stay there a little longer

[rileyseung]

* FT / ELIAS:

they fit against him – and it’s not so much like puzzle pieces coming together as it is slow warmth settling against his side, an anchor to the earth under him and between the stars above. ( he’s itching to wish he had his drawing pad with him, the world around him and the feeling in his chest so beautiful that he wants to etch it into permanence before it can forget him. –isn’t that what elias is always afraid of? ) elias likes riley like this as much as they like the rest of them. he likes when riley is soft smiles and softer words, gentle tongue telling him truths he doesn’t quite know what to make of. they say it’s perfect, and all elias can do is tuck away the rising corners of his lips into a smile that isn’t too wide.

( and his heart does something funny with his hand tucked into theirs. he has the overwhelming urge to thread their fingers together, take a thumb to tracing all the ways the blooming in his chest escapes words but fills with feeling –

–but he doesn’t. he doesn’t.

instead he swallows it down and folds it away, holds it safe and precious where he can return to it on the times he feel a little bit more lonely in an empty apartment. )

the meteor shower hasn’t started yet – the glow of the clock on his phone screen says there’s still about ten minutes or so till it does – but elias is too busy calming the bird in his chest to count down the minutes. it’s easier to do that when he turns to match their gazes, holds riley’s until he feels something warm settle around his bones. ( this is riley – it’s riley, there’s nothing for him to be afraid of here. ) he doesn’t know how to reply riley when they speak up again, doesn’t know how to do anything but smile a little too wide – bow his head, gaze away, sputter a quiet laugh to dispel the silence because he doesn’t quite have the words to do that just yet.

and he takes the silence to piece himself together, to pull on the knots in his chest until he can untangle them and put them to tongue. “i wanted to do something for us.” just us, the unsaid echoes – just as riley had said. turning back to riley, there’s something warm tinted high on elias’ cheekbones, but he’s otherwise present. “something nice. you always…you’re always here for me.” and he’s unable to elaborate much more on how much that means, his tongue taking guard along the words unsaid. he feels the need to clear something from the air, feels the need to give his smile some room to breathe – - so elias clears his throat, bounces his knee lightly where he can feel theirs touching and turns back to the deep skies ahead of them. “besides, i promised you a picnic.” there’s a slightest shake to his voice there, leaf in a breeze, but he’s otherwise proud of how easily he’s able to say the words like they’re a clever passing comment. he had, hadn’t he?

“have you ever seen one before? -a meteor shower?” it’s easier to speak as easily as he usually can when he doesn’t have to look at them, doesn’t have to face how his heart starts beating a heavy drum and the fluttering in his chest can’t decide if it’s happy or panicked – “i haven’t. couldn’t even really tell you any constellations, or anythin’.”

     ━  AS  THE  NIGHT  GOT  DARKER  AND  THE  STARS  TWINKLED  above them, riley felt completely at ease. it was strange to be this comfortable with someone, to allow themselves to trust someone so completely.

sometimes riley wonders if maybe they’re seeing this all wrong. as if there’s some bigger meaning behind the flushed cheeks and whispered promises. but at the same time, riley figured that what they were right now, in that moment, was everything they could possibly want. just being with elias was a best possible outcome to any scenario and riley would spend the rest of their days trying to convince elias to believe them.

( as they were leaning against each other riley felt as if maybe they had succeeded somehow. or, at least, gotten close to it. )

“elias,” they said softly, because everything about elias made riley just melt. “everything i do is because i want to do it. i’m here for you because i believe you’re worth it. you –” riley let themselves fall silent, because no words would be enough. just feeling the words get caught in their throat told riley all they needed to know. the amount of things they felt.

so instead of saying everything that was bubbling under the surface they simply smiled. “you did promise,” they replied. even though riley hoped that elias knew that it wasn’t a promise they had intended to hold over his head. a hopeless laugh left their lips, masked with a smile. fuck, riley was in so deep. deeper than they had initially thought. it was forming in their chest like a protective force, wanting to make elias realise his own worth, as well as a flush on their cheeks, trying to break free and warm elias as they still rested against his chest.

it wasn’t enough. after a few moments of thinking it over riley took elias’ hand once more and gently let their fingers find a home between elias’. “i haven’t,” they stated, still upset about that particular fact. “i had to work last time. which sucked. but i can see them now. with you ... on our picnic.” riley went silent once more, playing with elias’ fingers as the minutest ticked by. “i think ... could i have one scone now ?”

