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Chapter Twelve: Dusk in Eden
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"Whoa, you painted your nails?" the somewhat surprised voice of Grimmjow brought the ebony-haired man's attention to him. Dinner had finished and they were currently cruising in the celebrity's car; driving through the brightly lit streets in a black Mercedes Benz.
Ulquiorra gazed at the driver, only to find that Grimmjow was looking back at him from the corner of his eyes, a smirk on his lips as he drove. He had objectively kept his hands in his pockets ever since he walked into that French restaurant an hour ago, only taking them out when he ate; even then he made sure that his nails wouldn't be exposed. Why he was hiding his painted nails from Grimmjow, he didn't know. He just felt an unusual need to. His cell phone had vibrated during the ride and he got it out to read the message, he typed out a quick reply to Cirucci before placing the gadget back in his coat pocket. Somewhere through those short moments, the celebrity must've seen his nails.
"Well?" Grimmjow urged when he wasn't supplied a reply.
"If you must know, my friends ambushed me at my apartment this morning," Ulquiorra began to explain, his eyes staring at the road ahead of them. "They forced me into a salon and had my nails painted. I'm just thankful it's black and not some other color."
"Well, it looks good on you…"
Jade eyes averted their gaze towards the side mirror where he saw his reflection's cheeks coloring a pale pink; he could feel sapphire orbs gaze upon him once again. He did not know if the celebrity's words were honest or if he was just trying to get on his good side. Either way, after that little comment, his hands had left the refuge of his pockets; they were now pleasantly lying atop the other on his lap.
Grimmjow only smirked when Ulquiorra kept silent. He'd been wondering for a while now why the smaller man was insistently keeping his hands in his pockets, he'd been thinking of injuries and such but thankfully it turned out to be nothing of the sort. What he'd said before was true; the black nail polish suited the man in the passenger seat of his car. Black was usually associated with mystery, and Ulquiorra was definitely one for him. A silent sigh escaped him as they passed the highway, dinner was done. Thank god they had gotten past that with minimal hostility. "So," he began aloud, "Where do you wanna go?"
"Huh?" confusion was painted on Ulquiorra's porcelain face.
"What do you want to do?" Grimmjow asked as he made a left turn, really he'd been driving around without a destination for at least ten minutes now.
"You mean you have no idea where you'd be taking me?" Ulquiorra raised a brow at him.
"Well… I was thinking we'd do something that you want…"
"So you've been driving around with no exact place to go?"
"Something like that, yeah…"
"Idiot…" the pale man muttered.
"Hey, I heard that. Well, if you'd give me a place we wouldn't be driving around aimlessly…"
"…"
"Yo. Where do you wanna go already?"
"…I have no idea…"
"What?!"
"I thought you'd already planned it out…" Ulquiorra was looking down at his clasped hands.
Grimmjow was taken aback. Of course! What in the world had he been thinking?! Ulquiorra had never been on a date before; naturally, the guy wouldn't have any idea… Well, he sure as hell wasn't going to waste this night. He glanced at his companion, noticing instantly the defiant yet somehow crestfallen look on the pale face. "Well, there are quite a bunch of options… This city has quite a lot of nightlife going on, you know…"
Ebony hair shifted as jade eyes looked up, he was already half-expecting the celebrity to yell profanities at him. The words that came out instead were honestly the last thing he'd even thought the other man would say. Those words perturbed him…
"It's still early; the movie theatre should be open… And, er… I'd suggest going to a club but I think you'd had enough of those kind of place; besides, we're kinda overdressed for that… What else? Going to some coffee shop? But damn, we just ate… Something else… Hm… Are you even into shopping?" Grimmjow wanted nothing less than to bang his head against the steering wheel at hearing himself speak. Goddamn, he sounded like a stuttering idiotic tour guide.
"No, I am not into shopping." Ulquiorra replied, feeling quite anxious. Everything that Grimmjow had said involved spending; it was clear that whenever the celebrity went out, he was used to his dates being costly. Damn, he knew being antisocial would kick him up in the head someday… He didn't want the sapphire-eyed man to spend more on him… come on, those 'peace offerings' probably cost more than his entire apartment rent for a whole year! And then there was the fact that it was Grimmjow alone who paid for their dinner at a freaking high-class French restaurant.
