-- Daniel. 24. he/him.
-- Read my fics on ao3! / masterlist
-- Always happy to receive and answer asks!
-- Confident enough with using tumblr that I took âbold of you to assume I know how to use this websiteâ out of my bio but still if I seem awkward itâs because Iâm relatively new to this
-- Theoretically I may post about something other than Mystic Messenger but that remains to be seenÂ
-- Iâve decided to post occasional nonsense and that will be tagged with âdan goes on and onâ because âdan speaksâ is already taken and I donât want to encroach on someone elseâs tag with my very very common nameÂ
You and Saeran sit down on the living room floor with a blanket below you. âOh, honey, this was such a bad idea,â you laugh when Apple Turnover makes her appearance.Â
âShe doesât like pasta,â Saeran informs you. âLet me get her something of her own, and then sheâll leave us be.â
He sets his bowl down on the blanket, and just as he expected, Apple Turnover sniffs at it suspiciously, but doesnât make any move to try and eat it. When Saeran returns to the living room with a small bowl of cat food for her, she becomes much more interested. âThere you go, darling,â he tells her, setting the bowl down off to the side and offering her some scratches behind the ear before joining you on the blanket. âThere. Now she has her own special dinner.â
âOh, you got her chicken in gravy, didnât you?â This, as you both know, is Apple Turnoverâs present favorite flavor. Of course, she tends to change her mind on a monthly basis, so thereâs a significant chance that it wonât serve to distract her the next time, but for now, it seems to be doing the trick.Â
âWe only have ten minutes,â Saeran responds in all seriousness. And itâs true that Apple Turnover will probably wolf down her food and then come back to bother both of you.Â
âI know you canât eat that fast,â you tease.Â
âHm, maybe not,â Saeran concedes, âBut I donât mind. Sheâs part of our family nowâ she should get to join us for dinner.â
âIâll ask you about it again when sheâs trying to knock your fork out of your hand.â You joke, but you know that Saeran doesnât really mind it any more than you do. Also, thereâs always a chance that Apple Turnover might calm down once sheâs had something to eat.Â
âIâm so happy that I get to be here with you,â Saeran tells you, changing the subject. âItâs hard to believe that another year has gone by for us already.â
âYeah, but weâve had fun, havenât we?â Itâs hard to be somber for long when youâre with Saeran. You just get so much joy out of every moment that you spend together.Â
âWe have,â Saeran agrees, âAnd now weâll get to spend another four seasons together. I wonder what theyâll bring.â
âWho knows?â You take a bite of your pasta. âOh, fuck, baby, this is delicious. Please make this recipe again in every season.â
âIf you want.â The look Saeran gives you is absolutely full of love. âOf course Iâm going to continue doing everything I can to make you happy all year round.â
âAnd Iâll do the same,â you tell him, âObviously.âÂ
Before the pair of you can get too sappy, Apple Turnover comes back and attempts to pry your bowl out of your hands. Saeran sighs indulgently. âSheâs gone off chicken in gravy,â he decides.
You shrug. âIt was bound to happen sometime.âÂ
âYou donât want this,â Saeran tells Apple Turnover sternly, âYou donât even like pasta.âÂ
As you watch your husband attempting to reason with your tiny gremlin of a cat, your heart is filled with gratitude for the both of them and the life that youâve all built together. Just like Saeran said, you canât wait to see what adventures await you all as you move into the new year.Â
Silly catboy caught a Christmas angel đ€ Merry Christmas!! đžđ
Unknown is so extra he probably made a whole fake tree for her to stand on smh
Also posted a new đ comic where Suit IS her gift actually.....what does she do with her gift.....đ€«
Also if you're wondering why she has longer hair despite being with Unknown, that's because in the Christmas DLC timeline she's not his assistant! I place the Christmas DLC between OS and AS, so if it were to happen, it would happen after AS could've happened (so Unknown has become the host) but before she has the chance to cut her hairđž And unlike in the OS timeline, she falls for the prologue chat, and joins the RFA instead of becoming his assistant straight away. I lowkey reimagine this timeline slightly differently every year bc it's just a minor silly timeline for Christmas concepts lmao. For example, this year the RFA event was also a costume party đ€ And this year he's a catboy đŒ
The holiday market is a lovely place. There are stalls set up outdoors by hundreds of different vendors, selling food and gifts and other wares. Itâs chilly, but you and Saeran are bundled up well and donât mind the cold. Plus, there are plenty of heated areas you can retreat to, including the entire city around you. âIâve never been to one of these before,â he informs you.
