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"Not specifically yoga, but we do have a whole section on working out and nutrition that should hopefully have what you're looking for! I do remember seeing a few yoga books there, now that I think about it." Sam had spent hours over his first few days familiarizing himself with the store and each of its sections and some of the books that were contained in each so he'd be able to help anyone who came into the store. "I can take you over there or just point you in the right direction, what ever suits you best."

alara had never been much of a reader. she'd always been too restless, too excitable; picking up a book and sitting down to read it just didn't interest her. but a conversation with her fellow instructors had led to a slight change in heart. everyone else was talking about this life-changing, totally amazing book all about yoga and how it was a must-read. obviously, that remained to be seen, but alara didn't like the feeling of being left out.

"wait... hours?" now that really surprised alara. "thanks, but this should be quick." she hoped so, at least. "i could use some help, though. do you have, like, a yoga section?" she knew what she was looking for — and knowing they carried older books made her hopeful she'd find it — but she had no idea where to start.

[papcr-rlngs]

Sam motioned around the store, "Well, there's a treasure trove to be found, but you'll have to look for it. We've got some newer releases up front, but the deeper you go, the older the books are, and we've got a ton of different genres to explore. Do you know what kind you're looking for? I might be able to nudge you in the right direction if you'd like." Sam knew how easy it was to get lost amongst all of the books, especially with as many classics and contemporary books as they had. There was pretty much anyone's heart desired hidden like treasure in the four walls of the shop, and he liked being able to see what all of the customers found or decided were worth reading.

Five you said? I'll do my best to come find you and give you a gentle reminder you need to leave." He chuckled, hoping to come across as light and not mean about telling her to leave. "Sam, nice to meet you Caroline," he said warmly. "Not very long, a few weeks? Maybe two months?" He thought about it, trying to remember when he moved to the city. It was shortly after the start of the new year, but he didn't recall starting or finding work until mid-month. "Yeah, Two-ish months sounds correct."

Caroline had never been a big reader until recently. A couple months ago, she'd stumbled upon BookTok and ended up finding a new love of getting lost in stories. Until now, random play or musical scripts had been the majority of what she read. With this new love, she'd looked online for good book stores to check out and had read about Pages Turned. The sound of someone's voice as soon as she'd stepped into the building had her raising her head in their direction. "I luckily have a couple hours to spare," she told the person. "But I guess if you start noticing it creeping towards five, I'd definitely appreciate the heads up." Caroline didn't think she'd ever spend that long in a book store, but his warning had given her pause.

While he talked more about what she'd possibly find, and how the shelves were packed, she looked around them. It was obvious that this place had a lot to offer and she understood why the workers wouldn't be able to pinpoint everything available. "Truthfully, I might just want to scan through all of my options and see what jumps out at me. I'm kinda new to the whole bookworm world." Maybe that was silly to admit as a thirty year old woman, but she figured the person wouldn't judge her for it. "I'm Caroline," she introduced. "How long have you been working here?"

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"Monday is perfect. It gives me time to get the supplies and have them baked, they take a bit of time, but I would love to make them for you. Pick them up whenever you want after noon on Monday? I'll be in the shop all day and I'll have them ready to go for you. All you'll have to do is pop in and grab them, I won't keep you." Matías knew that he could be a talker, and he didn't want to keep Theo from his busy schedule if he could help it.

"I'll make it a double." Matías winked and made his way back up to the counter to order Theo another drink. He ordered the largest latte he could, adding an extra shot of espresso, under Theo's name and paid. "It'll be ready for you whenever," Matías commented once was back at the table. He picked up the tray of drinks for him and Gabriel as well as the bag of pastries and waved a little. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really should be getting back to the flower shop or I'll have quite the grumpy old man waiting for his coffee."

theo nodded, though he couldn't quite relate. he'd spent most of the last five years scrambling to repay student loans and pay for living expenses, but a lot of the extra went to less essential things like instruments or concert tickets. he'd also fostered a few dogs in there, so they cost a bit, but he didn't mind. now that electric touch was beginning to make a mark for themselves, he had a little extra pocket change, but budgeting reminded him too much of his dad to think about for too long. luckily, he had an eclair to focus on and so he chewed thoughtfully as matías spoke.

