Finoby Anniversary (Private)

Toby awoke early in the morning and had no trouble popping out of bed. The moment he awoke excitement rushed through him.  He looked at the clock. Geez, it was early. But it wouldn't hold Toby back. He shot through his cabin to be the first one in the bathroom. He undressed rapidly and took a steaming hot shower, turning his skin a little bit pinker than normal. He washed himself down thoroughly, and then went to work. He put on a a grey shirt under a blue and red plaid flannel shirt. For his pants he just chose some jeans. He slipped on some socks, and then made his way back to the bathroom. He grabbed the blow-drier. He hardly ever used the device, preferring mostly just to let his hair dry out naturally, but he couldn't spare the time. He had to look good. Not like in a tux, as he wasn't going to the opera or anything, but he had to look fashionable and just overall attractive, a feat that he found difficult. He began to dry his hair with the setting on high, constantly moving it around his head so that he wouldn't be burned. Once his hair was all dry, he grabbed the disk of shaping gel and began to shape his hair up in the front, but  down on the sides. When he was satisfied that it was perfected, he dashed to his room. He grabbed a small box off of the shelf. He roommates were still asleep, apparently oblivious of the noise of the hair-drier. He quietly grabbed a small box off of his dresser, stuck his wallet in his back pocket, pushed his shoes on, and speedily walked out of his room. By the door he found a line of coats hung on the wall. He looked around for his, a shortened green trench coat with a plaid lining in the middle. He skipped the hat, since he had taken time to fix his hair, and then shot out the door.

As Toby walked across the lawn of the cabin courtyard, he could hardly contain his excitement. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was him, but he seemed to vibrate with enthusiasm. As he walked he let out a small hop every once in a while as he skipped a step, his legs moving quickly. About halfway across, his mind wandered to his intentions.

About a year ago today, Toby and Finnegan, good friends, decided it was a good time to sneak from camp and do something fun. On this trip, there were a few bumps and misfortunes. Both got pretty upset at one another, and it seemed eminent that their friendship was going to terminate. However, it flipped to the complete opposite and they became romantically involved. It was a long, drawn-out process that led to such an outcome, but Toby feared that if it had gone any other way, they would not be where they were now. Ever since that day, Toby and Finnegan have been together, though admittedly sort of off and on. Still, Toby counted it as a year of their relationship, and he was presently scooting over to Finnegan's cabin to celebrate their anniversary.

Toby hoped that Finnegan hadn't forgotten, but he wouldn't be too surprised if he had. After all, he had forgotten Valentine's day. Toby tried not to hold that against him, but it was a pretty hollow-headed move. Even if Finn had forgotten, Toby was well-prepared and pretty much handled what would happen throughout the day.

Arriving at Finnegan's cabin, Toby did not knock but rather walked straight inside. It was the same intimidating cabin he'd been in before, with scrolls and books sprawled out across every surface. There were one or two campers up reading, who glanced up when he entered, but recognized him and paid no mind. Toby made his way through the cabin instinctively remembering where the boy's room was. When he touched the doorknob, it was as if a shock was sent through him. He threw open the door and ran over to Finnegan's bed, jumping up and landing right next to the boy's tall outline in the bed sheets. When he landed, he threw his arms around Finn and started a barrage of kisses on top of the boy's messy brown hair.

"Finnegan, get up!!" He said in a loud whisper, stopping his kissing. He dug his arms under the sheets and tried to find the boy's rib cage. His fingers began to run up and down Finn's torso, tickling him. "Get up, get up, rise and shine!"

Toby felt Finnegan's body conort under him into a fetal ball to try to escape the tickling, and he let a laugh escape his lips, even though he was unsure as to whether or not any of Finn's siblings were still in the room. Aware of this, he stopped tickling Finnegan so that he wouldn't laugh too loudly or cause a commotion. Tobias slid off of the boy's bed and stood next to it, waiting for his boyfriend to get up. Finn definitely seemed pretty sluggish, as he usually was in the morning. Definitely not a morning person, but Toby already knew this. Finn always woke up groggily or crankily, but Toby didn't mind, and sometimes found it kind of endearing.

