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 Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 11:01 am
“I appreciate it. I hope the only uniform you ever have to see me in is this one. But you can call me if you ever get stuck in a tree and need help getting down.” Which was a good reminder that he had their numbers but they didn’t have his. He set his phone on the table with his free hand and figured now was a good time to send them each a message that just said ‘This is Morgan’.
“Oh, I don’t think we do a lot of tree climbing, but…” Maybe Ariel could climb a tree and get stuck. No, wait–why was he thinking that? He wasn’t even sure he’d ever climbed a tree as a kid, much less now. And he did not want to be trapped somewhere, pathetic and stuck. He’d already made a fool of himself enough so far.
“Probably because there aren’t a lot of trees in the city?” Morgan suggested. “Not big enough to be worth climbing, at least. Out here, there are quite a few that have caught my attention.” He didn’t care if it was childish, he might have looked like he was too serious for fun and games but nature was too beautiful not to admire in all its forms. As long as you were respectful, at least.
Again, Morgan had to pause to look at his food. His brows lifted on his face and he nodded approvingly. “I’ve said it before, this is really good. Honestly, probably the best Thanksgiving I’ve had in a long time. If you do ever decide to get a job in a restaurant, you’ll have to tell me. I’ll come visit for lunch.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 11:07 am
“What if we want to see you in your other uniform?” Casey couldn’t stop himself from asking, but then followed it up with an awkward laugh. He was definitely not thinking about Morgan in a firefighter uniform.
He bet he could probably carry both of them at the same time easily.
But he smiled when his and Ariel’s hard work was praised. He certainly hadn’t done all the cooking. Ariel was a lot of help!
“I make really awesome sandwiches, if you ever want me to pack a lunch for you, anyway,” he joked. “And soup too.” Two of the most basic things ever. It was definitely something to laugh at, and spoke nothing of skill or expertise that came with actually cooking. Even now Casey could feel his cheeks burn because it was easier to make a joke about himself and lower any expectations before anyone was ultimately disappointed.
“This has been the best Thanksgiving for me, too. Oh, but I was serious about making lunch. We should all share a meal some other time, don’t you think? I mean… not wait for next year’s Thanksgiving. Especially since we have waterfalls to see and trees to climb!”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 11:13 am
“I like that idea. Having lunch more often. You really want to see the other uniform?” Morgan laughed to himself and kept his smile as he took another bite. “I’d sent you pictures of the calendar but I can’t say I’m wearing much of it.”
If he was joking, his delivery was too solid. Ariel wasn’t sure what to make of it, and he was torn between actually asking and playing it off as the joke it might have been. “Do they really do that? I mean, make the fireman calendars. I thought it was just a joke.”
“It’s a joke,” Morgan answered. “But mostly because we don’t take ourselves too seriously when we do it. There is a calendar, we do one every year. It’s for charity. One of the guys in my station is a professional photographer and sets up all the photoshoots. He takes photos for the paper, too. And the ones for all our social media. Which is very educational. You decorate for Christmas? I think we just posted a holiday reminder. Or maybe it’s coming out this weekend. Most house fires happen around that time, though. Station 14, if you want to look it up.”
“Oh.” Ariel was quiet for a few seconds and then he said, “Well, okay. I haven’t decorated for–Casey, do you decorate for Christmas?”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 11:18 am
Casey had stopped chewing to stare at Morgan. It was difficult for him to not try and imagine exactly what kinds of photos were in this calendar of theirs. Oh… and his face was probably very obviously red.
Thankfully, Ariel was able to turn the conversation around and -- oh… one more thing to be embarrassed about.
“Oh, I mean… um. Last year I put a bow on Harrison’s collar, but only for a little while. She kept trying to eat it. I mean, it’s not like I wouldn’t like to decorate, it’s just uh… I usually don’t have time.”
That, and he had to prioritize what he did with the money that he earned. Making sure Harrison had a full bowl was more important than setting out an empty stocking. Sure, there were little, seasonal things he had, but he’d gotten used to not having a lot of possessions so keeping decorations seemed like it would be a hassle.
“Do cookies count? I usually decorate cookies for the holidays,” he offered as an alternative so they didn’t think he was weird… or more weird than he already was.
But he would have to see where Station 14 was… in case of an emergency or something like that.
