Request for those good goth boys, you know the one, Au 2 - situation 1 - sentence 1 (I think I followed that right lol)
Oi! Look at this...your story is FINALLY finished xD Thanks for being so patient with me :’) But I hope the 2,500-ish story makes up for the waiting time xDD Ahhhh! I really hope you like it!!! I quite love it myself, lmao. -Cheers!
Request is for the CuRed ship (which is my OTP so...MEGA THANKS for this request xD) with AU 2: Tattoo/Flower Shop, Situation 1: Standing outside in the rain (...though I feel like they didn’t stand in the rain long enough soooo...I made them sit in the rain as well to make up for it xD), and Sentence 1: “I never expected to meet you here.”
Also...am I projecting my coffee preferences onto Pete?
Yes...Yes I am :U
When Michael, Henrietta, Pete and Firkle decided to live together after high school and graduation, they obviously knew they’d be seeing one another every single day. Now...Michael saw Firkle moaning about in the living room all the time, and Henrietta making coffee every morning...but there was ever a sight of Pete in the common area of the apartment. It’s not like Pete was angry at him or anything of the sort...they both just had rather different schedules. Firkle would often see Pete when he arrived back from college, and Henrietta would see him at least every time the boy needed a haircut or re-dye.
Pete was working as a tattoo apprentice, and his schedule was oftentimes all over the place because of the fluctuating appointments his tattoo mentor had. Most often than not, the appointments Pete took were in the evening time, and he usually left the apartment before Michael even made it back from his job. He considered Pete his best friend out of the group...but recently he felt like they were a bit of strangers and that made him rather sad.
One morning, as Henrietta left the coffee pot ready for the rest of the house and went out the door in a rush to not be late for work, Michael heard a pair of clumsy feet shuffling towards him as he served his own cup of coffee. He turned around to find a groggy Pete in pajama shorts and a Birthday Party t-shirt, pulling up at one of his striped socks.
“G’mornin…”
“Oh...good morning, Pete. Would you like some coffee?”
“Boy would I ever…” he replied as he opened the fridge to fetch the milk. Michael looks for Pete’s dark grey mug in the cupboard and gladly serves him some coffee. Michael places the mugs on the table, and realises Pete’s now looking for something in one of their cabinets.
“You want some toast?”
“Eh...sure I’ll take some.” Michael giggles and reaches to grab the milk carton that Pete left on the table; not to use it on his own mug...he takes his coffee black, mind you...but he knows Pete doesn’t so he gently pours some into his coffee.
“What time do you go in again?” Pete asks as he pushes down the button for the toaster.
“I have to be there in 30 minutes...but it’s just a 7 minute drive, don’t worry.”
“Butter or jam?” Pete asks once he’s back at the fridge.
“Uh...butter please.”
“Sucks I won’t get to share a full breakfast with you this morning, then.” Pete smiles at Michael as he hugs the jar of orange marmalade. That bugger...how dare he be so cute when he needs to leave in a few minutes.
And then an idea hits him.
“Hey...maybe we can have lunch later today! Like...when I get out of work and before you go in? I think it could work out if we meet up halfway?”
“Oh...yes that could wOrk.” Pete jumps with the toaster going off and Michael almost spills his coffee as it was rising to make contact with his lips in a fit of giggles. Michael finally takes a sip and watches Pete slather butter on one toast, and marmalade on the other.
“That one dinner that’s on the same street as your tattoo shop looks nice.”
“Yeaaaah. Jen always greets me with a muffin or something when she goes over. She also says their waffles are AMAZIIING.” Pete finally brings in a plate with their toast and takes a seat in front of Michael. “Thanks for the milk, by the way.”
They discuss their plans for the next few minutes, eating toast and drinking some coffee until Michael finally gets up for work. He’s dreading leaving Pete behind...especially after not having seen him for like a week now.
*
Michael is thinking what colour Iris will look best on the current flower bouquet he’s working on , when his boss walks in and informs him she just received a phone call from an important client in need of some last minute flower arrangements for the centerpieces of tables at an important business meeting event or...whatever, Michael honestly stopped paying close attention after he heard LAST MINUTE FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS; he just knew what was coming next.
“Can you please stay till closing time to help me with these bad boys? Marissa needs them for tomorrow morning and I really wish she’d call sooner.”
Michael fidgeted between politely saying no, because he had a date in a few hours with the most important person in his universe, or breaking his promise to Pete instead. He really didn’t want to do that last option, but he honestly really loved his job, and even though he knows Anne, his boss wouldn’t fire him this quickly after 3 years of hard work, he decides Pete won’t mind holding on a second longer. He also knows how important Ann’s business and clients are to her, and screwing around with that would be just as bad.
