Chapter Text
Robert tells Ken all about his family during the war. His parents live in a two-story house with his grandparents and his sister. Robert had only recently begun looking for his own apartment before he signed up for the war. Ken had smiled at his stories, liking how similar it sounded to his own life. Except he's from a farmhouse that looks off-center because rooms have been added as needed over the years. But he grew up with his parents and grandparents and siblings all in one house, too, so getting grabbed by the face by Robert's mother the first time he meets her makes him beam.
"Mrs. Rosenthal, it's a pleasure," he says.
"It's Ma, and you know it," she says and shakes his face between her hands. "Oh, you're so cute my boy must have blushed like a new rose the first time he saw you."
"Ma," Robert groans.
"The photo doesn't do you a bit of justice," she adds, dropping her hands from Ken's face and ushering him to a wall of photos. On the wall in a shiny new frame is the photo Robert and Ken had taken after Robert had surprised him with the camera. Robert in his uniform, Ken in his coveralls. They look like themselves, Ken thinks, but he knows better not to say it. Mothers like to say things like how handsome you are when they meet you in person.
"Well, it almost does Robert justice," Ken replies.
"You be quiet, too," Robert says and grabs for Ken's waist to pull him close. "I'll kiss you 'til you're pinker than me."
"Dare you," Ken murmurs as Ma laughs and walks out of the living room.
Robert gives him an amused look, and drops a smacking kiss to his cheek. "You're more trouble now than on base, I think."
"Well, you married me, so you're stuck now," Ken replies and loves the way Robert looks at him, eyes soft and smile wide.
"Oh, there you are!" Matilda shouts as she walks into the living room. She beams at Ken. "It's so nice to see you again!"
"You, too," Ken replies.
"What about me?" Robert jokes.
Matilda glances at him and shrugs. "You I've seen plenty," she says.
Ken snickers when Robert squawks in faux-outrage and threatens to tickle her. Matilda threatens to pop him one, and Ken enjoys the show as they taunt each other while Matilda leads them both into the dining room.
Robert's grandparents have serious faces that remind Ken of his granny, though they look different in every other way. He's never seen his granny in anything fancier than the dark blue dress she keeps for important events. She'd worn it to Ken's grandpa's funeral and also to his courthouse wedding to Robert a few weeks ago. The moment the guests had left the house after the post-wedding celebration, she'd changed into her usual faded floral dress and put her hair back into its long braid.
Robert's grandparents, on the other hand, are wearing older clothes like his granny, but his grandmother is in pastels, and his grandfather in a clean, white shirt and dark green slacks. His grandmother's hair is set in a neat upknot, and his grandfather's hair is combed into a careful shape so his curls stay at the back of his head.
"This is Ken," Robert says to his grandparents. "Ken, my grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Matas Rosenthal."
"Lovely to meet you," Ken says, offering his hand to Robert's grandfather. He relaxes a little when Matas takes his hand without hesitation and gives it a good shake.
"Robbie says you're going to keep working with your hands," Matas says. "That's good work."
"Thank you, Sir," Ken says. He glances at Robert's grandmother. She's smiling at him. "Ma'am," he says.
"Camilla," she replies. "What did you work on before those big planes?"
"Farm equipment, mostly," Ken says as Robert leads him around the table and holds out a chair for him to sit.
"I worked on my family's farm as a girl," Camilla says. "I was very good with carburetors."
"A deft hand on sewing machines as well," Matas says. "That's how we met."
"I'd moved to the city to get better wages," Camilla says with an ease that tells Ken they've told this story many times. It makes him smile. "Matas created the patterns for the suits. I got into an argument with him one day about what fabric he wanted to use because I knew the machines couldn't handle it."
"I thought she was wrong," Matas picks up the story. "So, I made her prove it. The needle snapped halfway through the first seam, and the machine smoked as if to call me a fool."
"It made you see sense," Camilla replies, patting his arm. "The screw on the arm had been pushed out by the force of the work. Common problem. I had it fixed in no time flat."
"And I was in love," Matas says, smiling at her.
Ken glances at Robert and feels soft at how happy he looks watching his grandparents tell this story. "That's a great meeting," Ken says. "I was just up in some landing gear and Robert came to look at his fort."
"And then the most handsome man I'd ever seen jumped out, and I was in love," Robert replies.
Camilla and Matas chuckle. "Oh, there's so many ways to fall in love," Matas says. "It took us a little more time."
There's the sound of the front door opening and closing, then a booming voice calls out, "Is this house suddenly empty?"
"Ken's finally here, Papa!" Matilda calls from the kitchen off of the dining room.
"Oh, well, then I'll come to you!"
"He's this dramatic every evening and knew we were arriving today," Robert murmurs.
"It's nice," Ken says. He leans against Robert as the younger Mr. Rosenthal walks into the room. He's wearing a nice suit and has a large mustache. His eyes are as blue as Robert's, but his face is rounder. Robert pops up from the table to meet his father in a hug, and Ken likes how much they both smile. He stands up from his chair so he's prepared for proper introductions.
"Oh, welcome home again, my beautiful son," Mr. Rosenthal says to Robert. He pats Robert's cheek, then turns and kisses Ma as she walks over to him. "My beautiful wife," he says, then leans down to kiss Matilda on the top of her head. "My beautiful daughter." He walks over to his parents and kisses each of them on the cheek. "My beautiful parents." And then he stops a few feet from Ken and holds out his hand. "And my beautiful son."
"Sir," Ken replies, shaking his hand. "It's an honor."
"Johann," he says. "Or Papa."
"Ken or Kenny's fine by me," Ken says in reply.
"Ken fits fine," Papa says. He pulls Ken into a one-armed hug and gives him a shake. "After dinner, I'm going to pull out some letters our Robbie sent and make sure you know how he loves you."
Ken laughs even as he feels a blush take over. "My sister did that to me," he says. "Made me sit there while Robert got an earful."
"It was great," Robert replies, and he's blushing, too. "I'm happy to return the experience."
"I already feel at home," Ken says because it's true. Robert's smile makes his own widen. "House full of good smells and everyone sitting down to dinner."
"You're after my mother's heart with talk like that," Papa says, giving Ken one more squeeze before he lets him go. "That's good. Family is important. Keeping it going and growing, that's worth all kinds of hard work."
"I agree," Ken says as he sits again. Robert sits next to him and leans over to kiss his cheek. "We didn't have a regular courtship, but I look forward to having a real happy marriage," Ken adds, which makes Robert duck his head. He takes Robert's hand and squeezes it gently.
"You two did a lot of hard work to get here right now," Ma says as she walks into the room with a pitcher of water. "You got through more fear and sorrow and worry than some couples see in a lifetime."
"Lucky them," Camilla says, and Ken likes how she sounds truly glad some people have it easier.
"An easy time is a lovely time, but weathering hard times and coming out together, that's what builds a family," Matilda says, clearly reciting something she's heard a lot. She's smiling.
"My granny always says you gotta be in it together to get it through it in one piece," Ken replies.
"Another similarity," Robert says, and Ken smiles at him, understanding what he means. They're so different on the surface, but in so many ways, they were brought up the same.
"Lucky us," Ken says, and Robert nods in agreement.