anachronisticum

[anachronisticum]

Time to Celebrate [December 21, 2021]

In Progress

Cassian takes a sip from the beer that Zen had chosen to be the drink of choice for the little get together, finding it rather…pleasant, a small smile flickering onto his lips as he tastes the notes of it and realizes that she remembered his favorite flavors that he had discovered during all of their adventures together over the years to the various pubs and drinking establishments…his smile warming as he feels Manny’s arm move around him as he returns from the the drink table, waiting for him to try the Zen Drink of Choice, in honor of the day, moving to leaning in to lowly inquire, “¿Qué opinas de la bebida ... novio?” The words flowing smoothly, almost naturally at this point, as he speaks then forth, a bit if warmth sparking in Cass’s eyes as he awaits the answer.

[anachronisticum]

A Birthday of His Own [December 21, 2018]

COMPLETE

Manny draws his thumb across his juicy lips, as he chews thoughtfully on his food, popping his finger in his mouth as he finishes up, rubbing his hand across his stomach, enjoying the soft air of conversation taking place amongst the group, "What's next, ey?" He warmly and smoothly pitches over to his boyfriend, "What you in the mood for, huh? Lay it on us." He declares, leaning back in his seat as he moves his arm across Cassian's shoulders, "Want a birthday song? Sure we can rope the trabajadores in, no doubt."

Cassian takes a sip of his drink, a feeling of happiness moving through him as he takes in the friends and family around him, leaning his head against Manny's shoulder as he looks up at him. "Thank you for this," he says gently, before looking over at Mina and Law as well. "Thank you all so much. You know you didn't have to do all this. It's just...special to me you all even remembered," he affirms warmly.

A soft smile warmly spreads onto Manny's lips, as he moves to plant a gentle kiss onto the top of Cassian's head.

Mina intently takes in the affectionate display between Herbie and her cousin, a slew of questions moving through her at the sight, "Of course we remembered, you mean a lot to each and every one of us. This is a good day for us all, that you exist." Mina affirms back, before Manny's suggestion flashes back into her mind, "Can you sing...well?" Mina softly questions of Lawry, as she turns her attention to the side to face him as Manny draws Cassian into a kiss.

Lawry takes in Mina's question as he sips his drink. "Well enough," he affirms back to Mina, before casting a glance back to Manny, waiting for the cue to begin singing the birthday song.

Mina spares a glance back to Lawry upon taking in his answer, unsure if it was true, but figuring she would find out soon enough, as she uses the moment Manny created to have the waiter bring out the lit cake they had made for Cassian, as she begins to sing the song for him, along with the boys, "Make a wish." She insists to her cousin, watching as he blows the candles out. "Now, another one, aloud this time." She continues, curious about what this wish would consist of.

A warm smile moves onto Cassian's lips as he feels the gentle kiss, relaxing into the moment, before he sees the cake before him, his eyes widening as the moment unfolds, a swirl of warmth moving through him that he tries to allow to happen without the voice intruding telling him he didn't deserve it, before blowing out the candles as he considers the wish, until he's prompted by Mina to say another wish. "To...more days of warmth and love, surrounded by the people we care about, like this one, for all of us," Cassian affirms, looking at the people who were with him, who had made this day possible for him, the warmth moving through him once again.

- COMPLETE -

[anachronisticum]

“...In a way,” Cass contemplatively remarks, after making sure he stopped slowly, surely, at the red light, pursing his lips a bit as he mulls it over, was everything Good? The way everything had occurred such a...complicated mix, given everything, given who his brother was, “It’s a good thing, isn’t it? That Julian no longer has this...hold on me? But there’s something just...strange, about him no longer being here,” he contemplates, his tone getting a bit quieter, towards the end, the way Julian chose to leave everything behind still so...jarring, selfish, leaving him almost feeling...this strange way, that he couldn’t quite describe, couldn’t process into words...biting down on his lip a bit as he keeps his grip on the steering wheel, paying attention to the light out of the corner of his eye to ensure that he would see when it turned green once again. 

