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“Come on, Fit! We’re going to be late!”
Fit laughed, snagging his coat off the hook as he followed his son out the door.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!”
Ramon pouted from the sidewalk, turning to face his dad with his hands on his hips.
“Well, I’m dying of old age here, so clearly you aren’t! I don’t even know how you’re still alive at this point!”
The older man choked on his cup of tea.
“You know Tubbo will probably be late too, right?”
Ramon’s sigh of disappointment was exactly like his father’s.
“So? That’s Tubbo, he’s different.”
Fit pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door to their small car, and Ramon practically threw himself into his seat. When Fit hesitated, deliberately walking slowly, Ramon’s pout deepened.
“Fit!”
“I’m coming!”
The bald man smiled as he sat down in his seat, finally starting the car and pulling out of the driveway, much to Ramon’s relief. The pumpkin patch was only about five minutes away, though, they’d get there with plenty of time to spare.
“So, my boy, what are you most excited about this year?”
Ramon’s dramatic pout changed to an incredibly intense expression of excitement.
“Everything! I want to go through the corn maze, and the haunted house, and I want to go get those amazing donuts! And hayrides! I wore pants so it’s not as scratchy this year.”
The child paused for breath before continuing his train of thought, speaking so fast Fit was having trouble keeping up.
“We get to play on the playground! And we can go pick out a pumpkin! Do you think Sunny will want to carve pumpkins with us? I know it's messy but its super super fun!”
Fit hummed softly in acknowledgment.
“Well, you know how Sunny is. She’ll probably get Tubbo to do everything.”
Ramon nodded thoughtfully.
“That’s true. Are Chay and Lullah coming?”
“They already went earlier this week, my boy. You know how Phil’s job can get.”
“I know. It’s not fair they make him work on Halloween!”
Fit ruffled his hair as they pulled into the gravel parking lot.
“It really isn’t. But look, we’re here! Are you ready, my beautiful boy?”
Ramon, it seemed, was very ready, as he practically jumped out of the car before it had even stopped moving.
“C’mon, Fit! I see them! Told you we were late!”
He pointed toward a brown-and-blond-haired man near the entrance with a little girl, her hair up in puffballs and her eyes covered in sunglasses despite the dark, and sprinted to greet them.
Fit threw the car in park, then jogged after his son, shaking his head with a smile. Sunny ran to meet them, giving Fit a huge hug before grabbing Ramon’s hand and pulling him toward the entrance as they chattered excitedly. Tubbo yelled a greeting across the parking lot.
“Hey, bossman! How’re you doing on this fine evening?”
Fit slowed to a halt in front of the man, taking a moment to breathe before responding.
“Hello, Tubbo! Everything’s good here, how’s life?”
Tubbo dragged a hand down his face, looking like he wanted to dramatically collapse but couldn’t for lack of a chair.
“It’s been wild. This one dude came into the shop today and you would NOT believe what he wanted…”
Fit followed absentmindedly, showing his and Ramon’s tickets to the guy manning the booth as he half listened to Tubbo’s story about the strange customer who wanted a custom toaster, making noises at all the appropriate times.
Ramon and Sunny looked impatient for the story to end, eager to start the Halloween adventures. They did politely wait for Tubbo to finish before they started arguing, though. Fit interrupted them before it devolved into a real fight.
“Okay, guys, one at a time. Sunny, how about you go first?”
Sunny nodded eagerly, jumping up and down in her excitement.
“Can we do the corn maze first?”
Ramon frowned.
“But I wanted to do the haunted house first.”
Tubbo pulled out the pamphlet the ticket man had given them.
“Well, it says the haunted house doesn’t open until 7:30. It’s about 6 right now.”
Fit nodded.
“So, how about we do the corn maze first, and then we can go do the haunted house once it gets dark? Does that sound good?”
Both kids nodded eagerly, then sprinted off to find the corn maze. Fit and Tubbo exchanged an exasperated look and ran after them.
“Man- why are- they- like this?” Tubbo panted.
Fit sighed.
“I don’t know.”
