Who: Grantaire and Enjolras What: Early morning chats Where: Their house When: Sunday morning Warnings: Nope Status: closed/completed gdoc
It was early enough that Enjolras was still sleeping, though he knew he didn’t have to work today. It was one of those rare days when neither of them had to. And typically, when all he’d have liked was to stay in bed with his partner all morning, he hadn’t been able to get back to sleep. Not wanting to wake Enjolras, he’d set up his easel out in the front room to watch the sun climb higher in the sky. He was afforded a beautiful view of their yard from here, and it gave him endless options of scenes to capture on the canvas.
Setting aside the larger brush he’d been using, he reached for his coffee, frowning when he realised it was already starting to get cold. He didn’t think he’d been out here that long. He still drank it, relishing in the warm, steadying feeling that washed over him. The numbness that would eventually follow was better than the alternative. Better than thinking about the fact that the one real friend he'd made in this place was gone.
Turning back to the painting with another brush, he began adding detail to the branches, the hint of texture to the bark. He didn't have to think about anything if he didn't really want to. That was something Grantaire had perfected a long time ago.
***
It was rare that neither of them had work, and it was even more rare that Enjolras woke up completely alone. They had gotten the extra bedroom but it hadn't been used once. So when he rolled over to find Grantaire's spot not only empty but cold, he worried.
Almost instantly he sat up, looking around the room. Grantaire's belongings were still there. That was good. That was...well. He hadn't lost many friends in the recent trauma, but that didn't mean he didn't worry every day.
He pulled on a sweatshirt one of them had tossed aside (he really should tidy on this day off) and made his way towards the kitchen. The smell of coffee was the most comforting thing in the world. It meant his partner was still there. He found him in the front room and wanted or not, he slipped up behind him, wrapping his arms loosely around Grantaire's waist and kissing the back of his neck lightly. "You're up early," he murmured softly, sleep still tinting his words.
***
Despite himself, he smiled a little at those sleepy words, leaning back into the warmth that was suddenly behind him. It made him realise just how cold it was, sitting out here. At some point he'd lost track of that.
"Couldn't sleep," he explained quietly, setting aside the brush he was holding. He wasn't sure what he was trying to achieve with the painting at this point anyway. He really should leave parts of it to dry before trying to do more. He was just restless and looking for something to do with his hands. He didn't think he could just sit and do nothing. And the person he used to call to counter that problem was gone.
***
"You're cold," he murmured, tucking the artist more snugly against him. How he was painting outside in the middle of an Indiana winter, Enjolras had no idea. The places where his skin was exposed were like ice, though. "We made you an inside studio for a reason, handsome."
Honestly, he could probably still be talked into going back to sleep. But he didn't really want to leave where he was standing. That point of being mostly asleep still, yet cuddled with his boyfriend...it was still nice, even if they were standing outside. "Why don't you come in for a while? All that hot coffee inside is going to waste."
***
"I hadn't noticed." And maybe he'd felt claustrophobic inside and needed the space or the air or something. He wasn't sure, he just knew he'd needed to get out.
"It doesn't have a view like this." But he wasn't going to win the argument for staying out here whilst ever Enjolras had his arms around him, sharing his warmth. "Yeah, okay." He agreed, reaching for his mostly empty mug and getting to his feet, dislodging his partner's hold on him in the process. "I guess I wouldn't mind some more." A part of him was actually tempted by the thought of going back to bed for a while. Maybe with a couple of drinks in him sleep would come easier.
***
Enjolras let out an involuntary little sigh when his boyfriend pulled away. Grantaire wasn't the only one who'd been letting that warmth seep in. Still, he couldn't get the man inside if he was attached to him like a leech.
Or an octopus. That made a much cuter mental picture.
He led the way inside and into the kitchen, reaching for a coffee mug of his own. "Should we switch your studio with the guest room? You might get a better view from there?"
***
He followed him into the kitchen, dumping the remains of his now cold drink into the sink to get a fresh one, topping it with the bottle he'd left on the counter. He admittedly felt better being inside and out of the cold.
