Luke's, Friday Afternoon

[geniuswithasmartphone]

When Hardison came downstairs to the restaurant today, he found it bedecked in rainbow streamers, bunting, and flags. "I see y'all have already heard," he said, fighting back a grin. He wasn't certain how the staff had all managed to dye their aprons in rainbow colors so quickly (had they had them saved and hidden away somewhere?) but he wasn't going to ruin the magic of the moment by asking.

"Yup!" the dishwasher said, rainbow flags the size of cocktail umbrellas decorating his hair. "And we decided to do a little celebrating. Hope you don't mind."

"Y'know, I think on a day like today, a little celebration is in order," Hardison declared. "Free cake for everyone?"

Today's Specials
Celebrate Marriage Equality in All 50 States Today with FREE CAKE!
Pork Ribs Brined in Scalia's Tears
Rainbow Tossed Those-Dissents-Into-The-Garbage-Where-They-Belonged Salad
All Hearts Are Equal Tartlets
Rainbow Sangria (Both virgin and alcoholic!)

Hardison was going to spend the day kicked back in a booth, watching the cheering on the internet and trolling people who protested. Though the best--the very best--part of his morning was getting a phone call from his Nana all about the morning's news and how she'd chased some 'clucking old hens' out of her living room to clutch their pearls in someone else's home.

Maybe...maybe explaining a few things about his life to her would be easier than he thought.

[Open, OCD-free, and utterly shameless]

Comments

[vdistinctive]

Eliot had spent the morning out in the preserve scouting spots for next session's class and basically using any excuse to get out into nature. As such, he hadn't heard the news, just yet. So he was doing a lot of staring as he came into the diner to get some lunch.

"The hell is all this? Did the pony explode in here or something?"

Was it a gremlin bite? Did Hardison think he was the pony?

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Eliot!" Was Eliot prepared for all six feet and and two inches of his boyfriend to come hurtling at him? Because that was what was happening. Hardison looked up at Eliot's voice and flung himself at him, ending up half in Eliot's arms and pulling him in for a deep kiss.

[modded with permission!]

[vdistinctive]

Eliot was entirely not prepared for that, and had it been anyone else coming at him like that (Parker would've been sneakier about it, after all), they'd've ended up unconscious on the floor.

Instead of thoroughly, if somewhat baffledly, kissed back.

"Not that I'm complainin'," he managed after awhile, "but the hell was that for?"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Guess what state has marriage equality now?" Hardison said, beaming at Eliot. "Guess!"

[vdistinctive]

This was getting ridiculous. Eliot gave him a baffled look. Or continued giving him the same baffled look. "The should I know?" He glanced around at all the decorations again. "And anyway, I figured we wouldn't hear anything until. . . ."

He trailed off, then looked back at Hardison, eyes wide. "They didn't."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid!" Hardison announced, smile growing impossibly wider. "5-4. Marriage equality is federal law."

It felt so great to be able to say that. Like, stealing-from-the-evil great.

[vdistinctive]

Eliot stared at him a moment longer, then burst into a grin with a loud WHOOP. "It's about goddamn time!"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Man, I know, right? An' Kennedy's opinion was beautiful an' the dissents were straight-up crazy an', hell, man, even my Nana got in on it." He finally disentangled his gangly limbs from Eliot's. They both needed glasses of rainbow sangria to celebrate!

"Course, now you gotta worry about me pesterin' you to make an honest man of me," he teased, turning away towards the counter where the drinks were.

Because any amount of marriage would make any of the three of them 'honest.'

[vdistinctive]

Eliot stiffened automatically, but played it off with a roll of his eyes. "Right. You, honest. That's going to happen." Even commitment panic couldn't keep the smile off his face, though. "You spendin' your day watching people's heads explode on the internet?"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison turned back around, glasses of sangria in hand, missing Eliot's moment of internal panic entirely. "You know me so well," he said with a laugh. "Half the GOP is in tears, the other half are screamin' about morality...It almost makes me wish I were legit enough for a Facebook page because this is hilarious."

Handing Eliot's glass over, he held his aloft. "Cheers, yo. To marriage equality."

