Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Yes, of course, just don’t come home too late. Do you have enough money? … And I might go to the shop to get a few things while Kitty’s at her ballet lesson, do you want me to grab you anything? … Well if you think of anything, text me. Have fun!”
“Sorry, that was my oldest on the phone.”

The man said, turning to his colleague. He was taller than the other man by a few centimetres. His salt and pepper hair was messily styled, leaving a few loose curls falling on his forehead, just above his grey eyes.

“No worries. Are you sure it’s not a problem to drop me off? I could take the bus.”
Replied the shorter man.

His face did not look much younger than the other man’s, but his chestnut hair, lacking any trace of grey, hinted to the few years they had between them.

“Don’t worry, your house is on the way to the supermarket. Is it alright if I just pick up my youngest from school and drop her off at her ballet lesson on the way?”

“Of course not, I told my girlfriend I was taking the bus, she won’t be expecting me for at least another hour.”

“If you don’t mind me asking sir?”
The passenger princess tried quietly.

“Please, call me James, there is no need for formalities, we’re colleagues, and yes, go on.”

“Thank you, James. Feel free not to answer, if you are uncomfortable, but do you have a partner?”

“I do not, I have not for a little over a year.”

“Really? I find it hard to believe that such a handsome man cannot find someone. I bet many would dream to call you theirs.”
At that, James turned his head slightly to hide the blush that was blooming on his cheeks, keeping his eyes on the road.

“You flatter me. It is quite difficult to find someone willing to accept me into their life, as I come with daughters. They must understand and accept that my daughters will always come first, no matter what, and that there are many things that are more complicated to do. Spontaneity is not a privilege we would have, and most things would be done as a family, and not a couple. My daughters also have to like them, and feel comfortable around them, which might also be a challenge.”

There was a moment of silence.

“You are truly remarkable, being able to take care of.. two..?”
James nodded, smiling.

“Two children on your own, while managing a full time job. I cannot help but feel a bit of admiration.”

The older man chuckled and shaked his head.
“They are angels, and I love them so much, seeing their smiles makes all of my struggles worth it. But enough about me, if you don’t mind me asking, do you have a partner, you mentioned a girlfriend right…?”

“Anthony, but I prefer my middle name,William. And yes, I do. My girlfriend and I have been together for three years now, and we are thinking of getting married and starting a family, but I would need to earn a bit more first.”

“That’s lovely! And I am sure that the company will soon learn to trust you. In the beginning being an event organiser can be a bit of an unstable and unreliable job, but with time, you will make a name for yourself within the company, and earn a steady income, and I am certain that that will come soon, as you are hardworking and loyal.”
He said, turning to look at William, who smiled at him, feeling the heat rise to his face at the compliment.

“Thank you.”

As soon as they arrived in front of the school, a young girl with dark hair, attached at the front in little braids decorated with multicoloured pearls, and the back loose, came running toward the car. she opened the door and immediately jumped into it.

“Do you want to see what I drew today during break?”
She said excitedly, handing her father a piece of paper.

On it were drawn five people smiling and holding hands in front of a square house, with a cat at their feet. On the far left, was a dark-skinned man with shorts and a blue T-shirt. He was holding hands with a girl, slightly smaller than him, with medium length wavy brown hair, a loose band shirt and jeans. Besides her, was a man, he had curly salt and pepper hair, and was wearing an emerald jumper and beige pants. Next to him, was a little girl, the shortest of the group, with dark skin and black hair tied in buns. She had a pink dress that she was holding with both hands, as well as holding the man, and another girl’s hand. The other girl had long blond hair, pale skin, and a pale blue dress. 

“Where’s Ali, and who is this?”
The girl asked.

“Katherine, be polite. This is William, one of my colleagues. He’s with us today, and will probably be for the next few days, because his car broke down, and he needed a ride home. And Alison went to watch a film with Michael.”

“Sorry, sorry. It is lovely to meet you, mister!”

“The pleasure is all mine.”
William smiled.
“Do you want to see my drawing?”
She asked, leaning as far as her belt would allow it towards the front, sticking her head out from between the two front seats.

