Finalizing the Blueprints (Sean.)

[Gregory Strickland]

It had been ages since Greg had last seen Sean. Well, it felt like ages to him, it really had only been a couple weeks since their last rendezvous. It was hard to have friends in the same place you resided and not see them. When he wasn’t seeing friends, he was spending his time fashioning a home suitable for a bachelor. This was what he was referring to himself as now. Widower simply wouldn’t do, and it was time for him to accept the life he had been given. It wasn’t a selfish decision, it had simply taken some time to get used to. And now it wasn’t only what Nate would’ve wanted, it was what he wanted too.

Blueprints in hand, Greg made his way to Sean’s door and gave a distinct knock. There would be no denying it was him. In the other hand was a case of a new Spring beer Greg was dying to try, and to share with friends.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean was neither an architect nor particularly handy. While one of his hobbies involved wood carving, he made only small items, nothing that rose to the level of planning or building a house. He could do minor home repair, and he could change the tires on his car, but he far preferred to pay a professional to do so for him. He had always been more cerebral than active, and, as a result, he did not know what, particularly, he could bring to the project with his friend.

However, Greg enjoyed discussing the house plans with him, and the telepath would never turn the blond away from this or any other topic. As such, he had made lunch in anticipation of Greg’s visit, and he had both a pot of coffee on, as well as a bottle of wine out should his friend prefer something alcoholic. They could always break into a bottle of harder liquor, but he and Josh had cut back substantially and he tried to keep on track with that.

He sensed Greg’s arrival before his friend could knock, and, he opened the door mere seconds later. Smiling wide, he ushered the other man into the house. “You’re right on time.”

[Gregory Strickland]

Greg wasn't planning on asking Sean to build his dream house, he really just wanted some good company and someone to look at the details he had created. Like old times really. Greg had enough money these days that he could hire and offer a contract to a crew of builders and pay in cash if he so pleased. Greg would be on the job site of course, but he didn't plan on lifting anything if he could help it.

"Apparently," Greg said, smirking at his friend as he allowed himself in. He knew this house almost as well as the back of his hand by now.

Greg made himself at home and began unraveling the floor plans and blue prints on the coffee table. "Oh," he said, getting up again and carrying the beer to the fridge, "this would taste much better cold." It didn't take him long to put it away and return to the living room.

"So how are things with you and Josh, etcetera etcetera?" Greg asked, waving a hand in the air slightly as he waited for Sean to join him. "Or is it same old same old?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean took his friend’s hint and joined the blond man at the table, peering at the schematics that looked as unfamiliar as any other building schematic he might view. Having never been involved in any sort of building project of that magnitude, either as a builder or a designer (his minor forays into woodworking notwithstanding), the telepath could only look on in curiosity at the plans, waiting for Greg to explain them.

He knew that his friend had put countless hours into drawing up those plans, had added all of the loving details that could only come from a professional working on a project out of passion. Despite the lack of a common frame of reference, Sean was genuinely interested in what the other man had to say.

Yet before Greg could explain his plans, he asked about how Josh and their relationship were doing, and the telepath smiled. As one of his oldest friends, as someone who remembered him as a free spirit in the 1970s with his sideburns and his bellbottoms and his earring, he could relax around Greg in a way that he couldn’t with some of his younger friends. He could be honest with him in a way that he couldn’t with his coworkers who looked up to him as an authority figure. “We’re doing fine, work stress and all. Still going at it like senior year of college.” His eyes crinkled as he added, “I think I’ll start worrying about us when we stop doing that.”

[Gregory Strickland]

Greg let out a hearty laughed and patted Sean's leg triumphantly. "Atta boy! That's what I like to hear." He shrugged at the last comment. "There's pills for that, so even if that does happen, still nothing to worry about." It was easy to be candid around old friends, and Greg had never regretted leaving his beloved New York for Vermont.

The floor plans were laid out but Greg wasn't in any rush and so long as he wasn't imposing, he could talk for hours. "I myself may or may not be seeing someone." A knowing smile crossed his face. "And his name may or may not be Anthony. He's Italian, and has invited me to Roman Catholic mass this weekend. He says he finds it soothing for some reason. Probably because he never had the chance to tell his family about his interest in men." Greg sighed. "This is all speculation, of course."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean chuckled as well. He could always rely on Greg to take the intended meaning away from the situation. It was nice to be able to relax with someone and discuss relationships without shocking the person with the knowledge that he still had sexual desires and that he might act on them consensually with his partner. Greg knew all that already.

Greg remembered him back as a freshman and remembered the nascent days of his relationship with Josh. His blond friend certainly had teased both of them enough about it those decades ago. “The house isn’t set up for adjacent bathtubs, so I don’t know if I could even get the pills if I needed them.”

Virility pills had the most baffling commercials.

He then focused on the other man’s admission, and he returned the smile. “I hope that you and may or may not be Anthony are having a good day.” Sean needn’t lecture Greg about being safe; his friend had lived through the height of the AIDS epidemic beside him and Josh and knew the importance of safety.

