Work Text:
-Adrian-
The sea stretched out seemingly forever, the dark waves crashing fiercely onto the wooden hull of the ship, vestiges of soft clouds kissing the starkly blue sky. In fact, the only thing that could have made the day any more grand would be if the horizon would stop bobbing like a teen for apples. My stomach lurched fretfully with each swell and my knees threatened to buckle at any given second. No matter how alluring the sea seemed to be, it seemed unlikely it would ever be a comfortable experience to me. In contrast, Monty had the audacity to lean against the taffrail comfortably, body swaying instinctively with each undulation of the sea, like he belonged on deck. His curls were swept by the wind in a rugged, helplessly attractive way, moving back and forth in the breeze. I slowly walked forward, making sure to stay on his good side, tapping his shoulder when it was within a reasonable distance. He merely nodded his head in acknowledgement as his eyes stayed glued to the horizon line.
“What are you talking about?” I asked after some time, bored and slightly sickened by the swaying skyline. His eyes broke from whatever lock they had been in and met my gaze, his head turned to me and his head slightly cocked like one of Johanna’s dogs.
“Nothing much, and honestly, I’ve been trying to keep it that way.” He said, voice husky with a lack of use. “How about you?” he asked in return.
“I’m not sure yet...But I’m excited to be going back home.”
Monty made a noncommittal grunt in response, tipping his stubbled chin upwards, eyes and head sliding back in front of him.
“Aren’t you?” I asked.
“Well...yes. Of course I am. I miss Percy.”
“Then why don’t you sound convinced?”
He made another noncommittal noise, this time paired with an uncomfortable shoulder roll.
“Is it Percy?” I asked quietly, “Are you two....”
He finally looked back to me, something like anger and fear in his eyes, “No! Of course....we don’t....” He paused lips pursed as he searched his words, “Percy doesn’t like arguments, so we never really engage in them. It’s hard to have any good fights when both parties care more about the other than their anger.”
“That sounds terrible.” I reply sarcastically, and he rewards me with a soft chuckle. “It is.”
“So...what is the problem?”
“With me and Percy, or my hesitance to return to England?”
“I’m pretty sure they're the same problem.”
He let out a hollow sigh as he seemed to deflate against the railing, weight rested on it's cracked paint and water softened wood.
“He wants to marry.”
“So I’ve heard.”
There was a silence after that, the sounds of the sea and our breath hitting the wind filling the intangible space between us.
“Wait, is that it?”
“Yes.”
“Your problem is that the man you’ve been with for over a decade now wants to marry you.”
“It sounds bad when you say it like that.”
“Monty you dunce, I’ve been with Louisa for maybe half that and we already have our wedding date. Why wouldn’t you want to marry Percy?”
“Well...It's hardly legal for starters.”
“That has never stopped you before.”
He looked at me, his lips still pursed in scholarly way as he considered his next words, nails scratching his scarred cheek.
“He-” He stopped and took a deep breath, “He’s much too good for me. I couldn’t even manage one trip without screwing up and getting drunk and hurting everyone and ruining everything.”
“I’m pretty sure it was me-”
“Don’t you get it Adrian? You met him! He’s-he’s....He’s amazing and kind and smart. And I’m a broken, useless drunk who-”
“Enough of that.” I snapped at him, my voice echoed over the deck, freezing his voice in the air. He stopped with an intake of breath, tears welling in his eyes, shoulders pulled in like he was preparing for a punch. I sighed and quieted my voice, my hand gently touching his shoulder for reassurance.
“Yes, you may have a control problem, yes, you may be an asshole at times, and yes you have problems I doubt you will ever get over. But Monty, you are also the strongest, bravest person I know, you’re good under pressure, loyal to a stupid level, socially intelligent, and you have a pain tolerance I am envious of. If Percy is as smart as you say he is, he obviously sees all the great things about you, and wants to stick around. He’s seen you at your worst and if it's as bad as I’ve heard it was bad. And yet, he’s still at home waiting for you, because he loves you. And you may not believe that, I know in your situation I doubt I would, but let me just say this, don’t kick your puppy around trying to scare it's adoration for you away. Because after a while it might just actually go away, you’re just gonna hurt the puppy and yourself.”
He was quiet, eyes wide as he watched my lips still. A blush threatened to crawl my neck as his near reverent gaze.
“I...uh...thanks Adrian.”
“No problem.”
“Why did you and what's-her-name get all the familial wisdom? You should’ve left me some.”
“I’m pretty sure you came first.”
“Hmm, maybe I should’ve been less generous and kept some of the good traits for myself.”
Our laugh carried through the air as dual smiles cracked our scarred faces. We truly felt like brothers and it was great.
“So you really think I should?” He asked quietly.
“I think you only live once Monty.”
