Archive of Our Own

Thomas woke up with a feeling that would have made him think Ghosts could have hangovers after all if it weren’t for the fact that.. No, actually. By the sheer brightness of the morning light, he was rather convinced.
With a groan, he commanded his protesting muscles to roll himself to the right – causing him to promptly fall off the piano. And onto Julian.

“He!” the other man yelped, sitting upright “What are-“ he had his hands raised as if ready to fight, bleary, startled eyes looking up at Thomas, who was removing himself from the other man with a groan, stumbling as he tried bracing himself on the piano “Do you have to make quite so much noise? My head is pounding” he exhaled, fingers raising to massage his temples
“Noisy? You’re the one jumping on sleeping people” Julian seemed to have recovered from being assassinated awake, getting up as well and stretching – Thomas quickly averted his eyes.

“Sleeping people? You, sir, are one people as far I know” he scoffed, adding “one person. I really am hungover” in a murmur

“Ghosts can’t have hangovers. They can’t drink, can they?” Julian replied with a groan, joints cracking from disuse “Whatever it is, it’s agonizing” Thomas snapped, still looking forward “You used to drink. What can one do to end this?”
“Well, drink” shrugged Julian, walking past Thomas, towards the window

“Well, I can hardly do that, can I” said Thomas, to which the politician rolled his eyes (Thomas couldn’t see it, but he could feel it). “Get into a dark room? Avoid noise? Sleep? I don’t know, never really was in a position where I couldn’t drink. Didn’t really have hangovers after the first few, so..” he trailed off
“You sure you’re not just… tired? We did stay up a looong time”

Vaguely, Thomas remembered flashes of the past night. Orange lights, hazy and dim, the steady beat of music thudding somewhere in the background, mere noise behind laughter and slurred words. Him, moving as if one with the music, like he hadn’t done since that party in ’56..

But the rest was a blur, fading in the sunlight like snowflakes melting on one’s palm. “I suppose we did” he admitted “what was it, two, three...?” he left the rest unsaid, hoping Julian would finish for him, give him some kind of estimate on the events that had transpired.
“Late.” Repeated Julian, either oblivious or ignorant “I’m, err, going to look for the others” he took a step back, eyes trailing the room as if he hadn’t even noticed where he was standing before “looks fun to clean up” he muttered, walking towards the door – where he promptly bumped into a red-clothed figure “Oi! Eyeless- “

“Ah, sorry” came the reply, at which Julian looked up
“Oh, you’ve got your head back. Good for you, mate” he patted Humpohrey’s arm as he disappeared behind a wall. Humphrey looked after him for a moment, turning his head and promptly freezing. It wasn’t very noticeable, but his eyes widened the tiniest bit and by the tensing of his shoulders he looked a bit… awkward

“Good morning” Thomas greeted, making sure to raise a hand to his sore temples – he’d just remembered he had a headache. “Err” made Humphrey “Good Morning. I... Yeah, was just on my way. See you” he spoke hastily, turning around and making a hasty retreat towards the stairs.
Thomas blinked in confusion.
Well.
That had been weird, hadn’t it?

...
“Well, nothing is damaged, so don’t you worry” sing-songed Alison from the living room. Thomas blinked up at her from where he was laying on the couch – he’d settled on it sometime in the morning and hadn’t left his spot yet. At first it was to sulk until someone found him and asked what was wrong, but he soon found it more entertaining to watch the events unfold around him – Mike trying to wake the remaining guests up and shoo them out of the house without a voice proved rather difficult. And rather amusing. Thomas would have helped, but, well, he physically couldn’t, could he?

And now, a few hours later, the conversation with Fanny. She’d walked into the mess that was their living, and her reaction was more than expected. But while Alison was busy flipping the other woman off behind her back, Thomas got up, brows furrowed, in front of Alison when she turned back around “Where’s Dante?” he asked, ignoring her gasp at his proximity
“…Dante?”

“The dog” Thomas clarified. He was met with an expression that could only be described as bewilderment, before she took in a sharp breath of air, eyes widening “Dante” she breathed out, stepping past Thomas – it would have been through if he didn’t stumble out of the way – and to the lobby

“He’s not here” he heard her say, before looking over her shoulder, seeing the empty spot where the Pomeranian usually sat. Oh no.
“Oooh, you’re in trouble now” Julian said, gleefully, to which Alison raised her brows, looking almost… helpless “But... I thought he was just an ornament” she turned to Pat, as if hoping he’d somehow fix this

“Oh, no, he did mean a lot to Lady B” he said, causing Alison’s expression to deteriorate further
“Loved it like her own child” mumbled Thomas, and even that felt like an understatement.
He was interrupted in his thoughts of Fanny and how affectionate she’d seemed when alive with her dog – almost happy, he dared say- when Micheal walked in, leading their hungover friends outside like a particularly clumsy herd of sheep, which bleated mumbled, tired comments at Alison. She just nodded, obviously still in thought.

