Spaming One More Time!
Gah. If these didn't come out so easily, I wouldn't be pumping them out two and three at a time. Sorry for flogging down the list! Critique is welcome, as always! Enjoy the sappiness.
Title: An Honest Man
Genre(s): General/Romance
Rating: PG
Themes: #6. Music, 11. Flowers, 14. Fantasy; Fairy tale
Author: Sumthinlikhuman
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
For being something he'd never really wanted, Kalin had to admit that it was a pleasant feeling. Nathaniel was smiling at him, affixing the corsage to his lapel. Sixteen years; it didn't feel that long, some days, and some days it felt much longer, but there it was. Neither of them had been back to Archers Crossing in sixteen years.
Stupid, that Kalin might convince him to come back for a school reunion. So very stupid; Nathaniel had always hated Archers Crossing, and the people there, and the whole atmosphere of the place-too many lies and too much cover-up to not put a bitter taste into his mouth. Kalin couldn't really blame him, but it was his home, as much as any place.
They drove in silence to the campus of St. Paul's Boys Academy, where nineteen years ago Nathaniel had ceased to be Natalie. For a while, they sat in their car, staring at the building, before Kalin sighed, mumbled a reassurance to himself, and slid out.
The main foyer of the academy was festively decorated with balloons and sad streamers that were beginning to sag with the humidity of bodies collecting around them. Music-nothing Nathaniel or Kalin liked, particularly-rang down the halls from the gymnasium. Kalin smiled at the nun who was sitting behind a table that sported name tags for all the alumni, and a blank one for their date of choice, and talked with her softly. She was obviously trying not to stare at Nathaniel. So was he, but for different reasons.
There was something wrong with the world when a rented tuxedo fit like it had been specially tailored. And Nathaniel always did look like sin on legs-lust and pride, his own personal digression from faith. Kalin couldn't help the soppy grin on his face as he tapped Nathaniel's name-tag perhaps too pointedly onto his chest; Nathaniel only rolled his eyes, and turned Kalin around.
"Reminisce, be merry, and grope me later."
"You're no fun," Kalin whined, wrapping his arm around Nathaniel's waist. The taller man smiled winningly, and winked, at which Kalin smacked his side, laughing softly. "Mind out of the gutter, Mr. Farris."
The gymnasium, though dimly lit, was just as Kalin remembered, and that wasn't a particularly pleasant memory. He could practically hear and see gym class going on around him, their coach scowling from the sidelines and muttering about how pathetic they all were.
But, in place of mats and ropes and gym balls, couples wandered the floors, a few dancing. Kalin wasn't surprised that he knew almost everybody in the gym-there had been fifteen hundred students in his graduating year, from his academy, and neighboring St. Helena's Girls Academy. It wasn't a long stretch to say that if the girls weren't from St. Helena's, than they were from Archers Crossing High, which was just across the street.
It seemed like a dream. He spoke with people he hadn't seen in sixteen years, and cleverly avoided Jason Wilhelm, and his other friends from school, for the entire evening.
Nathaniel was looking bored, and nursing a mulled cider at one of the crape-paper covered tables while Kalin danced with Marian, the youngest of Father Kendrew's children-they had once been named the "Cutest Couple", despite never having been in a real relationship; she was a good friend, and had always been. Kalin broke away from her, smiling as a song he actually knew and somewhat liked came up, strutting over toward his partner.
"Care to dance?"
"You know I have two left feet, unless I'm-"
"Indulge me." Kalin pulled Nathaniel to his feet, and yanked him out onto the dance floor, where they danced, none-too expertly. They drew attention, the way they moved to the music and wrapped themselves in each other's arms, unresisting to the beat and what felt right.
Marian was suddenly beside Kalin, smiling as she held up her thumb. On her arm was her wife, Samantha, who was beaming and waving energetically. Nathaniel smiled, and waved back; no doubt, he had known her when he'd been Natalie. Kalin wondered if Samantha had ever come on to 'Natalie'.
The thought was a little unsettling, but in a good way. He wrapped his arms a little tighter around Nathaniel's neck, pulled him down a bit to whisper, "Wanna get out of here?" Nathaniel nodded swiftly, said his easy good byes to Marian and Samantha, who returned them with hugs and tearful waves, before pulling Kalin firmly out of the building.
Kalin was sniggering softly as they stumbled back to their car, kissing and muttering absently. Nathaniel stopped suddenly, staring down at Kalin for a moment, before grinning, and pulling away, rushing off.
It took Kalin a moment to figure out what was going on. Nathaniel was, by then, standing outside the fence into the parking lot, leaning against the fence, and looking over his shoulder toward the school, over the parking lot, meeting Kalin's eyes. Even in the darkness-or perhaps because of it-Kalin could see the mournful little look Nathaniel put into his eyes.
