Pressing Luck (Part 2)
Author: fractionallyfox
Title: Pressing Luck (Part 2)
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Gwaine/Leon
Character/s: Gwaine, Leon
Summary: Gwaine realizes he wasn't being serious about his proposal. Leon makes a counteroffer.
Warnings: Modern AU
Word Count: 1,162
Prompt: #412 - Holding Hands (Touch)
Author's Notes: Follows Pressing Luck. Reading the previous part isn't necessary. Gwaine and Leon are in Vegas and while gambling Gwaine had suggested they get married. This is the morning after. I was aiming for soft but I think I landed in sappy. But they seem happy so it's okay.
Gwaine woke to Leon, soft and warm and sound asleep.
He moved closer, closing the distance that had opened while they slept. He draped an arm over Leon's side, finding his place at Leon's back, resisting the call to kiss bed warm skin and the scattering of freckles across Leon's shoulders.
Sunlight poured in through the windows, the heavy curtains still drawn and tied in the corners of the room.
It was rare for Gwaine to be awake before Leon. At home their schedules differed, Leon's office job requiring him to get up at half five every day while Gwaine refused any freelance job that wanted him out of bed before eight. On holiday Leon's internal clock ran just the same, waking him at half five every day regardless of hours slept, time zone, or days off. It was a testament to their night that Leon was still sleeping, a night that had stretched into the hours past midnight not just with sex but with fatigue drunk conversations whispered between wholehearted laughs.
Gwaine pressed his forehead to Leon's spine, letting his arm fold over Leon's waist.
He'd never known love like this.
He didn't know he could love like this.
He'd meant what he said last night on the casino floor. He would marry Leon if he wanted, if he asked. All Leon had to do was ask and Gwaine would jump headfirst into a level of commitment that had once scared him, still scared him. From what he'd seen marriage only worked for the chosen few, for those who loved wholly and unselfishly, something Gwaine had seen only a few times in his life. He'd seen it with his parents, a team until the end, his mother still speaking so fondly of his father years after his death.
He could see it in Leon - in himself, when given the chance - that rare, unselfish love Gwaine had been chasing his whole life.
That he found in his best friend.
That he had feared.
Tended.
Shared.
Embraced.
Gwaine raised his head, looking up at the curve of Leon's shoulders and the fall of his hair.
He was disappointed last night when Leon didn't weigh the significance of his proposition - a proposition Gwaine hindered by giving it no significance himself. He'd said it in jest, a joke he meant and hadn't meant in equal measure, one he could brush aside unharmed or follow through on with no hesitation. He couldn't blame Leon for mirroring his casualness, no matter how much he wanted Leon to understand what he was still struggling to say.
Gwaine drew himself closer to Leon, his hand pressing flat against Leon's chest. He gave in to the warmth, dropping kisses along Leon's shoulders despite knowing he ran the risk of waking him. He stretched himself up, seeking to warm Leon where he wasn't covered by the duvet, trailing kisses along his nape and up to his ear.
Leon stirred under the affection. Gwaine could feel him wake, Leon's breathing changing as he yawned, his hand catching Gwaine's on his chest. Leon worked their fingers together, turning so Gwaine laid on him instead of beside him.
"Morning," Leon said, his voice heavy, resisting being woken.
"Morning," Gwaine said, hiding his smile in a kiss to Leon's neck. "Sleep well?"
Leon's head tilted back to give Gwaine more room. "'Well' is an understatement." He sighed as Gwaine teased the skin above his collarbones. "I haven't felt this rested in weeks."
"Because you work too much," Gwaine muttered into Leon's warmth. "Arthur will still make money if you leave the office by five."
"Five?"
Gwaine looked up. "Are we negotiating? Four."
Leon shook his head. "You know I can't-"
"Three."
"That's not how negotiating works," Leon laughed. "You should wait for a counteroffer before raising your terms."
Gwaine put his head down on Leon's chest. "What are you offering?"
Leon smiled, lifting their joined hands to press a kiss to Gwaine's fingers. He freed his hand and turned away slightly, reaching for the bedside table where his mobile sat next to their unspent craps winnings. Gwaine leaned forward as Leon returned with an unidentified object from behind the stack of chips.
A small wooden box with Gwaine's initials carved into the lid.
Leon put the box in Gwaine's open hand.
Gwaine stared at it.