âI have, but none like this,â you reply. Youâve visited a few indoor Christmas markets before, but never one as big and impressive as the one youâre at right now. âWhere to first?â
âLetâs get ourselves some eggnog.â You should have known that your husbandâs first priority would be the acquisition of sweets. No matter how much time he spends out in the world, and no matter how many different deserts he tries in different contexts, Saeran will probably always have a sweet tooth.Â
âOkay,â you agree, âDo you remember where it was?â
âNot at all.â He grins at you, clearly not bothered by the possibility of delays. After all, the pair of you have the entire afternoon to wander around here, although you donât know if youâll take advantage of it. It is colder than you expected and it looks like it might snow.Â
You and Saeran get distracted twice on your way to find the eggnog. The first instance occurs when your eye is caught by a display of glass animals. âOh, these are lovely,â you croon, âSaeran, look.â
âOh, wow,â he breathes, admiring the delicate craftsmanship. All the animals are very small and very well-made, carefully shaped and painted to resemble horses, giraffes, elephants, and mice, among other creatures. âThis one looks just like Apple Turnover.â
âOh, youâre right!â The black cat even has your babyâs brilliant green eyes. âWe should get it,â you decide, âWe can put it in the spice rack.â
âOtherwise sheâd knock it down and break it.â Saeran clearly understands exactly what youâre getting at.
The second time is to watch a group of people throwing small axes at a set of targets. âI didnât know people did that,â Saeran breathes.Â
âThey have lessons.â You consult a nearby flyer, âIf you want to get into it.â
âNo, thank you.â Your husband shakes his head. âI donât do well at throwing things, and I donât want weapons in the house. What if Apple Turnover gets into them?â
You try to imagine your cat armed with throwing axes, and as unlikely as it may be, you can understand why Saeran would be put off. âShe does enough damage with just her claws.â
âYes, exactly.â Saeran says. âOh, my love, I see it! Eggnog!âÂ
And with that, he drags you off in the direction of the stall in question. Trust Saeran to be more interested in the sweets on offer than in any other feat of human artistry, but you can appreciate his enthusiasm nonetheless.Â
âThere are so many choices,â Saeran muses, looking out at the field in front of him.Â
âAnd we still have the one from last year,â you point out. The plastic Christmas tree has been an old stand-by for you and Saeran ever since you left Magenta, but Jumin has encouraged you both to make a trip to the new C&R Christmas tree farm. Besides, itâs true that both of you love nature, and hunting for a Christmas tree is a new experience for Saeran. So, too, is sweeping up pine needles in the living room, but thatâs a sacrifice that the two of you understand and are willing to make. âWe could do two trees.â
âWe could put the other one downstairs and this one in the bedroom,â Saeran decides, gravitating to a rather imposing fir that would never fit in your bedroom, not even if you got rid of all your furniture.Â
âWell, not that one, per se,â you steer him over to a more appropriately-sized spruce.
âCan we look at the firs instead, my love?â Saeran asks. You should have known that he would have opinions about the specific type of tree.Â
âWhy?â You ask. âThey donât look that different.â
âNo, they donât,â Saeran agrees, âBut in the language of flowers, spruce trees mean âfarewell.ââ
âOh,â you consider this information, âLike, farewell to the old year?â
âMaybe,â Saeran concedes, âBut fir trees symbolize time, and I like that better for the holiday season. Itâs a good reminder that we get to have our time entirely to ourselves now, to do whatever we want with. Thatâs more important to me than whether the year on the calendar has changed.â
âThat makes sense,â you nod. He does have a point, and now that heâs told you itâs important to him, you are, of course, willing to honor his preference. âIâm glad you told me.â
The two of you make your way over to the section with the firs. The thing is that you donât particularly care what your tree look like under all the lights and ornaments, but you know that itâs important to Saeran. Youâre willing to defer to his opinion, though you are, of course, also perfectly willing to offer feedback if he asks for it. For now, though, heâs got a familiar look in his eyes. Saeran is in silent contemplation, selecting the tree that he thinks will be the best fit for your home. âWhat about this one, angel?â He asks.
