This is what they write songs about What: Valentine’s Day Rating: Low Status: Complete
Love is a silly thing
A small, single, red velvet cupcake sat on a pristine white plate in the middle of the counter. Atop the flat surface was a swirl of ivory cream cheese icing. Smattering of edible, heart-shaped sprinkles were placed carefully into the grooves of the swirl.
Beneath the plate sat a handwritten note folded in half, scribed on their kitchen stationary. Maybe it said Groceries on the top but it was the message penciled onto the lines carefully that mattered.
Next to the plate sat a framed photograph. It was small, humble, but a favorite picture of the both of them that he hoped Mikey could put on his desk at work. And looming over everything a lovely, small-petaled orchid.
He knew he wasn’t the best partner but he’d live and die for this man. His man. There was no doubt. He only hoped Mikey knew it.
There was nothing but pure love for the cougar. He adored everything about the other man - big and small. Through eternity he would find Mikey again and again. Whatever it took.
Mikey paused when he came in, immediately smelling the cupcake, and honing in on it with a fond grin.
They’d first gotten together over a rather memorable apple pie, and he loved whenever Ronnie made something just for him.
He wasn’t used to having someone stick around long enough for presents -- this was the first valentine’s since high school where he’d been dating someone during, and he’d gone with a box of chocolates and a teddy bear for her, which hadn’t worked out too badly.
He set his own Valentine’s purchases down on the counter, laughing a little at the framed photo -- in the picture, Ronnie was squinting into the sun and beaming, his arm thrown over Mikey’s shoulders, and he looked ridiculously happy.
Humming, he flipped open the handwritten note.
The note itself was basic. At the very top left, beneath the line that said Groceries it began with the word ‘Babe’. On the right of that same line he’d written the date of the notes creation. A bit further down rendered a stick figure drawing - the pair of them similar to the picture he’d drawn on the napkin at the diner when he’d first given Mikey his number.
Beneath the drawing was the meat of the note. ‘I’m not always good with words,’ it began. ‘But it’s probably because there isn’t a word that can accurately describe the way I feel about you. You’re amazing, so funny, I love the way your smile tucks into your cheek, and how your eyes light up when you see something that makes you happy. I didn’t think I would ever find this feeling - it’s different than anything I think I’ve ever felt. We met for a reason and I will keep chasing you into eternity, into the next life and the one after that, because you’re worth it.’
To wrap the little note up he penned a heart and colored it in with the ink from the pen then wrote, ‘Love you forever - Ronnie.’
Mikey huffed silently, his smile curling up in the corner as his fingers traced the small stick figures of the two of them.
He felt a weight in his chest -- a solid, warm feeling. It’d been good to have Ronnie back in town -- great, even -- but while he’d been away, Mikey’d had to face a lot of his own insecurities about getting left behind. He knew it wasn’t Ronnie’s fault -- Ronnie would be there if he could, and just because his mom washed her hands of Mikey and his sister didn’t mean that’s what Ronnie would do.
Still.
It’d been a tough month, tougher still because Mikey knew the last thing Ronnie needed was his phone blowing up, even from him. He’d felt powerless, and frustrated, and lonely as fuck, and while he could rationalize all of it, that hadn’t made it any easier.
He read the note again, letting that feeling settle. The feeling of being wanted. Being worthy.
A few steps.
Ronnie was humming to himself, making the bed. Each sheet would be smoothed. The petals on the floor, across the comforter would be bonus. That wasn’t the deal. He wanted to keep it simple. Not that Mikey didn’t deserve more but because he knew his mate wanted the small things. It was the small, trivial things, that meant a lot.
Plus he needed to make up for the last three weeks he was gone. He didn’t want to abandon the man he loved, he knew Mikey had been through a lot. Abby too. And that was the last thing he wanted.
Mikey’s ears pricked as he heard the soft sound of hands brushing over fabric, and he scooped up his packages and the note, tucking it into his pocket carefully, before heading over to the bedroom.
“Aww, babe,” he said, looking at the rose petals and candles scattered through the room. “Got your note,” he added. “That picture’s a good one.”
He crossed the room, laughing a little as he pulled Ronnie closer to him and kissed him. “Romantic bastard,” he murmured before kissing him again.
At the sound of footfalls his first reaction was to lift his eyes to the window. The screen had been cut in a diagonal pattern and an obscenely colored Post-It note hung there. But the voice he knew brought back the familiarity and Ronnie turned to watch his beloved approach, much more relaxed. “What can I say? It’s almost a kindergarten level drawing.” Stick figures were the best he could do but that was alright.
“Glad you liked it, babe.” That was really what mattered to him. And then they were kissing and he melted into the connection, wrapping himself into that strength and warmth. “Love you.”
