Chapter Text
The sunglasses balanced precariously on the bridge of his nose, threatening to slip backwards towards his eyes at any moment as he lay amongst the warm sand; the hangover thrummed in his mind, but it felt warm, welcome, languid. There was no pressure, nothing to rush for, no reason for him to have to stand up and move and make his headache worse: he was free to be as lazy as he liked.
It was a rare feeling, and one that Freddie had only ever experienced in little snatches, waking a half hour later to replenish an exhausted mind and body. He’d never before had the opportunity to simply relax, to soak in the sun, no demands made of him, nothing he had to push for, work for. He’d never before had the chance to eat shakshuka at four in the afternoon, his lover’s face pressed to his thigh as he slept, as a hangover cure; he’d never before been able to savour a mug of French pressed coffee as he’d dressed, as he’d pampered himself with the lotions, serums, and oils that had been lost the night before. He hadn’t had the opportunity to lay down on the sand at the front of their house, soaking up the sunshine like a butterfly seeking warmth for its wings, simply able to relax.
He’d dozed there in the afternoon light, letting it paint his skin a light pink, letting it bronze his body as he lay there in nothing more than a t-shirt and a pair of swimming briefs; he’d entertained the idea of dipping his toes in the sea when his lover finally surfaced from the warm cocoon of their bed, laughing with him, loving, happy, married.
The word made his heart want to burst with the happiness it held inside.
He’d never loved a man as much as he loved Jim Hutton. He’d never loved another man’s flaws in the same way as he loved Jim’s, his idiosyncrasies, his tendency to leave his clothes on the back of the chair or footstool as though he still had a housekeeper, his total inability to cook, how often he would forget to water the plants in the lounge and how he still had to be reminded to feed the kittens at three in the afternoon. He’d never loved another man’s laughter so much: he’d never felt the irresistible urge to kiss someone when the expression they wore was one of simple, pure delight before. He’d never loved someone’s appearance so much, the little curl that fell onto his forehead when he missed a barber’s appointment or the five o’clock shadow that hugged his jawline and would tickle Freddie’s skin when they kissed in the early morning. He’d never loved someone so much for every little thing about him, every kiss and every hug and every sweet promise on butterscotch lips, pinkened skin in the sun and gentle hands when they lifted him to sit him on countertops just to keep him closer for one more moment.
He’d never, ever felt so loved before.
He turned his head when the sand rustled beside him, when another body stretched out alongside his own; he carefully took off his sunglasses and lay them down in the sand beside him- and then he broke into the biggest smile. “Pa?” He asked happily.
“I heard you had one hell of a party last night.” Bomi chuckled, laying on his side to look at Freddie; the happiness incarnate on Freddie’s face made his own smile impossible to rub off. “I heard your clothes didn’t stay on for long.”
“I kept my underwear on!” Freddie laughed, cheeks reddening, but he simply rolled his eyes playfully.
“Which I heard didn’t leave much to the imagination.” He chuckled, pinching one of Freddie’s blushing cheeks.
“You heard wrong.” Freddie insisted, shaking his head with a laugh. “It was one hell of a party, though. Jim pulled out all the stops.”
“This whole thing has been rather an achievement, hasn’t it?” Bomi agreed. “I mean, I thought the wedding was gorgeous, and your house is clearly lovely- but you should see the room he’s put your mother and I in! I think you could fit just about our entire family in there. It’s like a little suite, Freddie, it’s got a chef and everything. And the restaurant last night, it was the best food either of us have ever eaten before- and they did ballroom dancing after we’d finished.” His sigh was a little dreamy. “I told your mother it was the wedding reception we never got.”
Freddie laughed, stretching out his arm and resting his cheek against it as he rolled onto his side, watching his father. “I’m really glad you’ve had a good time.”
“We weren’t allowed to see you the day before the wedding, Jim wanted to keep it all a secret so you wouldn’t work out why all your family were with you.” Bomi grinned. “So he paid for us all to have a spa day at this resort on the other end of the island, just to keep us busy for the day. Your mother’s never looked happier in her life.”
“He did the same for me.” Freddie told him, his voice dream-like and soft. “The morning of the wedding I had a full pamper session, a wax and a facial and a massage. It must’ve been so that he could check the preparations.” He laughed. “And I got champagne with it, even though it was ten in the morning.”
“He’s simply spoiled you rotten.” He joked, pausing for a moment before he spoke again. “He really loves you, you know?”
