First year out of college / Age 23...
Hayden and Vincent have had their hands full with a plethora of move-in boxes. Sweat is gathered in Vincent's brow and Hayden is on the verge of having one of his dramatic breakdowns where he lays on the floor and refuses to do anything more, but the brunette is happy to finally have an apartment to himself where he can spend almost every waking moment next to Vincent...at least, however long Vincent will actually put up with his ass on a day to day basis.
Vincent won't admit it, but he has been looking forward to officially moving in with his boyfriend. Although they roomed in the same dorm over the course of their four years of college, this is the next chapter of their future together, and Vincent can't wait to see more of Hayden's chaotic, bizarre, ridiculous, needy, demanding, sassy, and extra chaotic personality come to light.
The couple has had a rough turn of events the past few months, so they are ready to look forward to something new.
Hayden refused to admit it, but Vincent could tell that finally being out of college scared the crap out of him. Hayden's sense of boyishness has always defined him but now he feels the pressure of truly acting like an adult, no matter how many times Vincent says that he is free to be whoever he wants.
For the fairly low number of teachers in the nation, it wasn't hard for Vincent to find employment. The school willing to take him in was in a wonderful town and they helped him settle in as best as they could. For Hayden, though, the job search was repetitive, long, and harsh. Months and months on end went by of interviews, emails, phone calls, and resume checks but nothing was working out for the boy who turned his life around in college. After multiple rejections, Hayden felt a weight continuously pressing down on his shoulders and his thoughts of self-deprecation began to heighten. However, after a storm comes a rainbow. Vincent had to encourage Hayden to get out of bed almost every day at the overwhelming combination of failure and post-college depression weighing him down, but he was finally hired by a firm that is less than an hour away from Vincent's school.
Although Vincent has already been integrated into the system and is assigned a wonderful teacher to fulfill his student teaching internship with, Hayden hasn't been tossed into the lion's den at his job yet. His first day is in about a week, and for such a complex career, Hayden is scared of fucking it all up in the presence of his boyfriend who is nearly perfection when it comes to figuring his life out. Hayden can't keep up with him, but he also doesn't realize that Vincent has never asked him to.
Nonetheless, Vincent and Hayden's move-in process is slowly becoming less and less productive as some of their helpers start getting thirsty, cranky, or both. The goal was to get everything done by today, but with the way Hayden collapses in the middle of the walkway after setting down a particularly light box, it looks like they are going to have to take a small break.
"Hey, Vincent, where do you want me to put this?" Kai asks, his limbs shaking with how heavy his box is.
"Just put it anywhere," Vincent says with a flick of his hand. "I have to hold a quick intervention, if you don't mind."
Kai laughs and opens the nearly empty fridge to grab a juice pouch, instantly causing Vance and Valerie to scramble over as well. The twins dropped their small boxes without a care in the world, and judging by the loud crash that follows, some broken glass is going to be a nice surprise when Hayden and Vincent begin unpacking.
Speaking of Hayden, Vincent strolls over to his boyfriend with a smile, kneeling next to the seemingly exhausted man.
Hayden throws his arm over his face and says, "I can't anymore, Vinny. I'm too pretty to be doing all this manual labor."
Vincent gently moves Hayden's arm so he can look into his eyes. "Hayden, you've carried a total of three boxes today."
"That's three too many."
"And I'm pretty sure that every single box Valerie has carried has been heavier than yours," Vincent grins, rolling his eyes playfully.
Valerie appears next to them and rolls her sleeve up to show Vincent and Hayden the small lump of bicep on her arm.
"I bet you wish you were as strong as me," Valerie chirps, sticking her tongue out at Hayden.
Hayden sticks his tongue out back at the girl as he glares at her. "I bet you wish you were as hot as me."
"Yeah?" Valerie smirks. "And I bet you wish you were as smart as me."
Hayden gasps, "You take that back! Iâ"
"Let's not fight with an eleven-year-old," Vincent smiles, tapping Hayden's hip to get his attention.
"She started it," Hayden grumbles.