Red Ferrari [April 30, 2018]

INCOMPLETE

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[anachronisticum]

Red Ferrari [April 30, 2018]

INCOMPLETE

Cass gingerly drives Julian's red Ferrari down the busy streets of New York, his heart nearly beating out of his chest at the stress of driving the unfamiliar car in such a crowded area, but also with the thrill of doing something that he had never done before, an exhilaration flooding through him in spite of the fear. He makes a jerky stop in front of Manny's shop, still not quite used to the controls of the car, before parking it and exiting, maneuvering out of the car before locking it, making his way in to find Manny. "You know that one song you like, Novio?" He says, referencing REDMERCEDES, before he glances out the window at Julian's obnoxiously flashy car, a blush creeping on his face as a bit of embarrassment shoots through him at the whole situation. "It's...sort of like that, right?" He says gingerly, before offering his hand to Manny. "Come with me? It's my brother's car...and I'm not good at driving it, but...I felt it was time to try," he says, a conviction shooting through his eyes at the deeper meaning behind his words and his choice to take the car out, wanting no longer be captive by the memories and influence of his older brother.

Manny leans forward on his seat, evenly pressing the bandage onto the freshly inked skin of his client, warmly explaining the aftercare instructions as he does, his head moving towards the sound of his door opening, a flash of a smile moving onto his lips as he take sight of Cassian, "Just the guy, I was lookin' for, ey." He warmly greets, flashing him a wink, "Just gimme a sec, cool?" He nods his head to his boyfriend before turning his attention back to his client, precisely finishing his wrapping, pushing off his chair, as he snaps his gloves, as he steps onto the mechanism to open it, dropping them into the garbage, moving to wash his hands thoroughly, grabbing a copy of the instructions, handing it to the woman, flashing a crooked smile to her as he opens the door for her, allowing her to move to the front, sliding his arm around Cassian's waist and drawing him into a warm, deep, welcome kiss before walking alongside him out to the front completing the transaction with the customer, giving her a head nod, along with a soft smile as she leaves, turning his attention back to Jin, "Gonna head out for lunch now. Want me to grab you anything, J?" He asks, taking in her answer closely, nodding his head in affirmation, before he hears Cassian's voice, drawing his attention back to him, a smirk developing onto his lips as he hears them, following his gaze out the window to take in the flashy car, an amused chuckle escaping him, moving his hand around Cassian's waist again, "God damn." He laughs softly, "Attitude like fuck me baby, ey? I can fuck with it." He confirms softly, a hint of teasing dripping into his tone, in Cassian's ear, letting out a warm chuckle, moving easily out of the shop licking his lips as he takes in the car closer, running his finger over it, gently mimicking being burned, turning his attention back to Cass, a devilish smirk of mischief flashing onto his lips. "Leggo, JGP." He declares, moving to slide into the passenger seat, locking his seatbelt into place as leans backward, spreading his legs as he comfortably relaxes into it. Noticing the jerky motions, he easily moves his hand reassuringly over Cassian's knee, giving it a light squeeze. Turning his attention to his boyfriend, as he pats at his graffiti jean jacket, with his free hand, making sure he had what he was looking for, "Cool if I smoke in here, ey?" He questions, as he watches Cass move out of the space and move down the street.

A bright smile passes onto Cass's lips as Manny greets him, before he nods his head affirmatively, waiting patiently for his boyfriend to complete his work before he melts into the kiss, a warmth moving through him at it. He listens to Jin respond in her blunt way of speaking that she wanted ramen, before he heads outside along with Manny, a twitch of embarrassment surging within him at how flashy Julian's car was, especially with the garish license plate, before he's reassured by the feeling of Manny's hand moving around his waist, a smile twitching on his lips at Manny's response. "Exactly," he confirms in reference to the song lyrics, before sliding into the driver’s seat, a nervousness flooding through him at driving the Ferrari for the first time with an actual passenger in the car, especially with having only gotten his license that year, before he feels Manny’s reassuring squeeze, and he gives a soft, grateful smile in return. He then hears Manny’s question, which he nods affirmatively to, before out of the corner of his eye, he notices Julian’s signature silver monogrammed zippo lighter in the cupholder, which he tentatively picks up in his free hand, tracing his thumb along the initials “JGD” on it, a momentary cold shiver moving up his spine at the act, before he offers it to Manny. “Do...you need a lighter?” He tentatively offers, the object itself feeling as if it had a strange, haunting weight in his hand as he does so.

