Title: Mama Gets Married
Author/pseudonym: Tinnean
Fandom: In and Out
Pairing: Howard Brackett/Peter Malloy
Rating: R
Disclaimer: They belong to Paramount and Paul
Rudnick. I just take them out for a brisk canter and then rub them down and put
them nicely away.
Status: new/complete
Date: 7/01
Series/Sequel: This is part 7 of the Out of the
Closet series.
Summary: There’s finally going to be a wedding
Warnings: m/m, implied m/f, spoilers for the movie
Notes: The title is taken from the musical, Gypsy.
“But Mama gets married, and married, and married…” Some of the dialogue is
taken from the movie. For those who aren’t familiar with it, watching the
submarine races is another term for parking and making out in lover’s lane, or
lookout point, or in just a really dark parking lot. And as always, this is for
Silk and Gail for support and help. I couldn’t have done it without you!
Mama Gets Married
Part 1/1
I put the plate in the pan of soapy water and scrubbed it
briskly. “You had to do that, didn’t you?” I snapped at Peter as he stood
next to me, waiting to rinse the dish I handed him and then dry it.
He had been surprised at first to find that the only
dishwasher in this house was whichever male got roped into it. But he had jumped
at the opportunity to join me in the kitchen while Mom and Dad spent some time
on the glider on the front porch.
Now he had the nerve to strive for a look of complete and
total innocence. “Do what, babe?”
“Don’t give me that nonsense, you…you… How could
you kiss me? In front of my parents like that?”
“Don’t people kiss in Greenleaf?” He turned away to
place the plate on the stack waiting to be put in the cupboard. “Did you ever
hear the story about the man who jumped out the twelfth floor window of a hotel?
When they asked him why he did it, he said it seemed like a good idea at the
time.”
I turned around and just stared at him. “And that’s it?
It seemed like a good idea at the time to kiss me?” I demanded.
“Well,” he pursed his lips, and in spite of my
displeasure with him, I wanted those lips on mine again. “You were hugging and
kissing your Mom and Dad. I felt left out!”
“You could have …” It started as a shout, but hastily
dropped to a whisper. “…kissed my mother!”
His mouth tipped up in a grin. “I like kissing you
better. You have a wicked tongue, did I ever tell you?”
I could feel the heat climbing up my cheeks. “No, you
never told me!” I wanted to make the statement forceful, but it came out
sounding forlorn.
“Doesn’t matter, babe. I…” He pulled himself up
short. “I think we’d better get going, don’t you?”
I wondered what he had been about to say before he changed
his mind. “All right, fine. Just
don’t kiss me in front of my mother and father again!”
I emptied the dishpan and wiped down the sink. “You’re
going to make someone a marvelous wife, you know that, babe?”
“Kiss my ass, Peter Malloy!” I stalked out of the
kitchen.
His soft laughter followed me. “It’ll be my pleasure,
babe!”
I had to adjust myself. And I hoped he hadn’t noticed.
We reached the front porch.
“You’re leaving now, sweetheart?”
“Yes, Mom. Peter has an early flight to catch.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Peter. But you’ll be back for the
wedding, won’t you? My dress should be ready for next Sunday, and Frank
already has the tux. We want you to be there, Frank and I. As Howard’s guest,
of course!”
“*Mom*! Dad!” I looked to my father for assistance.
He just shrugged, distancing himself from this whole thing.
“I told you, son. She’s insane!”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Mrs. Brackett. As a
matter of fact, I’ll reschedule my trip back and stay in Greenleaf.”
“How wonderful!” She clapped her hands. “Why don’t
you stay with Howard? He has plenty of room!”
“*Mom*!”
“Great idea, Mrs. Brackett. I’ll see if I can convince
him.” Peter’s hand was like a brand through my clothes. “Come on, Howard,
I don’t want to keep the car out too late.”
“What?”
He opened the passenger door and waited patiently until I
got myself into the car.
“Frank, isn’t that sweet?” It was supposed to be
sotto voce, but my Mom could never do sotto voce.
Peter laughed softly and shut the door. He walked around to
the other side. “Night!” he called cheerily.
I waved to my parents. They stood on the porch, their arms
around each other, and watched as we drove off.
“You can’t keep the car out too late?”
Peter smiled, his eyes on the road ahead. “I thought it
was pretty good, for spur of the moment.”
“Are you really going to change your flight? You don’t have to,” I hastened to say. “I mean, if you just said that to please my mother, you really don’t have to. It’s no big deal…”
“Howard, it is a big deal. I want your parents to like
me.”
Was he serious? “Peter, what’s happening here?”
“If you can’t tell, I must not be doing it right.” He
pulled over to the side of the road, switched off the engine and unfastened his
seat belt.
“Don’t you tell me you’re in love with me! Don’t
you dare!”
“Oh? And why not?”
“Because…because…because you don’t fall in love
with someone in a few days!”
“Speak for yourself, babe.”
“I knew Emily for years. I was engaged to her for three
years after I finally asked her to marry me!”
“And it took exactly how long to call that wedding off?
What’s your point?”
“It’s too fast! You can’t be in love with me! You
don’t know me!”
“Babe, do you have any idea how much personal information
is available on computer databanks throughout the United States? I know almost
as much about you as your own parents!”
“You…you do?”
