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 Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 7:46 pm
Casey couldn’t stop himself from laughing. Of course he knew what Morgan meant when he said good shoes! He’d just been overthinking it. But whether Morgan did it on purpose or not, his explanation of what was suitable and what wasn’t, well… it helped him relax a little. High heels! Did people really show up wearing heels?
“Oh, um… we could say what we’re thankful for?” Casey suggested, but hoped he wasn’t offending either of them. “I’ll go first. I’m thankful for meeting the both of you. I know we haven’t known each other very long, Morgan, but what you did for us… I can’t stop thinking about how someone else might have just thought we were crazy. And Ariel, you’ve been such a good neighbor and friend. Ah, and Harrison likes you both and she’s really good at being able to tell good people,” he insisted, reaching down to pet her as she laid on his feet.
He wasn’t sure if that was okay or not. He didn’t want to get into too many details since he wasn’t sure what Ariel was comfortable with Morgan knowing, but that was okay. Casey would tell him how important he was to him later. But he hoped that Ariel already knew.
Of course he’d seen Ariel struggling with the phone, so he gently tapped his foot against his, hoping it would snap him out of whatever daze he might have found himself in. And with a smile, of course.
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 7:49 pm
Ariel immediately flashed a relieved smile at Casey; while Morgan had been working on the apples, he and Casey had set up plates for themselves and Morgan, and now that he was sitting down, Ariel pushed it closer to him.
“Oh, yes. I’m thankful for the same thing, really. This year–and last year–have not been my best. I’ve felt very uprooted and unstable. And it means a lot to find good people in the world. I really appreciate that you both have had my back. Especially when I wasn’t really making a good impression. I really, really appreciate you both not thinking I was crazy. And I can’t–Morgan, it just meant a lot to me, how you went out of your way to make sure it was safe. I’m not used to people being that nice. Especially for strangers.”
Morgan was quiet for a moment, but he’d watched each of them as they spoke. He didn’t see the way Ariel sheepishly nudged Casey’s foot with his own under the table. Naturally, he was oblivious to the more personal and earnest gratitude Ariel was planning to express for Casey later.
It was hard to compete with those thanks, and after a moment, he pressed his lips together and relented. “Thank you for dinner.”
A few seconds passed, and he knew that was unsatisfactory compared to what they’d said, but he didn’t know them as well as they knew each other. He didn’t want to keep them from eating after they’d worked so hard to bring him food.
Ariel’s face was a bit pink but in the silence that followed Morgan’s thanks, he snorted and had to raise a hand to cover his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he said, but the damage was done and Morgan leaned back to look at him with another half-smile.
“I’m thankful for the good weather, too. And that you brought Harrison back,” Morgan added, but he seemed thoroughly amused already. “I appreciate you coming out here. I was just doing my job, earlier. I wanted you to be safe. So you really don’t have to thank me so much for any of that. I didn’t want anything to happen to you. It wasn’t any extra effort to make sure you were taken care of. And you’re good company. I’m glad you came back. It’s nice to see you both smiling, now.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:00 pm
Oh, Ariel was so precious when he was laughing. Even if it was only a little snort. And Morgan had such a nice smile.
Casey caught himself smiling at both of them as he leaned his elbow on the table, his chin resting against his palm. His heart felt heavy, like he knew it was going to break probably sooner than later, but if Ariel was happy… Well, he certainly didn’t get to see Ariel laugh so shortly after meeting him. Morgan was obviously special to pull that reaction from him.
“Yeah, but… how many people actually thank you for what you do?” he wondered. It must have been a huge job to take care of a park. He didn’t even know how big it was, but if there were waterfalls, then it was probably pretty big.
But… he didn’t want to push Morgan, so he flashed another bright smile and gestured to the food. “Help yourself! Ah, Harrison, hold on, I’ll give you some,” Casey laughed because of course Harrison was also interested in what everyone else was eating and decided to pop up and try to look, too. Some turkey was fine at least.
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:12 pm
“Oh, I get plenty of thanks.” Morgan shrugged, as though it wasn’t a big deal. He spoke with a humble honesty, like it was spoken only to reassure Casey and not to gloat. He smiled at Harrison–how could he not? She wasn’t his dog to feed but if she had been, she’d have earned half his plate already.
“What do you do? If you don’t mind me asking. I don’t really know much about…park rangering?”