"Oh, well, let's see…" the muscular man mentally slapped himself. Of course Ulquiorra wouldn't be into shopping; only girls liked that! Okay, maybe Szayel did… but that wasn't the point! Think, man, think! Grimmjow was constantly screaming at himself. Where in the seven hells could two men in semi-formal suits go for a date?!
"Could you turn right at the intersection?" came a quiet question from his right.
Grimmjow stopped the car at a red light and took this chance to look at Ulquiorra. "What for?" the celebrity asked, a sudden fear creeping up in his skin. Was Ulquiorra going to ask to be dropped by so he could just head home? Did he find this just a waste of his time?
"I… Well… I thought of going to the city park… It's been a while since…" Ulquiorra mumbled, hating himself for even saying such a stupid suggest-
"Okay."
The pale-skinned man could only stare as Grimmjow agreed to do as he'd asked. The muscular man drove his Mercedes right at the nearest intersection and made the way on his own. It seemed that the celebrity knew his way around town. Soon enough, he saw the familiar arched entranceway and Grimmjow drove through the pathway lined with birch trees. They eventually reached the center where a large fountain was situated; the area was circular with five paths leading away towards different sections of the park. Wooden benches were arranged a good distance around the fountain with tall lit lampposts in even spacing around each, shedding a bright yellow light upon everything, a cool air blew about with help from the lush foliage of the many trees and vegetation in the park area. The black car stopped a little way from the fountain and the two men exited, standing on either side of the vehicle staring at each other; there was no one else at the park that night.
Having enough of almost a full minute of staring at the taller man, Ulquiorra pretended to fix the lime green scarf around his neck, forcibly diverting all his attention towards the piece of clothing.
"So… erm, do you wanna take a walk…?" Grimmjow was finding it hard to control himself to not jump Ulquiorra the moment the smaller man slowly raised his jade green eyes towards him, looking very much like a child being offered a great big lollipop; he just looked too damn innocent!
"Are you sure you'd be alright leaving your car here?" ebony-haired Ulquiorra responded, shoving his hands in his pockets once again, it was beginning to be quite a habit of his.
"It's locked." Grimmjow replied with a shrug, "So shall we?"
Deciding to let the celebrity handle things, Ulquiorra nodded and went over to Grimmjow's side. The two of them began walking, once again aimless, sharing a mildly uncomfortable silence between them. It was eerie yet peaceful. The sounds of the city seemed to be muffled into mere whispers in the wind by the abundance of trees around them; it was as though they had completely left the stressful city night.
Sapphire eyes darted back and forth from the pale man beside him, his mind racing for something – anything – to say to the man. He placed his hands inside the pockets of his white slacks, finding that he had no idea what to do with them at the moment. 'Say something, dumbass!' an inner voice in his mind was screaming at him. 'Give me a fucking suggestion and I'd damn well start a fucking conversation!' he found himself answering back. Gods, they were already half-way around the park center, if he didn't say anything any time soon…
"Thank you, Grimmjow, for taking me out tonight…" Ulquiorra's quiet voice came most unexpectedly. Even he didn't see himself to be the one to break the silence. Well, what was he supposed to do? The heavy silence was almost choking him, and his consciousness of being around Grimmjow was not helping.
"It's nothing…" the sapphire-eyed celebrity replied with a great heave of breath. Finally! Something to break the tension… "I heard that you haven't had a date since forever…"
"True…" Ulquiorra admitted softly as their course went through one of the paths leading away from the park center.
"Hm…" Grimmjow inclined his head lightly, "Well, I thought it was a sad waste that no one bothered to take you out… How can anyone just ignore a face like that?"
"Shut up…" Ulquiorra felt his cheeks heat up.
A lenient smirk made its way onto the celebrity's lips. "You've got a pretty face. It's nothing to be shy about…"
"Flattery won't get you anywhere…"
"It ain't flattery when it's true, you know…"
"…Whatever."
The muscular man only 'hmm'-ed.
"Stop it, Grimmjow." Came Ulquiorra's warning voice.
"What? I wasn't doing anything!"
"As if I'd actually believe that…"
"Hey, Ulquiorra…"
"Yes?"
