Work Text:
You Sound Like Your Mother, How Cliché
It was a rather ordinary morning when Nick woke up. He was alone, Jay having left for his much more comfortable bed in his mansion after Nick had gone to sleep. They had only been… involved… for a few months, after all. They weren’t nearly close enough to share a room just yet. Jay stayed until Nick fell asleep, and that was enough.
He sipped at a bitter cup of coffee as he walked out to his mailbox. To his surprise, he found a small white envelope. Jay would often send him letters instead of walking across their shared lawns, but those notes didn’t look like this. This was a proper letter.
He turned it around to look at the return address, and sighed when he realized who sent it. Peter and Margaret Carraway. His parents. He had no idea what they were writing him about, but he had his doubts that it was anything good. The three of them got on well enough, but that didn’t mean they talked a whole lot. Or much at all, really.
The letter was opened back inside the house, and it was, indeed, nothing good. Somehow, word about Jay had gotten to them (he knew it was a terrible mistake to keep his old friends), and now the both of them were expected back at the Carraway house within the month so that his parents could take stock of the new man Nick’s immediate reaction was a somewhat strongly worded decline, and he go t as far as pulling out a paper and pen before remembering what terrible fate befell him the last time he tried to say no to his mother. So, instead, he went over to Jay’s place.
The mansion always seemed so cold in the mornings. Only the rooms that would be used were warmed to save firewood in the winter. It was warm enough that there was no snow, but that was the kindest thing that could be said about the weather. Nick slipped inside before the angry clouds above could become anything more dangerous, and headed up to Jay’s study.
Somewhat infuriatingly, Jay was early to rise, so Nick found him already settled in at his desk having a frustrated conversation over the phone with a man named Vogelbach. Something about a shipment. Quite frankly, Nick hoped to maintain at least a hint of plausible deniability about how Jay raised his funds, so he ignored it all and instead focused on the movements of his lips. Which, quite soon, began to say his name, softly, accompanied by fingers running through his hair. “Nick, Nick, hello there, darling.”
Nick finally focused, smiling up at Jay. “Hello to you too.”
Jay returned the emotion, leaning forwards until he could kiss Nick’s forehead. “Ah, good, you’re here. I thought you’d decided to have one of your little naps.”
“Mm, not right now.” Nick shook his head. “I got a letter from my parents. They want to meet you.” He was initially going to build up to that topic, but there was something about Jay’s softer expressions that managed to lower his guard until he’d divulge anything.
Jay’s face stilled for a moment, and Nick braced for the worst until he heard a laugh. “Well, alright then. I don’t see why not.”
“Really?”
Jay’s smile was infectious. “Yes, really. I’m not an honourable man, but I think I can pretend for a day or two. Let me get everything sorted out with Meyer.”
Nick reached up and tugged on Jay’s tie, pulling him closer. “You’re plenty honourable to me.”
They almost didn’t speak after that, until Jay had loaded the last of their bags into the back of an understated-for-Jay black car. Initially, Jay wanted to take one of his convertibles, but Nick was able to use his much-repressed memories of the Midwest to remind him just how terrible it would be the second they hit any sort of precipitation.
And precipitation they did hit, forcing Jay to slow down from a speed where he could kill something and not notice to a speed where he could kill something and only notice a smidge. Nick was used to the speed and the quick turns at this point, so he was able to spend the time with his head resting on Jay’s shoulder, falling in and out of a light doze. Either that, or making slow conversation about nothing at all.
Their arrival was marked with little but the soft crunch of snow through tires, and Jay woke Nick up with gentle kisses on both his cheeks, being the perfect gentleman as he insisted on carrying all the bags.
Carraway house wasn’t a mansion by any means, but it was certainly comfortably large, so it had a proper foyer for his parents to welcome them into. Jay shook off the snow rather like a dog would, and turned to them with his usual charming grin.
