Our Time Together

Okay. Almost done, Globby thought to himself as he concentrated on pouring the last of the cream cheese frosting over the freshly baked cinnamon rolls. It was currently a quarter to 8am and he had been up for an hour now because he wanted to have everything ready and mess-free for Felony Carl when he woke up. Today was Valentine's Day and it was their first one as an official couple; sure, they had spent it together in the past, but there was never any pressure to get gifts for one another. This year's holiday was going to be special however since it was Globby's first time both as Globby and as being a good guy, so he wanted to do everything in his power to make it a sweet, memorable time for both of them.

"There," he said out loud as he finished his task. He proceeded to fabricate a pink mug for himself and another for Felony Carl before reaching into the fridge and pouring some vanilla creamer into his. He then filled it with some fresh brewed coffee and took a long sip, letting out a contented sigh when he was done.

"Mreow," came Jasmine their white cat on cue.

"I've got you covered kitty," Globby simply told her as he set his mug down to quickly go scoop her food and fill her water bowl. Once done, he gave a satisfied "Phew" before he went back to his coffee and sit down as the table. Felony Carl should be up soon and we can have a nice breakfast before he goes to work. Hope he likes the setup, Globby wondered as he tapped a gelatinous finger on the table while he waited. In addition to making the morning meal, the shapeshifter fabrication powers let him create some heart-shaped plates for today as well as a white vase of imitation roses that smelled like the real thing.

He continued to wait a few more minutes and was about to get another cup of coffee when the sound of fire-engine sirens blared from outside.

"Huh?" Globby said in curiosity as he looked out the kitchen window to see what all the commotion was and from his view point, he managed to catch two red engines rapidly driving by. He then turned back towards the table and furrowed his brow in thought before letting out a sigh at the decision he made. I'll go help them out really quick and can make it back in no time, he told himself optimistically as he already set his plan in motion by willing his malleable body out the fire escape window towards the trouble.

Jasmine gave a loud meow shortly after he left before twitching her ears to the sound of distance footsteps. About 2 minutes later, Felony Carl came walking in fully-dressed in his motorcycle garb and rubbing some sleep out of his eye.

"Good morning Globs. Did you sleep-" he stopped talking when he gazed around the room, noting their cat being fed and watered as well as breakfast on the table. The husky biker lifted part of his unibrow up in curiosity as he wondered where his boyfriend went while also bending over to pet Jasmine. He gently gave her a few scratches and earned some loud purring in return, followed by him standing upright again and grabbing the empty mug next to the coffee pot. He turned it in his large hand and smiled affectionately at knowing Globby had made it.

Felony Carl then got the creamer out and poured in his hot drink before sitting down in his usual seat. He went ahead and grabbed two of the cinnamon rolls the shapeshifter had prepared and saw the other's mug lying next to the vacant chair. Something must have come up. I have never known him to leave without the most important meal of the day, especially if it is in pastry form, the reformed criminal deduced.

He let out a sad sigh as he knew he couldn't stay too long as he had to head to his new temp job at the Son Naka Park, where they needed extra help setting up for the fair going on tonight and extending some parts over until Sunday; it was Valentine's Day weekend after all. Felony Carl steadily ate his sweet breakfast in under 10 minutes and periodically sipped on his coffee while their heterochromia cat laid down at his feet. Once he was done, he placed everything in the sink to give it a quick wash before turning back towards the table and slumping his shoulders at the fact he missed Globby.

"Mreow," came Jasmine, snapping him out of his thoughts as he looked at her. He then perked up as an idea came to him. Perhaps a little surprise of my own will let Globs know I appreciate his romantic gesture this morning, the motorcyclist considerately thought as he dried his hands.

"Come on," he beckoned to the white cat. "Let us see if I can get one more thing done before I leave."

40 minutes later

Come on arm, swing faster! Globby anxiously said to himself as he was trying to return home. He was told that his help had been immensely beneficial to the fire fighters he followed, who were sent to a Yaki Taco that had caught ablaze from a rag accidently being placed on an active grill. With him there, he managed to turn into water and provide the equivalent of a third truck spraying the place down. The fire was fortunately not as bad as it could have been and they were able to keep it from spreading to nearby buildings, but the process still took longer than Globby would have expected. Once the fast-food establishment was thoroughly doused and showed no signs of reigniting, the shapeshifter said his good-byes and proceeded to head back to the apartment; he also had spent a couple minutes waving at people who called out to him prior to leaving.

