selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos giggled again and shook his head. “No, uh… it’s the 11th. I was born on Mother’s Day… again, if that means anything to you.” He made a slight face. “It certainly did to my mother…”

“I’m surprised that wasn’t a thing around here, but it wasn’t, heh. Lots of traditions went to the wayside after the bombs dropped, think a lotta folks tried to hold on for a while but life got in the way, y’know? I’ll try to remember that though, I’d like to make the day special for ya.”

Carlos smiled at him, trying to shake off the pesky intrusive thoughts about the raging bitch his mother. “I’ll mark it on your calendar for you,” he told Hancock. “Though really… I’m absolutely happy with everything you’ve given me. I really am.” He started to tuck into the last few mouthfuls of his noodles, slurping them up quicker as they’d gotten colder and trying to savor the sodium chloride and other flavors.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos nodded, setting down his chopsticks again. “Sure. Absolutely, Hancock,” he said. He turned to lean in and press a gentle kiss to Hancock’s cheek.  “You’ll… let me know if it gets to be too much… right?” He didn’t even know when the guy’s birthday was yet, but he wanted to be absolutely sure he was getting a green light to do something small. Very small.

“Sure. You’ll uh…. you’ll forgive me if I ain’t too into the celebration, yeah? Or um…. if I need to take a chem break or two? Not gonna lie, I…. tend to spend the day high outta my mind most’a the time.” He poked at his food again, just pushing the noodles around in the bowl at this point. “When’s your birthday?”

Carlos nodded to him, leaning into the other man’s shoulder. “Um… well, my birthday’s in… May.” He chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood again. “I’m a Taurus… if that means anything to you.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos smiled at the kiss, feeling an absolutely lovely tingling sensation go down his spine. He then looked at Hancock curiously. “Why not?” he asked gently, going for his own bowl of noodles again. He tried to be careful not to make it sound like he had to know the answer right then… the way he said it Hancock could easily brush the question away for another time.

“Eh…. after my folks died it just kinda…. stopped happening.” He shrugged, poking at his food. “It’s been close to twenty years since I stopped celebrating and my brother didn’t really make much of an effort to keep it up either, heh. Just didn’t really feel the same without my parents, y’know?”

Carlos hummed as he nibbled on a noodle, trying not to make the gross noises he usually did while Hancock explained something so personal. He understood he supposed… he hadn’t bothered with his own birthday since… he was alone. Well, not alone, alone – not anymore – but the only other people who knew about it were safely tucked away in a vault never for him to see again. But still…

“Would you… mind too terribly if I were to get you something?” he asked softly. “Nothing big or extensively-planned, just… I dunno… a box of Snack Cakes and a ‘Happy Birthday’ kiss or something?” He tried to make the idea seem light, but he really did want to know what Hancock would feel about it.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos looked over at him and smiled. “Awe, but if you know when it is then how can I surprise you?” he asked, his voice taking on a cheerful and teasing tone. He gently nudged Hancock. “I’m just kidding,” he clarified. “Yeah, if you want me to I’ll mark ‘em on your calendar or something. Speaking of which, when’s your birthday?”

“Heh, surprises are fine as long as I ain’t feelin’ like I fucked up by forgettin’.” With a little smile, Hancock leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, eyes going back to his bowl when he pulled away again. “I uh…. I don’t actually celebrate my birthday anymore, haven’t for a long time.”

Carlos smiled at the kiss, feeling an absolutely lovely tingling sensation go down his spine. He then looked at Hancock curiously. “Why not?” he asked gently, going for his own bowl of noodles again. He tried to be careful not to make it sound like he had to know the answer right then… the way he said it Hancock could easily brush the question away for another time.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos put his chopsticks down into his bowl. He leaned into Hancock more, sort of cuddling up to him. “You do so much for me already, Hancock,” he said. “You basically let me live here rent free and you let me eat your food… you keep the nastier folks away from me because you know I can’t handle myself in a fight… Han, I get so much from you. Yeah, the holiday means something to me… but that was basically another life. I… I know the day doesn’t mean much to you, but I just wanted an excuse to repay you back at least some of the kindness you give me… you know?”

He could mention that he treated just about everyone that way, offering food and a safe place to sleep, but he did pay especially close attention to Carlos’ needs, he supposed. Still, in his mind, he wasn’t going above and beyond to make the other happy. “I….. I get it. I still feel guilty, heh, but I get it. I can learn to care about holidays and shit, it’s never really been somethin’ I’ve ever paid attention to, but I’m happy to celebrate with ya in the future, I just uh…. need to know when it is, heh.”

Carlos looked over at him and smiled. “Awe, but if you know when it is then how can I surprise you?” he asked, his voice taking on a cheerful and teasing tone. He gently nudged Hancock. “I’m just kidding,” he clarified. “Yeah, if you want me to I’ll mark ‘em on your calendar or something. Speaking of which, when’s your birthday?”