Happy Birthday, Erica Sue!
Today is ericaplease's birthday! Happy 21st! Try not to get too drunk tonight.
Here is a little birthday ficlet set in the same universe as The Meaning of My Life Is...
First // Brendon/Spencer // PG // 1,082 Words
Elle turns one on a rainy Sunday in February. What is supposed to be an outdoor party turns in to forty people crammed into their three-bedroom house, and Spencer has a headache brewing behind his eyes.
Brendon orders pizza, glaring forlornly at the abandoned barbecue pit. He turns on the TV for the older kids and winces when they find his game system hidden in the back of the entertainment center. Brendon has always been serious business about his video games.
Spencer rubs Brendon's shoulder as they pass in the kitchen, leaning in to press his lips haphazardly to the side of Brendon's face.
"Where's Elle?" Brendon asks, running his hand over his hair in a frantic gesture.
"I think your mother has her," Spencer says. He hasn't actually seen their daughter in over twenty minutes. It's distinctly possible that she's already been passed off to someone else.
"This is kind of a disaster," Brendon whispers.
There are people everywhere. Spencer can barely hear himself think over the din of voices. Brendon's nephew, Darien goes running by with a balloon. Spencer watches him hold it to the ground, realizing a second too late what he's going to do with it.
Darien lifts his foot and stomps on the balloon. The pop is deafening even over the crowd of cramped people. Some where in the living room Elle starts crying, frightened wails that Spencer knows are only going to escalate.
Brendon takes a panicked step forward and the doorbell rings, sending Dylan running toward the door, yipping frantically.
Brendon stops. Spencer can see the moment he spots Elle. She's crying furiously on his sister's hip. Kara is trying to soothe her, bouncing her up and down and talking in hushed tones. The dog won't stop barking.
"My baby," Brendon says. He looks toward the door again, takes one step before Spencer wraps his hand around Brendon's arm.
"I'll get the door. You get her," Spencer says.
Spencer takes the pizzas, tips the driver and hands the whole mess of boxes over to his sisters to sort out. He can hear Elle crying down the hall. His head throbs and throbs in time with her wails.
Spencer opens the door to their bedroom as quietly as he can. The hinges creak, and it sounds loud even though Spencer knows it's not. He winces and says, "Sorry, sorry."
Brendon looks like he's on the verge of tears. "Come on, baby," he says, kissing Elle's forehead lightly. "Just stop now. You're making your dad homicidal."
Spencer goes to their bathroom and pours out four Advil. He pops two and swallows them dry, taking the other two back into the bedroom. He holds out his arms for Elle, and Brendon passes her over.
"Hold out your hand," Spencer says, ignoring Elle momentarily as he drops the other two pills into Brendon's palm. He watches Brendon swallow them and says, "Go sit."
Brendon collapses on the bed, falling backward, draping an arm over his eyes. "Tell them all to go away," Brendon says.
Elle cries even louder when she hears Brendon's voice. "He's your favorite. Isn't he, baby girl?" Spencer says. He fits Elle against his chest and keeps talking as he walks back and forth across the room. "He's my favorite, too."
Brendon snorts from his spot on the bed. It makes Spencer smile. He leans in and presses a kiss to the top of Elle's head. "And it's not that I'm not fond of you," Spencer tells her. "You're definitely up there, but your daddy can play the entire Star Wars theme backwards after half a bottle of vodka, and that's just hard to beat."
Brendon says, "You're going to scar her. She's going to need so much therapy."
"Nah," Spencer says. "She's going to be a Star Wars fan too. She'll understand."
Brendon laughs. He pats the bed next to him, and it's only then that Spencer realizes Elle's screams have turned into breathy little hiccups. Her head is heavy on his chest. Her eyes are half closed, sleepy after all the effort she's made to show them her disapproval.
"Thank you, baby," Spencer whispers as he sits as gently as he can. He lies back, fitting himself next to Brendon, Elle spread out on his chest, her tiny body still jerking every now and then as she continues to calm down.
