Age 29...
After a long day of doing chores with his husband on their day off together, Vincent is seated on the sofa, reading a book. He hasn't been able to get lost in his favorite pleasure lately simply because of his busy lifeâwith his teaching schedule and grading projects, with trying to mend the final broken relationship in his family, and of course, with appointments and consultations to try and really make Hayden's dream come to life as they try to find the right surrogate.
But as of right now, Vincent feels at peace. His eyes carefully skim the words on the pages of his novel, extracting every little hidden meaning and careless detail he discovers in the ink. It's amazing how words on paper can be so enticing, so adventurous, but every time Vincent takes a long break from reading, he remembers exactly why he fell in love with it as a kid.
As he approaches the climax, he is interrupted by his husband calling out to him.
"Vinny!" Hayden shouts from the bathroom.
"Yes?"
"Can you help me please?!"
Vincent chuckles but places his book facedown on the coffee table before waltzing throughout their house to meet his husband's request.
Vincent follows the source of commotion and easily finds his way over to Hayden. He leans against the doorway and crosses his arms, smiling fondly as he looks at him through the mirror. The shirtless Hayden immediately grins back, walking up to give the ravenette a kiss.
"What do you need?" Vincent whispers.
Hayden spins around and reaches under the cabinet, presenting Vincent with a razor and shaving cream.
"I was wondering if you could help me shave," Hayden admits brightly.
"Why?" Vincent laughs, knowing that Hayden is more than capable of doing it on his own.
He shrugs, "I just wanted to talk to you...and be near you."
"You've had a plentiful amount of both of those things within the past twenty-four hours," Vincent teases.
"So...is that a yes or no?" Hayden smiles.
"I'm so sick of seeing your goddamn face," Vincent sighs, hating that he has the inability to say no to his husband. "Hop up."
Hayden snickers as he does what Vincent says and jumps up on the sink countertop. He tilts his head fondly as he watches Vincent come closer and begin to spray shaving cream on his hand without even having to be asked a second time.
"Thank you and I love you," Hayden says softly.
Vincent smears the cream across Hayden's face, beginning at his cheek and sliding across his jaw. He then holds Hayden's face in place as he slowly kisses up his neck. Hayden's shoulders hike up at the ticklish touch, his little giddy giggles then following. Vincent takes his time as he plants little pecks up his husband's skin, reveling in the gorgeous sound of Hayden's laugh. When he finally makes it up to the man's ear, he then says, "Love you too."
Yeah, it's no question that Hayden has softened his husband up. Hayden can't imagine him doing anything this affectionate when they first got together.
Hayden closes his eyes as he lets Vincent take control. Vincent finally resumes his course of action, making sure to coat all of Hayden's stubble in shaving cream while subtly massaging the brunette's skin.
"Vinny?" Hayden says as Vincent runs the razor under warm water before gently rubbing it across his smiley husband's face.
"Hm?"
"Can we go out tonight?" he asks hopefully.
Vincent sighs, and that tells Hayden all he needs to know about an answer.
"It's okay... maybe next week?" Hayden offers, biting his lower lip.
Vincent runs his thumb across Hayden's mouth, releasing his lower lip from his teeth. He has been developing a bad habit of that recently.
"I'm honestly so exhausted, but yeah, I'll take you out," Vincent says sweetly.
"Are you sure?" Hayden asks, rubbing a thumb over his husband's cheek and noticing how big the bags under his eyes are.
"Mhm," Vincent hums. "Maybe it'll be good for me to get out for a bit and relax. Tell you what. How 'bout we make a deal?"
"Okay, deal," Hayden says instantly, not even needing to hear the terms of said deal if Vincent is sweet enough to go out with him when he doesn't want to.
"I didn't even say the damn thing yet," Vincent chuckles, washing off the razor in the sink before dragging it across his husband's face yet again.
"I know, but it's all about compromise, right?" Hayden shrugs. "I'll do whatever you want."
Vincent kisses Hayden's forehead and says, "I was just going to ask if we could stay in tomorrow."
"Hm, I like the sound of that anyway," Hayden beams.
"Where do you want to go, though?" Vincent answers.
"A bar?"
"Of fucking course," Vincent snorts.
"What? I need somewhere where I can look hot and get wasted. It's like a win-win situation, Vinny. Plus I get to show you off, sexy," Hayden smirks.
