A Balance of Harmonies: Perfection
May. 9th, 2012 12:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warKarma or comeuppance or whatever you want to call it exists and has made a difference in my life. Or maybe it just seems that way.
Let me just start by saying that I was a child with dearly held beliefs (judgmental). When I was in kindergarten the teacher gave tests, one of which was a maze and we weren’t allowed to erase. I made a mistake and wanted to fix it and was told no. I got angry (so angry that I remember it 30 some years later). Not in the yelling, screaming way, but by quietly tell myself that I would never like or trust anyone with her last name ever again.
As a teenager I thought all boys my age were immature (they were), but I remember telling someone that I wouldn’t date a guy younger than me (they made me think of my little brother) and my birth date wasn’t the cut off, my sister’s was (she’s fifteen months older than me) I said even one day younger than my sister was too young for me. (That this was to a woman that was two years older than her husband didn’t stop my tongue. She did what was good for her and I would do what was good for me.)
And throughout my life my sister always got lots of attention for her baby blonde hair. I hated that. I knew my auburn was prettier than her blonde and anyway lots of people have blonde hair while my color was practically unique. I decided I wasn’t interested in blonds.
So of course I married a blond one day younger than my sister and now share a last name with my kindergarten teacher (although I don’t believe she is related).
Title: Perfection
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter sixty-nine of
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: going home, unshed tears, understanding, a shared shower, seating arrangements, a cleaning frenzy, an early breakfast
Length: about 1,500 words
Summary: Kurt spoils Emil. Emil needs the affection. And Peregrine drives his family crazy.
Master list
Kurt got in his car and waved at people as he left the park. Keith and Olivia had convinced Hunter to spend the afternoon with them. They were going out to lunch then clothes shopping. Keith didn’t think Hunter had enough clothes. Kurt agreed. Ivory hadn’t needed a lift either way. Phil only managed to drag his eyes from Ivory when he was preaching and helping his flock. Kurt hadn’t asked if they’d moved in together, but that was probably only a matter of time.
Kit and Brody had offered Kurt lunch, but Emil was waiting at home for him. Emil had gone to Zan and Autumn’s for a while, but they were both busy working on clothes for small children. Another friend, or a couple of friends, of theirs had recently acquired children and the small ones didn’t have proper apparel. Or something.
Either way, Emil would be home.
Kurt pulled into his parking spot. Should he have picked up lunch? Too late now. Maybe he could take Emil out.
The elevators were both in use, so Kurt ran up the stairs. He opened the door and Emil looked up from his new flowers, but the sparkles in his eyes this time were unshed tears. Kurt picked him up and sat on the couch with Emil in his lap. “How was your day?”
“Oh, Kurt,” Emil pulled him close. “I love you so much.”
And Kurt did his all to make his beautiful Emil happy again.
--
Peregrine surveyed the ramp’s base. “Are you sure it will work?”
Mr. Matheson took off his hat and wiped his forehead. “I’ve made plenty of ramps in my time.”
“But not for my father. This one has to be… It has to be perfect.”
Mr. Matheson put his hat back on and set his hand on Peregrine’s shoulder. “One ramp is never going to make up for the years you were gone and it’s not going to stand in your place if you decide never to come home again. Love the man inside the house.”
Peregrine stepped away and rubbed his hair. He just had to get through the next few days. “What if he’s hard to love?”
Mr. Matheson smiled. “Those are the kind that need love most.”
“But what if he doesn’t love this me?” How could anyone?
“He does.” Mr. Matheson patted Peregrine on the back. “I know him better than you do, boy. I’ve known him all his life and let me tell you that your leaving threw your family for a loop. Don’t do it again.”
“But I live in Portland.” And being away from his men was driving him crazy.
“Live, sure, but come and visit. Call maybe. Something like that. Now do you want to help?”
“Yes!”
“Marcus, where are the hand rails?”
Marcus pointed to some boards laying on a tarp. Mr. Matheson handed Peregrine rough sandpaper. ‘”You know how this works? Use the finer paper as the wood gets smoother.”
Peregrine set to work. No other ramp in town would be as well sanded as this one.
--
Emil wiped his eyes on the nearest piece of fabric, which just happened to be Kurt’s shirt. “Sorry.”
Kurt kissed his neck. “You’ve had quite the week and then this… Cry all you like.”
“But your shirt.”
Kurt grinned. “This just means I won’t get to see you walking around in it.” He looked at the clock. “Which we don’t have time for anyway. Keith said about twenty more minutes. Do you want a shower to wash the tears away?”
Emil didn’t want to be alone right now. He’d just cry again. “With you?”
