Personal Challenges

by K. C. Wells

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour and joy to be the first to introduce to you, Rick and Angelo Tarallo.” He regarded the two men before him. “And now the moment you’ve been waiting for.” Franco smiled. “Would the newlyweds like to share a kiss?”

  Angelo grinned. “We thought you’d never ask.” A heartbeat later Rick was in his arms and they kissed, a lingering embrace while applause broke out, swelling in volume as the kiss showed no signs of stopping.

  “Hey, bro, take a breath,” one of Angelo’s brothers called out, grinning.

  At last they broke the kiss, and Rick and Angelo faced their audience, both smiling widely.

  “Rick and Angelo are going to sign the register,” Franco announced. “But please, stay in your seats, because we’re not finished yet.”

  To Colin’s surprise, Franco walked over where Ed and Colin were seated, and bent over to take their hands. “Come with me,” he told them.

  Colin blinked. “What?”

  Ed gave a shrug. “Just go along with it. We’ll find out soon enough what else Rick an’ Angelo ’ave up their sleeves.”

  “Okay,” Colin agreed, rising from his chair and pulling his hands free to follow Ed and Franco to the front where Rick and Angelo had stood previously. The grooms were standing by the registrar’s table, both of them grinning like idiots.

  Colin gave Rick a hard stare. “What are you up to?”

  Rick opened his eyes wide. “Me? I’m innocent, honest.” That had several snorts and chuckles coming from their guests.

  Franco took up his previous position. “Today is all about love and making commitments, and sharing that love and commitment with those who matter to you.” His gaze flickered to Ed. “Isn’t that right, Ed?” Franco was smiling.

  When Ed turned to face Colin, taking hold of his hands, the light began to dawn.

  No. He hasn’t.

  Colin took a deep breath and regarded Ed, hardly daring to move. “Are we… getting married?”

  Ed chuckled. “What gave it away?”

  Logic took over. “But… you need a license.”

  Ed pointed to where Rick and Angelo stood. “Oh, you mean like the one that man is waving at you right now?”

  The registrar was indeed waving a long slim envelope.

  Colin blinked again. “But we can’t get married. None of your family is here to see it. And let’s be honest here. If we got married without telling your mum, she’d have your guts for garters.”

  Ed grinned. “Col? Look behind you.”

  He turned, to be greeted by the sight of Ed’s mum, his sisters, brother and their spouses, and Ed’s nephew and niece. All of them were standing in the back row and waving at him, clearly dressed for a wedding.

  When did he sneak them in?

  Slowly Colin turned back to Ed. “Did everyone know about this apart from me?”

  Laughter broke out among their friends. Will and Blake shook their heads, both obviously as surprised as Colin.

  “Nah. The only people in on it were Rick, Angelo, Franco an’ the registrar.” Ed took Colin’s hands, his expression growing more serious. “I know this is what you want too.”

  Colin couldn’t deny that. “But… we don’t have rings.”

  Rick walked over to them, holding out a small, black velvet bag. “Then what are these?” He held them out to Blake. “We thought you might like to be best man.”

  Blake joined them, standing at Ed’s side. “I’d be honoured.” His voice cracked slightly.

  “Thanks, mate.” Ed flashed Blake a smile and then returned his attention to Colin. “I know these last few months ’ave been challengin’ for ya. But I ’ope you know I’ve been there for ya.” He sighed. “I knew what you were doin’. You’ve been tryin’ to shield me, ’aven’t ya? You kept so much of what you were feelin’ inside, maybe because you thought you were protectin’ me to a certain extent.” He locked gazes with Colin. “But you don’t ’ave to. I want us to share everything. The good days an’ the bad days. Because it’s you an’ me, Col, together. If you’re ’urtin’, then so am I, but I’ll also be the one ’oldin’ you until it’s passed. You’d do the same for me, right?”

  “You know it,” Colin whispered, his heart full of love for the wonderful man before him.

  Ed turned to Franco. “Then let’s do this. No vows written, so we’ll ’ave to do it the old fashioned way.”