"Yet again, here I am questioning your priorities," Vincent chuckles, taking a wet washcloth and removing the excess cream from Hayden's face.
"Adults need a little pick-me-up sometimes."
"Shit, you're right about that," Vincent laughs. "But I'm not letting you drink anything until you get some food in your stomach. I can make something quickly before we head out. Do you want some ramen?"
"Oh, yours is the best," Hayden compliments sweetly. "I would love some."
Vincent finally smears some aftershave across Hayden's freshly shaven skin, indicating his completion of the task. He then says, "Okay, what do you want in it?"
"Hm...nori, scallions, fish cake, egg, radish, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and a dash of chili oil," Hayden chirps.
"Damn, if you wanted a whole three-course meal, let's lead with that next time," Vincent teases.
"Hey, you're the one expanding my palate," Hayden laughs with a shrug of his shoulders.
"For a good reason," Vincent remarks. "You can't live off of fucking protein shakes and unseasoned chicken breast."
"You wanna bet?"
"No," Vincent instantly says, tapping Hayden's thigh to let him know he's done.
Hayden hops off the counter and follows Vincent's footsteps into the kitchen where he is already fetching a pan from the cupboard. Hayden swiftly helps his husband with the task, grabbing two packs of ramen from the pantry and handing them off to his husband, who thanks him with a kiss. Hayden then sits on the counter as he observes Vincent take out a chopping board and all the fresh ingredients at their disposal.
"Looks like there isn't any radish, Hay," Vincent informs. "Want me to go pick some up real quick?"
"No, no, no," Hayden flusters, his husband already doing more than enough for him. "Don't worry about it."
Vincent nods and starts chopping up the scallions as he waits for the water to boil. Vincent picks a piece up for Hayden to try and the brunette hums in satisfaction at the fresh green. Hayden then furrows his eyebrows when something comes to mind. Vincent almost instantly catches the change.
"What's on your mind?"
"Oh," Hayden says, slightly embarrassed at being so readable. "I was just...going to tell you some baby names I thought of."
"Of course you are already thinking of names when we don't even have a baby yet," Vincent teases.
"I'm excited, okay?" Hayden says exasperatedly. "Sue me."
"I'm just kidding, Hayden," Vincent chuckles lightheartedly. "Go on and tell me."
"First there's Rudolph and thenâ"
"The fucking red nose reindeer?" Vincent snorts.
"Vinny, let me finish," Hayden whines.
"Sorry. Go ahead."
"Fifi, Rosegold, Gotham, Waffle, Star, Arson but make it fancy so it's spelled Arsene, oh and Banana, Chaos, Lambo, Icy, and Unit. Which one do you like best?"
"Hayden, you can't be serious," Vincent says, aghast. "Our child is going to get bullied."
"What? No," Hayden protests. "It's unique and cute."
"Well, come back to me when you have dialed down the uniqueness, and upped the sanity."
"Ugh, fine," Hayden huffs, jumping off the counter. He then easily presses himself against Vincent's back, his body practically molding into his form from familiarity. He sighs blissfully as his arms wrap around Vincent's waist and he buries his face in his shoulder contently.
Vincent just laughs softly.
Something that Vincent has had to get used to in their marriage and from the start of their relationship is Hayden's need to be touching him almost every second of the day. Honestly speaking, touch isn't even close to Vincent's preferred love language, but he really tries to be better for Hayden's sake. However, even he can admit that he gets a little annoyed by Hayden's clinginess, and on days when he just wants some space, Hayden listens to his request and doesn't get offended. Vincent felt really bad about it at first, but in a healthy relationship, you shouldn't be scared to voice all of your thoughts, so it actually made the couple stronger when Vincent was honest and admitted if Hayden was being too much.
Still, Vincent can't bring himself to say anything at the moment because his husband is too damn cute. Besides, Hayden stayed focused today and helped him get plenty of errands done so this is just a little something that Vincent can endure as his husband indulges in his favorite activity.
"Vinny, can I be serious with you for a minute?" Hayden asks, almost hesitantly.
"Holy shit, I've been waiting my entire life for this day."
"Oh, would you shut up," Hayden laughs, hitting his husband's chest as a playful form of reprimanding.
"Sorry, continue," Vincent says, realizing that Hayden is rubbing off on him in the sense that he now likes to turn everything into a joke.
