William had been a week away from turning twelve years old. He had been anxious about the move, but overall supportive of whatever his father needed to heal. But Simon and Percy could tell how down he was. And so a tradition was born for the young Sagittarius, born at exactly 7am on November 24, 1985. On the morning of his twelfth birthday, at 6am, Percy and Simon stirred Will from bed and they all bundled up and got in the car to drive to Lake Mead. As the sun started to rise close to 7am, they sat on the hood of the car, drinking coffee (or hot chocolate in Will's case) and his father's would cheer as the hour hit, celebrating his arrival into the world, re-defining that day in 1985 for Will all over again.
The morning of Will's 38th birthday was no different, except over the years a few guests had been added to the crew that piled into the car while it was still dark out. As Will got older, he always found himself waking up earlier and earlier on his birthday, preparing more to leave with. What had once been hot chocolate and coffee was now coffee and breakfast sandwiches and whatever pastries could be piled into a box at that time of the morning. This year, like many others, Theo and Chloe were already in the kitchen with Percy and Simon (not that Theo had ever left the house) and they all piled onto him with hugs as soon as they saw him. To be surrounded by love was something that humbled him every day. But especially on his birthday.
There was always a moment during his birthday where he couldn't help but wonder about his birth parents. 38 years later and he still wondered about his first year of life, of what it must have been like when his biological parents held him in their arms. If they thought of him on this day or if it was just another day in November for them. Every year he tried to forget and every year he found the thought lingering in the back of his mind despite how joy filled the day was.
This year would include his usual lunch with Logan, a constant of theirs, a little moment for the two of them to giggle and gossip. A pause in the midst of a full day to enjoy a good meal with someone who brought out the silliest parts of him, the parts that reminded him he really was just some dude on this spinning rock. It was a moment to be reminded that he really did have the most special people in his life.
Which was exactly why the afternoon and evenings were truly for the boys. An afternoon ride through town with Cole and Nate, a dinner they'd never treat themselves too on the regular and mounds of dessert by the time the rest of the guys joined them. All to be rounded out by as many drinks as he could handle at the Outpost, blushing as Beau made a thing of letting everyone in the bar know it was Will's birthday. Which was usually how he got the most free drinks and Beau got a decent profit for the night. Laughter and shoulder pats, big hugs and endless teasing. A true loved filled day, celebrating a man who was trying his hardest to truly reflect that love back on himself.
Which is why in order to continue the good feelings of the day, Will fixed his fingers to inquire whether a certain surgeon was free at that latest of hours so he could enter the next year of his life wrapped up in the kind of warmth he wanted to have with him all the time. And a few other things that didn't need to be put into words.
And yet, Will's mind still wandered to the things that were missing. The people that were missing and he found himself wishing that one day, one year, it would all come back to him. Until then, he would be deeply grateful for what he still had. And my god, was it a whole lot of love.
ft. @logandonovan @theodoreknox @chloeandersonx @nathaniel-donovan @colemonroe @beauaustinsinclair @ianmonts
who is your favorite problem child in salem? me, me, or aless?
"You and you. Phoebe too, but they're too busy living in a tree right now. I don't know who is this Aless you speak of." @phoebe-winter @alessandrodinatale
grace made a face. “ please don’t make me pick a favorite!!! i like a lot of the prodigies. but you know chloe is my favorite so... why would you even ask me that... when you know how i feel...? ” she slurred her words, leaning against the wall. “ listen. i think a lot of the prodigies are great. there’s... alejandra... jace... uhhh... josie!!!! zoya’s great... fred!!!? there’s a fred, right? i swear there was someone named... riley? or... was it... lola? ....sometimes i mix up some of their names... but shhhh. don’t tell anyone that!!! they can’t know!!!!!! i’m getting them all christmas presents... i gotta ask chloe to help me...” she trailed off. “ what was i talking about? anyway. chloe’s great. no one i would rather have as my prodigy. that’s what you asked, right? ”
his father had always told him that the living were more terrifying than the dead. and filled to the brim with dutch courage ( courtesy of shots of jagerbomb taken in the company of strangers ), the labyrinthine walls of the catacombs go so far as providing solace from the bustling upstairs. even as walls blur in front of his eyes and he stumbles, just slightly, when rounding a corner and almost into another figure. for a moment eliot’s heart lurches into his mouth at a flash of white tulle, before he’s clutching his chest and almost buckling over in laughter. soft and light; breathing life back into the empire of the dead. “you almost gave me a heart attack!”
“ que tengamos que hacer esto juntos no significa que me apetezca aguantarte todo el día. “ dijo, a pesar de ser claramente mentira. sin embargo el hombre continuó centrado en aquel café que cada vez le sabía más extraño. “ ¿segura de que esto era azúcar...? “
“Um... Marry Gabe, fuck Chloe and kill Magnolia. Totally nothing personal or anything, I swear, I just feel like I have a duty to ride the Chloe wagon after she was my guru the other day. I’m blowing Maggie a spiritual kiss into the beyond.” @gabeleitner @chloemasterson @mvgnolias
