hasaknightjob | Midnight Manor Private Residence, Saturday Afternoon

After Steven and Llewellyn's usual trip over to the mainland they came home for an easy Saturday afternoon. Llewellyn went to the library to practice his piano. Steven, for his part, set up dinner in the slow cooker.

Once that was done and the house began to be filled with delicious smells, Steven set himself up in the living room. He curled up on the couch with a book, happily losing track of the time. Raphael kept him company by sitting on the back of the couch and watching the fish swimming in their tank.

On the whole, Steven had no complaints. Other than the lack of his beau, of course, but that could be fixed later when Llewellyn was free.

[for the beau when he is free]

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From:

hasaknightjob

"Precisely," Steven said. He put his stew back on the table so that he could start enjoying his salad. "Something to tide you over."

From:

pocketpretzels

"There you go, making sure I'm taken care of," Watts said fondly.

From:

hasaknightjob

"We do it for each other," Steven said. He speared a forkful of salad and then realized, "Oh bugger. Thank you. I meant thank you."

From:

pocketpretzels

"What you said was not untrue," Watts pointed out, leaning over to press a kiss to Steven's cheek before digging in to his own salad.

From:

hasaknightjob

"It was all right then?" Steven asked. "I wasn't trying to dismiss. More be happy that we're a team that way. Each looking out for each other."

From:

pocketpretzels

"It was, it was," Watts assured him. "I understood what you were attempting to convey."

From:

hasaknightjob

"Good." Steven relaxed and tucked in to his salad again. "See? I'm learning. Getting the hang of it. Be a natural in no time."

From:

pocketpretzels

"You are and I am very proud of you for it," Watts told Steven.

From:

hasaknightjob

"Helps you being so patient with me." Steven pointed at Llewellyn with his fork. "Encouraging me. Explaining it. Couldn't do it without you."

From:

pocketpretzels

"Well, you're welcome there," Watts told him. "You're a wonderful man, Steven Grant, I just- want you to be able to see that as easily as I do."

From:

hasaknightjob

"I don't think I'm horrible?" Steven said, as long as they were on the topic. "Try to do the right thing. Take care of people. But things like handsome. Charming. Good romantic prospect. I know you think of me that way. I'm grateful for it, I am. Only hard to believe sometimes. So used to it not being the case. Have it blow up in my face. Or be someone taking the piss."

From:

pocketpretzels

"I understand that," Watts said. "I struggle to believe similar things of myself. But when you tell me that is how you see me- a compliment is a little gift, and I would never turn down a gift from you."

From:

hasaknightjob

"I like that image," Steven said. He held up his hands to indicate something the size of a small box. "Little present, all wrapped up from you."

Granted coming from Llewellyn the wrapping might be considered creative but even so.

"Think I'll keep that in mind next time," Steven said. "Each compliment a tiny present. Or big present, depending on what the compliment is."

From:

pocketpretzels

Hey now. He did is best with that wrapping paper!

"I wish I had shared that metaphor earlier," Watts mused. "But there you go."

From:

hasaknightjob

Which was why Steven loved it and it was considered creative and not horrible!

"Could almost be a story in that," Steven said, looking thoughtful. "Compliments as actual gifts. Something you could keep. Maybe hold off on opening until you were having a bad day and needed to hear something nice."

From:

pocketpretzels

"I would read such a tale," Watts said. "Or listen to you tell it."

From:

hasaknightjob

"Children's book, maybe?" Steven said, getting lost in thought now. "So there could be pictures of the gifts?"

From:

pocketpretzels

"Oh, that would be sweet," Watts mused.

From:

hasaknightjob

"Each one could be a different color," Steven said. "Patterns on the wrapping paper, that sort of thing. I rather like that."

From:

pocketpretzels

"Now," Watts said, "in accepting a gift without opening it, does that mean they are accepting a compliment without knowing what it is?"

From:

hasaknightjob

"I think so?" Steven said, feeling it out as he went. "So then it's a happy surprise for later, if they do save it for later. Of course they could open it right then, just as you do with gifts."

From:

pocketpretzels

"Or," Watts said slowly, "perhaps it is the sort of thing that can be opened again and again?" he asked. "I like the idea of saving it for later, but it does seem a bit odd to accept it without knowing what it is." He knew people did that all the time with real gifts, but since this was supposed to be a metaphor for saying something nice about someone...

From:

hasaknightjob

"I see what you mean," Steven said. He thought about it. "Perhaps the paper is also a clue? Different colors mean different things? Like blue is a job well done, green is thoughtfulness?"