"let me check my schedule." he set his phone on the table and scrolled through. the next couple of weeks had several shifts at acc, a couple of gigs with the band, and a smattering of dog walks or cat drop ins in between. "how about monday?" theo asked hopefully, finishing off the eclair and stretching his legs out. "afternoon works for me. no pressure." he folded his hands behind his head and turned a yawn into his own shoulder. "if you want to just replace this with something with a shot of espresso, i'd appreciate it." he offered a tired smile. he needed the caffeine.

[papcr-rlngs]

"Well, we have a whole section up front here of the newest releases and things that are trending both online and with the New York Times Best Seller List," he motioned towards the front display. "But I haven't read most of them, truthfully. Romance books aren't quite my thing, and that seems to be all that's trending these days. I'm more into the classics, so I can help recommend those more than I can anything contemporary."

He knew that he should really be keeping up with the trending books, but with so much coming out so frequently, it was hard to delve into all of the new releases when all he wanted to do was curl up with his old favorites. Most of the newer stuff bored him, truthfully, with it's mass-produced look where every story looked like it was part of a series based on the cover, even if they had nothing to do with each other. He couldn't wait for the "Tik-Tok-ification" of books to die down.

they spent the better part of the walk to the bookstore arguing. jo asked why he hadn't told her he needed the book for class sooner. jake said he forgot. the kid asked why she couldn't just go pick up the book while he played pickup at the park. she said he had to learn some responsibility. he called her mother. she full named him. by the time they waalked into pages turned, they weren't speaking at all. jake beelined to the middle grade section while jo lingered near some of the new releases. "i'm giving you fifteen minutes before i ask this nice employee where to find your book!' she received a grunt in response. she peered at the man over the back of a pinkish cover with a blonde woman on the cover. "kids," she said simply as she traded the book in her hand for another. "what's interesting these days?" jo really needed to start reading more. she just didn't know where to start. she assumed a bookstore employee would.

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"House of Hades... That's from the Heroes of Olympus series, right?" Sam asked, trying to remember the title and if he had seen it in the store. The only downside of the shop having a mixture of new releases and used books was that there wasn't really a catalogue system that he could use to look up whether or not they had a book in stock. And while he knew where titles should be, it didn't always mean that they had it, or if he knew that they did. "I think we might? I can lead you to the section where it would be and we can look together? Everything is organized by author's last names, and series would be together, but because a lot of our books are used, I can't always guarantee that we have something in stock." He shrugged, "Which is pretty unfortunate. But I know we have a lot by that author, so you might be in luck! Do you want to follow me there?"

ty loved bookstores. there was something about the smell of the old pages that reminded him of his grandmother, of long rainy days he and his sibling and his grandparents spent in local shops browsing the shelves and choosing new books to read. today, he was on the hunt for the fourth book in the heroes of olympus series. he and a college teammate were both trying to play catch up because of the new percy jackson series. he'd just finished the third book and couldn't believe that people had waited a year after that literal cliffhanger. he looked around the shop, letting his eyes adjust to the lighting, walked right up to sam, and said "please tell me you guys have house of hades in stock. i don't know what i'm gonna do if you don't." go to another store, probably. but that seemed like a ton of effort. he looked at sam hopefully. "please?"

[papcr-rlngs]

"If it's your first time at this laundromat you would've had no idea that it wasn't the best one to pick. Or even if it isn't and you've never used this machine before, you had no way of knowing. I wouldn't say it's bad luck, just lack of information to stay clear from this machine." He knew he was jumbling his words, and he hoped it wasn't coming off rude or teasing. Most people knew to avoid that machine if necessary, but if she hadn't ever had a run in with it, there's no way to have known better.

"There's no need to move it to another machine. Here," Matías reached into his pocked and pulled out a few tokens. "You can have a few of mine if you'd like? I got too many out and my stuff is almost done." He pointed over at the dryer where his items were. "That one still takes tokens too, but it's the best dryer in this whole place, even if it's older. There's a few extra tokens here if you want to use it when I'm done." He flashed a smile and held out the tokens towards her.

it had been long enough by now that she was somehow even glad to be approached. she stood still, feeling a bit like a kindergarten student with the teacher leaning over to look at her work from this man's warm energy. not that she let any of that show on her face - her cold expression was stuck as it needed to be.

