“So you decided to spring it on me at Sawyer’s off-Broadway debut?” Robbie asked incredulously as he rubbed his thumb over the engagement ring. “God, you’re just as bad as we are. A little drama queen. No wonder I love you so much.”
“Dramaprincess,” Finn corrected, deadpan.
“Finn,” Robbie murmured and leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. “Babygirl, behave yourself, we’re at a high school play. I can’t ravish you in the bathroom.”
Finn shivered. He didn’t really want Robbie to ravish him right now, since he’d been looking forward to this night out for months, but that didn’t mean Finn couldn’t flirt back. He fluttered his lashes and murmured, “What about after the show?”
“Be good,” Robbie murmured, “and maybe I’ll book us in to check off another hotel from your list this weekend.”
That set another shiver down Finn’s spine. Over the past year, Robbie had sunk thousands of dollars into the localeconomy in the name of indulging Finn’s kink. For their one-year anniversary, he booked them into the Four Seasons in Downtown Toronto for two nights so he had time to fuck Finn across every surface of the room. Finn had joined him an hour after Robbie checked in, his heart thumping against his ribs as he crossed the lobby and rode up the elevator in a trench coat that covered his frilly fem lingerie. No one recognized or stopped him, and Finn was so turned-on by the time Robbie opened the door that he was dizzy with it.
Robbie liked the lingerie so much he destroyed it. Finn mourned its loss, but the retail therapy he engaged in afterwards, buying several lacy skirts and underthings, had gone a long way to comforting him. And Robbie.
“I can be so good,” Finn promised and Robbie brushed a kiss to his cheek and sat back. But he didn’t let go of Finn’s hand. Instead he linked their fingers together and ran his thumb back and forth over the ring.
Finn settled his head on Robbie’s shoulder and waited for the show to start, reveling in being able to do so. In a bid to keep media attention off Robbie and Sawyer as much as possible and to avoid giving that ammunition to Mr. and Mrs. Dickhead, they kept their relationship out of the public eye for months after the show.
Thank God Zulma had been good on her word and Sawyer’s custody hearing was scheduled before the end of summer. Finn’s stomach was in knots for weeks leading up to it, but all his worry was for naught. The judge was very unimpressed by Sawyer’s transphobic grandparents and pleased by Robbie’s efforts to make room for Sawyer in his home and his life. When Eugene pulled out a copy of the contract offer from Florida three years ago, the one that Robbie turned downas a free agent for an inferior contract in Toronto so he could be closer to his nephew, she smiled.
“Florida doesn’t have state income tax,” Eugene pointed out.
“Yes. I think they also won the Cup that year.”
Eugene shrugged. “So they’re probably happy Robbie turned them down. And so is Robbie, because his parental responsibilities for his nephew steadily increased ever since he took up permanent residence in Toronto.”
Sawyer had freaked out about that tidbit, demanding to know why Robbie never told him, and seriously why would Robbie give up millions of dollars just for him, and, “Robbie, I could have been in a Cup parade!”
Robbie had rolled his eyes. “You’re too big to sit in the Cup anyway, kid.”
“We’ll never know now!” the kid had decried, and Robbie, who’d just gotten full custody, had hugged Sawyer close and kissed his hair and said, “Love you, kid.”
“You’re so gross,” Sawyer said but hugged him back.
Custody granted, Robbie had gone to work with a skip in his step and a bi pin attached to his lapel. It took the internet about 3 seconds to spot the pin, ask questions, and freak out.
Robbie had carefully calculated his coming out so he could wear his identity and his pride, so no one could ascribe shame to him. He told Finn during late-night conversations about how important he thought it was to be a role model in this.
The coming out of their relationship was a whole other thing.
The bastard had posted a picture of Finn drinking coffee, his hair a bedhead riot early one Sunday morning, and then followed it up a few hours later with one of Finn’s cold mug lefton the coffee table and asked,Is anyone else’s boyfriend allergic to finishing a cup of coffee? #cohabitationgrowingpains
The internet had exploded with the gleeful vindication ofDance Your Ice Offfans.
Robbie pressed a kiss to the top of Finn’s head, still thumbing his ring, as the lights dimmed and the music swelled.
It was time. Finn straightened upright so he wouldn’t miss a single moment. Kids streamed onto the stage for the opening number, “Alma Mater.” They caught their first glimpse of Sawyer during the reprise, but his true entrance on stage wasn’t until about ten minutes in, and Finn was practically on the edge of his seat when Sawyer finally swaggered across the stage in his rolled-up blue jeans, white tee, and leather jacket.
He’d grown his hair out for the part and Robbie had worried about dysphoria, but it turned out the only thing he should have been concerned about was vanity. He had to yell at the kid to hurry it up more than once lest they be late for school drop-off. Now that he was in costume with his hair slicked back, Finn had to acknowledge, the kid looked good.
He sounded damn good too—his voice was clear and melodic when he sang the opening lines to “Summer Nights.’” Finn squeezed Robbie’s hand. Pride was bubbling up through his chest, and he couldn’t imagine what Robbie might be feeling in this moment. And not just because Sawyer was his kid. His kid was on stage playing Danny Zuko and killing it.
By intermission, Robbie was glowing, and by the time the standing ovation ended and the kids were free to leave the stage, his eyes were glistening with tears.
He wrapped the still-costumed Sawyer in a tight hug and murmured words of praise in his ear. Finn didn’t catch it all, but he could tell from the looks on both their faces that Robbie had gushed.
Sawyer wiped his eyes and turned to Finn and accepted his congratulatory bouquet. And then he freaked the fuck out.
“Oh my God! Are you trying to upstage me?” He jumped into Finn’s arms and hugged him tight. “When is it happening? Please tell me Imogen and I get to be best man and maid of honour. Are you going to be a Zeiger now? Or are we going to be Grahams? I guess we could all double-barrel—”