Morgan’s face had yet to return to the stoic mask he’d worn when he first met them. The smile was faint on his face but there was almost a sparkle in his eye. He lifted the fork and moved the food around on his plate before scooping a mouthful of green bean casserole. He balanced it on his fork as he propped one elbow on the table.
“A little bit of everything. You get to be a jack of all trades here. I take care of the park and the people in it. No two days are the same. Last week I fixed this roof,” he nodded to the pavilion above them. “The week before that I was cleaning out an invasive species. I was doing an elementary school tour the other day. Recorded the animals we saw on the trail cams, cleaned leaves off the path and out of the parking lot. Cut down a few trees that were rotting near the path. Sometimes I help with permits, sometimes I do rescue searches, sometimes I do patrols. Sometimes I issue citations. Sometimes I help little old ladies back to their car, sometimes I take photos and video for social media. A little bit of everything. Why, are either of you interested in applying? We’re always looking for help.”
Ariel flushed and shook his head. “No, I don’t think I’d last out here. Especially not in the winter, or summer. I don’t think I’ve got the guts to do half the things you listed. Or the muscles.”
Maybe it was too forward. He shouldn’t have said it. He might have been staring again, so he shoved a bite of turkey into his mouth.
Morgan had finally taken his bite of casserole and, while he let himself savor the flavor, he laughed softly and shook his head. “They won’t put you in a job you’re not comfortable doing. There’s plenty a park ranger can do without guts or muscles. Those are for my other job. What do you two do?”
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:28 pm
Casey smiled and ate while they listened to Morgan explaining all the things that he did. It was rather impressive! Being a jack of all trades must be exhausting but also really rewarding. Sometimes Casey wished he had a better skill set for… anything. But for the past few years he’d been in survival mode, unable to really put a lot of effort into learning.
Oh, but Ariel was so cute when he was flustered. And he looked like he was listening intently to Morgan, too. And thinking about his muscles. Which were really not easy to ignore!
He laughed quietly, politely. It was in support of Ariel’s comment more than anything else. Because Morgan did have nice muscles.
And… Casey couldn’t help but think how the suggestion to work in the park was… very appealing. More than what he was doing now. But… oh, he couldn’t do that to Ariel. He didn’t want him to think he was trying to spend all of his time with their new friend. They were all friends now, of course! Or at least he hoped that they were. It was just that… Ariel looked so interested. And Casey didn’t exactly have any muscles to show off to get Ariel’s attention.
Casey blinked curiously when Morgan mentioned his other job, but it was his turn to join in with feeling flustered when asked what they did.
“Oh… nothing… um, nothing exciting. I just… stock stuff at a warehouse store.” He hoped it sounded so boring that any other questions about it were immediately squashed. But he was definitely curious what Morgan needed his guts and muscles for.
“Um… do… do you fight bears?” he cautioned a guess. He saw the scars! He had to have gotten them from somewhere!
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:35 pm
“No. Fostered a cub, once, but I don’t think wrestling with a cub counts as ‘fighting a bear’.” Morgan didn’t have to ask Ariel what he did for a living; he scooped another bite of green bean casserole and looked at him.
Ariel sat up a bit straighter. He laid his palms on the table and drummed his fingers lightly before he shrugged. “I work in a call center. It’s really not exciting.”
“No, I don’t suppose it would be. I might go crazy in an office. Or a warehouse. You have my sympathies.” Morgan was quiet for a moment and then amended, “unless that’s the type of work you enjoy.”
“No. But it pays the bills.” Ariel lifted his fork again and absentmindedly nudged Casey’s foot with his own under the table. He wanted to ask about Morgan’s other job but he didn’t want to pry. He might just wind up saying something embarrassing if he wasn’t careful. Casey looked so nice out here, with the wind gently playing with his hair. He had such a sweet expression, serene. Ariel had to force himself not to stare.
“What’s your ideal job?” Morgan asked after a moment. Casey looked a bit younger so it would have made sense if he was still in the youthful stage of transience while he worked towards a career. Ariel seemed private, or at least still a bit skittish, so Morgan thought it might be best to talk in hypotheticals instead.
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:49 pm
The nudge from Ariel helped Casey settle some. He could at least focus on that, while also making sure Harrison had her fill of selective bits of food from the table. It was Thanksgiving, after all! They could indulge a little.
He hadn’t been embarrassed about where he worked when talking with Ariel, but suddenly he felt like he was a disappointment. Someone who had all the potential in the world only to squander it. Ungrateful…
A lick from Harrison snapped him from his thoughts and he gave her one more piece of turkey before trying to figure out how to answer Morgan. Even though he would much rather hear about this fostered bear cub.
