September 11, 2008

Rings and Things
by Cassidy Ryan

“Daddy, can I gets a baby brother?”  Noah Ballard looked up from the book he was coloring on the floor of the family room.

Behind his newspaper, Josh winced – it didn’t take a genius to figure out where this was going.  He had known that this line of questioning was going to happen someday.  He’d just hoped Noah would be a little older than three when he asked.

With a fatalistic acceptance, Josh lowered the newspaper and caught the eye of his partner.  Casey was stretched out on the other sofa, the book he had been reading resting on his chest and a glint of wicked amusement in his eye.  Josh let Casey know with a raised eyebrow that he would most certainly pay for that later.  Casey grinned and made a show of getting comfortable.

“Why do you want a baby brother, Noah?”  Josh turned his attention to their son, but was still aware of Casey’s overly intent interest and had to bite back a smile of his own.

“My friend Tim gots one.  He’s name Harry…”  Noah snickered.  “Like Harry Potter.  I wants a brother called Ron.”  His little face wrinkled in a frown.  “Daddy…”

Josh fought the urge to groan.  Shit!  Here it comes.

“Where did the baby come from?  Is there a baby shop?” 

That was his boy – never let him down!

Refusing to look at Casey, Josh patted the sofa beside him.  “C’mon over here.”

Noah scrambled to his feet, crossed the room and launched himself onto the sofa.  When he got himself sorted – legs and arms in all the right places – he looked expectantly at Josh.

Turning slightly, Josh leaned on the back of the sofa and looked at his son’s rapt expression.  “Well, Noah, when a mommy and a daddy…”  He was interrupted by Casey’s snicker and Noah shaking his head.  Josh decided to concentrate on Noah.  “No?” he asked curiously.

“Nuh uh.  Tim gots two mommies like I gots two daddies.”  The little boy frowned again.  “Daddy…”  He took both of Josh’s hands in his own and seemed to examine them.  “Why don’t you and Poppa wear rings?  Tim’s mommies wear rings.  Tim says it’s cuz they’s married.  Are you and Poppa married?”

Josh swallowed and looked over at Casey who was no longer grinning quite so widely.  “No, Noah, Poppa and I aren’t married.”

“Why not?  You kisses a lot.  Tim says his mommies kiss a lot cuz they loves each other.  You and Poppa kisses all the time, so you loves each other.” 

Of course – three year old logic.

Stunned, Josh was at a loss for words.  He could only look at Casey, silently pleading for help.  Just like their son, Casey didn’t let him down.  Coming over to them, Casey sat beside Josh and lifted Noah onto his lap.

“Your daddy and I love each other very much, you know that, right?”  When Noah nodded, Casey continued.  “Well, couples don’t need to be married to love each other.  Or their little nibblet.”  With that he tipped Noah and tickled him until the boy was shrieking with laughter and trying to squirm out of Casey’s arms.  “Now, I think it’s time for you to be in bed.”  Standing up, Casey threw Noah over his shoulder and headed for the door, winking at Josh before they disappeared.

Feeling suddenly restless, Josh pushed off the sofa and moved to stand in front of the fire place before going to the window and back to the sofa, where he slumped down, rubbing his hands over his face.  What the hell just happened?

He looked through his fingers when Casey came back into the room some time later.  Casey dropped a light kiss on the top of Josh's head.  "How about a beer?"  The lilt of amusement was back in his voice.

Josh nodded and let his hands fall away from his face.  He watched as Casey headed for the kitchen and without even making a conscious decision to move, he found himself on his feet, following Casey's footsteps along the hallway.

Josh leaned in the kitchen doorway, his eyes following Casey as he got the cans from the fridge, snagged a couple of glasses from the dishwasher, popped the cans and filled the glasses. 

"You know he's just going to pick up where he left off tomorrow, right?"  Casey handed Josh a glass, clinked his own against it and took a long swallow.  Josh raised his glass to his lips, but paused when his attention was caught by the movement of Casey's throat as he drank.  Heat surged through Josh and his body tightened in response to the sight.

