Slice of Life

[Brodie Summers]

Out of Character:

Happy birthday, Jesse

Brodie walked into his house, and slammed the door shut before kicking off his scruffy work boots. He was sweaty, covered in dust, and probably smelled terrible too, but rather then go take a shower all he wanted to do was sit down for a few minutes. With the weather warming up they were getting more jobs, but it also meant longer, and hotter days. He called out for Aeon, but it seemed his boyfriend wasn't home yet. Shrugging he went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took a a long swig from the cartoon of orange juice, put it back, and looked around trying to decide what would be for dinner that day. 'I guess I might as well get supper ready. Aeon's been doing the cooking a lot lately. He deserves a break.' Brodie thought. With a few flicks of his wand the oven was heating, vegetables were being chopped, and the chicken was seasoning itself. 'I'm the best boyfriend.' he patted himself on the back before sitting down at the kitchen table, and putting his feet up.

 

[Aeon Summers]

The quiet tinkling of a bell sounded as Aeon stepped out onto the cobbled stone streets of Obsidian Harbour, blonde hair slightly ruffled and dotted with the occasional brightly coloured feather. The wizard took a moment to brush his hair clean with his fingertips, stopping only to withdraw his wand from his pocket. He turned on the spot, gazing at the tall, two-storey building he had just exited. To his left sat Flourish & Blotts, exactly the same as he remembered it from his time working there as a student in Hogwarts New Zealand with nothing better to do than sell books in his free time. To his right lay Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, a less-than-interesting store. Or at least, less-than-interesting compared to what was nestled between the two buildings. The Magical Menagerie stood proud, dominating its neighbours in both size and appeal. The exterior was warm, bright and welcoming, and it was his. Aeon Summers, the new shopkeeper of the Menagerie. It gave him a rush of joy just thinking about it. The shop had been closed for the day as the wizard spent the morning going through paperwork and familiarizing himself with the store and its procedures. The afternoon had been spent playing with animals. He'd lost three Mokes only twenty minutes in, and spent an hour trying to find them again with the help of a grey-furred Kneazle. Tomorrow would be his first proper day as a shopkeeper, and he couldn't have been more excited. Brodie would be so proud.

The sun was starting to set as Aeon quietly closed up for the night, waving his wand across the Menagerie door's lock and listening as it softly clicked, locking until the morning. Then, with a sharp turn on the spot, he disapparated, only to reappear a second later on the front doorstep of his home. It had been almost a year since he'd moved out of Kida's place and into a house with his boyfriend and he definitely did not regret the decision. His cousin's house was never empty, with her 101 long lost relatives hanging around, nor were they particularly quiet. He still tried to visit as frequently as he could, but as the months had passed, his visits grew shorter. He had his own life now, being around Kida only made him feel like he was still living in her shadow.

Aeon's wand tip brushed the keyhole to his front door, immediately causing it to spring open and allow him entry. He stepped inside, hanging his cloak on its rack by the doorframe and gently kicking the door closed with the back of his foot, letting it shut behind him in a much less aggressive fashion than his boyfriend would treat it. Immediately, the smell of food cooking hit Summer's like a brick wall, and he realised just how hungry he was. Weird. he thought, making his way toward the kitchen. Usually I get dinner ready. Does Brodie know I got the Menagerie? Is this him treating me? That's so swee- he stopped mid-thought as he rounded the corner into the kitchen, first noticing the enchanted food preparing itself, before resting his eyes on his boyfriend, looking sweat-drenched and dirty. His feet on the damn table. He almost choked on the smell too, barely covered by the aroma of chicken seasoning. The scenario was less romantic than he'd imagined. "Really, Brodie. Are you kidding me. We do own a shower. Scourgify." Aeon said with a huff. Wand still in hand, he coated his lover in soap suds that foamed from his head to his toes. "And feet off the table. We eat on that." Merlin, the man was raised in a barn. Pocketing the wand, Aeon checked over the food. There was a reason Fudge didn't cook often. "Once you're clean and I can love you again, I have some exciting news I need to tell you."

 

[Brodie Summers]

Brodie was busy humming, and balancing his chair on the back legs so he didn't hear Aeon when he stepped into the house. Of course as soon was there was bubbles everywhere, including up his nose he knew his boyfriend had arrived. The front legs of Brodie's chair slammed back down on the floor, and he was trying to wipe soap bubbles out of his face. "Well hello to you too, love." he said coughing a little as the bubbles went away. Brodie stood up, and wrapped his arms around Aeon. "I know we have a shower, but I wouldn't want to rob you of the joy of scrubbing me off yourself." he said giving Aeon a cheeky grin while pretending to dig some more bubbles out of his ears. "So whats this exciting news you have to tell me?" Brodie asked. He knew Aeon had been looking for a better job lately. Maybe he had found one? Maybe his crazy grandma had died, and left him all her money so they could retire before 30. Then again that might be a bit boring. Especially since the house he had been planning would go to waste. He had the guys he worked with on board to help him, and everything.