Manny flashes a sly smirk, his brow twitching slightly up, as he pulls his joint from his jacket, angling it towards Cassian, "My guy." He draws out, his voice low and thick, flashing him a wink as Cass moves to light it, taking a deep, relaxed, inhale as he leans forward a bit to search the radio for something fitting the moment, a chuckle coming from him as he hears the beginning notes of the song he had joked with just minutes prior. "What do you fuckin' know, ey?" He grins, tilting his head to his boyfriend as he easily releases the smoke allowing the soothing sensations to take hold of him, sensing there was something more to the unexpected gesture, he allows the music to wash over the two of them for a few pivotal bars, before moving into ask about it. "Everything good, ey?" He flashes a soft look towards Cass, as he runs his fingers through his hair at a stop light, "Not that these pop ups and shit are always my kinda shit, for real." He throws, a warm smile Cassian's way. "Or you just feelin' yourself today, aye?" He questions, a teasing glint moving into his gaze, as he hooks his finger under Cassian's chin, moving to ash his blunt, before taking another long, practiced drag.

[anachronisticum]

CAKE [April 14, 2018]

COMPLETE

Summary: Right after becoming boyfriends, Cass and Manny share some cake and songs with one another.

Cass walks into the apartment with Manny, a warmth moving through him at the chain of events that had occured earlier, and the fact that Manny was his boyfriend - he turns the word over in his mind, the thought of it causing a swirl of warmth yet again. He sets down the cheesecake on the kitchen table, moving to plug his phone into the aux chord, queuing up the song that Manny had posted later, before he opens the cake and takes out two forks, before he looks up to Manny again, a deep flash of happiness moving through his eyes. "Boyfriend," he says, a smile twitching on his lips at the word leaving his tongue, before he breaks out in a full grin. "Come have cake with me.”

Manny saunters through the apartment, behind Cass, shrugging out of his coat, wrapping it around the kitchen island seat, as he takes hold of the fork. A soft smirk twitching on his thick lips as he takes note of the melodic beginnings of the Kendrick song he had posted prior for Cass, swirling in the air. Closing his eyes temporarily as he feels the beat, the words, move deeply into him, slowly taking in Cass, once again, his lips curving wider as he takes in the gleeful expression etched into his face, especially at the use of the word, taking a forkful of the cheesecake and chewing it thoughtfully. "Ay, Novio." He answers, his tone warm and slow, licking his lips as he lightly swallows another bite of cake, a flash of amusement moving through him as he glides his tongue along his thumb, bringing it to the corner of his lips, "Es así de bueno, ey?" He lightly teases, as he softly continues his motions, before his attention moves from Cassian's lips, to take hold of his earnest gaze, licking his lips lightly again, he proceeds to close the space between them, hooking his thumb under Cassian's chin, as he draws him into the soft, sensual, explorative kiss. Pulling back, as another bemused smirk forms onto his lips as he hears the chorus kick in, the repeated 'you can get it' causing a soft chuckle to escape him, as he slowly pulls back, taking another bite of cake, as he leans back on his seat, leaning his elbow comfortably onto the island, allowing the song to freely play uninterrupted for a few more beats. "¿Qué piensas?" He questions, pointing his fork at Cassian.

Cass listens to Manny's warm and slow pronunciation of the word in Spanish, taking it in as a happiness dances in his eyes. "Novio," he repeats, saying the word once again, in Spanish this time, before he moves to take his own bite of the cake. "Asi de bueno," he replies, before he feels the space between them become closed, falling in to the explorative kiss, letting himself linger in the moment before he feels a sense of loss as Manny pulls back from him, before he's taken back into the moment in the kitchen, hearing the song once again, as he closes his eyes to listen to the words and the melody, taking them in fully. "I like it," Cass says earnestly, before he thinks on the words of the song and the meanings behind them, his thoughts catching on a particular line in the song. "It's true...flowers can bloom in a dark room," he muses, thinking of Mina and Emerson, before shifting his line of thought off of that line. "But is this song what you think of me?" He asks warmly, before he tries to remember a joke that Zeno had made while they had been on Mari's birthday trip. "It is true, you can like...get it," he teases lightly before a strike of worry moves through him at executing the joke improperly, as he watches Manny closely for his reaction to the words.

