revivalproject | Slide ~ Goo Goo Dolls

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Slide ~ Goo Goo Dolls

WHO: Billy Hargrove, Tommy Shepherd
WHERE: The Beach
WHAT: Celebrating a certain someone’s birthday
WHEN: Evening of Oct. 12th
WARNINGS: Boyfriends

It's taken awhile to get everything set up. The hammock posted up on the beach just out of reach of the high tide; the branches and wood of various thickness tented together at a safe distance from said hammock; a blanket with the edges tucked into the sand with a large tray covered by another cloth held down by rocks; candles he had asked Tommy for a month or so ago to use in the beach house. Billy stands back, observing that everything is in the perfect spot with hands on his hips.

Earlier in the month they had a rough start. A bad day for Tommy with bad words from Hargrove in his anger that was mirroring his boyfriend's. But there was something that stuck out to the blond, something that let him know that what he was doing was right.

'The only one that wanted me. The only one that ever celebrated my birthday!' Billy could do this now, could let his boyfriend feel so damn special on his day. No being overshadowed by accident with Kaplan. No joint birthday. Just Tommy.

And of course he's made sure he's looking good. A fresh shower, a good scrub on his cheeks to bring out the color, and yes, even a spritz of cologne (thank you Munson). He's got on his cleanest jeans and a tank top from his own birthday, but has decided against boots for now. He feels really good about this.

Really good about it. Billy thinks it's really gonna make his boyfriend happy and that just feels the blond with this Good Feeling he can't quite describe yet, even after all these months. He reaches down to check, again, that the little wrapped cloth is still there. It is. It won't go anywhere until he needs it to.

Ruffling his hair as a last distraction, Billy crouches to set a spark to the candle wicks, then moves away to text Tommy.

'Took care of dinner for you tonight. Meet me at the beach. Sunset. No is not an option.'

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"Not a dork," Tommy pouts. He is one, but he'll never admit it.

As for the tray, Tommy shakes his head. Which is still against his boyfriend's chest. No, this is fine for now.

"It'll be fine. When I feel like getting up I'll fetch them. I'm just cozy here right now. Especially since you've got us swinging, love."

"Oh shu-- shush. You're my dork, but only for me when it's just us." He laughs, going with the shakes of Tommy's head. It's just so nice out here, with the waves and the warmth of his partner against him. Billy knows he did good for Tommy's boyfriend. Can practically feel the appreciation radiating from him. And damn the necklace looks good on him.

Blue really is nice on him.

And then Tommy drops the 'l' word, as a petname now, and Billy freezes just a little. Well, noticeably at least. He does relax and lean to press his lips against Tommy's head. "I'm starting to really think you mean that name. That big word there, Tommy." It's still weird that someone loves him, but maybe... maybe he's earned it? Or something.

Blue was not one of the colors Tommy thought to wear. It felt like it 'belonged' to his twin like red belonged to his twin and his mother. And it belongs to this Billy too. It leads the man claim him in a way that makes his heart warm.

"I think I mean it too. It's scary words to say. Please be gentle with them. Like glass."

It feels soft. Vulnerable, to use that word. Billy relaxes and just holds onto Tommy tighter. He can't say it. Not yet. Billy won't admit it outright that he's scared to say it. It's a scary thing, to bare your heart like that for someone knowing how much it can physically hurt to have it wrecked.

"Yeah. My heart is like it. Yours, too. I promise I'll try to be gentle with it, okay? But... I... I break things, babe. I won't mean to but..." He has a feeling he'll crack Tommy's heart at some point. "I don't wanna talk like this. Not on your birthday. Maybe tomorrow."

"One of my powers is literally making things race to the point of breaking," Tommy points out. "I know how easy it can be to do it accidentally. But you try, Billy. Fuck, you've tried to better yourself for you, but you also try and be gentler for me. How can you not see how much good you're doing?"

He smiles and lifts his head up enough to lay another kiss on Billy's chest. See, he loves the man here. And trusts him.

There's a little laugh at the explanation of powers. "You do make my Californian heart race, Jersey Devil. I don't think you need your powers to do that."

He squirms just a little, getting a knot of hammock rope off of his spine. Billy settles, but settles more at the kiss to his chest. "I know. It's hard, too. To not want to fight everyone or push them around n' shit. And I don't wanna fight for you. Not for my boyfriend-friend-sponsor guy. I'm still impressed you stuck it out for me like you did, when you didn't have to."

