Master Apprentice
Archive
The Anniversary Waltz
|
|
|||
Archive: MA only
Category: Alternate Reality, Angst, Qui/Obi, Romance, Series
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A Prentice celebration
Series: Academic Arcadia -- # 43 A chronological list of the stories with URLs can be found under the header 'Academic Arcadia' at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/master-apprentice/files/
My MA story page: http://www.masterapprentice.org/cgi-bin/qs.cgi?keyword=Merry+Amelie
Feedback: Is treasured at MerryAmelie@aol.com
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
To Alex, my friend and beta
Many thanks to Ula for her beta work.
Jo and Keith's 35th anniversary party was the most elaborate Prentice family get-together since Kathy and Monty's wedding. The event was held at one of the imposing lakefront hotels in Padua, Core Tower. Ian remembered how much his parents had enjoyed spending New Year's Eve there in 2003, so both brothers and their mates had chipped in for a proper celebration.
They'd booked a block of rooms for the weekend of March 12th, for themselves and many out-of-town relatives. The hotel amenities added to the festive feel; there was an indoor swimming pool with jacuzzi, an exercise room, and a coffee bar. The reception was scheduled for Saturday evening in The Sunset Room.
The local contingent arrived after work on Friday in the late afternoon. They were the only ones there so far; the rest of the family was planning to come on Saturday because of the distance involved. Quinn and Ian had to bring their briefcases, since warning notices were due on Monday by noon. They'd computed class averages in their office that day, but wanted to double-check them before submitting the rosters.
Their room was on the second floor, directly above the ballroom where the reception would be held, and in between Monty and Ian's parents. Two queen-sized beds took up most of the space, with enough left over for a desk, loveseat, and dresser. The wallpaper, bedspreads, carpet, and drapes were twilight blue.
They dropped their duffels by the door, and Quinn hung their rented tuxedos in the little closet, followed by their overcoats. Ian's hands on his waist were still cold from the March day as he turned Quinn around for a kiss. "Our first family vacation," Ian said, a satisfied grin gracing his kiss-coraled lips.
Quinn's generous nature allowed him to return the smile, while thinking wistfully about the chances of this ever happening with his parents. "A warm-up for the cruise this summer," he said, capturing Ian's mouth for a long moment. He started to undo Ian's tie while still kissing him, feeling Ian return the favor.
Dropping their ties on one bed, Ian pulled Quinn onto the other.
"Starting to celebrate a bit early, are we, lad?" Quinn said, voice low.
Ian grinned as he unbuttoned Quinn's shirt. "You didn't think I was going to wait until tomorrow, did you?"
"Just remember that your family's not ten feet away." No matter his words, Quinn started to reciprocate on Ian's shirt. When Ian gasped from the touch of Quinn's palm on his stomach, Quinn chuckled. "We'll have to be a bit quieter than usual."
Ian quirked an eyebrow. "Quinn, I had Monty and my folks within spitting distance for 18 years. I know how to keep it down."
"I doubt that very much, Ian," said Quinn with a straight face, gaze straying southward.
Ian's eyes widened, then he groaned. "You'll never beat me in the bad pun department."
The whispers and muffled moans that followed proved that Ian did know the virtue of restraint, for which the private Quinn was glad. The men kept vague track of the time through a glaze of pleasure, knowing they were expected to meet the others for dinner at six.
Reluctantly disentangling at 5:30, the two shaved and showered, then headed out to the hotel restaurant. When they arrived, the men found Lelia in a high chair between her mother and grandmother, with the couples side by side. Two seats together awaited a smiling Quinn and Ian.
Dinner was a relaxed affair, threaded with Jo and Keith's tales of past joys. The clan had shared so many meals by now that an effortless camaraderie enlivened their conversation.
Beaming at the younger generation around the table, Keith said, "I can see all those years have been productive." Satisfaction shone on his face, increasing with every word.
"To 35 more!" Ian toasted with the champagne the adults shared.
"Hear! Hear!" chorused around the table.