“Yes, no worries. I’d love to help out. Can’t really say no when it’s an emergency anyways, can I?” Michael tried to keep cheery with his statement, and he was happy to help; he just wishes this had come about on a different day.
Michael quickly shoots Pete a text, updating him on the matter and apologises once too many times in the text, virtually yelling that he’ll make it up to him soon and hoping Pete will catch on about how gutted he feels about the situation.
Pete responds that it’s alright, and that they can hopefully catch up for lunch soon enough. He also calls him a drama queen, and Michael is at least grateful that Pete’s trying to lift the mood.
*
Luckily for them, Morgan’s Floral didn’t receive many customers that day, so Michael and Anne got to work diligently on the last minute order. When they were just about done, it began to rain; Anne was cleaning up and Michael was finishing up his last arrangement when it just straight up started to pour.
“Oh no….Michael it’s pouring! And my daughter gets awfully frightened when it begins to thunder. Would you mind closing up the shop when you’re done here? I would just prefer to run back home before anything happens to the nanny.”
“Anne please, it’s no trouble at all. Just go ahead.” Michael offers her a sensible smile, plus he’s closed shop in the past. Piece of cake. Michael might not have children, but he understands 4 year olds are a handful just from all the stories she’s told him throughout the years.
“Thank you, Michael! You’re a treasure!” She reaches up and tries to land a kiss on his temple, but Michael is just so goth forsaken tall she ends up laying the kiss on his cheekbone. “I’ll see you tomorrow then! Leave the key over you know where!” and she was off.
*
The rain was light now, but that in conjunction with holding an umbrella wasn’t making the search for the keyhole any easier one-handedly. Michael fiddled with and pushed the key into thin air and against metal, probably scratching paint off everytime he grazed the point of the key there. At some point he knocked the key hard enough against the door frame making Micheal drop the whole set of 3 keys.
“Shit.”
Michael crouched down for the keys and...felt some stocky, wet skin over the cold metal of the keys. A couple of fingers covered in wonky, black nail polish stared back at Michael. He’s stunned for a bit, but then looks up and locks eyes with Pete’s beautiful green orbs; time seems to freeze for half a second and then-
“Alright there?”
“I...I’m just surprised. I didn’t hear you walk by.” They were standing up at this point, both kind of awkwardly trying to grab at the keyring (though let’s be honest, Michael was mostly grabbing at Pete’s hand).
“The...rain’s pretty loud.” Pete tried stating the obvious, letting go of the keys but Michael wasn’t even holding them so they fell back on the wet floor while Michael held two of Pete’s fingers.
“Uhhhh...sorry, sorry.” Michael reached for the keys alone this time. “It’s just...I never expected to meet you here.”
“It’s not like I don’t know where you work, stupid.” Pete took out his phone and tried shining a light for Michael.
“Oh shush you fucking smart-ass. You know what I mean.” Michael finally got the key in the damned hole and began turning it about. “I was supposed to meet you back at the tattoo shop. It was going to be a surprise but your fucking timing is impeccable.”
“Well...I am the time wizard. I thought you knew that.”
“Jesus christ, Pete.” Michael giggles and walks towards some large pots lined up along the wall of the shop, looking for the Kalmia Latifolia to drop off the keys. “You’re soaked! You just might catch a cold and shit. Why did you walk here?”
“It’s only a 15 minute walk...I wanted to make sure I caught you still around work.” Michael hands the umbrella to Pete so he can take off his trench coat. Michael wraps his coat over Pete’s shoulders and grabs the umbrella back from him.
“Well, what if I had left earlier? What would you’ve done then?”
“Catch my usual bus…I don’t see a problem.” They begin walking side by side under the umbrella towards Michael’s 1995 Black Impala, parked in the farthest spot because...fucking Michael, of course.
“...you could have waited at the tattoo shop.”
“It’s just a little rainwater, Michael. It’s not going to kill me, calm down.” Michael unlocks the car and opens the passenger door for Pete, who gets a tinge of blush on the cheeks at that. Pete puts the trench coat on the seat, cautious to not get it wet, but Michael doesn’t quite mind if the car gets some damage. Pete’s more important.
Once they’re both inside, a pleasant silence washes over them, and Michael gently starts the car. He turns the heater on ever so slightly to get the temperature inside slowly rising.
“You still owe me lunch.”
Michael’s caught off guard and snickers at that comment. “Alright alright. You got it, stud. Though I’m not sure if they’ll let you come inside any restaurant all soaked and stuff.”
