Queen's Park, Toronto, Wednesday Afternoon

[pocketpretzels]

Monday, Steven and Watts had indulged in a lie-in followed by a late breakfast. Then, they'd gotten dressed up and headed down to the lounge for high tea followed by an evening outing to the symphony. Yesterday, they'd gone to a wine-tasting, from which Watts had come back with several interesting vintages, some of them even local. Canadian wines really had improved over the last century.

Today was- well, traditionally it would be date night, but they'd actually headed out in the afternoon, for a carriage ride tour of Queen's Park.

The weather was a little chilly, though, so Watts had insisted on picking up a couple of mochas at a nearby coffee shop before they headed in to the park, and now he was holding on to both cups so that Steven could step up into the carriage, after which he would follow.

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Steven was very much looking at Llewellyn with heart eyes now. It was easy to remember to start with, "Thank you, Llew. That's a wonderful thing to say. Nothing else is a contest for me either."

[pocketpretzels]

"Not even some fantastic Ancient Egyptian treasure?" he couldn't resist asking.

[hasaknightjob]

"Not in the slightest," Steven said. "A treasure couldn't take care of me like you do."

[pocketpretzels]

"Oh," and now Watts was blushing. "It is my pleasure to do so."

[hasaknightjob]

"You do so very well," Steven said. "There's no treasure of any kind in any world that could replace you. I promise you that."

[pocketpretzels]

"Thank you," Watts said. "That- means a great deal to me." Just in case that wasn't already clear.

[hasaknightjob]

"No person either," Steven said, since it didn't hurt to make that clear as well. "You are unique, Llewellyn Watts, and I want no other."

[pocketpretzels]

"I think," Watts said slowly. "That I am going to have to kiss you now, Steven Grant."

[hasaknightjob]

"I will absolutely let you, if that's something you would like to do," Steven said, as he'd been wanting to kiss Llewellyn for a while now.

[pocketpretzels]

"Very much so," Watts said, leaning in to do just that.

It wasn't a long, drawn-out sort of kiss. But nor was it a quick peck on the lips. It was something comfortably in-between.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven bumped their noses together before Llewellyn moved away. He whispered, "Love you dearly, my dear."

[pocketpretzels]

"Hmm," Watts hummed happily. "That's me. All yours."

[hasaknightjob]

"Bloody right you are," Steven said. They were already sitting close together, but even so Steven shifted closer. "I'd have strong words if that changed."

[pocketpretzels]

"It shall not," Watts said. "As there is none other for me but you."

[hasaknightjob]

"Good." Steven very much wanted to rest his head on Llewellyn's shoulder right now, but not being sure Llewellyn would like that he went for giving his arm a quick squeeze instead. "I want no other. There's no one like you. No one who could be so understanding. About me and Marc."

[pocketpretzels]

“If such a person were any place, Fandom would be it,” Watts pointed out. “Not,” he added, a note of possessiveness creeping in to his tone, “that I am encouraging you to find out.”

[hasaknightjob]

Steven didn't mind that note of possessiveness at all. Rather the opposite, in fact. "I'm not interested in finding out. I found you. No need to keep looking when you've found the perfect answer now, is there?"

And then, because sometimes the caveat didn't always go without saying, "Well, perfect for me I suppose."

[pocketpretzels]

“Be nice if our Marc could find someone understanding of his own, hm?” Watts said, brushing away a bit of a leaf that had fallen on to Steven’s shoulder.

[hasaknightjob]

"He's doing so well though!" Steven said. And no, this was not the first time the topic had come up. Steven's enthusiasm had not dampened by much in the meanwhile. "Two whole people he's not minded having a chat with!"

Imagine how much Steven's reaction would differ if he knew Marc had had what might be called a slightly longer conversation with Harley last week than Marc had had with Dean. Still, it was Marc. Any conversation which didn't involve basic grunting was enough to get Steven's hopes up.

[pocketpretzels]

“The fact that he and Doctor Quinn were still conversing when I left the coffee shop,” Watts said. “That’s- rather impressive.”

[hasaknightjob]

"That's what? Three times now they've spoken?" Steven said, looking at Llewellyn for confirmation in case he was remembering incorrectly. "Of his own volition? That's amazing for him. I mean Perk was a bit of a happenstance. But still! As you say, still there when you left!"

[pocketpretzels]

"She's very- forthright," Watts said, nodding to confirm Steven's count. "Doesn't let his manner deter her from saying what she wants to say."

[hasaknightjob]

"Good for her," Steven said. It was strange needing to rely so much on Llewellyn to know what happened. But that was Marc, for you. If he didn't feel the need to pass on details it could be impossible to find them. Sometimes the way their collective memory worked was needing to know how to ask the right question to get the information. Steven didn't know what he didn't know.

(Well, he knew "She's fine" since that's what Marc considered a perfectly acceptable summary of most conversations with people. Because he was the worst.)

"He needs that," Steven said. "Someone who won't take his rubbish."

Now Steven looked worried. "Hopefully she's got the right idea of him. I mean that's three times she's spoken to him as well. If she's rose colored glasses on - "

Steven perhaps still did not fully understand Harley's background as a person.

[pocketpretzels]

Harley probably owned a pair of literal rose-coloured glasses though?

"I really don't think that is the case here," Watts said.

[hasaknightjob]

"Fingers crossed," Steven said. "And Dean. You liked him as well. Good resident. Lives right there. That's helpful."

Yes, Marc had only met Dean long enough to approve him as a resident. Even so, Dean was close to their age, lived in the house, and Marc did not currently actively hate the man. That was a lot for Steven go to on.