finally foud the missing part of me.
"We're almost there. Close your eyes," Joe commanded softly as he slowed down the car's acceleration in order to glance to his side. Nick was looking at him with a dull expression that emitted skepticism, to which Joe combated with a stern gaze of his own. "Come on, Nick! Close your eyes! I'm serious. I'll tie your scarf around your head if you don't," he almost whined, because he knew Nick would give in just to silence him. There was a triumphant smirk when he saw those eyelids slide shut, and he felt able to channel his energy into getting to their destination. After hardly five more minutes worth of driving ( and a few unappreciated comments from Nick ), Joe parked his car on the side of the road and told his brother to stay still. He felt his nerves starting to build up as he got out of his end of the vehicle, then walked around the back and opened Nick's door for him, taking his hand to pull him out of the seat and into a graceful lead. "Keep them shut until I tell you it's okay to open them," he warned. For a short while, the only noise heard between them was the sound of snow crunching beneath their feet.
"Remember when we were little, Nicky? Mom used to make Kev take us to the park, and he'd always end up ditching us for his friends. I'd get stuck here playing with you. You didn't know how to have any fun!" Joe said charismatically as he squeezed Nick's hand, making sure it was known that he was only teasing. He took a moment to look at his little brother in order to confirm his eyes had still been closed, and when he saw they were, he smiled and stepped behind him. Placing both hands over Nick's eyes for further insurance, he guided him carefully across the slick ground before eventually coming to a stop.
"I'm star struck whenever I look at you, Nicholas. I always have been. You make even the simplest places brighten in your presence - you ... you light up every single room you walk into. This is how I see the world when I'm by your side," Joseph cooed, his soft honest words bursting with a tender form of confidence. He leaned into Nick's ear and told him he was allowed to look as his hands slowly fell from his face to his shoulders, where they settled comfortably in an embrace. He felt his brother's form stiffen a little before relaxing in tune with a gasp.
"Joe ..."
The park wasn't glamorous in their childhood. It was in a secluded wooded area a few blocks down from the house they lived in, and it really was nothing more than swings and a rusty old slide no one else ever really used. Joe was hopeful, but still unsure if Nick even remembered it as vividly as he did. Tonight, however, their old getaway was shimmering with dozens of little lights he had draped carefully in the surrounding trees and along the poles of the swing set earlier that day. Their radiance twinkled behind the slowly falling snow and made the ground look almost as though it was sparkling in the glow. Joe couldn't stop himself from smiling at how nice it really did look.
"Do you remember, Nicky? Whenever I look back at the past, I always think about coming here and pushing you on the swing. You really liked it. And I remember closing my eyes and feeling so great for being the cause of your laughter, since I knew I was the only one in the world who could get you to sound like that. Whenever you told me you were going high enough, I'd step back and just watch with the biggest smile on my face ... looking back on it, I realize ... that this is where I fell in love with you."
There was another silence, and Joe could feel Nick's body quivering just slightly before turning around. Within that instant, arms were wrapped around him and lips were pressed gently against his own. Joe never knew such a simple kiss could leave him so speechless, especially after all the talking he had been doing. It was as though everything Nick wanted or needed to say was expressed through that one extravagant action, and Joe was touched by his brother's ability to show off his intensity in the most creative ways. Both their faces were flushed from the cold, and with the soft lights playing tricks against Nick's skin, Joe never saw him look so stunning. He took a moment to lose himself in his beauty, and he had a humble feeling that Nick was doing the same with him. "I love you," he finally said, the cool winter air that separated them turning warm.
"I love you, too," Nick responded, his finger carefully reaching up between them in order to push Joe's fringe away from his face. Joe's gaze was flickering between Nick's eyes and lips. "Joseph ..."
"Yeah, Nicholas?"
"... Will you push me on the swing?"
Joe decided there was nothing else he would rather be doing.
---
I love you, Caitie.
"Remember when we were little, Nicky? Mom used to make Kev take us to the park, and he'd always end up ditching us for his friends. I'd get stuck here playing with you. You didn't know how to have any fun!" Joe said charismatically as he squeezed Nick's hand, making sure it was known that he was only teasing. He took a moment to look at his little brother in order to confirm his eyes had still been closed, and when he saw they were, he smiled and stepped behind him. Placing both hands over Nick's eyes for further insurance, he guided him carefully across the slick ground before eventually coming to a stop.
"I'm star struck whenever I look at you, Nicholas. I always have been. You make even the simplest places brighten in your presence - you ... you light up every single room you walk into. This is how I see the world when I'm by your side," Joseph cooed, his soft honest words bursting with a tender form of confidence. He leaned into Nick's ear and told him he was allowed to look as his hands slowly fell from his face to his shoulders, where they settled comfortably in an embrace. He felt his brother's form stiffen a little before relaxing in tune with a gasp.
"Joe ..."
The park wasn't glamorous in their childhood. It was in a secluded wooded area a few blocks down from the house they lived in, and it really was nothing more than swings and a rusty old slide no one else ever really used. Joe was hopeful, but still unsure if Nick even remembered it as vividly as he did. Tonight, however, their old getaway was shimmering with dozens of little lights he had draped carefully in the surrounding trees and along the poles of the swing set earlier that day. Their radiance twinkled behind the slowly falling snow and made the ground look almost as though it was sparkling in the glow. Joe couldn't stop himself from smiling at how nice it really did look.
"Do you remember, Nicky? Whenever I look back at the past, I always think about coming here and pushing you on the swing. You really liked it. And I remember closing my eyes and feeling so great for being the cause of your laughter, since I knew I was the only one in the world who could get you to sound like that. Whenever you told me you were going high enough, I'd step back and just watch with the biggest smile on my face ... looking back on it, I realize ... that this is where I fell in love with you."
There was another silence, and Joe could feel Nick's body quivering just slightly before turning around. Within that instant, arms were wrapped around him and lips were pressed gently against his own. Joe never knew such a simple kiss could leave him so speechless, especially after all the talking he had been doing. It was as though everything Nick wanted or needed to say was expressed through that one extravagant action, and Joe was touched by his brother's ability to show off his intensity in the most creative ways. Both their faces were flushed from the cold, and with the soft lights playing tricks against Nick's skin, Joe never saw him look so stunning. He took a moment to lose himself in his beauty, and he had a humble feeling that Nick was doing the same with him. "I love you," he finally said, the cool winter air that separated them turning warm.
"I love you, too," Nick responded, his finger carefully reaching up between them in order to push Joe's fringe away from his face. Joe's gaze was flickering between Nick's eyes and lips. "Joseph ..."
"Yeah, Nicholas?"
"... Will you push me on the swing?"
Joe decided there was nothing else he would rather be doing.
---
I love you, Caitie.