A peek of a smile twitches on Manny's lips as he listens and watches Cass, take the music in, hearing his confirmation of the dark room theory, giving a soft confirmative nod, drawing from his own personal experience. "Ay." He speaks deeply and softly, acknowledging the reminder and resonation with the song and Cassian, taking another slow swallow of cake. "¿Cómo te hace sentir?" He muses, moving his hand to caress Cass' chest, feeling the rhythmic beating of his heart, causing the corners of his lips to twitch up, closing his eyes as he allows the vibrations and notes to seep into him. "It brings me back to the two of us, vibin', just chillin' in the moment. Appreciating the music and atmosphere, that's my kinda shit. Simple, but deep..bliss or some shit, ey. I wanna see where this thing goes, I'm feelin' you, heavy, forreal forreal. Got a good thing vibin' here, ay?" He calmly articulates in Spanish, opening his eyes, as his eyes spark with a soft passion, falling into another warm, slow, kiss, that's interrupted by a sputtering chuckle as he hears Cass' joke, his attention panning down to his fresh kicks, swinging it up onto the island with a soft flourish. "Ey, they clean as fuck, ay. Good to know you fuck wit em so heavy, you got taste, JGP." He flashes a smirk, kicking his foot back down as he moves closer into him, grasping hold of Cassian's cheek, drawing him into a deeper kiss that soon turns passionate, before a thought crosses Manny's mind, as he pulls back lightly licking his lips, taking hold of his boyfriend's hand he pulls him up. "Ey, my room's got better acoustics, forreal. Leggo.." He remembers, leading him into his room, pushing his back against the wall, "Novio, ey?" He repeats the words, recalling his reaction to the word prior, another twitch crossing his lips as he flashes Cass a wink, moving to push his door open, moving over to his sound system, putting on one of his favorite albums, moving his body a bit to the tune, adjusting the dial so the music hit the room perfectly before he whips his shirt off, casting it to the floor, the glow of the moonlight from the window, hitting onto his heavily inked skin, in a blue tint as a slow grin warms his full lips as his knees hit the bed, kicking off his shoes, taking Cassian's face in his palms, as he straddles him, leaning down, leaving a trail of kisses along his neck, before a smirk flashes across his lips. "Ey...can I still like...get it?" He teases, his voice effortlessly seductively and warm against Cassian's ear, clicking his tongue. "Or nah."

Cass hears the deep, soft affirmation, feeling the words of the song resonate within him as he listens to it more, before he takes another bite of the cake, savoring the flavors, before he feels Manny's hand on his chest and he becomes aware of his own heartbeat quickening at the action. "Good," he confirms, closing his eyes to relax himself a bit back into the music. "Really good," he confirms as the sound washes over him as he hears Manny confirm the feelings he was having in the moment, enjoying the music and his time with the other man. "Yes, I...I really enjoy that too, Just...'vibing,'" he confirms, using Manny's terminology as it resonates in the moment as he feels a subtle, yet strong energy between the two of them as the music circles around them. "I feel you, very much...too," he says, tentatively testing out the new slang, hoping that he was using it correctly, before he opens his eyes, falling into the slow kiss, before he moves to make his attempt at the joke, his heartbeat quickening once again as he worries that he might have gotten it wrong, before he hears Manny's suggestion and the word "Novio" yet again, causing a warm smile to twitch on Cass's lips. "Novio," he confirms warmly, before nodding his head. "Yes, let's go," he says, taking in the music and the feeling of the moment as he moves to do the same, gingerly taking his shirt off, a strike of worry moving through him as he knows he's exposing the scars left from his brother's ruthless games growing up, before he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath as he takes his spot on the bed and allows the music to wash over him, before opening his eyes to look into Manny's, feeling the kisses along his neck and allowing him to savor the warmth those kisses create within him. "You can...like, get it," Cass says warmly, a light teasing coming into his voice, before he moves to tentatively kiss Manny, before moving to deepen the kiss, letting his worries fade away from him as he gets lost in the moment.

- COMPLETE -

[anachronisticum]

Cue the Post Malone [May 19, 2020]

IN PROGRESS

Cassian listens to Dean Snow make the concluding speech for the virtual graduation through his laptop, the whole thing...not feeling quite real, in more ways than one, his final words still moving through his mind as he closes his laptop, moving to give Manny a flit of a little smile, a sense of...pride moving through him in spite of the odd nature of the whole thing, part of him actually...preferring this to the large fanfare of his undergraduate graduation, packed in a stadium with so many other people, it feeling more intimate...special, to only be sharing it in person with Manny. “I graduated,” he finally says aloud, officially declares, perhaps. the words still tasting foreign on his tongue, and not verified until he would receive his diploma in the mail within a few weeks, but still...real to him in th moment, as the smile tugs further up.

