#c:zane neptune

[ofwishfulthinking]

Dear boyfriend (Eli)

send me one “dear—” and i’ll write a letter to this person

Z,

Welcome to the love letter club. Don't tell my siblings because they'll for sure give me shit for being a romantic, but I can't really help it. You've been my best friend for so long that it kind of feels unreal to call you my boyfriend now. What the hell took us so long? In case you weren't aware (which would mean that I haven't been doing my job), I think you're the most amazing person and you're not too bad to look at. Plus, you keep us fed. So what more could I really ask for?

Bro, you basically mean the world to my kid and me.

E.

[ofwishfulthinking]

@dadiism

2.02 "Family" | 2.08 "Perfect"

[ofwishfulthinking]

who: zane @dadiism

The morning had come sooner than Eli had hoped it would. He'd fallen asleep, thoughts racing, and had woken up with the same thoughts swirling around in his mind. He and Zane had kissed. But why? And what was he supposed to do about it? Ignore it? Make a joke? Pretend he'd forgotten? With a groan, Eli swiped a hand across his face. Noah was still asleep. With any luck, he'd have an hour or so before he the toddler woke up. With the way his head throbbed, Eli knew he could benefit from any Noah-free time he could get. On quiet feet, he padded to the bathroom. Eli took his time making his way through his morning routine before walking quietly to the kitchen. What he needed was coffee. He filled the pot, and flipped the switch being sitting at the small wooden table resting his forehead against the cool surface as he waited for the kettle to whistle.

[ofwishfulthinking]

☏ Zane & Eli

send  ☏  for my muse to leave a voicemail on your muse’s phone.

Z, hey. Was I supposed to pick something up for dinner today? I can't remember if you said you're working late or not. Anyway, I'm heading out to the grocery store in an hour or so. So, give me a call if you need anything. I'm trying to be good and shop off a list instead of buying more snacks that we can eat. Wish me luck! See you later. Try not to miss me too much today.

[ofwishfulthinking]

"Understatement of the century." Eli coughed out a laugh. "If she doesn't throw us a party, I'd be surprised." Between Carly and his family, he was half expecting a parade or something. "She already promised cookies. I think she was trying to bribe us to date," he continued. There were only a few things he wouldn't do for Carly's baking, but the idea of cookies as incentives made him chuckle. He grinned when Zane leaned in, dipping his head so that he could kiss his boyfriend before leaning back with an exaggerated groan. "God, you're so damn obsessed with me. Way to play it cool."

Zane knew that he was a regular fixture when it came to the Loomis', but it was still a relief that things had gone so well with Eli's family. They had always welcomed him into their home and their family, but him and Eli being together now was something on a deeper level. "Great. Let me know when you tell her. I'm sure it'll go well." Zane says encouragingly, leaning into Eli's touch. "I guess you're right. I can kiss you any time, any where I want to now." He hums, closing the space between them to do just that. "I could definitely get used to this."

[ofwishfulthinking]

@dadiism @xallmywolvesx

diy dog treats ft. joey graceffa and daniel preda

[ofwishfulthinking]

“You and me both,” Archie replied with a nod. Honestly, he wasn’t quite sure what they were doing here. In his jeans and plain white t-shirt, Archie looked so clearly out of place compared to all of the other smartly dressed attendees. “I think this is one of those fake it til you make it situations, you know? Just pretend you know what you’re talking about.” He took a sip of the wine and grinned. “Why,” he began, putting on a fake posh accent, “this one has notes of chocolate.”

closed starter for @ofwishfulthinking (archie) location: wine tasting @ wild rose winery

"I feel very out of place." Zane half whispers, half chuckles, attempting to swirl the glass of wine that was in his hand. He was definitely more of a (cheap) beer guy, but also wasn't against new experiences. The most Zane knew about wine were the one type of red and one type of white they offered at Joey's, if he was being honest. "I'm mostly here for the hors d'oeuvres, I'm not gonna lie."

[ofwishfulthinking]

"I like to keep my options open," Eli replied flippantly. It was a lie, of course. There were no other options. Not now that he had finally somehow convinced Zane to be his boyfriend. He laughed into the kiss. "If you don't quit it, we'll end up forgetting all about food. Then I'll have to lie to my mother when she asks me why I look like I haven't eaten in days because telling her that my boyfriend's been distracting me is out of the question." A ridiculous notion, of course. If anything, Mama Loomis would sniff out his secret before he even made it through the door. "Yeah, sounds like a plan. Remind me there's some envelopes in the kitchen I gotta grab to mail on our way out."

"Excuse you, you're planning to find yourself another boyfriend?" Zane asks, putting a hand over his chest in mock surprise. Flopping himself back down against the mattress dramatically when Eli gets up, he lets out a laugh, sitting up to take his boyfriend's hand again after a moment. "Agree to disagree on that one, then." Leaning up to steal a kiss, Zane grins, still in disbelief that this was really happening. "Alright, alright. I'm gonna go grab a change of clothes from my bag...meet you up front in ten? We need those pancakes."

