Chapter Seventy-Eight
"So, mom and dad know?" Aaron was sitting at the table now and he couldn't believe what Eliot had just finished telling them.
"We figured it was about time." Eliot shrugged as he glanced to Nate. "I wanted to just have it all laid out already." Though he had purposely left out the bit of the story about them on the couch; it was practically irrelevant.
"Good for you." Sarah congratulated while giving Aaron a 'hint, hint' glare.
"I honestly hope it works out." Aaron offered his brother as he thought about his own relationship with their parents. He wanted to believe that they could get things worked out but for him actions spoke louder than words so for now he'd just watch and wait.
"Parker says they'll be here in a few minutes." Nate announced as he glanced up from the text he'd just read.
"They said that ten minutes ago." Eliot's attention was back on Nate who was propped against the fridge.
"Hardison missed their turn." Nate shrugged as he moved to Eliot's side by the sink.
"Figures" Eliot rolled his eyes, though it was more toward Nate than Hardison. His boyfriend couldn't get closer if he tried, but believe him, Nate was trying.
"Hey Nate," Sarah had clearly taken note and her expression was devilish as she asked, "I was wondering if you could define personal space for me?"
"Well" He cleared his throat as he racked his brain for something to say. He was having sudden flashbacks of that morning and he knew if he wanted to save face he'd need a good response. "First yo-"
"You tell annoying little sisters to get lost." Eliot exclaimed. Sarah had pulled his chain enough for one day.
"Ha" Aaron laughed at Sarah even as she glared at him. "Come on Sarah, leave 'em be. You were already a buzzkill once today."
"I was not!" Sarah looked to both Eliot and Nate, but they didn't back her. "I… Can I help it if I entered the room while they were trying to get all cute and cuddly?"
"Cute?" "Cuddly!" Nate and Eliot offered in simultaneous disbelief and disgust.
"So let 'em get cuddly." Aaron shrugged even as he added, "Everyone already knows anyway." Sure, they had teased him for it, but Eliot had just as much right to be affectionate with Nate as he did with Ashlee or Sarah did with Pete.
"Actually" realization hit her with that statement. "Pete doesn't."
Eliot and Aaron's looks were a perfect match of, 'Are you kidding me!' and it had her throwing her hands up. "I never told him! I didn't think it was my place to."
"We'll tell him." Nate offered to which Eliot immediately raised a brow. "What?"
"The things you volunteer for." Eliot shook his head. Sarah telling Pete would've made things a lot less awkward.
"Well since you are telling Pete" Sarah began wishfully. "Do you think you could explain it to the kids too?"
"Sarah" Eliot shot her a, 'You can't be serious,' glare.
"I don't think that's their place Sarah." Aaron threw in his two cents.
"I'm not asking y'all to give them a biology lesson or anything." Sarah clarified. "I just thought it would be nice if you told them, so that way any questions they have can get answered first hand."
"What kind of questions?" Nate was skeptical. The kids were kind of young for the subject in general, let alone their particular chapter of it.
"The kind only a kindergartener can think of." Eliot huffed even as he relented, "We'll tell 'em."
Sarah did her best to contain her relief as she asked, "So what are you going to tell them?"
"That's a good question." Eliot turned his attention back to Nate because he personally didn't have a clue, but Nate just shrugged and said, "We'll figure something out."
"Where is Pete anyway?" Eliot wondered. He might as well get the task started.
"I can make a guess" but instead of doing so Sarah stood from her chair and moved to the hall, a train of men behind her. She hadn't seen Ashlee or her husband since they had all arrived nearly a half-hour ago. "What are y'all doing in here?" Sarah stopped at the edge of the couch with her hands on her hips.
"Waiting for dinner." Pete replied instantly.
"You and your stomach." She rolled her eyes as Aaron moved to sit by Ashlee.
"We figured it would be safer to wait out here." Ashlee admitted as she set down her wedding planner.
"When Michael and Caroline are in, I'm out." Pete swore. He'd been married to Sarah long enough to know that he didn't want to partake in any discussions that centered around her parents.
"Very funny" Sarah chastised, but before Pete could respond the front door was opened and four little feet were running toward them. "Mommy!"
"Becca!" She matched her little girl's enthusiasm as she scooped her into a hug.
"That's not Becca." Pete amusedly denied as he took hold of his daughter. "That's a butterfly!"
