After Lover for Pay: ONESHOTS

Blast From the Past - Rolland Matthews

London had only been out of the hospital for a few days, three to be exact, and couldn't wait to get his fucking arm out of this sling. Marbell wouldn't let him take it off, and it was one of the most annoying contraptions known to mankind. The bandages wrapped around his neck and shoulder were still there, so he spent the entire day shirtless unless they went out anywhere...which Marbell wouldn't let him do either, because he thought London "needed more rest". It was nice being catered to sometimes, but being restrained from doing anything at all, London didn't know how much longer he could take it.

Today was different, though. London was monstrously nervous about the planned event for this afternoon. Today was going to be the day when he finally stood face to face with Marbell's father. And he wasn't going to kid himself, he was damn scared about meeting with a man like Rolland Matthews. He himself had only been out of the hospital for just a while, and the next step in the beginning of his life with Marbell was to meet the person who'd had a hand in bringing his man into the world. After talking for a while the other day, London had come to find out that Marbell's own mother had passed away during child birth, so the only direct family the teacher had was Rolland. All in all, London just wanted to make a good impression.

Rolland didn't know what London looked like, sounded like, and the worst thing he was panicky about was Rolland not liking him. Being from the type of background he was, no one in their right mind would ever think a wealthy, brilliant, and beautiful man like Marbell could possibly fall for someone like London, someone who was raised below the poverty line, used to be hooked on drugs, and he was a bit nervous that the moment Rolland laid eyes on the dozens upon dozens of tattoos on his body, that the man would right away consider his son could do better.

And London had thought that already. That Marbell could do better.

His fiancé was so intelligent and attractive and affluent and...what were those other words he'd used the day before? Accomplished? Capable? Yes, capable. Marbell was so capable of snagging someone who had a proper head on their shoulders, someone who could take care of themselves without having to result to unimaginable bullshit. But that's all London saw himself as. He'd been a druggy, a whore throughout a good portion of his youth, and an escort for hell's sake. And he knew...he knew that was just a fancy word for a self-made prostitute. Marbell could do so much better than him, but...

London was just glad Marbell didn't care about all the negativity the tattooed boy felt about himself. Marbell loved him more than anything in this god forsaken world, and he hasn't stopped making sure London knew that since they got engaged.

At the moment, London was home alone with Joyce. Henry was out doing his nerd things with Daniel and his other friends, Marbell having left just a couple minutes to go pick up Rolland Matthews from the airstrip. He was moving around the house even though he'd been told to take it easy, but he just wanted to make sure the house was spotless, nice and clean for the arrival of his future father-in-law. He and Marbell had already discussed when they'd go ahead and tie the knot, and the little ceremony was scheduled for this weekend.

London wouldn't mind at all if they just went and got married right now, but Marbell had mentioned that he wanted a little something to make their wedding day special. It would be small, and there wouldn't be many people there, but Henry would be, one of the boy's friends, Mrs. Campbell, Rolland, of course, and Marbell's aunt whose name London couldn't remember for the life of him. It was something weird. It sounded kind of like Marbell. Marbellena? Marbelinda? Marbellindika? London, didn't know, he just knew there was something about Marbell's family that urged them to all have weird names. Apparently "Mar" was something that ran in their family when a girl was born, and since Rolland and his past wife had thought Marbell to be a girl all the way up until his birth, after Mrs. Matthews passed, Rolland went ahead and just gave their son the name Mrs. Matthews had been so thrilled about.