Chapter 13
DeAnna Zankich
Sequel to | Sweet Redemption
Summary: The days leading up to the big `I do'.
Warnings: None
Author Notes: A thousand thanks to my sweet friend Kristina Grönberg for the title.
Spoilers: None
Vince called me on his cell phone as he was leaving home on Friday morning. He said he left a key for me and told me the combination for the lobby door of their building. He suggested I just go on in because Stuey would most likely still be asleep. True to form, when I open the heavy door of their loft I can see him on the bed--snoozing away in a pile of yummy looking blankets.
I put my bag down and creep up into their bedroom. He's so cute I could scream, just lying there on his belly all bundled up in that cream colored, fuzzy blanket. God that thing looks soft. I crawl on the huge bed really carefully trying not to move too much and lie down beside him close enough to touch his disheveled curls. For a long time he doesn't wake up as I softly play with the ringlets tumbling over his forehead. I have a chance to really look at him while he's sleeping.
His skin is so smooth and lightly tanned with little freckles on his nose. The length of his black eyelashes never ceases to amaze me. His dark pink lips are parted and relaxed as he breathes in and out. His beautiful fingers are curled gently around the edge of his blanket like a little kid. I gather he must have been properly loved before Vince left the house that morning because he looks very tranquil.
After a few more minutes of playing with his hair, I decide he's going to need more inducement to wake. Vince probably does that all the time so he's learned to sleep through it. "Stuuuuueeeeeeyyy . . ." I say very quietly. "Wake up, bunny." I scratch my fingernail on the tip of his freckled nose very softly and finally he stirs.
Stretching like the human cat he is, he purrs a little moan and then he finally opens his eyes and looks at me. At first he's confused as to why there's a woman in his bed, then he realizes it's me and he smiles.
"Katey-girl. Hiya."
"Good morning, cutie. I was afraid you were never going to wake up."
"How long have you been here?"
"Days," I tease. "I was ringing the doorbell for an hour." I wink so he knows I'm kidding. "Your husband gave me the key."
"He's not my husband yet," he says.
"Only one more day," I say playing with him. "You'll be an old married lady just like me."
"Let's hope I have as much style." He gives me a little smile that I love and then I just have to touch that blanket.
The fabric is the softest thing I have ever felt in my life and I actually gasp. "HOLY shit! What is that thing made out of, rabbits?"
"Cashmere kitten bellies," he says with this secret little grin. Hm, whatever THAT means. He sits up and scratches his pretty fingers through his curls. They just fall into place and I'm instantly disgusted. Men always have the best hair.
I'm fixating on that blanket and I touch it again. "Really?" I say. "Is it really cashmere?"
"Yeah." The blanket slides down his upper torso and pools low around his waist on the bed. With his dark curls and the perfect curve of his naked back, he looks like he's posing for some ancient Roman sculptor. All he needed was a handful of ripe grapes.
"You're quite beautiful, you know," I say.
He grins over his shoulder at me. "Forget it, luv. I fancy blokes."
I laugh and give him a little shove as I sit up. "God, quit reminding me, would ya?" Once again my hand brushes that blanket and then I can't stop touching it. "Where did you get this amazing thing?"
"It was a wedding gift," he says and then his eyebrows lift lasciviously. "From your Brian."
"My Brian? You're kidding me!" I take a section of the blanket and lay it across my lap, stroking it like a flat pet. "This must have cost . . . five thousand dollars easily."
"At least. It's . . . sort of an in joke."
"Expensive joke," I point out. "And if he's spending money like this on you, I'm inclined to call him YOUR Brian, rather than mine. He's certainly never bought me anything this nice." I look at Stuart's face to see his reaction to this topic and what I find there doesn't really surprise me. He looks a bit wistful and sad and his beautiful eyes seem far off for a moment. Not sure if I should, but knowing I can't stop myself, I say "he misses you."
Stuart shakes his head dismissively. "Well, that can't be my concern anymore, can it?"
Instantly sorry I mentioned it, I cringe. "Honey, I didn't mean it like that. I just . . . I spent the day with him yesterday and we did a lot of talking. I just wanted you to know he was feeling blue and he wishes he didn't have to loose touch with you. He really cares for you. And . . . Brian's special. Having his attention is a gift. That's all I meant."
