Rainbow Snippets*-- What's Normal?

I've been saying for weeks I'd get back to my routine when everything got back to normal, but I've decided that isn't going to happen. First it was the Holidays, then it was vacation, and this week it involved a funeral. Plus, we've been running with less than a skeleton crew at work, which makes everything difficult. But I have managed to write every day and I did hit the 30k mark. I'll take my small victories where I can!

I didn't really outline Smoke and Sparks before I started writing. Vaughn and Daryl were two side characters from Embers and Flame that I thought would go well together in a kind of "opposites attract" way. I had a brief notion that they would move in together after having a brief long-distance relationship. The questions in my mind becomes are they boyfriends or just friends (even though they've shared a few kisses) and are they dating, and how does that work with someone you live with? So, yes, even though I have a loose idea of some upcoming "beats", I'm very much letting this story go where it will!

Today's snippet is two weeks after moving day and it's unofficially their first date. They live in the St. Louis area and Vaughn has taken Daryl to the Zoo. I've definitely gone well past the 6-sentence suggested length, but most of them are short sentences. (These are the scenes that are fun to write!)

They've found a sunny bench and are taking a break.
The scene is from Daryl's POV:

“Thanks,” I said.

“For what?” Vaughn asked.

“This. And for the apartment. For putting up with me.”

Vaughn opened his eyes and glanced at me. “Putting up with you? It’s only been two weeks. You drive me to work and do almost all of the cleaning. Plus you’re paying half the rent and bills. I should be thanking--” he stopped mid-sentence and his eyes bugged out. I turned to see what had caught his attention but it was nothing more than a male burrow mounting a female. I’d spent hours of my childhood on farms--seeing animals mate was a common enough thing.

But apparently, it wasn’t something Vaughn had ever seen. I did my best to not laugh, but when he said, “Look at the size of that,” I lost it. Completely. Crossing my arms over my stomach, I wheezed and couldn’t breathe. He gulped out “oh shit” when the small female brayed. “Yeah, little girl, I bet that’s gotta hurt,” he said, almost whimpering. He cringed with imagined pain, clamping his lips tightly together as he leaned forward, his white-knuckled hands wrapped around his knees; I’d bet anything he was clenching his butt muscles.

*Rainbow Snippets is a (Facebook) group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share snippets from a work of fiction–-a WIP or a finished work or even a book recommendation. If you're interested in following a diverse group of authors, check it out here.