Chapter Text
It starts at 0600 hours. Although the town may be small, many people come in and out of it. Whether it be tourists, locals visiting family, small town hoppers, or couples planning to be wed. For the Captain, it is where he, his boyfriend, and the rest of the eccentric residents he’d like to call family (although don’t tell them that) live.
The Captain gives himself a three hour leeway to tidy himself and the house up before leaving to go to work at the war museum.
So, once more. It’s 0600 hours and the Captain gets up from his bed, though struggles a bit from the heavy arm wrapped around his waist. He didn’t want to get up, but he had to do his morning routine that consists of a light run, breakfast, a shower, and getting ready with Anthony for work.
James reluctantly removes the arm from his waist, but kisses the cheek of the sleeping man beside him who hummed before turning his back to the awake man to sleep more soundly.
The Captain smiled, getting up from the bed to change into a used shirt, and sweats. He figured he’ll just throw it all into the laundry when he gets back. Coming downstairs, avoiding the creaky floors, he made it to the doorstep where shoes awaited. Left, then right. Tapping the toes to the floor ensuring that it’s all secure then he’s ready to go.
Grabbing his keys, he turned the knob of the front door and he stepped into the outside world. Locking the door behind him, he began his routine jog around the neighbourhood. There, he spots the houses of his pseudo family he grew fond of.
There was Pat Butcher’s house. A divorced man after finding out that his wife Carol cheated on him with his best mate. His house was quite homely despite the circumstances, but he figured it helped considering his son Daley would come in the weekends. Pat is the local scoutmaster but if he isn’t a scoutmaster in the summertime, he organizes club activities in the community centre. If he isn’t doing either of those things, he works at the bank!
After passing Pat’s home, up next was Robin. His house was… a bit dirtier than Pat’s. Pat’s home was more tidy with a neat lawn and a tire swing that came with the house. None of the residents didn’t know why he didn't get rid of the tire swing, but then again. Daley does come in the weekends.
But anyways, Robin’s home.
Robin’s lawn was more unruly, with uncut grass peeking through the cracks of the driveway and grass that crept up to your ankles. One notable thing about Robin’s home is that of the balcony. On the balcony was possibly one of the most expensive telescopes you could ever see on the block (considering it’s the only telescope on the block) where some nights, he sits by a chair, looking into the piece of equipment and jotting down notes on a notebook about the stars. Some may assume he was an old man based on the front of his home, but in reality he’s just a little bit older than Thomas by 2 years.
He spends the majority of his time in the park. After all, he is the park ranger. God forbid someone breaks in and graffiti’s on the petroglyphs that recorded the early human society of the grounds.
Directly across from Robin’s was one of the many homes of MP: Julian Fawcett. Even though he wasn’t around a lot… Well that is a lie. He’s around a lot, considering working from home is now an option (not like he does actual work), but every so often, he gets summoned for speeches and business in the House of Commons. Julian was like those patriots in America, only instead of US flags on their front lawns, it’s the flag of the UK. Almost like the model home, his hedges were tidy and orderly, no cracks on the driveway, hell- even a cobbled walkway that led to his front door donned the front. Yet, despite its cleanliness, it lacked a sense of familial presence even though he apparently once said, “family, family, family.”
As the Cap turns to the corner of the neighbourhood, the next house he jogged past was of Humphrey Bone. The lawn was trimmed and the house itself looked as if it came out of the Elizabethan era. An extremely stark contrast to the previous houses the Captain passed on his jogs. Despite the house looking like it belonged in the Elizabethan era, it was gladly kept this way by the owner who despised people “modernizing” homes and properties they own, erasing its rich history. He had an argument about that with his wife, then again, they never talk- so it was ex-wife, really. Inside were in fact modern tech and necessities to go about for the day, but still, the interior’s history matched with the one outside.
The final stretch of houses that edged to the action of the small town all belonged to one huge family. And when they mean huge, they mean huge and the numbers keep piling. It isn’t exactly a single detached house for each family like Pat’s or Julian’s or Robin’s or Humphrey’s. It was rows and rows of townhouses all attached together. There was a joke where one time they all got sick at the same time and blamed it on a cousin who got back from a trip to London. This in fact alarmed the entire town and everywhere was shut down except for the Doctor’s office. Thank god for modern medicine, though. The entire family still blames Mick for it, but they’ll get over it… eventually.
