Work Text:
The Fourth of July this year was the continuation of a couple of months of celebration for Ian and Quinn. First, marriage equality had come to Bermuda in May, so they set sail on the QO2 to Horseshoe Bay for a magical day of swimming and basking on the pink-sand beach, as they reveled in the landmark decision. Then in June, the Church of Scotland had also accepted equal marriage, and Ireland's new prime minister became the first gay man to hold that position in history. And they'd raised their glasses high for both of those victories.
Just nine days ago, on June 25th, the professors had marched in the Luke contingent of the New York City Pride Parade for the first time. It had been a beautiful Sunday, as Mother Nature gifted them with moderate temperatures and bright sunshine, perfect for a stroll in Manhattan. Thousands of clapping folks lined the route with good cheer.
Their friends Case, Ethan, and Evan had joined them in solidarity, along with the entire membership of Luke-Loves, the campus LGBT organization. The Luke float in front of them boasted a huge Skyhawk made of balloons in all the colors of the rainbow. Their fellow participants, and the even greater number of spectators, gave the event the vibe of a huge party. The parade had felt like a warm-up for the Fourth of July, with its emphasis on the freedom to love. Completely exhilarating!
It was the first time the parade was broadcast nationwide by a TV network. Jo had called them excitedly on Sunday evening to tell them that she'd seen them marching at about 2:30 p.m. on Channel 7, the local ABC affiliate. A flood of calls from family and friends followed, love and pride ringing in their voices. Monty had even captured a picture of them on his cell phone and shared it with his brothers and their little circle.
So, by the time July 4th had come around, the men were in a festive mood already. They had celebrated on Sunday with their family at a barbecue in Padua, and today, on the holiday itself, they'd invited their neighbors for a cookout in the back yard. After the meal, they all went next door to the Changs for a swim party, just like last year's.
Because Independence Day fell on a Tuesday this time, the professors had gotten Monday off, as well. It had been years since they'd had a four-day weekend to really take advantage of the Fourth of July festivities, and they were just drinking in the relaxation, like Quinn's daffodils after a summer rain.
It was a beautiful evening, the gentle breeze blowing Quinn's summer-long hair away from his face and ruffling Ian's baby porcupine quills, the way Quinn himself did at home. The first owl of the night had started its hooting, and crickets chirped in a delightful counterpoint.
Quinn and Ian wore their NYC Pride t-shirts and jean shorts at the barbecue but changed into their green and blue trunks before the swim party. This year, Mr. Chang had set out an additional little treat for his guests; he'd put a large tray with plastic tumblers of flavored lemonade -- mango, blueberry, and watermelon -- on the brick pavers surrounding the swimming pool.
So the professors were sitting on the side of the pool, dangling their feet in the water, and chatting with Han and Mr. Chang, who were sitting on the pool steps. Mr. Jefferson and Mrs. Chang were relaxing on loungers a few feet away, while Prudence and Violet sat at the picnic table, which was covered with desserts they'd made themselves -- lemon-chiffon pie, banana cake, and chocolate-cream pie. Needless to say, there wasn't much of the food left.
"I like the neighborhood tradition we've started of having our block parties at different houses over the same holiday," Han said, leaning against the step in back of him.
Mr. Chang grinned at his grandson. "Very wise, Han. Quinn here," he nodded at his friend, "makes the best hot dogs and burgers in the neighborhood."
"Thank you very much," Quinn said. "And Violet and Prudence make the best desserts."
The ladies beamed at him as they in turn gave him their thanks. "Mr. Jefferson grills the tastiest steaks," Violet said, with a wave at the elderly gentleman, which he returned with a smile.
"Grandpa, I've gotta say it -- you make the greatest lemonade," said Han, taking a sip of mango lemonade. "And Grandma makes the best vanilla fudge." His grandpa gave him a hug on the pool steps, and his grandma blew him a kiss.
Mr. Jefferson said, "I've always been a fan of Ian's cappuccinos."
All of the adults nodded at this statement, and Mrs. Chang said, "He and Quinn gave us the Gaggia last year, so if Ian doesn't mind helping me with making the coffee, we can have it with our dessert."
"Just say the word, and you've got yourselves a barista," said Ian graciously.
Even though there were three pitchers of lemonade, all eight of them had gotten many refills already, so they were almost finished by this point in the evening, with only about forty-five minutes to go before the start of the village's fireworks. So Mrs. Chang had made an excellent suggestion about having after-dinner coffee, as a way of "filling in the corners," as Professor Tolkien memorably put it.
In quick succession, Ian got requests for three lattes from Prudence, Violet, and Mr. Chang, while Mrs. Chang and Mr. Jefferson wanted cappuccinos. The neighborhood barista opted for a macchiato, and his husband joined him. Meanwhile, Han was secretly thrilled; now he could finish the last of his favorite drink -- watermelon lemonade -- all by himself.
The professors dried off with the towels they had brought from home; since they were ardent fans of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams, they'd known to bring their towels with them. Then, they went next door to change from their swimsuits to tees and shorts again, using the facilities while they were there. Quinn remembered to put puppy ear muffs on Artoo and Sandy to protect their sensitive ears from the sound of the fireworks, checking the fit carefully while Ian splashed cool water on his face.
