#bench swing

Bench Swing along the Snowy Reedy River

Mr the Mung Bean in "his" swing taking a nap.

"Did you need something?"

"If not, pleez to go away now as I am in a Reserved For Mung Area and not to be disturbed. Thanx."

the wood is dilapidated,

there aren't many benches like this.

‎ not here.

this one has a plank,

that looks like a broken bone.

ash gray, créme mixed with gleep.

hollow, yet earthy—

it don't mean a thing

So this was a cute idea. I am so sorry ahead of time for grammar mistakes bc me and sleep aren't on the same page.

One Year Together

TJ paced his room anxiously, while Marty and Jonah sat on his bed, listening to the taller boy ramble. "It has to be perfect, you know? Like this is a big deal. As of this Saturday…"

Marty cuts him off "As of this Saturday, you and Cyrus have been together for a whole year. Dude, we know. You have told us at least 100 times. Plus you forget, Buffy and I share the same anniversary so I definitely know how important Saturday is."

"Sorry, I know I keep talking about it, I just want him to have the best time."

"Teej" Jonah speaks up, "Literally Cyrus loves everything you do. I don't think you should worry so much about it."

"Easier said than done. What if my plan doesn't work out? I want it to be sickeningly sweet and romantic." TJ flops down on the chair near his bed. He gets this day-dreamy look on his face. "Can you imagine? We grab lunch at The Spoon, and then I surprise him with tickets to that traveling dinosaur exhibit that is coming this weekend. It's going to have these lifelike models of dinosaur robots who's heads move and stuff placed around the entire thing.We would walk around it together and I would listen to him talk about each one in such detail. God he is so smart." TJ gushes before continuing on. "After a while I would pull out a homemade chocolate chocolate chip muffin and give it to him. Then when we leave, I would take him to the park and we could swing together. And then just as the sun starts to set, I would say it. I will tell Cyrus I love him."

By this point, both of his friends are giving TJ weird looks. Jonah subconsciously rolls his eyes. He still doesn't get the point of all this romance stuff. 

Marty asks "Since when is TJ Kippen  a planner? Aren't you more of a wing it and see what happens kind of guy?" 

"I mean usually but I don't know, man. I just want to do this right for Cyrus."

"Just relax okay? Whatever is meant to happen will happen. "

"Is that right?" TJ asks sarcastically "So are you telling  me you have nothing special planned for Saturday with Buffy?"

"I didn't say that. We are actually going to rewatch White Fang and order take out. So yeah, I have plans but I am not stressed about them. I know Buffy likes me or we wouldn't still be together. Just like you should know that Cyrus likes you and he will probably love whatever you do."

TJ knows objectively that Marty is right. Cyrus cares about him. He shows him that everyday in the little things he does. Cyrus, since he has met him, has always been on his side. He has been the one to believe in him even when he hasn't believed in himself. But that is the exact reason this Saturday has to go right. Cyrus deserves it. Plus, he has never said I love you to him before but he does love him and he wants Cyrus to know.

So despite his friends' advice he keeps worrying. In fact he spends everyday until his anniversary worrying  and working out everything that could go wrong.

The night before the big day, TJ hardly sleeps. He is too excited? or maybe nervous? Maybe both. Anyhow he gets up really early. A little later  Amber finds him in front of his bedroom mirror trying to style his hair just right.

"You know he likes your hair better when you don't put all that gel in." Amber replies from the doorway.

"How do you know? He has never said that to me." TJ says defensively.

"No but Andi told me that he literally spent 20 minutes raving about "how cute your hair was when it was super fluffy" in their group chat. "

"Crap. Really?" TJ says panicking.

"Yea but don't worry. I'll help you out."

Twenty minutes later they have the extra gel rinsed out of his hair and Amber is helping him pick out the perfect outfit. They go with a teal shirt and a nice pair of jeans. Not too dressy, but he still looked nice. When they are finally satisfied by how he looks, Amber gives him a big hug.

"What was that for?" He asks when she pulls away.

"I just want you to know it is going to be okay. " She smiles at her little brother. "Cyrus is going to like whatever you do."

