Tommy - A Life - 15. Chapter 15 - Life as a Couple

Their lives settled into a loving routine. Most mornings Tommy and Thor worked out in the gym together. They developed a circle of friends from the gym and enjoyed casual get-togethers and sports filled weekends with them. Thor worked on improving Mike’s gym and training clients from professional body builders to novices.

Tommy’s life was centered on the university where he took graduate classes, assisted a professor, and began teaching some classes. This occupied most afternoons and evenings. He was popular with students and faculty and was often invited to dinners and events at the university. He always took Thor. While Thor’s education had focused on sport and fitness, and although he was not an engaging conversationalist he listened intently and was welcomed by academics all too willing to talk.

One evening, the head of the Literature Department held a cocktail party for all the faculty and graduate students. Tommy was pleased to attend and took Thor, who was by now a familiar figure on the campus.

Thor excused himself to find a restroom. Tommy noticed that Thor had been gone a long time and went looking for him. Tommy went through a door into what turned out to be the kitchen. Thor jumped from behind a counter and grabbed Tommy in a hug and kissed his face and neck. Tommy pretended to swoon with passion. A gasp from behind them caused them to jump. Mrs. Dean, the Literature Department head’s wife muttered, “Oh, excuse me,” and fled the room.

Thor’s face had a worried look. “Damn, what if I’ve just fucked up your place at the university?”

“Thor, I love you, one day it had to come out. It might as well be now. I won’t be ashamed of you or what we share.” Tommy spoke with conviction, but deep inside he shared Thor’s worry.

The following Monday, Tommy found a note requesting him to see Dr. Dean, the department head. “I won’t be worried,” Tommy tried to convince himself.

He entered Dr. Dean’s office, a clutter of books and papers. “Ah, Thomas, do come in. Sit down.” Tommy cleared a chair and sat. “There are a number of things we need to talk about. I think you’re aware that we’ve been very pleased with your performance, both as a student and as a teaching assistant. Professor Walkin has recommended you for the PhD program. Dr. Vassilov also has requested that you assist him in the next term. A career in this university can be very rewarding and the department faculty and I think you’d make a fine addition.” Dr. Dean wound down.

“The university, however, has a responsibility to see to the welfare of the students in our care.” Tommy’s heart sank. “A policy, long in force, requires that full faculty members, those with direct contact with students, adhere to a level of propriety, both on the campus and off, above that of common society. Families entrust us with the minds, morals, and physical well being of students.” Tommy feared where this must lead. “And so I am required, preliminary to any further discussion of a place in the university, to inquire as to your personal life.”

Tommy dropped his head into his hands. He loved the university. It was where he had become an adult. It was as a student he had met Billy. It was his parents’ wish for him to be educated. He had no concept of being anywhere else. And now it was over.

But he loved Thor. Even if one center of his life ended, he had Thor. Still his heart was heavy.

“Yes, well,” stumbled Dr. Dean, clearly uncomfortable with his role as inquisitor. “Mrs. Dean told me of a little scene during the cocktail party the other evening. And frankly, what she described gave me a start. How long have you known this man?”

“Thor?”

“Yes, seems a decent chap, would have helped the rugby team, I dare say. Yes, how long have you known him?”

“Since my Junior year. We worked out together.”

“Ah, that would explain the physique, not surprising really, extraordinary how fine some young men look these days. And, uh, what is the nature of the relationship?”

“Dr. Dean, I won’t lie to you. Thor is my partner, we live together, we love each other. If that means there is no place for me in the university, well, I hope you know I want nothing more than to continue on here, then I’ll have to say goodbye.”

“Hold on, hold on, all I asked was about the nature of your relationship. The faculty guidelines just require candidates to be in a ‘stable relationship’, no fooling around with the students, you get my meaning. Thank god that’s over. I positively despise peering into peoples’ lives. It’s not like I haven’t known you for five years. Well then, I’ve done my duty to protect the welfare of the students. Expect a letter from the Trustees in the next week or so and may I be the first to congratulate you on selection to the faculty of the university.”

As Tommy stood, he realized how many times he had been taken unaware by the kindness and sensitivity of people. Here he was again, dazed and confused. He had reached the door when Dr. Dean said, “Oh, and Mrs. Dean insists that you bring, uh, you know, your beau, for dinner this Sunday. Nothing fancy, just the missus and myself and some other of the senior faculty, you know them all. Cocktails at seven.”

