Freshman Year Roommate Pt. 22

"Hon, it sounds interesting, but really, if it's a safe posting and not half a world away, I'm happy! No, not happy. Ecstatic!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you were looking forward to the peace and quiet of sending me overseas, but you might have to suffer through weekend visits!"

Now it was time for our old banter! "Well, yeah, that will be annoying, but I guess I'll just have to tough it out." And then he tickled me, and next we were kissing again.

Our good fortune didn't seem to have an end. May it always be that way! I'd had nightmares of him being packed off to some faraway location. Or worse, sent in harm's way. That he was going to work on his engineering work right here in Maryland was the best news imaginable.

Then he said, "Oh, by the way, I've been talking to mom about wedding plans. I think she may be good with a relatively small outdoor ceremony."

"Okay, stop right there. First, I need you to define 'mom.'"

"You don't know what a mom is?"

I just stared at him.

"Well, if you don't know, that's the person who gave birth to you."

"Ah ha! I knew it! 'Mom' is my mom! Back off, soldier boy!"

"Can I help it if she loves me?"

"Why do I think she talks to you more than she talks to me?"

He laughed. "Can I help it if I'm more fun that you?"

"Wow! That's harsh! And I'm getting snubbed by my own mother."

"So call her more!"

I thought about that for a second. "Okay, you may have a point there. So what else did you two discuss?"

"Not a whole lot, but I'm still steering her to the idea of a wedding on campus, since we still are near there and it's a lovely setting. Also, it's where our love began."

"And we know the school will do that?"

"Yeah, she and I divvied up the work and made some calls."

"So when is this supposed to happen?" I still was running my fingers over his chest. So fucking hot... "Is there a rush? Are you pregnant?"

"After that last fuck, I wouldn't be surprised!"

"That wasn't a 'fuck,' you crude soldierboy. I made love to you!"

He laughed again. "Whatever you call it, it was awesome, and really, if a guy could ever get pregnant, that would have done it!"

We kissed again, and then he said, "I'm not in a rush. We have our whole lives ahead of us. But I'm also looking forward to calling you my husband." He paused. "What do you think?"

"Well, I don't know. Maybe next spring? Or the one after? Either way, I like the idea of a late spring or early summer wedding. Maybe sometime in June? The weather's usually beautiful. Think you can get time off from protecting the nation, so you can get married?"

"I asked my commanding officer about that. Oh, and speaking of that, he's in the Army a while, but he was completely cool with my being gay."

"Well, that's good. No matter what they say about things changing, I don't think the Army is the most progressive organization."

"Probably not, but the C.O. seems like a decent guy. Anyhow, I asked, and he said, basically, to give him enough notice and he can work with me on it. Didn't sound like a problem at all."

"Great!"

"I was thinking either around June or September would be good, as far as the weather, but by September, classes are starting again. I'd rather have the academic shit behind me so I can relax and enjoy our wedding."

He laughed again. "Relax? I don't know if that's on the agenda for this wedding. When we have a little time, I have to introduce you to my future mother-in-law. She's a bit... intense about this."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But still, better to not have to worry about classes. And do you think you'll get enough time off for us to have a honeymoon somewhere nice?"

"I was thinking we could come back here and just fuck night and day."

"That would be different and special how?"

"Well, okay, I guess we do pretty well in that department, don't we? But yes, it sounds like I can take a couple of weeks, so we should be fine."

"Where are we going to go?"

"Where do you want to go, Jess?"

"No idea. You know I want to travel a lot, but for this, where we go isn't so vital. Just that we're going together."

"Well, mom said they had some ideas and we shouldn't book anything yet."

"Oh, lord, how much is that woman planning to control?"

"Let her have her fun! Besides, we don't have so much money now. So let's let them spoil us."

"Ooh, this is pretty mercenary for you!"

"Just being practical. And apparently, your folks and mine are becoming pretty chummy, and there's some sort of conspiracy going on already."

"Fine. It sounds like I shouldn't let my pride get in the way."

"By the way--and this may make you feel better--I've been getting paid the past few months. So I've sent a couple of checks to your parents, telling them we want to offset some of what they're spending on your education and our rent. Predictably, I got a phone call and my ear chewed off after the first check, but they relented. Well, at least for now. Something like, 'We'll hang on to this and can discuss it another time.'"

"Hmm. You know, that's probably about as good as you'll get from them. They see the parent-child thing as a one-way street. They have a duty to support me--and now, 'us.' So this probably rubs them the wrong way."

"Oh, I know it does. My parents are very similar. But maybe they can adjust to the idea that we're now grown men and are trying to stand on our own, at least as much as we can."

"We'll spoil them however we can in the years ahead."

I smiled. "Deal! So how about we hit the shower now?"

"Sounds good."

So that's what we did. Washing each other and sharing kisses under the spray.

After we were cleaned up, we got dressed and went to find a bite to eat. There was a retro-style diner we wanted to try. We sat in a booth that had a mini-jukebox at the end of the table. Remember those? Well, we were flipping through the selections, trying to find a song to play. We killed a lot of time doing that. The server came by, and I ordered a tuna melt, while John got chicken fingers. Yeah, we were being real healthy eaters. But we'd just gotten some exercise, so why not? Oh, chocolate shakes, too!

In going through the songs, I saw one that was older than we were, What a Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong. I hadn't heard it in a while.

It was much more my parents' era, but I loved the sound and the sweet message. I always felt like it was uplifting, and being back together with John, it felt right. But... no, it was an oldie, and I figured he'd want something newer. As we waited for the food, he asked what I wanted to play. I told him I wasn't sure, so he should go ahead and pick something.

He was flipping through choices, and then I saw when he connected with one he wanted. He said, "this makes me think of you--or maybe you make me think of it?" He made his selection, and then I heard familiar sounds, followed by,

I see trees of green,

Red roses, too,

I see them bloom for me and you,

And I think to myself,

What a wonderful world.

We may have been 22 years old, but this "oldie" was going to become "our song."

I guess he saw that his emotional mess of a fiancé was welling up again. He grabbed my hands and said, "What?"

I said, "That's the song I wanted to pick, because it fits with my love for you. But I thought it might be too old and sappy."

"It's beautiful, like you, and if it's sappy, then I guess I am, too."

We leaned across the table and kissed. Of course, at that moment, our food arrived. Along with a "You go, boys" from our server. Then she noticed something else. "Rings, too? You give me hope for the world!"

She winked and walked away.