“I know.” Freddie said softly. “The way he looks at me, Pa-”
“The way he speaks about you, Freddie. It’s like there’s nothing in the world that’s more precious to him than you are. He-” Bomi laughed a little. “Before he confirmed all the bookings for this, he came to me to ask if he could marry you. He said that you’d proposed, but he wanted to be absolutely certain that I was happy for you to marry. He had your engagement ring already, and he’d chosen your wedding ring, he showed me them both. And I- I told him, you know, that I couldn’t think of a single person that you deserved more than him. And when I gave him my grace, he cried.”
Freddie’s cheeks reddened further and he grinned widely - it had been a long time, Bomi thought privately, since Freddie had felt so happy and easy to smile like that. “Really?” He asked softly.
“He told me it was all he wanted.” Bomi grinned. “Wanted to know that I would accept you both if you married. Because he told me, darling, that he didn’t want to drive a wedge through our relationship. He didn’t know if I was really okay with him, or if I was just putting up with it.”
“He’s so thoughtful.” Freddie whispered. “What did you say?”
“I said that I already considered him my son, too.” He said simply. “And that it wouldn’t change anything. Because- Freddie, I can tell just how much you love him, and I would never want to come between that.”
“I love you.” Freddie said softly. “I- He’s not like anyone I’ve ever met before, Pa. He’s- he’s never wanted to change me, he’s never tried to- to cut bits of me out, or add things to me. He just loved me, wholeheartedly.”
“Love like that is rare.” Bomi said, voice a little more serious. “But I can tell it’s real, darling. I could tell it was real from the moment he came into our house and treated it as though it was a luxury villa, when he cuddled up with you on that awful little sofa we used to have in the lounge and he looked at you like- like he’d walk to the end of the earth for you. I thought he’d sneer at us, or- or he’d try and order you around to make him more comfortable, but I realised that the only thing that mattered to him then was you. And just how hard he worked to make us all comfortable, like he honoured that we’re your family- he never tried to replace us. He bought us a house with a room for you in it, Freddie.”
“He brought my Delilah back.” Freddie whispered. “He- he called every shelter in west London to find her, because he knew how much she meant to me.”
“I’m so glad you found each other.” He said earnestly. “And I’m thankful you never tried to fit in anybody’s box, darling, because you found your perfect fit in Jim.”
“Fuck off.” Freddie said, half-naked and tousled as he sat on the end of the bed, staring up at Jim. “Absolutely fuck off are you called James.”
Jim deftly avoided the blow to the head with his own passport as he laughed, Freddie’s arms waving wildly in the air. “What did you think I was called?” He laughed.
“Your fucking name!” Freddie laughed. “Jim! I thought you were called Jim!”
“Who’d call their kid Jim?” He grinned. “At least I got to choose what variety of James I wanted to be. I could’ve been Jamie. Or Jimmy.”
“Thanks! I hate it.” Freddie grinned. “Fuck, you’d be a weird Jamie. You’re too butch.”
“I’m not a woman, Freddie.” He rolled his eyes playfully as he sprayed cologne on the base of his throat.
“Exactly. I’d make a better Jamie than you.” Freddie stood up and wound his arms around Jim’s waist from behind, resting his cheek against the planes of his lover’s back. “You should’ve been Jay.”
“What, and really hammed up the nineteen-twenties ultra-rich ‘Old Sport’ thing?” Jim laughed.
Freddie thought for a moment, and then snorted with laughter. “Jimbo.”
“Fuck, don’t.” Jim chuckled, turning to hold Freddie idly against his chest; he loved the way his husband would always melt into the embrace. “I’ve got some terrible memories of screaming when my mother called me that when I was about four.”
“You really don’t suit James.” Freddie murmured against his chest. “You’re definitely a Jim.”
“Thanks?” Jim laughed. “At least you can pronounce my real name.”
“Oh, you can pronounce Farrokh!” He rolled his eyes and sat back at the foot of the bed, before he allowed himself to lay back amongst the bedsheets.
“Far-ruk.” Jim tried.
“Roo.” Freddie corrected, arching an eyebrow. “It’s an ‘oo’ sound. Fa-r-oo-k.”
“Far-ook.” He tried again.
“Short a!” Freddie started laughing. “Christ, you’re hopeless. Let’s hope we adopt a kid called Sally, otherwise they’re going to need a fucking nickname quickly.”
“You said I could do it!” He pouted petulantly, climbing onto the bed beside him and pulling him into a kiss. “You all spread out on the bed makes me not want to leave this room.”
“You’ve had your blowjob, you horny motherfucker.” Freddie slapped his chest playfully and then started buttoning his own shirt slowly. “Anyway, I was promised a bottle of wine and a no-expenses-spared meal on a yacht under the stars, sex can wait.”
Jim snorted. “Fuck the sex when there’s profiteroles on offer.”
“Exactly!” Freddie laughed as he stood up. “Oh, darling, you know me so well- it’s almost like we’re married or something!”