A Balance of Harmonies: Mouths of Babes
Jul. 1st, 2012 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warWhen writers send their characters to prehistoric times, it’s always during the dinosaurs. But what about during the time whales walked on land. I just read that dolphins are descended from hoofed wolf-like creatures. I’d love to read a story with those in it.
Title: Mouths of Babes
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter seventy-seven of
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: not sleeping, waking up, a nap, thinking, a shower, scheduling error, a rescue, possessiveness, excuses, care, lack of sleep, smiles, peace, a bad day, mummies, coming out.
Length: about 3,000 words
Summary: Emil finds something better than sleep. Kurt leaves things in Zawadzki’s hands. And Peregrine comes out about Kurt.
Master list
Emil tossed himself on the hotel bed. He was exhausted. But then Peregrine stripped in full view and his mind was on other things than sleep.
--
Kurt’s alarm changed to the ringing of his phone. He grabbed it and opened it without looking at the caller ID.
“Hello, handsome,” Emil purred. “I wanted to catch you before you got out of bed. I didn’t call too early, did I?”
Kurt smiled. “You had perfect timing.”
“Like always, right?” said Peregrine. “We wanted you to wake up to a small sample of what we will give you tonight.”
Kurt rubbed himself to relieve some of the pressure, but he only got harder under Emil’s purrs and Peregrine’s vivid descriptions.
When he lay on the sheets trying not to fall asleep, his men blew him kisses and made promises for when they next met. Kurt was going to need his shower this morning. But that would have to wait until after his nap.
--
Peregrine looked Emil over and pulled up the corner of the sheet. Emil was a rent boy desperate for love, hoping every time he met a man, that guy would be the one to save him.
No. That was simply too sad. Peregrine would wait for tonight and draw Emil and Kurt as bedboys for the king. They would lay exhausted from their night’s efforts with a space on one side of the bed where their lover had been. The view would be through a window as the king walked through the gardens with a young woman, probably his wife. She would be laughing at something he said with her hand on her growing belly. But the king would be looking in the window where he really wanted to be.
Was that any happier? Yes, because the king had and loved his men even if duties kept him for spending as much time with them as he would like. And they would understand. They got him most nights and they had each other for the lonely times.
Peregrine sighed. How could he be melancholy? One beautiful lover lay sleeping in his bed and the other was on his way. He just wanted to be home where the bed and sheets and carpet and furniture were his.
Today he would take his father to the physical therapist. That would keep him busy during the long hours until Kurt arrived.
--
Emil woke up slowly. The bed was hard and he was alone. On the other side of the bed a piece of paper was propped over a small pillow. On the balcony
Emil sat up and stretched. Where were his clothes? He needed to put something on before he greeted his lover. That balcony was mostly air.
Peregrine looked up from his sketch book and smiled. “I’ve been riding a bike every morning, but I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”
Emil kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Let’s take a shower and then we can go out to breakfast and ask how far south we need to go before the water warms up.”
Emil grinned. “You have an idea.”
“I do, Princess.”
Emil let himself be lead into the bathroom. Today was a wonderful day.
--
Kurt stared at his monitor. This couldn’t be right. He didn’t have time for this today. How could he have a meeting that he didn’t know about? He had to be inside the airport at two not meeting a new client for drinks. Meeting clients wasn’t even his job. He could not have made this appointment. He wouldn’t have.
He sent an email to Pam and asked if someone could have tampered with his schedule. Then he stood up and walked out of his office. Someone might have heard something.
Zawadzki was in the break room with Ezra. When did he have time to get anything done?
“Is there a meet and greet today?”
Zawadzki rolled his eyes. “Yes. I hate those. Chambers, Beka, Veronica, and I are going to wine and dine.”
Kurt frowned. “When?”
“Two. Isn’t that a crazy time to eat? But that’s when the client gets into town and for him it will be five, so…”
Ezra put down his cup. “I heard Chambers is trying to get out of going.”