A beat, and he keeps going. "But you did. And I think if it wasn't for that, and a couple others trying to undo the piece of work my dad was turning me into, I wouldn't have realized just how much I really do like you. Even like-like you."

Maybe he doesn't need his powers for it, but he still likes causing it anyway. Knowing he can make someone excited.

"I'm more patient than people ever give me credit for. It's insane. You HAVE to be patient as fuck to be a speedster. We experience time in a whole other way. We just wear out that patience in other people's frame of reference."

He smiles to hear that he's been helping though. And that he wasn't the only support his boyfriend has.

"Wow, like-like? Sometimes I forget you're only a recent high school graduate but you really underlined it there."

Oh Tommy can get him excited - evident by how the human got flustered when they were still on the sand. Definitely going to be thinking about that ordeal when he was alone again.

Billy holds Tommy a little bit tighter, humming softly in response. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't make me any less grateful about you sticking it out with me. And now you have the hottest boyfriend in the community." Scars and all included now, those sections of skin rougher than the rest under Tommy's touch.

And now a laugh. "I don't feel... ready to say the actual word yet." The actual word without being half asleep or anything, felt heavy. Billy doesn't want to feel that heavy just yet. "Is it enough to know I really fucking care about you?"

"I really do," Tommy agrees with a smile. "You're a treat just to look at. But I'm not just in it for hte looks, handsome. It's for your heart."

And it's a good heart in his opinion. One with a lot of potential. As for the word, well, Tommy just smiles. Of course he knows.

"I don't think you would have tolerated me this long if you didn't care about me, babe. And I love that fact."

That smile just feels so good to Billy, knowing he made his guy smile like that. He makes Tommy happy. They'd only been together around five months and each time he sees that smile, hears how good he is, it just melts more and more of the man Neil was making away. He was good, or at the very least better than he was. "Also you should know that I also have the hottest boyfriend in the community, too."

He laughs, looking smug. "Yeah, you're right. I don't tolerate a lot of people for very long. Just you and Max, really. Next tier down is probably Gladio, Robin, and Soldier. But you've got a class all of your own."

Billy sighs, relaxed under Tommy. The sun's set by now, with only the fire giving them some light and each other for warmth. "Think it's time to head inside? I'll let you be in barnacle mode while we sleep tonight."

"Damn right you do," Tommy agrees with a wide grin. He knows what he looks like. He looks fucking amazing and it should be appreciated. Really, Billy's lucky that he's sharp enough to recognize just what a score Tommy is.

"No one ever calls me classy, babe. So I'm taking that compliment and keeping it in my pocket. Forever."

Just like the necklace he wasn't going to take off.

"But yeah, let's head in. You get yourself in there, I'll gather up the foods. And we'll enjoy your fire and a snuggle and nibbles before bed."

"Good, keep that compliment and let it keep you warm when I’m not around to do it myself."

He maneuvers them to steal a kiss against Tommy’s forehead. "I’ll take the firewood inside and a candle before I help you with the cleanup. Which you shouldn’t do because you’re the birthday boy, but I can’t stop you I think."

It takes a moment to gently roll them out of the hammock, and Billy sets to doing what he said. Gathering up some of the wood and a burning candle to take in before jogging back to help clean up. That meant breaking down the hammock and gathering up the blanket to take back in. By then the fire is cozy in the hearth, crackling while Billy resets the blankets and pillows. "If you’re all done going in and out, just push that rock against the door. It’s weighted enough to keep curious lobsters out."

Does Billy not know how charming he is? How fucking heartwarming his words are? It makes Tommy smile. It's so sappy and cheesy and it is all theirs.

"Fuck you, I can do it even if I'm the birthday boy. I make the rules, right? And I want to help. Dating is, like, partnership or something. Please let me help."

He doesn't like doing nothing, okay? So yes, he does help despite being admonished not to. Helps that he's fast enough to dodge any attempts to chide him. And when everything is done, he does indeed push the rock against hte door.

"The lobsters bother you much? Guess that makes sense. Things are stupidly curious. Think everything is food."

Yep, any time Billy tried to stop him, Tommy simply wasn’t there. He wasn’t mad, laughing about it instead. Such joy his Jersey Devil brought into his life. Once they’re safe in the walls of the shack, lock-rock in place, he goes over to curl his arms around his partner.

"Not my idea of a good night to be woken up by those things moving around on the floor." Sometimes the sounds didn’t help when he woke from a nightmare, specially in the days before he and Tommy were together.