"I got a bat!"
"I see bud!" Sarah ruffled her son's hair as he moved to his father's side.
"And Parker got a kitty just like the one she has at her house!" Just as Brian announced it, Parker and Hardison entered the house. Parker was holding stuffed animals and a balloon and Hardison was carrying two painted pumpkins.
"You look like hell." Nate whispered to Hardison who was now at his side.
"Thanks man" Hardison huffed as he looked for the best place to set the pumpkins. He was tired and feeling a bit worn, but "hell" was an overstatement in his opinion.
"We had a blast!" Parker smiled which made the kitten on her cheek all the more prominent.
"I'm glad to hear it." Sarah spoke over her son who was still excitedly describing his day.
"They're probably hungry though." Hardison informed. Fair food didn't exactly make the greatest of meals.
"Then it's a good thing we picked up dinner." Ashlee reminded. She too was hungry.
"We'll definitely have to reheat it though." Sarah wrinkled her nose at the thought of the food that had been left to get cold on her table.
"Up to it" Pete lifted Becca from his lap and placed her on her feet. "You and Brian go upstairs and wash up for dinner."
"Pete, they'll probably need help with the face paint." Sarah suggested as she gave the painted masks a good once over.
"I'll do it." Nate volunteered easily. A moment away, even if it was for a mindless task, was more than welcome.
"Fine by me." Pete happily agreed as he settled back into the couch.
"Pete!" Sarah reprimanded. That responsibility definitely did not belong to Nate.
"It's fine Sarah," Eliot assured. "I'll help him."
"Thanks" Still she glared at Pete.
"Come on Becca, Brian let's go upstairs." Nate offered a hand to Becca as Brian led the way.
"Washcloths are in the left cabinet!" Sarah shouted behind them.
"El, not to rush you or anything but we're about to be late for dinner ourselves." They had made a reservation on the way over.
"We've got plenty of food if you want to stay." Sarah offered. She enjoyed entertaining and having the house full.
"Well, we made plans earlier." Eliot half explained to Sarah and half hinted to Hardison. Hopefully between the two of them, somebody would get the picture.
"What kind of food?" Parker threw in what she considered to be the most important question.
"Nothing special" Sarah offered regrettably. "Just Chinese."
"Sold" and with that Parker was on her way to the kitchen to inspect their meal.
"I guess we're staying." Hardison shrugged as he sunk down into the armchair. After the exhausting day he had they'd be lucky if he got back out of it.
"Well, I better go help Nate." Eliot moved to the stairs, but only climbed two before he turned around; might as well go for broke. "Hey Pete!"
Pete's attention swiftly moved from the television to Eliot. "Yo?"
"Nate's my boyfriend. He has been for over two years now" and with that Eliot climbed the rest of the stairs.
Immediately Sarah and Aaron exchanged a wide-eyed expression. Ashlee looked slightly confused but not overly fazed and Hardison avoided eye contact as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.
Pete though, was slack-jawed and more than a little stunned as he mumbled, "I think I missed something."
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"I think you need some soap there bud." Nate suggested to Brian who had barely wet his cloth.
"I've got it." Eliot announced his presence as he squeezed past Nate who was rubbing sparkles off Rebecca's face. "Here we go" Eliot lifted Brian under the arms as a booster to the counter. "You sit up here next to Becca."
"This is some butterfly." Nate absently told Becca as he continued to rub at her cheek. The paint was all but gone but the glitter seemed to be standing firm.
"So," Eliot turned on the faucet to wet the cloth he had just taken from Brian's hand. "I told Pete."
"Right now?" Nate's eyes turned from the running water to Eliot.
"Yeah" He squeezed the cloth to wring out the extra water. "Right before I came up I told him."
"How'd he take it?" Nate wondered as he turned back to Becca who was preoccupying herself in the mirror.
"I don't know." Eliot shrugged as he continued wiping black paint from Brian's nose.
"Well how'd you tell him?" Surely the man had some kind of a reaction.
"While going up the stairs."
"What!" Nate's expression was comical.
"Well, I figured the band aid approach would be ou-"
"Uncle Eliot" Brian interrupted. "What did ya' tell daddy?"
"Um" He looked from a purely curious gaze to a suddenly nervous one. "Well" The last bits of paint were wiped from the boy's brow as he contemplated his next words. "Something that we're going to tell you and Becca too."
