Chapter Text
Exer was quite the romantic person (though if you ask him about it he’d deny it.) So when it came to David, his best friend turned boyfriend, he always went all out.
As he thinks back on the last decade of his life he realized that when it came to David. He had always been fluent in all five love languages, even if he hadn’t noticed at the time, his way of showing it had just evolved and changed alongside them as they grew up.
Firstly there was gift giving.
It quite literally started when they met.
Back at the old arcade, a very outgoing 8 year old Exer had met a very shy 8 year old David.
He had seen the blond struggling with one of the claw machines, and swooped in quickly to start a conversation.
“Hi!” He waved
“Hello?” The taller boy replied quietly.
“Want some help? I'm really good at claw machines!” He offered. The other boy just stared back for a little bit, before stepping aside and nodding.
“I’m Exer by the way” he smiled as he took some quarters from his pocket and inserted them into the machine.
“My name’s David”
“I like that name,” he said. He meant it too. He had decided then that it was one of his favorite names.
“Thank you”
“Now watch how it’s done” he confidently said as he moved the little stick that controlled the claw. He didn't have to, really, it was just theatrics. He rarely willingly used his magic, if at all, but he had to win right now.
David watched as the claw firmly grasped a blue sea turtle plushie and quickly dropped it into the winner box.
“Woah you weren’t kidding!” He beamed.
“Here you go!” Exer said with outstretched arms and a wide smile.
Blue eyes went wide.
“No, you won that with your own money, i can just-“ “Nah, i won this for you! It's a gift.” Exer interrupted.
David stood still for a few seconds, hesitating before grabbing the turtle slowly, still looking at Exer. The plushy was made of cheap fabric and it had a small embroidered word on one fin that neither of them could decipher (it was written in cursive).
“Thank you” he smiled, and Exer knew he’d found his best friend.
They spent the rest of the day together at the arcade, and once they found out that they both went to the same school, became inseparable.
That blue sea turtle now sat on a bookshelf in Brenda’s room, which was now also David’s.
It was one of the first things he had packed when he was kicked out. A simple reminder of better times, back when his biggest worries were what game to play next at the arcade, or learning how to tie his shoes by himself.
A reminder that no matter how hard things get, Exer would be there for him.
-
When they were twelve, Exer had saved up enough money from doing chores as well as countless lemonade stands.
David’s birthday was rapidly approaching, and he had made it his mission to get him an action figure from one of his favorite shows.
An actual, official, good-quality figure.
He never forgot the smile on David’s face when he opened his gift after his and Brenda’s birthday, when everyone had already left and the only people left were the Millers and himself.
-
Not every gift had to be big, nor did it always need to last long enough for either of them to assign any degree of emotional value to it.
Sometimes it was really simple.
A muffin and a latte, A postcard with a cat on it, flowers from the front yard, the list was endless.
Despite this, Exer would sometimes cave into buying more significant and lasting gifts for his boyfriend. He had his own salary after all.
A bracelet with a turtle charm on it (“it reminds me of when we first met”).
A blue hoodie with bees embroidered on the sleeve. (“I know this won't stop you from taking my sweaters, but i think it suits you”).
A necklace with his initials on it (“D as in David. D as in Dashing, Dearest, Delightful, Darling and any other sappy word i can come up with- Hey! Don't laugh at me!”).
Exer knew David felt like he had to repay him, no matter how many times he told him that simply existing was enough.
It was cliché, sure, but he didn’t care.
It was true after all.