“Ideal…? I’m not sure… I like to cook, but I don’t think I have the uh… fortitude to work at a restaurant. And definitely not the training. I like animals but, um… sorry, I’m not sure. I haven’t really had a chance to think about it.”
He hadn’t even had a chance to think about what he wanted to major in when he went to college. His life had turned upside down so quickly that sometimes he still felt like he was struggling to get above the surface of the waves.
Ah, but he didn’t need to get into all that, so he shrugged and offered another smile. “Something that lets me be with Harrison all the time would be ideal, really!” And Ariel, but he hoped the nudge from his foot said as much without sharing that with Morgan.
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:56 pm
Morgan listened patiently and moved on to the turkey while he did so. He nodded slightly but finished chewing before he spoke. “This is good,” he noted, poking towards the plate. “If you ever want to try something new, I could put in a good word for you. And Harrison. Three months here and the City will pay for you to go to college. Including culinary school. Although, I suppose they might not want Harrison in the kitchen.”
He wasn’t going to push the idea on him. It was an option, it wasn’t an obligation.
“I don’t know,” Ariel answered under Morgan’s gaze. “I was so set on getting my degree in architecture that I never really stopped to think about anything else. My father has a construction business and he wanted me to inherit it. I just didn’t think it was quite for me but I didn’t want to let him down.”
“Ah. This makes more sense.”
Ariel blinked and waited for Morgan to explain, and he did with another shrug. “You’re both people pleasers. No offense.”
There wasn’t really anything to take offense to; it was true. Ariel couldn’t dispute it. His cheeks turned a bit pink and he shrugged. “Well, what’s your ideal job?”
“This. What I do. I like a bit of peace. I like making a difference. I like every day being a little different. If I’d been born a hundred or so years ago, I might have liked to be an explorer. But this is good for me.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 6:31 am
Casey hoped it wasn’t obvious when the breath caught in his throat. There was hope there. That maybe… maybe knowing Morgan would get him out of the horrible job he had now. It seemed too good to be true. And he didn’t know if he’d be any good at being a forest ranger. What if Morgan ended up getting him a job and he was the worst at it and then got fired and then couldn’t afford paying his bills or making sure Harrison had a good life?
Suddenly, Casey felt very, very young. He knew Ariel and Morgan probably weren’t much older than he was, but they clearly had more life experiences than he’d had. Well, at least different life experiences.
And Ariel looked so sweetly flustered by everything Morgan said. He couldn’t say it was jealousy that he was feeling, but there was some disappointment in himself.
“I’m glad you get to have a good job that you really love,” Casey smiled, his words sincere. He was glad that Morgan was happy. It was definitely a good thing. Now if only he could help Ariel achieve happiness as well.
Maybe the key to that was with Morgan as well.
“That… I mean, thank you for the offer. I…”
He would like to do anything other than his job he had. But he was so afraid of letting people down… He was a people pleaser as Morgan said. “Sorry, I’m just… a little overwhelmed. People don’t usually just… offer something like that.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 7:16 am
“It’s no pressure,” Morgan said, in the same soothing voice that he’d used the last time he’d suspected the two were a little overwhelmed. “It’s an option. And you’ve got my number. You’re more than welcome to tag along and see if it’s something you’d be interested in. We always have hiring come spring so you’ve got time to think it over. You’re not going to let me down if you don’t pursue it, or anything. Destiny City’s always hiring. It can be overwhelming to get your foot in the door but I write a good letter of recommendation. And I’m not above bribery.”
He pointed again to the plate with his fork. “You feed me like this, I’ll write whatever you want.”
The smell of roasting apples and cinnamon began to carry on the air, but Morgan had been keeping an eye on the grill to make sure nothing happened to it.
“I hope you find a job you really love, too. The both of you. I used to wash cars. Hated it. I did retail for a while. Hated it. Lasted one day in a call center. Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time to get what you want. Even if you don’t know what it is, yet. I was moving a turtle off the road on my way home when I got this job. I don’t know if I would have ever known where to start if it weren’t for that.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 9:35 am
A little smile pulled at Casey’s lips. A real smile. And he laughed softly when Morgan admitted to not being above bribery. Even though that wasn’t what they’d been trying to do.
