"Stay the Night, It's Morning Anyway" - Baron/Basil
Title: Stay the Night, It's Morning Anyway
Fandom: The Cat Returns & The Great Mouse Detective
Pairing: Baron Humbert von Gikkingen x Basil of Baker Street
Rating: PG-13, to be safe
Summary: The case is done, and there's really nothing keeping the Baron in London any more.
Disclaimer: Basil of Baker Street belongs to Eve Titus and Disney, and the Baron von Gikkingen belongs to Aoi Hiiragi and Studio Ghibli. I basically copy and paste these disclaimers.
Notes: First story for 20_songs: Billy Joel's “And So It Goes”.
But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break...
* * * * *
After nearly four months of false leads, lost lives, searching and investigation, they had finally gathered every piece of the puzzle, had put it all together, had solved it. And now it was over.
Which was good, of course. No arguments there. But the initial case, which had started out so simple and had spiraled out of control, was the Baron von Gikkingen's sole and entire reason for being in London, and the ending of this case felt in some ways more like a curse than a blessing.
Basil was half-expecting the light knocking when it came, and opened the door to 221B Baker Street quietly; Mrs. Judson was taking a short leave to visit an old friend in the country, but it was late, and Dawson had long since retired. In fact, it was entirely too early for Basil to be answering the door, much less as quickly as he did; von Gikkingen never seemed surprised at any of his unusual habits, however, and his sleeping habits were apparently no exception. He just nodded to Basil as the mouse stepped out of the way to let him in.
“Come in, good evening,” Basil said, and it was like it usually was except that his voice was low, to avoid waking his flatmate, and the Baron was equally quiet as he replied, “Good morning,” placing his hat on the hat stand and slipping out of his coat.
“Is it?” He knew perfectly well that it was; still, it was something he might, conceivably, overlook, and it was better to feign ignorance than to admit he'd been unable to sleep, some part of him expecting this visit and curling up into a knot that wouldn't let him rest.
The Baron glanced over at him, then nodded at the clock. “It is three in the morning,” he said, “You should be asleep.”
And yet you're knocking at my door, Basil thought, but aloud he just said, “Please, sit down-” and ignored the implication as best he could.
Von Gikkingen nodded and sat in one of the chairs, looking thoughtfully at some of the papers spread out on the coffee table: notes on the trajectory of bullets, Basil recalled, and chemical theorems. Basil perched on the edge of the couch, feeling... not awkward, exactly, but unsettled. Polite words and silences had already begun to stretch into the conversation, he noticed - tonight like every other time - and he was too unsure, and the Baron either too unsure or too polite, for either of them to broach the only important subject they had to talk about anymore.
The trouble with that, he brooded as they sat in a pale imitation of companionable silence in the darkened room, was that is was an important subject, breathlessly, wordlessly important, and they didn't have any time at all.
He wasn't good at relationships. He was barely versed in friendships; he had a hard time getting along with most people, let alone enjoying their company. But he wasn't completely helpless, and he was not going to let the Baron leave in silence, just because of a few misgivings.
“You could stay, you know.” It wasn't subtle, and it certainly wasn't easing into the subject. But though his voice came out hesitant, it didn't sound as hopeful as he'd expected it to, so he relaxed slightly.
“You could come with me to Tokyo,” came the quiet reply, after several long moments.
Basil had already opened his mouth to protest before he realized what von Gikkingen was saying: their jobs were indeed too important to drop on a whim. He winced, looking away. “Oh.”
A gloved hand touched his face, then, and Basil's gaze snapped back to the Baron as the cat doll stroked the fur on his cheek softly, having silently moved to the couch beside him. “I know.”
Having nearly jumped out of his skin, Basil fought back the urge to pull away, to get up and put some space in between them. He wondered when they had stopped being careful, when they had gone from hinting that maybe, maybe there was something more there than just companionship, maybe they felt much more deeply than that, to this delicate touch.
Well, if they were being honest... “This seems like a complete anticlimax,” he said in a rush of words, his hushed voice making them all seem to run together into one another. “You've been here for months, and to leave so quickly, well...” He trailed off, then tried again, “I wish...” But that didn't work either, so he fell silent.
The Baron, for his part, seemed slightly hesitant for once, and spoke again carefully, almost to himself. “It would take some time. Perhaps two months, perhaps less. The Cat Business Office, by its very nature, is... flexible. Yes, it may work.”
