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The newly knighted Sir Geoffrey looked around the castle square, flanked by the older knights who clapped him on the shoulder, promising tankards of ale and good company for the night. But a woman in the crowd caught his eye, heeding the words his brother had left him with, to be kind to all he met and that it was specifically an old crone who had granted him his own quest, his interest was piqued to say the least. He didn’t catch quite what she said to him but he smiled and nodded all the same. He did however catch what she said next, an almost practiced question if he would help one as beauteous as herself. No doubt she had asked countless knights this same question, perhaps even his brother, so he felt inclined to listen.
That desire to listen to what the crone asked of him was only furthered when he noticed the medallion around her neck glowing a red color. A somewhat confused smile perked at the corner of his lips. “Come, you must be cold, we can speak once you’ve had a nice stew to warm yourself,” he offered, extending a hand to her, a hand that she did not take.
She didn’t move from her post at all in fact, just smiling at him, seemingly pleased with his offer. “Kind just as your brother before you, I see. A kindness such as that will not go unrewarded, I offer you your first quest as a knight. You shall travel to faraway lands, see things undreamed of -steel horses and dragons, magic boxes that make merry!- And if you succeed, you will find yourself a true knight,” she mused, visibly elated by her own promises she made to him, promises that confused him but not to any point of being unkind towards her. He opened his mouth to question her, but she would hear none of it, removing her glowing amulet and handing it to him, “Heed this warning, if you fail to fulfil your quest by midnight on The Feast of the Theophany, you will never be a true knight.”
Geoffrey, while holding the amulet looked at the old woman with some concern on his face. As quickly as she issued the quest, she was gone, vanished like steam through the air. The amulet given to him was glowing brighter now, consuming him. He cast some glances around to see if anyone was seeing but despite how abnormal it all was, none of them seemed to pay it mind. It felt like he had been hit in the stomach, bringing him to his knees, clutching the amulet to his body as he watched the ground change from the snowcovered courtyard to a cleared, pavered path in a brightly lit place. As soon as this new world came into view, all pain left him, overcome with wonderment.
Metal horses spun as a mule in a mill would, though bounding up and down and lit with bright, colored flame, the area filled with chatter of people and music unlike any he’d heard in all his years. Geoffrey looked around, finding new things to look at in every corner, people dressed in all manners of fabrics and colors he’d not thought possible, women and men walking hand in hand, dogs smaller than any he’d ever seen (and some in those colorful fabrics too!) Surely this must be the realm the crone spoke of, the realm of the faeries perhaps? It would make all this possible, it only made sense. Captivated by it all, he made his way to a fence to lean upon, casting his gaze at the reindeer softly striding through the snow. He’d never seen one in real life before and stood in sheer amazement alongside a child with the same sense of amazement. Seemingly in response, a man he’d not even noticed in the enclosure approached the fence with a handful of sliced carrots. The reindeer keeper smiled at the pair of them by the fence and offered them each a few of the carrot slices before speaking to them, in an accent unlike any Geoffrey had ever heard, the vowels drawn out and the tone entirely warmer than what he’d been used to. “They’re a lot smaller than you’d think, right? Hold these out in your flat hand like this and they’ll come right over,” he instructed, his gaze lingering on Geoffrey a little before continuing to talk about the creatures to the small child who had the same stars in her eyes as Geoffry. “You know, while we often think of reindeer like these as boys because of those big horns, all the ones here are actually girls! Boys drop their horns in the fall and girls usually keep theirs all winter long,” he said, a fact that Geoffrey hadn’t known but delighted him all the same.
One of the reindeer approached the fence, starting with the little girl’s hand first, making her squeal in delight. This close, Geoffrey noticed the soft looking horns, seemingly covered in a layer of fur as well. “Good shepherd,” he began, not knowing what a reindeer keeper was called but assuming that shepherd would suffice for now. “For what reason are their antlers hairy as well,” he asked, the little girl giggling again but nodding and backing him up, putting in her own little “yeah, why” as the deer made her way to eat from Geoffrey’s hand.
“Great question! You see, when their horns are growing, they’re a lot more delicate and need to be protected so they don’t get hurt,” he informed, gesturing to the antlers of the others which were noticeably not fuzzy, “The others already have their fully grown horn so they’ve shed all that fuzz, but this is this girl’s first winter so it’s taking her a big longer.” Geoffrey nodded, satisfied with this answer, looking up from the creature to meet the shepherd’s eyes. There was a brief moment when that contact was held before the shepherd glanced away, the rosiness of his cheeks darkening a little.