When Finnegan stumbled as he got out of bed, Toby's first reaction was to help him, so he brought his arms halfway up. However when Finnegan laughed, he lowered his arms again knowing that the boy was okay. The sheet wrapped around his legs must have made him trip. He watched Finnegan remove the sheet and smile, which just forced Toby to smile too. He couldn't not smile seeing Finnegan smile. Not today. His smile was just too light-hearted and loving that Toby's smile reflected those elements right back. Toby lifted his head as Finnegan approached him, pressing his lips together over his gleaming toothy-smile to meet Finn's lips. Toby couldn't really remember the last time he had kissed Finnegan on the lips. Maybe just a peck sometime, but not anything memorable. In fact, Toby was pretty sure that they hadn't kissed lips in a while. Despite this, Toby knew that they were Finn's the moment they touched, suddenly remembering the soft texture and lowered angle caused by their height difference. When the two pulled away, they were mere centimeters away. Toby, whose eyes were closed, opened them once again to look right into Finn's. He smiled again, but bit his lip so that he wasn't showing his teeth like a goof.

"Happy anniversary to you, too," he said, back. Then, the boys increased the distance between them as Finn moved away, and Toby could feel the warmth that Finn's body brought, even by being a couple inches away, fade. "Alright," Toby breathed, letting out a small sigh, as his hands drooped to his side and he glanced sideways at Finn's nightstand. "I'll be right here." Toby moved over to the bed with the sheets thrown haphazardly across. Toby made the bed, straightening it out and putting the pillow at the headboard, before he sat on the edge of it, pulling the small box out of his pocket.

Toby clicked on the light on the nightstand and set the box down on the wood. He carefully removed the top of the box. The box itself was kind of ordinary. It was just a black rectangular box with a cloth covering. When he opened it, there was a small pillow in the lower section of the box on which rested a necklace, the string wrapping over the top of the pillow and under it, securing it in place. Attached to the string at the vertex was a small black stone, not perfectly circular, but closely shaped so by a river. The stone was polished and gleamed in the light of the nightstand like a magnificent obsidian star. Carved in the very center of the stone was an etching that resembled a F without the lower line, the etching embedded with silver to look like the letter was just written in silver. Directly beneath that etching was another one, this one resembling P. Toby gave a half smile at the necklace.

"It's beautiful." Toby's head snapped up at the voice, seeing a girl standing in the doorway. Her hair was blond and fell to her shoulders in unmanageable curls, and her eyes glowed the color of storm clouds. She was intimidatingly pretty, but at the same time looked knowledgeable. Toby wasn't really sure what to say. Other than Finn, Toby was kind of reclusive, and didn't speak very much. He didn't have to, for the girl spoke again. "Runic, for love and protection, right?" she asked. It was impressive that she knew that. Toby nodded, a bit of pink color adding to his cheeks. The girl gave him a smile. "I really do hope you two work out." she whispered, before disappearing around the doorway.

Toby was a little dazed by the encounter. He hadn't ever seen her before, but she seemed really interested in the necklace, and in Toby. He didn't know why, and goosebumps formed on his arms, causing his hairs to stick up. He quickly replaced the lid on the shallow necklace-box and stuffed it under Finnegan's pillow.

When Finnegan entered the room again, there was a noticeable change in his appearance, besides the fact that he put on normal clothes. His hair was styled to a decent degree, and his face had tints of red around his nose and forehead, and Toby could tell that he had washed his face. As Finn crossed over the room, Toby scooted over to make room for him on the bed. He felt the matress compress next to him as Finn sat down, and when the boy's head rested on his shoulder, he could smell the gel that was used in Finn's hair.

"Yeah," Toby said, biting his lip. He glanced at the door for some reason. Maybe it was to see if the girl was standing there, but there was an absence of any blond curls. Toby didn't want to disturb Finnegan's head, but as he twisted to reach under the pillow he knew that Finn would have to move his head. He reached under the pillow, and his fingers touched the fabric of the black box, sending a small tingle through his hand. His fingers closed around the edges, and he withdrew it from the pillow. "I wanted to give you this," Toby said, nervously swinging his feet back and forth over the side of the bed.

Toby watched Finnegan grabbing a wrapped rectangle off of the top of his desk, and it peaked his interest. There was a very good chance that it was a book, since Finnegan was into reading, and didn't strike Toby as the kind of person to think of a gift unique to the recipient, making a book a very plausible possibility. He didn't reach for it, to see what it was, yet. He wanted to watch Finnegan unwrap his present first, and wanted to make sure it fit. If it didn't, Toby could easily get it adjusted. Finnegan had a different idea, however, and handed the book to Toby as he passed the box, and so Toby just put the present on his lap for a second and watched Finnegan anxiously. He would have started sweating nervously if the cabin and the temperature outside hadn't been so cold. He could feel the drafts coming through the window, even though it was closed. So, instead of sweating, goosebumps beading over his arms, making his hairs stand in anticipation.