"so i just picked the wrong one?" there's a whiny tone to her voice, as her exhaustion hits her. "it's just bad luck?" it feels a bit insane that she's fighting tears suddenly - she's going to make the nice man uncomfortable. she scratches the back of her neck, trying to pull herself together. "um, how do i get a token? or should i just..." she stares at the pile of dirty laundry. "move it into another machine?"

[papcr-rlngs]

"You're fine if you do! I just want to be able to give attention to everyone, but I'm always up to help and for good conversation." He smiled at her, knowing that things tended to not be too busy in the bookstore to begin with. "Don't worry about that, no Shakespeare from me," he shook his head, "I can't stand the guy. Did you know he didn't write most of his works? It was at least him and another person, and potentially a third? You can tell by the way they structure their writing." Sam trailed off. In college when he was a freshman he had taken an "Intro to Shakespeare" class thinking it would be an easy A, and while it was, he had learned a great deal more about the writer than he had previously thought.

"My personal bias is Fahrenheit 451, The Catcher in the Rye, or something like One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Contemporary isn't as much my forte, but that section should point you in the right direction." He nodded, knowing all too well the familiar feeling of leaving your favorite bookstore behind. "I came here from LA and had this used bookstore I absolutely loved, so I was happy to find this place here." He motioned around the shop. "Whenever you do have more time, we do have a sitting area tucked away in one of the back rooms. It's nice to sit there and get lost in the books. I tend to go there after I've closed up for the night. Might have fallen asleep a time or two back there as well."

❝ i promise i won’t keep you for too long, ❞ gianna mentions as her eyes wander at PAGES TURNED. it felt so comforting and inviting, a place that didn’t feel too fast-paced unlike the outside of those doors. ❝ classics sound good. definitely no shakespeare though. i’ve read too much of that back in high school. ❞ she was willing to explore once more again; she was so used to reading those cheesy romance books, especially seeing a whole culture online seeing people bond over novels.

❝ maybe i'll try a bit of both. a classic and a contemporary, ❞ gia's looks around, hoping that there was a story that might catch her eye. ❝ i used to go to the bookstore so often back in seattle, ever since i moved here i kinda forgot how much i missed it. ❞

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"Well you know where to find us whenever you want one of those. We also have a case of grab and go bouquets if anything there ever catches your eye." He motioned to the case by the front door, always stocked to the brim with ready-made arrangements for ease of their customers. "Thank you. It's been a lot of love and labor getting this place to be what it is today, but I don't think I'd change it for the world." It was his and Gabriel's child in a way, and he was so proud of what they had built together.

"Figured it out as I went. I wanted until we were a bit more established and he was comfortable running the shop before I started taking night classes after work hours to get a business degree to learn that side of things. It really helped to stream-line how we were run and helped us to keep in business even when things get a little rough." He shrugged. This little shop was such an example of love and his bond with his husband. It was cliché to think about, their love growing and blooming as their flower shop grew and bloomed, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Maybe next time I come in, I'll get more of a 'me' arrangement than a character one," she thought out loud. It would be nice to see her two favorites together like he suggested. "Knowing what'll go together is a huge step to putting them together! Most people tend to just grab whatever they like in the moment." If she had had to put things together herself, she would've just gone with whatever jumped out. Her eyes grew a little wide when he told her how long they'd been in the business. "Wow, twenty years? That's really impressive." Especially where they were located with new businesses popping up and disappearing constantly. "It's sweet that you jumped in to support what he wanted to do. Were you more interested in the business side of things? Or did you pretty much just figure it all out as you went?"

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"Nice to meet you as well, Gianna," he said, nodding. "Steal me for as long as you need. Though I might have to step away to help another customer after too long. But I can come back and assist however and whenever." While the bookstore wasn't his normal speed of working in the coroporate world that he had left behind, it was nice getting to connect with people around Cornelia Street over something that he loved so much, even if he hadn't had much time for reading in recent years. After his abrupt departure from LA, he had found himself turning to books, old and new, as a means of escaping his reality. But didn't everyone?