Zawadzki frowned. “If I have to go, so does he.”
Ezra shrugged. “That’s what I heard.”
Zawadzki touched his arm. “Thanks for keeping your ears open. Skyles, what have you heard?”
Kurt shook his head. “Someone penciled me in without my knowledge or consent.”
Zawadzki frowned. “Why?”
“Isn’t that when you will be flying out?”
Kurt looked at his phone. “I need to be at the airport just after one.”
Zawadzki grinned. “Leave at noon. Go treat yourself to lunch. Buy your men a trinket or two then head to the airport, no one the wiser. You cleared it with HR, didn’t you?”
Kurt nodded. “So you won’t need me?”
Zawadzki touched his shoulder and looked at the ceiling like a Golden Age actress. “I’ll just have to be the prettiest one at the table.” He stood up straight and dropped his arms. “Or Ezra could join us. Only this guy had a reputation when it comes to pretty young men and I hate to injury him while keeping him away from my boyfriend.”
Ezra looked down and smiled.
Zawadzki clapped Kurt on the back and steered him toward his office. “We’ve got this covered.”
As Kurt stepped inside, Zawadzki turned. “Now what have we here? Where do you think you are going?”
Chamber held up a hand. “I’m just out for a quick bite.”
Zawadzki shook his head. “We have having lunch at two. If you need a snack, call downstairs. We can go over the Wexler account until then.”
Chamber fake coughed. “I’ve got a cold.”
Zawadzki clapped him on the back. “And I just happen to have cold medicine in my desk.”
Kurt grinned and closed his door. He was glad Zawadzki was finally using his powers, and excess energy, for good.
--
Emil tried to hide his smile. John wasn’t the only one who would be happier when he was finally able to walk on his own. He complained all the way to the van and probably continued as Peregrine drove him away. Lisa sighed and shook her head. “I am so glad Peregrine is here.”
She touched Markus’s arm. “And thank you for coming over to help us out.”
Markus smiled. “Just think of me as one of the family.”
Sam blushed and looked at the floor. Isabella tossed herself at Markus. “Hailey says you aren’t strong enough to hold me on your shoulders, but I know you are. You held Jayden and Justin at the same time and they are just my age.”
Markus lifted her up and set her on his shoulder. She arranged her skirt and put her hand on his head. “They go to school next year, right? Do I get to go to school too?”
“Of course.” Markus grinned. “Would you like to be in class with my boys?”
Isabella nodded, which Emil was pretty sure Markus couldn’t see.
Hailey frowned. “But we can’t go to school.”
Markus bend down without unbalancing Isabella. “And why is that?”
“Grandpa got hurt and I had to leave my school and friends and my new teacher.” Tears ran down Hailey’s cheeks.
Sam stepped forward. Markus passed Isabella to him and picked Hailey up. Sam looked from Hailey to Isabella to Markus, but let Markus dry Hailey’s tears with a towel Lisa passed him.
“You haven’t started school here yet.”
“No. Daddy doesn’t know if we are going to stay.”
Lisa sighed. “John’s going to do something and Sam is going to walk away again.”
Sam frowned and stared at the floor, looking like he wanted to cry too.
Markus wiped more tears. “Hailey, my little girl, will you trust me?”
Hailey nodded solemnly. “Will you take care of my Daddy?”
Sam looked up. Markus rub a hand on the back of Sam’s neck. “It may take a few of us to do so, but yes, I’d like that.”
Hailey smiled. “I’m so happy.”
She gave Markus a big hug and then slipped to the floor. “I’m going to school. Grandma, I’m going to school.”
She danced and sang around the kitchen. Isabella got down and joined her.
Sam looked down. “I guess I should have put her in school.”
Markus brushed hair off Sam’s face. “And you didn’t get enough sleep.”
Sam turned away, exposing his neck. Markus growled. Emil turned to Lisa. “Is John still waking up at night?”