-Monty-
England has a particular, smoky-shtity stench that always hung in the air slightly above the smell of wet cobblestone and mold. I wasn’t sure if it was particularly pungent today or if I was unaccustomed to it after smelling months of much kinder fragrances. Whichever the case, it smelled bad, and my nose wrinkled unpleasantly at the familiar scent, an action I was terrified would mar my face with creases.
The streets were at least familiar, if not entirely safe, something I had come to miss on my trip with Adrian. Never had I thought I would miss the murky street-puddles, the creaky vendor booths full of questionable goods, and the grayed sky, but I guess Percy had made me a home-body after all, my desire to ram through my front door stronger every footfall closer. Adrian walked behind me with the only parcel of luggage I had after the trip. We smelled, we looked questionable, and I hadn’t quite figured out how to properly use a cane so we were quite an interesting pair walking down the bustling streets. The further in we moved the more adrenaline, anticipation really, pumped into my bloodstream. When I saw my building I swore I almost shook with excitement.
“Here we go.” I murmured under my breath as I pushed open the familiar door, a bell signalling it's movement as we entered. I was hit with the smell of pages and musk, wooden crates and incense, with pages and books and probably quite expensive artifacts stacked haphazardly from ceiling to floor. It was home. I sighed with relief, my throat burning with emotion. Adrian made a concerned noise as a stack near the door threatened to blow over with the wind coming through the open door. I turned to him with a smile.
“You can put that down if you want” I said, chin tipping towards my luggage in his hand.
“Where?”
“Most anywhere honestly. Percy probably cleaned this all and rearranged it, but I have no idea how and until he tells me, I’m quite comfortable assuming you can put that down anywhere and still mess something up, so it doesn’t really matter.”
“This is...clean?” Adrian squeaked, “It looks the same as before.”
“No, the skeleton is one the other side of the room now.” I laughed, pointing at a large mounted fish skeleton Felicity had sent us a couple years ago. Tracing it's supposed path with my finger, moving from one wall to the other.
“Are you sure?” He asked
“Yea...I think so.” I said with a shrug. “PERCY!” I shouted. I waited for a second.
“He’s not here, damn it all I knew we should’ve stopped by your place first.”
“How do you know?” Adrian asked.
“Percy isn’t half deaf, if he were here he would’ve been here already, probably a couple seconds after we opened the door.”
“Then why’d you yell so loud?”
“Tradition.” I said innocently at his irritated expression, smiling wide enough to show my dimples.
I turned around and moved past him, walking outside, trying to ignore the nagging voice telling me he finally realized what a mess I was and left. Tears burned my eyes at my own goading as I leaned against the building, waiting for him. I closed my eyes trying to ignore the increasing feelings with every minute that passed.
“Monty?” I heard a voice murmur. I opened my eyes, head turning to the side as I saw him stand at the other side of the building, arms heavy with bags of presumably groceries, groceries I’m assuming cost very little since he dumped them as he ran towards me, arms thrown up, open wide. “MONTY!” He shouted, a smile breaking his face as his beautiful teeth showed.
I made an embarrassing squeaky noise as I rushed towards him and we slammed together. He held me in his embrace, curling reflexively together like no time had passed, his chin tucking my face into his warm spotted neck. I sighed, breathing in the smell of his skin, our clothes soap, a touch of the lavender and coconut oil that he liked to put in his hair, the one I always treated him with. All too suddenly he pulled away.
“Oh gods Monty I missed you so-what is that?” He asked suddenly with concern, eyes looking down at my cane.
“Oh that? I got mildly injured on my trip.”
“How injured?” He asked with wide eyes, big and brown and so, so kind. I wanted to melt with his concern.
“Only slightly.”
“Then why’d you have a cane?”
“Ok, so-”
“Hi Percy!” Adrian interrupted, bouncing out of our house with a smile. Percy smiled back, eyes warm.
“Hi Adrian, why’s my partner have a cane?”
Adrian faltered, as if he thought he was suddenly to blame again for my leg.
“It was really only a slight fracture-”
“Fracture?!” Percy gasped, reeling back towards me in shock.
“You can hardly even tell he has a limp-” Adrian continued as if to explain himself.
“Limp?!” Percy shouted louder this time, eyes wide and sharp as he glared at me. “Monty! You said you were only mildly injured!”
“Mildly now, and it was only slightly infected when Felicity got to it.”
He stared at me in dumbstruck horror, while I stared at his hairline, counting each beautiful, if slightly lighter hair that had appeared since I last saw him. I leaned forward and
gently grasped his chin, pulling him down into a startled, but accepting, kiss. He murmured something angry into our kiss that I accepted. I pushed past his full lips and tasted him again for the first time in months, re remembering the position of his teeth and the feel of his tongue against mine. I pulled away with a smile.
“I’m fine, Perce, honestly. I’m only a little damaged.”
