Chapter Text
6.“Explain it to me again - why do we need to pretend to be married?”
“Explain it to me again- why do we need to pretend to be married?” Raf asked as they pulled up outside a large house on the outskirts of Holby. One of Evie's friends parents was having a get together for the children and their families. It sounded like a load of rubbish to him and Fletch but they didn't want Evie to miss out so here they all were. He hoped Mr and Mrs Jones knew what they were letting themselves in for, letting four Fletchlings into their house for a day. The younger three in particular.
“Because that's what Evie told her classmates.” Fletch shrugged as he got out of the car and went to the back door to get Theo out of his car seat.
“And that bit is what I still don't understand.”
Evie rolled her eyes from her seat in the back. “Because I was fed up of them all teasing me about you two living together. I know you two aren't gay but that doesn't make it ok for them to take the mick out of people being gay. So I said ‘so what if my dad is married to a man, it's doesn't change who he is or who I am.’ I was mad ok. How would you feel if people said things about Bernie and Serena to you all the time? Anyway what's the big deal you act married all the time as it is?” She smirked as she got out the car.
“Alright then smarty pants. What's our story?” Raf asked, not expecting her to have an answer.
“You've been together for three years, married for a year and a half. It can't be any longer than that because Theo is four and he doesn't call you dad so you must have got together after he was born. You proposed to dad on your first anniversary then got married as soon as both divorces came through. If they ask about when we were homeless, which they might they are that kind of people, it's because you two had fallen out and split up for a while but you got back together stronger than ever. Anything else you want to know?” She asked as she climbed out of the car. She was nervous about introducing her parents to her friends and their families but knew that her dad was dreading it even more so tried her best to hide it.
“No I think we’re all good aren't we darling?” Fletch winked.
Once the whole family was out the car, Raf locked the car behind them and grabbed on to Ella’s hand.
Fletch picked Theo up with one arm and held onto Raf’s spare hand with his. “Here we go then.” The walked towards the house, Evie and Mikey slightly in front of them.
The initial introductions went well and Evie took the kids off to play in the garden with her friends and their siblings. This left the adults sat in the living room with their mugs of tea and coffee. Raf and Fletch still had their hands firmly clasped together, more for comfort than for show.
“So Fletch, how did the two of you meet?” Asked one of the other parents after conversation had gone quiet. The other couples had shared their getting together stories so he'd known it was coming.
“At work. He's a doctor, I'm a nurse.” He smirked and winked at the various doctors and nurses comments from the other guys in the room before continuing. “We were on different wards back then but after we first met I found any excuse I could to go and visit him”
“Me and my wife at the time might I add.” Raf added with a smirk.
“Yeah well what can I say, I had it bad. And obviously I didn't do anything about it while he was still with her.”
“No and you were very supportive when she cheated on me.” He met his eye with a grin. That bit really wasn't made up.
“Of course I was. And you were great when the kids mum died, despite the fact we were trying to plan our own wedding.” He stroked his hand with his thumb affectionately.
“Oh that's so sad but so lovely. We can see how great you are with the kids Raf but has it always been like that? It can't have been easy.”
“Well Theo was still a baby back then so it was easy to bond with him, I still don't think he really understands. Ella seemed to like me from the start too. If I had any problem it was Evie and Mikey, they had all these misconceptions, let's say, about sexuality and the like and well your parents getting in a new relationship when you're that age is always confusing. But they are wonderful kids and we got along well almost as soon as we met and I love them as if they're my own.” He looked around the room trying to judge how his story had gone down. Everyone just seemed to be listened intently. He hoped that would be the end of the questions but he wasn't that lucky.
“So you said that you've both had wives, have you always liked men too or was that new when you met each other?”
Fletch was the first to speak up this time. “I've definitely always found blokes attractive, especially when I was at school. I think I was so desperate to have kids that I just ignored it, it wasn't really heard of back then, gay couples having children. Plus I really did love Natalie, my ex wife, so that's just how it worked out.” He looked over to Raf and waited for him to speak.
“I come from a very traditional catholic family so I never really thought about it until this one pursued me.” He chuckled and nudged him with his shoulder.
They both let out a silent sigh of relief when the questions moved on to another couple.
A while later Evie came in with a tired Theo. He quickly settled down in Raf’s lap and fell asleep.
This melted Fletch’s heart. Not that he would ever admit it. However he did get out his phone and snap a picture, to keep up the act of course. He then wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled the two of them to lean against him. He was worried he’d gone too far until he felt his friend relax into him. This all felt oddly natural.
“See babe I've always told you he prefers me.” He tried not to cringe at the use of that word. Why did he think it was a good idea.
He laughed loudly. “Only because you spoil him so much and let him run through the muddy puddles without his wellies on.” The rest of the room joined in the laughter at this. “Honestly the two of them and Mikey will go for a walk at the weekends and all of them will come back head to toe in mud.”
“Ma always said a child that didn't get dirty didn't have any fun and I live by that.” He laughed as Fletch rolled his eyes.
“And what's your excuse for taking the girls shopping and returning with more than we have space for in the house?”
“Oh come on you've seen their puppy dog eyes can you really blame me?” Again that was completely true. Raf loved to spoil all of the kids and although Fletch had felt a bit put out by it at first he had got used to it.
A few hours later and all the families were leaving the house. After many goodbyes they were back in the car.
“Well?” Evie was dying to know. “How did it go?”
“I think they fell for it, don't you babe.” There was obvious emphasis on the last word.
“Oh don't, I don't know where that came from. But yes it went very well. Anyway who fancies going out for tea? That salad at lunch was very nice but I'm not believing it filled up a single one of you for a minute.” He was met with a round of cheers from the back seat and a particularly loud one from the seat next to him.