Work Text:
lumberman sits at his desk, sweat beading off his forehead as he hunches over seemingly never-ending paperwork. signatures, pay checks, supply orders, everything. he grumbles as he hastily scribbles yet another order of furniture. he loved working for lumber tycoon 2, truly. but the numbers seemingly went forever. he couldn't help but get overwhelmed. after all, he preferred the peace of the outdoors, chopping down trees and constructing buildings. a work of art. he was an artist, not an accountant.
through the flipping of papers, the ripping of envelopes, lumberman hears a knock on the door to his office. it could be only one person. and with that realization, a pit forms in his stomach. he looks up, and the window in his log cabin wall showing lumberman darkness. it is the middle of the night. tom won't be happy. the door opens.
"lumberman..." tom's soft voice echoes through the office. "i thought you'd be done by now..."
lumberman sighs, burying his face in his hands. "i thought so too, tom," he says. "but it's just so much papers to go through."
tom approaches, hovering over lumberman's shoulder. "ah, more paperwork. i know more than anyone that this stuff doesn't end," he says with a chuckle.
tom rests his hands on lumberman's tense shoulders, pressing against them. massaging them, trying to work the strain and stress out of him.
"i can't," lumberman says with a groan. "i'd promise the other lumberjacks i'd finish their orders by today."
tom's eyes scan the scattered papers on the desk. furniture orders, payments for chopped lumber, truck maintenance forms. he could get through them in no time, but, knowing lumberman, he took on more than he realized.
that's why tom loved lumberman. a humble lumberjack that wanted to help everyone he could. but sometimes, like now, those favors and promises pile up before he realized it.
"well, why didn't you ask for help?" tom asks with a smile on his face. "you know, no one is faster than getting through paperwork than me!"
lumberman finally turns around, his tired, strained eyes meeting with tom's.
"you know i don't like to burden you with my work, tommy," lumberman says.
"hey," tom shushes lumberman. "you know i don't like seeing you stressing yourself out like this."
"well, if you insist, mister mayor," lumberman says, finally cracking a smile on his face. lumberman scoots over to give tom some space as he pulls over his own chair.
with that, the two huddle together at the table, illuminated by the soft lantern above them and the moonlight creeping in through the window of their log cabin. tom takes over listing the payments and counting the numbers, passing them over to lumberman when he finishes. lumberman taps everything off with his signatures, sealing them in envelopes.
as they work, passing over papers, their hands often brush one another, lumberman's hard calloused fingers gentily brushing against tom's soft hands, stained with ink from his handling and writing out his own paperwork.
the headache of paperwork started to fade away as, with the help of tom, lumberman was able to fly through it all. the time, however, seemed to go slower and slower as lumberman found himself focusing more on the comforting warmth of tom sitting next to him, working alongside him. the sensation tells lumberman he isn't alone. he has his lover, his best friend beside him. but, lumberman couldn't help but feel guilty at seeing tom take on the load of work.
"tom..." lumberman begins, watching tom scribble away at numbers. "you really don't have to help with all this, you know."
tom blinks, stopping his writing to turn to lumberman. he chuckles, which surprises lumberman.
"i'm pretty sure i said the exact same thing to you a while back," tom says, glancing at the stray lines of ink along his fingers. "remember how overwhelmed i got with the paperwork that one time, when i was starting to remodel the town?"
lumberman doesn't like to be reminded of this. he hates to see tom upset. as he listens, he finds himself resting his arm protectively on the back of tom's chair. trying to shelter him from the world.
"you told me to step aside, and you helped organize all the construction, figuring out the floor plans," tom says.
although lumberman hated numbers, he was a master at construction. he loved working to make homes, buildings, anything. it was a no brainer to, at the very least, help out with that.
lumberman shakes his head. "i feel like it was the least i could do to help," he admits.
without a beat, tom replies. "well, and that's what i'm doing here now, lumberman. i want to help you, too." tom leans in, affectionaly squeezing lumberman's thigh.
tom shrugs and looks around as a flush forms on his face. "and consider it a payment for this lovely little cabin you built for us."
the two look around the office. nestled in the mountains between bloxburg and lumber tycoon 2, this log cabin that lumberman built with his bare hands was an escape for the two of them from the stresses of the oustide world, where their obligations waited with anticipation for them to return.
and yet, ironically lumberman found himself consumed in the stress of work in their safe place.
tom gazes into lumberman's eyes. "there's no need to be stressed here, out of all places. the world can wait for us, just for one day," he says, almost as if reading lumberman's mind.
that loving look tom gives lumberman, it sends a tingling feeling throughout his body. flushed as well, his eyes dart to the table, expecting to find more work. well, it turns out tom had just finished the last order.
