talcott hester (cactuars) wrote in valloic, @ 2023-03-30 09:51:00 |
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Matthew Lynch was tired. Every day brought news of varying shades of bad, and even Matthew, who seemed to have been dreamt with sunshine in his soul, had a hard time seeing the bright side. He wanted to believe that this newest plan would be a success, but there had been so many plans before that resulted in costs far too high for the benefits.
It was easier to be with the kids. Running the day care for the youngest kids was a relief. He had to put on a smile, had to be ‘on’, had to put all of his energy into making sure that they were having fun and learning and staying safe even while war raged around them. The kids might not have known any differently, but they certainly deserved better, and Matthew wanted to give them that. He created songs for literally every occasion (the line up song, the clean up song, and the line up after clean up song were some real bangers), he read the stories that had been pillaged from the Enchanted Nook, he played make believe, and for a while every day, Matthew actually did get to pretend like things weren’t so bad.
After everyone had been picked up by their families, Matthew headed down to where the chocobos were housed and cared for. He stopped to scratch one under the beak, because even now Matthew could never resist telling animals what good boys and girls they were. Sure enough, one turned into five and it would have turned into more had the rest of them not been out. So instead he sidled up next to Talcott and bumped him with his hip and shoulder.
“Hey, hypothetically, what are the odds I can talk you into taking a break with me? Sixty-forty? Eighty-twenty? I’m just feeling out the situation before I make a move.”
When Talcott had slowly started to let himself think about a future in Vallo, it had been the complete opposite of this. It had been sunlight and good things, it had been a life that didn't require survival at every turn. And it had just started to take hold when suddenly it was yanked out from under him and Vallo became what he had left behind. Talcott was nothing if not adaptable though and he easily slid back into that person. The one who lived in the middle of a war and made it from one day to the next. But this time he knew different. It wasn't half formed memories from those younger years, it had been nearly two years as almost an adult, letting himself plan for a future that was then pulled out from under him.
He tried not to be bitter, but sometimes? It was really hard.
Mostly though he just tried to get from one day to the next. And the end of this day had him leaning against the fence, looking over notes for his greens supply and mapping out how long it should last.
Matthew's sudden presence at his side brought a smile to his face and he bumped back as he gave a little side glance to Matthew. "Sixty - forty" he answered, "but only because I know you're up to the challenge," was added with a little raise of his brows.
Matthew’s hand went to his chest as he gasped, as if he was so offended by what he considered an incredibly lowball offer. “Wow. Wow. Who even are you coming at me with that? Here I thought we were having a good time, bantering, and you come at me right out of the gate swinging for the fences.” Not to mix sports metaphors, but honestly, when was the last time anyone had played a sport? That thought was just a spiral into other dark thoughts and for a hot second Matthew felt okay and wanted to ride it for as long as he could. So he swiped Talcott’s notes, held them above his head as hostage, and kissed him, smiling.
“Sixty five-thirty five,” he countered, with his own lifting eyebrows. “Play your cards right and I could be convinced to really work for it.”
But Matthew handed the notebook back over after another ransom kiss because hey, why not and peered over at the pages. “What’re you working on? Which seems like that’s in fact not in line with the goal of no more work, but joke’s on you, I’m just trying to know my enemy and what I’m up against.”
It wasn't hard to laugh at the dramatics, and if Matthew was mixing up sport metaphors Talcott would be the last to pick up on it. Or really care about it one way or the other. Especially when there was a smile on Matthew's face and it still just as easily reminded Talcott to get out of his own head as much as it had when they were younger. Even more so when Matthew kissed him and Talcott was always weak for that - more than half tempted to give up the game right then and there.
"Really work for it? Sounds promising," he answered with a sly smirk and lingered in the next kiss before his notebook was handed back.
"Your enemy is glorified inventory," he answered with a soft laugh. "I have it on pretty good authority you'd win that battle."
“Yours would have been edible play-doh,” Matthew pointed out. “And this new rhyme I came up with about some sheep and a hill, it was a real rager, and you really would have had to pull out all the stops for it and..” he trailed off, looking thoughtful. “I suddenly think I played myself, I should have made you come find me.”