Maybe that was why he didn’t immediately see somebody else approach from the other side of the door, until Humphrey said “What’s all this about, then? Can I help?” expectantly, he looked from one person to another – Thomas stood at an odd angle, so the other man noticed his presence yet.

“Nah, just.. looking for Dante” Alison sighed, hand drawing up to rub her eye, settling on her mouth as her eyes skimmed the room again.
“Oh” said Humphrey, eyes flicking to Pat
“Yeeeaahh.” He replied

“Well, uhm” Humphrey thought for a moment, then tilted his head (as much as one can tilt his head when said head isn’t attached to one) “Last I saw him was in the living room? Think you spilled some wine on him and were headed to- “

“The kitchen!” gasped Alison “Oh, thank you Humphrey, really” she barely had the words out as she was rushing up the stairs, past the other man, with Julian and Pat in close pursuit “No problem” he smiled, looking after her before turning around, and freezing as he made eye contact with Thomas for the second time that day.

It was strange, not because eye contact with Humphrey was strange per se, but precisely because it usually wasn’t.
Right now, he looked incredibly strange. Uneasy, insecure and... awkward, was the word (again), wasn’t it?
“Erm” made Humphrey, and for a moment, he looked like he would flee again, but then he wet his lips and said “Sorry, this is a bit weird, isn’t it?” after a moment, during which Thomas just looked at him with a puzzled expression, he added “Doesn’t have to be, you know, with what you said yesterday...”

“I” Thomas paused “What I said”
“I mean it was rather late, err, I understand...”
He was about to pry further when the memories came back hazy and disjointed, as if a curtain was being pulled back, but the window behind it was fogged up and dirty..
Thomas was hurrying into the ballroom, following Alison past the people dancing and talking, dodging Mike as he took a step backwards. “Alison?” he finally caught up to her as she was carrying a vase towards the lobby (for whatever reason). “Forgive me, I know I haven’t had a proper invitation but-“
“Ah, it’s fine, Thomas, you’re part of the family” she said absent-mindedly, struggling to not drop the porcelain. He froze where he stood, watching as she went on “Thank you, Alison” he said, then, at the distance now between them, shouted “A thousand thank yous!”
Just then, the music was turned up, and, with a new sense of being welcome, of wanting to have fun, he turned around, began moving himself to the beat. His dance moves were rusty at best, and the only thing he could properly remember was a classical waltz you’d usually do with a partner, but it matched in rhythm and it was fun to catch the lights catch the eyes of people laughing, twirl over their hair and merge with the music, the chatter. He hadn’t felt so alive since he’d been, well, alive.

His memory stuttered again, as if the record was scratched, and then, he was looking at Humphrey, placed on a table “Looks like you’re having fun” he commented, doing his best to look up from where his cheek was mushed against the mahogany.
“Hm?” made Thomas, out of breath, and the memory was still a tad blurry and orange, flickering as the other added “You waltzed”
“I.. yes I did, didn’t I?” asked Thomas “I had almost forgotten that I could – My mother insisted on years upon classical practice, amongst French, Latin, Archery…” he sighed “One must know how familiar I felt the martyrdom of Ophelia, stuck in her tower. Alas, the dance was the most freeing, like a bird soaring across the plains. Once you master it” he added the last bit with a small shrug, about to walk on, when Humphrey said

“I was a good dancer. One of the few duties I enjoyed learning, yeah.”
“Do you like to waltz, too, Humphrey?” he asked, only realizing what he’d said as it left his mouth – to his luck, the other man just chuckled, then said “No, not really my thing. No legs, or arms, or... body, at the moment” his words grew quieter with each word, as he glanced at his own neck
“Also wasn’t invented, we did, uh.. Valliard? Something like that. I did like that” Cringing at his choice of words, Thomas wet his lips “Well, I could try to find him for you, if you’d like?”

Humphrey blinked, looking up again
“Really?”
Really, Thomas did not want to do this. Because he had had a lot of fun dancing and wandering around the house alone in the dark didn’t sound too thrilling, but something about this evening and Alison’s word made him feel like blood was rushing though his veins, like his heart was pumping. Like there was life drawing his lips into a smile, giving him the energy to pick the head up with a swoop, say “You know me, chivalrous and always happy to help”

“Erm... yeah” replied Humphrey, after a suspiciously long pause
“After all, we can hardly have a proper party without the whole family present”

“Ah” made Thomas, and the present blurred back into focus, Humphrey still standing in front of him like he’d wish ghosts would pass through floors as well. That explained why he was whole.
“No need. I meant what I said” he smiled, in an expression he hoped was deemed kind. The other man blinked, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, and Thomas thought that really, they’d have to include him more often if such a simple notion made him this flustered, when Alisons distressed voice came from the kitchen “He’s not there!”

