WHAT: Lan Xichen comes home on time with good news about his upcoming schedule WHERE: The Dragon Covert; Living Room WHEN: March 7th WARNINGS: Husbands being cute, FTB STATUS: Complete
Once upon a time, William Laurence had been in the Navy. He had left family and friends and went away for months, sometimes years, at a time. He’d had a lover then, too, Edith Galman, who he’d write letters to frequently, but they often came months apart, unless his ship had been on a courier route. He’d written to her about how he’d missed her, and he had missed her, he was sure of that.
But he hadn’t missed her quite like this. It was ridiculous, of course, and he knew it. He saw Lan Xichen every evening before bed, and every morning when they woke up. Laurence generally tried to wake up early enough each morning that they could at least have breakfast together, and had been more diligent about it lately as that was the only meal they often shared together these days. But he missed their evenings together: he missed watching Lan Xichen eat the dinner Laurence prepared when it was still hot and fresh from the stove, instead of needing to reheat it when he returned home late, he missed curling up on the couch with him after a long day and watching the Chinese dramas that Lan Xichen so enjoyed, or reading poetry with him. He missed his presence terribly, and he felt it as a persistent ache in his chest any time he received a text from Lan Xichen saying he’d be home late for dinner, or any time Laurence had to be the one who would be late coming home due to his new duties as team coordinator. Their dual step ups, Laurence as Team D’s coordinator and Lan Xichen’s as Coven Liaison, had seemed like a thing to celebrate five months ago, but lately Laurence found himself regretting them bitterly.
He shouldn’t complain. He knew he shouldn’t complain. He had done his best not to, though he still felt a twisting sort of guilt in his stomach when he’d so selfishly told Lan Xichen that he’d missed him, as if he had any right whing about missing the man he still slept next to every night. Lan Xichen was doing good work, and with the recent trouble with the portals and these other worlds of course demanded his attention. Laurence would not begrudge him that, and he could think of no one else he would rather have mediating between the Covens and the Outlanders with this trouble. He should not be resentful that the most quality time the two of them had shared in the last two months had been when they’d been snatched away to other worlds, especially when he could scarcely remember that quality time.
Laurence did his best to fill his time now that he couldn’t fill it with his husband. He did, of course, have new duties that had come with being a team coordinator, though he couldn’t help but feel like he fumbled the job often enough to be a problem. And there were the sheep herds to tend; teaching young Mr. Wheeler the work had been a welcome distraction, and he was even now debating whether or not the two of them should attempt to tackle shearing season together, or if Laurence should hire the work out again. With spring coming, Laurence had more work to do in his gardens as well, and it was work that he enjoyed. He’d found to realize that he very much enjoyed growing and tending to life, rather than always tearing it down.
He’d spent the morning with the herds and checking the fences, and then had spent a few more hours in the garden, and then, to his dismay, he found himself with nothing to do. He was caught up with the household finances, and so there was nothing to look over there. He looked over his reports from Defense, but all that could be found there was unnecessary busy work. Temeraire would be in class for another several hours, and no doubt when he returned he’d be studying concepts so far out of Laurence’s experience that his presence there would be a hindrance and a distraction, rather than any sort of help. He debated calling or texting Lan Xichen to see how his afternoon was going, but he knew his husband was quite busy, whether it was with the Art of Expression or with his work with the covens, and he didn’t want to distract him either.
And so, with nothing else for it, Laurence sprawled out on the couch and took a nap.
For once, Lan Xichen actually managed to arrive home on time. The coven meetings had occurred the day before, and several covens had discussed resolutions of friendship with the Outlander coven. His various meetings with individual coven leaders had gone well, too. It seemed very much like the covens were, as a whole, supportive of their Outlander neighbors, and in fact felt genuine sorrow for what they’d been through at the hands of a few determined enemies. Finally, Lan Xichen felt as though he could breathe easily and put his work focus mostly on Art of Expression–which thankfully left some room for actually coming home before eight in the evening and seeing his husband and Temeraire.
Upon arrival at Loch Laggen at five o’clock, Lan Xichen went first to the pavilion to bid Temeraire good evening and inquire after his studies. After a brief conversation there, he proceeded inside to find Laurence. It wasn’t hard, with Laurence lying on the sofa in the parlor.