Lowering his glass, Casey crossed the kitchen and perched on the edge of the table.  "I mean, tickling him will only distract him for so long before he cottons on; he's a smart one, our boy."  He smiled and pride flashed in his eyes.

Josh crossed the floor and stopped in front of Casey.  "Yes he is.  So, why aren't we?"  He put his glass on the table beside Casey's and stepped closer until he was standing between Casey's jean-clad legs.

Casey frowned, puzzled.  "Why aren't we what?"

Resting his hands on Casey's thighs, feeling hard muscle under soft denim, Josh had to swallow past the knot of arousal forming in his throat.  "Why aren't we married?"  His voice was low and intimate.

Casey wound his legs around Josh's hips and pulled him closer.  "Because you've never asked me."  He fluttered his eyelashes playfully, but there was an edge to his tone.

“So, if I asked you…?”  Josh’s pulse picked up and his chest suddenly felt tight as he waited for Casey’s response.

Twin dots of color touched Casey’s cheeks and uncertainty clouded his eyes.  “Are you going to get down on one knee?”  He was still smiling, but the smile wavered just enough to let Josh know that it was a little forced.

For a long moment Josh just looked at Casey, and with every second that passed he felt his heart grow stronger, his path clearer.  Taking a deep breath and a step back, Josh moved from the circle of Casey’s legs and, looking directly at his lover, slowly lowered himself until he was resting on one knee before Casey.

Casey seemed to have stopped breathing altogether and his eyes were wide as saucers as he looked down at Josh.  “Josh…”  It was barely a whisper.

Reaching up, Josh took Casey’s hands in his – noticing that they were trembling.  “Casey, since we met you have been the one constant in my life; the one person I have always been able to rely on no matter what.  You’ve never judged me or tried to change me.  Our friendship has always been very dear to me, but these last two and a half years, since you opened your door – your heart – to Noah and me, my life has been so much… more than I had ever hoped or expected it to be.  Make me complete, Casey – marry me?”

“Josh, if this is because of what Noah said…?”

Josh got to his feet, let go of Casey’s hands and laid his own hands on Casey’s cheeks.  “Noah might have given me a little prod in the right direction, but this is what I want, Casey.  You’re it for me – you always were.”

Casey’s eyes looked suspiciously bright as he drew in a deep, ragged breath and nodded.  “Yes.  Yes, Josh, I’ll marry you.”

A wide grin spread over Josh’s face, and he leaned in and pressed his lips to Casey’s in a brief, hard kiss.

***

Josh and Casey sat at the breakfast table watching Noah shovel Froot Loops into his mouth while attempting to sing along with Sesame Street at the same time.

“Noah?”  Fearful that their son was going to cause himself an injury, Josh took the spoon from the little boy’s hand.  “Do you remember what we were talking about last night?  About Tim’s mommies being married?”

Noah nodded.  “Is you an’ Poppa gonna kiss again?”

“Probably,” Josh replied, grinning first at his fiance and then their son.  “But not right now.  Poppa and I were talking last night, and we decided that it would be a really good thing if we got married.”  Josh realized he was more nervous now than he had been the night before.  “What do you think?”

Eyes lighting up, Noah clapped his hands excitedly.  “Yay!”

Josh and Casey exchanged a smile.  “I think he’s happy,” Casey said unnecessarily, reaching over to cover Josh’s hand with his.  Josh turned his hand over and linked their fingers together.

“I think you might be right.”

“Poppa?”

They turned around and saw Noah looking at them with a puzzled expression.

“Is something wrong, nibblet?” Casey asked.

Noah tilted his head to the side.  “Poppa, what’s married?”

End.

You can read more about Josh, Casey and Noah in my Taste Test: Spring Fling story, Suddenly, Finally, and in the upcoming Holiday Sip, Gift of Love.

http://cassidyryanwrites.tripod.com

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Today's clue: James Buchanan? What about him? ;-)