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 11:27 am
“Cookies count. It’s more than I do. I don’t spend a lot of time at the house. But we decorate the station, and the parks. Mostly I just show up and enjoy it, I don’t really have a decorator’s eye.”
“I’d love to decorate,” Ariel sighed, and propped his elbow on the table so he could rest his cheek in his palm dejectedly. “My mother and I used to do it. And when I moved out–I wish I had pictures. I was a little bougie. A lot bougie. It was so wasteful. But it made me so happy. When things get more settled,” he nudged Casey’s foot again, “we’ll have to do that.”
Morgan watched the two of them with a soft little smile. The scent of apples and roasting sugar permeated the air and more than once already he’d turned his head to appreciate it. Sometimes, when he fell quiet, it was obvious that he was thinking. His eyes might have narrowed a bit as he mulled things over, but he seemed relaxed. Happy, still, judging by the smile on his face.
This was peaceful. He liked listening to the two of them, and enjoying all of this food. Maybe it was silly to feel so at ease–they were both still strangers, after all, and yet he still felt like he knew them. They were going to bring sandwiches and go on a hike to the waterfalls, and he found himself already looking forward to it.
That, and trying to figure out how to get Ariel what he needed so he could decorate for the holidays enough that he and Casey could enjoy it.
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 5:11 pm
Casey was quiet for a little while. He smiled, of course, but his focus was on taking a few more bites or making sure Harrison wasn’t starving. He felt a little unworthy of being around Ariel and Morgan.
It had been years since Casey had decorated for the holidays. Back when he lied to himself about who he was, if only to keep a roof over his head. It was survival for a long time. He hadn’t even meant to get kicked out, but… things happened.
That was another life, and one that he wasn’t going to burden Ariel and Morgan with. Especially not on Thanksgiving.
But Ariel was so sweet, and of course Casey couldn’t ignore him.
“We can decorate however you want. You’ll have to direct me. It’s been a while since I’ve uh… encountered anything bougie,” he snickered and wiggled his foot for Ariel’s benefit. “I wish I could see pictures. I bet it was pretty awesome.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 7:10 pm
“I wish I had them. They were on my old phone, and my old social media accounts.” He sighed, and tapped at his plate with his fork. It was more honest than he’d been about the little things. He felt less obligated not to mention anything. He didn’t have his old phone. He didn’t have access to his old accounts. Anything that could be taken from him was, and anything he had left could have been used against him.
“Maybe somewhere,” Ariel decided. “And if not, I’ll just redecorate. You haven’t–”
He paused for a second and then leaned forward a bit on the table. “I’ve never invited you over to my apartment. I want you to see how bougie I live now.”
His apartment was empty. He had next to nothing. A few necessities, most of which were packed in a bag by the door. It looked like someone had robbed him, or like he hadn’t really even moved in. In a way, both were true.
“We’ll make due,” Ariel decided. “I hope you took pictures of Harrison, though. I want to see her all dressed up.” He’d have pet her if Morgan wasn’t stroking her head again. “Maybe–” he was quiet for a moment, but then said, “When it gets colder, maybe we can find some time to go look at the lights in the city. The tree is pretty. But on a cold day. Where you need to wear a scarf.”
“Do you like the cold?” Morgan asked, but he’d already suspected there was more to it than that. Ariel was hardly subtle with the way he shifted in on himself a bit.
“Oh–sometimes. I suppose…I don’t know, being outside like this made me realize how much I miss getting out.” He didn’t know if he was confessing it to Morgan or to Casey. “...It’s nice. All of this.”
If he hadn’t met Casey–he really didn’t know where he’d be right now. Probably alone in his empty house, hoping tomorrow was better than today.
Now, he was hoping tomorrow was just like today.
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 7:24 pm
“Oh, yeah, I have photos. Uh, I had do download them since I ran out of phone space. But they’re on my computer,” he said with a grin. Of course he liked showing off his perfect pup. He could see the way Ariel seemed to want to pet Harrison, and he was almost surprised that he hadn’t reached over to pet her along with Morgan.
If they happened to touch hands, well… that was how he and Ariel had comforted each other before, right? Maybe that was just Ariel’s way of wanting to get close to someone.
“But oh, you’re inviting me over? I look forward to it,” Casey grinned brighter, amused because, well… he bet that Ariel definitely locked his doors. He felt a little bad about kind of inside jokes with Ariel in front of Morgan, but that was okay, right? They weren’t keeping him completely in the dark about things. And he seemed smart enough to figure things out on his own.