[anachronisticum]

you & i [December 7, 2019]

IN PROGRESS

Cassian lightly stirs from sleep as he feels the morning sun shine through his window, feeling a calm restful mess move through him as he feels Manny beside him, being careful in his motions as he wakes not to wake up Manny as well, but even so, placing a gentle, tender kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek, before breathing out, in a warm whisper, “Ljubim te,” the depth of it moving through him even as it comes with...a comfort and ease to it, feeling natural in the moment, Right.

Manny's eyes slowly squint as he takes in the brightness he wasn't really ready for, the side of his hand rubbing against his nose as he swallows a few times, his hand moving over his eyes. "...damn." He lowly murmurs, licking his lips and swallowing again, a rush of a thought bursting into his mind as he jolts up, leaning over to peer at his phone screen, his mind mulling over the date, realizing he was...Good, lightly dropping his phone back down and moving his arms back around Cass, pressing his lips to the side of his neck. "I'm starvin' for real, you tryna go down to the one spot?" He lowly murmurs out, as he lets out a slow, relaxed, breath.

Cassian feels Manny momentarily move away from him as his boyfriend moves to check his phone, moving to roll over to see exactly what time it was on his own, realizing...it was later than expected, slowly beginning to realize that he was, in fact hungry. "You could say I am," he offers back, a small smile moving onto his lips as he presses his lips softly against Manny's for a good morning kiss, lingering in it for a moment before drawing back, realizing he heard the sound of water, causing his brow to furrow a bit as the realization moves into his mind. "...I think Myki's using the shower," he deduces, knowing that waiting would just add to the time before they could get food, before a thought crosses his mind, especially with how relaxing and warm it was just...staying in bed. "We could order in?

A softness curls across Manny's lips as he hears Cass speak up, pressing his lips back against Cass', turning a look against the door, before back to Cass, giving him a bit of a nod. "Works for me." He acknowledges, his thumb grazing along the bottom of his lip as he moves to ring up one of the sub spots, ordering before turning to look over to Cass, tilting the phone a bit as he lowly asks. "What you want?"

A small smile curls onto Cass's lips at Manny's answer, resting next to him as he tries to decide on his order, his mind moving through all of the ones they had tried and the ones in particular that stood out to him, his mind specifically honing in on... "The #4," he succinctly and definitively decides, the small smile peeking onto his lips once again.

[anachronisticum]

Don’t Cry, Craft [December 31, 2018]

IN PROGRESS

Cassian steps away from a conversation he was drawn into by the mother of one of his ex classmates at Charleroi Prep, attempting to pretend he did not recall the other boy to the same degree he did, each time their paths crossed perfectly etched in his memory, before she makes her way out, giving him a friendly wave along with condolences about his father, before Cass is given the opportunity to return to August. "Things change over time, yet remain the same, no?" He observes as he watches the woman return to her car. "Mina will be coming to assist us. She has learned things about this scouts from Emerson, and this should help us."

A bright smile crosses onto August's lips as she takes in the text from Wesley, moving to respond back in kind, a strike of delight moving through her as she takes in the sight of the assorted woodland decals, stencils, and cookie cutters placing them in her already nearly overfilled basket, moving to hand it to Cass as she gets another one to continue nabbing all the treasures she found, "Aw look at this one!!" She squeals happily to Cass moving to show it to him, before her smile falters as she takes in his words regarding Mina, "She's coming...here? I thought she left already..."

Cass looks at what August had found so far, a smile crossing his lips. "Lawry will like these," he affirms, before taking in August's question about Mina. "She is stopping here before she leaves to assist us. Is this okay?" He inquires.

"...I guess." August gently murmurs, moving her attention off of Cassian as she continues looking through the selection, "I just want Lawry to have the best freaking day, ever. He deserves it, you know?"

"Yes," Cassian affirms, giving August an affirmative nod. "This is why Mina will be a big help with knowledge about the scouts," he explains, before he sees Mina enter, giving her a small wave to let her know where they were.