Most mice would have been lost at such seemingly meaningless dialogue, but Basil was not most mice. He was a detective, and it only took him a few seconds to realize what von Gikkingen was saying... and what he was offering.
The cat doll noticed the look on his face and moved his hand to lay on his shoulder. “I can't make promises. But simply moving the physical location of the Office should be simple enough. Those who need our help will find us, whether we are in Japan or England...”
“You don't have to do that,” Basil protested. Which was ridiculous, he wanted to agree to this, but... You don't have to do that for me. How attached to me ARE you?!
The Baron was quiet, and pulled his hand away, and stood. “I don't,” he agreed, sounding sad. Aware that there had been a misinterpretation somewhere, Basil grabbed his sleeve as he turned to go, and the Baron blinked down at him.
“Don't be melodramatic, Baron,” he muttered, pulling him back to sit down again.
His request, then, snapped Basil into another state of shock; he had a talent for doing that. “I want you to give me a reason to do this.”
Basil looked at him, trying to figure out if he was joking; on the contrary, he looked very serious, and he quickly switched to trying to figure out what to say about this. He wasn't sure what reason the Baron wanted to be given.
“Stay.” He was full of nervous energy, and if he couldn't move right now, he had to do something with his hands; he grasped for the Baron, found his arm and held on as he tried to clarify what he meant. “Here, I mean. Tonight.”
Von Gikkingen was silent for a moment, and Basil had the satisfaction of seeing him utterly surprised, for once. “I meant... verbally, actually,” the cat doll said once he'd regathered his wits, trying to keep amusement from his voice.
Basil could feel himself turning red. “So did I,” he snapped, then subsided a bit. “I want you to be here, that's all.”
Something glittered in the Baron's eyes, stealing and refracting the dim light of the room; jeweled eyes. He leaned forward, which Basil was half-expecting, and nuzzled Basil's cheek with his - which Basil was not expecting. His fur was soft, which was not as surprising as it perhaps should have been; he sighed and relaxed so slightly against him, closing his eyes. He was, suddenly, exhausted.
“I'll be here when you wake up,” von Gikkingen murmured. “I promise.”
“I'm not falling asleep here,” Basil said, trying to summon up enough energy to sound annoyed, and then he did.
* * * * *
In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along
I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense
And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose
But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break
And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows
So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows
-Billy Joel
Fandom: The Cat Returns & The Great Mouse Detective
Pairing: Baron Humbert von Gikkingen x Basil of Baker Street
Rating: PG-13, to be safe
Summary: The case is done, and there's really nothing keeping the Baron in London any more.
Disclaimer: Basil of Baker Street belongs to Eve Titus and Disney, and the Baron von Gikkingen belongs to Aoi Hiiragi and Studio Ghibli. I basically copy and paste these disclaimers.
Notes: First story for 20_songs: Billy Joel's “And So It Goes”.
But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break...
* * * * *
After nearly four months of false leads, lost lives, searching and investigation, they had finally gathered every piece of the puzzle, had put it all together, had solved it. And now it was over.
Which was good, of course. No arguments there. But the initial case, which had started out so simple and had spiraled out of control, was the Baron von Gikkingen's sole and entire reason for being in London, and the ending of this case felt in some ways more like a curse than a blessing.
Basil was half-expecting the light knocking when it came, and opened the door to 221B Baker Street quietly; Mrs. Judson was taking a short leave to visit an old friend in the country, but it was late, and Dawson had long since retired. In fact, it was entirely too early for Basil to be answering the door, much less as quickly as he did; von Gikkingen never seemed surprised at any of his unusual habits, however, and his sleeping habits were apparently no exception. He just nodded to Basil as the mouse stepped out of the way to let him in.
“Come in, good evening,” Basil said, and it was like it usually was except that his voice was low, to avoid waking his flatmate, and the Baron was equally quiet as he replied, “Good morning,” placing his hat on the hat stand and slipping out of his coat.
“Is it?” He knew perfectly well that it was; still, it was something he might, conceivably, overlook, and it was better to feign ignorance than to admit he'd been unable to sleep, some part of him expecting this visit and curling up into a knot that wouldn't let him rest.
The Baron glanced over at him, then nodded at the clock. “It is three in the morning,” he said, “You should be asleep.”
And yet you're knocking at my door, Basil thought, but aloud he just said, “Please, sit down-” and ignored the implication as best he could.