…
It was almost one when they’d finally located the damned dog to the bed - and with “they” he meant that Alison had had sporadic flashes of memories in which her eyes widened in the middle of conversations and she ran off to wherever that flash had led her, like some spiritual goose chase orchestrated by her past self, and him and the others followed behind.
When they had caught up to her back in her room, bent over the bed frame and flinging back the sheet and lifting up the poor animal, he could hardly hold back a wince. Oh no.

“I think his legs broken” said Kitty
“I think his eye broken” said Robin, pointing at Dante’s face, where one eyeball grotesquely stuck a few centimetres forward, as if halfway gouged out. Thomas couldn’t hold back a wince this time. Oh no.
“It’s nothing we can’t fix” he attempted, weakly “I would, if I could, but, well” he gestured “you could try.. pushing it back in place?”

Alison looked at him as if he’d just asked her what colour the sky was, but then, her desperation outweighed her rationality, and, bracing herself, she pressed onto the-

“Ah” the captain pulled a face as the eye popped back into place with a squelching, ugly noise.
“How does he look?” Alison asked, a hopeful expression on her face as she held the dog in front of her chest

“Well, he looks good” said Kitty “but he’s still all wet”

The captain almost jumped forward, (as he did when he had ideas) swagger stick raised to point at nothing “The fireplace!” He said “put him in front of the fire, he’ll dry and if Fanny finds it, we shall tell her it’s a new spot for him”

“He did always like to rest there” Thomas said in thought, and with a shared sense of hope - or simple curiosity for how this would play out (Robin) - or simple anticipation for the entertainment that would take place when this would play out (Julian) they made their way back downstairs

Footsteps hurried across the parquet, and Humphrey and Mary who had been sitting on the coach in conversation turned their heads as all of a sudden, all the others filled the room. “What’s you doings?” Mary asked, confused

“Drying Dante” explained Robin “he wet and Alison don’t want to Fanny to know”
“Yeah” added Julian “ten ponds say she’ll know. And she’ll kill you for it”
Robin regarded him for a moment, then said “you on”

“Guys!” Pat’s high-pitched scream ripped them out of their conversations, eight heads turning to the door where he stood guard. He only got that high when he was really stressed out “She’s coming downstairs!”

In an instant, all their attention was back on Allison, giving advice and comments and general “hurry-ups” or “good-lords” until Alison finally managed to twist the last of the damned animals Hyde back into place and they all dispersed like bugs after one lifts up a rock.

Thomas had hardly thrown himself onto the sofa when Fanny walked in - eyes wandering from one ghost to another “what are you all doing here?” She asked, and he replied, trying to not sound too out of breath “just.. enjoying the afternoon?”
“Hm” made Fanny, squinting her eyes.
She looked at Dante.
Thomas felt his breath hitch as he tried to keep the pleasant expression on his face. This wasn’t good.

“He’s in front of the fire place?”
Not good at all.

Alison sent a helpless glance to the others, and Julian tried to give her a subtle shrug back. “Erm” made Alison

After an almost unbearable second (in which Thomas was sure Alison would join them in death), Fanny simply said: “It suits him. He always liked to sit there” and with that, she walked on, as if she hadn’t just nearly caused the captains second heart attack.
“Oh god” Alison’s shoulders sagged in sheer relief, her whole posture relaxing- as did all the others. Thomas allowed himself to melt into the sofa’s back, arms loosening from their crossed positions to lay loosely at his sides

“That” said Julian “was close. Well played”
“Well played for me” said Robin “you” he poked the others arm “owe me ten pounds”
“Ah, see, if you’d actually listened to me..”
Their voices trailed off as they left the room, and as Thomas looked back, so were a few others. The captain was chatting with Pat in voices of clear relief, their little dispute obviously solved by now, and Mary was wandering off towards the wall for whatever reason.

Alison still stood crouched by the dog, head tilted down as she took a breath of what he imagined was pure relief. “Thanks again, Humphrey” She said, giving the man a smile before she standing back up to her full height, glancing at her clock “Fifteen more minutes, might just make this after all..” she muttered as she left the room, towards where he knew still stood three full bin bags. At her words Thomas’s had gaze drifted to the right, realizing the other man was still sitting there, beside him. Looking onto his knees. It got stranger still.

“You really were a great help. Don’t know how Fanny would have reacted if she’d found out” he said with a breath awfully close to a scoff, and Humphrey let out a faint chuckle, then swallowed, shifting.
“Err” he said, after a while “sorry, I’m being awkward again”

Thomas was about to dissuade him, or, on second thought, try to kindly agree, when the other man went on

“It’s just.. it’s not like I‘m not happy, I am, I.. just... I know that nothing has changed but really, everything’s changed, hasn’t it?” He finally looked up, confusion and shyness and.. giddiness in his eyes?