“Maybe we can just get coffee on the patio of the Blue Mug’s down the road?”
“Okay! That sounds like an ideal plan.”
So Michael pulled back from the plaza and into the main road for a measly 3 minutes and into the next parking lot for the coffee shop.
Pete waits outside, umbrella in hand while Michael goes inside the shop to get some iced coffees. He also walks out with a lovely chocolate chip cannoli; he knows Pete loves those motherfuckers with his cold coffee. When Michael comes back outside, he finds Pete sitting on a rusty table already...on the side where the rain is hitting the table, umbrella closed.
“Mate...why are you sitting in the rain?”
“I’m already wet...I kind of stopped giving a shit. You can sit on the dry side of the table and...here’s your umbrella.”
“You psycho…” Michael chuckles and places the coffee cups, as well as the plate with the cannoli on the table; he then pulls his chair next to Pete. “It’s not fair if you have all the fun around here.”
Pete smiles and reaches for his coffee cup, taking the lid off as Michael sits next to him. “You can’t just let me be the only non-conformist, huh?”
“Why can’t we just be non-conformists together?” Michael shoots Pete the widest smile he’s probably ever seen on the guy, and can’t help but blush.
“Oh..together? Like...how there’s only one cannoli and we have to share it now, together?”
Their eyes meet and share a warm minute of connection under the cold, light rain. Michael admires the stupid, cheery-conformist shade of green in Pete’s eyes, while the other boy looks between Michael’s chocolate coloured eyes and the water that’s beginning to drip from his tidy curls.
“Mmmm, yeah. Sharing cannolis, being non-conformists together...we could do a conundrum of things together if you’d like…I think I may have some in mind.” Michael takes a sip of his coffee.
“Oh really? Like what?” Pete takes a sip as well.
“Like…”Michael fiddles with the breast-pocket of his trench coat. “Sharing a cigarette for good times sake? I miss shot-gunning smokes with you.”
That sends a shiver down Pete’s back and he can’t help but blush some more...the blood rushing to his head almost knocking him off the chair. He lightly covers his mouth with his hand and “Geez, Michael.” then a jerky chuckle. “Is this florist job making you into a sappy bastard or...have I been away from your life this long?”
“Ah...whatever Pete. You know you love it.” He winks. “You have the sweetest tooth of us all.” He gets up and walks under the little ceiling of the patio to light up the cigarette, and Pete just places his chin over his cupped hand, sipping more coffee...probably secretly checking Michael out in the process.
“If the rain puts this cigarette out I’ll be angry.” Michael says when he sits back down. “But I’m hoping it’ll be alright since the rain’s just a sprinkle now.”
“Your hair says otherwise.” Pete runs his fingers through Michael’s curls, startling the boy a bit. “I’ve been wanting to do that since you were closing shop.”
“Oh...anything else you want to do, now that we’re at it?” Michael takes a drag of the cigarette to conceal his smile.
“Yeeeeah…” Pete swiftly grabs Michael by the lapels of his jacket and pulls him closer, sealing their lips together as his eyelashes drip water onto Michael’s cheekbones. Pete’s lips are wet and taste bitter, but with the hint of coconut from the milk in his coffee. Michael deepens the kiss as his eyes begin to close, raindrops clouding Pete’s image by the second. He takes a chance and slightly breaks the kiss to blow smoke into Pete’s mouth, and in the excitement, Pete bangs his mouth right back onto Michaels’ to capture the smoke between them, and Michael cups Pete’s cheek gently. They reminisce in the essence of coffee and cigarettes in their breaths for a bit longer, and pull apart slowly, meeting eyes again. “Honestly...I’ve been wanting to do that for a while as well.”
“I missed this…us.” Michael’s hand sways between them. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.”
“Are you kidding? I’m the one pulling crazy hours…” Pete sits back into the chair, reaching for the cannoli and breaking it in half with a depressing sound since it’s getting soggy. Pete frowns at that, but takes a little bite anyways. He then presents it to Michael, and the boy just reaches in to take a bite straight from Pete’s fingers.
“You know though...if you’re ever free at the same time as I am, I would love to do some tattoo practice on you, if that’s alright?” Michael licks some of the filling from Pete’s fingers.
“I would really love that. I have time right now…” and he throws Pete a wide grin.
Pete reaches for the cigarette from Michael’s hand and takes a drag, blowing the smoke right onto Michael’s face. Not even the sudden incoming of harsher rain could wipe off the stupid smirks from their faces now.
“Alright.”
