#cavills

‘Don’t worry.’ Henry sniffled, feeling my hand near squishing his hand from the nerves that were working through my system. We were having dinner with both our parents. Not a completely weird thing really, especially since they were such very good neighbours, but the true reason for inviting them both for dinner at this cute seaside restaurant wasn’t just for neighbourly affairs. And I was one to totally overthink the whole situation and make myself crazy in the head for it.

Was it too soon? 

‘There they are.’ Henry smiled and got up from his chair, waving happily at his mom, whom was followed by Colin, her husband and both my parents. Such good neighbours they even travelled together. Swallowing back the rest of my nerves I also moved my chair back and got up, my hands quickly rubbing off my clammy palms on my dress.

‘Oh sweet babies! You look so good.’ Marianne beamed, instantly moving to rearrange Henry’s stubborn curl that always tended to flop back over his forehead. ‘Momm..’ He softly grumbled, making his father laugh heartily. ‘Mitchel was just talking about this new hair growing shampoo he got..so who knows..next up she’ll be doing it with him too hahahah.’ - ‘Oi Colin! No need to share ‘em secrets just yet. I thought it’d be a fancy little surprise for summer. Me..long flowing hair..a fantastic beard..’ My dad rubbed his hand expectantly over his balding head and we all laughed.

‘Sit down, sit down. Please.’ Henry smiled, gesturing at the chairs around the table and before long we were all seated and a first glass of wine was poured. Beneath the table I could feel Henry’s slightly nervously shifting leg against mine, our hands closely entangled. It was a relief to know he was just as nervous. It all seemed silly, but still. We loved our parents and it mattered what they thought and felt. 

From the look on my mom’s face I knew that she knew - not that it surprised me, she practically always seemed to eavesdrop. Then my dad, whom was still joking about with Colin. And Marianne, her eyes piercing into mine, lips casually sipping on her wine. She raised an eyebrow and I swallowed.

But, before I had even gathered the courage to speak up, Henry had already taken the lead, his warm voice breaking up the banter between our two dads. ‘Mom, dad, Mitchel, Elaine.’ He smiled. ‘Thank you so much for joining us.-‘ ‘Always son!’ Colin beamed, raising his glass. ‘Thanks dad haha. Uhm..’ He looked at me, his eyes lovingly searching mine. ‘We are both so very glad to have you as our parents..and see you get along so well. It makes it easier for us to..’

‘ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED?!’ My mom blurted out, already squeezing her hands in excitement before Henry could even finish his sentence. Okay, scratch my previous assumption: mom had no clue. Henry blinked at my mom, then burst out laughing. I felt my cheeks flush up bright red.

OH MOM..please..for the love of god. Be-HAVE.

I wish I could just melt into my seat, disappear from the others amused smiles. Especially Marianne’s, her charming blue eyes twinkling with mirth.

‘Hahah..well..Elaine, though I absolutely intend to..ask your daughter that some day..’ He widened his eyes. ‘..perhaps first things first.’ He looked back at me and sniffled as I gave my mom a most exasperated look. ‘We are actually planning on moving in together.’

‘Oh..’ My mom gulped, then chuckled, her hand quickly reaching for her glass of wine. ‘..and babies?’ She said softly, almost teasingly, before quickly taking a sip.

‘MOMMM.’ I gasped, making her chuckle like a giddy schoolgirl. ‘Oh please..’ She raised her wine glass for a toast. ‘..do not mind me. It’s the wine.’ She winked at Marianne who laughed in turn, both women clinking glasses together.

‘Incorrigible..’ Henry murmured, sniffling ever so slightly as we watched both our dads and moms having equal fun and loving banter.

After Marianne and my mom put down their glasses again, Marianne scraped her throat, her brow furrowed in thought. ‘I eh..actually heard the Jones’s are moving out.’ She said casually, looking at Colin who nodded due-fully at his wife. ‘Correct.’ He hummed. ‘It’s a nice house, too.’ She smiled at me and Henry.

The hint was clear; the Jones’s house was just another 200 meters further up the road from where both our parents lived. Henry smiled at me and I felt my heart do another swift and fluttery somersault. Would he like that? Living so close to..? I mean..it wasn’t like we couldn’t stand our parents. We loved them, truly. I could have probably easily found a new apartment by now - but I didn’t. He could have been in his Mews home - but he wasn’t.

‘We could take a look.’ I nodded slowly at Henry, to which his smile only grew. ‘Sounds like a plan.’

—

‘So..yea..we got the house!’ Henry smiled at Piers, the oldest of the Cavill sons munching away on some Christmas chocolates while nodding in shared enthusiasm. ‘Twats gwreaat.’ He mumbled with a full mouth, making Marianne swat his arm. The rest of the family looked up for a moment, some smiling, others mere raising an amused eyebrow.

No matter how old the boys would get, they would always remain boys in the eyes of their mother.  

I snickered and snuggled into Henry’s chest, watching the rest return to their conversation. Piers, Simon, their wives and kids had all joined for Christmas dinner, and though I had often heard Henry talk about such events, it was quite special to be a part of it for the first time. I had known these boys from when they could barely walk and talk, so it was all the more fun to see how, despite having grown up, they still had some quirks from their childhood selves.

