Oliver woke before 8 am, grumbling.
"What in the hell are you doing?" Elio asked a little upset Oliver woke him with the slamming of the bathroom door.
"I just got a call on the house phone from My publisher,he said he's been calling my cell all morning. I've got to run down to his office."
"Well I see this happening a lot in your future why don't you get Christopher his own phone, that way we don't have to worry about him so much." Elio said which just caused Oliver to grumbling even more sounding like the dad from Christmas Story. Elio knew today was going to be filled by cranky Oliver unless he got good news from his publisher. Maybe shower sex would brighten his day, Elio flings back the sheets and strips naked on his way to the bathroom. Oliver was going to get happy even if Elio had to pull out all the cards this morning.
Elio sat in the study working on his music, he had gotten half way through the first chorus before he heard someone knocking at the front door. He was greeted by a smiling Michael and Arty. Michael opened his arms embarrassing Elio in a bear hug.
"Elio, my god you can never leave us like that again!" Michael was the dramatic one of the two.
"Hello to you too Michael. How was Florida?" Elio asked, as he welcomed them into the house.
"Florida was hot, mugie and absolutely beautiful. We got to spend three weeks with my sister and her husband. Who by the way is the dullest man I've ever met in my life." Michael chattered on a little longer than normal.
"I think he missed you, plus between his mother and sister he couldn't get a word in edgewise." Arty commented chuckling.
"Christ they talk more than he does." Elio laughed. Elio and Oliver had become extremely fast friends with the two men. Elio quickly found out that Oliver could out talk Micheal into the wee hours of the morning. Especially fueled by liquor, Elio had found a fellow music lover in Arty.
The front door swings opens, then a few seconds later slams shut. Elio could hear Oliver grumbling again like the dad from a Christmas Story. He could have sworn he'd gotten rid of that Oliver this morning after a vigorous shower sex session. Oliver stomps in the living room looking very disgruntled.
"Do you know what he had the audacity to ask me?" Oliver waved his manuscript in his hand. Elio and everyone else in the room were caught off guard by aggressive Oliver.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure I want ask, just put the manuscript down dear." Elio responses.
"My publisher says my manuscript is too harlequin romance novel for them and wants me to add in an antagonist. He's an idiotic foul! The antagonist is time and love itself! Also he wants an outside perspective, he wants me to have a few outside viewers to read it."
"What's it about?" Michael asked
"It's about Elio and myself about how we met and my life after Elio." Oliver started to calm now.
"I will read it, Arty and I would love too."
"It's very detailed, I don't want you two to look at us differently once you read this." Oliver smiled a little.
"Honey we heard you two going at it every night for the first six months you lived here. Nothing could change our minds about you." They all laugh.
"This is why I like having good friends close by." Oliver howled with laughter.
"Come on lets have lunch and talk about your trip." Elio waves them into the kitchen.
"Lunch outside has to be my favorite time of day." Elio said squeezing Olivers hand.
"I'd rather be back in B having lunch with your mother or at least Marzia."
"Yes, her and her cloud of cigarette smoke." Elio chuckled.
"Which one? They both smoke heavily."
"Good point, oh by the way I got an email from Marzia she wants to come visit, her husband is driving her insane and with both kids gone off to school she's going crazy."
"That's fantastic news."
"What who is this Marzia?" Michael asked intriguing.
"Marzia is one of my dearest and oldest friends."
"And the only women you ever considered marrying." Oliver spoke up giving Elio a cheeky smile.
"That's the pot call it the kettle black." Elio laughs smacking Oliver on the arm.
"Elio you almost married a woman?" Arty spoke before Micheal which was a feat in its own.
"I considered it, but she wouldn't have me after summer. I mean we continued to sleep together but she wouldn't marry me."
"Wait! I thought you and Marzia only slept together those few time?" Oliver gasps grabbing Elios arm in shock.
"No, we slept together up until she met Armond, then we slowly stopped because she fell in love. You don't know everything Oliver."
"Oh honey, this just turned into a soap opera." Michael whispered to Arty. The front door slammed shut, they heard thumping footsteps running up the stairs.
"One of our children is home."
"Probably Christopher, Jonas at Tyler's for band practice he's going to be home by 3."