"Just know that I think of you every second of the day," Hayden begins. "It's okay if you aren't the same way, but I just wanted you to know...because I love you. And because I love you so much, I felt like it was finally time to tell you this with no jokes."
Vincent tries to turn around to take a look at his husband, but Hayden's arms only tighten around his waist.
"Please don't turn around. I don't think I will be able to say what I want to if I have to face you."
"Hayden...you're worrying me," Vincent explains softly.
Hayden laughs, tears brewing in his eyes.
"Thank you for making me the happiest man alive," Hayden sniffs. "Thank you for making me feel so safe and protected that you have given a new meaning to the words. Thank you for putting up with every single time I have been ridiculous and caused a stupid misunderstanding. Thank you for vowing to never go to bed mad at me. Thank you forâ"
"Hayden, I'm being serious," Vincent says, setting the knife down since he can't focus anymore. "You're freaking me out. What's going on?"
Hayden just continues like he didn't hear him.
"I love that every time I see something in the store that reminds me of you, I have to buy it just so I have the honor of making you laugh. I love that even though you like your space when you sleep, I can feel you curl your arms so warmly around me when you crawl into bed. God, I fucking love the ring on my finger that lets me know I belong to someoneâthat someone out there chose me."
"Hayden," Vincent whispers, reaching back to place his hand on the back of Hayden's head. "I can't read your mind. Please tell me what's wrong so I can help you."
"Even now," Hayden sighs, tears streaming down his face. "You're absolutely perfect. The me from long ago would say I don't deserve all that you are, but the me now knows that I'm worthy of your love."
"Baby, please," Vincent nearly begs.
Hayden chuckles wetly. "I've never told anyone this before, Vinny, but I know you won't judge meâyou never have. I know I'm freaking you out, but I don't mean to. I just...need you to know how much y-you mean t-to m-me. And, fuck, y-you mean the world t-to me."
Hayden takes a deep breath.
"There w-was a time in my life where I didn't want to live anymoreâI couldn't do it. I just wasn't strong enough to overcome."
Vincent clenches his hands into fists, his eyesight becoming blurry.
"I hid it pretty well," Hayden whispers. "'Hayden's always happy, so no one should ever have to worry about Hayden.' I couldn't talk to you or Sawyer or Leo about how sad I was because when I finally...you know, I knew it would tear you guys apart."
"H-Hay, please stop," Vincent says weakly.
Hayden laughs into Vincent's shoulder, placing a long and emotional kiss in the same spot. "I don't want to hurt you; I'm merely sharing a piece of my past. You have no idea how many times you have saved me, and every time you smile, you remind me of how grateful I am for life. I just get so sad when I think 'What if?' If I let my demons win, I would've never been able to experience all that I have. I would've never married you, I would've never grown as close to our friends as I have, and I would've never even gotten the chance to think about a baby.
"I don't know about you, but I've meant every single word I have ever spoken to you. I've meant every kiss on your forehead when I leave for work before you. I've meant every text I've sent to make sure you are going to arrive home safely.
"In dark times, I kept praying for a miracle to happen, thinking it would never come. You are my miracle, Vincent Arden Russell-Williams. No matter how much I hate you in a fight or how sick of me you get when we are old and wrinkly, I'll always come back to you because you made me realize that euphoria is worth the wait. If you want to leave me at any point, yeah, it might break me a little bit, but at least I have memories of you to keep me from crumbling apart.
"Every time I say I love you, what I mean is thank you, you saved me, I belong to you, you complete me, and so much more that could never be combined into a tiny three-word phrase."
"Fuck," Vincent mutters, instantly spinning around and nearly sucking all the air out of Hayden's lungs with a hug.
Hayden finally lets the string of composure snap inside of him, falling into Vincent's arms and crying into his chest because he knows that Vincent will take care of him.
"Don't cry, Hay. Don't cry," Vincent soothes, ignoring the tears brewing in his own eyes. "I've got you. I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm overwhelmed," Hayden says honestly with a little tearful giggle.
"Goddamn, Hayden," Vincent laughs as well, hugging Hayden head to his chest. "You're just going to drop all that on me when I'm making ramen. Jeez, give me a warning next time."
"Sorry," he sniffles.
