the_sexy_quinn | Meet the Quinns

Entry tags:

family,
tom

Meet the Quinns

Dev's parents had sent a car to pick up Tom and Dev from the airport. Usually, Dev would feel annoyed that they didn't trust him to make it to the house in Malibu on his own, but this time he was looking forward to relaxing in the back with his boyfriend and unwinding from the flight from Boston. While on the plane, he'd made sure to tell Tom everything he could think of about his folks. He'd shared that both of his parents were born into money yet didn't seem to share the same sense of entitlement that most of their friends did. That didn't mean that they didn't enjoy their money, of course. They had the houses and the cars and all of the trappings of wealth, but the difference, Dev cheekily told Tom, was that they were kind to their staff and treated them like human beings. Sara and Jackson Quinn had also been married for twenty-five years and were the only couple among their friends who had never been divorced. That was more than enough to set them apart from the rest of the company they kept.

Dev had then explained how his family had come into its money (though he did it quickly because, frankly, it embarrassed him to be a trust fund baby). Dev's great-grandfather had been wise enough to buy up a tremendous amount of property in the Los Angeles area and through savvy development decisions had secured his family's wealth for generations to come. Sara's family held the patent for a simple household item that had brought in millions for them and would continue to do so for a great while longer, as well. Dev had told Tom that the only reason he was a poor student now was because he had dropped out of school and been determined to have some freedom and struggle with life a little before taking control of his trust. The day that happened, he and Tom would never want for anything. It just happened that his parents were under the impression that he was rejecting both them and their money and constantly fretted about their son's decision to "go rogue." On the plane, Dev had asked Tom not to let on about his plans to go back into the family fold once he was ready.

Dev looked over at his lover and smiled as the car headed out of the airport. "Almost time to meet Sara and Jack," he said, taking Tom's hand in his own. "Too late to back out now, unless you don't mind jumping out of a moving vehicle."

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"Thank you, sir." Tom caught the appraising look and kept eye contact and an easy smile, willing the man to see that the only designs he had were on Dev's heart and only as long as it was given willingly. He gave his lover's hand a comforting squeeze. "You have a beautiful place here, Mr. Quinn."

"Thank you," Jack said, his eyes falling to the lovers' clasped hands. "Would you like a beer?"

"I'd love one," Dev said.

"You're only twenty, Dev, and that's too young," Jack said, a hint of concern in his eyes as he looked first at his son, then Tom. "I was talking to Tom since he's quite a bit older than the legal age."

Tom took a deep breath, unsurprised at the slight dig and willing to let it go, after all he was only maybe eight years younger than Dev's father. "A beer would be fine, sir." He gave Dev a sideways look and a slight shrug. It hadn't really occurred to him that Dev wasn't of legal age, since his own family hadn't made anything of allowing both he and Maureen to drink at 18, saying if they were old enough to vote they were old enough to drink.

When Sadie appeared with the steaks, Jack took the platter from her and asked her to bring out two beers and a soda for Dev. He glanced at Tom before setting to his task of putting the meat to cook.

"Sara tells me you used to be a priest, Tom," Jackson said as he carefully laid out the thick cuts.

Dev shook his head and could barely look at Tom. "Dad..."

"What? I'd like to know how a man of the cloth decides to turn his back on his calling."

"It's alright, sweetheart." The smile Tom gave dev was full of love and reassurance. "Your father just wants to know what kind of man you brought home and that's the reason you wanted me to meet your family, isn't it? So they could get to know me?" He turned to Jack and answered honestly. "When I realized I was gay, I knew I couldn't continue to serve God as his priest within the vows I'd taken and I refused to harm my parishioners or the Mother Church by living a lie."

Jack slightly raised an eyebrow and looked at Tom with something approaching interest. "So you weren't kicked out? Sara told me you were asked to leave."

"What?" Dev spoke up. "That's ridiculous, I told her what happened."

"Well, she said she thought Tom had been asked to leave the church," Jack shrugged. "What can I tell you?"

At that point, Sara and Sadie joined them. Sara was carrying a tray with their drinks and proceeded to offer it to Tom.

"Mom, why did you lie to Dad about Tom?" Dev snapped at her, suddenly angry. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Dev, please, I'm sure your mother just misunderstood." Tom said soothingly. "With all the news reports of what's been going on in the Church, she may have simply confused what you told her with what she'd heard."

He looked at Jack and Sara. "Maybe it would be better if the three of us sat down and talked together, so I can answer any questions you might have. He let go of Dev's hand and wrapped his arms around him. "Will you let me talk to your parents alone for a while, sweetheart?" It wasn't that he wanted Dev to leave, he just really felt that the conversation would go a lot smoother without his lover bristling at the suggestion of any insult to Tom and he was sure there were things Dev's parents would say that could be taken as an insult.

Dev looked at Tom and immediately felt calmer. He put his arms around his lover and kissed him, then nodded as he drew back. There was no doubt in his mind that Tom would be able to handle whatever his parents said to him. "That sounds fine," he said softly, then added, "Sorry, Mom," as he glanced at her.

[tag Sara]

"It's all right, Dev," Sara said, "and I apologize to you, Tom, if I gave my husband incorrect information."

