MHA #14, Sunday Morning

[pocketpretzels]

Last night had not gone entirely to plan. Or... at all to plan, really, things having gone off the rails mere minutes after Watts and Steven had arrived at the bar. Which is not to say the night as a whole went badly. In fact after that initial derailment the metaphorical train that had been their date night had found another, equally as pleasant, track to go down.

A track that had yes, shockingly, resulted in Watts staying the night at Steven's place.

"Mrrrrn," he murmured into Steven's shoulder. It was, in theory, meant to be a 'good morning'. Unfortunately Watts wasn't quite awake enough to make proper words happen. But chances were Steven wasn't either, so really, he was pretty much just mumbling to himself.

[ooc: for the other sleepyhead.]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

If Llewellyn looked around (perhaps because he had been too busy to do so the night before) he might have noticed the open door to what was again Marc's room, with Nell's clothes boxed up and left on the bed. The plants she kept in there could also be seen and, though they were cared for, they did seem less vibrant, as though they knew Nell had gone for good and not on holiday like the last time.

For his part, Steven made two trips to bring out the food and everything else. He didn't sit with a flourish but he did bend to kiss Llewellyn on the cheek before taking his on seat next to him.

"I'm making sure he's going to Devil's Nest on Monday," Steven said, as though there hadn't been a minutes long interruption and even a brief subject change in their conversation. "I told Jaye that's his habit. No idea if anything will come of it but no harm in trying, is there?"

Not until Marc found out Steven was meddling, anyway.

[pocketpretzels]

Now, whyever would he have been too busy to notice all that last night?

For his part, Watts didn't even blink at the transition back to the earlier conversation.

"Hm. Unless Mr. Spector disapproves, I suppose," he pointed out.

[hasaknightjob]

Llewellyn's understanding of such habits was one of the many things Steven appreciated about him. As for the idea of Marc's disapproval, Steven waved it off.

"It's good for him," Steven said. "He'll be out with people, which he needs. Maybe she'll show and have a chat with him, which he'd like. Or she'll scold him for being a twat which he could stand to be told. Honestly. Not even saying hello when she came back from holiday. Well, exorcism. Don't know if she did it for fun."

[pocketpretzels]

"... Exorcism."

[hasaknightjob]

"I didn't get to ask much about it," Steven said, as though he and Llewellyn shared a regret at that failed opportunity. "Only three minutes, had to try my best for Marc, you know? But she seemed fine."

[pocketpretzels]

"That's. Good. I suppose. Hard to say, having never witnessed an exorcism before." Also he had no idea if she was from a relatively normal world like his where said exorcism wouldn't actually accomplish much, or somewhere where it would. Supposed it didn't really matter in the end so long as she came through it all right.

[hasaknightjob]

"I thought about getting one," Steven said. "I mean - briefly. When Marc first appeared. Thought I might be possessed. Not that I would've known who to ask."

Yes, priests, but it wasn't as though Steven had any reason to keep the number for one handy.

[pocketpretzels]

Watts reached over to squeeze Steven's hand in sympathy. "From what you described of that time, I can see how you might have entertained the idea."

(And let's be real, in Steven's reality, actual possession could totally have been a thing. Not that either of them really knew that.)

[hasaknightjob]

Steven squeezed Llewellyn's hand back, glad for the comfort, but also showing he was all right now. "Helped when he finally explained things. Well - didn't accept it right away, I'll be honest. But at least I started to understand who the man in the mirror was, yeah?"

[pocketpretzels]

"And now here you are, helping him make friends," Watts said, shaking his head in amusement.

[hasaknightjob]

"Trying, at least," Steven said. He sighed. "It'd be nice if there was something that made him happy. It's good. He's made progress. Friends with Liz, reaching out to Nell, that sort of thing. But it's surviving, you know? Not happy."

[pocketpretzels]

“I’ve seen at least one potential future where he is,” Watts reminded him. “I know, I know, the events in that timeline may not come to be for us here, but its proof that it is possible.”

[hasaknightjob]

Steven leaned over to kiss Llewellyn on the cheek to thank him for the reminder. "It's me being impatient, you see. He's in so much pain, Llew. All the time. I can't take more of it than I am. He won't let me."

Steven unconsciously glanced to where the Stress Ball bag had been in the living room, back when it was there. "Anything that can break though that - I want it for him. He deserves it. Being happy."

[pocketpretzels]

"I know," Watts said. "And you're so good, working as hard as you are to try and make that happen for him," he added. "I wish there was something I could do."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven gave Llewellyn a small smile. "You make me happy. That's nice."

[pocketpretzels]

“A responsibility I take very seriously,” Watts replied, meaning every word of it.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven's smile grew bigger. "You make it look easy. You're a natural at it."

[pocketpretzels]

“Only because we fit so well together, I think,” Watts said. “It was- never this easy. Before.” In fact if anything he felt like he was constantly doing or saying the wrong thing.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven reached for Llewellyn's hand and gave it a kiss before letting go. "Don't mind being easy for you."

He didn't mean the double entendre but let's face it, that was true as well.

[pocketpretzels]

Alas, Watts being who he was, he completely missed said double entendre.

“Easy or not, I will- eventually misstep, you know.” He was certain of it.

[hasaknightjob]

"But you won't mean to, will you?" Steven pointed out. "People make mistakes, don't they? Then you forgive and keep going. That's the way it works."

[pocketpretzels]

Unfortunately that had not been his experience. But then again relationships of any kind, not just romantic, had always been difficult in a way things just... weren't... with Steven, so maybe it really could be different.

"Yes, of course I won't mean to- at least, not mean to offend or hurt. I always mean what I say." And that was the problem, because for too long he'd assumed that was enough, that any hurt feelings because of what he might say or do were inconsequential in the long run due to the fact that it hadn't been intentional.

[hasaknightjob]

"I mean to be on time," Steven pointed out. "I mean to remember things. You're not cruel to me when I don't manage it."

[pocketpretzels]

"Well, of course not," Watts said.

[hasaknightjob]

"And when I say things that don't come out well you don't get cross about it, do you?" Steven said, thinking of some of his fumbles in the past couple of weeks. "You're nice about it. Try to understand what I meant and all, right?"