Work Text:
What time is it where you are?
I miss you more than anything
Mio needed yet another reminder of the time difference. He was in Europe, visiting his mothers who had moved overseas years ago. Whenever he forgot what time it was back home, they texted Sam.
And so, they did.
For Sam, life had turned into a game of anticipation as he was always eagerly awaiting the next text. Whether it was a simple “hello” or an all-caps message asking if he was awake, every message meant a lot.
And so, he replied with the time with a little smiley emoticon.
Back at home you feel so far
Waiting for the phone to ring
It’s gettin’ lonely livin’ upside-down
I don’t even wanna be in this town
Every moment Mio had with their moms was treasured, but they found themself always wanting to tell Sam of even the smallest details, even though Rosemary, who had accompanied them on the trip, would have been willing to listen as well. Despite knowing he is just a text away, there still felt like so much was going unsaid.
While Sam anticipated every text, a phone call was even more awaited by him. Getting to hear Mio’s excited and lovely voice was everything to him. He missed Mio like hell. It almost hurt his heart to think about. And they weren’t even dating! Sam just wished he had been able to join Mio on those long airplane rides, maybe watching movies and eating crappy, excessively solid “cookies,” but he was home, being… lovesick, as usual. Meeting Mio’s moms… would be nice as well.
Tryna figure out the timezones makin’ me crazy
You say good morning when it’s midnight
Goin’ out of my head alone in this bed
One morning, Mio called Sam at about midnight, while the latter was failing to fall asleep. It was about 12:13 AM, but Sam picked up.
“Good morning!”
“Oh… morning…” Sam replied quietly but genuinely.
It didn’t take long for Mio’s voice to put Sam to sleep. It had been the best rest he had gotten in a while.
I wake up to your sunset
And it’s drivin’ me mad, I miss you so bad
And my heart is so jet-lagged
So jet-lagged
That next evening, Sam called Mio just to tell him good morning. Mio began rambling again, talking about their wonderful day with their moms and how they had all gone to a garden and how Rosemary took such beautiful pictures.
Sam walked to a small garden in a park near Ebott that day.
~~~
What time is it where you are?
Five more days and I’ll be home
Mal didn’t need to ask what time it was for his girlfriend and friend. He saved the time difference in his clock app on his phone and ended up checking that app more than his favorite mobile game.
Rosemary loved traveling with Mio and was glad that she had accompanied them. Still, a part of her kept a constant internal countdown for when she would be able to hug her lover, kiss him on the cheek, and say stupid nonsense. It was ever so slightly agonizing, but nothing she couldn’t handle as long as she knew he was just a call or text away.
I keep your picture in my car
I hate the thought of you alone
Mal couldn’t help but smile every time he turned his phone on just to see his beautiful Rosemary. Sometimes, he would even forget what he was going to do as the phone prompted him to type in some passcode. His wallet was no different. Even when home, they would often pull out their wallet just to see another picture of his beloved.
Rosemary knew Mal was recovering and had a silent fear that something would happen and she wouldn’t be able to help. She knew that Sam would be by his side, though, which calmed her fears. She awaited the day where she could remind him of his worth in person.
I’ve been keepin’ busy all the time
Just to try and keep you off my mind
Mal was accustomed to keeping busy. Even before sitting in a void for about 50 to 60 years, he had to spend every day off work finding something to do to prevent the thoughts from reaching him. However, this was different. The only thoughts he needed to worry about were those about missing his girlfriend — certainly preferable to the ones he would need to distract himself from in the past. Luckily, having one other teenager and two children in the house with you is enough to keep you distracted for hundreds of years, if not more.
Rosemary didn’t need to try to distract herself. With everything the Baker-Adams-Rodriguez family was doing (the names were complicated), she had plans at every moment of the day. However, distractions never quite worked for her. The thought of Mal lingered in the back of her mind which sometimes made her lonely and sometimes made her smile, but more so, she did the latter.
Tryna figure out the timezones makin’ me crazy
You say good morning when it’s midnight
Goin’ out of my head alone in this bed
One morning, Mal stayed up until midnight to make a call to Rosemary.
“Good morning, love!”
“Aw, Mal! You’re such an angel. Isn’t it late for you, silly? Like… midnight? Get some sleep!” Rosemary was giggling.
I wake up to your sunset
And it’s drivin’ me mad, I miss you so bad
And my heart is so jet-lagged
So jet-lagged
That next morning, Mal felt at peace as his love explained her day at a beautiful garden. He was grateful to have borrowed Rosemary his camera for the trip.
That day, he noticed Sam was going somewhere. He grabbed his phone, cleaned the camera, and accompanied his friend as he ranted about his intense crush on Mio.
There was something comforting about being with Sam that day.
~~~
I miss you so bad
I miss you so bad
I wanna share your horizon
And see the same sun rising
And turn the hour hand back
To when you were holding me
Mio and Rosemary packed up their suitcases. The latter had to help the former put things in efficiently, especially since the two were coming home with more than they showed up with. They appreciated the help.
Sam and Mal placed their batch of cupcakes into the fridge. Yas and Ari had helped with the frosting and sprinkles, while Mal handled the baking elements and Sam handled the ovenwork. It was late, so the four nodded off.
You say good morning when it’s midnight
Goin’ out of my head alone in this bed
I wake up to your sunset
And it’s drivin’ me mad, I miss when
You say good morning when it’s midnight
Goin’ out of my head alone in this bed
I wake up to your sunset
And it’s drivin’ me mad, I miss you so bad
And my heart is so jet-lagged
So jet-lagged
Rosemary and Mio knew they had an earlier flight than the one they told the others about, as did Mio’s parents. Nothing like a surprise, after all.
On the plane, Mio was giggling like a little kid.
“Excited to see them again?”
“Yeah! I miss him- I mean them!”
Rosemary giggled. She knew about his crush on Sam, but didn’t make it obvious.
“Me too!”
After a bit of a flight, the two landed. Bag claim was simple enough, and Rosemary called a ride. As the restored souls of the fallen humans, they had a sort of specialized ride service. They waited and then hopped in the car. Mio fought to stay awake.
After a car ride that felt like seconds compared to that plane ride, they arrived at a familiar building. While Rosemary had her keys, she smiled at Mio instead, who only barely saw her face.
He pulled out his phone.
Sam’s phone rang three times before he was conscious enough to answer it.
“Ah… morning…!”
“Sam! It’s not morning! It’s midnight! It’s pretty damn dark out here!” Mio’s smile could be heard through the phone.
After hearing the faint noise of… something falling, the front door swung open. There stood Sam.
Mio dropped the suitcase and tackle-hugged Sam who was barely able to stay standing.
“I thought you were coming at noon!”
“Oops!”
Rosemary smiled. “I’m not gonna carry your case in, y’know!”
Mio laughed. “Oh- I got it!” He grabbed his case, brought it in and immediately hugged Sam again. They stayed hugging for an eternity as Sam took in the sound of Mio’s heart and breathing and Mio was just happy to be with Sam again. Only after this eternity did Mio take a shower and prepare to go to sleep (but not before spending even more time talking to his best friend).
Meanwhile, Rosemary took more of a… stealthy approach. She took a quick shower, having washed her hair yesterday to be ready to skip today. She put on her green and blue pajamas and bonnet and went into Mal’s room. They had slept in the same bed before, and Rosemary was not to make this night an exception. She rolled into bed and wrapped Mal’s arm around her as she began to fall asleep. He was to be in for a surprise upon waking up, surely.
It was nice to be home.