Lisa shook her head. “The pain medicine works better during the day when the kids are around to keep his mind off his aches. I woke up at three this morning and John was talking to Sam. I took the girls to bed with me, but I don’t know if Sam got any sleep after that.”
Emil glanced over at Markus and Sam. Sam was shaking his head. Markus smiled at Emil over Sam’s head. He seemed sure of himself, but not in a cocky way. Emil turned back to Lisa. “Would you like help with anything? Or maybe you would like a few minutes alone while I hold down the fort.”
She grinned. “I’m sure you could, but no, I’m fine.”
Markus laughed. “Are you sure you don’t have anything you want done while your husband isn’t here? You are used to getting a few moments free a week. My mother says she won’t let my dad retire because she doesn’t want him underfoot.”
Lisa wiped the counter with a cloth. “I don’t see enough of you as it is.”
“But,” said Markus.
“If you could take yourselves out to lunch today…”
“Sure thing, Mom.” Markus patted her hand. “We don’t think you love us any less.”
Lisa grinned and swatted his arm. “Come here you big lug.”
She gave him a squeeze. “Now why couldn’t I have a son as big as you?”
She hugged Emil next. “But I have pretty big sons-in-law.”
If she thought Emil was big, Kurt was going to blow her mind.
Markus grinned at Sam. Sam blushed and turned away, but then looked back and grinned. Emil was fairly certain Lisa would have two more sons-in-law fairly soon.
--
Kurt turned his phone off as soon as he got to the airport. The wait would be interminable, especially when he couldn’t watch the time pass, but this way he could honestly say he hadn’t gotten the inevitable call from work.
--
Peregrine maneuvered the wheelchair up the ramp and into the house. Where was everyone?
Dad’s physical therapy was very demanding and he dozed off in his chair. Peregrine parked him in the living room and then found Mom humming as she sorted pictures in her room. He wasn’t going to disturb her. He fetched a sketchbook and pencil and took them to the backyard. That tree behind the neighbor’s house had grown a lot since he’s last drawn it.
--
Emil laughed at Isabella’s joke as he opened Lisa’s front door. Spending the day with Sam and his kids had been entertaining and he might have started to see why everyone said that Sam looked like Peregrine had before Emil met him. Sure they had the same build, but then so did Éowen. And Emil had a hard time imagining Peregrine as young as Sam or as innocent.
The boy knew nothing about being himself. He had questions, probably questions that Emil could have answered, but he didn’t want to voice them around his daughters as if the mere mention of gayness was sexual in some way. But the girls were cute and affectionate and fascinated by Jad and Markus’s triplets, so Emil now knew quite a bit about the little boys.
Someone must have helped John back into his bed. He had his youngest two and some neighbor kids at the end of his bed. “Emil, Sam, they insist on cartoons and even if adults count for two, I’m outnumbered.”
“Sorry,” said Emil. “I prefer cartoons to sports too.”
“Uck,” said John. “What kind of a man are you?”
“Daddy,” said Tinúviel, “Daddy, you said a bad thing.”
John frowned. “How’s that?”
Tinúviel got on her knees in front of him, effectively blocking his view of the TV and licked her lips. “You didn’t say ‘what kind of man are you’ in a nice way.”
Théoden wrinkled his nose, but didn’t look away from the screen. “Can you ask that in a nice way? It sounds ugly to me. But Tin, it’s ask not say.”
Tinúviel rolled her eyes and turned her back on her brother. “Mommy, Daddy said an ugly thing!”
“Tinny, darling, Daddy didn’t mean anything bad.”
Tinúviel frowned. “Then why did you say it?”
John looked at Emil. Emil shrugged. “Don’t look at me. How exactly did you want me to respond? I’m the kind of man that is in love with your son. I am the kind of man who writes science books for children. I am the kind of man who talked your son into coming to see you when you got hurt. I am the kind of man that thinks that family is important, but the most important are the family you choose for yourself.”
John stared at his hands. “It was rhetorical.”
Théoden turned around. “What does that mean?”
“That means that I didn’t want or expect an answer.”
