Chapter Text
Cornelius collapsed onto a nearby bench. Today was supposed to be the day where he could finally live and know what the delicate kiss of a lady felt like, but all he was left with after the evening was the piercing feeling of heartache from their dates ditching them as a result of their lack of wealth. Sighing softly, his eyes started to drift towards the joyful couples who were practically skipping down the streets. Cornelius wished he knew how they felt but after the dreaded events of the day, the feeling of requited love and the warmth of holding another's hand seemed to remain a mystery to him.
Barnaby took in the sights of the city at night. Cornelius said the view would be breathtaking, and he was right. The glow of the lights seemed to be alluring and radiant, a much different change of scenery from the nights in Yonkers. Barnaby looked down at his dear friend to remark his thoughts, but something seemed different about Cornelius. The normal flicker of happiness and hope in his eyes was replaced with the gloomy haze of despair. Barnaby nudged his co-worker. Cornelius immediately straightened up while anticipating his friend's words after the rough silence.
“Cornelius, is there anything I can help with? I know you're still upset after everything and all...” Barnaby twiddled his fingers, hoping he chose the right words.
“I'm fine, Barnaby, don’t worry about it. Just watch the night sky with me, alright?” The man flashes one of his signature smiles and motions for him to sit down next to him. They both took in the city view together and somehow, it seemed to be more comforting.
However, Barnaby could not help but notice the stare of longing when Cornelius saw couples nearby merrily walking along. Taking another glance at his friend, Barnaby slid his hand gently into his. Cornelius blushed at this gesture and grasped his hand gently. Barnaby felt warm and safe and with this small action, his heart began to flutter.
He turned to Cornelius, who gave him a wide smile after meeting his eyes in an instant. Barnaby smiled awkwardly in return with his mind whirring with thoughts. His friend wanted a kiss more than anything else tonight, right?
Slowly, he inched more and more towards Cornelius. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, but it would hopefully be worth it. Once they were close enough, Barnaby took a deep breath and moved his face closer to his gazing friend. Heart pounding rapidly, he pressed his lips to Cornelius's. Cornelius gasped at the sudden kiss, but eased into it. It just felt so right. Cornelius tilted his head and slowly moved his arms down to Barnaby's waist where he held him strongly. They pulled back slowly after a while and gazed into each other's eyes. They both saw a new world of splendor and wonder in them.
“Cornelius, y-you didn't mind it was me?” Barnaby stammered out, breaking the silence.
“Not at all! Gee I couldn't ask for anything better.”
He chuckled and beamed, holding Barnaby close to his chest while rocking him back and forth slightly.
“In fact, Barnaby, I was sure I liked you more than you liked me but you just proved me wrong!” He laughed, planting a small kiss on his forehead.
“Holy cabooses! Cornelius does this mean we're a couple now?”
Cornelius nodded, humming softly. His night had a different outcome than he expected, but it seemed to be one that was pleasant in the end, and even one he would prefer over anything else.
“Say, Barnaby, why don't we walk back? It's getting cold and we have a store to clean up.”
Barnaby joined hands with his lover and embraced the warm feeling. Good things were coming their way, and they could feel it.
Notes:
Hey everyone!
I saw Hello Dolly around three weeks ago when I was in New York City and this is what inspired this fic. I fell in love in Cornelius and Barnaby and I believed there was a lack in content of them so now I'm giving us what we all deserve. This will have multiple chapters of these two dorks doing various things together, so if you have any suggestions, those are welcome in the comments along with kudos.
Chapter title is from "Amazing Day" by Coldplay.
Chapter Text
Whistling, Cornelius prepared himself and his lover for their day of work. He quickly kissed Barnaby's forehead and adjusted the tie under his work apron.
“Now, Barnaby, I have something I want to go over briefly.” The younger man stopped messing with the seams of his apron and nodded, giving his boyfriend his undivided attention.
“You see,” Cornelius paused while trying to gather his thoughts, “People might not like our relationship together, so we really have to keep it as a sort of secret for our job's sake.” Cornelius frowned, but then smiled at the next thought, “But that only means more loving when the day is done!”
