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The wagon pulled into a tiny alley and finally stopped, just in time before Edgar's spine was about to give out. The trip was nothing but uncomfortable - sandwiched between heavy luggage full of metal parts and a snoozing man, who smelled of said metal. To an even bigger misfortune, that man was too warm, and frequently let his head rest on Edgar's shoulder.
What he wouldn't give to travel back in time and refuse to work with Luca Balsa, who so conveniently slept on him the entire trip.
And now he had to worry about the motel they were supposed to stay in (probably infested with centipedes and worse critters), somehow manage to clean his clothes in a bathroom sink and soak in a cold rusty bathtub.
With a heavy sigh Edgar roughly pushed Luca off his shoulder, though the scientist dared drowsily protest, and crawled out of the wagon.
"Balsa, wake up! We're here." the painter's voice seemed to shake Luca out of his slumber. "If this motel's the one we stay in, that is."
"Mm. Looks like it." the inventor yawned and dragged their luggage outside.
The motel looked nothing special so far. Not that Edgar cared much, but he did anticipate something fancier. His own fault for the big expectations. It was Luca choosing a place to stay, after all.
Inside it smelled like mold. Everything was ancient, really. Even the lady at the check-in desk.
"Good evening!" Luca's voice rang. "We had a room reserved. For Balsa and Valden?"
A room?
Edgar reddened.
Sure, this wasn't like before when they'd had to spend weeks in rented houses and luxurious hotels. But, seriously, Balsa, a single room? With you?
The receptionist nodded and proceeded to look for the key.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Edgar whispered.
"Yes." Luca raised his eyebrows. "Quite sure."
Indeed a great question to ask, Valden, just as the receptionist confirmed the room was reserved for their names.
"There you go. Third floor. The elevator is right there."
Lord bless that place, it had an elevator. Things weren't that horrible.
"Thank you very much." Luca playfully swirled the key around his index finger, then took several steps away from the desk and gestured at Edgar to come closer. Whatever could it be now.
"Valden! Since this journey will be ending soon, I wanted to tell you that I'm very grateful for everything you've done. I know this may not be the best place, you're probably tired, but I couldn't hold it in any longer." he whispered, though the excitement in his voice was still tangible. "You're the best partner I've ever had! Everything that you've done, your talent, your company - I appreciate a lot. Thank you, once again. I'll do my best to assure this project is a success, to do your hard work justice!" he shook Edgar's hand, his grip firm.
Edgar couldn't help but be suspicious of the expression on Luca's face. It wasn't a smirk, or a teasing grin. Just a pure simple smile. Somehow the realization that Luca must have honestly meant what he'd said made Edgar's chest full. He only nodded in reply, unable to thank the inventor back. Head completely empty.
The inventor slightly leaned forward, reaching out a hand at the painter's luggage. "May I?"
Edgar looked him up and down in genuine surprise. "...D-don't they have butlers around?"
"Butlers? This is a motel , Valden. I insist."
No further protest, Edgar let him have the suitcase. Wasn't every day Luca's gentlemanly side exceeded itself, after all. With hands awkwardly folded on his chest, Edgar quickly followed the scientist into the elevator.
Best partner Luca ever had. Those words still lingered in the painter's ears.
Edgar had finished his job a few days ago. Originally commissioned to paint on metal, he mysteriously ended up being Luca's right hand in addition to all the artwork he needed to provide. He had minded at first, of course. If asked, he'd say he still did, even though deep down he honestly found the bizarre inventor's company to be worth the trouble.
Just two more weeks of restless traveling, a bit extra polishing, and they shall present the invention to the world. Luca politely insisted he wished for Edgar to be there: to shake hands, make acquaintances and earn himself new commissioners.
However, after months of work with Balsa he still couldn't exactly tell what that project of theirs was. He had a lot to say about the scientist himself, though. Surely Luca was eccentric, naive, too kind for his own good. His jokes were often unprofessional, contrastive to his somewhat decent manners. Still, with time Edgar admitted that Luca had impressive skill. Talented and extremely smart in his own way. It gave the painter a strangely warm feeling - like they were more similar than he was used to think.
Drowned in his own thoughts, the painter didn't notice Luca abruptly stop midway in a poorly lit corridor. He didn't even notice the glistening sweat on his forehead, or his panting.
"We're here." Luca huffed.
"Ah. Good. I'll take it from here, though. I, um, appreciate it, Balsa, really." Edgar said and took the luggage from him. The tired inventor wasn't going to protest.
A few swift turns of a key and the door creaked open. Edgar didn't really care anymore. He didn't care about cheap tasteless tulle covering the windows, didn't care to run the water in a yellow tub. He dropped the suitcase and simply stared at the pattern on some dusty bedcover as Luca began fiddling with the contents of their luggage.
The cover was giant. Whoever wasted time making that tasteless thing could have spent it picking their nose and it'd be a more efficient pastime. Just why did Edgar keep staring at it?
And then it clicked. The bed itself.
There was only one bed.
"Um, Balsa?" Edgar called. "Did they mess our room number up? Why is there just a single bed?" His voice sounded lower than he intended it to.
"No, they got everything right. There's supposed to be just one."
Edgar blinked. He slowly breathed in, closed his eyes, breathed out. What .
"You do realize we're both staying here for the night?"
"Oh, obviously."
What . "And you still reserved a room with one bed?"
"Yeah."
Um.
Luca turned around to meet Edgar's confused stare and suddenly burst out laughing.
