“Oye,mano!” Lulu wiggled his nose in disgust, as his hands flew to cover his ears. “Don’t say fucking shit like that. TMI,mano. T M fucking I.”
“That’s not… Jesus, that’s not what I meant.” Joe blushed, looking mortified. “I mean, I’m emo—”
“I know what you meant,” Xavi sighed, unable to hold back the laugh bubbling to the surface in his chest. “Just ignore him.” He bumped his shoulder against Lulu’s. “Someone’s had one too manyfrappuccinos.”
“I have not!” Lulu, who was still covering his ears, scowled at Xavi, and he was just so fucking adorable with his bottom lip pushed out in indignation, his almond eyes blazing. Every atom of Xavi’s being screamed at him to just throw Lulu over his shoulder and carry him right the fuck out of here, rehearsal dinner be damned. Just find some dark alley and fuck Lulu senseless until that scowl melted right off Lulu’s face and was replaced with nothing but pure pleasure, his mouth pushed into that gloriousOwhen he came.
“Whatever. Come meet everyone.” Joe gestured at the long table, and Xavi swallowed, instantly feeling too underdressed for this official gathering in his black shirt, which was slightly wrinkled from lying in a suitcase, and his trademark black jeans. Lulu looked fucking stunning as always, in tight-fitting purple pants in some sheer material, and a white vest with a long-sleeved black top underneath. Xavi had no idea how Lulu had managed it, but he’d put on some subtle make-up in the car and turned his flat hat hair into a radiant halo of soft-looking shiny curls.
Everyone waved at them, their faces welcoming and curious. They’d met almost everyone except for Noah’s parents, Aidan and Erin, and his oldest sister, Janet. From what Joe had told them, Janet had not been a huge fan of Noah coming out as a gay man, but Xavi knew they’d reconciled and managed to find common ground. As for Aidan, he’d long been Joe’s biggest fan, proud to have one of Buffalo’s finest as his future son-in-law, and for most of the dinner, Aidan’s gaze rested fondly on his son and Joe as their hands lay clasped tightly together on the table. Several times, Xavi found himself staring at Noah’s father, a strange feeling of familiarity coursing through him, like he’d met the man before or perhaps someone who resembled him. Yet, Xavi couldn’t pinpoint it, and eventually wrote it off as just one of those things.
Casey, Noah’s long-time colleague and now married to Noah’s youngest sister Aislin, was the source of entertainment as usual while he recounted the recent birth of his and Aislin’s youngest in way-too-gory detail. Aislin, who was rocking their baby boy Cian in her arms, looked at him like she was still wondering if it was too late to return Casey or if she was stuck with him for life. At the far end of the table, Noah’s two middle sisters, Rose and Caitlin, were engaged in a heated conversation with Caitlin’s wife Gabriella and Joe’smami, Allita. It was definitely about food. Xavi knew they had an ongoing ‘friendly’ feud about which kitchen was the most superior, the Italian or the Cuban. Definitely not the Irish.
Initially, Caitlin and Gabriella had been headed for Italy, where Gabriella was originally from, but then they’d both been offered a position at the same hospital in Portland, Gabriella as a doctor and Caitlin as a physiotherapist, so they’d decided to settle on the West Coast for now. Rose, who was a flight attendant, had moved West, too, settling in San Francisco after shacking up with a pilot twice her age and living ‘mycliché dream’ as she referred to it.
Halfway through dinner, the kids, who had been seated at a smaller table next to the larger one, got impatient, and as usual, Aislin’s daughter Maeve slid into Noah’s lap and started talking his ear off. The gentle giant of a man nodded patiently, adding a few words here and there, his fingers still tangled through Joe’s. Xavi’s chest spilled over with happiness as he took in his best friend, sitting there next to the man he loved more than anything. A man he’d fought so hard for, and in the end, it had paid off, and they were now mere hours away from becoming husbands. Before he knew it, Xavi found Lulu’s hand under the table. At first, he just barely brushed his knuckles against Lulu’s pinky. Lulu froze next to him as he sucked in a breath. Then, slowly, Lulu turned, his eyes huge and questioning, as he seemed to have stopped breathing altogether. Xavi smiled—how could he not?—before he spread his fingers and twined them through Lulu’s, then held onto him firmly. Xavi’s heart raced in his chest, a rushing sound so loud in his head that he momentarily feared he was going to pass out. Then he closed his eyes and took a few steadying breaths, letting the air fill his lungs, allowing his heart to settle. Opening his eyes, he smiled at Lulu, then pulled their clasped hands out from under the table and placed them on top of the white tablecloth. Lulu’s eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, as bright pink watercolor washed over his caramel cheeks and spilled down his neck. Xavi’s smile widened, then he lifted their tangled fingers to his lips, pressing a light kiss against Lulu’s knuckles before dropping their hands back on the table. Lulu’s eyelashes fluttered like a thousand hummingbirds taking flight all at once, and in that moment, Xavi knew he would never want for anything else if he could just walk beside Lulu for the rest of his life, holding his hand like this.