"He had MY attention, too," Stuart says a bit defensively, his fingers stroking the edge of the blanket. "I'm special. Do you know how many blokes have pined for me over the years?"
I lean over and give him a kiss on his cheek. He's still warm from sleeping and he smells wonderful. "Silly boy. Of course you're special. That's the thing, though. I never would have expected either of you two sluts to fall the other. I didn't even think you liked him when you guys met in New York."
He blinks at me. "Are you mad, woman?! I could barely keep my hands off him."
"Yeah, but I had the impression you thought he was a big asshole."
"His IS!"
We both laugh and I hope it's the first happy outburst of many that day. I'm very much looking forward to being his one woman stag party.
Stuart scrubs his hands through his hair again and his brow knits thoughtfully. "If I think about it . . . the whole thing was really good, you know? It . . . all happened for a reason."
"What reason?" I ask, truly curious.
"It happened because we all needed it to. Look at how the whole thing changed each of us. It brought things out of Vince that he might never have shared with me otherwise--fantastic things. Brilliant things." Stuart smiles to himself and the expression makes him look like a happy child. "And me . . ." he shakes his head. "I never thought I could fall in love with ONE person--and then all of a sudden I was in love with two. It's quite amazing, that feeling. Love. Makes you act like a twat."
"Love?" I say. "Big word. You never really told me it was that serious for you. I knew it was for Bri, but . . . you. That surprises me."
"Yeah," he agrees. "I reckon I didn't want to deal with it. Vince knew. He was aware of it long before I was."
"And he still allowed you to see Brian? Why?"
Stuart takes a deep breath and looks at me openly. "Vince has his hands full with me, luv. He feels like he has to keep me entertained all the time or he's going to lose me."
"Is that true?" I say, keeping my voice low because it's a hard question.
"Dunno," he says. "I don't FEEL like it's true, but it might be."
"He's not enough all by himself?" That's another hard one and I almost whisper it.
"'Course he is," Stuart says, his voice getting quieter, too, like this subject needs to be a secret. "I love him to bits, Kate. He's fantastic. And he knows just what I need--pretty much all the time. But all that good stuff in Vince doesn't change one lick of the bad stuff in me. I am impatient, I am restless and I am hard to please. My attention span is short. I don't know . . . I reckon I'd worry, too--if I were him."
"So you're saying he allowed you to continue playing with Brian because he knew it amused you? He was keeping you occupied."
"Sort of, yeah. He knew I loved that game so he let me keep playing it."
I look right in his eyes again. "You almost broke up over that game, bunny."
He just nods.
"Was it worth it? Was it that much fun?"
While he considers my question, he picks at the edge of that blanket again. I'm almost positive he doesn't know he's doing it. "It was worth it," he says finally. "It was worth it to me."
"Almost losing the love of your life over a transient, albeit hot, fuck?" I say, eyebrows raised.
Stuart looks right back at me, unflinching. "Yes."
I shake my head. "You know what I think?"
"I'm sure you'll tell me."
"You're right, I will. I think it scares you to pieces that you almost lost Vince. I think you learned something that you're not aware of yet from the whole experience and that is--that you can't take risks like that any more. This is a different league now, Stuey. You're making a life commitment and you have to be fully present for that. And what's more," I lower my chin and give him a playful but challenging smile. "I think you're ready to do it. You don't want to be ready because it's much more fun to act like a brat and fuck up all the time, but I think you're ready to be a grown up. And you're ready to be a strong, wonderful partner for Vince."
Stuart stares at me with a snarky grin pulling his lips. "You think all that, do you?"
"I do," I profess. "You're a grown-up, bunny. Like it or not."
Finally he lets that smile come through. "Christ," he moans. "Just promise me one thing."
"Anything."
He puts his finger on the end of my nose and smiles into my eyes. "Don't you EVER tell anyone about this. I want them all still thinking I'm a useless cunt, do you understand?"
Laughing, I give him a nod. "Your secret is safe with me."
"Hm." Stuart gets up and glances back at me as the blanket slides away from his naked body. "And don't you look at my arse."
