Charlie's POV
"You're doing what?" Philip Banks dropped his fork in shock.
"We're getting married." Adam said less assertively then he had the first time.
"Alright Adam, I was supportive when you said you were gay, I was there for you when you Charlie were going through tough times, I defended him when he got he got arrested because you asked me to. I even held in my two sense when I heard you were getting back together and stifled myself when I learned you were moving in together, but I will not bite my tongue this time."
"Now Philip please don't make a scene." Mrs. Banks whispered fiercely.
"I'm not making a scene dear, I'm merely making my point."
"I think it's great, I would love to have Adam as a member of my family. I think you two will be very happy." My mom spoke up taking a bite of her cheesecake.
"I won't allow it." Philip glowered.
"With all due respect Mr. Banks, you really don't have a choice. Adam and I are adults, we don't need your consent." I declared squeezing my fiancé's hand under the table.
"Stay out of this Charles, this is between my son and I. Adam has a bright future ahead of him and I will not let him throw it away on an alcoholic, control freak with authority issues. A person that only sees fit to treat him like an actual human being when he needs attention."
When Banks pushed back from the table, his blue eyes wreathed in fire and jaw squared angrily, the whole restaurant seemed to hush.
"You have no right to talk to him like that! I love Charlie and lord knows he's not perfect, but neither am I. I've forgiven him for everything that he's put me through, repeat put me through not you, so it's time that you get over it too. We're not asking for your permission dad, we're asking for your support."
"You're not going to get it."
"Well, then don't expect an invitation. Come on Charlie." Adam grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the restaurant.
The needle on his speedometer climbed steadily higher as he floored the gas. The small Porsche careened down the street and braced myself with my feet. I looked over at Banks, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering while. He looked almost scary, scary isn't a word that can be usually used to describe him but that day, he was. I was practically in fear for my life.
"Uh baby, could you slow down? I can't die tonight, the Wild have a game tomorrow and I got tickets!" I yelled over the sound of the engine.
"Come on Charlie, if I wrap this car around a tree, we can spend the rest of eternity together and no one can say anything about it, right?" Adam retorted as he punched the peddle harder.
"Sure, but see we're together now. And we're alive, that's a plus. I'm not going any where, no matter what your father says, so why don't you slow down, baby please?" I reached over and placed one of my hands on his, and immediately I felt the accelerator drop.
At home he went straight into our room, turned off all the lights and shut the door. He'd always been the sensitive one, but just how sensitive I don't think a lot of people understand. His entire life he'd been desperately seeking his father's approval and for his Dad to tear down the one thing that meant so much to him, gutted him. The fact that I was mostly responsible gutted me. I wondered what would've happened if I hadn't gotten the nerve to pop the question that night.
With a guilty sigh I made my way into the kitchen in search of where we'd put the herbal tea. I know that sounds really queer, but Adam drinks it when he's stressed out. I found the box in he back of the cabinet behind the pork rinds, guess who picked those out. Once the tea done I turned the stove off and ran to the bakery across the street for a cranberry scone. When everything was arranged on a tray I carried into the bedroom.
I turned the light on and squinted at the brightness. Banksie's tears were stifled by his pillows and he didn't even move as I approached.
"Adam?" I set the tray down on the end table.
"Idoonfelinonking." Was his muffled response.
"What?"
"I don't feel like talking." He lifted his head and repeated.
"It's okay, but I made you some herbal tea and I went and got you a scone."
He sat up and forced a smile as I sat next to him on the edge of bed. Using my thumb I wiped the last tear from his cheek then kissed it.
"I really love you, you know."
"I know." He replied. "I love you too Charlie."
"I AM going to marry you and we're going to grow old and gray together."
Adam sipped his tea and sighed.
"What would I do with out you?"
"I dunno, but what's the world coming too when I'm the stable one?"
Banks laughed and nestled his head on my shoulder.
"Charlie, do you wanna…?"
"Do I wanna what?" Then the light went on. "Oh… we don't have to tonight babe. I mean you know I always want to, but no pressure tonight. We can just talk for a little while, watch some TV."
"Charlie, I want to… remember how earlier I said you weren't romantic? I think this maybe the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me. So will you please, let me touch you?"
I nodded and for the first time in our relationship, Adam was the one gently laying me back on the bed. For his first time in control he certainly knew exactly what to do. Where he put his lips and hands, it was indescribable. I still to this day think back to that night, I hold in my memory almost as if it were our first time. And as he kissed me one last time, as I turned out the light, I knew no one, not even Philip Banks could keep us apart. God forgive anyone that may try.