Théoden frowned. “Then why did you ask?”
The little girl beside Tinúviel piped up. “He said it to insult that guy’s masculinity. My mummies say people only insult your masculinity or femininity if they are unsure of their own and I can do anything I like — wear my hair short and climb trees and everything — and still be feminine because every has their own.”
Emil smiled at her. “Your mummies sound very wise.”
The girl nodded. “My mummies are the best mummies in the world and you’re pretty. Tin, let’s eat dinner at my house tonight.”
The girls slid off the bed and raced for the kitchen.
John sighed. “They sure showed me, but with two less girls maybe I’ll get to watch sports.”
Isabella climbed into John’s lap. “Grandpa, I want to watch ponies.”
“Ponies!” said the boys together
John let out a long suffering sigh.
Emil got out of the dining room while he could. Hopefully this was just one of John’s bad days and he’d be better in the morning.
--
Peregrine closed his phone. Emil leaned against him. “Is he here?”
Peregrine shook his head and wrapped his arms around Emil. “He’s on the last leg of his flight.”
Emil grinned. “And you can hardly wait.”
Wasn’t that the truth? He couldn’t stay still and he couldn’t pace and none of his drawings turned out right.
Arwen grinned. “Missing your man?”
“Yes!”
Arwen laughed. “You are too cute.”
He took a step towards Arwen. “Let me show you cute.”
She laughed harder.
“Dinner,” said Mom.
“Too late,” Arwen said, “Peregrine’s other man is here.”
“Not yet.” Emil put his hand on Peregrine’s tense belly. “The last leg is about an hour. How long to drive to the airport?”
“An hour.” Arwen grinned.
“No, forty minutes at most, so you two will have time to eat. Make sure you bring him here before you take him to your hotel. I’ll feed him dinner.”
Emil laughed.
Food was going to be the last thing on Peregrine’s mind when he had his men with him.
“What?” asked Mom. “Will he not like my cooking?”
Emil grinned. “Your cooking is great, only Kurt is a picky eater. He and Peregrine can share a plate and not fight over any of the food. Kurt mostly eats meat.”
Mom frowned. “But that’s so unhealthy.”
“Emil has been slowly getting him to eat his vegetables.”
“So he’d eat mine?”
“Yes, he probably will, but he’d need as much food as the rest of us ate together.”
“No.”
“Yes. You will see tomorrow.”
“Tonight.”
“What’s tomorrow?” asked Dad. Peregrine had been putting off this discussion for too long. He walked into the dining room and shooed the kids towards the bathroom to wash their hands. To his surprise Sam, the ever diligent son, did not get up to make sure they did it properly. Neither did Arwen, who leaned in the doorway.
Peregrine squared his shoulder then relaxed. He was going to do this his way. “You may not have heard…”
“Because I’m stuck in this bed.”
“But Emil is only half of my harem. Kurt is visiting for the weekend.”
Dad blinked. “What?”
“Your son is so much of a man that he has to have two men to satisfy his needs.”
Arwen giggled.
“You’ve got two lovers, like a wife and a mistress?”
“No, I have two husbands.” Although even if he could marry them, he wouldn’t. He didn’t need some piece of paper to make them his.
Dad waved his hand. “What’s the other one look like? Emil is tall, so is this other one tiny?”
Arwen, who had looked at Peregrine’s sketches of Kurt, positively cackled.
“Dad,” Peregrine put his hand on Dad’s arm. “I am the tiny one in this scenario.”
“No. You are of average height.”
“Exactly,” said Arwen. “But his men aren’t.”
Sam frowned. “What does Kurt look like?”
“Imagine Jad without the tan.”
Only about five inches taller.
“He’s gentle and caring and buys me flowers.” Emil smiled. “We’ll bring him by tomorrow.”
John frowned. “Why not tonight?”
“I’ll let you see him when I’m done with him.”
“And when will that be?”
“After hours of sex.”
“Dinner!” called Mom.