"Yeah, right," I tease, reaching over to give his exposed left cheek a good smack.
Giggling, he heads for the bathroom. "I'm gonna shower. I'll be right out. Make yourself at home, luv."
"I'll just do that." I wait until I hear the shower door close and then I get up and start making the bed. I don't know why, I probably just want to touch that blanket again. Or maybe I want to feel closer to Stuart by handling those bedclothes that are still warm from his body. Whatever it is, I take my time and after all the sheets are smoothed, the pillows are fluffed and the white comforter is arranged neatly, I fold that beautiful blanket along the foot of the bed. It just seems to fit there.
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Hazel:
Standing on the front porch watching Bernie do battle with the inner workings of her motorbike, Hazel blew smoke rings up into the bright blue sky. It was a lovely morning, not a cloud in sight, and she prayed to herself that the good weather would hold through the next day.
Bernie cursed under his breath and muttered something about wanting to drive that bike off the nearest bridge.
"Oh, luv," she said, soothingly. "If you didn't have this bloody bike to infuriate you, what would you do with all your excess energy?"
He offered a good-natured glower. "Cheeky tart. Where's that boy of yours, anyway? Isn't he coming `round today?"
"That's what he said. Said he had an errand first and then we were going out shopping. Why don't you come along, Bernie? Get out of the house for a change."
Holding his thumb out of the way, Bernie clanked his wrench against the exhaust pipe trying to loosen one of the connecting bolts. "Nah. You and Vince should be on your own today. It's special. He's going to want you all to himself."
"D'ya think?" she said.
"'Course. He's getting married tomorrow, luv. The boy's going to want some time alone with his mum."
Hazel smiled at the thought. She felt like she hardly saw Vince any more since he and Stuart moved in together. Of course she was pleased that they were getting on so well, but she still missed her boy. She and Vince used to spend a great deal of time together before he and that Irish lad became a couple. Hazel supposed she would see even less of her son after they got married. Sighing sadly, she leaned on the wall and finished her cigarette while she watched Bernie tinker with her bike.
"You were wrong, you know," he said after a while.
"What about?"
"About Stuart." He looked up at her, breathing hard from his exertion with the bike. "You were dead certain he wouldn't be able to cope."
"Mm," Hazel said. She took one last puff of her Benson then stabbed it out in the terracotta ashtray balanced on the porch railing. "Well, I wouldn't have been wrong if Vince hadn't figured out how to manage that Irish brat. Stuart would have buggered everything up in no time."
"You're absolutely certain of that," Bernie said.
She glanced up as the young couple that just moved in across the street struggled in their narrow driveway with a collapsible pram. Their infant girl wailed in her father's arms as the young mother wrangled the stubborn stroller.
"I feel quite certain of that, yes," she replied. "If Vince hadn't taken matters in hand, Stuart would have ruined everything. It's his nature. It's like I told him way back at the beginning--no one can keep a wolf as a pet."
Bernie shook his head. "I don't see it that way at all. Granted, I haven't known them their whole lives like you have, but for as long as I have known them--it's been Vince who ran the show. Stuart needed him far more than he needed Stuart. Vince was in love, sure, but your son was always self-sufficient. You raised him to be. Stuart, on the other hand . . . can't be trusted alone."
Hazel kept her eye on the young couple across the street, feeling that familiar twinge deep inside when the child cried. She'd always hated that baleful sound. Luckily her Vince hadn't been much of a crier as a baby. He was always pleased to be wherever he was and his lovely blue eyes always sparkled with wonder and curiosity.
"I got quite lucky with Vince," she said almost to herself.
"Aye, I believe you did. He's a good lad." Bernie reached out and gave her ankle an affectionate pat with his slightly sooty hand. "Should be a nice day tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it."
Hazel smiled at her old friend and gave him a wink. "My Vinnie's getting married. Who'd have thought?"
Bernie nodded and turned back to Hazel's bike.
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Stuart:
Kate had planned a full day of shopping and bar crawling and by four o'clock the two of them were well on their way to being drunk as skunks. Richard was meant to meet them at seven for dinner at an Italian place Kate liked so they had a few more hours to kill. She thought it might do them some good to sit and have a cup of coffee before they did anything else that involved spending money.
