Work Text:
For Steven the day had ended earlier than usual, the museum received fewer visitors than expected and Donna had no reason to leave him overtime in Inventory.
The last few weeks had been quiet, Steven arrived on time and did his work without distractions, he even seemed more focused than usual and although Donna was grateful for the change, it was evident that something had happened.
And it was not far from the truth, Steven had immersed himself in the job as a sort of routine to kill time, something to distract himself from the tranquility and monotony of his days. During those weeks neither Marc nor Jake had shown up at the apartment, which now felt quieter and emptier. The lights were always off and Steven made sure to arrive as tired as possible so he wouldn't have to think about anything else but sleep.
The rain warning for that night had kept the public from visiting the museum. Steven entertained himself with a couple of books he had bought during his last visit to the bookstore, looking up from time to time to check the clock on the side of his desk. When he finally finished reading the chapter he closed his eyes and with his fingers gently rubbed under his glasses, to soothe the dryness . He looked around but no one was there, only the janitor could be heard walking in the distance pushing his cart.
Steven quickly packed his things and made his way towards the exit, incidentally waving goodbye to the man who in surprise turned to look at him.
"I thought you'd already left?"
Steven couldn't help but laugh at this: "Well, yes I should.... I was reading" he said with a tired smile. Surely he had been so focused that he had managed to make his existence disappear from Donna and the guides to such a level that he wasn't even alerted that his shift was over. May be useful later, he thought, as he adjusted his bag and opened the door to leave.
Once outside, the first thing that surprised him was how mild the atmosphere was, he had really prepared himself to feel the cold hitting his face, it was literally the calm before the storm. Steven took a deep breath as he looked at the overcast sky, he felt so comfortable that he could stand there no matter the hours. When he looked down a second surprise was waiting for him, a white limousine was parked in front of the stairs of the museum entrance, and in front of it Jake stood guard with his hands folded and his eyes down, waiting.
Steven walked down the stairs carefully and slowly approached him.
"Jake...?" he said quietly, trying not to startle him.
Jake who had his eyes closed, looked up and watched him carefully for a few seconds.
"Hi Steven..." he said with a slight smile " How's work going?"
" Umm.. A little slow today, but okay I guess.... How about you? "
" Lots of reservations, but none for rainy days..... Lucky you."
"What?"
"Special Service" he said as he stretched out his arms and opened his door, gesturing for Steven to go to the other side. "Get in now."
Immediately they were both inside the car, Jake drove attentive to the traffic, with the soft noise of the melodies of the radio and Steven relaxed looking out the window, watching the few people who were still on the street advance protected by umbrellas. Little by little they left behind the lights of the buildings and the bustle of the buses, being replaced by the sound of the rain and the soft engine of the moving limo, to one side the trees dominated the landscape and few cars crossed the road.
Steven felt happy and surprised, the truth was that he had not expected to meet Jake today at all, he had missed him a lot, so much that just the fact of sharing the same space made him happy. Jake on the other hand, looked at Steven's figure from time to time, who had his eyes closed completely relaxed, a satisfied smile settled on his lips. After so long he had finally managed to see him again, even if Steven had made him wait outside for a while, it was worth it. After so much hustle and bustle he finally had a moment to dedicate exclusively to him, no last minute calls or worries about tomorrow's or the next day's schedule. The storm was giving him the best opportunity he'd had in a long time and he wasn't about to waste it.
When the car finally stopped, Steven was already fighting sleep, Jake had to tap him on the shoulder a couple of times to let him know they had arrived. It had already started to rain, Jake pulled a small umbrella from the side of his seat and looked at Steven to make sure he was awake, then opened his door and the umbrella and got out of the car, walking around it until he reached the other side, where he opened the door and placed the umbrella to protect them both from the rain.
" Ven" Jake said as he guided Steven towards one of the wide doors of the limo, reserved for customers only. Steven quickly entered and made room for Jake who was shaking the umbrella to get rid of the excess water before closing the door.
Once inside the temperature became warmer and a shiver ran through their bodies at the change. Steven's eyes scanned the interior of the limo curiously, its red cloth upholstered seats, tinted windows and dark surroundings caught his attention, Jake for his part reached for some large paper bags that were secured in a cardboard box. The smell of coffee and baked treats enlivened his senses, outside the rain was pounding harder, but inside everything felt safe and comfortable. Jake placed 4 cups of coffee on top of a makeshift table and the sweets on the other side, where they were within easy reach.
They both ate in silence, enjoying every bite, the warmth of the drinks flowed through their bodies and the atmosphere became calm and cozy, thanks to the music coming through the speakers. It was one of the records Steven sometimes played at home when he couldn't sleep or when he was in a good mood. Jake sometimes borrowed it and played it during his long nights driving around town.
Finally relaxed, Jake leaned back in the seat and pulled one of his arms towards Steven, pulling him into his body so he could hug him, his forehead rested on his shoulder for a good while and then he wrapped his arms around him completely, enjoying the contact. Steven placed his hands over Jake's and gently caressed them, with his eyes closed he felt his breath on his neck. Jake gave him a kiss on the cheek
"I finally have you here... I missed you so much, Steven" he said tenderly.
Steven raised his left hand, placed it first on Jake's cheek and then moved to his hair, stroking in circles.
" I wanted to see you too.... It was a nice surprise."
" Bendita tormenta no?" said Jake laughing.
Steven enjoyed the vibrations of that laughter hitting his back, Jake was here with him, totally relaxed, after so many weeks away. Steven tried to get used to the separation, to not demand more than they could give him, but even if he tried to go about his day to day life, it was always difficult, because once you know the warmth of another body and the care delivered by their words, you can't erase them from your mind.
But it had to be endured, like so much else in his life. He had no doubt that they felt that way too, and that they applied the same strategy as he did, applying tunnel vision and moving into the routine of the functioning adult, where the days were so similar that there was no need to keep track anymore, until a small unforeseen event came along to set them free.
Steven stood up, facing protests from Jake, who wanted to grab his shirt to pull him back to him. Steven rolled over and then sat on his lap. With both hands he held his face caressing his cheeks with his thumbs.
"Thank you for coming back Jake.. " Steven said linking their gazes for a few seconds then kissed him at a slow pace enjoying the texture of his lips and the moist warmth of his mouth. Jake placed one of his hands on Steven's waist and placed the other on the nape of his neck sliding up to gently run his fingers trough his curls,.
There were no limits to this moment, the rain held steady outside, enveloping the limo in tranquility. Steven leaned against Jake, listening to his heartbeat, while the other held him in his embrace, stroking his hair and placing a kiss or two on his forehead.
Both relaxed and happy to have been reunited, remained silent for a long time. Hours didn't seem to matter, the music was still playing and the rain silenced the world, stopping for a bit the obligations and granting perfect opportunities.
It didn't seem like a bad idea to sleep like this.