Work Text:
“Goodness, Alaric, you’re late! ”
Sebastian gasped in surprise upon opening the front door to his house, the chill of gloomy winds blowing into the foyer as he did so. Upon his doorstep did he find a man with long, red hair and a casual, almost-lazy smile, despite the fact that all of his clothes were nearly soaking wet.
“Not to mention drowning out there in the storm! Come on. Get in here. Quick, before the wind blows all the rain through and onto my wooden floors!”
Alaric, with a small and frankly not worried laugh, abided by Sebastian’s wishes and stepped through the doorway and into the house. The change in temperature was almost immediate – it was warm and cozy in this house with the thermostat turned up to combat the cold and rainy winter’s day. Alaric took a deep breath, the sweet scent of something baking catching his nose as he dutifully and politely removed his shoes by the entrance.
“Sorry ‘bout that, Seb…” he responded, the wet edges of his clothes trailing spots of water upon those precious wooden floors anyway as he placed his pair of shoes upon the shoe rack. “My sister was really insistent that I bring something as a gift first…Can’t just show up empty-handed to a dinner, as she says.”
“Oh, nonsense. ” Sebastian’s voice seemed to trail off into some other, close-by section of the house, before he promptly returned with a towel to toss onto Alaric’s shoulders and dry him off. “Gift or no gift, I’m just glad you decided to join me. What did you bring?”
Alaric reached into a small bag hanging over his shoulder and pulled out an unopened bottle of vintage wine. He presented it very proudly to Sebastian. “Just a little somethin’ for the occasion is all.”