A/N: Fanfic is prioritised on AO3. I am uploading this here, but I may take it down depending on the views / comments etc. I much prefer AO3.

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STONE

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Present (Dawn) - March 26th

It was still dark.

Soft pink-agate clouds had puffed delicately against the sapphire night sky; amber glows and opalite streaks and ametrine shimmers, warmed the horizon like a fairy tale.

Glittering spiders webs laced with mini dew diamonds, lit up the pretty rose bushes and tulips like luxurious sparkling lavaliere. Each petal curled delicately, curtsying like princesses in silk ball gowns to the lapis lazuli heavens and chalcedony moon. The cherry blossom trees, sprinkling their soft natural wedding confetti in the dawn breeze, perfected the magical scene, their perfumes flourishing in the air.

The gentlerushingsound of sea-front waterfalls floated from across the shattuckite-shaded fields, as secretive early morning bird call drifted through the vegetation. The window trickle-vent had been left open all evening for some fresh air, and the early morning ambience sounded like a fantasy. From deep within the forest, the hum of the crickets symphony, the soft hooting of owls and the first baying of a fox cub all echoed delightfully in the night wind.

Beside their cabin, thick pine trees stood tall and silent, rammed shoulder to shoulder like soldiers. Black shadows concealing a dangerous landscape, resembling spirit warriors guarding their chief's final resting place on sacred land. Below the onyx cliffs, a sleek black car purred as it drove home on its long distance journey.

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The sweet smells of dawn - a bonfire-like scent, wet grass, hens, oats, and sea air - helped settle the plump little shape, snuggled under the bedclothes. The warm soothing scent of expensive aftershave, and the low buzz of an electric toothbrush from the bathroom, made Stone curl his toes contentedly.

He had sprawled out on the other side of the bed, closest to the familiar scents; he clung dearly to his boyfriend's pillow, burying his face happily into it. The king-size duvet wrapped around his shoulders felt like a giant warm cave of love, and the hot water bottle's mark left on the sheets heated him through thoroughly. His damp hair, from the rain - and the shower he had been forced to retake, to warm up - flopped across his forehead adorably.

He was still a little chilled through from the night's adventures, icy cold on the inside and warm without - so he squirmed happily in the fresh toasty-hot fleece pyjama bottoms that his daddy had placed for him on the radiator. He should have felt guilty for worrying him so, and perhaps a little on high alert and uneasy as to how unusually sweet he was being. But he had never felt so loved and cared for as he did now, and every last cell in his body right down to the tiniest atom, quivered and tingled with addiction.

The doctor had roughly coddled him upon his return. First demanding to know where he had been - dare he even think the word 'fussing' as to his whereabouts, like an overprotective parent who had not yet scratched that paternal itch. His grumpy frustrated scowl and hurt confused longing expression had clearly said 'where have you been?', 'you left me alone', 'what's wrong?', 'why did you leave?', 'I was worried about you', 'I love you' and 'we need to talk.'

He had caught him sneaking back in to their cabin - after he had apparently stayed up all night, worrying about him. More than once. This time the front door had somehow been left unlocked, the car had gone and when Stone had been nowhere to be seen - again - he had worried.

Because one time he hadn't returned at all.

Then his soft sad dark loving eyes had returned, pitying him for how wet and cold he, Stone, had been... before thoughtlessly pulling him into a massive bear hug, a protective embrace, and sending him upstairs for a hot shower, and change of clean, dry clothes. He had sat by his side for a while after, huffing and pretending to be disgruntled still to cover up how lonely and unsettled he had felt all night. Something which Stone had found incredibly endearing.

He had scolded him for his lack of sleep, grumbling about having better things to do than to nanny him all night - yet off his own back he had made him hot drinks and food, and roughly grabbed his chin, checking him over for injuries. Daring some to appear, as though he would knock them out for doing so. Something which Stone had also found incredibly endearing.

The doctor had cupped his cheeks after, stroking his sweet little face absently, and whispering into his ears how much he loved him. How important he was to him. How much he needed him around, how he couldn't run risks like that after nightfall, should something happen. That had most definitely been unlike his usual character, as tender and intimate as he could be in their own privacy, and Stone should have taken note. But he had been so busy shining from the love and flattery, that it had all gone over his head.

This most definitely had not been the way he had intended to go about getting a little attention, but by god he was going to grab it with both hands.