I felt bad about the last chapter, so I thought I'd better post a lighter, normal one at the same time.
Carlisle was a little more cheerful the next morning, teasing as normal as he waited for me to be ready to get out of bed. Eventually, he got sick of waiting around, going to the kitchen to make coffee for both of us. When he came back, he sat on top of the blankets, still next to me but focused on his phone now. He didn't have to be at work until ten, and I was awake enough by then to appreciate how cute he was with wet hair after showering. Before he left, I made him promise that he'd come and stay again tonight.
I missed him as soon as he was gone, and staying in bed wasn't as appealing when he wasn't there. I begrudgingly got up and started the shower. Despite the warm water and the caffeine, I couldn't shake the knot in my stomach; Carlisle still wasn't entirely normal, and I was scared work might be a little much. I didn't want him to fall apart in front of a group of strangers. And if he was that scared with me last night, I didn't even want to think about what might happen if he freaked out in place he didn't feel safe.
As soon as he came in the door from work, he dropped his keys on the table and rushed over to hug me, his arms around my neck. I felt him relax a little as I ran my hand down his back.
"Are you alright?" I asked him quietly, squeezing him against me.
Thankfully, he smiled, though it was a little shy. "Yeah…. just happy to be home."
I felt a rush of warmth as he referred to my place as 'home', unable to fight back a grin.
.
After four more nights of this, I felt like it had never been different. The routine we had unintentionally created together each morning felt like it had been happening for years; I'd forgotten what it was like not to have Carlisle with me every night and each morning. We took turns at cooking dinner and doing the dishes, and he waited for me to wake up to kiss me goodbye before he left in the morning. I both started later and finished work earlier than Carlisle, so I was always home to hug him when he got back. It was pure bliss.
Alistair, however, wasn't happy. Although Carlisle was still paying rent and his share of the bills, he didn't like being home alone all the time. It was understandable, and I knew Carlisle felt a little guilty about it, starting to what to go home again.
In a pathetic, last ditch attempt to get him to stay a few more nights, I suggested inviting the man in question over for dinner. Thinking I was joking at first, Carlisle laughed and teased me that it should be a double date. His face lit up when he realised I was serious about it, though, and he didn't hesitate in asking his flatmate.
I was second-guessing my decision when Alistair was at my table. We were surrounded by an awkward silence when Carlisle was in the other room, neither of us really wanting to look at each other out of fear of making eye contact.
"He wants us to get along, doesn't he?" he asked eventually.
"Yep," I answered shortly.
"Hopeless romantic," he sighed, rolling his eyes. He was smiling a little, though, trying not to but unable to avoid it. "He wants me to like you."
I laughed. "You don't have to. You only have to pretend when he's looking."
"You're not that terrible," he grumbled.
"You're not that terrible, either," I told him.
Carlisle came back in then, a hopeful smile on his face when he found that we weren't squabbling.
Alistair cut him off before he had time to comment on it. "It's pretty quiet at home, without you there."
"Miss me?" he teased.
"That's a bit of a strong term," he smirked. "I get to sleep until eight every morning without anybody crashing about in the kitchen."
I didn't think 'crash' really described anything Carlisle was capable of, but the image made me laugh all the same. Carlisle let his comment slide, telling him to shut up and eat instead.
.
I couldn't deny that I didn't feel at least a little jealous when Alistair hugged Carlisle goodbye. My boyfriend had to really stretch to wrap his arms around his neck, standing on his toes. Alistair squeezed his waist, resting his chin on the top of his head for a few seconds before letting him go. It was oddly reminiscent of how we hugged normally, and Alistair and I were very similar heights; I hoped we looked as adorable as that when I hugged him.
Carlisle closed the door after wishing him goodnight, his face flushing a little as Alistair bluntly accused him of only wanting to spend the night for sex. "What?" he asked as he turned to face me.
"Nothing, just…you guys are cute together. It sucks," I teased, leaning down to kiss him gently. I had avoided doing it in front of Alistair; I didn't really want to rub it in his face that I could kiss the boy I liked while he couldn't.
He laughed and knotted his fingers behind my neck, simultaneously pulling himself up and me down to get closer to me. "We're cuter," he teased back.
"I should hope so," I grumbled light-heartedly.
.
"You realise we've almost been together six months now?' The question seemed a little random. It was eleven at night, and he should have been asleep seeming as he had to be up at six. The only reason I knew he was awake was that his breathing was uneven, and occasionally he'd shuffle a little closer to me.
"Is this the part where we discuss our wedding and whether we want kids?" I teased, kissing his forehead as he lay with his head on my chest.
"I'm twenty-three. Both of those topics are terrifying."
I kissed him again. "Do you want to have kids one day, Carlisle?"
"Neither of us can carry them," he reminded me. "It's kind of a fatal flaw."
I pushed him a little, laughing.
"Do you?" The question was a little quieter, almost shy.
I thought for a moment. "Sort of. Maybe. I don't know. I love my niece to bits, and she just seemed to complete my brother's family so well and she's wonderful.; you can't have a bad day with that kid around."
He looked a little uncomfortable and I had to laugh at his expression. "Can we meet half way and get a kitten?"
"A puppy, and we have a deal." It was entirely unrealistic; we both lived in multi-storied buildings with absolutely no yards. It was no place for an animal, let alone a child, and I hadn't really known Carlisle all that long, in the scheme of things, but it was a nice day-dream to entertain for a while.
"Puppy works." His hand was low enough on my hip that it was really testing my self-control. Even more so when his fingers brushed against my thigh as he shifted against me. It was entirely innocent on his behalf, but I was biting my lip to keep myself quiet.
Pushing my luck, I rolled us over so that I was on top of him, bringing our lips together. Not expecting it, it took a few seconds for him to respond, running his hands up my body to hold my waist.
"What are you doing?" he mumbled, hugging me loosely as I continued to kiss him. Having been almost asleep a few seconds ago, the change of pace had thrown him a little bit.
"You want me to stop?" I teased, my hands on his waist as I slid my fingers under his t-shirt.
"…If I'm sleepy at work tomorrow, I get to tell everyone why," he threatened, fighting a smile.
I laughed and took that as consent.