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The problem with having an…eclectic group of acquaintances was that sometimes, they appeared in your bedroom in the middle of the night, and lurked in the corner waiting for you to wake up. Marlon does jolt a bit at the figure standing in the corner of his bedroom, until the shadow takes a familiar shape.
“You’re lucky I don’t sleep armed,” Marlon mutters, flipping on the bedside table lamp when he recognizes that they are not under attack. Gil mutters in protest at the sudden light, “What are you doing here Rasmodius? Don’t you knock? Or use the front door? Or come during the day? Is the town on fire?”
“Middle age has made you even more irritable, a possibility that I didn’t even remotely consider an option” Rasmodius says, “And I would argue that you do sleep armed. Both you and Gilbert are more than capable of unarmed combat. In fact, I am certain you could kill me with anything here. But I appreciate not having a knife thrown at me. It is always a hassle to clean up.”
“Hey Rasmodius, it’s still just Gil,” Gil stifles a yawn and props himself up on an elbow, one arm still thrown over Marlon abdomen. Even after twenty years, he appreciates holding Gil as tight as he can while they sleep, “Why are you in our bedroom?”
“I need to speak with you two. On a subject that you are both familiar with. Probably more so than I am,” Rasmodius says, “Which is hard for me to admit.”
“Monsters?” Marlon guesses.
“Killing things?” Gil suggests.
“Love,” Rasmodius says firmly, “I need someone with expertise in this area, and you two are sickeningly well acquainted with the subject.”
“I think we’ll need coffee for this,” Marlon mutters. He pushes off the covers and looks pointedly at the door, “Why don’t you go magic us up some coffee while I drag Gil out of bed.”
“You used to drag me in to bed,” Gil sighs melodramatically.
“You’ve always been pretty eager,” Marlon leans down to kiss him on the forehead, “And I’m fairly certain you were the one dragging me up here yesterday.”
Gil chuckles.
“If you two gentlemen have quite finished the pillow talk,” Rasmodius calls from the kitchen, “I am having an emotional crisis.”
“We’d better go see what all that’s about then,” Gil says, and they leave the comfort and warmth of the bed to head down into the kitchen. Outside, it has begun to snow and Marlon sinks into one of the kitchen chairs. Gil helps Rasmodius with the coffee, and, looking properly distraught, Rasmodius flings himself down and buries his face in his hands. Never one to shy away from the dramatics, after all.
“Oh hey now,” Gil says, glancing between Rasmodius and Marlon desperately, “I’m sure whatever it is, we can help. There’s no need for all that.”
“As you gentlemen know, I have sworn off love after my divorce.”
“Right,” Marlon says, “The witch.”
“Exactly,” Rasmodius heaves a sigh and takes a long sip of coffee, “the witch. That witch and I had a nasty divorce. I would not have thought love to be possible again.”
“This- this isn’t about her, right?” Gil asks, “because I don’t think you ought to get back together with your ex wife. I don’t know all that much about ex-wives, but that doesn’t feel like something you should do. As your friends, we probably ought to talk you out of that.”
“No no. It’s not about her. There’s a new woman. We have been seeing each other.”
Marlon raises an eyebrow, “What new woman? Nobody moves here.”
“You did,” Rasmodius points out.
“Twenty years ago,” Marlon replies, “So I didn’t throw myself out of my apartment window. In general, not that many people move here.”
“The identity of this woman is irrelevant,” Rasmodius waves a hand, “Because she is married.”
Gil sputters into his coffee, “Ah.”
“Yeah that’ll do it,” Marlon nods, “Happily?”
“Well obviously not if she's taking long walks to my tower in the middle of the woods,” Rasmodius says.
“In more ways than one,” Marlon shakes his head, but the innuendo seems lost on Rasmodius, “Her husband is going to find out.”
“Maybe not,” Rasmodius says, “He seems rather dense.”
“Yeah, I’ve been having a passionate affair with Mr. Qi for fifteen years,” Gil sighs, “Marlon doesn’t suspect a thing.”
“Please, he’s going to think you’re serious,” Marlon shakes his head, “Lewis did.”
