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 Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 9:28 pm
Quote: Prompt 1 (Diamond Dust): This time of year, snow is common. What’s uncommon is the single, strange snowfall where each snowflake that fell glistened like tiny diamonds. For the most part, the snow seems fairly normal—it’s cold, wet, and melts just like any other snow, it just also happens to look like tiny little gems are falling from the sky. Depending on who you’re with, it’s either incredibly strange, or incredibly romantic. When the snow is coming down at its strongest, crystalized snowflakes trickle down with the rest of the snow. These are roughly the size of a quarter and are light and hollow. They are fragile, like glass, but glisten like a fine cut gem. No one can explain this anomaly, but these small snowflakes won't melt. And they are all over Destiny City. You can find them gently falling to the ground, or lying in the fresh fallen snow. There doesn’t seem to be anything particularly magical about them, but they are beautiful and make pretty keepsakes.
“Oh, see? Here’s another one,” Elliot said, crouching down to scoop a handful of snow. He sifted it through his fingers until only the tiny crystal snowflake was left. This was the largest one he’d found so far, and he popped back up quickly so he could present it to Atticus. He held it up to the moon so it caught the light, and leaned in close. His pockets were already full of the pretty crystal snowflakes, and he was holding both his and Atticus’ in his pockets. It wasn’t that he was greedy, he wanted to collect them for his boyfriend! He just didn’t want him to get cold carrying them around.
They were dressed warmly, their parents knew they were going out for a walk in the snow. Oliver had fussed extra about him, and even as the boys stood there in their jackets and gloves, Oliver had fixed scarves around their necks and made sure they had hats and earmuffs, just in case.
Because Asher had gotten sick while hanging up Christmas lights. It was a cold, he had the sniffles. He was fine, even if Oliver had insisted on putting him under the heated blanket and pampering him. Oliver was not going to let the boys get sick and waste away on their Winter break.
Elliot took his father’s concern very seriously, and had, multiple times already, stopped to adjust Atticus’ scarf, or hat. And lean in for a kiss. To make sure his chapstick was still good! Or any of the dozen other excuses he’d come up with.
Even now, he pecked Atticus’ lips when he got him to lean in close to examine the snowflake.
“This city is so weird, I bet it would be so pretty if we hung these up somewhere. They catch the light so well. Maybe we should hang some on the tree when we get home?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 5:49 pm
“I think that’s a really good idea,” Atticus nodded cheerfully in agreement. And how could he not be cheerful when he had the most wonderful, perfect boyfriend in the entire universe? Elliot was so sweet and caring and Atticus couldn’t help but smile brightly every time they snuck a little kiss.
“It’ll probably be difficult to tie them with any kind of string, but I wonder if they can be glued to maybe fishing line? Oh, or we could get little jars to put them in and put some of those fairy lights inside as well,” he suggested, but he had a lot of ideas and Elliot had great ideas too.
He felt bad that Asher was sick, but he very much enjoyed Elliot double and triple checking that he was all bundled up.
And while he didn’t fuss over Elliot’s hat and scarf yet, he did step closer so he could slide his arms under Elliot’s so he could give him a quick hug. Well.. maybe not so quick, but it could be if they needed it to be.
“I like the way you look with the snow in your hair and on your clothes. It’s very pretty on black,” Atticus smiled up at Elliot, clearly charmed by him in all ways possible.
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 7:20 pm
Elliot laughed and embraced Atticus wholeheartedly. “How did I get the cleverest, most creative boyfriend in the world? I like your idea more, that sounds cute. We should try that, too. I’m sure we could loop fishing line through them? We can try. There’s more than enough to go around.”
And they really weren’t melting. He’d already tried. He’d blown hot breath on them, he’d tried to snap one in two–it felt like holding a very pretty rock.
…Which was probably why Atticus had already gotten some for Devyn, too.
“That was smooth of you, Atticus. Are you flirting with me?” Elliot knew he was, but he liked to tease, too. He wrapped his arms around Atticus and lifted him off the ground. There wasn’t really any reason to it, maybe it was just to show off that he could, and to hug him so tightly that he could feel how loved he was.
“If I hold you like this, the moon makes a halo around you. I wish I had an extra hand so I could take a picture. Take a selfie while I hold you up, I want you to see how pretty you are.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:21 pm
Atticus squeaked and then laughed with delight as Elliot showed off and lifted him up. He did as requested, even if he was a bit flustered by the compliment, and dug out his phone so he could hold his phone and Elliot’s shoulder and take a quick selfie.
“You think so?” he smiled and did his best to keep his weight as supported as possible by holding onto Elliot’s shoulders so he wouldn’t get too tired or hurt himself. Not that he didn’t know how strong Elliot was!
“I think you should take a selfie when you’re holding me up, because the light in your eyes shine really bright when you look at me.”