Henry being overbearingly caring for everyone. Piers forgetting his manners whenever good food was around. Simon always having to go the bathroom when dinner was just about ready. Some things never change. And others? I looked at Henry, his eyes quickly peeking back at me. Some things do change.

We had survived our summer fling. For the first time ever.

‘So what’s next hmm?’ Simon intermingled into the conversation, him and his wife situated at the couch opposite of ours, the fireplace on our left, his right. ‘Well eh..’ Henry started, but was soon interrupted by Piers. ‘Come on then Henners! House, wife, kids, it’s no secret you want that, huh?’ He teased, poking his younger brother in his ribs. Henry flinched slightly, giving his mom a look that screamed; “Please mom, make them stop”.

But Marianne only sniffled, hiding behind her glass of red wine and watching her kids go about like the good old days. Yes, some things don’t change indeed.

Henry sighed and looked back at me again, the other two clinking their glasses as if celebrating victory - a moment in which they missed the silent glimmer of sadness that suddenly had taken a hold of Henry’s eyes. I felt my stomach flip, not in a good way, and sat up a little. Henry swallowed and quickly made a smile reappear on his lips when his two older brothers sank back down in their seats.

I quickly emptied my wine glass and scraped my throat. ‘I eh..am going to fetch us a new bottle of wine. Anyone anything else?’ I looked around but everyone seemed content enough as it is, even the kids not wishing for more hot coco like I half expected. Only Colin shot up; ‘Oh I can do it too dear, please!’ - ‘Oh no. Please Colin. I’m sure Henry can help me out, right?’ I looked over my shoulder at Henry and he got the hint, also sitting up a bit. ‘Yes, why of course. Ladies first.’ He gestured me to proceed into the hallway.

—

Moving into the kitchen, Kal hot on our heels (expecting food), Henry sighed, his arms circling around me even before we could make it to the cellar. Without words needed I curled into the warmth of his arms, feeling his head dip down to rest in the crook of neck. I was feeling all kinds of worried at that moment. Was something wrong? Did I miss some signs? Did I..-?

‘I already can’t stand the idea of having to miss you again.’ He whispered, hugging me even tighter into his chest.

And then I realised what this was about. After Christmas he had to fly out to shoot a new movie again. This time all the way over in Canada. And we still had to wait for the full green light on my hiatus as my employer was looking into a number of candidates, whom were right now writing a test assignment to see if this could work. In the worst case I would have to miss Henry for 3,5 months. About as long as we were together right now.

And that idea was terrifying.

Quietly I wrapped my arms tightly around his chest, willing him to feel that I wasn’t going anywhere. That we were doing this. Together.

‘I just feel so bad for being the cause of all ..this..’ He swallowed in the last of his words, sighing harshly. ‘Hen..baby. We can do this okay. See it as some kind of ultimate test for our relationship. If we can survive this, we can survive anything.’ I leaned back a little to look into his eyes. He nodded, moving his head to rest our foreheads together.

‘At least after this shoot my year will be less busy.’

‘Yea.’ I whispered. ‘Thanks for inviting me for Christmas by the way. I hope your brothers aren’t giving you their worst.’ I snickered quietly. Henry sniffled. ‘They’re my brothers. It’s their sole duty to give me their worst. And I love them all the same.’ We both chuckled. Even now I couldn’t quite imagine what it must have been like to grow up with four brothers. I had no brothers or sisters, so whenever I wanted to play as a kid I’d come over to the Cavill’s. A real manly household at that; burping contests, dirty laundry piling way up high, building tree huts with rusty nails.

And poor Marianne trying to keep all of us in check.

’You have lovely brothers - albeit a bit of a teasing bunch every now and then.’ I moved my head back a bit again. ‘Are you okay to go back in there or do you need another..?’

‘Just..’ He captured my lips for a brief, though passionate kiss. ‘..a little moment.’

I hummed in amusement, basking in the warmth of his embrace. ‘That hiatus better be approved …soon.’

‘Yea..It BETTER be.’ He smiled, diving in for a far less family-approved kiss.

‘IEEWWWLLL.’ One of Henry’s nephews had apparently come in to check on us and we both gave him a teasing look.

‘What? Can’t adults kiss?’ Henry chided, making the poor teen roll his eyes in utter disgust.

‘You guys are SOO gross.’ The boy shuddered, quickly moving past us to fetch the cookie jar. Also like the old days. Henry wrapped his arm around me to press one more kiss, albeit far more chaste this time, on my lips. ‘I love you.’ He whispered, just loud enough for the poor teen to shudder even louder.

‘GROSSSSSS.’ He said with utter disgust, quickly fleeing the kitchen before he’d have to see anymore of this sappy adult-stuff.

Henry and I both chuckled.

‘I love you too, silly.’ I winked, then felt Kal push his head in my hand, refusing to be left out after all this making out between his humans. ‘And you three!’  

--

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