#dannron

Hamish Peachy was sitting in his boat, fishing pole in hand as he waited for any sign of a bite. He sighed, sitting back as he waited, he didn’t seem to be having any luck today. The fish weren’t biting… it wasn’t that bad though. He always had his husband to go back to if he gave up. Otis… he smiled just thinking about him.

They’d been through a lot together. From trying to keep their relationship a secret, to getting kicked out of town, to helping a small boy who ran up to their door when he was sad. He sat back a little more and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt himself start to drift off to sleep when…

“GET OUT OF HERE! I NEVER WANNA SEE YOU AGAIN!” Hamish’s father screamed. He immediately shot awake again and huffed. It had been thirty goddamn years, and he still heard that parting message whenever he closed his eyes. Why was it so hard to forget? Hamish knew damn well his father hated him. He didn’t need to be told again… so why was it so hard?

He finally got a bite, pulling him out of his thoughts, and he reeled the fish in with ease. He smiled, reeling in the sunfish. It wasn’t very big, but if they paired it with some crawfish and some tea, it would make a good dinner. Hamish rowed the boat back to shore, making sure to watch out for gators on his way back, and went inside the cabin.

“I’m home, honey,” Hamish said, holding the still moving fish by its tail as he entered the cabin. Otis was still there, just chopping up some vegetables. He put the fish in a bucket, wiped his hands off on his jeans, and hugged his husband from behind.

“Hi, Hamish,” Otis said, putting his knife down and turning to look at him. Hamish smiled and let go of him, kissing his cheek.

“It’s nice to see you.”

“It’s nice to see you too. Now go sit down for a minute, I have dinner to make.” Otis said, pointing at the bed.

Hamish looked down for a moment, not moving otherwise. “But I can help…”

Otis just laughed at that, smiling for a moment. “Sweetheart, you can't cook for shit. Sorry, it’s just the truth.”

“I know, I know…” Hamish stood up and walked to the bed, sitting down and watching lovingly as his husband cooked dinner. For him, of all men. They’d been together for a long time, and it shocked him every time how caring Otis was. He was so gentle and slow when compared to Hamish’s constant energy. He just loved his husband so much…

“Hamish? Whatcha starin’ at? Is there a bug on me?” Otis asked, turning around and looking at himself.

“No- no you’re alright. I was just lookin’ at ya.” Hamish admitted, rubbing the back of his neck and giving him a small smile. Otis just sighed and smiled back, getting back to his cooking. They enjoyed a nice fish stew and ate together at their small dinner table.

Otis was clasping Hamish’s hand, as he ate his food slowly. He sighed, wondering where all the time had gone. They were both over fifty now, and the boy they had practically had to raise themselves was married and had an adopted child. Suddenly Otis wished they hadn’t wasted all those years hiding their love for each other and had just come here from the start.

Hamish didn’t hear the sigh, so he didn’t look up from his food. He looked happy still, eating and holding Otis’ hand. When the door knocked, he looked up and watched as Otis went to the door and opened it. Danny and another man were standing there, holding hands with bright smiles as they came inside.

“This is Ron,” Danny said, turning and smiling at the other man. This man, Ron, didn’t take another second to kiss him passionately. The kiss was short and sweet, and both of them looked happy when it was over. Hamish just laughed.

“Get a room!” He exclaimed, before standing up and shaking Ron’s hand. “I’m Hamish Peachy, a pleasure to meet ya. That’s my husband Otis back there. We’re Danny’s uncles.”

“Nice to meet you too, sir,” Ron said, shaking his hand in return. Hamish noticed quickly that this man’s handshake wasn’t as firm as he’d like it to be. Hm.

-

It had only been a week since the wedding, and all Danny wanted to do was get out of this marriage. Sure, it wasn’t too bad. Lucy was gone most of the day, reading in the library with her friend Alice. And when she was home she didn’t even ask to do anything even remotely sexual with him, so this wasn’t too bad. But still, he hated the very idea of being married to a woman and being in the same bed as her…

Danny, on the other hand, spent most of his day at the train station, with Vinnie. They’d have long chats about whatever came to the kid's mind. He was so bright, and a little smartass sometimes. He swore like there was no tomorrow, to the point Danny didn’t even scold him anymore because it was no use. He didn’t even know some of those words, where had he learned them?

“So that, Uncle is why horseless carriages will never happen on a big scale,” Vinnie said, finishing a little speech he’d given.

