckled, smiling at the little boy's energy.
Brian nodded as he watched, amused, while Gus tugged on his mother's hand and urged her toward the rear French doors. "Make sure he doesn't go out there by himself," Brian reminded her. "Hell knows what's going on out there right now." As their wedding had approached, each day had brought a continuum of activity that had increased exponentially; right now, he could hear construction noises and a multitude of voices coming from all sides of the house, inside as well as outside, as a virtual army began the preparations for their ceremony and reception later today.
"Oh, please – you think you have to remind me of that?" she chided Brian. "He IS your son, after all," she teased him as mother and son promptly disappeared out the back so Gus could play wedding detective.
"Emmett?" The two men turned around as they heard an attractive, dark-haired man calling for their friend who was standing close by, gripping a clipboard to keep track of the day's activities; the stranger was wearing a badge that said All-Ready Party Rentals on his chest. "The chairs are here; we need to know where to set up them for the ceremony," he said.
Before he could open his mouth to respond, another voice was vying for his attention as well. "Mr. Honeycutt?" a man, of average height but slender and toned with light brown hair and green eyes, appeared from the back of the house with a large vase of long-stemmed sunflowers. "Where do you want these to go?" he inquired, risking a quick glance of approval at Emmett's tall, lean frame before he quickly looked away for fear of being caught.
Emmett sighed. "Excuse me, boys, before either I blow up or your wedding does," he said melodramatically. "Come with me, gentlemen," he told the two boys, stealing a look of mischief over his shoulder and smiling; an expression that told both Brian and Justin that Emmett was going to "blow" alright, but later after the ceremony was over.
Brian shook his head, amused at their friend's nelly-queen antics. "He's certainly in HIS element today," he observed, looking at his fiancé. He noticed Justin had an odd look on his face, sort of a cross between a soft smile and a pensive, analytical look. "What?" he said, raising one eyebrow.
"Nothing," Justin said quickly.
Brian, however, knew that look; it said I have something on my mind, but I don't especially want you to know. "Justin…"
Justin shook his head, knowing he never WAS adept at hiding his feelings from this man. He smiled at his fiancé. "I'm just happy that you're allowing Fin and Tony to come to the wedding today, that's all," he said lamely but Brian wasn't quite convinced.
"But?"
"I really do want them here, Brian, really," he assured his fiancé.
Brian stared into the intense, baby-blue, all-of-a-sudden fretful eyes of his lover as he placed his hands on Justin's shoulders and turned him to face him. "Then what, Justin?" Yes, this was both their wedding day, Brian ackowledged, but most of all, he wanted nothing to go wrong for his partner; Brian sincerely wanted to go through with this today - he thinks in a way, he always had, even the first time - but above all else, he knew this ceremony meant the most to Justin. And if something was bothering him about it, he was going to see that it was corrected, no matter WHAT it was, even if it involved barring his father from coming to their wedding. "Justin?"
Justin gazed into Brian's eyes for a few seconds before nodding slightly and taking a breath. "You know with your father, there's always a lot of press hounding him wherever he goes, especially now that's he declared he's running for Governor. I know Fin and Tony said they take precautions to ensure that it doesn't happen, but what if they follow him here somehow anyway and manage to ruin our wedding?" He averted his gaze, embarrassed. All along it had been his most fervent wish that Brian's father and grandparents show up for their wedding, and now he was second-guessing that decision. Was it selfish of him to worry about quite possibly the happiest day of his life being disrupted by their attendance? His wish to make Brian happy and his hope for their wedding day going smoothly warred with him as he bit his lip in indecision.
Brian sighed softly; he had thought of that possibility, too. He just hadn't mentioned it to Justin because he didn't want him to worry, and he knew how much it meant for his partner that Fin and Tony attend. He placed his hand on Justin's chin and forced him to look up at him. "Justin, you just say the word and I'll call my father right now and tell him not to come."
"No!" Justin replied, aghast at the idea of that happening. "No, Brian…..I WANT them here." He added, his voice barely above a whisper, "I just want our ceremony to be something that's unforgettable."