âOh, I like that, honey,â you tell him, âItâs a good size and itâs in good condition.â Thatâs about as far as your knowledge on the subject goes.Â
âItâs a good price, too, and itâs small enough that we can put it in the bedroom and close the door to keep Apple Turnover out. I donât want her swallowing the needles,â he decides, âI think we should get it.â
You wave the attendant over, and she materializes. A brief conversation ensues, during which you and Saeran acquire the tree, and then all thatâs left is to watch the tree attendant and one of her colleagues lift your purchase up, carry it over to your car, and tie it to the roof.Â
âI canât wait to decorate it,â you muse.Â
âMe neither,â Saeran grins at you. âLetâs get started the minute we get home.â
âIâm going to make hot chocolate first,â you tell him. After all, somebody has to be reasonable in this family. âAnd we should stop and buy a new toy for Apple Turnover, to compensate her for not getting to see the tree. Then, itâs decorating time.â
One of the things you appreciate the most about Saeran is his sense of wonder. Perhaps itâs because he was isolated from the world for so long; perhaps itâs innate, and wouldâve been a part of him no matter what his childhood and young adulthood were like. Regardless, he approaches everything in life with curiosity and interest, asking questions and delighting in the process of learning as much as the knowledge that he acquires.
All of this to say that you should have known exactly what to expect this afternoon. It may have been your idea to take a day trip to the science museum, but Saeran is the one entirely in his element here. Youâve been to a natural history museum together, of course, but this, apparently, is something completely different.Â
âThis is such a lovely resource to have,â Saeran informs you, swinging your hand in his as the two of you walk side by side through the exhibits. âI would have been so excited to see it as a child.â
The problem with the science museum, if there is one, is that most of its displays are clearly geared toward a younger audience. Of course, Saeran has no shame anymore around not knowing thingsâ it wasnât his fault that he was deprived of knowledge for so long, and he doesnât owe anyone an explanation or an excuse for his curiosity or his engagement with the world around him.Â
âIt seems like youâre excited to see it now, my love,â you tell him as he presses a button on a large cutout in the shape of a cartoon child. The display proceeds to mist the both of you with water, which you suppose would follow, since itâs connected to a placard with information about why and how people sneeze.Â
Saeran laughs. âThatâs true,â he concedes, âBut I canât imagine how these children feel, learning all of this for the first time this way while theyâre still young. Iâm glad they get to enjoy it.â
âMe too,â you decide. You love that your husband approaches everything from a place of profound gratitude. He would be entitled to his anger, of course, but because that very emotion was used against him for so long, he has chosen to operate from a place of compassion instead. Neither approach is particularly right or particularly wrong, as long as nobody is getting hurt, but the grateful attitude is so quintessentially Saeran that you canât help but feel endeared. âWait until we get to the part about the ocean.â
âIâm sure thereâll be something to do with sharks,â he knows exactly what youâre getting at.Â
âMaybe theyâll even have some fish here.â Itâs not unheard of, after all, for science museums to have their own aquariums.Â
âBut first we should get through this germ section.âÂ
Before you can comment, you become aware of the fact that your husband has practically attached himself to a display about coughing. Youâve lost him, for the time being, to his playful pursuit of knowledge, but you donât particularly mind. You and Saeran have all the time in the world for conversation, after all.Â
âYes!â You canât help but cheer when you manage to pull off a difficult spare. âYes!âÂ
Saeran laughs fondly, picking up his pink bowling ball from the return machine. Heâs chosen the lightest ball on offer, largely for its color; itâs just slightly too small for his hands. âNice work, my love,â he tells you.
âIâm sure youâll do fine, too, babe,â you assure him, though this is Saeranâs first time bowling, and heâs not exactly a prodigy. âAnd after this game, we can have nachos.â
âAnd milkshakes?â Saeran suggests, looking hopeful as he approaches the lane.Â
âOf course,â you reply.Â
He slings the ball into the gutter. âOh,â he shakes his head, takes his ball back when it returns, and rolls it again, knocking over five pins this time. âWell, thatâs better than the last turn.â
âWeâve barely even gotten started, honey,â you remind him, âAnd, plus, you usually smoke me whenever we play games together. Itâs nice to win one for a change.â
âBut you just said, weâve barely gotten started,â Saeran offers you a cheeky grin. Heâs clearly not at all bothered that he isnât very good at bowlingâ after all, this is his first time ever attempting it. âYou havenât won yet, my love.â
âOh, sure, but Iâm going to.â You grin, then plant a gentle kiss on his lips.Â
âGo roll your ball now,â he instructs, and you comply with a flirtatious wink. You earn a strike.Â
âOh my,â Saeran marvels, âYouâre good at this, darling. Can you do my turn for me, too?â
âDo you want me to?â You ask, trying to sound serious. Itâs pretty difficult when youâre both dissolving into giggles.Â
âIf you keep doing that, then yes. We can get our nachos faster.â
âAnd the milkshake, which is what you really want.â You bowl your second ball and end up knocking down three of the pins. The truth is that youâre not so good at bowling after allâ itâs something that you did a few times growing up, and as an adult, youâve certainly fallen out of practice.Â
âWell, yes, the milkshake too, of course.â Saeran grins at you, then accepts his ball from the return machine and bowls a gnarly split. He looks at you with big, pouting eyes. âCan you fix it for me?â
You laugh. âNo. Like, Iâm not being mean right now, babeâ I donât know how to fix that. Go make those eyes at that bowling team over there, with the matching jackets. They could probably help you.â
âI wonât,â Saeran decides, âIâll throw it down the middle.â He does as promised, though he does manage to knock over one of the pins in the process.