"Vance, come here," Vincent says.
The quiet boy strolls over to his brother, looking at him attentively. Vincent whips out his debit card and gives it to Vance, who is shyly biting his lip.
"Here, you can go ahead and order some cookies for everyone," Vincent smiles. "You and Val have been a big help today, so I really appreciate it. Just make sure you get the address right."
"Hey, Vincent," Kai interjects. "Where is the bathroom?"
"Down the hall and to the left," Vincent informs before looking back at his siblings as Kai disappears into the next room.
Valerie crosses her arms, "Why don't I get to hold the card?"
"Because I know how you work," Vincent says matter-of-factly with a smile.
"I was only planning to spend a couple hundred dollars," she says cheekily.
Vincent rolls his eyes before looking back at Vance who has yet to move from his spot.
"You okay?" Vincent whispers.
"No," Hayden groans. "I'm dying."
"Shut up, I wasn't talking to you," Vincent chuckles, flicking Hayden's forehead.
"Um..." Vance begins, almost inaudibly. "I'm sorry."
"What for?" Vincent says softly as Valerie links her arm through Vance's supportively.
"I want to talk to Kai...but my throat closes up," he confesses.
Vincent puts his hand on Vance's shoulder and squeezes affectionately.
He really feels for his younger brother. Due to the twins now having phones, Vincent is always the first to hear what goes on in the twins' lives, no matter how much their mom wants to keep them separated. Vincent knows that Vance has been having a tough time in school with making friends, talking to teachers, and everything else, but Vincent feels the tiniest bit relieved to know that Valerie is always protecting him. He just...wishes there was something he could do for him. Thankfully, Vance is starting to say a few words to new people, so hopefully he will get better at speaking soon.
"I'm sorry that I brought him when it makes you uncomfortable," Vincent says. "That was never my intention. I only needed some extra hands."
"No, I know," Vance gives a little smile to his older brother. "And I like him. I just wish I...could talk to him like any normal person would be able to."
Vincent reaches forward to give his little brother a sweet hug. Vance melts into his warmth.
"Fuck normal," Vincent whispers before pulling away.
Vance releases a little chuckle as Valerie says, "Was that a curse word? If you get to say it, then I do too. Fucâ"
"Absolutely not," Vincent objects, covering Valerie's mouth before she can finish the word. "I can already tell that you are going to be a handful when you hit your teenage years."
"I'm definitely going to be a badass," Valerie grins smugly.
"Don't use that word again," Vincent reprimands, although he is ninety percent sure that Valerie got part of her vocabulary from his own uncensored mouth. "Vance, go take Val over there," he commands, pointing to the corner of the empty apartment, "and order the cookies because your sister is out of control and I have to deal with a big baby."
"Shit, you're bossy," Valerie giggles.
Vincent puts his hand to his forehead with a sigh but looks up when he hears Vance begin to speak.
"Uh...c-can I get two cookies?" he says bashfully.
"Vance," Vincent laughs. "Get whatever you want. As for you Val, your limit is four."
"Boringggggg," the little girl chimes, but complies when Vance grabs her hand and drags her away from the couple.
Vincent looks down at Hayden, who already has a pout tainting his lips.
"Was I the big baby you were referring to?" Hayden whines.
"No."
"Oh, really?!" he chirps happily.
"No."
...And just like that, Hayden's mood is deflated again.
Vincent laughs at his idiot boyfriend.
"Is anything I say going to make you get up and get the last boxes with us?" Vincent asks.
"Probably not," Hayden admits.
"If I give you a kiss, will that motivate you?" Vincent questions, rolling his eyes.
"Hmm...if you change it to three then sure," Hayden reasons.
"How about we compromise?" Vincent grins. "I'll settle for two."
"Fine," Hayden grumbles, trying to act disappointed but unable to hide his smile as Vincent leans closer and closer.
Vincent puts a hand on Hayden's chest and leans down to connect their lips in a delicate little kiss. Vincent begins to pull away, but Hayden is having none of it as he places a hand on the back of Vincent's head and gladly keeps their lips sealed.
