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Iced drinks, ironically, are a hot commodity in summer months. Especially during a heatwave. As you can imagine, cafes are flooded with customers. As much as this is reasonable, the quantity of customers is only made more unbearable by how many of those customers are now easily frustrated and irritable from the heat.
Scott, an unfortunate employee, is not pleased with these conditions. It’s only 2:30 in the afternoon and he’s over it. He’d rather be doing anything else if it meant he didn't have to deal with the insufferable behavior he's presented with.
Martyn, a fortunate roommate (and now boyfriend) to a half-miserable employee, waits at home for Scott. Waits alone for Scott. This is something Scott is fully aware of, and the fact he's stuck at work going insane rather than being home is making him twice as annoyed as he already was.
It’s only 2:30 and he gets off at 4.
He’s not gonna make it.
He takes a ready cup of iced coffee and is about to bring it to the counter to announce it, before he slips on practically nothing and almost falls. He catches himself on the counter, but the drink isn’t as lucky, its lid coming off and spilling all over the floor. He curses under his breath before hurrying to get a mop.
One of his coworkers stopped him to take over the cleaning themself and told him he should go take a break, but he still went back to work. He's stubborn, sue him. It wasn’t until his boss stopped him and told him to take the rest of the day off since he’s clearly stressed (as if he didn’t know himself). Additionally, he was allowed to make himself a drink to take home.
What a convenient treat to share with Martyn!
…Maybe not share.
Martyn’s usual coffee order isn’t exactly Scott’s taste. So maybe they wouldn’t share. But it’d at least be nice to bring home a treat for him, especially in the summer heat. Something to make Martyn happy would make him just a little bit happier.
He carefully makes Martyn’s usual–an iced butterscotch-cinnamon coffee with extra whipped cream. It’s painfully sweet and Scott doesn’t understand how Martyn could ever drink this abomination, but it’s not him who has to drink it or pay for it, so it’s whatever.
Once Scott is out of the cafe and out of the nice, air conditioned building, he completely understands why everyone is crowding to get some sort of cold drink. It’s unbearable outside. And he has to walk home.
No, no, it’s fine. It’s not like he wanted his day to improve or anything.
But it’ll end up fine in the end, as long as he can get home to Martyn. It’s the one thing keeping him walking. He can feel the sun bearing down on him, practically trying to burn his skin off. But once he gets home, he can relax in a familiar air-conditioned space with his lovely blonde haired darling. That’s what he needs right now.
It’s only about a six block walk from work to home, which usually isn’t an issue–but Scott begins to walk faster when he realizes Martyn’s drink is beginning to get watered down from the ice melting. It’d be a little bit saddening to be surprised with a drink that's completely diluted.
Stepping up the porch of his home, Scott can feel the dryness of his throat and the sweat dripping down pretty much any surface he can think of. He's almost tempted to drink Martyn’s coffee. He didn't think he'd ever be this tired of summer. Turning the doorknob and opening the door, he’s met with a heartwarmingly familiar sight.
Martyn, splayed out on the couch, has a fan pointed directly at him as he watches TV. He’s clearly just as done with the heat as Scott is, a glass of water half-drinken on the coffee table in front of him. Scott sighs fondly as he walks in. Martyn notices him quickly, an expression of shock spreading across his face.
“Woah, you’re home early,” Martyn points out, “Something happen?”
“No,” Scott huffs, closing the door behind him. “Got frustrated with how many customers we had today. Got to come home early.” He sets his work bag by the door and walks to the couch, placing the iced coffee down for Martyn. “I got that for you,” He gestures to the coffee.
“Oh, man, you didn’t have to do that,” Martyn picks up the cup before taking a sip and grinning. “I don’t mind though.”
“How are you even alive in here? It’s stuffy and awful,” Scott comments, opening a window behind the couch. “There’s literally no fresh air.” He sits down on the other side of the couch, trying to give Martyn space while still having enough air from the fan hitting his skin.
“It’s not that bad, it just kind of sucks.”
