Chapter Text
It was one thing to have your grandfather get remarried (actually Lovino couldn’t think of a time when his grandfather was married, point period) but to have him get remarried to two women? Who were also in love with each other? Lovino had no problem with the idea of closed or open polyamory but to see it happen right in front of him? And with his grandfather? That was things got a bit icky.
But here Lovino was with his younger brother, Feliciano, next to him at a catch-all Mediterranean restaurant with his grandfather across from him, flanked on either side by his two would be brides. Lovino had nothing against them, after all he didn’t know much about them other than they were fellow curators at the fine arts museum his grandfather worked at and that they had kids but no grandchildren.
Lovino bit his lip to avoid kicking poor Memphis. Memphis was the cat belonging to Sobekneferu, one of his grandfather’s two brides. Sobekneferu refused to call Memphis a pet, he was her companion, an equal to her or above her and she treated him with more love and respect than Lovino had seen most people treat their families. Grandpa had also told Lovino and Feliciano that the Memphis, Memphis was named after was in Egypt not Tennessee. Although he did also mention that she completed her master’s degree at the Memphis College of Art but that of course was not meant to be mentioned to her as a name possibility.
Lovino glanced beneath the table to see Memphis grinning at him before he scurried up to Sobekneferu lap.
“Grandma Sobekneferu is there any nickname you want us to call you?” Feliciano asked. Feliciano had been worried sick about pronouncing her name wrong and Lovino had to be subject to hearing him practice her name over and over again through the thin wall between their bedrooms. In true Feliciano fashion he had already taken to calling Sobekneferu and Penelope ‘grandma’. Lovino prefers to address them by names and will always prefer to address them by their name.
“Just Sobekneferu is fine for me!” Sobekneferu said with a gentle smile. Lovino and Feliciano had been caught off guard by her smile. She didn’t look like the type of person that would have such a gentle smile and a soft voice.
“Likewise, I would much rather be called by Penelope,” Penelope’s voice was sultrier and Lovino wouldn’t deny it, there was something sexy about her voice even if she was apparently old enough to be his grandmother. Or maybe she wasn’t. Grandpa had become a grandfather at a young age or maybe Sobekneferu and Penelope had become mothers at a late age. If they did it had to be by choice. They were both very attractive women. Lovino knew what he was doing was icky but he had always been a fan of beautiful women.
“I’ll make sure to remember that!” Feliciano said nodding happily. There was nothing that could get him down. Lovino hated even thinking about the fall semester but it did mean that he and Feliciano would be separated and he would be able to brood in his dorm room in peace.
A tanned, heavy-lidded man with wavy brown hair approached the table. Penelope stood up and kissed his cheeks before introducing him. “This is my son Herakles,” everyone said their hellos. “Herakles, why don’t you take the empty seat on the right?”
Lovino was aware for the first time of the empty chairs next to him and Feliciano. Herakles took the seat next to Feliciano who was giddy with joy at meeting his uncle. Herakles didn’t seem to share the same enthusiasm, Lovino couldn’t tell if he was stoned or tired.
“How old are you? Where do you go to school? Where do you work? What town do you live in?” Feliciano fied the questions off.
“I’m 27. I don’t go to school. Or work. I live with my mom.” Herakles spoke in a slow pace. Each word left his lips heavy and weighed down by its existence. He also spoke as if it was normal to just be living at home nearing thirty and not going to school or work. The way he said it made it clear that he wasn’t staying at home because he couldn’t find a job or got rejected from grad school. He was staying home doing nothing because he wanted to.
“When is your son arriving?” Romulus, Lovino and Feliciano’s grandfather, asked Sobekneferu.
She adjusted the gold headband that Lovino had never seen her without before speaking. “He should be coming soon. He said he had some errands to run but that he would be coming soon.”
This pleased Romulus enough for him to kiss her on the cheek before turning his head and doing the same to Penelope. Lovino felt vomit rise up in his throat. Feliciano, of course, was cooing over this like no one had ever kissed someone else’s cheek in the history of mankind. Herakles didn’t even seem to register what was going on and was looking over the appetizer list. Was Lovino really the only one that wasn’t in the mood to watch elderly porn play out in front of him?
Romulus ordered wine for everyone and the waiter brought out bread and olive oil and stuffed grape leaves for everyone. Sobekneferu son arrived just as everyone was going to toast. “Sorry I’m late,” he said before taking the seat next to Lovino. He seemed a lot more alert than Herakles that was certain. He was dressed sharper too, like he didn’t roll out of bed and there were no creases on his clothes. He grabbed his wine glass and didn’t bother to elaborate on anything else, not even his name.
“This is Muhammad.” Sobekneferu said. “He’s the same age as Herakles.”
“Do you also live at home?” Feliciano asked.
“I do. I’m not home most of the time however, I work the morning shift at Le Creuset.” Muhammad said. At least this “uncle” had a job. Lovino couldn’t ever imagine working at a kitchen supply store but Muhammad didn’t seem like he hated his job or was ashamed of it in anyway so Lovino figured it couldn’t be as bad as he was imagining it.
Romulus lifted up his wine glass. “A toast! To family!”
As everyone stood up to toast Lovino got a peek of something hanging off of Sobekneferu belt buckle. It was a whip.
This marriage was going to be the death of him and it wasn’t even his.