Work Text:
It didn’t storm in the canvas.
Or at least, before the Fracture it never had. It snowed in the mountains. Rained softly in the forests. It didn’t storm.
Well, there was a first time for everything.
Gustave ducked out of reflex with a curse at the flash of lightning and the immediate recoil of thunder that followed, the echo rumbling through the entire town. Everyone had taken shelter from the storm, and the streets were evidence of it, clearly emptied in a rush, and he was going to join them in the very near future.
Gustave turned the corner, wincing at another crack of lighting, and on reflex, glanced out at the docks to make sure there weren't any boats trying to make their way in during the storm and blinked in confusion at a figure sitting at the end of it. He ducked under an awning that hadn't been carried away on the wind and squinted at them. Whoever they were, they were going to catch their damn death in the cold and rain.
Gustave debated for several long seconds before he watched another lightning bolt split the skies and cursed, hurrying out toward the dock where he was sitting. Once he'd hit the dock himself, Gustave realized he recognized the streak of white hair that briefly caught a gust of wind.
Verso.
It was Verso, sitting on the dock, his head tilted up and into the rain, watching the storm. For some fucking reason that he could not fathom. Gustave hurried toward him and stopped beside him, the sound of the rain clearly enough to cover his footsteps, because Verso hadn't even looked at him.
"Verso!" Gustave called, half-shout over the pounding rain that was now coming down in sheets. "Come inside!"
Verso blinked his eyes open and stared at Gustave for a long moment, frowning, before he shook his head. He tilted his head back up toward the sky and watched the lightning streak across it again before closing his eyes with a happy sigh.
Gustave debated leaving Verso to whatever the hell he was doing out here in the rain, letting him freeze, but he also knew that it was entirely possible that Verso didn't have a place to go back to that would give him shelter from the storm. With a curse (and an apology to his future self, who was most certainly going to catch a cold), he settled down next to Verso and ignored the confused look from the man.
The storm seemed to be getting worse, the sky going black as lightning continued to split the sky.
Gustave spared a thought for the electrical grid that was almost certainly going to need repairs over the next several days, after dealing with this, but that was a problem for future versions of him, not where he was right now. Right now he was soaked through, wet and sopping, his curls matted to his forehead, sitting next to a man who he was reasonably sure didn't give a shit whether he was there or not.
"You don't have to stay."
Verso's voice came during a softer moment between the sheets of rain and the cackle of thunder and lightning, and Gustave turned to look at him incredulously. "Of course I have to stay!" He protested, annoyed. "I'm not going to leave you on your own!"
Verso blinked and shrugged. "I'm always on my own."
Gustave's annoyance flared with another flash of lightning. "First off," he waited out the boom of thunder. "That isn't true. You're on your own because you act like you are a ghost in town! I understand why but-" another pause, and this time he didn't try to talk over nature's fury around them. "-but you don't have to be!"
Verso turned a suspicious eye to him and Gustave sighed. "Stop looking at me like that!" He growled over the next clap of thunder. "Come back to mine and get out of the rain!"
Verso turned to look at the rain and sighed, tossing his hair a little. "All right."
Gustave blinked, and ducked under another clap of thunder, staring at Verso in shock, but Verso was standing up and water was sluicing off of him as though he'd been sitting in a river and not in the rain. He stood up as well, and debated attempting to wring out his clothes, but perhaps it was better if he just stripped when he got home and didn't try to dry off in a rainstorm.
He turned and found Verso staring at him, and held out his hand. Verso's fingers were cold, and there was a dull look to his eyes that Gustave didn't like as he turned and tugged him down the docks and back toward the city.
The streets were fully deserted now, as Gustave tugged Verso toward his apartment that was tucked back and away out of the main thoroughfare. Maelle had offered to paint him something grander, larger, but he'd lived here for so long, coming home to it had been one of the few pieces of normalcy he'd embraced. And the rooftop gardens were beautiful, along with the view of the ocean. He needed the reminder of the world beyond Lumière more often than he was willing to admit to anyone.
Gustave pulled Verso into the vestibule, and then to his apartment door, unlocking it and opening it for him. "We're both soaked, I'm going to get us towels and warm clothes. Strip, or you're going to freeze." He said it over his shoulder, and waited only a few seconds before he watched Verso start to undo the buttons on his jacket. A quick stop by the heater to turn the temperature up, and the bathroom to turn on a scalding hot shower, he grabbed towels and his robe, stripping off his own clothes as quickly as he could before heading back out to where Verso was in the process of taking off his shirt. His skin was pale and he was starting to shiver, and Gustave knew he had to get them both warm.
"Come on," Gustave said, helping Verso out of his shirt, and undoing his belt, shoving his pants and underwear down, wrapping towels around him quickly. "I have a warm shower running. Come on."
"You don't-"
"I'm not going to leave you to freeze in my doorway," Gustave grumbled, half tugging, half dragging Verso to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him to lock in the steam. He tugged the towels away from Verso and tossed his robe toward the sink, giving him a pointed shove into the scalding hot water. "We need to get warm." If he focused on getting Verso warm, and his steadily chattering teeth, he wouldn't think about how they were both naked and pressed into a shower decidedly not meant for two people.