The only thing that breaks apart the couple is a sassy comment from Valerie in the corner.
"Yuck," Valerie grimaces.
"Yeah," Kai says with a laugh, emerging from the hallway. "Quit making out on the job."
Hayden curses under his breath but is cut off by a short peck on his lips as Vincent tugs him up to his feet.
"Come on, crew. There are only a couple more things left," Vincent announces.
Everybody in the room simultaneously groans, including Vance who never complains about anything.
Vincent laughs as he leads everyone out of the door once again.
The sun is setting by the time that the move-in truck is completely vacant. After yet another delivery order, everybody is gathered around in the living room, lounging on a blanket as they chat while eating an abundance of pizza and cookies.
The slight smell of vanilla from the burning candle resting upon the countertop is really starting to make the place feel like home. Despite the piles of unpacked boxes taking away from the beauty of the place, it belongs to Vincent and Hayden entirely. It's their first home together.
"I better get going," Kai announces as the night is starting to quiet the conversation.
Vincent stands up and guides him over to the door while Hayden has a gossip session with the twins.
Vincent leans over to give his friend a quick side hug.
"Hey, man, thanks so much for everything."
"Yeah, no problem," Kai replies easily. "I'm just repaying the favor. Oh, and I wanted to ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"Uh, I just landed my first real opportunity to put myself out there," he begins. "A gallery of my art and work is going to be displayed at the city hall next weekend, so I was wondering if you would be there to support me on opening night."
"Nah, I got plans," Vincent smirks.
"You're such a dick sometimes," Kai remarks, punching Vincent in the shoulder playfully.
"Of course I'll be there," Vincent finally admits. "What kind of dumbass question was that? Just text me any further details."
"You got it, and thanks so much," Kai smiles.
"Yeah, whatever," Vincent says playfully as Kai finally steps outside. "See you later."
"Bye, Vincent."
Vincent strolls back into the house after closing the door and gazes at his siblings sadly.
"It's time for me to take you two home," he announces.
"...Can we please stay?" Vance almost begs, not wanting to be confined to the place where he is chastised nearly every day and stressed beyond compare.
"Yeah, please," Valerie says sweetly, the corner of her lips downturned because although she doesn't have it as bad as Vance, she still feels like she can't breathe sometimes.
"I don't even have anywhere for you guys to sleep," Vincent sighs.
"Hayden is a good enough mattress," Valerie shrugs.
"Excuse me?"
"But you actually think mom and dad would allow that?" Vincent asks.
"Well, I can tell Dad that we are staying over, but even if he doesn't allow it, I don't want to leave," Valerie confesses. "Please don't make us go."
Vincent looks at both of their puppy-dog eyes and knows that this is a losing battle.
"Okay, fine," Vincent smiles.
The twins high-five in triumph as Hayden says, "But you aren't sleeping between me and Vincent. Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen." Hayden crosses his arms to emphasize his point.
...And when everyone with drowsy eyes is climbing into the king-sized mattress without a bed frame, both Vance and Valerie are unfortunately keeping Hayden from cuddling up to Vincent.
Vincent has never before seen Hayden as cranky as he is the next morning.
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One week later...
Vincent is sitting atop a brand-new kitchen barstool with a book in his hands as he awaits the arrival of his boyfriend. Much of their time has been spent unpacking the house, getting everything situated, and buying any other little things to make their apartment feel complete, so Vincent is happy to soak up some much-needed relaxation.
However, he knows that Hayden isn't in the same boat. His first day at the accounting firm was today, and with no chance for a break, Hayden has been spreading himself too thin. He was an absolute mess this morning, and Vincent can only hope that Hayden is still his bright self when he walks in through the door.
Vincent had quite a good day at the school. He observed many teaching techniques and habits that he can use for his own classroom someday and is extremely helpful when it comes to assisting the teacher, who sometimes can't deal with a classroom full of rowdy kids. Although he isn't exactly fond of dealing with snotty second graders, everyone has to start somewhere.
