downfall;

parker vos. 33 years old. security guard at new york aquarium.

[parkcrvos]

& ALEJANDRO:

“You really should. No wrinkles, no stress. If you’re preparing for the worst, maybe things don’t turn out so bad. Not happiness, per se. But the idea of constant optimism. I’ve never been particularly optimistic myself, so I just assume everyone else is probably faking it.” 

         “That’s kind of an interesting turn on life -- maybe I really should give it a try. Lately I only ever get disappointed because things turn out worse than I wanted them to. Happiness is kind of what I’m looking for though, you know? I’ve had enough of the opposite.”

[parkcrvos]

& COREY‌:

“Maybe we should change that. I could tell ‘em how y’do that thing with yer tongue. Bet ya won’t feel like a kid anymore,” Corey’s grin was wicked, even as he leaned onto Parker to lightly bite at the other’s neck, “No talk about ‘em crying. She’ll be sad but they know we don’t need none of that pity. Plus, y’know I can’t handle pity. But I do know this’ll be better for us in the long run.”

         “Oh, hell no. You’re not telling them anything. And it’s not even funny to think about that, Corey.” Parker was grinning himself as he spoke though, nudging Corey away as if to prove his point. “She’ll cry anyway. You know her. She doesn’t care for the pity talk either. --Yeah? You’re turning into quite the optimist, did you notice that?”

[parkcrvos]

& EDEN‌:

     “Listen, not that I don’t appreciate the company, but isn’t there an incredibly attractive husband waiting for you back home?” Hugging her arms around herself, she nudged him lightly. Far be it from her to keep him out later than he needed to. “I swear I’ll be fine, Park. Have a little faith, I can handle myself.” ( @parkcrvos )

          “Actually, not right now, no. He’s working late tonight, so you’re not keeping me from my attractive husband.” Parker grinned, nudging her right back. “You know I have faith in you. But why would I leave you alone when that just means we’ll both be alone separately?”

[parkcrvos]

& COREY‌:

“Fine, I’ll go see ‘em tomorrow.” It’s not like he wouldn’t, and Parker knew that. But Corey wasn’t exactly sure how to do it without the other. “And you’re goin’ with me. None of this…bullshit. You’re a grown man, Park. Pretty sure your dad can handle this. And it’s been over a decade; reckon’ he’s accepted all that by now.” He followed his husband easily, reaching forward to slide his hand into Parker’s back pocket, “Why not.”

          “Fine, whatever. We’ll go together,” Parker sighed, shaking his head. At least that would make it easier for him. Things were always easier when Corey was by his side. “I know I’m a grown man, but it’s not that easy, okay? I still feel like I’m a little boy around him.” He couldn’t say why that was -- what he’d done in life had rewarded him with plenty of nice words from his dad, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder if the disappointment was still there too. “I think my dad won’t struggle as much with it as mom anyway. She’ll probably bawl her eyes out.”

[parkcrvos]

& ALEJANDRO:

“But I thought not giving any fucks usually kept you wrinkle free? If you think everything’s sunshine and daisies, then you’ll be sorely disappointed someday. But I like the way you think, very….happy. Very strange.” 

           “Okay, fair enough -- I’ve never seen it from that view, but you do get a point. Maybe in that case I should try not giving a shit more as well. Happy is strange for you? Really?”

[parkcrvos]

& COREY‌:

“Would it?” Corey wasn’t against doing so – and since he had Parker’s blessing, it’d be the first thing he’d do the next morning. “You ain’t gonna be in his debt. Y’know he don’t see it like that. Look how far you’ve come by yourself. When we was both in a bad way, he was supportive. Ain’t too sure he wouldn’t be for this, too.” He rubbed his jaw, motioning towards the door, “Let’s get outta here.”

        “It would,” Parker admitted with a sigh. Brushing a hand through his hair, he shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe he doesn’t, but I do. I mean, I’m grateful for what he’s done for us, don’t get me wrong. And if he could really help out with this, I’d be happy too. But it also feels like I should feel bad about not following in his footsteps, not being who he wanted me to be. You know what I mean.” It was a discussion they had plenty of times before, but at the cue to leave, he took Corey’s hand and headed for the exit right away. “Good idea. How about some take out at home?”

[parkcrvos]

& ALEJANDRO‌:

“I mean, honestly? I think it’s pretty shite, but I think everything is pretty shite. So make of that what you will.”