"Everyone keeps saying that but what if he doesn't. What if because of some horrible twist of fate, tonight he realizes that I am not good enough for him?"

"That is not going to happen. Now, go. You told Cyrus you would he at his house 5 minutes ago."  

TJ glances at the time on his phone. "Shoot!" he practically runs out the door while sending Cyrus a text.

-Be right there, I'm so sorry.-

Not too long after, he arrives at Cyrus' front door. He nervously knocks on the door. He tries to remind himself to breathe but somehow even after a year of dating, Cyrus had this effect on him. He blushes at the thought. 

When Cyrus answers the door, he gives TJ one of the biggest smiles he has ever seen. Cyrus steps out onto the porch. "Hey Cy," he chokes out. "Happy Anniversary." He steps closer to the other boy, resting his arms on his waist, while Cyrus responded by placing his arms over either one of TJ's shoulders.

In a soft voice the brunette responds "Happy Anniversary...Thelonious."

TJ throws his head back in feigned annoyance. "Oh way to kill the mood."

Cyrus pouts playfully. "I guess we'll just have to call this whole date off."

"I mean I am already here, we might as well still go, but only because I don't want to waste these tickets." He takes one of his hands and digs through his pocket before pulling out tickets to the dinosaur exhibit. 

When he sees Cyrus' eyes light up, he can't  help but smile at him like a dope. God he was whipped.

"Really TJ?! We are going? I thought tickets sold out months ago!"

"They did but I was one of the first people to order. I've been planning this for a while."

"You are so sweet…oh that reminds me." He pulls free from TJ and runs back into the house. He returns moments later with a small box wrapped in shiny blue paper. "For you."

TJ takes the box and delicately unwraps it. Cyrus obviously put a lot of time into wrapping it. He pulls off the lid to find a small note that says "Thank you for being the "somer" to my "sault." Around the words are little doodles of a smiling sun and a salt shaker. Under the note it a bracelet that looks handmade. It is simple, it just uses the little plastic beads. Some are white with letters on it. They spell out "Not so scary basketball guy." Surrounding the letter beads are other beads in a simple rainbow pattern. 

Cyrus shifts awkwardly watches TJ opening the gift. "You don't have to wear it. I know it is kind of lame."

"Are you kidding me? This is a great bracelet. I love this bracelet." TJ says truthfully before sliding it on. 

"Really?" Cyrus says nervously. 

"Really." TJ affirms before pulling Cyrus in for a hug. "I really love y...the bracelet."

Thankfully Cyrus doesn't seem to have noticed his almost slip up.

************

Before long, the two boys are off, making their way to the diner before heading to see the dinosaurs. The boys go in and sit in a little booth in the corner. The waitress comes and to take their order. Knowing what his boyfriend wants, TJ orders.

"Two orders of babytaters and a strawberry milkshake with a strawberry milkshake with two straws please."

The waitress smiles "Sorry hun deep  our fryers down for cleaning, and milkshake maker isn't working. We are having a guy look at it this afternoon. Can I get you guys something else?"

TJ looks at Cyrus. Cyrus says "Just a coke and a piece of pie then."

"I'll take the same." TJ is a little annoyed as the waitress walks off. He wanted this to go perfect and that included getting Cyrus' favorite meal. Cyrus sees the look on TJ's face.

"Is everything okay, Teej?" 

"Yea, I just feel bad that you couldn't get the food you wanted."

"Eh so what? I'm still on a date with the cutest guy in town."

TJ blushes "Thanks, Underdog." What he doesn't say out loud is that he could say the same thing.

After they eat their food, they make their way to the dinosaur exhibit. As they walk up to the building, they see a lot of people leaving. There are a couple fire trucks outside. TJ looks around confused. He stops a woman heading to her car. "Hey can you tell me what's going on?"

"One of the dinosaurs short circuited and caught fire. It set off the sprinklers, which damaged some more of the exhibit. They are evacuating everyone."

TJ's face drops. He thanks the woman for her help and turns to Cyrus. "I am so sorry about the exhibit."

"It is okay! You couldn't have possibly known this word happen." TJ still look sa so sad so Cyrus tries to give him his brightest smile. "TJ, I promise it is okay!"