Geoffrey fixed himself to ask another question, but before he could, he jumped, hearing someone call him by his name in wonder. It was a voice he could identify in his sleep, a voice that had been with him all his life. He quickly turned to see his brother Cole, dressed just like the others and his eyes widened, quickly closing the gap between the two of them, his older brother wrapping him in his arms tightly, laughing a little. After they’d hugged, Cole kept his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Brother! A quest sent you here as well,” he enthused, “Come, I will introduce you to someone quite special to me!” With that, he began pulling the younger knight along with him, just as they had when they were boys. Geoffrey did have time to thank the good shepherd as he was pulled towards a large white building, covered in such colored flames where a woman waited with two cups of something visibly hot and brown. “Brother, this is the woman I spoke to you of! Brooke,” Cole enthused, taking the cups from her so the two could properly get acquainted. “Brooke, this is my younger brother, he was knighted just earlier today! Sir Geoffrey Alexander Edward Lyons.”
Before Cole could warn him against it, Geoffrey took a knee and took Brooke’s hand. Unlike his brother though, he didn’t kiss it, rather placed her knuckles to his bowed forehead. “The woman who captivated my brother, I have nothing but respect for you, my lady,” he said, only standing back up when the woman told him not to worry about it.
“First of all, congrats on your knighthood. Were you also sent on a quest by an “old crone,”” she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
“Exactly so, I must prove myself a true knight before The Feast of the Theophany. I haven’t any clue how to manage such a thing, but this world seems full of all manner of miracles. Just since arriving I have witnessed children riding upon false mill horses, had the way lit by small colorful bulbs of flame, and became acquainted with a reindeer and her shepherd,” he said, glancing back over his shoulder to the reindeer enclosure where the shepherd still stood, talking to a group of teenagers now. “What a glorious place.”
Brook sighed softly before laughing a bit, looking up at Cole for a moment before speaking. “Well, if it’s anything like Cole’s quest, you’re going to have a lot on your plate. I think I can say for both of us that Cole and I will be happy to help.”
“Yes, quite right,” Cole added, taking Brooke’s hand in his, an action that would have been considered scandalous in his time. “For example, you must never call a woman a wench, the colorful bulbs of flames are simply called “lights” and are powered by harnessing the very essence of lightning, and the laws of chivalry dictating propriety can all but be ignored, you are permitted to be alone with a woman in a room.”
Geoffrey nodded, making careful attention to remember each lesson from his brother. “Understood. I will treat this as a journey to a far off land where I must respect the customs of the locals. I had ought to find a boarding house or large tree in which to seek shelter under, the night is soon upon us.”
Brooke looked somewhat amused by this, “You are not sleeping in a boarding house or under a tree while I have a perfectly good guest house that’s not being used. You’re staying with us and I won’t hear different.”
“Us? You two dwell together,” the younger knight asked, quickly noticing his brother’s somewhat reprimanding gaze and remembering what he was just told about propriety. “I look forward to seeing your keep, Brooke. I will make myself useful in return for your kindness, do not hesitate to ask me to hunt or chop wood to warm your home.”
“That’s another thing, Geoffrey, there’s no need for hunting anymore! They all simply go to a shop that sells most anything you could need, and the buildings heat themselves so chopping wood isn’t needed either,” Cole stated, his own voice bearing a similar wonder to his brother. “Brooke has said that the day after Christmas she enjoys doing volunteer work, perhaps if you feel the need to help while here, you could come along with us.”
Geoffrey looked at Brooke as if seeking permission before she responded, smiling as she swung her and Cole’s joined hands slightly, “That’s a great idea, Cole! Your clothes might be a bit big on him, but they’ll do in a pinch. We were just on our way out, Geoffrey, are you ready to come with? We can come back here anytime from now until new years day if you want to see more.”
Geoffrey enjoyed the idea of coming back here, only now realizing that his journey to get here had taken a lot out of him and finding himself quite tired once the idea of retiring for the evening was brought up. “I should like that, yes. I’m afraid I’m rather weary from travel,” he replied.
The three of them made their way across the park to the parking lot, Geoffrey bidding a farewell to the shepherd who responded in kind with a “You too, Rennie,” which elicited a laugh from Brooke. Once they arrived at the metal wagon, Cole opened the passenger side door for his brother and walked him through the motions of buckling himself in. He kept looking around the cabin of the vehicle before asking Brooke who Rennie was and why the shepherd had called him that.
“He’s just teasing you. There’s a yearly thing called the Renaissance Faire where people dress and act like they did in your time for fun, they call the workers Rennies,” Brooke explained. “You don’t need to call him shepherd either, his name’s Soren, we went to high school together. He just helps out at this sort of thing. I think he might even be showing up tomorrow so here’s hoping you two get along,” she said, smiling as she drove the brothers back to her home, Geoffrey looking out the windshield in awe at how different this new place and time was.
“He seems kind enough. Rather good with children which is an accomplishment in and of itself. I do quite like the way he talks, though. I’ve never heard an accent such as his,” Geoffrey mused aloud, his eyes still fixed on the road before them and the lit buildings along the side of it.