[rileyseung]

* FT / EZRA:

     RILEY’S GENUINE EXCITEMENT about the little things was one of Ezra’s favorite thing about them. No matter what mood he was in, their laugh never failed to make his day even just a bit brighter. He’d found a home in St. Clementine, and in Riley he’d found the closest thing to family he’d known in years. “ Don’t give me that face — at least I asked for a pastry as well. ” Despite his defensive tone, a fond smile made its way onto his face as he let out a sigh of defeat. “ How about this — ” Ezra held out a coin he’d gotten out from his pocket. “ Heads, and I stick with my order. ” Absentmindedly rolling the coin over his knuckles, his eyes stayed on them as he talked. “ Tails, and I’ll have the mini strawberry tart and a drink of your choosing, no matter how sweet and milky. ” With a flick of his thumb the coin spun in a high arch in the air until Ezra caught it on it’s way down. Turning that hand over, he glanced down at his empty palm where the coin would’ve landed, then instead held it up between them over the counter with his other hand. “ Deal? ”

     ━  THERE  WAS  NO  USE  IN  WEARING  A  disappointed look on their face, because ezra always looked right through them ( and they weren’t even upset to begin with ), so riley let out the smile they’d been wanting to give ezra that whole time and shook their head. “i guess you’re right. but still, a frappuccino sounds happier right ?” however, at ezra’s suggestion riley’s eyes got wide, because that was a tempting offer ... if it hadn’t been for, “don’t you think i know all about your tricks,” they exclaimed and pointed at him with an accusing finger. “you’re always doing this ...” they trailed off, eyed the coin smoothly sailing through the air before landing on ezra’s palm. riley was still smiling, it was hard not to when ezra was around. “you know what ... i really like your magic so i’ll say yes, even though i know you’re gonna do something. so yes, deal. i want to be amused.”

[rileyseung]

* FT / MAISIE:

CLOSED — @rileyseung.

being around riley was easy. they had the sort of energy maisie was naturally drawn to and it was why she often found herself around them — especially whenever she found herself feeling low. it had been a particularly boring day and so she had phoned her friend with the hopes of getting together with them tonight.

riley had come over and it hadn’t taken much begging from maisie’s side. whilst riley worked with pastries daily, maisie seldom had time to make much else than the greasy food they served at the diner, and so she had now decided to make a cake, riley patiently watching as she insisted upon doing it on her o w n. halfway through the girl chuckled loudly. ❛ i don’t have enough flour. do you think i can use cornflakes instead? ❜

     ━  RILEY  HAD  WITH  AN  AMUSED  LOOK  ON  THEIR  FACE  as maisie moved like a hurricane through the kitchen attempting to make a cake made of basically nothing. riley had offered their help ( past history with baking put aside ) but she had been determined and riley was content with letting her continue her attempt without them making it worse.

however, the question she asked them had them puzzled. “i ... don’t know ?” they replied, flustered and confused. “mrs johnson never lets me bake anything, i barely get to hold the frosting. maybe it will work ?” after a few more seconds they added with a small grin. “i’d at least love to see the finished product.”