Lan Xichen smiled faintly at the sight of his husband peacefully sleeping. Little intimacies like this, watching his love take a quiet nap in their shared home, had never been possible for him before Vallo; he still took great pleasure in them and had vowed to never take these small joys for granted. He hated to disturb the vision before him, so he entered the room in silence and came to sit on the floor just in front of Laurence’s head.
Laurence came to consciousness in slow, easy stages, the scent of his husband’s hair permeating his senses. Before he awoke fully, he reached out to brush Lan Xichen’s hair with his fingers, smiling a little as he touched its softness.
“Hello, darling,” he said. He let himself lay there for a moment longer, before he sat up. “I hadn’t meant to sleep for so long. What time is it?”
He had the sinking feeling that his light afternoon nap had taken him well into the evening, and he hadn’t even begun to prepare dinner yet. If it was too late, perhaps they could order delivery.
“Not long after five,” Lan Xichen replied with a soft smile. He tipped his head slightly toward Laurence’s fingers, enjoying the gentle touch. “I have finally succeeded in arriving home at a reasonable hour–and may even continue to do so for some days yet to come.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Laurence asked, his smile broadening into a grin. He leaned in to catch Lan Xichen’s lips with his own. He smoothed Lan Xichen’s hair unnecessarily once he pulled away. “Have you resolved some of the issues then?”
He understood that the portal problem was likely to still be a problem at the current time, but the portal problem hadn’t been the main issue, as far as Laurence was concerned.
“It seems those discontented with the Outlanders’ contribution to Vallo society are few,” Lan Xichen replied. He gave Laurence a faint smile as he looked up with his head resting on the sofa. “Nearly all the covens have sent messages of support, and many have offered their resources toward solving our portal problem. Accordingly, I will have significantly fewer diplomatic meetings to attend.”
“Mmm, good. I know it would be extraordinarily selfish to want to keep you all to myself, but I’ll confess I’ve been tempted to steal you away these last few weeks.” He grimaced. “I apologize for my outburst the other day. It was not right of me to make demands of your time when your work is so important.”
It wouldn’t have qualified as an outburst to anyone else, but Lan Xichen came from a society even more reserved than the one in which Laurence was raised. He knew precisely the moment Laurence meant. Despite all the precepts against shows of emotion that Lan Xichen had been taught to live by, though, he had not been dismayed by the incident.
“There is no need to apologize,” he assured Laurence. “I confess I took some small wicked pleasure in knowing that my absence was so deeply felt. I have missed you dreadfully as well.”
Laurence leaned down to kiss the top of Lan Xichen’s head, and then, grinning mischievously, hooked a finger under the collar of Lan Xichen’s robe and gave a gentle tug. “And just how wicked are you feeling now, Lan Huan?”
That look on Laurence’s face never failed to stir Lan Xichen’s desire. Not to mention, it had been days, much longer than he had become accustomed to going without his husband’s attention. He turned to face Laurence and rose up on his knees, putting them a little closer to level.
“Quite,” he said, smiling back. “Wicked enough that we should surely go to a more private space.”
Laurence gave the suggestion a moment’s consideration, and then said, “I doubt very much that Temeraire will be joining us.” He slid off the couch to kiss Lan Xichen’s mouth, and then his jaw. “We could remain right here, if you cared to.”
“I do care to,” Lan Xichen happily sighed. There were few pleasures in life more delicious than this, to have his husband so eager to have him that he would abandon propriety completely. Lan Xichen draped his arms over Laurence’s shoulders and leaned in for another kiss, allowing passion to take him. For once, everything else in the world could wait.
Laurence wasted no more time after obtaining Lan Xichen’s consent. With well-practiced hands, he untied Lan Xichen’s robes and slipped them from his shoulders, bowing his head to the exposed skin at his collar, his hands making an exploration of his torso.
Lan Xichen let the silk slide away, leaning into Laurence and out of his clothes. He took his arms from around Laurence only so he could slide them out of his sleeves, leaving them all in a puddle beneath him. No sooner had he done so than he wound his arms around Laurence’s neck again.
“Ah, how I have longed for you,” he murmured.