@downxbyxaxcove
Who: Hayes & Thaddeus
Where: Community Picnic
The park had transformed into a sea of color. Rainbow banners fluttered between the trees while music drifted from the small stage near the pavilion, blending with the easy hum of conversation and bursts of laughter from families scattered across the lawn. Children raced past with tiny Pride flags clutched in sticky hands, someone nearby was trying to organize an impromptu game of cornhole, and the line at the Tide Table catering tent seemed to stretch halfway across Cypress Cove. Paper plate in hand, piled perhaps a little too generously with catered tacos and sides, Hayes stepped away from the crowd gathered around the food tables. He paused beneath the shade of an old oak, taking a sip from his lemonade as his gaze wandered over the festivities. He'd spoken with colleagues, run into a handful of former students and been enthusiastically hugged by at least three people he only vaguely remembered teaching. It had been a good afternoon.
Then he saw him. Thaddeus. A small smile tugged at his mouth before he could stop it. They hadn't really had a chance to talk since his birthday. There had been the occasional wave across campus, a passing greeting in the hallway, the obligatory faculty meetings where everyone looked equally exhausted by grading and deadlines, but every conversation had been cut short by somewhere else they needed to be. Funny how someone could occupy your thoughts despite barely occupying your schedule. Hayes made his way through the crowd to him. "Thaddeus.." His smile widened as the other man looked up. "I've been meaning to catch up with you ever since my birthday. The semester just had other ideas."