"Don't apologize," Vincent swiftly says, running a comforting hand through Hayden's hair. "It must've taken a lot of courage for you to get that off your mind."
"You h-have no idea."
"Mm, I'm so proud of you," Vincent whispers. "I'm sorry you went through such a dark time, but I'm proud that you are standing before me today."
Vincent urges Hayden away from his body and Hayden complies, looking up at his husband smally. Vincent gives him an assuring smile before placing his hands on his shoulders and closing the distance between their faces.
"I'm at your disposal, Hay," Vincent confesses, kissing up the drying tears on his face. "I don't know why you have this idea in your head that your passion and amount of love is unrequited. You know when I don't like something because I'll tell you straight up, and that has never pertained to you. Hayden, I'll always be here; taking you out when I don't feel like it, cooking you dinner with every little ingredient you wish, hell, admiring you when you're not looking because you are the exception. I was okay with the idea of being alone for the rest of my life, but a certain someone said they needed to practice kissing for their ruined mojo and everything changed."
"I'm never leaving you," Vincent expresses, looking straight into Hayden's glistening eyes so he understands. "Don't you trust me when I say that? It's already been ten years and I'm excited for the next ten. You complete me just as much, if not more. I'm yours, Hayden. I've always been yours, and I will continue to be for as long as you'll have me. I'm here. You are my heart and soul and everything else that can be shoved into that measly little word called love."
Hayden steps forward to rest his head over Vincent's heart. "You're my everything," he whispers, trailing his fingers across Vincent's hip lovingly.
"You're my everything too. And if you ever start feeling that down again, please come talk to me and we'll figure it out. There's no reason to hurt by yourself anymore. Okay?"
"Mhm," Hayden hums, slightly snuggling his head into Vincent's chest.
"How about you go find us some clothes to wear out and I'll have dinner waiting for you?" Vincent offers thoughtfully.
"I'm so lucky," Hayden smiles.
"Ditto," Vincent replies, squeezing his hip encouragingly.
Hayden departs with a kiss on Vinny's cheek, happy that he was able to discuss the strength of his feelings and come out of the conversation feeling at ease. And as an added bonus, he gets to pick their outfits and of course he is going to make them match.
Meanwhile, Vincent's smile doesn't slip from his face as he continues to prepare ingredients to make his husband happy with a little, simple meal.
âââ§âââââââ§ââ
"Is this it?" Vincent asks, staring at the place in front of him with Hayden attached to his arm.
"Mhm."
Vincent easily steps forward to open the door for his husband who smiles with gratitude. Vincent follows, placing a hand on Hayden's lower back as he lets Hayden guide them.
The place is very lowkey and that's something that Vincent appreciates because he was fully expecting Hayden to pick a place where the energy was off the charts. Vincent loves that Hayden at least thought of him when he picked out the location because it is just his vibe.
The music is soft and sensual but the occasional party tune plays at a quiet hum. The lighting is low, the source being the pretty bulbs draped across the ceiling that Vincent was fully expecting to have strobe effects. All the decor looks rustic and vintage, all the brown hues blending to make a truly cozy place for a night out with a couple of drinks. And, of course, the gentle buzz of conversation wafts through the area that is crowded with lively people wanting to make some new friends or meet someone new.
"I'm going to be honest with you, Hay," Vincent chuckles. "This doesn't seem like your kind of place. I was expecting...chaos."
"I wanted a place that you could enjoy as well," Hayden beams. "Want me to show you around?"
"Lead the way."
Vincent, being the homebody that he is, doesn't really spend his free time browsing the bars in the area like Hayden. Vincent's coworkers have often expressed their reservations about his husband wanting to spend some nights going out to bars and unwinding. However, they don't know Hayden like he does and he knows for a fact that he just wants to have a good time. Vincent doesn't know why his coworkers are so insecure in their own marriages that they have to project it onto him, but Vincent knows that Hayden can go to a bar by himself without anything happening. After all, Hayden only lets himself drink a lot if Vincent is around because it's his duty to stay lucid enough to be able to relay what is happening to his husband. At the end of the day, Hayden just loves peopleâmeeting new ones, interacting with them, making them laugh, etc. Even if Hayden does happen to get a little carried away and drink too much as he is chatting up a storm, he either walks home or catches an Uber, making sure to call Vincent on the entire way home.