  Franco smiled. “I think everyone here just heard your vow, Ed.” He addressed the guests. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to witness the joining in marriage of these two beautiful men.” His eyes shone. “Because men in love are always beautiful.”

  Colin tightened his grasp on Ed’s hands and mouthed, I love you.

  Ed’s slow smile lit up his face. Love you too.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Rick leaned back against Angelo’s chest with a contented sigh. “This is heaven.”

  Angelo couldn’t agree more. The bath was easily big enough for two, and the hot, scented water was very soothing. Rick sat between his legs, which caged him while Angelo languidly stroked Rick’s chest with a soft flannel. Rick’s head lay against his shoulder, now and again turning to give and receive kisses.

  Rick reached over to the stool beside the tub, on which sat two champagne flutes. He picked one up and took a sip from it before replacing it and sinking back against Angelo’s warm, firm body. “It doesn’t feel real, does it?” he murmured. “After all these years, all this planning… we’re finally married.” Rick chuckled. “Although nothing has changed, right?”

  Angelo raised Rick’s left hand, where a white gold band shone in the lights above them. “Well, that’s new, for one thing.” He brought his lips to Rick’s ear. “And no more discussions. No more fittings. No more wild suggestions for the reception,” he whispered.

  Rick laughed. “Yeah, there is that. Though you have to admit, those olive trees were gorgeous. All those tiny white lights, twinkling…”

  “You weren’t too aggravated by my family, were you?” Angelo asked.

  “Hmm. Yes, Mr. Tarallo, I have a bone to pick with you.” Rick twisted his head to stare at Angelo. “When, exactly, were you going to tell me that all your Sicilian relatives were going to share a certain Italian wedding custom at our reception?” He settled back against Angelo’s chest, stroking his thighs in a leisurely manner that made Angelo’s skin prickle, and his cock stiffen.

  Angelo shifted a little. “I know. I should have said something. I thought you liked it at the wedding in Italy.” It was the custom for a guest to tap their glass with a knife and say loudly, “Ba-cio!” repeatedly, until more guests would join in, demanding a kiss from the newlyweds. The thing was, every time it happened, the couple had to kiss.

  Angelo’s family had been very, very keen to see him and Rick kiss. Again and again.

  “Do you think it was the novelty factor? Seeing two men kiss?” Rick grinned. “Ed and Colin’s faces when Elena demanded that they kiss too.” He chuckled. “Ed certainly got into the spirit of things, didn’t he?”

  Angelo laughed. “That might have had something to do with the amount of champagne he’d drunk.” Ed had been in a brilliant mood all evening, and Angelo had never seen Colin so relaxed. Even some of Angelo’s most liberally minded relatives had appeared amused by the sight of two large men slow dancing in each other’s arms, occasionally pausing to kiss. “Ed approached me during the dancing. He wanted to pay for half the reception.”

  “Aww. That was nice of him. What did you tell him?”

  “I told him no. We were getting married anyway. What he’d arranged didn’t cost us anymore, except for adding his family.” Angelo regarded him. “Are you okay with that? I just felt they’d both been through enough the last few months. I didn’t want him dealing with finances today.”

  “I’m with you, babe.”

  Angelo hadn’t really thought Rick would mind. “Besides, I told him if he was serious about paying, then why not take the money he was going to give
us, and donate it to a charity instead?” He smiled. “He liked that idea. He told me he’s giving it to the hospice that took care of Ray.”

  “That’s a great idea.” Rick sat up and reached behind him. “And speaking of great ideas… ”

  Angelo let out a soft moan when Rick’s fingers caressed his dick, stroking it to full hardness. “What did you have in mind?”

  When Rick glanced over his shoulder, grinning as he guided Angelo’s stiff cock to his hole, Angelo sighed happily. “How come we’ve never had sex in a bath before?”

  Rick snickered. “Because our flat only has a shower? Now, no more talking. Make love to me, husband.” He sank down onto Angelo’s shaft with a full body shiver.

  Angelo had no problems following instructions. “Yes, Mr. Tarallo. Whatever you say.”

  * * * * * *

  “I never realized you were so sneaky,” Colin remarked as they strolled from the Pavilion through the rose garden. All the guests had departed, and they were the last to leave.

