Dreams of Forever

Part 12 – Tea Party

by: deadxdreamer

comments: it’s over ^^.

warnings: slash, angst, foul language

Claimer:  the following story belongs to me, the owner of the site Dreams of a Dead Dreamer, under the pseudonym deadxdreamer. If you would like to reproduce, post, or archive any portion of this story, please contact me and obtain permission first. Thank you.

***

+ Holden’s pov +

Kelly was waiting for me in the kitchen where she gestured to the cutting board upon my arrival.  “So, I assume everything got worked out.  You were gone for the entire morning.”

I took up the knife and started chopping the various vegetables waiting for me.  “Yeah, I think things went pretty okay.”

“Just okay?”

I turned to her at the sound of her voice, seeing her leaning against the stove with a knowing grin on her face.  I rolled my eyes at her, sending her into peals of laughter.

“Oh, get your mind out the gutter.  I can’t believe we’re related.  Really, you should have been born a man, a gay man,” I said, sending her into harder laughter.

After a few minutes, she poked me with the tongs in her hands.  “I’m just curious because I saw a little intimate moment by the lake a few minutes ago.”

“And apparently you missed the brawl we all jumped into a few minutes after,” I said casually, hiding my smile.

Can you believe this?  After months, years, of seeing nothing in this this world that could make me smile… and a morning with Garrett has me smiling all over the place.

She hit me again.  This time… it stung.  “Wait, what?!  I can’t trust you to do anything on your own!  Why did you and Garrett fight?”

I smirked at her.  “Garrett wasn’t in it, he was thrown off the pier in the beginning.”

The size of her eyes and the completely bewildered look on her face sent me into laughter this time.  Hitting me on the arm, she turned back to the stove.  “You’re such a bastard.”

Laughing maniacally, I turned to tickle her.  Seeing me, she fled, laughing and screaming obscenities at me.  I chased her through the house, streaking past the front door as a knock sounded and the door opened.

“Oooo, look Garrett, they’re playing tag.  Let’s join in too, Gar.  How about hide and go seek, next?”

We both stopped and turned to see Adam grinning at us and Garrett emerging from behind the door.  He turned towards us, gracing us with a brilliant smile.

“And who are you?”

I turned to see Kelly looking put out.

“I’m Adam, who are you?”

I turned to see Adam look put out.

Suddenly, I envisioned the two of them going at each other.  The horror.  The carnage. 

I was afraid.

I quickly intervened.  “Adam, this is Kelly, my sister.  Kelly, this is Adam, Garrett’s best friend.”

“Yes, we thought we’d come over to help with dinner,” Adam said bitingly.

“That was very sweet of you, welcome,” Kelly spat back.

Adam’s eyes narrowed into two slits of malice.  “I baked this apple pie, I thought we could have it for dessert.”

Kelly glared back.  “How lovely, I’m sure it’ll be delicious.”

They both linked arms and stalked towards the kitchen.  Garrett noted the confusion on my face and laughed, taking my arm.

“Adam does that a lot.  If someone’s even the least bit uncivil to him, he plies them with false kindness.  He figures he’ll kill them with kindness… literally,” he said laughing.

I felt the warmth from his body pressed against my side, the sound of his laughter in my ears, and I melted.  This was the Garrett I knew and idolized.  This was the Garrett I had almost thrown away.  This was the Garrett I loved.

“Come on, let’s go rescue Kelly before Adam really gets going.”

We enter the kitchen to see them actually carrying out a nice conversation.  Kelly and Adam are merrily cooking away with Garrett attempting to help them.  Finally, they both push him over to salad duty as I mash potatoes.  He looks at me briefly as he’s tearing lettuce into a large bowl, catching me looking.  He grins once, briefly, before going back to the salad.  Even with the bruises, that one smile lit his face up to a 1000+ volts.  He was radiant and beautiful and… I wondered what the hell would happen if he actually smiled at me with no bruises, no heartache.

I suddenly wanted to find out.

***
+ Adam’s pov +

I watch Holden watching Garrett, who knows Holden’s watching him, but pretending not to notice, all while looking right back.  Garrett’s good at it.  Damn good.  Holden’s not so good.  He’s obviously staring at the poor boy and mashing the potato out of the potatoes.  I turn and nudge Kelly.

“Don’t look now Kel, but it seems our two boys are having eye sex with each other.”

Breaking out in laughter, she gives the two a glance.  “I don’t know why boys can be so dumb sometimes.  I mean, it’s obvious the two are crazy about each other.  Why give each other grief and put all this drama into their stupid lives?”

I rolled my eyes at her.  “Because our lives would be these drab, colorless little things that have NOTHING interesting in them ever.  Besides, what’s with the sudden man hatred?”

“Did you see Garrett’s face?  That’s why.”