[ofwishfulthinking]

Eli was glad that Zane understood him. Not that that surprised him. They’d been friends for so long that sometimes it felt like Zane knew Eli better than Eli knew himself. So, he wasn’t really surprised when Zane understood that the talk of marriage had been more joke than invitation. With anyone else, he might’ve been nervous that he’d said something wrong and scared them off, but with Zane, Eli didn’t have to explain that his family were strange. “Don’t let her hear you say that,” Eli laughed. “I only just managed to convince her that I’m an adult.”

Eli was a bit surprised by Zane’s reaction. “You spoke to her,” he confirmed, eyebrow raised. Why he’d thought that Aileen would come back into town and not make a splash was beyond him. “She came through demanding to see Noah, but he was with ma so obviously she couldn’t.” Eli rolled his eyes remembering the event. “I don’t know,” he shrugged, voice lowering, “it’s dumb but I get the sense that she’s serious ‘bout staying around this time and I don’t want to keep the kid from his mother, you know? But I also don’t want to introduce them if she’s just gonna disappear in a few months.” His feelings were complicated and he still wasn’t sure what he’d do about them. “Was she nasty to you,” he asked, meeting Zane’s eyes. “I can talk to her about it. Make sure she doesn’t bother you. I don’t want you in the middle of this.”

Snorting quietly at Eli's comments, Zane shakes his head, fingers trailing over Eli's chest lightly. "You'll always be her baby. I'm just a bonus." Bonus son, bonus uncle...Zane took both titles proudly. He was grateful that the Loomis family saw him like their own.

"Please." Shaking his head at Eli's non-proposal, Zane laughs, not insulted at all. "A day ago I was living on your couch. I'm not looking to rush to the altar, Loomis. Don't worry about it." He had never really thought about marrying anyone, but if Zane were to get married someday, he could do a lot worse than Eli. Eli was his best friend, his person. If he married anyone someday, it'd be him. But definitely not any time soon. "That sound nice." Zane agrees, humming quietly. A day in was just what they needed. Even before Eli says anything, Zane knows he's going to mention Aileen. He was waiting for him to bring it up, unsure if he knew that she was back in Denver. Not that Zane was trying to keep it from him, but he just hadn't had the chance to say anything. "I know." He admits after a moment, frowning slightly. "We, uh, also ran into each other outside the diner." Maybe he needed to find another job. He seemed to have bad luck in the diner's parking lot lately. "Yeah, yeah. For sure. You need to keep Noah safe." A pause. "How are you feeling about her showing up? Not gonna lie, we exchanged some not so nice words."

[ofwishfulthinking]

"I don't know if you know this," Eli preened, tone filled with amusement, "but I've got a reputation for being the perfect carnival boyfriend." He laughed at that. It was a lie, of course, but he could pretend. "I'll win you a teddy bear if that's what you want. Maybe a pink one. But you're in charge of winning one for Noah. That kid's picky with his prizes." It had been a few years since Eli had attended the Spring Carnival. Noah had been too young before, but this year seemed like the perfect time. He'd just have to figure out how to keep track of the little monster with all the crowds, but that was tomorrow's worry. Eli yawned. "I think I'm gonna call it a night. See you in the morning?"

Had they just crossed a line they couldn't come back from? Zane didn't want to think of the answer. Eli, above anything else, was his best friend. He knew that the last thing either of them wanted to do was ruin their friendship. They lived together and Zane loved Noah like he was his own. The kiss was just a momentary lapse in judgement furled by alcohol, right? At least that was what he was telling himself.

Feeling Eli pull him closer, Zane scoots back towards him, settling back into his previous position. "I'll make you a list." He replies, glancing back at the other man carefully. "That sounds nice. You gonna win me a teddy bear?"

[ofwishfulthinking]

"Don't you just pour batter into a gridle and flip it when the timer goes off? Like they have the guests do at fancy hotels," Gen teased. Not that she'd ever been to a truly fancy hotel, but she'd been to a handful of nice enough ones over the years and she always looked forward to the waffles during breakfast. "Funfetti," she answered, poking at the waffle with her fork. It was currently sitting in a small stream of syrup and whipped cream. "If my teeth aren't rotting at the end of this, then what's the point?"

"I'm not complaining! Waffles are great. I just need a break from them." Zane laughs, shaking his head. "Uh huh, sure. What flavor did you get this time? I'm partial towards the cinnamon roll ones myself."

[ofwishfulthinking]

Eli had known that the news would've been well received, known and still worried, but now that he was back in his own apartment he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "That went better than I expected," he agreed. "I half expected ma to cry how bad she loves you." Eli often joked that his mother loved Zane more than she loved her actual children, but sometimes he believed it. Tonight had been proof of that. "Now I just need to tell Carly and all the important poeople will know." He brushed his knuckles against Zane's cheek -- it was truly amazing that they'd taken this long to just admit that they had feelings for each other -- and leaned in. "No reason to keep torturing yourself, you know," Eli concluded with a wink.

Zane grins at the mention of hanging out after Noah goes to bed, a low hum leaving his lips at the feeling of Eli's lips pressed against his jaw. "I'm gonna hold you to that." He murmurs, though the moment is cut short by Noah appearing, a chuckle falling from his lips. "Hey, little man. Let's get you some breakfast, yeah?"