Stuart suggested a coffeehouse in the middle of town--the same place he'd taken Nathan Maloney several months before to explain that he and Vince were an official couple. As they sat down with their cappuccinos, Kate took out her cell phone to check her messages. Stuart sat looking out the window, thoughtfully stirring the froth on his coffee with a spoon.
"Greg Burton called me," she reported, her Nokia pressed to her ear. "I love that guy. I wish he was my direct boss." She pressed a button for the next message and brought the phone to her ear again. "My mom. She's so funny. Every time I come here she thinks I'm never coming home. Like I love England that much."
"I wish you'd stay," Stuart said.
Kate blew him a kiss then listened for her next message. Her pretty eyes flitted away from him momentarily then she looked up again. "Brian," she said. "He wants me to call him back."
"So call him."
"You don't mind?"
He shrugged. "I don't have to talk to him, do I?"
"Of course not. It's their last night in London and he wants to take Michael out for dinner. He wants me to tell him the name of this restaurant Richard and I like in Notting Hill. I'll just be a minute." She pressed a speed dial code and then brought the phone to her ear.
Stuart looked out the window again, raising his cup to his lips for a sip of the hot cappuccino. Just knowing Brian was going to be on her phone in a moment made his heart thump sickly.
"Hey, you," she said into the phone. "Yeah. It's nice here. It's raining in London? Bummer. Uh huh. Yes, he's with me now." She looked across the table and Stuart sighed. "We've been shopping all day. And drinking many martinis, so now we're having coffee." Something Brian said must have been funny because she giggled. "You did? What did you buy him? Oooh. He'll like that. So, are you and Mike getting along all right? Because. You were squabbling yesterday. Yes, you were . . . you said nothing happened, but I could tell you were lying. You're a sucky liar, Bri. Uh huh. Okay." Again she looked across at Stuart and that time his breath caught in his chest. "I don't know, honey. I think you should just leave it." Kate held his gaze intently, her eyes clearly telling him that Brian wanted to speak to him. "All right," she said, softly. "Hang on, let me ask him."
Stuart looked down for a moment, then he held his hand out for the phone.
"Bunny, don't talk to him if you don't want to," she whispered.
He wiggled his fingers insistently and she gave him the phone.
"Hey," Stuart said.
"Hey. You guys having a nice day?" The connection was perfect and Brian sounded like he was right down the street. Glancing at the display screen briefly, Stuart was relieved to see the `roaming' icon flashing there. Even if he wasn't in London, he was at least 100 miles from Manchester.
"Yeah, we are. Listen, Brian . . . thanks for the lovely blanket."
"You opened it already?" the American chuckled. "I thought you'd wait `til you came back from Greece. I knew you'd like it. I was pretty sure you could put it to good use."
"It's fantastic," Stuart said softly.
For a long moment neither of them said anything and then Stuart took a deep breath.
"When's your flight?"
"Tomorrow at 11:45," Brian said. "We'll be landing in Pittsburgh just as your wedding reception starts. Rather poetic, huh?"
"I suppose." Stuart could hear the melancholy in Brian's voice and it made him sad. The vodka in his system added fuel to his usually stifled sentimentality and he spoke very quietly into the phone. "Are you all right?"
"Sure," Brian lied. Kate was right, he was dreadful at it. "How `bout you? Nervous about tomorrow?"
"A bit. I just know I'm going to forget what I'm meant to say."
Breathing a soft laugh, Brian said "don't worry. Just say `I do' whenever anyone asks you a question."
Stuart smiled. "That's from some film, isn't it?"
"'Four Weddings and a Funeral'," Brian confirmed. "I thought it was appropriate."
"I can't believe you've even SEEN that film, much less that you can quote it," Stuart teased.
"I have a soft side, believe it or not."
"I know you do. I've licked you there." Stuart laughed seductively and then jumped when he felt Kate's toe knock against his shinbone under the table. He looked up into her disapproving eyes and grinned like a naughty kid. "Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for the gift. It's really nice, Brian. I was sleeping with it this morning."