“Yeah, he moved here from Minnesota. You’d think the accent would have died after being away from there for so long, but he’s always been one to go against the grain,” she said with a soft chuckle. “He could be a good friend for you here. I can only imagine how scary it is for you to be somewhere where you only know one person.”
“I don’t only know one person here, I’m happy to say I now know two,” Geoffrey said as they pulled into the driveway.
Geoffrey slept better than he could ever remember sleeping in his life. The guest house was soft and warm with a good amount of blankets and a bed that made him feel as though he was sleeping on a large, airy piece of cake. The fact that he had hot water at his fingertips felt like a miracle in and of itself, and it felt incredibly refreshing to be able to splash warm water in his face and then glance outside to see the blanket of snow on the ground. There had been clothes waiting for him in the bathroom, clothes that he put on before deciding to make his way to the main house, knocking on the back door. Cole opened the door for him, asking if he would like some coffee. “I’m not certain what that is, but I would like to try,” Geoffrey replied, giving a nod of gratitude as he stood in the kitchen, looking at all the new equipment in such a place, no need for chopping wood to cook your food! What a marvel! And there was fruit on the counter despite the weather not being right for apples like this. He’d never even seen a banana before but it was all very exciting to him.
“Help yourself to any food you want, Geoffrey,” Brooke said, not even looking at him as she entered the kitchen, fully dressed and putting in her earrings as she spoke. “Do you prefer Geoffrey or Geoff,” she asked, smoothing out her sweater before turning to face him.
“Geoffrey please, lady Brooke,” he said, hesitantly reaching for the banana and, not knowing just how to go about eating it but figuring that since they were among the apples he could simply bite into it. It fit so well in his hand and he couldn’t help but be amazed by that in and of itself but he couldn’t ignore that he was hungry and he wanted to satiate that. He bit into the side of the banana, needing to bite harder than he expected to break through the skin, his eyes widening at the loud crunch it made as his teeth finally met the flesh. Chewing was an even harder experience. Wordlessly, his brother took the yellow fruit from his hand and began peeling it for him before handing it back, all the while his brother was still chewing, the peel crunching wetly in his mouth. He wasn’t going to just spit it out after all, that would be incredibly wasteful!
Brooke decided that if Cole wouldn’t say anything about it, neither would she, just raising her voice to be heard over the wet crunching, “Just Brooke is fine. I get that you’re trying to be polite but you really don’t have to.”
Cole nodded knowingly before adding, “Yes, though to be respectful towards the elderly sir is still acceptable. They have shortened Madam to Ma’am, though so do bear that in mind, brother.” Geoffrey nodded, still chewing on the banana and crunching it loudly, deciding he would need to swallow in smaller sections, swallowing about a fourth of what he had in his mouth as Brooke slid him a glass of dark liquid, a cotton of cream, and a bowl of sugar. “Ladies still enjoy being wooed though. If your quest is any like mine, that will be a handy tip for you moving forward.”
Geoffrey nodded, now getting half of the remaining amount in his mouth down his throat. In his knight training he had always been taught the strict rules of propriety, vows of chastity, the like, but while his other knights complained on how hard it was to be celibate, he had no issues in that regard. He was friendly with some women of course, the kitchen staff and scullery maids had always been quite kind to him, but he’d never had any untoward feelings towards any of them, making it all the easier to uphold. He enjoyed the company of women, talking to them and assisting them lift heavier objects, but the only reason he could ever see himself marrying was societal expectation. With him becoming a knight, that would have held off on those expectations for decades at least so it did buy him a good amount of time. After a moment, he managed to swallow the remaining mush of banana in his mouth, “As much as I’m taken with the wonders of this world, I must admit, I’ve never felt such a way about women. They’re excellent friends and riding companions, but I’ve never fancied them to the same regards as my brother.”
Brooke’s eyes widened slightly but she quickly played it off, putting back on a smile, “Cole, can I talk to you for a minute in the pantry?” She didn’t wait for a reply, just pulling him inside. “We’ll be right back, just enjoy the banana, there’s turnovers in the fridge,” she added before closing the door behind the two of them.
“Brooke, whatever is the matter,” Cole asked, very confused by all the actions that had just been taken.
“Cole, do you think your brother could be gay,” Brooke asked, her voice quiet. “There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just something that might make his quest a little harder for him.”
Cole cocked his head, like a dog trying to listen harder to something, furrowing his brow. “How on earth would being gay make his quest hard for him? We should all be more gay in this life.”
“No it’s just,” Brook took a deep breath to recenter herself, trying to think of a better way of asking it. “Do you think your brother Geoffrey is queer?”
Cole laughed a little, “Quite, but aren’t we all in our own ways? I’ve heard variety is the spice of life, I’m sure my brother will be able to find someone even if he is somewhat strange, I don’t see any cause for worry.”