Mina catches sight of Cassian, after finishing a text to Emile regarding their shared plans for the evening, sliding her phone back into her bag as she returns the wave, moving to join the pair, before she launches into sharing the details, procedures, and knowledge she had gleaned from her brother and Thackeray during their shared jaunt into the woods, months prior, her recollection of the details crisp and sharp, until she takes in the basket full of clutter. "Do you also require additional assistance, with this surprise?"

Cassian takes in all of the knowledge from Mina concerning the scouts, before an idea strikes him, as he moves to look over at August. "Perhaps Mina should be the scoutmaster?" He offers. "We should get bandanas as well, maybe we could even get them with our names on them, no?"

A hot strike moves through August as she hears Cass' suggestion, stopping herself from making a face, "She can't!" She cuts through, "You have another party to get to, right? Speaking of..." August pauses, moving to open her bag and reveal a perfectly wrapped gift, placing it in Mina's hands. "Give this to Arie for me...please." She requests, hoping she could trust the other woman to do such a simple task without something adverse occurring, her mind moving back to her husband and her plans she already had in store for him, besides this addition she was attempting to collaborate with Cassian with for the sake of the day, "Lawry should be the scoutmaster, annnnd we should hurry and see if we can stop at the shop so that they can have it done soon enough." She insists, moving to grab hold of a basket before giving one to Cassian and breezing past the pair to the clerk, "Cass?" She calls out after a few moments, wanting to draw him back to the moment at hand and not get too lost with whatever the other woman had in store.

Cassian thinks on the timing of everything, reconsidering if Mina being the scoutmaster would get in the way of her getting home, wondering if perhaps she was returning to do something with Arie for his birthday. "Lawry being the scoutmaster, then, it does make more sense" Cassian agrees, wanting to allow Mina to return in time for whatever plans she had, before nodding his head in affirmation abut the embroidering of the bandanas. "I don't want to keep you too long if you have somewhere to be," Cassian whispers to Mina in Spanish. "Thank you for all your help."

[anachronisticum]

The Cherry House [ December 29, 2018]

COMPLETE

Cassian walks around Aunt Cerise's house, taking in all of the pictures capturing the moments in time of her three children growing up, his eyes gravitating towards one in particular of Lawry smiling while holding a frog, causing a ghost of a smile to appear on his lips. He takes the picture down, moving to see if he could find August and Lawry, trying to keep quiet as he moved, knowing that Aunt Cerise liked to retire early, before he wonders if they were in Lawry's childhood bedroom. "August? Lawry?" He inquires as he raps on the closed door, wondering if they were inside.

A warm flow of melodic laughter ebbs from August as she feels the warmth of Lawry's lips trailing down her freshly bare abdomen, causing her back to arch, as another few bright giggles escape her, "That tickleeees." She warmly announces to her husband, before the sudden knocking interrupts her, a strike moving through her at the thought of it being her mother in law, as she moves to sit up with a start before she hears Cassian's voice just outside, causing her to pan her attention back to Lawry, as she pouts her lips out, ever so slightly.

Lawry feels his attention torn away from the intimate moment as he hears Cass's knocking and voice cut through, making him wonder exactly what Cassian wanted at this hour, certain it wasn't anything important. "Go to bed, Cass, we're trying to sleep. We can talk in the morning," he calls back, trying to keep his voice as low as he could as to not wake his mother but loud enough that Cass could hear him, before he moves to continue leaving his trail of kisses, wanting to bring August back into the moment that Cassian had interrupted.

Cassian hears Lawry's words, moving to open the door, really wanting to show Lawry and August the photo he had found before bed, gingerly doing so, before he catches sight of what is going on. "I...apologize," he says, becoming a bit flustered by the sight.

August begins to slowly relax back onto the bed, and into the moment, content to have garnered Lawry's attention, once again, a soft smile crossing onto her pouty lips as she feels his lips connect with her skin again, a momentary jolt lighting through her before it's replaced by a sting of shock at the unexpected entrance, causing a swell of embarrassment to move through her. "Is...something wrong?" August breathily moves to ask as she slides the thin strap of her slinky, lace nightie back onto her shoulder, not fully understanding what was so urgent, a slight sense of worry clouding over her delicate features.

