After keeping the boys from kissing in chapter 20, I…maybe wrote a quick scene of them kissing. So as not to cheat myself.
Word Count:402
TW/CW:kissing (will hide under the cut)
Ambrose wasn’t used to it. He wasn’t used to any of it.
There was a second chair in his kitchen now, and another armchair in the corner. There were cookies in the pantry, in case someone dropped by, and extra dishes, in case they stayed for dinner. Though the additions weren’t much, they filled the place more. Ambrose didn’t even realize how much the empty spaces had bothered him until they weren’t there anymore.
“Ames?” a voice called from the new armchair. “What’re you thinking about?”
“Hm?” Ambrose turned. There it was, the part of all this that he was least used to. Eli was draped over the chair, book dangling from his hand, looking at him with a gentle expression.
“You’re staring at the kitchen chair again,” he said. “I thought you liked it?”
“Oh.” Ambrose blinked, then patted the chair. “I do like it. I just…”
(Also, I know I already said this before about some other snippet, but this? This is the softest thing I’ve ever written. I don’t even know what that other snippet was.)
(Actually, if you remember that other snippet, please tell me, because I genuinely can’t remember what it was.)
Word Count:469
TW/CW:none
It was the first morning of the weekend, and neither of them had anywhere to be. Even the sun was taking its time in waking up, filling the room with a hazy bluish light as a sleepy breeze rustled the curtains. Ambrose watched the dawn melt in with the muted stripes on the ceiling. His mind clearly had not received the memo for that morning, for it was already whirring with bits and bobs of thoughts. A to-do list here, a potion recipe there. It was annoying, but once the cogs were moving, there was very little he could do to stop them.
The only thing keeping him in bed was Eli, who had draped himself over Ambrose’s body, locking him firmly into place.
“Eli,” Ambrose whispered, “I should get up.”
Eli groaned and shook his head, his hair tickling Ambrose’s neck as it moved. “Mm-mm.”
“I should.”
“Mm-mm.”
“All right.”
He continued to lie there, stroking the arm folded over his torso until Eli’s breathing deepened and slowed. Ambrose’s touch trailed up Eli’s wrist and to his fingers, which were splayed across his chest. He had forgotten to take his rings off the night before, which was fine with Ambrose. He enjoyed playing with them as Eli was reading or falling asleep, twisting them around so they glinted in the light.
But this morning, he indulged himself one step further. He slipped the gold ring off Eli’s left middle finger- it was his favorite ring, decorated in rubies and fine swirling lines- and slipped it onto Eli’s ring finger instead.
It looked…good. Like it should be there. Ambrose’s breath caught in his throat as he smiled at it.
After a minute or so, he shook his head at himself and reached for the ring again. As he did so, Eli gave a sigh and turned over in his sleep. Ambrose scrambled, but it was too late- the man had tucked his left arm under his pillow, hiding the hand from sight.
Ambrose lay there, his thoughts now paralyzing him. Perhaps he wouldn’t notice when he woke. He’d just slip off his rings and place them on the nightstand without a second thought. Yes, that was likely. It would be fine.
Somewhere within his loop of reassurances, he fell back asleep, and didn’t wake again until the sun was at its full golden glow, casting dusty beams across the empty half of the bed beside him.
“Morning!” Eli called from the kitchen. He seemed to have a sixth sense for when Ambrose woke. “You keep sleeping, I’m making breakfast.”
“No, I’ll get up,” Ambrose mumbled, rubbing his eyes- then he paused and pulled his hand away to look at it.
His guild signet ring wasn’t on the correct side anymore.