Peregrine grabbed a plate. Bringing Kurt over would also have to wait until after Peregrine found a way to break the news to Éowen that the man she hated most in the world was spending the weekend in town.
Title: Mouths of Babes
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter seventy-seven of
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: not sleeping, waking up, a nap, thinking, a shower, scheduling error, a rescue, possessiveness, excuses, care, lack of sleep, smiles, peace, a bad day, mummies, coming out.
Length: about 3,000 words
Summary: Emil finds something better than sleep. Kurt leaves things in Zawadzki’s hands. And Peregrine comes out about Kurt.
Master list
Emil tossed himself on the hotel bed. He was exhausted. But then Peregrine stripped in full view and his mind was on other things than sleep.
--
Kurt’s alarm changed to the ringing of his phone. He grabbed it and opened it without looking at the caller ID.
“Hello, handsome,” Emil purred. “I wanted to catch you before you got out of bed. I didn’t call too early, did I?”
Kurt smiled. “You had perfect timing.”
“Like always, right?” said Peregrine. “We wanted you to wake up to a small sample of what we will give you tonight.”
Kurt rubbed himself to relieve some of the pressure, but he only got harder under Emil’s purrs and Peregrine’s vivid descriptions.
When he lay on the sheets trying not to fall asleep, his men blew him kisses and made promises for when they next met. Kurt was going to need his shower this morning. But that would have to wait until after his nap.
--
Peregrine looked Emil over and pulled up the corner of the sheet. Emil was a rent boy desperate for love, hoping every time he met a man, that guy would be the one to save him.
No. That was simply too sad. Peregrine would wait for tonight and draw Emil and Kurt as bedboys for the king. They would lay exhausted from their night’s efforts with a space on one side of the bed where their lover had been. The view would be through a window as the king walked through the gardens with a young woman, probably his wife. She would be laughing at something he said with her hand on her growing belly. But the king would be looking in the window where he really wanted to be.
Was that any happier? Yes, because the king had and loved his men even if duties kept him for spending as much time with them as he would like. And they would understand. They got him most nights and they had each other for the lonely times.
Peregrine sighed. How could he be melancholy? One beautiful lover lay sleeping in his bed and the other was on his way. He just wanted to be home where the bed and sheets and carpet and furniture were his.
Today he would take his father to the physical therapist. That would keep him busy during the long hours until Kurt arrived.
--
Emil woke up slowly. The bed was hard and he was alone. On the other side of the bed a piece of paper was propped over a small pillow. On the balcony
Emil sat up and stretched. Where were his clothes? He needed to put something on before he greeted his lover. That balcony was mostly air.
Peregrine looked up from his sketch book and smiled. “I’ve been riding a bike every morning, but I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”
Emil kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Let’s take a shower and then we can go out to breakfast and ask how far south we need to go before the water warms up.”
Emil grinned. “You have an idea.”
“I do, Princess.”
Emil let himself be lead into the bathroom. Today was a wonderful day.
--
Kurt stared at his monitor. This couldn’t be right. He didn’t have time for this today. How could he have a meeting that he didn’t know about? He had to be inside the airport at two not meeting a new client for drinks. Meeting clients wasn’t even his job. He could not have made this appointment. He wouldn’t have.
He sent an email to Pam and asked if someone could have tampered with his schedule. Then he stood up and walked out of his office. Someone might have heard something.
Zawadzki was in the break room with Ezra. When did he have time to get anything done?
“Is there a meet and greet today?”
Zawadzki rolled his eyes. “Yes. I hate those. Chambers, Beka, Veronica, and I are going to wine and dine.”
Kurt frowned. “When?”
“Two. Isn’t that a crazy time to eat? But that’s when the client gets into town and for him it will be five, so…”
Ezra put down his cup. “I heard Chambers is trying to get out of going.”
Zawadzki frowned. “If I have to go, so does he.”
Ezra shrugged. “That’s what I heard.”
Zawadzki touched his arm. “Thanks for keeping your ears open. Skyles, what have you heard?”