Brendon runs a hand lightly down her back and says, "Not such a great first birthday, then."
Spencer turns his head and cocks his brow, and Brendon has always been quick. He sees an invitation when one's given, so he leans in for the kiss Spencer's offering.
"When she wakes up we'll take some pictures, let her fling some cake, and in twenty years we'll tell her how it was the greatest first birthday in the history of the world," Spencer says.
Brendon kisses him again. "I really love you," he says.
"You really are my favorite," Spencer says.
Elle sighs sleepily, and Spencer's heart seems to follow suit with a long, rolling beat. He kisses the top of her head. He slides his fingers gently against her head, petting her soft, dark hair.
"Liar," Brendon says fondly.
Elle stirs a little, whimpering softly. They both hold their breath, trying to be as quiet as they can. She lifts her head and gives Brendon a cranky look, her face twisting up like she's going to cry again.
"Hey now," Spencer says. "That's no way for the birthday girl to act."
Brendon hums in the back of his throat, pressing closer to both of them as he starts to sing. "Yes we're going to a party party. Yes we're going to a party party. Yes we're going to a party party."
Spencer smiles, drumming his fingers against Elle's back.
Brendon sings, "I would like you to dance," and Spencer sings, "Birthday!"
"Take a cha-cha-cha chance."
"Birthday!"
"Yes I would like you to dance."
"Birthday!"
Brendon grins, biting at his bottom lip like he's trying to stop himself from laughing. Elle has her eyes closed again, and she's breathing deep and rhythmic.
"I think she's asleep," Spencer says.
"Mmm hmm," Brendon says, closing his eyes. "I didn't get to finish her song."
Spencer sings, "Dah-nuh-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah. They say it's your birthday."
Brendon presses a kiss lightly to Elle's cheek. He's still smiling. He's still looking at Elle. He tangles his fingers with Spencer's where they're resting on Elle's back and whispers, "Happy birthday to you."
Here is a little birthday ficlet set in the same universe as The Meaning of My Life Is...
First // Brendon/Spencer // PG // 1,082 Words
Elle turns one on a rainy Sunday in February. What is supposed to be an outdoor party turns in to forty people crammed into their three-bedroom house, and Spencer has a headache brewing behind his eyes.
Brendon orders pizza, glaring forlornly at the abandoned barbecue pit. He turns on the TV for the older kids and winces when they find his game system hidden in the back of the entertainment center. Brendon has always been serious business about his video games.
Spencer rubs Brendon's shoulder as they pass in the kitchen, leaning in to press his lips haphazardly to the side of Brendon's face.
"Where's Elle?" Brendon asks, running his hand over his hair in a frantic gesture.
"I think your mother has her," Spencer says. He hasn't actually seen their daughter in over twenty minutes. It's distinctly possible that she's already been passed off to someone else.
"This is kind of a disaster," Brendon whispers.
There are people everywhere. Spencer can barely hear himself think over the din of voices. Brendon's nephew, Darien goes running by with a balloon. Spencer watches him hold it to the ground, realizing a second too late what he's going to do with it.
Darien lifts his foot and stomps on the balloon. The pop is deafening even over the crowd of cramped people. Some where in the living room Elle starts crying, frightened wails that Spencer knows are only going to escalate.
Brendon takes a panicked step forward and the doorbell rings, sending Dylan running toward the door, yipping frantically.
Brendon stops. Spencer can see the moment he spots Elle. She's crying furiously on his sister's hip. Kara is trying to soothe her, bouncing her up and down and talking in hushed tones. The dog won't stop barking.
"My baby," Brendon says. He looks toward the door again, takes one step before Spencer wraps his hand around Brendon's arm.
"I'll get the door. You get her," Spencer says.