“Mr. and Mrs. Carraway, it is truly an honor to meet you. I am Jay Gatsby, your son’s, ah…”
Margaret laughed. “Paramour?”
“Well, yes,” Jay blushed. “I suppose you could call it that.”
Nick’s father had yet to speak. Peter Carraway always was a quiet man, not saying much even to his own son. But from the look on his face, Nick knew with grim surety he was measuring him up. Checking him up against all the other men Nick could have chosen, looking at the quality of his suit, the quality of his smile, the quality of his character.
Jay turned to face him, and the brief moment of silence was deeply discomforting before Jay was forced to break it. “An honor to meet you, too, sir.”
Peter gave a small grunt, moving back to the sitting room, and Nick grabbed Jay’s hand to signal that this was the end of the expected interaction.
Margaret, however, was telling Jay some story about the history of men Nick has brought home. Nick himself hated this line of stories, but he knew there was no stopping his mother once she got going about something.
“Oh, and Mr. Gatsby, if you aren’t too tired from your journey I simply must show you my photo book, you’ll find the most adorable photos of him as a child!”
…Okay, maybe now was the time to step in.
The three of them made a sort of huddled shift to the sitting room, where Peter heaved himself up to hand Margaret a mug of tea. She thanked him happily, bestowing a kiss upon him before letting him retreat back to his seat.
Margaret turned to Jay again, her smile not as charming as Jay’s and yet still having an infectious quality to it. “Mr. Gatsby, have you even been to the Midwest? Nick here told me you were raised in San Francisco, so I can’t imagine you have much reason to.”
Jay froze. He had dispelled that particular untruth some time ago, and had frankly forgotten how the past could come up to haunt him. “As a matter of fact, I have. On business.”
“Oh, what kind? Nick has been rather vague about your occupation.”
Now this was a lie Jay was used to. The smile came back full-force. “Drugstores, ma’am. I run a series of drugstores all over.”
Margaret was no idiot, and her own smile turned knowing. “Any I’d know of?”
Jay waved an airy hand. “Oh, I’m sure. I’m very well known.”
The conversation continued much like that for the rest of the evening, until Nick drew tired enough to rest against Jay. He got as far as closing his eyes and settling in before he heard his name. “Oh, Nick, you look exhausted. I won’t keep you awake any longer. The two of you are welcome to Nick’s childhood room. I’m afraid I haven’t prepared anything else.”
Nick mumbled his agreement and moved to stand up. However, Jay swept him up into his arms, holding him like a bride or a newborn before moving to the bedroom. Nick smiled happily into his shoulder and directed Jay, not recognizing the problem until Jay gently set him down on the bed and Nick realized.
“Jay, you can put me on the loveseat. You deserve the bed, you’ve been driving for three days.”
Jay shook his head. “No, no, you need your rest. I’m not as tall, I’ll fit better.” He was already looking through the bags for pajamas for the both of them.
Nick pushed himself up to change, only to be pushed back gently. Too hazy to protest, he let Jay undo his suit to replace it with the more comfortable top. If Nick felt his hands linger in the trail of hair leading down from his stomach, but he didn’t comment on it. “Jay, really, you’re the one going out of your way to come here. I insist you be comfortable.”
Once they were both fully changed, Jay sighed contemplatively before seeming to make a decision and sliding under the covers next to Nick. Nick, relived that it was out of his hands, shifted to leave again, but Jay grabbed him and pulled him back. “No, no, you’re staying right here. This bed is plenty big enough for two.”
Nick flushed red as a fire hydrant, but relented almost immediately as he felt the soft flesh of Jay’s stomach against his body. They had held each other plenty, but never for the entire night. Nick was, undeniably, a bit nervous, but the edge of unconsciousness was fast approaching, so he had very little say. “Mm, I’ve been told I’m a bit of a nightmare to sleep next to.”
Jay kissed his forehead one final time, his own eyes closing. “I don’t mind.”