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Caboose shifted nervously from foot to foot. He’d only ever practiced this kind of thing once before and even then it was only for pretend.
It was much harder when you were trying to do it for real.
He’d asked Tucker for advice (since Tucker had lots of experience with these things) but Caboose hadn’t really understood much of what his laid-back friend had suggested. What was smooth talking, anyway? In the end, Tucker had clapped Caboose on the shoulder and said that he would help him find something nice to wear.
Caboose stood at the edge of the fountain, dressed neatly in a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt and a new blue button-up over shirt that Tucker had helped him choose for the occasion. He glanced over his shoulder to look over to where Washington and Tucker were standing nearby licking ice creams in a show of support. Tucker gave him a thumbs up when he met Cabooses’ nervous gaze and Wash flashed him a smile; he could do this!
Caboose nodded to himself and clutched the small fluffy teddybear in his hands as he waited.
He smiled widely as he caught sight of Maine making his way over to the fountain and waved, making sure to hide the teddy behind his back.
“Maine!”
Maine returned Cabooses smile and enthusiastic wave as he approached.
“Hello!” Caboose said cheerfully.
“Hello, Michael.”
Cabooses’s face tinged pink at the name. No one hardly ever called him Michael any more. It felt kind of special.
“Um, I have something I want to say to you.”
Maine’s brow furrowed slightly.
“No! It’s a good thing! I think,” he added quickly.
Maine sat against the cool brick of the fountain, waiting for Caboose to sort out his thoughts.
“Um, I have a present,” he held out the small, fluffy teddy bear. Maine took it in one large hand, taking a moment to stroke the soft fur.
“Thank you.”
Caboose returned the smile and continued talking. “Maine, we’re really good friends, and I really like you a lot. But, um, I was hoping that we could maybe go somewhere and hold hands? And then maybe after we could be boyfriends? And go more places holding hands?”
Maine looked at Caboose, his gaze towards the ground and his hands clasped nervously before him. Gently, he reached out and took Cabooses’ hand in his. Caboose looked down at their hands before looking to Maine in wonder.
“We can be boyfriends before we go somewhere if you’d like.”
The smile that Caboose gave to him and the absolute joy that spread across his face was indescribable.
“Okay!”