Title: Firsts (Chapter 1- Picnic)
Characters: Fadel, Style
Pairing: FadelStyle
Fandom: The Heart Killers
Tags: Fluff, established relationship, post canon, dates, new beginnings, domestic boyfriends,
warnings: none
Word Count: 2,022
Summary: After a life of loss and darkness, Fadel is ready to embrace the ordinary joys of life and love
A/N: Wherein Fadel just wants to do-with Style- all the nice things that lovers do. Hi. Each chapter will be a different FadelStyle date, so I'll probably keep updating this as a chaptered story for a little while until i run out of ideas…or until all types of dates are exhausted.
_
Style arrives at Fadel’s house and steps inside, the familiar scent of home greeting him as he makes his way to the kitchen. There, he finds Fadel putting the final touches on a picnic basket, his hands moving with practiced ease. The sight is heartwarming for Style because Fadel always has a way of making even the simplest tasks seem endearing.
In line with their agreement to try out typical dates that regular couples enjoy, Style and Fadel decided to plan a picnic at the park. Now, Style is here to pick Fadel up, ready to make the most of their day together…just like the dating manual Style read says.
“Good afternoon, krub,” Style chirps, his voice light and cheerful as he holds up his own basket.
Fadel looks up, his lips curling into a soft smile as he watches Style approach. “Hi,” he replies, his voice warm and inviting.
Style closes the distance between them, his hand gently resting on Fadel’s chest as he leans in for a quick, loving kiss. When he pulls back, Fadel’s gaze lingers, taking in Style’s cropped plaid shirt and shorts. The outfit suits him perfectly—playful, carefree, and ready for adventure.
“You look nice,” Fadel says, his tone sincere. And Style really does look nice. The way the sunlight catches in his hair and the way his eyes sparkle with mischief make Fadel’s heart skip a beat.
“Thank you,” Style replies, his voice soft as he sets his basket down. Without hesitation, he wraps his arms around Fadel’s shoulders and kisses him again, this time slower. Fadel turns toward him, his hands finding Style’s waist and pulling him closer. For a moment, the world fades away, leaving only the two of them, wrapped in each other’s warmth.
A loud sigh interrupts the moment. “It must be so nice to be in love,” Bison says as he walks into the room, his voice dripping with mock wistfulness and a dramatic pout on his lips.
Style and Fadel reluctantly pull apart, their cheeks tinged with pink. Fadel shoots his brother a look. “It’s not like you got dumped. Kant is only out of town. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Might as well be forever,” Bison grumbles, heading to the fridge to grab a tub of ice cream. Fadel frowns at him, crossing his arms.
“You have a cough, Bison. No ice cream.”
“I’ll only eat a few spoons.”
“No.”
“Fadel,” Bison whines, his voice pleading.
Fadel simply lifts an eyebrow, his expression firm. Bison stares back defiantly, the tension thick in the air. Seconds tick by before Bison suddenly makes a dash out of the kitchen, the ice cream held in his hands.
Fadel looks at Style, who’s trying—and failing—to suppress a smile. “I’ll be back shortly,” Fadel promises, his tone resigned but affectionate. Style’s smile turns into a grin as he watches Fadel go. The house falls silent for a moment, save for the thudding sound of Bison’s running footsteps. Then, a distant whine echoes through the halls: “Fadeeeewww!”
Style bursts into laughter, his imagination painting a vivid picture of Fadel chasing his brother down. A moment later, Fadel reappears, holding the ice cream bowl triumphantly in his hands. “I like it when you’re in your big brother mode,” Style chortles, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I’m not spending another night refreshing his hot water bottle, putting vapor rub on his chest, and making him ginger and lemon tea,” Fadel says, though there’s no real annoyance in his voice. Even as he complains, Style can see the sweetness and care Fadel has for his brother. It’s one of the things he loves most about him.
Fadel walks over and points at the basket Style brought. “Didn’t we agree that I’d make the food? What’s in here?” he asks, curiosity piqued.
Style opens the basket for Fadel to peek inside, revealing an assortment of wine bottles. Fadel gives him a look that’s half amused, half incredulous. Style merely wiggles his eyebrows, completely unapologetic.
****
At the park, the air is fresh and crisp, the well-trimmed lawn stretching out before them like a green carpet. The trees sway gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling softly. Style reaches for Fadel’s hand, interlacing their fingers as they walk.
“Upon arrival at the park, we walk round hand in hand, looking for the perfect spot,” Style narrates, his voice playful. Their gazes meet momentarily, and they share a soft smile before continuing their search.
Suddenly, Style halts, forcing Fadel to stop as well. Fadel looks at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation.
“Right about now, we take a selfie,” Style declares, pulling out his phone. He wraps his arm around Fadel’s shoulders, pulling him close. “Smile,” he instructs softly.
Fadel glances at Style, then back at the camera, licking his lips nervously before offering a tentative smile. Style snaps a few photos, then slides his arm down to rest playfully under Fadel’s chin. “You’re so beautiful when you smile,” he says, his voice warm and sincere.
The compliment makes Fadel’s smile widen, his teeth showing, and Style captures the moment happily. He leans in, pressing a kiss to Fadel’s cheek and snapping one last photo.
They eventually find a spot under a large umbrella tree, its branches providing some good shade. “Is this wise? Birds might poop on us,” Style points out, his tone teasing.
“I’m more worried about a snake landing on our blanket,” Fadel counters, his lips twitching with amusement.
Style considers this for a moment, his hand on his waist. “Well, we could sit in the sun… but I suppose birds will poop on us wherever we sit.”
“It’s a memory we can tell our children,” Fadel says, his voice light and playful.