Vincent observes and carefully listens to Hayden spew a bunch of irrelevant details about the place, but he just finds it adorable.
Vincent also notices how there are all kinds of different people here. He loves the splashes of natural hair, distinct features, hell, it even seems like there is a good mix of straight and gay couples.
"Oh my gosh, Vinny," Hayden gasps. "This bar has the best specialty cocktail. You have to try it!"
"Okay, okay," Vincent laughs. "Why don't you go order for us while I head to the bathroom real quick?"
"Kay-kay," he chirps, waltzing over to the bar.
Little does Hayden know that a man has been eyeing him the entire time since he entered, and now that the brunette is alone, he feels that it is time to make his move.
Hayden's elbows are resting upon the counter as he waves over the bartender. He politely tells her the two drinks he wants before she slips away, eagerly beginning the task with a smile.
Hayden bobs his head to the light tune and hums as he waits for his husband's return. When he feels a hand ghost across his shoulder, he spins around with a toothy grin.
"Vinny, Iâ" He realizes it isn't his favorite person in the world. "Oh, sorry I thought you were someone else."
"The name's Brian," the man says in a husky voice, smiling at how pretty the man in front of him is. He eyes the sliver of Hayden's exposed chest where he purposely left the top three buttons undone. "Do you want me to cover that tab for you?"
"No, I'm good," Hayden says dismissively, immediately turning his attention away from Brian as he takes a seat.
"You aren't getting rid of me that easily, baby," he smirks.
"Excuse me?" Hayden recoils back. "I'm married, so if you didn't get the hint the first time, I'll spell it out for you: I'm not interested."
"Come on," the guy groans playfully. He then leans close to whisper in Hayden's ear. "Let me buy you another drink."
"Woah, you are not hot enough to be this close to me," Hayden nearly spits, moving away from the man who clearly doesn't know what personal space is. "When my husband comes back and sees that you won't leave me alone, I can't promise that you'll get out of here in one piece."
"I think it's all for show," Brian admits with a chuckle. "Your so-called husband has been gone for quite a bit. Come on, just give me a chance."
"Do you not see the ring on my finger?" Hayden huffs. "Are you actually stupid? And that coming from me should make you feel insulted."
"I like you. You're funny," Brain smiles, trailing his fingers across Hayden's hand, causing the brunette to instantly shake him off. "I didn't quite catch your name, beautiful."
Hayden looks to the ceiling and rubs his temples with a big sigh. "This is what I get for breaking so many hearts in high school," he mutters.
"Just one dance is all I ask," Brian says innocently. "Forget that other guy and you'll see what you're missing."
"Please leave me alone," Hayden finally begs. "I already said no and the fact that you are still pushing tells me all I need to know."
When Hayden feels the guy squeeze his inner thigh suggestively, he jumps up from the chair and harshly shoves his hands into Brian's chest.
"Dude, fuck off," Hayden snarls, finally drawing attention from the other guests.
"Hey, no need to get heated, baby," Brain chuckles. "One night with me and you'll get all the release you need."
"I swear to god, Iâ"
Hayden almost sighs with relief when he feels that familiar grip on his hips and a cloud of comforting cologne invade his senses.
"What's going on?" Vincent asks, putting himself between Hayden and the guy.
Brian says, "You seeâ"
"Bitch, did I ask you?" Vincent sneers, not prying his eyes away from Hayden for one second. His voice then softens. "What happened?"
He steps closer to Hayden protectively, leaning down a little bit so the brunette can whisper in his ear. Hayden places his hands on Vincent's biceps, happy that he's finally here to break up the situation.
Hayden definitely doesn't need Vincent to fight his battles for him. Hayden has years and years of football and weightlifting under his belt, so he is more than capable of putting up a fight, but he loves that Vincent doesn't hesitate to help bring the feeling of safety back when it is stolen from him.
"He kept making moves on me when I repeatedly told him I wasn't interested," Hayden whispers, looking at his husband vulnerably. "He invaded my space and then touched me in a way that made me uncomfortable. Iâ"
"He's blowing everything out of proportion," Brian laughs, placing his hand on Vincent's shoulder to physically turn him around. "How about you just go back to whatever country you're from, so I can continue my conversation with that pretty thing," Brian says, his eyes raking up and down Hayden's form.
Hayden doesn't notice his gross and hungry eyes as he nearly lashes out at the brash man for his blatant display of ignorance toward his husband.