Just before Quinn opened the door to the back yard, he dove in to kiss his laddie, whose lips tasted of lemonade and love. They stayed in each other's arms afterwards, simply enjoying the Moment.
The men came back to the party about ten minutes after they'd left. They joined Mrs. Chang in the kitchen, where she had brought in the lemonade tray, so they could use it for the coffee. Quinn helped the lady of the house set out cups, saucers, and spoons, then she reached into a cabinet for another tray and they loaded it with napkins and Amaretto biscotti, along with cinnamon sticks and packets of brown sugar.
Ian softly sang 'America' by Neil Diamond, while he created his own espresso music:
"Far
We've been traveling far
Without a home
But not without a star
Free
Only want to be free
We huddle close
Hang on to a dream."
As usual, Ian was spot-on with his choice of music for the holiday. He had a vision as he sang of the Statue of Liberty -- which he and Quinn had recently seen as they set sail from Cape Liberty on the way to Bermuda and on their voyage home. His voice was even more resonant than usual because the words of the song were so close to his heart.
Mrs. Chang had heard Ian sing before, at parties where he played the piano, Quinn strummed his guitar, and Han accompanied them on the mandolin, which he was learning to play in his junior-high-school orchestra. She loved the clarity and timbre of Ian's voice, and was glad that he and Quinn used their talents by performing at the Alder Run Nursing Home once a month. She was getting to the age that she appreciated the village's services more and more.
Quinn simply was captivated by his herven's singing, thoroughly charmed and besotted. He, too, was thinking of the way they waved at the Statue of Liberty as they sailed by. He was also thinking of Ian's serenade in their rainfall shower that morning, which had culminated in a bit of an extra splash for the two of them.
When Ian was finished brewing the coffee, Mrs. Chang and Quinn started to ooh and ahh -- Ian had put the shape of a star in the foam on top of each cup. Ian had a gift for making every Fourth of July memorable, no matter how many he and Quinn had experienced. This year was their 15th Independence Day together, and their joy was just as fresh as the first time they'd celebrated the holiday as a couple, in 2003. Of course, back then, they had to wait until two family barbecues were over before reuniting, when the real fireworks would start. So much progress to relish in the last decade and a half.
Smiling at Ian, Quinn said, "Ah, laddie, this looks grand. Thank you," with Mrs. Chang echoing Quinn's thanks.
Ian gave them his best Jedi bow, and said, "You're very welcome."
Quinn gallantly waved his hand to stop Mrs. Chang from lifting the heavy tray. He took it out to the patio himself and gave the drinks to his neighbors. Han smiled when Quinn asked if he could get him another beverage but shook his head, since he was still nursing his glass of lemonade.
Now they all sat at the picnic table, because it was the most convenient place to put their drinks. Prudence and Violet were giving out more slices of pie and cake with indulgent smiles, so Ian took a piece of chocolate-cream pie and Quinn had the banana cake. Ian could see the gleam in his husband's eye from across the table. The soft light over the patio shone green, the perfect illumination to see their desserts but not interfere with the show to come. It was about 9 o'clock now and had reached full dark. Luckily, it was clear tonight, so visibility would be high. There was a pleasant nip in the air now, Alder Run's natural air conditioning on summer nights.
The fireworks would start at any moment. Quinn could feel Ian's anticipation as it translated into a 'wow' when his lad saw the first red chrysanthemum bursting into the sky. It was followed in quick succession by a white blossom, then blue fountains. The peonies and comet stars were next, rivaling the actual stars in their beauty and glow. This year, they saved the professors' favorites for last. The Roman Candles blazed into the night, blue and green columns of light flaring to life like lightsabers.
The last flash of blue illuminated the sky, then slowly faded, leaving all of them overwhelmed by the sound and spectacle. They sat in silence for the next couple of minutes, enjoying the cool night air. Afterwards, Han, Ian, and Quinn took the cups and plates in, then Han tied up the trash and put it in the bin by the curb, while Quinn washed the dishes and Ian dried them.
The neighbors all said their goodnights, and the professors headed home to Sandy and Artoo. They took off their ear muffs and had a proper cuddling session with the puppies. Artoo was particularly interested in licking off a droplet of barbecue sauce on Ian's cheek. Then Quinn refilled their kibble bowls at the same time Ian refilled their water bowls. Turning on the C-3PO night light, Quinn made sure that they were contentedly curled in their baskets before leaving the kitchen with Ian.
The men were still too exhilarated from the fireworks to go to bed right away themselves, so they headed out to the living room to sit on the sofa-recliner. They chatted and cuddled drowsily, then Ian began to sing another verse from 'America':
"Home, to a new and a shiny place
Make our bed, and we'll say our grace
Freedom's light burning warm
Freedom's light burning warm."
And 'freedom's light' was in their eyes when they kissed and kissed in their own little home, as cozy as could be on their 15th Fourth of July together.
What a way to celebrate!