"Were you?" he said, his tone a bit sweet. "Mmm. I like that image. Listen, have a great time tomorrow. I'm sure it will be a day to remember. Can't wait to see Kate's pictures."
"Thanks," Stuart said. "You and your friend have a safe trip home."
"Kiss Vince someplace nice for me."
"I will. See ya." Stuart handed the phone back to Kate and she took it with a long sigh.
"You two," she said into the phone. "I swear to God, I feel like Doctor Frankenstein. Bri, that restaurant is called 192. It's on Kensington Park Road. The service is really snotty but the food makes up for it. Richard and I have been there a few times. Try the Caesar salad. They do it with buffalo mozzarella and these yummy croutons. It's really good." She looked across to Stuart and watched him closely with her sparkly green eyes.
He looked away, staring into the froth on his coffee. He could feel the soft vibration of Brian's voice as though they were still speaking to each other. The sound memory resonated inside him like the echo of a beguiling melody. Sighing, he sipped his coffee and waited for Kate to finish her conversation.
"Okay," she said, wrapping it up. "If I don't talk to you tomorrow, have a safe trip home. You and Michael enjoy yourselves tonight. Go dancing or something. All right, honey. I love you, too. Bye." She hung up and dropped her phone back into her handbag. Leaning across the small table, Kate covered Stuart's hand with hers and squeezed softly.
When he looked up, she was smiling brightly.
"Remember what I said this morning? About you being a grown-up?"
"Yeah," he said tentatively.
"Well, I lied. You're still an incorrigible brat!" She leaned all the way over and kissed his cheek. "I can't believe you flirted with him! You're getting married in exactly twenty-four hours."
"Katey, we don't know any other way to interact!" Stuart defended. "The only reason Brian and I have ever spoken to each other is with the intent to shag. It's the only vocabulary we've got." He laughed and shook his head.
Kate sighed, sipping her coffee. "I guess. At least he sounds less depressed. He said he bought a present for his little twinkie at home, so that gives me hope for his speedy recovery from you."
"Wait," Stuart said. "You're not talking about that boy, are you? That seventeen-year-old?"
"He's legal now, but that's the one. Justin."
Rolling his eyes, Stuart sat back in his chair. "I can't believe he's still seeing that lad. I warned him."
"Brian likes him," Kate said. "And from what Michael tells me, the kid's pretty smart. He's got Brian's number."
Two young women went by on the sidewalk outside the window and Stuart watched them for a moment. He remembered sitting in that coffeehouse with Nathan that long ago afternoon, trying to explain that he and Vince were giving it a go as a couple. Nathan had flirted his ass off in an attempt to make Stuart stray, but Stuart's conviction had been strong and the kid got nowhere. At least not that day.
"So, what--are they . . . dating?" he asked.
Kate squinted. "Well, I don't know exactly. Michael says it's the closest Bri has ever come to dating so he uses that word. But I'm not sure I would call it that. They see each other a few times a week."
"Do they shag every time?"
"So I'm told," she replied. "And Brian is quite possessive of the little cubbie when they're out in public."
Stuart chortled. "They're dating, then. Oh my God. Brian's got a baby boytoy."
"That's exactly what I said. And then Brian gave me that LOOK." She laughed at the memory. "I know better than to fuck with him when he gives me that look." Kate sipped her coffee again, glancing out the window. "What ever happened with your little cherry-boy--Nathan, right? Did he finally get over you?"
He shrugged. "I think so. Last I heard he had a boyfriend. Some bloke he met in London."
"Are you done with him?" she said, prodding his leg under the table with her foot.
"Completely," Stuart said and he meant it. He hadn't thought about Nathan Maloney in months. Then again, he'd been far too busy thinking about Brian Kinney. "All that shit with Nathan was just my last ditch effort to cling to my independence. I was just being a twat."
"So what was Brian all about?"
Stuart lifted an eyebrow and pursed his lips, looking at his friend with mild irritation. "You're making me tense, woman. Stop with all these questions. Are you trying to shrink my head?"
Kate chuckled. "Okay, okay. You know me. I was just waiting for you to tell me to stop." She smiled almost coyly. "I'm not trying to upset you, bunny. I just want to know for my own peace of mind that you and Brian are done. I still feel responsible for starting it and I want to go to your wedding tomorrow with a clear conscience."
