Work Text:
It had been a while since he had returned to the place where things had all started. He had moved away to the city in order to escape past problems, possibly running away from his past, but Jimmy wasn’t ready to face that quiet yet.
Jimmy had parked in the worn gravel driveway hours ago. He didn’t know why he hadn’t gotten out of the car yet. Maybe it was a sign that he wasn’t ready to do this yet. To re-enter the ranch where his life had started and seemed to end in the same place.
He didn’t know.
But he also knew that if he didn’t get out of the car soon, then he would be leaving here and going back to the city where his future there was safer, and more defined than moving his entire life back out here, where it was. . . unknown. Still undecided.
He wasn’t sure if that excited him, or scared him. Maybe it was a mix of both. Maybe this was still one of the things in his life that he was still unsure about, and would continue to be unsure about.
His phone pinged where it was sitting in the cupholder. Glancing at it he saw that Scott had texted him asking how things were going. Just seeing that one text from his fiancé, his mood lightened that much more.
It was through that small mood lift, that he was able to haul himself out of his car, and actually walk up to the front door. It was still the same light oak wood that he remembered. Logically, nothing had changed about the ranch itself. Absolutely nothing.
But. . it was him who had changed.
Letting that thought linger in his mind, tumbling and spinning around like a tornado, he dug through his pockets to find his keys. Fumbling with them for a second, he found his old childhood key from when he would walk home from school. The metal was faded and old, but it still fit in the lock perfectly.
It felt weird literally taking a trip down memory lane.
It was in the very living room that he was currently standing in, that things had both started and. . ended. He didn’t feel like thinking of that right now, so instead he decided to explore the house. He made his way to the kitchen, where he vividly could remember the first major argument that they had had. It was like yesterday that he remembered it.
~~~~~
Tango had just come home, and was absolutely exhausted. Jimmy had decided to start dinner, knowing that he would also be hungry as well.
“Hey love! I’m just in the kitchen!” Jimmy had called out upon hearing the front door open. Tango’s heavy footsteps had immediately followed, which Jimmy could hear him getting closer to the kitchen.
“This is new.” Tango commented, and for some odd reason it just. . brushed Jimmy the wrong way, though he just let it slide.
“I just thought that I would try to help you out by at least getting it started. I know that you must be tired.” Jimmy explained simply, with a small nervous laugh. Why was he nervous? He had no reason to be nervous. It was only Tango.
Though Jimmy knew that something was wrong, for Tango didn’t speak to him for most of the rest of the night. And when he did, it was an angry sounding one word answers. Jimmy didn’t like that, so he just let silence fall over them.
He was doing the dishes in the kitchen, when Tango finally approached him.
“Let me help you with that.” Tango offered, stepping up next to him near the sink. But for some reason it was just too close for Jimmy. He shuffled a step to the side, away from Tango, and continued to wash the dishes, while still allowing him to help.
“What, you don’t like me standing next to you now?” Tango snapped. Jimmy flinched at the tone of his voice, not expecting it. Where was this coming from? Jimmy had never known Tango to get this upset this quickly.
“N-no! Not at all! I-I just figured that I would give you more space to help!” Jimmy explained, he knew that it wasn’t the truth, but he didn’t feel like explaining the truth for fear of him getting angrier.
“Wow. Ok. I see how it is now.” Tango said, and promptly went back to washing the dishes, though angrier than before. Jimmy didn’t understand what he had done wrong. What did he do wrong? It wasn’t making sense!
“What. . what did I do wrong? Did I. . did I say something wrong? Tango. .” Jimmy trailed off, but Tango didn’t respond to any of it. Only continued what he was doing in silence. This just scared him more. They had always talked about how important communication was and understanding each other's sides of things. This was completely out of the blue!
“Tango. . ?” Jimmy tentatively asked, as they were getting ready for bed. Jimmy was already in his pajamas, being a pair of shorts and a baggy long sleeve shirt. Tango was still in the process of taking off his work boots, sitting on the edge of the bed. Tango let out a sigh before looking at Jimmy. He smiled sadly, and started to explain what had happened.
Apparently, he was just stressed over work, and let it affect him emotionally, and he hadn’t meant to turn it on him. Jimmy had simply accepted it and thought nothing of it.
Until Tango kept on making more and more passive aggressive comments. One morning, it just all boiled over into a full blown argument in the kitchen. Jimmy had expressed that he felt like everything that he did was invalidated in some form or fashion. That they always talked about how communication was important, but he never told Jimmy when something was wrong. It was like pulling teeth just to get him to tell him the problem! And when he did, it was always made a big deal of.
