selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

“Neither I, you,” Carlos returned gently. He leaned into Hancock and nuzzled a bit into his neck at the kiss. He was being real here… he had absolutely no idea where he’d be if he hadn’t met Hancock. Definitely not in a good place. He was actually able to think about Christmas and birthday presents of all things! It was… it was just incredible and he was so lucky.

Hancock went quiet, three little words stuck on the tip of his tongue, though he was afraid to actually speak them. Instead, the ghoul all but climbed into his lap and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tight and turning his face into his neck to press another kiss to his skin. “I’m so glad you walked into my life, sunshine. Guys like me shouldn’t be so lucky.”

“Observed statistics say I shouldn’t be this lucky either,” Carlos murmured, holding him. “Thanks for saving my butt from my own stupidity… I am so unbelievably grateful to be here with you.” Thinking about what could have happened weighed really heavy on Carlos’ heart. Somehow, he got a chance to pull himself up when others don’t. It wasn’t fair, but Carlos was very grateful. Just… so grateful.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos huffed slightly. “I think my opinion matters quite a bit,” he responded. “I’m a
scientist, Hancock – we’re known for being pretty smart.” He set down his bowl
of broth and wrapped his arms around Hancock, hugging him tightly. “You’re a
good thing, Hancock, I promise,” he said, his tone a little more serious. “If
you weren’t here, I probably wouldn’t be here either. Nor would a lot of people be.”

That got a laugh out of the ghoul, he hadn’t expected that kind of sass from the other man, but he had to admit, he liked it. As Carlos went on, Hancock went quiet again, a small smile still on his lips as the other hugged him and he leaned into him slightly, giving a small nod. “Alright.” He murmured softly, looking over and tilting his chin up to press a kiss to his cheek. “You’re too good to me, sunshine. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Neither I, you,” Carlos returned gently. He leaned into Hancock and nuzzled a bit into his neck at the kiss. He was being real here… he had absolutely no idea where he’d be if he hadn’t met Hancock. Definitely not in a good place. He was actually able to think about Christmas and birthday presents of all things! It was… it was just incredible and he was so lucky.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos was just about ready to drink down his broth, but he
wanted to wait a second to say something to Hancock – something that he hoped the
ghoul would take to heart.  “Well, something good had to happen,” Carlos
told him. “I mean… you’re here after all.” He gave Hancock a smile. He was a
bit embarrassed by the sappiness, but he made himself watch Hancock to see how
he took it.

A soft snort escaped, he should have figured Carlos would say something cheesy like that, but it did bring a smile to his face. He stared down at his hands, a slightly sad look coming to his eyes. “I guess you’re right, heh. Think that might be a matter of opinion though. But…. thank you, sunshine, you’re too sweet.”

Carlos huffed slightly. “I think my opinion matters quite a bit,” he responded. “I’m a
scientist, Hancock – we’re known for being pretty smart.” He set down his bowl
of broth and wrapped his arms around Hancock, hugging him tightly. “You’re a
good thing, Hancock, I promise,” he said, his tone a little more serious. “If
you weren’t here, I probably wouldn’t be here either. Nor would a lot of people be.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos listened to the other’s reasons, nodding as he could
understand. Don’t make it a big deal then… he could do that. Too bad he missed
it the first time around, but… it explained Hancock practically disappearing on
him last month, now that he realized it. “Your secret’s safe with me, Han. I
promise.”

He then looked at Hancock and smiled at him. “And… as for
the meteor shower, that was just the first time it was recorded since the United
States became a thing,” he corrected. “That was maybe five hundred years ago.
Of course it’s always been happening, just… that was when the United States
first observed it and wrote it down.”

“Thanks, sunshine, I appreciate it.” He offered a weak little smile and leaned in to peck him on the cheek lightly. Hancock took a few more bites of his noodles as Carlos spoke, setting the bowl down once it seemed to be just broth left. “Ah, of course, heh. That makes more sense. Still a pretty cool little fact. Who knew anythin’ good happened on my birthday, huh?”

Carlos was just about ready to drink down his broth, but he
wanted to wait a second to say something to Hancock – something that he hoped the
ghoul would take to heart.  “Well, something good had to happen,” Carlos
told him. “I mean… you’re here after all.” He gave Hancock a smile. He was a
bit embarrassed by the sappiness, but he made himself watch Hancock to see how
he took it.

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.