MHA #15, Monday Morning

[pocketpretzels]

Watts's return to consciousness on Monday morning was slow, which wasn't all that unusual. What was unusual was the fact that he didn't seem to remember all that much about the weekend after dancing with Steven on Friday evening.

The only reason he was certain that time had passed at all is because he did remember bits and pieces of some extremely odd (if pleasant) dreams regarding a future with Steven.

Also when he made his way to the kitchen to begin preparing breakfast, there was a note- in his own handwriting- that read:

TELL STEVEN YOU'RE BACK AND YOU'RE OKAY

Far be it for him to ignore a directive from himself, he did so, and then... well, there was still breakfast to be made, wasn't there?

[ooc: for that guy. and yes, you guessed it: that he visited is a-ok, any conversational details are NFB.]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Marc had been the first awake that morning, because if you couldn't take advantage of Steven's late sleeper nature to do things like leaving messages for people you needed to check in on when could you?

This also meant that when Steven's phone buzzed Marc had a pretty good idea who it was. He handed the body over to Steven to let him take care of it.

Steven, for his part, saw the message and set land speed records as he ran to Llewellyn's front door. There was no hesitation in his knocking. If anything it was frantic.

Funny how it was the second time in as many days when it would have been useful for them to have each other's keys.

[pocketpretzels]

Given the text he’d been instructed to leave, Watts had a decent idea who was knocking at the door, which was the only reason he went to answer it in his current state of (un)dress- trousers and his undershirt.

“Good morning!” he greeted, to literally the only person he’d offer those words to with any amount of enthusiasm whatsoever.

[hasaknightjob]

It might seem amazing that Steven took a moment before moving. But after the weekend Steven couldn't trust that it was his Llewellyn without making sure. So he checked his eyes, hair, and general features to confirm.

And then Steven leapt forward to give Llewellyn the tightest hug of his life.

[pocketpretzels]

Here’s the thing: Llewellyn Watts was the kind of person who could count on one hand the number of hugs he could remember receiving.

So he was somewhat taken aback for a moment or two, not entirely sure what he was supposed to do with his own hands.

Eventually he settled on encircling Steven in return, and let himself relax into the hug which despite being tight also just felt warm and safe.

[hasaknightjob]

It was good that Llewellyn was relaxed about it because Steven wasn't letting him go. "I thought I lost you."

Steven's feelings about the idea of losing Llewellyn were currently being summed up pretty well by the hug.

[pocketpretzels]

“I… didn’t realize I’d gone anywhere,” Watts admitted, still not sure what to make of the dreamlike quality of the past two days.

[hasaknightjob]

Which was enough to get Steven to step back just a little. Not let go, mind you. "Right. How are you? How do you feel?"

[pocketpretzels]

"All right. I think? Like I had some very strange dreams about the future. Our future?" He frowned, trying to puzzle it all out.

[hasaknightjob]

"A future at least," Steven said, by way of agreement. He let go and moved to take Llewellyn's hand so he could lead them over to the couch. "Here, may as well sit while we chat, yeah?"

[pocketpretzels]

"A future," Watts echoed, letting himself be led. "Seemed like a good one?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Sounded like, yeah," Steven said. He was sitting as close to Llewellyn as humanly possible without actually being in Llewellyn's lap. He moved to take one of Llewellyn's hands in his own, unconsciously reaching for the left. "How much do you remember? Must feel like a dream, yeah?"

Llewellyn, of course, being in the unique position of having a boyfriend who was an expert on days slipping past with no warning and leaving only confusing memories in their wake.

[pocketpretzels]

Watts would not have minded if Steven had decided to sit in his lap for the record. Perhaps later.

"Bits and pieces," Watts said. "Mostly talking to M- Mr. Spector," note that near stumble there, "and you."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven was by no means ruling it out for later, no. In the meanwhile he lightly ran his hands over Llewellyn's, the gesture as much about offering Llewellyn comfort as it was about giving Steven something to hang on to as evidence that Llewellyn was there, and real.

"Do you remember being there?" Steven asked. "I couldn't suss that out. If you were there or if it was some version of you."

[pocketpretzels]

"Some things," Watts nodded. "We- they- lived in London. I remember- working with the real estate agent to find the right building, of all things." What an utterly strange, mundane detail to be able to recall in such clarity when so many others were fuzzy.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven had been wondering if Llewellyn had been in the back of his older version's mind, watching things but unable to do anything about it. But what Llewellyn said passed effectively for an answer. It hadn't been the same as the the first time Steven had been awake while Marc had the body.

"It was an older version of you," Steven said. "Older versions of a lot of people, apparently. Showed up Saturday like all was normal."

[pocketpretzels]

"That- makes sense?" Watts said. "I do remember getting an invitation. Discussing whether we wanted to go." He frowned. "And then waking up and you weren't there." And now his hands were grasping for Steven's, needing to hold on.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven was more than fine with that. Llewellyn could hold on as much as he liked. "For me as well. We were there Friday. You asked me to dance - " here Steven couldn't help the proud smile at Llewellyn's courage. "We went back to my flat and come morning you were gone. Whole different version of you showed up at the door."

Was Steven sort of gliding around the details around how he'd reacted to all this? Yes. He was focusing on Llewellyn right now.

[pocketpretzels]

Unfortunately for Steven, Watts was starting to sort through those memories and could recall Steven's reaction.

"And gave you quite the fright, making you think you'd lost twenty years. Oh, Steven, I'm sorry."

[hasaknightjob]

"Not your fault," Steven assured him. "It was the island. It's fine."

Just ignore now clingy he was and how he kept focusing on details about Llewellyn to remind himself that Llewellyn was real.

[pocketpretzels]

"Not fine," Watts countered, leaning over to press a kiss to Steven's temple. "But it's done with now, at least."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven turned to give Llewellyn a proper kiss, since that was part of confirming that this was his Llewellyn too. "I thought I lost you. Or you me. Or - it was too much time. Far, far too much time."

More time than he could comprehend, really. So much so that it was skirting danger to dwell on it. But having Llewellyn there, solid, did help.

[pocketpretzels]

"Not going anywhere," Watts murmured against Steven's lips. "Promise."

[hasaknightjob]

"Better not," Steven said. Not that he blamed Llewellyn for going, he just wanted his feelings on the topic of Llewellyn disappearing to be very clear. Perhaps that way the island would listen and not play horrible pranks like that. (A fruitless wish to be certain, but one he was making all the same.)

Steven shifted position, tucking himself in as close to Llewellyn's side as possible and moving to rest his head against Llewellyn's shoulder. "I missed you."

[pocketpretzels]

Putting your head there was basically asking for your hair to be played with, Steven. Just saying.

"What can I do to make up for being gone, hmm?"

[hasaknightjob]

That was fine, since Llewellyn playing with his hair was a perfect recipe for getting Steven to relax and feel safe again. "Tell me how you are? Even hearing your voice makes it better."