Brian smiled tenderly. "Oh, I think it'll be something unforgettable, no matter what," he submitted dryly.
Justin grinned in spite of his concerns. "That's what I'm afraid of," he admitted. "You know what I mean. It's been a long road for us to get here today. I don't want anything to spoil it, I guess. Is that selfish?"
Brian shook his head firmly, his hand caressing Justin's soft, pale cheek as he responded softly, "No, of course not, Sunshine. I would say that's quite understandable, actually. The question is, though…what are we going to do about it to make sure you don't have to worry? That's supposed to be Honeycutt's job today, not yours. Fuck knows we're paying the guy enough for it." As if on cue, the doorbell rang once more, signaling yet another visitor's arrival. Brian looked at his partner apologetically, and started to go answer the door, but stopped when he heard it already being opened by someone else.
Justin was at a loss as to how to resolve their dilemma as he shook his head. Their solitude was interrupted by Debbie walking back into the hallway from the front of the house, where she and Melanie had been sitting in the parlor, enjoying a brief period of respite before the festivities later as they enjoyed their morning coffee. A muscular, rather stern-looking man who appeared to be in his mid-30's and wearing a crisply-pressed, dark-colored suit with a silver triangle-shaped handkerchief in his pocket followed closely behind her as she walked up to them. "This man needs to speak with you two, Sunshine," she advised, not even blinking an eye as she used her long-standing endearment for the blond, who blushed slightly at the moniker. After all, it was a little hard to explain to strangers, especially, how a grown man continued to be known by such a cutesy nickname, but he knew by now that he would never be able to completely escape from it.
"I'm Justin Taylor," he told the visitor. "And this is Brian Kinney, my fiancé. Are you looking for our wedding planner? He's out back somewhere."
The man shook his head politely as he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a black, leather billfold. He flipped the two sides of the wallet open to reveal a silver-colored badge and a laminated I.D. card. "Actually, I was looking for you, Mr. Kinney," he revealed, looking at Brian. "I wanted to introduce myself. My name's Brad Weston; I'm the owner of Ever-Vigilant Security. My company's services have been engaged by Senator O'Connor to watch over your grounds during your wedding today. I'll have men covering the entire perimeter of your estate, along with the front and back entrances, to ensure no one shows up uninvited. All of my men have proper identification with them at all times and can be recognized by the same silver handkerchief I have in my suit pocket if you need assistance for anything. I just wanted to let you know I've been personally assigned to watch over the area where your ceremony and reception are to take place; I could use someone to point the area out to me, though, if you could spare someone to do that," he inquired professionally.
Justin stood there in awe, overwhelmed by Fin's answer to their prayers. He suddenly felt like a giant weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. Even though he knew that didn't guarantee complete anonymity or total privacy today, at least he could be assured that no one who wasn't invited to their wedding would crash their festivities. He smiled over at Brian in immense relief as the brunet nodded back at him and smiled in return.
Brian shook the other man's hand. "We' re grateful for your assistance today, Mr. Weston." He looked around the main floor of their house, trying to locate someone to help him. He wanted to spend as much time with Justin today as he could for their special day. Thankfully spotting Michael down the hall, coming out of the kitchen, he waved his friend over. "Michael, I have a favor to ask you," he began. "I need you to take Mr. Weston here back to the area where we're having the ceremony and reception so he can check it out. He's been hired as security today. Could you take care of that for us?"
Michael smiled at his friend. "Well, duh, Brian…..best man, remember?" he teased. He looked over at the other man and said, "Sure can…..come with me and I'll show you where it is."
Brian grinned at his friend. "Thanks, Mikey," he said sincerely, grateful that his best friend was here to help and be part of such an important event in his life. They had long ago patched up their differences; in fact, at the moment, he almost found it hard to believe that he was about to engage in an activity - getting married, for fuck's sake - that he would have thought impossible not so long ago, that Michael would have thought impossible, too. Despite Michael's belief before that he and Brian had been slowly drifting apart due to their priorities shifting so radically asunder, he and his best friend were about to share yet another thing in common - being married to the men they loved.