"If you like classics, I can recommend a few for you," Sam said with a smile, "Those are some of my favorites .When I find something I like, I tend to stick with it. It's like coming home, but in a book, if that makes sense?" Sam chuckled. "But if something more contemporary is more your vibe, we've got a whole section up front here with some newer releases. I've not read much of them, but I'm trying. However, from other customer reviews that I've heard? They're all a great read."

gianna was hoping to get started on reading again, especially when it came to down time on her days off. or even when she’d take a stroll down centennial park to just sit and take in nature a bit. a hand turns the brassy doorknob, being greeted by the gentle chime of a bell. her eyes dart up at the worker, chuckling softly at his comment. ❝ good thing i don’t have anything planned today, huh? i’m suddenly in the mood to get lost within the stories. ❞

that was the thing: gianna had no idea what she was looking for as she gently rubs the back of her neck of unsureness. ❝ nice to meet you, sam. i’m gianna. actually i could steal you for a second; do you have any recommendations for me? or maybe a favorite book? ❞

[papcr-rlngs]

In his bid to learn the new city that he found himself in after his life in LA had been uprooted, Sam had started hoping around to the different bars, trying to get a feel for the people in each. He wasn't an alcoholic per say. In fact, he was trying really hard not to become one, but the bar hopping helped him to not establish too much of a routine or become too much of a regular. That is, until one night that seemed to change the trajectory of his life. How cliché.

There had been a performer singing when he had arrived, and from the moment he heard his voice he was hooked. Week after week he would show up at the bar, getting the schedule of his performances from the chipper bartender, Piper. He never did more than sit back and watch him perform, his voice and lyrics captivating him in a way that transcended his "talent agent" mind. Not that he was one anymore, of course. That was a life long gone, or so it seemed.

Sam turned to flag the bartender down to order another shot once the performance had ended, his back towards the small stage. He jumped a bit when he heard the voice behind him and turned around on the barstool only to be met with the very person he had continued coming to Like a Rainbow for week after week. He started to speak, but his voice seemed lost in his throat, refusing to come out. Dammit, Samuel, not now. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Amazing. As always. You've got the most captivating voice. You don't hear that kind of rasp a whole lot. It's unique. But in a good way!" He quickly added, not wanting the compliment to come off as insincere or as a criticism.

"Hey, next one's on me," he said, pointing at Calum's beer, "Unless you're a one and done kinda guy. And if that's the case, next show your drink's on me." Sam wanted to internally face palm. He hated that his normal eloquence escaped him whenever he was faced with talking to a gorgeous man. "Sam," he said, holding his hand out to the other man to shake. It's not a business deal, Samuel, you don't have to shake his hand. "Calum, right? Or have I been hearing your name wrong all this time?"

𝐰𝐡𝐨: calum & samuel  @papcr-rlngs 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: like a rainbow

it had become a part of his performance now: he'd hop up onto the small stage in the corner of whatever club that he was playing and immediately look out into the audience. he'd scan the faces of friends and strangers and try to hide the way that his small frown vanished as soon as he locked eyes with his guest of honor. not that the guy knew that cal thought of him like this, but the musician could feel himself getting less subtle each time that he stole a glance mid-song, or directed a certain lyric his way. the first time that he'd noticed the handsome stranger, calum had found himself barely able to look away. he just found himself hoping that the guy would come back next week... and he did. and he kept coming back, and calum kept getting excited about it. but something about the way that the guy looked tonight ( and the number of shots taken backstage for dutch courage ) meant that he was finally going to go and say ' hey '. calum was channelling his natural extroverted nature, stopping only to fix his hair in the mens' bathroom mirror before hitting the bar. with a beer in hand, he made his way over to his target. he stood casually behind him for a few moments, trying to think of what to say before he settled on " so. what did ya think ? "

[papcr-rlngs]

"We set aside a budget throughout the year that the two of us can dip into for instances like this. Yeah, the flowers are our business and livelihood, but we also like spreading joy through the flowers any way we can. You know? So we truly don't mind. There's so many flowers that start to go to waste sometimes, I'd rather they go to someone or to somewhere that will appreciate them." Matías grinned.

That one was one of the pillars that the built their business on- making people's day. They'd rather a bouquet go to someone for free than have them end up in the trash. Though normally the old bouquets would be dropped off at area shelters and hospitals when they were still presentable, but not quite up to the quality to sell. They wanted to brighten the dreariness of the world up with flowers wherever and whenever they could.

"Any time you want them? Let me know. I'd love to make them for you. Baking is one of my favorite things to do, it's a nice escape, and it'll be nice to make them for someone else that isn't just in the shop." Matías shrugged. "Not really. Just a husband at the shop who's waiting for his coffee, but he can manage a few more minutes." Matías chuckled. "I can always just order you the coffee and have you wait to pick it up? Anything you want, a remake of what you got, or something fancy, I don't mind." He motioned up towards the register.