The box was heavy for its size, perhaps due to the wood or that it seemed to contain the whole of Gwaine's unspoken hopes and dreams. Leon covered Gwaine's hand and the box with his, waiting with a smile when Gwaine was able to raise his head.
"I will do everything in my power to leave the office by five," Leon said, "if you'll do me the honor of marrying me."
The box held a silver ring that shined in the soft morning light.
Gwaine struggled even more than he usually did.
"When?" he managed after many silent minutes.
"Today?" Leon suggested.
Gwaine laughed, dropping his face into Leon's chest, overwhelmed by so many emotions, some he couldn't even name.
"No," he laughed, more breath than humor. He shook his head before correcting himself. "I mean, yes, today, please," he said, unable to stop grinning when Leon caught the corner of his mouth with a kiss. "Before lunch, if possible."
Leon's smile outshone the sun. "I'm sure we can make some arrangements."
Gwaine pushed forward, the open box falling out of his hand as he sank into Leon. Their mouths met, more grins than kiss, Gwaine's overflowing joy splashing out of his body as laughter.
"When did you get it?" he asked, finally able to string together his original question.
"Months ago," Leon answered. He found the box in the bedding and retrieved the ring. "I've been waiting for Arthur and Merlin to get married. You know how he hates to be upstaged."
Gwaine rolled his eyes. A sarcastic remark died on his tongue when Leon took his hand.
"But he's canceled two weddings and I'm tired of waiting."
Leon slid the ring carefully onto Gwaine's finger. It was a little loose but Gwaine held it in place, the silver making itself at home on his hand.
"You shouldn't have to wait," he said with a shrug.
Leon worked their fingers together, the ring snug between their hands. "Are you saying yes?"
Gwaine started to answer, then paused to ask. "You'll leave the office at five? Every day?"
"Yes," Leon nodded. "Unless there's some sort of emergency, I will leave at five every day."
"Five P.M.?"
Leon laughed. "Yes. Five P.M."
Gwaine looked down at their joined hands, using the connection to pull Leon to him. They rolled in the bedding, legs tangling in the sheets until Leon laid over him, his warm weight anchoring the moment in Gwaine's memory. He smiled as Leon leaned down to kiss him, their hands locked together between their hearts.
"Yes," he confirmed, his answer as eager as the kiss. "Today. Please."
Title: Pressing Luck (Part 2)
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Gwaine/Leon
Character/s: Gwaine, Leon
Summary: Gwaine realizes he wasn't being serious about his proposal. Leon makes a counteroffer.
Warnings: Modern AU
Word Count: 1,162
Prompt: #412 - Holding Hands (Touch)
Author's Notes: Follows Pressing Luck. Reading the previous part isn't necessary. Gwaine and Leon are in Vegas and while gambling Gwaine had suggested they get married. This is the morning after. I was aiming for soft but I think I landed in sappy. But they seem happy so it's okay.
Gwaine woke to Leon, soft and warm and sound asleep.
He moved closer, closing the distance that had opened while they slept. He draped an arm over Leon's side, finding his place at Leon's back, resisting the call to kiss bed warm skin and the scattering of freckles across Leon's shoulders.
Sunlight poured in through the windows, the heavy curtains still drawn and tied in the corners of the room.
It was rare for Gwaine to be awake before Leon. At home their schedules differed, Leon's office job requiring him to get up at half five every day while Gwaine refused any freelance job that wanted him out of bed before eight. On holiday Leon's internal clock ran just the same, waking him at half five every day regardless of hours slept, time zone, or days off. It was a testament to their night that Leon was still sleeping, a night that had stretched into the hours past midnight not just with sex but with fatigue drunk conversations whispered between wholehearted laughs.
Gwaine pressed his forehead to Leon's spine, letting his arm fold over Leon's waist.
He'd never known love like this.
He didn't know he could love like this.
He'd meant what he said last night on the casino floor. He would marry Leon if he wanted, if he asked. All Leon had to do was ask and Gwaine would jump headfirst into a level of commitment that had once scared him, still scared him. From what he'd seen marriage only worked for the chosen few, for those who loved wholly and unselfishly, something Gwaine had seen only a few times in his life. He'd seen it with his parents, a team until the end, his mother still speaking so fondly of his father years after his death.
He could see it in Leon - in himself, when given the chance - that rare, unselfish love Gwaine had been chasing his whole life.
That he found in his best friend.
That he had feared.
Tended.
Shared.
Embraced.