"Thanks, Michael," Justin echoed as the other man nodded and left with the head of the security detail. As the two men found themselves alone once more - at least for the moment - Brian took his fiancé in his arms and folded him into a deep embrace, placing his chin on top of the soft, blond head. "I can't believe my father did that," he told Justin softly.
Justin smiled into Brian's chest. "Neither can I," he admitted. "But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't relieved." He could feel the older man's head move as he nodded in agreement before Brian released him from his grasp. Looking down into his eyes, the brunet said, "Think we should go see what sort of trouble my son's getting into out back before we scrounge up some breakfast?"
Justin grinned. "That would probably be wise. Em's really good at handling crises, but when it comes to a 6-year-old boy? I'm not sure even he's up to that challenge."
Brian held out his hand to Justin as, hand in hand, they walked down the hallway toward the kitchen to go find the youngest member of their wedding party.
Same Time – Harrisburg - Fin's Residence
"Good. Yeah, that's what I wanted to hear. Let me know if you need anything else and I'll see that you get it. We should be there sometime later this afternoon."
Still wet from his shower and clad only in a dark-blue towel wrapped around his waist, Tony walked up to his partner from behind and wrapped his arms around the lean torso, trying to ascertain from the one-way conversation who Fin was speaking with. He knew the senator had cleared everything from his schedule today so he could devote all day to his son's wedding. It sounded, though, like he was going to be meeting someone at the event later.
As Fin hung up his cell phone, he turned in his partner's embrace to smile at the sight in front of him. Tony always looked sexy as hell to him, but dressed at the moment in only a low-slung, thick terry towel and coming from the shower in his still wet-and-fuckable look always made him look even more irresistible.
"Don't tell me," Tony said, rubbing his hands up and down Fin's back. "Your other boyfriend is a high-falutin' waiter and you're already making plans for some secret fucking rendezvous with him at your son's wedding, aren't you?"
Fin smiled down at him as he placed a quick kiss on Tony's nose. "I always said you were an excellent attorney due to your bloodhound capabilities," he teased his partner. "I knew I should have called the guy while you were still in the shower." He leaned down and nipped at the blond's ear as he whispered, "Maybe you'd be up for three-way later. I've been told his balls are realy spicy."
"Nah," Tony replied. "You know how chili always makes my stomach growl." As Fin stared down at him in bewilderment, Tony grinned. "Never mind…..bad joke. I can tell you're too wired up right now to follow my weird sense of humor." He somewhat reluctantly broke from their embrace to look for his brush on the nearby dresser. Picking it up to run the instrument through his thick, damp hair, he asked, "So who were you talking to, Senator? I thought you promised me you wouldn't mix business with pleasure today."
"I did," Fin assured him as he walked over to the closet to retrieve a dress shirt and put it on; the gray blue tint of the shirt flattered his eye color exquisitely and was a dramatic contrast to the charcoal-colored linen pants he wore. "That was Brad Weston with Ever-Vigilant Security, letting me know he and his men were in place."
Tony stopped brushing his hair to look at Fin in the mirror's reflection. "In place? In place where?"
Fin buttoned up one sleeve before glancing up into Tony's reflection and saying, "At Britin. I didn't want anything to ruin Brian and Justin's wedding ceremony today, and you know how persistent the press can be."
Tony placed the brush down and turned to face his partner. "You arranged for Brad's company to handle security for the wedding? Did Brian know that?"
"No," Fin admitted as he reached into the closet to retrieve a dark maroon silk shirt that belonged to his partner. "I didn't tell him. Actually, it just occurred to me yesterday after we left the rehearsal dinner. I got to thinking how much rigmarole you and I always have to go through to avoid the press and I figured today would be no exception. So I called Brad up yesterday while I was in my office and asked him to personally handle Brian and Justin's wedding. I don't want some uninvited, party-crashing member of the press interfering with my son's ceremony. I think that's the least I owe him."