However, his smile faltered a bit at the rest of Greg’s description. As an adult, after coming out to his family, the telepath had dated someone in the closet once. While he’d enjoyed the relationship over all, the lack of openness by middle age wore on him, and he hoped that this Anthony would show Greg some courtesy by not hiding him as a new friend and nothing more. “Will it just be the two of you at mass?”

[Gregory Strickland]

It was actually quite ridiculous how most of the American population viewed sex and sexual relationships as taboo. Greg had been to Europe several times, and it was quite the opposite there. Violence seemed to be taboo, meanwhile sexual relationships were celebrated and explored openly. The nude beaches happened to be his favourite, mostly because people left you alone.

Greg let out a laugh and shook his head. "You two are creative, I'm sure you'll figure something out." The two always had, even when things were rough between them. Ups and downs were normal parts of a relationship - just like the sex.

"We have been enjoying each other's company," Greg said, and then quickly added, "and don't worry, it's not my first time around a man." Even though Sean hadn't actually said anything about protection, Greg could read the thought in Sean's eyes. The man taught teenagers after all, it was to be expected he cared about other's well being. Apparently Sean's sex talks were quite infamous.

"Yes," Greg said with a nod. "He has no family left, or so he tells me." He shrugged. Greg wasn't a wee babe anymore, and he could tell Anthony was hiding something. They simply weren't that close yet that he could share with Greg what was going on. "I expect there's an ex-wife in the mix somewhere."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean agreed that the prototypical American relationship with sex was as ridiculous as it was dangerous. The inability to have frank, open discussions about sex and relationships led to uninformed decisions, poor choices, and inadequate systems in place to help other people. Some of the questions he received during his annual seminar would make him weep if he was a more emotional person. While he didn’t oppose pornography or experimentation on principle, he knew firsthand that the students required better sources than those could offer on their best day.

“Don’t put ideas in my head,” he said with a grin, and then tapped his temple with two fingers for emphasis. Although creativity had never been a problem for Sean or for Josh. Neither had willingness.

He nodded along with his blond friend’s description. “That’s a start.” Which it was. Having seen the aftermath of relationships born from desperation, obligation, or the attitude of “why not?”, he firmly believed in the importance of enjoying one’s partner. Otherwise, dating was a waste of time for all involved. He then rolled his eyes at the other assurance. “I never would have known. Here, all of this time, I’d thought you were a vestal virgin.”

He’d been around when Greg had picked up guys in college and graduate school. He’d been to Greg’s wedding ceremony.

But what good was friendship without playful banter.

What the architect described was common enough for people in the closet, and for men of their generation. As the LGBT movement had gained mainstream acceptance, younger generations had less of that baggage, which was a net positive, but it did little for their generation. “But he hasn’t mentioned an ex-wife yet?”

[Gregory Strickland]

Greg let out a laugh, “I doubt I have any ideas left for you to try.” He added a wink and left it at that. Sean didn’t need to see the thoughts of a dirty man.

After all the hell Greg had been through, he decided to take this relationship lightly. If there did turn out to be a lot more drama than he had bargained for, it wouldn’t be hard to leave. Perhaps there would be a point where it would be hard to leave, but he wasn’t there yet, and he wasn’t in any rush. “Think again, my friend,” Greg said with a whimsical sigh, “that ship has long since sailed.”

“No,” Greg said, clearing the air, “we don’t exactly talk, that much.” He smirked to himself and suddenly felt like something was missing. That moment had been incomplete without bringing a cup or glass of something to his lips.

“Would you like to try a bottle of adult iced tea?” Greg asked as he rose, making his way to the kitchen. He had forgotten why he was here in the first place, this made the most sense.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean returned the wink and chose not to comment on his friend’s thought that he had overheard. Although if Greg counted as a dirty old man, then what did that make him? The telepath was several months older than the architect. Not that months mattered much in the adult world, which made them the same age. To quote his favorite poet-philosopher; older than they once were, but younger than they’ll be.

“If it works for you right now, then that’s all that mattered.” The psychiatrist had never managed a relationship like that, but he had always wanted a long-term relationship, from his first girlfriend to settling down with Josh again, he had only wanted stability. Likewise, he had never managed a relationship that was primarily physical; he’d never wanted one. As affectionate as he could be, as interested as he was in the physical aspect of a relationship with a partner, that side paled in comparison to mental compatibility. If he or Josh had an accident or an illness that rendered sex impossible, he would miss it, but he would be content with their conversations. The reverse could never be true for him.

“What do you mean try?” Sean asked, bringing levity back to the conversation momentarily. He had been drinking for nearly forty years, and if that wasn’t a depressing realization about the fleeting nature of time, then the telepath didn’t know what was. “I’ll take a glass.”

[Gregory Strickland]

Sean had only ever been accepting of Greg's relationships, even the ones he hadn't been so fond of. Apparently the two differed when it came to what they were looking for in a potential mate, and Greg had been more of the loosey goosey variety. "Right now is all I have," Greg said, not closing the subject completely, but also ready to move away from it if Sean didn't have any more questions. The fact that the blond hadn't offered for his long time friend to meet his new man, well, that probably said more than could.