Globby got back to his home as fast as he could and squeezed back under the window he left through earlier, startling Jasmine a little as she snapped her head to where he arrived. "Hello," he called out and receiving no answer. He then sighed sadly as he realized he must have missed Felony Carl.

"Darn it," the gelatinous mutant mumbled while going to dump his old coffee out and get some hotter stuff. He did notice the plate with the cinnamon rolls was missing two of them as well as the mug and plate for his boyfriend were in the drying rack, making Globby smile a little. At least he got something to eat. Speaking of which… He trailed on his thought as it occurred to him he didn't have breakfast yet. After grabbing a couple pastries for himself and a quick microwave step, the reformed criminal started eating while he plotted what to do next.

I know he had to work, but a little time this morning would have been nice. Oh well. Maybe there's some other way to see him before tonight and not be in the way, Globby wondered as he took another sweet, cinnamony bite.

When he finished his meal, he still didn't have anything concrete to act on, so he sighed again as he cleaned up everything. "I got the present set for tonight, so I can't give that to him yet," he said out loud to himself (and to their blue and green-eyed cat, but she was currently napping). Once he left the kitchen, Globby went into the living room to work through his problem while he paced back and forth. "I could call him and we could talk for a little," he started all hopeful before he realized that Felony Carl would most likely not pick up due to the job. He then crossed his arms and looked disheartened as he stated, "Too bad my previous job interviews indicate my help wouldn't be the most welcomed at something like this."

It was after he said this that he turned his head and saw something red on the coffee table, mystified that he had overlooked it. The shapeshifter walked over and picked it up, instantly recognizing it as a square chocolate box, but it also had something written on it too.

Sorry I missed you this morning. I hope you will find this sufficiently pleasant until we meet up again later. Thank you for breakfast. 3 FC

Globby smiled fondly at the gesture, followed by feeling more determination than before to figure something out about seeing his boyfriend. Staring at the box and carefully running a gelatinous thumb over the note, it occurred to him that he knew where Felony Carl would be and he'd by working hard. Did he pack a lunch or was he going to just buy it? He pondered as he was already heading to the kitchen again to check the fridge. Once he inspected it and found only a water bottle missing, the pink and purple man deduced he must have planned on eating at a food truck or something; an idea then began to form in his head about what he could do to make up for this morning.

I can pick up lunch for him so it'll be one less thing to worry about and I get to see him, Globby thought with glee as he walked back into the living room as it was still too early to go see him. He sat on the sofa as he stretched his left arm over to grab the TV remote off the table. Okay. I'll watch a show or two, go-out on patrol, grab lunch to go, and then surprise Carl, the gelatinous mutant internally planned as he began flipping through channels. But first…maybe a little sweet treat, he found himself thinking while eyeing the package in his other hand.

"Here you go Globby. You have a nice day now and come back any time," Joe of Joe's Diner told him as he handed over the hero's order.

With a small chuckle and a big grin, Globby took the bag containing a Styrofoam box and cheerfully replied, "Thanks and don't worry. This is still my favorite place to come to, so I'll be back before you know it. Have a great day too."

Throughout the shapeshifter's whole duration at the small establishment (save for when he placed his order), he had been flanked by fans wanting photos and autographs, to which he was more than happy to oblige. He honestly hadn't expected such a complete turnover from being hated to adored on this scale; he was mainly just glad that he was seen as more than a monster. Once those admirers got what they asked for, Globby was able to leave unhindered and after waving to a few more people outside, launched an arm up to the nearest building and began swinging to Son Naka Park. He formed an extra arm to hold his food to both keep it steady and minimize slime on the bag.

Woo! Got lunch and am on the way. Hope he's not working too hard out there today, Globby thought as he narrowly avoided a flock of pigeons. He then briefly looked up to the cloud-filled sky and noted, At least it's not too hot or cold out today so he won't have it bad either way.

Globby continued going from skyscraper to apartment complex to office building for another 5 minutes or so until he saw the open area devoid of major structures, signifying he was almost there. The reformed mutant debated over whether to walk or fly in order to finish the last leg of the journey, but settled on walking since that was less likely to cause a fuss. He proceeded to gently lower himself to the ground, making a small squish when he landed.