“You gave some fair points. But here’s another topic, flight. What’d do you think about it.”

“It’ll never happen in anythin’ that’s not a balloon!” Vinnie insisted, starting on another speech about how everything would be too heavy to get off the ground and it’d never work. Danny wasn’t listening, really. He cared about what the kid had to say, but his mind was thinking about Ron. That’s why he spent so much time at the train station. He hoped that one of these days, he would get off of the train and they could walk into the sunset together, hand in hand.

That was wishful thinking. He was lucky if Ron came here at all, and even if he did he’d have to stay with his Uncle’s, sleeping on their couch. And he would even stay forever, a few months if he was lucky. He wished Ron could stay forever, but his family would never accept him. And as much as he loved Hamish and Otis, he didn’t want to turn out like them.

“Uncle? Hello, are you there?” Vinnie asked.

“Oh. I’m sorry kid, I was… thinkin’.”

“About Ron?”

“...how’d ya know?”

“You always have that sad look on your face when you think ‘bout that guy. I don’t know why he makes you so sad, you seem to love him a lot.”

“... he’s not the one makin’ me sad, son. It’s that I won’t ever get a real future with him. I’m stuck in a future I don’t wanna live in.” He admitted. He sighed, putting his head down. Vinnie was just a kid, he shouldn’t have to deal with Danny’s sadness. It wasn’t his fault that the world was out to get him and he’d never be truly happy. So stop dumping all your problems onto the kid for once.

“Sorry, Uncle. I can be bad, maybe Lucy’ll leave you then!” Vinnie exclaimed, but Danny shook his head.

“No. You don’t have to do a thing, alright? I’m an adult, I can deal with my issues myself, okay? Your only job is to practice your readin’ and behavin’, okay?”

“Alright. So, anyways, Pa- Uncle.”

“Hm? Pa…? Do you think of me as a father figure?”

“Yeah… I guess. Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“ Vinnie started, but Danny just pulled the kid into a hug and smiled proudly.

“You can call me whatever you’d like, son. Pa, Uncle, whatever you’d like.” Danny said with a smile and a pat on the back and he separated the hug.

“Oh! Okay then, Pa! As I was tryin’ to say-“ Vinnie continued talking for most of the day, and train after train came through. Nothing. He wanted to give up, at this point. It was almost sundown, and he hadn’t made dinner of any kind. He should really go home, but he had a feeling and he just couldn’t ignore it. He stayed seated and everything around him went quiet for a second when finally the last train of the day rolled into the station.

The doors opened silently, and the only person to walk out was none other than Ron Soto. Danny swore he felt his heart leap in his chest when he saw him, and he just got up and staggered over to him with an awestruck look on his face. Ron was staring at him in the same way, and they looked at each other in silence for over a minute.

“...Danny?” Ron finally said, breaking the silence.

“Hi Ron,” Danny said as he smiled at his lover. He wanted to leap into his arms and kiss him like there was no tomorrow, and the only thing keeping him from doing that right this second was the fact that there were other people around.

“It’s so great to see you.” Ron smiled back, as the two of them happily walked back to the bench so they could talk about what to do next. He waved at Vinnie, who shyly waved back. “Hi, kid.”

“You’re Ron?”

“I am. It’s great to meet you, buddy.” Ron said with a yawn. “So… where am I gonna stay?”

“I know a place. It’s safe… you’ll be okay there. Let’s drop off Vinnie and then we can go there. Come on, son.” Danny explained, getting up and walking towards his house. Vinnie and Ron followed him, and it was completely silent. It was a bit awkward, as Danny brought Vinnie inside. “Lucy? Ya home?”

“I am! Are you making dinner?” She called back from the bedroom.

“No! I have to go back out, I’m sorry! I’ll make a good breakfast tomorrow.”

“Fine!”

Danny just left after that. He was still giddy from Ron being here, and all those thoughts about the future just fell out of him as he remembered that he was here. He didn’t even care how long it was for, he was here and that was all that mattered. He grabbed Ron’s hand and went running into the woods next to his house.

“Whoa- Danny, where are we going?” Ron asked, a bit confused and worried about why they were running. He just turned and smiled, which didn’t give Ron any type of answer.

Danny finally stopped at his Uncle’s house. Ron looked incredibly confused and was gripping his hand tight when Danny knocked on the door. He turned and looked down at him with his brightest smile.

“Don’t worry, hon.”

