A Balance of Harmonies: Breakfast
Mar. 27th, 2013 02:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warThe day is beautiful and I’m not feeling well. Can’t the good weather hold off until I’m neither ill nor have to work, so I can enjoy it?
Title: Breakfast
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter one hundred fourteen of gobs
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: perfect night, sadness, resolve, driving, welcome, breakfast, kids, discomfort, plans, interruption, faceoff
Length: about 1,900 words
Summary: Peregrine goes home. Kurt doesn’t want to. And Emil shows his spine.
Master list
Kurt and Emil finished their night out by dancing in their room. Emil felt just perfect in his arms. Kurt pulled him close for a kiss. Emil melted against him. Everyday should be like this.
But then, everyday was.
--
Emil woke beside Kurt and felt for Peregrine on the other side of the bed before he remembered Peregrine was gone for the week. A bit of his heart was sad, but he planned on using this time to show Kurt just how wonderful he was and how much he meant to Emil.
--
Peregrine drove by Tank’s house, but the lights weren’t on yet. Tank was on the first day of his week and a half off to move his family back to the LA area. He probably deserved one day to sleep in. Peregrine would come back after the sun rose.
He drove passed his parents’ house. The lights in the front room were on. Arwen must be getting ready for school. Should he text her? No, he’d do that after she got back from school. He drove by Éowen’s house and wasn’t surprised to find them all asleep.
Maybe he should just go to the café and wait for dawn.
Marcus waved at him from the sidewalk. Peregrine stopped and opened his window. Marcus leaned on the car. “Had breakfast yet?”
Peregrine smiled. He parked the car and followed Marcus into the house. Marcus waved the rolled up newspaper. “When our regular papergirl takes a vacation, her stand-in just tosses the paper into the driveway and it always either rolls into the street or ends up under a car or both. Dad, look what the cat dragged in.”
“Peregrine!” Mrs. Matheson held him close, like he was the person she’d most wanted to see. When she stepped back, she handed him a plate and pointed him at the table.
Mr. Matheson opened the paper. “We’re glad you could join us.”
Sam grinned from the doorway. Jad wrapped an arm around Sam’s waist and propelled him into the dining room. “It’s nice to see you.”
Peregrine nodded in reply. His mouth was too busy enjoying Mrs. Matheson’s cooking. Mrs. Matheson shooed everyone to the table and took her seat. The table discussion revolved around the day’s plans and when people would be home and how long Peregrine was staying.
Since he was headed home the day before Thanksgiving, Mr. Matheson suggested that he invite his men down to celebrate the meal here. “If you don’t mind, my dear.”
“Of course, not. The more the merrier.” Mrs. Matheson grinned.
Peregrine hadn’t talked about the holiday with his men. “Will you make more cookies? I had to share them out between a dozen of us, so Kurt and Emil only got one each.”
“My goodness! Of course.”
Jad laughed. “You might as well ask her if she’s willing to breath.”
Peregrine promised to ask them. As the meal was finished, the first child appeared and crawled sleepily onto Jad’s lap. Sam’s younger daughter spotted Peregrine and raced around the table. “I saw you.”
“You did.” She cuddled against him, jabbering the entire time. Soon everyone had a child except Mr. Matheson. He put on a silly frown. “Woe is me. No one loves me this morning.”
The most awake of the triples climbed off his Daddy’s lap and onto his grandpa’s. “I love you.”
Mr. Matheson kissed his forehead. “I know you do.”
“You were only joking.”
“I was.”
Peregrine swung his niece onto his chair as he got up. He took his dishes to the sink. “I’ll wash.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Mom,” said Jad. “He likes to wash dishes.”
Mrs. Matheson sighed. “Why wasn’t I given one of those?”
“I’ll help.” Sam loaded his arms with dishes.
“I know you will, sweetness.” Mrs. Matheson patted his shoulder. “I was talking to the one born to me. My married-in sons are wonderful.”
Marcus pretended to pull a knife from his chest.
She patted his arm. “Luckily you have other wonderful qualities.”
“Such as his excellent taste in men.” Jad licked his lips.
