"Hey, we haven't toasted to the new us," Antonio stated over dinner Thursday night, startling them out of their food induced silence. Francis' eyes went wide and he dropped his fork with a clatter.
"I can't believe it. We haven't!" he exclaimed. "I'll go open a bottle. Do you want red or white?" Francis slid to the pantry and their never empty wine rack. He held out two bottles with a flourish. Antonio pointed to the Merlot and Gilbert piped up after him.
"Whichever one isn't sweet!"
Francis lifted the Merlot bottle to stare at it. "Well, this should be good. So you want a glass, Gil?" He almost didn't believe the words spoken by their group's avid wine hater. It was a rare treat to get Gilbert to drink it with them. Since the weekend they moved in and force-fed him, he wouldn't take even a sip. Although Francis didn't think he drank wine before that either.
Gilbert shrugged with a mutter. "Ah…well. I just thought that if Toni never spilt wine on me that night, we would never have changed." His cheeks tinged pink as Antonio's face broke out in a bright smile. Before Gilbert could prepare himself, the man flung himself into his arms.
"I'm so glad for that oopsie!" he exclaimed. Antonio pressed his lips to Gilbert's, then pranced away. "But we were drinking Chardonnay at the time, I think. Shouldn't we commemorate with that?" He moved to the pantry with Francis and Gilbert followed because if he needed to drink wine, he wanted to make sure he didn't get cheap crap.
"If it's what you made me drink before, it tasted absolutely nasty," Gilbert complained. "I'm for that deep red stuff there. I've tasted it once and I mean…if I'm desperate for alcohol and all." He shrugged one shoulder again, trying not to look like he wanted to drink the wine. He just gave in for the sake of his friends and this memory. "Can I like, taste test it before we decide though?"
Francis put his hands on his hips. "No, you cannot because I won't open ten bottles just so you can whine. Don't you know this stuff is expensive!? I won't let any wine go to waste." What a horrible thought. He loved his wine and he owned the pallet of a gourmet. They wouldn't find any bottom shelf bottles on his wine rack. Francis was going to die when he graduated and finally got cut off from his parent's wealth. Love of art and history did not pay well. And these two that mooched out of his pocket every chance they got would get a rude awakening too.
"Fine fine." Gilbert waved a hand. "You know the foods I like. Pick something good." Francis turned back to the wines and tried to decide between the Merlot and a bottle of Pinot Noir. Antonio didn't care for the Pinot Noir much, so he ended up with their first choice. Exiting the pantry again, Francis went straight for the drawer of miscellaneous things. A frown painted his face after half a minute of shuffling and clinking. Gilbert started looking through the pantry for dessert even though they still ate dinner. Those pop tarts he normally hated sounded like dessert to him so he started sneaking the noisy wrapper from the box. Francis would kill him for ruining a good dinner with cheap food.
"Gilbert!" The said man twitched, his hand just inside the pop tart box. "Where'd my corkscrew go?!" Francis yelled.
"Hah? Why does it have to be my fault?!" He exclaimed as he stomped out of the pantry, dessert forgotten. Francis fixed him with a glare even though he didn't have a good reason. Gilbert pouted ever so slightly after a second, though he wasn't one to pout and wouldn't admit he ever did.
"Because you hate wine and you're just making fun of us now and things are usually your fault! Right…?" Antonio giggled, a glint evident in his eyes. Francis whipped his head to the side where Antonio sat on the far end of the counter. He dangled the corkscrew from one hand, still grinning with madness. "Toni!" Francis gasped in outrage. "I'm ashamed of you." He snatched the tool back. Just how often did he blame things on Gilbert when Antonio really did the deed? The look he wore now seemed to say Antonio messed with them like this far more than once.
Finally the three of them stood with their glasses and Francis cleared his throat. "To a new romance, no matter how improper or unusual," he proclaimed with his glass lifted to the air. They tapped theirs together, making eye contact as if not to do so would break the promise. The unorthodox toast suited their unorthodox romance perfectly and they sipped like nothing could be more normal than this.
xXx
"Robert! You look just as beautiful as ever!" Francis exclaimed as he captured his friend in a hug from behind. He sniffed the other man's hair, reveling in its ocean fresh scent. "You must invite me over to try out this shampoo sometime. It's simply divine." With a hum of delight, he winked. One of his arms slipped lower, engaging in the age old game of seeing how far he could get with the straight men before they pushed him off.
