Dating Rules And Pretty Fools - 33. Epilog

Epilog

“So, that means that we’re going to be missing you for a bit, Mr. Bendecker?” Mrs. Wellis held her daughter close, while Miranda peeked from behind her at him. She grinned and hid her face in her mother’s skirt when Otis looked down and made a funny face.

“A substitute teacher will be taking over, but it will not be for long.”

“I heard that you’re getting married. That means that you’ll be on your honeymoon.”

“Yes, but it’s going to be very short. I do not wish to be away from my work for more than a week.”

“I bet that’s because these little imps don’t want to see you gone.”

“When you’re so young, even a week seems like an incredibly long time,” Otis explained.

“Indeed. It’s hard for us grownups to put ourselves in their shoes. Have we forgotten our childhoods without realizing it?” Mrs. Wellis pondered out loud.

Otis didn’t know how to reply. Working as a kindergarten teacher for children with special needs fit him like a glove, as Hudson told him often. He did understand the struggle of making sense of the world around them that all these kids were going through. He had been there, and he had missed his own childhood for the most part. Therefore, all the things he was teaching the little ones applied to him just as well. He was learning with them, and he was more like a child himself, one of them, and not so much a teacher.

But, of course, he kept those thoughts to himself. After going through many years of education to qualify for this position, the grownups, as Mrs. Wellis put it, should believe him to be the most prepared for his job. Otis believed a lot more in learning on the job than learning in university, and for him, the kids taught him more than all the books and courses, although those helped him a lot too.

Miranda put one hand up and Otis pressed only the tips of his fingers against her tiny ones. That was the special code they had established to say farewell, and it had been quite the task to make her to open up to even that much touch. In Otis’s book, that was a victory like no other.

These kids would be fine for a week, he tried to convince himself as he waved Mrs. Wellis goodbye. Hudson would be here shortly to take him home. Tomorrow was the big day, and after that, an entire week to themselves. Even though he didn’t want to part with the children, he had to admit that he could be a little selfish at times, such as wishing for more time with Hudson.

Hudson, who would soon be his husband. Although they had lived together for the last eight years, that was still a new concept, and wrapping his head around it wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Even the frequent assurances from Hudson that nothing was really going to change between them didn’t convince him. Not that he hadn’t grown at bit more used to change and new challenges, but he wanted to make it all feel special, and he had no idea how. The Internet hadn’t been particularly helpful in that regard; all the advice about what promises to make, and what sort of gifts to choose hadn’t seemed on point.

The deadline was tomorrow. And he was like a kid without his homework finished. The playful honk announcing to him that his husband-to-be was already here stopped his musings. Somehow, this wasn’t the kind of thing to ask Hudson, since Otis was supposed to be the bringer of a pleasant surprise to mark the start of their life together. As husband and husband.

***

Even without asking, Hudson knew that there was something on his lovely boyfriend’s mind. With the wedding approaching, his mood had transformed into a quiet shape, and although he had tried to poke him playfully, Otis had continued to keep silent. If they hadn’t spent the last eight years loving each other madly, he would have started feeling a bit unsure of his beautiful partner’s feelings.

That wasn’t it, but something was taking up real estate in Otis’s thoughts, something he didn’t want to disclose. Hudson had learned a lot about how to behave in his relationship with Otis since the young man had been through a lot, and pressing him wouldn’t work. When he had once confessed about such things to Gavin, his best friend had solemnly advised him not to treat his partner like some perp.

Therefore, he was, this time, at a loss. Otis’s wide smile when he hurried to the car put any worries he might have had at ease. That was how people in love smiled, as he had learned over the years. Despite his previous vast experience with men, once he had gotten together with Otis, he had not felt the need for anyone else ever again. But was it the same for his boyfriend? People changed, right?

As Otis hopped in and kissed him effusively on the lips, his worries melted away. Even if his boyfriend had been a virgin when they had met, that didn’t mean that he wanted to explore new horizons after eight years of living together.

