An Honor Conferred

by Merry Amelie (MerryAmelie@aol.com)

Archive: MA only
Category: Alternate Reality, Angst, Qui/Obi, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A Prentice family get-together surprises Quinn and Ian.
Series: Academic Arcadia -- 1) Wedding Gifts 2) A Symposium on Love 3) Dinner and a Movie 4) Please Call First 5) Masquerade 6) A Change of Clime 7) Christmas in Williamsburg 8) A Paduan New Year's Eve 9) Flux 10) Ki of Tranquility 11) A Rescindable Honor 12) An Honor Conferred
Feedback: Is treasured at MerryAmelie@aol.com
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.

For Alex, my friend and beta

Quinn and Ian arrived at the Prentice home at 2 pm on Saturday for a Scrabble game with Jo and Keith. Monty's car was in the driveway; he and Kathy were an unexpected addition to the gathering.

"This must have something to do with my talk with Mom the other day," Ian muttered unhappily, as they walked up the front path.

Quinn clasped his shoulder quickly. "Maybe so, lad, but don't borrow trouble. You can't predict their reaction. This came as a surprise to everyone."

"We'll find out soon enough."

When they entered, Ian's relatives were clustered around the fireplace on the chairs and couch. Jo came over to greet them. She and Kathy went to the kitchen to make hot chocolate, while Ian's father corralled Quinn for a talk in the library, leaving Monty and Ian together on the couch.

"Subtle, really subtle," Ian said, anxiety and tension seeping into his voice. He looked at Monty, a challenge in his eyes.

"Ian, you're as taut as a bowstring. Calm down a little, willya?"

Monty's tone of forced joviality grated on Ian. "Just say it."

"I'm surprised, all right -- what did you expect? You never said anything about your personal life. I thought you might have been seeing Bant."

Ian could not help but laugh at this, and Monty could not help but join him. Monty had said the right thing through sheer dumb luck. The palpable stress and confusion surrounding the brothers began to dissipate.

Monty smiled solicitously while pressing his palms over his eyes. "Relax, Ian, everything's okay." He patted Ian's shoulder in the same place Quinn had earlier. "We want our baby's godfather to be in peak condition for years to come."

Relief coursed through Ian; Monty had chosen the best way to allay his fears, both on Ian's status as godfather and on his relationship with Quinn. "Oh, I plan to be, Monty. Running around after a little one will ensure it."

Monty smiled. "You know, I understand why you didn't feel comfortable telling the folks, Ian, but you might have told me."

Ian was thoroughly embarrassed. "It wasn't my secret alone. Quinn's relatives are conservative, so I didn't tell anyone, Monty."

"I meant years ago, when you must have needed a friendly ear. I would have appreciated knowing what my baby brother was going through, and tried to help."

Ian could feel Monty's sincerity and good will, now that his worries had been mitigated. "Thanks."

"Did you ever, you know, like any of my friends?" It was Monty's turn to feel embarrassed.

Ian looked away. "Not really," he mumbled. "I noticed certain, um, details: hair, hips, walk."

"Not that dissimilar after all," Monty grinned. "I tended to pay attention to those things in girls." He sat up on the couch. "Quinn's a bit older than you are. I read somewhere that younger brothers are more likely to be gay..."

"Monty! Stop right there -- I'm not a statistic on your accounts ledger." Ian ran a hand through his hair distractedly. "I never thought we'd be talking about this stuff," he said in an incredulous tone.

"You shouldn't be so surprised," Monty chided. "Remember Bill, my college roommate? I told you he was gay, and you know I never had any problem with it."

Ian looked down at his hands. "I thought it might be different with your own brother, that's all."

"I guess I can see that. It's just hard to know you didn't trust me."

"Monty, we've always been so comfortable with each other, and I didn't want that to change. No secrets from now on, I promise." Even now, Ian didn't want to be the one to hug his brother. It would take a while for his raw self-consciousness to fade.

Monty was having none of it, though. He grabbed his brother in an emotional embrace. "You're family, Ian, and don't you forget it again." He held Ian's shoulders, and looked into his brother's face searchingly. "Are you happy?"