"the one and only," theo said with a nod, blinking down at his spilled coffee and coming his fingers through his hair, whistling through his teeth. he really needed that caffeine if he was going to get through his shift. he looked up again. "careful. you keep doing that and you won't keep doing good business." but, actually? since he fully intended to keep bringing flowers to the stage door for caroline whenever he didn't have a gig that overlapped, he might need the friends and family discount. he couldn't help but smile at the idea. she deserved fans and flowers and support. he'd give it to her.

he followed matias to the table but said "one is good, man. i'm watching my figure." he patted his stomach and dropped into his chair, sitting in it backwards with his arms draped over it as he dug into one of the eclairs"but i will take another coffee, if that's cool? i'm really dragging this morning." there was a rasp to his voice and dark circles under his eyes, but he felt okay. in fact, nights like last night were why he liked living in the city.

he chased the bite of pastry with a sip of coffee and then dabbed at his t-shirt with the napkins. it'd be fine with a quick wash. "i'll take you up on the eclairs, though." he finished chewing and pointed to the amount of pastries. "am i keeping you from something or...?"

[papcr-rlngs]

"It would be night classes, so I'd only really have to dip out from the shop for an hour or two at the end. Having Audrey helps, she's done really well at closing the shop up, and I can always do the books and what I normally do at closing the following mornings. That won't be too much of a shift in my routine." Matías got up from his seat across the dinner table to go and kneel in front of Gabriel. He wanted to be closer to his husband, the distance of their small table stretching the distance too far between them.

He took both of Gabriel's hands in his, placing kisses on both palms before he looked back up at him. "Your support means the world to me. If it becomes too much? I'll stop. And maybe it's just something silly to learn a few new skills. But could you imagine it? In the future a join flower shop and bakery? A little cafe where patrons could work surrounded by flowers? Maybe a used library that doubled as a bookstore as well?" He shook his head, pulling away a bit. "I'm getting ahead of myself. It's a silly dream. Something that won't come true. But it's fun to dream, isn't it?"

tw: child abuse/neglect

gabriel always felt guilty whenever they brought up their childhood. he knew he never should have put that burden on nine year old matias, but maybe his parents shouldn’t have put him through nearly 90% of the things they did to him. years of beatings, bruises, black eyes, and broken bones all explained away by saying “he’s a boy, you know how rough they play” to his peers’ parents and his teachers. he never had a single adult on his side, but he always had matias. gabriel gave three squeezes to matias’ hand, looking him in the eyes to let him know he meant it. i. love. you.

“if i’m spending too much time in the shop, just tell me-” he cut himself off, knowing that it was probably for the better to shut up for once and listen to his husband talk.

matias was right, baking and cooking together got them through some of their worst times together. he remembered the time when he turned ten and his parents didn’t even acknowledge him for the entire day. he’d snuck off down the street to matias’ house around dinner time, climbing into the house through the unlocked window, and hid himself away in his best friend’s bed until he came back to his room.“do it,” he said confidently

“cut down your hours at the shop and go back to school for something you want to do. you went to school for something pertaining to me, matias. you never got to figure out who you were or what you liked. you’re so selfless, you’ve always been focused on me.” the pit in the bottom of his stomach was somewhat lightening up, but he could still feel the residual nerves. “but i’m okay now. i’m safe and i’m somewhere where i’m loved, papi. i’ll support you every step of the way, my love. i don’t think you’ll hate it, think of all the new techniques you’ll learn. i’m so proud of you for wanting to branch out and do something for yourself.”

[papcr-rlngs]

Where: Pages Turned Who: Open @corneliastarters

Sam heard the tinkle of the bell over the door as someone walked into the bookstore. He waved, setting his book down upside down to save his page. "Welcome in! Feel free to take your time browsing the books. This old place has been known to suck people in for hours though, so I will warn you, if you're short on time, you might want to be mindful of the clock." Sam chuckled and pointed to a few that were strategically placed among the overcrowded bookshelves full of used books. "Or if there's a time that you need to be out of here by, just let me know. I'll do my best to come find you and remind you."

