Work Text:
Twenty year ago
The teenager with dark hair and impressive eyebrows was definitely drunk, that was the only reason he was letting Jason lead him into some random stranger's house to get his fortune read. He rolled his eyes at the wooden sign adorning the entrance, "Madame Lazarus- Fortune Teller. He walked into the room and sat down in the offered chair and handed his $10 over to the middle aged woman across the table. She took the money and put it next to her before reaching out her hands to him. He gave her an incredulous look and huffed out his annoyance but put his hands in hers.
She closed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak. "There will come a time where you lose all you have and you might not realize it but what you will gain will make you so much richer than you ever imagined."
The young man let out a laugh, "My father is very good with his money, thank you very much."
The fortune teller just shook her head, "Your life will not always be easy, and you will be afraid to open your heart, but don't be afraid. I see a man surrounded by blue with a teasing smile and warm whiskey colored eyes--"
"Well blue is my least favorite color, so that is also a no from me." He moved as if to stand but she held on to his hands. He frowned but stayed seated.
"You will be blessed with a lifetime of promises and a world of dreams."
David Rose laughed and stood up, breaking contact with the woman. "Okay I have not had enough whiskey for this. Thank you so much." He signaled to Jason and they quickly left. A few minutes later they were in his bedroom on the Upper East Side, sharing a joint and everything that happened that day became a blur and was quickly forgotten.
Twenty Years Later
"Um what is this?"
Patrick looked up from the box he was packing and smiled as he saw what his husband was holding. "Oh man, I had forgotten I still had that!"
David looked at the small teddy bear, wearing what he assumed was a baseball jersey. "I didn't realize stuffed animals were a thing for you?"
Patrick laughed, "They aren't. I think I was about 8 when I won that at our local fair. It was the first time I had ever won anything without my Dad helping me play. If I remember correctly, it was the game where you toss the plastic rings and try to get them around the bottle neck? Anyway, it must have been in one of the boxes I brought with me when I moved here, and never unpacked."
He walked over to David and took it from him a slight smile on his face a he remembered the memory of winning it. "We can put it in the charity pile."
David shook his head, and took the little bear back, "Absolutely not! It's a sweet memory and you should keep it."
Patrick shrugged his shoulders, "Okay, those fairs were always fun, but I am sure you know that, I mean I can't imagine you on a roller coaster, but I am sure you have been to some, if just for the food alone."
David quickly looked down and suddenly got very interested in the box he was packing. "Um yeah, right. So many food choices."
Patrick looked at him closely and stepped closer to him, grabbing one of the hands messing around in the box. "Wait a minute, David, have you never been to a fair?"
David took a step back, rubbing his mouth with his left hand, "It's really not a big deal, it's just that fairs were not really a big part of my social scene. All those animals and people eating and dripping things everywhere, rides that make your hair messy and stomach drop? No thank you."
Patrick let out a chuckle but didn't press the issue, "Okay, well we better get back to packing. The movers will be here in a few days."
A few weeks later David was busy cashing out a customer when Patrick walked into the store a big smile on his face, holding a red piece of paper. He smiled as the customer walked past him and left. He walked over to the counter, reaching up to kiss David on the cheek.
"Do you have any plans on Sunday?"
David looked at him, eyes closing slightly as he tried to figure out what his husband was up to. "Well since our store is closed on Sundays, I planned on sleeping in and waking up to my husband making me chocolate chip pancakes."
Patrick nodded, "And that will definitely happen, but I was talking about later in the day."
David just shook his head, wondering what Patrick was up too.
Patrick smiled and handed him the piece of paper, "So it's a date then?"
David looked down at the paper and then quickly back up, shaking his head, "Oh no. No. No. This is not happening. I am not going to the Annual Elmdale Fair."
Patrick laughed, "Oh but it is happening my love, did you forget that you owe me a selfish after forcing me to sit in a mud bath naked with strangers at that spa in Elmdale last month?"
"I still can't believe you did that." He sighed, "Fine, but I refuse to even entertain the idea of going on any rides."
Patrick smiled, "Trust me David, you are going to love it. And I am going to work very hard to get you on at least one ride."
David just shook his head and turned to head into the back room, "Not going to happen."
Elmdale Fair
David looked around, eyes as big as saucers. "Look at all of it Patrick. It's beautiful."
Patrick laughed, reaching for his hand. "Okay David, but there is more than just food."
"But I want to try everything."
"I don't think that is physically possible but why don't we start with the first thing that catches your eye."
David looked around spinning in a circle. His eyes settled on a pink truck, "That one."
A few minutes later David was happily eating a funnel cake, making sounds that were slightly x-rated. Patrick just smiled at his husband, happy to be here in this moment with him. "When you are finished I thought we could check out the games, maybe I could try my hand at winning something for my husband?"
David smiled as he finished his last bite, "I would love that, but nothing too tacky."
Patrick laughed, "I will do my best."
He stood up, pulling David with him and they slowly walked the midway, finally Patrick stopped when he saw the bottles game. "This one, kinda like the old days."