 

[Aeon Summers]

Aeon smiled at the sudden warmth of Brodie's embrace and immediately stopped fussing over the food, instead taking a moment to just enjoy the feeling. He lowered his hand, taking one of his boyfriend's own and bringing it to his lips for a quick, soft peck on the knuckles, before turning around and resting his head against the other man. The last few soapy bubbles faded out of existence and with it, the unpleasant smell of sweat and dust. "You know, making me use my wand takes away the fun part." Summers responded with a sly smile, leaning in to gently kiss along the brunette's neck whilst his fingers absently traced circles into the fabric of his shirt. Merlin, the guy smelt so good now that he was clean.

After a moment the wizard pulled back and propped himself up atop of the kitchen bench, pushing aside an animate chopping board and wrapping his legs around Brodie's waist to pull him in closer. "Anyway, before you distract me any further, let's talk about my news." he paused, then took a deep breath. He still had trouble believing it himself, and this sudden nervous feeling was overcoming him. He had spent a lot of money purchasing the Menagerie, what if Brodie thought it had been a bad move? It had been more of an impulsive decision than one he'd thought out. "So, I've had a lot of money saved up for quite a while now and I had no idea what to do with it, but recently when I shopping around the Harbour I noticed there were a few stores up for sale..." he trailed off, finding it difficult to put what he wanted to say into words. It was so exciting, but now he wasn't sure how Brodie would react. It was one thing to get a better job, it was another thing entirely to just buy a shop. "Look, just, basically I went and bought The Magical Menagerie." he finished, throwing his wands up into the air enthusiastically. "Surprise."

 

[Brodie Summers]

Brodie's had to hold back a gasp as Aeon kissed his neck. Merlin he knew what that did to him. Brodie rubbed his hand on Aeon's arm. When Aeon pulled away from him, and then pulled him in again with his legs his heart started racing. Why was he doing this? At least it was fun. Brodie put his hands on Aeon's thighs, and waited for his news. He listened as Aeon explained that he had bought the pet store on obsidian harbor. At first Brodie was a little shocked. He had no idea Aeon had been saving up so much money just from his book store job, but the more he thought about it the better the idea sounded. Every kid wants to have a pet to bring with them to Hogwarts right? And then of course they would need food, a bed, cleaning supplies. The place seemed like a very busy shop whenever he went to pick up things for his cat. Brodie picked Aeon up off the counter, getting strong was on of the side effects of his job, and kissed him. "Well congratulations Mr. Shopkeeper. Does being you boyfriend make me entitled to free pet supplies" he asked with a smirk as he placed his boyfriend back on the ground.

Suddenly the realization that they were adults hit Brodie like a sack of bricks. They were 27, and 26. They both had good paying stable jobs, and lived together. Those were all things adults did. The thought freaked him out a little. Lately he had even been wondering where their relationship was going? Would they just be boyfriends forever? Brodie hoped not. He could see himself living his life with Aeon. Brodie grabbed Aeon's hand, and led him to the kitchen table as the chicken put itself in the oven. He pulled out his chair, and when Aeon was seated he went, and sat across from him. "If I asked you to marry me what would you say?" Brodie asked. As soon as the words left his mouth he realized how they sounded. "Not that I'm proposing right now! You deserve way better then that!" Brodie quickly stammered out. He took a deep breath, and tried again. "What I mean is I can see myself spending the rest of my life with you. I just want to make sure we want the same things." Brodie told him. He had his hands clenched in fists because he felt so nervous as he waited for Aeon's reply.

 

[Aeon Summers]

Aeon grinned with relief as Brodie lifted him from the bench, wrapping one arm around the boys neck to steady himself as their lips brushed, the contact instantly ceasing the uneasy feeling that had started to creep up on him. His boyfriend's physical strength was still something he was getting used to, though the increase is muscle was something he couldn't complain about. It was a shame he'd just scoured him clean, he would look for any excuse to get Brodie to take off his shirt. Instead he enjoyed the feeling of having nothing but the man he loved supporting him, and it was with great reluctance that he had to pull back from the kiss to respond. "Sure, you can have free pet supplies, if you do the housework for a month." he teased, returning to half-sitting on the bench as Brodie lowered him back down. Anything he bought from him would essentially be free in any case, the money went straight to Aeon's account which in the long-run, would probably come back to Brodie, likely in the form of a gift, or a night out. It had been a while since he'd bought the brunette anything special. He toyed with the idea of a pet, now that he had such easy access to a variety at his store. He could see a Crup or a Kneazle making a nice little addition to their small household.

Summers barely had a moment to get comfortable on the counter-top once more when he noticed his lover's expressions suddenly flicker, the previous lighter tones now replaced by a more serious atmosphere. He didn't comment when Brodie took his hand and led him to the kitchen table, but the previous uneasy feeling was slowly seeping its way back into the pit of his stomach. As soon as he took a seat though, he found himself a little startled by the question posed; Marriage. It was something Aeon had thought about more and more as their relationship progressed, but the topic wasn't one he'd thought would come up anytime soon. Was this Brodie's form of a proposal? Another thing he'd always wondered; who'd make the first move. No matter the scenarios imagined, they'd all involved a ring. Brodie did not have a ring.