The aromatic scent wafting in from the kitchen pulls Vincent from his thoughts as he is reminded that he is making a nice dinner for Hayden. He is hoping that they can chat about their day over dinnerâa tradition that they started in college and have never skipped.
He closes his book and waltzes into the kitchen to add a little more seasoning to the steak he is searing. The mashed potatoes, which are full of butter and a perfect creamy consistency, are cast to the side as they are already prepared to Hayden's liking. Just as he is finishing up the fresh steamed broccoli, the door creaks open.
"I'm home," Hayden announces as he puts his keys on the hook next to the door.
"No shit," Vincent cheekily says back without turning around to greet his boyfriend, so he can quickly finish their plates.
Hayden stares at the back of his boyfriend's form, barely keeping it together as he takes his bag off his shoulders. On any other day, he would be able to handle Vincent's bluntness that he loves so much, but it is too much for him right now.
"Vinny," Hayden breathes, managing to cover up the slight wobbling of his tone. "Can I have a hug?"
"No," Vincent says dryly, although after he cleans off his hands, he plans to do exactly that because he'll do anything that Hayden asks him toâthat's what happens when your significant other is your everything.
Hayden finally breaks at that one measly word.
He bursts into tears as he sinks to his knees and falls to pieces. Sob after sob tears through his body, and Vincent instantly whips around at the display, his eyes widening worriedly as Hayden clutches his chest and fills the room with his harrowing cries.
Vincent immediately disregards everything that he is doing and races over to comfort Hayden after flicking the stove top off.
"Hayden, I was only joking," Vincent assures softly as he drops to his boyfriend's level and tosses his arms around the sorrowful man.
Hayden clings to Vincent's form, sinking his head into the ravenette's collarbone and sniffling harshly. He feels so embarrassed, yet defeated at the same time that he can't bring himself to do anything but fall into Vincent and beg for his love, protection, and reassurance.
"I-I know," Hayden stutters, choking on his tears as his body heaves with the force of his pain. "But I just h-had an awful d-day."
Vincent's heart cracks at seeing his best friend so torn up. He hardly ever lets anything get to him anymore, so this sight is almost unimaginable.
Hayden continues to break down in Vincent's hold, unable to do anything but release the stress and exhaustion that has been building up all week and is finally spilling beyond its confines.
"You're okay. You're okay," Vincent whispers into Hayden's hair, expertly giving the boy consolation when it has never been something he is good at. "Just breathe."
Vincent doesn't give a shit about the tears staining his shirt or the carefully made food that is becoming cold because if Hayden is in this state, it consumes Vincent's mind and he can't even think about something else until his boyfriend is settled.
Hayden starts coughing into Vincent's shoulder as he works himself up. His nails are digging into Vincent's side but he feels so far away from being grounded that he doesn't know what to do.
"I-I just kept fucking everything up, a-and I got yelled at by my boss, a-and everyone h-hates me, and i-it isn't at all like w-what I learned in college, a-and I just...can't...I c-can't do..."
Hayden starts wheezing at the overwhelming onslaught of replays that flash through his mind from his horror-filled day of work.
"Stop, stop, stop," Vincent commands softly, tangling his fingers in Hayden's brown strands of hair. He tips Hayden's chin up and swiftly wipes away the tears from his puffy cheeks. "Don't think about it. You're here with me. You're here with me now and that's all that matters. Stop wasting your energy."
In any other context, the words might sound brutal, but Vincent has always been the little voice of reasoning to ease Hayden's mind.
Hayden nods as tears continue to cascade down his cheeks.
Vincent leans forward and kisses his mess of a lover to try and comfort him. Hayden's tense shoulders instantly go slack as his shaking hands tentatively hold Vinny's face. Hayden's eyes flutter shut as tranquility surges through his body.
When Vincent breaks the kiss, Hayden's eyes are still screwed shut as if waiting for more of Vincent's lips to put him under a peaceful spell. Instead, Vincent places one hand around Hayden's back and the other behind the pit of his knees before effortlessly picking him up.
