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It was 7 am when Trey woke. The soft buzzing of the street outside as the day comes to a start, the sun's soft rays peeking through their green curtains illuminating the bedroom... His eyes squinted at the blurred environment, he raised a hand to rub the sleep off his eyes, his brain slowly catching up to reality after exiting dreamland. As he did so, a faint sound caught his attention. A soft mewl, small but adorable. Trey couldn't help but chuckle at the sound. He knew who it was. Grabbing his glasses from the bedside table, he puts it on before shifting his position to face the one before him.
Ginger locks sprayed and framing his face, long lashes sitting perfectly with his closed eyes, the steady rhythm of his breathing, the slight part of his lips as he slept… Trey smiles softly, his chest filling with warmth and adoration when he tucks some of the ginger locks behind his ear. Cater, his dearest Cater, his husband, looks so beautiful being all relaxed and worry free like this. He cups the other's face, feeling the soft cheek with his thumb.
It has been three years since they had gotten married and Trey could never be happier. They moved into his home, his parents are delighted and are happy for both of them, his siblings are growing up nicely, the bakery is gaining more attention than it previously had, thanks to Cater's help with advertising and popularity since having gotten into the entertainment industry thanks to Vil's recommendation. They are living a good life together and it's the best thing he could ever ask for.
He shifts closer to his husband and gives him a kiss on his forehead, soft and lingering, his hands treading through the soft locks. He pulls away, then kissing him on the tip of his nose, then on his lips, lingering for a few more seconds than the forehead kiss.
"Mmrh…"
Trey's lips quirked upward. With a soft "chu", he pulls away, and grins, "Good morning, love."
"Trey-kun…" Cater groans, his eyes blinking awake, adjusting to the morning view, "Mmrh morning…" his groggy voice managed to say back with a sleepy grin.
Adorable indeed.
He leans in to plant a kiss on his shoulder and holds him close, his husband snuggling against his bare chest and sighing in contentment. He couldn't help but chuckle, "Cater, it's 7 am. We need to get out of bed."
"Not my fault that you're so warm and comfortable," came the muffled reply, "I wanna stay in bed."
"Cater…" he sighs fondly and slowly pries his spoiled cat of a husband off of him. He heard whines of protest and sheets shuffling but he ignored it, sitting up and adjusting his glasses.
He stood up and faced the bed, seeing Cater hug onto one of his pillows and cuddling it, almost falling asleep once more. He chuckles and headed to the bathroom, deciding to wake him up later and give him a few more precious moments of sleep.
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The moment he stepped out of the shower, a towel around his waist and while drying his hair, he can see the ginger sitting upright and rubbing his eyes.
He can see Cater blink at him, as if to adjust to the sight of him before starting, "Am I in heaven…?"
"Pfft," Trey snickered, putting the towel around his neck before moving over to his husband and pinches his nose lightly, "Nope you aren't."
"Stahhpppp," the other whines, lightly slapping his hand away, "And here I was convinced I saw an angel."
Trey smirks, "Weren't you saying that I was a beast last night?"
Cater's face reddened and slapped his arm this time, "Okay, stop!"
"Why are you so embarrassed~" he teased, with that smirk on his face, "We've been married for three years already, what's wrong with a little joke?"
"Not when I can barely register things when I'm half awake."
Trey smiled, his eyes soft and loving and decided to drop the act and kissed the ginger's forehead, "Go take a shower, darling. Breakfast will be prepared soon."
"Mmm~" Cater preened at the affectionate gesture, "Okay, okay I will."
After brushing some stray strands off his face and affectionately caressing his cheek and admiring his little freckles he usually hides from the world, Trey lets Cater head off and take a shower while he goes off to change into some clothes.
After changing into a fresh set of clothes, he headed to the kitchen, seeing his little brother and sister awake and eating breakfast, getting ready for school.
"Trey-nii-chan!" They greeted him, "Good morning!"
