Chapter 29
ALEC
The next few days were spent in typical newlywed bliss, with lots of touches, lots of kisses, and lots and lots of sex. Today was the first day we’d ventured out of our quarters, and it was to celebrate Carl’s birthday.
“Thirty-five isn’t old,” Carl said for the tenth time since we got up this morning.
“No, it’s not,” I agreed. “It’s simply very grown up.”
“Thank you,” he replied primly, kissing me. “I knew there was a reason you were my perfect match.”
Kit blinked at him. “I am as well!”
“But you didn’t say what he just did.”
“Well, I agree with him completely.”
“Okay, you’re both my favorites now, and definitely my perfect matches.”
“And here’s your cannoli!” our waitress chirped, appearing with the dessert in question.
“With a candle in one for the birthday boy!” She began to sing, Kit and I joining in as well as the other patrons and wait staff.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Carl, happy birthday to you!”
Carl laughed in delight, filling his cheeks with air before letting out a mighty puff that extinguished the candle.
“Yay!” I cheered along with everyone else, applauding.
“Can’t believe you guys arranged that.”
Kit beamed. “I remembered you loving the sparky crown at the sushi place we went to last year, and the robot waiter singing.”
Carl leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.”
“I did. You know me so well.”
“Aww,” the waitress said, hearts practically popping out of her eyes at the sight.
Then, as Carl turned my way to give me the same, she let out a soft squeal.
“You guys are too cute! Enjoy the rest of your meal.” She scurried away, no doubt going into the back to tell her friends there how adorable we all were.
Instead of feeling embarrassed or on guard about that, I felt really good.
Here within the Fleet, there was no need to fear homophobes lurking among everyone else.
We were safe to be gay and poly. It was a very freeing feeling and I thanked my lucky stars that I went to the job fair that day and took the job recruiter up on his offer.
“This looks delicious.” Carl cut a piece of cannoli and placed it on his fork, taking a bite.
“Mmph…” he closed his eyes and damn if the sight and sound didn’t have my dick hardening.
If he kept that up, we’d have to stay for coffee just so we could leave without making a spectacle of ourselves.
This was a family restaurant, after all.
My wrist comm chimed, and I glanced down.
“My mom is calling, I better take this.”
Both of my men’s eyes zoomed in on me immediately, both nodding in agreement. I tapped to accept the call.
“Hi, Mom!”
“Hey, baby! Just checking up on you, as I hadn’t heard from you in several days. Everything still good with your job? How’s the training going?”
“It’s great, but umm, I’m currently on leave.” I winced, realizing I should have called her once I knew I’d been matched, and definitely once I’d had the micro-nanite treatment.
“What’s happened? Is it your heart? Did your blood pressure go crazy and give you another mini-stroke?” I hated the sound of panic in her voice.
“What’s wrong?” I heard my dad say. “Put him on speaker.”
“Nothing’s wrong. Umm, actually, about my blood pressure - the Mylos gave me one of their advanced treatments and I’m basically cured. “
“Oh baby! That’s wonderful!” My mother sniffled.
“What kind of treatment?” my dad asked.
“I’ve got micro-nanites in me that do whatever it is my body is supposed to be doing but isn’t.
He explained it but it was way to sciencey for me to understand other than they’re there, they do all the things, my blood pressure is kept normal, and always will be unless I get caught in an EMP blast.”
“Which sounds highly unlikely,” dad drawled, “but let’s say you did. Then what?”
“I have to go see a doc without delay and get new ones. That’s it.”
“Hmm. I’m sure glad you took that gig up there then. I had my doubts, in case you found yourself insta-married like some guys and gals do, and it didn’t work out.”
I cleared my throat, my eyes darting nervously towards my mates. “About that. Kind of a funny story.”
“You found a boyfriend?” Mom asked me. “One of the humans up there working?”
“Not exactly. Um, you heard about them suspending the service for a little while so they could rejig that mate matching program and the contracts to include the Dragonii, right?”
“You got matched to one of them? They take their mates across the universe! Can we go with you? Will they let us visit?” my Mom didn’t wait for answers as she peppered me with her questions.
“Deep breath, honey.” Dad broke in. ”Let the boy speak. You’ve got to give him a chance to answer you one question at a time. Go on,son.”
“Well, uh, so, those of us who signed on about that time had to wait to take the test and they got it fixed a couple of days ago,” my eyes begged my mates to let my tiny white lie pass.
They merely looked at me with one eyebrow raised, but said nothing, so I continued.
“Anyway, I got called in for my test and I matched not only a Mylos stationed here, but so did another guy. So they then ran us humans together to see what would happen, and um, we matched too. So, I’ve got two mates.