"You're doing what?" Philip Banks dropped his fork in shock.
"We're getting married." Adam said less assertively then he had the first time.
"Alright Adam, I was supportive when you said you were gay, I was there for you when you Charlie were going through tough times, I defended him when he got he got arrested because you asked me to. I even held in my two sense when I heard you were getting back together and stifled myself when I learned you were moving in together, but I will not bite my tongue this time."
"Now Philip please don't make a scene." Mrs. Banks whispered fiercely.
"I'm not making a scene dear, I'm merely making my point."
"I think it's great, I would love to have Adam as a member of my family. I think you two will be very happy." My mom spoke up taking a bite of her cheesecake.
"I won't allow it." Philip glowered.
"With all due respect Mr. Banks, you really don't have a choice. Adam and I are adults, we don't need your consent." I declared squeezing my fiancé's hand under the table.
"Stay out of this Charles, this is between my son and I. Adam has a bright future ahead of him and I will not let him throw it away on an alcoholic, control freak with authority issues. A person that only sees fit to treat him like an actual human being when he needs attention."
When Banks pushed back from the table, his blue eyes wreathed in fire and jaw squared angrily, the whole restaurant seemed to hush.
"You have no right to talk to him like that! I love Charlie and lord knows he's not perfect, but neither am I. I've forgiven him for everything that he's put me through, repeat put me through not you, so it's time that you get over it too. We're not asking for your permission dad, we're asking for your support."
"You're not going to get it."
"Well, then don't expect an invitation. Come on Charlie." Adam grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the restaurant.
The needle on his speedometer climbed steadily higher as he floored the gas. The small Porsche careened down the street and braced myself with my feet. I looked over at Banks, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering while. He looked almost scary, scary isn't a word that can be usually used to describe him but that day, he was. I was practically in fear for my life.
"Uh baby, could you slow down? I can't die tonight, the Wild have a game tomorrow and I got tickets!" I yelled over the sound of the engine.
"Come on Charlie, if I wrap this car around a tree, we can spend the rest of eternity together and no one can say anything about it, right?" Adam retorted as he punched the peddle harder.
"Sure, but see we're together now. And we're alive, that's a plus. I'm not going any where, no matter what your father says, so why don't you slow down, baby please?" I reached over and placed one of my hands on his, and immediately I felt the accelerator drop.
At home he went straight into our room, turned off all the lights and shut the door. He'd always been the sensitive one, but just how sensitive I don't think a lot of people understand. His entire life he'd been desperately seeking his father's approval and for his Dad to tear down the one thing that meant so much to him, gutted him. The fact that I was mostly responsible gutted me. I wondered what would've happened if I hadn't gotten the nerve to pop the question that night.
With a guilty sigh I made my way into the kitchen in search of where we'd put the herbal tea. I know that sounds really queer, but Adam drinks it when he's stressed out. I found the box in he back of the cabinet behind the pork rinds, guess who picked those out. Once the tea done I turned the stove off and ran to the bakery across the street for a cranberry scone. When everything was arranged on a tray I carried into the bedroom.
I turned the light on and squinted at the brightness. Banksie's tears were stifled by his pillows and he didn't even move as I approached.
"Adam?" I set the tray down on the end table.
"Idoonfelinonking." Was his muffled response.
"What?"
"I don't feel like talking." He lifted his head and repeated.
"It's okay, but I made you some herbal tea and I went and got you a scone."
He sat up and forced a smile as I sat next to him on the edge of bed. Using my thumb I wiped the last tear from his cheek then kissed it.
"I really love you, you know."
"I know." He replied. "I love you too Charlie."
"I AM going to marry you and we're going to grow old and gray together."
Adam sipped his tea and sighed.
"What would I do with out you?"
"I dunno, but what's the world coming too when I'm the stable one?"
Banks laughed and nestled his head on my shoulder.
"Charlie, do you wanna…?"
"Do I wanna what?" Then the light went on. "Oh… we don't have to tonight babe. I mean you know I always want to, but no pressure tonight. We can just talk for a little while, watch some TV."
"Charlie, I want to… remember how earlier I said you weren't romantic? I think this maybe the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me. So will you please, let me touch you?"
I nodded and for the first time in our relationship, Adam was the one gently laying me back on the bed. For his first time in control he certainly knew exactly what to do. Where he put his lips and hands, it was indescribable. I still to this day think back to that night, I hold in my memory almost as if it were our first time. And as he kissed me one last time, as I turned out the light, I knew no one, not even Philip Banks could keep us apart. God forgive anyone that may try.