Before Finn opened his present, Toby glanced down at his. He didn't really think the wrapping was that bad. It was clear that effort was put into it. Toby didn't even try to wrap the box, he just left it like that. Suddenly, he regretted not wrapping it, realizing how unfestive it was, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

As Finnegan opened the box, Toby moved his eyes back up and watched Finn's expression. Finally, as Finn cracked a smile, Toby's anxiety washed away with relief. He was really uplifted that Finn liked the present. He hadn't really been too sure what to get him, but then he finally decided on something that expressed both Toby's own self, and also how Toby felt about Finn. As Finnegan kissed his cheek, Toby felt his ears turn a little red and pink flushing his face. He couldn't express the relief he felt that Finnegan liked it. Toby almost began to explain what the runic writing meant, before he remembered the Athena girl that spoke to him earlier, and how she immediately knew it. Toby then deduced that Finn, being as smart as he is, probably already knew it.

"Okay, okay, my turn," Toby said, before tearing open the wrapping paper to reveal the book. Though what was underneath completely caught him offguard, for one the wrapping paper was off enough to reveal the item inside, and Toby turned it over to the front, it was not a book at all. In fact, it was a picture. The frame was a really nice black stand-up portrait frame with a cream colored border that filled the frame until the middle, where a glistening clear picture face out through the glass. Toby took a small intake of breath once he saw the picture. He had completely forgotten that he'd ever taken any pictures with Finnegan, until he saw the one in his hands. It was of the two boys in a photo booth, a white background behind them. He remembered the booth from the mall. The two decided it would be fun, and they'd get those small strips of the photos to keep. However, Finnegan had apparently gotten it professionally remastered and re-sized, so that it was a single larger picture. Finnegan, on the left, had his cheeks puffed out and his lips puckered. His brown eyes were both pointed towards his nose, crossing them. One of his arms was around the shoulders of Toby, who's mouth hung open with a pink tongue drooping out the side, and his eyebrows raised to the heavens. The site warmed Toby's heart, and he gave out a small laugh, remembering how fun the day that they spent together there was.

"Finnegan..." Toby shook his head. His heart felt full, and he let out another small laugh. "Finnegan, this is perfect. Like, thank you so much. I love it. I can't tell you how much I love it. This was a really good idea," Toby told him, looking over. A smile was plastered on his face that could not be removed.

Toby slowly set down the picture and then turned to Finnegan, wrapping his arm's around the boy's neck and pulling him in to a warm hug, his neck furrowing perfectly into the curve of Finn's. "Thank you," Toby repeated. After a few moments that Toby wouldn't trade for anything, he released Finn and looked down at his hands, where he still held the necklace.

"Let me help you," he said, his fingers scooping the necklace from Finnegan's hand. Toby worked his way around Finnegan so that he bent over on his knees facing Finnegan's back as Finnegan sat facing forward. Toby took the necklace by the two ends and lowered it over Finn's head before fastening it as the back of his neck. His hands released the necklace and moved down to his shoulders, and he leaned over the boy's side to look at the front of it. "Hey, it fits perfectly," Toby whispered, smiling. He leaned towards Finn and gave a soft kiss on the boy's neck, under his jaw and just above his collar. "Happy Anniversary."

Toby was kind of uncertain as to whether or not he should tell Finn his plans for the day now or wait until later. On one hand, telling him now was a good time because they were exchanging gifts and it was kind of like one big gift from Toby to Finn. After all, he had planned it all and everything. But on the other hand, they didn't have to be anywhere until later, and if he didn't tell him then they could spend time together before Toby gave Finnegan his second present. But, looking around at Finn's childlike grin that radiated with genuine happiness, it filled Toby with that same sense of pleasure, and he couldn't help but tell him.

Moving his hands from Finn's shoulders, Tobias slipped his arms under Finn's and around his waist. Toby moved his legs out from under him and spread them so that he was sitting behind Finn with his legs on either side of the boy and his arms around his middle, kind of like a baby koala might hold its mother. He then set his head on Finnegan's shoulder, and glanced sideways at the boy's face.