[sweetener]

✌🏻& ❤️

[schmidtsburg]

[rileyseung]

* FT / GRIFFIN:

             HE  HADN’T  HAD  AN  EXCUSE  TO  NOT  go and that was the first reason why he was even there to begin with. but griffin wasn’t hating it so far and there was something calming about being somewhere that felt like nowhere, as if it was safer there. he constantly lived on the edge, knowing that one day he’d have to take the deep dive down, and perhaps that was what made him nervous — that everything that went up eventually had to come down. it seemed that rule had exceptions though and riley was one of them, which was perhaps why the two even worked together the way they did. «i am,» he answered the other with a beam, patting the spot beside him. «were you here last year ?»

     ━  A  DELIGHTED  SMILE  APPEARED  ON  RILEY’S  FACE  as they saw that griffin had gotten their hint and they sat down on the spot next to him to carry on their conversation. there were things that were special about every interaction riley had with their friends ( all different reasons ) and griffin was someone quite different from them, yet they still felt like they fit right into their life. “i wasn’t,” they replied with a childish pout. “i had work and there was no one to cover my shift cause mrs johnson’s husband was really sick and she had to be home with him. so ...” they crossed their arms with a big dramatic sigh. it wasn’t the only reason they hadn’t been there, but the one that actually stopped them from going. “but i’m here now ! and everyone else is here as well, so that’s all that matters.” 

[jiminrolls]

cheeks!

[rileyseung]

* FT / ELIAS:

there was a brief, hesitant second in which the air stilled in between where he was breathing it in and where he should let it out – - the surprise on riley’s face was just fresh enough to be hard to read. did they not like it? did elias take it too far?

his mind could tell him a thousand and one things he could have done differently, should have done differently; but, it doesn’t quite get the chance. when the smiles breaks out on their face, elias can’t help but mirror it, mouthends curving up like the gentle tide of ocean waves. “yeah – i thought. um,” for once the words weren’t hard to say, and elias wasn’t sure why it felt like his chees were burning the hue of a rose petal – “i thought i’d set it up like we planned, y’know?” the brighter riley’s smile got—and oh how the sun took to shining, didn’t it? brilliant and bright even under the shadow of this night—the more he could feel the way his throat and cheeks were tinting red. he was glad it was too dark for it to be too obvious, but a lone finger did pull at his collar to let the cool breeze kiss it away. just in case. elias was sure he was smiling a little too hard, a little too long – but he didn’t quite want to stop. “i thought it was fitting if we got her scones. hers are the best in town.” and the words are soft, warm & cradled somehow, between his tongue and his heart. ( from the warmth of being wanted, and the warmth of being able to give. )

he can’t keep his eyes on riley—they’re the sun, and he feels tucked away like a quiet star in a starlit sky—so he lets them fall, busies his gaze on the basket that he’s reaching for. “no – it’s…” he’s shaking his head then, hands unwrapping the food as his mind tries to piece together words with a fighting insistence. “you would’ve done the same, i’m sure.” or more, you’ve always done more.

( and that’s no question – because riley has always met elias more than halfway. elias feels himself like a river feels it’s falling along a cliff’s edge: unraveling, untamed, waiting from the banks to see how the water would take shape after the fall. riley’s always been there, ready to meet him at land’s end.

it makes his chest warm, makes it feel like he’s suffocating.

he’s not sure.

he’s not sure. )

“i’m glad you like it.” he says the words carefully to them, like he’s practiced them – practiced what a capable person would say in such a situation. ( what someone with a confident tongue and a back that stands straight would say — they would meet their eyes, and hold their smile and say: it’s what you deserve. thank you, for being there for me. it’s what you deserve. ) “do you – do you want a scone? i picked them up after work today, so they’re still fresh.” elias states, willing that thumping in his chest to calm because this was just riley, this was just the two of them, this was just as it always had been – wasn’t it? ( he had a sneaking suspicion, that was the culprit of it all. ) “i’m surprised my manager let me take tonight off at all. i always work nights, but –” a shrug accompanied, he leaves it unsaid that perhaps there was a lucky star or two shining up above them, after all.