         “You really think everything’s shit? Doesn’t that give you wrinkles? I’m pretty sure it would give me wrinkles. Staying optimistic is my secret to staying young.”

[parkcrvos]

& NATHALIE‌:

“Hearts will definitely be breaking all over the room,” Nathalie added with a chuckle, taking another sip from her champagne flute. “So far, yes. I’ve managed to successfully avoid any conversations with my boss and I think the bartender has a thing for me, not that it really matters since it’s an open bar anyway, but it could mean better drinks, which I’m definitely not opposed to.”

          “I really don’t want to be responsible for broken hearts.” Not that it was an entirely unknown phenomenon though, Parker had to break plenty of women’s hearts throughout his life. “Hey, that could definitely be a thing. Maybe he’s putting more alcohol in your drinks than in anyone else’s, and who would complain about that? I’m not a fan of alcohol and even I have to say you can’t survive this thing without it.”

[parkcrvos]

& COREY:

“Yes, Parker. Reckon’ you should tell ‘em before I do.” He didn’t want to cause an issue, but it was a push in the right direction. “Listen, I know it ain’t fair, but we gotta do somethin’ to move on. So we ain’t gettin’ a kid now, we’ll get ‘em later. We will. There are plenty’a kids in the foster system that need homes. Besides…what’s the problem with your dad helpin’? I know you always been so…insistent on doing shit yourself, but if we had him in our corner, it might be easier.”

          “Why don’t you? That would really make me feel so much better.” Even if Parker knew avoiding problems didn’t make them better, the idea of Corey telling them instead of him was awfully tempting. “I don’t know. You know how he can be. I just... I don’t want to be in his debt for the rest of my life. And if he helped us getting a kid, then I would be.” Although Parker had to admit, he was starting to get desperate enough to consider that option. He’d accepted his father’s help more times than he liked to admit in the past anyway. “I just wish it didn’t have to be so damn hard.”

[parkcrvos]

& WYATT:

“I swear to god, that is the third person who’s run into me today,” Wyatt huffed, brushing off his sleeve where he’d been shoulder-checked by some corporate minion with a toupee. “Am I just invisible? Or is there actually a sign attached to my forehead that says, ‘give me shoulder damage’?”

          “This is New York, you know. People bumping into you is just something you can’t get rid of around here -- they’ll always do that. You’re lucky nothing was spilled on you,” Parker smiled, shaking his head a little. “That’s what happens to me all the time, and trust me, having coffee or ramen all over your shirt is even worse.”

[parkcrvos]

& COREY‌:

“That’s a damn lie,” Corey’s smile was gentle, as it usually was when he looked at Parker. Despite that, he shrugged his shoulders, trying to push back into the easy talk about their future like they had before. He couldn’t change the past, but at least he could try to change the future. “You still ain’t told ‘em, have ya?” He squeezed Parker’s hand, giving the other a look, “I reckon’ you should before she starts askin’ questions. Y’already know they gonna since they offered t’pay the adoption fees as one of our weddin’ gifts.”

           “We can fight forever about that.” Parker rolled his eyes in amusement, even if his smile faltered slightly as Corey put his finger right into the wound that hadn’t closed yet. He was trying to look forward and not let it get to him, but he just didn’t know how to talk to his parents about that. Ever since the wedding, and even long before that, they’d been talking about getting more grandkids. And he didn’t want to disappoint them. “No,” he mumbled, shrugging his shoulders uncomfortably. “You know how they are. My mom’s going to bring us comfort food and my dad will hold monologues about all the people he could contact to twist this around for us. I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.”

[parkcrvos]

& NATAHLIE‌:

for @parkcrvos

“You clean up nice,” Nathalie complimented, a genuine smile on her face, grateful to finally run into a familiar face, amused at the looks her friend seemed to be attracting. “And it’s apparent all of the lonely cougars in the room agree.” A few glasses of champagne into the evening and the brunette couldn’t help but feel her spirits beginning to lift. Sure, it was mostly because of the champagne, but the brunette chose to file that away in the back of her mind. “Is Corey here with you?”

       “Lonely cougars?”, Parker echoed, looking around in an attempt to catch whoever Nathalie was talking about. “I’m pretty sure they’ll turn away from me the second they see me hit the dance floor with my husband. So yeah, he’s here -- but probably hiding from me because of that plan,” he grinned. “And you? Having fun?”

