Tag: Cleaving

Sentences Sunday

ato-the-bean:

From Cleaving, now that I’m back on track…

“Can I have chocolate chips in mine too?” Nathan asked, climbing up on a bar stool so he could watch Chris cook.  “And whipped cream?  In a face like at Disneyland?”

“Do you want ears like Mickey or a pointy head like Gustafer?” Chris asked, a scoop of batter poised over the griddle.

Nathan cocked his head, mulling over that decision.  Chris grinned at Zach as he waited.

“Mickey,” Nathan finally said.  Chris poured the batter out in the traditional shape and went searching for the extra-large spatula.  

Zach got the rest of their breakfast out of the fridge — orange juice and milk and the chicken breakfast sausages that would likely be their only protein in this carb fest — and he froze.

“You okay?” Chris asked, noticing Zach’s abrupt lack of activity.

“Yeah,” he said, turning to set everything on the counter.  He grabbed a pan to heat the sausages and glanced at the clock. “I was just thinking, we should do something special today.  Something that we can only do when we have all day free and we get up really early.”

“Like what?” Chris flipped the over-sized pancake.  Zach really didn’t want to blurt it out without talking to Chris in private, because once the idea was planted in Nathan’s head, backing out would be just about impossible.  He gave the pancake a meaningful look and then raised his eyebrows at Chris…

…who looked totally confused.

“I don’t know,” Zach tried.  “Let’s find a happy place, full of fantasy and adventure and new frontiers.”

Chris looked at him quizzically.

“And, um, visions of tomorrow,” he continued, trying to remember the names of all the parts of the park after only a half cup of coffee. “And maybe see some pirates?  Caribbean ones?”

“Oh!”  Chris said, eyes wide with understanding.  “You want,” and he motioned to the pancake with the spatula before flipping it onto a plate.  He quickly made a face using banana slices, chocolate chips and whipped cream as Nathan watched with rapt attention.  “You sure?  It’ll be crowded.”

Zach shrugged, glancing at Nathan who was thankfully barely listening as he poured his syrup.  “The annual passes expire this month, and we’ve barely used them.  And if we hurry we can get there by opening and be done with the critical rides by noon.  Then we can just sit in New Orleans Square and eat beignets as far as I’m concerned.  Anyway, you love it.  And so does Nathan.”

“And you?”

“I love being there with you.”

“What are you talking about?” Nathan asked through a mouthful of pancake.

Chris raised his eyebrows at Zach, and when he nodded said, ”Daddy thinks maybe we should go to Disneyland today, but I don’t think you like it there.”

“I like it!” Nathan cried, fork frozen midair with his next bite of pancake.  “I like it a lot.  Oh!  Can I wear my Jedi robes and try to fight Darth Vader?”

“Sure,” Zach said.  “And I can dress up like Mr. Spock.”

“Daddy!  That’s Star Trek, not Star Wars.”

“Oh right. I always get those two confused.”

Sentences Sunday

From Cleaving, now that I’m back on track…

“Can I have chocolate chips in mine too?” Nathan asked, climbing up on a bar stool so he could watch Chris cook.  “And whipped cream?  In a face like at Disneyland?”

“Do you want ears like Mickey or a pointy head like Gustafer?” Chris asked, a scoop of batter poised over the griddle.

Nathan cocked his head, mulling over that decision.  Chris grinned at Zach as he waited.

“Mickey,” Nathan finally said.  Chris poured the batter out in the traditional shape and went searching for the extra-large spatula.  

Zach got the rest of their breakfast out of the fridge — orange juice and milk and the chicken breakfast sausages that would likely be their only protein in this carb fest — and he froze.

“You okay?” Chris asked, noticing Zach’s abrupt lack of activity.

“Yeah,” he said, turning to set everything on the counter.  He grabbed a pan to heat the sausages and glanced at the clock. “I was just thinking, we should do something special today.  Something that we can only do when we have all day free and we get up really early.”

“Like what?” Chris flipped the over-sized pancake.  Zach really didn’t want to blurt it out without talking to Chris in private, because once the idea was planted in Nathan’s head, backing out would be just about impossible.  He gave the pancake a meaningful look and then raised his eyebrows at Chris…

…who looked totally confused.

“I don’t know,” Zach tried.  “Let’s find a happy place, full of fantasy and adventure and new frontiers.”

Chris looked at him quizzically.

“And, um, visions of tomorrow,” he continued, trying to remember the names of all the parts of the park after only a half cup of coffee. “And maybe see some pirates?  Caribbean ones?”

