Why the Straight One? - Chapter 41: Chapter 41

"So, how did you manage to get rid of all the guards and chauffeurs?"
"I got my mom on the case. Basically, I made a huge deal about you wanting to see your family and spend quality time with them, and that the guards would interfere and make it awkward for your family who wouldn't be used to them. Turns out that that worked pretty well since we were allowed to leave all by ourselves."
"Well, all that is true, but I have a feeling that you just wanted to drive." He laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners. I'd come to love his real laugh. The kind of laugh I really only ever heard around me. He didn't laugh around anyone else, at least not like this. It was open and free, a nice reminder of how well our relationship was going.
"You have me there. I can't stand being driven around. That's why I drove us on those other trips. Of course, there were still cars behind and ahead of us, but still I was able to drive. I've got to be able to do something, you know?"
"Yeah, that makes sense." His eyes went back to the road, and I continued to look at his profile. The sunlight was streaming in just right, highlighting the sharp bones of his cheek and jaw.
"What are you looking at?" He glanced over at me, a slightly self conscious look in his dark eyes.
"You." I replied simply. There wasn't any point in lying. He had caught me staring at him, and I was quite okay with that. He looked back at the road, his face slightly redder than before.
"Where's our next turn?" He asked, changing the subject a little too quickly.
"It's coming up soon, then we will almost be there. You could just let me drive, you know. Since I know exactly where to go."
Much to my surprise, he agreed, and pulled over to the side of the road as soon as it was safe. Once I had adjusted the seat to my liking and was back on the road, I realized why he had agreed so quickly.
"That happens to be my good side." My voice was surprisingly loud in the stillness of the car. Thomas laughed, but continued to look over at me.
"Why do you think I switched seats? I was getting a little tired of seeing the other side of your face."
"Rude." I frowned in mock anger, and much to my surprise, felt him move closer. He planted a kiss on my cheek, and quickly pulled away.
"I'm joking. I was getting tired of you getting to look at me, but not being able to look at you."
I felt warmth spreading through my cheeks, the skin tingling where his lips had been moments before. I glanced over at him, seeing the sincerity of his eyes.
"What happened to you?" I asked in surprise. Sure, we had been making progress, but he hadn't very openly stared at me or acted like he was that attracted to me.
"You did." I blinked, surprised by his quiet words.
"Honestly, I don't know what I did to deserve you." I was having a hard time concentrating on the road. Thomas had never talked like this before, and he chose now, while I was driving, to start talking about our relationship.
"I'm not that good looking." I joked, sensing the seriousness in his voice. I wasn't used to talking seriously with him, and was starting to feel anxious about where the conversation was going. Anxious, but excited at the same time.
"I'm not talking about your looks, but that too. You've done so much for me, Alex." When I looked over at him, I saw the tears in his eyes.
"Me? All I've done is been a dramatic bitch ever since we met." He laughed.
"Well, maybe I needed more drama in my life. But that's not true. I've opened up so much to you. More than I have to anyone in my life. You...you've pushed away so many of my doubts and fears."
"Thomas...i don't..." I didn't know what to say to him. The words caught in my mouth.
"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to say thank you." His voice was so soft, and gentle. I was at a loss for words, but I took my right hand off the wheel, resting it on the console between us.
"You're welcome, but I don't think you need to thank me. I've haven't done a thing." He took my hand in his, and I thought my heart was going to stop.
"You have. You've done more than you know." Just then we pulled into the driveway off my mom's house. The sight of the familiar building was enough to bring back a flood of memories, but I didn't give the house a second thought. I put the car in park, and turned towards him, leaning over to close the gap between us.
The kiss was so gentle, and soft. It was as if he was still trying to convince me of his gratitude through the pressure of his lips on mine. One hand still held mine, but his other came up to gently cup my cheek. I think o could have stayed in that moment for the rest of my life, but fate had other plans for me.
There was a sharp rap on my window, and I pulled away from him quickly, my heart rate beating wildly at the unexpected sound. Of course I was angry at the fact that our kiss had been interrupted, but when I saw the beaming face that accompanied the hand that had startled me, I felt nothing but joy. I unbuckled and unlocked the car as fast as I could, completely forgetting my husband as I jumped our of the car.
"Dad!" I wrapped arms around him, feeling his familiar arms around me. Only now as I breathed in his familiar scent, did I realize how much I had missed him.