It looked like he was wearing smeared eyeliner and mascara, that he had lip-gloss on as he pouted slightly. Kalin wandered over toward the fence, loosening his tie as he rounded the gate and stood a few steps away.
"Have you come to cry?" he whispered gently, running a hand through his hair. Nathaniel took a step forward, popping a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it. He puffed, and then smiled.
"I've come to confess."
Kalin grinned up at him, and wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing him gently, then a bit more hungrily, tasting the nicotine and smoke, and a bit of that cider Nathaniel had been drinking., running his fingers through the soft, long black hair of the other man.
"Kali," Nathaniel whispered, pulling away. "I actually have to get my confession in, you know. Before you suck out my lungs."
"Confess later," Kalin uttered, pushing Nathaniel against the fence and kissing his neck. He could hear Nathaniel smoking, and feel his breath speeding.
He pulled back when Nathaniel pinched his side, and scowled a little, but stopped when Nathaniel lifted a hand, holding him at arms length for a moment as he dove around in his pocket. Kalin chuckled a little nervously as Nathaniel cursed, holding up a finger . . .
Suddenly, he smiled, and pulled whatever it was out of his pocket. Kalin raised a brow, and let his eyes slowly widen as Nathaniel slowly lowered himself to one knee, smiling up at him.
"We've known each other for nearly eighteen years now, this summer. And you know I love you like nobody else. We can't . . . I mean, I'd love to marry you, you know that. But Shrub's got his head up his ass, and this country is run by bigots. So . . . so I guess I'm just asking you to stick around until that all clears up. Until we can go become Canadian citizens or something."
Kalin laughed softly, and Nathaniel stood, worrying his lip as he opened the box he was holding, pulling out a simple silver ring and slipping it onto Kalin's finger.
Suddenly, Kalin burst into laughter, kissing Nathaniel quickly, swinging himself around. He slapped Nathaniel's chest a couple of times.
"You sneaky bastard!" he groused, grinning brightly. Nathaniel whined a little, but let the abuse on his chest continue, until Kalin just wrapped his arms around his neck, and hoisted himself gracefully up onto his tiptoes. "You know that the man is supposed to propose, right?"
"Yeah, but you'd get all mushy and start babbling."
"Shuddup. Come on. We have to go tell mom that you're making an honest man of me."
Title: An Honest Man
Genre(s): General/Romance
Rating: PG
Themes: #6. Music, 11. Flowers, 14. Fantasy; Fairy tale
Author: Sumthinlikhuman
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
For being something he'd never really wanted, Kalin had to admit that it was a pleasant feeling. Nathaniel was smiling at him, affixing the corsage to his lapel. Sixteen years; it didn't feel that long, some days, and some days it felt much longer, but there it was. Neither of them had been back to Archers Crossing in sixteen years.
Stupid, that Kalin might convince him to come back for a school reunion. So very stupid; Nathaniel had always hated Archers Crossing, and the people there, and the whole atmosphere of the place-too many lies and too much cover-up to not put a bitter taste into his mouth. Kalin couldn't really blame him, but it was his home, as much as any place.
They drove in silence to the campus of St. Paul's Boys Academy, where nineteen years ago Nathaniel had ceased to be Natalie. For a while, they sat in their car, staring at the building, before Kalin sighed, mumbled a reassurance to himself, and slid out.
The main foyer of the academy was festively decorated with balloons and sad streamers that were beginning to sag with the humidity of bodies collecting around them. Music-nothing Nathaniel or Kalin liked, particularly-rang down the halls from the gymnasium. Kalin smiled at the nun who was sitting behind a table that sported name tags for all the alumni, and a blank one for their date of choice, and talked with her softly. She was obviously trying not to stare at Nathaniel. So was he, but for different reasons.
There was something wrong with the world when a rented tuxedo fit like it had been specially tailored. And Nathaniel always did look like sin on legs-lust and pride, his own personal digression from faith. Kalin couldn't help the soppy grin on his face as he tapped Nathaniel's name-tag perhaps too pointedly onto his chest; Nathaniel only rolled his eyes, and turned Kalin around.
"Reminisce, be merry, and grope me later."
"You're no fun," Kalin whined, wrapping his arm around Nathaniel's waist. The taller man smiled winningly, and winked, at which Kalin smacked his side, laughing softly. "Mind out of the gutter, Mr. Farris."
The gymnasium, though dimly lit, was just as Kalin remembered, and that wasn't a particularly pleasant memory. He could practically hear and see gym class going on around him, their coach scowling from the sidelines and muttering about how pathetic they all were.