“That’s not bad, that's miserable, actually.”
Martyn ceases arguing, taking another sip of his coffee. “I mean, we could go to the pool or something? We have one for a reason, just gotta fill it up.”
“I don’t want to go through all that effort right now. I just want to rest,” Scott protests, turning up the settings on the fan and sighing as the cool air serves to relieve him as best as possible.
“Well then I’ll do it,” Martyn declares, getting up and walking off to the sliding door to the backyard. “And if you’re not gonna use the big floatie, I will.”
“No, I’m definitely going to use the big floatie.”
“Then get out here!”
Scott huffs, following Martyn outside and watching as he’s already uncovered the top of the pool. It’s not a large pool, it’s above-ground and only a few feet deep, but it fits the two of them and the occasional visiting Jimmy with plenty of room to roam.
Martyn starts tinkering around with the hose, bringing it closer to the pool and making sure it still works. Scott sits down on the grass, leaning on his elbows. He watches Martyn set up to fill up the pool, and smiles when Martyn takes a break to sip at his coffee. It really was a good idea to get him a treat. Just watching Martyn brings Scott a sense of relief from today's horrors.
Martyn drags over Scott’s big unicorn floatie to rest beside the pool, also dragging over his own smaller floatie. He’s seemingly proud of his simple work.
“And now,” Martyn calls to Scott, “We wait. For a while.” He walks towards Scott’s part of the grass, seeing how he’s since laid down fully, face to the sky and head under his arms. He kneels down, pressing a kiss to Scott’s forehead and then laying down next to him. Scott sighs fondly, smiling. Some of his misery slips away.
The two lay there for quite a while, silent but united, simply listening to the sound of rushing water filling the pool paired with the chirps of summer birds. Some leaves rustle in the gentle breeze, something that brings a pleasant relief against the heat of the season.
It maybe takes forty minutes or so before Martyn stands once more, drinking more of his coffee before going to check on the water level of the pool.
“It looks good enough,” Martyn calls. Scott perks up to see him tossing both floaties into the pool, and takes this as his sign to get up and look for himself.
The pool is about halfway full, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be completely full. “I’d still leave the hose in, though, for a little bit.”
“Well yeah, I was planning on it,” Martyn comments. “I’m gonna go get changed!” He quickly drinks the rest of his coffee before heading back inside with haste. Scott follows inside silently, set on the same intent. “Oh, what, you wanna watch?” Martyn comments sarcastically.
“Well, if you’re offering,” Scott jokes.
“Weirdo!!!” Martyn yells back as he disappears into the bathroom. Scott giggles, also heading off.
The two meet again in the backyard (as expected), now ready to get a break from the insufferable summer. Martyn barely hesitates, climbing up to the top of the pool and practically jumping in. He lands with a dramatic splash, laughing when he resurfaces.
“Is it nice?” Scott calls to him, not fully expecting an answer. And he isn’t met with one, only Martyn continuing to splash about. As long as he’s having fun.
Scott climbs to the top of the pool, looking at Martyn who is happily moving in circles in the water and occasionally dunking under. He enters the water more patiently, and wades over to his unicorn floatie. He dunks under once before getting onto the floatie, and simply resting.
He only gets a few minutes of relaxation before Martyn interjects. “What’re you doing, just gonna lay there? Not even gonna lay in the water?” Scott is about to respond before Martyn approaches his floatie and proceeds to flip it over, throwing Scott underwater.
“You–!” Before Scott can protest, he’s splashed forcefully. He sighs defeatedly. Martyn cackles at him for a moment, muttering apologies between each laugh.
“Sorry, sorry!! I’ll stop!” Martyn continues to double over laughing, as Scott picks up the floatie and proceeds to try and place it over Martyn, pushing him underwater. Martyn yelps, resurfacing quickly and laughing twice as hard as before. Scott’s heart flutters at the sight.
“Be glad I’m not still overheating, I’d probably splash ten times as much as you did,” Scott comments. “Now let me relax.” Martyn nods, still trying to stop laughing.