He shook his head. "Well, stop worrying about that. You had no control over any of it. Even if you are a bit of an instigator, Katey, I believe your heart was in the right place. You thought we'd get on so you invited us both to come to your house that weekend. You couldn't have known we'd fancy each other so badly."
Kate smiled a bit sadly. "You guys were unbelievable," she said. "The irresistible force meets the immovable object. Kinda like Godzilla vs. King Kong."
"I don't even want to know which one's which," Stuart said, laughing. His mobile rang in his pocket and he jumped from the sound. "I completely forgot my phone was on. `Scuse me," he said, plucking the little device out and flipping it open. The display screen read Vince's name. "Hello, lover."
"Hiya." Birds chirped in the background and he could hear Hazel chattering away shrilly. "Where are ya, then?"
"Kate kidnapped me and dragged me to a bleedin' coffee bar. It's the height of hedonism. What the hell is Hazel on about?"
Vince chuckled. "She's arguing with Bernie about some incident at Via Fossa last night. Same old thing."
Stuart smiled. "I miss you."
"I always miss you," Vince said. "I just wanted to hear your voice. Is Kate lookin' after you?"
"Very well, thanks. She's doing the job you paid her to do. She's bought me loads of presents and got me drunk already. It's not even five o'clock."
"Ah, good. Glad to hear it."
"What time are you coming home tonight?" Stuart lowered his voice to a soft whisper.
Vince sighed into the phone. "I'll be there to tuck you in and kiss you good night."
"Wheeeeeen?" He let his voice draw out into a scratchy little whine knowing that Vince loved it when he begged.
"I'll be there by midnight, all right? I want you to already be in bed, luv. Ready to go to sleep. Remember, there's no shaggin' tonight."
"I know and it's killing me. I'll probably crawl all over you in my sleep."
Vince let out another deep chuckle. "I love it when you do that. It's so bloody sexy. All that pent up lust . . ."
"Shhhhh . . ." Stuart warned. "Don't you dare give me a hard-on, Vince. I'll never forgive you."
"Oh, all right," he relented. "So, what else have you done today?"
"Nothing. Just shopped and drank." He looked up at Kate who was watching him steadily. Her gaze was like a spotlight on his conscience. "And I spoke to Brian just a minute ago on Kate's mobile."
Vince didn't miss a beat. "Did you thank him for the blanket?"
"Yeah. He asked me to kiss you someplace nice for him."
"Hm," he said. "I'll be sure to collect that tonight. Is he all right?"
"I suppose," Stuart said, hesitating.
"Not too broken-hearted over you?"
Laughing softly, Stuart shook his head. "He'll be fine, I'm sure."
Hazel's voice grew louder on Vince's end and then she was on the line.
"Stuart, luv, is that you?"
"Yeah. Hiya."
"Hello, sweetheart. How're you holding up? Getting cold feet?"
"Never," he said. "I'm fine. What are cooking him for dinner?"
"I fixed him my best lasagna--just like he asked for. We'll have plenty left for you to have for lunch tomorrow. You are still coming here to get ready, right?"
"Right. My flat will be overrun with caterers and decorators. I'll be dying to get outta there."
"So, I'll expect you around noon?" she said cheerfully.
"Fine. Noon it is. Hazel."
"What, luv?"
"Make sure he comes home to me tonight, all right? Don't try and talk him out of it or anything." He sat there listening to the silence on her end as they both smarted a bit from his comment. The memory of Vince's enforced absence several months ago remained bitingly fresh in his mind and he still resented her part in it.
After a long moment, Hazel sighed. When she replied, her tone was soft and remorseful. "Aw, darlin'. He's dying to go home to you right now. He's been talking about you non-stop ever since he got here. Stuart this. Stuart that. I'm sure I won't have any trouble shovin' him out the door."
He heard Vince's grumbled `mum' in the background and he couldn't help laughing.
"Right," Hazel said. "See you tomorrow, then. I'm looking forward to having some time on our own, actually. Give us a chance to talk."