I’m sorry I didn’t call you as soon as I knew, but I had the treatment, and then the mate test, and we were moving in together and all that. ”
“Two?” Mom repeated faintly. “I’ve not seen cake toppers with three grooms in the set.
Land’s sake alive! The church ladies will be having kittens when they hear this.
Ha! Three grooms will make this wedding more talked about than Thelma Rae’s granddaughter’s to that fella that sold his phone game app for a million dollars! ”
“That sounds like you’ve had your hands full,” Dad said.
“Can’t say as I ever expected you to marry two fellas, but then I never expected aliens to come to Earth and us all be buddies like we are, neither.
As long as you’re happy, I reckon it’s a good thing.
But if they ever treat you wrong, I’ll find a way to come up there and give them a butt whooppin’ they won’t ever forget. ”
“Noted,” Kit replied. “Sorry to interrupt. I’m Kittinir, Alec’s Mylos mate. I’m a professor, now teaching an extension course in association with Rivindale University.”
“And I’m Carl, also a professor doing the same thing, only human.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Mom said. “So, when’s the date?”
“Date?” Kit asked, blinking.
“The wedding date we want,” Carl supplied.
“Yes, I need the date so I can get the ball rolling.”
“We just want a small simple ceremony, Mom. Maybe here on board.”
“Small and simple I can do, but it needs to be here,” she replied firmly. “They’ll need to invite their closest colleagues and family. And you know your Aunt Jamie won’t take a shuttle. She won’t fly in a plane, never mind a space ship!”
“How about I give my dad your contact information and you two can put together a suggested guest list, limited to forty to fifty people max?” Carl suggested.
“And pick a venue that will let us get married within the next two to three weeks. That way we can take a trip for our honeymoon, finish settling in together here, and be back in time for Kit and I to start teaching our fall classes without rushing anything.”
Anything except the wedding he meant, and I offered him my fist to bump, as he’d just cleverly found a way to keep the list small and the wedding modest. He gave it a bump, smirking.
“Two to three weeks is a push, but if you don’t mind getting married in a park or our back yard, I suppose we can do it.”
“Just keep it simple. People manage it in Vegas, so we could always buy a small wedding package there if we have to.”
“All costs will be covered by the Fleet,” Kit informed him.
“My baby is not getting married by no Elvis impersonator!”
“They have regular officiants too!” my dad retorted.
“Just no! Half the family would wander off to play slots and Ed will end up back on the booze with all those free drinks!”
“Um, ma’am?” Carl ventured.
“Call me Mom, sugar. We’re family now.”
“Okay. Mom, do you have a pen handy?”
“Hang on a sec. Let me get mine out of my purse. Okay, got it and some paper.”
“My dad’s name is Ronald Shorely,” Carl said, before slowly giving Mom his number and email address. “I’ll let him know later today to expect your call.”
“It’s Carl’s birthday today so his dad will be calling him tonight,” I explained.
“His birthday? Happy birthday, son!” Dad said.
“Oh, goodness, did we interrupt y’all having a party or something. I thought I heard people in the background.”
“We were just having dinner at an Italian place here on the ship. We’ll have to bring you and dad here when you come up to visit sometime,” I told her.
“Sounds like a plan,” Dad replied. “We’ll let you boys go so you can finish your dinner.”
“Talk to you soon!” Mom added. “Love, you, bye!” She blew a kiss into the phone before disconnecting the call.
“Really? You didn’t take five minutes to let your parents know about getting matched?” Carl asked, shaking his head.
“Or that you had nothing to worry about anymore with your blood pressure?” Kit asked.
I swallowed. “I just…I needed time to wrap my own head and feelings around it all, before having to deal with theirs. Especially with the mating thing. I wasn’t sure how she’d take it with us being a throuple.
I mean, I knew she’d end up happy for us, and my dad too, but their initial reaction was what worried me. ”
“I understand,” Kit said. “Multiple partners are not as socially accepted among humans.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, I told my dad already,” Carl said.
“He’s been waiting for us to get in touch with wedding plans, and I’d told him your mom probably would be involved.
” He speared another bite of cannoli. “Now that’s all out in the open, let’s get back to my birthday.
You guys need to try this. You haven’t even taken a bite yet and if you don’t, I’ll finish mine and take yours too. ”
That was not happening, I decided, immediately going for my first taste, Kit doing likewise.
He was right. It was absolutely delicious and I was the luckiest guy in the universe.
I had two very understanding mates and parents that were accepting.
Who knew failing at being a soldier thanks to my health would end up being the best thing to have ever happened to me, as it set everything else in motion.