Then Noah’s father clinked his knife against the edge of his glass, and the spell was broken. Looking away, Xavi’s gaze connected with Joe’s across the table. Joe’s brows lifted into a silent question as his eyes shifted between Xavi’s face and the place where his hand was holding Lulu’s.Mano?Joe seemed to ask, his eyes full of wonder.You told him?Smiling back, Xavi shrugged, then nodded. He felt Lulu’s eyes on him, and it suddenly occurred to him that Lulu’s eyes had always been on him since that very first day in detention. Lulu had always seen him—truly seen him.
The conversation quieted around them as Aidan Byrne gave his speech. He was an impressive man, broad-shouldered and tall like his son, his near-black hair littered with gray, his eyebrows dark and bushy. His gaze remained on Joe and Noah for the entire speech, like they were the only two people in the room. Xavi could tell Joe was doing everything in his power not to cry in front of his future father-in-law, while Noah trembled slightly, finally too emotionally overcome by the moment.
Aidan’s speech turned out to be one long praise of Joe. How proud he was of Joe for how he’d stood by Noah’s side through everything. What a fine young man he was, and how proud Joe’s father would have been of him if he’d still been alive.That brought tears to Allita’s eyes, and seeing hismamicry seemed to be the final straw, causing Joe’s eyes to leak without end. Noah wrapped his huge arm around him, whispering something against Joe’s ear, and Joe nodded, crying even harder. Xavi’s throat tightened, his eyes burning, as he felt Lulu’s fingers squeeze around his own, his thumb brushing soothingly along Xavi’s scarred knuckles.
“My son,” Aidan eventually declared when at least two-thirds of the wedding party was in tears, “you are an inspiration to us all. I know I’ve not always been the best father to you.” He held up a hand when Noah was about to protest. “No, son, I mean it. I wasn’t always fair to you. I didn’t always see you, the real you, Noah, and I’m sorry for that. But I’m try—”
“I know you are, Dad!” Noah blurted, wiping at his eyes, and everyone laughed, their voices choked up with emotion.
“Good. And I’ll continue to try. I’m old-school and stubborn in my ways, but that’s no excuse. Heck, I’m Irish, and that’s not even an excuse either. You’re my son, and I love you, and I’m proud of you every day. If God has an issue with who you are and who you love, which I don’t think he does, by the way, then it’s between him and me. Never between us, Noah. The only thing between you and me, which should be the case between any father and son, is love and respect. Besides, you’ve given me the best gift any man could ever ask for: an additional son.” Winking at Noah, Aidan smiled softly. “With a fine Irish name.” Noah laughed through his tears, the private joke referring to something only father and son knew of. Then Noah got up from his seat and went to his father and wrapped him in a hug, his lips moving into “Thanks, Dad,” then “love you, Dad.”
When people were done crying and the kids were fed gallons of Italian gelato, the rest of the party gathered around the bar for drinks. Noah took the opportunity to greet Lulu and Xavi properly, shaking their hands at first, then crushing each of them against his massive chest.
“Thank you for coming. Truly. It means everything to Joe.” He threw Joe a fond gaze across the room, where he was just returning from the bathroom. “To me, too, of course. So much.”
“Of course,” Lulu cooed, playing with the straw in his pink drink, standing a little too close to Noah for Xavi’s liking. “Nothing could stop us from being here, not even a crappy car or a blizzard.”
“It was hardly a blizzard,” Xavi mumbled, drawing Lulu against his side, wrapping his arm around his waist.
“Itsowas, but luckily I had my big fluffyosoto keep me warm.” Lulu batted his eyelashes, sighing exaggeratedly.
“Well, fucking finally,” Joe smiled broadly as he joined them. “It was about time. Now, I hopefully don’t have to listen to any more of your yammering about each other.” He threw Xavi a wink, then mussed up Lulu’s hair.
“Hey! Stop that,mano!” Lulu shook his head, looking like a cute poodle puppy. “And no, you won’t.” Lulu blinked, then his lips curled into a wicked frown that Xavi knew all too well.Trouble.“Now you just gotta listen to how huge achorizomy delicious boyfriend has and how he fuc—” Before Lulu could spill all their deepest darkest secrets, Xavi slammed his hand against Lulu’s mouth.
“For fuck’s sake,cisne!” Xavi glared at Lulu, who continued to ramble against his palm. “Stop fucking talking. Just for once.” Joe looked slightly mortified, while Noah just started laughing in that deep, rumbly way of his.
“Oh, this is gold,” Noah boomed. “Just pure fucking gold.”
“What’s gold?” Noah’s father asked as he joined them, along with Joe’s closest colleague, Monroe, who was basically a father figure to Joe by now. They were both holding whiskey tumblers in their hands, the amber liquid doing stuff to Xavi’s insides, reminding him of how Lulu’s skin had glowed under the halogen lights at Excommunicated. How alluring he’d been, drawing Xavi in like a moth to a flame.
“Uhm… the rings, Aidan.” Joe was the quickest to recover. “They’re gold.”
“They better be,” the older police officer winked at Joe. “Only the best for the people we love, ay?”
“He’s a real spitfire, your friend, Joe,” Aidan nodded at Lulu, who had finally stopped talking. Xavi quickly removed his hand and was just about to bury it in his jeans when Lulu grabbed it and once again linked their fingers together.
“That he is,” Joe laughed.
“Reminds me of my Erin when we first started dating,” Noah’s dad continued. “Had some real spark in her. Still does.”