The teasing and banter continued until the men got ready to leave for work. Peregrine stepped aside while the children gave out goodbye kisses, Sam and Marcus said goodbye to Jad, and Mr. Matheson got his lovin’ from his wife. Peregrine used that time to text Kurt and Emil about the holiday.
They were fine with it if that’s what he wanted. And he wanted to spend a bit more time with Sam and his new family. This was the perfect way to do it.
--
Kurt looked at his phone. He hadn’t heard that ringtone in ages. This was his sister, Clara. What had he done this time? “Hello.”
“Kurt dear, when will you fly in for Thanksgiving?”
Kurt bit his lip. He should have known they’d expect him to go home for the holidays.
“If you arrive before our cousins, I can guarantee you a good bedroom, but if you don’t get in until Thursday, you’ll probably be on someone’s couch.”
“Clara. I have plans.”
“Break them. This is a family day. You should spend it with us.” Despite growing up in the same house, Clara had never quite understood him. “And if you’re dating someone Mom would approve of, bring them along. Separate bedrooms because you aren’t married, of course, but we might be able to squeeze her into a real bed.”
“Clara, I’ve got plans.”
“You are dating someone Mom doesn’t approve of. Spill.”
Kurt took a deep breath. Clara could keep a secret. “I am seeing a man and we are going to celebrate with a family who is very important to him.”
Clara whistled. “I told Mom you wouldn’t outgrow it.”
“Yeah.”
“Is he hot?”
They both were. “I believe I have good taste.”
“Good for you. But let me warn you that if you try to get out of Christmas, Mom might hop on a plane and go get you.”
Kurt did not want his mother anywhere close to his home. “Thanks for the warning. Christmas this year is on a … Sunday. Tell Mom I’ll catch a flight after work on the twenty-third.” He brought up a travel site. “Let me get back to you with the details.”
“If you’re sure.”
He would rather spend his important days with Peregrine, Emil, and the Mathesons or really Peregrine, Emil, and anyone than with his family. He couldn’t be himself with them.
--
Emil surveyed his new room. The walls and floor were done in dark grey stone facing as were the planters. Emil had one more meeting with the plant people before they brought in the dirt and plants. Small tubes into each pot would make watering easy and the mister would keep everything nice and fresh. He wanted Kurt to help him with the final pick of the plants. Emil wanted him to enjoy the room too.
The doorbell rang like a bell choir. After the final dying ring, it started again. This doorbell had definitely been worth the expense.
The entry room had its shouji doors and raised floor and a roll down door to hide the pass cupboard. Autumn had made them a dozen pillows in fall colors to sit on and Zan had found the perfect round table which she’d gotten a friend to cut down and refinish. The room was just missing the landscapes and murals that would make it homey.
The bell started a third time. Emil hit a button and turned it off. Well worth the money.
He opened the door. The small man was outside, just like he’d expected. Emil put on a wide smile. “Mr. Tettle?”
The man frowned. “Yeah.”
Emil put out his hand. “Emil Bonsa-Faie. I don’t believe we were properly introduced.”
Tettle stared at Emil’s hand. Emil grasped his and shook it. “Pleased to meet you. Won’t you come in?”
Emil gestured to the table on the platform. “Have a seat. Tea? Coffee?”
Tettle stared around and stumbled his way to the table. “Um… coffee.”
In a paper cup, Emil mixed instant coffee with hot water from a tap in the pass cupboard and then made cocoa from a placket for himself. Tettle wasn’t worth wasting the good stuff on. He sat down on a pillow and gestured for Tettle to do the same. “What brings you by today?”
“Shouldn’t your condo be a whole lot bigger than this?”
Emil smiled benignly and took a sip from his cup. “We aren’t quite finished yet.”
“But…”
Emil smiled brightly. “Yes.”
“Where…” Tettle took a sip and got up. He headed straight for the bathroom door.
“Do you need to freshen up?”
Tettle opened the door and stuck his head in the bathroom. Then he looked behind the bathroom door. “Where…?”
“Where is what?”
Tettle opened the front door and stuck his head out. He turned back to Emil. “How do you get out of here?”
Emil gestured to the door. “You walk right out.”