He slapped down some money and grabbed a handful of rings. He lowered his head to the level of the bottles and started throwing rings growing more frustrated as he missed. David sensing his tension, rubbed a hand down his back. Patrick immediately settled down and focused and let out a cheer when the next ring he threw rattled around the neck of a bottle in the center. He threw up hands and turned to David a huge smile on his face and drew him into a hug. David hugged him back, laughing, Patrick's excitement was contagious. Patrick moved his head, kissing him on the neck before stepping back, "Pick a prize."
David looked at all the prizes hanging around the game box, a smile lighting up his face when he saw what he wanted. He pointed it out to the man behind the game who reached up grabbing a giant red heart with with a flaming arrow through it. He hugged it to his chest and turned back to Patrick, who smiled when he saw what he picked. Patrick tugged at his free hand, pulling him in for a soft kiss, pulling back, he softly sang, "I call you when I need you, my heart's on fire."
David chuckled, "What can I say, I'm sentimental."
They walked around the fair for a few hours, as David tried a corn dog, a caramel apple and a big plate of french fries. David finally declared he had eaten enough and they were heading back through the midway to the exit when Patrick stopped short.
David let out a startled cry at the sudden stop, "Patrick, what--?"
Patrick grabbed his hand and steered him towards a small tent with a wooden sign, "Madame Lazarus-Fortune Teller."
David frowned the name stirring a memory in his brain, but he couldn't bring it forward. "Really, Patrick? I never pegged you for someone who would be into having their fortune read."
Patrick shrugged, "I'm usually not, but I don't know it sounds fun, and where's the harm in it? We can laugh about how wrong she was about everything on the way home."
David shrugged but let himself be led into the tent. It was dimly lit and in the center of the tent was small table, with a elderly woman on one side and two chairs on the other. She smiled up at them, her eyes staying on David for a few seconds longer then necessary. He frowned and was going to say something when her eyes shifted away and she smiled at Patrick.
"Welcome, I am Madame Lazarus. Please sit."
Both men sat and Patrick reached into his pocket pulling out money and setting it on the table. It quickly went from the table to a small box next to the fortune teller.
She smiled and reached out her hands. "I usually only read one person at a time, but I will make an exception this time."
David looked at Patrick, doubt on his face but he followed his husband's lead and placed his hand into Madame Lazurus' hand.
She smiled, "Ah yes I thought I recognized your aura when you walked in, it's very unique." She looked from David to Patrick, " I see you found your man in blue." David looked at Patrick, the confusion on his face mirrored with Patrick's. "I'm sorry I have no idea what you are talking about."
Madame Lazarus only smiled, "I'm not surprised you don't remember, but that is neither here or there." She closed her eyes and squeezed their hands, "Now let me see what is in store for you." "I see a new home, red brick, with a large front porch. In the back is a swing set, a little boy with dark hair swinging on the swings, and a little girl, with curly copper hair sliding down a slide--"
She stopped as Patrick and David both pulled their hands away, chairs scrapping on the ground as they both jumped up from the table. They looked at each other in shock, they hadn't shared the news with anyone yet. When they told their families they were moving for more space, everyone had assumed it was for David's wardrobe and not because their family was growing. After being married for two years and after a lot of discussion, they had decided they wanted to start a family. It was something David never imagined, but he had also never imagined being married to the love of his life, and now it was something he wanted more than anything. So they had done their research on surrogacy and adoption and in the end decided on a surrogate. Two months ago they found out it had been successful and they both decided to wait until the second trimester to tell anyone, just to make sure everything was okay.
Patrick was the first to speak, "How could you possibly know--look I don't know what game you are playing, but this reading is over."
Madame Lazarus just smiled, "I don't play games, I read fortunes, even to those who aren't believers. Like your young man here. I met him many years ago, he might not remember, but I do. I told him about you--"
David let out a gasp and the memory came flooding back, "Oh my god. I remember. I remember. How--, I don't understand."
Madame Lazarus just smiled, "The future is not for us to understand, it just is. And yours will be full of love and happiness. Now go and enjoy your lives, our time is finished and I am tired."
David reached for Patrick's hand and looked back at the fortune teller but her eyes were closed and he wouldn't have been surprised if she was sleeping right there at the table.
They quickly left the tent and walked away heading toward the exit and their car.
Patrick looked at David, "I don't understand what just happened? Did that really just happen?"
David just shook his head, "I think so. How else can we explain it, there is no way she could know about--"
"I know, but I have to be honest David, I am freaked out."
David shook his head, "Me too. Let's just go home and have one or six glasses of wine."
Patrick nodded and unlocked the car, waiting until David was belted in before starting the car and driving away.
Six years later
David watched from the window as Patrick worked the grill and kept on eye on the kids playing on the swing set. Jackson was swinging on one of the swings, and David grimaced at the heights he cleared. He was an adventurous boy, always wanting to try something new, whether it be baseball or tap. He was the spitting image of David but had the spirit and soul of Patrick. His eyes flickered to Emerson and he couldn't help but chuckle at the mess of coppery curls on her head. No matter what product he brought home from the store, her hair could not be contained. He watched smiling as Patrick turned off the grill and walked over and bopped her on her button nose before reaching over and pushing Jackson even higher on the swing.
David turned and reached into the fridge for the potato salad he had made earlier and walked over to the opened screen door and headed out to his family. His future.