Midnight Manor Private Residence, Saturday Afternoon

[hasaknightjob]

After their usual trip to the mainland, Steven and Llewellyn came back home for their other usual Saturday activities. Which was Llewellyn taking over the kitchen to get some baking done before his piano practice, and Steven occupying himself with other things.

In today's case those other things had been cuddling Raphael (Steven still wanted to make it up to him for being away last weekend, even if Raphael had long since forgiven them) and picking something out of the library to read while Llewellyn was practicing.

While doing that, though, Steven also thought to catch up on radio. Which was when he heard the mention of the reunion and - twenty years??

Steven checked his mobile. Then he checked his pocketwatch. Then he checked them both again.

We didn't lose time, Steven, Marc assured him from one of the reflections.

Which was all well and good but that didn't rule out -

Steven ran back to the kitchen to check on Llewellyn.

[for the beau, NFB please]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

"The raspberries in the biscuit," Steven said, holding up the last bite so Llewellyn could see as well. Steven then put it in his mouth and looked ahead of them. "The plate on the table. The cup of tea you made for me, just how I like it."

[pocketpretzels]

Any other time, Watts would have been tempted to snag that last bite.

"Good," he said. "All that means you're here with me. Stay here, please," he said gently. "Stay with me."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven hugged him now that his hands were once again free. "I will. I'm not going anywhere. Marc popped his head in to assure me the time hadn't gone. But it's me. I'm managing it. Thanks to you."

[pocketpretzels]

"Thank you, darling," Watts said. "I'm immensely relieved to hear that."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven rubbed his hand against Llewellyn's shirt. "I can feel you as well. Your shirt. Your arms around me."

[pocketpretzels]

"If you feel yourself start to drift, remind yourself of all that," Watts said. "Say it out loud."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven nodded, to show he'd heard. "I can feel and hear your heart as well. Beating away in your chest."

[pocketpretzels]

"And my heart is yours," Watts reminded him. "Yours to take care of. Just as I am trying to take care of your heart."

[hasaknightjob]

"You're doing a wonderful job," Steven said, looking up at him. "Couldn't ask for better. At all or right now. Thank you."

[pocketpretzels]

"You're very welcome," Watts said, leaning down to kiss him gently. "I'm not glad you're in distress, but I am glad I can help you."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven snuggled in against Llewellyn. "At least it's not as bad as last time? Sussed out fairly quick I hadn't lost two decades. That would've been a nightmare."

[pocketpretzels]

"You know that this particular trick is possible," Watts said. "It caught you by surprise, but not as badly as last time."

[hasaknightjob]

"Helped having my mobile and my pocket watch," Steven said. He rubbed his cheek against Llewellyn's chest. "And you looking the same. Would've been a bad day for you to cut your hair, tell you that much."

[pocketpretzels]

"It is starting to look a bit... unkempt, now that you mention it, actually," Watts noted. "But I am glad I did not go anywhere. I do wonder if this happens every time the island holds one of these reunion events."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven frowned. "Did they have one last year? I feel as though the first was still early days, you and me. I know we were still back at the flats."

[pocketpretzels]

"They did not," Watts said. "You are correct in that the first time was- well. It was shortly before you... spent the night, at my place. For the first time."

[hasaknightjob]

"Really?" Now a smile was starting to peek out. "Oh that's a much nicer memory, that is. I like that. Why can't that be the things that get recreated?"

[pocketpretzels]

There had been some minor panic on Steven's part the morning after when he'd woken up someplace unfamiliar, but they'd straightened that out fairly quickly!

"The two of us giddy and perhaps slightly intoxicated, unable to keep our hands off each other?" Watts asked, with a smile of his own.

[hasaknightjob]

Fairly quickly corrected minor panic over where he'd woken up was definitely preferable to major panic at thinking he'd lost 20 years. And there was the before and after that moment of minor panic to offset things.

"I always like that," Steven said. His smile grew wider. "Don't even need the intoxicated. Unless it's intoxicated on you."

[pocketpretzels]

"Flirt," Watts said fondly. "And I'm still unable to keep my hands off you, as you can see."

[hasaknightjob]

"Neither can I," Steven said. He rest his head back down on Llewellyn's chest. "In love, comfort, passion. Can't get enough of you."

[pocketpretzels]

"Whatever you need," Watts pressed a kiss to the top of Steven's head. "I am all yours."

[hasaknightjob]

"You," Steven said, without hesitation. He wrapped one arm around Llewellyn's waist. "I very much need you right now, please. Always, but especially now. Being here. Real. Mine."

[pocketpretzels]

"Not going anywhere," Watts promised him. "Right here with you is my favourite place to be."

[hasaknightjob]

"I suppose it is nice," Steven said, "knowing that that future version of you is happy. Hopefully he still is. Him and that version of me."