"Good morning, Mary, Oliver," he greets the two, ruffling their hair to which he met with whines that he could only laugh at.
"Nooo don't mess it up! I worked hard on brushing it today!" Mary whines, fixing her long green hair, which is a little lighter than Trey's. She pouts at her eldest brother, "Mean…"
"Why are you so fussy about it anyway?" Oliver asks, biting on a piece of bread.
"Cater-nii-chan promised to do my hair today! And I like how he does my hair," she glares at Trey, "Unlike somebody."
Trey laughs lightly, heading to the kitchen where his mother is at, and he notes that his father is not around and perhaps went to open the shop,"I'm sorry for not being able to master the different kinds of braids for you."
"Hmph!"
"Mary, don't be mean to your older brother," Mrs. Clover chuckles softly from behind the counter, handing two plates of breakfast to her eldest son, "He had a rough night," and Trey could swear he heard the slight tease in there voice and it's directed at him.
"Mom…" Trey mutters under his breath, exasperated.
She only giggled, "What? I didn't say anything, Trey dear," she insists.
Trey sighs, "Okay-"
"I hope you weren't too mean to Cay-kun last night."
"Mom!" He hisses, turning red, "And besides, didn't I tell you that I would be making breakfast from now on?"
She laughs and pats his arm, "I'm just kidding, sweetheart. And to answer your question, you and Cay-kun were very much asleep since you didn't answer your door right away. It was understandable, since yesterday was a busy day for the both of you, so I let you two sleep. And speaking of which, where is Cay-kun anyway?"
"Showering as we speak," he says, thinking about what his mother said and going to the dining table to set the plates down, "He will be joining us in a while."
She nods in understanding, "He told me that he has the day off today and would be helping in the shop. I told him he could take it easy and rest, but he insisted that he would help," she sighs.
He couldn't help but chuckle fondly, "That is Cater for you. But I'll tell him to take it easy."
She nodded with a soft smile.
"Yo, check it! It's Cater-nii's interview!" Oliver says excitedly, tapping his sister's shoulder to gain her attention and turn it to the TV playing in the background. The boy got off of his chair and barrelled to the couch, plopping himself on it.
"Wha- wait, wait for me!" Mary swallows the last of her breakfast, downed her glass of milk before speeding and joining her brother on the couch. Trey chuckles, taking a bite out of the egg then his eyes glossed over to the TV, eyes softening seeing Cater's face on the screen.
It was an interview after one of the recent modeling gigs he took along with Vil. The brand took off thanks to the two which boosted their popularity and more opportunities flooded in, which includes more endorsements and even movie role opportunities for Cater. Personally, he has no problem with Cater and his current profession. In fact, he's very proud of his husband.
He remembered the day when Cater had a difficult time explaining to him about an email he received from a well-known brand, wanting to know if he's interested in a simple modeling gig by the recommendation of Vil Schoenheit himself. Trey took it upon himself to confirm it with Vil, not failing to mention how Cater was in shock and asked him to confirm it because he's not sure if he could do it himself. Vil only laughed and confirmed that the recommendation and the email were real and it is no scam.
Trey couldn't forget how Cater's eyes lit up and his delighted squeal. He knew how much Cater admires Vil as a celebrity and role model. And the fact that he was recommended by the same person he admires to a well-known brand? Who wouldn't be happy for him at that moment? And being the supportive husband he is, Trey was sure to prepare an extra spicy ramen as a congratulatory meal for Cater that night. He received hot and spicy kisses as a form of gratitude.
He continues his breakfast while listening to the interview, and just a moment later his eyes are covered with a pair of soft, warm, hands.
"Starting without me~? How mean, Trey-kun," says the voice behind him, almost akin to a whining child.
Trey smiles before taking the right hand and kisses his palm, "I was waiting for you, but I was hungry."
He can hear Cater chuckle behind him and uses the same hand to pinch his nose lightly, "Alright, alright, I'm getting quite hungry too."
"Come and sit then," he pulls the chair next to him closer, "Mom made breakfast."