"Your friends… Are they… okay with this… me taking interest in you, I mean…"
"They haven't reported you to the police for sexual harassment yet, and you have no restraining order from me… So I guess that answers that…"
"Whoa, you're joking!"
"I was serious about that."
"Oh…"
"What about your side? Surely they'd be watching every other person you come in contact with…"
"What makes you think that?"
"You're a star. You have a reputation to protect. Everyone's watching your every move… Are you…" Ulquiorra stopped, what was he trying to gain in asking that question? It was stupid, it's not like he had any real interest in Grimmjow… However, a nudge from the aforementioned celebrity, accompanied by a somewhat comforting smile, made him continue. "Are you even sure that seeing me… going out with me like this is a good thing for your career?"
Slowly, Grimmjow shifted to walk closer with Ulquiorra; their elbows now brushing with every step but the smaller man did not move away. "Why are you worried about my career?" He shot his companion with a look with amusement playing in his eyes. "I date whoever I like, alright? I don't give a damn what those paparazzi say…"
"Still… it's unnerving for me…"
Grimmjow stopped in his tracks, quite surprised at the smaller man's confession. "How come?"
Ulquiorra paused as well, looking up to meet the other's eyes. "The other students at school… they're… treating me differently… since you've been so public with your connection with me…"
"Bullying?" a frown went onto tanned lips but his companion shook his head.
"No… The women… they're always sending me these hating looks… and the guys, they look at me either as if I have leprosy or as if I had nothing on me…"
A bark of laughter escaped Grimmjow's lips and he was unable to stop himself from wrapping an arm around the pale man who looked utterly surprised at his reaction.
"Grimmjow?"
"It looks like the girls are jealous…" Grimmjow answered to the questioning look at Ulquiorra's face. "The guys meanwhile… Well, let's just say that some of them think you're queer and the others badly want to be in my shoes…"
"Pardon?" jade irises narrowed in confusion, not the least bit mindful of the minimal proximity between them.
"But there's no way in hell that I'd let go of what's mine…" as if to emphasize, the arm he had around Ulquiorra's shoulders tightened, pulling the other closer to his body.
Jade eyes blinked up at the too-blue orbs looking at him affectionately. Whoa, what? A rush of color rose on pale cheeks as Ulquiorra realized a bit too late how close he and Grimmjow were. He could feel the cold night air being overcome by comforting warmth distinctly coming from the side of his body was held close against Grimmjow's. It made him feel unusual… and yet he couldn't help but welcome those unusual feelings. His friends were right, it was about damn time that he opened up to someone… Grimmjow was the first one to make him experience all of these foreign emotions… but was he really ready for it?
"Ulquiorra?"
The ebony-haired man blinked. He'd been thinking too much. "…Yes?"
A smile fitted on Grimmjow's lips once he saw that his companion was back to reality. "Nothing… Let's keep moving…"
Ulquiorra nodded and they continued through the path; with Grimmjow's right arm still slung over his shoulders. A comfortable silence surrounded them until they reached a two-way crossroad.
"Left?" Grimmjow suggested, to which Ulquiorra only responded with a small smile of agreement. They continued in more tranquility, walking like lovers though neither wanted to admit it… well, maybe not Grimmjow. The celebrity soon noticed the frown that had settled on Ulquiorra's seemingly pensive face.
"Hey, what're you thinking of?"
Bright jade eyes looked up at him, accompanied by a soft voice asking, "How many relationships have you had before, Grimmjow?"
The muscular man was momentarily taken aback by the sudden question. "I haven't really thought about that… Many, I guess…" Upon seeing ebony brows creasing slightly, he quickly added. "None of them lasted very long though, two weeks at most…"
"I see… and those were all with women…"
"Not exactly… I'm bi, you see…" Grimmjow admitted almost sheepishly.
"Ah…"
They were almost in the middle of the path when a rustling of leaves caught their attention, causing them to momentarily forget their conversation. It seemed like they weren't alone after all…
A woman's voice came from the dense grove of trees to their left. "Oh, baby, yes…"
"You want this, huh? You want it?" a man's rough voice answered.
The woman gasped audibly – very audibly. A series of wet noises followed.
Sapphire and jade eyes met. Twitching.
"Hah… m-more… oh god…" the woman's voice had turned low and seductive.