“Oh!”  Chris said, eyes wide with understanding.  “You want,” and he motioned to the pancake with the spatula before flipping it onto a plate.  He quickly made a face using banana slices, chocolate chips and whipped cream as Nathan watched with rapt attention.  “You sure?  It’ll be crowded.”

Zach shrugged, glancing at Nathan who was thankfully barely listening as he poured his syrup.  “The annual passes expire this month, and we’ve barely used them.  And if we hurry we can get there by opening and be done with the critical rides by noon.  Then we can just sit in New Orleans Square and eat beignets as far as I’m concerned.  Anyway, you love it.  And so does Nathan.”

“And you?”

“I love being there with you.”

“What are you talking about?” Nathan asked through a mouthful of pancake.

Chris raised his eyebrows at Zach, and when he nodded said, ”Daddy thinks maybe we should go to Disneyland today, but I don’t think you like it there.”

“I like it!” Nathan cried, fork frozen midair with his next bite of pancake.  “I like it a lot.  Oh!  Can I wear my Jedi robes and try to fight Darth Vader?”

“Sure,” Zach said.  “And I can dress up like Mr. Spock.”

“Daddy!  That’s Star Trek, not Star Wars.”

“Oh right. I always get those two confused.”

Few Words Wednesday

Cleaving:

It was just after a clear dawn that Nathan woke them to announce excitedly that it was time to get up.  

Zach groaned and rubbed his eyes.  “Is it Christmas morning?” he croaked.

“Hmmm.”  Chris shook his head, eyes still closed.  

“Why is he so excited when we’ve had so little sleep?”

Chris’ eyes flew open.

Writer’s Meme

Copy and paste part of a WIP and then tag 10 of your friends. 

I was tagged by @rabidchild67.  Thanks BB!

I’ve been crap at writing lately, but as it turns out I was trapped in the car for several hours today and so I, too, have words!  From the epilogue that never ends, and is at 9k words and counting:

It was a quiet drive to the pizza parlor, Zach driving while Chris texted their contact at Vista.  Nathan roused himself finally when they got home.

“We should bring her dvds,” Nathan said through a mouthful of pizza.  “There was a player in her T.V.  She’s too little to read books by herself, but she’d like Gustafer videos.”

“We can’t get those in stores, buddy,” Chris said.  “And we don’t have time to order them online.”

“She can borrow mine,” Nathan answered, taking another bite.  Chris turned to Zach and raised an eyebrow, making Zach grin.

“That’s…very generous of you,” Zach said.  “We can wrap them up in the morning before we go.”

“She needs a stuffy, too,” Nathan asserted.  “She should have one of hers, but I could give her my extra Build-A-Bear.  I don’t really like that purple one much.  It’s too squishy.  But her arms a smaller, so it will fit her better.”

Zach swallowed, and Chris cleared his throat uncomfortably.  “You know, Nathan,” Chris said quietly.  “We might not see her again after tomorrow.  I’m… I’m very proud that you want to help her, but we might not be able to get your things back if you loan them to her.”

Nathan furrowed his brow.

“It’s okay,” Zach reassured.  “We can order you new copies of the videos, and I’m sure Auntie Katie will be thrilled to take you to Build-A-Bear again.  These are good ideas.  You’re a good boy.”

“But… we might not see her again?”

“We’ll see her tomorrow,” Zach assured him. “And then we’ll… see.  There are other people who want her in their family, too.”

“But, not even for a play date?”

Chris caught Zach’s eye before answering, “Let’s just take it one day at a time, okay?  Let’s be happy we get to see her tomorrow, and try to make that as fun as possible.  And tonight too.  What should we do tonight that’s fun?  There’s still an hour or two before bedtime.”

The evening moved on to games and bathtime and bedtime. Once Nathan was down, Chris and Zach opened some wine and talked more about the visit, pulled together their documentation from Vista, and got confirmation from their adoption assistant that he’d be there by one.  Chris was reserved through the  conversation.  Not unenthusiastic; he made it clear that he wanted to go for it, accept Mira if they were offered her.  But he was strangely reticent.  Or maybe just tired.

They turned in early, but Zach woke at 2:30 to find the other side of the bed empty and cold.

I’ll tag @ao3-brihna, @drgrlfriend, @lesbianchrispine, @multifandom-madnesss, @psychoticpterodactyl16, @rycolfan, @television-and-tea, @trekbedtimestories, @seepunkrun, and @suedescripture.