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Hammocks had always been something Sebastian enjoyed. Being in one gave you a sense of floating, rocking with the wind or any small shift in weight. They always brought a sense of peace. A sense of normality… and these days, moments like that were few and far between. Therefore, the man did his best to not take them for granted.
Then again, the feeling of someone resting their head against his chest certainly bolstered this feeling. Sebastian was more used to it being Myra who lay against him, soaking up his warmth… so the white-haired boy was a shocking change. But in truth, the change was a welcome one.
Leslie was definitely different from Sebastian's late wife. Quiet always seemed to come easier to him, considering his lack of social skills. Even if he was recovering greatly from Beacon, he still preferred listening, reading a book, watching TV, or cuddling silently over engaging in long conversations. Sebastian understood and didn't mind… getting to sit down and read for once was a nice change of pace for the detective.
By this point, Sebastian had already finished reading both pages, letting his mind wander as Leslie finished. After years as a detective, Sebastian taught himself to read and take in as much information as possible. Sometimes, that skill was hard for him to turn off even if he wanted to. Leslie – on the other hand – preferred to soak up every word on the page. Taking his time with each sentence and asking about words he didn't understand. Considering he had been a test subject for most of his life, Sebastian assumed he hadn't gotten a very good education. However, Leslie proved to be a surprisingly fast learner.
As Sebastian was thinking about this, Leslie lifted his hand and took the corner of the book's next page. Rubbing the paper between his fingers.
“Mhm.” Sebastian confirmed, prompting Leslie to turn the page. As the page turned, Sebastian's eyes began to dart across its words as Leslie snuggled closer to him. Feeling his weight, a smile crossed Sebastian's lips. Using one hand and his abdomen to keep the book upright, Sebastian lifted his other to brush strands of hair out of Leslie's eyes. Still reading, Sebastian gave the top of Leslie's head a very light tap with his pointer finger. Immediately nodding, Leslie let him know it was okay. Lowering his head, Sebastian kissed the spot he had tapped, his fingers gently running through snow-white hair.
“Hey, are you two going to stay our here all day?” Joseph's voice came from the back porch. Looking up from their book, both gave the other man a smile.
“We're almost don't with this chapter, then we'll come inside, okay?” Sebastian called back, causing Joseph to give a playful pout.
“Mind if I join you, then? Until you're finished?” Sebastian looked down at the younger male on his chest.
“Hmm… what do you think, Leslie?” looking back at him with light blue eyes, Leslie gave a nod, “Alright, come here.” looking back to Joseph, Sebastian waved him over. Eager to join them, Joseph left the porch and crossed the backyard to where their hammock hung. As he climbed in on the other side of Sebastian, it took a bit of shifting before the three were comfortable again. The hammock swinging softly from the disturbance.
Once the three were relatively situated, Sebastian soon realized holding the book would be a bit of a challenge. But after taking a moment to compensate, Joseph volunteered for the job of 'book holder'. With his hands now free, Sebastian wrapped both men in his arms and continued to read. Reveling in the feeling this moment gave him.
The three didn't return to the house after another chapter. Instead, Leslie and Sebastian went on to read three others. Not noticing when the sunlight suddenly left and the world grew gray. Too distracted by reading (and napping for Joseph), the three men were suddenly surprised when a downpour forced them out of the hammock and back inside. The book was – unfortunately – ruined now… but the three had a good laugh while drying of and changing their water-logged clothing.
Afterward, they sat down on the couch with their beverages of choice – coffee, tea, and hot chocolate – to finish off the calm Sunday with a movie.