"I...I just found a picture of Lawry as a child I wanted to show you both," Cassian explains, still a bit flustered from the whole occurrence. "M...may I show it to you?"

"A little tot one?" She questions back, a sunny childlike smile crossing onto her lips as her eyes light up, giving a cheerful nod in affirmation, "Let me see."

Cassian nods his head, tentatively approaching the two of them. "Yes, with a frog," he explains, before he hands it to August, wanting to see her reaction to it.

August moves her hand out to take hold of the picture, a flow of soft extended and delighted "Aw's" escaping her, as she touches her hand to her chest, "You're sooooooo cuuuuute, look at the the little pin!" She exclaims, another grin spreading onto her lips as she turns her attention to her husband, "Why didn't you show me this one, too?" She questions back, giving him a pout, as she drapes her arms over his shoulders, not recalling this particular one in the numerous albums she had happily indulged in with Lawry and his mother previously, wanting to soak it all in, before turning her attention back to Cass, "Do you remember this one, tell me the story!" She warmly requests, moving to pat the side of the bed beside Lawry for him to sit down.

A small smile spreads onto Cass's lips as August takes in the picture, before his smile briefly drops at August's question. "I do not remember that one because I wasn't there," he says, his mother having never allowed him to play out in the woods, finding it to be something beneath her boys. He then looks over at Lawry, a curiosity moving through him. "Will you tell us the story, Lawry?" He inquires, moving to sit on the bed with the two of them.

A twitch of annoyance moves through Lawry at Cassian interrupting an intimate moment, before he lets out a small sigh, resigning himself to tell the tale. Studying the picture, he tries to recall the exact circumstances behind it. "You know those scout troops, right?" He prefaces. "There was a big one in Charleroi, spearheaded by the Darling of the town himself, but apparently, I lived too far outside the boundaries of Charleroi Heights to fall within that troop's bounds," he offers, trying to mask a scoff as he thinks back on the memory, before the tiniest smile crosses his lips. "So my dad made his own. It was just me and a few friends from the good ol' public Charleroi Elementary, and we weren't like kicking ass and taking badges in the way the other troop was, but...we had fun," he offers, before placing his finger on the picture. "Plus, got to keep this frog as a pet. Named him...Froggy, I think? C- for creativity, but, you know."

A swirl of sadness moves through August until she catches sight of the hint of a smile and the fond way her husband recalled the memory, and his father, a warmth emanating from her as she knows he would be just the same kind of father to their own children, never having doubted a thing, yet the story only enforcing it as she moves closer into him, "I think it was a really cute name, and a super sweet story, I'm sure you take after him you know?" She softly affirms, moving to pepper the side of his face in a few kisses. "Thanks for telling me, more about him. Jeg elsker dig." She coos and gently extends the last bit.

A smile momentarily flits on Lawry's lips as he hears August's reaction to the story and her comment about his father. "Better man than I'll ever be, but Poskušam zanj," Lawry offers, moving to lean his head on August's shoulder. "Jeg elsker dig," he affirms, a softness moving through his tone before he realizes Cass was still there, moving to shoo him out of the room, waiting for him to close it, before looking at August seriously. "Vam lahko jutri pokažem nekaj njegovih stvari?" He offers, wanting to share what he had left of his father with August.

"Uspeh pri tem." She softly corrects, a soft smile twitching across her lips, as she moves her nails gently through Lawry's hair as she feels him rest his head on her shoulder, a happiness bubbling within her as she hears his love for her, "Jaz te ljubim bolj." She softly muses, giving him a kiss on his temple, giving Cassian a final thanks for the picture and wishing him sweet dreams as he leaves, taking in Lawry's question, moving her hand along his face, as her thumb brushes against his cheek. "Seveda. To bi mi bilo všeč."

"Ni mogoče," Lawry lowly affirms back, allowing Cass to leave before a small smile crosses his lips. "Jutri," he affirms, before he draws August into a passionate, consuming kiss, intent on showing her just how much he loved her.

"Yes, huhhhh." August whines, "Ljubim vas vse, in ne morete mi povedati drugače." (I love you all = I love you most of all, more than anyone else) She purrs back, sweetly kissing the corners of his lips, a soft moan escaping her lips as he draws her into the all-consuming, heady kiss, as she feels the cool sheets hit her skin, another moan interlaced with a gentle giggle escaping her as she feels Lawry's lips begin to roam once again.