“I would love to!”
“Okay so this is Sparkles" she said, pointing to the tuxedo cat, "And this Mike,” she said, pointing to the man on the far left, “Alison’s boyfriend. This is Alison, my sister, and this dad, did you recognise him?”

“I did, although I’ve never seen him in such casual clothes, the hair gave it away.”
Kitty giggled and pointed to the girl next to him.

“Can you guess who this is?”
She asked, grinning widely.

“Hum.. Let me think.. You, maybe?

“Yes you’re right! And this is Agata, my best friend. When we’re older, we’re going to get married, we promised. And we’ll have a big house with three swimming pools and slides everywhere, and we’re going to party everyday, and have sleepovers every night! You can come sometimes if you want.”

“I would love to.”

“And you too dad, but only if you bring brownies.”

“Wow, okay, I have to bring brownies, and he doesn’t have to bring anything?”

“It’s because your brownies are the best, and I don’t know what William can make”

“Thank you again for the ride, I owe you one.”
William said, getting out of the car, accidentally grazing his colleague’s hand in the process. He stumbled awkwardly, mumbling an excuse, but James only chuckled and shook his head to let him know that it was alright.

“No worries, do you also want me to pick you up tomorrow morning before work?”

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

“Don’t worry about it, you live close to my house.”

“Are you certain it is alright with you? I could always ask Jane for a ride.”

“There is no need to trouble your girlfriend when I can drive you there, you live close, and we have the same destination. I will just have to drop Kitty and Ali to school on the way.”

“Thank you so much! Could I get your number, to contact you in case of a problem?”

“Of course, it’s +44…”

William felt the cold bite his cheeks, as he jumbled in his pocket, looking for his keys. The wind had risen, and the first few snowflakes had begun to fall, a few settling on top of the man’s soft hair. Soon enough, he found what he was looking for, and unlocked the tall wooden door. Its creaking echoed in the tall entryway, breaking the silence.

He quickly made his way up the three flights of stairs it took to get to his apartment, wanting to get to warmth as soon as possible. Soon enough, he found himself in front of a white wooden door that he unlocked, not without struggle.

Upon entering, he noticed a pair of men’s shoes that did not belong to him, and, after a few seconds of careful listening, odd noises coming from the bedroom.

Chapter Text

Anthony watched as the car pulled up in front of him. It was the first time since last night that he felt anything, endearment as Kitty frantically waved at him.

After having caught his long term girlfriend with another, his mind had shut down. He felt numb. He did not cry, or get angry, he simply discreetly left, and waited at the nearest coffee shop for a little while. William did not want to make it known to Aurélie that he knew of her affair. Keeping her in the dark about his knowledge left him time to think, which he desperately needed, and proceed more carefully.

Once he had arrived home, he pretended having a headache to avoid sleeping next to his soon to be ex, « I might have caught something and I don’t want to give it to you, » William had said, which Aurélie had accepted.

He had slept in the living room, or at least had tried to, sleep seemed to evade him.

“We are ahead of schedule, do you wish to go somewhere and talk for a little while?” James asked.

“Sorry?”

“I have noticed that you seem troubled this morning. I of course understand if you do not wish to confide in me, we could just sit in a cafe or take a walk in the park.” The older man waited for the other’s response. When it did not come, he added, “We could grab some pains au chocolat at the bakery and eat them on a bench in Regent’s Park, or go to the new cat cafe that just opened next to Waitrose.”

“The park would be lovely,” William said quietly, after a few moments of silence.

The gentle waves caught the rising sun, making the lake’s surface glimmer. The wind caressed the leaves, causing quiet murmur which accompanied the bird’s songs. A breeze lifted nearby roses’ sent up to passers’ noses, causing an involuntary smile on most faces, and a few sneezes from others.

The two men sat in a comfortable silence on an old wooden bench, facing the water, and eating their pain au chocolat.

William glanced up at his coworker’s face and stared for a few seconds, lost in thoughts. The wind caressed his salt and pepper hair, carefully styling them messily, a few strands falling on his forehead, just above his diamond eyes, illuminated by the sunrise. His face basked in the sun’s rays, giving his skin a soft glow and revealing a few freckles scattered on his nose. The brunette's eyes ventured lower, to the other’s lips. A few crumbs deposited on them, which James stole with his tongue, leaving them wet. They were rosy, and seemed soft. Their edges were round, except for the man’s Cupid’s bow, and William had to resist the urge to touch them.