“I understand,” Barnaby grasped for his hand and they held each other, “and that means you're getting plenty of hugs later.” Cornelius laughed and motioned him to the door, opening it up to the shop's main level.
After a lecture, they made their preparations together for the day. Fridays always seemed to last forever and welcome the most clients. In fact, without each other, their days would just be meaningless blurs. They would be stuck stocking shelves and occasionally helping a guest, but that would be all. Fortunately, Barnaby had Cornelius and Cornelius had Barnaby.
Barnaby helped a woman find what she was looking for. He always loved being of use to clients, whether it be just finding something for them or helping carry a heavy bag, it helped diminish his small fear of being inadequate. He glanced over at Cornelius and smiled, who was stocking shelves with the support of a ladder. Suddenly the leg of the ladder broke off, sending the man tumbling down. Barnaby quickly rushed over and broke the fall for his lover. With Cornelius on top of him, it took all of his might to resist leaning over to give him a kiss, even if it were just a quick one. Cornelius thanked him and got up slowly, all the while winking to signal he will remember later.
The rest of the day seemed to go by fairly quickly. They both assisted many customers and, of course, got yelled at by Mr. Vandergelder for the smallest mistakes. The moonlight flickered through the window and seemed to tell the two closing time was finally soon. They both smiled at each other and got back on with their work.
A customer walked in just as the store was going to close for the night, and Barnaby nodded to signal he would take care of their needs. The customer seemed so... Intrusive. He shook the thought from his head, while continuing to give his best smile to the client.
Eventually, the man exploded and called Barnaby every disrespectful name under the sun. He felt tears sting his eyes while feeling so useless. Cornelius walked over, seemingly composed although flashes of anger were apparent on his face. He whispered to Barnaby to go back downstairs while he took care of the situation. Cornelius told him to never disrespect his co-worker again, and sent the man off.
Barnaby threw his head into his pillow until he heard the soft creaking of the wooden floor. “Barnaby!” Cornelius rushed over him and planted a loving kiss on his cheek. After a long embrace, Cornelius pulled back with a look of concern on his face. “I know that was plain awful... But maybe if you want to talk about it that would help.”
“I...” Barnaby paused as he looked into his lover's eyes pensively. Cornelius could only help him, right? “I sometimes feel as if what I do isn't enough for our customers, and I know it's somewhat unreasonable but I can't help it at all.” He shook his head but was also glad to finally get everything off his chest.
Cornelius immediately held his lover in his arms. “I know I can't completely change how you think, but you're always enough to me.” He beamed and spoke almost in a whisper. “You are super important to me.”
Waves of emotion crashed in for Barnaby. This is exactly what he needed to feel better. He presses his hand in his boyfriend's. “Thank you.” He said softly. The warmth of his body seemed to calm him down immensely. They both stayed like this silently for quite awhile. Finally, Cornelius speaks. “You know, if it makes you feel any better, that customer is never coming back. I made sure of it.” They laughed happily together. “I'm sure you did... Hey Cornelius?” Cornelius answers quickly, a sign for Barnaby to continue.
“I'm just really grateful for you... You're always there for me and brought me a ton of light in my life. I can't thank you enough.” He smiled and buried his face in his lover's neck.
Cornelius planted soft kisses all around his head in response. “Hey, remember when you basically saved me from that fall earlier? I promised I would pay you back.”
Barnaby blushed. “B-but you helped me just now with that customer! You don't need to pay me back!” Cornelius ignored this and kissed Barnaby until almost every inch of him was covered in kisses. It didn't take much time until a totally relaxed Barnaby fell asleep under him. “I love you.” Cornelius whispered before he fell asleep, all the while holding his love close to his chest.
Notes:
Happy Pride Month everyone!
I've been quite busy as of late so this chapter took a long time to finish. More chapters are on the way (and hopefully more frequently too). This couple will seriously be the death of me so I can't wait to continue. Anyways, please leave kudos and comment suggestions, thank you!
