Who: Ben and Fitz What: Just a Typical New Moon When: 17th September, Night Where: Du Terte-Killian Wagon Rating: Low - 1 cuss word, some cuteness. Status: Complete
The new moon rose an inky black void against the starry night sky, nothing was special about it, just the typical lunar cycle that repeated itself every 28 days. But like with the full moons it was always a weird time in the Du Terte - Killian wagon, full moons meant from dusk till dawn Fitz would be stuck in his critter form and new moons were the opposite - he couldn't change.
After nearly a decade together it had become a sort of routine - on the night of the full moon Ben would leave a window ajar and the latest cigar box open so that Fitz could place in whatever little shiny objects he had found in his travels for safe keeping. Two weeks later for the new moons he’d get out the extra blankets and put them onto the bed, as well as opening the door of the cupboard where the collection of cigar boxes remained hidden from everyone else.
It would be the pick of the draw as to what kind of mood his husband would be that night but he liked to think that he was prepared for nearly everything.
--
When Fitz got in from some work he had to do, that job that didn’t seem to care about if he wasn’t comfortable, he looked at the bed of blankets and without a word crawled into it. He pulled the blankets around him without undressing or removing his shoes and pulled his knees to his chest. “Everythin’ hurts.” He grumbled, pulling the blanket over his head like he was wearing a parka. It wasn’t that Fitz changed every night and wanted to but couldn’t because of the moon. But he could feel his body locked up. His muscles weren’t as loose as they normally were- or felt as if they weren’t at least. His joints felt stiff. Whatever magically made it extremely difficult and painful for a shifter to change on the new moon always seemed to make itself known to him. As if it were stabbing him with a physical reminder that he shouldn’t eve think about changing.
A thing arm snaked out from between the blankets and fingers grasped for Ben when his presence was noted. “I need y’r warm.” Maybe it would make the pain go away.
--
Ben was out when Fitz had gotten back to their wagon, which wasn't unusual in itself as most of the time they had different things to do and different friends for the most part. Just because they were married, it didn't mean they spent every moment together.
Kicking his own shoes off at the door he smiled as he saw the large lump in the pile of blankets, he hated how it hurt Fitz but there was something cute about the way the other man was wrapped up. Ben chuckled softly as he saw the hand reaching out towards him. Stripping down to his undergarments he climbed onto the bed and tried his best to find his way through the blankets to his husband.
--
Reluctantly he opened the blanket, wanting Ben near him outweighing the desire not to move. “Started ‘bout an hour ago.” He pouted, nuzzling his husband’s shoulder. “Everythin’ is so stiff- an’not in the good way.”
--
He pulled Fitz into his lap before wrapping the blankets around them both the best that he could, a few at the front to keep the heat in and some around his back. Pressing a kiss to the top of Fitz's head he wrapped his arms around the other man. "I know mon amour, let me know if I'm not warm enough." That was something he had also learned over the years, that he could regulate his body temperature more than most people, he could warm up more without setting things on fire. "Do you remember that first new moon back in Paris just after you started working for me? I almost called for a doctor, I didn't know what was wrong." And even though at the time Fitz was just his servant he was still worried.
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“When it hurt so much I couldn’t get up from bed? Yea.” He nodded. “Should’ve seen me when I was livin’ on the streets. “Cold always makes it worse.” Fitz hummed softly as he snuggled against the men. “I also remember how y’sat by m’bed and warmed the blankets with y’r hand.” It was the first time in a long time Fitz felt looked after. At least since he’d left home. A man who had every right to have called the police on him for theft, had taken him in and shown he truly cared. “I like this better.”
--
That first night had scared Ben and it wasn't until Fitz had explained how the moon affected his ability to shape shift that the worry began to ease, just a bit, this was something that Fitz had gone through for many years and it was in no way related to his new employment. "I do… and I also remember how you would curl up against me once we started sharing a bed." Probably a nicer way of saying once they started having sex. "I was glad that my housekeeper usually left before dusk." To this day he wasn't sure if the lovely older lady still had any idea of what had been going on between the two men in that apartment.