“Howard, come on! I don’t rearrange my whole life just
because I meet someone with a cute ass!” Peter’s fingers played with the
hair that curled behind my ear, tugging it gently. “Now, are you going to show
me lover’s lane?”
His teeth flashed white in the dimness of the car, and I
shivered. My heart beat heavily, and my blood flowed thickly to pool in my
groin. I licked lips that were dry from nerves. “Sure. Just take this
road…”
Before I could finish the directions, Peter slid next to me
and took my head in his hands. His lips were warm and moist as they rubbed over
mine. His nimble fingers had my trousers unzipped, and his hand was questing
inside them. He made a pleased sound as he found my weeping cock. I moaned
softly as he squeezed me.
He drew back. “Now let’s go watch the submarine
races!”
****
Because most of the kids were busy celebrating their
graduation, lover’s lane was almost deserted this night. Of course, there were
always the diehards who frequented the secluded area no matter what.
And along with a beat-up old jalopy bastardized from
anonymous donations by the automobile industry, a twenty-year old Chevy Nova,
and a Dodge Dart that had seen better days, was the family station wagon.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I slid out of Peter’s
vehicle and made my way to where the wagon was parked, its windows starting to
get seriously fogged up.
I tapped on the driver’s window, and Walter rolled it
down. “Hi, Howard.”
“Hi, Walter. Um, having a nice time?”
“Oh sure, you bet.” My baby brother turned to his
companion. “This is Howard. He teaches high school! Howard, this is Sonya.
She’s a super model! And she likes me!”
I leaned down to whisper in Walter’s ear, “You’ve got
protection, Walter?”
He smiled his sweet, slightly vague smile at me. “It’s
safe around here, Howard. I don’t need a gun!”
Peter touched my arm. I hadn’t realized he had gotten out
of the car and followed me. “We’ll just leave you two to have a good time.
Come on, Howard.” And he pulled me, protesting, back to his car.
“I can’t stay here!” I told him. “I refuse to make out in a car while my brother is doing the same thing not five yards away from me! It feels…incestuous!”
“Trust me, Howard, they will not be doing the same
thing!”
“Of course they will!” I huffed. “They’ll be making
love!”
Peter got a strange look on his face. “And that’s what
you think we’ll be doing?”
“Well, of course! I may have only just come to realize
that I’m gay, but I’m not stupid you know. What would you call it?”
“I just wasn’t sure you’d see it that way.” He
turned the key in the ignition. “Buckle up, and hold on. I’m getting us back
to your house, and I’m breaking all the speed limits to do it!”
“Peter… why?”
“I was afraid you’d think you were just an on-location
fuck. And you’re not that, Howard. You never were!” He threw the sedan into
reverse and backed the car out of the lane. He glanced at me when I moaned
quietly. “Babe!”
I rubbed my hand over the bulge beneath my fly, meeting his
eyes. And he tramped his foot down on the gas.
****
It was a bright and sunny morning. I leaned close to the
mirror, fussing with my tie. A face I was becoming used to seeing in the morning
appeared next to mine. “Ready?” Peter asked.
“Nearly,” I sighed and turned so he could examine me.
He tugged lightly on my bow tie and stepped back.
“Very spiffy! Are you nervous?”
“No. It’s only a wedding. Why should I be nervous? I
just want everything to be perfect!”
“Howard, it will be!” Peter looked so good that
I almost swallowed my tongue.
“Is your cameraman here?” I asked casually as I ran my
fingers over his tie.
“No. I’m not filming this. There are some things that
are more important than show business.” Peter was trying to look pious.
And this time I wanted to swallow his tongue.
“Really?” I threaded my fingers through his hair,
tugging lightly on the short strands. “Like what?”
For the briefest second he looked nonplussed. “I don’t
know!” And he smiled. “But didn’t it sound great!”
I leaned closer to him. “I love you, Peter!”
His hand cupped my jaw, and he sighed. “Finally!” He
would have said more, but Walter appeared in the doorway.
“Guys! We’re starting!”
Peter searched my eyes, and then pleased by what he read in
them, he grinned and nodded in satisfaction. His tongue came out and flicked
over his thumb, which he rubbed over my lips. I licked them and tasted him
there.
He took my hand and placed it over his heart.
“The preacher’s waiting!”
We hurried out the door, Walter hard on our heels, and made
it to the church just in time.
I walked Mom down the aisle, while Walter stood by Dad, his
best man.
My best man stood off to the side, watching as I put
Mom’s hand in Dad’s and stepped aside.
“What a truly special occasion! What an unusual couple!
Bernice, after forty-two years, do you still take Frank to be your lawfully
wedded husband?”
“I do!” She looked at him with such love.
“Do you, Frank take Bernice, to be your lawfully wedded
wife?”
“I’d better!” But I saw how he regarded her.
I glanced toward Peter, and he was regarding me in the same
manner. I edged down the side aisle until I stood next to him.
“Then I now pronounce your vows renewed for another
forty-two years.”
A hushed sigh swept over the church, and more than one
observer dabbed at damp eyes. Reverend Morgan stood there, his smile becoming
strained. Mom and Dad just gazed at each other, lost in the warmth of their
memories.
“Ah hem. You may kiss the bride!” That caused a stir of
laughter, and applause as they kissed.
And Peter kissed me.
~End~