[anachronisticum]

CM: Slow Jams With Nik [3/28/2019]

Manny scratches his fingers through his hair as he stirs from his sleep, looking over at his phone a soft sleepy smile crossing his lips as he takes in the message from his sister, sliding some grey sweatpants on as he quietly moves to open his bedroom door and the front door, moving to give his sister a soft kiss on her temple, before taking hold of his niece. "Ay, quien es mi dulce bebé?" He lowly coos, playfully bouncing her a bit as he takes the bag from his sister, nodding his head as he continues to listen to her words, giving her a smile as he tells her goodbye, moving to plug his phone into the speaker turning it on a bit lower than normal given the morning hour, sliding the bag off his shoulder onto the couch as he moves to smoothly dance with Nikaia to the slow r&b jams, towards the kitchen.

Cass slowly begins to stir from sleep as he hears the lowly audible music, opening his eyes to see that Manny wasn't beside him, causing a curiosity to move through him, wondering exactly what he was doing, before he moves to grab a pair of sweatpants from his closet, not wanting to walk out in his boxers if any of his other roommates were up and about in the other room. Rubbing the sleep out of his eye, Cassian steps out of his bedroom, before he takes in the sight of Manny dancing with Nikaia, about to ask exactly why Nikaia and Caroline were over, before he just...relaxes, letting Manny have the moment, as he leans back against the door, a small smile crossing his lips at the sight.

Manny continues his two-step, in his own little moment with his niece until he hears her noises drawing him back outwards, following her attention back over to Cass, a smile barely forming onto his lips, as he moves to wrap his free arm around his boyfriend planting a soft kiss onto his lips. "How long were you standing there?" He questions, waiting a beat before moving to draw him closer into him, incorporating him into the final few moments of the song, "Perfect timing, was just about to cook up some huevos rancheros." He reveals, kissing his fingers to his lips in a casual flourish, passing Nikaia over to Cass as they make their way into the kitchen, moving to start grabbing things with a intent focus, "You got plans for today?" He inquires, as he cracks a few eggs into the heated skillet.

"Not too long," Cassian replies softly, the smile still on his lips as he moves into the final moments of the song with Manny and Nikaia, before hearing Manny's offer about breakfast, taking Nikaia with him as he greets her warmly, walking with her to the kitchen, before shaking his head. "No, my only class was cancelled, so I wanted to spend time with you," he affirms back, before moving to smile as he touches the tip of Nikaia's nose. "And of course my favorite niece, too," he says warmly to her. "What are the plans for today? And can Nikaia and I help with breakfast in any way?" He offers, trying to think if there was some part of the task that Nikaia could "help" with.

Manny moves his arm expertly and loosely into the next steps of the dish as he takes in the revelation of the cancellation causing a small smile onto his full lips, "Eyyy. Ask him who his other niece is, Nik." He encourages, his smile widening on one side of his face as he hears the babbling from her as she lightly taps on Cassian's face, taking in his boyfriend's offer, moving to draw his arm around his side, drawing him into a soft, warm kiss. "Yeah. Sit. And, be hungry." He declares, nodding his head to the seat across from him, moving into the fridge, "Told Caroline I'd watch Nik for her, she wanted to go out or something, figured why not just make a whole day of it and snatched her from daycare." He laughs, thinking on the series of events, having missed Nikaia during his time away, moving to pour the remaining ingredients in, "Figured we'd go to the park, or aquarium or somethin', see what's good." He vocalizes, moving to fork a small piece of egg for Nik to try, before moving a bigger piece for Cassian to taste. "So? What's the final verdict, ey?" Manny asks of the pair, his eyes swirling with interest.

"Come on, I can help a bit, I'm not as tragic at cooking as the rest of my family may lead you to believe, and I have the trusted Master Chef Nik beside me," he replies, a light, subtle teasing moving through his tone before a grin plays on his face as he looks at Nik after stating her Title. "I like this idea," Cassian affirms, trying to think what might be the  best place for Nik to go, before he sees the egg presented before him, momentarily interrupting his train of thought as he tries it, enjoying the flavors, before looking over to Nik. "I'll defer to the Master Chef, and let her speak first," he offers, a smile on his face as he looks intently at Nik.