"Yeah," Stuart said. "That'll be good. I'll see you tomorrow." He waited while she handed the phone back to Vince. "Is your bloody mother planning to give me a bollocking tomorrow?" he asked.
"About what?" Vince said.
"I dunno. Anything."
"She hasn't said anything to me. Why, luv, are you guilty of something?"
"Tch. She's your mother, Vince. Hazel's had me guilty of EVERYthing since the first moment we met." He frowned slightly as he recalled the conversation he and Hazel had on the day he and Vince became official. She'd called him a wolf and said it was only a matter of time until he broke her son's heart. At the time, Stuart had agreed with her. But that was a long time ago and they had been through a lot since then.
"I wouldn't worry about it," Vince said soothingly. "So, I'll see you later, then?"
Stuart sighed. "Yeah. See you under the covers."
Before he hung up, Vince said "do you happen to have any idea how much I love you?"
Unable to keep from smiling, Stuart felt his cheeks burn with a rush of blood. "I have an idea, yeah," he said. "But I'd love for you to show me how much."
"Right, then," Vince replied. "I'll plan to spend the next forty-odd years doing just that. See you later."
"Bye." He waited until Vince hung up then he dropped the phone back into his pocket. Looking across at Kate, he found her smiling at him. "What? You're not going to take the piss because I flirted with my husband, are you?"
She laughed. "Never. I love the way you two flirt. You're so into each other, it's completely enviable. But I'm glad you told him you spoke to Brian. I didn't want to hide that if I didn't have to."
Stuart finished his coffee then pushed the cup aside. Leaning forward on his elbows, he looked right into her green eyes. "Katherine."
"Uh oh," she said, leaning forward as well.
"Do something for me?"
"Of course."
"Just for tonight, let's not talk about Brian anymore. This is meant to be my stag night. I think you should be taking me to see some strippers."
Kate laughed out loud, then leaned over the table to kiss the tip of his nose. "Strippers just aren't your style, baby. What do you say we go hunt some big-ticket merchandise? Jewelry, maybe? Automobiles? We could test drive a Jag!"
"Now THAT's my sort of party," he said. "Let's go." He pushed back his chair and held out his hand for hers. When she stood up, Stuart pulled her into a long, tight hug.
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Vince:
At 11:30 that night, he quietly let himself back into the flat. Everything was dark save for the tiny night-light that always burned in the bathroom. He crept across the floor and up to the bedroom where he could see Stuart snuggled in a bundle of covers on the bed. Even in the low light Vince could tell the difference in color from the white comforter and Brian's soft cream cashmere blanket. His lover had cocooned his body in both of them and his dark curls were barely visible against the pillow.
Taking care not to make any undue noise, Vince undressed and put on a pair of soft flannel sleeping pants. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Stuart wasn't looking at him and then he pulled a t-shirt on over his head. Tip-toeing into the bathroom, he brushed his teeth then lifted the t-shirt up to check on the small, rectangular bandage taped loosely to his lower belly.
The artist told him he would have to put medicated lotion on the tattoo every hour or so for the first day and Vince had been very diligent about it. This had been no small task considering he'd spent the whole day with his mother. Every time he excused himself to go up to the loo, she rained questions on him about why he was having to go so often. Was he sick? Was it nerves? He'd just told her he'd had a lot of water that morning and left it at that.
The process itself hurt like hell, he had to admit. His eyes watered and he had to ask the tattoo artist to stop a few times so he could compose himself. But the result was amazing. Perfect. Exactly what he'd envisioned. Glancing around the corner to make sure Stuart was still on the bed, he turned back to the bathroom mirror and gently pried the gauze tape up to look at his new body art again.
The lines were still red and swollen and they stung a bit when he applied the lotion, but the tattooist said all of that was normal. He stood a bit closer to the warm glow of the night-light and admired the clean, sweeping design. The traditional Celtic love knot had been drawn in thin black lines and linked together in a straight pattern across Vince's belly, just above his pubic hairline. The design had been copied from the decorations around his wedding ring. Those tiny knots flanked the Claddagh design and were carved deeply into the gold band.