Gil laughs, a light, musical sound that cuts through the cold night like a knife. Marlon feels warm from the inside out. He wants to go back to bed and tuck himself around Gil while the snow falls, and go back to sleep. It’s an early snowfall for the town. Marlon would like to spend it asleep. He reaches out and puts a hand on Gil’s knee, which Gil covers with his own hand, brushing a calloused thumb across the back of Marlon’s.
“If you gentlemen have had enough laughter at my expense,” Rasmodius says, “What am I supposed to do about this?”
“Does she know? I mean, that you’re in love with her?” Marlon asks, “Or is it just sex?”
“I haven't explicitly told her that, no,” Rasmodius rubs the back of his neck, “I don’t wish to intrude on any feelings she has for her husband. But we do not just… make love. There are soft conversations and I know she is unhappy with her husband.”
“You can’t help who you love,” Gil says, chewing over each word, “And maybe it’s hard for her too. Marriage is complicated, and even if she wishes to, perhaps she can’t leave. There could be assets, or children, or maybe she loves her husband too. This affair you’re having-- how long has it been going on?”
“Six months,” Rasmodius mutters, sounding a little ashamed of himself, “I knew she was married the whole time, I just didn’t care.”
“Hm,” Gil nods, “What are you going to do about this?”
“I was hoping you would tell me,” Rasmodius admits.
“Are you willing to continue things as they are?” Marlon asks, “Assuming her husband doesn’t find out, of course. Because it doesn’t seem like she wants to divorce him.”
“Yes,” Rasmodius sinks down lower into his chair, “And I’m ashamed of it. But she is a beautiful woman, and I feel things for her I have not felt in a very long time.”
“We want you to be happy,” Gil finally says, “Because you are our friend. This feels like a dangerous game you’re playing, but at least you know you’re playing it. And you really do love her, don’t you.”
“Yes,” Rasmodius says, turning a bright shade of red.
*****
Rasmodius is asleep on the sofa in their front room when Marlon gets up the next morning. They had finished off a pot of coffee-- Gil had been smart enough to make decaf-- and gone back to bed at Rasmodius’s revelation. He and Gil spent twenty minutes or so trying to guess the woman of his affection, but eventually sleep had come, and he’d almost forgotten the events of the previous night until he saw the town wizard asleep in his house.
“You figure your shit out yet?” Marlon asks, as Rasmodius sits up and runs a hand over his face.
“Not a bit. I think I might be fucked.”
“Look,” Marlon sighs, and leans against the doorway between the front room and the kitchen, “You get to be happy. If this woman makes you happy, then you ought to try. But she’s probably going to choose her husband in the end. They have a history. But if that’s something you’re willing to accept, then take what you can get. I’d- I’d have put up with a lot, to even have Gil in my life for even a few moments. If you love her, tell her that. Let her decide. She’s the one with the obligations. Give her the facts, and see what she says. You’re willing to be the other man, then be the other man. People have done worse in life.”
“It must be very easy for you to say that. You have had Gilbert from the moment you walked into town,” Rasmodius replies.
Marlon throws up his hands, “Do what you want then. You’re so stubborn.”
“You’re not exactly a bundle of sunshine,” Rasmodius mutters, “But I apologize. You two helped me out, and I appreciate it. I will consider your words.”
“I’m sorry too,” Marlon sighs, “I guess I don’t really know what to offer you. I want you to be happy. You’re my friend, as much as you clearly hate to admit it.”
“I thank you,” Rasmodius stands up, puts on his hat, and nods. With a dramatic puff of smoke, he vanishes on the spot. Marlon shrugs, and goes into the kitchen to start up breakfast. Life has always been… complex, in Pelican Town, but that’s usually because of monsters and the like, not torrid love affairs.
In fact, things for him and Gil have always been pretty simple. Sure, they’ve had their fights, and they’ve had bad days and close calls, and enough hard work to last a lifetime, but it’s been simple. Maybe they had gotten off to a bad start, that very first Spring, but he’s loved Gil for so long, it feels like second nature. It’s hard to imagine what it would have been like if things had been different. He doesn’t think that infidelity is probably the answer, but hell, what does he know about the damn thing. Rasmodius is right, he’s always had Gil.
