(no subject)

[lauramcewan]

Title: Valentine Friends
Author: Merry Amelie
Archive: MA only
Categories: Alternate Reality, Qui/Obi, Romance, Series

Rating: PG-13
Summary: Violet and Prudence invite our lads to dinner.
Series: Academic Arcadia – # 295
Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
For
My beta Helen
Laura McEwan for posting to the Master Apprentice ML
Travis for posting to the Master Apprentice Archive on AO3
Alex for inspiring Arcadia

To Helen

Valentines:

2004 -- Valentines by Design
2005 -- Valentine's Day at the Gardens
2006 -- A Newlywed Valentine's Day
2007 -- Valentine's Morning
2008 -- Valentine's Night
2009 -- Valentine's Cruise (my favorite)
2010 -- Valentine Woods
2011 -- Valentine Surprise
2012 -- Valentine Tuesday
2013 -- One Enchanted Valentine by obi1mcgregor
2014 -- Valentine's Year
2015 -- Valentines by Firelight
2016 -- Valentine Sweet Sixteen
2016 -- Valentined
2017 -- Valentine Treat
2018 -- The Blue Swordfish
2019 -- Visions of Arcadia – Unification

2020 -- Calentine's Day

"I wonder why Prudence and Violet invited us over for dinner on Valentine's Day this year?"

Ian spoke while he was putting the finishing touches on the knot of Quinn's emerald-green tie.

"'Tis a good question, laddie, and we may be able to answer it in a few moments." Quinn returned the favor and straightened Ian's sky-blue tie to his satisfaction.

"You are ever the patient Jedi Master, I see," said Ian, at his teasing best. "But we've known them for over eleven years now, and they've never had us over on this holiday before, even though we've shared most of the others with them through the years."

"Patience, young Padawan." Quinn chuckled as he teased him back in delight. "Your curiosity will be satisfied soon enough." He whispered in his ear, "As will certain other things, mo ghra." (my love)

Ian shivered into him in a delicious embrace. "Now I really have something to look forward to."

They were wearing tan button-down shirts over their brown slacks - dark chocolate for Quinn and milk chocolate for Ian. They decided to put the little shamrock and four-leaf clover on the lapels of their corduroy jackets in honor of the special occasion. They were still in their teaching outfits because they'd just completed four weeks of the spring semester that very afternoon.

Since they'd just gotten home a little while ago, they'd only had time to shave, wash their faces, comb their hair, and put on ties in honor of their lovely hostesses. And, of course, give the pups fresh food and water, not to mention a bit of a romp and cuddle. Quinn took a few moments to gather flowers from his garden for the ladies just before they were ready to leave.

"Just remember - get ready for our own private Valentine celebration when we come home tonight." Ian gave him a kiss that held the promise of much more later on, then brushed a dusting of chalk off the shoulder of Quinn's British-tan corduroy jacket.

Quinn nuzzled his herven's newly shaven cheek. "I'm already getting in the mood, my lad."

"How are we ever going to make it until our own private dessert?" Ian said in pure frustration.

Both of them chuckled - they'd been through this many times before over the years.

By some miracle, they succeeded in making it out the door anyway.

It was five minutes before six o'clock on Friday night as they set off across the street, heading for the small brick ranch on the corner. Twilight was still lingering in the sky, painting it in shades of deep mulberry and plum. There was the slightest scent of pine in the air, teasing their senses with the promise of greenery again soon. They held hands, here in their own neighborhood, warm in their corduroy jackets despite the nip of a February evening in Upstate New York.

Mr. Jefferson was out walking his Yorkshire terrier Buddy, and they stopped to chat for a couple of moments. Buddy gave out a happy yip as soon as he saw the professors. They made a playdate for Sandy, Artoo, and Buddy to get together at two o'clock on this coming Sunday afternoon, then waved their goodbyes. Next stop - their lovely hostesses for Valentine's Day dinner.

"Welcome, boys," said Prudence with an uncharacteristic air of excitement as she invited them in to her and Violet's cozy home, the fireplace crackling and soft lights on.

The women were wearing the party dresses they had worn for the neighborhood Christmas party at Mr. and Mrs. Changs' house a little over a month and a half ago. The men handed both of them the bouquets of flowers that Quinn had just picked from their own garden - winter-blooming snowdrops, aconites, and snapdragons. The ladies oohed and aahed over their bouquets, thanking their friends profusely, then Violet went to find two ceramic vases to put them in.

When she got back from the kitchen, Violet put the vases in the middle of the dining-room table, lending it an even more festive appearance than her lace tablecloth and her mother's china had already given it. Prudence helped her out by lighting the two candles surrounding the vases, giving the room a mellow glow that made all of them shine as they basked in the Light.

The living room was redolent with the scents of the meal to come - homemade cream of mushroom soup with herbed croutons to please the visiting hobbits; warm buttermilk biscuits with whipped butter; wilted greens with cherry tomatoes and a cruet of Violet's bacon-ranch dressing; pot roast with roasted-garlic gravy that had pearl onions swimming in it; baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon and spinach with melted Monterey-Jack cheese. And the piece de resistance - Prudence's spice cake with vanilla icing, fresh from the oven just a short time ago. Truly a feast fit for the holiday.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" came the greeting from the four of them, accompanied by big, bright smiles all around that put the glow of the candles to shame.