Gwaine raised his head, looking up at the curve of Leon's shoulders and the fall of his hair.
He was disappointed last night when Leon didn't weigh the significance of his proposition - a proposition Gwaine hindered by giving it no significance himself. He'd said it in jest, a joke he meant and hadn't meant in equal measure, one he could brush aside unharmed or follow through on with no hesitation. He couldn't blame Leon for mirroring his casualness, no matter how much he wanted Leon to understand what he was still struggling to say.
Gwaine drew himself closer to Leon, his hand pressing flat against Leon's chest. He gave in to the warmth, dropping kisses along Leon's shoulders despite knowing he ran the risk of waking him. He stretched himself up, seeking to warm Leon where he wasn't covered by the duvet, trailing kisses along his nape and up to his ear.
Leon stirred under the affection. Gwaine could feel him wake, Leon's breathing changing as he yawned, his hand catching Gwaine's on his chest. Leon worked their fingers together, turning so Gwaine laid on him instead of beside him.
"Morning," Leon said, his voice heavy, resisting being woken.
"Morning," Gwaine said, hiding his smile in a kiss to Leon's neck. "Sleep well?"
Leon's head tilted back to give Gwaine more room. "'Well' is an understatement." He sighed as Gwaine teased the skin above his collarbones. "I haven't felt this rested in weeks."
"Because you work too much," Gwaine muttered into Leon's warmth. "Arthur will still make money if you leave the office by five."
"Five?"
Gwaine looked up. "Are we negotiating? Four."
Leon shook his head. "You know I can't-"
"Three."
"That's not how negotiating works," Leon laughed. "You should wait for a counteroffer before raising your terms."
Gwaine put his head down on Leon's chest. "What are you offering?"
Leon smiled, lifting their joined hands to press a kiss to Gwaine's fingers. He freed his hand and turned away slightly, reaching for the bedside table where his mobile sat next to their unspent craps winnings. Gwaine leaned forward as Leon returned with an unidentified object from behind the stack of chips.
A small wooden box with Gwaine's initials carved into the lid.
Leon put the box in Gwaine's open hand.
Gwaine stared at it.
The box was heavy for its size, perhaps due to the wood or that it seemed to contain the whole of Gwaine's unspoken hopes and dreams. Leon covered Gwaine's hand and the box with his, waiting with a smile when Gwaine was able to raise his head.
"I will do everything in my power to leave the office by five," Leon said, "if you'll do me the honor of marrying me."
The box held a silver ring that shined in the soft morning light.
Gwaine struggled even more than he usually did.
"When?" he managed after many silent minutes.
"Today?" Leon suggested.
Gwaine laughed, dropping his face into Leon's chest, overwhelmed by so many emotions, some he couldn't even name.
"No," he laughed, more breath than humor. He shook his head before correcting himself. "I mean, yes, today, please," he said, unable to stop grinning when Leon caught the corner of his mouth with a kiss. "Before lunch, if possible."
Leon's smile outshone the sun. "I'm sure we can make some arrangements."
Gwaine pushed forward, the open box falling out of his hand as he sank into Leon. Their mouths met, more grins than kiss, Gwaine's overflowing joy splashing out of his body as laughter.
"When did you get it?" he asked, finally able to string together his original question.
"Months ago," Leon answered. He found the box in the bedding and retrieved the ring. "I've been waiting for Arthur and Merlin to get married. You know how he hates to be upstaged."
Gwaine rolled his eyes. A sarcastic remark died on his tongue when Leon took his hand.
"But he's canceled two weddings and I'm tired of waiting."
Leon slid the ring carefully onto Gwaine's finger. It was a little loose but Gwaine held it in place, the silver making itself at home on his hand.
"You shouldn't have to wait," he said with a shrug.
Leon worked their fingers together, the ring snug between their hands. "Are you saying yes?"
Gwaine started to answer, then paused to ask. "You'll leave the office at five? Every day?"
"Yes," Leon nodded. "Unless there's some sort of emergency, I will leave at five every day."
"Five P.M.?"
Leon laughed. "Yes. Five P.M."
Gwaine looked down at their joined hands, using the connection to pull Leon to him. They rolled in the bedding, legs tangling in the sheets until Leon laid over him, his warm weight anchoring the moment in Gwaine's memory. He smiled as Leon leaned down to kiss him, their hands locked together between their hearts.
"Yes," he confirmed, his answer as eager as the kiss. "Today. Please."