He sighed, the mild exaggeration of the noise cracked his stern expression, levity returning to his face.
“I missed you Monty.”
“I missed you too.” I returned with a sincere smile. He smiled back, still leaning into me, eyes wandering over my face like I was a favorite painting in a museum. I felt adored, wanted, special, needed. And it nearly broke me. All I could think was how much I loved him.
“We should get married sometime.” I blurted out.
“Wait what?” I asked, either shocked by my statement or how suddenly and loudly I had said it.
“We should....I don’t know, get married. I... well, several near death expiriences made me realize that I really fucking adore you, like more than I did before you know, which was already a rather unhealthy amount-”
“Monty...”
“No! Let me finish, anyway I realized you were right, like always really, and so when we stopped at port for supplies before coming back I picked up a ring because I want to marry you.”
“Monty-”
“Will you marry me Percy? Please? I know I’m a bit of a fuck-up and a drunk, but I adore you, I really do and I want to continue being yours and you being mine and us living in a messy home together through adventures and calm, enduring my crazy siblings and your weird musically inept clients squeaking while I’m writin and-”
“Monty! Yes! Oh my god yes!” He exclaiming, breaking my convoluted speal with wide eyes and a wider smile.
“Really?” I asked despite myself.
“Jesus Monty, you really don’t have to ask surprised. I’ve proposed nearly half a dozen times already.”
“Oh...um, Okay” I nearly fell down as I shifted my weight out of his arms to grab the small sapphire studded ring out of my front pocket. He let out a breathy gasp when he saw it.
“Yeah, I paid a bit extra for the-”
He pulled me into a kiss, nearly knocking the ring out of my hand. He pulled away and murmured again, “Yes, Oh God yes Monty. It's beautiful.” He placed another quick kiss on my lips as I grabbed his hand and attempted to slide the ring on.
Then my cane under my elbow slipped, and Percy leaned forward to catch me as I wavered unsteadily from the loss of support. His chest rammed into my head, jarring my entire body as my teeth jammed together and the ring slipped from my sweaty fingers.
“Fu-”
“No-!”
“Oh my-!”
We all watched in still horror as the ring fell sharply onto the cobblestone street, bouncing on it's precious silver band as it rolled away from us, all three of us hurdling haphazardly towards it. And with a shout of dismay I watched helplessly as Percy’s ring rolled through the muck of the street-gutter and in between the slats of the sewage drain, before promptly disappearing forever.
“NO!” I shouted as I rushed towards the drain, dropping painfully fast to all fours, my knees dampening with the wet filth beneath me. “OH GOD NO!”
“Monty!”
“No, this can’t happen!” I cried in desperation, trying to stick my hand through the squalid slats hysterically.
“Monty! It’s okay! Calm down, it's just a ring and it's gone now.”
I turned to him with tears in my eyes, anger and sadness ripping through my voice,
“It’s not ok! I wanted to do something nice for you, something so that you would remember this and I can’t even manage our own fucking proposal without screwing everything up!”
“We don’t need a ring Monty!”
“Don’t we?”
“No, we don’t, we have each other and that’s enough!”
“You deserve a ring.”
“All I want is you, and I finally have you back, that’s enough.”
“But...you deserve a ring.”
“Fuck Monty, if it's so important-” He marched over to the previously dropped bags of food as Adrian cautiously avoided him. He knelt down and pulled out a jackknife that probably should still be in our house, and started ripping at something. He stayed kneeling, doing
something before marching back to me. He gently grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand to him, slipping a tied circlet of ribbon onto my finger, and slipping another onto his own.
“Ask.”
“Huh?” I asked still caught in mesmeration as his fingers touched mine with a stupid little band between, and gods did it looks so right.
“Ask again, you dunce.”
“Oh.” I said with a shocked simple, shaking my head in understanding. “Percy Newton, my best friend, life partner, more reasonable half, and top-cupboard reacher, will you marry me?”
He mimed shock and awe, “With an expensive ring like that, gods yes Monty darling.”
I laughed and he continued, “Monty, my precious idiot whom I missed all these months, you are my favorite person and it would be my greatest honor if I could have your much desired hand for my own...in marriage that is. Not, not just your hand.” He sighed as I laughed. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes? Although I’m scared for my hand now, yes.” He pulled me in for a kiss as Adrian did a quiet clap in the background.
‘Happy now darling?”
“Yes.”
“Good, let's hope you’re less histrionic on our wedding day.” “Hey!”
He smiled and pulled me in again, before Adrian crouched down and interrupted us.
“Since you two are now officially done being idiots, can we go to my place now? I need to shower, so, so bad. And you two have to meet Louisa.”
“Oh God, I can take much more!” I cried dramatically.
Percy pulled me to my feet. “Let’s go, my love! To meet the inlaws!”
“No!!!!”