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The air inside the house stuck to Alex’s skin as he lay out a towel on the kitchen counter. Between the rain pouring down outside and the steaming of the canner, the humidity was through the roof. Still, these tomatoes couldn’t wait for the weather to improve to be preserved, so the villain dutifully helped his mother, pulling the scalding hot jars out of the water with his bare hands and setting them on the towel to cool.
His mind was elsewhere, though. The fall fair would be opening up this weekend, and he was so excited to take Morgan to it.
“Alex.”
They could play games and eat fair food and go on rides.
“Alex…”
The thought of Morgan snuggled up against his side as they reached the top of the Farris wheel, the rest of the world so insignificantly small beneath them, made the villain’s heart do a little flip.
“Alex!”
The soft thwack of a kitchen towel against his arm finally pulled Alex out of his daydream and he blinked, looking up at his mother. “What?”
The woman stood beside him, a sly smirk on her face and her hand’s planted firmly on her hips. “What has your head in the clouds?” She asked.
Alex cleared his throat, looking back to his work as he set out the last of the jars. “Just… thinking about something…” He said, trying in vain to keep it a secret.
He could feel his mother’s eyes on him, and he glanced up to see that knowing look only a mother could give. Immediately, he broke and confessed the truth. “About Morgan…”
“I knew it!” Mrs. Stewart laughed, and Alex smiled sheepishly as she thwacked him with the towel again. “I knew it was more than just hanging out. Why didn’t you tell me you two were dating?”
Alex rubbed his arm gently, as if the gentle smack of cloth were enough to actually sting. “I –” He opened his mouth to answer but didn’t get the chance.
“Your father owes me dinner.” The woman continued excitedly. “I told him there was something going on there, but he didn’t believe me.”
“Um…” Again, Alex was ignored as his mother began to bustle around the kitchen.
“Oh, we’ll have to have a big meal soon! Welcome them to the family –“
Finally, Alex stepped forward, taking his mother’s hands in his own to stop her. “Mom, please.” He said, offering a smile and a soft chuckle. “Slow down… This is still pretty new.”
The woman smiled up at her son. “Oh, I’m sorry Alex.” She said, giving a happy sigh. “I just got excited.”
“I know.” Alex said, knowing how much his mother already loved Morgan. He allowed her to pull her hands from his and smiled as she reached up to fix his hair gently.
“You know… I’ve never seen you this happy.” Mrs. Stewart said, setting a hand on his cheek.
The words made Alex pause, arching a brow. “Really?” He asked. He couldn’t fight the blush as his mother simply nodded, pulling her hands back.
“They’ve got you all flustered.” She teased gently.
That got a laugh from the villain as Alex nodded. “Yeah. They have a way of doing that to me…” He said, letting out a soft sigh. There was a moment of quiet as he thought over the precarious relationship he found himself in. It felt so fragile, like a single wrong move might shatter it beyond repair. “I’ve never been like this with anyone, Mom…” He confessed. “I’m worried I’m going to mess it up.”
“That just means you want this.” The woman said, smiling as Alex slowly looked back up at her.
“I do.” He agreed, giving an almost sheepish smile as he moved to start cleaning up.
“Is that why you’ve been sneaking off with food for days?” Mrs. Stewart asked, and Alex could hear her smirk in her voice as she began gathering up dirty utensils.
He started to fill the sink with warm water, adding dish soap to begin the washing up. “Heh… you noticed?” He asked.
Once more, there was the soft thwack of a towel against his arm. “Even you can’t hide from your mother, Son.” The woman said with a chuckle.
Alex focused on his task, even as his mind drifted back to that weird and wonderful person he was still learning so much about. “Morgan gets distracted a lot and forgets to take care of themselves.” He explained. “We made a bet a week ago and they lost, so they have to eat three meals a day and get eight hours of sleep a night for two weeks.”
This time, the towel rested on his shoulder, an offering, and the villain looked up to see his mother smiling indulgently at him. “Well then, you had better bring them their dinner, hadn’t you?” She said, nudging her way between the villain and the sink to take over the dishes as he obediently began to dry his hands. She glanced up out of the kitchen window and seemed surprised at what she saw. “Oh? Maybe not, it looks like they’re a little busy.”
“What?” Alex followed his mother’s crimson gaze out the window to see Morgan, walking around in the pouring rain, arms outstretched and head tilted back. Silence filled the kitchen for a moment as the two Stewarts simply stared. “What on earth are they doing?” Alex asked, dumbfounded.
