[he narrows his eyes when Nick refers to the hound as Charlie, but says nothing about it. instinctively, he reaches out to wrap his arm around Nick's waist, making him accommodate his limb however he sees fit. now he's definitely not going anywhere.]
[softly, gaze lowering:] I don't want your granola bar.
[it's not long before he's out, either from the white noise from whatever show or movie Nick decides to put on or from the rise and fall of his chest beneath his arm.
-
he wakes an hour later, groggy and disgruntled. he's a still sleeper, hardly moving. his grip around Nick has relaxed and his hand shifting along his waist is the only indicator that he's woken up.]
[ nick loses interest in watching anything pretty quickly, but that doesn't mean that he moves. he's content enough to stay sprawled out on the bed with august wound in at his side, picking idly through messages and scrolling through the network with a casual sort of interest. he's just hitting the point of rapidly cycling through apps for some kind of update, when he feels the arm move around him. ]
Morning.
[ it's absolutely not the morning, but that's not the point. nick is gentle in the way that he extricates himself, safe to ove without setting off a panic now that august is conscious again, and he rolls off of the edge of the bed to fetch the juice in question.
( apple, a little selfishly, because he's decided that it's the one that he wants the least )
he's back in no time at all, nudging at august's shoulder as he comes to sit down in the bed next to him again and holding out the drink. paired, naturally, with a sweet little flick of the hair out of august's face, brushing it back off of his forehead and pressing a thumb briefly between his brows where sleep has temporarily wiped away the concerned frown. hopefully, more than temporarily. ]
Do you think the shop is terribly boring without us?
[he can't help how much he worries about Nick now that the two of them are constantly in each other's presence. the few seconds after waking he's allowed to have without that worry creeping into his features. he lets Nick tend to him when he takes the drink, propping himself up on his elbow enough to unscrew the cap and take a sip, then a gulp. it's crisp and too sweet on his tongue.
he won't complain about it.]
I think the shop is the same.
[he holds the lip of the bottle against his mouth, thinks on taking another sip, promptly screws the lid back on and reaches over Nick to put it on the bedside table.]
[ a grand overstatement of his contributions to the atmosphere — or the shop at all really, nick only ever fawns over the resident kettlebird or offers advice on potions, and maybe occasionally some of his actions might be mistaken for looking like work, but he's always quick to insist that he is not an employee.
still, it feels weird to have broken routine even if the reason for it is justifiable enough. august is leaning over him though and that's distracting enough that he abandons that thought in favour of catching hold of august's arm to stop him from pulling too far away, leaning down to nudge his nose against august's face and chase a kiss. ]
They're probably like 'oh, man, I wish August was here right now to help me find that one random book I thought I shelved like three days ago but I forgot where'. You're essential personnel.
[he hangs off that second to last word and plants his hand down on the bed, one arm on either side of Nick. he kisses him once, then places another to his cheek and a lingering one to his forehead. that's one of his favorite spots to kiss, he feels like he can give him a sense of nurturing there.]
They can manage without me. [he tilts his head, leaning into his shrugged shoulder.] Do you miss it?
[ so yes, is the answer to that question, but he's already exhausted himself debating on how soon is too soon after a vampire attack to leave the room and resume normal life, so he's decided to be amenable. besides, it's hardly a great sacrifice to make, lounging lazily about the place with august.
there's something to the routine of it all though, the community. the kettlebird spilling tea over his fingers yet again, or sniggering as gale goes off on a tangent that has clearly left a would-be customer totally confused, or watching august make quiet recommendations of just the right book for someone lost and searching. alina, and her particular brand of flustered ease as she navigates it all. it's hard to deny that he likes it at the shop, whatever protests he might try to make.
it's the sort of place that he would love to have back home, honestly, but nick doesn't know how to say that without sounding tragically lonely, and he's so determined not to let anyone think that. because nick can't be lonely, because if he's lonely then it's only a matter of time before he asks someone to stay. before he asks august, and he's always been so determined that he wouldn't force anyone to stay tethered to that town like he's become. ]
I miss my best friend. Sweet Kettlewing has probably been crying all day, poor thing. [ the same snag that always pulls before he says more trips him up again, and nick swamps his face in the crook of august's neck, winds his arms around tighter, huffs hot air against his throat again. ] I don't know, I like it there. Don't you?