âWell, there you go,â you counsel, âYou just have to try not to hit them, and then youâll hit them.â
âThat does make sense,â Saeran concedes, âConsidering I kept rolling it into the gutter when I was trying to hit the pins.â
âSee, weâre learning,â you joke.Â
âYou should roll the ball so we can get our milkshakes,â Saeran instructs, dropping the pretense of caring about the nachos.Â
âYes, your highness,â you reply with an exaggerated bow. Still, you do as he tells you.Â
The instructors explain the steps before they release the students onto the dance floor. They even demonstrate a few times, which you might find helpful, if the dance didnât seem as daunting as it does. âThat doesnât look so difficult,â Saeran decides.Â
You bite your lip. âAre we watching the same demonstration right now, baby?âÂ
He laughs at that. âIâm sure youâll do fine, my angel.â
This is something new for both of you. Youâve danced together, sure, but never formally. Ray was interested in learning courtly couplesâ dances, but he never got the chance to at Magenta, and as with so many of the activities that you and Saeran have indulged in this year, thereâs simply been too long a backlog of other things on your plate to try dance lessons. Until now, that is.Â
âAlright,â one of the instructors smiles reassuring at the group. âLetâs get out onto the dance floor and see how we do.â
âOh god.â Youâre a little nervous about making a fool of yourself. After all, this is a dance youâve never learned before, and youâre not deceived by how easy the instructors made it look.Â
Saeran laughs. âDonât worry, my love,â he says, âIt wonât be so bad. This is a beginnersâ course, after all.â
âYou know what? Youâre right,â you smile back at him, deciding to look on the bright side. The worst case scenario is that the instructors correct you when you miss a step, but this is what theyâre supposed to do. Itâs literally their job, and youâre only here to learn from them. Thereâs a high chance you wonât be perfect at this when you first try it, but what matters is that youâre learning and trying something new. Just about everybody here is in the same boat, Saeran included.Â
The music starts. âShall we, my angel?â Saeran asks. He sweeps into a bow that somehow comes across as playful and flirtatious.
It earns a laugh from you. âYeah, okay, honey. Letâs try it.â
Saeran copies the way the instructors were standing, reaching out to you as you try your best to follow the steps of the dance. You get mixed up fairly early in the proceedings, and then Saeran misses two steps and ends up further away from you than heâs supposed to be. When you see that the other couples on the floor (including the instructors) are performing some sort of spin move, you panic a little. âDo you want to spin?â You ask.
âSure,â Saeran says, allowing you to spin him. Except that you spin him in the wrong direction, counter clockwise instead of clockwise, and he winds up even further away from you. Naturally, you didnât learn any kind of procedure for a situation like this, because it wouldnât have happened if you and Saeran had followed the steps of the dance correctly.Â
You end up just walking over to him, and both of you dissolve into giggles. âI donât think thatâs what was supposed to happen,â you decide.Â
âNo, it definitely wasnât,â Saeran manages, âBut it was fun anyway, right?âÂ
âSure,â you agree. âOh no. Here comes the instructor.â
âWell,â Saeran grins, âAt least weâre about to learn how to do it properly.âÂ
And, for the record, you do. By the end of the afternoon, you and Saeran are just about able to execute the steps of the dance.Â
âOkay, love, the rules are pretty simple,â Saeran says, setting the small booklet back inside the lid of the gameâs box. Heâs always careful about keeping the rule books and instruction manuals for things. âWe just put this circle out, and then we each get a stack of magnets, and we have to set a magnet down inside the circle every turn. If your magnet sticks to any other magnets, then you have to take all of them back at the end of your turn.â
âAnd the first person to run out of magnets wins?â The natural progression of the game seems intuitive to you.Â
âYes, exactly,â Saeran nods. âYou understand, then. Should we get started?â Heâs not necessarily very competitive, but he knows heâs good at lots of things. Itâs been absolutely lovely to see him grow into his confidence since the pair of you left Magenta.Â
âSure,â you reply. âLetâs get started.â You, on the other hand, can be pretty competitive. You love Saeran very much, but you also very much want to win.