Fin walked up to Tony with the shirt the blond would be wearing and asked, "You don't think he's going to be pissed about that, do you? I thought it would be a good idea. You know I've used Brad several times before and he's very discrete. I told him to let Brian know who he was and what he and his men were doing there, but he's very good at just melting into the background unless he's really needed. You don't think Brian or Justin will mind, do you?" Fin hadn't really considered that possibility, but now that he and his son were finally on more receptive terms, the last thing he wanted to do was annoy or upset his son.
Tony twisted his mouth tenderly as he turned around and held out one arm to permit Fin to slide the shirt onto him. "No, I don't think so," he reassured him. "I actually think he'll be grateful for it. If he had any inkling of how annoying and persistent the press can be when they smell a story, he'd be willing to take any help he could get." He held out his other arm and turned around as Fin completed helping him put his shirt on before he twisted around to face his partner.
As Fin reached over and began buttoning up his partner's shirt, Tony smiled at the man. Fin somehow over the years had developed the habit of helping him get dressed in the mornings, even though he was more than capable of accomplishing that feat himself. His partner had done it so many times before, he could probably button up his shirt blindfolded. It was just one of his partner's quirks that he had grown to tolerate and even love over the years. "I think that was one of the most thoughtful things you've ever done, Senator," Tony whispered tenderly.
Fin rolled his lips under playfully. "How thoughtful?" he asked innocently, but his twinkling eyes gave him away.
Tony grinned. "Oh, I'd say pretty thoughtful. As in you-deserve-a-big-kiss thoughtful. But not quite thoughtful enough to make us both get undressed and you fuck me senseless. At least not until later," he promised before Fin could mockingly protest.
"Can't we come to some sort of plea bargain, Counselor?"
Tony grinned. "What did you have in mind, Senator? If you get too impertinent with me, I'll just have to deny you bail for the rest of your life."
"And that's bad?" Fin asked, a serious look on his face as if he really didn't know; Tony wasn't the only one that could play the poker face when need be.
"Not as long as we're locked up together," Tony said, just before he reached up to pull his partner's head down for a deep kiss.
Two Hours Before the Ceremony – Britin
"Justin?" Jennifer called out to her son from the second floor landing; she had found Brian outside on the back patio – apparently merely trying to stay out of the way of all the hubbub currently taking place – and he had advised her that her son had went into the house to retrieve something a little earlier, but he didn't know where he had gone. She had already checked the kitchen and parlor downstairs – his two favorite rooms on the first floor – as well as his studio in the attic but had bypassed his bedroom for some reason on her way up. This seemed the last, reasonable spot where she might find him as she called his name out again.
"Mom?" she heard him say. "I'm in the bedroom," he verified to her as she walked down the hallway toward the end room that held the master bedroom.
As she appeared in the doorway, she observed her only son, looking so grown up and classically dressed in his casually-elegant, Armani suit. The one-button, deep navy jacket with matching tux pants and open-necked, gray and silver-pinstriped shirt reflected the silver flecks in Justin's eyes perfectly. As Justin looked up from his place on the bed and smiled at her, she noticed it wasn't the most radiant of his smiles but it was sincere. At that moment, she thought her son had never looked more handsome than he did right now. "Hi, Mom," he said warmly.
"Hey, Honey," she replied, walking over to sit down next to her son on the large, king-sized bed and leaning over to give her son a quick hug. "You look so handsome," she told him, smiling proudly as her eyes filled with sentimental tears as her son gazed back at her. When did her son grow up to be such a stunning, beautiful man? Of course, he had always been beautiful on the inside as well as the outside; she just couldn't believe how quickly he had grown up into an adult, seemingly right before her eyes.
"Thanks, Mom," Justin responded a little bashfully, reaching over to squeeze her hand and trying hard to appear carefree. He was so happy now that he was finally about to marry the man he had loved for so long and wanted to spend the rest of his life with; so why all of a sudden was he feeling empty inside for some reason? Did he dare acknowledge to himself the reason why?
"Justin?" he heard his mother say; glancing back over to her face, which was full of concern as well as puzzlement, he silently shook his head in an attempt to assure her that everything was all right. "You look a little upset, Sweetheart; what is it?"
"I'm fine, Mom," he tried to placate her. It was silly, really, and not even worth his time…..