"You're still as flirtatious as ever I see," Robert complained before he shrugged Francis' arms off. Apparently not far. Robert acted like just as much of a tight-ass as ever. Francis paused a second later though. He completely forgot his new exclusivity. Flirting happened on instinct and until now, it never mattered, never made him care. He did now though. Feeling guilty, he pulled away and flashed Robert a smile.
"Ah, sorry about that. I just wanted to say goodbye is all." Francis danced away and waved to his other friends, his smile and chipper tone already in place again. The rest of his study group filtered toward the doors around him after four hours together. Finals still lay weeks out, but the stress already started. They stayed until the library hours closed, but the night still looked young. "I'm heading home now so I'll see you guys next week."
"Huh? You're not going to come clubbing with us later?" Robert asked, referring to their years old rite of playing long after studying hard. Francis just shook his head and weaved past the shelves to the door. A group of his study buddies kept pace with him, chatting among themselves, but Francis didn't join in.
"What's up with you, Francis? You never hang out with us anymore," another friend asked just as they reached the row of doors at front. Francis paused before exiting the library, looking surprised. He knew he turned them down now, but had he really done it so much before? Well, he did admit he spent a lot of time with Gilbert and Antonio for months. Someone needed to cook and nag and put the dishes away in their right place because no one else did it how he liked. He never got anal about anything else, just the kitchen. The kitchen was his even if he lent it out sometimes.
Francis walked backwards through the doors, offering his friends a dazzling smile. "What can I say," he replied with a shrug. "I've got someone to go home to." He winked and whirled away, not quite fast enough to miss the whispers of his friends. Francis the player, going home early to his lover? The world must be ending.
Feeling like he needed to make up for his almost grope attack, he tried to think of something romantic to do. He dated for keeps now. This relationship made special look like fast food and he needed to prove that somehow. By the time he put his car in park, he knew the perfect show of love. As careful as he could with the thorns, Francis snapped off two roses from his garden and wrapped them in napkins. Left in his car from some sandwich shop, they didn't scream romantic or high class and his roses already wilted with winter, but he planned this last minute. The red petals still looked lush enough and the napkins protected his hands from the thorns.
"My loves," Francis called out as he swept through the door. Gilbert appeared from his room and Antonio thudded off the couch and onto the floor. The two wandered over to him, one looking skeptic and the other excited. Antonio reached him first and threw arms around Francis' neck.
"Welcome home, honey!" he cooed, choosing to use their silly greeting that used to be meaningless. Meaningful now, it both felt sweet and like a joke just for them. "I was worried about you out there all alone with a big scary predator on the loose." It took the other two a second to realize he meant Ivan and Gilbert grumbled under his breath, not that they acknowledged it. Antonio kissed Francis' cheek and squealed when he spotted the roses. Francis held one out to him and he grinned in the wide, childish way that his most real smiles looked. "Thank you so much! Oh gosh, we really feel like boyfriends now," he added with a dramatic look. He held a hand over his mouth and waved the rose to the side as if he might swoon. Gilbert crossed his arms and watched this the same as he watched Antonio's tv soaps—with an air of disgust and confusion.
"If only you could blush on command to complete the look." Francis rolled his eyes then turned his smile to Gilbert. "And for you my love," he murmured in a low voice before kissing the other man's cheek. Feeling lost, Gilbert stared at the rose, not sure how to appreciate this gesture even as Antonio gave up his bad acting and sniffed his rose with a content expression. Swinging the flower by its end, Gilbert still quirked a smile at Francis because he knew he waited for adoration.
"Uh…thanks," Gilbert muttered. Antonio swooped over to pluck the rose away and Gilbert tried not to show his relief. The romantic gesture made him feel awkward.