"Hey, it's okay," Vincent assures, wrapping an arm around Hayden's waist before he can seriously fuck up the guy.
"No, it's not!" Hayden complains fiercely. "That was not an okay thing to say, and I can't fucking believe how many micro-aggressions get carelessly tossed at you all the time, Vinny."
Comments like that have always just rolled off of Vincent's shoulders since he has become immune to naive remarks repeated so often, but nothing makes Hayden angrier than someone trying to intentionally harm his husband with words. That is something he won't stand for, and he usually snaps within a matter of seconds.
"Don't let this one jackass ruin our night," Vincent explains, guiding Hayden away from the area.
"How about I get both of you guys in my bed? Bet that'll make your night better," Brian says from out of nowhere.
All of a sudden, Vincent lashes out and grabs a fistful of Brian's shirt, breathing harshly as he looks at him with fire in his eyes.
"Leave us the hell alone," Vincent spits. "You say one more word to my husband and it won't be pretty."
"What are you going toâ"
"Shut the fuck up and get lost before I have to drag you out myself. Let everyone enjoy their night without your bullshit."
Before Brian gets to say anything back, the bartender calls out to Hayden.
"Here is your order, sir," she grins, setting the two cocktails on the counter.
Hayden gives her a half-hearted smile in thanks before Vincent urges him away from Brian and toward the drinks so he doesn't have to deal with this anymore. The bartender then notices the rigid stance of the married couple and her eyes fall upon Brian suspiciously.
All of a sudden, she says, "Get out of my bar."
Brian laughs in disbelief. "What?"
"This isn't a space for harassment," she says assertively with a hand on her hip. "I told you the same thing last week when you got too handsy with a few sips of alcohol. You have twenty seconds before I call the cops."
"Butâ"
"Nineteen, eighteenâ"
Brian scowls before storming out.
Vincent sighs before slouching in the seat next to Hayden, placing his hand on Hayden's thigh as he practically gulps down the cocktail like a shot.
"That ever happen before?" Vincent says calmly, much different from what he is feeling on the inside.
Hayden shakes his head, putting his hand over Vincent's and encouraging him to squeeze his thigh so he can feel a sense of control over the guy abruptly touching him like that.
"If it ever happens again, don't hesitate to call me," Vincent says seriously. "I don't care if you can handle it on your own. I still want to be there for you and check up on you."
Hayden nods shyly, wanting to forget about it and enjoy his night with his husband. Hayden leans his head on Vincent's shoulder.
"You were right, though," Vincent laughs. "This cocktail is pretty good." He attempts to lighten the mood by reaching forward and grabbing Hayden's drink for himself since he drank his own out of pure irritation and not enjoyment.
"Hey, that's mine," Hayden protests with a whine, reaching for the glass that Vincent takes a sip out of.
"Not anymore," Vincent smirks, squeezing Hayden's thigh again and causing a smile to stretch across his face.
"Order me another one?" Hayden asks.
"Okay, how many do you actually want because I know one isn't going to satisfy you?" Vincent snorts.
"Um...like seven?" Hayden confesses sheepishly.
"Jesus fucking Christ," Vincent laughs. "Okay, we'll start you off with two and hopefully you'll forget you ever asked for seven. I don't know why you still think you can drink like you could in high school."
"Are you going to let me get drunk or what?" Hayden smirks.
"If your ass throws up, you are sleeping on the couch," Vincent teasingly mutters, calling over the bartender who instantly starts apologizing for the situation earlier. Vincent tells her not to worry and then easily orders a few drinks that he knows Hayden will like before the smiley owner saunters away. "Wanna dance in the meantime?" Vincent extends his hand.
"I thought you'd never ask." He tightly clutches Vincent's warm palm before swaying his hips seductively as Vincent stumbles behind him. Vincent lets his eyes respectfully drop for a second before he is sucked in by more of Hayden's alluring aura. Vincent's hands modestly wander Hayden's body as they get lost in the soft tune with a few others also dancing around them.
"I'm glad you dragged me out," Vincent admits into Hayden's ear after a couple of minutes. The stress that was eating away at his bones from before is almost completely gone.
"I'm glad you're here," Hayden confesses, burying his face in Vincent's neck as the married couple gets trapped in their own little world of rhythmic movements and sweet nothings.