“As long as it’s warm when I need it to be, I don’t mind putting on a few extra blankets and sitting in front of a fire.”
He paused and laughed awkwardly.
“A safe fire. One with… water nearby. It’s okay, the apartments don’t have fireplaces! But… yeah we should take a walk around the city. Harrison would like that, I’m sure.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 7:46 pm
Morgan’s lip twitched again. He’d smiled during this conversation more than not. “That’s the right answer,” he praised. He didn’t interrupt their conversation, but of course he’d be proud to hear that they were considering fire safety. He wanted to see them again, just in good circumstances.
Although, realistically he wasn’t actually sure what they were both doing here with him. They must have been a couple, right? But there was something distinctly reserved about them. Maybe they were shy. Or worried that he was homophobic…?
No, that didn’t make sense. He’d been flirting practically this whole time and hadn’t shaken either of them. It wasn’t like he was trying to drive a wedge between them; he saw the way they gave each other those looks. Of course, he wouldn’t deny that he enjoyed seeing them get a bit flustered. He knew when to draw the line.
His plate was almost done, and they looked like they’d had enough time to do a lot of damage. He hoped they saved room for the apples, because even if he was full, his mouth was already watering again.
“I’m really excited,” Ariel said, but the smell of apples had caught his attention, too. “Thank you, Casey. And you, too, Morgan. I can’t say that I ever thought about going to see a waterfall, but…I think I like it out here. Well–I mean, as long as…”
He glanced back into the woods. He didn’t have to explain, Morgan knew he was thinking about the first time they’d met. “It’s safe. I won’t let anything happen to either of you out here.” He made sure he caught both of their eyes when he said it. “Promise.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:04 pm
Casey had lifted his head to follow Ariel’s line of sight to the woods. Now that he knew a little more about Ariel, he was also going to be more cautious about people who might be trying to hurt his only friend.
He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until Morgan met their eyes and promised that he wouldn’t let anything happen to them out there.
Softly, Casey released the breath, which was followed by a nervous laugh. He didn’t know why Morgan’s words meant as much as it did. They barely even knew him. But he was convinced that Morgan was sincere and would absolutely not let anything happen to them.
“Thanks,” he muttered somewhat shyly. He wasn’t in any real danger. Not like Ariel could have been, but it was nice to know, regardless.
“Ah… I’ll have to head out in maybe half an hour,” he sighed after glancing at the time on his phone. “I have to drop Harrison off at a kennel since I’ll be working for… at least the next few days,” he sighed a bit heavier this time and rubbed at Harrison’s head.
“Unless you wouldn’t mind watching her,” he said with a small grin as he looked up at Morgan, but it quickly fell and was replaced by a grimace. “Sorry, that was a joke. I mean, I would trust you with her, but that was rude of me to joke about. I just hate leaving her there just because I don’t know when I’ll be able to get home.”
Ariel worked, too. He didn’t want to burden Ariel with having to stop by and let Harrison out. Especially since he was trying to keep a low profile and stay out of sight in case he was recognized by the wrong people.
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:14 pm
Sometimes it was hard to tell if Casey was joking or not, because he said things that could have easily been sincere but he was quick to brush it off. Morgan suspected he might have just said the first thing to pop into his mind and then had to backtrack.
He liked that about Casey, though. The sincerity made him feel trustworthy.
Ariel offered a sympathetic look towards Casey and Harrison, and Morgan was certain that if he’d been able to watch the dog, he would have.
“I’m here until ten,” Morgan said; he stood up to check on the apples. If Casey was going to leave soon, he wanted him to be able to enjoy them at perfection. He moved the aluminum foil off of the grill and placed the apples on an empty space, away from the other food on the table. He was mindful to only touch the aluminum, but he began to carefully cut the apples into slices so they could cool a little more.
“We’ve got a little fenced area I can keep her in while I’m working. It’s where we keep the lost dogs we find until we get them to the shelter or get their owners to pick them up. I don’t mind watching her. You aren’t afraid I’ll steal her? Might be hard to say goodbye to that sweet little face if you leave her with me for too long.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:23 pm
Casey didn’t blame Ariel at all. He felt bad for even bringing it up. Harrison was his responsibility, but he also desperately needed to have a job so he could afford to take care of her. Oh, and himself. And if they decided they were going to spite him more at work, they might just stop giving him hours at all, rather than making him work all day.