--
It definitely made those nights easier. “Y’made me feel so lucky.” Fitz admitted. “How many other blokes coulda found a nice place with someone who they were crazy about from the street? ‘Specially after tryin’ t’nick some trinkets t’sell.” He looked up at Ben and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips. “Can y’warm my left hip up?” He asked with a pleading look.
--
"I thought that I was the only one in the whole of Paris, until the day I caught you inside my apartment. I don't know why I didn't call the police, maybe it was that feeling that I wasn't alone anymore… but it was never a decision I regretted." From that day on Ben wasn't alone anymore and never wanted to be again.
At the request his hand moved down and pressed onto Fitz's hip through the layers of clothing, making his hand a bit warmer so it could be felt. "Better?"
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He nodded. “Mmm..”
“So, been meanin’ t’ask. How’s Annie doin’ in the show?” Fitz was curious if she was actually liking it, but things had been a bit busy that he’d yet to have a chance to check on her. “Distract me with gossip.”
--
That he could do, not that there was a lot of gossip around the Ten in One, but Fitz might not have heard all that was going on. “We think that she is doing great. She doesn’t seem to be too shy - especially in that outfit you designed for her - and knows how to play the crowd.” It was surprising how well the new ‘Tattooed Lady’ was fitting in, to both doing her own show and to life in Zion considering that she had left 2020 to be there. “Jericho, Kong and I have said that if she has any problems with anyone to point them out… but honestly, she is one of us.”
Ben started laughing. “Just last week one man in the crowd was telling her to take the rest of her clothing off, she gave him the finger and told him to ‘sucer ma bite, fils de pute’ before continuing on, and if you don’t know that one my love - she called him the son of a whore and told him to suck a part of the anatomy that she doesn’t have. I had to explain to the others why I was trying not to laugh.”
--
Fitz laughed. “I like her, I’m glad she’s fittin’ in. An’ for the record, I came up with the idea, but Beth worked her magic an’ got the costume done practical.” He rarely took credit for things like that, regardless of how much he may have contributed. “But I’m glad she’s fittin’ in. I told her you blokes were good people.” His hand reached up from under the blanket between them and brushed over the scruff on Ben’s cheek. “Thanks for not provin’ me wrong.”
--
“She is definitely fitting in. And I have to admit that she is a better belcher than I am, she sits with us after the night shows and has a beer, the most unladylike lady that I think I have met.” Not that it was a bad thing, though Ben knew that it did seem to make some men uncomfortable to see a woman as free and liberated as Annie was. Ben managed to get the hand before it disappeared back under the blankets and gave it a kiss and smiled at Fitz. “Oh, I didn’t tell you about Jericho and his new friend, did I?” Before Fitz could answer Ben continued on anyway. “A few weeks ago we were eating after our show and Ms Delia was giving him looks… he didn’t see them, but by the end of the night he was helping with the dishes.”
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“Aww.” Fitz happy pouted at the sweet news. “Ms. Delia is a fine lady. An’ I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jericho with someone… courting or otherwise.” He pondered the thought a moment and shook his head. “Which is a shame for such a…” He bit his lip and smirked. “Nice guy.” Who just also happens to be very handsome and with biceps that could- Not that Fitz wasn’t completely pleased with his husband, it didn’t mean he could look and appreciate sometimes.
--
There had been more than once that Ben was sure that they had caught the other admiring Jericho’s physique, it was like looking at the marble statue of David, just admiring and nothing more. “I don’t know if they’re courting, yet, but he has been spending some time with her. It’s good for both of them to have some company and hopefully he hasn’t bored her to death with tales of Lizzy.” As cute as the youngest Wells was, Ben hoped that it wasn’t all that Jericho was talking about with the lovely Ms Delia. He gently rubbed Fitz’s hip and kissed the top of the blanket covered head. “Are you feeling any better?”
