“Yes, they are,” Lionel said, crossing his arms and continuing to block Graeme’s path into the marquee. “We had to be. Because of you, we’ve had to bend over backwards to make amends for your sinful treatment of Mavis.”
Graeme was speechless. Just like he’d said to Ryan about Mrs. Munroe earlier, there wasn’t a single, useful argument to make against the sort of things Lionel said. No one was going to change their mind, and fighting would only exhaust him, like it had back in the fall.
He was saved from being drawn into something he didn’t want to be in when Mavis herself came marching out of the marquee. “Is there a problem here?” she asked Lionel in a high, squeaky voice.
“Yes, him,” Lionel said. “I’m sorry, Mavis. I don’t know who let him in.”
“I did,” Mavis said, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up defiantly. “I invited Graeme.”
“You what?” Lionel didn’t look happy.
“Graeme and I shared some very important years together, and I wanted him here today,” she insisted. “I don’t care what the rest of you think, I’m an ally now.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Graeme saw Ryan roll his eyes. He wasn’t sure that was entirely justified. Mavis was trying, which was a lot more than anyone else in the world they’d come from could say. He knew she was a good person, and he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“What’s going on out here?”
A second later, Benny joined the confrontation.
“Did you okay her letting him come to the wedding?” Lionel asked, not bothering to actually name the woman or the gay.
“Yes,” Benny said, facing Lionel like he was ready to fight him. “You got a problem with that?”
“A problem with a guy who let these queers come to a wedding like this?” Lionel moved to stand square with Benny.
“I think that’s enough of that,” Ryan said as calmly as possible. “Mavis, it was lovely to meet you. Benny,congratulations on your marriage. Graeme?” He glanced at Graeme with eyebrows raised.
The moment felt horribly significant for Graeme. There he stood, just outside the marquee that held his former friends and family, the community he came from. He would only ever be able to look inside without actually going there ever again. He knew most of the faces that were smiling and laughing, eating and drinking, all without him now. They weren’t a part of him anymore.
“Congratulations, Mavis,” he said, focusing on her alone. He even went to hug her, and thankfully, she let him. “I know you’re going to be so much happier now,” he whispered in her ear.
“I hope you’re happy, too,” Mavis whispered back, hugging him tightly, then letting go.
Everything was a bit of a blur from there as Graeme turned and walked away, heading back for the house. He was aware of Ryan walking with him, but for that minute, for the space of time it took him to find his way inside the house and along the antique corridors to the room he and Ryan shared, he was alone.
And it was okay. He’d done something so many closeted gay men had never done. He’d been true to himself, stood up for who he really was, and let go of the entire life that he’d lost. It had been the most painful thing he’d ever done, but in his heart, he knew there was a reward at the other end of all that pain.
“I’m sorry about all of that,” Ryan said once they were alone in their room. “If it helps, you handled it really well. I don’t think I would have been so calm as?—”
“Kiss me,” Graeme interrupted him, stepping in front of him and grabbing the lapels of his suit jacket. “Just kiss me.”
Ryan didn’t say another word. He slipped his hands over Graeme’s shoulders and up his neck, then grasped his hair and pulled his head up so he could kiss him. Hard. More like Art had kissed him.
And it was glorious. Ryan’s mouth against his, his tongue swiping then pushing in to taste him deeply made Graeme feel like a fresh sprout pushing out from the dirt. He worked through the buttons of Ryan’s jacket so he could spread his hands across the solid expanse of Ryan’s belly and sides. Ryan was strong and warm, and Graeme wanted to uncover every part of him.
He continued kissing Ryan as best he could while tugging part of his shirt out of his trousers. Ryan did the same with him, frantically pushing his suit jacket off his shoulders, then going for the buttons of his shirt.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ryan panted between kisses and tugs.
“Yes,” Graeme said, not a hint of hesitation in his voice.
Ryan moaned as if that were the best answer he’d heard all day. He pulled Graeme’s shirt the rest of the way from his trousers, fumbled with the fastenings of those trousers, and when they were loose enough, he plunged his hand down into Graeme’s briefs to cup his balls, then to draw his cock out into the open.
It all went a bit mad from there as they kissed and touched, panting, gasping, and fondling. Graeme wasn’t entirely sure how he ended up naked within minutes or how Ryan ended up kneeling between his spread legs on one of the narrow beds. The bed was small enough and Graeme was big enough that his calves ended up hugging either side of the mattress while Ryan kissed him, his neck, his shoulder, his chest.
“You’re so beautiful,” Ryan whispered, his hard cock bobbing in front of him as he adjusted so he could kiss and worship Graeme’s body. “I noticed from the first time I saw you. I’ve wanted you like this since then.”
“I—” Graeme didn’t know what to say. He’d wanted Ryan, too, but he hadn’t known how to express that.