     ━  IT  WAS  HARD  TO  CONCEAL  THE  EXCITEMENT  that was so clearly visible on their face as elias explained his reasoning behind everything ( the blanket, the scones, elias just wanting to make them happy ). “of course i would’ve done this for you,” they replied, reaching out to grab elias’ hand in their own. “you’re my favourite person. you deserve the best.” a gentle squeeze, letting elias know they meant every word ( they were probably too much, riley was never that good at hiding how they felt and most of the time people seemed to either accept it or be slightly uncomfortable ). but elias never seemed to turn away from the amount they felt and how they chose to express it. and that, in turn, meant everything.

a small, timid smile ( unlike the blinding ones they usually let out into the world ) spread across their face in hesitant agreement, because yes, they would’ve done it all for elias, but the fact that it was elias and he had gone out of his way to make sure to bring everything riley had mentioned, and more, was what was making it so special to riley. 

“i don’t like it,” they stressed firmly. “i said i love it. it’s perfect, elias, everything is perfect.” they took a look at their surroundings, hard in the dim light of the stars, and they nodded, completely and fully content. “it’s perfect. and it’s further away from the water as well, that way we don’t have to fight with other people over where to sit.” a faint blush spread across their cheeks and they moved just a few inches closer to elias. because somehow the space between them was always too wide and they were never close enough. “it’s ... it’s just us, you know ?”

there was this twinging sensation in their back of their head that told them something was going on, but they couldn’t place just what. it bothered riley immensely, but they pushed it back in favour of focusing on elias, elias who wouldn’t really look at them and elias that always waited a moment or two before speaking. and elias who meant the world to riley.

( sometimes riley wondered where they’d be if that thing hadn’t happened. if they hadn’t felt like giving up before leaving everything behind for a fresh start. if they’d never met elias and everyone else that made it feel worth it to smile without it being forced again. )

“i’d love one,” they replied shyly, allowing elias’ hand to slip out of their grasp. “thank you.”

unable to help themselves, because they really loved being around the other, riley leaned closer so that their bodies were pressed together. elias was warm against them, and riley felt like the pieces were falling into place. “this is so nice,” they stated, couldn’t stop saying it, “but it’s ‘cause it’s you. just you.”

[rileyseung]

* FT / AIDAN:

——     there it was. the sound of brightness and adian finds a smile. unconsciously; a power skill of riley’s. “it’s been good. just a whole lot of work.” he replies. it’s honest and sincere because work was truly a killer. though it was the path adian chose to take. “how have you been?” he glances at the bakery as he steps down the place. from the corner of his eyes, the male could see the other arrange the glass counter and really, the smell of pastry was truly a plus when he visited riley.

     after a few seconds, bored eyes running over the menus that he came across plenty of times before he returns to the front. “yes please,” he replies with a nod. though most of his focus was on the tart. it looked beautiful. he wasn’t surprised. although when silence enters and then the question, adian raises an awkward smile. he hopes they didn’t read him too hard but finds himself pushing the worry aside. at least it was what he wanted. “i mean, i don’t mind.” adian begins as he rubs the side of his neck. no, more like that’s what he wants; a breakaway from work and his home life was always a gift. “i can wait and all.”

      ━   RILEY  BLINKED  AT  AIDAN’S  QUIET  CONFESSION  and a small pout appeared on their face. “you’re taking care of yourself, right ? don’t work too much adain you’ll wear yourself out !” it wasn’t a secret that aidan usually buried himself deep  in his work, and riley ( however thankful they might be that aidan left the office every once in a while to visit the café ) worried about the older man and his health on a regular basis. and his happiness. it was sometimes hard to see how aidan worked hard enough to make a weaker man crash and burn. but somehow he pulled it through and riley didn’t understand how he did it. and they knew that aidan would tell them if they wanted to, and that they gave aidan a much needed break when he showed up like this. so for the moment being they had to convince themselves that it was enough.

as they were pouring aidan his coffee ( provided to give at least a little boost of energy ) as well as plate their tart, they let their mindless chatter fill the air. “oh, would you ? that would be so nice. it’s been really slow these past few hours and i could use the company !” they motioned for aidan to follow them to a table in the corner, away from prying eyes, and sat down in one of the chairs. “i might as well wait here if someone else comes,” they smiled and leaned forward to rest their chin against the palm of their hand. “how have you been aidan ?” they asked softly. “besides work, i mean.”