"This reminds me of my parents' 50th anniversary, the last time we all were together." Candlelight flickered on the moisture in Jo's eyes.
That event had occurred ten years before; the Prentices had gone to a resort in the Adirondacks to celebrate, and soon after Jo had lost both parents to illness. Though it was a bittersweet memory, it was one that Jo cherished, remembering Monty and Ian as very young men of 21 and 16. The photo of the entire family was still on their mantel.
After the meal, Ian and Quinn were in the mood for entertainment. Checking the premium cable offerings, and finding nothing that interested them, Ian and Quinn decided to walk around the lakeshore boardwalk.
The lights of the buildings were reflected in the water, the shimmer giving the nighttime lake a holiday air. Eateries, stores, and clubs abounded, with the men tempted by the latter two. They strolled around a few shops, but didn't buy anything.
Quinn and Ian stepped into a little club after hearing its muted music from outside and enjoying the guitar solo. They sat together on a scruffy sofa, drifting on a series of riffs that reminded Ian of Quinn's Christmas serenade in Hotham. That night's music spoke of more formal training, but Quinn's whisper-sung Greensleeves exerted the greater pull on Ian's heart. Two Guinnesses later, and correspondingly mellower, they left the club to return to the hotel.
The men took off their clothes, and slid beneath the covers. They picked the bed by the window this time, having already wreaked havoc on the other one earlier that day. Ian was humming a little under his breath as he kissed Quinn, who felt the vibrations teasing his tongue. The hums increased with the force of the kiss, and they started to improvise a few riffs all their own.
The next morning at breakfast, the Prentice contingent was joined by the first to arrive of the out-of-towners: Uncle Mal, Aunt Dorothy, and their son Sid. Greetings all around, then they began to eat.
Dorothy said, "Congratulations to you both," and lifted her juice glass to Jo and Keith, as the rest of the table followed suit. "Our 16th anniversary's coming up in April, but it seems like we only got married a few years back."
Mal nodded. "I tell time by our little man here," he said, ruffling Sid's hair.
"And I'll be seven soon," Sid said proudly.
Quinn and Ian had grown more comfortable around Ian's uncles over time, but their easy affection with the immediate family was notably absent with Rory and Mal. The professors did the minimum amount of talking required for social pleasantries, and were relieved when the meal ended.
The two escaped to their room, where they stripped to their boxer briefs and watched Down with Love on TV, while lounging on one of the beds hip to hip. Ian and Quinn enjoyed the candy-colored homage to the Day-Hudson movies of the 60s with its breezy tone and winsome leads. After inspiration like that, the briefs were soon history, and the bed saw better action than that on the screen.
Though they knew that showering together was always initially counterproductive to cleanliness, the men went for it anyway, and after half an hour, they were ready for a swim.
The pool had an atrium enclosure that focused the sparse March sunlight on them as they swam. No one else was in the pool, for which they were grateful. Ian had a feeling his young cousins would be there that afternoon. They took advantage of the privacy and played in the water, rather than doing laps.
There was a volleyball net and beach ball, so they started an impromptu game, having more fun now than they'd had even in their beach volleyball match on the white sand of Charlotte Amalie. That game had been played with shipmates; this one was just for them.
With no worries about cringing teammates, the two went all out, gleefully serving and spiking with abandon, strong arms flexing with exertion. They frequently had to retrieve the ball from the brick patio surrounding the pool.
After the match, Ian and Quinn lazed in the water, floating on their backs, an occasional armstroke repositioning them near the center of the pool. The faint smell of chlorine and coconut suntan lotion mixed pleasingly, and without the big clock on the wall, they might have stayed through lunch.
While they'd had to share the hot tub aboard the ship, here they had it to themselves, since no one had come in during their swim. They were mindful of their precarious privacy, and kept the visible stretch of their upper bodies well apart, but could not resist entwining their near legs below water level. The heat of the churning water was lulling, as was the slide of their calves, while they slowly melted into the side of the jacuzzi.
