Work Text:
“Dear old world.” She murmured. “You are very lovely, and I am very glad to be alive in you.” Anne of Green Gables
“In another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you.” Everything Everywhere All At Once
Dear:
“Here you are.” Anthony handed him a wine glass, generously full, as he sank down onto the sofa next to him putting his arm around his shoulders while he swirled his wine in his own glass. “Just let me know when you need a top up.”
Asa blinked as he took a small sip. “Oh! Is this–”
“It is.” Anthony smiled at him. It looked a trifle smug. “You seemed to prefer it at the winery last weekend, but didn’t purchase it after eyeballing the price. So–” Anthony waggled his eyebrows. “I went back later and got us a bottle. Two bottles, in fact.”
“Oh!” Asa said again. His usual loquaciousness seemed to be escaping him. He and Anthony hadn’t been seeing one another for too long, just a little over a month now. A whole month of dinners and outings to various museums and bookshops around London. They got along well. Very well. But there was something about being in the man's company that flustered him. Made his heart beat fast. He felt as nervous as a teenager with a first crush. It was completely and totally ridiculous.
“Thank you.” He said, a bit primly. “That was very kind of you.”
Asa really did like him. Tremendously.
Anthony smiled at him again.
Later, when he got up to refill their glasses, that’s when it happened.
“‘Nother glass?” He called from the kitchen, already taking out the cork screw.
“Yes, dear.” Asa said without thinking, and immediately blushed a deep red, almost the same color as the wine.
He heard Anthony pause in the kitchen.
“Sorry.” Asa stammered out as Anthony walked back to the sofa. “It just slipped out. I know it’s a bit early– I wasn’t trying to imply–”
Anthony had a look on his face that Asa couldn’t really read. “Wasn’t trying to imply what?”
“You know–” Asa waved his hand around in the air vaguely, nearly spilling his wine. “That we’re…You know. Together.” He lapsed into a nervous silence as Anthony continued looking at him, his face impassive.
Oh drat. Asa thought despairingly. Drat it all.
Anthony blinked at him. “Aren’t we?” He said mildly.
Asa stared. “Aren’t we what?”
“Together.” Anthony said.
“Oh!” Asa said again. He tugged a little at his collar. The wine, he thought, must be getting to him. He suddenly felt a bit warm. “I mean, yes, of course. If you like.”
Anthony only smiled at him, and slipped his arm back around his shoulders.
Sweetheart:
“Well,” Anthony coughed delicately from his place on the couch. “I guess it’s getting a bit late…”
“Hmm.” Asa said.
“And I have that morning lecture tomorrow.” He continued.
“Indeed.” Asa said. “No, absolutely, you need your rest for that.”
“Hmm.” Anthony nodded. “Quite.”
There was a heavy silence in the room.
“Anthony?” Asa slipped his hand into the other man’s. Anthony tilted his face down at where Asa had his head resting on his shoulder. “Hmm?”
“Would you like to stay the night?” Asa asked in a low voice. “Tonight?”
Anthony exhaled, long and slow. Putting a finger underneath Asa’s chin, he tipped his face up so that he could press his mouth to his.
“Oh sweetheart.” He murmured, drawing his face back slightly, but keeping his lips on Asa’s. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Love:
“And that is why–” Professor Crowley paused briefly, as the door to the lecture hall in the back of the room opened, and a figure slipped inside. His lips quirked up, and he continued. “And that is why, ladies and gents, we study space. Any questions?”
There were no questions. Students began gathering up their laptops, slinging bags over the shoulders, already beginning to talk to one another about their various plans for the weekend as they filed out of the lecture hall.
Asa beamed from his spot on the back row. “Bravo, Professor.” He said. “Another brilliant lecture. I’m so inspired.”
Anthony rolled his eyes, but he was grinning as Asa bounded up to him.
“And just what are you doing here?” Anthony asked him, rolling up his computer charger to put in his briefcase. “Come to study the planets, have you?”
“I couldn’t miss a class from the famous Professor Crowley.” Asa leaned on the dais as Anthony slung his bag over his shoulder. “Closed up the shop a bit early. Thought I’d come and catch you so that we could walk home together.”
“That so?” Anthony took Asa’s hand as they ambled up the aisle. “Well come along then, Love. I think we still have a chocolate eclair leftover from last night that I’m anxious to get back to.”
“Ah–” Asa said as they slipped out, the heavy door closing behind them. “About that eclair…”
Husband:
“That’s Crowley. C-R-O-” Asa leaned over the reception desk, peering at the screen as the nurse typed. She sighed as she angled it away from him. “Sir, as I was telling you. You don’t need to check in each time. Spouses can just go right up to the floor during visiting hours.”