"Yes dear, go ahead, I made sure to add more spices on your portion," Mrs. Clover says, coaxing Cater to sit.
"You really didn't have to, mom," the ginger grins as he sits next to Trey, "Thank you for the food~" he says and starts to eat his share. He swallows and grins, "It tastes good as always!"
Mrs. Clover, "I'm flattered, thank you, dear."
Cater savored his food until he heard his own voice from the living room, "Oh they're watching the latest interview?" He asks.
Trey nods, "Yeah, the one you took the other day."
The other could only nod, chewing on his share of spicy omelette.
"Mr. Clover, we have a question that some fans would like to ask of you."
"Oh sure! What is it?"
"These fans would like to know what it was like working with the renowned fashion designer, Vanessa Diamond, after the dispute between the both of you."
Oh.
How dare—
"How dare he ask that question?!" Mary huffs, "The old hag doesn't deserve to see Cater-nii again!"
"Mary!" Trey and Mrs. Clover says in alarm, and from shock that the girl just said that.
"But ma, nii-chan, Mary is right," Oliver says, supporting his sister, "You know how she treated Cater-nii. She's anything but nice to him—"
"Yeah! She deserves to be punished!"
"Now, now, you two," Cater chuckles, then sighing, "That's already in the past, remember? There's no use in bringing that up anymore. Let bygones be bygones."
The pair of siblings pouted, "But Cater-nii—"
"Ah, ah," the ginger chastises, waving his spoon slightly, "How about we listen to what I'll say about it okay?" He says, urging the two to listen in.
After a while of debate, the two gave in and focused on the interview.
The Cater on screen looks quite taken aback by the question, but he schooled his expression to a practiced smile with ease, "Aha~ I'm touched that fans are worried about me," he answers, "But then again, as I've said before, I no longer associate with the Diamond name," he said with finality while leaning against his seat while playing with the wedding ring on his finger.
"I am a Clover now. There's no use lingering in the past any longer. My relationship with Madam Vannessa from here on out is strictly professional," the smile he gave was chilling, but it also won't accept any criticism. What he said was final and there is no changing his mind.
The eldest of the Clover siblings couldn't help the flutter on his chest as he listened on. He moves a free hand to intertwine with his husband's. He looks at him almost immediately, and then golden met green. Trey smiles as he lifts the other's hand and kisses his knuckles tenderly, he has nothing but admiration for his lovely husband at this moment.
It was a long journey to reach this point. Many trials and tribulations concerning Cater's own inner demons and family life.
He almost lost him once, and had witnessed the other having a cutter in one hand and his arm bare and ready for the cut a number of times. It scarred and pained Trey so much that ever since then, he promised Cater and himself to stay by his side through it all. He doesn't want his beloved to wither away before his eyes. He wants to help him heal. Help him pick up the pieces. It was a long process, and they were uncertain of how long it'll drag on. But Trey Clover is a patient man. And alas, the journey was worth it as both of them bask in the fruits of the long trek.
"I'm a Clover now."
Yes. A Clover. His Clover. He truly loves his husband so much.
"Cater-nii!" Their little sentimental moment was suddenly interrupted by Mary barreling to hug Cater, the impact making him let out an, "oof". And then Oliver followed shortly which almost made the ginger topple off of his seat if it weren't for Trey supporting it back in place.
"Cater-nii you're the best!" Mary exclaims, hugging him tight and giggling.
"Yeah! We're so glad to have you in the family!!" Oliver adds with a wide grin on his face, also hugging onto him tight.
Cater patted their heads with a smile, "I'm so glad to have you guys too," he squeezes them both, earning laughs from the two, "Because I get to have two silly little siblings for free!"
"Cater-nii!"
"Too tight-! Too tight-!!"
The ginger lets them go and straightens their clothes to avoid creasing, "Well then, Mary, let's do your hair now. It'll be almost time for you guys to go."