"Mmhhmmm… you asked for it, honey…" was the unidentified man's reply, a loud groan following.
Moans erupted from the shadows of the trees. And then… there were panting noises.
The silence between them became extremely uncomfortable; Grimmjow's body tensed and Ulquiorra's whole face turned red enough to compete against a tomato. They were definitely not alone.
"O-Oh! Fuck, yes… Faster…"
No words were needed as both men turned around and sprinted away from the area. Walking in on a couple making love in the park was definitely not in their life's to-do list. The two wordlessly made their way towards the right-hand path of the crossroad and ended up in the playground area where thankfully there were no people hiding in the trees doing god-knows-what.
There was a great big sandbox in the center containing a slide, two see-saws, a moderately sized jungle bar, and a three swings attached to a cross bar. All of those were fitted in with enough space left to build a sandcastle. In the mornings, numerous children could be found playing in the area whilst parents contentedly watched from the benches at the sidelines. At night though, the area was deserted.
Ulquiorra quietly went to sit on one of the swings, catching his breath and willing the color away from his face. He did not just hear any of that… Honestly, what do people do with their lives these days?
A creaking sound of metal told him Grimmjow had leaned against one of the bars that supported the swings. The celebrity was also panting hard from the run. He was also inwardly cursing the nameless and unidentified couple hiding in the trees; damn stupid fucktards didn't know how to keep their goddamn hormones in check.
"Grimmjow?" the jade-eyed man asked out of the blue, most likely to break the uneasy tension that settled between them after the... incident.
"Yeah?"
"Why me?"
"Er, what?" Grimmjow turned his head to find the smaller man looking at him.
"Why, of all the people in your life… why are you courting me?" Ulquiorra held the taller man's gaze. "Is it… is it because of the sex?" pale lips pursed once he'd finished, his jaw clenching tightly as he waited for the other's answer.
Sapphire orbs stared back at him for a long moment. Did Ulquiorra really think that? Grimmjow moved to stand in front of his companion. "Of course not." He answered confidently. "Why would you even think of that?"
Ulquiorra considered him, "Because… that was the main reason why you got to know me… If I had never slept with you, I wouldn't have left my phone and you wouldn't have any way to contact me… We wouldn't even know each other if you hadn't got me drunk that night at the club… So why do you keep on associating yourself with me?"
Grimmjow was stunned; the smaller man had quite a point. Jade green eyes looked at him, pleading for the truth. He ran a hand through his electric-blue hair as a sigh escaped him. "To be honest, I don't know, Ulquiorra…" the male model began, his eyes locked with his companion's. "That night, at the club, you saw me hanging out with a handful of people whose names I don't even know… Life has been like that for me… Having a fling with someone every week or so… I didn't even know what I was looking for… and then you showed up. You were even glaring daggers at me, remember?" His grin was returned only slightly and he continued. "There was something about you that night that caught my attention… There were a hell load of people in there… and yet, I went after you…"
"I was very wary of you that time…" Ulquiorra continued, finally breaking eye contact as he stared at the sand below him. "That drink you bought me… I think it was clear that I had never imbibed alcohol before…" He slowly rocked forward, the swing was made for small children, and as such his knees were quite bent as he sat on it. His movement instigated a creaking noise from the friction of metal against metal as the swing lightly moved forward and backward. Grimmjow moved away from his front, possibly to avoid getting hit by the swing. "But still… I decided to trust you, someone whom I barely know, and I drank despite my previous disposition… When I think about it now, I would have normally just walked out on you…"
"So why didn't you?" Grimmjow's question came from somewhere close behind him.
"I just…" jade eyes were still locked on his feet as they kicked at the ground, making the swing move a bit more. "…I have no idea…"
"We're both fucking confused aren't we?" the celebrity asked with sarcasm.
"Birds of a feather?" the pale man supplied.
"Hah."
For a few moments, only the sounds of the swing in motion were heard until they stopped all of a sudden. Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder to find that Grimmjow had taken hold of the chains; he raised one brow to which the star only smirked, giving his back a small push. Realizing what the other meant, jade eyes softened as he nodded. And he was soaring higher, the wind blowing faster against his face, whipping his hair around him. Then he would descend to the ground but Grimmjow's warm hands would immediately settle on his back to push him back into the air once more. To an onlooker, it looked much like two friends remembering their childhood days but there was much more at work in their wordless exchange.