"Is it a surprise!" Becca's eyes lit up instantly.
"I wouldn't say that" Eliot shook his head as he tossed the towel to the side and helped Brian down from the counter. "But hopefully you'll like it."
"Let's go sit down." Nate lifted Becca from the counter and headed toward her room. The bathroom didn't seem like an appropriate place for this conversation. "Everyone have a seat in a circle on the floor here." Nate demonstrated by claiming the first spot on the floor before adjusting Becca on the second.
Eliot was amused with the entire scenario Nate was setting up, but he didn't comment as he used Nate's shoulder to lower himself to the rug. As soon as he was seated though, Nate was scooting closer, almost as if in search of support. He was oddly nervous.
"Y'all, we just wanted to say that…" Eliot paused at the overwhelming curiosity that two gazes suddenly met him with. "Well…" They were just kids sure, but they also held very high opinions of him and he didn't want anything in the world to change that.
"Your Uncle Eliot is my boyfriend" Nate started the impossible which relieved Eliot enough to affirm, "And Nate's my boyfriend."
"Like Hardison?"
"Ha!" and just like that all his nerves disappeared as Eliot nearly fell over in side-splitting laughter and Nate glared, Becca laughing at Eliot's hysterics.
"No, not like Hardison." Nate's words were stern, too stern, and it had Eliot elbowing him with a 'Tone it down' glare.
"Hardison is a friend to watch TV with or play sports with or even go camping or fishing with." Eliot tried to explain in a way that both kids could understand. "Nate though, he's… we…" he turned his gaze back to Nate, bright blue eyes pleading for help.
"Look at it like this," Nate patted Eliot's thigh as he took lead. "Uncle Eliot and I like each other the same way your mother likes your father, the way Aaron likes Ashlee." Let them find fault in that.
"Nuh-uh" Apparently it was an easy task for Becca.
"And why not missy?" Eliot wondered. He thought Nate had done a pretty good job with the words he'd chosen.
"Mommy and daddy hold hands." It was a spoken fact that had her cheeks tinging pink.
"I can hold Nate's hand." Nate raised an eyebrow but offered his hand nonetheless. "See Becca?" Eliot closed his fingers around Nate's in demonstration. He had to admit the feeling was an odd one.
"We like the mushy stuff." Nate joked as he tested the grip in his left hand. Sure, he grabbed Eliot's hand at times, but he was finding it hard to remember if they'd ever truly "held" hands just for the sake of doing so.
"So, do you understand?" Eliot wondered as he hesitantly asked, "Do you have any questions?" The nerves were back.
"So you love each other?" Brian's words were tentative.
"Yes" Nate and Eliot softly echoed.
"How much?" Becca sassed.
"So much" Nate stressed sarcastically. This little girl was trying to tease him! "So so much in fact that it goes around the moon, bounces off the stars, flies over the planets, zings into the sun, and leaps right out of the galaxy!"
Really now?" Eliot couldn't help but grin as he stared at Nate who was tickling a giggling Becca across the floor.
"Nay Nay" Becca gasped between hysterical squeals.
"Do you surrender?" Nate grinned as she shook her head yes while trying to hide every inch of herself from the tickling torture.
"So are you getting married?" Brian barely brought attention back to himself.
"We aren't" Eliot offered seriously. He had no intentions of getting married and he was just about positive Nate felt the same.
"But momma says when you love somebody you get married, like Uncle Aaron and Ashlee." He pulled at the laces on his sneakers as he tried his best to understand the contradiction.
"Smart woman your mother." Nate smirked with a shake of his head. What Sarah didn't do to them.
"That's true Brian." Eliot nodded in agreement as he watched Becca sit on Nate. "But when people get married they make a very big promise to each other, one that shouldn't ever be broken… Do you understand?" Brian offered a partial nod and Eliot accepted it as his cue to continue. "And it's not all right to make a promise if you know you can't keep it, right?" Once more Brian nodded. "Well Nate and I are bad at keeping promises with each other." Nate nodded his agreement. "We try but we're not very good at it and we don't want to hurt each other's feelings, so we don't make promises, especially not big ones."
"But if you practice more you can get better." The pure innocence in Brian's statement made Eliot smile.
"We can" Nate agreed even as he assured, "and we will, but for right now how about we get some dinner?"
"But are you going to be my Uncle?" He was confused.