Globby then ventured to the nearest crosswalk to go the remaining block to the park entrance, meaning he had to wait for the light to change; true, he could just go ahead and cross the street, but he had been hit by too many cars doing just that and didn't want to risk it. There was a teenager with black hair and green hoodie on the corner too, listening to music while texting, making him fail to see the shapeshifter arriving until it was safe to cross; when Globby did come into view, the teen proceeded to remain standing there in shock until there was only 5 seconds left on the timer and he had to sprint across the asphalt.

The gelatinous mutant himself failed to noticed this as he was more focused on following the iron-wrought fence that bordered this section of the park to the entrance. After passing by a few more fans and politely waving to them, a large archway came into view with decorative swirls and trefoils that surrounded the name "Son Naka Park."

"Yes! Found it," he declared to himself as he took a faster pace and went inside. The gateway was flanked by some rose bushes on both sides that after about 15ft, opened up to a split path with a giant meadow directly in front of him; one path led to more scenic views by running along a small pond dotted with a few trees, while the other ran up the shallow incline of a grass-covered hill that carried over to the more recreational area of the park. The shapeshifter chose to just keep walking forward as the open area was currently occupied with several impromptu booths, some of which were already set up and appeared to be a few food stands and a couple gaming stations.

Still carrying the bag of food as he ventured forward, Globby gazed around to see if any of the workers were his boyfriend, focused more on finding Felony Carl than he was at seeing all the turned heads casted his way. Should I call out to him? Nah. What if he's on a ladder or something and I wind up making him fall because I distracted him? the pink and purple man worried as each new face failed to be the one he was looking for. Oh, I hope I find him soon. I don't want his lunch to get cold, he thought as he now came across a large stage with a red curtain backdrop and bright lights being attached along a scaffolding. When he was giving it a good once-over, he immediately perked up when his luminescent eyes spied that familiar biker jacket near the corner of the structure hanging black drapery to the edge of it.

"Hey Carl!" Globby called out with a big wave as he kept approaching, causing the motorcyclist to turn his head to search for the source of the shout and stopping when he saw the mutant. Felony Carl looked surprised of course and proceeded to stand up as he waited a few seconds for his boyfriend to come over.

"I must say that this is an unexpected development. Has something unfortunate transpired?" the husky man inquired.

"Oh no, nothing like that," the shapeshifter answered with a dismissive gesture using his free hand before holding up the take-out bag with the other. "I, well, I saw you didn't seem to pack anything for lunch and since I missed you at breakfast…" he trailed off as he anxiously scratched the back of his transparent neck, hoping that Carl found what he did okay too.

Felony Carl's expression turned from one of intrigue to one of gentle appreciation at the thought Globby went through the effort to do this. He then replied, "Why thank you Globs. As a matter of fact, I was about to take my meal break." The cat lover proceeded to raise part of his unibrow up as he knowingly said, "Let me guess, Joe's Diner?"

"You know me, why mess with a good thing?" the pink and purple hero rhetorically responded with a small chuckle. He followed it up by slyly adding, "But I know you, which is why I got you your favorite: toasted turkey sandwich with tomato, onion and lettuce with fries on the side and BBQ sauce for dipping. Hope the fries didn't get too cold." Globby then presented the plastic bag with his meal to the other reformed criminal.

Felony Carl just smiled warmly as he took the Styrofoam box and sack from his Globs and gave him a one arm hug as best as he could. "I am sure it will be fine," he simply said while the gelatinous mutant embraced him right back.

Once they were done with their moment a few seconds later, it was then that the duo took notice that a murmuring sound could be heard. The duo turned their heads and saw that a couple dozen people, who were either responsible for building stuff or were the operators of the booths, were approaching them.

"Oh boy," Globby blurted out with a small nervous laugh. "I can only guess what they want. Should I go or…" he questioned as he didn't want to be rude to his fans, but he also wanted to have a little more time with Felony Carl.

The motorcyclist admittedly let a touch of sadness briefly appear on his face before he quickly replaced it with a supportive smile. "I will be fine Globs. Thank you again for the meal and do not worry, we still have this evening for romantic enjoyment," he pointed out as he put a large hand on Globby's shoulder.

Looking from Felony Carl to the still gathering crowd and back again, the shapeshifter held a little guilt as he slowly said, "Alright…if you're sure."