"Let me put these both in a vase. As expected, they're wonderful, Francis!" he exclaimed. Off Antonio went and Francis just about glowed from their praise. That, Gilbert could appreciate and he hovered to the side, working up his courage. Just before Francis turned to follow Antonio into the kitchen, Gilbert dived forward and pecked the man on the lips.
"Really, thanks." Cheeks tinging pink, he spun away to the kitchen before the older male could react. "B-but it's not like I wanted flowers in the first place!" He stormed off with Francis' laughter chasing him to the kitchen. Before Gilbert got three steps, Francis caught him up and landed a stronger kiss on his lips as if to say 'you're welcome,' but they never got that far and the flowers barely made it in the vase before the three started making out in earnest.
The next day, Francis insisted they snuggle their Friday away while watching bad movies under a giant blanket. It was nice, if a bit weird. Then the next week, Francis cooked them a huge dinner even though he had homework to do and huge meant huge. The cooking went on for hours and it looked like the eating would too. The three of them sat around the table as Francis laid his last dish in the only spot with enough room for it. "Eat up, my sweets. I cooked this with all my love," Francis crooned.
Gilbert snapped. "This is absurd! Stop acting so romantic!" he hissed. Francis and Antonio stared at him which only annoyed him more because he was not the weird one right now. "You're acting so strange it's creeping me out." His complaining words left the other two staring harder. Gilbert bit his lip, but didn't lower his gaze.
"H-hey now…" Francis started after a half minute of silence. "Just because this stuff makes you awkward doesn't mean it's wrong. This is how I show my love. I can't just change!" He shook his head, feeling out of place. Antonio didn't defend him and Gilbert hung his head, looking even more put out. "I mean, we're dating. How else should I act?"
Gilbert shrugged one shoulder before he raised his eyes, bristling and pleading in earnestness. "Act like normal! This is how you act when you're trying too hard. It's a lie so…so be my best friend that loves me and sleeps with me. Don't be my boyfriend," he managed to say. Their eyes bored into him so that he wrung his hands over and over. Did he really ask too much? He just wanted them to feel like always—natural and fun. The Francis he fell in love with was romantic, but also a lame perv and prissy too.
Francis furrowed his brow as he turned to Antonio. "Ah what...? What's so different about this?" He didn't think he acted unusual and besides, the girls went crazy for this. He put on a gentleman's face for so many years that it felt as natural as the other parts of his personality. "Toni, do you agree with him? I…just wanted to make both of you feel special." If he hurt their relationship, of course he would change, but he didn't believe that. If Gilbert's standoffish personality just emerged, then he'd barrel though it with all the power of love.
Antonio looked between then before sighing. They did ask. He felt a little better about meddling these days and besides, it wasn't really meddling with them staring at him in expectation. So who was right? He spent only a second piecing that together. "Both?" Francis whined in confusion and Gilbert just stared. Oops, he spoke his thoughts without context again. "Francis is a little odd and Gilbert is in need of hugs. How should I say it? You might be acting a little fake, but you're allowed to be romantic. I love it and Gil doesn't mind as much as he pretends." He ignored the glare Gilbert sent him. "That's not it though. The real issue…?" he hummed. "Francis…ah, he stopped acting like Francis too? The normal stuff. Is that it?" He squirmed in his seat. He really did give terrible advice. This one thing, he strangely hadn't been observing that well. Maybe he just got too dazzled by the romance, same as Francis. Gilbert was never the sort to just lose practicality though. Hm, that posed the interesting problem of balancing Francis and Gilbert's style. Antonio decided that was his job.
Gilbert shrugged in answer. He didn't even know anymore. Francis seemed to ponder this all before huffing, a faint pout marring his features. "Fine then. If you want me to stop acting nice, I will. Gilbert, I absolutely hate that you're picking the peas out of your food. You're skinny as it is. Eat! And Toni, don't think I don't notice when you trade your asparagus for those peas!" he added with a snap just as Antonio shifted some veggies. He jumped, sending the bits of green tumbling to the floor. Francis narrowed his eyes at them and Antonio just giggled, shoving the offending objects all at Gilbert as if he were to blame.