âIâll go first.â He takes a sip from the very pink beverage in front of him before setting one of the small black magnets in the circle.Â
âHow was your day, honey?â You ask him nonchalantly, adding your own magnet to the mix before the game heats up.Â
âVery good,â Saeran replies, placing his own magnet around the perimeter of the circle. So he has a strategy, then. It makes sense. âThere was a little bit of raking to do in the garden, and once I finished that, I read and journaled for a while.â
âMhm, sounds fun,â you reply. After you place your magnet, you tell him a little bit about your day at work. Normally, youâre not expected to go into the office on Tuesdays, but things have been unexpectedly hectic at your work lately, so your hours have been a little bit different. That being said, itâs very nice to be able to come home to a quiet evening with Saeran after a long and honestly stressful day of work.Â
âWell, at least thatâs over now, my angel,â he comforts you before placing his magnet in the last comfortable perimeter spot.
You set your own magnet closer to the middle. âYeah, and things should start getting easier soon. These seasonal issues never last too long, I keep telling myself.â
âStill, my love.â Saeran chooses another alright spot for his own magnet. âWe should make sure that at least youâre getting enough sleep and eating well before and after work. It might make the stress easier to deal with.â You know heâs right. Saeran knows a lot about stressful work environments, and you always appreciate it when he looks out for you.Â
âYouâre right,â you assure him, setting another magnet down. The circle is pretty small, and the fit is getting tight.Â
In fact, the next magnet that Saeran puts down ends up attracting one more magnet. âOh,â he exclaims mildly. He doesnât seem quite so torn up about it.Â
Youâre each able to place one more magnet before you put one down and it draws four more in. âDamn it,â you mutter, but it clears up the playing field.Â
âThis is fun,â Saeran decides.Â
âWell, you only think that because youâre winning, babe,â you joke, but heâs right.Â
Unfortunately, Saeran just has a better eye for this kind of thing than you do, or at least, thatâs your excuse when you end up pulling three magnets again. âDo you want me to let you win?â Saeran jokes.Â
âAbsolutely not.â But you giggle at the idea. Itâs a nice reminder that this is all in good fun, so it doesnât matter that your husband is about to kick your ass at⊠whatever this game is called. You get distracted trying to remember the name and end up pulling two magnets up. âDamn it.âÂ
Saeran laughs and sets down his last magnet. âDoes this mean I win?â He asks innocently, like he doesnât know.Â
âYep,â you reply brightly. âCan we have a rematch?â
Saeran grins at you. âOf course, my angel. Letâs start over again. Give me some of your magnets.âÂ
Just as you planned, you and Saeran have driven into the city on what might be one of the last temperate days of the year. Itâs certainly not as warm as it might have been a month ago; you need sweaters and long pants, but itâs not so cold as to require heavy hats or gloves, and there are still at least a few interesting leaves to look at, though most of them have fallen off by now. And itâs nowhere near as windy as it was last week, nor is it raining, which was your primary concern.Â
âThis is so pretty,â Saeran muses.Â
âIt is,â you agree.
The two of you have gotten out of the way a little, onto a path thatâs meant for bikes and pedestrians along the banks of a river. Earlier this afternoon, you tried riding through the city in the bike lanes, but the level of traffic made you and Saeran both a little anxious, so you pulled over and looked up a better route.Â
âWeâll have to come back next year,â Saeran decides. Heâs next to you for now, though if anyone else comes down the other side of the trail, heâll have to move behind you or in front of you to give them space to pass. This isnât something that you two do often, but itâs fun for a date. The pace is gentle and the scenery really is lovely, with river birds flitting in and out of the trees and skimming the water. Not to mention the local businesses and interesting buildings on the other side of the street. âThat way we can see the fall colors.â
âOh, thatâs true,â you agree, âI think we came a little late.â
âI wonder if the place we rented from has tandem bikes,â Saeran muses, âIt might be romantic to try one out.â
âSure, if you want to.â You have no intrinsic desire to ride on a tandem bike, but if Saeran wants to, itâs something youâre willing to try. A lot of the time, one of you has an idea that the other one ends up liking, once the pair of you actually try it together. Though sometimes, especially early on in your relationship, one of your experiments turns out to suit one of you better than it does the other.Â
âWe could pack a picnic,â he suggests. Then he falls back so that a woman running by you can pass.Â
You consider the physics of getting a picnic basket onto one of the bikes from the rental place. You doubt that there will be space for that, but maybe one of you could carry bread and cheese in a backpack and the other could carry apple cider or some other beverage. You could convince Saeran to use compostable paper cups instead of the glasses that he typically favors, though you donât need to ask him to know that plastic is out of the question.