"i think we're all done now," lumberman says. "thank you, tom, for helping. i appreciate it."
"you're wlcome," tom says with a smile. "i'm always here to help, you know."
as lumberman looks back at tom, he realizes tom is already decked out in flannel pajamas. and lumberman is still in his woodchip-coated charcoal jeans. tom must have already been in bed, waiting for lumberman to finish his work and join him. and now, well, lumberman feels awful.
"i'm sorry," lumberman says. "i didn't mean to work this late. the time got ahead of me."
"i'm sorry for not fetching you sooner," tom says. "i missed you."
lumberman's rubs his palm against his forehead, his other rand resting on his leg. "was i really gone that long?"
"only a few hours. but that's too far long for me, you know," tom admits, placing his hand on lumberman's resting one.
whatever lumberman was going to say was interrupted by a yawn.
"well, with that, i think it's time for you to get some rest," tom says.
"right."
their fingers wrap around each others' hands, as tom guides lumberman to their bedroom. lumberman noted his side of the bed was messy, despite leaving it neatly arranged that morning.
"i hope you don't mind, i was trying to keep your side of the bed warm," tom says. lumberman feels his own chest begin to warm.
"not at all," he says.
lumberman opens his clothes drawer, expecting to find his favorite pair of red flannel pajamas. but they're not there. he looks around the room, until he finds the culprit, tom, was wearing them himself.
tom's eyes widen and he looks away to the floor, realizing his theft.
"looks like you caused an awful lot of trouble when i was gone," lumberman teases. "you mess up my side of the bed and now you're wearing my pajamas." he was joking. these little quirks from tom are always what get him to smile throughout the day.
tom blushes. "sorry, lumby. they were just so comfortable -- i can change if you want."
lumberman shushes him. "you know there's no need to apologize. besides, you look nice in them."
lumberman's response would have been to steal a pair of pajamas from tom. with extra muscle from working with lumber and in construction, he was a size or two larger than what tom wears. so, lumberman opts for a different pair of pajamas. this pair, a deep gray color, relaxing to the eyes after a long day of strain and thought.
with that in mind, no wonder why tom would steal lumberman's clothes. the extra cloth would offer tom a reminder lumberman was right there with him. like a comforting embrace when lumberman wasn't around.
rather than just let tom find solace in just pajamas, lumberman approaches him, wrapping his arms around tom, squeezing him in a loving embrace. one hand rubbing his back, the other's fingers gently brushing through his short auburn hair.
with a soft hum, tom reciprocates, wrapping his arms around lumberman's waist and nestling his head under lumberman's chin as he plays with his hair.
"thanks for you help today," lumberman softly whispers into tom's ear. "i appreciate it more than i can say."
tom chuckles quietly. "you're welcome, lumby. and thanks for letting me borrow your pajamas."
"that's why i have extra pairs."
they settle into bed, facing each other as they snuggle under the thick covers. lumberman's arms are wrapped protectively around tom, and he pulls tom close to him, their legs also entwined.
tom was right. the next day is always a new day, and the world can wait for them -- not just for a little bit -- but for longer. it certainly felt like this moment was going to last forever, and you know what? if the world froze here at this moment, that would be okay.
tom's soft hands reach up to lumberman's head, one reaching back, its thumb caressing the nape of his neck under his chestnut brown hair. the other gently resting on his cheek. as tom lulls the tired lumberman to sleep, he lays a kiss on lumberman's lips.
the two would have to separate in the morning: tom had meetings to go to, and lumberman had to mail out the orders. but they'd always come back for each other, to help each other with work, to fall into each other's embrace, to hold each other as they slept.
they'd always be there for each other. no matter what.
the two fell asleep in each other's arms.