"No fair! Toni started it!" Gilbert exclaimed. He grabbed at his middle, in a frenzy from Francis' words. Lifting up his shirt, he stared at the hard muscles of his stomach and the hips bones that jutted out just above his low-ridding jeans. "Skinny? No way, I'm in prime physical shape. Take that back!"
Antonio's hum came out low as he leaned forward to feel Gilbert's stomach. He missed the glint in the brunette eyes' but Francis saw it and leaned back to watch the show. "Look at how little is here. Aw, Gil is so tiny around the waist," he whined before pressing an ear to the other's stomach. Gilbert's fork went flying through the air as he yelped in surprise. One of Antonio's hands managed to wander up his shirt as if to support himself, but Gilbert caught on by that point. He dropped a fist on top of the other man's head.
"Get out of my shirt!" he snapped, turning red. Antonio pulled away with teary eyes, but they all knew he could cry on command. He switched focus almost immediately, as always, deterred by a little violence if it wasn't worth fighting for.
"But his stomach is so hard, no fun to play with at all. A few pounds would be cuddly." Antonio said this, but his eyes turned to Francis. The older man just smiled and tried to add an extra roll to Gilbert's already full plate. Before he could though, Antonio made his end game clear. "Francis on the other hand…he has a very nice stomach." Francis looked at him, both pleased and surprised. Antonio flashed a brilliant smile. "It's so soft unlike Gilbert's. Great to use as a pillow!"
Francis' face fell in an instant. "That's not a compliment, you little brat!"
"Aw no way, I thought it was. I like your tummy, Francy!"
Before the argument could progress any further, Gilbert threw back his head and laughed. It silenced the other two in an instant. Gilbert's face looked alive with its bright smile, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes from laughter. They rarely saw the look of pure joy before Ivan, but seeing it now after so long, it stole their breath away. Both the long spell of dreariness and their newfound love only brightened it all the more. Gilbert wiped a tear away and continued to chuckle at them.
"Yeah, this is perfect. This feels like love."
His smile spread first to Antonio, then Francis. It was funny, but Gilbert got this right. The mess and irrational behavior felt more like love than something standard. They weren't standard, not a single one of them. Together, they made something even less standard. It only took Gilbert's wildcard nature to realize it. Francis and Antonio traded a look full of tenderness and a special understanding. They saw what Gilbert changed them into more than he did. Though, it must go the other way too. It was taking them all a little while to get the hang of it, but little by little, they figured love out. It came surprisingly easy compared to the mockery they played at before. Perfect? Gilbert got that right for sure. They found themselves staring lost into each other's eyes as the laughter died down, grins turning into something far softer.
A cheerful melody exploded in the silence. The moment they shared broke with a few stammers and awkward looks, Antonio's ring tone filling the air. The man spun away to his room while Gilbert and Francis looked at each other in a far less magical mood. "Ah…er, we should eat this before it gets cold," Francis started before Antonio's voice filtered out from his room.
"Hello?" Antonio paused, his body going rigid. "Mum?" he echoed, surprise coloring his voice. The unexpectedness consumed him so that happiness and fear took a back seat. Another second passed before he scrabbled for an answer. "What's going on? Is everything alright?" He couldn't stay here with his clutter. So little space. He passed into the main room where he saw the others staring at him with forks suspended in air. He shook his head once and decided he couldn't stand still long enough for this. He shot off outside to take the call in private.
"I just wanted to call my son. It's…been a very long time," his mother murmured. "Perhaps too long." Antonio sat in the dirt between his withered vegetable stalks and echoed her words. They talked and talked as most of an hour passed. Gilbert and Francis sat inside, picking at their food until they gave up on eating. It didn't feel right to act happy inside because they didn't know what went on past the white painted door. When Antonio finally did walk in again, he barreled through the door. The other two didn't have a chance to prepare themselves before Antonio flung himself at the both of them. Already standing together by the window, he knocked them back into the surface with one giant hug.
"Guess what?!" He didn't give them time to guess. "I'm in the clear again and we're going home for Christmas! I'm not a pedophile anymore! Isn't this amazing?" Antonio didn't take a single proper breath since flying into the home and he buried himself against his friends with his arms still holding them too tight.
