Chapter Text
Linus had chosen to sleep in the guest house upon his return. He’d only been back for two months, and while he’d like nothing more than to curl up next to Arthur every night, and kiss him on his little heart freckle every morning, he needed time to breathe, and adjust. Before, he’d known his time was temporary, even if he’d chosen to ignore it towards the end. Now, he had all the time in the world, and he wasn’t sure if that was good for him or not. He didn’t regret his decision to leave the city, but he couldn’t help but feel out of his depth.
At least he got to watch the sunrise on the porch without an ounce of guilt. He took deep breaths of the salted air, smiling to himself as he looked up at the sky. Blue had begun to crop up behind the wispy overcast. He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, reveling in his cool peace.
The peace became warm in moments, and he opened his eyes to see Arthur a few steps from the porch. He smiled that soft, all-encompassing smile as he reached the bottom step. Linus stood, looking down from the porch, though he only stood an inch or two taller than him from there, and leaned down to kiss him on the lips. His lips tasted of mint, most likely from his toothpaste, and mind-numbingly warm as always. Arthur rested a hand on Linus’ hip, trying to pull him down the steps. Linus almost obliged, but pressed a hand to his chest anyways.
“Good morning,” he breathed, smiling down at him, trying to hide the blush that rose in his face. Arthur cleared the two steps without touching them, standing in front of Linus. He grinned, draping his arms over his shoulders.
“Good morning, Linus,” he whispered, like his name was a secret only he was allowed to hear. Linus rested his forehead on Arthur’s chest and put his face in his hand, going a tomato shade of red. Arthur chuckled, kissing the tops of his ears and the near bald spot on the top of his head. At first, he’d thought it was mocking his thinning hair, but Arthur assured him it was meant as appreciation.
“What’s on the agenda today?” Linus asked, looking up from his palms. Arthur’s eyes were twinkling with mischief and passion, a troubling combination with such an impulsive soul.
“Well, it is the second Saturday,” he said. Linus groaned, though he wasn’t actually upset. Arthur looked quite dashing in his adventuring outfit, but he dreaded putting on his own this morning. Despite the last three months, he felt a twinge of discomfort when he looked at himself in the outfit.
Arthur chuckled at his reluctance. “I don’t see the problem, my love.”
“You must be going blind.” Linus did a little turn while gesturing to his entire body. Arthur scowled, pulling him closer at the hips.
“I quite like how you look in that outfit.”
“Of course, you do—you know nothing of shame .”
Arthur grinned again, leaning down to press their foreheads together. “There are much less shameful things we could be doing with our free time, Mr. Baker .”
The words dripped like honey off his tongue. Linus gulped and stepped back, shaking his head. He passed him, heading down the steps while shaking his head. “You can’t just- I need a coffee.”