  Ed chuckled. “It’s part of me charm, the ability to pull a fast one now an’ again. Gotta keep you on yer toes, right?”

  Colin squeezed his hand. “I didn’t have a clue. How long had you been planning this?”

  “Since the first of April.”

  Colin came to a stop and stared at him. “You managed to keep quiet about this for over four and a half months? I’m amazed. You can never keep secrets.”

  Ed arched his eyebrows. “Well, that just shows you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out. He smiled when he opened the text. “Helena Jane Thurston made her appearance at ten twenty-eight, weighin’ nine pounds, two ounces. Mother and baby are doin’ fine.”

  “Aw, that’s great.”

  Ed pocketed his phone and retook Colin’s hand. They continued walking for a few more minutes before Colin came to another dead stop. “Do you want to tell me where we’re going? Because I’m pretty sure the car park is over to the right and we’re heading away from it.”

  Ed chuckled. “Aw. You tellin’ me you’re not enjoyin’ a little night stroll in the moonlight with your new ’usband?”

  Colin laughed. “That’s one word I didn’t anticipate hearing when I woke up this morning.” He fixed Ed with a stare. “Well, Oh Sneaky One? Where are you taking me?”

  Ed didn’t reply, but kept hold of Colin’s hand as he led him through the gardens to their destination. He came to a halt in front of an old building, complete with wattle and daub. “Here.” He withdrew a key from his pocket and unlocked the wooden door.

  Colin followed him inside. “What is this place?”

  Ed led the way through the oak-floored hallway to another door, which he opened. “This is our wedding night.” He stepped aside and let Colin enter. He’d already seen the room when he booked it, during one of Colin’s visits to Edinburgh.

  He knew by Colin’s soft gasp that he’d seen the seven foot wide bed. “Well? What do you think?”

  Colin shook his head, smiling. “This is wonderful.” He stepped into Ed’s arms and kissed him on the lips. “Thank you. For all of this, the wedding, this gorgeous place… for putting up with me these last months.”

  Ed snorted. “Putting up with ya? I love ya.” He cocked his head. “You sure you’re all right? I know that letter from the solicitor this mornin’ is what got you down.”

  Colin gave a sad smile. “It was just another reminder that he’s really gone. I know I’ll feel bad all over again when we go up to Edinburgh to pack up his things before the sale goes through. And again when we go through all his stuff. I have to trust that the ache will go away, little by little.”

  “’Ave you given any thought to what you might want to keep of his?”

  Colin nodded. “Somewhere in the flat there are photos, because I don’t believe for a second that Ray would have got rid of them.”

  “Photos of you two?”

  Colin smiled. “In much happier times, when I was barely out of my teens and head over heels in love.”

  Ed stilled. “I’d love to see those.” Then he groaned. “Fuck. Photos. I ‘’aven’t got any photos of us today.”

  Colin laughed. “I think that between them, our friends and family will have taken plenty. We’ll have enough to remind us of today.” He glanced at the huge bed. “I still can’t believe you organized all this.”

  “You didn’t really think I was just gonna take us ’ome, tonight of all nights?” Ed chuckled. “Besides, neither of us can drive after all the champagne we drank.”

  Colin walked slowly over to him and began to unbutton his shirt. “I hope you didn’t drink too much, Mr. Fellows. I wouldn’t like to be disappointed on my wedding night.”

  Ed grasped his wrist and slowly brought Colin’s hand down to his crotch, where his dick pushed against the fabric. “I don’t anticipate any problems,” he said with a hopefully wicked smile.

  When Colin sank to his knees, Ed sighed happily. “No problems whatsoever.”

  Epilogue

  October

  “Can he hear yet?”

  Will sighed inwardly. Sophie had been bouncing with excitement ever since they’d arrived in Dr. Michael’s office. “Not yet, sweetheart.”

  Nathan sat on his knee, clutching a brightly coloured ring they’d purchased just for this special occasion.

  If all goes well today, that toy will deliver quite a surprise.

  “Sophie, come over here.” Dr. Michaels beckoned her.