“Gil lover,” he calls, “What do you want for breakfast? Do you want pancakes?”
“Pancakes?” Gil pops his head into the kitchen, “You’re in a good mood. Sure. Let me finish dressing and I’ll be down.”
“I love you is all,” Marlon shrugs, “I’ll get the batter ready.”
*****
“I’m pretty sure I know who Rasmodius is in love with,” Gil says, putting a paper cup of warm apple cider into Marlon’s hands. It’s brutally cold out for Spirit’s Eve, but they’d both decided to make the trek down to the town for the holiday, “and yes, I already spiked that with alcohol don’t worry. I have two different flasks in my jacket pockets.”
“Have I told you lately that I loved you? How did you work it out?”
“Well,” Gil begins, “I did a lot of thinking and weighing the pros and cons of every married woman in the town. Also I just caught the two of them half dressed in one of the bushes up by the maze.”
“What?”
“Oh yeah,” Gil says, “They were pretty busy with each other to notice me. I guess the town is so busy with the festival they figured they’d be pretty unnoticed. I was looking for you or else I probably wouldn’t have noticed them.”
“We’re too old to be undressing in bushes,” Marlon points out, “I’ll throw out my back or something.”
Gil laughs. They’ve changed a lot as they’ve aged, but Gil’s laugh has remained such a lovely sound. Marlon loves it. He leans forward and kisses Gil on the cheek.
“We have a bed for that,” Gil rolls his eyes, “Do you want me to gossip with you or do I have to go gossip with Linus?”
“Are you and Linus gossip buddies now?” Marlon asks. He likes the man who camps up in the mountains. He is quiet, and a little wary, but Marlon thinks they get along fine. Rasmodius speaks highly of him.
“Yes. And it’s Caroline.”
“The shopkeeper's wife? That Caroline?”
“The very same.”
“Well then,” Marlon took a sip of his drink. Gil had sure poured a hell of a lot of liquor into it, “I suppose that’s that. What do you think?”
“I think those two kids were happy to be fucking in that bush,” Gil replies dryly, “And I think they’ll keep sneaking around together until Pierre catches them. That’s his name right? Pierre.”
“You’re so bad at names.”
“I’m old,” Gil nods, “And I don’t really care. Too many new faces.”
“And Rasmodius says I’m irritable.”
“Gentlemen!” The familiar and usually unwelcome voice of Lewis says, “How are we enjoying our Spirit’s Eve?”
“We’re enjoying our spirits just fine,” Marlon says, earning him an elbow to the ribs. It was a good joke, he has to admit.
The words are lost on Lewis who likely is working very hard not to see anything wrong.
“We’re behaving,” Gil says, “Don’t you worry. We’re behaving. We’re good citizens, right?”
It’s enough to send Lewis to pester someone else, and Gil shakes his head. Marlon doesn’t really appreciate being talked down to by Mayor Lewis, especially now that they’re all grown men. He and Gil have done good things for this town, dedicated two decades to keeping everybody safe. He’s never been very respectful to Lewis, but he doesn’t need to be chastised. Even if he is drinking spiked apple cider poured from a flash Gil smuggled into the party, like high schoolers at prom. They’re adults. They’re protectors of the valley. They can have a drink at a party and not be chastised for not behaving by the mayor.
“You should have run for mayor,” Marlon says.
“Me? Why not you?”
Marlon sighs, “Because what if I won? I don’t want to do all that. I can’t be a grumpy old man if I’m an elected official. You have a sense of duty. You can’t lurk in the mines for days on end. Sounds miserable to me. Besides, Lewis does an alright job.”
“No he doesn’t. Let’s go home. I’m afraid I’ll have to look Rasmodius in the eye. I’ll never say a word.”
Marlon nods, “I won’t either. I’m sure they know what they are doing.”
*****
It is both a mild shock, and somewhat expected, when later the next year, while he picks up a bag of flour for Gil’s latest baking project down at the general store, he meets Caroline’s new baby.
She looks just like her father.