None of this was clicking with him, it felt clinical and dehumanizing to use the word “homosexual” but it was the best bet she had right now. “Yeah, I agree but do you think, just maybe, your brother might be homosexual? Really, there’s nothing wrong with it in this day and age, we just might have to change tactics in finding him someone special.”
Cole stood there, staring at her blankly, obviously not understanding what she was trying to say in the slightest.
Brooke took another breath to center herself, feeling herself getting somewhat frustrated by this language barrier before deciding to just use words she was sure he would know. “You love me, you love being with me and you can see yourself with me for a long time right?”
“Yes of course, I can picture us having a lovely life together here.”
“I can too, but do you think your brother could possibly not be able to think about any woman like that? Maybe he’s attracted to men the same way you are to women I mean,” she clarified.
Cole stood for a moment, deep in thought, “You know, I’ve never given it much thought but he very well might be. He’d never shared my fondness for girls we knew growing up, even past the years where I just thought he’d be in bloom. That just means we’ll need to find him a man that can make him happy here instead, just a pivot of plans, yes?”
Brooke was somewhat surprised with how easily Cole took it, thinking things would have been much more difficult for him, but it was Cole after all. He was one of the kindest men she’d ever known, it wouldn’t have been in his character to be hateful, especially towards his own flesh and blood. “Yes, there’s just going to be a smaller pool to pick from, but we’ll still do what we can to find someone for him.”
“Alright, it’s settled then, we will find my brother a man to win his heart,” Cole said, a realization dawning on him, “It will be your first quest, and I will be by your side to aid you in it.”
Brooke laughed, “A very worthy first quest it will be. I’m quite lucky to have a seasoned quester on my side.”
With that, she let them both out of the pantry and to the kitchen where Geoffrey was reading the side of the carton of cream, drinking from the coffee cup, the coffee now the same color of his skin. “This cream is unlike any I’ve had before, it’s delightful. I hadn’t any idea that a cream could taste of mint leaves, what an innovation.” Any tension that Brooke had was immediately dispelled, she’d only known Geoffrey for a few hours but already she was sure that some man in the town would be very happy to have him, she just needed to think of ways to find queer men and set them up with Geoffrey somehow.
Once the three of them had their fill of breakfast, Brooke drove them to the community center where she had signed up to volunteer. Some people were already at work setting up tables for free food stations as Brooke checked the three of them in, saying that Cole’s brother had dropped in unexpectedly so they had another set of hands. “Brooke you are an angel, I’ll never say no to more help. Why don’t you and Cole help get food ready in the kitchen and you,” The head of planning said, considering Geoffrey for a moment, “I’m sure I can think of somewhere to put you.”
“I could use some help sorting donations. Kam just texted me saying she won’t be able to make it until this afternoon,” a voice said from somewhere behind the three of them, a voice that elongated his vowels to the point where the “noo” in afternoon sounded more similar to “new.” The same man who had been shepherding the reindeer last night. Geoffrey turned to verify his assumption to which, the shepherd looked a little taken aback, “Oh it’s you, Rennie. I didn’t recognize you without that doublet. You game?”
Despite knowing there was a strong likelihood it was the same man, Geoffrey was still a bit stunned to see the man from before, but agreed all the same. Without the winter coat and layers to keep himself warm, this man looked significantly smaller to the point where Geoffrey himself didn’t recognize him exactly at first. Geoffrey was told to follow and he obeyed, telling his brother and Brooke that they would reconnect at a later time as the man- Soren- led him into a small room absolutely packed with piles and boxes to sort through.
“First off, as fun as it is that you call me “good shepherd,” just Soren’s fine,” the small man said, “What do you want me calling you, Rennie,” he asked, moving to a small shelf where his phone sat and beginning to play soft christmas music from it to aid the quiet of the small room.
“Geoffrey. I’m called Geoffrey,” the knight replied, knowing now he wasn’t meant to take a knee to people here so instead just standing back, watching Soren as his back was turned.
“Well, good to meet you, Geoffrey,” Soren said, turning to him and giving him a pat on the bicep. It would be his own secret, but Geoffrey quite liked how this man said his name. Jeffrie, the first “e” sounding as it did in the word “beg.” “I love that accent of yours, where’s it from,” he asked, reaching up in an attempt to get one of the top boxes from a pile though visibly struggling.
Geoffrey couldn’t just stand by and watch this man who was barely taller than Brooke get a box down from that high up. “Please allow me,” he said softly, standing behind the smaller man and reaching over him to the box. “And to answer your question, I’m from Tyneham in South England, by the Channel.”
