"So," Nix says as he turns his end of the wooden table to fit it through the narrow doorway. "What are your plans for the summer?"
Lip, twisting the other end, smiles, pleased to be asked. "Not much. We're just going to settle into the new apartment, mostly. You know how Ron gets when things change."
Nix very much does, as a matter of fact, and it's not a pretty sight. He's glad for the students' sake that Ron and Carwood are moving into this new place now instead of waiting until next year.
"Thank you, by the way," Lip adds, as they get the table through the door and into the kitchen. "I'm not sure I've said, but thank you and Dick both for helping us move. It would have been pretty terrible, bringing all this stuff over from two separate apartments all by ourselves."
"Oh, you've said," Nix tells him, because he has, about a hundred times. "But it's cool, you're welcome." Lip's a great guy, really, so Nix is glad to help, and he knows Dick is, too. "We weren't doing anything today, anyhow." Well, strictly speaking, they were doing something, but there's only so many times Dick will let him tap that, anyway, though only because he's got strict rules about spending all day in bed; at night, that ass is fair game.
They get the table settled into place in the kitchen, then head back outside to Ron's pick-up to grab the chairs.
"What are you doing this summer, anyway?" Lip asks, and Nix knows he's actually interested, not just returning the question. One of his plans for the summer involves hanging out with these guys more often, double-dating or something, because they're freaking awesome, more now that they're together than they ever were alone, though mostly because when he's alone, Ron really scares Nix. Not that Nix is going to tell Lip any of that, because, hello, how embarrassing. He does have plans he's dying to spill, though, so he flashes Lip a grin and says, "I'm taking Dick to Bermuda."
"Bermuda?" Lip repeats, surprised. "Really?"
"Really," Nix confirms, and he's so very proud of himself for the idea. He can't wait to see Dick in nothing but a pair of swim trunks every day, dripping wet from swimming for hours in cerulean water. And of course, he's really looking forward to peeling those short off him every night. He's got a special secret plan, too, that involves finding a secluded strip of coast and convincing Dick to let him fuck him on the beach. He's heard the sand gets everywhere, but that's what blankets are for, after all.
"Cool," Lip says. "You'd better pack sunblock, though. Dick doesn't look like the type of guy who'd do well in the sun for long. Are you going just to go or is do you have special plans?"
"Nothing too special," Nix tells him, turning grabbing a chair from the bed of the truck to hide his smile. "Just, you know, proposing."
"Nix, wow," Lip says and smiles at him. He comes over and forces Nix to set his chair back down so he can grab him into a hug. "I'm so happy for you guys. Does Dick know?"
"Not exactly," Nix says. He thought the hug would be awkward, since they're dudes and all, but it's really kind of sweet. "We've talked about it, but he doesn't when or how or anything."
"Well, congratulations," Lip says, and pulls away from the hug to pat him on the shoulder. "I hope it goes well for you."
"It will," Nix says, and he knows it's true. Dick's loved him for years and Nix, though he didn't know it, has felt the same way for just as long. It's not going to perfect, he knows, thought Dick's pretty damn close, but honestly, he's not asking for perfect. All he's asking for is to spend the rest of his life in love with the best man he's ever known. Everything else will sort itself out, he's sure.
"And who knows," he continues. "Maybe by the end of the summer you and Ron will be the ones helping us move. Into a house, even."
"I didn't realize you were in the market," Lip says, still looking pleased as punch for him and Dick. "Got any place in mind?"
Nix thinks about red-headed babies, late breakfasts on Saturday mornings, family trips to the beach, and all those other things he can have now. "Sure do," he says and grins.
Later that night, Carwood lies in their bed in their new apartment, relishing in the feeling of Ron's arms wrapped around him from behind, their heads on the same pillow.
"Did you hear Nix's news?" he asks, because he's too excited for his friends to not want to talk about it.
Ron just grunts sleepily, which Carwood takes as a no.
"Nix is taking Dick to Bermuda and proposing. They're moving into a house together, too, by the end of summer, probably."
"S'nice," Ron says, muffled into the back of Carwood's hair, and Car can tell he means it, even if he's not very expressive about it. "Good for them."
"It is, isn't it?" Carwood says, happily.
It's too soon to think of him and Ron getting married, he knows. This feels right, this thing between them, more than anything else he's ever experienced, but it's too soon to bring up marriage. They've got other things to think about, anyway, like settling in to the apartment and scoping out nearby parks to go running in, local restaurants to eat in. Carwood's thinking of starting practices for Academic Bowl earlier this year, too, maybe getting together a few times during the summer, just to keep in practice. Then there's summer school, the adult literacy program he volunteers for at the community center and the children's story hour at the library every week. Ron's expressed an interest in at least a few of the things Carwood's involved in, and Car knows he's also got plans to go golfing quite a bit. Heck, they might even make it to the beach once or twice, though of course, nowhere as far away as Bermuda.
So, yeah, there are a lot of things to keep them both occupied until September. And then, once the school year starts again, Car will have his classes and Ron will have his, now that he's been officially named the permanent English teacher by the school board. Carwood has a feeling the children will all be relieved, and not just because without Ron they might get another Dike. No, they all genuinely like Ron by this point, no matter how afraid they pretend to be of him at times. Carwood knows how they feel, because he genuinely likes Ron, too, loves him, even.
"I'm glad I met you," Carwood tells him, softly, but doesn't expect an answer. Ron's already snoring, anyway. It's okay, though, he knows. And Carwood will tell him again tomorrow, just in case. And then, who knows, maybe they'll walk down to the local pound, see what kind of dogs they have there. It's not a proposal, not yet, but that's fine. It's special, what they have, because it's theirs and really, that's all Car needs in life.