Quinn cracked one eye open to look at the time and nudged Ian, who was all but asleep. They reluctantly peeled themselves from the tub's molded surface, and shivered into oversized white towels, the nap massaging their skin.
The two showered in their room, making love under the spray, primed by the extended foreplay in the hot tub. Now their wet skin could be properly explored, with the men following the paths of water droplets to their ultimate destination. Quinn and Ian were beyond clean by the time they emerged.
The men dressed in crisp shirts and slacks, and went next door to Jo and Keith's room. More guests had arrived in the interim, including Uncle Rory and his family, and Keith's Aunt Jane. They were clustered on the two beds, sofa, and desk chair until Quinn and Ian's arrival, then rose briefly for hugs and pulled them down for boisterous conversation.
No proper lunch was scheduled, since the banquet would start at 4:00, so the hotel manager had sent up fruit baskets, which were quickly devoured. After socializing for a while, the professors decided on a trip to the coffee bar just off the lobby that boasted a gorgeous view of the lake.
At this hour, with most of the hotel guests out for the day, there were not many patrons. The men settled into a window booth, and ordered Irish coffee.
"Enjoying yourself so far?" asked Ian.
Quinn nodded. "Definitely. Now I know why your parents raved about this place so much."
Ian took a sip of coffee. "Glad we got to come here."
Quinn grinned. "This was the right choice for their anniversary."
"Thanks, Quinn. Dad said that too."
When they finished their drinks, the professors returned to their room to get ready for the reception. They both used the same shaver, Quinn's Christmas gift to Ian in 2003, since packing two had seemed redundant. The men brushed their teeth in the pair of bathroom sinks, then put on a finishing coat of rock crystal deodorant.
Their skin was still soft from pool and shower when they donned their formal shirts. They each did up the other's buttons, finding it less tedious than doing their own. Slacks with a satin stripe down each leg went on next, accentuating the length of Quinn's legs and the leanness of Ian's. The shine of their shoes rivalled their white shirts for brightness.
The men helped each other into their jackets, smoothing imaginary creases and revelling in the touch. Amazing how much could be felt through layers of material when the right hands did the stroking.
They met the others in the corridor, men all in tuxes, women wearing cocktail dresses. Lelia looked adorable in her first party outfit, a tiny white dress that was loose and flowing on the baby girl. Quinn snapped a photo of them looking their best, then Kathy took the camera from him and shooed him into the picture.
The family walked to The Sunset Room to find a party fit for this significant Prentice milestone. Five tables with six settings apiece surrounded a hardwood dance floor and a DJ who'd already started playing The Anniversary Waltz. A table for two was set in the midst of the others, since Monty and Ian remembered seeing this arrangement in their parents' wedding album.
The brothers had not only invited relatives, but their parents' neighbors and friends from work. Most of the friendships were of decades' standing, and the brothers had known these folks since childhood.
Family and friends were milling about the dance floor, chatting with drinks in hand. The Paduans waded into the fray, garnering congratulations and good wishes wherever they went. Ian and Quinn felt free to walk around as a couple, since virtually everyone there knew they were together anyway. The next half hour was spent absorbed in conversation.
Servers with hors d'oeuvres began winding through the crowd, and the scent of cocktail shrimp, mini eggrolls and meatballs, cheese puffs, and several indeterminate delicacies called to Quinn and Ian where they stood. After a bit of strategizing over the four waiters, the contents of their trays, and their routes, the men were ready to pounce. Quinn's big hands were put to good use as he cut a swath through the appetizers, with Ian bringing different exotica for him to share.
The men were thoroughly engrossed in this pursuit until it was time for dinner proper to begin. The servers filled the champagne flutes at the place settings. The professors shared a table with Kathy, Monty, Lelia, and a single aunt of Jo's, Moira.
Jo and Keith stood by their central table while clapping and cheers erupted around the room.
"Thank you all for coming. Our sons and daughter have outdone themselves tonight." Keith nodded to the brothers' table as more claps answered him.