Kurt shook his head. “Someone penciled me in without my knowledge or consent.”
Zawadzki frowned. “Why?”
“Isn’t that when you will be flying out?”
Kurt looked at his phone. “I need to be at the airport just after one.”
Zawadzki grinned. “Leave at noon. Go treat yourself to lunch. Buy your men a trinket or two then head to the airport, no one the wiser. You cleared it with HR, didn’t you?”
Kurt nodded. “So you won’t need me?”
Zawadzki touched his shoulder and looked at the ceiling like a Golden Age actress. “I’ll just have to be the prettiest one at the table.” He stood up straight and dropped his arms. “Or Ezra could join us. Only this guy had a reputation when it comes to pretty young men and I hate to injury him while keeping him away from my boyfriend.”
Ezra looked down and smiled.
Zawadzki clapped Kurt on the back and steered him toward his office. “We’ve got this covered.”
As Kurt stepped inside, Zawadzki turned. “Now what have we here? Where do you think you are going?”
Chamber held up a hand. “I’m just out for a quick bite.”
Zawadzki shook his head. “We have having lunch at two. If you need a snack, call downstairs. We can go over the Wexler account until then.”
Chamber fake coughed. “I’ve got a cold.”
Zawadzki clapped him on the back. “And I just happen to have cold medicine in my desk.”
Kurt grinned and closed his door. He was glad Zawadzki was finally using his powers, and excess energy, for good.
--
Emil tried to hide his smile. John wasn’t the only one who would be happier when he was finally able to walk on his own. He complained all the way to the van and probably continued as Peregrine drove him away. Lisa sighed and shook her head. “I am so glad Peregrine is here.”
She touched Markus’s arm. “And thank you for coming over to help us out.”
Markus smiled. “Just think of me as one of the family.”
Sam blushed and looked at the floor. Isabella tossed herself at Markus. “Hailey says you aren’t strong enough to hold me on your shoulders, but I know you are. You held Jayden and Justin at the same time and they are just my age.”
Markus lifted her up and set her on his shoulder. She arranged her skirt and put her hand on his head. “They go to school next year, right? Do I get to go to school too?”
“Of course.” Markus grinned. “Would you like to be in class with my boys?”
Isabella nodded, which Emil was pretty sure Markus couldn’t see.
Hailey frowned. “But we can’t go to school.”
Markus bend down without unbalancing Isabella. “And why is that?”
“Grandpa got hurt and I had to leave my school and friends and my new teacher.” Tears ran down Hailey’s cheeks.
Sam stepped forward. Markus passed Isabella to him and picked Hailey up. Sam looked from Hailey to Isabella to Markus, but let Markus dry Hailey’s tears with a towel Lisa passed him.
“You haven’t started school here yet.”
“No. Daddy doesn’t know if we are going to stay.”
Lisa sighed. “John’s going to do something and Sam is going to walk away again.”
Sam frowned and stared at the floor, looking like he wanted to cry too.
Markus wiped more tears. “Hailey, my little girl, will you trust me?”
Hailey nodded solemnly. “Will you take care of my Daddy?”
Sam looked up. Markus rub a hand on the back of Sam’s neck. “It may take a few of us to do so, but yes, I’d like that.”
Hailey smiled. “I’m so happy.”
She gave Markus a big hug and then slipped to the floor. “I’m going to school. Grandma, I’m going to school.”
She danced and sang around the kitchen. Isabella got down and joined her.
Sam looked down. “I guess I should have put her in school.”
Markus brushed hair off Sam’s face. “And you didn’t get enough sleep.”
Sam turned away, exposing his neck. Markus growled. Emil turned to Lisa. “Is John still waking up at night?”
Lisa shook her head. “The pain medicine works better during the day when the kids are around to keep his mind off his aches. I woke up at three this morning and John was talking to Sam. I took the girls to bed with me, but I don’t know if Sam got any sleep after that.”