Soren let out a small noise of surprise, taking half a step back only to find himself brushing against the other man. He quickly corrected himself, his face flushing as he gave Geoffrey time to set the box down on the table in the center of the room. After taking a moment to collect himself and give the other man some time and space, Soren turned around to look at Geoffrey and the box on the table. “Sit down. That Christmas village collects donations: food, clothes, and money. It’s our job to sort those categories out, once that's done we can sort more thoroughly,” he said, taking a small swiss army knife from his pocket and cutting through the tape of the box, setting the knife on the table between them. Geoffrey glanced at the small tool, enjoying the colors on its hilt, a mirrored striped pattern of blue, pink, and white.
“Understood,” he replied, taking a seat across from Soren, quite enjoying having orders to follow. After a moment he spoke, making polite conversation as he took some of the items from the box, “I like the colors on the hilt of your blade.” As different as things were in this era, he figured things couldn’t be that hard to differentiate, one of the cans he pulled was even kind enough to put a picture of the food contained on the label! Colors were able to be so bright now, how utterly amazing!
Soren smiled softly, “Thank you, I think that’s one of my favorite of the pride flags. I think the colors are very nice together.”
“You should be very proud of the flag indeed,” the knight replied, nodding a knowing nod though he frankly had no idea what the flag was for and simply assuming it was the colors of some manner of personal crest, the knights he’d trained alongside had such crests and colors they used to distinguish themselves. “Pride is one of the most important things a man can hold, with pride comes a confidence that cannot be replicated.” Geoffrey of course had no idea how much this meant to Soren, his expression softening, a small tremble in his eyes when Geoffrey looked up at him across the table.
“I wish more people thought like you, Geoffrey,” Soren said after a moment, quickly averting his eyes when Geoffrey looked up at him again. “I agree though, since I’ve learned to be proud of myself I feel like I’ve been a lot more confident.”
“As you should be. I see no reason for you not to be confident, you are a very personable man, last night I was quite impressed with how you interacted with that child and I,” he said, letting the last sentiment linger in the air a bit before deciding to compliment him further. “You said previously that you liked my accent, I should have it be known that the feeling is mutual. I’ve never heard anything quite like it, the way you speak feels so entirely your own.”
Soren was certain this was flirting, but he wasn’t complaining, he didn’t often find himself flirted with, especially not by a handsome English man like this. Geoffrey didn’t know it himself yet, but he was well on his way to fulfilling his quest.
That was not known to Cole and Brooke in the kitchen who were talking to other volunteers in the kitchen, trying to get a feel for what men there were both attracted to other men and single. Brooke was of course a lot more tactful with it, explaining that Cole’s brother had just moved to town and thinking it would be good for him to get out and meet some people in the community. Cole, however, was simply talking to other men in the kitchen, making small talk before abruptly asking, “Are you attracted to men by any chance?” which never failed to take the men he was interviewing by surprise.
As they went on through the day, Brooke and Cole found themselves with a small list of possible matches for Geoffrey, all while Geoffrey was simply doing his tasks and getting to know Soren, finding himself asking more and more questions just to hear how he said certain words. While listening to Soren talk about his life and his passions, Geoffrey found himself thinking about how much he wished he were a woman so he could marry a man like him.
When the time finally came for Brooke to take the brothers home, Soren was also gearing up to go, making polite small talk with Brooke as he put his coat on before addressing the three of them all at once, “If you guys don’t have plans for New Years Eve, a few friends of mine are throwing a party at their bar, O'Reilly's. I think it could be fun to see you there,” he suggested, letting his gaze linger on Geoffrey for a moment longer.
Neither of the brothers noticed the tender gaze Geoffrey had earned, but Brooke knew that look well enough to make the executive decision that they were going to that party no matter what. “Thank you so much for the invitation, I’ve been looking for a good way to get these guys out and meet more people and that would be perfect! Man, I can’t even remember the last new years party I went to, count us in.” She made note to ask Geoffrey about Soren later in private, already plotting a way to get him to open up to her more. Once they got to the car, she put her plan into motion, “Since we have a party to go to, I think it’s probably a good idea to get you some clothes that fit you better, Geoffrey. Cole’s lucky that he fits my ex’s clothes pretty well but it would be fun to take you on your first shopping trip,” Brooke suggested, a suggestion that Geoffrey hesitantly agreed to, not sure what to expect but excited by the idea to be able to get to know the woman his brother fell in love with better.
After they got back and had a moment to rest, Brooke and Geoffrey got back into the car to make their way to the mall, leaving Cole to his own which he was more than satisfied with. Once in the car, Brooke decided to find a bardcore playlist on Spotify for them to listen to on the way to the mall, a good mix of his style of music with a modern twist. “Sorry they split us up for the volunteering this morning, hopefully you and Soren found something to talk about though,” she said, trying to be as delicate as possible, you could lead a horse to water but you couldn’t make it drink. If there was some sort of romantic chemistry there between the two of them, odds were that Geoffrey wouldn’t know it as anything other than a sort of mutual respect and bonding.
