Valentine's Weekend 2016: Part III.
When Valentine's Day itself finally dawned, it was to find Flint still mulling over the idea that Beats had put into his head the night before, as he made himself some breakfast. He was eating a large one, as Izzy was coming over for a late lunch, and he did not want to end up snacking later on. She was working an early shift, and he was not entirely unhappy about that - it meant that he could knuckle down to his college work without feeling guilty on this day of romance. As his toast popped out of the toaster, a hand suddenly appeared and grabbed one slice, leaving Flint shaking his head. "Does Elliott know that you are an early morning toast snatcher? Maybe I should warn him about it before he gets in too deep…"
"Elliott makes me toast, thank you very much. We sometimes even cut a single slice in half and share it. It is called love…" came the reply, and Flint had to smile. Beats was so much happier since Elliott had come into his life, and that made him happy. He placed two more slices of bread in the toaster, and then turned to watch his shirtless best friend spread a copious amount of jelly on his toast. It was there in his face; in the way his eyes twinkled; even in the way that he dressed.
'Thank God that Kurt met Elliott, and he was in our lives for Beats to find,' he thought. "So, will you be home from New York tonight, or will you be staying over?"
"I will be back in time for my first class tomorrow, unless something comes up. Elliott has the day off, and well - today is the day…" Beats replied sheepishly.
Flint knew exactly what his friend was implying, and he nodded. He hoped that it would be as fulfilling for both of them as they anticipated. He was the tiniest bit jealous, as both he and Izzy had concluded that it was best for them to wait, but overall, he was very happy for him. "Ok, I won't wait up! Which brings me on to the topic that we were discussing last night. I think after sleeping on it that you might actually have a valid point; it would be a shame if us moving on with our lives destroyed the livelihood of everyone else at the bar, so we should endeavour to procure our own replacements. However, I want it made plain to everyone involved that we are only recruiting at least two new people to dance; they will not be getting involved in any of the other funny business. We just need to find an appropriate place to advertise, because I don't think that either the student notice boards or the college magazine are the right one."
"Yeah - I can't imagine a notice saying 'Male Strippers wanted!' going down too well with either the Principal, or the Deans. There are places online, and we can even put an advert on the bar's own website. I can probably start sorting that out today, if you are 100% certain that you want to get involved in the process."
"I'm as sure as I can be. It is hardly what Dalton was educating us for, but yes, get it sorted." Beats nodded, checked his watch, and cramming the last of his toast in his mouth, hurried off to get dressed. Flint sat down to finish his toast slowly, all the time wondering how Izzy would react when he told her that he was becoming a talent scout for a strip joint…
As Beats agonised over what shirt to wear in Princeton, and as in Manhattan, Elliott ran around his small downtown apartment, tidying the place up for the third time that morning, a man in a house in New Jersey began to make preparations for a trip into New York. His wife and daughter were out - the former at her work, the latter with whichever boy she had chosen to spend Valentine's day with. Romance might well have been in the air elsewhere, but in that house in Bergenfield, it was nowhere to be seen. Ever since that pile of official paperwork had arrived at the end of December, he had been seething with anger. It was bad enough that his eldest son had turned out a queer; for them both to be was too much, particularly when your daughter was no better than a whore. Still, that letter had given him the information that he had needed. He knew where to find his two miscreant sons. His youngest son could still be cured by the camp in New England; could be left there until the fag had been beaten out of his body and mind. But as for his eldest - well, it was far too late. It was far too ingrained in his psyche, his body destroyed by his wicked, sinful way of life. No, once he had secured Josh, he would ensure that Elliott paid the price of sin. He would leave his gun at home - it was too noisy and too messy. But his baseball bat and his fists were perfect for the task in hand. Leave the boy black, blue and bloodied, his mind destroyed. That was what Mr Gilbert hoped to achieve with his eldest son…
Nick and Jeff had also woken up early that morning; ironically, both of them had done so with the intention of making the other breakfast in bed as a surprise. Nick had wanted to do so in return for Jeff having done it the year before, whilst his husband had wanted to start a tradition. So they compromised, and went and made breakfast in harmony, singing as they did so. They did not realise that they had woken Mike and Tina, nor did they see the two of them watching round the corner of the kitchen door as the two of them dueted on How d'ya like your eggs in the morning as they prepared scrambled eggs and toast as Jeff had done the year before - although admittedly the kitchen was left a lot tidier this time. Their cooking done, the two of them headed back to bed, not noticing Mike and Tina darting away, with Caleb right behind them. When he heard Nick and Jeff's bedroom door shut, Mike took Tina back to the kitchen, and he set about making her scrambled eggs and toast too. He had discovered the heart shaped cutter for the toast the night before, and he used it without her knowledge, making her smile broadly. He himself stuck with his usual bowl of granola and fruit, knowing that he would be having lunch with Tina soon enough, prior to his shift and her train back to college. He also had another surprise planned for her later. He still thought that it was far too soon for the two of them to get engaged, but he had instead bought a pendant which separated into two interlocking parts. He would give her half, along with a delicate silver chain on which she could wear it. The other half he would wear around his own neck on a simple string. It felt so right, but so much less formal than a diamond ring.