"Justin," she said, more sternly this time. "Tell me." The tone in her voice, clearly interpreted as an I'm your mother – don't bullshit me message, left no room for compromise. He never had been able to withhold information for long from his mother, even when he first admitted to her that he was gay.
He sighed, sobering. "I know it's ridiculous, Mom. But I guess with Brian's father coming to the wedding today, it just kind of hit me while I was getting dressed. If things had turned out differently….."
"Your father would have been here today, too," she answered for him.
Justin took a deep breath before exhaling it and silently nodding, not able suddenly to answer due to the large lump that had formed in his throat. Why was he letting this bother him? His father was an uncaring, homophobic asshole; quite the opposite of Fin, actually. Was that why it was bothering him so much? It wasn't as if he didn't know what his father was like – after all, he'd had several years now to get used to the idea of him no longer being in his life. And he had Brian and Gus as his family now, along with his mother and Molly. So why did it make him upset that his uncaring father wasn't here?
"I know, Honey," his mom said sadly. "I wish things had been different, too. Your father is the one who will regret what he's doing for the rest of his life, though; you have nothing to be ashamed of or feel bad about! You know that, right?" She glanced down at their clasped hands, noticing how identical their skin tones were. She couldn't help noticing the irony, however; her left hand holding her son's was now bare of any adornment, her decision to finally take off her wedding ring having been made just recently, while her son's left hand, resting on his hip, was about to be fitted with a new token of Brian's love for him.
"What are you thinking, Mom?" she heard her son ask as she lifted her gaze to stare into the blue eyes that were so like her own.
She smiled tenderly at him. "I was just thinking how weird life is sometimes," she admitted. "Here I'm just getting used to living the rest of my life without having your father's wedding ring on my hand when you're about to get a new one from Brian." She gave her son's hand another short squeeze as she added, "I know your bond with Brian will be a lot stronger than mine was with your father, though, and maybe for the first time, I'm actually happy with my life. That's what you need to keep in mind, too, Honey, what you're gaining; not what you're missing. You have so many friends and family that love, respect and admire you for who you are and not what they think you should be. That's what you need to remember today, okay?"
Justin let out a cleansing breath. His mother was absolutely right; he had so much to be happy and thankful for; that was what he needed to focus on today, not the could have beens. "Okay," he agreed, smiling back at his mother gratefully.
She nodded, satisfied that her son was going to be just fine, before she rose to leave. "I'm sure you and Brian need some time alone to get ready for the wedding," she said. "I saw him out on the back patio a while ago; I think he was just trying not to get run over before the ceremony starts later."
Justin grinned. "I'm sure you're right," he agreed. "For somebody's who so good at creating extravaganzas for Kinnetik, he's not too fond of all the hoopla going on with the wedding today. If it had been up to Brian, I think he would have been just as content with going to a Justice of the Peace instead."
Jennifer nodded, grinning. "But then he wouldn't have lived that one down for a while, would he?"
"You know," Justin said, as he stood to join her. "I really wouldn't have cared – honestly. I just wanted to marry him – any way he preferred. But Debbie – now that woman would have made his life a living hell if we'd gotten married that way," he joked, chuckling, before he sobered somewhat. "And since I found out about Brian's father, and he wound up being able to attend today, I'm glad we didn't get married that way after all."
She nodded her understanding before turning to go. "Oh, I almost forgot," she told her son, before reaching in her blazer pocket to pull out a small, white, square-shaped box. "I know it's much too sentimental for Brian's taste, I'm sure," she said somewhat apologetically with a soft smile, "but I thought you might consider wearing these today at your ceremony. Do gay weddings follow that 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' tradition, anyway? I think this could qualify under both blue and old."
Justin laughed. "I don't know, Mom, this is my first gay wedding, remember?" he teased. "I've never heard that question asked before. But I think it's a nice tradition, for what it's worth."
She nodded as she handed him the box. Opening it up, he found a pair of silver-colored cufflinks with a square, sapphire-colored stone in each; the classic, clean lines were tasteful and elegant but not overly gaudy. He looked up at his mother, puzzled.