--
“Hey, no badmouthin’ the kid. She’s my best friend, told me so.” He chuckled. The young Wells was quite the seamstress for her age and Fitz adored her- okay, most people in Zion did.
Fitz nodded. “It is, thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He leaned up and kissed Ben softly but with passion. “Oh! Did you hear about Beth and Paul?” He asked, having a bit of his own gossip to share. “They’re sharin’ a wagon now.”
--
Ben wouldn’t argue with that, Lizzy was adorable and seemed to melt the hearts of most people in Zion, some of the new ones though he wasn’t quite sure of. “I would not dream of it!” His voice dropped to a whisper although it wasn’t needed in the privacy of their wagon. “Though I think she will be an elemental like her father.” But only time would tell if that was true or not.
Now that Fitz’s hip was feeling a bit better Ben’s hand moved up to the waist, just resting there and letting the warmth from his hands permeate the clothing to keep his husband warm. He smiled widely after the kiss. “Beth and Paul? No, I did not know that.” Though who shared wagons and what went on inside them was none of his business, a bit of gossip was good sometimes to find out who was around them.
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“She’s real happy.” Fitz was happy for his friend. She deserved something good in her life.
A scent caught his nose. He sniffed the air and then looked over to Ben’s Jacket on the coat rack. “I smell…” He looked at Ben and his eyebrows pushed together and raised. “You didn’t…” He scrambled out of the bed and over to the coat rack, his nose still sniffing the air as he rummaged in Ben’s pockets until he pulled out a handful of individually wrapped taffy. “You did!” He practically bounced back to the bed, forgetting the pain for the moment as he kissed the man, clutching the candy close to his chest. Taffy reminded him of his childhood in England, the good times with his mother when they’d walk the pier and she’d get him one piece of taffy (because that’s all they could afford). It was always the best piece of taffy in the world. And it still made him feel better when he was down.
--
Ben managed to keep a straight face when Fitz looked at his coat and then at him, he did have quite the poker face and showed no hint of a smile as Fitz got out of bed and started going through the pockets of his jacket. He kept a stash of it hidden away in the trunk in his dressing area for the Ten in One, somewhere he knew that Fitz wouldn’t be able to smell it, he knew how taffy always brightened up his husband’s mood and on the nights of new moons was pretty much the only time he ever brought out it out. “Anything for you, mon amour.” He said before Fitz bounced back onto the bed and was kissing him, arms looping around the other man. “Now… let us get those boots and clothes off you.” A smirk now on his face.
--
Fitz undressed with the help of Ben and then immediately curled up in bed, sitting up next to each other in an igloo of blankets, taffy in his lap. Snuggled next to his husband he grabbed one of the wax paper wrappers and pulled on either end. The candy twirled and untwisted, opening up for the saltwater chewy inside. He popped it in his mouth and smiled. “Mmm.. Not as good as the pier, but still delicious.” He said the same thing every time. Fitz picked up one of the candies and held it out for Ben. “Y’spoil me.”
--
It was almost routine, well for this particular night of the month at least. Begin with getting Fitz warmed up and any aches or pains settled before distracting him with taffy and talking before curling up together under all the blankets, thankfully there was no such thing as too hot for Ben, normal people might get overheated under them all but he didn’t mind it at all. He sat there watching as Fitz unwrapped each piece individually and ate it, and as was usual when a piece was offered he shook his head and said “No thank you, it’s all for you.” Ben preferred much sweeter candies, such as that delicious stick of rock that they had once picked up while in England before their boat across the Atlantic. The taffy was for Fitz and Fitz alone. “If I’m not allowed to spoil my husband, then who else would I spoil?” He did love doing little things like this for Fitz, he knew that the other man would appreciate the gesture no matter how small it was.