âââ§âââââââ§ââ
"Oh my god," Vincent says, panicked, as Hayden nearly trips off the curb and ends up face-first into what looks like a fairly expensive car. Vincent swiftly grabs his elbow as Hayden deliriously giggles away. "Okay, get your ass over here before you fall in the street and get run over." Vincent quickly maneuvers Hayden to the left side of him, so his husband doesn't have the possibility of being in danger's way.
"Vinny, you have some really hot arms," Hayden hiccups, running his fingers along the veins of his forearms as Vincent tries to guide them home in one piece.
"Hay, you drank way too much if you are saying shit like that," Vincent snorts.
"I mean..." Hayden pulls a face of thought as he nearly trips over his feet, clutching onto Vincent's arm. "I only had like e-eleven shots? I think? I don't know but I had a freaking fantastic time," Hayden smiles, eyes blown wide.
"Of course you diâwait." Vincent furrows his eyebrows. "When the hell did you take shots?"
"Easy!" Hayden chirps. "Every time your back was turned or I asked you to do some ridiculous thing that you carried out or when I untied my shoes to make you kneel down and tie them again. What can I say?" Hayden shrugs smugly. "I'm a professional."
"Professional pain in my ass," Vincent muses. "You are going to be dead by tomorrow morning if we don't get some water in your system. You already had multiple drinks. Are you trying to die?"
"Could've sworn I felt my soul leaving my body, but I thought that was my imagination," Hayden admits, causing Vincent to laugh. "But this was my last time drinking for a while."
Vincent raises an eyebrow, complying when Hayden laces their fingers together.
"I need to learn how to stay healthy when the time comes to raise our baby," Hayden admits thoughtfully, and despite all his stumbling and drunk movements, his words are completely truthful and serious. "I don't want to have this image of irresponsibility, you know? I want to set a good example, which is something I definitely can't do if I'm drinking every other week. Honestly, it's an absolute miracle that I haven't gotten alcohol poisoning yet, but I want to live a long and fulfilling life with you and our childâor children?" Hayden raises his eyebrows suggestively. "And that's not possible if I completely destroy my liver. Don't get me wrong, I love drinking, but I love my family more. Plus, I'm a pretty good damn time even without alcohol, aren't I?"
"Don't flatter yourself," Vincent teases, smiling softly at his husband's words because he honestly didn't expect that from him. "It's a beautiful thing to watch you grow, Hayden. You've never strayed far from who you are on the inside and your personality, but you always improve upon things that are within your control, and that's such a mature thing that not everyone sees in you...but I do, and I want you to know that I see all your efforts. I applaud you for them. Hell, every time you talk about how excited you are about having a baby, even I get excited, and truthfully speaking, I didn't think I was going to have any when I grew up, but I'm gladâand so insanely relievedâthat they are going to grow up with a father as loving as you. I certainly needed that when I was younger, but I know for a fact that you aren't going to make a single mistake my parents did. I love you so much, Hayden. It feels weird to be able to say that out loud so freely now, but it's only thanks to you that you can draw out sides of me I didn't know I had. Don't you think that's an amazing thing?"
Vincent looks expectantly to his left to see his husband's reaction but only ends up looking at the misty air. Vincent's eyes widen.
"Hayden?" Vincent says in alarm, wondering how he could've lost his drunken husband in under a minute. "Holy shit, holy shit."
Vincent begins to look all around him in a frenzy, wondering if Hayden accidentally wandered off or just happened to trip and never got back up. He begins to pace up and down the sidewalk, retracing all of his footsteps to see where he could've disappeared to.
It's only when he is on his fifth time of striding down the street that he hears the sound of water sloshing. Vincent stops in his footsteps, his head slowly panning over to the gated community swimming pool. All of the lights are off with the exception of the ones embedded into the pool, creating an almost eerie glow around the water. And when Vincent sees a head of wet brown hair bobbing in the pool, he finally releases the breath he is holding.
Vincent tilts his head and crosses his arms as he watches his husband in amusement. However, when he takes a closer glance at the situation, Vincent realizes that Hayden's forehead is the only thing visible above the water as his arms are flailing around.
Vincent's heart rate shoots right back up.
He certainly knows how to keep me on my toes.
Vincent doesn't waste another second before jumping over the fence with a bit of struggle. Hell, he doesn't know how Hayden managed that when he's drunk.