“No, I mean…” Tettle closed the front door and stepped back onto the platform. “Where is the rest, Emil?”
“Mr. Bonsa-Faie, please.”
Tettle frowned. “What?”
“I am Mr. Bonsa-Faie to you.”
Tettle grunted. “Where do you get off… you guys even invited a lawyer to the last meeting.”
Emil took a sip. “You invited a lawyer first.”
“No. I didn’t.” Tettle sat down and took a long drink of coffee. “I would never invite a lawyer. They have no business here.”
“I am sorry to disagree, but don’t the meeting notices say all residents are invited?”
“Or course.”
“And not just all the residents who happen to not be lawyers?”
“What?”
“Several of the residents here are lawyers.”
Tettle frowned. “Are you sure?”
Emil nodded. “Very.”
Tettle’s brows furrowed, making him look a decade older. “How do you know that?”
Emil shrugged. “How do you not? When everyone’s gathered around before and after the meetings, what do you talk about with them?”
Tettle harrumphed.
“The weather, maybe.”
Tettle took another long drink of coffee and set his paper cup down with a thump. “Why do I need to talk with them about anything? That what the meeting is for.”
Tettle was really a sorry little man, but that didn’t mean Emil was going to pull his punches. “Maybe that’s why things aren’t going your way. Kurt likes people and people like him.”
Tettle sneered. “He likes people all right.”
“Of course he does.” Emil took another sip of cocoa.
Tettle looked into his empty cup and set it down. “It doesn’t bug you then, that he’s cheating on you.”
“On the contrary,” Emil smiled. “I would be quite upset if I thought all hours a week I spend having sex with him weren’t enough.”
“Hours?”
“But really, Mr. Tettle, you should have picked a different target. Kurt isn’t even attracted to women and I know both of them personally. Try to be a bit more creative next time.” Emil got to his feet. He walked to the door and opened it. “But I warn you against spreading a rumor about our other boyfriend cheating in us. Instead of being bewildered, we would just laugh in your face.”
Tettle walked out the door, then turned around. “Other boyfriend?”
Emil waved and shut the door. He locked it and reached over to silence the doorbell. He had some work to get done today. He should get started on it.
Title: Breakfast
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter one hundred fourteen of gobs
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: perfect night, sadness, resolve, driving, welcome, breakfast, kids, discomfort, plans, interruption, faceoff
Length: about 1,900 words
Summary: Peregrine goes home. Kurt doesn’t want to. And Emil shows his spine.
Master list
Kurt and Emil finished their night out by dancing in their room. Emil felt just perfect in his arms. Kurt pulled him close for a kiss. Emil melted against him. Everyday should be like this.
But then, everyday was.
--
Emil woke beside Kurt and felt for Peregrine on the other side of the bed before he remembered Peregrine was gone for the week. A bit of his heart was sad, but he planned on using this time to show Kurt just how wonderful he was and how much he meant to Emil.
--
Peregrine drove by Tank’s house, but the lights weren’t on yet. Tank was on the first day of his week and a half off to move his family back to the LA area. He probably deserved one day to sleep in. Peregrine would come back after the sun rose.
He drove passed his parents’ house. The lights in the front room were on. Arwen must be getting ready for school. Should he text her? No, he’d do that after she got back from school. He drove by Éowen’s house and wasn’t surprised to find them all asleep.
Maybe he should just go to the café and wait for dawn.
Marcus waved at him from the sidewalk. Peregrine stopped and opened his window. Marcus leaned on the car. “Had breakfast yet?”
Peregrine smiled. He parked the car and followed Marcus into the house. Marcus waved the rolled up newspaper. “When our regular papergirl takes a vacation, her stand-in just tosses the paper into the driveway and it always either rolls into the street or ends up under a car or both. Dad, look what the cat dragged in.”
“Peregrine!” Mrs. Matheson held him close, like he was the person she’d most wanted to see. When she stepped back, she handed him a plate and pointed him at the table.
Mr. Matheson opened the paper. “We’re glad you could join us.”
Sam grinned from the doorway. Jad wrapped an arm around Sam’s waist and propelled him into the dining room. “It’s nice to see you.”