“Oh yes, he's quite personable. The way he speaks is unlike any I’ve ever heard,” Geoffrey replied, gazing at the elements of the town passing by their windows as they spoke. “He spoke of the land from where he hails, how the winters differ between these two locales, where his family came from and the holiday traditions there. I found myself asking more questions simply to hear him tell more stories,” he added, letting out a small chuckle, sighing after. “You must think me childish for being so easily amused by him.”
Oh he had it bad bad. Brooke knew that based on how he spoke about Soren alone that Geoffrey had a crush on that guy and was pretty sure Soren felt the same about Geoffrey, meaning she would have to help Geoffrey pick out an absolutely perfect outfit for the party. If she played her cards right she could probably get the two of them to kiss as the ball dropped. The stakes were higher now in this shopping trip. “Hey, being excited about someone isn’t childish. I think everyone should find someone they like listening to like that. Cole tells me stories about growing up in medieval times like that and I just can’t get enough of it,” she said, laughing softly, warming himself up to the idea that maybe there was some affection there like there was between her and Cole. “He’s sweet, we were never really friends in school but we were both on the school newspaper staff together and he was always really nice about the articles I submitted. Even when I was sure I didn’t deserve it. I know school was hard for him, but he was still so nice, I’m glad that hasn’t changed,” she added. “Oh I’m so excited, so many men don’t really try for parties, at least not like women do, but with me in your corner I’ll have you looking like a king for your big social debut,” she teased, leading him into the mall.
It was nice doing this again, taking a friend on a shopping trip where they were a total blank canvas, where anything went. Brooke took Geoffrey into an array of stores, piling up options for him to try on and judge accordingly. Showing him how fashions changed, how it was now acceptable for men to show a little chest and clavicle, introducing him to mesh button-ups and crushed velvet. She’d always wanted a brother and since knowing Cole had one, she’d longed to meet him. There was no way she would let Geoffrey go back to the past now that he was here. When she pictured a future with Cole, now Geoffrey was a part of it, here in a future where he could be his authentic self, where he wouldn’t have to marry a woman to protect himself from damaging opinions. It wouldn’t be a joyride for him of course, but there was hope for him now, hope for him to be able to kiss a man he loved in public.
It was nice being able to spend quality time with someone she was confident would one day be her brother-in-law, a brother-in-law who was thankfully not afraid to accessorize like a lot of modern men were. When they had about four large bags of various pieces he could mix and match and one bag of an outfit specifically for the party and accessories, Brooke took them to the food court, getting them both smoothies for a job well done. She joined him at a table, smiling as she watched him gaze upon a mall which she’d gone to all her life. “I think we got a pretty good haul,” she said, taking a sip of her smoothie. “You’re going to stun at that party. Consider your quest done because I just secured you a perfect match,” she joked, Geoffrey laughed a little in reply.
“Thank you, Brooke. This has been an incredible day, truly,” he said, taking a sip of his smoothie and letting his shock by the flavor be known from his face alone and the way he looked at the cup in disbelief. “I’d never thought it possible to taste this many fruits at once! I hope you’re right that my quest is well on its way to being completed, I don’t know how I could be expected to go back after I know how things could be,” he said, smiling. How things could be indeed, all the things he’d seen in the past twenty four hours gave him a new sense that he could truly be happy here, any vocation that called to him could be in his grasp! Of course when he and his brother had started the journey to knighthood it was to do good for any kingdom that would have them, but with knighthood there was also security, knowing that they would always have shelter and food supplied to them that they didn’t need to barter for. The only options the brothers had truly were pledging their unyielding loyalty to the crown or stay in their small village and work the mill as was customary of the men in their family. Their ambitions had always been far too romantic for their village and now Geoffrey realized those romantic ambitions were likely too much for their station and era in general. Now though? Now he could do what he wanted, he could write like the wealthy in his day, he was not given only two choices, the future was filled with choices, choices that he could finally make.
Brooke smiled almost sadly at the man across the table, reading between the lines again and realizing just how much this all could mean for Geoffrey. Cole wouldn’t have had as hard of a time going back but Geoffrey? Geoffrey would resign himself to the only life he thought he could have, be a knight for security, marry a woman and have children because that was how things were done, and not often get the chance to live for himself. This needed to work out for him, he needed to stay here, his happiness depended on it. There was a lot riding on this, there were only five days until the party, she didn’t know how many until the deadline was up, but at and after the party, she would need to push Geoffrey further with the help of Cole. She would need to start warming him up for the fact men could marry each other now by showing him various different romantic comedies when they got back to the house, talk openly about it with him, all so that he could be ready for what was likely going to be his first kiss period, with a man or otherwise. “Hey, even though it’s not Christmas anymore after we get home how about I get you me and Cole some hot chocolate and we can all watch some cheesy Christmas romance movies? I know Cole really likes them, maybe you will, too.”
