Confounded: Part III - 20. Interlude

INTERLUDE --==Tom’s POV==--

To be with this family, seeing them interact together, quite modern with all the LGBTQIA+ interactions; it was a revelation to me - I was amazed at Richard, Mitchell’s father - he was so open to it all. From the relationship his grandson had with his husband (and I knew he had attended the wedding in France), to his son, being openly gay, even at a time when it wasn’t considered normal. Then his marriage, a decade ago, with my uncle and even to me, again, years after and treating me wholly new, as if he hadn’t met me before (or at least not judging me for it). Because he had met me and it hadn’t been all positive back then. Yet he (probably) remembered and still gave me another chance. That was generous of him to do so, and humbling.

Others might take a page out of his book of living; live and let live.

One can hope.

So to respond to him in the manner I did, giving him lip for the remark I overheard in church, about crooners and booze…that wasn’t nice of me. It was obnoxious and I admitted as much. Then to have him come back and say 'meh, my own fault for being a putz' (or me understanding him saying as much); wow. That’s a person or, if you wanna use old thinking; that’s a man.

I enjoyed this day. I loved it. It was as family should be in my mind; loving, ridiculous, harmonious, young and old mixed together, each teaching each other still.

Rare.

Fodder for songs. Already I had three concepts for songs swimming in my brain, each clamoring for an outlet. Let me be heard.

You will be. When I’m good and ready. I got one that needs the most attention. It needs it now.

I had too much to process, not in the least this man that quickly was occupying my mental world. Invasion to the max, to be honest. He was intriguing, exciting, and helpless. He might balk at that description, but that’s how I saw him. Mitchell. It was weird, because none of the other men in my life had I viewed as such. Certainly not that combo. Maybe small bits of this and that but never the whole. It pulled at me, drawing me in quicker than music notes.

Already, the song for him was gestating in my mind. Its title was Silver. I liked the merging of him and my most prized possession. The words flowed, the music already formed in my mind. I hadn’t written it on paper yet; it was here though, in my mind. I knew the words and I knew the music. This was a piano ballad. Just the piano, no strings, no percussion. Nothing else. They deserved the song, him and the cat.

It would be my superhit. Not to hundreds, thousands or millions. Just me. I might not even release it. Just keep it for myself. John would be angry. Very. I didn’t care.

Fuck off. This one is mine.

It’s funny; the one thing that triggered it was my ex. This whole rigmarole. Catharsis, John would call it.

It all came around to him, didn’t it? To Kit?

Maybe my life started when I met him. My real life. Sometimes, you have to meet certain people to help you along your path. To give you a little push. “There you go. Fall for me. Fail. Stumble. Fall. Get back up. Fail. Stumble. Fall again. Get the fuck back up."

Rise.

**********

“Alright, spill,” Kit said, as soon as the others cleared the kitchen. I filled the sink with hot water and plates, beginning to clean the dishes.

He’d tried to get more details when we’d been making lunch but were constantly interrupted by the kids, running around and creating havoc.

“Did you really sleep with him?” He asked, picking up a plate to dry.

“Yes.”

It was true. I didn’t see any reason to lie about it. Also; his dad already told him we had. But there’s sleep and sleeping with and trust him to pounce on the difference.

“Did you have sex?”

That was no business of his.

“Dude. Private!”

Kit chuckled. “Alright, fine. I can tell you didn’t.”
Huh? How?

I shot him a glance, placing another plate in the rack beside the sink. “How can you tell?”
Before he could respond, Mischa’s voice spoke from the doorway.

“Stop badgering him, sweet one.”
Kit grinned as Mischa came up behind him and slipped his arms around his middle. Leaning back he turned his head, speaking to him.

“Oh come on, hon. Last night you wondered if they did the nasty; don’t be coy now.”

“Ah yes, after I did the nasty to you! You’re right.”

I laughed out loud when Kit’s face colored deeply. He slapped Mischa with the drying cloth he was using. Too funny.

“I thought you walked funny, this morning,” I winked to him, eliciting a wolfish grin from Mischa as he laid his chin on Kit’s shoulder.

“Oh, shut your face,” Kit grumbled goodnaturedly. “Boundaries, husband. Boundaries.”

“I’m European. We have no secrets,” Mischa snickered.

Kit rolled his eyes. “So not an excuse. You’re lucky I love you.”

“Je t’aime aussi,” Mischa replied softly.

“You two are disgusting,” I snickered, “and cute.”

“I know,” Kit smiled, pressing a kiss on his husbands’ cheek, then resuming his drying duties. “So what was the haul? What did grandpa buy for em?”

“Lego and dinos. Julian already had a dino down his shirt. I’m having No-No on guard duty while they clean up their mess and thank Pepe. And we should tell him not to buy any more dino’s.”