[rileyseung]

* FT / ELIAS:

the sun is setting and riley isn’t here yet—which is ok, really, because elias is far too early—and elias has been trying to unpack the scones nestled in the patchworked picnic basket for a good ten minutes now; he’s been too distracted by trying to commit the scenery to memory, fingers itching from where they want to sketch it into the comic he’s been building. ( and it’s not exactly a comic, not just yet – but it’s close enough that he doesn’t quite know what else to call it. ) he’s laid out the sheet already, the gingham pattern ( a new term he’d learned, gaze narrowed as it read out the tag when he’d gone hunting for it at the local home store ) bright against the darkening night. in the end, he gives up on it after all – decides it’s probably best to keep them packed until they’re ready to eat.

elias had been really proud of himself: small, satisfied smiles erring on the side of a little shy as he’d gone ahead and paid for it all, walked out with a bag full of things that reminded him of the spring’s sun, and riley’s smile. he’d thought of everything he could have needed for the picnic – except for lights. candles. something to help them see, get around to the food once the moon would come to take and the night would fall. they couldn’t rely jus ton the meteors, could they?

a slight sigh parted on mauve lips. well. his phone flashlight would just have to do.

he’s closed up the picnic basket by the time he hears the tell-tale fall of riley’s footsteps. knees pulled into himself, there’s a blanket he’s wrapped around his shoulders – and he feels smaller, tucked under the folds of the night. ( their setup is one of many tonight, there are people a few steps close – and yet elias feels safe, warm, something cotton-soft in his chest as curious eyes watch the sky above him. ) head turning when the sound ushers in close, the smile on his face is genuine, a blooming of lips, brightening of eyes.

“you’re here.” he moves to the side some, neck tilted up to catch riley’s gaze from where he’s standing. “i got us set up. i couldn’t snag a spot up by the water, but – we’ve got scones.” there’s a quiet lilt to his voice, but something in it is pleased – humming. “i felt like that makes up for it.” ( @rileyseung )

     ━  THEY  WERE  RUNNING  LATE  ( riley didn’t think it was possible to run late during a weekend where they had nothing planned ). but elias had asked them to meet him so that they could see the meteor shower together. riley, cheeks flushed and heart pounding, had excitedly whispered out a yes ( yes please i would love to see the meteor shower with you ), and wondered if their cheeks really were as red as they thought they might be.

and now they were late. late because they couldn’t decide if they should be wearing their soft blue sweater ( which was just slightly too big, so the arms covered their hands in cute sweaterpaws. ) or their pastel pink cardigan that clashed awfully with their red hair but made riley feel pretty. in the end they had decided on the blue, but the few minutes of hesitation had resulted in them half-running up the hill. they saw elias further up, and a small smile spread across their face.

( before they could even reply to elias’ hello, they saw the picture in front of them, and all they could say was, )

“oh,” they said softly. “you ... you ... picnic ?” they cleared their throat, flustered of how touched they felt. “sorry, i mean. you set up a picnic. that’s ... elias, i really love it. you got the blanket and everything.” it was incredibly moving to see the attention to detail elias had put into everything and it was such a tender thing ( something so perfectly elias ) that riley had trouble forming words. they gently sat down next to elias and trailed their fingers across the checkered pattern of the blanket. “you got the blanket and everything. and, oh, is that mrs johnson’s scones ?” they eyed the wrapped up package with a brilliant smile, the smell all too familiar. “she likes you so much, she never stops talking about you after you leave !”

there it was again, the constant pitter patter in their chest that never really seemed to go away when it came to elias. “no, it’s perfect,” they replied honestly, because they could see the amount of work he had put into it. just for them. just for riley. “i ... i love this. everything is perfect. better than what i told you we’d do.”