His cheeks burned when Morgan agreed. He didn’t mean to push that burden on him. Harrison was easy to take care of, but she also wasn’t supposed to be someone else’s responsibility. He felt a bit like a failure in that respect.
“Are… are you sure? I mean… I’ll do my best to come and get her as soon as possible. I just… they give me these really stupidly long hours and it’s the holiday weekend so they’ll probably not let me run to check up on her and I feel really bad and, I mean, I brought enough food for her for the next few days -- not because I was intending to ask you! I don’t always know if the kennel will have everything she needs so I packed stuff for her just in case,” he awkwardly gestured to the bag he’d used to carry the food. Inside was a gallon bag of plenty of food to last for a few days, along with her favorite stuffed rabbit.
“Oh, but if you have trouble saying goodbye, we’ll just have to hang out more, yeah?” That seemed like the logical answer.
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:30 pm
Oh, poor Casey. Morgan didn’t want him to worry or feel bad about having asked. He put in the extra effort to produce a soft smile for him. “That sounds like a good plan. You’ve got my number now, just text me if there’s anything I need to know about her or her schedule. Otherwise I’ll feed her a cup at eight. I live alone but I’m sure the house is dog-safe. Sometimes a stray cat breaks in but I’ll chase him off if he tries to visit. Unless she’s good with cats.”
Harrison seemed like she’d be good with anyone.
“I’ll text you my address so you know where she is. And pictures, so you don’t have to worry. And you let me know when you’re going to be in or if you want me to drop her off anywhere. Don’t stress about any of it. I like her, she’s a good girl. We’ll have fun. If her tail keeps up like that, maybe I’ll have her help me sweep some leaves off the path.”
Ariel watched Morgan like he wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. There was something like gratitude and admiration, but Harrison wasn’t even his dog. Maybe he was just proud that someone was so receptive to Casey being Casey. There was no reprimand, no side eye, no hesitation, even. Just yes and sounds good and let’s hang out more.
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:40 pm
Casey still seemed a little hesitant. Not because he didn’t trust Morgan to keep Harrison safe! He just didn’t like burdening anyone. He forced himself to laugh again and offered a smile of genuine gratitude, but he pet Harrison a little more anxiously than usual. Of course she loved any attention.
“Oh, she’s usually scared of cats,” he admitted with another awkward laugh. “Maybe one swiped at her when she was a puppy. I’m not sure. But as long as they’re not aggressive, she’ll just lay down and let them approach her. You can always tell she wants to be friends, but isn’t sure how to do it. I guess she gets that from me.”
That was followed with another uncertain laugh because… well, he really didn’t know how to make friends. Ariel was special, but Ariel had also become his friend by accident it seemed. If he hadn’t come into his apartment by mistake, Casey might have never gotten to know him better.
“But… thank you. Really. I’ll…. I’ll definitely have to make you plenty of lunches to make up for this.”
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Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:45 pm
Casey seemed nervous, so Morgan smiled again and moved one of the roasted apples onto his plate. “That sounds like a good trade. It’ll be nice to have some good soup when it gets colder.” Something Casey had already mentioned before, so of course he’d keep it on his mind.
“I’ll look after her, she’s in good hands. No scary cats. For you or her. And if you change your mind and want me to drop her off at a kennel, I’ll do that. But I’ll be glad for the company. It’s much more empty today than I thought it would be. But I think that’s a good thing. I’m glad I got to spend time with you three.”
Ariel kept glancing between Morgan and Casey, trying to play it off casually. Morgan put an apple on the empty spot on his plate and he thanked him quietly so he could make sure his voice stayed even. If Morgan and Casey got to be too close, would he be left behind? It was a silly thought! He was happy that Casey had met someone else who seemed to appreciate him, but selfishly, Ariel found himself worried about sharing him. No, actually. That wasn’t what worried him.
Losing him was.
He’d enjoyed talking with Morgan, he liked being around him. Especially now that he had this delicious smelling apple to enjoy. Morgan put a third on his own plate and sat back down, very ready to indulge. He looked–
Happy. Genuinely happy. Not performative–although Ariel did suspect that smile might have been for their sake, he didn’t doubt it.
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