[parkcrvos]

& COREY‌:

“I ain’t wrong about a lot, okay?” Corey smiled, following Parker’s lead as they danced. “She sure does. Maybe it’s ‘cause I’m so damn cute. S’real shame we can’t have a kid that looks like both of us. But hey, I’ll be she’ll be just as excited as when she got them two cuties. Reckon’ a boy first, that way she has a grandson.”

        “You think that, but you are. I’m the one who’s always right.” Parker grew a bit hesitant at the subject of kids -- he wasn’t sure if talking about it was a good plan. Talking about it made him hopeful, and then he’d only be even more disappointed if it didn’t work out. “She’ll love her grandkids no matter their genes. As long as we have some, she’ll be happy. She still gets on my nerves because of it.” Parker hadn’t told his parents that they had been declined as adoptive parents, not ready for the conversations and not even ready for their support that surely would be there. “A boy first? Sure that’s her wish and not yours?”, he teased with a small smile.

[parkcrvos]

& COREY‌:

“I’m good at sayin’ never. Wasn’t it about 2002 when I said there ain’t ever gonna be a day where we can get married?” Corey grinned a little more, rolling his eyes a little. “Your momma could see a picture of ya in fifth grade and she’ll start cryin’. I just think she’s real happy her boy finally got married. She was probably worried no one would like the nerdy quarterback.” He wrinkled his nose, though he knew that was far from the truth. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten so lucky to gain Parker’s attention, but then again, they’d been young and it hadn’t mattered what their lives were looking like at the time.

         “And you were so wrong about that. It just took me dying and coming back from the dead.” Unable to hold back a laugh at the comment about his mother, he shook his head as he moved to the music, pulling Corey with him. “Guess you’re right about that one. She cries all the fucking time. And hey, I thought we agreed on the fact that I was the best catch in school -- you’re the lucky one here,” he teased. In the end, they’d both gotten lucky; Parker never thought he’d actually end up with someone he trusted and loved unconditionally, yet here they were.

[parkcrvos]

& COREY‌:

“Park, you been searchin’ for a better guy than me for fifteen years. Y’think ya gonna find him tonight?” he teased, finishing up the drink before he cleared his throat. Liquid courage always seemed to work best for him, anyhow. “Our fun at home consists of whatever the hell we find on Netflix.” Despite his complaining, he let himself be led out to the dancefloor, “Shit, last time I danced was the weddin’. Ain’t too sure how long it’d been before that one.”

          “Maybe. Who knows? Never say never, Corey,” he grinned, pulling the other out onto the dance floor as soon as he finished his drink. “We couldn’t even dance at our damn prom, I think you owe me plenty of dances. And you aren’t so bad, you know? Not when I lead you, at least,” he added teasingly. “Our wedding dance was great and you know it. My mom still texts me at least once a week that she watched the video and cried.”

[parkcrvos]

& COREY‌:

“We can have fun at home, too,” Corey only smiled a little more, nudging Parker to show he was only teasing, “Damn. Ya really wanna put on the PDA today?” He joked, kissing him back before he picked up Parker’s unfinished drink. He took a sip, deciding it was his now since he’d already finished his own, “Well – now I got a new drink. Guess I’ll have to just watch ya break a leg out there. Y’know I can’t dance.”

        “We have fun at home all the time. We should have fun outside of home every once in a while.” Parker rolled his eyes, and his lips opened when Corey took his drink -- but he decided against saying anything just seconds later, as he was not in the mood to fight tonight. “I want to put the PDA on all the time, you know that.” Putting his arm around Corey, he tilted his head to the side. “Come on. You can’t let me dance on my own. I might find a better guy than you out there.”

[parkcrvos]

coreyxvos‌:

“Is it? Y’know I hate lookin’ gay,”  Corey managed a small smile, like he could see how on edge Parker was. It was hard not to – after so many years, Parker’s emotions were almost as easy as a book to Corey. “Anytime ya wanna leave…y’know ya just gotta say it, right? Reckon’ the department wouldn’t mind knowin’ we left a little early.”

         “There’s no way we’re leaving already. We came here to have fun.” The last thing Parker wanted was to be a downer -- he had always been the life of the party before he left for war. He didn’t need that anymore, but they were supposed to at least be able to go out and have fun. Leaning in, he pressed a quick kiss to Corey’s lips. “It’s cute that you worry and all, but I’m fine. You should better finish that drink, because I’ll make you dance with me.”