Tommy began laughing as he closed Dr. Dean’s door. He laughed the entire way to Mike’s Gym. He couldn’t stop to explain to Mike, he just walked past onto the gym floor and spotting Thor, grabbed his face and gave him a great wet kiss.

“That was sweet, but what is the occasion?”

“You are looking at the next full professor of literature at the university and soon to be PhD. I just talked with Dr. Dean and they’ve offered me the position, pending my completion of graduate classes and of course pending approval by my own true love. By the way, we’re invited to dinner on Sunday. As Mrs. Tommy, you’ll want to wear something pretty but understated. And I don’t want you just hanging in the kitchen with the other girls.”

Thor, six foot two, two hundred and thirty pounds of virile man, turned toward Tommy, his face fierce. Tommy tried to run, but Thor grabbed him by the waist and lifted him bodily from the floor. Tommy kicked and struggled, but Thor tossed him over his shoulder and marched into a storage room and kicked the door closed behind him. He threw Tommy down on some mats and began to tickle him until Tommy screamed. “So you think I’m going to be your little missus? I don’t think so. And if I want to ‘hang out with the girls’, well mister, what are you going to do about it?” Thor smothered Tommy with kisses. “I’m so proud of you, Tommy. And if it means I have to wear a dress, well I’d do it, just be prepared for me to take out my masculinity on you later on. Hmmm, come to think of it, that might feel pretty good right now.”

“Oh no, you beast. Save it until we get home. I don’t want any of these guys breaking in on us. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.”

Thor opened the door of the storeroom with Tommy at his side. Just beyond the door, a crowd had gathered. One of the gym regulars said sheepishly, “I’ve never seen you so pissed, Thor. We didn’t want to butt in, but we were kind of worried about Tommy.”

“We just needed a few moments of ‘alone time’ to discuss some stuff. Hey you guys, Tommy is going to be Dr. Tommy soon, full professor of literature at the university.” Thor beamed as if the accomplishment had been his own.

From the rear of the crowd, Tommy heard someone ask, “Is that them?” On turning to the source of the voice, Tommy saw a handsome young man and then noticed that he was standing next to Bobby. Among the offered congratulations of the crowd, Tommy heard the conversation continue. “So they live at Tommy’s house, he’s this bigwig professor, what does he get out of it? What does Thor contribute? Does he pay Tommy by the inch?”

“By the foot more likely…” Bobby replied with a smile and hand gesture. Both young men laughed.

Tommy had made his way over to them. On his approach, they went silent. “Bobby, who is this?”

“Oh, hi Tommy. Thor looked like he was gonna kill you. I guess you guys made up. Hey that’s great news about the job and all. This is Brad, I think I mentioned him that night we, uh, you know.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Brad.”

Brad shook the hand that Tommy offered. He met Tommy’s look and began to chuckle when Tommy winked.

“How about you guys come for lunch?” Tommy suggested. They agreed and picked up Thor, not literally, on the way out. At a nearby restaurant over lunch, Brad and Bobby peppered Thor and Tommy with questions about their relationship. The two younger men seemed to be seeking advice on how to survive as a gay couple. They were almost disappointed when Tommy said that Thor and he really weren’t any different than a heterosexual couple, sure the sex was man to man, but living together, sharing time, dealing with issues and minor spats were just the same.

“So what do you guys fight about?” Bobby asked.

“Well, lets see, there are so many things…” Thor raised his eyes to the ceiling as he thought.

“Oh, yeah, mister?” Tommy challenged – in good humor, “Like what?”

“Well, he’s always in that study of his. I have to go drag him out of there every night. Hard though it may be to believe, he’s able to resist me.” Thor teased.

“That just depends on when you last shaved.” Tommy responded. “You know, Thor shaves just about his entire body. It wasn’t until we were in the Greek islands and they lost some of our luggage that I realized that Thor is very hairy. He says he shaves for ‘professional reasons’. So we were there in this isolated village without most of our stuff. The place had a fantastic beach, great food, but not even a small store. Everything had to come on the weekly ferry and it had just dropped us off. By the third day, it was like living with a porcupine. By the fifth day he turned into Sasquatch. I loved it. Now I have to beg him to just let his pits grow out.”

Thor grabbed Tommy for the second time that day and roughed up the hair on his head. “Not too many tales out of school, buddy.” They all laughed.