“While I’m still not certain what a movie is, I think it would be lovely to watch some Christmas Romance Movies with you and Cole.”
“Movies are kinda like plays matched with moving paintings. Imagine a painting that moved and had a whole story in it that you could watch whenever you wanted, that’s basically what a movie is,” Brooke explained, having very recent use of explaining what a movie was and putting that to good use. “I’ve heard really good things about this new one where a guy needs a date for an event so he hires a man from the internet but over the course of the movie they fall in love.”
Geoffrey was taken aback by the use of guy and man as both parts of a couple in the synopsis, blinking in shock at Brooke as he took another sip of smoothie. “A man and a guy? Is there a twist where the man he hires is secretly a woman? A lady of the night perhaps?”
“No, two men. It’s a love story about men,” she said, keeping her tone casually so he knew that there was nothing wrong with that. She decided to push her luck and speak on that more, “There’s a lot of romance movies between two men coming out now, two women too. With how much the general public is coming around to all different types of love, it’s becoming a pretty big market. Since same gender couples have been able to get married for a while now, it’s only fair that they’re getting some love in the romantic comedy scene.”
That was even more to take in, even more possibilities, men could marry one another and women could marry one another, how utterly amazing! He’d never known such a thing was widespread enough that entire nations would recognize it, that the lord would recognize it as a marriage. “This truly is an age of change. I never thought such a thing would be possible,” he said, his voice shaking slightly as he realized the implications of this. If one could marry another man, so could he in the future, casting his entire quest into a different light entirely. “Anyone could marry someone of their same gender? There aren't any qualifications one must meet?”
Brooke laughed softly and shook her head, “Nope, only that they’re both adults and not related, no other criteria needs to be met.”
Geoffrey’s Adam's apple bobbed as he choked back tears, utterly moved by the opportunity he had now, the opportunity to truly love someone. “I must stay here,” he said softly. “I could never have an opportunity like this in my time. How does one even find a match of the same gender?”
Brooke sighed softly, reaching across the table to gently take his hand in a moment of silent solidarity. “I think you might be on your way already. Tell me honestly, how do you feel about Soren?”
Geoffrey gave the woman’s hand a small squeeze, taking a shaky breath to steady himself before speaking, “While I listened to him talk, all I could think of was that were I a woman, I’d want my husband to be like him.”
This earned a squeeze in return from Brooke, letting him know without so many words that she was here for him, giving him a nod as a tear rolled down his cheek, a tear joy that maybe, perhaps he wouldn’t have to pretend to be someone he wasn’t here.
The next few days were spent with Cole and Brooke getting Geoffrey more confident in himself and readying him for the new years eve party with Soren. He’d thought that sort of affection had only been for stories or other people, but thinking about Soren, seeing him about town and having him smile at him from across the room, he felt that maybe, just maybe, he could get his own fairy tale ending.
On the night of the party after getting dressed into a gold colored, crushed velvet blazer to offset an otherwise all black suit, Brooke and Cole made sure to remind Geoffrey about the customs of kissing someone as the clock struck midnight, something that flustered him, but it was all he wanted at this point. Since learning it was a possibility, all he’d wanted wanted to do when he saw Soren was to take him in his arms and kiss him in a display of the affection he held for him. It was what he imagined the knight Lancelot of myth felt for Queen Gwenivere, a deep and personal love.
When the pair of them entered the small, locally owned bar for the party, among a sea of bodies, all that Geoffrey could see was Soren, champagne in hand and dancing as he laughed. He was stunned to hear that laugh, he’d heard a chuckle or so from him but never a laugh like this, a full belly cackle as he leaned on a friend. Then, Soren looked up, his gaze falling on the three of them that had just entered the bar. After saying something to his friend, he went to greet them, “Brooke, Geoffrey, Cole, I’m so glad you all made it,” he enthused, giving Brooke a quick side-hug. “Refreshments are along the back wall there, knock yourself out,” he said, smiling as he spoke, his gaze falling back on Geoffrey every so often, something that Brooke and Cole took as an obvious sign to let the two of them talk. After the other two left, Soren looked up at Geoffrey, still smiling. “I’m really glad you could come. You look great,” he said, reaching up and giving a small squeeze to the other man’s arm.
Geoffrey couldn’t find the words at first, just looking at Soren, his gaze falling at the sheer black shirt he wore, the top three buttons unbuttoned to show a tantalizing amount of skin. Though the shirt was dark, Geoffrey could make out two large scars on the other man’s chest, a chest that try as he might, his eyes kept falling upon. “You do as well, Soren. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much of you,” he said, his voice shaking slightly as he spoke, obviously nervous but doing his utmost to maintain his composure. “I- not to say I dislike it in any way,” he clarified quickly, clearing his throat to say something more, “I think you look marvelous.”