"Grimmjow…" Ulquiorra began softly as gravity pulled the swing down.
"Hm?" his companion responded before pushing him higher.
"Thank you for your gifts…" the jade-eyed man continued with his eyes set straight before him; his vision alternating between the park grounds and the endless starry sky. "It wasn't really necessary for you to spend so much…"
"Yeah, well, I like to exceed expectations," came Grimmjow's cocky reply as the ebony-haired man was descending again.
Ulquiorra smiled softly, "Exceed expectations you did. Just… don't do it again, okay? Sending me all those things…"
"Why's that?" warm hands pushed the smaller man upwards.
"For one: Halibel was already pissed off at my classmates the other day… I don't think Stark and the others will consent to do your bidding for all eternity…"
"And there's another reason?"
"Naturally. Second: I already got the point, so enough with the presents…"
"You're just saying that…"
"It's true, Grimmjow. And lastly…"
"What?"
"I think I already like you…"
"Huh–? Holy shit. What did you just – fwah!"
Jade irises widened as he felt his back collide hardly with something else. The push he expected never came and a cry of pain made itself known instead. Black leather shoes dug onto the sand beneath him as he hastily forced his ride to halt. A porcelain face quickly turned to the side, only to find his companion spread-eagled on the sand behind him looking very much unconscious.
"Grimmjow!" Ulquiorra jumped out of the swing seat and hurried to the celebrity, kneeling at his side. "Why didn't you at least move out of the way?" His pale hands cupped the tanned cheeks as he tried in earnest to rouse the man.
Eyelids fluttered open and too-blue irises looked up at him. "Ulquiorra…" Grimmjow's rough voice spoke.
"You idiot, don't scare me like that!" the jade-eyed man admonished as he helped the other sit up properly.
The celebrity was staring at him, squinting as though there was something on the porcelain face that was too small to see.
"Grimmjow, what are you doing?"Ulquiorra asked suspiciously, holding the taller man at half an arm's length with his hands on the broad shoulders.
"What did you say?" Grimmjow replied with another inquiry.
"What are you doing?"
"No, no, before that…" the male model urged.
"You idiot, don't scare me like that?" Ulquiorra was beginning to become wary.
"The other thing before that! Before you hit me with the stupid swing!"
"Why do you sound as if I collided into you on purpose?" ebony-haired Ulquiorra finally understood what his companion meant but he was not just giving it that easily.
"Just answer the goddamn question!" Grimmjow pressed on, leaning in towards Ulquiorra.
"…I think I already like you…?"
"That's what I thought you said." Grimmjow affirmed with much of a triumphant gleam in his eyes. The next second brought Ulquiorra lying on the sand with the electric-blue haired celebrity on top of him, the latter smiling like he'd won the lottery.
"Taking advantage of me again?" Ulquiorra asked though he sounded amused and his hands on Grimmjow's shoulders weren't making any effort of pushing the other away.
Grimmjow pressed his forehead against Ulquiorra's, smiling wide. "As if you actually expected me to stop…"
"…Idiot." Ulquiorra still muttered even as he found his heartbeat going wild in his chest. Grimmjow was much too near him, barely a hair's breadth away. He shyly snaked his arms around the celebrity's neck, gasping shortly once the blue-eyed man had wrapped an arm around his waist; pulling them much, much closer.
"Did I ever tell you how much I liked your eyes?" Grimmjow asked, his hot breath dancing upon pale lips, causing pale cheeks to color three shades of red.
The smaller man didn't even get a chance to reply as another pair of lips covered his; not that he was going to complain, anyway. There was nothing to describe the gesture; it was simply the best feeling he'd ever had. If there had been a time that he'd felt any happier than he was at that moment, he couldn't, for the life of him, remember it. He felt as if Grimmjow's warmth was pouring into him, filling every part of his being, just through that simple kiss.
Meanwhile, inexplicable joy was filling every fiber of Grimmjow's being. He'd kissed many different types of kisses before and he couldn't help but wonder what it was that made this one so much different. It involved neither tongue nor teeth, no groping or touching, hell, they weren't even naked; and yet it sent wonderful chills down his spine. They were simply lying in a sandbox (of all places!), with their arms around each other in an otherwise chaste kiss.