She looked at Jack. "Honey, do we have time to talk before dinner?"

"Sure, if Dev'll watch the food," Jack said. "Dean'll be coming over soon, so he can take over for you, son."

Dev grinned, deliberately avoiding looking at Tom at the mention of the other man. "Okay, cool. I'll put him to work when he gets here."

Sara smiled, then turned to Tom. "All right. We can speak in the living room," she said.

Tom managed to keep his face bland at the mention of Dean, but inside his stomach knotted with anger and a curious twinge of something akin to jealousy. He'd have to sort out those feelings later, right now it was time to sit down with Sara and Jack and see if he could ally their concerns about him.

"Please, Sara, don't give it another thought. I certainly took no offense, mistakes happen." He said as they made their way into the living room and sat down. "I'm sure you both have questions and I thought you might feel it was easier to speak plainly without Dev here trying to defend me."

"I appreciate your willingness to be straightforward about this," Jack said as Sara nodded her agreement. "I'd like to know just how much you know about Dev's history with older men."

"From what he's said, I don't think he's ever dated a man his own age." Tom commented, wondering how much of that had to do with Dean and Dev's introduction to sex at such a young age. "I don't know how much my age has to with Dev being willing to give me a chance and I don't expect you to believe me, but I love your son."

"I don't mean to offend," Sara said, "but what could you have in common with a twenty year-old? It seemed to me that the other men Dev saw were trying to hold onto their own youth."

Jackson put a hand on her arm and looked at Tom. "That's speculation on our part. Dev never really told us much about them besides the fact that he was moving in with them. But it never seemed right to me. If he insists on being gay, why can't he date boys his own age?"

Tom couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at Jack's question. "Insists on being gay?" His voice was calm and rational, the Jesuit teaching a lesson. "I don't think it's so simple as insisting or choosing, but of following our own natures. Celibacy or intimacy are the choices we can make, not gender preference. As for Dev's decision to date men older than himself, I'm not sure why and I can only say that when I'm with Dev, I don't even think of the difference in our ages, we just...fit."

"So he's not doing this just to get back at us for something he imagines we've done?" Jack asked. "Because he's dated girls, too. We'd hoped that humoring him would help until he decided to go back to being normal, but--."

Sara reached for Jack's hand and shook her head. "Don't say normal," she whispered to him. "You'll offend Tom."

"Fine, whatever you want to call it," Jack said, though there was a slightly sheepish look in his eyes. "This is the first time that he's told either of us that he's ever loved anyone, and I told myself that the day that happened I would make sure it was someone worthy of him. Someone who isn't after his money or trying to take advantage of him in some way."

He had to smile at Sara's whisper. "One thing you'll find about me is that I'm spectacularly hard to offend, Sara." The smile didn't fade one bit as he turned to Jack. "I can promise you, I'm not after Dev's money. I make a comfortable salary of my own and am half owner in my father's pub...well actually Da runs it and has already signed everything over to my sister and I, though what we'll do with it when Da retires is anyone's guess. I'm not wealthy, but I have more than enough for my needs. The only thing I want from Dev is to love him and build a life with him, if that's what he wants."

Jack started to speak again, but Sara stopped him. "Tom, you have no idea how long I've wanted to know that Dev would find someone he could love and who would love him in return. I'm not like his father," she said, looking at Jack lovingly and squeezing his hand to temper her words, "so I don't care who it is, just as long as it's someone who has his best interests at heart. You are the first man he's ever brought home and the first one I can say I trust."

"But, Sara," Jack said, "we don't--"

"Jack, please," she said softly. "You weren't on the phone when he was talking about Tom, but the same thing I heard in your son's voice is exactly what I'm hearing in Tom's now. Maybe...maybe I'm just a silly romantic, but I want Dev to be happy." She turned her attention back to Tom. "I hope that we'll get to know you better during your visit." She smiled. "And I hope that our approval doesn't mean Dev will change his mind about you."

"I don't think he'll be that much of a brat." Tom laughed, finding he liked these two very much and he didn't blame Jack at all for his doubts. "If he tries, I'll just remind him that he said he wasn't going to let your opinion change his mind, of course he meant if you hated me, it wasn't going to stop him."

Looking at them both, he continued. "You know he loves you both, don't you? More than he'll admit even to himself."

Sara sighed and gave Tom a grateful look. "You really think so? Sometimes I think he only just tolerates us."

Jack nodded. "We love both of our children very much, but Dev has definitely tested us. If what you're saying is true, it makes is worthwhile."

"Has he always found ways to push the limits?" Tom asked.

"He has," Jack admitted.

"No, he hasn't," Sara said, correcting him. "He was always a good little boy. But when he started to hit puberty, he changed."

"You're right," Jack said, nodding. "It's as if the hormones started to kick in and he became a different kid."

"Puberty, huh?" Tom's voice was steady and he mentally congratulated himself on showing nothing out the ordinary as he realized he was probably right about Dev.

Jack nodded. "We've always chalked it up to him growing up, but there are times we really miss that little kid."

"I think I might have seen him once or twice." Tom grinned.

Jack chuckled at that, feeling more at ease with Tom as they spoke. "Well, you're pretty lucky then."

"It says a lot, I think, that he's let his guard down around you," Sara added.

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