Chapter Summary

They're both touch starved, in a way. And there's nothing better for that than to cuddle together under a blanket. Canon-Divergent/AU

Notes

Just some soft comfort and talking. Fully meant to just be fluff for the heck of it, because these two dorks deserve affection and love.

See the end of the work for more notes

Hand-Knit Comfort

It's been a week since Brahms revealed himself, and Ruby feels as if they've settled into a routine of sorts.

He still resides in the walls more often than not, and she doesn't push, instead offering reassurance that he can come out whenever he wants. When he does, though, he sometimes seems unsure.

One of those times is now, when he's sitting on the other end of the couch, looking over at her every so often. It's impossible to not notice him, since he's got a handful of her blanket clenched in his fist, seemingly afraid that she would vanish if he were to let go. She's pretty sure that if she was closer, he'd be holding her sweater instead- he'd done that before, during their walks to empty the traps or when she's making their meals, a bit of sweater pinched between two fingers.

She doesn't mind- in its own way, the gesture is sort of sweet. He's never done it in such a way that it hinders her movements, or makes her feel trapped- simply tethered, connected to him.

After finishing a chapter, Ruby tucks the bookmark in the book she's reading to him, before setting it on the table and facing him.

"What's on your mind, Brahms?" She asks gently. After such a lengthy period of silence, she imagines he's not quite used to initiating conversation.

His eyes shift up to meet hers, before darting away again, and a soft shuffle can be heard as he inches closer to her with a wordless reply.

Ruby is confused for a moment, before she remembers that she'd curled up under a blanket like this with the doll version of him, reading aloud. He had likely caught her doing so, and the moment is quite similar now- the blanket, the two curled up on the couch, the book being read aloud…all that's missing now is a storm and a snack.

Ruby doesn't hesitate once she understands, shifting to lift the blanket up so he can join her beneath it.

Brahms doesn't seem to need further prompting, quickly scooting over to be next to her.
She gives him a moment to get settled before she drapes the blanket over them both, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. It's a little awkward, given how big he is and how small the couch is, but they'll make it work.

"Would you like me to keep reading? Or would you prefer to talk?"

He's quiet, thinking again, his fingers lightly rubbing a bit of her sweater under the blanket- he'd commented before that he was fond of the things she knit, that they're always so soft and warm. She hopes it's a sign he'll like the cardigan she's making him, when she can. She's been following the schedule like before, and it doesn't leave very much free time.

It seems, however, that he wasn't thinking about her question, because after a moment he shifts to wrap an arm around her waist. Their gazes meet, and Brahms's seems as if he is asking for permission.

In response, Ruby settles a little closer against his chest, her hold on him a little tighter. "I'm okay with you not waiting for me to initiate things like hugs, or cuddling like this. Next time, you can just scoot over and pull the blanket aside to join me without an invitation."

"...Things like this?" He asks, shifting to nuzzle against her neck- she had decided to wear her hair down today, given that he seemed to like it when she did. Idly, Ruby wondered if it tickled when he did this, or if the mask blocked out any sensations.

"Exactly. Things like that are okay to do- just don't sneak up on me when I'm cooking, okay?" The pair's position seems a touch too perfect in the moment, and they are cuddling already.

So she doesn't think much about pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head.

His nuzzles pause when she does that, and for a moment she wonders if he didn't like it.

"Sorry, I should have asked if you were ok with kisses outside the goodnight ones, instead of just assuming."

"I can have other kisses?" His voice is so soft that Ruby nearly misses it, Brahms's breath puffing against her shoulder from under the mask.

"Yes, if you want them. You can have kisses whenever you like."

"...Can you close your eyes? Please?"

Her brow wrinkles in confusion, the request seeming a bit out of the blue. Still, she obliges. "Okay. They're closed."

She can feel him shift, before something is set in her lap, the weight causing a small dip in the blanket. A moment later, his hands cup her cheeks the same way she had done towards him on the night they met, and without thinking, she leans into his touch. It sparks her curiosity even further, tempting her to open her eyes, but she resists. That would destroy the trust they've been building.

He stays like that for a bit, as if taking the opportunity to look at her while uninterrupted, before leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, his beard tickling her skin. What she assumes to be his forehead follows a moment later, continuing to mimic what she had done to him.

It's enough to make a girl melt.

She lets him decide how long they stay that way, not opening her eyes despite his pulling away, aware from their mornings together that he needs a few moments to put his mask on.

They'd solved that dilemma easily enough, with her digging in her carry on from the flight to find the eyemask she'd gotten in an airport gift shop- it hadn't failed yet, and Brahms found he liked being able to be the one to push it up so she could see in the mornings. Before removing Ruby's mask, he would place his own on.

She was pretty sure there was some sort of symbolism there, but she hadn't worked out the specifics quite yet.

Surprisingly, Brahms doesn't reach for his mask. She can still feel the weight on her legs, as he reaches for her hands, his own shaking just a little as he slowly lifts them up to his cheeks.

And her heart breaks all over for him again once her fingertips make contact, the bumpy skin telling a story as clearly as if she'd had her eyes wide open.

"Oh my darling, the things you must have been through…" She speaks softly, shifting her hands a little closer to cup his cheeks, thumbs lightly rubbing small circles. His hands slide down to her wrists, long fingers loosely circling them like bracelets. She's not sure if it's to hold her in place, or simply so that he's touching her too. Maybe both.

He seems to melt into her hands, and doesn't reply right away. She can almost picture his own eyes closing, allowing him to focus in on the moment, small and simple as it might be.

"...I'm not quite ready for you to see me. But…I thought this was a start." He whispers, like he's scared that if he speaks too loudly or jostles her hands too much, she'll pull away. As if to confirm this, his hands tighten on her wrists- just a touch. Just enough to be a silent 'please don't move.' She understands the request without much thought

"A start is good. You set the pace with this, okay? However slow you need to go is the pace we'll go."

"Are you sure? It…might be really slow. It could be weeks…months even."

She smiles softly, unsure if his eyes are open but doing it all the same. If he can't see it, surely he'll hear it in her tone.

"My darling, it could take years and I would still wait. I'd never want to make you feel like you have to do anything you're not ready for."

She can feel him grin against her hands, only slightly. It lasts a mere moment before he turns his head a little, pressing a soft kiss against her palm.

It's unexpected, and sweet, enough to draw a pink flush to her cheeks. She wonders if perhaps he's borrowed some of her 'guilty pleasure' romance novels, with little hearts doodled wherever an action makes her swoon. They're more modern than the ones she's read aloud, featuring plots that range from sweet slice of lifes and meet-cutes to playful flirting, darker themes, obsession, and blood- the backdrop to a passionate romance.

Or maybe he's simply better at this than they both think, acting on instinct that is clearly paying off.

Ruby has no way of knowing, not yet. She'd never noticed her books going missing, but with so many in her possession, it'd be easy to miss a few.

Either way, she's not going to question it when it's something she enjoys.

Ruby canonically reads a TON of romance novels and comics, and she's the sort to put little notes in margins or on post-its in her books. The darker ones have a LOT more notes than the slice of life ones, mainly just the 'Good in fiction, a little questionable in reality' sort of note. But of course, she's finding she likes it in reality a bit as well :p Maybe she should have known when she made a note that said 'Get you a man who'll break bones if anyone hurts you' when she was reading one.