Slowly, reluctantly, the two parted, ending their kiss that lasted for god-knows-how-long. It could've been centuries, it sure felt like it, but that was improbable. They would've died if it actually lasted that long; but it would've been a nice way to go, being kissed by someone special.
Ulquiorra opened his eyes, which he wasn't even aware of closing, and met with the sight of Grimmjow still looming over him. His lips managed a small smile as he breathed in the celebrity's unmistakable scent.
"So…" Grimmjow spoke, his voice low and husky. His eyes were wildly memorizing the features on Ulquiorra's face; he'd never seen it more alive. Jade eyes that reflected only him were bright even under shadow, his pale cheeks were as red as roses and the most adorable smile adorned his lips, the fact that his ebony-hair was spilled around him like some spiked halo only made his image more and more alluring. "I like you and you like me…"
"What about that?" Ulquiorra prodded on, his fingers lightly caressing the longer strands of electric-blue hair at Grimmjow's nape.
"Well, I just think that we have a little something going on here…" the muscular man replied, inhaling the intoxicating smell that was simply Ulquiorra.
"Really now?" an ebony brow rose.
Grimmjow leaned closer, his lips brushing against his companion's. "Yea–"
"Hey you kids!" a loud commanding voice came, breaking the atmosphere between the two.
Pools of jade and sapphire lifted, finding a stern-looking man glaring at them from the edge of the sandbox.
"What do you people think you're doing here?" a woman's voice followed and they saw a blonde in her late twenties crossing her arms at them from behind the man.
The two men hurriedly stood up and faced their disruptors. A frown decorated both Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's lips, but it was definitely more menacing on the former's.
"It's already past curfew and the park is about to be closed." Steely black eyes were glaring daggers at them.
"And were you two just doing what I think you were?" there was a haughty tone in the woman's voice as she shook her head at them.
"We're already damn well past eighteen you assholes." Grimmjow grit out, matching the man's glare with a cold one of his own.
"Why you little bastard…" the unknown man was fuming.
"Grimmjow." Ulquiorra spoke in a warning tone, "Let's just go." He then began to lead away the celebrity, more to avoid a fight if anything else.
The blue-eyed man, however, didn't seem content with just walking away. "And if it were me, I'd check if my shirt wasn't damn inside-out before walking around after fucking that bitchface behind some goddamn bushes!" he hollered even as he was pulled away by Ulquiorra.
"Stupid little shitheads…" Grimmjow was still muttering as they reached his car.
"Just drop it, alright, Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra's relatively calm tone seemed to counter his companion's hotheaded statement.
Grimmjow felt a hand squeeze his and was momentarily shocked to find a pale hand clasped in a tanned one. Sapphire eyes landed on Ulquiorra and the latter smiled softly at him; all his anger seemed to have been swept away by the passing wind. He realized he liked seeing Ulquiorra smile
"It's time to go home now, yes?" Ulquiorra inclined his head slightly.
Grimmjow paused for a moment before he finally smiled back. He raised their entwined hands and brought the pale one to his lips, planting a kiss on its back. "Alright," he agreed to a steadily blushing Ulquiorra.
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A/N: wow… it was like four in the effin' morning and I'm still awake typing this… Yay for insomnia!
So Grimmjow finally gets together with Ulquiorra but it ain't finished there, naturally... I'm still somewhat insecure of how I got them together, was it too cliche or anything? Please do comment on it since I personally believe that I didn't do it much justice... :S
I have to admit that I'm finding it harder to write new chapters now. College is a hell lot different from the high school life that I'm used to... That aaaaannd I'm pretty crazy over Hetalia at the moment... I'm honestly dropping the Bleach manga after the stupid war, heck I've stopped subscribing to the anime months ago... I never really thought I'd ever refer to anything related to Bleach as 'stupid' but there you go... We all know Aizen's gonna lose, anyway... With what? Only five arrancar left and two ex-captians on his side against a whole army of Vizards plus the Soul Society crew... Oh well...
Still, I swear I'd finish this fic before I move on to do major fics for the Hetalia fandom, can't have any more distractions right now that there already is... So, this is like, my final fic for Bleach...
... until further notice. :D
Good day everyone!