[no, he doesn't work there, but he's an addition to the store that August expects to be there. it's strange when he's absent, worse when he has to deal with the kettlewing on his own. having Gale deal with it alone is unfair, and Alina treasures the creature, so he's hoping it isn't causing too much trouble in the two days they're away.
he leans heavily into Nick's arms, puts almost all his weight onto him before he wraps an arm around his waist and tumbles them both down to the bed so Nick is situated on top of him.]
It's something to do. [not that he doesn't like it, but he doesn't fall into schedules the way others do. he's restless and the work is the same every day, which makes his life feel repetitive and dull. he's doing everything he can to make it look like he's fine with it.] I like having you there.
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no subject
[softly, gaze lowering:] I don't want your granola bar.
[it's not long before he's out, either from the white noise from whatever show or movie Nick decides to put on or from the rise and fall of his chest beneath his arm.
-
he wakes an hour later, groggy and disgruntled. he's a still sleeper, hardly moving. his grip around Nick has relaxed and his hand shifting along his waist is the only indicator that he's woken up.]
Juice. [swallowing that nap-filled mouth] Please.
no subject
Morning.
[ it's absolutely not the morning, but that's not the point. nick is gentle in the way that he extricates himself, safe to ove without setting off a panic now that august is conscious again, and he rolls off of the edge of the bed to fetch the juice in question.
( apple, a little selfishly, because he's decided that it's the one that he wants the least )
he's back in no time at all, nudging at august's shoulder as he comes to sit down in the bed next to him again and holding out the drink. paired, naturally, with a sweet little flick of the hair out of august's face, brushing it back off of his forehead and pressing a thumb briefly between his brows where sleep has temporarily wiped away the concerned frown. hopefully, more than temporarily. ]
Do you think the shop is terribly boring without us?
no subject
he won't complain about it.]
I think the shop is the same.
[he holds the lip of the bottle against his mouth, thinks on taking another sip, promptly screws the lid back on and reaches over Nick to put it on the bedside table.]
Unless Alina hired someone new.
no subject
[ a grand overstatement of his contributions to the atmosphere — or the shop at all really, nick only ever fawns over the resident kettlebird or offers advice on potions, and maybe occasionally some of his actions might be mistaken for looking like work, but he's always quick to insist that he is not an employee.
still, it feels weird to have broken routine even if the reason for it is justifiable enough. august is leaning over him though and that's distracting enough that he abandons that thought in favour of catching hold of august's arm to stop him from pulling too far away, leaning down to nudge his nose against august's face and chase a kiss. ]
They're probably like 'oh, man, I wish August was here right now to help me find that one random book I thought I shelved like three days ago but I forgot where'. You're essential personnel.
no subject
[he hangs off that second to last word and plants his hand down on the bed, one arm on either side of Nick. he kisses him once, then places another to his cheek and a lingering one to his forehead. that's one of his favorite spots to kiss, he feels like he can give him a sense of nurturing there.]
They can manage without me. [he tilts his head, leaning into his shrugged shoulder.] Do you miss it?
no subject
[ so yes, is the answer to that question, but he's already exhausted himself debating on how soon is too soon after a vampire attack to leave the room and resume normal life, so he's decided to be amenable. besides, it's hardly a great sacrifice to make, lounging lazily about the place with august.
there's something to the routine of it all though, the community. the kettlebird spilling tea over his fingers yet again, or sniggering as gale goes off on a tangent that has clearly left a would-be customer totally confused, or watching august make quiet recommendations of just the right book for someone lost and searching. alina, and her particular brand of flustered ease as she navigates it all. it's hard to deny that he likes it at the shop, whatever protests he might try to make.
it's the sort of place that he would love to have back home, honestly, but nick doesn't know how to say that without sounding tragically lonely, and he's so determined not to let anyone think that. because nick can't be lonely, because if he's lonely then it's only a matter of time before he asks someone to stay. before he asks august, and he's always been so determined that he wouldn't force anyone to stay tethered to that town like he's become. ]
I miss my best friend. Sweet Kettlewing has probably been crying all day, poor thing. [ the same snag that always pulls before he says more trips him up again, and nick swamps his face in the crook of august's neck, winds his arms around tighter, huffs hot air against his throat again. ] I don't know, I like it there. Don't you?
no subject
he leans heavily into Nick's arms, puts almost all his weight onto him before he wraps an arm around his waist and tumbles them both down to the bed so Nick is situated on top of him.]
It's something to do. [not that he doesn't like it, but he doesn't fall into schedules the way others do. he's restless and the work is the same every day, which makes his life feel repetitive and dull. he's doing everything he can to make it look like he's fine with it.] I like having you there.