âHow much longer do we have these for, honey?â You ask, once the jogger has passed and Saeran is able to navigate back to your side. The pair of you donât tend to go for dates that are in any way physically demanding, but this excursion is a nice change of pace.Â
âAn hour,â he informs you, after a brief glance at his watch. It seems the thing does come in handy sometimes, when it wouldnât be convenient for him to reach into his pocket and grab his phone.Â
âAlright, then.â You grin. âLetâs pull over and plan a route that gets us back to the rental place by then. Itâll be fun.â
âIâm sure it will be, my love,â Saeran replies, glancing at you before searching his surroundings for a good place to pull over.Â
Thinking about touchstarved GE Suit not that long after Magenta being all flustered cuz he's never been called anything like that beforeâčïž This was inspired by an ivantill fanart by z0ri0n_daiZZZ on Twitter lmao
Btw my commissions will open on the 21st! :D You can follow my VGen or join the pinglists on there to get notified
Youâve made the couch up with a couple of cozy blankets, including the one that you and Saeran knitted together over the summer. Apple Turnover has established herself on her favorite pillow and is purring loudly. There are hot mugs of tea on hand, and Saeran has started a nice, warm fire in the fireplace. Today has been the first really cold day of the season, and you and Saeran are pleased to be spending it together in a low-key way. âIâm glad we didnât try to go into the city and rent those bikes today, my love,â Saeran tells you.
That had been your initial plan for your date, but the weather report warned you of impending wind and rain, which would have made the excursion unpleasant. You and Saeran have your whole lives ahead of you, and are comfortable being flexible when the moment demands. Also, it wouldnât have been very fun to try and bike around in the cold, so you would rather have a quotidian evening together than a harrowing one.Â
âWeâll have to go back to the bookstore again soon,â you muse. The new plan is for you and Saeran to cuddle up under a blanket, reading your respective books and enjoying one anotherâs presence. You get the feeling that as the days get colder and the nights get longer, there will be significant more afternoons and evenings spent indoors with books in hand.Â
âWe will,â Saeran agrees. âMaybe we can go after weâre done biking, if we go early enough in the day.â
âSure,â you agree, sitting down on the couch and waiting for Saeran to join you before pulling the blanket over the pair of you.Â
Apple Turnover opens one eye, notices that you and Saeran are getting cozy without her, and promptly leaps down from her chair, trots over, and stands on your leg with all the force in her little body. âOkay, sit down,â you tell her, petting her back.