"Or, if there's something you're looking for in particular, I can point you in the direction of the right section. When it comes down to certain titles though, that might be a bit of a challenge. Even for as organized as everything is, there's still a treasure trove of newer and old, old, old books around here, and with thousands of titles, I don't quite know where everything is. Just an estimation of where it should be." He smiled at them. "I'm Sam, if you need anything."

[papcr-rlngs]

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he stated once more, cursing his clumsiness. "I didn't mean to I..." The guy he ran into looked familiar causing Matías to wrack his brain to try to remember where he had seen him before. "Theo, right?" He asked, "You've come into Betty's a handful of times to get flowers. Which, because of this? Next arrangement is on us. I know it's not much, but it's the least I can do?" He offered.

"Here, take it. It's yours. There's two of them in here. You can have them both. And I'll replace your coffee and get you anything else you might want?" Matías motioned towards a free table, "Let's go stand over there so I can dig through this bag? If that's okay?" He started walking toward the table where he was finally able set the coffee carrier down as well as the bag of pastries to free his hands.

"Here, take these? I know it's not much help, but it can get some of the sogginess out of your shirt." He handed him the pile of napkins that had been stuffed in the bag of pastries. Matías dug through the bag until he found the two chocolate eclairs, holding out the bag to Theo. "Here. Take them. And while they're not close to what's available here, I do make a pretty decent chocolate eclair myself, or so my husband says. I could always make some for you if you'd like. As an apology?"

theo hadn't been home yet. electric touch had had a gig the night before and he'd sneaked off with one of the bartenders after last call, so he was just heading back down cornelia street wearing last night's clothes, a goofy grin, and smudged stage makeup. he had a shift at the shelter in -he checked his watch as he waited for his drink -forty-two minutes and he should probably shower beforehand, but if this took much longer he might have to skip it. at least he was wearing a hat to hide how many days it'd been since he'd washed his hair. stifling a yawn, he accepted his coffee from a harried-looking barista and was just about head for the exit when someone ran into him, the paper cup crushed slightly in his fist as he tried to steady it.

"fuck," he mumbled, setting the cup aside so the hot coffee wouldn't burn his hands too badly. he couldn't play the piano with third degree burns. luckily for theo, he seemed to have avoided the worst of the damage, though his well-loved ac/dc t-shirt had seen better days. "it happens," theo said robotically, picking up his half-spilled coffee and trying to salvage it with a little cream and sugar. he already shaking his head in disagreement, a comment about it being no big deal halfway out his mouth when he zeroed in on the pile of baked goods in matías' hands. he wet his lips with his tongue before taking a sip of his drink, pointing at the scone on top with his free hand. "they were out of chocolate eclairs," he said pointedly. he didn't need the replacement coffee, but by the way his stomach was growling in protest, he was regretting not just buying one of the other pastries.

[papcr-rlngs]

"First of all, my coffee isn't the one that spilled," Matías motioned with the hand that held the carrier with the two cups in it. "You were standing too close to me so when I backed up I spilled your coffee over the both of us. So maybe when carrying something capable of giving you third degree burns, you should be more mindful of how close you're standing to people who can't see that you're behind them." Matías retorted.

"I'm sorry that I ran into you. Like I said, I can buy you another coffee. And if you can't get the stain out, take it to a dry cleaner and send the bill to Betty's Garden. We'll take care of it." Matías looked around the coffee shop, antsy to get out as it was getting more crowded and he knew he was standing in the way. "Are we done here? You said you were running late, I'm sure you don't want to be kept waiting any more than you already have been."

his face contorted into something murderous at the nonchalance of the other person, as though he would be caught dead in something as easy to clean as cotton or polyester. it was almost enough to make him forget about the pain dotting his chest. ❝ it most certainly will not just wash right out, ❞ was his harsh reply, wiping the excess liquid from his frame with a huff. ❝ it would need something like vinegar, and that will ruin this fabric. i don't really give a shit if it was an honest mistake. i'm already running late, now i have to go back home to change. i can't show up to meet a client looking like this, what kind of impression would that make? fucking hell. ❞

he shouldered past the other man to get to the napkins, none too gentle in moving him out of his way. without much consideration, he stripped out of the suit coat and shirt and examined the redness on his chest. ❝ just what i fucking needed, god damnit, ❞ he muttered to himself before rounding on the other man again. ❝ don't you think that, when carrying something capable of giving you third degree burns, it might be wise to look where you're going? ❞

[papcr-rlngs]

"I remember. Because I thought it was someone at school, and I was ready to beat them up for you. But when I found out what was really happening? I knew I had to do whatever I could to protect you without making it worse. The sleepovers. The leaving my window unlocked so you could sneak in whenever they kicked you out." He squeezed his husband's hand, toying with his fingers as the memories came flooding back. Even all that time ago, he felt like it was his job to protect Gabriel, even as a scrawny nine year old who had no business knowing about the "grown up" things that he had to learn from what was happening to Gabriel at only seven.