Hudson had wanted the wedding to happen faster, but Otis had been adamant about having a proper job before saying their vows. As he had been the one to insist on the option of pursuing an education for Otis, he couldn’t take it back.

So, he had been patient.

“How was today? Did they cry a little when they heard you won’t be here for an entire week?”

Otis sighed. “Just Nico and Tate. But they only sniffled quietly. You know they are not very open in expressing their emotions.”

“You’re doing a great job,” Hudson praised his lover. “Even so, I think they’ll miss you.”

“Yes. I received a few small paintings from them telling me as much.”

“How ready are you for tomorrow?” Hudson asked, hoping that his cheerful tone wouldn’t put Otis off too much.

Even so, his question caused a little tension to square Otis’s shoulders.

“Ah, damn it, I know it’s not the best time,” Hudson began, “but do you still want to get married?”

Otis gave him a startled look. “To you?”

“Hopefully, not to some other guy,” Hudson joked.

Otis relaxed. “Yes,” he said with a lovely smile, “I very much want it. You. Want you.”

“Good, ‘cause I was getting a bit nervous there for a minute. Would it be too much if I asked you what’s on your mind? Is it work-related?”

“No. I will figure it out,” Otis assured him. “It is something I have to do on my own.”

“Okay, I trust you. But if you need my help, don’t forget that I’m right here.”

As expected, there was nothing more he was able to squeeze out of Otis, and insisting would get him nowhere. Hudson kept in a sigh and stared at the road ahead. He might have joked about it and everything, but if Otis had decided not to get married, he would have been pretty bummed out. A mild way of saying devastated.

Yes, eight years later, and he was still that crazy in love. He hadn’t confessed that part to Gavin, because the guy would tease him until the end of the world. For now, it looked like Otis was keeping him on tenterhooks, although he wasn’t the kind to tease.

***

Well, the big moment was here. Otis wrung his hands for another minute. Hudson was aware of his nerves and had held him and kissed him through the night, but they hadn’t done anything so that they would be well rested during the ceremony. He was anything but. Soon, he would have to recite his vows, and his list was all jumbled. He would probably stutter. Worse, he might end up not realizing what the letters in front of his eyes meant, even though the piece of paper was secure in his pocket.

“Ready?” he heard the cue for him, and he started as if he had just been told that his execution hour had been pre-poned.

All the happy faces smiling at him made him feel a little better. And Hudson was there, so handsome in his wedding attire, a new suit that fit him like it had been made for him, which it had been, not some off-the-rack thing.

The minister’s kind voice enveloped him like in a warm blanket, and he was well aware of Hudson’s hands holding his. His vows were also beautiful, all the words arranged one after the other, flowing like a river.

And then, the dreaded moment. Silence. Everyone was waiting for him to speak his vows too. The words were stuck on that paper in his pocket. Otis took it out and stared at it.

“Baby,” he heard Hudson’s voice traveling to him like from a distant land. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” he replied. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he stuttered. He looked at the paper again.

“Leave that. Just look at me,” Hudson told him tenderly.

And he did look. He met Hudson’s eyes, and his worries began to fade.

“I am no good with words,” he said.

“That’s fine,” Hudson replied and laughed softly. “The only thing I care about right now is whether I’m allowed to kiss the groom or not.”

It felt as if it was just the two of them alone, encased in a warm cocoon. “Are we at that part yet? It all happened so very fast. I was supposed to say something. My vows.”

“I’ll take the way you’re looking at me right now instead of any words.”

“How do I look at you?”

“Like there’s no one else but us in the entire world.”

Otis felt his face stretching into a smile. His fingertips tingled. It was all right. His senses were coming back to him. He snickered and looked at the paper in his hand. “There’s a lot on here. So I’ll make a quick selection.”

The people present began laughing too.

“I really don’t mind if you keep it short,” Hudson said with a happy grin.

“Okay, then,” he said and took a deep breath. “This line I like. I hope your life with me is going to be as sweet as our wedding cake.”

“Sounds good, go on,” Hudson encouraged him.