Across the landing, Rachel had woken to a knock on her bedroom door, and Sam had appeared, carrying a tray on which he had made a vegan breakfast in bed. He had gone all out and bought Vegan bacon (although he had wondered how it could be described as bacon when it had no connection to a pig). He was serving it up on a wholewheat muffin, along with Vegan French toast. It had been time consuming, but he had mastered it after several failed efforts in the kitchen of the Spotlight. It was all worth it for the look on Rachel's face when she saw it, alongside a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, and a red rose in a tiny vase.
Sometimes Rachel felt that Sam had a raw deal in being with her; she still thought about Finn a lot, and worse yet, she talked about him, though not as much as she had done at first. She did not know that when Sam had spoken to Blaine about it, he had told him to talk about Mercedes a lot, or Quinn, or even Brittany if Santana was out of the house. That had been very effective in no time whatsoever. She had not asked him to change to a Vegan diet, just pointed out the importance of a good mouthwash for his dental hygiene. Now she asked him to join her for breakfast, and he agreed, going back to the kitchen to collect his own breakfast of toast and cereal. They sat side by side on the bed, smiling at each other, and enjoying the day. Rachel had to go to work and Sam had to write an essay for school, then work a shift at the diner. This was the only time Sam thought they would have together, but what he did not know was that Rachel was planning on cooking dinner for him later after their work was done.
Across the town in Murray Hill, this had also been the original plan for Cooper and Grace, but then a minor spanner had been thrown in the works as Grace had been waiting for Cooper at the theatre the night before. As they had been about to leave the theatre, the director suddenly appeared, and after greeting Grace, told Cooper that there was a visitor from England who wanted to meet him for an informal chat about his part before he returned home to London on Monday. Then he had dropped the bombshell. "I know that this is the last thing that you two lovebirds will want to hear, and I can only apologise for it, but I have said that you will meet him for dinner tomorrow night at Sardi's. Now, I am certain that the two of you had made other plans, but this… I can't say anymore, but this meeting, Cooper - it is going to be to your advantage. I did point out the date to him, so he has compromised and is willing to meet you after the show, get you to the table, have the discussion over the starter, then he will leave you alone to finish the meal, at his expense - and by you I mean the two of you."
"Well, we did have plans, and I don't want to let Grace down," Cooper began.
"Actually, I am intrigued and I think that we should go, CJ. After all, he is paying for dinner, and I am curious as to why a guy from England of all places wants to see you for. Maybe he wants you for a West End show," said Grace.