[rileyseung]

     ━  IT  WASN’T  HARD  TO  GET  A  LAUGH  out of riley, but few people could ever make it sound as genuine as max did. despite them not having known each other for what some would consider very long, to riley he had become something like family. that’s why, under the stars and in the reflection of the fire still going, riley felt themselves completely let go of any inhibitions. whatever concerns they might have ( their ... date ? with elias having ended on a weird and confusing note. ) died in the fire for that moment, and instead they let max’s warmth embrace them and they laughed loudly at the story that had been told moments before. “i will never let you forget this,” they promised, the lights dancing in their eyes. “you’ve got to be kidding me, that’s so funny !”

╰♡ ft. @bloomingsmax

[bangtan]

© 218 | Do not edit. (1, 2)

[qrffin-blog]

🌹 for a moodboard about our muses;

no one can learn to be tender, but you always thought you could teach me to be good. true, there is light in sunshine, but there is always bravery in being so unapologetically bright. there is bravery in sharing that with a dark mind such as my own.

↳ @rileyseung.

[rileyseung]

     ━  RILEY  WASN’T  REALLY  SURE  HOW  WELL  they were handling the camping lifestyle ( putting up their tent had been a nightmare ), but what they did know was that it was really fun to see everyone gathered together like this. riley liked seeing their new family all interacting and having a ( hopefully ) good time. riley had been walking through the small campsite, and lit up when they saw griffin sitting outside his tent. “hello,” they chirped and decided against running up to the other, since griffin sometimes needed a smaller dose of their personality to start off with. “are you having a good time ?” they asked, moving back and forth on their feet, trying to mentally make griffin realise they wanted to sit down to talk. “i think this is so exciting. i’m just ...” they took a deep breath, wide smile still in place, “excited !”

╰♡ ft. @qrffin

[rileyseung]

* FT / AIDAN:

with . ❝ @rileyseung​  ❞

——    again he’s back ; not a surprise as brown orbs dance around the familiar place. it started with a random visit : stress from work, adian had entered a local bakery. expectations for some nice sweets turned into someone poking at his furrowed brows and permanent scowl. he didn’t even know he was looking far from pleasing ( grumpy, the better term )   —until riley pointed it out. the overly cheerful individual was too social for adian’s liking.

but now here he was, friends with their cheerful ass. it was an odd friendship. one that he comes to appreciate. the other resembled sunshine and adian welcomed— started to long for that in his darkened world. “i want whatever the special is,” the male greets. he glances at the counter, looking at its displays. for being such a grump, the man was almost a kid when it came to sweets. and he has learned over his countless of visits, riley had made some great ones. “when are you done work?” adian asks. that was his faint, subtle invite to hang out. amongst being a great businessman, he was a fool when it came to his social life. asking people to chill with him was just not something he learned in textbooks.    

     ━  THE  MOMENT  THE  BELL  RANG above the door riley ( who had been busy tasting the frosting mrs johnson had made the day before ) knew it was time to get back to work. the last few hours always seemed to move the slowest and it felt as if they had waited for forever when it in reality had only been around five minutes. but they still had a bit more to do before they could go home, and one of those things was standing in front of the counter. “aidan, hello !” they greeted brightly, “how has your day been so far ?” riley had since long suspected that aidan wasn’t really sure what to make of them, but riley rather enjoyed watching the man smile ( most of the time it looked as if he’d forgotten himself ).

as the tray was carefully put in between them riley bent down and grabbed a blueberry and raspberry tart, combined with a lot of whipped cream, from the incased glass counter and then put it on the plate. “my shift ends in thirty minutes,” they replied with a wide smile and paused thoughtfully. “would you like coffee as well ?” riley looked up at aidan, saw ... something hiding behind his eyes, and as the seconds passed between them they carefully asked, “would you like to hang out after ? i normally go straight home but that’s no fun. please, aidan ?”