That night had not been a fun one. Tango didn’t come home until late at night, and left early in the morning before Jimmy had even gotten up.
That was their first major argument as a couple, and Jimmy wasn’t entirely too sure how to feel about it.
~~~~~
That had been a time in Jimmy’s life that he had tried hard to forget and move on from. The kitchen was still exactly the same as he had left it. Neat, clean, and organized the way that he had always kept the cabinets. The floor still being the same tiled floor, with that stupid old pattern that he never liked. It was all the same.
Taking a deep breath, and looking at his phone again, he hadn’t even realized that Scott had texted him again. It was just a simple I love you message, with a cute selfie of him. He was outside in the picture, teal hair brighter than it actually was because of the lighting, he looked like he was on his usual afternoon walk, for Jimmy could see the coffee shop in the background that he always went too.
It was the same one they had first met anyway, so of course Jimmy would recognize it. Thinking of that memory, quickly erased the other one from his mind, and Jimmy moved on from the kitchen, back towards the living room.
The couch was still that same one they had bought, and it still had that same dip in the left cushion that always got on Jimmy’s nerve, which also led to his preference of the right side of things.
Sitting down on the right side of the couch, it was here that he once again could picture one of their happier moments together. One that was pure bliss and happiness.
~~~~~
“Come on Jim! Hurry up! I’m gonna start it without you!” Tango called to Jimmy who was still in the kitchen making sure that their shared popcorn bowl had the perfect amount of both salt and butter.
“You can’t rush popcorn perfection Tangs!” Jimmy called back, as he once again sprinkled more salt into the bowl. He tasted one of the kernels in order to see if it needed more of either, but it was perfect.
Jimmy happily walked out of the kitchen, and plopped down on the right side of the couch, curling up next to Tango. Sitting crisscrossed on the couch, popcorn bowl in his lap, he put an arm around Jimmy's shoulders, along with throwing the blanket off of the back of the couch onto him, knowing that he always got cold during movies.
It was a simple happy moment. Both of them unaware of the heartbreak that both of them would be facing in the near future.
~~~~~
Taking a deep breath, pulling himself out of the memory, Jimmy sat there on that same couch taking things in for a moment. Letting out the sigh that was building in his chest, he pulled out his phone. He saw that Scott had messaged him again.
Yet another selfie, but this time, he was home in his apartment, sitting at his desk in his room, with a plate of food in front of him. He still had that same bright smile, and big blue eyes. Teal hair neat and styled as always. The message was a simple, ‘Don’t forget to eat! Love you ♥️’ . Jimmy smiled at the message, and sent a simple, ‘thank you, love you too’ back.
He sighed again, and put away his phone. Coming back here was harder than he thought it would be. It felt like the past was so far away, yet so close to him at the same time. All he wanted to do was forget about it and look towards Scott.
Scott who was his fiancé.
Scott who was his future.
Scott who was his love.
There was no one else for him.
No one.
So therefore, his past has no right invading his memories of this home. So instead of remembering the past, Jimmy got up from the couch, opened the sliding glass door to the back porch, and sat down on the step there. He didn’t even realize that he’d been here for so long, that the sun was starting to set.
But it was here, sitting here on the same porch, that he could picture Scott sitting next to him, smiling even brighter than the sun, looking at him like he’d hung the moon and the stars.
In this little vision of his for the future, he could see Scott revamping the old flower beds, planting all of his favorite flowers, and maybe even starting his own little vegetable farm.
He could see Scott sitting here, weaving the same flower crowns that he always loved making. Jimmy could see Scott in the kitchen, either making them dinner, or just baking as a favorite pastime of his. Jimmy could see him sitting on the couch, trying to figure out something for them to watch, and eventually settling on a cheesy hallmark movie.
Scott was his future, and he couldn’t ask for more.
For he was his future and there was nothing else to it.
Jimmy pulled out his phone again, and decided to text Scott again.
‘I think I’m ready to move out here. Only if you want to tho. No pressure.’ Jimmy hit send, and waited not even a few seconds later, when Scott had texted back a simple ‘Ok!’ then, ‘I’m proud of you sunshine ♥️’ . Jimmy smiled, put his phone away, and knew that things were going to be ok.
His past would no longer haunt him.
It would no longer deter him from creating new memories with the one who he loved with his entire soul.
For Scott was his future.
Nothing else to it.