His boyfriend nodded to reassure him as he removed his hand, leading Globby to walk towards his fans, but not without stealing one more glance back at Carl and finding him staring at him as well. The reformed mutant gave a small smile that he hoped the husky biker saw before he soon became bombarded with people.

"Globby, can I get a photo?"

"Sure!"

"An autograph please!"

"Here you go."

"I think you're amazing!"

"Well thank you!"

On and on the clamoring for his attention went and to his credit, Globby remained courteous and met their requests; all while this was going on, Felony Carl went ahead and sat down on the edge of the stage to eat his lunch, finishing it in 15 minutes. The cat-loving man gazed wistfully at the sight of his boyfriend surrounded by fans and not really sure what to do; the decision was taken from him though as the organizer found him a few minutes later and asked for some help with lifting something. My break is over for now anyway. Best get back to work so this gets ready in time. Felony Carl stood up and managed one last look at Globby before following the other person away to another section of the area.

Amid appeasing the group of admirers, the gelatinous mutant caught sight of the large man as he had his back turned to him; although he had been doing what he could to catch glimpses of his boyfriend before and could see him watching, the fact that he was leaving did make him a little sad given that his plan didn't completely work out again. Globby still remained for another five minutes with this slew of people and enjoying the positive attention until he finally informed them, "Thank you all so much and I'm glad that I could make your acquaintance, but I better get back on patrol to see if any trouble's happening. Have a wonderful day."

He then as carefully as possible (while being surrounded by his fans) changed his lower half into a spring so he could propel himself well above the crowd; while in midair, he swiftly transformed into his pterodactyl form he was initially hesitant about and flew off. Despite the growing distance, Globby could still hear a few excited screams and shouts over what he just did, making him smile a little. Once he cleared the park and the buildings lined up on both of his sides again, he shifted back to his normal form and began swinging.

As he went, he couldn't help but feel bittersweet about what just happened. It's great that they no longer fear me, but I just wish I could have spent time with Felony Carl too, the shapeshifter sighed while turning down Tato St. At least I got something for him and showed that I was thinking of him. Some romantic day so far though, he sullenly remarked to himself. I guess I'll do my watch for a little bit then head home to get things ready for dinner since I'm sure Felony Carl will be exhausted, Globby planned, trying to feel a little more upbeat with his current course of action as he continued his way through the city.

"Oh, I hope this looks good," Globby said out loud as he finished the final touches on his latest idea.

It had been several hours since he had dropped off Felony Carl's lunch and the gelatinous mutant had only come home about 45 minutes prior. His journey over the streets of San Fransokyo had mostly been uneventful save for spotting someone whose tires had been punctured and to which he promptly sealed and filled with ease.

Now that he was back in the apartment, he noticed how except for the kitchen at breakfast and the chocolates left for him, there wasn't really any indication of what day it was; he then took it upon himself to spruce the place up a little since it might help provide a better atmosphere for this evening.

Globby began fabricating a couple bunches of red, pink and white heart-shaped balloons to stick in the corners of the living room near the TV. He then made a red cylindrical vase for the table as well as some more imitation flowers, but making them come in various shades of pink instead of red; he also whipped up a dozen petals to encircle the vase for a more romantic feel. Globby then made several white candles and stuck them on the end table and coffee table, keeping them unlit for now.

The shapeshifter proceeded to head into the kitchen where he placed a few more paraffin creations on the dining area and checked that his flowers from this morning were still good. He then turned his attention to the stove and realized they'd still have to make dinner, and although the thought of having it ready was tempting, the idea of them getting to spend more time together as they made it brought a small smile to his face. Globby instead opted to get the pot, strainer, salad bowls, silverware, and cooking utensils out so they'd be ready as soon as Felony Carl was home.

The last thing he did for prepping was make another set of new plates, except these ones were circular and white with a red ribbon that spiraled along the edge and had a big heart in the center. He set them on the table and gave a satisfying nod as he put his hands on his hips.

"Mreow," suddenly came Jasmine, snapping him out of his moment.

"Oh, sorry girl. Here," Globby said in an apologetic tine as he went to scoop her some food out into her bowl. He was about to give everything another look over when he heard the sound of the front door unlocking followed by footsteps. Oh! He's back, the pink and purple man quickly thought as he surged himself back into the front room. He arrived just in time for the sliding door behind the sofa to open up, revealing a slightly tired-looking Felony Carl entering with his right arm behind his back.