Gustave positioned Verso under the water and started to rub warmth into his arms, stepping as close as he could, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. "Why didn't you come inside?"
Verso grunted. "I've never seen a real storm before." His voice felt far away, like it wasn't attached to him any longer. "I, she painted memories into me of storms. But I've never seen one. Not like this."
"None of us have seen a storm like this," Gustave grumbled, tipping Verso's head back under the warm water, combing it through his hair, wrapping an arm around his waist to keep him balanced. "We get storms out here, but nothing like this. Maybe a little lightning and thunder."
"The Continent doesn't get these," Verso said, swaying a little in the warmth of the water. He shuddered. "Rain, and snow, and there is sometimes the snap of power in the air. But not this. It's beautiful."
The wistfulness in Verso's voice made Gustave pause as he reached for the soap, scrubbing Verso down, working warmth into his limbs, focusing on him and making sure that he stayed upright. "If you want to watch it, there are better places to do it from. Like my living room couch. We can watch it over the sea out there." The suggestion didn't get a response, so Gustave focused on getting both of them clean and then rinsed off before he began to wrangle Verso out of the shower. At least now, Verso was responding and moving to where he was nudged.
Gustave got him pushed into the bedroom and Verso into a pair of sweatpants and a towel over his head for his hair before he did the same for himself and turned with his hands on his hips. At least Verso wasn't visibly shivering any longer, which was a definite improvement, all things considered. Another boom of thunder and a flicker of the lights had them both looking to the window and Gustave sighed, reaching out to take Verso's hand, bringing him to his living room, next to the floor to ceiling windows. Two pointed tugs of his couch put it directly in front of the window and another shove to Verso's shoulder got him sitting on it.
Gustave went to the kitchen, got them a handful of snacks in a bowl, and lit a few of the candles on his mantle before he returned to the couch with several blankets. Verso had move to one side of it and was leaning against it, watching the storm. Gustave tossed a blanket on the man before he turned to look out at the storm himself, climbing onto the other half of the couch. They were both tall enough that their feet brushed, but Gustave threw a blanket over them and then settled in to watch the storm.
Silence stretched, and Gustave had to bite down a smile when Verso reached for the crackers and chocolate that he had put out on the table in front of them, still staying huddled under the blanket. The lightning was almost constant now, and the rumbles of thunder were getting louder and louder. It was beautiful, and violent, and he could see why Verso was watching it.
"Do you have somewhere to stay in Lumière?" Gustave asked, and felt Verso jolt a little. Whether the man had fallen asleep, or gotten distracted watching the storm rage outside, he didn't know. Their feet were still pressed together and they were both huddled under blankets and the gentle light of the nearby candles.
Verso hummed. "The opera house, if I have to."
Gustave bit down the urge to sigh. "You mean the opera house that is completely abandoned, doesn't have power, water, or heating?"
"Which was why I chose to watch the storms. It's not as though they can kill me," Verso shrugged. "It doesn't matter."
Gustave turned to look at Verso, who was still staring out his window, watching the storms, watching the lightning streak across the sky, like he was making a statement of fact and not saying something heartbreaking. He shifted and pressed his foot tighter against Verso's. "Well, that changes right now."
Verso lifted his head and looked at Gustave. "What do you mean?"
"The spare room I have is yours, now," Gustave stated, gesturing to the room next to his bedroom. "I've been using it as an at-home workshop for years. I don't need it, and you need a place with heat, running water, and electricity."
Verso scoffed. "I lived on the Continent for decades."
Gustave gave him a look. "And?"
"I don't need that," Verso pointed out. "Don't waste it on me."
Gustave gave Verso's thigh a pointed prod with his foot. "It's not a waste to make sure you're safe. That you aren't freezing cold in a storm."
Verso settled a little deeper into the blankets and turned his attention back to the storm again. "You don't need to worry about me."
"Too late," Gustave said, doing the same, adjusting the blankets over them before turning himself toward the storm. "Now get some rest, and if you're nice, I'll refill the snacks when we've eaten our way through those."
Verso grunted at him.
Gustave decided not to push it further, at least not right now, and turned his attention back to the storm in front of them. It was more soothing than he expected to watch and listen to it, even when the power flickered and at last gave up the ghost. But they were safe, and warm, and he could relax with Verso's legs pressed up against his, because he wasn't alone. He yawned and relaxed back into the comfort of his couch.
--
Gustave woke up with a weight on his chest, and a body wrapped around him.
His shoulder ached from wearing his arm all night, but since he'd apparently fallen asleep with his fingers tangled in Verso's hair whenever he'd moved, he wasn't going to worry too much about it. Instead, he let himself relax and savor the weight of Verso and decided not to think too much about how they'd ended up here in the first place.