By the time the Captain reached the edge of town, he turned back around. A simple jog was only 15 minutes. 20 minutes if he walked instead. With blood pumping in his veins, he began a proper sprint back to his home. His lungs hurt by the time he made it to his own abode. He should have done stretches to be more limber, but his knees popped like a firecracker whenever he did them, which is why he opted for a jog in the morning. You win some, you lose some he’d say in his head, but he has been considering returning to his old workout regime that helped the blood running during one quarantine.
Their house was a quaint small thing with an upstairs that laid their bedroom and guest room for visitors staying the night. Whether it was family or a friend who needed a place to stay after getting too drunk at a night out. They have a front porch where the Captain sometimes likes to sit and read the paper like an old man, and they have a garden that Anthony took care of. Its previous owners left the home in a bit of a state that needed fixing, especially the garden which Havers happily restored to its former glory. Housing images can look really deceiving.
Fumbling with the keys in his pocket, he turns the lock and in he goes. Taking off his shoes so as to not track dirt, he hears the sound of the kettle on and he knows a certain someone is finally awake. Right on time because it’s now 0630.
“Morning!” Havers greeted from the kitchen, poking his head from around the corner to look at the Captain.
James panted, making his way to the dining table that stood a good distance away from their living area, but close to the kitchen. Anthony, ever so in sync with the man just like in the war, passed James a glass of water with ease. “Thank you, Anthony.” James said, plopping himself onto a chair and taking a big gulp of water, slumping when he finished the entire glass “Ahh”
“Good run?” Havers asked shortly after joining the Captain with tea and breakfast for the two of them placed on the table.
He runs with Anthony and sometimes they’d race up and down the block. Anthony always beats him with 7 seconds to spare. They never met prior to the forces. They were strangers, yet somehow when they were together it was as if they knew each other for a long time. In that time together, James found out that Anthony was a dancer and an avid flower enthusiast. Anthony found out that James enjoyed planning and war (just the tanks and superweapons) which he thinks is quite endearing.
“Indeed.” The Captain rolled his head back and forth, feeling a crack at his neck and sighed, “Oohhh that felt good.”
“Thought that only happens in the knees, Teddy” Anthony teased with a smirk as he sipped his tea.
“Hush you.” James scowled but couldn’t keep it long enough when a small smile tugged at his lips.
Anthony and James always called each other by their middle name, or last name. For James it was either Theodore or Teddy. For Anthony it was either William or Will. Theodore is James’ last name. William is Anthony’s middle name. They always call each other these names because they don’t want the others to know their real names. They want to keep it as a fun little secret from the rest of the town as it was “private information” and they knew it would be an “invasion of privacy.”
Quite frankly they think it’s funny for everyone to try to guess their names while everyone calls them Havers and The Captain or William and Theodore at the same time. When the moment they shared together was private and or intimate, they always used their first names. Just the two of them. This silly little secret they share. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, enjoying their breakfast and company before Havers spoke, “I’m helping Kitty rehearse a dance for an upcoming show today, so I may not be home when you’re done after work.”
The other pouts, “Awh… really?”
“Yes, James.” Anthony chuckled, placing a kiss on the Captain’s temple. “I’ll be back for dinner.”
“Alright” James hummed and relaxed a little bit. He turned his head just in time to capture Anthony’s lips with his who pulled away. “Eugh”
The Captain looked at him with feigned offence, “how dare you!”
Scrunching up his face and waving a hand as if swatting away a fly, “morning breath.”
“Fine!” James gave in while stretching out the i. “Go get ready and then maybe I’ll give you a kiss.”
“Maybe?!” James’ face fell which made Anthony laugh, “Just go! I’ll clean all this up. We can go to work together.”
At that, the Captain smiled, “Yes, sir.”
When James finished the shower he deserved, he made his rounds of bathroom routines that follow: drying himself off, a slight trim of his moustache, a shave for the stubble, a comb for his hair and finally brushing his teeth. Spitting out the remaining toothpaste, the Captain steps out of the bathroom while Anthony steps in to do his routines which was similar to the Captain’s only he just shaves and brushes his teeth.
The clock just struck at 0800 hours when the two put on their shoes at the front door.
“May I kiss you, now? ” The Captain asked while Anthony hummed in thought, making James wait in anticipation.
“Yes, sir. I believe you may.” Havers smiled and the two met in the middle for a chaste little kiss. “Much better.”
With a turn of the knob and the click of a locked door, the two stepped out to go to work.
“What’s the production?” The Captain started.
Havers looked at the man in confusion at the sudden question, “Huh?”
“Kitty. You’re helping her with rehearsals?” the Captain pressed on.
“Oh! Right!! Moulin Rouge.”
“Ohhh!!” Cap smiled, "can't wait to see it!"