He picked up speed, intending to catch the kids before they turned the corner into the main rows of booths. Tubbo attempted to keep pace but failed. Unfortunately, the kids were very fast. Fit caught them as they turned the corner, intending to scoop them up and make sure they didn’t run away again. He did manage the first part, ignoring their squeals of protest. However, since he didn’t have time to slow down, he turned the corner and promptly collided with someone at full speed.
Crap.
Fit managed to catch himself in time to prevent himself from falling directly on top of the kids, but the other guy wasn’t so lucky. He tumbled backward like a cartoon character, landing on his butt on the edge of the path.
Fit set down the kids, giving them a firm look of admonishment, before hurrying to check on the man he’d practically trampled. The younger man was still on the ground, looking stunned.
“Hey, are you okay? I’m super sorry about that. Kids, y’know?”
The man looked up, eyes meeting Fit’s, and he felt his heart skip a beat.
This guy was beautiful . His black hair was just a little bit too long, with a pretty blue undercut, and it framed his face perfectly. His eyes sparkled with mischief despite the recent accident, and he had a small Pac-Man earring in his right ear that perfectly matched the emblem on his dark blue hoodie. Then he smiled, and Fit felt an unfamiliar warmth bloom in his chest.
I wish I could see that look every day.
Wait, what?
“Yeah! I’m all good! Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
He looked Fit (who was currently having an internal crisis) up and down, assessing something unknown to the older man. The sly sparkle in his eyes brightened as he clambered to his feet.
“I don’t think I could have picked a better person to run into, though, you know?”
His words effectively broke any composure Fit had remaining. He stared for a beat too long, brain refusing to work.
“Uh- Yeah- Um-”
He felt his face get hot as the man cocked his head. Not that he blamed him, he was acting like he had a head injury or something.
“Your face is very red, did you know?”
Fit snapped out of it with a mental head shake, feeling like he’d been doused in a bucket of cold water.
“Yes! I mean- No- I mean-” He took a deep breath, trying to organize a cohesive thought. Something about the man had thrown him off hard .
“No, I didn’t know that. Yes, I’m fine. It’s just because I was running.”
Fit didn’t believe his own words, and, judging by the muffled laughter behind him, neither did the kids.
The black-haired man’s face shifted slightly and he leaned forward, tone becoming playful.
“Running, hm?”
Fit swallowed. The other man was awfully close. And for some freaking reason, the little voices in his head were really happy about it.
“What were you running toward? I must know what was so important it required trampling someone.”
Fit laughed, startled.
“We were headed to the corn maze. Or at least-” He twisted to face Sunny and Ramon, who were still standing behind him “- these two were. They forgot that their dads are old and slow and ran off.”
He smiled sheepishly, fidgeting with the hem of his jacket.
“Of course, I got to meet you, so I guess it could have been worse.”
What am I doing? Why did I say that?
And was it just his imagination, or did he see the start of a blush on the other guy’s face? He didn’t get a chance to think on it further though. The other man clicked his tongue, waving at the children.
“Hello! Nice to meet you!”
He then looked at Fit and spoke with a volume the kids most certainly could hear.
“They do look like troublemakers. My son is the exact same way. Did you two leave your dad behind?”
Sunny shook her head.
“He’s not my Pa, he’s my uncle. He’s Ramon’s dad.”
Ramon nodded in agreement, and then a mischievous look came onto his face.
“He’s also single.”
Fit sputtered, his thoughts running in frantic circles.
“RAMON! I’m so sorry about that, I don’t know what’s gotten into them tonight.”
The other man ignored him, winking at the boy.
“Good to know, hmm?”
Fit barely resisted the temptation to bury his face in his hands. He didn’t know what to do next, but thankfully whoever was watching took pity on him. The man’s watch buzzed and he looked down at it, mischievous expression switching to annoyance.
“Dang it, I have to go… It was nice meeting you, though!”
With that, the mysterious man darted around the corner and out of sight. Fit stared after him, head still spinning with confusion and something else he’d think about probably never, and turned to face the kids.
“Okay. Corn maze, anyone?”