"I hope not. I couldn't bear to leave you alone for that long. But we will go, just because I am every bit as curious to hear what he wants to say as you…"
Their plans for the evening altered, Cooper and Grace were now making the most of a leisurely breakfast in a peaceful house. Mason had already been awake when Grace came down, anxious to catch the first possible train to New Haven to see Jane. He had a bag full of gifts with him, and after a quick good morning, he had left for Grand Central. Upstairs, Roderick and Seth were still crashed out in his room; across the hall, Josh and Scott were also still asleep, curled up together on the bed, a sheet between them to keep the older generation happy. Grace savoured the quiet in her tidy kitchen; Mason had been tasked with ensuring that the house was left clean and tidy the night before and he had kept his promise. She opened the fridge, and paused. In front of her was a platter of prepared fruit, a bowl of cream cheese, and a packet of smoked salmon, none of which had been there the night before when she had been putting the milk away after making herself a late drink….
"I did it last night, because it was the only way that I could ensure that I got down first," came a voice, and she turned round to see Cooper standing in the doorway grinning, a paper bag in his hand. "Also, my love, I asked Mason to leave a little early to get me some fresh bagels and croissants from the bakery before he went for his train. They're still warm…"
"You, CJ, are full of surprises this morning. Maybe Blaine isn't the only romantic brother after all…"
Cooper smiled, and replied, "He might have taught me a thing or two, yeah. Happy Valentine's Day, Gracie." Placing the bag on the table, he kissed her, then guided her to a chair whilst he went about preparing breakfast. As she sat there and relaxed, all she could think was how lucky she was to have met the man she knew that she could happily spend the rest of her life with. The man she suddenly realised she wanted to have children with - and that thought was something entirely new.
As Mason headed out of the city, the train that Beats was travelling on was speeding its way through the suburban sprawl of New Jersey, transporting him to Elliott. He too had a bag of gifts, all of which were of a practical nature. He had bought a warm wool sweater in a shade that Kurt had informed him would suit Elliott to a tee; a bottle of good wine for them to share - and yes, a teddy bear just to take advantage of the sheer mushy cuteness of the day. This would after all be their first Valentine's Day as a couple, and though both of them were of the opinion that the whole holiday was mainly a cynical way for Hallmark to sell more greetings cards, they could still see the point in having a day that was dedicated to love. They had no restaurant booked, no tickets for a show; their plans involved them staying at Elliott's place the entire day, enjoying each other's company. Yes, the majority of their time would be spent in the bedroom, and both of them had admitted as much to their closest friends. Flint's response had been to blush madly; Dani had winked. Josh also had an idea what the two of them would be doing, and had promised that he would not disturb them.
It was thus a smiling Beats that made his way along the street from the subway, whistling a happy tune to himself. On impulse, he stopped at the florist and purchased a plant; he knew that Elliott would prefer that to a cheesy bunch of roses that would wither and die all too soon. He no longer needed to ring the buzzer to gain entry; he had been given a key after that Sunday in January. He closed the street door carefully behind him, and headed up the steps to the little apartment on the top floor, still whistling away quietly. He decided to knock, out of politeness, but having done so, he pulled out his key again. Before he could use it, the door was opened by a smiling Elliott, who stepped aside to let him in. Beats stepped in, and once the door was closed behind him, embraced his boyfriend warmly, revelling in a deep and passionate kiss. They pulled apart, and Beats handed Elliott his bag of gifts. He took it with a smile, before placing it on the couch, and saying "I will unwrap these in a moment. There is something else that I need to unwrap first…." As he began to undo the buttons on Beats' shirt, the ex-Warbler blushed, but out of happiness. After all, Elliott was only wearing a robe, so what he was doing was only fair…
Beats had not noticed that as he was walking along the street outside, he was being watched intently, the eyes focusing on him all the more as he had let himself into the block. He had no reason to have expected it after all, and had not thought anything of the man that was sitting alone in his car. Mr Gilbert had also, after a moment spent wondering if it was his son approaching, disregarded Beats as being just a neighbour. Someone that would never even notice what was going on, once he had accessed the building. And that would be simple enough; the flimsy street door would be no match for his tools…