"No, that one is fine. I just...like the front room better?" He couldn't quite explain it. "I should probably pick warmer times to sit out there though. Or bring you with me," he added with a little smile in the blond's direction. "I'll paint and you can keep me warm."
He didn't know how to say it aloud, but he truly loved that side of the man. The one who seemed to crave closeness. The side that back in Paris he honestly hadn't known existed.
***
He hesitated, watching a liberal amount of liquor join the coffee. "Isn't it a bit early?" Bracing himself for an argument, he bit his lip. Maybe it wasn't his place to say anything. But as someone who loved Grantaire more than anything, he couldn't help notice how much he actually did drink.
But then, hadn't he always? Hadn't it always been a point of contention between them in Paris? Just because he lived with him now, saw him drinking day in and day out…
Well, no. Maybe it did make sense that he was only just now grasping how much.
***
The question made him pause with the mug almost at his mouth, giving Enjolras a confused look. “Too early for what?” He asked before taking a sip. The words were, possibly, carefully neutral. There were any number of reasons for Enjolras to ask, and it would hardly be the first time they had clashed over his drinking, though he had never understood why the other man took such issue with it. This might have been the first time he’d said anything without an audience, however.
“I’m not about to start putting milk and sugar and flavoured things in my coffee, if that’s what you’re suggesting.” He liked it this way. He saw no harm in that.
***
Okay. Alright. That was fine, wasn't it? It was just drinking coffee a different way. That was okay.
Except he couldn't shake the feeling that it was definitely not okay.
"Flavored things are delicious, thank you." In fact, Enjolras reached into the refrigerator and pulled out the bottle of coffee creamer he kept in there. "Better than...is that whisky?" In coffee? A drink that was already more bitter than Enjolras would like.
***
“Hey, I said I wasn’t about to start doing it. I never asked you not to, did I?” Not like Enjolras had. He’d stopped telling Enjolras off for the amount of sugar he had ages ago, because he could see how much the blond enjoyed it.
“Yes. I like it.” And he also preferred it to coffee alone. Coffee woke him up, which was good. The whisky just made things...feel better.
***
Enjolras was getting better about his sugar intake. Now that he had been here a year and had gotten used to the copious amounts of it, he realised he didn't need to eat and drink everything containing it in order to have some. He still couldn't really cook but it was something.
And he did appreciate that Grantaire didn't lecture him for it any longer. Some light teasing, but that was all. So didn't that mean he had no right to lecture his boyfriend for his drinking in return?
"They make liqueurs meant to go in coffee, you know. They'd have to taste better than that." He just wasn't a whiskey drinker. Probably never would be. "The amaretto I had at one of those parties was actually quite nice."
***
He set the mug down, resisting the urge to cross his arms. "Why is it such a big deal to you? It isn't as though I am asking you to drink it." He didn't want them to argue, and it felt like they were heading that way. He just didn't know what to do about it.
"What did you have planned for today?" He was thinking maybe going back to bed sounded good at this point.
***
"Just offering an alternative." And, well… Did he really need it all the time? He didn't want to argue either. Not on their rare day off together. He just wanted to cuddle with his boyfriend and spend time not fighting. That didn't seem like too much to ask.
He shrugged, sipping from his own mug. "Not much. Figured I'd wait and see what you wanted to do." They were off together, after all. And Enjolras didn't consider himself codependent or anything but it wasn't often they could have a whole day together and, well. He wanted to.
***
He bit back the obvious retort, knowing he was only being sucked into the argument he was trying to avoid. Maybe he'd just have to drink without Enjolras around, absurd as it seemed that he should have to.
"I had not much thought about it either," he admitted. "Were you hungry? Or is it still too early?" And more importantly would he maybe like to go back to bed with him for a while. Because that sounded ideal. Or maybe they could sit on the couch and watch some movies.
***
Enjolras shook his head, holding up his coffee as if that was a balanced meal. And, well, he was French. It sort of was, for breakfast anyway. "I'm good. For a while, anyway. Unless you want to do breakfast? Did you want to go out somewhere?"
