Connor stepped around Stephen's legs, laptop held carefully in both hands, before flopping ungracefully to the sofa beside his boyfriend.
At the resultant movement of the cushions, Stephen looked up from his book, smiled, and then went back to reading. Connor hummed happily, placing the laptop on his lap and leaning against the other man.
They sat together quietly there, the silence broken only by the rustle of pages being turned and the soft clack of keys. Both enjoyed the other's presence, and the light pressure of shoulder against shoulder. Every so often Stephen's left hand let go of the book and reached out vageuly in Connor's direction. Without even looking up, the younger man's right hand searched and found his boyfriend's, and they held hands, squeezing gently before letting go. Reminders.
Connor finished the code he was working on, saving his progress and then closing the laptop with a soft click. Stephen was still absorbed in the paperback in his hands, but that was OK. Connor placed his laptop on the cushion to his left, before curling up against Stephen, head resting on his shoulder and legs pulled up onto the seat, one hand wrapped loosely around Stephen's left arm.
The older man smiled, shifting just far enough to grab a bookmark and slide it into his place in his book before setting it aside, chuckling softly when Connor whined in protest at his movement. He moved back, and his boyfriend resumed his previous position, so Stephen pulled his left arm up and around the younger man's shoulders. Connor's head ended up on his chest, but that meant he could card his fingers through the dark, silky hair. Connor approved of that, based on the soft hum he made, snuggling closer.
"Tired?" Stephen asked, absently drawing patterns with his finger on Connor's jeans-clad knee as he stroked his hair.
"Mhm." Connor sighed, batting Stephen's hand away from his knee before curling closer, his arm going around Stephen's middle.
They'd had a busy day of dinosaur-wrangling, two anomalies in a row. And Connor always got extra cuddly when he was sleepy.
For a moment he listened to the wind whistling outside, mind caught up in the cold world of the story he'd been reading, before he shook his head, stirring Connor, who whined.
"We should head up to bed, Conn." Stephen said.
A mumble that might have been a yes was all he recieved.
Shaking his head and laughing, Stephen shifted, pulling the slighter man into his arms, before standing. Connor squawked in alarm, eyes flying open, and gripped onto Stephen's shoulders frantically.
"I have no choice, then." He announced, voice playful and teasing. He held Connor in a bridal lift, which was easy: his boyfriend was as light in weight as he appeared to be.
"What're you doing?!" Connor exclaimed, looking faintly cross but still overwhelmingly sleepy.
"I'm carrying you to our room, of course." Stephen said mildly.
Connot spluttered a half-protest, and then fell silent. Stephen frowned. He couldn't see Connor's face in this position.
"Conn?" He asked, thinking about putting him back down.
"Don't you dare put me down 'till we're back in our room!" Connor blurted, the threat somewhat too breathless to be truly threatening.
Stephen grinned.
"Hmm, why is that?"
"B'cause I'm half asleep."
"Mhm, I see."
"And it's sexy." Connor muttered.
"I thought that's what you'd say. Now hush, and don't flail about or I'll drop you."
Connor chuckled.