“Ah, and here is a little joke. It’s about fries. I promise to share mine, but you will have to do the same, because fries always taste better from someone else’s plate.”

Hudson laughed, as did everyone else. Even the minister seemed to be in an agreement about the fries.

“And,” he added and stopped for a moment. Was this a good thing to say on such a happy occasion? As many times as he’d tried to work around it, he had ended up in the same spot with it. “And my hand will always be steady, and my aim true,” he said quietly.

The next thing he knew, he was in Hudson’s arms, while the minister protested jokingly that he wasn’t finished.

“Do you really mean it?” Hudson asked.

“Yes, of course. I would never lie to you,” Otis replied.

“Since our sweethearts here are in such a hurry to embark on their honeymoon, here it is,” the minister said. “I now pronounce you husband and husband.”

Otis didn’t quite wait for the minister to finish. He was all over Hudson, kissing him. His vows hadn’t been that far off the mark, after all.

***

“And this one, what’s in it?” Otis examined the arrangement in the pretty glass with keen eyes.

“Only good things, I’m sure,” Hudson said lazily. After two days and nights spent having sex, sleeping, and eating, without letting Otis out of his sight for more than a handful of minutes at a time, just lounging around, indulging in sweet cocktails, was just right.

It appeared that, after all that, Otis had only been nervous about his vows. That had been a huge relief.

“When we get back, what is going to change?” he heard the direct question.

Hudson opened one eye to look at his pretty husband. “What do you mean? Not much, I guess.”

“But we’re married now,” Otis insisted. “We should try new things. We should do married people stuff.”

“Like what? Please don’t say we should become swingers!”

“What are swingers?”

“Never mind that. Ignore me,” Hudson said quickly. He rolled over on his side so that he could look properly at Otis and his beautiful eyes. He no longer kept the one with the scar hidden from the world. “What do you think we should do?”

“Buy new furniture?” Otis asked, seemingly unsure of his own question.

“Do we need to? Hmm, maybe something to complement your grandma’s credenza… That could be a thing. But furniture is a boring topic. Say something else.”

Otis hesitated, licked his lips, and, in the end, remained quiet.

Hudson couldn’t let that continue. “Married people also think about children,” he said. He was shooting in the dark but had to get it all out in the open with his husband.

Otis stared at him in shock. “Children?” Then, on an excited note, “Children! How come I haven’t thought of that?”

“What? Did I really get it?” Hudson felt excited too. Not even the three cocktails he had just had could keep him down. He rolled over and captured Otis under him. “Do you want us to have children?”

Otis nodded enthusiastically. “That will make marriage make sense!”

“What? And it didn’t make sense otherwise?”

Otis pursed his lips and then made a guilty face. “I’ve been worried about how things would change now that we’re married. I wanted to know in advance.”

“Well, for the most part, we just have to wait and see what happens. Ah, my husband, always the worrier.” Hudson nuzzled Otis’s cheek and chuckled. “Well, now that I understand the source of your concerns… we’re going to do all sorts of things. We’ll travel the world, we’ll learn how to bake cakes, we’ll jump off mountains--”

“I’m not sure about the last one. But I do want children,” Otis said quickly. “With you.”

“Good. That’s a great answer,” Hudson praised him. “Still, you didn’t let me finish. We should also finally teach you how to drive--”

Zeus jumped on them with a happy bark, his fur soaked with sand and water.

“Hey, man, not cool,” Hudson protested.

Otis abandoned him in favor of spoiling the dog. “Thank you for saving me, Zeus,” he whispered into the wet fur, although Hudson could hear him loud and clear.

“Don’t think that you’ve escaped for a minute. You’re not getting off the hook that easily,” Hudson warned him.

Otis rewarded him with eyes full of love. “I don’t plan to. But we can postpone it for a bit, can’t we?”

Hudson knew he was a complete pushover when it came to his husband and his quirks. Apparently, Otis enjoyed watching the world from the passenger seat when traveling by car way too much to think that he could focus on driving as one was supposed to. But maybe he would change his mind about that.

After all, they had all the time in the world to wait and see what happened.

THE END