Matthew’s propensity towards being sunshine incarnate had dimmed and faded over the years–how could it not, really? Loss after loss piled on top of each other like stones creating a wall that blocked out most of the light. Couple that with just how physically tired he was from the magic that kept him Matthew and not just a dreamed creation running out like sands through an hourglass, and he knew he wasn’t himself, or how he should have been. But he liked it best when he could make Talcott laugh, he’d seen war twice now, had his family ripped apart and brought back together and ripped apart all over again, so if he got him to laugh a few times, whatever it took was worth it.
“Hey.” he nudged Talcott again and this time Matthew kidnapped his hand in his own. “Daily reminder that you’re important, and the things you do are important. You think of the things that no one else does until it’s absolutely needed, but you’ve already done the work. And you’re kind of cute too, I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it lately.”
"I might have just joined in if I did," Taclott pointed out with a little smile. Edible playdough sounded like a way more fun afternoon than what he'd had. Plus it was always fun watching Matthew with the kids.
Talcott turned his hand a little so he could lace his fingers through Matthew's and give his hand a squeeze. "Some guy might have mentioned it the other day? Also pretty cute himself," he answered playfully.
"And hey? Daily reminder -" because it was only fair that Matthew got as good as he gave, he deserved that and more if you asked Talcott - "that you're also important, to so many people. The kids are so lucky to have you making them playdough and songs. And while I can't speak for everyone, you're my favourite person," he leaned in and stole a quick kiss before he lifted a hand to run this thumb gently over the dark circles under Matthew's eyes.
"You're also Tilly's favourite and she's been asking for you," he added, which was a shade of ridiculous because Tilly was a chocobo and didn't speak but he figured it was still true in her own chocobo sort of way. "Wanna go in and tell her about your day?" he asked with a little tilt of his head toward the sheltered pen. "I still have some snacks left over from what Ignis sent me off with this morning."
Matthew smiled in return, a soft, warm, comfortable thing unfurling in his chest the way it tended to in these easy and quiet moments. Yes, the situation they were in was dire and dangerous, and life could change in the blink of an eye, Matthew acknowledged that. But he was so, so lucky that they had each other. "That's pretty convenient, actually, because, it turns out you're my favorite person too." He wrapped his arms around Talcott for a hug–the guy always looked like he needed one and who was Matthew to refuse? "Hey. Love you."
His gaze tracked to the pen and Matthew couldn’t help it, he laughed. It felt good to laugh, like an unused muscle stretching out once more. “I’m not fooling around with you in the chocobo pen.” A pause, as Matthew considered something, his head tilting back and forth in thought. “I’m not fooling around with you in the chocobo pen again.” One more pause. “I’m not fooling around with you in the chocobo pen again before the snacks–probably, at least. Depends on how good they are.”
"Love you too," Talcott replied, muffled a little with the hug. There was a definite uptick in the amount of hugs he got this apocalypse compared to the last and he had no complaints about it.
Talcott just waited out the amendments that he knew were coming with a fond amused look. There were worse places he supposed to get handsy than a chocobo pen, but there were also better. But given how often they were likely to end up curling up with one of the birds to catch a quick nap or just a quiet moment, Talcott wasn't surprised that it'd happened more than once or twice.
"Famous last words," Taclott said with a knowing grin and slipped an arm around Matthew's waist as they headed towards the pen. "I've got some crackers, some of the strawberries we had left, and something that almost resembles chocolate cake," he listed off. "So you'll have to let me know what base that gets me to," was added with a wink.
“Wow, wow,” with his one arm slung around Talcott’s shoulders, Matthew fanned himself with his free hand in an approximation of a swoon. “Almost resembling chocolate cake? Really pulling out the stops here. Just think, I came down to try and woo you.” The idea of normal dates had long ago gone out the window, and while he absolutely hated the reason why, he’d take this version too. Someday it would look different, someday it would all look different, except with luck and hope, what they had.
“I’m going to need to tell Tilly about my day first, because then we have to send her out.It might not make her favorite for much longer. Definitely still yours though.”