About two weeks after Sam had moved in, they had their first movie night together. It had been Sam's idea, even texting Bill while Rhys was in the shower to talk about the idea
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It's...something good, something warm and safe, if they can get it right. Weeks worth of quiet uncertainty slides out of him and he nestles against Tuck's chest, thinking of how many nights that he's spent just like this, curled up close, talking, listening to each other breathe and soaking up the warmth. Tuck's got him, and Sam is just a few yards away with Bullwinkle keeping watch, home and starting to heal. Everything is where it's supposed to be, and maybe...he can really start to trust this.
He lifts his head just enough to peer up at Bill again. "Gonna have to start worrying about the two of you conspiring on me now?" he says lightly, hand splayed and moving slowly over his chest. God, yes, he missed this, and soon they're going to have to make arrangements for some time together. Rhys isn't all hormones, contrary to popular opinion, but he misses the feel of Bill's body next to his, against him and moving with him and the lazy lassitude after. That, and just them. The warmth, the company...that stupid thing with the pillowcase that had them both nearly falling off the bed with laughter...
Teasing aside, he's glad to see the two men getting along. Not just because it means a lack of tension, but because Bill is good for Sam, too. The big hunter (ex-hunter, Rhys reminds himself) needs people around him to ground him in this new, normal life, and kind, intelligent, cheerful Tuck, with his love of good food and bad movies, is a good person for that. Maybe help him get into computers or something when Sam finally feels ready to start looking at something new.
But that's something they can think about later...much later. For now, small things. Healing, getting things worked out and stable, and taking their time, especially because the first thing Rhys promised Sam was that he would never pressure or push him, that he would have all the safe time and space he needed.
And for now, Rhys creeps up a little closer to rest his head against Tuck's shoulder. "Should plan a date night soon," he murmurs. "You and me, just, y'know, an evening out. Probably when I can get Ellen up here to visit and see the house and everything." And oh, god, is Rhys doomed when she wants to meet Carla and see "Rhys's" new bar. He nuzzles against Bill's beard lazily. "Dinner, something nice...carriage ride in the park, maybe. For being so amazing about all this."
He reaches down, catching his hand and bringing it to his lips. “Conspire against you? Absolutely. You should be terrified.” Because now he had someone else who was more than willing to bully Rhys into taking care of himself when he needed it. To let Carla handle things at the bar and simply take time for himself.
Bill would also be lying if he said he didn’t miss this, simply holding Rhys close, listening to his voice and feeling it against him. It wasn’t just the physical intimacy, it was being able to be free and open with someone, to not hold anything back. He also had someone to laugh with. The infamous pillowcase, or the cheese doodle incident that had them both in stitches on the living room floor or any one of a dozen little moments like that - Bill hadn’t laughed so much or so easily in years. Sure, he had a good time with Dwayne and Josh, but this was something different, something that was his and his alone.
And Sam is good for Rhys, he’s never seen him so happy with the big man living in the house, finally off the road. Tuck doesn’t know him as well, but they’ve hit it off and he’s sure that in the coming weeks they can build a lasting friendship over common favorites. Dogs. Computers. Food. Arguing over books. Sam was slowly rebuilding his life and Bill would do what he could to help him along. God knows he deserved the chance after everything he’d been through.
Another quiet laugh as he curls around him. “Ellen coming up here? We’re all done for, you know that? She’s gonna out mother hen both of us in under five minutes.”
“Mm. Date night. I like the sound of that. I’ve got to bug up to Canada for a couple of days this week, but other than that? I’m all yours.”
"I live in fear now. I'm so outnumbered." Bill gets a smile, though, as he presses his fingers to his lips. Rhys might be stubborn at times, but he knows when he's beat, too. Most of the time, a little bit of pressure or being sat on is good enough to get him to slow down, it's just getting him to realize that he's falling down.
"Hey, she can see the new house, spend some time with Sam, terrorize us for a while..." he can't help but grin a little. He was just glad he'd had the foresight to work out an arrangement with Carla, knowing family business would pull him away from the bar as often as it did. A junior partner, learning the job and lending a financial leg-up for improvements, but not leaving the whole livelihood dependent on his ability to be there every day. There's not a lot of bosses that would let a partner just walk away for indefinite amounts of time to handle even family crises, and Rhys owes Carla a hell of a nice gift basket, too.
