“In
my pocket.”
“Where?”
“In
my pocket! You're blocking the TV.”
Jackson
swatted at his boyfriend Ethan, who really was blocking the TV as he
dug in Jackson's pants pocket (of the pants he was wearing) for his
keys.
“I
can't get them while you're sitting,” Ethan complained. “Come on,
we need to move the car.”
Jackson
retrieved the keys from his pocket and tossed them to Ethan, asking,
“Why?”
“The
only spot I could find was on this side of the street. All day
parking is on the other side tomorrow, and I can see an open spot
from the window.”
“OK.”
Jackson
wasn't really listening. He'd just arrived home from a grueling ten
hour shift at the restaurant (there had been a private event and he'd
had to help set up), then nearly an hour commute on a packed train.
He didn't even remove his vest and tie before collapsing onto the
couch to catch up on episodes of Empire on Hulu. He wasn't moving his
butt until it was time to go to bed. Or he had to pee. One of the
two.
Ethan
returned from moving the car. “Are you going to change?”
“I
was thinking of ordering take-out. I'll pay, and you carry it to me
from the door.”
“We
can't.”
Jackson's
face puckered as if wounded. “Why not? I'll let you pick the
place.”
“We
can't!” Ethan repeated. “Sharon and Tina's kid's birthday party
is tonight, remember? We're supposed to go over for a backyard
potluck. We're bringing brownies.”
Jackson
groaned, rubbing his face with both hands. “Lesbians and their
fucking potlucks!”
Ethan
pat Jackson's shoulder in sympathy. “We don't have to stay the
whole time. I already told Sharon it was a long day for you. But Cam
will be here any minute to pick us up, so if you're going to change,
you better do so now.”
Jackson
sighed dramatically and turned off the TV. “Fine. But if Cam's
driving, how are we going to leave whenever we want?”
Ethan
rolled his eyes. “You know Cam never stays late. We'll be fine.”
When
Jackson emerged from the bedroom in fresh clothes, Ethan was packing
the home-baked brownies into an insulated bag so they'd stay warmer.
“Why
is this party so late? Why isn't it, like, tomorrow afternoon?”
Jackson asked.
Ethan
shrugged. “Family party is tonight. Kids party is tomorrow.”
“So
we're family?”
Ethan
smiled. “We're not kids anymore.”
Jackson
made a face, and Ethan chuckled, wrapping his arms around his love
and kissing him on the cheek.
“Come
on,” he said. “Let's go be family. And we can do more
not-kids-anymore stuff when we get home.”
Jackson
grinned. “Deal,” he agreed, and they kissed.