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Life had been busy and kind of stressful recently – Ed recovering from his little gardening mishap on his knee while helping Alma at her new house, Louis not only gaining a boyfriend but them jetting off around Europe after graduation, both of the shops being busy meaning they were working long hours, Izzy had been on at Ed about sponsoring something back at Queen Anne, Mary and Doug had been renovating the downstairs of their house recently which had meant they’d actually stayed with Ed and Stede for a couple of weeks, which while lovely to spend so much time with them, it had led to some interesting encounters.
Aside from the obvious (that Stede is very much gay), it unfortunately reminded Stede and Mary why they hadn’t exactly worked as a couple, not quite stepping in line in a shared space, disagreements over cooking or tidying up. But then the apologies they then offered to each other, which were much kinder than before, often turned into one or two glasses of wine more than they should probably be having on a weeknight. Stede decided he couldn’t do a mid-week hangover anymore.
So an evening of just Ed and Stede sounded absolutely lovely actually. Even Arthur the dog was out, Alma had gone away for the weekend to the Lake District with her best friend Heather and taken him with them for some good countryside walks.
Ed had cooked. A delicious dinner of seafood and garlicky potatoes, green vegetables lightly roasted and they even opened out the nice Sancerre they’d been saving for no particular reason.
Stede had stopped at Roach’s earlier and requested two of the raspberry and orange tarts he made. They were Ed’s favourite.
They’d talked, they’d laughed, they’d caught up on what was going on in their individual stores. They had maybe even played a little light game of footsie under the table with Ed curling his toes up Stede’s leg more than once.
They’d been married nearly 12 years and yet that feeling never got old. The gentle teasing and affectionate touches between them.
Stede had told Ed to go get comfy in the living room whilst he cleared up seeing as Ed had cooked. But Ed shook his head no. “I’ll stay here with you”
It was a warm June night so Stede opened the window to let a little breeze in while he finished clearing up.
He was aware there was an event going on in town tonight, he’d seen some posts on social media about it. Some kind of celebrating local artists type of event with music, comedy, theatre skits, that kind of a thing. Something ordinarily, they probably would have gone to check out but a night in took priority.
They could hear a general buzz of the crowd from their window as they weren’t far away from the park where it was being held, happy sounds of people gathered and laughing and enjoying their Friday nights.
Stede smiled, he was pretty sure Lucius and Pete had been planning to attend tonight. He was glad it sounded like they’d be having a nice evening too. Ed was sat nearby in companionable silence, sipping his wine slowly.
Some music started just as he was on one of the last few bits of tidying up before putting the dishwasher on and cleaning the worktop.
A faintly familiar sounding song started playing, Stede couldn’t quite place it but it sounded like something Alma had played a few times. Ed clearly was feeling the same, a look on his face of slight recognition, when he suddenly grinned.
“Eurovision”
“What?” Stede said, turning round to look at him.
“That’s where we’ve heard this song. It was a few years ago I think”
Ed was standing now, stepping into the middle of the kitchen, hand outstretched.
“Come on” he said smiling. “Dance with me”
Stede smiled, putting down the glass he had been cleaning, grabbing Ed’s outstretched hand as he pulled him into a little spin.
“How does it keep getting better?
Every day our love finds a new way to grow
The time we spend together, simply feels good
We got a good thing going”
Stede was pulled into Ed’s side where his husband pressed a quick kiss onto his cheek. “We do have a good thing going” he murmured before encouraging Stede back out to twirl him under his arm.
“And just when I thought that my heart was full
I found places that I never explored
You're so fascinating
And I can't remember the last time I was bored
I don't wanna know what would've happened if I never had had your love
I didn't become myself before I met you
I don't wanna know what would've happened if I never had felt your love
Everything about you I like”
They continued in this manner, dancing and spinning, badly singing the lyrics to each other holding hands and bouncing like they were at a school disco.
At the last “we got a good thing going”, Ed had spun Stede out enthusiastically, nearly sending him flying across the kitchen.
“Careful darling, we both don’t need our knees doing in” he chuckled, his thumb stroking slowly over Ed’s hand where they were still intertwined.
Another song started, one they both instantly recognised and elated grins spread over both their faces.
“We had this song at our wedding” Stede said softly.
“We did” Ed smiled back. They locked eyes as Ed pulled Stede back towards him, more slowly this time, lifting Stede’s arms to loop around his neck before wrapping his own around Stede’s waist.
“Wise men say
‘Only fools rush in’
But I can't help
Falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help
Falling in love with you?”
They smiled warmly at each other, swaying softly together, basking in the music they could hear floating in through the window.
“Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help
Falling in love with you”
Ed hummed happily to the lyrics, eventually leaning forward to wrap himself more fully around his husband, Stede did the same, his hands reaching further around to hug Ed back.
They stood, their dance becoming little more than a very tight hug where they moved slowly in time with the song ending.
“For I can't help
Falling in love with you”
They could even hear the rumble of the crowd singing along.
The last line of the song crooned out and Stede untangled himself from the embrace just slightly in order to kiss his husband. Couldn’t go a minute longer without doing that he thought to himself.
Stede slid an arm from around Ed’s back, keeping hold of him the whole time until eventually he was holding Ed’s face in his hands, kissing him carefully and slowly, holding Ed like the precious being he was. Ed was smiling into this kiss, letting Stede catch his lips once more before pulling back the tiniest amount to whisper an “I love you” to him.
“I love you too” Stede replied with a smile, resting his forehead onto Ed’s affectionately.
Look, life can be hard. It can be stressful, it can be dreary, it can be infuriating. But this? Stede thought to himself. As long as life always had these moments, where he could dance round his kitchen with his gorgeous, wonderous kind soul of a husband, then he was going to be okay.