"You should see your face right now! Like I got us a room where someone was murdered." the inventor's voice rang along the walls. "Valden, if you worry I succumb to carnal desires at night, then for your own peace of mind I'll take a separate room no problem." Luca smiled warmly as he side-eyed the painter. "Relax. It's a single bed because I'm not planning to sleep at all." he mused, giving the large messy pile of documents a tired look.
Ever since he had met Luca, Edgar respected the scientist's great dedication to work. Admirable, even, until Edgar had started to find his partner passed out on his desk, until he had noticed large dark circles underneath Luca's pale eyes, and now the man looked so exhausted he reminded Edgar of a corpse.
It was simply professional, to care for your colleague. The pang of worry in his chest was mostly for the future of their project, Edgar convinced himself.
"I'll be alright! I still have more to do. Besides, I slept a bit on the road." Luca answered the questions Edgar hadn't even worded yet. "You, on the other hand, deserve rest before tomorrow! You've done your part, Valden."
Both were die hard perfectionists, but while Edgar had learnt when to stop himself, Luca never did. Maybe their project would never see light in the first place, but that was an issue to worry about for a different day. Still, the chances of them finishing work were essentially higher with Luca alive and in good health.
"Have you seen yourself lately? You space out more than usual. You're pale. Really, acting like there's no limit yet fainting all the time." Edgar scolded, and when he did - Lord did he sound menacing. "Balsa, you make me wor-" that was close. "...Y-you embarrass me. If you don't want to sleep for your health's sake, then do it to look presentable at least!"
Luca actually tore his eyes off a random scheme in his hand and glanced at his own reflection in the window in front of him, but only shrugged. "I'm not seeing what you're seeing. But sounds to me like you do want us to share the bed!" He shot another grin at Edgar before returning to his papers.
Oh, that had to be intentional.
And oh did Edgar feel his cheeks become even hotter than they were before.
"That's not what I'm saying! I mean, you know I always tell you this, so you really should have gotten a room with two beds regardless of your 'plans'!" A decent try at defense, Valden. "Either way it's best if you actually sleep than tinker with whatever you have and keep me up all night too." A very good try.
Luca only hummed. "If you really want a different room you can speak with the reception, I'm sure they'll get us something. I've no issue moving." voice dry and abstract, the inventor replied.
Luca's true indifference behind those jokes somehow made Edgar more upset than before. Somehow this felt like defeat. To walk all the way down and have to spend time resolving everything? The thought exhausted Edgar even more.
He sighed.
"Whatever. The damn bed isn't worth the trouble." The painter mumbled, barely audible, but Luca still nodded confidently in response. "... Goodnight, Balsa. Had enough of being awake with your presence."
Luca chuckled at the comment. "Goodnight! I'll be quiet. Promise."
His voice sounded oddly warm and soft. Somewhat caring, even. Or maybe fatigue had gotten Edgar hearing things.
Changed and cozy under the patterned covers, he watched the young scientist fiddle with machine parts at the table. Edgar stared at Luca's thin neck, the ridiculous mess of his ponytail, the fine line of his spine. Through a thick veil of sleep in his eyes, Edgar admitted to himself that he wished this was what he saw every night. Just a fleeting thought induced by a long tiring day, wasn't it?
Soon, the pile of papers was scattered all over the room, and the scribbling of a pencil lulled Edgar to sleep.
The moonlight beamed through the windows when the painter suddenly jerked awake. He couldn't tell if it was from the cold, or the nightmare he already forgot. Or the suspicious snoring somewhere close.
Edgar groggily rose, clutching the blanket to his chin. He peered over the edge of the bed to find Luca curled around a bunch of crumpled paper, arms crossed and legs pressed together. Clearly freezing.
Not that Edgar did not expect that to happen. Even thinking about it would irritate him before. But now, looking at Luca's soft features, the crease between his brows, his unsteady breathing - he couldn't think of anything but sliding down the bed with his blanket.
Movements quiet and careful, afraid to wake the inventor up , Edgar draped the other side of the warm cover over the shaking body. Without further thought, he lay down next to Luca. Face to face. Because that would warm him up better, right?
That close he wondered how come he had never paid attention to Luca's features. To refined shape of his lips; long, thick eyelashes; olive skin, a tiny mole underneath his right eye. A detail Edgar never noticed on Luca before.
Luca.
He never realized how good that name felt on his lips. He would savor every vowel if he dared say it. Edgar wanted to, so bad. After months of partnership they continued using last names, as if neither could admit they were close enough for something simpler. Close enough for more, Edgar hoped often.
"Lu-ca." He risked it.
Like a spell, it made the inventor's face relax and his breathing fell into a slow, calm rhythm. Edgar worried Luca heard him; but saying that name made his own body warm and at ease at the same time.
And he leaned in closer.
Maybe that was greedy.
He shuddered as he felt Luca's warm breath reflect off his own skin.
Maybe he was going to regret it the next morning.
He pressed his lips to the corner of Luca's mouth. Quick, just for a moment, yet a new sensation, sweet and tender, still enveloped his heart, sending it fluttering in the small cage of his chest.
Maybe it was everything but worth it , still Edgar welcomed the feeling of peace to his mind. Let it settle just for that night. Just for then, they were more than partners. For a moment more intimate than they could ever be.
Edgar shakily sighed and pulled away. A tiny cold drop of a tear stained the blanket.
The room was still illuminated with moonlight when he let his eyes drift shut.