"What would I do without you?" Oliver kissed Elios hand.
"You would forget everything including yourself."
Christopher and Jude walked into the backyard smiling.
"The favorite son is home and he's starving! Hey Michael, Hey Arty!" Christopher flopped down his his chair, he began shoveling food onto his plate.
"Hey Mr. A, hi Mr. P, hope you don't mind I'm joining you for lunch." Jude blushed.
"Jude you stopped being a guest in our house when you were 8 years old and you had no intention of going home. I legitimately heard you two talking about how you could get us to adopt you. I swear I thought I was going to have to call his parents and beg them to take him back." Oliver howeled.
"See Mr. A you act like it's a terrible thing that I'm always here, I'm the son you never had."
"Jude, I have two son's."
"Alright fine I'm the son Mr. P never had."
"In the time I've known you, I think I'm good, Jude. Your parents will never worry about us taking them from you." Elio said with a straight face, well somewhat of a straight face.
"Dude, Mr. P no love. Christopher your parents are harsh."
"What are you talking about my parents are amazing. By the way dad I plugged your phone in, sorry for staying out it was to late."
"That's fine, I'm just glad you called. I would have hated to call Jude's parents and worry them." Oliver said taking a sip of his drink. Quick glances were made between Jude and Christopher.
"Yeah no reason to do that Dad, Jude just went to meet a girl and she stood him up."
"Dude, that's not what happened!" Jude got offended.
"Awe Jude what happened between you and Kelly, I know you've been wooing her for months." Elio asked trying to choke back a laugh.
"Not funny man, I've been working hard trying to get her to go out with me. I don't like this game anymore." He pouted.
"I completely forgot how fucking interesting this family is, God I've missed you guys!" Michael was in awe. He startled the family who seemed to have forgotten that they had guesses.
"Oh, hey Michael I was wondering if you and Arty needed help on the weekends with the holidays coming up and all of that?" Christopher asked taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Yes, dear lord we need help! With us being out for the last few weeks poor Tristan and Cara have been so backed up. We just need help up front if you think you can smile pretty and count cash then the job is yours."
"I think I can handle that, I'm free after 5 and on the weekends."
"As long as your home by 8 for dinner you keep your grades up." Elio chimed in.
"Papa I haven't gotten anything below an A- in my entire life, I stopped putting effort in years ago."
That night Oliver and Elio lay in bed their usual arrangement half graded papers scattered around the bed. Their laptops opened entering in grades, it had been storming outside since dinner and Chapman was not the happiest dog right now. He had managed to hid himself between them, everytime a clap of thunder hit he would barry himself deeper under the pillows. There was a lite knock on the door, Christopher and Jona popped their heads in.
"Can we lay in here with you guys, the storms getting pretty bad outside?" Jona asked.
"Yeah, help us clean up the papers and Elio can read to us." They helped gather up the papers and books setting them neatly on the dresser. Elio reached for the book he had been reading, well he's re-read it five times. Jona crawled in the bed between Oliver and Elio, digging Chapman out from under the pillows. Christopher laid diagonal across the bed, with his head in Olivers lap. Elio opens the book The Single Man and begins to read were he left off.
"Fear, after all, is our real enemy. Fear is taking over our world. Fear is being used as a tool of manipulation in our society. Itʼs how politicians peddle policy and how Madison Avenue sells us things that we donʼt need. Think about it. Fear that weʼre going to be attacked, fear that there are communists lurking around every corner, fear that some little Caribbean country that doesnʼt believe in our way of life poses a threat to us. Fear that black culture may take over the world. Fear of Elvis Presleyʼs hips. Well, maybe that one is a real fear. Fear that our bad breath might ruin our friendships... Fear of growing old and being alone."
"Do you think fear keeps some people from letting themselves be happy?" Christopher asks, not to anyone in particular.
"Yes, I believe fear keeps people from their own happiness, why?" Oliver responds to his son, running his fingers through his long blonde hair.
"I don't know it's just I don't have many fears, and I don't understand certain things. Like the fear of being with someone, I've never been in love but what causes people to be afraid of their desire for someone?"
"That's an awfully grown up thing to say. Is there something going on in your life we need to talk about Christopher? You can talk to Elio and I about anything."