[vdistinctive]

"Cheers," Eliot agreed, clinking his glass against Hardison's. He then proceeded to glower at it. (Well, as best as one could when your face was refusing to not smile.) "This thing is more fruit than booze. You tellin' me you don't have half a dozen fake Facebook profiles already?"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"I wanted somethin' that would still be good if it was made virgin for the students," Hardison said fondly. Aww, Eliot was grumping, all was well in the world. "An' of course I do. But it ain't the same, you know, filled with family members you gonna fight with over Thanksgivin an' high school folks you barely remember but grin every time you see one of 'em's gotten bald or somethin'..."

[vdistinctive]

"Really? That's how people use that crap?" Eliot shook his head. Clearly his method of never speaking to the people he grew up with again until he had to was the way to go, right?

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

Parker was not up on news, really. But she did wander through Twitter sometimes, for lols. (She learned that from Hardison.)

"...does this mean what I think it means?!"

Probably not, but it was good to check!

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Depends," Hardison said, opening his arms to her. With Parker, he mostly gave her the option of coming to him, letting her decide whether she wished to or not. But if she did, he was gonna kiss her silly, trufax. "What do you think it means, mama?"

His grin made it clear enough.

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

"We could steal a wedding for you and Eliot as well as you and me!"

...so, close. Right? Right? Snuggles!

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Enh. Close enough! Hardison could explain about polygamy still not being legal later. Because, again, when did legalities ever stop them?

"Pretty much!" he agreed, wrapping his arms around Parker and holding her tightly. "Big day. There's a whole generation of folks that can't remember a time when interracial marriage was illegal, and now there's gonna be a whole generation of folks who can't remember a time when same-sex marriage was illegal, either."

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

"Yaaaaaaay." Not that Eliot was ready to marry them yet. They weren't even ready to steal a wedding for each other, yet. But it was nice that when it happened, it would be seen as real by everyone out there. Legal, schmegal: a Thing That Happens would help.

"Is that why there's a party now? Ooo, cake."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Yep!" Hardison replied, gesturing to the staff to give Parker a small slice. "Celebratin' equal rights for everyone."

No, smaller than that. Had these people never seen Parker on a sugar high?

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

No, bigger than that! They were celebrating! And remember, she had a taser!

"So if we do someday, steal a wedding... where would we do that? And would we steal a justice of a peace or a rabbi or priest? Ooo, we could steal Nate's friend!"

And ice cream too, please.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Taser trumped every single one of Hardison's arguments, dammit.

"I dunno how Nate would feel about us kidnappin' a friend of his," Hardison said. He had an idea of how he'd steal a wedding, but he wasn't about to actually share it with Parker. It would ruin the surprise. "I figure we'd just steal whatever officiant was closest. Rabbi, priest, justice, Elvis. You know, whatever we had on hand!"

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

"Just as long as Nate and Sophie can make it in time." Parker paused, nibbling happily, then added, "Which kind of limits the options a little. But..."

Okay, there was one thing she wanted. "Can we have a chocolate fountain?"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Nate an' Sophie, my Nana too if she can make it," Hardison promised. "An' yeah. No matter what happens, I promise our wedding'll have a chocolate fountain."

'Our wedding.' That had a really nice ring to it. And also--hmm. If they were really talking about this, he should probably think about getting Parker a really nice ring, too. Otherwise she'd just end up stealing one for herself.

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

Or stealing an awesome selection for him to choose from! For him, really. That was fair, right?

Parker paused in her eating, and said, "Do you think your Nana would like the Island? Or... should we. Maybe." Maaaybe. "Visit her? Sometime."

You know. If she wouldn't talk Hardison out of being with them. And all.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

No one could talk Hardison out of being with them. Nobody. It would hurt Hardison deeply if she didn't approve of the people he'd chosen to love and he would have to face the possibility of distancing himself from her, but there was no way that she could ever make him turn his back on Parker or Eliot.

"You know, I think that would be...pretty cool," Hardison said, ducking his head a little. "She likes knowin' what's goin' on in my life. It's about time she got a chance to meet y'all."