The girl nodded and went to settle herself on the couch. Cater chuckles and finishes the last bit of his food and stands up, about to take his utensils when Trey decides to talk.
"I'll take them to the sink. You can go ahead and attend to Mary," Trey offers, standing up, taking Cater's utensils and stacking them properly to make it easy to carry and move to the sink. His husband smiles at him and kisses his cheek, "Thank you, babe," was the response before heading over to the couch where Mary is waiting with her collection of clips and hair ties.
Trey chuckles and goes to wash the dishes, hearing Mary chatter about her favorite movie that her brother-in-law starred in.
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"Cater? Have you seen my toque?" Trey asks as he steps out of the changing room in his uniform, adjusting the sleeves and making sure no button was left unbuttoned.
Shortly after the kids headed to school, Trey and Cater prepared themselves for the day at the bakery. They entered the shop, greeting his dad behind the counter before going to change into their uniform that they used. In days like these, Trey usually helps his dad with the baking while Cater manages over the front counter with the customers. His husband is great with people and he sure is a great help when he was needed. But Trey also reminds him he doesn't have to force himself into it as he is only one man (not really because of his UM but still). He can only take so much.
Trey looks for his husband, all dressed in his own uniform, to see him taking pictures of the display of cakes while wearing the toque he was looking for on top of his head while Cater's own toque is tucked underneath his arm.
He truly does like messing with him, huh?
With a fond chuckle, he approaches the other, "Cater."
The other whips his head at his direction, "Trey-kun! Took you a while."
"I was looking for my hat and i thought i left it but it seems a mischievous little cat stole it from me," he says, his lips quirking up.
Cater only looked at him with his green, doe eyes, making himself look innocent as possible, "What do you mean??"
Trey huffs a laugh and leans in, catching the other's lips into the kiss. And as expected, Cater easily melted. He lets his guard down and wrapped his arms around his neck. Trey then slowly and sneakily reached out with one hand, while keeping cater in place with another. He then went and grabbed the hat off of Cater's head and pulled away from the kiss, putting it on with a smirk, "We will be opening soon, you better get yourself ready for the day, Cater."
He can see his husband pout at the corner of his eye, muttering about "how unfair" the move was before he broke into laughter, "All right, all right. We don't want to keep dad waiting," he winks before pocketing his phone, knowing it's time to work soon.
Trey walks closer and kisses his husband's cheek, "Mom also said that you should take it easy. Not because you offered to help doesn't mean you should work yourself to the bone. It is your day off after all," he reminds him.
"Of course," the ginger smiled, "I wouldn't want to disappoint both of you."
He just smiles and kisses his forehead before he hears, "Trey! Help me carry these sacks into the kitchen will you?" From his dad at the entrance. They saw a delivery of a new batch of flour that needed to be moved inside to replace the replenished supply.
"Coming!" He answered before looking at Cater, "Well, duty calls."
"See you later, darling~" Cater hums with a smile, talking on his perch behind the counter.
Trey smiles and exits the shop, helping his dad carry the sacks of flour inside, chuckling inside as he very well knows that his husband is admiring him from afar.
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It was in the afternoon when Trey decided to stay at the front counter with Cater for a while. His father told him he's free to take a break as the crowd began to die down for a while, so Trey decided to spend it with his husband. He and Cater were chatting and replenishing the display with new and fresh pastries when someone interrupted their chatter with the sound of someone clearing their throat.
"Should I report that two employees are chatting while on duty?"
Trey couldn't help but smile and turned to look at the familiar pair, "Riddle, Floyd. Good afternoon."
"Riddle-kun!" Cater beams, "Floyd-kun too!"
"Snapper and Sea Turtle!!" Floyd grins with a wave of his free hand while the other is wrapped around his lover.
"Good afternoon to you too," Riddle offers them a smile of his own, "We would like to know if you both could spare some time? We would like to discuss something with you two."
The married pair looked at each other before nodding, "Of course," Trey adjusts his glasses, "Do you guys want the usual?"
