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The house is almost completely silent, bar the soft snores coming from the rooms of the others. The Captain makes his way down the hallway to the TV room, his joints cracking as he lifts himself up to sit on the windowsill. He pops open the pocket on the left side of his chest, pulling out a small photograph. Anthony Havers, his lieutenant during his time here stationed at Button House, he still remembers the day he took the photo and the embarrassed look on Anthony's face as he pushed the camera away from him after, muttering about how "You know I hate it when you take photographs of me, James."
The Captain smiles and shakes his head at the memory turning his head and looking out at the gates, the smile slowly leaving his face. Down there the same gates that he watched Havers walk out of and leave him all those years ago, it still sends a pain through his chest if he thinks about it for too long. If only they could've had more time together, and perhaps more than a shared knowing look of feelings that neither could ever share between them.
He sat there for a while just thinking as he looked at the picture, not noticing that he was no longer alone in the room.
"Captain, are you alright?" His head quickly turning to see Kitty standing in the doorway, a concerned look on her face, "Why are you awake so late?" His first instinct was to tuck the picture in his hand away from her eyes, but he stopped himself. They all knew now about his sexuality and that he was in love his lieutenant, and they accepted him. He took a deep breath, there was no need to hide this anymore. He would have to get used to this.
"Would you care to join me, Katherine?" He patted the space beside him on the windowsill, Kitty's face lit up with her signature smile and she skipped over to sit beside The Captain. She looked at him with her wide eyes and it made him feel a certain comfortability, Kitty was very childlike the way she looked up to The Captain, and he supposed that without realising it he was somewhat of a father figure to her and that made the ache in his chest turn from a horrible pain to a feeling of pride.
"I was just looking at Anthony's photograph," He paused to look at it again before handing it to Kitty, "I remember that day so clearly, that morning he had come to ask me if I would go for a walk with him through the gardens, I accepted but was just finishing up some work. He was stood by the window looking out while waiting for me and I couldn't help myself, I took that photograph of him and he got mad at me," The Captain paused to laugh at the memory, "He alway hated having his picture taken, I have no clue how such a handsome man would be so self conscious but I always tried my best to let him know that he was beautiful."
"He is very handsome Captain, and I'm sure he didn't really hate it when you took his photo, I bet that he loved it because it was you" He lifted his head to look at Kitty, she smiled and handed the picture back to him. "Yes I suppose so, thank you Katherine."
She slid down from the windowsill and turned back to face The Captain, "You're welcome! It's getting really late though and we should get to bed. Maybe tomorrow we could go for a walk through the gardens, I know I'm not Anthony but maybe reliving that day would be nice, and you could tell me more about him." He nodded and she sent him one last smile before leaving the room, maybe it would be nice. Of course The Captain has been on many walks since his last one with Anthony, but perhaps going with Kitty while opening up to her some more could be relieving. He shall think about it in the morning, he slides off the windowsill with a slight less ease than Kitty had and followed in her direction back out of the TV room. The house is still almost completely silent, bar the soft snores still coming from the rooms of the others, and The Captain makes his way to his own room where he will surely dream of his lieutenant.