The air outside was clear, but the sky was still filled with dark gray clouds that reminded him of Verso's eyes. Gustave smiled and went back to work combing his fingers gently and carefully through Verso's hair. He refused to let himself be aware of how neither of them were wearing anything more than sweatpants, or that this was far more comfortable than he ever would have expected.
In the soft liminal space of Verso sleeping soundly against him, it was a matter of time before Verso woke up and realized where he'd ended up, and Gustave kept his entire body lax when he felt Verso tense and snap awake in an instant. He carefully untangled his fingers from Verso's hair and kept breathing steadily as he felt the panic leave Verso, bit by bit. When Verso didn't try to get up, or didn't show any inclination to move, Gustave reached up and began to comb through his hair again. It ripped a small noise from the back of Verso's throat before it was abruptly silenced.
"You're welcome to stay," Gustave said, when the silence had stretched between them and Verso had relaxed once more. "I would like you to stay. I'd feel safer if I knew you were here, helping to protect my back. Sciel and Lune say I'm paranoid." Another slow stroke of Verso's hair. "We can watch all the storms you want, without freezing. And I have a rooftop garden."
Verso grunted and closed his eyes, even though the hand petting through his hair didn't stop, didn't urge him to move or tell him he was making things uncomfortable. It would be easier to say no, so when he had to leave, it didn't hurt as much as it could, if he allowed himself to get close.
"I'm not going to make you stay," Gustave said, keeping up the gentle massage that he added to each stroke of Verso's hair. "Just know that you are welcome, that you are going to always be welcome where I am. You always have a place to shelter from a storm."
"I'm not a stray," Verso grumbled, even though he allowed himself to relax against Gustave's chest, the scratch of his chest hair making him smile faintly.
Gustave chuckled. "Aren't you?" he teased, giving Verso's hair a small tug. "Aren't we both, in our own ways?"
Verso tipped his head back and stared at Gustave, huffing, even as his hair was tugged in a way that sent zings of pleasure sliding down his spine, making his mouth fall open as he exhaled roughly. He shivered and dropped his head back down to Gustave's chest, nuzzling into his chest hair as Gustave did it again. "I suppose so," he grumbled, shifting to wrap both of his arms around Gustave's waist, huffing. There was a part of him that wanted to demand to know what would happen when Gustave got tired of him, when he moved on to other things, or other people.
"Stay," Gustave said, his eyes fluttering shut as Verso seemed to get comfortable against him again. He yawned and muffled the sound, keeping his arm around the man. "Stay, please, Verso." A considering hum was the only answer he received, but that was enough for him to smile and drift off to sleep again.
~!~
In the morning, Verso was gone.
Gustave did his best to pretend that it didn't devastate him entirely, that he had scared Verso away, and scared him out of Lumière, if his disappearance was any indication.
He sighed and focused on getting the electrical grid back up and running after the storm, because that was at least a distraction, and if they had more storms like that, he wanted to be prepared. He wanted to make sure they didn't have to deal with another outage. It was enough to keep him busy, busier than he had been for a long time.
Which is why, when he walked into his apartment, and found Verso sitting on his couch, shirtless, wearing his sweatpants (again), it was a bit of a shock.
"Verso?"
Verso lowered the book that he was reading to look at Gustave with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"
Gustave's heart jumped into his throat and his eyes went to the guest room that he'd cleaned up on the hope and off chance that Verso would return and would be able to find some use of it. Inside, he could see that Verso's things were left on both the bed and the dresser. "I... you came back!"
Verso tensed, letting the book fall into his lap. "Should I not have-"
"Of course you should!" Gustave said, shedding his jacket, vest, and shoes, leaving them by the entryway and draped off a chair as he made his way over to where Verso was sitting, relaxed, stretched out on his couch. It was the work of a moment to lift Verso's legs before sitting down on the couch, and then draping Verso half across his lap, watching a blush crawl down his cheeks and neck. "I was worried I'd scared you off forever."
"I needed to go get my things," Verso explained, frowning at Gustave. "You thought I left forever?"
Gustave gestured to him. "You didn't say anything before you left!"
Verso closed the book he'd been reading and huffed, putting it on the table in front of him, lifting his legs off of Gustave, fighting down a smile when Gustave's expression fell. He stood up and instead straddled Gustave's legs, wrapping his arms around Gustave's shoulders, staring at him pointedly. "Strays always come back when they know they'll be safe."
Gustave reached out to Verso's waist, holding him carefully, staring up at him, licking his lips. "You, you know that I don't expect anything?"
"You asked me to stay," Verso pointed out softly.
Gustave swallowed and couldn't look away as Verso leaned in closer. "I did," he agreed softly.
Verso brushed their noses together. "No one has ever asked me to stay before, and meant it."
Gustave shivered. "I meant it."
Verso's lips twitched up and into a smile. "I know. That's why I'm here."
Gustave tipped his chin up and stretched that last few inches to kiss that smile off his lips, wrapping his arms around Verso as he melted closer.
Now he'd have to work on convincing Verso to move into his bedroom.