“Love you back,” Mikey replied, kissing him again, before a small smell snuck past the roses, making his hair stand on the back of his neck. He looked over to the window, his expression immediately tightening. “Well, fuck,” he said, quietly. “You wanna tack up a curtain?” He shook his head. “Coward,” he added, his voice a low rumble. The stalker knew far better than to come around when he was at the trailer, so he knew they’d have some privacy as long as he was there, but it still left a bad taste in his mouth that they couldn’t even celebrate Valentine’s without their unwanted guest poking their nose in the middle of things.
Ronnie’s shoulders slumped. He turned to look at the orange square with capital letters in black market scrawled across, then turned back to look at Mikey. “I can get that down.” He didn’t want it to bother the present situation and there was nothing he could do about it anyway. He didn’t want to let go, but if only for the peace of mind of the man he loved he would do it.
He was bothered by the intrusion, too. Why couldn’t he have one night of peace without being so scared and leaving? Ronnie pressed his mouth against Mikey’s cheek. “Hey. It’s just you and me. No matter what.”
Mikey paused, and nodded. “Fuck ‘em,” he said, quietly but firmly. “Not about to let them steer today. You okay?” He added. “You wanna… you wanna go somewhere else? Get a motel or something?”
Ronnie shook his head. “Nope. Did that. I wanna stay here. Nobody has any right to make me feel scared in my own house. I ain’t leaving.” He promised not to. And he wouldn’t. This was their place. Holidays and other stuff aside they had to take care of it.
“Kay,” Mikey replied. “And damn right,” he added. “They don’t get to take up real estate in that beautiful head of yours tonight,” he continued, kissing Ronnie lightly before going over to take down the note, ripping the screen a little more than it had been, but it’d need replacing anyways. He crumpled it and tossed it in the small garbage can they kept by the side of the bed. “I’m gonna make sure of it,” he said, kissing Ronnie again, fingers wrapped around one of his belt loops.
“Got you a thing,” he added, passing Ronnie a slim box. “I… if it’s not your thing, that’s cool, I kept the receipt, but I thought it’d… anyways,” he ended a little awkwardly, “I thought it’d look nice on you.”
Ronnie’s cheeks flushed a bit. Mikey was always so good with words, he always felt so special. “Thanks babe.” He sighed as the note was dealt with. As an adult in his late thirties the idea of being stalked legitimately was not something he considered ever happening to him. And here it was.
“I believe you.” He did. He knew Mikey would protect him. Ronnie moved close and then found a slim box in his hands. He blinked. “What is it?” A little smirk crept onto his face, the note forgotten. A little gold chain contrasted with the lining of the box.
“What?” He pulled it out of the box carefully, setting the case gently aside and then put the chain on. “How does it look? I love it.”
A grin split Mikey’s face. “You kiddin?” He replied, his fingers moving up to Ronnie’s neck to reposition the chain so the clasp was in back, opening Ronnie’s shirt a few more buttons to show a little more of his chest. “Yeah,” he said, biting his lip. “Fuck yeah. That’s how I thought it would look. Gorgeous.”
With a bit of pride he twisted, showing off the piece. “It’s perfect. I love it.” And because Mikey gave it to him that made it all the better. Nobody really gave him stuff like that and he was going to wear it. “You know me so well.”
Mikey’s fingers continued to brush the chain around Ronnie’s neck. “You know me too,” he replied. “I don’t… It’s not easy for me to open up to people,” he admitted. “People who aren’t you,” he added with a quirk of his mouth. “You had me spillin’ my guts within like a week.” He huffed a little in amusement, resting his other hand on Ronnie’s hip. “You got that way about you,” he added. “Like just being around you makes me better.”
Ronnie laughed a bit. He knew Mikey was a private person and he did his best to respect that. “Yeah? I’m glad we met at the store. I don’t think I ever would’ve found anyone as good as you are.” They both had their quirks but it was the way they worked together that mattered. Lifting up your partner in the down times and celebrating with them through the good ones.
He pulled Mikey closer. The weight of the chain was almost nil, it wasn’t cumbersome or in the way. And he was never taking it off.
“Guess we both got lucky,” Mikey replied, his fingers still brushing the chain, his lips close enough to brush against Ronnie’s cheek. His mouth quirked up a bit in the corner. “Guess we’re both gettin’ lucky too,” he added with a laugh as they wrapped around one another. “Seriously, Ronnie, love you dude. So fucking much. So worth it.”
That laugh was infectious. Ronnie offered one of his own and tucked closer in to his love. It was silly how life snuck up on you like that, when you didn’t realize you were looking for something but it appeared anyway. “Love you too, babe. More than anything in the world.”