"They belonged to your grandfather Cravens, my father," she told him. "You were born the month after he died," she told him. "I always was so sorry that he didn't get to meet you – you would have been his first grandchild and he was planning on spoiling you rotten." Her voice softened as she added, "He died of cancer in the Hospice right after I found out from my test that I was going to have a son. He made me promise to keep these for the day you got married. He hoped that you might consider wearing them." She noticed that the gray color of his suit couldn't have been more custom made to offset the sparkling, light-blue color of the jewelry, if her son was interested in commemorating his grandfather in that way. The ultimate decision, however, would be up to him.
Justin's eyes welled with tears for so many things that could have been but weren't; still, he was such a lucky man – for having found Brian, who loved him unequivocally for who he was, and for this woman who had supported and loved him, also, throughout life's ups and down, and accepted him for the man he had become, not the man his father had wanted him to be. "Thank you," he whispered to her as he reached over to take her slender shoulders in his hands and gently kiss her on the cheek. "I'd be honored to wear them."
She smiled in delight at his decision as she reached over and took one of the cufflinks to help attach it to his shirt; after the second one was placed on the sleeve, she stood back a few feet to admire the way the cufflinks perfectly matched her son's eyes and highlighted the light-gray pin-striping of the shirt. It was almost as if they had been made for this day; maybe in a way, they had been. "You look beautiful, Honey," she couldn't help commenting, not caring whether it made her sound like a silly, sentimental mother or not. It was the truth; as Justin beamed back at her now, she had never seen him look happier.
"Mom," Justin gently protested, blushing at the sappy comment. He really didn't mind, though – in his new attire and his grandfather's antique cufflinks, he did feel special. Brian made him feel special. And now they were going to finally be married, and damn it, they were going to be happy, regardless of his father. He didn't need the man after all.
"I love you, Mom," he whispered, his heart bursting with love for this woman who stood staring back at him with tears of pride and happiness in her eyes.
"I love you too, Justin," she replied, nodding with a smile before turning to head back down the hallway.
Justin turned to study himself quietly in the mirror, watching the sapphire cufflinks gleaming under the overhead light. He took a few seconds to straighten his suit jacket, satisfied that everything was in place, before, with a smile, he left to go track down the man he was about to spend the rest of his life with.
Harrisburg - Two Hours before the Wedding
Fin glanced up and whistled as Tony entered the living room downstairs; even now, after a decade together, the man took his breath away. "Tony….."
The blond grinned at his lover's reaction, feeling the warmth creeping through his body at the almost ravaging ogle. "You like it?" he asked coyly, knowing full well by the man's admiring stare he most definitely approved. Tony was wearing the maroon red satin dress shirt, the top two buttons opened just enough to expose a tantalizing peek of the pale, smooth skin; a delicate, silver chain hung from his neck, emphasizing the muscled chest underneath. His outfit was completed with a dark gray pair of linen pants and a suit jacket that was one shade lighter than the pants and made his sea-blue eyes even more captivating.
Tony smirked at his partner, evoking a rolling of the eyes from Fin. "We'd better get going right away," Fin told the other man.
"Okay," Tony agreed, as he walked over to the nearby coffee table to scoop up his cell phone and their car keys. "But there's no need to hurry – we should still get there with at least 30 minutes to spare."
"I realize that," Fin told him, as he reached over to try and grab Tony's hand to start pulling him toward the door. "But if we don't leave now, I won't be responsible for us being delayed."
"Delayed? Why?" Tony asked innocently, his eyes twinkling as he deliberately walked away from his partner long enough to walk into the kitchen and open the refrigerator. He leaned over to reach the crisper drawer below where they always stored their bottled water; he made sure that his ass was facing the other man as he ever-so-slowly leaned over to retrieve a couple of plastic bottles." You cock tease," he heard Fin say from right behind him, as he felt the other man's hands snake around his waist and abruptly pull him back up. "Are you happy to see me, Senator, or is that a wad of hanging chads in your pocket?"