Mrs. Stewart just chuckled, watching as the farmhand walked around to the far side of the barn and out of sight. “Well, I’m sure I don’t know, but they look like they’re having a good time.” She said, turning a smirk to her son and giving him a nudge. “Why don’t you go find out? I can finish these dishes.”
Alex nodded, leaning in to kiss the top of the short woman’s head. “Thanks mom.” He said, turning to leave. He slipped on some muck boots and grabbed an umbrella before wandering out into the rain. It was heavy, but nothing like the storm from weeks before. It was a cool, fall rain that made the air smell fresh and clean. As the villain came around the corner, the sound of a cheerful tune being whistled rose above the splashing of mud and the patter of raindrops on the umbrella.
The sight that met him made him pause, though. Morgan was splashing in the mud, hair and clothes plastered to their body as they seemed to dance to the tune they whistled.
“Have you actually gone insane this time?” Alex asked, a chuckle in his voice.
The smile Morgan turned to him stopped the villain stone still. It was pure joy, those green eyes sparkling and their laugh matching their smile. It took a moment for Alex to remember to breathe again as he waited for the other to close themselves off like usual. They didn’t, though.
“I can’t go insane; I’ve already been there for years!” Morgan chimed, doing a little twirl that sent water flying. That was when Alex realized they weren’t wearing any shoes.
“What are you doing?” He asked, unable to suppress the laughter that intertwined with his words.
“I thought that was obvious.” Morgan said. “I’m dancing in the rain.”
Alex shook his head. Part of him wanted to be annoyed at the quips, but he couldn’t seem to keep the smile off his face. “Ok, better question. Why?”
Morgan leapt into a mud puddle that went nearly up to their shins, the resulting splash spattering Alex. “Because it’s refreshing!”
The serial mass murderer made a face as he tried in vain to wipe his shirt clean. “You know what’s also refreshing?” He asked, sarcasm in his voice. “A shower.”
“But that’s no fun!” came Morgan’s petulant cry, though it was followed by a familiar smirk. “Besides, then I wouldn’t get to see what you look like sopping wet.” They added with a wink.
Alex could feel the heat of a blush cross his face at the insinuation, and he didn’t pull away when Morgan’s muddy hand grasped his wrist. “Put that umbrella away and dance with me!” The farmhand demanded, giving the arm a tug.
There was a moment of hesitation. On the one hand, Alex really disliked the idea of getting wet and muddy at the moment. On the other, Morgan was so cute, especially when they gave a theatrical pout.
“Come on~” The smaller person whined. “We never got to dance at the party, so you really owe me one!”
It was futile to resist, and Alex knew it. With a defeated sigh, he snapped, and the umbrella vanished from his hand. He grunted as his other wrist was grabbed and he was pulled into a silly, sort of shimmying kind of dance to a beat only Morgan seemed to hear. The farmhand’s laughter was contagious, though, and he quickly found he didn’t care about being soaked to the bone anymore.
The mud sloshed around them as they danced and Alex gave Morgan a spin. The soft earth shifted beneath the farmhand’s feet and they stumbled into taller man, who caught them with a grin.
The laugh the small person gave rang like music in the villain’s ear, so intoxicating he missed the mutinous smirk turned up to him until it was too late. Morgan shifted their grip, trying to tackle the man. “I have you now, villain!” They chimed in a dramatically heroic tone, as they fell, dragging Alex down with them.
The villain in question grunted as he was pulled into the mud, but quickly started to wrestle back, easily pinning Morgan beneath him and giving an over the top nefarious laugh. “Oh, you think you can beat me, hero?” He asked, smirking as he watched the smaller body squirm fruitlessly against his grip.
Morgan lunged up at him, and Alex braced for impact only to be met with… a kiss? Heat flushed across his face and froze stone still at the contact. It was more than enough distraction for the farmhand to roll them both, getting on top.
“Aha, I knew you were a switch!” Morgan said, straddling the other and pinning his wrists above his head. “Ha! I win~”
Alex knew he had to be beet red as he stared up at the person pinning him. It wasn’t enough to actually trap him, not even close, but he couldn’t force himself to struggle. “Y-you know… I could just flip you again if I wanted.” He said, trying for confidence, but he could hear the slight tremor in his own voice.