Bill is the only one getting the romantic night out, though. Maybe a night in a nice penthouse with a view overlooking the city lights. Rhys hasn't gotten to stay in many really nice hotels, and now that he actually has money to do it, it might be a nice thing. (There's a difference between spending weekends with Bill at the converted compound and an actual, full-service hotel, after all. Plush bathrobes to steal, for one thing.) "Figure she can help get the house in order a little more, a nice cookout for all of us, just, y'know...family, really, and if everything's nice and quiet, a night to ourselves." With his hand hijacked, he goes back to snuggling against Bill's chest, just breathing in his scent.
"...After you bring me back something kitschy from Canadia, of course." He smiles a little. "Gonna be careful, right?" He thumbs lightly along Bill's jaw, because he knows they have to get back to work eventually but hell yes he still worries, after everything.
"Still don't know if I should be terrified or propose," he jokes quietly, letting Rhys cuddle in close and simply enjoying the familiar weight pressed against him. Long, lean lines that he knew intimately, that he'd mapped out with his lips and hands over so many nights.
A quiet night for just them. It's amazing how suddenly and how strongly he wants that. He doesn't begrudge Sam and the fact that in his condition, he does need more attention right now, but he misses Jared all the same. "Yeah, you let me know when and I'm there. Josh and Red can have the moose mutt for a night unless he wants to bunk with Sam again."
"Kitschy as can be, that's my motto." Tuck leans into the touch with a quiet sound of contentment.Because he'd get him something silly, but something he needed too. Maybe a giant blanket, good for snuggling under when the weather turned cool again. Or some local stones for him to fashion into charms and jewelry. Something always jumped out at him when he was away. "Careful as can be. Leaving the scary jobs to the big scary guys. Only think I might risk is carpal tunnel or eyestrain, promise."
Rhys chuckles. "She'd eat you alive, man, and you know it. Stick with 'politely fearful' and we're all better off." His voice is warm with affection, though. Knowing that Tuck's gotten so comfortable with his family so quickly means the world to him, and Ellen is one of the people that means the most to him. "I'm just terrified what happens when she meets Carla. And they talk. I am so doomed, you know." He smiles, though...he's so used to getting bullied by the women in his life, it's kind of a given at this point. And, though he might not admit it? It's kind of nice.
"He's good for Sam," Rhys agrees. "Knew he would be. And now that someone's home all the time, might think about heading down to the pound myself. Was thinking about it once I knew I'd have a yard, but, y'know. Late shifts and everything else, I wasn't sure." It didn't make sense to get a dog when he wasn't going to be home enough to take care of it, plus with the uncertainty after the attack...but now that things were a little more stable, and knowing that it would do Sam a lot of good? It was worth seriously thinking about. Rhys had always liked dogs, and even when he'd practically been living at the auto yard, he'd adopted a canny old witch of a German Shepard that he'd named Magda. There were still pictures of the two of them in his cigar box, even, a bony, half-grown, oil-streaked Rhys grinning with the dog at his feet.
Rhys sifts his fingertips through Tuck's shorter hair, before he settles back down with his head on his chest. Content, quiet. He can relax, it's okay to let himself, and he's finally starting to let himself believe that. They're okay, they have good things to look forward to, and whatever Bill brings him back, he'll be happy with, so long as he comes back safe. "Mmm. Good. I'll put a nice, long backrub on the card for when you get back, too, in that case."
He lifts his head just enough to peer up at Bill again. "Gonna have to start worrying about the two of you conspiring on me now?" he says lightly, hand splayed and moving slowly over his chest. God, yes, he missed this, and soon they're going to have to make arrangements for some time together. Rhys isn't all hormones, contrary to popular opinion, but he misses the feel of Bill's body next to his, against him and moving with him and the lazy lassitude after. That, and just them. The warmth, the company...that stupid thing with the pillowcase that had them both nearly falling off the bed with laughter...
Teasing aside, he's glad to see the two men getting along. Not just because it means a lack of tension, but because Bill is good for Sam, too. The big hunter (ex-hunter, Rhys reminds himself) needs people around him to ground him in this new, normal life, and kind, intelligent, cheerful Tuck, with his love of good food and bad movies, is a good person for that. Maybe help him get into computers or something when Sam finally feels ready to start looking at something new.
But that's something they can think about later...much later. For now, small things. Healing, getting things worked out and stable, and taking their time, especially because the first thing Rhys promised Sam was that he would never pressure or push him, that he would have all the safe time and space he needed.
And for now, Rhys creeps up a little closer to rest his head against Tuck's shoulder. "Should plan a date night soon," he murmurs. "You and me, just, y'know, an evening out. Probably when I can get Ellen up here to visit and see the house and everything." And oh, god, is Rhys doomed when she wants to meet Carla and see "Rhys's" new bar. He nuzzles against Bill's beard lazily. "Dinner, something nice...carriage ride in the park, maybe. For being so amazing about all this."