"If that's what you want." Becca was immediately nodding her approval.
"Now we have an even number for flag football!"
Eliot whacked Nate in the arm as he chastised, "You should have started with that." Brian was suddenly overjoyed with the idea of them.
"How was I supposed to know you needed an extra player for the family football team!" He gave Eliot a definite, 'Are you dumb?' face.
"Let's get it moving." Eliot ignored Nate's overall snarkiness as he near herded the kids from his spot on the floor. "Downstairs with ya'." They were clearly hungry because there was no nonsense as the two of them headed out the door and down the hall.
"That was rough" So much in fact that he still hadn't bothered with getting off the floor.
"It wasn't too bad" Eliot disagreed as he stretched his legs.
"Oh no?" Nate leaned back on his arms as he asked, "How'd you like Brian questioning our marital status?"
"Yeah" Eliot breathed. "That I could've done without."
"Well, I think you did a pretty decent job of explaining it." Nate offered his approval.
"Thanks" Eliot sighed with another stretch.
"You could have done a better job with Rebecca though." Nate sat upright. "I mean we don't even really hold hands."
"Sure we do." Eliot defended. He had done a good job, even if he had to say so himself.
"When?" Now this Nate had to hear.
"Well obviously it's when our love is doing summersaults through the solar system." Eliot laughed.
"Hey now" Nate made a show of entwining their fingers as he scooted closer. "You never know… and that is a promise."
"You're an ass" Eliot insulted through a smile.
"You know you love it" Nate smirked, but his tone turned a little more serious as he genuinely wondered, "How are you doing though?"
"Fine, I'm just waiting 'til later on when they've had the time to think up some hard questions and one of us ends up on the hot spot. Hopefully it's you." Eliot joked.
"I meant" Nate ignored the remark; he'd make sure to redirect any and all questions to Eliot. "How are you doing after that conversation with your father?" This was the first moment they'd actually had alone since then, and he was all ears if Eliot wanted to discuss things.
"I…" Eliot glanced down to the fingers that were still tightly wrapped around his own. "I haven't really processed it yet. I wanted it to happen and it's nice to have it done and over with, but…"
"Different circumstances would've been ideal." Nate sympathized.
"Them walking in on us like that sure wasn't how I imagined the conversation getting started." Eliot shook his head.
"I don't think any of us quite imagined the afternoon taking the turn that it did."
"I certainly didn't think you'd have a senior citizen tossing you on your ass." Eliot laughed.
"First off, he is NOT a senior citizen. Secondly, he caught me off balance and off guard, and obviously the last one goes without saying, but I kept it civil out of respect for you."
"I'm pretty sure not 'respecting' me is what landed you on your ass to begin with." Eliot grinned.
"Really now? If that's how you want to play it, I guess I'll just keep my distance." Nate warned.
"You wouldn't dare." Eliot's eyes lit with the empty threat.
"Try me." Nate challenged.
"You're an ass."
"You've said that already." Nate's smirk was defiant.
"Alright" Eliot conceded. "What's it going to take to patch your pride?" The look Nate gave him had him resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he put on his best apologetic expression and swore, "I'm just teasing."
"Well I'm not" Nate denied stubbornly.
"Nate, you're not really going to keep your distance." Even as he said it he slid impossibly closer to the other man.
"You don't think I can?" Nate did his best to ignore the hand that was shamelessly creeping up his leg, he knew he was being tested.
"I'm sure you could if you wanted to." Eliot feigned momentary disinterest. "But then again," Once more his fingers were roaming along Nate's thigh, neatly outlining the path to his hip, changing track and settling on the cool cotton that covered his boyfriend's lower back. "Why would you want to?"
"Shut up" Nate barely voiced before he was pressing his mouth to Eliot's in resignation. After the year they'd had the last thing he wanted was distance between them and Eliot knew it. Still Nate pulled away, but not before Eliot sunk his teeth into delicate skin. "I swear… If you split my lip, you're explaining it."
"Just tell 'em to mind their own damn business." Eliot mumbled as he outstretched an arm to brace himself and leaned in once more. Nate stayed just out of reach though. "You tell me not to tease yet here you are" Eliot chastised even as he got the back of Nate's shirt untucked and cool fingers finally met warm skin.
"I'm not teasing." Nate denied even as he grabbed the hand that was leaving a cold trail along his side. "I just don't want to start something we can't finish."