Emil glanced over at Markus and Sam. Sam was shaking his head. Markus smiled at Emil over Sam’s head. He seemed sure of himself, but not in a cocky way. Emil turned back to Lisa. “Would you like help with anything? Or maybe you would like a few minutes alone while I hold down the fort.”
She grinned. “I’m sure you could, but no, I’m fine.”
Markus laughed. “Are you sure you don’t have anything you want done while your husband isn’t here? You are used to getting a few moments free a week. My mother says she won’t let my dad retire because she doesn’t want him underfoot.”
Lisa wiped the counter with a cloth. “I don’t see enough of you as it is.”
“But,” said Markus.
“If you could take yourselves out to lunch today…”
“Sure thing, Mom.” Markus patted her hand. “We don’t think you love us any less.”
Lisa grinned and swatted his arm. “Come here you big lug.”
She gave him a squeeze. “Now why couldn’t I have a son as big as you?”
She hugged Emil next. “But I have pretty big sons-in-law.”
If she thought Emil was big, Kurt was going to blow her mind.
Markus grinned at Sam. Sam blushed and turned away, but then looked back and grinned. Emil was fairly certain Lisa would have two more sons-in-law fairly soon.
--
Kurt turned his phone off as soon as he got to the airport. The wait would be interminable, especially when he couldn’t watch the time pass, but this way he could honestly say he hadn’t gotten the inevitable call from work.
--
Peregrine maneuvered the wheelchair up the ramp and into the house. Where was everyone?
Dad’s physical therapy was very demanding and he dozed off in his chair. Peregrine parked him in the living room and then found Mom humming as she sorted pictures in her room. He wasn’t going to disturb her. He fetched a sketchbook and pencil and took them to the backyard. That tree behind the neighbor’s house had grown a lot since he’s last drawn it.
--
Emil laughed at Isabella’s joke as he opened Lisa’s front door. Spending the day with Sam and his kids had been entertaining and he might have started to see why everyone said that Sam looked like Peregrine had before Emil met him. Sure they had the same build, but then so did Éowen. And Emil had a hard time imagining Peregrine as young as Sam or as innocent.
The boy knew nothing about being himself. He had questions, probably questions that Emil could have answered, but he didn’t want to voice them around his daughters as if the mere mention of gayness was sexual in some way. But the girls were cute and affectionate and fascinated by Jad and Markus’s triplets, so Emil now knew quite a bit about the little boys.
Someone must have helped John back into his bed. He had his youngest two and some neighbor kids at the end of his bed. “Emil, Sam, they insist on cartoons and even if adults count for two, I’m outnumbered.”
“Sorry,” said Emil. “I prefer cartoons to sports too.”
“Uck,” said John. “What kind of a man are you?”
“Daddy,” said Tinúviel, “Daddy, you said a bad thing.”
John frowned. “How’s that?”
Tinúviel got on her knees in front of him, effectively blocking his view of the TV and licked her lips. “You didn’t say ‘what kind of man are you’ in a nice way.”
Théoden wrinkled his nose, but didn’t look away from the screen. “Can you ask that in a nice way? It sounds ugly to me. But Tin, it’s ask not say.”
Tinúviel rolled her eyes and turned her back on her brother. “Mommy, Daddy said an ugly thing!”
“Tinny, darling, Daddy didn’t mean anything bad.”
Tinúviel frowned. “Then why did you say it?”
John looked at Emil. Emil shrugged. “Don’t look at me. How exactly did you want me to respond? I’m the kind of man that is in love with your son. I am the kind of man who writes science books for children. I am the kind of man who talked your son into coming to see you when you got hurt. I am the kind of man that thinks that family is important, but the most important are the family you choose for yourself.”
John stared at his hands. “It was rhetorical.”
Théoden turned around. “What does that mean?”
“That means that I didn’t want or expect an answer.”
Théoden frowned. “Then why did you ask?”