"Yeeeeppp," the eel answered, squeezing the shorter one close who then scolds him about too much affection in public. Trey could only chuckle, knowing that will only fall into deaf ears. The two headed to an empty table and sat down together, chatting away. More like Floyd speaking and giving Riddle attention while the other just reacts accordingly, being used to the eel's antics and displays of affection.
"Okay~ I'll prepare the tea for Riddle-kun," Cater says, heading to brew some fresh tea, leaving Trey to prepare the slices of strawberry tarts for the pair.
A little while later, they delivered the tarts, tea, and soda (for Floyd) and sat down across from the two. Floyd dug into his treat, humming at how delicious it was. Riddle did too, but didn't exactly vocalize it. However, the delight in his dark blue eyes was enough as evidence that he is satisfied with his treat. They let the two have their fill first and then engaged in small idle chatter.
"Soooo," Trey can hear Cater start, "How are you two recently? Is there any news??"
Riddle sipped his tea before putting the cup down, "Well, we wanted to discuss something with both of you. But first we have an announcement to make. We—"
"Goldfishie and I are getting married!!" Floyd proudly proclaimed as he held up Riddle's hand, earning a, "Hey!" From the redhead from the sudden action. On Riddle's left ring finger, is where an engagement ring glimmered under the afternoon sun. It is a simple ring with a band of rose gold and it sports a small diamond at the center. Floyd then also showed his own engagement ring, almost identical to Riddle's, only it has a silver band and the diamond is a little smaller.
Trey and Cater's eyes widened, before their lips broke into a grin. The latter spoke out first, "OMG congrats to you two!!" He says, laughing in delight, "About time you two tie the knot!!"
"Congratulations," Trey says, he couldn't help but feel very happy for his childhood friends, "You two would definitely make a wonderful family."
Riddle's face warmed up and he suddenly became shy, but he still smiled at the two, "Thank you. We really appreciate it."
"Who proposed first??" Cater asks, curious.
Floyd laughed and answered, "You see, we actually proposed together!"
"Really?" Now Trey was curious on how it led to that.
"Mm," Riddle nods, "We had a date at a seaside restaurant and just finished our meals when Floyd was acting off. I wanted to ask what's wrong when he suddenly bent down and popped the question."
"It was so sudden that I believe I took a couple of minutes to process that I was starting to leave him hanging," the redhead chuckles.
Floyd nodded, confirming Riddle's telling of events, "Mhm. And then when goldfishie came to, he said yes. I wanted to hug and squeeze him so bad but he told me to stay before he pulled out his own ring and proposed to me too!" The grin on Floyd's face was too blinding.
"That's so romantic!" the ginger squeals next to him, "You guys totally deserve a grand wedding. Oh, oh, maybe make it a beach wedding too!"
"We'll take note of that. Though I would've preferred anything but too grand," Riddle chuckles, "We were discussing the plans the past week and we were wondering if you two could help us with the wedding cake," Riddle looks at him before he turns to Cater, "And being my best man."
Trey blinked, processing the information, and he can tell Cater is too. After a short while he decided to speak, "It would be my honor," he grins, "As your childhood friend, I would love to bake a cake for your wedding."
"I would be honored too!" His husband chirped, "Riddle-kun is like my little brother, so I would be so happy to come to his wedding as his best man!"
Riddle almost spluttered at the 'little brother' part. Trey laughs, figuring it was the first time he was addressed by Cater and he's just caught off guard. He brings the cup of tea to his lips when Floyd starts talking.
"We're very happy to hear that~" Floyd says, before addressing Riddle, "Oh and goldfishie, wanna get adopt our own little guppies after the honeymoon?"
For the second time of the day, Riddle almost spluttered, this time on his tea, "G-Guppies? You mean kids-?"
"Why not? I'm sure they'll be just as cute as my little goldfishie~"
Trey couldn't help but laugh along with Cater at the flustered and red face Riddle was displaying. It seems like despite all that planning, they haven't reached the topic of kids yet.