"A-ah what?" Francis stammered. His surprise and the arm choking his neck made it hard to speak. "Just like that? I mean…wow, I'm so happy for you." It took a second for his amazement to break through the shock. He never imagined a reunification between Antonio and his family, especially after the call a couple months ago. Even if his twin cousins said things were changing. No, no. Why was he trying to reason away this amazing thing? Francis returned the other man's hug with as much vigor, a smile trying to lift off his face. "Thank goodness."
Gilbert pulled at the arm digging into his ribs. "Too much excitement!" he gasped. Antonio didn't lesson his grip and Gilbert stopped his half-hearted complaint because it did feel so very warm. Not the most knowledgeable about the situation, he looked between the other two. He couldn't stop the thrill of happiness that went through him though when he saw how joyful his friends looked. "Um…did you say Christmas and we?"
Antonio continued to beam. "Yep! Because I said I had people I loved now. And we talked for so long about so much. Because, you know, we haven't talked in so long. And she got real hesitant when I said boyfriends, but then I tried to say what sort of people you are and I think she's curious. Because I guess they're still a little afraid that I'm a freak, but mostly my family just couldn't stand the rumors and it's died down and they're not so afraid anymore. If everyone sees you two, no one will have to worry anymore!" Antonio gasped for breath. His excitement rose so high he didn't notice tiny things like breathing. He could breathe all he wanted after he talked because this was way more important. He laid his head in the curve between his lovers' shoulders. "I didn't expect it at all and I don't think mum did either. But she just said: I'll see you at Christmas. Let me see those boys of yours, kay? All casual like we used to say and it got awkward, but I said kay and she said kay bye, and that was that."
Francis and Gilbert blinked, sharing a look over Antonio's head. They both looked dazed and confused from the onslaught of words before Gilbert let out a sudden snort of laughter. "I'll come but only if we get to spend some time with my family too!" The other two nodded with vigor. Next thing he knew, they were holding hands and skipping in a circle down the middle of the hallway, led by Antonio as he sung Jingle Bells.
"Ah…wait. I have something I've been wondering for a while," Gilbert tried to cut in. Breaking the rhythm nearly left him tripping over Francis who looked just as flustered by the dance they performed. "What does pedophile mean?" The dance stopped like a train wreck, crashing them into the couch.
"What?!" Antonio yelped.
Francis glanced between the two of them, nervous all over again. "H-hey now…are you saying all this time you had no idea what we meant?" Gilbert's stare answered him. Francis groaned and face-palmed. "Oh my god, Gil! You've gotten into fights defending Toni's honor and you didn't even know for what? Only you…"
Gilbert bristled. "Don't look at me like I'm an idiot! They don't have that word in my German-English dictionary. It was obviously an insult!" The other two shared a look and he huffed. They shared too many looks today even if he did it as much as they did. "It felt awkward to ask since it seemed sensitive and everyone expected me to know." The excuse sounded lame with them staring at him like that, but it made sense all the time he knew these guys.
Antonio shuffled. He supposed it didn't matter since the ordeal was over now, so he shrugged one shoulder. "Someone who likes kids."
"…Sexually," Francis added in because he doubted Gilbert's ability to catch on. The pale man's face twisted the second he heard that word. He snapped his eyes to Antonio.
"That's ludicrous!" he exclaimed. Gilbert flailed and jabbed a finger at Francis. "I mean, you've slept with that hairy guy! Come on, seriously, look at that thing! A beard isn't cute at all!" He jabbed his finger multiple times as if Francis explained everything. He didn't care about anything else Antonio said. The only thing he gathered was the unbelievable-ness of it all. Kids looked cute, Francis did not. End of story.
Antonio stared at Gilbert for a second before he burst out laughing. He expected surprise or a ton of questions, but Gilbert just blazed through years worth of rumors with the lamest explanation ever, and yet it worked. One look at Francis probably would settle things with his family. Francis did not find the explanation quite as amusing though. "Hey! Why am I the butt end of everyone's jokes today?" he wailed. Serious looks met him.
"Revenge," Antonio said with a solemn nod. "For letting Gilbert be an idiot."
"Toni! That's mean to me too!"