Work Text:
The sound of the bin lorry on the street below creeps through the open window, stirring Stede from sleep. He looks bleary-eyed around the room at first, not sure what has woken him. Until he hears the mechanical grind of the vehicle as it consumes its fortnightly feast of household waste.
Stede kicks off the duvet cover and stretches his whole body before reaching out for his phone on the nightstand. He checks the time… 7.30am… good lord why do they have to come so early on a Friday morning? It's not something that would usually bother him. Most Fridays he's already up, dressed and out of the house by now. Gearing up to squeeze himself onto the already crowded train that would deposit him, unceremoniously, for another fun packed day at the office. Or he'd be sitting at the kitchen table, staring at his laptop thinking it was perfectly normal to want to cry over spreadsheets… right? … right?
Today though.. Today Stede has taken a holiday, and he was very much looking forward to a lie in. Well, there was no chance of that now. Once Stede was awake, he was very much awake.
Still holding his phone, Stede starts his routine check of news headlines, emails, text messages and social media. He quickly scrolls through the different apps, nothing really catching his eye until he comes across a video. It's of a young man in his early twenties, standing in a street Stede recognises as being close by, asking random members of the public what makes them happy? It's such a simple idea, yet there is something about it that Stede finds extremely profound. He clicks on the creator's profile and spends the next hour watching different videos of people, all answering the same question. The responses are humorous, touching, inspiring and they leave Stede feeling more positive than he has been for the last couple of days. It also gives him food for thought. If the young man were to stop him in the street today, what would Stede's answer be?
He ponders this as he stands at the kitchen counter, chewing on a piece of marmalade on toast.
What makes him happy?
What makes Stede happy?
It’s a very good question, and he's surprised he's finding it so difficult to answer.
Think Stede, think..
Nature… nature definitely makes him happy, he decides as he takes a sip of tea and looks out of the window at the birds in the back garden. There was something quite relaxing about watching his winged visitors dine on the feeders and splash about in the birdbath on a hot day. Although.. he is forgetting about one particular magpie that is definitely out to get him. It surely can't be a coincidence that it defecates on his favourite red shirt the moment he hangs it out on the line to dry...
OK, nature has its pros and cons, but it's definitely worth a mention. What else? He walks out of the kitchen and into the spacious lounge, looking around him for inspiration. His eyes rest on the bookcases that line the full length of one wall. Books definitely make him happy. They have always been a means of escape for Stede whenever he has needed it. In fact, he's not sure he would have survived his time at school if it wasn't for the library there. He would often find a little snug and hide away from his childhood tormentors, the Badminton twins, and read. Oh great, now he's thinking about Nigel and Chauncey, that definitely doesn't make him happy. So what does?
Stede sighs as he flops down onto one of the sofas. Why is this so difficult? He can feel his phone vibrate through the fabric of his robe and reaches into the small pocket to retrieve it. It's a text message from Alma, she's asking if her friend Robyn can stay over next weekend when Stede has the children? He replies to confirm that of course it’s OK and receives a quick thumbs up emoji from Alma.
The children make him happy, of course they do. They can also be annoying and leave him feeling as if he's out of his depth at times, but he absolutely adores them. Now he's finally getting somewhere.. is there anything else?
His phone vibrates again, and he expects it to be another text from Alma. Gives a surprised laugh when he sees it's from his new friend, Ed. They met a few months ago at the music shop Ed owns. Stede had been looking for a guitar for Louis and didn't have a clue what he should get. Ed had been most helpful, and they had really hit it off. So much so that Stede found himself inventing excuses to nip into the shop just to see Ed. He didn't really have a lot of friends growing up and it was novel to meet someone he instantly clicked with. Their conversations about guitars quickly branched out to other topics and they eventually swapped numbers so they could talk at any time. They would no longer be restricted to Stede's visits to the shop. Late night conversations turned into invites out for coffee, to lunch, to watching Ed play guitar at an open mic night at a local bar. And today they've arranged to go to the cinema together. Stede can't even remember what film they're going to see; he's just really looking forward to spending time with his friend again. He replies to Ed's message confirming he's still on for later and decides he'd best get showered and changed.
As he massages the tee tree shampoo into his scalp, Stede sings along to the playlist Ed made for him. It was jam packed with Ed's favourite songs and some of them were just lovely… maybe romantic even.
Of course! That was another thing that made Stede happy… music! Probably the best mood booster out there. If he was feeling a little stressed or blue, Stede would put on some music and almost instantly feel better. He's been known to throw some shapes around from time to time too. Alma and Louis call it Dad dancing, but Stede thinks he's got a little rhythm left in him yet. In fact, Ed seemed quite taken with his twist at the open mic night. He even said that the way Stede moved his hips was fascinating. At least that's what Stede thinks he said, Ed did seem to find talking a little difficult at the time. Stede had wondered if he was coming down with a cough or something..