Another wave of relief quickly washed over Aeon as Brodie confirmed he wasn't proposing just yet. Not that he didn't want them to get engaged, it just didn't fit into any of the romantic, candlelit scenes he'd envisioned and hoped for. Or anything the least bit more romantic than just sitting around in the kitchen while food cooks. The blond wizard reached a hand out across the table and gently covered the back of Brodie's fist, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze. He didn't need to stress himself out. "Hey, hey. I love you. No one else has ever made me feel as special, as loved, as needed as you do." he said, realising how much he actually meant it. No one had had as much of a positive impact on his life as Brodie. He caressed the back of his boyfriend's hand with his thumb, running it across the surprisingly smooth skin, so different from the increasingly rough palm and fingertips the brunette had gained from his job. "I can see myself being with you for the rest of my life too, and maybe even beyond that. Brodie, nothing would make me happier."

 

[Brodie Summers]

Brodie loosened up when Aeon began rubbing his hand. He opened up the fist, and held Aeon's hand with both of his. Hearing his reply made him feel even better. "I feel the same way about you. You were the best thing that ever happened to me." he said before lifting Aeon's hand to his lips, and giving it a kiss. He wanted to just jump across the table, and hug his tightly, but they had other things they needed to talk about. At least now you know you could propose, and not make a total idiot out of yourself. Thats a giant victory right there. he told himself to help with his confidence. "Do you remember for a few months when we first started dating how I worked for that ministry wizard? How a lot of the time I was left to take care of his daughter while he, and his wife went out?" Brodie started, "Well I loved that little girl. She made that horrible job worth it, and it got me thinking, what if you, and I had kids? The more I thought about it the more I really wanted that. I want you, and me to have a family. That would make me really happy, and I was hoping you felt the same way." Brodie finished, and waited for Aeon's reply. He was a bit more confident this time, but still nervous about his reply.

 

[Aeon Summers]

Aeon nodded his head as Brodie mentioned his previous job, working for that arrogant ministry wizard who seemed to treat the man as a babysitter rather than an employee. It was absolutely disgusting, and he'd been so pleased when he first heard that Brodie was moving onto something more suited for him. Though he did remember how enthusiastic the man got every time he talked about the young witch he had to look after. When they'd first met, Aeon hadn't picked him to be the child-tolerant type. It was fascinating to see how much people changed as they grew older.

As Brodie continued however, Aeon found himself a little surprised by what he was saying. Children? Them having children? Aeon hadn't been able to see himself as a father, given his sexuality. He could never adopt someone else's offspring and even magic had its limits, but there were other methods he'd yet to look into. Surrogacy, for one. He'd always wanted a kid of his own, someone to pass everything on to, to carry on his genes for future generations. But it was never something he imagined would ever happen, he had no idea Brodie had any interest in them having kids themselves. Would they make good parents? The thought of it was both exciting and terrifying, he wasn't sure how he'd cope. "I, uh, phew. Wow." Aeon began after a moment of not knowing what to say. He realised he still didn't. "I mean, I've always wanted to, but given..well, you know. I didn't think it was much of an option for us." he said, almost mumbling towards the end as he processed the idea.

After a minute of silence, the wizard exhaled, realising he'd been holding his breath as he thought. Looking up, he met his boyfriends eyes and gave his hand a tight squeeze. It was such a big step for them to take. "A family of our own, Brodie. That's a lot to take in...I thought maybe we'd start off with like, a cat or a dog or something first." He smiled. "But I do feel the same way. I'd love for us to have children, you know, after you decide to finally propose to me and all."

 

[Brodie Summers]

Brodie listened patiently while Aeon explained how he felt about the matter. He breathed a sigh of relief when Aeon did feel the same way, but blushed, and laughed when he said he would prefer to start out with a pet. "Well it's not like I've started building a nursery or anything yet. Although I don't see why we would need a dog when you're such a good one." he teased while ruffling Aeon's hair. "A cat would be nice. You have to promise not to chase it around the house though." he added with a smirk for good measure. "Back to what I was saying before there are ways that the muggles have come up with for gay men to have babies. You take DNA from one of us, and combine it with a woman's, and then she has the baby.... I'll admit I've been looking it up. Just out of curiosity." Brodie told him. He could just imagine a little boy or girl running around the house. A little Aeon to cause trouble. It made him smile like an idiot just thinking about it. Suddenly the kitchen timer dinged, and supper was pulling itself out of the oven. "Well I guess that ends this conversation. Thank-you for listening to me prattle on about marriage, and babies. I love you so much." Brodie said while leaning over to give Aeon a quick kiss. He stood up, ran his fingers through Aeon's hair one more time for good measure, and started plating dinner.