That’s when the door opened and Otis greeted them. Danny gripped his hand a bit tighter as they came inside. He turned towards Ron and introduced him, when finally, finally, he leaned down and kissed the man. He wrapped his arms around him, and Ron did the same but around his neck. When they finally separated, Hamish was laughing and teasing them a bit, but they didn’t care.

Once all of the formalities were finished, Ron and Danny just sat on the couch in each other’s arms. They were looking at each other, finding little things about the other that had changed in their time apart. Ron had new scars, and Danny’s eyes were sunken in, more than before. He looked tired. But more than anything, they were just happy to have each other again.

“Did you seriously wait there all day for me? Me? What’d you do that for?”

“I… I don’t know, I wanted to see ya and I just hoped ya would come. And ya did, so it worked out in the end.”

“I guess. You were just lucky though, okay? Don’t do stuff like that again! Live your life, don’t let me hold you back!” Ron said, giving him a small kiss and hugging him tightly. He wasn’t letting go anytime soon.

“I won’t. I love ya, Ron. I missed you so bad…”

The days leading up to the wedding weren’t much better. Danny was almost always upset, and the only things that made him feel better were reading and cooking, and talking to Vinnie. He liked the kid, he was much smarter than he thought. He just needed a little more education, and he could definitely flourish later in life. But Danny couldn’t worry about that right now, not when the wedding was so close. He was getting married, and there was nothing he could do about it.

“Uncle, you’ve been kinda sad for days! Is somethin’ wrong? I thought you were gettin’ married tomorrow, ain’t that a happy thing?” Vinnie asked, the night before the wedding, as he and Danny were eating dinner. Danny paused at the question, not sure how to answer it yet.

“I guess it’s a happy thing. I just… I didn’t want to be married.” Danny paused, trying to think of a way to explain this to a child. “Um… have you heard of Uncle Hamish?” He asked.

“Mhm! He’s the guy who lives in the woods, and no one likes him.” Vinnie responded. “What about him?”

“Well..son, do you know why no one likes him? That ain’t true by the way, I like him. He’s a good man.” Danny explained. “I think I’ll bring you to see him sometime.”

“Um..alright, why don’t some people like Hamish?”

“Before you were born, Uncle Hamish fell in love. With another man, like himself. His name is Otis, and they kept their relationship hidden until Grandpa Milton found out. He wasn’t happy, nearly killed them both, but they came to an agreement that they could both live as long as they never came back to town. And they didn’t.” Danny explained.

“A man can love other men?” Vinnie asked, looking pretty confused. He’d never heard of the concept before.

“Yep. It’s called homosexuality. And that’s why I don’t wanna get married.”

“You’re a homosexual?”

“Yes, I am. But don’t go sayin’ that to other people! Especially Lucy when she moves in, okay? And that’ll be tomorrow. And don’t say it to Grandpa Timothy or Grandma Helen either. In fact, just don’t tell anyone. Okay? I...I can’t risk it.” Danny explained, and Vinnie nodded. They both silently finished their dinners, and soon went to bed. Danny was laying in bed again, the gravity of the situation settling. He was getting married tomorrow.

He was getting married tomorrow.

And no amount of running would get him out of this.

Danny drifted off to sleep soon after, barely able to keep himself together. There was a sudden knock on his bedroom door, and he woke up and quickly looked out the window. It was a little after dawn, surprisingly. He felt like he’d barely slept at all. He got up and saw the person at the door was Vinnie, who looked a little upset.

“..hey, son. What is it, why are you still awake?”

“It’s nothin’ Uncle, I just realized somethin’! You’re not marryin’ this lady for love!” He cried, and Danny sighed.

“You’re right, Vinnie, I ain’t.”

“I don’t wanna turn out like that too! Forced to marry someone I don’t love!” He cried, as Danny bent down and pulled him into a hug.

“You won’t, okay? I’m sure that by the time you’re of age, the world’ll be different. And this arranged marriage bullshit will all be behind us.” He explained. He hoped his words would ring true later. He really hoped that.

“If you say so, Uncle.”

“And guess what, kid? You’re the ring bearer! You get to carry the rings down the aisle for us. Ain’t that neat?” He said, and Vinnie nodded.

“Yeah, that does sound pretty neat, Uncle.”

“I know! Now, I’m gonna make a great breakfast, and we’ll do the whole weddin’ stuff, and we'll come home and I’ll read to you again? How’s that sound?”

“Great, Uncle Danny.”

