Four words, simply: grow old, with me [gathering, 5/5]

[mitsubishievo]

Though Newt and Joseph Kavinsky had been married, legally, since January 15, they'd put off any sort of reception for months. When they'd decided to go to the court house and sign the papers together, they'd already decided that the marriage would be small, no one but themselves and the court clerks present. The wedding, the reception really, though. That was what they were looking forward to.

Things had shifted in the Kavinsky household in the time that they had been together. They had loved and lost in this house. But it was built and filled with love, and there was nothing that seemed capable of stopping that.

They'd settled on Friday afternoon, since it was just going to be a backyard thing. The new deck was finished, the garden was in bloom, and it was warm enough and good enough weather that the dreamed up garden roof was retracted to let in the natural warmth of mid Spring. Everything was light with the smell of flowers and fresh cut grass and the noise of the finches that lived in the tree at the back of the yard, dreamt once and lively as ever.

Kavinsky had set up a small buffet in the living room. The cats were roaming among the guests. Kavinsky was trying to not drink too much. He could hardly be pried from his husband's side, and when he did, his gaze was soft and adoring whenever he found him again.

All in all, it looked like it wasn't going to be a bad party at all.

Comments

[shuck_you]

"Nothing that's going to become a marriage," Thomas said vaguely. There were one or two people that he cared about but they weren't on the level of anyone proposing to anyone else. They were good and solid and nice and Thomas guessed they'd probably stay that way because it was easy. Thomas liked what they were and wasn't in a huge rush to change anything just yet.

"Wouldn't even know how to be married to anyone, shank," he said, shaking his head. "Happy for you guys but I don't know if it's for me."

[mitsubishievo]

Kavinsky nodded a little, understanding that. But he shrugged to, sort of laughed. "Yeah, I mean. Never thought it'd happen to me, but it's definitely not for everyone. I think Newt and I, we just--we need each other. That presence together."

This was probably the most personal conversation he'd ever had with Thomas, and he snorted a little, because it occurred to him that, over a year ago, they'd gotten into a scrap on the sidewalk over Thomas getting something from home.

[shuck_you]

"Whatever works for you, slinthead," he said though the words weren't unfriendly. Teasing more like. "As long as you don't hurt him, we'll be fine."

Thomas knew even if Kavinsky did hurt Newt, he probably wouldn't be able to physically beat him up but he'd sure as shuck try.

"I'm glad it's working."

[mitsubishievo]

"I don't doubt you could make me sorry for anything I did to him," Kavinsky said, quiet and honest. But he smiled, and tried to joke, "But you'd be second in line after he kicked my ass, so it'd be easier for you."

Kavinsky nodded. It was working. It was a lot of work, and he never really thought that he'd have to deal with this particular kind of emotional labor. It was worth it. He was generally more even these days, generally a little softer. Newt made it easy to be like that.

"I am too," he said honestly.

[shuck_you]

"All right, then," Thomas said with a nod of his own. Newt could handle himself. Newt could take care of himself and if he'd managed to somewhat tame a person who'd been such an ass the first time Thomas had met him, then Thomas believed Newt could probably do anything.

"Then, enjoy yourself and your...do I say enjoy your marriage?" he asked, shaking his head. "I just did anyway. Enjoy it."