The smile that suffused Ian's face answered Monty before Ian did. "Yes, very," Ian said simply.

"That's all that matters to me, then," Monty said decisively. He squeezed Ian's shoulders. "I'll never forget the way you stood by me when Mom and Dad disapproved of Kathy because of her broken engagement."

"I could see how much she loved you. She's been a sister to me for the past five years."

"You're her brother too." Monty patted Ian's arm. "I'm glad that we've gotten to know Quinn over the past few months. Both of us like him very much already, and now we'll get to see him even more."

Ian grinned. "Poor Quinn. The folks are going to invite him over for Monopoly night from now on." The brothers groaned in unison. "You know how Dad gets when he has the greens. It isn't pretty."

Keith chose that moment to return to the living room with Quinn in tow. Quinn's eyes immediately locked on Ian in concern.

"It's interesting how the picture changes when viewed from a different perspective." Monty's gaze moved from Ian to Quinn speculatively. "Best friends to lovers -- not that much of a jump when you look at it right." Monty's voice was a mere whisper, but Ian heard him just fine anyway.

The women came in with mugs on trays. As they passed them out, Quinn noted that the intensity of the smiles was perhaps greater than usual; he could see the shift from apprehension to enjoyment as his eyes moved from face to face around him. The Prentices presented a united front once more. The three couples sat together: the younger generation on the couch, Keith and Jo on the chairs. Ian realized that they had been sitting this way for months, unaware of the symbolism.

"We've been considering names for the baby. We're thinking of Leila Morgan if it's a girl," Kathy said.

"That's beautiful, honey," said Jo. "I'd love to have a little girl to coddle and dress after being surrounded by all these guys." Jo looked around at her men, laughter in her eyes.

Kathy said, "We're hoping for one of each."

"Do you have a name picked out for a boy yet?" Keith asked.

Monty answered, meeting Ian's gaze. "Wayne Ian is our current favorite."

Jo started to laugh and her husband soon joined in. "Wayne was Keith's choice for Ian twenty-five years ago. Guess there's a familial predilection for certain names."

"Your mother overruled me," Keith said haplessly. "Ian was the name of one of her favorite actors back then. How could I counter that?" Keith smiled lovingly at Jo.

Monty grinned. "Well, now that we know about our family history with Wayne, that just about decides it, eh, Kathy?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Wayne Ian Prentice it is, for a boy."

Quinn said, "I like the sound of that," as he winked at Ian.

"It's quite an honor," Ian said, his eyes wide. He hadn't expected this additional gift.

Monty said firmly, "A well-deserved one."

As they walked down the driveway, Ian whispered, "How did things go with Dad?"

Quinn shrugged. "We jawed about the Skyhawks. Keith thinks they'll be ranked number five this year."

Smiling in relief that Luke basketball was the innocuous topic of conversation, Ian slid into the passenger seat.

On the ride home, every time Quinn looked over at Ian, he saw a smile on his lips and in his eyes. Ian's talk with Monty must have gone well.

"I'm lucky to have Monty for a brother, Quinn."

Quinn patted Ian's thigh. "I know that, lad. He's a good man."

"Monty doesn't have any problems with us, love, and neither does Kathy. He was just annoyed that I'd been so secretive with him." Ian covered Quinn's hand with his own before Quinn returned it to the wheel.

"I can't imagine having a brother, Ian, but I doubt I'd have been able to confide in one, either. My family's not nearly as close-knit as yours, though."

"The hardest thing is telling people you love about yourself, and waiting for their faces to change," Ian said, his voice uneven.

"That hasn't happened with your family, and it's not going to, Ian. I can see how much they love you; nothing you say or do is going to change that."

Ian beamed his gratitude at Quinn. "I wish it could be the same for you, my love," he said softly.

"Thanks, lad," Quinn answered in a gruff voice. "I've got you, and that's all that really matters to me."

Both men could hear the certainty in Quinn's statement, and were aware that the reverse was true, as well.

Acceptance was a gift to be valued, but love was the real unifying force, both romantic and familial.

End