Chapter title: Love is Bigger Than Anything in its Way by U2
Chapter 3: If I Had the World to Give, I'd Give It To You
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“Come on Barnaby!” Cornelius grasped his lover's hand and rushed outside with him. There, the glowing yellow sun greeted them. The light was reflected in a beautiful way onto the blades of grass and trees all around. “Where are we going?” Barnaby asked, admiring the view while walking alongside his love. “I'm not saying, that will ruin our adventure.” Typical Cornelius, Barnaby chuckled as he thought to himself.
“I-I'm a bit cold now.” Barnaby knew he should have grabbed his coat! But they were in such a rush that it was easily forgotten. “Here, you can borrow mine if you want.” Cornelius started to unzip his jacket. “No, I could never, I don't want you to get cold instead!” The taller man laughed and moved to help Barnaby put on his coat. “You're adorable. I don't get cold too easily, so don't worry about it.” Barnaby smiled, and felt himself warm up almost instantly, from both the coat and the kindness of Cornelius.
“We only have a while left to go, Barnaby, I can't wait until we get there!” Barnaby still wasn't sure where “there” exactly was, but he trusted that whatever Cornelius planned would make him happy. He slipped his hand into his lover's and walked along beside him. Cornelius seemed to be almost shaking in anticipation as they neared closer and closer with every stride to their destination.
Cornelius suddenly stopped and Barnaby glanced over. The hill they were standing on top of seemed to overlook the whole city of Yonkers. Satisfied by his boyfriend's awe, Cornelius began to speak, “I used to go here quite a bit on my own, but I figured I should share this spot with you.” He smiles. “It truly is beautiful.” Barnaby broke his silence by replying with a breathless “Wow.” Cornelius giggled softly and pointed out a soft-looking spot on the grass.
“We could lay down right here, what do you think?” Barnaby nodded slowly, his eyes appearing to still be on the view, as if he wanted his mind to perfectly capture this moment forever. They both laid down and looked towards the distance together. After a long moment of observing the city, Barnaby wrapped his arm around Cornelius's waist. “Thank you for taking me here.” He moved his gaze over to the man beside him, who was now glancing at him as well. Cornelius looked absolutely lovely to him, especially with the radiance of his bright smile in the light of the sun.
He leaned in to kiss his lover, unbeknown to him that Cornelius was also leaning in to kiss him. His forehead suddenly erupted with pain as their heads collided. “Are you okay?” Cornelius asked while moving his hand up to his forehead. “I... wasn't really expecting that.” Barnaby laughed and Cornelius joined him shortly after.
After composing themselves, Cornelius spoke. “We should try again now.” Barnaby just nodded and let the other man cup his hands around his chin while pressing his own lips to his passionately. After they both caught a quick breath, they returned to each other's lips.
“You know,” Barnaby paused while thinking to himself, “This feeling is like nothing else. I love being next to you, and the view makes everything even better.” Cornelius smiled and kissed him once more.
“I'm glad I was able to take you here, and I think we should visit this place often.” Barnaby nodded and laid his head on Cornelius's shoulder, clearly content. Slowly, he shut his eyelids and began to doze off. Cornelius beamed at this sight, and gently pressed his lips to his forehead. “I promise to always make you happy, Barnaby.” He tenderly ran a hand through his hair, and watched the sun set on the day as his own heartbeat matched in time with the breathing of his lover beside him.
Notes:
I'm back with a new chapter! Things have been busy for me lately, and I'm glad I finally had the chance to post. I found this chapter especially adorable to write, so I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. A personal update for me is that I have finally gotten the help I need for my anxiety through therapy, and I believe I will be able to post more frequently as a result. Thank you so much, and as always, comments and kudos are appreciated! Chapter title: If I Had the World To Give by the Grateful Dead.
Matthew (Guest) on Chapter 1 Wed 27 Jun 2018 05:12PM UTC
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Midnight_Begonia on Chapter 1 Thu 28 Jun 2018 03:19AM UTC
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RalexSol on Chapter 1 Thu 19 Nov 2020 04:29PM UTC
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Matthew (Guest) on Chapter 2 Wed 27 Jun 2018 05:28PM UTC
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Midnight_Begonia on Chapter 2 Thu 28 Jun 2018 03:46AM UTC
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