On the other side of the country, Thad Harwood woke up that morning to the sound of dishes being rattled in the kitchen - and that set him on edge at once. David had spent the night away with Mercedes; she had been singing at a gig in San Francisco, and he had gone with her so they could spend time together, although he had been staying in a separate room, naturally. So given that the display on his bedside clock showed him that it was just a little after 7am, Thad knew that it could not possibly be his roommate in the kitchen. He tensed at the prospect of having to confront an intruder in his nightwear at first, but there was a small part of him that was unafraid, and it was that part that made him get up and move swiftly but quietly through the house to confront them. He had noticed that since Wes had died, he had none of the qualms he had once suffered from in dangerous situations; he knew that either his guardian angels would protect him, or that he would be quickly reunited with the man he loved in the worst case scenario. As he padded down the hall that morning, he had only one regret if this was to be the end; he had booked himself a kite-surfing session the following weekend - the prospect of which had made David stare at him then shake his head when he had announced it - and he had been looking forward to it. It would be terrible if he missed it now…
As he put his head cautiously round the side of the kitchen door, his heart rate calmed. He immediately recognised the man in the kitchen, and if he was being honest, the fact that they were there wasn't such a big surprise, today of all days. "Now, is this strictly allowed? I don't want you getting into trouble and ending up in detention all over again…"
Wes turned round from where he was preparing pancake batter, with a slightly crestfallen expression on his face. "I knew it; the moment that I jostled those plates, I knew that you would wake up and spoil my surprise. I was trying to make you breakfast in bed. I was trying to show you how I would be treating you if…"
"It was a lovely thought, Wessie, and I am sorry that I have spoilt things for you. I do know how you would have treated me if circumstances had been different though, and I know that when we are reunited, I can expect to be brought breakfast in bed every single day…"
"Don't push it Thaddeus. Once a week, maybe."
"It wouldn't matter to me how often you did it. I would just be grateful that I was with you, each and every day, for all eternity."
"I do love you so much, my little one…"
"And I love you for all eternity, and you know that is true. So why don't we just sit at the table together and share breakfast, if you have the time that is?"
"I do. Elizabeth has given me the whole morning off, and permission to cook for you. I think she will actually be happy that you have woken up. She did frown for a moment when I said the 'in bed' part of my plan."
"She was probably worried that I would lose all self control and ravage you as you sat on the bed with me," said Thad with a grin and a wink. "And maybe she was right to be worried. I mean, pancakes, a bed, you… rules broken in the blink of an eye by my impetuous behaviour - it would have meant months if not years of punishment for you this time…"
Wes had managed to keep a straight face up until that point, but now as Thad made big eyes at him, and tried unsuccessfully to bat his eyelashes, he burst out laughing, which caused Thad to do the same. Wes removed the pan from the heat, and fell to the floor, and just allowed himself to laugh. Thad fell at his side, leaning his head on his shoulder. For just a moment, they could allow themselves to forget the division that kept them from being as close to each other as they wanted to be…
Eventually their laughter died down, and they sat next to each other and smiled. "Happy Valentine's Day, Thaddie," said Wes, before moving to kiss him chastely on the cheek.
"Right back at you, my only love," came his reply, as Thad delivered an equally chaste kiss in return.
Wes got up and held out a hand to Thad, who accepted it gratefully. Once he was back on his feet, Wes returned the pan to the heat, and got ready to cook his pancakes, whilst Thad went first to set the table, and then returned to search in the cupboard for the jar of honey he knew was hidden away at the back - it was pancake topping of choice for Wes. He could see that there was already a jar of blueberry jelly on the table, and he smiled, happy that Wes still recalled how he had always kept a jar of it in his dorm room at Dalton for those moments when he craved a semi-healthy sugar rush…
That was when it dawned on him, after so long. The jar of jelly in his room had never seemed to run out until his senior year… He made his way over to the table, and placed the jar of honey next to the place he had laid for Wes, who was walking over by that point with a small pile of pancakes. As he placed them on the table, Wes was rewarded with another kiss from Thad. It left him puzzled, but not unhappy by any means.