A nice brunch could be okay, maybe. Enjolras wasn't really looking to do a proper sit down meal, but he would if Grantaire wanted to. Especially if it would get him away from the whiskey coffee thing he was consuming.
***
"No," he shook his head in answer, smiling in amusement at Enjolras' unspoken suggestion his coffee was a meal. "It's cold. I thought it might be a good day for staying inside." Having already sat in the cold at least somewhat he didn't particularly want to again.
He wasn't really hungry yet, either. It was a bit early to want breakfast. "We can always cook something later."
***
"You've already spent time outside," he reminded his partner with a teasing smile. "And yes, it definitely is cold. As in, why aren't we under a blanket right now?" Those moments were simple and maybe overlooked by a lot of people, but Enjolras loved them. Curled with Grantaire, maybe in bed reading or on the sofa while watching a new show.
"We could just get something delivered." That sounded way better than cooking. He knew they shouldn't be spending that kind of money but...cooking.
***
"Perfect reason not to spend anymore time out there." He laughed. "I have no objections to being back underneath a blanket or two with you." It sounded about perfect, actually. He could just curl up with him and maybe go back to sleep and forget things for a while.
"We have plenty of food here, Enj. Don't worry. I will do the cooking. You can be the official taste tester. And maybe dishwasher, too." Even if that just meant loading dirty dishes into the dishwasher.
***
With that characteristic hesitation, he stepped forward, enveloping the brunet in his arms so he could kiss him softly. "But which blankets to get under, I wonder?" He honestly didn't care which. They could lie on the floor, wrapped in blankets and curled in each other's arms, and that would be enough for him.
He blushed and shrugged his shoulders. Of course he'd get called out for that. "I don't mind doing the dishes." Even the "old fashioned" way.
***
He went willingly into that hold and as easily accepted the kiss. Being in his arms felt right no matter the circumstances. "I was thinking the blankets in bed might be nice." He slipped his arms around the blond in return.
"This is why we make the perfect team, amour. I hate doing the dishes." But he didn't mind the cooking. It was another way to experiment and try something new.
***
Enjolras smiled softly into the returned kiss. It was still new for him - his kissing hadn't exactly been refined when they had first kissed on that beach - and he couldn't get enough of it. "You're just trying to get me into bed, I see." But the words were teasing and he took his boyfriend's hands and walked backwards, urging him to their room.
"I like to think we're perfect in many ways that don't include my lack of cooking abilities." Which was really the saddest revelation of being here. He didn't like not being good at things and now there was yet another to add to the list.
***
"You caught me. That is always my main motivation at any given time," he smiled in the face of the teasing. He happily followed him to their room, keeping the hold on his hand.
"Maybe it is in our ability to not have burned this house down yet or scared the neighbours away?" He teased, pulling the blond toward him again to hold him close.
***
Well, they had made it to the bedroom at least. That was a bit of an improvement. "Have we? We're so brilliant. I'll have you know I did not burn down the apartments. And I only had to put out two small fires." He had learned how the fire extinguisher worked very quickly. But it was a good skill to have for his job so...there.
"Besides. I said besides that! Like…" Swallowing hard, he leaned in a bit. Parts of this still required a bit of courage on his end. "Like how I know how much you enjoy being kissed right here," he offered, placing a tender kiss against his boyfriend's jaw.
***
"Just small fires? My apologies in that case, mon cher." Yes he was teasing, and no he didn't mind in the slightest.
Particularly when Enjolras was being so bold and kissing his jaw that way. He breathed a gentle sigh, his hands slipping around to rest at his partner's lower back. "I like that. That you know that so well."
***
Enjolras grinned against the artist's skin, trying to hide a laugh. It wasn't as if he didn't know where his shortcomings were. Even at home, making his own food had never been his strong point. There were reasons their meetings were in public places.
"Be a pretty terrible partner if I didn't know where you liked to be kissed," he pointed out, suckling lightly. It might leave a mark, but well...they weren't going out today, were they?
***
His own smile was unavoidable, feeling Enjolras trying not to laugh. This was much better. Being able to tease and play and forget the things which had been weighing on him so terribly for a while.