"Hey Carl, sorry things didn't go as planned with seeing you today. I hope I didn't cause any trouble at the fairgrounds. Anyway, how was the rest of your day?" Globby asked in rapid succession as he walked across the floor. The husky biker gazed around the area, noticing the small bits of decoration and smiling warmly before replying, "It was a fair amount of labor, but I did not overexert myself, so soreness tomorrow should be minimal. Also, I do not believe there was any issue with your presence there and besides, I enjoyed the unexpected visit and lunch was delicious."

Hearing what his boyfriend had to say made Globby visibly relax as he let out a sigh. He then gave a small nervous laugh and inquired, "So uh, you like it? I didn't know what exactly all I should do because too much may come off as overkill and spoil the mood, but I wanted to do something more to celebrate than what I already did, so I thought-" His rambling was interrupted by a soft chuckle from Felony Carl, who proceeded to lean in and give him a one-arm hug before pulling his surprise from behind his back out. In his large hand, he held a bouquet of roses and baby's-breath flowers that he handed over to Globby as he pulled away, leaving the other to stare at them with his mouth agape.

"It looks perfect the way it is and too many decorations might be inconvenient to us or pose a hazard for Jasmine if she got too curious with them," the motorcyclist informed Globby with still a warm smile on his face. He then a bit more coyly added, "I too felt the need to celebrate a little more. It is simply a miracle that I managed to find such a lovely bunch so quickly."

The gelatinous mutant looked from his boyfriend to the flowers and back again before he appeared a little pinker in the face and smiled too. He proceeded to lean in and give a peck on Felony Carl's cheek and softly said, "Thank you. They're lovely."

Felony Carl welcomed the affectionate display and bluntly told him, "I'm glad you like it and now if you will excuse me, I am going to take a shower."

Globby suddenly got flustered for a moment and rapidly replied, "Oh! Yeah! Sorry. You've had a long day. You go do that while I get these in a bigger vase. I'll just go ahead and finish getting everything ready for dinner."

The husky biker nodded and walked past Globby out of the living room, leaving the superhero alone to complete his tasks. He went over to the glass cylinder on the table and after grabbing it, focused on its structure and on making it bigger; sure enough, Globby's manipulation of the material made it a good deal wider, allowing him to set the beautiful bouquet inside with ease. Okay. That's done, he said to himself as he put the flowers down and headed to the kitchen.

He proceeded to go and fill the pot with water and get it boiling with a dash of salt tossed in. Globby also found the box of pasta and a large jar of 4-cheese marinara in the cabinet next to the fridge. I think that's everything except the salad and drinks, the shapeshifter noted as he waited for the water to be ready. He could hear the sound of the shower running in the other room and shaking his head he thought, Hopefully he won't be too sore tomorrow. At least dinner won't take long to make and we can just talk, exchange gifts and maybe watch a movie. Globby then sighed and sadly remarked, It would have been nice to do this part together, but I know I can't always have it my way, so I'll just have to do what I can do.

With that moment passed, he decided to go ahead and get the salad served and fill their glasses up with water as cleanly as possible. A couple minutes later, the pot started to boil noisily, signaling for the pink and purple man to dump the angel hair noodles in. Once the pasta was in the hot liquid, Globby grabbed the wooden slotted spoon he got out and began stirring it a couple times during its short 4-minute cook time. He of course tasted it to see if it was done and when satisfied, turned the stove off, made his hands into pot holders, grabbed the handles of the metal dish, and dumped it into the strainer in the sink. The steam coming off the dumped water made him have to stretch his face back for a few seconds as it made the affected areas feel funny. Globby quickly recovered and moved the pasta back into the cooking vessel and went to open the sauce up when he heard, "Looks like you have everything just about wrapped up."

The gelatinous man turned to find his boyfriend standing in the doorway with a white shirt and loose-fitting blue pants along with his signature bandana tied up against his damp hair. Globby smiled and replied, "Yep. Just got to add this and mix it up." He then paused before kindly asking, "Would you like to do it?"

Felony Carl chuckled as he walked on over, took the bottle off the shapeshifter's hand and cheekily telling hm, "It would be an honor."

Globby now gave a little chuckle as dinner was finally ready with the stirring of the sauce with the noodles. The gelatinous mutant proceeded to grab the special plates off the table and handed them to Felony Carl, who scooped the pasta onto them and placed them down for Globby to take back to the table.

