Spiral Bound Journal

Living in a Dream

As tacky as it was, Morgan knew that coming to Chicago without visiting Navy Pier at least once was an exercise in missing the point. The Lake Michigan breeze felt cooler in the shadows, which were getting longer at this time in the afternoon. That didn't stop him from sharing a root beer float with Dana or coughing up the cash for a ride on the Centennial Wheel. While he and Dana had gone public with their relationship the night before, he'd still kept his hands to himself much of the time they were out and about. The crowds were heavy enough that Morgan saw few opportunities to take Dana's hand or nuzzle her. At the very end of the pier, though, it was open season. Even some of the benches by the fence were empty. He looked over at Dana, who stared out at the expanse of the lake in front of them. Compared to the habitual hoodie Morgan sported, she donned a vibrant green t-shirt and jeans. She had gotten some remarks on the "Cute But Prickly" design on her shirt throughout their visit.

Are you going to get cold at any point today?" he asked her.

Dana looked at him and shrugged. "If I do, we can head inside. I didn't know there were actually shops here, and I wouldn't mind checking those out. They're mostly tacky tourist stuff, but I did see a hot sauce place and an art gallery that look promising."

"Okay, that's fair. I have a feeling I might end up begging to go inside first."

"Hmm, you might, but I might be able to buy us some time."

Morgan quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, really."

"Yup. Besides, I get the feeling you are not going to argue with what I have in mind."

Indeed, Morgan returned the enthusiastic hug Dana gave him. Dana shifted to hold onto him while still looking out at the lake. Morgan looked around before kissing the top of her head. He could feel a bit of her body heat through his clothes, but that was not what warmed him up the most as they lingered in the plaza.

True to his word, Morgan ended up getting cold first. When Dana asked if he was okay with them shopping for a bit, Morgan jumped at the chance to head indoors. He ended up getting a kick out of watching the artists in the studio paint in real time and sampling pepper sauces. He even ended up buying a pair of socks with the Chicago city flag design woven into the ankles. All the wandering around worked up an appetite. In spite of knowing that they were in an overpriced tourist trap, Morgan suggested having dinner somewhere on the pier. To his surprise, Dana also thought this was a good idea, which lead to them getting a table at a rib place.

It took little time for them to place their order, a small surprise given the crowds even on a Sunday. Drinks in hand, they took a moment to sit back and relax before saying anything.

"So how was your morning with the guys?" Dana asked.

"Pretty good," Morgan said. "We actually talked about crypto stuff for a bit."

"A bit? Sounds like there were other topics of intrigue."

Morgan ducked his head. "Yeah. We spent more time than I care to admit discussing my personal life, our dating, and even a bit about Matthew."

"Matthew? Uh oh."

"It wasn't quite that bad, although a couple of them have cottoned onto his interest in you."

"I feel like said interest is almost as obvious as his shirt choice."

At that, Morgan snorted. "Not quite, but close. I didn't say much about what you told me the day before, but I did tell them that I knew it was important for you to talk to him during the dessert hour."

"Yeah, I felt like things would have gone wrong if I hadn't taken some time to at least find out how he'd taken the news. I still think he put on a bit of a brave face, but he isn't trying to shut me out or anything."

"Good. I realize that him doing that would have made you upset, even though it kinda makes sense."

Dana nodded. "I'm still giving him some space, which is why I figured hanging out with Gus this morning was the right thing to do."

"How did that go?"

"Good," Dana answered with a light smile. "It was nice to just chat with a friend outside all the con activity. I'd actually done this in 2025, but Fiona was in tow. This time she went off with some other people."

"It's good that Fiona is trusting you more."

"Agreed. I think between us going public and seeing the way I've been dealing with Matthew it's clear to her that Gus and I do not have a romantic future."

"Even though it seems like he was interested at a time."

"He was, but I think we can all agree that being friends is a much better deal."

"It is. You know, this feels strange to be discussing this on our first anniversary."

"Perhaps," Dana replied, "but it's also how life is and will be for the foreseeable future, I think. It's not easy, but I think it's clear that the future we want personally and professionally is chock full o' work."

"Yeah no kidding," Morgan agreed as he raised his glass. "To the first year work?"

Dana raised her glass. "To the first year of work."

They clinked their glasses as their server arrived with their meals.




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