“She cheated on me,” Anthony finally said, to wish James looked up. His eyes did not hide his surprise, but were also filled with compassion, understanding and attentiveness. He continued, “I left straight after having found her, she does not know I know.”

The older man stayed quiet for a few moments, thinking, before finally speaking. “Do you have somewhere to stay?”

“Yes, I messaged some friends yesterday and Mary and Annie accepted to let me stay with them until I found myself in a better situation.”

“They are lovely ladies, I had the fortune of conversing with them a few times. When will you be moving? Would you need help with it?” James asked.

“As soon as possible, maybe even during lunch break, as I have two hours and not a lot of things to take with me. And your help would be greatly appreciated, but do not feel obligated to do so, I do not wish to burden you even further.”

There wasn’t much to pack, or at least that William wanted to pack. Many things were filled with memories that he wished to forget, and so left behind. Even some clothes were stained with moments, at the time pleasant, now too hurtful to remember. 

“That is all,” he said, looking down to three small cardboard boxes. 

James did not comment on the amount of boxes, bent over to pick one up, his knees cracking in protest.

They got out of James’ car in front of a little cottage, surrounded by a blooming garden. They passed the white decorated fence and followed the stone path to a small wooden door, ornâtes with a glass tinted window. William grabbed the metal hoop in the silver lion’s mouth and let it go. 

Movement could be seen from a small round window covered from the inside by beads curtains, which gave into the kitchen.

Soon after the front door opened, and the smell of freshly baked bread hugged the two men. A woman in an apron stepped out. Her wavy brown hair was tied in a messy bun, a few loose strands from a failed attempt at cutting bangs framing her round face. Under her stained apron, she was wearing a loose, cream coloured chemise tucked into a long skirt.

“William, hello, how have you been, apart from the little incident that is? And James right? It’s lovely to meet you.” She asked, her warm brown eyes looking at the brunette before turning to the other man welcomingly.

“The pleasure is mine,” James smiled.

“What a handsome man…” Mary whispered to Anthony, causing his cheeks to turn a deep shade of red.

“I apologise, the house is a mess, and we will have to refrain from making too much noise, Annie is working in the office.” The woman said, walking though the corridor to the living room, trusting the others were following. 

They passed though a wooden decorated arch and entered the small living room. Antony sat down on the couch, careful not to walk on the carpet, as he had forgotten to remove his shoes. James followed.

“Would you like some tea? Or should we first bring the boxes inside?” Mary asked.

“We don’t have much time before we have to get back to work unfortunately, let’s bring in the boxes.” William replied, and so they did.

“How could I? How could you!? You are the one to have ruined everything by sleeping with someone else! You are the one who destroyed three years of relationship! Don’t you dare blame me for something you caused!” He wasn’t screaming, but his tone was harsh and unforgiving.

“Ant, please.. it was a mistake, please forgive me. We could put it all behind us and be happy again.” Aurélie begged.

“A mistake? Did you slip and fall, and land on him?” 

“I never meant to hurt you, I was just lonely. With all those extra hours you put in your work, you were almost never home, even when I needed you the most.” 

“I am sorry I couldn’t be here for you, but I did it for us, for our future. I put in all of those extra hours to save up to get married and start a family. I was looking at engagement rings I could buy with the money I got from my promotion. I should have told you why I was home less often, but you should have told me you needed me.” He replied, a bit calmer than before, but still as unwilling to forgive.

The conversation had been far from calm, and soon Antony, accompanied by James and Patrick, a friend from childhood, with whom he had been a scout, left.

They were sitting in the kitchen, the last few golden rays of sunlight descending upon the wooden table. 

Mary was quietly sipping her herbal tea, looking through the window, into the distance. Her hair was detached, cascading on her slim shoulders, darkened by the earlier shower, and cheeks rosed by the warmth of her drink enveloping her face.