Peregrine nodded in reply. His mouth was too busy enjoying Mrs. Matheson’s cooking. Mrs. Matheson shooed everyone to the table and took her seat. The table discussion revolved around the day’s plans and when people would be home and how long Peregrine was staying.
Since he was headed home the day before Thanksgiving, Mr. Matheson suggested that he invite his men down to celebrate the meal here. “If you don’t mind, my dear.”
“Of course, not. The more the merrier.” Mrs. Matheson grinned.
Peregrine hadn’t talked about the holiday with his men. “Will you make more cookies? I had to share them out between a dozen of us, so Kurt and Emil only got one each.”
“My goodness! Of course.”
Jad laughed. “You might as well ask her if she’s willing to breath.”
Peregrine promised to ask them. As the meal was finished, the first child appeared and crawled sleepily onto Jad’s lap. Sam’s younger daughter spotted Peregrine and raced around the table. “I saw you.”
“You did.” She cuddled against him, jabbering the entire time. Soon everyone had a child except Mr. Matheson. He put on a silly frown. “Woe is me. No one loves me this morning.”
The most awake of the triples climbed off his Daddy’s lap and onto his grandpa’s. “I love you.”
Mr. Matheson kissed his forehead. “I know you do.”
“You were only joking.”
“I was.”
Peregrine swung his niece onto his chair as he got up. He took his dishes to the sink. “I’ll wash.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Mom,” said Jad. “He likes to wash dishes.”
Mrs. Matheson sighed. “Why wasn’t I given one of those?”
“I’ll help.” Sam loaded his arms with dishes.
“I know you will, sweetness.” Mrs. Matheson patted his shoulder. “I was talking to the one born to me. My married-in sons are wonderful.”
Marcus pretended to pull a knife from his chest.
She patted his arm. “Luckily you have other wonderful qualities.”
“Such as his excellent taste in men.” Jad licked his lips.
The teasing and banter continued until the men got ready to leave for work. Peregrine stepped aside while the children gave out goodbye kisses, Sam and Marcus said goodbye to Jad, and Mr. Matheson got his lovin’ from his wife. Peregrine used that time to text Kurt and Emil about the holiday.
They were fine with it if that’s what he wanted. And he wanted to spend a bit more time with Sam and his new family. This was the perfect way to do it.
--
Kurt looked at his phone. He hadn’t heard that ringtone in ages. This was his sister, Clara. What had he done this time? “Hello.”
“Kurt dear, when will you fly in for Thanksgiving?”
Kurt bit his lip. He should have known they’d expect him to go home for the holidays.
“If you arrive before our cousins, I can guarantee you a good bedroom, but if you don’t get in until Thursday, you’ll probably be on someone’s couch.”
“Clara. I have plans.”
“Break them. This is a family day. You should spend it with us.” Despite growing up in the same house, Clara had never quite understood him. “And if you’re dating someone Mom would approve of, bring them along. Separate bedrooms because you aren’t married, of course, but we might be able to squeeze her into a real bed.”
“Clara, I’ve got plans.”
“You are dating someone Mom doesn’t approve of. Spill.”
Kurt took a deep breath. Clara could keep a secret. “I am seeing a man and we are going to celebrate with a family who is very important to him.”
Clara whistled. “I told Mom you wouldn’t outgrow it.”
“Yeah.”
“Is he hot?”
They both were. “I believe I have good taste.”
“Good for you. But let me warn you that if you try to get out of Christmas, Mom might hop on a plane and go get you.”
Kurt did not want his mother anywhere close to his home. “Thanks for the warning. Christmas this year is on a … Sunday. Tell Mom I’ll catch a flight after work on the twenty-third.” He brought up a travel site. “Let me get back to you with the details.”
“If you’re sure.”
He would rather spend his important days with Peregrine, Emil, and the Mathesons or really Peregrine, Emil, and anyone than with his family. He couldn’t be himself with them.
--
Emil surveyed his new room. The walls and floor were done in dark grey stone facing as were the planters. Emil had one more meeting with the plant people before they brought in the dirt and plants. Small tubes into each pot would make watering easy and the mister would keep everything nice and fresh. He wanted Kurt to help him with the final pick of the plants. Emil wanted him to enjoy the room too.