She doesnât know what that means, but she happens to comply anyway. âSheâs so cute,â Saeran observes, reaching over to scratch Apple Turnover behind the ears. âShe wants to be with us.â
âItâs cuter now than it is when she tries to sleep on my face at four in the morning,â you concede. You love Apple Turnover with all your heart, but that can be a little much sometimes.Â
âDoes she really do that?â Saeran asks. âI usually find her by my feet.â
âThatâs because she respects you, but she thinks Iâm part of the furniture.âÂ
âOh.â Saeran seems to consider this. He even puts his book down. âApple Turnover,â he counsels the cat in the affectation of a stern tone, âPlease treat MC with respect from now on.â You both break down in giggles.Â
Apple Turnover just blinks at you, waiting for you to return your attention to your book so that she can try to slap it out of your hand with her paw. You donât think she necessarily took Saeranâs words to heart, but you donât mind.Â
âI wish we had more time for a proper date this week,â you quip as you and Saeran settle onto the tarp that heâs laid out on the living room floor.Â
âThereâll be more time next week,â he assures you, ever the optimist. âWeâll have to be sure to take as much rest as we can.â
The preparations for the RFA Halloween party have been taking their toll on you over the course of the past week, that much is certain, and the event itself is this evening. You and Saeran have elected to dress as a pair of vampires, a classic and simple couplesâ costume that will impress people without distracting too much from the event and the fundraiser. Unfortunately, thereâs no time this week for you and Saeran to take an elaborately-planned date, considering your already busy schedules, the party itself, and the inevitable clean-upâ not to mention that the two of you will doubtless have a hand in trick-or-treat on Halloween night.Â
Still, that doesnât mean that the pair of you canât spend time together before the party. âThatâs true,â you concede, âAnd weâll still be together at the party, more or less.â You and Saeran tend to make a point of mingling with other people at RFA parties in order to draw as many guests as possible into the fold. You donât like to brag, but youâre kind of a power couple, and this can be intimidating for some of the guests who donât know you as well.Â
âYou know, my love, I had to buy this from the store,â Saeran muses, displaying the vial of black nail polish for you to see. âI didnât save any of what I had at Magenta.â
âThe way you say that makes me think that you had, like, a closet full of just black nail polish,â you admit. You and Saeran are far enough away from Magenta that you can speak more lightly about it now. After all, you both spent a lot of time there, and it would be silly to avoid talking about the place where you met and fell in love, somewhere that holds a lot of conflicting and complicated memories for Saeran in particular. And he brought it up, which you have learned is a sign that heâs open to a discussion.Â
âWell,â he muses, reaching for your hand. You comply, allowing him to begin painting your right thumb. Once your nails are dry, youâll return the favor for him. âSaeran liked to paint his nails black, but Ray had a habit of biting his nails, and the polish tasted disgusting, so he would always remove it. Then, Saeran would always repaint it.â
âOh. So how many times a week would you paint your nails?â
He considers the question. âSomewhere between three and ten, usually. We didnât switch out very often, and a lot of times, Ray had something to do, so he couldnât sit down with nail polish remover. Or Saeran was too busy to repaint his nails.â
âStill, you have a lot of practice,â you observe. The first coat of polish on your fingers is looking very good.Â
âMhm,â Saeran agrees, âI guess I do. I got really quick at it toward the end. But itâs too much hassle now, since I donât like the way it looks when it gets chipped. Only for special occasions.â
âWell, this is certainly one of those,â you muse, leaning over to plant a kiss on his cheeks. When you pull away, Saeran is blushing.Â
âYou made me mess up,â he pouts.Â
You look down at the stray streak of black nail polish on your middle finger and shrug. âI can peel it off later,â you inform him.Â
âThis will be perfect, my love,â Saeran assures you, turning around to flash you a smile.Â
âIf you say so.â You return his grin as you follow him to wherever it is that heâs leading you.Â
Youâre only a few minutesâ drive and a few more minutesâ walk from home, but still, this outing feels special. Itâs no secret that you and Saeran both enjoy picnics, but this is something different. For one thing, since the knitting workshop that you attended over the summer, you and Saeran have been collaborating on a small patchwork blanket. Itâs driven Apple Turnover crazy; she may have had more fun attacking the yarn than either of you did actually knitting. Now, Saeran has that blanket in a picnic basket, covering a veritable autumn feast.Â
âI think this is a nice spot,â he says. Youâre near a river, but not so close as to be uncomfortable or pestered by wildlife. Thereâs no picnic table or anything like that, but the spot on the ground is relatively clear, especially considering all the beautiful autumn leaves surrounding you, so you doubt that youâre the first ones to take a picnic here. Of course, itâs always possible that Saeran snuck off on his own ahead of time for scouting, but you donât mind. Whatever the case, itâs a very nice spot for a picnic, as Saeran said.Â
âMhm, I agree,â you hum. He hands you the blanket, and you carefully spread it out over the ground.
You sprawl on the blanket, watching the brown, yellow, and orange leaves rain down as Saeran lays out the food heâs brought. âAlright, my love,â he says, when heâs pleased with his arrangement. âLetâs eat.â
âYou know, next time, Iâm going to have to be responsible for the food,â you joke. You know that Saeran loves cooking, especially cooking for you, and especially when picnics are involved. But that doesnât mean you canât spoil him from time to time as well. Itâs nice, youâve found, both to give and to receive.Â
âOf course,â Saeran says, passing you a glass of apple cider. You are endeared by the knowledge that he lugged a set of nice glasses out here for the sole purpose of serving cider in them.
