Bond Brothers

Robbie demands a damn choice

"To the happy couple!" Carter toasted loudly with a big grin.

Robbie giggled into his sparkling wine at the dangerous look Polly shot their friend for his lack of decorum, but she clinked her glass with the rest of them regardless.

Matt, for once, grinned right back at Carter before contentedly rubbing his cheek against Robbie's hair, scenting him mildly.

After perhaps the worst weekend of his life, Robbie had crawled right back to Matt and apologised profusely for freaking out. He blamed his panic on their young age and his fear of rushing into things too quickly, and proposed a long but devoted engagement as a compromise. Matt agreed wholeheartedly and Robbie only hesitated for a moment before accepting the diamond ring that was slipped onto his finger.

Every moment since that ring had taken up residence on his hand, Robbie had firmly reminded himself that Matt was his choice.

Maybe a mistake. Maybe.

But still, his choice.

Carter had been uncharacteristically subdued when Robbie called him with the news, but he congratulated him all the same and insisted he pass on the news to Polly himself. Robbie was sure he just wanted to put an early stop to any rude comments on Polly's end, but it wasn't like he'd wanted to deal with that anyway.

Not long afterwards, the two of them invited Robbie and Matt out to celebratory drinks at a fancy, Polly-approved cocktail bar where all of them except Polly felt out of place. All was well, presumably.

"Gifts," Polly announced, pulling out an envelope and sliding it daintily across the table.

"You didn't have to do that," Matt insisted, but Robbie just snatched the envelope up with a champagne-induced shriek.

"Slick and Stone tickets!" Robbie gasped, completely indifferent to the way Polly hushed him for making a scene. "How did you get these? Don't tell me you sat through a clicking-war for tickets like the rest of us plebeians?"

Polly tossed her perfectly curled hair over a shoulder with an eye roll. "Of course not," she sniffed. "My father got them for me."

Robbie and Carter met each other's gazes to exchange the mock-lofty expression they did every time Polly referenced something that made it clear how far beyond their class she was, then collapsed into giggles. Her illustrious father was one of their longest running jokes, and between them, Robbie and Carter had built him up in their collective, childish mind as the Monopoly man, complete with top hat and monocle.

"Excuse these children," Polly said to Matt with a look that Robbie suspected was supposed to be haughty, but just came off looking fond. "I caught them sneaking a few drinks at my apartment before we came here."

Robbie howled "Traitor!", just as Carter spluttered indignantly, "It's my apartment now too!"

The polite smile Matt turned on Robbie was a little strained. "Had a few too many again, love?"

Robbie tensed. "We haven't gone out in months. What do you mean, again?"

Polly cleared her throat expertly as if no one had interrupted her to begin with. "Anyway, Slick and Stone is endorsing my father's political campaign. He'll announce he's running for the senate in a few months."

Robbie blinked. "State senate?"

"Federal," she replied.

If Robbie was shocked, he had nothing on Carter.