TJ gives a small smile in return. "I guess we can still go to the park."

"Yeah, the park sounds great." 

So they walk hand in hand over to the park. As they walk though, something hits TJ. Right now would be the time to give Cyrus the homemade chocolate chocolate chip muffin he worked so hard on yesterday. Except in his rush to leave early, he forgot it on the kitchen counter. He tries to hide more disappointment from his face.

What happens next though, causes him to snap. When they walk up to the park, the entrance is closed. The ground around it looks flooded and there are some workers trying to figure some stuff out. You see, it had been a weird winter. The temperatures kept changing between freezing and just slightly chilli all season. That meant that the water kept rapidly freezing and melting again, leading to a water pipe bursting. The foreman says in passing "Sorry kids, the park is closed until we can get this cleaned up."

With that, TJ threw his hands into the air and turned and walked away. Cyrus went after him.

"TJ wait, don't go!" He calls out

Of course TJ couldn't just ignore him so he freezes in his spot. Cyrus walks up around him only to see frustrated tears forming in the jocks eyes.

He puts his hand on TJ's shoulder. "Teej is this over the park? I don't care if we can't swing, I just want to be with you."

"You keep saying that but this date was a disaster! I had it all planned out! But first I was late picking you up. Then the Spoon didn't have babytaters. And the dinosaur exhibit literally went up in flames. I forgot the stupid muffin at home, and finally we get to the park, the last sliver of hope for this date and we can't even go in. There isn't even a bench nearby for us to sit at.

Cyrus wraps his arm around TJ. TJ continues into Cyrus' shoulder. "I wanted it to be perfect for you. I wanted to do all the things that are our things. The swings, muffins, the Spoon together, maybe a bench. I just wanted us to be able to do that together."

Cyrus pulls back so he can look TJ in the face. "TJ I love all those things but they don't define us. I love them because they remind me of you. We give them meaning but not vice-versa. We would still be TJ and Cyrus without them. We make other things our things. Anything we want."

TJ doesn't  know how Cyrus does it but somehow he manages to make all the things that were bothering him melt away.

TJ smiles at shorter boy and says "I have an idea." Without another word, he pulls the other boy down the street, with Cyrus happily letting it happen. They stop in front of a house a few streets over.

Cyrus scrunches his eyebrows together. "Is this Marty's house?" All the lights are off.

"Yea but don't worry. His parents are out of town this weekend and he is at Buffy's."

"TJ we are not breaking in there, are we?"

"No." TJ laughs. Of course not. We are just going on the porch."

"Why? What for?" Cyrus asks defensively.

"You'll see, just trust me." TJ smiles.

Cyrus, for his part, let's TJ lead him again, though this time a little more reluctantly.

When they climb the stairs and head to the corner of the long porch, TJ's eyes light up. Cyrus loves the way his green eyes sparkle when he is happy. Except he doesn't know why the boy is so happy, because TJ is just looking at a porch swing.

As if answering the unspoken question,  TJ says "Don't you get it? It is a swing, like the swings we say at the first time we ever talked. But It is also a bench, like the one from Andi's party. The party that happened a year ago today. It is like two of our things wrapped into one."

Cyrus can't help but gleam back at TJ. It always amazes him how clever his boyfriend could be. "We should sit." Is all he can manage to get out.

TJ sits down with the shorter boy following suit, resting his head on TJ's shoulder as the latter wraps his arm around Cyrus. From where they are sitting, they can see the sun starting to set. TJ thinks the better view though was looking down at his boyfriend. He will never understand why he got so lucky, but he did. Cyrus meant everything to him. TJ places a little kiss on the top of Cyrus' head.

 Then without thinking he says "I love you..

" It is almost too quiet to hear. TJ's breathe catches in his throat when he realizes what he said. 

The next few seconds pass excruciatingly slowly before Cyrus say "I love you too, Teej." 

(Also Idk may fuck around and do a Muffy one for the same period of time)

Still waiting. 

Vintage snapshot of a woman in clashing patterns sitting in a bench swing.

etsyfindoftheday 3 | 8.1.17

rustic country wood home accents by grindstonedesign

reclaimed wood + rope bench swing

wooden kitchen island on wheels