The little girl beside Tinúviel piped up. “He said it to insult that guy’s masculinity. My mummies say people only insult your masculinity or femininity if they are unsure of their own and I can do anything I like — wear my hair short and climb trees and everything — and still be feminine because every has their own.”
Emil smiled at her. “Your mummies sound very wise.”
The girl nodded. “My mummies are the best mummies in the world and you’re pretty. Tin, let’s eat dinner at my house tonight.”
The girls slid off the bed and raced for the kitchen.
John sighed. “They sure showed me, but with two less girls maybe I’ll get to watch sports.”
Isabella climbed into John’s lap. “Grandpa, I want to watch ponies.”
“Ponies!” said the boys together
John let out a long suffering sigh.
Emil got out of the dining room while he could. Hopefully this was just one of John’s bad days and he’d be better in the morning.
--
Peregrine closed his phone. Emil leaned against him. “Is he here?”
Peregrine shook his head and wrapped his arms around Emil. “He’s on the last leg of his flight.”
Emil grinned. “And you can hardly wait.”
Wasn’t that the truth? He couldn’t stay still and he couldn’t pace and none of his drawings turned out right.
Arwen grinned. “Missing your man?”
“Yes!”
Arwen laughed. “You are too cute.”
He took a step towards Arwen. “Let me show you cute.”
She laughed harder.
“Dinner,” said Mom.
“Too late,” Arwen said, “Peregrine’s other man is here.”
“Not yet.” Emil put his hand on Peregrine’s tense belly. “The last leg is about an hour. How long to drive to the airport?”
“An hour.” Arwen grinned.
“No, forty minutes at most, so you two will have time to eat. Make sure you bring him here before you take him to your hotel. I’ll feed him dinner.”
Emil laughed.
Food was going to be the last thing on Peregrine’s mind when he had his men with him.
“What?” asked Mom. “Will he not like my cooking?”
Emil grinned. “Your cooking is great, only Kurt is a picky eater. He and Peregrine can share a plate and not fight over any of the food. Kurt mostly eats meat.”
Mom frowned. “But that’s so unhealthy.”
“Emil has been slowly getting him to eat his vegetables.”
“So he’d eat mine?”
“Yes, he probably will, but he’d need as much food as the rest of us ate together.”
“No.”
“Yes. You will see tomorrow.”
“Tonight.”
“What’s tomorrow?” asked Dad. Peregrine had been putting off this discussion for too long. He walked into the dining room and shooed the kids towards the bathroom to wash their hands. To his surprise Sam, the ever diligent son, did not get up to make sure they did it properly. Neither did Arwen, who leaned in the doorway.
Peregrine squared his shoulder then relaxed. He was going to do this his way. “You may not have heard…”
“Because I’m stuck in this bed.”
“But Emil is only half of my harem. Kurt is visiting for the weekend.”
Dad blinked. “What?”
“Your son is so much of a man that he has to have two men to satisfy his needs.”
Arwen giggled.
“You’ve got two lovers, like a wife and a mistress?”
“No, I have two husbands.” Although even if he could marry them, he wouldn’t. He didn’t need some piece of paper to make them his.
Dad waved his hand. “What’s the other one look like? Emil is tall, so is this other one tiny?”
Arwen, who had looked at Peregrine’s sketches of Kurt, positively cackled.
“Dad,” Peregrine put his hand on Dad’s arm. “I am the tiny one in this scenario.”
“No. You are of average height.”
“Exactly,” said Arwen. “But his men aren’t.”
Sam frowned. “What does Kurt look like?”
“Imagine Jad without the tan.”
Only about five inches taller.
“He’s gentle and caring and buys me flowers.” Emil smiled. “We’ll bring him by tomorrow.”
John frowned. “Why not tonight?”
“I’ll let you see him when I’m done with him.”
“And when will that be?”
“After hours of sex.”
“Dinner!” called Mom.
Peregrine grabbed a plate. Bringing Kurt over would also have to wait until after Peregrine found a way to break the news to Éowen that the man she hated most in the world was spending the weekend in town.