He was met with two identical disbelieving expressions. The kids shared a look, and then Ramon broke the silence.
“That was awful.”
“That was gayer than my Pa, Uncle Fit.”
If Fit wasn’t red before, he was now, as he attempted to sputter some sort of explanation that made sense.
And, of course, that had to be the moment Tubbo turned the corner. The kids ran to inform him of what had just happened, and Fit sighed. He was never going to hear the end of this.
“He did WHAT?”
Tubbo spun around and glared at Fit, pointing an accusing finger at him.
“Do NOT tell me you are flirting with some random guy at the fair. Ugh! Gay people.”
Fit gave him a look that conveyed he would be putting him in a very deep grave if he didn’t shut up, and thankfully Tubbo took the hint, spinning back to the kids.
“Anyway, guys, how about that corn maze, huh?”
Sunny and Ramon erupted into giggling. Fit surveyed them imperiously with his hands on his hips.
“What’re you troublemakers laughing at, huh? Looks to me as if no one wants to have fun tonight.”
The two stopped laughing immediately and piped up with one voice.
“Nothing!”
Fit snorted.
“That’s what I thought. Now c’mon, let’s go.”
Tubbo sighed, following begrudgingly.
“I’m being hatecrimed… by my own child… what is this world coming to?”
-
The corn maze was a nightmare. The group had gotten lost, covered in scratches, and then chased by some guy in a corn costume. And worst of all, the strange man had been on Fit’s mind the entire time. For some reason, he kept replaying the man’s smile, his beautiful eyes, his melodious voice.
And it was driving him crazy.
Fit eventually managed to shove it from his mind, but it was a lot harder than it should have been.
-
Technically, they hadn’t found the exit. Just a thinning patch on the edge of the corn maze that thankfully was next to the actual fairground. After all the excitement, it was collectively agreed to go for a snack before the haunted house. The kids went ahead to decide on a place and came back with matching mischievous smiles.
Fit should have been more suspicious, but he went along with it. When they pulled up to the beautifully decorated stall, though, he knew what they were doing.
It was the man from earlier. And he had already spotted the two kids pulling Fit in his direction, so there was no getting out of it. Tubbo looked confused at their insistence, but when Sunny ran back to whisper in his ear he straightened up with an impish smile.
“So, this is your mystery man. I see how it is. Why don’t you two go make out in the corner while I just stand here?”
Fit stared at him, feeling heat rush to his cheeks at the accusation and lowering his voice to whisper-yell at him.
“Tubbo! I’m not going to make out with him! He’s just a random guy I literally ran into earlier! That’s it! I don’t even know his name!”
Tubbo rolled his eyes.
“Fine, you only want to make out with him.”
He skipped out of the way before Fit could smack him and shoved him toward the stall with an evil smile.
“Shoot your shot, king! I believe in you!”
Fit would have said something back, but the shove had placed him directly at the register, and now he was face-to-face with the man again. Said man smiled cheekily at his annoyed expression, and leaned towards him conspiratorially.
“Nice to see you again! How is the rest of your evening going?”
Fit fidgeted with the hem of his jacket again, unusually nervous.
“Hello again! It’s been very fun, the fair is always a great time. Except for the crazy man in the corn maze. That was interesting.”
The man behind the counter burst out into laughter, shocking Fit into a genuine smile that very few ever got to see.
Huh. That’s odd.
When he stopped, he lowered his volume to a whisper.
“That was my friend’s ex. Or maybe his boyfriend. It varies by the day.”
Fit’s eyes widened.
“Oh, so you know this guy? I need to hear everything.”
The other man nodded eagerly.
“He’s a little crazy if you couldn’t tell. His name’s Slime, so I think that tells you a lot.”
“No shot. I think I went to college with him!”
“Really? Well, then you don’t need me to keep talking, I think.”
Fit shook his head, shocking himself with the force of it.
“If you want to talk, go for it! I’ll always listen.”
What am I saying? I don’t even know his name!
The younger man looked startled at his words. Maybe it was because of the truth behind them.