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Bill would also be lying if he said he didn’t miss this, simply holding Rhys close, listening to his voice and feeling it against him. It wasn’t just the physical intimacy, it was being able to be free and open with someone, to not hold anything back. He also had someone to laugh with. The infamous pillowcase, or the cheese doodle incident that had them both in stitches on the living room floor or any one of a dozen little moments like that - Bill hadn’t laughed so much or so easily in years. Sure, he had a good time with Dwayne and Josh, but this was something different, something that was his and his alone.
And Sam is good for Rhys, he’s never seen him so happy with the big man living in the house, finally off the road. Tuck doesn’t know him as well, but they’ve hit it off and he’s sure that in the coming weeks they can build a lasting friendship over common favorites. Dogs. Computers. Food. Arguing over books. Sam was slowly rebuilding his life and Bill would do what he could to help him along. God knows he deserved the chance after everything he’d been through.
Another quiet laugh as he curls around him. “Ellen coming up here? We’re all done for, you know that? She’s gonna out mother hen both of us in under five minutes.”
“Mm. Date night. I like the sound of that. I’ve got to bug up to Canada for a couple of days this week, but other than that? I’m all yours.”
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"Hey, she can see the new house, spend some time with Sam, terrorize us for a while..." he can't help but grin a little. He was just glad he'd had the foresight to work out an arrangement with Carla, knowing family business would pull him away from the bar as often as it did. A junior partner, learning the job and lending a financial leg-up for improvements, but not leaving the whole livelihood dependent on his ability to be there every day. There's not a lot of bosses that would let a partner just walk away for indefinite amounts of time to handle even family crises, and Rhys owes Carla a hell of a nice gift basket, too.
Bill is the only one getting the romantic night out, though. Maybe a night in a nice penthouse with a view overlooking the city lights. Rhys hasn't gotten to stay in many really nice hotels, and now that he actually has money to do it, it might be a nice thing. (There's a difference between spending weekends with Bill at the converted compound and an actual, full-service hotel, after all. Plush bathrobes to steal, for one thing.) "Figure she can help get the house in order a little more, a nice cookout for all of us, just, y'know...family, really, and if everything's nice and quiet, a night to ourselves." With his hand hijacked, he goes back to snuggling against Bill's chest, just breathing in his scent.
"...After you bring me back something kitschy from Canadia, of course." He smiles a little. "Gonna be careful, right?" He thumbs lightly along Bill's jaw, because he knows they have to get back to work eventually but hell yes he still worries, after everything.
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A quiet night for just them. It's amazing how suddenly and how strongly he wants that. He doesn't begrudge Sam and the fact that in his condition, he does need more attention right now, but he misses Jared all the same. "Yeah, you let me know when and I'm there. Josh and Red can have the moose mutt for a night unless he wants to bunk with Sam again."
"Kitschy as can be, that's my motto." Tuck leans into the touch with a quiet sound of contentment.Because he'd get him something silly, but something he needed too. Maybe a giant blanket, good for snuggling under when the weather turned cool again. Or some local stones for him to fashion into charms and jewelry. Something always jumped out at him when he was away. "Careful as can be. Leaving the scary jobs to the big scary guys. Only think I might risk is carpal tunnel or eyestrain, promise."
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"He's good for Sam," Rhys agrees. "Knew he would be. And now that someone's home all the time, might think about heading down to the pound myself. Was thinking about it once I knew I'd have a yard, but, y'know. Late shifts and everything else, I wasn't sure." It didn't make sense to get a dog when he wasn't going to be home enough to take care of it, plus with the uncertainty after the attack...but now that things were a little more stable, and knowing that it would do Sam a lot of good? It was worth seriously thinking about. Rhys had always liked dogs, and even when he'd practically been living at the auto yard, he'd adopted a canny old witch of a German Shepard that he'd named Magda. There were still pictures of the two of them in his cigar box, even, a bony, half-grown, oil-streaked Rhys grinning with the dog at his feet.
Rhys sifts his fingertips through Tuck's shorter hair, before he settles back down with his head on his chest. Content, quiet. He can relax, it's okay to let himself, and he's finally starting to let himself believe that. They're okay, they have good things to look forward to, and whatever Bill brings him back, he'll be happy with, so long as he comes back safe. "Mmm. Good. I'll put a nice, long backrub on the card for when you get back, too, in that case."
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