Even if he was flirting, it was the truth! Elliot always looked at him like he was something special and should be cherished, and Atticus loved him all the more for it.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:41 pm
“Atticus, how can you expect me to take a picture of myself when I’ve got you in front of me? I can’t take my eyes off of you, that’s why they’re shining so much.”
When he smiled, it reached his eyes, and if they sparkled a bit more than usual it was most certainly because he had Atticus in his arms and not because the moon was so bright behind him.
He adjusted his grip on Atticus only slightly, not because he needed to but because he wanted to make sure he was comfortable. He hadn’t been working out per se, but he’d been practicing with Michael on top of his usual training. He had to stay in top shape for his sports, and he took being a Knight very seriously. He wanted to make Michael proud, and maybe save him a few grey hairs. Elliot knew he worried so much already, and Atticus was a better healer than he was fighter so he was ready to pick up the slack and be strong enough for the both of them.
And anyway, all this practice had their perks.
Like being able to pick Atticus up like this. His muscles hadn’t even yet begun to burn so he knew he could do this for a while. He could probably even spin him around some, and he definitely would have if he wasn’t being mindful of hidden ice patches.
Instead, he lowered Atticus just enough that he could kiss his chilly nose.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 7:08 pm
Atticus tried not to be too obvious about how much he enjoyed being picked up by his strong, handsome boyfriend. He did the little foot pop thing too completely unintentionally! Mostly he was just trying to keep snow and mud off of Elliot’s clothes while also keeping his weight balanced so he could be held longer.
The kiss to his nose earned a small laugh and giggle, and in return, Atticus kissed Elliot’s chin.
“I really hope these little crystals last. I wonder if they’ll be out here once everything melts. It’ll make finding them easier. Oh, but this city does weird things, so they might all be gone.”
Oh, a thought like that made him frown a little. But that was okay. As long as they enjoyed the little crystals while they lasted. That was part of the magic.
“I think I could stare at you all day and not get bored. You have such kind eyes, Elliot. It’s no wonder that everyone is drawn to you.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 7:14 pm
Elliot tipped his head back so he could receive all of the kisses Atticus could summon. “Oh, you’ve been spending too much time with Devyn, is he teaching you how to make me swoon? That one was good, Atticus.”
It earned him another kiss. He definitely wasn’t going to put him down any time soon.
“My dad said something like this happened before, I think we still have one. It might be in his car. But even if they do melt, I’m still happy I got to spend this time with you. I couldn’t break it when I tried to snap it in two, but we can toss them in some hot water when we get home.”
He didn’t want them to melt, they were really neat!
“If they don’t last, we’ll just enjoy them for as long as we have them, I guess.” What more was there to do? Oh, wait–
“Maybe we can make some molds of them if you wanted to? I heard they’ve got resin that can cure like glass.” Like he was really thinking too deeply about crafting when he had Atticus like this. And his arms had only just started to tingle some!
He cracked a grin up at Atticus. “Do you like being taller than me?”
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 7:57 pm
Atticus absolutely gave Elliot as many kisses as he could manage. He also rubbed his hands over Elliot’s shoulders, hoping he wasn’t straining too much. But he knew how strong Elliot was! He could probably hold him up forever if he wanted.
“I like when you show off, so yes I like being taller than you. You’re so strong, Elliot. Oh, but am I making you swoon?” he giggled with delight and then gasped when Elliot had another perfect idea.
“Oh, you’re so smart. I didn’t think about that at all. Yes, that would be perfect. Even if it’s not an exact match, I definitely want to remember this time with you. I want to make a box of keepsakes for us, so we can open it up and look at everything we’ve done together when we--”
Atticus paused suddenly and could feel his cheeks burning. It was one thing to be dating, and to spend their lives together. But friends could spend their lives together too. Family could.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:14 pm
Elliot’s lips twitched until he couldn’t hold it. He lowered Atticus so they were at eye level, mostly so he could see him but partly because he didn’t want to strain his arms too much. “Get married?” he suggested playfully.
They were young, he knew it was impractical to think you’d date one person and then be with them forever. It hadn’t been like that for Michael. It hadn’t been like that for Devyn. Well, sort of. He didn’t count
It had been like that for his parents, which meant that between the two of them, 50% of their parents had fallen in love in high school and been happily married since then.
Which were pretty good odds. Statistically speaking. He liked them, he wasn’t planning on opening up the sample size.
He liked the idea of marrying Atticus. He knew he was young, he knew ‘people change’, he knew they might not last. But he also knew that they might. And after everything that they’d been through, how could he not have hope? He couldn’t imagine anyone better.
He wasn’t even ashamed to have dreamed about the maybes and what-ifs already.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:38 pm
Atticus squeaked and hid his face behind one of his hands, while the other still held onto Elliot for both of their stability. He kicked his feet in an anxious but gentle way that made it seem more like he was fidgeting than wanting to be put down. He didn’t!
“I know. I know we’re just-- just kids,” he wibbled, peeking out from behind his gloved hand to look at Elliot, but hopefully he was still covering his blush.