The doorbell rang like a bell choir. After the final dying ring, it started again. This doorbell had definitely been worth the expense.
The entry room had its shouji doors and raised floor and a roll down door to hide the pass cupboard. Autumn had made them a dozen pillows in fall colors to sit on and Zan had found the perfect round table which she’d gotten a friend to cut down and refinish. The room was just missing the landscapes and murals that would make it homey.
The bell started a third time. Emil hit a button and turned it off. Well worth the money.
He opened the door. The small man was outside, just like he’d expected. Emil put on a wide smile. “Mr. Tettle?”
The man frowned. “Yeah.”
Emil put out his hand. “Emil Bonsa-Faie. I don’t believe we were properly introduced.”
Tettle stared at Emil’s hand. Emil grasped his and shook it. “Pleased to meet you. Won’t you come in?”
Emil gestured to the table on the platform. “Have a seat. Tea? Coffee?”
Tettle stared around and stumbled his way to the table. “Um… coffee.”
In a paper cup, Emil mixed instant coffee with hot water from a tap in the pass cupboard and then made cocoa from a placket for himself. Tettle wasn’t worth wasting the good stuff on. He sat down on a pillow and gestured for Tettle to do the same. “What brings you by today?”
“Shouldn’t your condo be a whole lot bigger than this?”
Emil smiled benignly and took a sip from his cup. “We aren’t quite finished yet.”
“But…”
Emil smiled brightly. “Yes.”
“Where…” Tettle took a sip and got up. He headed straight for the bathroom door.
“Do you need to freshen up?”
Tettle opened the door and stuck his head in the bathroom. Then he looked behind the bathroom door. “Where…?”
“Where is what?”
Tettle opened the front door and stuck his head out. He turned back to Emil. “How do you get out of here?”
Emil gestured to the door. “You walk right out.”
“No, I mean…” Tettle closed the front door and stepped back onto the platform. “Where is the rest, Emil?”
“Mr. Bonsa-Faie, please.”
Tettle frowned. “What?”
“I am Mr. Bonsa-Faie to you.”
Tettle grunted. “Where do you get off… you guys even invited a lawyer to the last meeting.”
Emil took a sip. “You invited a lawyer first.”
“No. I didn’t.” Tettle sat down and took a long drink of coffee. “I would never invite a lawyer. They have no business here.”
“I am sorry to disagree, but don’t the meeting notices say all residents are invited?”
“Or course.”
“And not just all the residents who happen to not be lawyers?”
“What?”
“Several of the residents here are lawyers.”
Tettle frowned. “Are you sure?”
Emil nodded. “Very.”
Tettle’s brows furrowed, making him look a decade older. “How do you know that?”
Emil shrugged. “How do you not? When everyone’s gathered around before and after the meetings, what do you talk about with them?”
Tettle harrumphed.
“The weather, maybe.”
Tettle took another long drink of coffee and set his paper cup down with a thump. “Why do I need to talk with them about anything? That what the meeting is for.”
Tettle was really a sorry little man, but that didn’t mean Emil was going to pull his punches. “Maybe that’s why things aren’t going your way. Kurt likes people and people like him.”
Tettle sneered. “He likes people all right.”
“Of course he does.” Emil took another sip of cocoa.
Tettle looked into his empty cup and set it down. “It doesn’t bug you then, that he’s cheating on you.”
“On the contrary,” Emil smiled. “I would be quite upset if I thought all hours a week I spend having sex with him weren’t enough.”
“Hours?”
“But really, Mr. Tettle, you should have picked a different target. Kurt isn’t even attracted to women and I know both of them personally. Try to be a bit more creative next time.” Emil got to his feet. He walked to the door and opened it. “But I warn you against spreading a rumor about our other boyfriend cheating in us. Instead of being bewildered, we would just laugh in your face.”
Tettle walked out the door, then turned around. “Other boyfriend?”
Emil waved and shut the door. He locked it and reached over to silence the doorbell. He had some work to get done today. He should get started on it.