Jo said, "We're blessed to celebrate our anniversary with all of you. Thanks for being here with us."
Loud cheering and cries of "Toast! Toast!"
Since Monty was the elder brother, he did the honors. "To Mom and Dad, the finest parents we could have asked for."
Everyone drank to Jo and Keith, even the children, who had apple juice in their glasses. Then the assemblage sat down to start the meal.
"Mom and Dad look so happy," said Ian.
Kathy said, "I love to see them this way." Lelia seemed to second this with her cheerful sing-song, while Kathy rubbed her tummy.
"Great idea, fellows," Quinn said, lifting his glass to Ian and Monty this time.
Dinner was a pleasant affair, the brothers good friends, as were their mates. Moira and Lelia were effortlessly included in the banter, and the mood was mellow. Monty and Ian made sure to touch base with their parents every so often.
When the dessert table was brought out, the DJ started playing dance music. Quinn and Ian got up to choose among the cakes and pies. As they were about to step on the dance floor, a shortcut to the desserts, Rory casually intercepted them with an apologetic look on his face, and took them aside, out of earshot of the other guests.
"Nothing against you guys, but our kids are here." Rory's whisper was a strained blend of self-righteous, sincere, and sympathetic.
Ian and Quinn were stunned silent. They dimly heard the music in the background as they stared at Rory in shock.
Finally, Ian found his voice. "We were just getting some apple pie, Uncle."
Quinn said nothing; never had it been more apparent that the Prentices were not really his family, though most of them had tried to make it seem so.
Rory's smile was relieved. "Looks like they have good cheesecake too," he said jovially.
"We'll have to try it," said Ian politely, clearly trying to restore diplomatic relations.
Instead of their original destination, the two men headed for their room as one. When they were behind its sheltering door, Ian dove straight for Quinn's arms. He was shaking slightly, and Quinn could taste the sweat on his forehead.
Quinn started to pet his back while crooning to him softly, words of love mixed with nonsense to soothe his distraught lover. Slowly, Quinn's warmth and caring penetrated Ian's fog of misery. He began responding to Quinn's caresses with pats of his own.
He looked up at Quinn with unshed tears in his eyes. "Thanks, love. You make me believe that it's all worth it." He started to rub Quinn's stiff shoulders, his touch just the balm Quinn himself needed.
"Never forget that, lad, never." Quinn's lips brushed Ian's in confirmation of his words.
In the silence, the men heard The Blue Danube Waltz drift up from the ballroom. They exchanged an ironic glance, and started to move to the rhythm. A teasing and sensual press of hips interspersed with champagne-flavored kisses, Ian and Quinn let it build until the two beds in the room ceased to be obstructions and instead became invitations.
Frustrated with the formalwear, Quinn hurried to undress himself and Ian, giving him the comforting heat of his body as soon as possible. He wanted Ian to lose himself in sensation, and to remember this night as one where they drew even closer, a tangible tribute to their love, and that of Ian's parents.
In large part, he succeeded.
Since they'd left at the dessert course, as had other guests, their absence caused not a blink. Ian had been the dutiful son, talking with Jo and Keith throughout the evening, so he felt no regret on that front.
At breakfast the next morning, there were no signs of the turmoil the night before. Quinn and Ian sat at a family table, where the latter greeted his uncles as graciously as he did everyone else, and seemingly enjoyed his meal.
When they returned to their room to pack, Quinn thought that Ian was going for a caress when his hand slipped under Quinn's collar, but instead, Ian took out his wedding band. Quinn reflexively reached for his own around Ian's neck.
"From now on, let's wear these to family gatherings," Ian said, a forceful note to his voice that Quinn loved to hear.
"Yes, lad." Quinn's simple answer was offset by the play of emotion in his eyes.
They freed the bands from their chains, and put them on each other's ring fingers. The gold felt warmer there than it had on their chests. Every time the men wore them, the rings became harder to take off.
In an ideal world, they never would.