"Okay, here's what I was thinking..." Toby began. He had a really nice idea for what they were going to do that afternoon, but not much of a plan until then. He really hoped that maybe Finn had an idea of what they could do all day, or else they would probably just end up staying in the room the whole time doing nothing. "So, my dad used to know this guy. They were, like, really good friends or whatever. And the guy owed my dad a favor, which I may or may not have taken advantage of. Well, it turns out that the guy is the museum curator for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Anyway, long story short, I got him to get us an after-hour tour, and then a lock-in. I figured that was probably the best idea since we both don't like crowds, and I thought, 'well, hey, Finnegan loves museums and learning and all that'. So... yeah. What do you think?" Toby finished, looking at the boy rather hopefully.

To Toby, it seemed like a perfect idea. And it might even give Toby a chance to learn some things that would hopefully level the playing field at least a little when it came to knowledge, since he was basically a primate compared to Finn. But, if Finn didn't really want to spend their anniversary that way, that would be fine with Toby. He just wanted him to be happy. All they would have to do would be find some other way to spend their day.

"Yep, absolutely serious," Toby replied, grinning. The boyish excitement was a typical thing for Finnegan. Toby remembered how excited he was when they got to the zoo, and how he bolted to his favorite animal's habitat. It was kind of the same thing here, how he was just ecstatic about this museum trip. Toby just hoped that it would differ from the zoo trip in the respect that the outcome would be different. But seeing Finnegan all bubbly and excited just made Toby happy. This was the kind of reaction that he was hoping for. It was the perfect present for Toby, seeing Finnegan happy. That's really all he wanted.

Toby's arms squeezed Finnegan's middle playfully. When Finnegan kissed him, his eyes fluttered closed, but only very briefly because the kiss was abrupt. Toby pressed his lips together in a thin line. Finnegan always only seemed to give Toby pecks. He never really wanted to complain about it, because it was better than nothing, but sometimes he just felt himself yearning for more, like when their romance was young and fiery. Now, over the course of the year, Toby seemed to be the only one outputting a lot of the physical contact. Toby shook his head a smidgen, realizing that his thoughts were turning negative. And, remembering Finnegan's excitement, a smile came to his face once more.

"Yeah, it will be like Night at the Museum. I actually loved that movie," Toby grinned. "I mean, I haven't seen it in a while, but if I recall correctly, it was pretty great. I wonder if the museum looks just like the set. I have never been," Toby admitted. Once again, he had to admit that he hadn't done something that the general population of New York had done. He hoped that Finnegan wouldn't be insulted, as he so often was. "I wonder if they have that big T-Rex," he said, letting out a small chuckle.

It was pretty understandable that Finn would like the American Museum of Natural History. It was a nice facility with a variety of exhibits and learning opportunities. That was exactly why Toby had picked it. He knew that that kind of thing was right up Finnegan's alley, and would appreciate it more than, say, ice skating or something. Toby figured he knew Finn pretty well by now. And he did, because the grin that the boy gave off now warmed Toby's heart and sent a gush of happy feelings throughout his body. He'd never really felt like this before he'd met the boy, and, admittedly, during some patches of their relationship he hadn't experienced this feeling. But today, looking back on their year together, it was the best decision Toby ever made to go after Finnegan. To not let him get away. He didn't regret his love one bit.

"Mmm, yeah, okay. We can go into the city, and do what ever you want to do while we are there. We just have to be at the Museum by six. At that point, our tour will start." Toby was a little reluctant to let go of Finnegan at the moment. The position in which they were sitting was so cute to him, and he liked having a hold of the boy. His hands grabbed a handful of the cloth covering the son of Athena's torso, and then released it.
Hearing Finn's tone, Toby let out a low laugh.

"Finnegan you always sound so ridiculous," he chuckled, wagging his head from side to side. Toby had thought on many occasions that Finn's tone always seemed over-enthusiastic. Over time, he came to realize that that was just how he was. He was really quite childlike, which was always extremely deceiving because Finnegan was the smartest person Toby knew. He could make Toby feel utterly stupid in a heartbeat. And Finn's display of this intelligence was masked by a childish outer-shell. But he loved that, too.

"Alright, hop up," Toby said, letting Finn stand before he followed suit. He straightened, letting out a small yawn, making sure to cover his mouth as he did so. He had gotten up pretty early, but had been too excited to notice, until now. Toby picked up the picture frame and held it gently in his hands, looking down at it. It was the best, even if one of the only, gifts he'd ever received. The mere picture caused him to smile as he gazed upon it. "How about I put this in my room, and then meet you at your car. You still have it, right?"