"That, my love, was in thanks for three years of blueberry jelly," said Thad. "You really did always love me. I just wish that I had worked it out sooner…" Wes blushed and nodded, putting an arm around the man he loved. He just wished that he had said something to him a lot sooner too…
Wes and Thad proceeded to enjoy their breakfast in a companionable silence, their eyes meeting all the time as they both enjoyed the pleasure of being in each others company. Thad's sudden revelation about the blueberry jelly, something that Wes had first done two weeks after he had heard him sing in his audition for the Warblers, had made the angel's heart swell with a sense of complete happiness that he had not felt for a long time. For Thad, the fact that he could still spend the morning of Valentine's Day with the man he loved was a pleasure. He realised that it was only really possible for this to happen because Wes had died; had he still been alive, ironically, then he would have been stuck in Harvard in his final year of study, and not able to sit with him in his kitchen in L.A.
"I know, my love; it is one of the few benefits of my demise," Wes said, and Thad suddenly blushed at the fact that Wes now seemed to be able to read his thoughts, one of the few drawbacks he supposed of dating an angel. "I used to think that I would rather have the distance between us and still be here, alive," Wes continued, "but now I am not so sure. I can see you whenever I want, and can run to your side in an instant when you need me. I couldn't have done that if I had been alive on the other side of the continent. Even once we both graduated, it would have come down to the fact that one of us would have to make a hard decision…"
"I would have found a job in New York; Dalton is not the only school in the world, after all," said Thad with a smile. "Your career would have been the important factor for me. We could have found a nice place in the city to live, close to our friends. Spent your trust fund on a nice place in Chelsea, or Murray Hill, or the West Village…"
Wes laughed, and replied, "So we were going to spend my money on it?"
"I was the poorer of the two of us after all, and I would have helped with the costs of furnishing the place. A teacher's salary isn't huge and doesn't go very far, even in Ohio. If it wasn't for the fact that one of the Dorm Master's was retiring this year, I would probably have had to find a place to live miles from Dalton. Ok, so this way I am on the premises 24/7, but I don't mind. I want to be there, to be a source of help, advice and discipline. I mean, if there had been a decent Dorm Master around when Hunter was at his worst, then maybe, just maybe, some of the things that happened to people could have been avoided or prevented. I see it as a privilege anyway, to have been asked to take on the role at such a young age. It isn't as if I will be completely devoid of adult company in any case - Jeff's cousin Dylan lives in too, so we can seek each other out if we need an adult voice."
"And I will be around all the time too, because I am never going to be leaving your side," said Wes, as he leant over the table to kiss Thad once more.
Eventually, Wes got up from the table, and headed over to do the washing up before he had to head back to the office. As was the case with all other holidays, there was a spike in deaths on February 14th, as people lives came to an end when unrequited loves or lost ones took their toll on the mind and body, and the will to live was lost. Then there were those that found themselves victims of crimes of passion, the numbers of which increased as the holiday chaos descended, and finally the lonely, for whom the day was often too much of a strain.
Thad immediately got up and joined him, insisting on helping; he offered to dry the dishes after Wes washed, and though Wes was not especially happy about it, he had to comply. "I always saw our long term relationship, Wessie, as a partnership of equals; much as I like the idea of being spoiled, and the whole romance of having an angel of my very own making breakfast for me, I love the idea of the two of us sharing the tasks all the more. Maybe we could do this again sometime for dinner; cook it side by side, then eat it by candlelight."
"I would like that, my love; just the two of us, working together as a couple. The two of us working together is something that I envisage in the long run too; by the time that your life comes to its close, I might well be in a position where I will require the services of a good assistant."
"I knew it! You only want me for my note taking skills!" said Thad in a mock scandalised tone.
"As if! I want you because from the moment that you first sang in my presence as a freshman that day in Dalton, you melted my heart, and made me long to get you all alone…" responded Wes in a flirtatious tone.
Thad blushed, then pulled Wes into a tight hug. "You, my dear, will have me all alone in the future, and then it will be for eternity. We just have to wait…." Wes nodded and sighed. Waiting was not easy, particularly when he fell in love with Thad more and more each day.