Soren smiled, meeting his eyes as a flush came over his cheeks. He’d tried on several different outfits in his apartment for tonight, wanting to choose one that could impress Geoffrey and it seemed that he had struck gold with this one. Now that he had his attention though, he found himself at a loss of what more to say. “You look very buttoned up, it’s a good look, but could I maybe try something,” he asked.
“Be my guest, I am at your mercy,” Geoffrey said, almost too quickly, eager to see what Soren had in mind. He felt his face getting warm somewhat in embarrassment, especially as Soren lifted his heels from the floor to loosen Geoffrey’s tie and unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt. Geoffrey could feel Soren’s hands shaking as he unbuttoned them, an indication that he was just as nervous as he was.
“There, you look more like yourself,” Soren said, his touch lingering against Geoffrey’s chest for a moment, looking him in the eyes for a brief moment. “Let me get you a drink,” he said quickly, pulling back and quickly heading to get them both champagne flutes.
Once he returned the two continued their conversation, this time taking it to the dance floor where they danced and spoke for hours. This was a sort of joy Geoffrey never thought possible for himself, his heart raced every time they touched, feeling overcome with joy when Soren took his hand as they danced. He’d seen happy couples dance like this at balls, and he could only assume they felt the very same rush as he did, twirling his partner and laughing all the while.
Geoffrey twirled Soren into his chest, causing both of them to laugh, but there was still a lot he felt needed to be talked about between them before the kiss they would likely share at the beginning of the new year. He leaned down a bit to make sure Soren heard him, “I think I’m going to step out and get some air for a moment.” Soren was not far behind, going out to the deck of the bar behind Geoffrey, standing about a foot away from him as they both leaned on the banister. After a moment of watching the hot cloud of his breath float to the beyond, Geoffrey spoke at last. “I hope this isn’t untowards at all, please stop me if it is, but I feel for you in a way I have never felt for anyone,” Geoffrey admitted, speaking slowly and deliberately, not wanting to stumble over any of them. His eyes remained ahead of him as he spoke, feeling Soren’s eyes on him. “I didn’t even know it was possible to feel this way, but when I speak to you, when I see you look at me, I feel safe. Safe in a way I’ve never known before. I’m very fortunate to have met you.”
There was quiet between them for what felt to Geoffrey like an eternity, but at long last he heard Soren’s voice again, shaky like his own as he took a half step closer to him. “Thank you for being vulnerable with me, Geoffrey,” he said quietly, thinking of what more to say, “I feel the same, I was worried you wouldn’t want me when you learned more about me. A lot of times I’ll talk to men, I’ll feel like things are going well, but then they find out I’m transgender and then,” he gestured vaguely, “Then it’s like I wasn’t ever anything to them. I know I’m not everyone’s type, I’m short, my accent is weird, I talk too much, I want everyone to like me so badly, but I feel safe with you, too. I feel wanted with you. I know it’s only been a week or so, but I feel like I’ve known you all my life.” As Soren spoke, he let his pinky finger curl around Geoffrey’s. In the knight’s hunger to know more about this brave new world full of new possibilities, he’d found himself absolutely bursting with new information he’d never thought possible, so much so that he had learned the entire acronym “LGBTQIAP2S+” and what each stood for. While some things still didn’t make total sense to him, there was nothing but appreciation towards all the varieties of people who existed. If anything, knowing that Soren was transgender only made him admire him more.
Hearing Soren say this, Geoffrey was overjoyed, turning to look at him and taking the chance to lace their fingers together. “I don’t know what the new year holds for my future, but I know that I want you to be in it,” Geoffrey said, looking him in the eyes, dazzled by the sight of this man in the twinkling lights over the deck.
“I feel the same,” Soren said, tempted to just kiss him right here on the deck, but instead, the two of them just stayed there for a while, sharing their hopes, their ambitions, all until Brooke stuck her head out the door to tell them there was only five minutes left until midnight. Soren thanked her and the two found their way back in, watching the countdown clock with their hands still joined.
Geoffrey couldn’t stop smiling, looking at Soren just as much as he looked at the countdown clock. The partygoers counted in unison when there were 30 seconds left before the new year, though Geoffrey could only think about kissing Soren, feeling as though he needed to make the moment perfect. He didn’t have time to enact his plan though as he found Soren wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him deeply just after the ball dropped. As shocked as he was, it didn’t take him long to kiss back, holding Soren’s waist as the crowd around them seemed to just completely melt away. Even though it was far before his deadline for the quest, Geoffrey just knew that he’d done it. In finding himself, his quest was complete. He had finally become a true and noble knight, even if it meant nothing in the modern day.