HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

[gdilevi]

Baebee Daddy Cecil,

Happy Father's Day! You should wear your DILF jorts again today to celebrate! The Father of Three Beautiful Children look really suits you.

I love you and I love raising our catson with you. Less than a week now and we can adopt all the dogs (and/or cats) we want! But before that... I have a deep, dark confession to make. I've been keeping secrets from you so I could make a dramatic reveal. Please turn your attention to your gift bag and try to ignore me excitedly hovering over your shoulder!

xoxo,
Levi & Uric

[Slipped into the card is an expired BB&B coupon and a photo similar to this of Levi holding Uric. In a gift bag recycled from somebody's birthday are a few torn open envelopes with letters from different Quidditch scouts inside.

Most notably is a hand written letter from one from the reps of the Ballycastle Bats, asking Levi to visit Ireland over the summer to meet with the manager. They already seem chummy with him and the letter is filled with plenty of bat puns. It looks promising.]

Comments

[choneychurch]

This is entirely unexpected and Cecil's definitely distracted by Levi's presence, hovering just behind him, as he opens the Father's Day gift. He doesn't know what a DILF is and he isn't going to ask, but the sweet and confusing note earns a warm laugh. As does the expired coupon (a reminder of their intention to move in together after graduation) and the photo of Levi and Ulric (which is going up on his bulletin board for the next week before graduation). Each small surprise prompts him to glance over his shoulder and smile affectionately at his ridiculous boyfriend. When he finally gets to the letter, which he assumes will contain the dramatic reveal, he goes quiet and reads.

The abundant praise for Levi and the informal offer spark a rush of happiness and pride and relief. He knows Levi's been worried and this means he won't have to be worried anymore. Because all of his hard work has paid off. He turns his head and beams at the other boy before looking back at the letter. "Levi! This is amazing. You're amazing. Congratulations! This is..." While he'd read the letter closely, he'd also been quick to get caught up in the moment and he has to read the lines again to fully register what's written there. Ireland. Levi had been asked to come to Ireland to meet the manager.

He trails off, too stunned by the revelation to know immediately what to say.

[gdilevi]

Levi feels a mix of excitement and anxiety as he watches Cecil read the letter. He can't help but hover around him, studying every little shift in his expression to try to gauge his reaction to the news. When Cecil looks up from the letter and turns that bright smile on him, there's a flutter in his chest that only dies down when Cecil goes quiet after reading the letter again.

Levi frowns and rests his chin on Cecil's shoulder to peer over it, eyes hastily scanning over the letter he's already memorized by heart. Ah. Ireland. Maybe Cecil didn't catch that important little detail on his first read-through.

"It's not guaranteed, but it'd be an amazing team to start my career with if I make it," he begins, arms looping around Cecil's waist. "Quidditch is huge in Europe, even bigger than Quodpot is here. There's more opportunity, more money in it. But... How do you feel about living in Ireland? Is it too far?"

[choneychurch]

Levi's closeness, the chin on his shoulder and the arms around his waist, helps to pull Cecil back from his shock. But it's still overwhelming to consider. Especially when the other boy asks him directly what he thinks. "I know. It's...an incredible opportunity," he agrees, his voice a little softer now as he attempts to navigate his confused feelings.

This is an incredible opportunity for Levi and, while it's not guaranteed, it sounds like he has a very good, very real chance of making this team. And this is what he wants. What he's worked so hard for. Part of Cecil even finds the prospect exciting too. Romantic and compelling in a way he wouldn't have expected. But Ireland is so far away and so unfamiliar to him. He can't even picture what living there might be like...apart from the ocean that it would place between them and their friends and their families.

"I don't know," he admits finally, touching Levi's hand with one of his and swallowing stiffly before he adds, "I've...never really thought about it before."

[gdilevi]

Levi doesn't expect an easy agreement, but he's relieved to hear it's not an immediate refusal. The offers from American teams have been lackluster in comparison and he's received no offers from his first choice, ANQ. Ballycastle Bats aren't a national team and won't play in the World Cup like Levi's always dreamed, but they're one of the best UK teams (not to mention Levi's favorite UK team from their theme alone) and the most promising offer he's received. Passing up an opportunity like this would lead to lifelong regret.

"Come to Ireland with me for my tryout?" he asks after a moment's pause, voice soft, almost pleading, "We can see the sights. There are castles and... leprechauns!" Levi knows as much about Ireland as Cecil does. "And we can pop over to London and visit Diagon Alley. Maybe we'll even run into Harry Potter."

[choneychurch]

Hearing that desperate note in Levi's voice makes Cecil's chest tighten with regret. He slips his hand around the other boy's and squeezes it gently, looking over his shoulder at him before he starts again. "I didn't mean...It's not that I don't want to go with you," he says quietly, pulling in a small breath and smiling unexpectedly. The expression is warm and excited and nervous and overwhelmed in equal measure as he gives his head a little shake. "It's just a lot to get my mind around. But...I always suspected you'd take me on an adventure."

He moves to kiss Levi's cheek. "Of course, I'll go with you to tryouts. I'm so proud of you, Levi. You deserve this. And...I can always look at culinary schools while we're there too. Even if we don't run into Harry Potter."