The intro of “Waiting for a Star to Fall,” starts to play and Stede lets out an excited squeak. He sways along in time to the music as he dresses in front of the mirror. Ed really has put together a fabulous playlist, Stede loves this song too! It amazes him that their tastes are so very similar. Take Stede's favourite red shirt he's buttoning up now, Ed had said he liked it the first time he saw it. That had made Stede shiver with delight as he puts a lot of thought into his outfits. Ha.. something else that makes Stede happy… fashion! He's on a roll now!
He hums to himself as he heads back downstairs and puts anything he might need into a tan shoulder bag. Taking one last look out of the window, Stede decides he's going to walk to the cinema. It will only take him half an hour and he has time. It's such a beautiful day too.
Walking always makes Stede feel better. He can literally feel the serotonin and endorphins being released into his body with each step. The warmth of the sun on his face only adds to it and he feels an overwhelming sense of calm wash over him. After a horrendous few days at work, today was exactly what Stede needed. He stops from time to time to admire the displays of summer blooms in people's gardens as he passes. Marvelling at the palettes of colour formed by different roses, dahlias, peonies.. They really are beautiful. He had always loved picking flowers when he was younger. He used to take them home and make arrangements in vases that he would dot around his bedroom. They filled the air with their perfume and brightened dull days with colour. That's until the Badmintons saw him one time and taunted him before they... Nope.. he wasn't going to think about that now. Only good vibes were welcome today. Flowers make Stede happy and he isn't ashamed to admit it.
Turning a corner, Stede almost bumps into one of his neighbours, Fang, and his dog, Captain, out on a walk. The dog's tail starts wagging furiously when he sees Stede. He's always been a big dog lover and spends a lovely few minutes making a fuss of the Border Collie. Having a dog would definitely make Stede happy, he can just imagine it now.. long walks at the park or on a beach somewhere. Maybe he’d invite Ed, and they'd take it in turns to throw a ball for the excitable pooch as they strolled on the sand…
Stede looks at the time and gets a bit of a shock. He'd really best be getting a move on or he'll be late. He still can't remember what film they're going to see, but he loves the cinema. There was something soothing about sitting in the dark, watching adventure or romance play out on the big screen for a couple of hours. It was one of the only times he could switch off completely and forget about the world and his troubles for a while. It was the same with the theatre. No matter what the production, Stede would end up fully immersed in the story unfolding on the stage, lost in the plot. Often to the point he would be left quite disoriented at the end and it would take him a few moments to rejoin reality. It really was the most perfect escape.
Considering he was finding it a struggle at first, Stede is quite pleased with the list of things he's thought of that make him happy. It was easy to forget that you could find comfort and joy in the simplest of places.
As he walks towards the cinema, Stede wonders if he can quickly think of anything else. That's when he sees him standing on the pavement… Ed. He's dressed in black jeans, a blue and white striped t-shirt and his long salt and pepper hair is tied up in a messy bun. He looks.. well.. beautiful. His face lights up when he sees Stede and as he starts to wave, Stede has to fight the urge to look behind him. To double check he's definitely the person Ed is waving at. He can't quite believe that someone like Ed is waiting for him. Yes, he's beautiful, but he's also funny, kind, intelligent and patient with Stede in a way that nobody really has been before. He doesn't have to pretend to be someone he's not with Ed either. He can just be and isn't judged for it. If anything, Ed encourages Stede to be his most authentic self. They also share an easy humour and spend hours laughing together over things most people wouldn't understand. Yet they do, they just get each other completely. There is no such thing as a wasted moment when they are together, every second is precious. The last few months getting to know Ed have been the most fun Stede's had in ages. He loves having a friend like Ed. In fact, he loves Ed… and maybe not just as a friend either.
Stede stops walking, the sudden realisation has taken the wind out of his sails. Ed looks confused and Stede tries to give him the most reassuring smile he can. He'll have to think this through later and find a way to talk to Ed about his feelings. He just needs to come up with the right words first. Stede also can't believe that it's taken him so long to realise the most obvious answer to the question he's been asking himself all morning. Why isn't the young man from the videos there right now?
Because Stede knows, without hesitation, what he would say to him.
He would say that he hadn't realised it before, but there are many things that make him happy, both big and small. One of the biggest reasons, without a shadow of a doubt, is the person hugging him tightly as they greet each other.
For the main thing that makes Stede happy right now is… Ed.