“Yeah, it is-“

There was a knock on the door, which Danny immediately answered. Vinnie, the curious child that he was, listened closely.

“A letter for Daniel Peachy. I was told this is his address?”

“It is, sir. Who’s it from?” Danny asked.

“Ronald Soto, it says here.”

“Oh! Thank you.”

“No problem, mister.”

Danny had a huge smile on his face, as he closed the door and sighed happily, holding the letter to his chest. He felt his cheeks get warmer as he twirled around, just elated Ron actually wrote back. Vinnie was slightly confused, as Danny sat down and opened the letter.

“Who’s that? Who’s Ronald Soto?”

“Um..my lover. He’s wonderful.”

“Oh! That makes sense. I’ll be back out for breakfast!”

“Alright, see you later Vinnie.”

Danny unfolded the letter, slightly anxious as to what it could be. He hoped Ron wouldn’t be too mad at him, he hoped he would understand-

Dear Danny,

It’s very saddening to hear about your marriage. I wish there was something I could do. And frankly, it makes me unbelievably angry that you are being forced into this by your asshole of a father! I would like to be there, so I can give him a piece of my mind! It’s just frustrating! Because I love you, I should be your husband, and that’s all that there is to it.

Thank you for the offer of letting me stay with you. I am considering it, and I might take it. Despite your marriage, I trust that you still have somewhere to house me. The local sheriff is onto me, so I might have to run again soon. I think I might just come to Hamish, Alabama.

And Danny! I love you. Don’t forget that, dumbass. Never forget that I love you. I can’t wait to feel your lips against mine again, and your big hands holding mine. You might be an idiot and all, but I can’t stop loving you for being yourself. Don’t worry about me, though. I’ll be alright.

Love,

Ron

Danny sighed happily, putting the letter on his room's desk, with the other one. He really hoped Ron would come to him. That would be so nice. He could finally hold the other man in his arms again. He’d give anything just to lay eyes on him again. He was smiling throughout breakfast, and Vinnie was giving him an odd look.

“Uncle, what did the letter say? You look giddy.”

“He said he might come and stay here for a little bit. The man is always on the run. But I’d love to see him again!” Danny explained.

“Why can’t you get married to this Ron fellow? You really seem to love him.” Vinnie asked.

“Well, it ain’t legal. Unfortunately.” He explained, and Vinnie sighed.

“So you can’t marry the person you love? Never?”

“..no, unless it’s legalized sometime soon. Which it won’t be. Most folks view it as an abomination. Goin’ against God and that..” he explained, a sad look on his face.

“..oh. Well, I’m sorry, but can we get changed? We should probably get ready for the weddin’.”

“... right, sorry.”

“It’s okay, Uncle."

Danny and Vinnie went into their rooms, and Danny changed quickly. The frills didn’t itch as much as he thought they would, which was definitely a plus. He looked nice. He took his hat off and brushed his hair back. He looked even better now. He was officially finished and left his room to see Vinnie struggling with his tie. He had messed it up significantly, and Danny sighed.

“Son, just, stop. Stop, put your hands up.” Vinnie stopped fiddling with his tie and put his hands above his head. Danny quickly did his tie for him and smiled. “There! You’re a handsome young lad, you know?”

“Oh, thanks, Uncle… I’m glad you think that.”

“Alright, I think it’s time for us to go.”

“You look weird without a hat.”

Danny just laughed at that and led Vinnie out of the house. The two of them walked in the side door of the church and saw Danny’s father, who was talking to Nancy. They seemed to be setting things up for the wedding.

“Hi, Grandpa Timothy!” Vinnie cried, and he turned his head, with a scowl.

“Hi Vincent…” he muttered back, and Nancy sighed. All of this made Danny kind of angry. That was just a child! Why did they hate him so much, he hadn’t even done anything to them!

“So, Daniel! All you need to do is walk behind Lucy’s mother, and stand at the aisle. Since you don’t have a Best Man, the Maid of Honor will walk behind you. After that is Helen, and then Vinnie.” Timothy explained. Danny nodded, that made just enough sense to him.

Before he knew it, everyone was in their seats. His mother was crying, and he was walking behind Lucy’s mother. She was a very pretty lady, he couldn’t deny that. Alice, the girl from the library, was walking behind him. His parents didn’t look very happy about that, but it was too late now. He stood up front, waiting. Danny’s niece, Helen, was gently throwing petals as Vinnie walked behind her.