Work Text:
in red velvet’s room sits a calendar. it is a basic calendar, featuring images of dogs on each month. the calendar itself was a gift from herb, his boyfriend, as the veteran had mentioned liking to keep track of the days. over each day that had passed so far, there was a small glitter sticker with a smily face atop. the stickers had ranged in color, going across all spectrums of the rainbow.
most would think that these stickers were merely a way to keep ahold of what today was. most would be wrong.
in fact, these stickers kept track of each day herb and he were still together. red velvet patiently waited for a day the stickers would abruptly stop, for a day filled with screaming and blame. yet the day had not come for a year. for each morning he would wake up with a phone buzzing with affirmations from the gardener, empty promises for them to stay in this ‘puppy love’ for longer.
the honeymoon phase would not last forever, red velvet knew. and so he sat, time passing like a river’s eternal flow, awaiting what he thought was predetermined. herb would come check in on him, often times carrying either a meal, a plant, or chiffon.
“you’ve been in your room for two weeks, darling.” one day, he states, carrying a withering taro.
“i am waiting.”
“waiting for what?”
“waiting for you to leave.”
to that, the green haired man lets out a shocked ‘hoo!’.
“do you.. not love me anymore, velvet?”
“no, of course i love you… it’s just the fact that we are stuck in a happy phase, no? you, too, will leave me.”
herb places the plant down gently beside the bed before practically jumping onto the other for a hug.
“i cannot promise that i will not leave ever.. but for now, i will love you.” he was not a liar, he knew that one day they will not be together. love is hardly permanent, but that is okay. “it is important for us to treasure ‘the now’, while we have it. you know?”
the black and red haired man only sniffled in response, digging his face into herb’s shoulder. for it is important to live in the present, rather than worry the future.