Scott returns to his floatie, drifting around the water peacefully with his eyes shut, basking in the summer breeze and the sound of birds chirping. Martyn’s occasional splashing also is present, though not particularly bothersome.
The two mind their own business for a while until Martyn speaks up with a simple, “Scott?”
Scott lets out a ‘hm?’ of acknowledgement, not opening his eyes but still attentive. He feels as Martyn perches up onto his floatie, the weight dipping it into the water just slightly. He blinks his eyes open, met with Martyn leaning above him with big eyes. “You need something?”
“Maybe,” Martyn replies, his intent vague as he grins.
“What is it then?”
“I think you know.”
“Can’t know if you don’t tell me.”
Martyn gets closer, trying to get further onto the floatie with Scott before massively failing, not aware of the weight distribution and causing the float to flip over and send both of them into the water.
“Martyn!!!” Scott shouts, resurfacing and laughing. Martyn practically falls back over as he laughs, leaning onto Scott.
“I’m sorry!!!” Martyn apologizes through hysterical laughter, “I really didn’t mean it that time!!!” He shrieks as Scott pushes him into the water, quickly grabbing his wrist and dragging him down with him.
Martyn pushes Scott’s now soaking hair out of his face in apology, muttering another ‘sorry’. Scott sighs fondly, hugging Martyn and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek.
“C’mon, let’s go back inside now… Water’s getting cold.”
“Fine,” Martyn huffs. “I need a nap anyway.” He slowly climbs out of the pool and lands onto the grass softly.
“Hopefully not before you take a shower, right?” Scott questions as he follows Martyn into the house.
“Right, fine, yes. I suppose.”
He watches as Martyn enters the bathroom before him, shutting the door but not before eyeing him dejectedly. What torture it is that he has to shower before resting after being in a pool. Horrific.
He waits for Martyn to be done before following, making sure to make a sly, flirty comment while Martyn is still in the room before getting in the shower himself.
Now clean, Scott walks to the bedroom with no urgency. He’s just as relaxed as he needed after a frustrating day at work–there isn’t a need for him to rush anymore. Life has slowed down just enough for him to linger.
He’s greeted with Martyn, already taking up the center of the bed, taking up any space he could have left for Scott. “Move over, you greedy thing,” Scott mutters as he approaches the bed and proceeds to shove Martyn to the side with no real intention.
“Fiiiiiineeee,” Martyn obliges, moving to the side of the bed and giving Scott enough room to settle into bed. “What a buzzkill you are.”
“You love it,” Scott protests.
“I do.”
“I know,” Scott confirms, getting closer to Martyn and wrapping his arms around his torso and snuggling his head into his shoulder. “It’s great that you do.”
“Truly, you’re lucky I do,” Martyn returns the affection by slinging an arm over Scott, “because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t put up with half of your nonsense.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” Scott punctuates his sarcasm with an eyeroll. “You’d be tired of me, wouldn’t you?”
“Surely.”
“But you love it, so it’s fine. You love me,”
“I do, I really do, Scott.”
Scott hums happily, leaning upwards for a moment to press a kiss to Martyn’s forehead. Martyn leans forward as well, cupping Scott’s cheek and kissing him properly. It’s tender and warm, just what Scott needed after the exhausting day he’d endured.
“Thanks for setting up the pool and everything. I needed that today,” Scott admits gently.
“Of course. But I don’t particularly feel like making dinner tonight, so…”
Scott sighs fondly. “We’ll just order food, it’s fine.” Martyn quietly cheers at this (very obviously wanting this outcome regardless).
There’s a few minutes of silence as the two merely relish in the other’s presence before Martyn speaks again. “...Can you get me another coffee from work tomorrow?” He asks timidly.
“Martyn,” Scott sighs.
“Okay you don’t have to, but I’d appreciate it!”
“I am not going into work tomorrow. I’m appalled you’d even ask.”
“Fine.”