“But I’m so very fragile~” Morgan said in that mocking whine Alex was growing to love. “You might accidentally hurt me, and where would be the fun in that?”
The words made the villain pause, confusion clear on his face. “What?”
Morgan shifted to smirk down at the man they pinned, a strange glint in their eyes. “You don’t want to hurt me accidentally, because then you won’t be able to hurt me on purpose later.”
“…I don’t want to hurt you at all.” Alex hadn’t made a conscious decision to say it, but the words landed between the two all the same. It seemed just as surprising to Morgan as it was to the villain, but the words were true.
The moment stretched out, the steady sound of the rain a pleasant backdrop to the sound of their hearts beating in rhythm with eachother. Finally, Morgan moved, releasing their captive’s wrists to slide calloused fingers over Alex’s lips and wiping away the mud there.
Alex could only stare at the other, not sure what this strange person was planning, but suddenly desperate to find out. Then, it was as if Morgan turned into the rain itself. All at once, they melted against the villain, lips meeting lips in a moment of passion that would have knocked Alex on his ass had he not already been there.
All he could do was kiss back as those strong hands ended up tangled in his wet hair, gripping firmly in a clear attempt to guide his mouth. It was a command Alex eagerly obeyed. His own arms wrapped around the smaller frame, holding them close, though it wasn’t necessary, there was nothing between the two but wet cloth.
Thunder rolled lazily out of the sky, even as the world faded away. Alex no longer cared about the rain or the mud that stuck to his skin. The only thing on his mind was how much he didn’t want this to end.
When Morgan pulled back, Alex followed for a moment before letting his head fall back to the soaked earth. The two were breathing heavily in time with eachother as the golden eyes slowly opened. Morgan was still so close; close enough for Alex to catch a moment of turmoil in their green eyes before they could hide it.
He should say something, but language escaped him as he licked his lips to taste what remained of Morgan there.
“We… we should probably get inside now…” Morgan didn’t sound like they really wanted to go, and their body didn’t move from its place plastered on top of the larger villain.
Alex managed a breathy chuckle, eyes never leaving the other. “If you want to go inside… maybe you should get off of me.” He teased, though he didn’t really want to go either.
Morgan smirked again, shifting slightly to look down at the position they were in. “I can’t get off of you when you’re holding me like this, Alex.”
Alex followed the other’s gaze and flustered as they realized their arms were still locked at the small of Morgan’s back, unyielding. “R-right… sorry.” He said as he forced himself to release the other.
The loss of Morgan’s heat was one he was sure he’d never recover from as the smaller person pushed themselves to their feet, but Alex paused when a hand was offered. The villain smiled, taking the hand to help get to his own feet. He expected Morgan to release him once he was up, but instead, the farmhand simply shifted their grip, threading their fingers through his as they guided the monster towards the guest house.
It felt so natural. The smaller hand fit so perfectly in his own, like it was meant to be.
“Where’s my dinner?”
Alex blinked as he was pulled out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Morgan smirking up at him. There was a moment of hesitation, before the villain relaxed and smiled back. “Let’s dry off, and I’ll get you whatever you want.” He promised, laughing as he was tugged into the guest house.
Into Morgan’s house.
As he watched the smaller person dig through the clutter to find some towels, Alex merely stood, his smile never wavering as he just stared at the beautiful mess. ‘I’ll make sure you get whatever you want forever…’ The promise was silent, but just as binding as if he’d yelled it.
* * * * *
Beams of sun streamed in through the window, and onto Morgan’s bed, making the beast that slumbered there stir. Gold eyes slowly opened, and Alex was greeted with the sight of tangled curls spread out on the pillow before him. One hand reached up, toying with one curl idly as a warm smile crossed his face. Even asleep, this person could still take his breath away.
It took no small amount of effort to convince himself to get up, but he wanted to have breakfast ready when Morgan woke. He had barely begun to sit up when the sound of a tired groan stopped him. The smaller frame beside him stretched out under the blankets, the muscles in those strong arms flexing in a tempting showcase before Morgan rolled, all but flopping across the villain’s abdomen. Alex was frozen as those arms wrapped around him and the sleeping Morgan snuggled into his side. Was he imagining the small smile on the other’s face?
The silent order was clear, and Alex relaxed back into the mattress, letting an arm rest across Morgan’s back.
Breakfast could wait a few more minutes.