  When she gave Will an inquiring glance, he nodded. Sophie walked over to Dr. Michaels who pointed to the laptop on her desk.

  “You see this? It’s going to play some noises through Nathan’s new processors that only he will be able to hear. Isn’t that cool?”

  “But how will we tell if he can hear them?”

  Blake chuckled. “Imagine if you heard noises for the first time. Do you think you’d be surprised?” Sophie nodded. “Then I think all you’ll have to do is watch Nathan’s face.” He glanced at Will. “Time to make an activation day video of our own.”

  Dr. Michaels smiled. “I always have a camera ready on such days.” She stood up. “I’ll be back in a minute, and then we’ll start.” She left the room.

  Blake held out his arms for Nathan, and Will handed him over. The last three weeks had been better than he’d anticipated, but the memory of Nathan’s surgery day still lingered. Those hours that had crawled by while they sat in the waiting room, trying not to glance at the clock, and definitely not trying to think of their little boy, and drills, and anaesthetic…

  When Dr. Michaels and the surgeon had come out to tell them everything had gone well, and they could see Nathan, Will had fought the urge to weep with relief. Alarmingly, the first thought in his head had been the memory of his own father, telling him that boys didn’t cry, that men who cried weren’t men at all…

  God, I am so thankful Nathan will never have to meet him.

  Sophie bounced over to Nathan and knelt down in front of him, holding up a book. “Look at the animals, Nathan!” She pointed to the pig and then made the sign for it, pushing up her nostrils. Nathan’s gaze alighted on the colourful images of farm animals and he leaned forward, his fingers clutching at the pictures as if he were trying to lift them from the page.

  Will ran his fingers gently over the bulge where Nathan’s left implant lay beneath the skin, and a shiver of anticipation rippled through him. The wait was over and they were finally ready, after spending an hour going over the logistics. Dr. Michaels had joked that they had to do this first, because the second the processors were activated, they’d probably only recall about ten percent of what she was telling them.

  Will had a feeling this was the voice of experience talking. She’d taught them about the batteries, the parts of the processors, the cables and headpieces, and how to maintain them all.

  Dr. Michaels and another staff member came back into the office, carrying a small video camera a
nd tripod. The staff member walked to the corner of the room to set up the camera and Dr. Michaels watched Sophie bouncing around and talking.

  “Children are such balls of energy at that age, aren’t they?” She smiled as she watched Sophie’s antics.

  Will snickered. “She certainly earns her nickname.” When Dr. Michaels gazed at him inquiringly, he smiled. “Cyclone Sophie.”

  She laughed. “Sophie, why don’t you sit on your daddy’s knee while we do this?”

  Will caught Sophie as she launched herself towards him. Her familiar weight on his lap was a comfort, and he put his arms around her. She tilted her head back and gave him a kiss.

  Now he was ready.

  “Okay, gentlemen, let’s get this little man hooked up, and then we’ll see how everything is working.” Dr. Michaels grinned at them. “This is the fun part.”

  She hooked up the processors to the programming interface, then read them out into the software. Nathan kept turning his head while Dr. Michaels attached the processors to the implant via the headpiece magnet. Will could see why the headbands had been recommended to keep everything in place with an active baby.

  “Right, the first thing we’re going to do is play some sounds and look for a reaction. We want to find a comfortable volume level for him across the frequency spectrum so that his first sound program or map can be set. It’s important to remember that only Nathan will them. Since he can’t describe the sounds he’s hearing to us, this involves a lot of guesswork on my part. Also keep in mind that what we do in the next few minutes, and even the rest of today’s appointment, is only a starting point. This is not a flip of the switch process.” She turned to the laptop.

  Will wasn’t looking at her anymore. He was focused on Nathan.

  Suddenly Nathan opened his eyes wide, and his mouth fell open into the widest grin they’d ever seen.

  Blake caught his breath. “Oh wow. No mistaking that reaction, is there?”

  Will couldn’t move. He watched, spellbound, aware that every time Dr. Michaels played another sound, Nathan’s reaction was everything they could have hoped for and more. After several minutes Dr. Michaels sat back and smiled.