Kurt grinned and picked him up. Emil held on tight. The shower would have to be short because their clothes were strewn all over the living room, but some things were worth the embarrassment.
--
Kurt sat down on a bench and held his hand up for Emil to sit next to him. They were at the noodle place for dinner. Olivia flounced over and stared at the table. “I want to sit by Daddy and Hunter and Kurt.”
Keith laughed. “You only have two sides.”
“But Daddy, I wish I had three.”
Kurt pointed at the bench at the head of the table. “You can sit there and be queen.”
“I can?”
“You can.”
“But if I’m queen, who will you be?”
Keith smiled. “There’s a joke here about all us being queens, but I probably shouldn’t go there.”
Kurt was pretty sure what he meant. “Not unless you want to explain it.”
“I’ll think I’ll pass.” Keith sat down.
“Daddy!”
“Darlin’!”
“Daddy!”
Hunter slipped into the last chair beside Keith. “I know what he meant. I think.”
Olivia got up on her knees. “Hunter?”
Hunter looked down. “I can’t tell you because you’re not a boy.”
“Oh.” Olivia deflated. “That doesn’t sound very funny. But why aren’t you sitting by me?”
Olivia had ended up between Keith and Emil, the one person she hadn’t asked to sit with. Kurt reached across the table and patted Hunter’s hand. “He’s sitting by me.”
“But I want to sit by you.” She stood up. The waiter arrived with the food and stopped behind Hunter.
Hunter got up quickly, slipped between the tables, slid down the bench past the other table, and then walked around the dining room. He arrived back at the table as the waiter left.
Keith put his hand on Hunter’s arm. “You don’t like anyone coming up behind you. I can understand the feeling. We’ll put you against the wall next time.”
Emil slid to the corner. “You can sit here.”
Hunter shook his head. “I’ll sit here by you, Emil.” He put his hand at the top of the table. “And be a queen.”
And then he smiled. Maybe the kid would turn out all right after all.
--
Peregrine’s mother opened the front door. “Peregrine, I’m sure that is well sanded.”
Peregrine ran his hand up the post. “Almost.”
“Come in now. Dinner is on. You’re staying with us, but I don’t see you. You’re worse than a teenager during the summer; they at least come home to sleep.”
Peregrine looked up. “I’m sorry. I’m not fit for company.”
“But we aren’t company, we’re family.”
Peregrine grinned. “Then you have to put up with me, no matter how annoying I am?”
“You aren’t annoying. Get in here.”
She spoke a good game, but once dinner was eaten and Peregrine had washed the dishes and put everything away and cleaned the counter and swept and mopped the floor and dusted and neatened and vacuumed the living room and then moved down the hall with a dishtowel and a bucket, she threw up her hands, went in her room, and closed the door.
--
Kurt woke. Someone was in the condo. That would be Hunter. Kurt leaned on his elbow and looked at the clock. His alarm hadn’t even gone off yet. What was Hunter doing awake?
Kurt rolled out of bed. Emil protested. Kurt wanted to stay in bed. He got up and pulled on his boxers and shirt.
Hunter was opening cupboards and drawers in the kitchen. Kurt leaned on the counter. “What’s up?”
Hunter looked at him then away. “I thought I’d make breakfast.”
“That’s nice, but have you noticed the time?”
“My room doesn’t have a clock.”
That was true, but the kitchen had clocks on the microwave and the stove and the living room had a large analogue one on the wall. “We won’t need to eat for at least an hour.”
Hunter closed the silverware drawer. “Emil said you got up really early.”
“Six a.m. early, not four something.”
Hunter hung his head. “Sorry.”
“Not a problem. Are you hungry?”
Hunter looked away.
“I’ll make some pancakes. I’m always hungry.”
Kurt had Hunter do at least half the work. Hunter was laughing at Kurt’s bad jokes by the time the food was ready. Kurt made sure to offer Hunter things less sweet than syrup to top his pancakes. After they ate, Kurt sent Hunter back to bed. Hunter stopped at his door. “Kurt?”
“Yes.”
“Wake me up before you leave?”
“In time for another breakfast?”
Hunter shook his head. “I just want to be awake when you leave.”
Kurt promised and slid back in his bed. Emil cuddled against him. Kurt took several deep breaths. Emil needed his sleep. Emil moaned Kurt’s name. Maybe he needed something else more. Kurt ran his hand down Emil’s side. Emil shuddered and whispered his name. Kurt leaned close to his head. “Emil darling, you make me too hard to sleep.”
And Emil turned in his arms and pushed Kurt onto his back. “Mine.”