The couple found themselves seated a moment later, where they just stared at each other while smiling until Globby remembered the candles were unlit. With a "Watch this" expression now on his face, the superhero stuck his left arm out and lit each one with a fingertip, causing the motorcyclist to give a smirk before saying, "Impressive."

"Eh, just one of my many talents," Globby sly retorted and making the two of them giggle at the remark.

"Thank you for dinner and getting everything ready before I arrived home. How was your day?" Felony Carl politely inquired as he started eating.

The other man gave a shrug and answered between bites, "Except for this morning's trouble and surprising you with lunch, it wasn't too eventful. How about you? I bet it was a lot of work."

Taking a sip of water, the cat-loving individual simply stated, "It was a fair amount of labor, but nothing unbearable and I did not have to stay late, so that was a plus." He then let a sincere smile cross his face as he added, "But seeing you certainly was the highlight of my day."

Globby noticeably looked a little pinker at the last bit as a big dopey grin appeared on him. "Aww, you beat me to saying that about you. Heh, and people think I'm soft you sweet sentimental man." The pink and purple man then let out a sad sigh while he looked a bit melancholier as he stared at his meal, catching his boyfriend's attention.

"Something wrong Globs?" Felony Carl asked with concern.

Globby lifted his head, sighed again and told him, "I'm sorry Carl, it's not you. I just wished my plans to have more time together had worked out. Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy I could help out with the fire this morning or any time for that matter, and I love that people no longer see me as just a monster, but…" He then paused and appearing almost regretful for even thinking it added, "It's all such a big adjustment going from feared to tolerated to adored in such a small span of time, especially the adored one since it hasn't even been 3-weeks yet and I feel bad or I'm being a jerk if I don't indulge the fans' request since it's no trouble to me; plus, a secret identity is pretty much out of the question since…well, that part is kind of obvious."

Globby proceeded to shift in his seat a little as he gazed across the table at his boyfriend and finished his piece. "I know you've got work and I have responsibilities now that I can actually help people, and I know there will be a way to figure out a good balance in time, but I guess I just well, really miss spending time with you." The shapeshifter gave a small bashful smile when he was done, which was met by a warm, appreciative one from Felony Carl.

The unibrowed man extended his right arm, which signaled for him to do the same with his left one. Gently taking his mostly transparent hand, Felony Carl gave it a reassuring squeeze and said, "I miss you too and agree that this is quite a rapid change. Hopefully, there will at least be more fans like the ones today who allowed you to talk with me first before bombarding you; anything else in regards to servicing the fans is up to you since it is your choice, not mine."

The superhero nodded slowly in agreement as he returned the grip and grinned a little wider. "Thanks Carl." They then let go so that they could finish eating, which was mostly filled with sounds of chewing, sipping and the occasional funny joke thrown around. In no time at all they finished their meal, which led to them splitting up cleaning duties with Globby on dishes while Felony Carl put up the leftovers and blew out the candles. The reformed mutant proceeded to squirt some soap into the sink before changing his arms into water and got to work. He swiped one hand over the dirty items to remove debris followed by using the other to rinse and place them in the drying rack. Halfway through washing, the bandana-clad biker stepped up to his boyfriend and snuck a quick peck on the cheek, making Globby smile and bashfully give him one too.

"I will go get your present," was all Felony Carl said as he turned to leave the kitchen, sparing a knowing glance at the gelatinous being before he was out of sight. Once his task was complete, the superhero changed back to his normal self as he met Felony Carl in the living room, who was already waiting on the couch with a large, rectangular-shaped gift covered in red wrapping paper.

Globby gave a small laugh in disbelief as he asked, "How on earth did you manage to hide that from me?"

"I have my ways," Felony Carl simply replied with a sly look.

Shaking his transparent head, the chocolate-loving mutant told him, "Fair enough. Now, close your eyes while I get your present out."

His boyfriend obeyed with a small smile appearing on his face as the other then went to the cabinet under the TV, opened it up and pulled out his gift. Moving back to where the husky biker was and sitting down next to him, Globby excitedly said, "Okay, you're free to see once again."