But, in place of mats and ropes and gym balls, couples wandered the floors, a few dancing. Kalin wasn't surprised that he knew almost everybody in the gym-there had been fifteen hundred students in his graduating year, from his academy, and neighboring St. Helena's Girls Academy. It wasn't a long stretch to say that if the girls weren't from St. Helena's, than they were from Archers Crossing High, which was just across the street.
It seemed like a dream. He spoke with people he hadn't seen in sixteen years, and cleverly avoided Jason Wilhelm, and his other friends from school, for the entire evening.
Nathaniel was looking bored, and nursing a mulled cider at one of the crape-paper covered tables while Kalin danced with Marian, the youngest of Father Kendrew's children-they had once been named the "Cutest Couple", despite never having been in a real relationship; she was a good friend, and had always been. Kalin broke away from her, smiling as a song he actually knew and somewhat liked came up, strutting over toward his partner.
"Care to dance?"
"You know I have two left feet, unless I'm-"
"Indulge me." Kalin pulled Nathaniel to his feet, and yanked him out onto the dance floor, where they danced, none-too expertly. They drew attention, the way they moved to the music and wrapped themselves in each other's arms, unresisting to the beat and what felt right.
Marian was suddenly beside Kalin, smiling as she held up her thumb. On her arm was her wife, Samantha, who was beaming and waving energetically. Nathaniel smiled, and waved back; no doubt, he had known her when he'd been Natalie. Kalin wondered if Samantha had ever come on to 'Natalie'.
The thought was a little unsettling, but in a good way. He wrapped his arms a little tighter around Nathaniel's neck, pulled him down a bit to whisper, "Wanna get out of here?" Nathaniel nodded swiftly, said his easy good byes to Marian and Samantha, who returned them with hugs and tearful waves, before pulling Kalin firmly out of the building.
Kalin was sniggering softly as they stumbled back to their car, kissing and muttering absently. Nathaniel stopped suddenly, staring down at Kalin for a moment, before grinning, and pulling away, rushing off.
It took Kalin a moment to figure out what was going on. Nathaniel was, by then, standing outside the fence into the parking lot, leaning against the fence, and looking over his shoulder toward the school, over the parking lot, meeting Kalin's eyes. Even in the darkness-or perhaps because of it-Kalin could see the mournful little look Nathaniel put into his eyes.
It looked like he was wearing smeared eyeliner and mascara, that he had lip-gloss on as he pouted slightly. Kalin wandered over toward the fence, loosening his tie as he rounded the gate and stood a few steps away.
"Have you come to cry?" he whispered gently, running a hand through his hair. Nathaniel took a step forward, popping a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it. He puffed, and then smiled.
"I've come to confess."
Kalin grinned up at him, and wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing him gently, then a bit more hungrily, tasting the nicotine and smoke, and a bit of that cider Nathaniel had been drinking., running his fingers through the soft, long black hair of the other man.
"Kali," Nathaniel whispered, pulling away. "I actually have to get my confession in, you know. Before you suck out my lungs."
"Confess later," Kalin uttered, pushing Nathaniel against the fence and kissing his neck. He could hear Nathaniel smoking, and feel his breath speeding.
He pulled back when Nathaniel pinched his side, and scowled a little, but stopped when Nathaniel lifted a hand, holding him at arms length for a moment as he dove around in his pocket. Kalin chuckled a little nervously as Nathaniel cursed, holding up a finger . . .
Suddenly, he smiled, and pulled whatever it was out of his pocket. Kalin raised a brow, and let his eyes slowly widen as Nathaniel slowly lowered himself to one knee, smiling up at him.
"We've known each other for nearly eighteen years now, this summer. And you know I love you like nobody else. We can't . . . I mean, I'd love to marry you, you know that. But Shrub's got his head up his ass, and this country is run by bigots. So . . . so I guess I'm just asking you to stick around until that all clears up. Until we can go become Canadian citizens or something."
Kalin laughed softly, and Nathaniel stood, worrying his lip as he opened the box he was holding, pulling out a simple silver ring and slipping it onto Kalin's finger.
Suddenly, Kalin burst into laughter, kissing Nathaniel quickly, swinging himself around. He slapped Nathaniel's chest a couple of times.
"You sneaky bastard!" he groused, grinning brightly. Nathaniel whined a little, but let the abuse on his chest continue, until Kalin just wrapped his arms around his neck, and hoisted himself gracefully up onto his tiptoes. "You know that the man is supposed to propose, right?"
"Yeah, but you'd get all mushy and start babbling."
"Shuddup. Come on. We have to go tell mom that you're making an honest man of me."