Beautiful Remains

The reception came to an end and everyone was pitching in to clean up the mess that was made. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to find the newly-weds standing there. "Thank you for making this one very memorable day for us, Dean," Shaun said, making Geoff nod. I smiled at them and nodded.

"It's not a problem. Though, I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did," I said, causing them to laugh. "But hey, you guys had a great day and had fun, so I suppose it was all worth it."

"It was, that's for sure," Geoff said, smiling at me, then turning to Shaun and kissing him tenderly. I smiled as I went back to wiping down the wall. Today was a good day for everyone, and one of the happiest for Geoff and Shaun. As I cleaned the wall, my mind wandered, going back to the day I moved in with him.

Flashback

The rain was pouring, soaking me and the bag of clothes I had with me. I spotted that Irish kid walking into his house, so I jogged over to him. "Hey, Geoff?" I called, causing him to stop and turn to me.

"Yeah, Dean?" he said, his blue eyes looking at me in confusion. I looked down, unsure of how to ask him. I took a deep breath and looked back up at him.

"Would it be okay if I stayed with you and parents for a while? My parents are on the verge of insanity since I came out of the closet," I said, my voice cracking towards the end. I hated crying in front of people, but I felt so scared that I couldn't help myself.

I looked up when a car pulled into the driveway. It was his parents, Mr. and Mrs. O'Day. Geoff jogged over to them, probably asking if it was alright with them if I stayed there until I could either go back home or until I found my own place. His mom soon got out of the car and ran over to me.

"Of course you can stay, sweetheart," she said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. "Let's get you inside and warmed up. It wouldn't be pleasant if you got sick." She smiled and I smiled back.

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, walking with her up the steps and into the house. I reached into my bag and sighed in relief that my clothes were still dry. "Do you think I could throw these in the dryer?" I asked, looking up at Mrs. O'Day.

"Of course, honey," she said, motioning me to take off my shoes. I complied and looked around in awe. "Bathroom is upstairs. Make a left and it's the last door at the end of the hallway." I nodded and made my way upstairs.

Geoff came up beside me and smiled at me. "I've got an extra bed in my room if you'd rather sleep there instead of the guest room," he said, the smile never leaving his face.

"That'd be great," I said, returning the smile. He went to what I assumed was his room and I made my way to the bathroom. As I removed my rain-soaked clothes, my mind wandered. Little did I know that living here with Geoff was going to turn into a long and lasting friendship.

I smiled at the memory and then glanced over at Geoff and Shaun, who were currently talking to Geoff's parents. I smiled as I made my way over to them, throwing the towel over my shoulder.

Mr. O'Day looked up at me and smiled warmly. "Ah, Dean. It's been a long time," he said, his Irish accent still strong. I smiled as I nodded and held out a hand. He shook it and smiling bigger.

"It has been a while, sir. How have you been?" I asked, looking at Mrs. O'Day who had her arms open. I looked down at myself and then back at her, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't mind it when you were soaking on our doorstep and I don't mind now, you should know that, honey," she said, motioning for me to come give her a hug. I laughed as I hugged her.

"We've been doing well. We actually moved back into town," Mr. O'Day said as I let go of his wife. I nodded and smiled at them both.

"It's good to see you again," I said, causing them to nod. I heard Fred and Chase cackling at the other side of the room and I turned my head to look at them. Both of them were shoving cake in each others faces. I laughed to myself.

"Dean, Geoff tells us you're married. How long and to whom?" Mrs. O'Day asked, making my attention go to her.

"I've been married five years now, and his name is Chase," I said, looking back over at Chase who was wiping off Fred's face. "Hey, Chase!" I called causing him to look at me. I motioned for him to come over. He said something to Fred who nodded and then made his way over to him and wrapping his arms around my waist. "I want you to meet, Geoff's parents and my second parents, Séamus and Fíona O'Day." Chase looked at them and smiled.

"Nice to meet you," Chase said, offering his hand. Séamus shook it, and Fíona grabbed it pulling him to her. Chase laughed as he hugged her. "I like them already," Chase said, causing everyone to laugh. After Chase made his way back to my side, he asked, "What are the Americanized versions of your names, if you don't mind me asking?"

"James and Fiona," Mr. O'Day said, smiling. Chase stiffened and I held him close. "Is something wrong?"

"Let's just say when Chase and I were having a little dispute, there was an incident with a man named James," I whispered, causing Chase to grip me tighter. The looks Geoff's parents gave were those of sympathy.

"We're sorry, Chase. I hope that character is taken care of," Mrs. O'Day said, causing him to nod.

"Dean took care of him for me, and I'm thankful for that," Chase said, looking up at me and smiling, though his eyes were showing a bit of fear and pain. I kissed his forehead, then held him close to me.