Kurt was Emil’s. All of Kurt. And he gave himself willingly.
Let me just start by saying that I was a child with dearly held beliefs (judgmental). When I was in kindergarten the teacher gave tests, one of which was a maze and we weren’t allowed to erase. I made a mistake and wanted to fix it and was told no. I got angry (so angry that I remember it 30 some years later). Not in the yelling, screaming way, but by quietly tell myself that I would never like or trust anyone with her last name ever again.
As a teenager I thought all boys my age were immature (they were), but I remember telling someone that I wouldn’t date a guy younger than me (they made me think of my little brother) and my birth date wasn’t the cut off, my sister’s was (she’s fifteen months older than me) I said even one day younger than my sister was too young for me. (That this was to a woman that was two years older than her husband didn’t stop my tongue. She did what was good for her and I would do what was good for me.)
And throughout my life my sister always got lots of attention for her baby blonde hair. I hated that. I knew my auburn was prettier than her blonde and anyway lots of people have blonde hair while my color was practically unique. I decided I wasn’t interested in blonds.
So of course I married a blond one day younger than my sister and now share a last name with my kindergarten teacher (although I don’t believe she is related).
Title: Perfection
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter sixty-nine of
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: going home, unshed tears, understanding, a shared shower, seating arrangements, a cleaning frenzy, an early breakfast
Length: about 1,500 words
Summary: Kurt spoils Emil. Emil needs the affection. And Peregrine drives his family crazy.
Master list
Kurt got in his car and waved at people as he left the park. Keith and Olivia had convinced Hunter to spend the afternoon with them. They were going out to lunch then clothes shopping. Keith didn’t think Hunter had enough clothes. Kurt agreed. Ivory hadn’t needed a lift either way. Phil only managed to drag his eyes from Ivory when he was preaching and helping his flock. Kurt hadn’t asked if they’d moved in together, but that was probably only a matter of time.
Kit and Brody had offered Kurt lunch, but Emil was waiting at home for him. Emil had gone to Zan and Autumn’s for a while, but they were both busy working on clothes for small children. Another friend, or a couple of friends, of theirs had recently acquired children and the small ones didn’t have proper apparel. Or something.
Either way, Emil would be home.
Kurt pulled into his parking spot. Should he have picked up lunch? Too late now. Maybe he could take Emil out.
The elevators were both in use, so Kurt ran up the stairs. He opened the door and Emil looked up from his new flowers, but the sparkles in his eyes this time were unshed tears. Kurt picked him up and sat on the couch with Emil in his lap. “How was your day?”
“Oh, Kurt,” Emil pulled him close. “I love you so much.”
And Kurt did his all to make his beautiful Emil happy again.
--
Peregrine surveyed the ramp’s base. “Are you sure it will work?”
Mr. Matheson took off his hat and wiped his forehead. “I’ve made plenty of ramps in my time.”
“But not for my father. This one has to be… It has to be perfect.”
Mr. Matheson put his hat back on and set his hand on Peregrine’s shoulder. “One ramp is never going to make up for the years you were gone and it’s not going to stand in your place if you decide never to come home again. Love the man inside the house.”
Peregrine stepped away and rubbed his hair. He just had to get through the next few days. “What if he’s hard to love?”
Mr. Matheson smiled. “Those are the kind that need love most.”
“But what if he doesn’t love this me?” How could anyone?
“He does.” Mr. Matheson patted Peregrine on the back. “I know him better than you do, boy. I’ve known him all his life and let me tell you that your leaving threw your family for a loop. Don’t do it again.”
“But I live in Portland.” And being away from his men was driving him crazy.
“Live, sure, but come and visit. Call maybe. Something like that. Now do you want to help?”
“Yes!”
“Marcus, where are the hand rails?”
Marcus pointed to some boards laying on a tarp. Mr. Matheson handed Peregrine rough sandpaper. ‘”You know how this works? Use the finer paper as the wood gets smoother.”
Peregrine set to work. No other ramp in town would be as well sanded as this one.
--
Emil wiped his eyes on the nearest piece of fabric, which just happened to be Kurt’s shirt. “Sorry.”
Kurt kissed his neck. “You’ve had quite the week and then this… Cry all you like.”
“But your shirt.”
Kurt grinned. “This just means I won’t get to see you walking around in it.” He looked at the clock. “Which we don’t have time for anyway. Keith said about twenty more minutes. Do you want a shower to wash the tears away?”
Emil didn’t want to be alone right now. He’d just cry again. “With you?”