"Since when?" Eliot lifted a mischievous brow as he moved in for another kiss, but Nate just wasn't having it.
"Eliot" Nate suppressed a frustrated sigh. "Stop it."
"Why?" Eliot questioned knowingly as he began to play with the top button of Nate's dress shirt.
"You know exactly why." Nate admonished but it didn't stop Eliot from sliding that little clear button out of its hole. "Eliot, this is your niece's bedroom!"
"Oh, so you don't like the shoe when it's on the other foot." Payback was a bitch.
"Now who's being an ass?" Nate grumbled as Eliot undid another button to expose his collarbone.
"Now who's lovin' it?" Eliot smirked as he once more ran his hand over enticingly warm skin.
"I swear" The man was suddenly ghosting kisses between his throat and jaw, just barely dragging his lip along his newly exposed shoulder, but it was driving him absolutely insane. "In a minute I'm going to flip the script."
"Mhmmm" Eliot purposely hummed against his throat.
"You're not an ass, you're a bastard." Nate groaned as his resolve crumbled and he pulled Eliot's mouth to his.
Their kiss was lazy, because despite what they said they knew it wouldn't be leading anywhere. Still, they took their time to enjoy it and the moment for what it was worth as Eliot licked the lip he had once more nipped, and Nate let his fingers do some exploring of their own. Both allowing things to trail off into more little nips and lazier caresses until Eliot was once more at Nate's throat.
"Will y'all get down here before the food gets cold AGAIN!" They heard Sarah shout up the stairs.
"Your family though" Nate grumbled as he took a steadying breath.
"Don't blame me" Eliot warned as he pressed another kiss just below Nate's ear, his fingers still playing steadily along Nate's thigh.
"How about Sarah?" Nate joked.
"Definitely Sarah's fault." Eliot agreed as he slowly moved his mouth over Nate's jaw.
"Babe," Nate placed his hand over Eliot's to stop its ministrations. "A little discouragement would be nice."
"Don't you think we've gotten enough of it for one day?" Eliot protested as Nate moved to stand.
"Don't remind me." Nate huffed.
"Who needs a reminder when you've got a sister like mine." Eliot joked as he took Nate's offered hand and pulled himself up.
"How about we ditch dinner with Hardison and Parker and go find a quiet spot for ourselves?" Nate suggested as Eliot slid back into his personal space.
"They decided they're staying so unfortunately that means so are we." Eliot offered disappointedly as he reached up to refasten the buttons on Nate's shirt.
"Do you think they'd really mind if we just snuck out?" Nate was hopeful as he wrapped his arms loosely around Eliot.
"Mind? No. But think about it." Eliot rationalized. "We skip out and leave our friends to have dinner with my family. What do you think the topic of the night is going to be?"
"Let them talk." Nate shrugged.
"I could care less what they say tonight, but I just might have to hand somebody their ass if I'm stuck listening to stupid speculations tomorrow." Eliot swore.
"That's a worry for tomorrow." Nate tried to convince with a chaste kiss.
"Nice try" Eliot breathed as Nate's arms tightened around him. "But it ain't happening."
"Is there at least a consolation prize?" Nate relented as he let go of Eliot.
"Dinner"
"I'm thrilled" Nate's sarcasm was especially dry as he began to re-tuck his shirt.
"So am I" Eliot smirked; Nate was close to moping.
"Can we at least make it a short one?" The amusement Eliot was receiving from his displeasure was not appreciated.
"I don't think that's possible around here." Eliot denied as he started out the door. "You might just have to settle on a raincheck for that quiet spot of yours."
"Oh no, I'm not accepting any more vouchers. I've just collected my third 'I owe you' of the day and I'm not stacking a raincheck on top of it." He absolutely refused.
"You're counting?" That had Eliot's brow raised as he turned to see Nate's face.
"With the way my luck's going?" His expression screamed, 'Hell yeah!'
"Well don't worry" Eliot placated as he continued to the stairs. "I pay my debts."
Nate laughed as he admitted, "I'm counting on it."
E/N: Next chapter will pick up immediately from here. And Yes, this is the fourth part of this "day", but it's been a very eventful one! The whole family finally knows about their relationship which has been LONG coming.
Let me know what you think about the way that they told Pete and the kids? What do you think Pete's reaction will be when he sees Eliot again after that abrupt announcement?
Thanks for reading!