“I cannot help but feel as if it was my fault. I know I made the right decision by ending things with her, I could have lied to myself, pretend that I forgave her, but could have never truly trusted her again..”

“All relationships are built on trust, one cannot thrive without it.” Mary said, hearing the uncertainty hidden in his voice. He could convince himself that he was sure of his decision, but never trick her.

“But if I hadn’t been so absent…”

“Believe in what you wish, I believe in faith. If you are destined for one another, you will find each other at a later, better, stage in life. You mustn’t worry about loosing the right people, only the ones not destined for you will truly leave.” She said, her tone soothing.

“Thank you,” William said, a smile on his lips.

“Plus, you also have that hot guy that drove you here, so like not a big loss, you know,” a voice said, coming from behind him.

Annie was leaning on the arch, a cooled cup of tea in her slim tattoo-covered hands.

“Darling, hello! I did not see you come in, how was work?” Mary asked, rising from her seat. 
She took her wife’s face into her hands and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Chapter Text

The sun’s first rays filtered through the beaded curtains, casting a multicoloured map on the ceiling. The former office, now bedroom, bathed in the orange glow of the first morning’s light.

Anthony awoke, heart still pounding and cheeks still flushed, from his dream. It had been a week since his colleague had started to plague his mind and haunt his dreams. All that William could think about was that face, beautiful as if blessed by a painter’s touch. He had always known that his attraction laid men as well as women, but did not imagine that his heart would move on so quickly, and even less get attached to James. Although he had to admit that Aurélie’s cheating immediately killed all feelings for her, and that he had always found his co-worker handsome.. He felt the heat continue to rise to his cheeks at the thought.

This way of thinking could lead to trouble, especially since it was still James driving him to work every morning, although that problem would soon be remedied, as he was going to pick up his car from the garage today. As much as he felt relieved that he would not have to confront his feelings as often anymore, he could not help but feel a pang in his heart at the idea of missing the proximity.

It would be difficult, but distancing himself from James could help Anthony get over this silly crush. That was crutial to continue working efficiently without getting distracted, daydreaming about their approaching meeting, or looking for excuses to walk by his office. He also had to protect himself from an inevitable heartbreak. He remembered the man mentioning a previous relationship with a man, but he had also said that dating was not his priority, now that he had daughters. He had said that he would only get into a relationship if he was certain it could be long term, he did not wish to introduce too many people to his children, to then break their heart when their love ends.

Yet Anthony could not help but dream of a life with him. He had always wanted to raise children, and Kitty and Alison were lovely girls. He imagined picnics in Regent’s Park, and late night walks along the Thames. Lazy sunday mornings in bed, then brunch as a family, before driving Kitty to ballet, and drop off Alison wherever she had planned to stay the afternoon. Although he now remembered James mentioning morning runs. He could join him, taking Barry, his dog, on the weekends, before taking a cooling shower. Then looking after the garden, while his lover prepared breakfast, and the girls slowly woke up.

It had been a week since he had moved into Annie’s office. Although Mary and her assured him that he could stay as long as he could, “As long as you keep looking after the garden, it has truly never looked better”, had joked Mary, he was desperate to find a place to live. He had left their shared apartment to Aurélie, and now hoped to find a place to rent for a little bit, to continue his search for a permanent one without intruding.

“So to the garage?” asked James, “you know, I will miss these car rides together. It was truly a pleasure getting to know you.”

William could not keep the heat from rising to his cheeks, “so will I, but we could always meet up after work or on the weekend..”

“Certainly, and I have yet to invite you over to my house,” said the older man, smiling, “the girls would be thrilled, they already adore you, you know?”

“I’m flattered, they are such lovely girls. I have to admit I have also found myself quite attached to them,” replied the brunette, turning away to face to window, hoping to hide his deepening blush.

“Kitty always talks about having you over for a tea party with Sparkles and Agata.”

Anthony chuckled, “I would be honoured to attend.”

As William got into his car, his heart clenched. Remains of Aurélie scattered all around brought to the surface idealised memories of their relationship. Most were now stained with the recent events, but a few remained untouched, from the early stages, and caused a deep sadness to settle in his chest. Although he knew that he could never find it in him to forgive and love her again, he could not help but miss those happy moments