Vincent hits the pavement and speedily starts throwing important shit out of his pockets as he races toward the pool. Just before he jumps in, he rips his shirt off. Vincent's body nearly goes into shock with how cold the water is but he briskly swims to where Hayden is supposedly drowning. He clutches his husband's waist and pulls him above the surface, thankful that he can just barely touch the bottom.
All of a sudden, Hayden burst out laughing. Vincent looks at him weirdly, his chest puffing fast with how much energy his dumbass husband took out of him.
"Ha, I knew it would work!" Hayden wheezes. "Operation get-Vinny-into-the-pool-with-me is a success!"
Vincent just looks at Hayden for a second. Hayden gives him the biggest and cheesiest smile he can muster.
Vincent drops his forehead to Hayden's shoulder, letting out a long sigh of exhaustion and relief. He doesn't even have the energy to chastise his husband.
"My hero," Hayden coos in a sickeningly sweet tone.
Vincent slaps him across the back of the head. Hayden groans pathetically as Vincent swims over to the edge of the pool with his arm secure around Hayden.
"I hate you so much right now," Vincent breathes, knowing how disgusting it's going to be when they finally make it back home and he has to pry off a perfectly good pair of pants that are soaking wet.
"That's okay," Hayden beams, wrapping his legs around Vincent's waist under the water and coiling his arms around his husband's neck.
Vincent laughs and rolls his eyes, but places his hands on Hayden's clothed lower back lovingly.
Hayden doesn't waste another second before planting his lips on Vincent's, and the ravenette would be lying if he said he protested.
The water slowly washes over their skin as their handsânow getting wrinklyâpress and caress and rub into the other's body like they have many times before. Hayden sighs into the kiss contently, making Vincent smile because he always loves hearing that pleasant little hum from his husband that lets him know he is enjoying himself. Hayden cards his fingers through Vincent's hair, getting lost in how many times they can touch and it still feel just as special as the first time.
Hayden presses his lower half further into Vincent's stomach, causing Vincent's hands to crawl down further and rest over the curve of Hayden's ass. Hayden smiles triumphantly before biting Vincent's lower lip. Vincent gasps at the sudden sting but Hayden only takes the opportunity to plunge his tongue into his husband's mouth. Hayden kisses him hungrily, his tongue easily dominating Vincent's.
Who knows how long the two spend making out in the pool, but when Hayden pulls away with bruised lips and whispers something in his ear, Vincent decides that it's definitely about time the brunette goes to sleep.
"Pool sex?" Hayden questions innocently.
"WhaâJesus fucking Christ, no," Vincent laughs in shock. "Okay, that's it." Vincent easily lifts himself out of the pool, reaching down to grab Hayden's arms before he can swim away. "Come on. It's time to go home now."
Hayden whines, refusing to be cooperative. Thankfully, Vincent still has a couple of inches over his husband and hasn't lost his muscle mass, so he almost effortlessly heaves a pouty Hayden out of the pool.
"Ugh, you're no fun," Hayden huffs, crossing his arms.
"And you need to drink some water andâ"
"I already did. Why do you think I jumped in the pool?"
Vincent sighs disappointedly. "Okay, well you need more actual clean water that I can carefully watch you drink. Not only that, but you need to get out of those clothes before you get sick."
Vincent turns his back so he can put his shirt back on and grab all of his belongings. When he turns around he doesn't expect to find Hayden completely naked, spinning his underwear around his finger with a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Mm-kay, I got outta those clothes," he smirks. "What comes next?"
"Holy fuck," Vincent comments, hastily trying to wrestle clothes back onto his husband, who is unrelenting just to be annoying. "Yep, you're done for the night."
When Vincent finally gets fed up with his husband's bratty little drunk act, he thankfully gets his underwear back on before tossing him over his shoulder. Hayden squirms and giggles, but Vincent keeps a tight hold on him as he holds Hayden's soaking-wet clothes and shoes in his unoccupied hand.
Vincent finally starts walking toward where he came in but realizes something.
"Fuck... the fence," he sighs deeply.
Hayden snickers, "Good luck with that, Vinny."
Just for extra measure, Hayden gives him a good smack to the ass while Vincent is so grateful that this is going to be the last time for a while that he takes his husband out drinking.