Style’s gaze snaps back to Fadel, and he grins. “Does that mean you’re ready to get me pregnant?”
“No,” Fadel replies, shaking his head with a soft chuckle.
“Or for me to get you pregnant?”
“Neither.”
Style pouts but doesn’t push further. They settle on the spot, spreading their blanket and unpacking their baskets. Style takes more pictures—of the surroundings, the picnic setup, and of Fadel, who looks effortlessly handsome in the warm sunlight.
*****
The afternoon unfolds in a whirlwind of activities. They share a quick lunch, each eating a sandwich before Style eagerly moves on to the next plan. He suggests listening to music together, and they set up their headphones, but the activity lasts only about ten minutes before Style proposes reading to each other. That, too, is short-lived.
“Okay, so at one point, we’ll get attacked by a bird. I’ll scream in terror, and you’ll heroically shoo it away,” Style declares, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Fadel nods slowly, then looks up at the clear sky, squinting slightly as the sun’s rays hit his eyes. “So… are we supposed to summon the bird, or…?” he asks, his tone dry.
“No, it’ll come to us naturally,” Style replies with conviction.
Next, Style grabs a bottle of red wine and hands Fadel a glass. He fills both glasses, then positions his phone to capture the moment. “Lean toward me,” he instructs, and Fadel obliges, though he looks slightly bemused.
Fadel takes exactly one sip of his wine before Style snatches the glass from his hand, leaving him stunned and mildly scandalized. Style, oblivious to Fadel’s reaction, rummages through the picnic basket and pulls out a bunch of grapes. “We’ll feed each other these,” he announces.
“And take pictures?” Fadel drawls, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Style, missing the sarcasm entirely, strokes his chin thoughtfully. “Sure, why not?” he agrees.
Fadel decides it’s time to speak up. “Style, this isn’t fun for me,” he says gently, his expression kind but firm.
Style’s smile drops, replaced by apprehension and sadness. “Why? What’s wrong? Is it the location? We can move closer to the river. You said you liked the sound of the ripples, right?”
“It’s not the location.”
“What is it, then?” Style asks, his voice small and uncertain
“We’re not in the moment of the actual date. You’re narrating it,” Fadel explains, his tone soft but honest.
Style tilts his head, confused.
Fadel smiles fondly and takes his hand. “Let’s wait until we’re hungry to eat, until we’re thirsty to drink wine, until we want to cuddle to actually cuddle, and until we want to take pictures to do so. Let’s do what comes naturally to us, not what some guide tells us we should be doing as lovers on a picnic date.”
It takes a moment for Style to understand what Fadel is saying, but he does get it eventually, and they take it slow after that, sipping their wine leisurely and simply talking. Style fills Fadel in on the latest gossip from his garage, his animated storytelling making Fadel laugh. Fadel, who never cared much for gossip before, now finds himself looking forward to these little updates. It’s his favorite kind of tea these days.
When Fadel pours them some white wine, they both take a sip and immediately make faces, bursting into laughter. “Any brand of white wine below a certain price range will always taste cheap. I get it now,” Style says, shaking his head.
“Why did you buy a cheap brand?” Fadel asks, amused.
“When I walk into a store, I’m fine and promise to spoil myself. But the moment I see the first price tag, the spirit of penny-pinching possesses me. It’s a problem, Fadel. I need help,” Style admits, his tone dramatic.
Fadel laughs. “I’m buying the drinks for our next picnic… and any other occasion,” he promises.
*****
The book Style brought is boring and random, but Fadel doesn’t mind. He rests his head on Style’s lap, his eyes half-closed as Style reads aloud. Style’s voice is soothing, and the gentle way his fingers thread through Fadel’s hair transports him to a place of peace and comfort. For a while, Fadel simply gazes up at Style, admiring the way his long lashes flutter, the perfect slope of his nose, and the soft curve of his pouty lips.
When Fadel sits up and leans in to kiss him, Style is momentarily surprised but quickly melts into the affection, tugging Fadel closer by his t-shirt. The kiss is slow and tender, a quiet affirmation of their love.
Later, when Style takes his turn to rest his head on Fadel’s lap while being read to, he falls asleep almost immediately. Fadel chuckles softly, letting him nap while he listens to music and takes in the beauty of the park. His gaze keeps drifting back to Style, his heart swelling with affection.
When Style wakes, his eyes meet Fadel’s, and a smile spreads across his face. “I barely read a page, and you were gone,” Fadel teases.
“That book is so boring. How did you stay awake so long?” Style counters, yawning and rubbing his eyes.
“Why did you pick the one?”
“I don’t read, so I just walked into Dad’s bedroom and grabbed whatever was on his bookshelf,” Style admits, his tone sheepish.
Fadel kisses Style on the temple and wraps his arms around him, pulling him close. Style leans back, resting against Fadel’s chest, his head settling comfortably on Fadel’s shoulder. His fingers absently draw patterns on Fadel’s hand.
“What do you actually like doing on picnics?” Fadel asks. “Apart from what the dating manual says.”
Style hums in thought. “Everything we did today, except the reading part,” he says with a grin.
“We don’t have to do everything lovers do,” Fadel says, resting his cheek against Style’s hair. “Just the parts we enjoy doing together.”
Style brings Fadel’s hand to his lips and kisses it. “The shenanigans were fun, though,” he giggles.
Fadel can’t deny that. Today was perfect—exactly the kind of life he pictures for them. “I wouldn’t want it or you any other way,” he murmurs quietly.
Style twists to look at him, his eyes soft. “Are you happy?”
Fadel nods, his heart full. “I love you.”
“I love you,” Style replies, smiling as he leans in to kiss Fadel’s lips.
-End of Chapter 1-
Link for Chapter 2
Thank you for reading ❤️
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