"Sorry I interrupted, but yeah, I'm not that sorry. I just pulled in and I couldn't walk by my son, who I haven't seen in almost a year, without saying hello."
"I've missed you, dad." Emotions had never been something that we as father and son had tried to hide from each other. I felt the tears in my eyes, and didn't bother trying to blink them away. I wasn't going to cry, it was just that I suddenly realized how much my family meant to me.
"I've missed you too, Alex." He stepped back, smile still spread across his face, and looked over at Thomas who had just gotten out of the car.
"And you must be my son-in-law." Dad beamed at Thomas, who had his hands shoved in his pocket, and was standing awkwardly on the other side of the car. He kept looking between us, and my dad and I both knew from past experience with people, exactly what he was thinking.
"Yeah, you're welcome. He gets his good looks from me." I mean, the fact that we had the same blue eyes, brown hair, and that my dad still looked nowhere near his 45 years of age, all combined to make us look very similar. We could probably pass as twins if we tried.
"You guys look...really similar." Thomas was still looking between us, surprised by the similarities. He had walked over to stand near us, but still looked extremely uncomfortable. I suppose being caught kissing someone's son isn't exactly the kind of first impression you imagine, so I understood him being awkward.
"I'm Arthur, by the way." My dad extended his hand, smiling at him so genuinely that Thomas couldn't help but smile in return.
"Thomas. It's a pleasure to meet you, Arthur." He seemed to have remember some of his manners as they shook hands.
"I've been waiting to meet you. It came as quite a surprise to me when I found out that my son was going to be marrying a prince. If you hear his mother talk about it, one might believe that you were this horrible man who stole away her son and married him against his will. But something tells me that that isn't quite where it's at." His eyes glinted mischievously as he looked between us. Thomas started violently, eyes widening when he heard what my mom apparently thought about him.
"Oh! I didn't marry him against his will. He wasn't forced into anything, sir, and just because we are married...I mean—I haven't-"
"Relax. I'm just messing with you. I know my son can handle himself, and he wouldn't be this comfortable around you unless you were someone he could trust. And Alex's judgement is good enough for me, so I trust you too."
Thomas visibly relaxed, and my dad continued to beam at him. I missed my dad's smile. It was probably the brightest, most genuine smile I had ever seen. As a child, I had never been one to be afraid of strangers, or people of other races and sexualities. Dad loved everyone and everything, extending his smile and heart to anyone he possibly could. He had led me by example, and I hope I can say that I have followed in his steps.
"And please, don't call me sir. Call me Arthur, or...well anything you want, but sir makes me sound old."
"I'll just call you Arthur then." Thomas looked over at me, silently asking me how much longer this conversation was going to be. I was just about to speak, but it seemed that my dad had just remembered something else.
"Oh wait! I'm I supposed to call you Prince Thomas or your highness? Because that's pretty weird since you are my son-in-law, but I probably could call you that if I put my mind to it."
"No, Thomas is just fine."
"Now leave Thomas alone, and let's go see mom." I cut in before my dad could think of anything else to ask Thomas about.
"You first. I'm scared." Dad stepped behind me, which really didn't help since we are the same height.
"Why? Did you piss her off again? Last time we talked you guys were fine." I sighed. The way my parents acted, you wouldn't guess that they got divorced almost fifteen years ago. He spent so much time visiting and fixing up the place that it might as well have been his and my mom's house. They got along splendidly if you didn't count the times my dad still managed to get under her skin.
"I swear, I wasn't trying to. I just...talk to much."
"Something else you passed on to your son." Thomas muttered under his breath as he went to get the bags, unaware that both my and my dad could hear him.
My dad's eyebrows shot up, and he leaned closer to me.
"Do you think he's mad at me for interrupting whatever was going on in your guy's car?"
"That was simple kiss, and yes, he might be. Also, maybe you could stop trying to make him uncomfortable. Mom's already going to excel that that."
"Me? Make him uncomfortable?" He looked at me in shock. "I've done nothing but behave very civilly towards him. If he can't handle me, that's his problem. By the way, your husband is kind of serious."
"I know. We are working on that. Just, let's try to make him feel at home."
"I'll try, but this isn't my home. You'll have to talk to your mother about making him feel at home."
Oh yeah, my mom. I'm pretty sure she hates Thomas.