He'd searched on the internet for the significance of the design and had learned that the links represented the three domains of ancient Celtic belief: the underworld for the past, the earth world for the present and the sky world for the divine. That together with the symbolism of the Claddagh ring he wore at all times--friendship, love and loyalty--made the design the perfect choice. He felt somehow completed by the tattoo.
Looking at it one last time, he smiled to himself and made sure his t- shirt covered the little bandage. Then he crept into the bedroom.
Carefully sitting on the bed beside Stuart's prone form, he reached out and pet those beloved black curls.
"I'm awake," Stuart whispered. "Come to bed." He looked over his shoulder at Vince and smiled with his dark blue eyes. "Don't miss your chance to snuggle with me. I'm getting married tomorrow."
Vince lifted the comforter and the soft cashmere blanket and slid underneath. He was pleased to find Stuart wearing a t-shirt and his silky pajama bottoms. Spooning up behind him, Vince cuddled as close as he dared, hoping the fabric of their clothes would mask the little bandage on his belly.
Kissing Stuart's neck just below his ear, he breathed a happy sigh. "Nice day with Kate?"
"Mm hm . . . She got me a bracelet."
"Yeah?"
Stuart held up his right wrist and Vince could just barely see the soft glint of a thick silvery chain resting next to the other bracelet Stuart always wore. Vince touched it with his fingers and noted the soft texture cut into the metal. It felt like smooth snakeskin.
"Nice," he said.
"It's platinum, like my wedding ring," Stuart said. "She said she hoped you wouldn't mind if I wore it on the same wrist as your bracelet. I'll move it if you do." His voice was scratchy and a bit slow. Vince could tell his lover was sleepy and he was glad of that.
"I don't mind at all," he said. "They look nice together. And maybe it will help so you don't miss Brian's bracelet so much."
Stuart had no reply to that. He snuggled back against Vince's body, reaching for his arm and wrapping it around his own waist. "How was Hazel's lasagna?"
"Lovely. We saved some for you. Should be fantastic the second day."
Wriggling slightly, Stuart turned in his lover's arms and kissed his lips. He settled there on his back, gently leaning against Vince's chest with his eyes closed. Stuart's fingers curled loosely around Vince's arm, affectionately stroking the soft hairs there. "Thanks for coming home tonight."
"I missed you like mad," Vince confessed. He kissed the silky shell of Stuart's ear then nuzzled it. "I'm not much good at sleeping without you, either."
Stuart laughed sleepily. "I'm very tired," he whispered. "Lucky for you, otherwise I'd be begging for a shag."
Grinning, Vince kissed his ear again. "We need our rest, you know. Big day tomorrow."
"Mm."
They lay quietly for a long time and Vince had just started to relax and drift off when Stuart spoke again. His voice was a soft husk and his words were slurred by sleep.
"Your mother thinks I'm a wolf . . ." he murmured.
Vince opened his eyes and looked at Stuart's face in the dark. For a moment, he thought his lover had fallen asleep and was talking in a dream state but then he opened his eyes.
"What?" Vince asked.
"She said I was a wolf," he repeated. "That night we first got together and I went to her house to tell her we were giving it a go. She said . . . you can't keep a wolf as a pet. She didn't think this would work. She was sure I'd fuck it up." His handsome face was creased with sadness and the sight of it pierced Vince's heart.
"Just forget all that, luv," he said. "Hazel's always talking out of her arse, anyway. She was just being protective of me."
Stuart continued to frown and he turned a bit more so he could nuzzle Vince's neck.
"And," Vince went on with gentle insistence. "We've clearly proven her wrong. We're getting married tomorrow. I'd consider that a good indication that things have worked out." He smiled and put a kiss on Stuart's cheek.
When the handsome Irishman made no reply, Vince pulled him closer. "You're not having a zero-hour panic attack, are you?"
"I'm not panicking," he muttered impishly. "I'm perfectly fine."
Vince laughed softly, then reached under the soft blankets to lace his fingers with Stuart's. "Go to sleep, then."
Stuart took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, letting his body conform to Vince's under the covers. After a few quiet minutes, Vince felt safe that his lover had drifted off and he finally let his own eyes close. He fell asleep with a little smile on his face, feeling unbelievably lucky and almost unbearably happy.
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