Greg laughed. "Yes try! What if you don't like it? Then who's going to drink it?" Nevertheless, while he spoke, he was nearly done loosening the top off of Sean's drink. "And by glass, you mean the glass bottle I'm about to put in your hand, of course." Greg smiled and wiggled the top of his own bottle before resettling himself. He took a small taste at first, decided he enjoyed it, and took another, heartier gulp. "Is it up to snuff?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean could only accept Greg’s relationships, because he cared about the blond man. Just as with Josh, he wanted nothing more than for Greg to be happy. The architect was one of his oldest friends, and they had been through thick and thin together. He knew that the other man had found happiness with Nathan, and he simply wanted him to recapture whatever form of relationship satisfaction he could after the brutality of his loss and the traumatic treatment by law enforcement afterward. Hearing that someone closeted and living in the moment was all he had, and possibly all he could hope for, caused a great swell of pity to rise in his chest. “I have some great coworkers, if you ever want me to set you up.”

With that, the telepath would drop the subject for now.

He lifted his bottle in toast, before taking a sip. He let the flavor settle on his tongue for a moment, before nodding with approval. “It’s up to snuff. What local brewery did you get this from?” In addition to its reputation for maple syrup, cheese, and Ben and Jerrys, Vermont was known for a selection of microbreweries. Locals never hurt for good beer, even if Sean was more of a wine drinker than a beer drinker in everyday life.

[Gregory Strickland]

Greg nodded enthusiastically and gave Sean a nudge. "Well that's one of the best ideas I've heard you say." He smiled affectionately and then frowned. "Wait a minute, why hasn't this been suggested before?" Of course, he knew why. Nate was still at the forefront of his memory at the time, and it would've been more than distasteful for Sean to suggest something of the sort. Greg smiled and gave a sigh. "Well, better now than never." Nathan would always be the love of his life, but he wouldn't want Greg sitting around sulking any more than he had.

"It's pretty close to the shop with the homemade cheesecakes, which are also delicious, but probably wouldn't pair up well with this," he said, smiling, his eyes flicking over the roll of paper he had set down on the coffee table from before. He unrolled it and used the beer bottle as a weight so it would remain unfurled.

"Now, as you know, your opinion is very important to me, so," he glanced up at Sean, giving him a wink, "try to keep up." At this point Greg went over the very intricate, very detailed plan he had for his house. There would be three floors including the basement. There was a master bedroom with attached bathroom, a large kitchen and dining room, two guests bedrooms, a living room on the main floor, and bathrooms on each floor. And lets not forget the details, a built in bar, and an office with built in bookshelves to house his vast collection of literature and architecture must reads.

"So what do you think?" Greg asked, pressing his hands together and waiting for the outcome.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“Better now than never,” Sean agreed with a nod. When it came to Greg’s love life and playing matchmaker, the telepath took his cues from his friend. While Sean enjoyed being partnered, and he knew that, despite the blond man’s more promiscuous college years, Greg did as well, the psychiatrist also suffered no delusions that losing a partner was traumatic, even if the loss occurred in a more expected set of circumstances than how Nathan had lost his life. If Josh passed on, Sean couldn’t imagine dating at all, but he pushed that thought from his mind.

Sean then shook his head. “That’s a matter of opinion. Cheesecake pairs well with everything.” At least as far as the telepath’s sweet tooth was concerned. He had never turned down cake when offered, even if a sommelier would turn his nose up at locally-brewed beer coupled with strawberry cheesecake.

However, then Greg pulled out the main event, and the telepath rose from his chair, walking around to stand behind his friend so that he could better inspect the blueprints from the right side, rather than upside down. He leaned forward, peering down silently while he took in all of the schematics.

The detail was incredible. Sean expected nothing else from his friend; Greg had always been a fantastic architect.

Finally, the telepath straightened and turned to look down at his friend. “Honestly, I’m blown away."

[Gregory Strickland]

When he and Nate had been together, Greg hadn't dreamed of ever being with anyone else in his lifetime. But things hadn't worked out the way he wanted them too and he had spent far too many days dwelling on that fact when dwelling wasn't going to make anything change. That, was up to him.

"Well then I'll be sure to bring some next time," Greg said cheerfully. He knew Sean liked cheesecake, he didn't think it had turned into a love affair. Greg wasn't so fancy that he couldn't stomach beer and cheesecake, so long as he didn't overindulge in either at the same time.

Pulling himself together and dating again was one thing, but getting back into designing was the true step he was taking into the future of his life. Without Nate. Architecture was his other true love, and he imagined he couldn't have one without the other until about a year ago.

"Well that's good news, seeing as I already have a plot outside of town and will be busy with the making of this whole shebang during the summer months." He smiled broadly, picked up his beer again, and let the schematics roll in on themselves.
There was no point in getting into the rest of the details, they would be his to know and Sean's to see once the house was actually built.

"I'll be needing some helping throwing a house party." Greg hadn't been as social as he wanted to be since moving to Pilot Ridge, but good things took time. Great things took patience.