“I..” Thomas furrowed his brows
“Come on. What you said” Humphrey’s voice was awfully quiet all of a sudden, and his lips quirked into a smile as he added “it was very nice”
“What I..?” Thomas trailed of as the window appeared again, in its orange, dusty colour, and he felt himself look through the foggy glass, at himself, a few hours before..

“Thank you” said Humphrey, smiling up at him. His hands were no longer on the other man’s cheeks, and he was whole, hands dusting over his coat (as if he could wipe any of it off if there had been some)
“Ah, really no problem” smiled Thomas, as the two of them walked back into the ballroom - and strangely, it was true. He’d thought himself incredibly kind, noble, for doing such a tedious task, but it had been… fun.

Humphrey had been funny, even when he was chasing a headless body around the mansion. He really had spent less and less time with him in recent years, hadn’t he? Some 400 years back, maybe more, but…

“Well, uhm, you better join in before this song’s over” Humphrey nudged his head in the direction of the speaker (which was a rather brave thing to do in his state), and Thomas was about to agree when he hesitated. It was something about the past hour, the banter, the laughing. Something about the music vibrating through his very bones. Something in the way the light caught on Humphrey’s chestnut hair.

“I was promised a dance as a reward” he said, and, before he could think about it, extended a hand to a Humphrey. The other blinked, slowly taking the offer “I should warn you, I have two left feet” he said, but Thomas was far too distracted by the feeling of the softness of his skin against his own “I thought you’d enjoyed the.. Vallard?”

“Galliard. Doesn’t mean I was any good at it, I never really, uh, with Sophie” replied Humphrey, eyes following Thomas’s hand as it settled on his waist “I’ll lead, then” Thomas decided - not that he had ever learned to follow, his education hadn’t foreseen him dancing with another man 300 years after his death.
“Okay, I suppose” Humphrey said, and as the notes of the next song began to play, Thomas moved his right foot forward.

It was awkward at first, a lot of missed steps and muttered chuckles, apologies. But it got easier, and soon, they were leading a proper waltz - the fact they could pass through walls and furniture made the whole Endeavour a lot easier, although Humphrey still stumbled when they ended up in the table after one too many steps.

…
For a moment, Thomas didn’t know what to say. He could deny it, make a reference to the joke they’d shared, but something about Humphrey’s smile had burned itself into his retinas, clung itself to his mind. Like chocolate, molten, dark chocolate, the way his eyes grew smaller when he smiled, pushing his cheeks up.

He opened his mouth, about to say something he wasn’t quite sure of himself, when a loud clang from the lobby interrupted them, and two heads turned to right at the same time.

Just as Humphrey was about to stand up, the dog caught on fire, and his confused expression turned to shock. And then sheer dumbfounded-ness as a second crash followed the first and someone landed on the floor with a thump.
“What on earth-“ The captain had entered the room from the north, looking utterly horrified as Alison began to wretch.

…
After the hotel-lady had left and Alison had cleaned herself up and the ghosts had calmed themselves down, it was well past five.

“Humphrey?” Thomas hadn’t seen him since the whole fiasco, it had gotten pretty chaotic between Mike’s insistence he didn’t need to go to the hospital and their desperate attempts to fix the rain pipe before it flooded their entire lawn with pigeon’s excrement.

“I say, Humphrey?” it wasn’t that he was worried he’d changed his mind, avoided him. He’d seemed more flustered than appalled during their last conversation, hadn’t he? His nervousness stemmed from nerves, not the regrets of the light of day, he told himself. Then again, he had avoided him all day, maybe..
“There you are” he stepped into the room behind the lobby, where a head laid on the floor, facing the wall “Oh, uh, hi” came the reply
“I knocked myself off when we were walking up the stairs, I-“

“I was looking for you” said Thomas, fingers scooping him off the floor with a newfound care, shifting him in his hands as he tried to find a comfortable position

“You were?” Humphrey blinked, and really, those eyes.

“We were left interrupted, weren’t we?” he smiled with confidence he didn’t feel, and then Thomas’s eyes drifted to Humpherys again, and the world wasn’t orange anymore, but bright, and golden, and clear. And it really wasn’t a question anymore, was it?
“You’re gorgeous, still. More.” He said

Humphrey was silent for a moment, his cheeks reddening “I-“ his eyes flickered away from Thomas’s face “I think that, too. Uhm, about you”

“Thank you” Thomas said, not very eloquently, and he hadn’t realized the speed of his heart until this very moment

“Does that..” Humphrey wet his lips “what happens now?”

“Well” for a moment, Thomas wasn’t exactly sure what to say. But then, he lifted his (boyfriend? Partner?) Humphrey higher, pressed a cheek to his brow “We find you your body, my bunnykins”