“There hasn’t been… I mean… I don’t think I’d ever be happier with anyone else but. Oh, I’m sorry. If that was too much you can ignore me,” he panicked because oh no what if Elliot decided that even if they were going to definitely spend the rest of their lives together, maybe he only meant that in a way that they were friends and Knights of neighboring Wonders??
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:48 pm
Elliot could feel the movement of Atticus’ moving feet and it made his heart swell.
He was so cute. Like, so cute. Atticus was glowing and his warmth made Elliot forget they were just standing here in the snow.
“Why are you hiding from me? I can’t kiss you when your hands are in the way.” He kissed the back of his hands, anyway.
“Everyday we get further away from being kids and I still love you. Actually, I think I love you even more than when we first started dating, so I think we’re on the right track. And you know my dads started dating when they were close to our age. I mean, I know people can date because they’re not really serious about anything, but a lot of people date because they want to find the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with. I can’t imagine anyone else. I like you.”
They worked well together. They had good chemistry and they complimented each other nicely. He could have tried to find someone else, but why? He loved Atticus. He wasn’t going to think about dating someone else unless he had to, and there was nothing about their relationship that made him feel like he should start considering what he wanted in an ideal partner.
If he tried, he only imagined Atticus, anyway.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:55 pm
“Oh. Now who’s been hanging out with my dads?” he squeaked, but he was so charmed by Elliot and everything he said. “That was very poetic. Very romantic. We should add that to our box, too.”
So… Elliot wouldn’t mind…? They hadn’t explicitly ever said marriage before, but Atticus knew they would be together. He just felt like it was such an idealistic goal. But Elliot was right. His dads were together for a long time. And Devyn met Percy when they were young.
“I like you, too,” he said quietly as he lowered his hand from his face. He wasn’t trying to hide! He just thought it was embarrassing for him to get so flustered.
“I love you. With all my heart.” And one day they would talk about their future again. Atticus just hoped his dreams were going to end up as reality for them.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 9:09 pm
“I know,” Elliot said pleasantly. He was smiling again, and it reached his eyes effortlessly. “And I love you with all my heart, too. I’m not sure if there’s room for me to fall in love with anyone else, so I think we’re safe. We just have to do what we’ve been doing probably. Open communication and all that.”
Elliot could have been more diplomatic, more verbose. He didn’t have to be, he was with Atticus. Atticus understood without him going the extra mile.
Although, Elliot wanted to go the extra mile and more, just for him. He was worth it.
“So we shouldn’t worry about the future. We can dream about it, though. Like what house we’ll have. How many kids we’ll have. Cats, or dogs. Oh, how we’ll decorate. Michael’s house has gotten more colorful since you and Devyn moved in, it looked like a catalog photoshoot before. And you’ve seen my house, my parents just work to match whatever they like. I don’t think I need a lot of monsters in our house. Maybe a few. But we can put jewelry on them so they’re still cute.”
He was teasing, but there was probably at least a bit of honesty behind it.
Elliot really wasn’t worried about their future. He couldn’t imagine anything changing between the two of them, and no matter what situations he tried to envision that could have pried them apart, nothing ever seemed so hopeless.
People could change, people could grow apart.
He just couldn’t see that happening to them.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 9:23 pm
Atticus took a steadying breath. He didn’t doubt Elliot or anything like that! He just worked himself up and got into his own head. He didn’t exactly have the best background to use as a blueprint for how things should happen. Well… he knew he didn’t want anything that happened to him before to happen to anyone else, so there was that.
“We could write out what we think we’d like now, and then we can look at what we decide in the future,” he suggested, because he thought it might be fun to see how much they’d changed, if any at all.
“You make me so happy, Elliot,” he sighed with relief and leaned close to put his arms around Elliot’s shoulders once more before pausing to glance curiously at him.
“Do you like that I’m shorter than you?” he wondered, even though it didn’t really matter. “You like being able to pick me up, don’t you?” He was teasing, of course. And he leaned close to give Elliot a kiss.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 9:31 pm
“Yes,” Elliot answered quickly, honestly. “I think I’d be pretty sad if I couldn’t pick you up. I need to work out more.”
His arms were burning, and reluctantly he lowered Atticus to the ground. “Next time you have to wrap your legs around me, I think I’ll be able to hold you for longer.” He made sure Atticus comfortably had both feet planted but he didn’t release him.
One more kiss, on his nose. Oh, but then one on each cheek. Oh, and his forehead. Finally, his lips.
“You make me so happy, too. Just so you know.” He’d always been a happy kid, he always had a lot of friends. He was always doing something and enjoying life. Atticus fit right into his life, perfectly, and everything was better for it.
“I really like that idea, too. We should do that for every anniversary, just make a questionnaire for what we think we’re going to want when we’re older and fill it out every year so we can compare. Maybe we’ll read them at our wedding and see how far we’ve come.”
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