“Well honey, I hate to break it to you, but not all men are like that,” I said as I popped out the bread from the oven.  “Moi, for example.  Besides, Keith?  He’s actually a really nice guy.  You’ll get to meet him tonight.”

“Okay, that sounds fine.  Wait… what?  He’s coming here?!  He actually has the nerve to come?!  Wait, you guys invited the bastard?!”

I smiled at her reassuringly.  “Oh that’s right, you weren’t there.  I thought he would be this complete bastard too, but after the four of us got into this huge fist fight, it turned out he wasn’t that bad.  And, he’s so obviously sorry and guilty about what happened, it’s kind of cute.”

She looked skeptically at me as she went back to marinating the chicken.  “Well, I’ll have to be the judge of that for myself.  Garrett, you can stop with the lettuce, I think you’ve made enough.”

“To feed a small village in Malaysia,” I added, looking at the mountain of greenery he had managed to get into the bowl.  “Why don’t you boys take the chicken and start the grill?”

They gave each other a look and went smiling outside.  I couldn’t help it, I laughed.  It wasn’t a condescending laugh, but more like, I was so happy for Garrett, I had to kind of laugh.  Things were finally looking up for him.

He deserves it.

***
+  Kelly’s pov +

I guess watching the two of them at the grill while sipping lemonade that Adam, my new best friend, made is as close to heaven on earth as it can possibly get.  What would make it heaven would be having my own version of Garrett sitting in the lawn chair next to me, instead of a femmy gay guy.  But I’ll take him anyway.

Adam and I are going to be heading back home after the Fourth of July festival we have.  Garrett and Holden say they’re going to stay here for a bit longer.  As much as I wish I could be here to coo over them, I think it’d be best if they had the lake to themselves for a while.  Last night, Holden told me that he had known Garrett all his life, that they had practically grown up together, even though they never met until now.  He told me that he knew that Garrett would be the one in his life forever if Garrett would have him.  Seeing them now, I know that it’ll be a forever kind of thing.

And I’d like to say that I’m glad it’s Garrett who’ll be with my brother.  I can see that he’s the type of person who appreciates people.  Adam told me as much.  And I don’t mind looking at him at all.  They’re perfect for each other, really.  You can see the shit that life’s put those two through and brought them together to fix.  It’s like God said, “Yes you’ve suffered all your lives, but look, I’ve made you a companion cut from the same cloth.  It’s your turn to be happy now.”

“So tell me, Kel, are you seeing someone?”

I turned to grin at Adam.  “Why?  Are you planning to go straight and date me?”

He rolled his eyes and snorted at me.  “And give up all my fabulousness?  Please.  No, I was thinking more along the lines of seducing the boy from you.”

I laughed with him as I held out my hand.  “I am engaged and I swear to you Adam West, if you as much as wink at the poor boy, I will personally cut off your balls.”

Adam let out a cackle of laughter and took a long draw from his lemonade.  “Deal.  I think your words have caused them to retreat a bit.  You’ve scared the poor things.”

This time I laughed with him as he patted his crotch, assuring what was under his hand that he would keep them safe from me.

“Aren’t those two so cute?”

Adam looked over at them, lowering his purple sunglasses to peer at them before turning back to me.  “Absolutely precious.  What would they do without us, huh, sweetie?”

“Be miserable.”

“That’s exactly right.  Thank God for little sisters and best friends.”

With a nod, we both toasted ourselves and Adam went back to trying to get a tan and I went back to Garrett and Holden watching.  I guess the fact that they really are having eye sex (as Adam so adorably calls it) as friends says a lot about their attraction to each other.  And to think, my stupid brother was going to give him up because of some stupid men from years ago.  Lucky for him, he had me to convince him otherwise.

That’s what little sisters are for.

***

+  Garrett’s pov +

It’s kind of the surreal capper of my whole surreal week.  To my left is Keith, the guy who I’ve known all my life and beat me up for not sleeping with him, but is guilt-ridden and completely contrite.  To my right is Holden, the guy who I met for the first time, who thought I was a slut, but now… seems to want to know me… the real me.  In front of me is Kelly, the girl who was rooting for me the whole time, who wouldn’t let Holden give me up, who is currently forcing food down my throat.  To her left is Adam… Adam my rock, Adam my best friend, Adam.

Amidst all the food and all the conversation, I realized that there was more to this than what met the eye.  There were friendships being made, romances being started, and souls finding souls who seem to be the breath of fresh air they’ve been gasping for.  Wait a minute… romances being started?  Well, aside from my own, that is.

I’ve known Adam for too long to not notice flirting when I see it.  And of all people, with Keith.

Sitting here, I realize that love isn’t something that one just steps into.  It’s something that you cultivate and put effort into.  And looking at Holden… I’m willing to try.

And with that… I feel that this bizarre chapter of my life comes to a quaint close.

***

end.