Oliver Thorton

The day had come. The next issue of the Michelin Guide had arrived in the mail.

Most of the Hobson family plus Oliver and Sam were standing around the large kitchen table in front of the guide that had arrived by mail. No one wanted to take initiative to open the package and take out the book. Oliver was starting to lose feeling in his arms from holding Sam for so long. He pushed the baby into Helena’s arms and took a seat on Benjamin’s lap. He had been nervous to show this kind of affection in front of Ben’s family at first, but they had accepted him with open arms.

“Is anyone going to open the package?” Charlotte inquired. “I know this is a huge deal and everything, but I do have things to do today, so...” Charlotte clicked her tongue and lifted the packet from the table, ripping the paper and taking out the tome. “Am I going to have to read it too?”

No one answered, they just stared. Oliver wrapped his arms tighter around Benjamin’s neck and pressed a light kiss to the man’s forehead. Benjamin had not said a single word since his mother had told them that the book had finally arrived. They had been waiting months for this book to arrive and now that it was finally here...they didn’t know what to do.
Charlotte sighed, flipping open the book and reading the table of contents until she reached ‘Maiden Fog’.

“Alright.” She began, clearing her throat. “A review of the popular Tiverton restaurant, Maiden Fog by Augustus Ramon of the Michelin Guide.” Oliver felt Benjamin’s arms tighten around his waist as he buried his face in his shoulder. Oliver pressed another kiss to his forehead. “So...the food was delightful, the staff was excellent, yada yada yada.” The family looked as thought they were ready to strangle Charlotte omitting parts of the review but they were all too anxious to hear the result to say anything. “Alright, so...‘there are plenty of wonderful restaurants scattered across England that are worth a stop on any trip, but the Maiden Fog deserves to be the special reason to upheave yourself and visit this quaint area of Tiverton. With their superb dedication to ensuring that every plate is filled with only the most delicate and beautiful of flavors, this restaurant deserves every single one of the three stars that it has been awarded.’”

It was as though every single family member was holding their breath, unable to believe what they had just heard. Even Charlotte had to read it over once more to ensure that she had read the correct title of their restaurant. Oliver had let out a small squeak outside of the grin stretched on his face and it seemed as though that was the trigger.

Mr. and Mrs. Hobson jumped from their seat and squeezed each other in a tight hug, careful of the baby between them. Charlotte began cheering, dancing around the table and her family and Benjamin simply sat at the table, a far away look in his eyes. He had only been waiting for this review since before he could even talk and here it was, right in front of him. He didn’t know what to do with this information.

Oliver smiled softly down at him before lifting himself from the man’s lap and pulling Benjamin up with him. Oliver wrapped his small arms around Benjamin’s middle and buried his face in the man’s strong, muscular chest. Benjamin slowly wrapped his own arms around his boyfriend before it finally started sinking into his brain. They had done it. They were a three star restaurant. Everything he had worked towards was finally coming together. They had done it. They had finally done it.

...

There was a lot of celebrating that night. The Hobsons had invited everyone they knew and threw a barbecue/party in their large backyard. Benjamin had been over the moon all day, practically skipping everywhere and refusing to let Oliver out of his sight for even one second.

Thomas had come home after taking his final exam just two days prior and was standing under the shade of an apple tree, wrapped in James’s arms, talking to Charlotte who had brought her new boyfriend of three weeks.

Sam was being passed around and cuddled by different people that Oliver didn’t know. He had been hesitant at first to hand his son to a complete stranger, but he trusted the Hobsons and their judgement and Sam was having the time of his life getting so much attention.

Oliver had pilled the homemade chips on his plate when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his middle and a chest press into his back. A smile graced his lips as he pressed himself back into the man, turning his head to press his lips to the other’s.

“Can I help you with something?” Oliver purred, placing a hot dog in a bun and adding condiments.
Benjamin gave a husky chuckle, pressing light kisses to the side of Oliver’s head.

“Actually, I seem to have lost my boyfriend because I was so distracted by your beauty. I won’t miss him if you decide to take his place.”
Oliver chuckled.

“How rude.”

Benjamin laughed as he too filled his plate before leading Oliver to one of the many picnic tables. He sat himself beside his boyfriend and took a look around his family yard. Everything was perfect. He had thought that his life was perfect before all of this; doing nothing but working at the restaurant with no prospect of another life. And then he met Oliver. The man turned his life upside down, he showed him things that Benjamin never thought he would ever love nor need, like Sam. He wouldn’t change a single thing if he had the chance. Even if he hadn't gotten that third star, he would love his life either way. As long as Oliver was in it.