"That is true," he teased. "But then you have always been a quick study." He pulled back enough to place his hands on the blond's arms. "I believe there was talk of blankets and warmth?"
***
"So happens I have a new favorite subject." And he mentally kicked himself all over again for letting at least a friendship with this man slip by him for so long. The man he'd been in Paris was a completely other individual in so many ways. He never would have let himself have this.
He put on an exaggerated pretend pout. "I'm not warm enough for you?" Pulling back, he crossed his arms in front of himself, matching his little sister's grumpy face to perfection.
***
"Mon dieu, I forget how cheesy you can be sometimes." But he was smiling all the same, because he felt a warmth completely unrelated to the three whiskeys at the thought of being this man's favourite subject, silly as it was.
He laughed at the pout and how impressive it was. "You are very warm. But being curled up with you under the blankets is even warmer. And I rather like the thought of that."
***
The corners of his lips tilted up, betraying his annoyed expression. "Look, I never told you to fall in love with me," he reminded him, moving to the bed. He toed off his shoes and climbed back under the blankets. "This isn't some odd new development."
That much was true. The targets of his 'cheesy' just happened to be a bit different now. "Come on, gorgeous. Since apparently I'm not enough for you."
***
"Don't go acting as though I had any say in the matter." His tone was chastising but he was smiling all the same as he followed suit, joining Enjolras under the blankets.
"It was all your fault and I won't hear another word on the subject." He curled in close to the man, sliding an arm around him and leaning in to kiss him softly. "See? This is much better."
***
"You absolutely did. It's preposterous that you expect me to think otherwise!" Now they were being ridiculous. And he liked it. So much. Sometimes the days were stressful and honestly, he was still genuinely concerned about the whole more whiskey than coffee thing.
But these moments? The gentle teasing and playful kisses? They absolutely helped. "I guess," he conceded, though there had never been any fight in his words to begin with. "But I get more kisses."
***
"Preposterous, he says. What's preposterous is you walking around being who you are and expecting me to have any say in the matter." Everything about the man was perfect, even his imperfections. He was wonderful and infuriating and Grantaire couldn't get enough of him.
Those words made him laugh. "Yes amour," he agreed with a false air of long suffering. "You get more kisses." Which he confirmed by doing exactly that.
***
There was no way he couldn't be absolutely enchanted by those words. "I haven't done anything to deserve that and you know it." He simply stared into icy blue eyes, closing his own instinctively as Grantaire leaned in for another kiss.
His fingers reached up, tracing the line of the brunet's face adoringly. He wasn't perfect. Enjolras knew that. His nose was just slightly off center. His eyelashes were impossibly long. But he honestly had never found anyone more attractive in his life. "I love you. So much."
***
"Where you're mistaken is in thinking you have any say in that." He had done plenty. He was the light that guided him. He watched hope soar in the other man and it was enough to stop him from floundering.
"And I love you. Beaucoup." And perhaps very much was not sufficient but he was not skilled with words in the same way Enjolras was. With a final kiss he then leaned in close, head resting on the pillow so their foreheads were almost touching.
***
"Why don't you rest a bit longer? As much as you had finished on that painting, I imagine you've been up for quite some time." Enjolras already knew he likely wouldn't fall asleep, except maybe a quick cat nap. It was just who he was. Once he was up, he was fairly well up.
He reached with the hand that had been stroking his boyfriend's cheek and let it trace soothing circles on his arm instead. He so badly wanted to be enough for him. "We can see about trying to get a decent brunch together when you wake up." It was possible Enjolras wouldn't burn the house down if he made sandwiches. Possible, but not probable.
***
"A little while," he acknowledged with a small smile, eyes drifting closed. Now that they were lying together and he was warm, the fact that he'd been up so long was catching up to him pretty quickly.
"That sounds nice," he murmured. The hand stroking his arm, the repetitive motion of it, felt impossibly soothing, calming his rapid thoughts. "I'll cook you some bacon and eggs." He knew they had both in the fridge, and they were easy enough to cook. But first, he'd enjoy a bit more sleep. Sleep was easy.