Spencer takes the pizzas, tips the driver and hands the whole mess of boxes over to his sisters to sort out. He can hear Elle crying down the hall. His head throbs and throbs in time with her wails.
Spencer opens the door to their bedroom as quietly as he can. The hinges creak, and it sounds loud even though Spencer knows it's not. He winces and says, "Sorry, sorry."
Brendon looks like he's on the verge of tears. "Come on, baby," he says, kissing Elle's forehead lightly. "Just stop now. You're making your dad homicidal."
Spencer goes to their bathroom and pours out four Advil. He pops two and swallows them dry, taking the other two back into the bedroom. He holds out his arms for Elle, and Brendon passes her over.
"Hold out your hand," Spencer says, ignoring Elle momentarily as he drops the other two pills into Brendon's palm. He watches Brendon swallow them and says, "Go sit."
Brendon collapses on the bed, falling backward, draping an arm over his eyes. "Tell them all to go away," Brendon says.
Elle cries even louder when she hears Brendon's voice. "He's your favorite. Isn't he, baby girl?" Spencer says. He fits Elle against his chest and keeps talking as he walks back and forth across the room. "He's my favorite, too."
Brendon snorts from his spot on the bed. It makes Spencer smile. He leans in and presses a kiss to the top of Elle's head. "And it's not that I'm not fond of you," Spencer tells her. "You're definitely up there, but your daddy can play the entire Star Wars theme backwards after half a bottle of vodka, and that's just hard to beat."
Brendon says, "You're going to scar her. She's going to need so much therapy."
"Nah," Spencer says. "She's going to be a Star Wars fan too. She'll understand."
Brendon laughs. He pats the bed next to him, and it's only then that Spencer realizes Elle's screams have turned into breathy little hiccups. Her head is heavy on his chest. Her eyes are half closed, sleepy after all the effort she's made to show them her disapproval.
"Thank you, baby," Spencer whispers as he sits as gently as he can. He lies back, fitting himself next to Brendon, Elle spread out on his chest, her tiny body still jerking every now and then as she continues to calm down.
Brendon runs a hand lightly down her back and says, "Not such a great first birthday, then."
Spencer turns his head and cocks his brow, and Brendon has always been quick. He sees an invitation when one's given, so he leans in for the kiss Spencer's offering.
"When she wakes up we'll take some pictures, let her fling some cake, and in twenty years we'll tell her how it was the greatest first birthday in the history of the world," Spencer says.
Brendon kisses him again. "I really love you," he says.
"You really are my favorite," Spencer says.
Elle sighs sleepily, and Spencer's heart seems to follow suit with a long, rolling beat. He kisses the top of her head. He slides his fingers gently against her head, petting her soft, dark hair.
"Liar," Brendon says fondly.
Elle stirs a little, whimpering softly. They both hold their breath, trying to be as quiet as they can. She lifts her head and gives Brendon a cranky look, her face twisting up like she's going to cry again.
"Hey now," Spencer says. "That's no way for the birthday girl to act."
Brendon hums in the back of his throat, pressing closer to both of them as he starts to sing. "Yes we're going to a party party. Yes we're going to a party party. Yes we're going to a party party."
Spencer smiles, drumming his fingers against Elle's back.
Brendon sings, "I would like you to dance," and Spencer sings, "Birthday!"
"Take a cha-cha-cha chance."
"Birthday!"
"Yes I would like you to dance."
"Birthday!"
Brendon grins, biting at his bottom lip like he's trying to stop himself from laughing. Elle has her eyes closed again, and she's breathing deep and rhythmic.
"I think she's asleep," Spencer says.
"Mmm hmm," Brendon says, closing his eyes. "I didn't get to finish her song."
Spencer sings, "Dah-nuh-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah. They say it's your birthday."
Brendon presses a kiss lightly to Elle's cheek. He's still smiling. He's still looking at Elle. He tangles his fingers with Spencer's where they're resting on Elle's back and whispers, "Happy birthday to you."