Eames awoke when the skies opened in a downpour, but the room was still dark. It took him a moment to remember where he was. He lay on his side, with Jacob's back flush against him. Their right hands were clasped and pulled tight to Jacob's chest. Eames inclined his head forward and inhaled the scent of Jacob's hair. He thought of how wonderful it had been to watch the play the previous evening together, leaning back on a stack of pillows and holding hands. Jacob didn't have any particular affinity for Shakespeare, but he had suggested this trip and was here because Eames loved Shakespeare, and Eames was so in awe of that fact that he didn't know how to articulate how he felt. His heart swelling with affection, Eames pressed his lips to onto his boyfriend's bare shoulder.
Jacob stirred at the kiss. "Are you awake, Will?" he asked sleepily.
"Yes." Eames continued with his gentle kisses, and Jacob arched into them.
"Mmmm...that feels good. You know it's some stupid time of morning, right?"
"I do, my sweet. I'm just thinking."
Jacob moved so that he was lying on his back and could make out the contours of Eames' face in the dim light. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.
"I was thinking about how you suggested this trip. And I just – I mean, when I was in grammar school, I didn't know to keep my interests to myself. Once my classmates found out that I liked museums and libraries and theater and poetry and reading and all that stuff, they picked on me a lot. When Alice and I got to secondary school, I learned to downplay things and not get too excited and I got on better." Eames paused, composing his thoughts. "But when I'm with you, it's different. I mean, you're a British citizen, so I think you're contractually obligated to be familiar with Shakespeare, but I know you don't love it like I do, but you came here with -" Eames rambled.
Jacob lifted a finger to his boyfriend's lips. "I'm here with you because it makes you happy."
"It just feels so...weird."
"What does?"
Eames struggled to find the words. "No one's ever cared this much about what I liked and what I wanted. Mum and Alice aside, of course. Most people don't even bother to ask."
Jacob reached up and ran his fingers through Eames' hair. "I care. I want to know what makes you happy, right now, just as you are. I like that you know every piece in the medieval collection at the V&A. I like that you can quote Shakespeare the way other people quote movies and TV. I like to see your eyes light up and hear you get excited when you tell me about the big book you're reading or the vintage shirt you just found. I like all those things and more because they're what make you William, and I feel really lucky that you share them with me."
"Nobody's ever said anything like that to me before," Eames whispered, overwhelmed. He was glad it was dark, so that Jacob couldn't see that he was crying.
"Then nobody's ever been worthy of you." Despite the dark, Jacob somehow did know, and he gently wiped away Eames' tears. "You're special. You're passionate and smart and funny, and you make me feel amazing. You're always checking in with me to see how I'm feeling and you would bend over backwards to give me whatever I ask for. You make me so happy that sometimes, I can't help but laugh because I can't contain all my joy inside."
Eames felt more tears slide down his cheeks in response, and then Jacob was kissing his closed eyes and then his damp cheeks. Finally, Eames confessed, "You make me so happy, but I don't always know what to say. Words are hard sometimes."
Jacob kissed Eames' lips then, gentle and sweet and slow. "I know. Don't worry too much about the words, just hold me." Giving Eames one more kiss, Jacob rolled back on his side. Eames curled his body around Jacob's, and they entwined the fingers of their right hands. Jacob kissed their joined hands and then brought them to rest over his heart.
Eames remembered a quote from the play the night before and whispered, "For you, in my respect, are all the world. Then how can it be said I am alone, When all the world is here to look on me?"
Jacob responded with another squeeze of Eames' hand. "I love you, too, Will," he replied.