But… oh, he didn’t want to be so awkward when talking to Morgan. And he wanted to make sure Ariel felt comfortable as well.
“Could be fun,” he said with a shrug and grin at Ariel. “We could look into it. Would make things easier, yeah? Maybe we’ll make friends with bears that will chase away everyone we don’t want around,” he snickered good naturedly.
He was still feeling a bit out of sorts, but he was determined not to let that ruin things. It was supposed to be a happy day! And they’d been the ones to show up with food!
“So…” he paused and glanced at Morgan’s arms again. “What… else do you do? If you like this job so much…?” Was that too much to ask? Morgan had mentioned another job, and Casey hadn’t forgotten that!
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 9:44 am
This time, Morgan caught Casey’s eyes on his arms. His gaze followed and he looked at his forearms, rotating his arm to give a better view. Ariel’s eyes had gravitated to the scars, too.
“Volunteer.” Another bite of food, just so he could taste everything while it was still warm. He lowered his fork right after. “Firefighting.”
Ariel didn’t seem like he believed it, but then it was like something else clicked in him. There was a wave of disbelief, but understanding. Of course he’d have been calm in stressful situations, of course he’d be willing to help strangers. Oh, or he was just a good liar. He’d slipped in a few compliments, and he already had both of their phone numbers. Maybe he was just a sweet talker who knew all the right things to do and say.
He knew people like that. He was supposed to be better with red flags.
He kept his ankle pressed against Casey’s. It was reassuring. Grounding. Stable. Real.
“I’ve always had this thing with fire.” Morgan seemed to be distracted by the scars for a moment, but the plate of food called to him too much to let his thoughts dwell elsewhere. “Always a bad day to see your home go up in smoke. Can’t save everything. But I wanted to do my best to make sure everyone could at least get out. It’s a stressful job. So,” he nodded to the trees. “I’ve got this place to keep me sane.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 9:57 am
“Oh wow,” Casey said out loud, unable to contain his awe when Morgan revealed that he was a firefighter. “That’s, like… way cooler than fighting bears.”
Maybe that was too much for him to say? He suddenly felt a bit self conscious about it and felt his face burn, so he quickly worked on shoveling some food into his mouth so he would stop talking for a little while.
He was grateful for Ariel’s presence at least. He didn’t dare move his leg away from where he had it pressed against Ariel’s.
Of course, he didn’t want to seem like he was trying to ignore Morgan. He wasn’t! He was just trying to not look at his scars again, too. So he just nodded along to let him know he was paying attention, while also trying to stuff an entire dinner roll into his mouth because why not. Oh right, probably because it was incredibly unattractive…
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 10:47 am
Ariel looked at Casey with something like alarm when it looked like he was trying to choke himself with food. He didn’t know why he did it, but he picked up his roll and shoved it in his mouth, too.
Morgan looked at the two of them for a few seconds, but he decided that this must be important to them. He shoved the full roll in his mouth, too.
Ariel broke first, and laughed so much that he had to raise a hand to cover his mouth and avoid spitting food out all over the table. He stretched out his other foot so he could hook Casey’s ankle between both of his own. That probably didn’t count as playing footsies, right? It was like holding hands, sort of. And they’d done that before, and it was nice!
Morgan laughed, too, but he managed to keep his mouth shut. He reached over to brush his hand over Harrison’s forehead and scratched behind his ear while he chewed. It took a good few seconds for him to finish the mouthful, but when he had he acted like it was completely normal. “I like bears, I don’t want to fight them. Fire, though, any day. You won’t think it’s so cool when you hear me nagging about proper fire safety protocol. The campers here hate me. I’ve been called very uncool by many teenagers.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 10:53 am
Somehow, Casey managed not to choke on the bread as he laughed. He had to cover his mouth as well, and Harrison was of course immediately interested in what was going on, but Morgan was perfect with keeping her distracted from wanting to jump on everyone.
Both of Ariel’s feet around his ankle was surprising, but not in an unpleasant way. He managed to smile around his mouth full of bread, and shifted his leg a little so it wasn’t as difficult for Ariel to keep his feet where they were. He didn’t want to discourage him from staying close to him!
“Fire is dangerous. You’re right to nag at people about fire safety,” Casey nodded once he was finally able to swallow. “And I promise I’m really careful about the stove and oven,” he promised Ariel with an awkward little smile. Even if he left his door unlocked, he was at least careful about keeping everyone safe. He didn’t want to be the cause of people being without a home, or worse.
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