“O-oh. Thank you.”
Fit met the mystery man’s eyes, and for a moment the world seemed to pause. Out of the corner of his eyes, he registered movement. Then, in an action that Fit couldn’t tell if he was very happy or angry with, Ramon tapped his elbow.
“Fit, are you done flirting? I want my snack now.”
Both Fit and the other man leapt apart, startled, with matching red faces as they tried to denounce the boy’s theory. Ramon only shook his head and peered into the display case.
“What’s all this?”
The man recovered quickly.
“Well, nêne, it’s mostly Brazilian pastries! That one right there is called a brigidairo, its basically chocolate in a ball form.”
The man kept explaining all of the different foods to Ramon, who was starting to look a bit overwhelmed. Then he paused, peering at the child closely and seeming to note his teetering state.
“It’s a lot of options, isn’t it?”
Ramon nodded sheepishly.
“Alright, then, how about I just get you some pão de queijo? It’s one of my favorites!”
Ramon smiled softly.
“That sounds good. Thank you, mister…”
“Pac. My name’s Pac. What’s yours?”
“R-Ramon.”
“Thats a cool name! It’s very nice to meet you, Ramon.”
Ramon looked shy at the compliment, but he smiled. That one simple expression was so incredibly telling . Ramon only ever smiled when he felt safe, so not a ton in public and absolutely never with strangers. Yet with this man, Pac, he felt perfectly fine with the expression. It shot off even more of the odd feeling in Fit’s gut, and he firmly pushed it away.
The man- Pac- carefully wrapped two delicious-smelling pastries in brown paper and slid them into a matching lunch sack.
“Here you go, Ramon! One for you, and one for your dad. Enjoy, okay?”
Ramon nodded eagerly, then ran to join Sunny and Tubbo at one of the nearby picnic tables. It looked as though they’d ended up getting cupcakes from the stall two doors down, and Fit didn’t blame them. Niki was a wonderful baker, they were sure to be delicious.
He turned back to face Pac, who was staring at him, and pulled out his wallet.
“How much do I owe you?”
The black-haired man startled as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t, but recovered quickly.
“For you? It’s free.”
Fit opened his mouth to protest, but Pac held up a finger to stop him.
“Ah- Under one condition. You have to do just one, tiny thing for me.”
He fidgeted with his sleeves. The older man swallowed nervously but nodded.
“You have to give me… your name.”
Fit burst out laughing for the second time that night. Pac really had a gift for catching him off guard, something few people could do.
“My name’s Fit. It’s very nice to officially meet you.”
Pac smiled.
“My name’s Pac, it’s nice to officially meet you too.”
Fit didn’t know what had possessed him, but he blurted out an honest thought.
“I thought for a second you would ask me for my number. I was really worried.”
“That I would, or that I wouldn’t?”
“Uh- Um-”
Pac looked as though he was pondering the reaction, trying to figure out its meaning, and Fit let him. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d been going to say either.
“Would- would you give me your number if I asked?”
The older man wanted to bury his face in his hands, but one last shred of dignity took hold, and he rested his chin in his hands, managing somehow to get his voice to come out unbothered.
“Well, you haven’t asked yet, have you?”
Pac looked like he might pass out on the spot from embarrassment, hiding his face in his hoodie. When he spoke again, his voice was muffled.
“Are you really going to make me ask? That’s cruel, Fit.”
Fit wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he couldn’t say he thought it was bad. He picked up a pen and scribbled his number down on a napkin, noting how Pac’s eyes went wide at the action. Then he paused, a thought coming into his head, and tucked the napkin into his front jacket pocket.
“If you want my number, you can have it… under one condition.”
Pac dropped the hood and pouted dramatically, but the flushed smile that kept peeking out under it undercut the effect.
“Fineeeee. What?”
“I get to pay for my order. That’s all.”
Pac gasped, putting a hand on his chest.
“So rude of you, Fit. I can’t believe you would do this to me.”
“What, prevent you from going bankrupt? My bad.”
Pac made a face and rang him up.
“$8.39 is your total. Will that be cash, card, or blackmail?”
