MHA #15, Saturday Late Morning

[pocketpretzels]

Just as he'd promised in the narrative yesterday at lunch, Steven had shown up at Watts's apartment last night with dinner and to check in on him after the grevious injury* Watts had suffered as a result of being startled by the fires.

Steven had stayed over, naturally, and they'd woken up late in the morning and ordered breakfast. It had been nothing so elaborate as the last couple times they'd had breakfast together, but Watts was beginning to think either he was going to need to learn to prepare something other than cereal, or at least start buying fruit to add to it. A relatively quiet morning, albeit interrupted with a brief kitchen dance party at one point.

Post-breakfast, they were curled up on the couch, each with a book to read. Watts's head was currently in Steven's lap which was not the best position for reading, no, and he'd probably move eventually, but it was great for having someone absently run their fingers through his curls. You know. If there happened to be anyone in the room who'd be inclined to do so.
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* It was just a bruise, honestly.

[ooc: for him who's named inna post.]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

It might have just been a bruise but it was also a moment of thinking Llewellyn had been in danger from fire. So, after leaving a note for Nell so she wouldn't worry about where he or Marc were, Steven had come prepared to spend a night making certain Llewellyn was all right.

Possibly in addition to doing other things but also checking Llewellyn's well being. Very important, that.

And perhaps there was nothing special about sitting and reading in one another's company. But at the same time that was why Steven liked it. It had been a while since he had a moment to just be. Doing so now, while reading a borrowed book of poetry from Llewellyn's shelves, one hand absent-mindedly carding through Llewellyn's hair (not the easiest position to read a book but Steven had the advantage of being able to rest his on the arm of the couch) was just... nice.

Steven needed some nice. So as far as he was concerned this was perfect.

[pocketpretzels]

A little bit of nice was well-deserved after the last week, honestly. “Which volume did you settle on?” Watts asked curiously, having not seen what Steven ended up picking off his shelves.

For his part, he was still making his way through the book Steven had lent him last week.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven flipped the book closed, holding his place with his finger, and held it over Llewellyn's head so he could see. "The Emile Nelligan. New to me so thought I'd give it a go."

[pocketpretzels]

“Picked that one up a few years ago,” Watts said. “Talented writer, those were all written before he turned twenty. Of course, he’s from Quebec, so expect a lot of Catholic imagery.”

[hasaknightjob]

"It's all right. You get used to it, don't you?" Steven said, shrugging off any worry Llewellyn needed to have regarding the religious aspects. Steven brought the book back to a reading position so that his other hand was once again free to toy with Llewellyn's hair. "So young. Didn't figure that. Do you know if he did more as he got older?"

[pocketpretzels]

“Mmm, not so far as I know,” Watts admitted. “At least, that wasn’t the case when I left.” Of course, the reason for that was because he’d supposedly had a schizophrenic break and been institutionalised, but that was not information Watts was privy to.

[hasaknightjob]

"Perhaps a future surprise then," Steven said. He assumed the reason why Llewellyn didn't know was because of the year he left, much like when discovering more Mahler had been a pleasant surprise as well. "You doing all right? Back's not bothering you, is it?"

Because Steven was perfectly comfortable in this position, so Llewellyn could stay there as long as he liked, provided he wasn't hurting himself.

[pocketpretzels]

"Not overmuch," Watts confirmed. "I assure you I am quite comfortable." Poor position for reading or no, he wasn't particularly interested in moving at this moment.

[hasaknightjob]

"Right. If you need anything just tell me." This would involve moving, of course, but Steven was prepared to make sacrifices if Llewellyn needed them.

[pocketpretzels]

"Hmm," Watts hummed, as something occurred to him. "You were going to tell me about your week, yesterday. But then we got... distracted." By the not-actually-posing-imminent-danger-but-had-seemed-so-at-the-time fires.

[hasaknightjob]

"Oh right," Steven said. Between the fires and then Marc visiting Liz he'd forgotten as well. He looked down at Llewellyn. "Did we finish talking about your week? Fire was a bit rude, interrupting us."

And causing Llewellyn to be hurt, however second hand. Steven was still going to be cross with the island about it regardless.

[pocketpretzels]

"Hmm, beyond Monday I didn't do much. Visited Miss Gingrich in her shop," which was where the rubbing salt in old wounds came in to play. "Talked about travel in space with Miss January."

[hasaknightjob]

Since they were talking, Steven took his glasses off and leaned forward just enough to put them and the book he was reading on Llewellyn's coffee table. He settled back into place, switching the hand that was in Llewellyn's hair now that the other one was free. "We do seem to know a few people who do that. Suppose it'd be interesting to try it some day."

Maybe when it wouldn't be so obvious to relative strangers on the island that Steven and Marc shared a body.

[pocketpretzels]

"Still trying to wrap my head around the very idea," Watts admitted. "I know people have been to the moon and all, since- but a few months ago, that would've been nothing but fiction, to me."

[hasaknightjob]

"Funny how quick your world turns upside down, isn't it?" Steven said. "Start of this year I didn't know about Marc, didn't know Egyptian gods were real, didn't know - "

Steven caught himself, then shook it off. "And that's not including everything about living round here."

[pocketpretzels]

Watts caught that last 'didn't know', but as it seemed more of a deliberate subject change and not Steven losing his train of thought, he didn't press.

"I might not have come here at all had the job not been extended to me by Detective Murdoch specifically," he said instead. Anyone else, and he would've dismissed the notion of time travel as fantasy.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven smiled down at Llewellyn. "So I should say thank you to him personally then?"

[pocketpretzels]

“If you like,” Watts said, cheeks colouring at the implication there. “Though I don’t know if he’d be up for visiting, I believe Dr. Ogden is due to give birth near the end of the month and he’d never forgive himself if he missed that.”

[hasaknightjob]

"Whenever I might happen to meet him then," Steven said. "But you're all right? Or as right as can be?"

Steven would talk about his week, he just wanted to be sure Llewellyn didn't think his own issues weren't important.

[pocketpretzels]

Just one of the many, many ways Steven was superior to one Jack Walker, clearly.

“Right as can be,” Watts confirmed. “I promise.”

[hasaknightjob]

"Right. Good." Steven continued to run his fingers through Llewellyn's hair, the gesture soothing to him as much as it was Llewellyn. "Don't know where to start, really. Friends going through a time of it. Then there's me feeling like I can't say anything right to anyone. Well, exceptions. You. Liz. That's part of why it was so nice seeing you yesterday. I knew you'd hear me."

Or at least until it seemed like the office was set on fire, but that wasn't Llewellyn's fault.

[pocketpretzels]

“Always,” Watts confirmed. “You can count on that. Though speaking of Miss Sherman, she came by yesterday as well, after you left.” Which he’d know if Marc had mentioned it, of course.

[hasaknightjob]

She'd been first on the list of people Steven wanted to mention so that worked out. "She's having the worst time of it. Don't know how much is for me to say, but it's not a good time of year for her. Then the island goes around playing with fire. Marc saw her as well. I think after you?"

[pocketpretzels]

“Mmm,” Watts nodded. “Anniversaries, and the like. She mentioned,” he said, assuming Steven would know of what he spoke. “She was- concerned the fires were her doing. I did my best to put her at ease regarding the subject, but I’m not sure how well I did. If she had a fake beard on her person when Mr. Spector spoke to her, it would have been after.”

[hasaknightjob]

"He didn't mention one?" Steven said. Marc could be bad at details but Steven was pretty sure that one would come up. "Tuesday is the last day of it, far as anniversaries. Hopefully she'll get some rest before then. Still. You worry about a friend, don't you?"