The rest of the day goes by quickly and soon they're getting ready for dinner. Their news goes over well and their worries about letting people in seemed like a distant memory, at least to Zane. Overall he felt good about it, and even more sure about being with Eli. "I feel better. Not being able to kiss you whenever I want has been torture." The brunette admits, shrugging a bit. "I feel good. You feel good?"

[ofwishfulthinking]

"That's a good idea. We should probably figure out what we're gonna say when ma asks about us. You know she's gonna grill you. You're trying to claim her baby's affections." Eli was mostly joking. He knew that his mother adored Zane. He'd been a part of their family for so long that Eli was sure that their announcement wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

As Eli listened to Zane speak, he was sure there was a dopey smile on his face. If Noah didn't out them, he was sure they'd give everything away. It was a wonder that no one had suspected yet, though Carly had asked if things were official yet. Not that was anything new. Their friends had insisted that there were feelings there for years now, though Eli had denied it with every breath. He simply hadn't known that he had genuine not sexually driven feelings for Zane. "If we're lucky, they'll all just act as if we're being ridiculous expecting some kind of celebration. Then we won't have to ask questions. We'll have to call Carly though. I literally just told her there was nothing going on here, and promised to let her know if anything changed so she could bake her Z hearts E cookies."

Maybe it was easier because they already lived together, but Zane knew Noah had questions. It wasn't much of a secret in their household that he had moved from the couch to Eli's bedroom. Noah was a smart kid and Zane was sure that he had noticed. They were lucky he hadn't randomly asked about it in the middle of family dinner, though he wasn't willing to keep testing that luck. "You Loomis' are so dramatic." Zane teases with a grin, shaking his head. "I'll wear that shirt your mom got me for my birthday to butter her up, though. I still need her to like me after we break the news!" Not that Zane doubted that Eli's family would be supportive. They had always welcomed him with open arms, and he didn't think the change in their relationship status would change much in his relationship with Eli's family either. "It's more than okay with me, babe. We might as well tell everyone at once."

[ofwishfulthinking]

Sneaking around had been fun, but Eli had known that the bubble they'd existed in would end sooner or later, especially since Noah was such an unpredictable part of it all. "I'm honestly surprised he hasn't said something yet," he joked. "I think ma's on to us. She called yesterday to ask why I've been keeping her grandson from her." Eli rolled his eyes at that. His mother was being dramatic. He wasn't keeping her grandchild away, he simply wasn't taking him to see her as frequently as usual. "We're supposed to head over there for dinner tonight. I figure we might as well rip the bandaid off, if you're okay with that."

closed starter for @ofwishfulthinking (eli)

"Your son is going to get us in trouble." Zane states with an amused grin, walking over to press a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek. They always joked that Noah was a little gremlin, and while he had no biological tie to him, Zane loved Noah with his whole heart...even if he was going to make both him and Eli go gray prematurely. "As fun as us staying in our little bubble has been...we should probably think about telling your family before Noah does. That kid has no filter."

[ofwishfulthinking]

"Maybe we could convince him to lie," Eli suggested. His expression was serious for half a second before he snorted out a laugh. "I think suggesting we make my kid lie makes me the worse dad in history." There were a lot of great things about Noah but his ability to keep a secret wasn't one of them. "It'll be okay," Eli reiterated as he leaned over and brushed a light kiss against Zane's jaw. "Then we get to come home, put the kid to sleep, and hang out," he continued with a wink.

It felt like the rest of the day moved at warp speed and suddenly Eli was packing up his kid and heading to his parents'. "Best behavior," he reminded his son, bending down so that he could lock eyes with the preschooler. "Promise?" Eli smiled when his son nodded, knowing that he'd try, and inevitably fail, to be on his best behavior. With a nod, he turned his attention back to Zane. "Ready?"

"Good." Zane hums at Eli's admission, nodding. Not that he had really been worried about Eli's feelings about him. The feelings they shared for each other were deep and real. It was cheesy as hell to admit and maybe a bit silly that it took them this long to realize that there were in fact romantic feelings between them, but Zane knew that now was the right time for them. "I agree. Plus, it's probably better it comes from us instead of Noah. We love him, but that kid is not known for keeping secrets."

[ofwishfulthinking]

"Since you're the only one I've got right now, I guess I have to agree." Eli punctuated his teasing with a wink. He threw his legs off the bed, untangling himself from Zane and the blankets as he stood. For a few seconds, Eli simply looked at Zane. He was beautiful. Even when Eli had vehemently insisted that they were just friends, he'd been unable to deny that. Finally, Eli extended a hand to Zane. They would stay in bed all day if someone didn't get moving. "Sorry, babe, but I think you got me beat on that one."

"I'm the best boyfriend ever." Zane teases, grinning softly. Pancakes did really sound good, and even though he was happy to make them, he was also happy to let someone else make them for him too. Even if things were different between them now, many things remained the same. They were still the same Zane and Eli as always, with a few added benefits. "Definitely." The brunette hums, pretending to think for a moment. "Your smile. You have the best smile, in case you weren't aware."