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The smell of flowers and a nudge against his nose slowly roused Blitz into wakefulness. With a small snuffle, he opened his eyes to the pale skin and the snowflake hair of his husband peeking out of the comforter and protectively covering the small head of a tanned toddler. In his sleep, Hearth shifted, causing the side of his cheek to rub lightly against Blitz’s face.
Blitz could not help but smile. Hearthstone and Sable, the love of his life and the new life in his love; his two boys with him, warm and alive and safe.
As to not disturb his bedmates, Blitz slowly sat up and checked the nightstand. The clock read 8:07 AM. Sable would wake up soon, usually 8:30 on the dot, and start clamoring for breakfast.
Seeing as he was already awake, Blitz made it his mission to get some food ready before that time came around. He could spoil his boys a little bit with some chocolate chip pancakes and fresh orange juice.
Carefully, Blitz extricated the blankets from around his legs and shifted his legs to dangle off the edge of the bed, aligned with his wheelchair. Bracing his weight then on the nightstand and the wheelchair armrest, he maneuvered his numb lower legs into the seat before settling the rest of his body. He took a moment to ground himself, shaking off the cold of the morning air, and silently glanced once more at his boys. It was a perfect picture. Hearth curled protectively around their son, ethereal as they were surrounded by creme pillows and slightly pink sheets. If only Blitz had his phone. He would capture this morning forever.
The smile widening on his face, Blitz rolled out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him.
Blitz and Hearth met on the streets nearly eight years ago. Being homeless in Boston did not treat them well, and they were starving and freezing and sleep deprived. But, most of all, they were lonely. They were scared of the future. Of the present. Of… everything.
By fate, Blitz and Hearth found each other, scavenging in the same neighborhood of one of their mutual friends, Magnus Chase. They made awkward introductions and quickly took to one another’s personal histories.
Hearth came from an abusive community, ostracized at school and at home for his albinism and deafness. He was kicked out at eighteen years old. He had to drop out of higher education because he needed to work three jobs just to provide for himself. Even then, he was continuously ripped off on his paycheck and eventually fired. He was twenty four when he finally allowed himself to be consumed by the hopelessness of his living.
Blitz went to war as an upstart seventeen year old. He came out as a traumatized twenty two year old, with two bullets next to his knees that severed the nerves connecting his lower legs to the rest of his system somehow non-fatally. Medical bills put him in extreme debt, and he drowned in it only a year later. No one, not his parents or his sisters, all of whom coincidentally fell off of the face of the earth when he returned from his assignment, helped him. No one would hire him. He was pushed onto the streets, a fire blazing in his belly.
Hearth was twenty six when he met Blitz. Blitz was twenty seven when he met Hearth.
Soon enough, they discovered that they took to more than each other’s pasts. It was Christmas when Hearth cupped Blitz’s cheeks and kissed him roughly, passionately. Hearth kissed him because Blitz gave him hope and life. Blitz let him because Hearth quieted his fire.
Those few seconds were perfect.
As Blitz whisked the chocolate chips into his fluffy pancake batter, he thought about how grateful he was that Magnus lended them one of his late uncle’s estates to stay at without charge. Of course, with Blitzen now the head of his own business, Blitzen’s Best, and Hearth picking up some internships at different science labs, they would pay their longtime friend back whenever they could, which was still not nearly enough to cover the annual bills of the building. And still, Magnus simply told them that there’d be no strings attached. It was they’re house, as far as he was concerned.
The house was absolutely gorgeous. Even if Blitzen and Hearth hadn’t been homeless, there would have been no way that they would’ve turned a place as nice as this down.
Blitz detachedly gazed at the chandelier that hung over their oak kitchen table, a metal centerpiece amidst the off-white wallpaper and wooden floorboards. He was next to one of their many stoves, using one of their many bowls and whisks. Though the house was situated in the middle of a busy and elevated neighborhood, inside was quiet and warm, as if the walls were soundproof and insulated.
Blitz couldn’t be happier.
He chuckled when he saw Hearth lumber into the kitchen, still half asleep, with a bouncing Sable on his shoulders. The toddler was trying to touch the roof, thanks to Hearth’s height, but was thwarted every time he got close by Hearth’s lanky arms.
Blitz set down the plates of pancakes on the table and wheeled to his family. Good morning.
Instead of signing back, Hearth bent over without dropping Sable and kissed Blitz on his forehead. He soundlessly hummed, lips buzzing against Blitz’s black skin. At the same time, Sable reached out to grasp Blitz’s frizzy morning hair.
If only he had his phone.
With his batter-covered fingers, he lightly boop-ed his husband’s nose, taking satisfaction in the way Hearth then stared cross eyed at the foreign substance on his face. Sable gurgled from above and buried his own face into Blitz’s hair.
Yup.
Life was perfect.
He couldn’t be happier.