Fit made the face back at him.
“Card, please.”
Pac sighed dramatically and swiveled around the card reader so Fit could insert his chip, flopping on the counter.
“How could you resist my generosity like this?”
“It’s pretty easy, you just put the card in the reader.”
Pac’s jaw dropped, surprised, and then he smirked.
“I see. Smart guy, aren’t you?”
He tilted his head to look Fit directly in the eyes.
“I like that in a man.”
Fit blue-screened, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water as he tried to find words.
The card reader beeped, and Pac slid the card out without ever breaking eye contact. He plucked the napkin out of Fit’s front pocket, and gently replaced it with the card. Then he patted the pocket and drew back. The entire time Fit didn’t dare to move, not even breathing. He didn’t want to mess this up now, but even the slight pressure of Pac’s hand through his shirt made him want to melt.
As Pac slid back behind the register, the older man snapped back into his brain.
“It- It was really nice to meet you, b-but I’ve got to get back…”
His voice trailed off, but Pac thankfully understood and nodded sympathetically.
“I get it. You’ve got to get back to your friends, yeah? No worries!”
He winked.
“I’ll just text you later.”
Fit’s stomach churned at the thought, from nerves or excitement he couldn’t tell. He smiled, managing to sound normal one last time.
“I’ll look forward to it, then.”
Pac smiled back, and they both awkwardly waved before Fit turned and walked over to the table to join Tubbo and the kids. What he really wanted to do was hide in the bathrooms and scream into his hands, but he’d indulged enough for one night.
As he sat down, both Ramon and Sunny started peppering him with questions while Tubbo smirked and shook his head. The bald man managed to ward off enough of the questions that the kids lost interest, and he took a bite of his now-cold pastry. It was delicious, and he glanced back at Pac’s stall. He was currently busy with another customer, but he glanced over, almost as if he’d felt Fit’s gaze.
Fit’s cheeks burned and he quickly glanced back to the table, joining in on the debate over whether or not a skeleton could beat a zombie. Apparently, it was crucial information for the haunted house trip.
-
The haunted house was super cheesy, but Ramon and Sunny both loved it. They screamed at the cheesy ghosts and plastic skeletons, grabbing at each other and laughing their heads off. By the time they’d left the haunted house and done the accompanying hayride, it was getting late, and Sunny and Tubbo bid the pair goodnight. Fit and Ramon headed to the pumpkin patch, though, determined to choose a gourd before the place closed.
“Fit, what pumpkin do you think I should get?”
Ramon had somehow managed to unlock yet another level of energy at the opportunity for pumpkin picking. Fit, though, was getting tired.
“I don’t know, my boy. What were you planning to do with it this time?”
“I just wanted to carve it this year! I think maybe a cat! But not that big, because I want to carry it myself.”
“Hmm… okay. Let’s see what we can find.”
After about five minutes, the pair found a winner. The pumpkin was just the right size for Ramon to cradle it, and it was flat on one side so it was a perfect carving surface.
As they loaded the pumpkin into the backseat of the car, Fit paused, struck by a thought.
“Hey, Ramon?”
“Yeah?”
“What did you think of the man at the pastry stand?”
Ramon paused. Exhaustion was finally setting in, and it showed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes thoughtfully.
“You mean Mr. Pac? I like him. He was super nice to me, and he noticed me getting all confused.”
He paused, yawning.
“Why?”
Fit took a deep breath, relief mixed with butterflies growing in his stomach.
“Well, I just wanted to know what you thought about him. For a lot of reasons, but we can talk more in the morning about it, okay?”
Ramon nodded, already dozing off in his car seat. Fit chuckled softly.
“Te quiero mucho, mi hueivito.”
-
After arriving home, carrying both Ramon and his pumpkin inside the house, and tucking the little boy in, Fit noticed he’d gotten a text from an unknown number. He read it, a smile sneaking across his face
From: +1 555-673-9231
it was very nice running into you
what’s your opinion on good coffee places?
And if he stayed up texting said number until the sun was peeking over the horizon, who would know?