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witticasterSeveral snips of fic. Most of it is not cutes with Will and Tharkay, but a little of it is.
"My lease is up next week," Tharkay murmured, trailing his fingers up and down Will's chest.
Will can't help but sigh, admiring Tharkay in the warm lamplight of his bedroom--their bedroom, really, for this place was Tharkay's long before Will asked him to move in. He answers, "I recall." The date had been circled on his calendar at work for weeks (a star seemed indiscreet), so he might watch the happy day approach no matter where he was.
"I know." Tharkay tilted his head up to kiss Will's jaw. "It's just nice to say."
-
As the newsreader ended the evening's broadcast, Tharkay felt a pair of eyes upon him. "Yes, Martha?"
She was frowning up at him, in the middle of undoing one of her plaits. "I thought you and Dad were married."
"We are," Tharkay answered immediately, before realizing where her train of thought was clearly headed. She didn't often watch the news with Tharkay (nor with Will, when he was home to see it it, and from there came the familiar pang of loneliness born of Will's trips away), and it left her familiarity with current events as patchy as the average ten year old's. Only one news story could've prompted this question. "As far as the government is concerned, however, we have a civil partnership."
This did little to alleviate Martha's furrowed brow. "And it's the same thing?"
"Aside from the name."
...except I don't think this is at all working. Let's try the other scenario.
-
"Oh, good," Sebastian says, leaning into Aziz's side as the newsreader announces the evening's top story. "That's brilliant. D'you want to go out and get married?"
Aziz rolls his eyes, but for a split second before that, he was blanching. It can't be the thought of commitment, considering he's been fine with that for years. But it has to be something--Aziz doesn't get that momentary panic easily.
Sebastian's thinking so intently on the possibilities that he doesn't notice Father get up and walk away from the telly until he's nearly out of the room entirely. "Oh--" he says, beginning to stand, and feels a hand on his arm.
A glance back at Aziz's face reveals a dispassionate expression. "I think he'd like some time to himself."
Now it's Sebastian's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, I know, but--" he begins in a low voice.
"But," Aziz finishes, drawing his arms around Sebastian in what Sebastian guesses is meant as half-reassurance, half-restraint, "we should let him. Watch the programme."
-
William sits down carefully upon his bed, unwilling to lie down entirely and remember how small this bed is. It could never sleep three people. It would never need to. And most days, William doesn't especially mind that, but today, it's an almost unavoidable pain. There's no need to draw it out further.
He doesn't want to hear newscasts, nor his son cheerfully pondering the meaning of them. All he wants right now are things he cannot have, and of all of them, the simplest is the most painful to be without.
It's foolish, well beyond fondness into weakness, but William supposes doddering old men are allowed their doddering old delusions. Besides, the door's shut; there's no lasting harm to it.
Closing his eyes, he hugs his arms against himself and whispers, "Means we can get married proper now. D'you want to go get married, Archie?"
-
And somewhere far beyond the ears of mortals, Archie smiles and answers, "I already am, William, you know that."
"My lease is up next week," Tharkay murmured, trailing his fingers up and down Will's chest.
Will can't help but sigh, admiring Tharkay in the warm lamplight of his bedroom--their bedroom, really, for this place was Tharkay's long before Will asked him to move in. He answers, "I recall." The date had been circled on his calendar at work for weeks (a star seemed indiscreet), so he might watch the happy day approach no matter where he was.
"I know." Tharkay tilted his head up to kiss Will's jaw. "It's just nice to say."
-
As the newsreader ended the evening's broadcast, Tharkay felt a pair of eyes upon him. "Yes, Martha?"
She was frowning up at him, in the middle of undoing one of her plaits. "I thought you and Dad were married."
"We are," Tharkay answered immediately, before realizing where her train of thought was clearly headed. She didn't often watch the news with Tharkay (nor with Will, when he was home to see it it, and from there came the familiar pang of loneliness born of Will's trips away), and it left her familiarity with current events as patchy as the average ten year old's. Only one news story could've prompted this question. "As far as the government is concerned, however, we have a civil partnership."
This did little to alleviate Martha's furrowed brow. "And it's the same thing?"
"Aside from the name."
...except I don't think this is at all working. Let's try the other scenario.
-
"Oh, good," Sebastian says, leaning into Aziz's side as the newsreader announces the evening's top story. "That's brilliant. D'you want to go out and get married?"
Aziz rolls his eyes, but for a split second before that, he was blanching. It can't be the thought of commitment, considering he's been fine with that for years. But it has to be something--Aziz doesn't get that momentary panic easily.
Sebastian's thinking so intently on the possibilities that he doesn't notice Father get up and walk away from the telly until he's nearly out of the room entirely. "Oh--" he says, beginning to stand, and feels a hand on his arm.
A glance back at Aziz's face reveals a dispassionate expression. "I think he'd like some time to himself."
Now it's Sebastian's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, I know, but--" he begins in a low voice.
"But," Aziz finishes, drawing his arms around Sebastian in what Sebastian guesses is meant as half-reassurance, half-restraint, "we should let him. Watch the programme."
-
William sits down carefully upon his bed, unwilling to lie down entirely and remember how small this bed is. It could never sleep three people. It would never need to. And most days, William doesn't especially mind that, but today, it's an almost unavoidable pain. There's no need to draw it out further.
He doesn't want to hear newscasts, nor his son cheerfully pondering the meaning of them. All he wants right now are things he cannot have, and of all of them, the simplest is the most painful to be without.
It's foolish, well beyond fondness into weakness, but William supposes doddering old men are allowed their doddering old delusions. Besides, the door's shut; there's no lasting harm to it.
Closing his eyes, he hugs his arms against himself and whispers, "Means we can get married proper now. D'you want to go get married, Archie?"
-
And somewhere far beyond the ears of mortals, Archie smiles and answers, "I already am, William, you know that."