[rileyseung]

riley seung

“do i ... so i just take a photo ? and then, why are there so many options ? stop laughing at me i’m trying my best !”

ft. @eliasrhie

[rileyseung]

* FT / ELIAS:

( looking at riley was like trying to look up at the sun. )

that’s how he feels with their heart against his, gentle fingertips on his jaw that hold onto him with an assurance. elias feels the need to warn riley – to tell them, it was inevitable, his collapse. sometimes elias thought, he wasn’t built to belong in ways bodily, not trained for its function. he was enraptured with it the way someone was to be after never having had something, after being starved of it.

and yet, he was not a guileless victim, elias thought that the way he gladly took, lapped up all the love riley poured into him – there was nothing innocent about it at all. there were a thousand ways to say goodbye without ever really saying it, and he felt like he was delaying the inevitable every day that he spent with them and didn’t say it, didn’t leave while their graces we still about them. ( but he didn’t want to go; he felt safe here, his chest settled with warmth folded along the nooks of his elbows and the slopes of his shoulders. ) how was he supposed to tell them: i don’t think i can be who you deserve. i don’t think i can love you like you love me.

but when they ask, welcome gaze looking at him like all they need is for him to say – okay. so, he does. “okay,” he says, something light flitting on the upturn of his lips. he turns his head in the graze of their hold, presses his next words onto the skin there. a quiet affirmation. “a sun.” when he blinks his eyes closed, it’s a lazy gesture. the movement is slow like molasses, the easy stretch of the afternoon feeling so much softer around them when that uneasiness in his chest dissipates some more. ( he knows there will be repercussions, knows this won’t last because none of it ever does. he knows riley deserves something whole, something more than whatever it is elias can give them – which isn’t much. and yet, he stays. )

“i could do a picnic.” he responds, blinking his eyes open with the same lethargy he had closed them with. there’s no hesitance in these words. if elias notices how riley reads the unspoken words dug in between the lines he actually says ( – he does ), he doesn’t let on. “—with sausage rolls, and jam sandwiches. and maybe a quiche or two.” he’s not trying very hard to keep the smile off his face, so it’s no surprise when it does break through. ( it’s really quite a brilliant thing when it’s not hidden behind tight lips and shallowed eyes. ) “a proper meal? one of those classic red checkered sheets to sit on too, maybe.”

     ━  A  DELIGHTED  SMILE  SPREAD  ACROSS  riley’s face as elias agreed to their suggestion, and their tongue poked out between their teeth as they cuddled in closer, not wanting any space between them. “good !” they said firmly ( as firm as their soft voice could produce ). there was nothing more to add, because they knew that elias usually wasn’t that excessive with words and since he had already agreed, why push for more ?

there wasn’t a lot riley wouldn’t do for elias. that normally wouldn’t sound like anything special, since riley was known to try their hardest for people they barely knew. but elias held a special place in their heart, and it wouldn’t be over the top to imagine riley dropping everything if elias actually did send them the sun as he’d promised.

riley had almost gotten used to the silence that had settled between them when elias spoke once more, and this time riley had to admit that they were surprised. “elias !” they exclaimed, excited once more. “you sound like an expert already. are you sure you haven’t frequently been to picnics ?” they see elias trying ( and failing ) to fight a smile breaking through, and that in turn make theirs even wider. “you thought of more things than i could ever come up with,” they said warmly. “i would love to sit on a red checkered sheet with you.”

“it’s so nice,” they continued, almost as an afterthought. being close like this made riley’s lids feel heavy and they pressed down a yawn. “being with you ... it’s nice.” they smiled up toward elias once more, seeing the tentative and hesitating gaze in elias’ eyes ( sometimes riley wondered what was troubling him, if there was something they could do to make that look go away ). they squeezed elias’ hand once more just to reassure him a bit extra that riley wasn’t going anywhere.