âYour sandwiches always look so cute,â you muse. You donât know how he does it. The two slices of bread are always perfectly aligned, with the filling poking out evenly on all sides. It was shocking to you when you learned that your husband had never undergone any kind of professional culinary training.
Saeran just shrugs at you with a playful little smile. âIf you say so, my angel.â Heâs not mocking you, per se, just copying what you said earlier in a completely different context, which is a good enough excuse to lean over and kiss him. Nobodyâs here to see, so you linger a bit longer than you normally would outside of your own home. Saeran kisses you back, but then pulls away. âThe food will get cold, my love,â he teases.
You snort. âThe foodâs already cold. Thatâs the point of a picnic. But okay, letâs eat. I canât wait to taste what youâve made for me.âÂ
And if, once youâve both enjoyed a delicious meal in a beautiful locale, Saeran is the one to lean in close and plant a kiss on your lips? Well, you canât say youâll hold it against him.Â
You and Saeran have spent the past several weeks looking forward to this trip. The weather is beginning to cool down, though, admittedly, not by much, and youâd thought this was a perfect opportunity to visit the new indoor waterpark resort thatâs opened up since the pair of you moved to your country home. Although itâs typically more geared toward families, you know that a lot of couples have been coming here since it opened, as well. You and Saeran scheduled your overnight stay for a pair of solid weekdays in the hopes that thereâd be fewer people there, since half of the intended clientele would be at work and the others would be at school.
âI was a little worried,â Saeran tells you, as the pair of you approach the waterpark area of the resort, âThat it would be spooky without all the people here. But this is nice and peaceful.â
You shrug. âWell, itâs almost halloween, so I donât mind a little spookiness,â you decide, âAlthough thatâs not really the word I would use for a waterpark that isnât crowded.â
Saeran returns your shrug. In your opinion, it looks much cuter on him. âWhere to first, my love?â
âHm,â you look around. There are regular pools, of course, and hot tubs, a sauna, and wave pools. There are also several very fun-looking slides. âYou choose.â After all, Saeran has significantly less experience than you do with waterparks. It might be fun to indulge in his beginners mindset and follow him around, at least at the start. Since the pair of you are here tonight and part of tomorrow, as well, youâll have plenty of opportunity to split up if you end up having different opinions on what to do.Â
âOh.â Apparently, Saeranâs plan was similar to yours. âThat slide looks fun.â
âYou want to do the slide first?â You ask, grinning.Â
âPart of it is outside,â Saeran reasons, âIt might get cold soon after it gets dark, so we should take advantage of it now.â
âI like the way you think,â you decide. âGod, I love you.â
Your husband isnât really much of a thrill-seeker. After the life heâs led, he usually prefers to play it safe, but heâs also a big fan of new experiences. The result makes his decisions difficult to predict, though of course, youâd trust him with your life. Youâve done it before, after all.Â
âI love you too, my angel,â he tells you, âNow, letâs get in line for the slide. I donât want to wait to long.â Heâs just being playful, though, if the smirk on his face is anything to go by. Itâs really not fair that youâre in public and it would be inappropriate to kiss him right here. Well, you do have a room at the resort, so thatâs an avenue you can walk down later if you both so choose.Â
âWhatever you say.â You let him lead you toward the slide of his choosing. There are about six of them here, and some look more daunting than others.
True to Saeranâs word, he takes you to the one that is partway outside. The line isnât very long, though there are plenty of stairs involved. âDo you want to go first?â You ask when you approach the top.Â
âI think so,â Saeran decides. âUnless you want to, my love. Then I can wait.â
âThatâs ridiculous,â you tell him indulgently, âGo ahead.â
So you let him go in front of you, and the attendant waves him through. Itâs not often that you get to hear your husband whooping with joy; heâs usually quite reserved. But this is one of those lucky occasions where he really lets loose. A few seconds later, the attendant waves you through, as well, and you follow Saeran down into the pool.
The slide rushes you through a few tight curves, one of which carries you outside, so that you can see the blue sky of early fall above you before youâre jerked back inside. After a few more twists which make you somewhat dizzy, you shoot out into a pool, where Saeran is waiting for you. His hair is plastered to his face with chlorinated water; he slicks it back and turns to grin at you.Â
âHow did you like it, my angel?â
âIt was fun,â you tell him, âWhat did you think?â
Saeran shakes his head. âI donât know how I feel about it yet. Iâll probably have to go a few more times before I know for sureâ for science.â
âOkay, yeah, for science,â you smile at him. âLetâs go again.âÂ