downfall;

         “That’s kind of an interesting turn on life -- maybe I really should give it a try. Lately I only ever get disappointed because things turn out worse than I wanted them to. Happiness is kind of what I’m looking for though, you know? I’ve had enough of the opposite.”

         “Oh, hell no. You’re not telling them anything. And it’s not even funny to think about that, Corey.” Parker was grinning himself as he spoke though, nudging Corey away as if to prove his point. “She’ll cry anyway. You know her. She doesn’t care for the pity talk either. --Yeah? You’re turning into quite the optimist, did you notice that?”

          “Actually, not right now, no. He’s working late tonight, so you’re not keeping me from my attractive husband.” Parker grinned, nudging her right back. “You know I have faith in you. But why would I leave you alone when that just means we’ll both be alone separately?”

          “Fine, whatever. We’ll go together,” Parker sighed, shaking his head. At least that would make it easier for him. Things were always easier when Corey was by his side. “I know I’m a grown man, but it’s not that easy, okay? I still feel like I’m a little boy around him.” He couldn’t say why that was -- what he’d done in life had rewarded him with plenty of nice words from his dad, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder if the disappointment was still there too. “I think my dad won’t struggle as much with it as mom anyway. She’ll probably bawl her eyes out.”

           “Okay, fair enough -- I’ve never seen it from that view, but you do get a point. Maybe in that case I should try not giving a shit more as well. Happy is strange for you? Really?”

        “It would,” Parker admitted with a sigh. Brushing a hand through his hair, he shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe he doesn’t, but I do. I mean, I’m grateful for what he’s done for us, don’t get me wrong. And if he could really help out with this, I’d be happy too. But it also feels like I should feel bad about not following in his footsteps, not being who he wanted me to be. You know what I mean.” It was a discussion they had plenty of times before, but at the cue to leave, he took Corey’s hand and headed for the exit right away. “Good idea. How about some take out at home?”

         “You really think everything’s shit? Doesn’t that give you wrinkles? I’m pretty sure it would give me wrinkles. Staying optimistic is my secret to staying young.”

          “I really don’t want to be responsible for broken hearts.” Not that it was an entirely unknown phenomenon though, Parker had to break plenty of women’s hearts throughout his life. “Hey, that could definitely be a thing. Maybe he’s putting more alcohol in your drinks than in anyone else’s, and who would complain about that? I’m not a fan of alcohol and even I have to say you can’t survive this thing without it.”

          “Why don’t you? That would really make me feel so much better.” Even if Parker knew avoiding problems didn’t make them better, the idea of Corey telling them instead of him was awfully tempting. “I don’t know. You know how he can be. I just... I don’t want to be in his debt for the rest of my life. And if he helped us getting a kid, then I would be.” Although Parker had to admit, he was starting to get desperate enough to consider that option. He’d accepted his father’s help more times than he liked to admit in the past anyway. “I just wish it didn’t have to be so damn hard.”

          “This is New York, you know. People bumping into you is just something you can’t get rid of around here -- they’ll always do that. You’re lucky nothing was spilled on you,” Parker smiled, shaking his head a little. “That’s what happens to me all the time, and trust me, having coffee or ramen all over your shirt is even worse.”

           “We can fight forever about that.” Parker rolled his eyes in amusement, even if his smile faltered slightly as Corey put his finger right into the wound that hadn’t closed yet. He was trying to look forward and not let it get to him, but he just didn’t know how to talk to his parents about that. Ever since the wedding, and even long before that, they’d been talking about getting more grandkids. And he didn’t want to disappoint them. “No,” he mumbled, shrugging his shoulders uncomfortably. “You know how they are. My mom’s going to bring us comfort food and my dad will hold monologues about all the people he could contact to twist this around for us. I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.”

       “Lonely cougars?”, Parker echoed, looking around in an attempt to catch whoever Nathalie was talking about. “I’m pretty sure they’ll turn away from me the second they see me hit the dance floor with my husband. So yeah, he’s here -- but probably hiding from me because of that plan,” he grinned. “And you? Having fun?”

        “You think that, but you are. I’m the one who’s always right.” Parker grew a bit hesitant at the subject of kids -- he wasn’t sure if talking about it was a good plan. Talking about it made him hopeful, and then he’d only be even more disappointed if it didn’t work out. “She’ll love her grandkids no matter their genes. As long as we have some, she’ll be happy. She still gets on my nerves because of it.” Parker hadn’t told his parents that they had been declined as adoptive parents, not ready for the conversations and not even ready for their support that surely would be there. “A boy first? Sure that’s her wish and not yours?”, he teased with a small smile.

         “And you were so wrong about that. It just took me dying and coming back from the dead.” Unable to hold back a laugh at the comment about his mother, he shook his head as he moved to the music, pulling Corey with him. “Guess you’re right about that one. She cries all the fucking time. And hey, I thought we agreed on the fact that I was the best catch in school -- you’re the lucky one here,” he teased. In the end, they’d both gotten lucky; Parker never thought he’d actually end up with someone he trusted and loved unconditionally, yet here they were.

          “Maybe. Who knows? Never say never, Corey,” he grinned, pulling the other out onto the dance floor as soon as he finished his drink. “We couldn’t even dance at our damn prom, I think you owe me plenty of dances. And you aren’t so bad, you know? Not when I lead you, at least,” he added teasingly. “Our wedding dance was great and you know it. My mom still texts me at least once a week that she watched the video and cried.”

        “We have fun at home all the time. We should have fun outside of home every once in a while.” Parker rolled his eyes, and his lips opened when Corey took his drink -- but he decided against saying anything just seconds later, as he was not in the mood to fight tonight. “I want to put the PDA on all the time, you know that.” Putting his arm around Corey, he tilted his head to the side. “Come on. You can’t let me dance on my own. I might find a better guy than you out there.”

         “There’s no way we’re leaving already. We came here to have fun.” The last thing Parker wanted was to be a downer -- he had always been the life of the party before he left for war. He didn’t need that anymore, but they were supposed to at least be able to go out and have fun. Leaning in, he pressed a quick kiss to Corey’s lips. “It’s cute that you worry and all, but I’m fine. You should better finish that drink, because I’ll make you dance with me.”