“Oh.” Asa twisted his hands. “Right. Sorry. It’s just, we haven’t been married too long, so it’s easy to forget sometimes.”
She smiled at him. “Go on up now Mr. Fell.” She said, not unkindly. “Your husband is waiting for you.”
***
“Darling, more flowers?” Anthony’s voice was a bit weak, but he sounded amused as Asa slipped into his hospital room, carrying a rather ostentatious bouquet.
“I read that being surrounded by nature helps speed up the healing process.” Asa sniffed, placing the bouquet by Anthony’s bedside and perching himself on the edge, taking Anthony’s hands in his own. “How are you feeling?”
“Better everyday.” Anthony smiled at him. “A touch of pneumonia can’t keep me down.” He raised Asa’s hands, pressing a kiss to the backs of his knuckles. “Think it’s all the flowers.”
“It most definitely is.” Asa told him sincerely.
Anthony laughed, but was cut off by a coughing fit. Asa handed him a glass of water as he grabbed a tissue from his bedside table.
“Honestly.” Anthony shook his head. “Who returns from their Parisian honeymoon and promptly gets pneumonia? How embarrassing.”
“Nothing the slightest bit embarrassing about it.” Asa said, placing Anthony’s glass of water back on the table.
“I’m sorry.” Anthony murmured, leaning back into his pillows. “Bet you didn’t think the ‘in sickness and health’ part of our vows would be called into play so soon, eh?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Asa huffed. “It’s my honor and my privilege to take care of my husband.”
“Husband.” Anthony smiled. “I do like the sound of that.”
“Yes.” Asa smoothed the blanket across Anthony’s lap, before leaning in and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “As do I.”
Angel:
The first time Anthony called him angel, Asa felt a frisson run through him, like stepping out into cool air after being in a warm bath. There was a sensation like an itch, right there between his shoulder blades, a place where he couldn’t quite reach.
“Angel?” Anthony’s voice was muffled by virtue of his head being stuck in the pantry cabinet. He waved his arm behind him distractedly. “Darling, did you hear me? Tilt the light a bit to the left. I can’t see where to put the screw.”
“Oh.” Asa said blankly. He tilted the phone flashlight to where Anthony had a drill in his hand. “Right, sorry.”
Anthony put in the screw, and then hopped down from the chair he had been standing on. “There now, that ought to do it.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t just–” Asa started to say fretfully.
Anthony sighed. “Dearest, we’ve been over this. This is the most humane way to do it. You already nixed the idea of laying down traps. Do you want the mice to be able to get at our food?”
At Asa’s silence, Anthony snorted out a laugh. “Oh my lord…you do, don’t you? You want our pantry to be an all-you-can-eat rodent buffet.”
“Just–” Asa twisted his hands. “It’s winter. You don’t think they’ll starve do you? Anthony, what if some of them are babies?”
Anthony burst into laughter.
“I’m serious.” Asa huffed. “Perhaps we should just wait until the weather gets a bit warmer–”
“You.” Anthony put an arm around Asa’s waist, drawing him close to him. “Are the sweetest man alive, you know that? An absolute angel.”
Asa shivered again. He felt it, that prickle, like someone blowing on the back of his neck.
Someone must be walking over my grave. He thought.
Aloud he said. “Don’t make fun of me Anthony J. Crowley.”
“I’m not.” Anthony murmured, ducking his face to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Wouldn’t dream of it. I think it’s sweet. You, being worried about the fate of the field mice who have been nibbling our snacks for the past two weeks.”
“Yeah?” Asa was a bit distracted from thoughts of mice as Anthony started kissing along his jaw, nosing at the place where his neck met his shoulder. “How sweet?”
Anthony picked his face up, smirking.
Nobody would ever think, Asa thought, looking at his husband’s face as Anthony slipped a hand down to squeeze at his arse, that kindly professor Crowley had a little bit of a devilish streak in him.
Later, in bed:
“Fine,” Anthony sighed from where his head was pillowed on Asa’s chest. “I’ll remove the board. Happy?”
“Very.” Asa hummed, stroking a finger idly through Anthony’s red hair. “I’ll try the peanut butter on a spoon trick again. Oh!” He perked up. “Maybe we could trap them and release them into that field that’s down by the park. What do you say?”
Anthony shook his head bemusedly. “All this trouble for a family of mice.” He lifted his head, sitting up and swinging his long, spindly legs over the edge of the bed. “Alright then. Guess we’re going to the store to purchase a humane mouse trap.”
Asa beamed at him. “Excellent. And then maybe afterward…Dinner?”
Anthony chuckled. “Yes," As he pulled up his trousers. “Whatever you want, Angel."
Fin