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The sunlight that streamed in through the open curtains was offensively bright, far too much for Arthur’s tastes this early in the morning. He scrunched his eyes shut against it and turned his head to bury his face deeper into the plush hotel pillow under him. Arthur’s body was pleasantly warm, the mattress under him far softer than he deserved. Though the outlaw could usually be described as an early riser, Arthur debated going back to sleep. It must have been early, really, and he was comfortable – so what was the harm? It was rare that Arthur got to sleep in a real bed, he might as well make the most of it.
It was as he made to pull the equally luxurious duvet over his bed to block out the remainder of the light that he heard a warm laugh from somewhere in front of him.
Arthur knew that laugh.
He grunted, half confused, and half disgruntled at being a subject of amusement and burrowed even further into his blanket-cocoon. Arthur sensed the other presence in the room drawing closer, footfalls quiet on the plush carpet, before a delicate kiss was pressed to the crown of his head, moustache tickling at Arthur’s temple.
“As comfortable as you look, let’s not waste the day, dear chap, hmm?” Josiah’s heavy British accent helped to bring Arthur back to the present, back to the hotel room they’d rented in San Denis and the great pains the outlaw had gone to in order to arrange a whole fortnight away from the gang without arousing suspicion. It still pained Arthur greatly that such precautions were necessary, but he was in no hurry to drag Josiah down to his standing with the law or worse – see the Brit hanged for loving him.
Painstakingly, Arthur finally peeled open his heavy eyelids.
Josiah stood before him, clad only in his usual dress slacks but lacking the shirt and waistcoat to go with it. His hair was mussed from the night they’d spent together, curling and waving at odd angles in a way that Arthur found unbearably charming. The other’s torso was bare to Arthur’s gaze, too. At another point, that alone might have been enough to get the outlaw’s cock stirring but for the time being he was comfortable and content with merely looking as Josiah readied himself for the day ahead.
When Arthur had looked his fill and allowed his gaze to slide up to Trelawny’s face, he found the Brit watching him closely with his own contented smile.
“Good morning, darling.” Though Josiah’s tone was often cheery and warm, in that hotel room with just the two of them, it lacked its usual exuberance, being impossibly gentle instead, as if Arthur were made of glass. The mere prospect of being treated like something precious had a lump forming in Arthur’s throat which he hastened to swallow down as Josiah raised a hand to card through his hair, tucking a few loose strands of it behind Arthur’s ear.
Arthur only grunted hoarsely at the Brit, blinking dumbly. “Sleep well?”
“Uh, huh…” Arthur rolled onto his back and made to sit up, only for Josiah to plant a hand firmly on the centre of his chest, prompting him to still. Arthur froze and looked to the other for direction. Josiah’s soft, sweet command swiftly followed.
“Shh, shh, shh, my darling. It’s still early, you can afford to let yourself relax for a while yet, hmm?” As much as Arthur wanted to protest, wanted to say that ‘people like him didn’t need to relax’, the words died in his throat. Trelawny always had this effect on him – made Arthur tongue-tied and selfish, allowing himself to have things he’d usually not think twice about overlooking. And as much as he knew he ought to, Arthur couldn’t bring himself to feel guilty for it, either.
Arthur allowed his shoulders to sag and his back to make contact with the mattress once more. It was difficult not to follow Josiah’s every command unthinkingly these days. “There we go, good boy.” The Brit praised easily, the words all but rolling off of his tongue. Arthur shivered and relaxed back into the bed.
The next kiss that Arthur received was less chaste yet just as soft, Josiah taking his time to press his lips against Arthur’s, sucking ever so slightly on his plush lower lip before moving away. Arthur missed the contact immediately.
“I was going to hunt us down some breakfast if you’re game, dear boy. I thought perhaps we could eat it on the balcony?”
Arthur coughed wetly, clearing his throat before bobbing his head.
“Sounds good. Want me to help?”
“Oh no my dear, you just stay where you are and look pretty. Let me do all the hard work.”
Had Arthur been drinking, he might have choked. Though Trelawny was always so liberal with compliments, to his friends and enemies alike, Arthur didn’t think he’d ever get used to being on the receiving end. Desperately, he wanted to insist that it should have been the other way around, that Josiah was looking downright glorious, and it should have been Arthur’s job to wait on him hand and foot, to bring the Brit the world if he asked for it. But still, Arthur knew when to hold his tongue. Josiah had never taken well to Arthur’s self-deprecation, even when it was to his benefit.
“Alright…” He said instead, and was sure Josiah could hear the lump in his throat. “Suit yourself, ‘m just fine where I am.” Arthur raked his eyes down Trelawny’s body pointedly and received little more than a chuckle in return.
He watched as Josiah shrugged on his impeccably pressed shirt, admiring the muscles in his back as they shifted under his skin and the nail marks that had bloomed a dark pink down by his hips.
Shit, Arthur thought he just might have been in love.
And wasn’t that a scary thought.
It filled Arthur with the sudden urge to bolt, to seer this moment in his mind forever and never move past it to the inevitable demise in their relationship – because it really would turn sour sooner or later, Arthur knew. Everything Arthur loved ended up taking a turn for the worse in the end, running might spare them both a lot of heart ache.
But even so, Arthur couldn’t bring himself to move. It might have been a little selfish, to want this for himself, to bask in the moment instead of doing all he could to protect the charismatic Brit before him. But hell, Arthur was feeling a little selfish. He’d stay, Arthur decided – right up until the point Josiah sent him away. He could allow himself a slice of happiness, just this once.