Charlotte came by and dropped a fussy Sam onto Benjamin’s lap. The baby immediately began giggling and attempting to eat chips off of the man’s plate. Benjamin laughed down at the baby in his lap, kissing his mass of curls and putting a salty chip in his chubby hand.

“No wonder he’s getting so chunky, you’ve been feeding him junk.” Oliver chuckled, wiping salt off of his son’s rosy cheek.

The baby grabbed another off of Benjamin’s plate and squeezed that one in his other fist, blabbering about a ‘baba’ and ‘poopoo’ and something else that made absolutely no sense to either of the men.
The couple laughed and continued talking about everything and nothing in particular with Sam bouncing away on Ben’s lap and stealing his food. James and Thomas joined the two a while later, laughing about their own conversation. James walked around and stole Sam from Benjamin’s arms. The baby did not put up a protest. He loved his uncle James.

“So James and I were talking about taking a trip this summer.” Thomas began, taking a bite out of his hotdog. “12 days in Greece, wanna come?”
Oliver snorted into his pop.

“A trip to Greece for 12 days? You think I can afford that? And what about Sam?” Oliver almost chuckled. James was about to open his mouth but was cut off by Oliver almost immediately. “And don’t say you’re going to pay for it because you know I’ll say no.”
Benjamin and Thomas shared a laugh before striking up their own conversation as their significant others began bickering.

“Oli.” Thomas grabbed his brother’s attention. “So I received a very interesting phone call last night. Can you guess from whom?”

Oliver sighed and rolled his eyes. His parents had completely given up on him and Oliver had accepted that. The final straw was that they did not accept his son and he refused to associate with anyone who did not accept his son. Even if that meant shutting out his parents. Not that they put much effort into contacting him either, but it hadn’t only been Oliver that they'd been directing their hostilities towards. Thomas was also receiving the cold shoulder. It was almost worse for Thomas because he still technically lived at their parents’ home, even if he never went back, all of his things were still there.

“What did they want?” Oliver growled. Benjamin wrapped a tight arm around Oliver’s waist and brought him in closer. The Thortons were a hard subject and Benjamin had always been careful not to bring them up.

“They asked if I was planning on coming home this summer or if they should just chuck my things out now. I think I have to stop by there and pick up my things so...I was wondering...if perhaps I can...maybe crash at the house for the summer.”

Oliver snorted into his apple juice.

“Are you honestly asking me that? I thought that was the plan already. What are you really trying to ask me, Tommy?”

Thomas sighed, sharing a look with James. They had spoken about this and they both decided that this would be for the best. Even if they knew that Oliver would not accept it straight away.

“Well...I have to go pick up my things from there before they burn it all and...I was hoping you would come with me. You and Sam.”
Oliver stopped eating. He put down his fork and let out a very deep sigh. Why did he have a feeling that this was what his brother was going to ask? Maybe it was a twin thing. Another deep breath and he leaned his entire weight onto Benjamin.

“Alright...we’ll come. I think it’s for the best that we have a final talk. It might turn out for the best...or the worst...whichever.”
To say Thomas was surprised would be an understatement. He had expected Oliver to put up the longest fight and then planned to go all by himself in the end. But to have Oliver agree to go see their parents that easily?

But it was for the best and both brothers knew it. Oliver kind of just wanted to rub it in his mother’s face that he was getting on just fine without her. His son was growing healthy and beautiful and he wasn’t yet in the poor house. He had a loving boyfriend and the best friend anyone could ask for and the most wonderful brother who he would do anything for. Oliver smiled...he was doing alright.

“Are you sure about this? Do you want me to come along?” Benjamin murmured when James and Thomas had engaged in their own conversation. The last thing he wanted was for Oliver to be uncomfortable and hurt in any way and Ben knew that the last time Oliver saw his parents, he was hurt.

“I”m sure.” Oliver smiled up at him. “Really. I think I’ve grown up a lot since I’ve last seen my parents and I just...I just want them to know that I don’t need them anymore. Not that they were ever really there for me and Thomas anyway, but...we’re alright by ourselves.”

Benjamin smiled lovingly down at the boy in his arms. He never thought he’d ever be able to find anyone after Elizabeth and yet here he was. He kind of wanted to see her and let her know that she didn’t break him after all. Benjamin understood how Oliver was feeling. He wasn’t broken. He hadn’t been ruined beyond repair. He was alright.

They would all be alright.