Violet gestured to the easy chairs for the men, while the ladies sat on the sofa. Prudence poured Earl Grey tea for all of them, using her grandmother's china tea set. Violet had made her famous guacamole dip, while Prudence had baked spanakopita triangles because she knew they were one of Quinn's favorite treats. Her secret recipe included a bit of bleu cheese for an additional burst of flavor. When everybody was settled comfortably, and Quinn was already on his fourth piece of spanakopita, Ian's question about the timing of the women's invitation was answered in the most satisfying way of all.

Prudence spoke quietly, but deep emotion was enriching every word she said. "It truly is a happy Valentine's Day for us this year, for the very first time."

The men looked at each other in wonder, instantly understanding her understated words.

Violet could see the realization in their faces, but she needed to say it anyway. She took Prudence's hand in hers. "We wanted you to be the first to hear the good news - we're together!"

"Finally," Prudence chuckled in self-deprecation. "It only took us fifty years of friendship."

"Congratulations, my friends!" Ian and Quinn said in turn, with maximum enthusiasm. Their eyes sparkled in sheer joy at this happiest of events.

"We can't thank you enough, boys." Prudence's eyes were shining as well - with happiness through a shimmer of tears. "You're the reason I was able to take this giant leap of faith."

Violet pressed a linen handkerchief into her hand and whispered tenderly in her ear, which calmed Prudence down in a handful of moments.

"You boys have inspired me," said Prudence simply, pausing to compose herself further.

Quinn thought back to the Luke Christmas party at the Sunset Tower Hotel, where a pair of sweet women, who were assistant professors on their campus, had come up to Ian and him with the same incredible compliment. He could hardly believe he was hearing it again so soon, and it was even more surprising when you considered that the praise came from the two generations bracketing them.

Prudence continued, blunt in her desire to make her friends understand. "I've had to overcome a lifetime of being prejudiced against homosexuality - it was an overwhelming social taboo in my church and in my family."

Ian and Quinn nodded in understanding, not wanting to interrupt Prudence's hard-won words.

"It was the most difficult thing in the world for me to accept so many uncomfortable truths, which seemed to rush at me and overwhelm me, all at the same time. That I was nothing more than a bigot for all of those years and had to try to free myself of it. That my family and church were wrong to condemn what they did not understand. That I was in love with Violet for all of my adult life. That I now had the choice of continuing along that dismal path or I could try to break away and find the happiness both of us have deserved for many decades."

"It's never easy," soothed Violet, her hand soft on Prudence's iron-grey hair. "It was a different world back then when we grew up."

"Back in college, I knew I liked Violet better than any fella, but I couldn't imagine ever telling her that." Prudence smiled into Violet's kind brown eyes.

"I felt just the same, but I didn't want to lose your friendship over it." Violet squeezed her hand.

"And you surely would have - I just didn't know how to deal with my feelings when I was twenty." Prudence gazed at Violet regretfully. "My parents would've been scandalized, and I'm sure they would have disowned me, at the very least."

Ian looked stricken at this, for Prudence and for Quinn as well, who had also known instinctively his parents would have broken all ties with him, a fact which his father had admitted right before their second marriage ceremony at the Luke Chapel. This, even though over thirty years of additional social progress had been made since the ladies had been to university, especially in the coastal states. Some things just couldn't be smoothed over, even with time. His father's admission was the only thing that had made complete healing possible for the whole family.

Quinn gave his husband a gentle look of love; he had long since forgiven his parents, and they had surrounded him and Ian with warmth and caring every day after their reconciliation on Christmas Day of 2006. They shared a smile of acceptance.

"How did you find the courage to get together, if you don't mind my asking?" Violet said shyly. "From what I understand, it's even harder for men to come out than women."

"That's true, Violet," said Quinn. "We still have the remnants of the macho, cowboy culture of centuries ago, not to mention the Puritans."

Ian said, "Because of all the risks involved, we had never chanced having relationships before we met, back in 2003. We also were too busy concentrating on our doctorates and our careers." He grinned into Quinn's eyes. "But as soon as I saw Quinn on the Amtrak Acela, heading to Massachusetts for a symposium on Tolkien's wizards at Mace University, I was captivated."

"That's exactly what happened to me - I saw him sitting there in Business Class, surrounded by his newspapers, and I was instantly smitten." Quinn couldn't resist reaching out to run his fingers through his lad's copper hair, shining just as brightly now as it had all those years ago.

The ladies beamed at the men in delight - now they could fully appreciate their romance.

"Has it been hard for you to be so open?" Prudence asked, knowing in shame that she had done more than her fair share to make it harder for them, before she had accepted herself and her love for Violet.

"Yes and no," Ian answered. "Prejudice tends to come out of the shadows when we are who we are, without pretense or apology." He smiled, first at Quinn, then at the women. "But the rewards are worth everything to us."

"When I saw my parents' faces at our wedding at the Luke Chapel, I felt a joy I've rarely known." Quinn's eyes were shining a pure winter blue. "They finally knew all of me and accepted me completely. I never dared to hope that would happen when I was growing up." 

"We've talked with your parents - Ian's and yours - over the years, and they've said many times to us that they couldn't be prouder of both of you." Prudence smiled at them in a very maternal way. "And it's easy to see why."

The men looked at each other in delight, warmed by this unexpected glimpse into their parents' feelings for them.

"Oh, 'tis a wonderful thing to hear about our folks," said Quinn. "Thank you very much for sharing it with us."

"It makes me proud to be their son, too," Ian said softly. "I could never have imagined this when I was young."

"Ain't it the truth for all of us," Prudence said with supreme satisfaction.

And the couples were finally ready to share a romantic Valentine's Day dinner.