"I have a lot of fears, I can't imagine life without them." Jona speaks up.
"Fear is just a defense mechanism that we try very hard not to let control our lives. For some it stops them from living, neither of you let fear stop you from living the life you want to live. We have just this one life boys, don't let fear hold you back." Elio wanted to quote his father, but he held back, this wasn't the time for his father's wisdom, it was time for his own.
"I mean I understand but I dunno it's hard to explain. One day I'll tell you but for now, just know that I'm ok. I've got life handled so far, watching you and dad you two have handled things pretty well." Christopher patted Elio's leg, just then a loud clap of lightning struck. The house grew dark, followed by the boom of thunder, Chapman jumped scrambling to get under Jona nearly knocking everyone out of bed. Oliver gets up out of bed.
"I'm going to go downstairs and check the breaker."
"Ok I'll go next door to see if their power has gone out as well, boys stay here your dad and I will handle this."
Oliver flips on the breaker, nothing happens. Elio opens the door, the entire neighborhood is pitch black.
"Oliver noone has lights, the entire neighborhood is out." Elio walks down the stairs, to the sidewalk, he runs up the path to Michael and Artys house knocking on the door. The door is answered by Arty.
"Christ Elio what are you doing out in the pouring rain?"
"Came to check on you all, we have plenty of candles at our house if you all want to come over. Who knows how long it's going to be out for."
"We just have a few friends over, we only have one left. We will be over in a minute."
Elio rushes back to the house, New York at 9 at night is creepy without any lights almost haunting. Oliver has already started lighting candles, Arty and Michael walked into the house behind Elio.
"Lovely weather we are having tonight isn't it?" Oliver bellowed from the kitchen.
"Yes, it's a little windy but I think we will be ok." Arty yelled back.
"I thought you had friends over?" Elio asked, just then a man walked up behind Arty.
"We do, this is our friend Louis, he and I went to school together."
"Elio? Holy shit it is you?"
Elio stood wide eyed, he was stunned, he honestly had no words.
"You know Elio?" Arty asked.
"Oh well I referred to him as the Italian in college." Louis explained.
"Oh holy fuck, he's the Italian, Elio is the Italian?" Arty was taken aback.
"What's going on?" Oliver entered the living room where everyone was stood.
"From what I've gathered, Arty's friend Louis knows Elio and they keep referring to him as The Italian and I can't tell if it's a good thing or not." Michael laid out for Oliver. Elio finally snapped out of his shocked state.
"Uh sorry Louis and I met a few years ago after I graduated college." Elio confirmed.
"Dad, is everything ok?" Jona asked walking down the stairs.
"You have kids now?" Louis asked Elio.
"No, they are Oliver's. Oh uh sorry I forgot to introduce you. Louis this is my Fiancé Oliver, Oliver this is Louis."
"Nice to meet you Louis." Oliver reaches out to shake his hand. Louis looks at Elio smiling.
"Oh you're Oliver? Wow it's nice to finally meet you, Elio told me a few things about you. I knew I could never live up to the perfection that is Oliver."
"I'm sorry am I missing something?" Oliver asked
"Oliver, Louis and I had a thing a few years ago." Elio confessed.
"A thing? Wow, a thing. Two years of dating was a thing." Louis stood in disbelief.
Oliver stood stairing down Louis and the feeling was mutual. Oliver didn't like this man, he had never instantly disliked someone like he had in the moment.
"What's going on?" Christopher whispered walking down the stairs.
"Elios old boyfriend is a good friend of Artys and dads just met him." Jona whispers back.
"Oh shit, no way! Look at dads face, look that vein in his forehead is gonna blow."
The power kicked back on as Oliver and Louis backed away from each other.
"Um I think it's safe to say we should be going back to our house now." Micheal said pulling on Arty and Louis arms. He practically drug them out.
"It was nice meeting you Louis." Oliver grinned a false smile. The door shut behind them.
"Well I think your old boyfriend was kinda hurt you called him a thing." Oliver chuckled.
"You're not mad at me?"
"How could I be mad at you, we weren't even speaking at that time. Elio I'm with you now, nothing can break what we have now. You are my Oliver." Oliver whispered into Elios ear.