Vincent lovingly carries his dejected boyfriend into their bedroom before resting him on the edge of the bed. Hayden still has small tears spilling down his cheeks as he watches his boyfriend cross the room and grab a loose pair of his clothing.
He then joins Hayden again before wordlessly unbuttoning his sorrowful boyfriend's shirt. Hayden follows Vincent's actions when he urges the collared shirt off of his shoulders and swiftly replaces it with one of his own baggy nighttime shirts. Vincent then uses the loops of Hayden's jeans to tug him to his feet before unbuttoning his pants and easily shimmying them off without a wandering eye.
"You have a lot of self-control," Hayden sniffles, finally cracking a joke.
"I'm not you," Vincent says shortly as he tugs some shorts up his boyfriend's hips before lightly pushing him back into a sitting position on the bed.
Vincent then disappears from the room for a couple of minutes, allowing Hayden's mind to wander to dark places since he still hasn't been able to stop crying. However, when Vincent returns, he walks back into the room with a blanket fresh from the dryer that he bundles up his boyfriend with. Hayden sighs contently at the feeling of the warm fabric.
Vincent kneels between the legs of his boyfriend and rests his big hands on both of Hayden's thighs as he looks up at his best friend attentively.
"Stop fucking crying," Vincent commands. "I really don't know how to deal with crying people so I'd be grateful if you stopped."
Hayden nods and swiftly tries to wipe his tears so he doesn't disappoint his boyfriend, but Vincent wouldn't look at him differently if he couldn't calm down anyway.
"What can I do to make it better?" Vincent whispers, squeezing Hayden's legs gently.
"Get naked."
Vincent rolls his eyes but takes his shirt off even though he is, like, eighty percent sure that Hayden was only kidding.
"I'll distract you if that's what you really want me to do," Vincent offers caringly.
"No..." Hayden mutters quietly, hugging his warm blanket tighter around himself.
"Are you hungry then?" Vincent says, using the same delicate tone of voice he usually does when Hayden isn't feeling great. "I made some steak, some broccoli, and mashed potatoes... just the way you like it."
"T-Thank you," Hayden murmurs, not making eye contact with Vincent, "But I'm not that hungry. My stomach hurts from, you know...everything." Hayden chews the inside of his cheek, nervous about the response of his boyfriend who has spent at least an hour making a fancy dinner to please him.
Vincent surprises Hayden when he says, "Day-old food is still just as good. We can have it tomorrow. Would you like some tea?"
Hayden smiles, "With honey please."
"Okay, I'll be back," Vincent claims as he lets his hand ghost across Hayden's cheek before exiting the room.
It's not long before Vincent comes roaming back into the room with a steaming mug of tea. Hayden reaches out to grab the mug, but Vincent walks past him and settles against the headboard of the bed.
"Come here," Vincent says with a quick nod of his head.
Hayden shyly moves up the bed until he is sitting in between Vincent's legs, his back pressed against his boyfriend's chiseled chest while the blanket remains nestled around him. His knees are drawn up to his chest as he pushes his luck and cuddles up to Vincent a tiny bit more.
Only then does Vincent hand off the cup, but not before saying, "Be careful. It's still hot."
Hayden nods as his cheeks are still stained but he has finally overcome his crying. This is probably the fastest that anyone has ever made him feel better, and although Vincent's methods are questionable at times, he somehow gets him like no other.
Vincent turns the television on to a random channel but lowers the volume in case Hayden starts drifting off to sleep in his arms. Judging by the bags under his eyes, Hayden could certainly use that.
Vincent wraps an arm around Hayden's stomach before pecking his neck. He then whispers, "Are you okay?"
"Mhm," Hayden hums, his voice oozing content. "I'm just mad that nobody appreciated my jokes. I'm funny as hell."
"Maybe they're a bunch of uptight bitches, who don't exactly know how Hayden Williams rolls," Vincent claims encouragingly. "I like your jokes. Is that enough?"
Hayden gasps, "You do?"