Noah’s nickname, No-No, which he’d earned during his ‘no!’ phase. It stuck, to this day. Half the time he was addressed as such, much to his chagrin. He’d go “That’s NOT my name!”. Julian was usually referred to as ‘Jules’ by them. He was in a dinosaur phase, thanks to the new Dominion movie and not entirely to his parents’ liking. He’d begun to growl to other kids around him.

“Oh, good luck to you,” Kit responded, shaking his head. “You tell grandpa what he can and can’t buy for 'em. See how far you get.”

“That’s why I use Papa. Remember that slime stuff he bought?”

“Oooh, you’re good,” Kit snickered. “I knew there was a reason I had these kids with you.”

“Oui. And soon, more joy.”
Wait…

I gasped at the same time as Kit held his breath. Looking sideways, I saw him at a loss for words, his eyes flicking to Mischa.

“Hon….not yet…”

“Yeah, too late,” I grinned. “Another one on the way?”
Mischa just nodded, then held up two fingers and he seemed ridiculously proud then. Smug, even.

Oh my god!

Twins!?

“The man can’t keep secrets,” Kit sighed, then smiled. “Yeah, it’s twins. January next year.”

“Aww man, congrats!”
Letting the dish brush fall in the water I turned to them for a hug. Mischa was the first.

“Merci!” He smiled, returning the hug.

“We’re hoping for girls,” Kit smiled as well, waiting patiently for his turn. “Haha! Thanks!”

“We’re hoping for healthy,” Mischa corrected.

“And girls,” Kit repeated, dryly. “I don’t think I'll survive two more boys.”
I snickered.

“Whichever; it’s awesome!”

“You ready for two more to babysit?” Kit grinned.

“And be godfather to?” Mischa added. A silence fell.
Kit’s eyes flicked to him and he frowned.

“Mish, honey…”

“Yes,” I said, inhaling deeply. “Yeah, I’ll do it.”

“You will?” Kit asked, his eyes widening, surprised. “You sure?”

‘See? I told you he would,” Mischa smiled wide, taking a step toward me. Then he grabbed me up, squeezing me in a big bearhug. “Thank you!”
Wow. Dude! Calm down! I began to laugh.
“I knew he would do it. I told you he would! Didn’t I say he would? I told you!”
He seemed downright jubilant then, and when he put me back down, he was wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. “Told you,” he repeated again, sniffling, then quickly making an exit.

“Yeah, you did,” Kit grinned, looking after him, then turning and giving me a somewhat apologetic look. “Well, he’s a goner. Europeans, so messy. The crying, man…”
He grinned, winking. He didn’t mean one single word of that, I could tell.
“He was hoping you would say yes. He’ll be on the phone tonight, now that he knows that. Not gonna see him until we hit the bedroom.”

“Fuck, I didn’t know it was that important to him…”

“Yeah, it’s a big thing for him,” Kit answered, his face sobering, “but I told him not to badger you about it. He didn’t, did he? I know him…”

“No, not at all,” I assured, “he asked only the once…and I didn’t really know I would or wouldn’t until I spoke to your dad about it…”
Kit raised an eyebrow at that.
“We got to talking, it came up,” I explained. “Your dad…he clarified some stuff for me, is all. Like I said, I wasn’t sure I should do it, if I was up for it. But I guess, being with you guys today, seeing you all together, it felt like a good thing to say yes to. You’re a great family.”

Stepping closer, Kit pulled me into a hug, then leaned back, letting his arms rest on my shoulders, seeking my eyes. “We are a great family. You too. That’s what this means, alright? You’re a part of it. Of us.”
I smiled up at him.

“Alright.”
Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss on my mouth. Nothing weird, just an acknowledgement, and hugged me again.

“Thanks, man. I…we appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” I smiled, “just don’t die until you’re eighty-plus, mmk? I don’t wanna raise four boys alone.”
He groaned with dramatic flair, then picked up the drying cloth.

“Oh god, I know, right? I really hope these are gonna be girls. Two more Julians and I’m done for.”
I snickered, continuing the dishes while he halted drying plates, raising his hands to the ceiling.
“I was a boy scout, for god sakes. If it’s two more boys, you’re punishing me for something I sure as shit didn’t do.”

“Oh shut it, you love the kids.”

“To hell and back. But I’ll gladly plaster them behind the wallpaper on a daily basis.”

“Ha! Imagine Mischa then, being with them 24/7. You get to escape, at least.”

He huffed. “You think so? Nuh-uh. I’m involved, baby. No board meetings with at least two interruptions of video calls, telling them to listen to Papa.”

“Seriously?”
He just threw me a look.
“Oooohkay. Really?”

“Ahuh. Deal we made; I’m always accessible, even at work.”
I didn’t know that. REALLY?
Kit threw me another look when I stalled and gave him that look.
“Oh, you wanna try telling Mischa what to do?”

“Uh….no, he’s all yours.”

“Thanks,” he grinned.

It was an enviable position for Kit, to be honest. To have someone who went for you and your family that way? I once had that with Alex, but didn’t realize it. If I got it again, I sure as shit wouldn’t pass it up.

One can only hope.