Felony Carl did as he was told and blinked his eyes open to find his partner holding a bonsai tree in his malleable mitts. Avoiding looking into the other's gaze for a moment, Globby self-consciously explained, "I know usually roses are more traditional and all, but I thought it might be nice to have something that'll be around a lot longer; and don't worry, I may have ordered it a week ago, but I just picked this up yesterday so it wasn't in the dark for ages. So uh, do you like it?"

The plant enthusiast gently took the decorative blue pot that held the tiny tree before giving a warm, tender smile and telling him with complete sincerity, "This is a wonderfully thoughtful gift and I will treat it with the same love and care as I would my other plants. Thank you, Globs." Globby positively beamed with joy that the gift was well received, so much so that he almost didn't notice he was being handed his large present.

"I hope you find this pleasantly romantic," Felony Carl told him as he placed the bonsai tree on the table with one hand and passing the rectangular object with the other.

The gelatinous man stared at it for a few seconds, unsure of what it was as he went to delicately remove the wrapping paper. When it was all cleared, Globby held his gift out to examine it and saw that it was a large photo of the two of them with Jasmine in the back. It had him giving a playful peace sign and wink while Felony Carl rested his head on him and was colored to more of a sepia tone.

"Aww, this was from the day we made it official that we were dating. Oh Carl." Globby couldn't help but get emotional as he set the picture down and enveloped his boyfriend in a big hug, prompting the motorcyclist to do the same. They both closed their eyes as they felt the warmth of the embrace, resting their heads on the other's shoulder as they got cheek to cheek. "I love it," he whispered and was met with an "I love mine too," from the reformed bouncer.

The duo pulled away slightly to look at each other more intensely, followed by both giving a small chuckle in anticipation before they leaned in to kiss. Usually, such intimate moments between them only lasted for a second or so, but they managed to stay connected much longer this time as they gently showed their affection for one another. They finally pulled apart after about 7 seconds, initiating another bit of giddiness from the lovers as Globby wholeheartedly said, "Happy Valentine's Day Carl. I love you."

"I love you too," Felony Carl reciprocated as they leaned in to briefly rest their foreheads on each other.

"So, anything else you want to do tonight? I know you mentioned that the fair you helped set up is open, but it's your choice," the pink and purple man considerately inquired.

Felony Carl appeared to ponder the question for a moment when he suddenly had a sly look on his face and answered, "I think I will be selfish this evening and keep you all to myself."

Globby giggled at the decision and told him, "I guess that makes me selfish too because that's what I wanted you to pick."

The husky biker now laughed a little as the couple went to fully embrace the other again for a few more seconds before completely pulling away.

"So, we're watching a movie together then?" Globby hazarded a guess.

"Works for me. Anything in particular you fancy?" Felony Carl asked as he went to pick up the TV remote.

The reformed mutant shrugged and said, "Not really. We can just browse until we find something good."

His boyfriend nodded, turned the giant screen on and started flipping through the guide. While he was doing this, Globby went ahead and got into his comfy position of laying on Felony Carl's shoulder as he looked at the TV too. It was after about 30 seconds of channel surfing that the superhero's eyes wandered to the vase on the table then to his gift, giving him a fun, romantic idea. With a sly grin, Globby spoke up almost singsong-like with "Hey Carl," prompting a "Hmm?" from the other.

"Before we watch a movie, I just thought of something that could help mark this as our first Valentine's Day together," he added.

Quirking up part of his unibrow, Felony Carl asked, "Oh yeah? Pray tell, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, it involves you, me, some roses, a camera, and maybe a few other things too," Globby mysteriously answered with a gelatinous eyebrow wiggle.

Felony Carl looked puzzled for a couple seconds until he seemed to catch on to the general idea, making him give a cheeky expression and say, "I will be right back with the camera."

He proceeded to stand up as Globby sat more upright, following his boyfriend with his luminescent eyes and giving an excited giggle as he thought, Ooo, this is gonna be a good time. Let's just see how much fun we can have tonight.

NOTES

I hope you enjoyed this story and that you could gather what Globby had in mind for fun at the end. ;) (This would also imply that there may be some more photos of Felony Carl around the apartment too ^_^333). I also hope you liked the take on Globby having to adjust to fame since it probably wasn't easy even if he seemed to find a balance by the time "The Globby Within" took place. This was my take on Valentine's Day being celebrated by these two reformed criminals and if you're reading this on February 14th, Happy Valentine's Day to you. ^_^ 333