Tony let out a small squeak as Fin somewhat roughly twisted him around and pulled him back upright to face him. "You are SO fucked," Tony laughed in triumph.
Fin shook his head in exasperation. "No, Counselor, that's the problem – I'm not. But if we don't leave now, you will be." As Fin twisted his mouth in resignation, he couldn't help pulling the other man flush against his own body before kissing him soundly for several seconds.
Coming up for air eventually, face flushed and lips thoroughly bruised and swollen by the other man's ardor, Tony asked somewhat breathlessly in a mock daze, "Where were we going again?"
"Come on," Fin growled, before he changed his mind and he promptly tore the man's meticulous-affixed clothing off and fucked him senseless right on the kitchen table, although it wouldn't be the first – or the last – time. "Move it, Counselor."
Tony grinned, as Fin grasped his upper arms from behind and pushed him toward the garage door from behind.
"Okay, but I get to drive," Tony told him, as they neared the SUV.
Fin snorted. "Don't you always?" he asked.
"You mean inside or outside the house?" Tony quipped as Fin glared at him. As the blond opened the driver's door, he looked behind the seat. "So who am I today? Austin Powers? Robin Hood? Superman?" Where's my disguise?" he asked Fin as the Senator opened the passenger door and got in, shutting the door.
"There is none today," Fin told him mysteriously.
Tony frowned. "No disguise? No fake beard or wig? No dorky hat? Why?"
"Because I'm tired of hiding, Tony. We shouldn't HAVE to hide. What's wrong with who we are? Or do you miss the itchy caps and tight-fitting wig heads? You never did get to dress up as Cher, though, come to think of it – although as much as I hate to say it, with your height you'd be better off pretending to be Sony Bono. Of course, he's also dead right now, so that might give it away…."
"Fin…..back up," Tony insisted, not sure if he had just heard what he had thought he heard. "Did you just say you wanted to nix the disguises?"
Fin smiled over at his puzzled partner as he reached over to take the blond's hand to squeeze it briefly before dropping it. "That's exactly what I said, partner. I'm tired of running. I want us to be US for a change, don't you?"
Tony placed his hands on the wheel, digesting this astounding information as he turned to gaze into Fin's steel-gray eyes. "You really have to ask that? That's what I've been saying all along! Of course that's what I want, what I've always wanted. But, Fin, what about your son? If we just drive out of here like any other resident, we'll be tailed all the way to West Virginia, and straight to his driveway. You can't afford to have security watching his place 24/7, and besides, as soon as your son leaves for work in the morning – at least after he gets back from his honeymoon – they'll hound him until they find out just what his connection to you is."
He sighed, agitated at the irony of just when Fin decided to be upfront about their relationship and come out from under their disguises – literally – he picks the one time when Tony would see a need to keep doing it. He couldn't believe his ears when he heard himself saying, "I say we wait until after the wedding, and then do it. The last thing I want – and you, too, I'm sure – is to ruin Brian and Justin's wedding." He shook his head, finding it hard to believe but knowing it had to be done. "So, Senator, which disguise will it be today? Private eye? Doctor? If you want to be a professor, I could scrounge up a white sailor's hat to go with my maroon shirt and could go as Gilligan."
Fin had to laugh at that last comment. "Wrong hair color," he commented, grinning at his goofy partner. "You're wasted, you know that?" he said affectionately; his heart threatened to burst at that moment for this man who always amazed him with his perception and thoughtfulness, as well as his willingness to do whatever was needed to watch over his partner. "I'm sorry, Tony," he whispered, his eyes soft as he gazed at the man he loved. "I really did want to get rid of these fucking disguises."
"I know," Tony said, reaching over to lightly caress his partner's cheek. "And I love you for that. But we'll have to deal with tacky sideburns and itchy heads for at least one more day, for your son and Justin."
Fin nodded as he twisted his lips affectionately at the other man. "Okay…I'll go get the Secret Service Agent costumes out of the mud room closet. Be right back," he told Tony, as he opened the door to get out. Before he walked away, he winked at his partner to advise him, "But I still think you might have made a kick-ass Cher."
TBC - Next Chapter: Wedding and Reception!