Von Gikkingen nodded and sat in one of the chairs, looking thoughtfully at some of the papers spread out on the coffee table: notes on the trajectory of bullets, Basil recalled, and chemical theorems. Basil perched on the edge of the couch, feeling... not awkward, exactly, but unsettled. Polite words and silences had already begun to stretch into the conversation, he noticed - tonight like every other time - and he was too unsure, and the Baron either too unsure or too polite, for either of them to broach the only important subject they had to talk about anymore.
The trouble with that, he brooded as they sat in a pale imitation of companionable silence in the darkened room, was that is was an important subject, breathlessly, wordlessly important, and they didn't have any time at all.
He wasn't good at relationships. He was barely versed in friendships; he had a hard time getting along with most people, let alone enjoying their company. But he wasn't completely helpless, and he was not going to let the Baron leave in silence, just because of a few misgivings.
“You could stay, you know.” It wasn't subtle, and it certainly wasn't easing into the subject. But though his voice came out hesitant, it didn't sound as hopeful as he'd expected it to, so he relaxed slightly.
“You could come with me to Tokyo,” came the quiet reply, after several long moments.
Basil had already opened his mouth to protest before he realized what von Gikkingen was saying: their jobs were indeed too important to drop on a whim. He winced, looking away. “Oh.”
A gloved hand touched his face, then, and Basil's gaze snapped back to the Baron as the cat doll stroked the fur on his cheek softly, having silently moved to the couch beside him. “I know.”
Having nearly jumped out of his skin, Basil fought back the urge to pull away, to get up and put some space in between them. He wondered when they had stopped being careful, when they had gone from hinting that maybe, maybe there was something more there than just companionship, maybe they felt much more deeply than that, to this delicate touch.
Well, if they were being honest... “This seems like a complete anticlimax,” he said in a rush of words, his hushed voice making them all seem to run together into one another. “You've been here for months, and to leave so quickly, well...” He trailed off, then tried again, “I wish...” But that didn't work either, so he fell silent.
The Baron, for his part, seemed slightly hesitant for once, and spoke again carefully, almost to himself. “It would take some time. Perhaps two months, perhaps less. The Cat Business Office, by its very nature, is... flexible. Yes, it may work.”
Most mice would have been lost at such seemingly meaningless dialogue, but Basil was not most mice. He was a detective, and it only took him a few seconds to realize what von Gikkingen was saying... and what he was offering.
The cat doll noticed the look on his face and moved his hand to lay on his shoulder. “I can't make promises. But simply moving the physical location of the Office should be simple enough. Those who need our help will find us, whether we are in Japan or England...”
“You don't have to do that,” Basil protested. Which was ridiculous, he wanted to agree to this, but... You don't have to do that for me. How attached to me ARE you?!
The Baron was quiet, and pulled his hand away, and stood. “I don't,” he agreed, sounding sad. Aware that there had been a misinterpretation somewhere, Basil grabbed his sleeve as he turned to go, and the Baron blinked down at him.
“Don't be melodramatic, Baron,” he muttered, pulling him back to sit down again.
His request, then, snapped Basil into another state of shock; he had a talent for doing that. “I want you to give me a reason to do this.”
Basil looked at him, trying to figure out if he was joking; on the contrary, he looked very serious, and he quickly switched to trying to figure out what to say about this. He wasn't sure what reason the Baron wanted to be given.
“Stay.” He was full of nervous energy, and if he couldn't move right now, he had to do something with his hands; he grasped for the Baron, found his arm and held on as he tried to clarify what he meant. “Here, I mean. Tonight.”
Von Gikkingen was silent for a moment, and Basil had the satisfaction of seeing him utterly surprised, for once. “I meant... verbally, actually,” the cat doll said once he'd regathered his wits, trying to keep amusement from his voice.
Basil could feel himself turning red. “So did I,” he snapped, then subsided a bit. “I want you to be here, that's all.”
Something glittered in the Baron's eyes, stealing and refracting the dim light of the room; jeweled eyes. He leaned forward, which Basil was half-expecting, and nuzzled Basil's cheek with his - which Basil was not expecting. His fur was soft, which was not as surprising as it perhaps should have been; he sighed and relaxed so slightly against him, closing his eyes. He was, suddenly, exhausted.
“I'll be here when you wake up,” von Gikkingen murmured. “I promise.”
“I'm not falling asleep here,” Basil said, trying to summon up enough energy to sound annoyed, and then he did.
* * * * *
In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along
I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense
And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose
But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break
And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows
So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows
-Billy Joel