"There's nothing that you need to "be better"," he used air quotations as he spoke, "about. You've not done anything wrong. This isn't some sort of grudge that I've been harboring for years. I was just thinking about it recently. How baking helped us get through some of the rougher times over the last few years. How it's always been a good outlet for stress or to just relax." He took Gabriel's hand back in his own, tracing over the almost-healed cuts from dealing with the influx of roses during the Valentine's Day rush had given him. "I know I always have you by my side. That's how we've always worked. We support each other through everything."

Matías shrugged. "I don't have to do anything with it. It'll just be me trimming down some of my later nights with the shop. And if it doesn't work? It doesn't work. And that's okay. I can handle it. Betty's is more important to me, because it's your dream." He squeezed Gabriel's hand back, rubbing his thumb along the back of his hand.

Matías really took in the way his husband looked, noticing that his grey hairs had gotten worse recently, the normal smile lines deeper with age. He knew they weren't in their twenties or even thirties anymore. He was pushing fifty, and maybe it was too late in life to try for something like this. "Maybe I don't need to actually go to school for it. Do I really want to take something I love to do and turn it into something stressful? What if it makes me hate it? What if I get burnt out of doing something I love?"

“yeah, she’s wonderful. she’s really been a bigt help.” he knew hiring audrey was the right move at the right time when gabriel found himself spending more time in the afternoons up on the balcony, leaving audrey to run the shop for the last couple hours of the day. gabriel didn’t mean to start worrying over something he didn’t need to, but he couldn’t help the fact that his first thoughts always go to bad places. had he been a good enough husband lately?

he knew that valentine’s day was hard on him, spending long hours in the shop making sure everything was perfect, but he didn’t think matias minded. he thought maybe his over preparation for easter was the case, but that wouldn’t cause matias to go all out and cook by himself.

when matias looked back down after making eye contact, gabriel’s stomach fell once more. this had to be it, his world was ending here at their dining room table and there was nothing he could do about it. he took another deep breath and exhaled through his nose, glad his unsteady hands were rested in his lap.

gabriel took his hand immediately, guilt washing over him the moment he did so. he couldn’t meet matias’ gaze as he spoke, “you’ve always taken care of me. from the day we met you were always looking out for me because your nosy little self couldn’t mind your business when i came to school with a black eye.” he remembered that day fondly, matias wouldn’t take the fact that it was an accident as fact so gabriel had to come clean, to tell him the truth, but gabriel made him swear not to tell an adult.

“this has always been about me. about gabriel. you got a degree in something you weren’t interested in just to help me make my dream a reality. i’ll be better. i’ll be more selfless. whatever you need from me? you’ve got it.” he didn’t realize he’d been chewing at the inside of his cheek until the familiar metallic taste of blood hit his tongue. “i support you, Papi. anything you want to do? i’m right there by your side.”

when matias mentioned boosting his culinary skills, gabriel exhaled a sigh of relief. “i think that’s something you’d excel at,” he said confidently, squeezing his husband’s hand. “you love cooking for us. you love baking. you’ve only ever really tolerated flowers and plants. this is something you need to do.”

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>>> (Leo Woodall, he/him, cis) who is SAMUEL "SAM" ANDERSON  anyways? ew. you don’t know about HIM, we’ll bet you want to. they’re feeling 28 and RELAXING WITH A GOOD BOOK feels like a perfect night to them. rumor has it they’re BROODING and SELF-DEPRECATING because they care, but they’re also DEPENDABLE and CREATIVE in the best way. HE works to make a little money as CASHIER AT PAGES TURNED. they’ve rented a place on cornelia street in the form of ROOM 101 AT DAYLIGHT STUDIO. LONG STORY SHORT (MUSE A) is the song they could dance to the beat of forevermore. <<<

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