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Carl comes out of his bedroom and walks straight past Hardy, who’s sitting on the sofa with one of Carl’s paperbacks. ‘Are you ready to go?’ Hardy asks, without taking his eyes off of the page.
Carl doesn’t answer, so James looks up to see if everything’s alright.
‘Fuck me,’ he laughs. ‘What the fuck are you wearing?’
‘It’s called a suit,’ Carl deadpans. He frowns, though, making to unbutton his trousers and go to find a pair of jeans.
James reaches for his crutches and gets up. ‘Leave them,’ he says, ‘it’s nice to see you making an effort. But you’re not away to meet the Pope, you know,’
‘I’d feel considerably less nervous about meeting the Pope’.
James has reached him now, and puts one hand on Carl’s arm near his elbow, as far as he can reach with his crutches. ‘You’ve already met my parents, anyway.’
‘You know that was different. They didn’t know that we were...’ Carl trails off.
'Shagging?’ Hardy supplies.
‘Well, I probably won't put it quite like that, if they ask,’
Hardy laughs, a little teasing. ‘My boyfriend?’
‘God, that makes us sound like bloody teenagers. Jasper is somebody's boyfriend, we’re fucking 50.’
‘You're fucking 50. I’m still in my 40s,’
‘Yeah, for about another two months,’
‘Anyway, you're my partner, yeah?’
Carl nods, and shuts his eyes briefly as he leans down a little to press a kiss to Hardy’s hair.
‘Sap.’ Hardy smiles. ‘Listen, it'll be fine. They know that we’re partners, in more ways than one, and they’re fine with it. They caught me kissing a boy in my teens so they’ve had more than enough time to get over the shock. Besides, they’ve met you already and they’re still happy to have to you back, that’s more than most people you've met.’
‘Lose the tie then?’ Carl asks.
‘No I’d keep the tie. Matches your eyes anyhow. But I'd straighten it up,' he says, shifting his weight with some effort so that he can adjust Carl's tie. He smiles at him, pulling a little so that Carl gets the message and leans down to kiss him. They look at each other softly for a beat.
'Now, are you going to tie my laces?’
‘I think you’re more than capable by now, surely,’
‘I know I am.’
‘Fine.’