"Oh yes! I would love to have some cute little godchildren, Riddle-kun!" Cater jokingly adds with a snicker.
Riddle composed himself, calming down, "W-we'll discuss it at home."
"Yay~" Floyd grins, kissing Riddle on the cheek, to which the other huffs at.
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The four discussed more and as it was time to go, the married pair escorted the newly engaged couple to the exit as they are to meet up with Jade and Azul soon.
"Let's meet up once more to discuss more details," Riddle said, holding onto the eel's hand, "I will send a message ahead. And until then, we wish you two the best," he ends with a smile.
Trey chuckles, "We should be saying that to both of you. Congratulations on your engagement. And we'll be here if you two need anything."
"Much appreciated," the redhead nods, slowly turning around to leave, "See you two around, Trey, Cater."
"Bye~ bye~" Cater hums, waving them off.
"Bye snapper, bye sea turtle!" Floyd waves before following after Riddle. They went to their car, with Floyd opening the passenger's seat door for Riddle to occupy his seat before closing it and heading over to the driver's seat. Soon enough, they drove off.
Trey watches the car leave, letting his mind wander off for a while.
"Oh yes! I would love to have some cute little godchildren, Riddle-kun!"
Kids huh…
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Trey had already washed his face and brushed his teeth, getting ready for bed. After Riddle and Floyd's visit, it was uneventful and the day went by as usual. Cater is already in bed, scrolling through his phone and waiting for him to come and lay next to him so that they could cuddle.
He steps out of the bathroom and closes the door behind him, going to his usual spot on the bed and sits down on the edge, placing his glasses on the bedside table. He can hear shifting of fabric and the small sound of a phone case against wood. Trey laid down and faces his husband, who quickly, almost immediately, wrapped his arms and legs around him. He couldn't help but chuckle. He kisses the crown of ginger locks before running his hand through it, admiring its color and slinky texture. The hold around him tightened and he suppressed another chuckle.
Cater acts like a koala sometimes.
He was suddenly distracted by the other calling his name, "Trey-kun."
"Mm? Yes?" He answers, letting Cater know he is paying attention.
"What do you think about…adopting kids?"
His hand halted as he processed the question. Cater wants to adopt? He needs to double check—
He pulls away slightly from the cuddle and observes Cater's face. He may not have his glasses right now, but he knows Cater isn't meeting his eyes. He probably is avoiding his gaze, and probably playing with his hair too. This means Cater is nervous and unsure.
Trey uses one hand to cup his face, "Is that what you truly want?" He asks.
Cater spluttered, "I-I just think we're ready for them— I mean, if Trey-kun still doesn't think the same then it's okay—"
He shuts him up with a kiss. Pressing his lips firmly into Cater's pair of soft ones to shut him up. He's very happy. He was thinking about asking the same thing to Cater all day, ever since Floyd brought the topic up, but to think Cater thought of the same thing too? He's over the moon.
He pulls away, not even trying to hide his (probably) goofy looking smile, "I would love to," he kisses his forehead, "I would love to have our own little one," one on his nose, "I was wondering when I could ask what you think too," and then finally on his lips once more, "Our own child. A little one we could call ours. My child with you."
Cater smiles, leaning against his chest, "Our little one," he says softly, "I'm sure you'll be a wonderful father. Because Trey-kun is just wonderful like that."
He could only pull Cater closer, kissing his temple and closing his eyes, "And you will be just as a wonderful father to the child as well."
Trey can't wait for morning to come. So that he could discuss everything with his husband about their plans to welcome the new addition to their family.
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"Floyd."
"Hm?"
"Was it really necessary to drop that topic in front of Trey and Cater?"
"Ehhh why not? Those two have been married for three years and they still don't have a kid. And besides, knowing them, they pretty much make the cut."
"But that doesn't mean we should enforce it on them."
"It's more like giving them an idea, goldfishie~ Besides, I'm willing to bet in a week or two, they will also have some news of their own~"