Kurt grinned and picked him up. Emil held on tight. The shower would have to be short because their clothes were strewn all over the living room, but some things were worth the embarrassment.
--
Kurt sat down on a bench and held his hand up for Emil to sit next to him. They were at the noodle place for dinner. Olivia flounced over and stared at the table. “I want to sit by Daddy and Hunter and Kurt.”
Keith laughed. “You only have two sides.”
“But Daddy, I wish I had three.”
Kurt pointed at the bench at the head of the table. “You can sit there and be queen.”
“I can?”
“You can.”
“But if I’m queen, who will you be?”
Keith smiled. “There’s a joke here about all us being queens, but I probably shouldn’t go there.”
Kurt was pretty sure what he meant. “Not unless you want to explain it.”
“I’ll think I’ll pass.” Keith sat down.
“Daddy!”
“Darlin’!”
“Daddy!”
Hunter slipped into the last chair beside Keith. “I know what he meant. I think.”
Olivia got up on her knees. “Hunter?”
Hunter looked down. “I can’t tell you because you’re not a boy.”
“Oh.” Olivia deflated. “That doesn’t sound very funny. But why aren’t you sitting by me?”
Olivia had ended up between Keith and Emil, the one person she hadn’t asked to sit with. Kurt reached across the table and patted Hunter’s hand. “He’s sitting by me.”
“But I want to sit by you.” She stood up. The waiter arrived with the food and stopped behind Hunter.
Hunter got up quickly, slipped between the tables, slid down the bench past the other table, and then walked around the dining room. He arrived back at the table as the waiter left.
Keith put his hand on Hunter’s arm. “You don’t like anyone coming up behind you. I can understand the feeling. We’ll put you against the wall next time.”
Emil slid to the corner. “You can sit here.”
Hunter shook his head. “I’ll sit here by you, Emil.” He put his hand at the top of the table. “And be a queen.”
And then he smiled. Maybe the kid would turn out all right after all.
--
Peregrine’s mother opened the front door. “Peregrine, I’m sure that is well sanded.”
Peregrine ran his hand up the post. “Almost.”
“Come in now. Dinner is on. You’re staying with us, but I don’t see you. You’re worse than a teenager during the summer; they at least come home to sleep.”
Peregrine looked up. “I’m sorry. I’m not fit for company.”
“But we aren’t company, we’re family.”
Peregrine grinned. “Then you have to put up with me, no matter how annoying I am?”
“You aren’t annoying. Get in here.”
She spoke a good game, but once dinner was eaten and Peregrine had washed the dishes and put everything away and cleaned the counter and swept and mopped the floor and dusted and neatened and vacuumed the living room and then moved down the hall with a dishtowel and a bucket, she threw up her hands, went in her room, and closed the door.
--
Kurt woke. Someone was in the condo. That would be Hunter. Kurt leaned on his elbow and looked at the clock. His alarm hadn’t even gone off yet. What was Hunter doing awake?
Kurt rolled out of bed. Emil protested. Kurt wanted to stay in bed. He got up and pulled on his boxers and shirt.
Hunter was opening cupboards and drawers in the kitchen. Kurt leaned on the counter. “What’s up?”
Hunter looked at him then away. “I thought I’d make breakfast.”
“That’s nice, but have you noticed the time?”
“My room doesn’t have a clock.”
That was true, but the kitchen had clocks on the microwave and the stove and the living room had a large analogue one on the wall. “We won’t need to eat for at least an hour.”
Hunter closed the silverware drawer. “Emil said you got up really early.”
“Six a.m. early, not four something.”
Hunter hung his head. “Sorry.”
“Not a problem. Are you hungry?”
Hunter looked away.
“I’ll make some pancakes. I’m always hungry.”
Kurt had Hunter do at least half the work. Hunter was laughing at Kurt’s bad jokes by the time the food was ready. Kurt made sure to offer Hunter things less sweet than syrup to top his pancakes. After they ate, Kurt sent Hunter back to bed. Hunter stopped at his door. “Kurt?”
“Yes.”
“Wake me up before you leave?”
“In time for another breakfast?”
Hunter shook his head. “I just want to be awake when you leave.”
Kurt promised and slid back in his bed. Emil cuddled against him. Kurt took several deep breaths. Emil needed his sleep. Emil moaned Kurt’s name. Maybe he needed something else more. Kurt ran his hand down Emil’s side. Emil shuddered and whispered his name. Kurt leaned close to his head. “Emil darling, you make me too hard to sleep.”
And Emil turned in his arms and pushed Kurt onto his back. “Mine.”
Kurt was Emil’s. All of Kurt. And he gave himself willingly.