Shit, Vincent thinks. I'm definitely going to regret saying that.
"Sometimes," Vincent replies, rolling his eyes. "Don't let that go to your head."
"I don't care," Hayden chuckles, turning his face into Vincent's neck. "You said you like my jokes."
"Nope, I take it back now because you are never going to let me live that shit down."
Hayden laughs softly before letting out a relaxed sigh as he sips his tea.
"Don't let those people get to you," Vincent starts. "If they don't understand who you are, what you love, and how you like to express yourself, then fuck them. You just have to prove them wrong. Tomorrow is a new day so keep your head up. And, contrary to popular belief, you are one of the smartest people I know, so get back in there and let them know that they can't deter your brilliance with a couple of hurtful comments." He then leans close to Hayden's ear and whispers, "And I believe in you. I always will."
Hayden grins adoringly and latches onto Vincent's hand that is placed just over his belly button.
"I love you, Vinny," Hayden confesses. "I always will."
"Mm, love you too," Vincent hums before taking the nearly empty mug from Hayden's hand. "Get some sleep."
Nothing is easier than the way that Hayden's eyes comfortably slip shut in the loving protection of Vincent Russell. Words could never be enough to describe the amount of strength that Vincent lends Hayden each and every day of their lives.
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When Hayden wakes up in the middle of the night, he is surprised to find that his face isn't smothered into Vincent's chest. As a matter of fact, Vincent is nowhere to be found in their bed sheets.
Hayden tiredly rubs his eyes and stumbles toward the living room when he realizes that the lights are still on. He finds Vincent seated on the couch with a half-empty cup of coffee as he flips through some papers, marking the pages in red ink.
Vincent's head pops up when he hears Hayden's footsteps traverse the room. He can't help but toss Hayden a sweet smile, enjoying his sleepy footsteps and adorable bedtime hair as he walks toward him.
Hayden easily smiles back before climbing onto the couch next to his love. Vincent lifts up the pile of papers so Hayden can toss his legs across his lap. Hayden then curls his arms up to his chest as he leans into Vincent and silently observes all the papers he is grading.
"Why are you up?" Hayden whispers after about five minutes of comfortable silence.
"Gotta get these done by tonight, but I kind of had something to attend to earlier," Vincent says softly, referring to how he swiftly took care of his boyfriend.
Hayden's grin stretches from ear to ear at the statement. "Thank you for everything you did for me."
"Don't mention it. I'd do it over again as many times as needed," Vincent responds, flipping to a new paper. "Are you still tired, though?"
As if on command, Hayden yawns. Vincent chuckles, loving the closeness he shares with his boyfriend.
"Hm...yeah," Hayden admits. "But I'd rather stay up with you."
"Of course you would," Vincent says playfully.
Hayden laughs and plants a long kiss on Vincent's cheek to express his gratitude. He then peeks at Vincent's work and decides to take over. He grabs the red pen and remaining papers, sitting a little straighter so he can write properly.
"Tell me the answers?" Hayden offers.
"This is going to take three times the amount of time it would take for me to do it," Vincent mutters with a laugh.
Hayden beams, "I know. That's the whole point."
Vincent sighs and rests a hand around Hayden's waist before saying, "For number one, the answer is 'C.'"
Hayden nods before marking the paper with a little check mark.
"Two is 'A.'"
"Got it."
This same pattern repeats until Hayden makes it about halfway through his small stack. All of a sudden, Hayden stops and looks into Vincent's eyes.
"Hm?" Vincent asks.
"Can you play with my hair?" Hayden requests, loving that he doesn't feel the need to hide what little acts of affection he wants from his boyfriend after so many years together.
"Come on, we are almost done," Vincent answers, his hand drifting up to his boyfriend's head.
As requested, Vincent lets his fingers wander through Hayden's hairâcarding through the strands, curling the locks around his fingers, and allowing Hayden to settle in his favorite place of safety and love.
Vincent never wanted to be one of those cliche domestic couples, but that is exactly what is happening in his relationship.
But shit, he just loves Hayden too much to care.