Billy leads them over to the bed, pulling the guy down with him with a soft 'oof'. "Alright, birthday boy. What rating do you give your birthday? And you get to pick how we sleep tonight. Barnacle mode, me being your weighted blanket, spooning…?"

"Who says I have to choose one? Why can't I just work my way through them all through the night?" Tommy asks as he settles in. And you better believe he's starting with his head on Billy's chest. Mostly because he's put the rest of the snack board on Billy's chest so he can nibble while cuddling.

He's efficient like that.

Ha! Billy laughs at that, and gets comfortable propped up partially against the headboard while Tommy cuddles up against him. He makes sure to keep at an angle that the platter doesn't tip over. "I know you'll work through them. I'll go to bed with you sleeping on top of me, wake up halfway through with me spooning you, and then in the morning I'll be weighing you down."

It meant so much to give Tommy the choices for sleeping though. He'd definitely shown and absolutely earned Billy's trust that he'd stay. Or, at the very least, come back if he had to leave because of a screaming fucking moon.

Billy ruffles his hand through Tommy's hair, then down to lay against his back.

"I like it when you weigh me down," Tommy admits, perhaps a bit more shyly than he might in another situation. The fact of the matter is that it makes him feel desired. Anchored too.

"Now be a handsome plate and stay still," he teases. "I might not be able to eat cake off of you, but I can sure eat sliced cheese off of a plate that is on you."

"Yeah?" Billy's eyes brighten for a moment hearing that shy sounding admission. Like it's some sort of secret. About to wiggle again and upset the plate of food, all he does is grin. And then lean like he's going to tip the plate over.

He doesn't, but he does tease at it. "Maybe I should flip it off of me and make you eat whatever lands on me. But maybe then you'll loose control of your self-discipline and go wild on me." Okay, this time he does pick up a piece of meat to flick towards Tommy's mouth.

"Geez, kill a guy on his birthday why don't you," Tommy laughs.

That said, there are advantages to being fast. Including always being good enough to make sure food thrown your way, no matter how strongly or playfully, always lands true to its mark. He even smiles as he's chewing.

"Well put in the cards for next year, how about that?" then laughs as Tommy goes from near stillness to chewing. "You’ll beat me at the food throwing thread everything, won’t you?"

Following this, Billy almost upsets the tray anyways leaning over to steal a kiss from him. "I suppose the answer is yes because you don’t let food go to waste."

"Sounds perfect," Tommy grins.

Was it weird that this was the first time in a long while that he was looking forward to the new year? Probably.

"And of course I will, so long as I have my powers. It's what I do. I impress people."

And yeah, he'd never let food go to waste. The very idea of it makes him queasy enough that he's happy to be distracted by the kiss. It gets into his own past traumas after all.

Another slice of meat gets tossed to Tommy. He is impressed. And entertained. He's all soft smiles just watching the guy, seeing how happy he is. He knows that happiness comes from feeling that someone outside of Kaplan loves him so much.

It makes his heart thump that much harder knowing that he did that. He licks at Tommy's bottom lip for a moment, before pulling back so he can continue being the sexiest plate in all of Temba. Even picks up one of the cheese pieces to eat. "You are pretty fucking special. And handsome." A pause. "...Pretty?"

It's a question, and Billy's watching Tommy. Because the guy straddles both adjectives, but the blond is trying to shake off old upbringing. And he's asking before committing in case Tommy doesn't like that word.

Like Eddie's f-word.

"Oh, definitely pretty. Billiam tends to get that one more because of the dark hair making his face look paler, but I'm pretty too. I bet I could rock a miniskirt."

NOthing wrong with being pretty.

Pretty was okay. He could use that word. Alright then. His boyfriend was… pretty. Then oh, how he blinks in surprise at the mention of a mini skirt.

"Skirts are for girls." Because Billy hasn’t even encountered those kinds of things at home yet, so men wearing clothes normally designated for women is… new.

"No, skirts are for people that have killer gams," Tommy counters, looking up and meeting Billy's eyes with a spark of defiance there.

There were still some bumps that they might run into, and clearly this was one.

"There's no such thing as gendered clothes, Billy. Just gendered expectations. David, my almost-boyfriend, wore a killer corset and skirt combination to a big gala. Fucking gorgeous. And you know what? I'd look amazing in a skirt. It's okay to admit that, even if it's not something you'd normally think of or be attracted by."

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