♪ ♬

[byrned]

 gonna put gifs here

Comments

[byrned]

"Yeah I mean I think it is. Might mean I'm away a bit more, I dunno."

He looks at him in their reflection, pressing another kiss to his shoulder.

"The guy I was working with was on about where I should go. There's like different groups. The geeks, the guys with magic, the fighters, the talkers, that sort of thing."

[cravating]

"Like different departments?" His hand moves, fingers running along his arm. "So where are you ending up?"

[byrned]

He drops his head down a little, giving Nate a slightly tighter squeeze.

"The fighters. I think. Not sure how great an idea it is though." His eyes lift, back to the reaction. If anybody is the person to talk to about this, its him.

[cravating]

"Makes sense with all the working out you've been doing, I guess. Not that I'm thrilled to imagine you out on the front lines. If they even have front lines. Fuck if I know how any of it actually works." He studies Matt's face in the mirror.

"You happy there? Working with them? You don't have to, you know. You could just come move in here. For good, I mean. I make enough on my own for this place. Could start playing piano again."

[byrned]

Matt doesn't answer at first, thoughtful instead, and a slight frown on his face.

"What just get my old life back?" There's something in his voice, some sort of disbelief. He thinks that would be cheating. He doesn't really deserve all of that. The life he could have had, the life he maybe wanted for a while. But he doesn't really know what he wants, apart from the man in his arms right now.

"They took me on," he says softly. "Took me in. Didn't have to. And they're good people. I think I could do good with them. Make up for some of my fuck ups. And I've got a lot to make up for."

[cravating]

"It's dangerous, though, isn't it?" He looks nervous, maybe a little upset. "The stuff they do. The stuff you do. Could end up getting you killed, yeah?"

[byrned]

He doesn't really want to answer that, because the answer isn't a nice one, and isn't what he knows Nate would want to hear. But he doesn't want to lie to him.

"Yeah. Yeah it could. It's dangerous sometimes, yeah, but I could get hit by a bus tomorrow too you know? And I mean we've got people that try and help, like even if that did happen... Which it on't. Babe. It won't."

[cravating]

"You can't know that it won't. And yeah- you could get hit by a bus but you're also not...running out in front of buses. So it's not quite the same." He's not trying to argue. He's just worried about it, about him.

[byrned]

"I'm not trying to get myself killed, babe," he tells him softly. "I'm not going anywhere. Not if I've got anything to do with it."

He just holds him for a moment, giving him another small squeeze.

"And I was thinking I would, you know. Start with the piano again. If we can get another one at work that is."

[cravating]

Nate's quiet for a moment, looking at Matt in the mirror before he takes his hand and kisses the back of it, threading their fingers and unwinding the two of them from that embrace.

"I've got a surprise for you." He tugs him out into the bedroom, releasing his hand once they get there and moving to his closet where he pulls out a large box wrapped up for Christmas.

"It's early, yeah, but..." He lays it on his bed and gestures for Matt to open it. Inside is a keyboard, same style as the one he had when they first met.

[byrned]

"A surprise?" Matt does like a surprise, and his eyes light up like a kid on his birthday. He's easily led with him, and raises his brow a bit as they move into the bedroom.

"The surprise isn't your cock in my backside is it?" he asks, 90% joking. Maybe 85%. Still, it's clear Nate is heading for something else, and Matt steps over with curiosity at the box he sets down. It's a fairly obvious shape, but Matt doesn't want to presume anything.

He looks at it a second before up to Nate, questioning before he heads over to the bed and perches on the edge.

"Nate you didn't..." he starts as he tugs away on the edge of the paper. He doesn't have to pull very far before his suspicions are confirmed.

"No way." The paper starts to get ripped back with more urgency, and he holds the box over his lap.

"Nate this is-- I mean-- This is amazing. Seriously. Fucking amazing."

[cravating]

He watches Matt open it, nervously excited as he sees recognition wash over the other man's face. He did his best to keep this secret, to search online for one that was just like the one he had known so well when they were living together before.

"I thought it could stay here maybe. So you can play a bit while you're here."

[byrned]

Matt rarely gets choked up, but he is now. His hand smooths over the keyboard box. It's just like the one he used to have, and he knows how tough these things are to find now. Not cheap either.

"Yeah... Jesus. Yeah. Nate I can't believe you did this."

He turns his head and looks back up to him. "Thank you, babe. Seriously. Thank you. This-- well it means a lot."

[cravating]

Nate gives a little shrug and steps forward, leaning down to kiss him softly.

"Would do anything for you." He gives him a little smile and trails his fingertips along Matt's jaw. "And it's like a gift for me. Get to hear you play whenever I want."

[byrned]

Matt's eyes close for a second as he returns the kiss, looking up towards him with an unhindered smile.

"Oh that's what it's all about is it? Well you know I might be a bit rusty, but I'm sure for you I can give it a go. Anything you like, whenever you like. Hey maybe I should go and set it up. Anywhere you want me to put it?"

[cravating]

"Maybe out by the tv? Over by the window? We can get a little set up for you with a chair and everything." Over by where he sets up for new paintings. He likes the idea of keeping their two passions close together like that.

[byrned]

"Yeah okay sounds good." He stands up and grabs hold of the box, moving to go to the front room, wanting to set it up like an excited kid on Christmas morning. The fact he's nude... clearly doesn't matter.

"You got some scissors babe?" he calls back as he's already walked past him.

By the time he catches up, Matt's already sitting on the floor, cross legged as he has the box open and is pulling out polystyrene packaging.

[cravating]

Nate doesn't answer at first. And the reason why becomes clear as his phone makes a soft click noise of a picture being taken. He just grins and puts his phone back down on the sofa.

"Yeah hold on. Got some right over here." He heads for a table off to one side and pulls them out of the drawer.

"You just gonna set it up and play nude for me?"

[byrned]

At the sound of the click of the camera phone Matt looks up and grins towards Nate. He doesn't mind him taking photos one bit. If anything, he really likes it, knowing Nate will have that with him.

He's already fixing a leg to the underside of the keyboard when Nate asks, and he looks over at him with a grin.

"If you like. Long as you're sure it won't turn you on too much. You know, gotta look after your health."

[cravating]

"I'm more worried about you trying to do all that in the dark." He says with a laugh as he hands over the scissors.

"Need more light, love?" His phone can be a flashlight, after all.

[byrned]

"Yeah a bit babe thanks," he grins as he reaches over and takes the scissors, using them to cut open the bag that holds the bolts to connect the legs properly.

He turns his head to look back towards Nate, a sideways smile on his face.

"You know this is perfect," he tells him. "All of this. You. Here. Us. Keep expecting to wake up." He tilts his head a little bit, and yeah okay he might be checking him out. It's allowed.

[cravating]

Nate stays close, shining the bright light from his phone down so that Matt can see what he's doing.

"You're not dreaming." He says, feeling like he might need to reassure him of that. "This is very real. But I know what you mean. I feel the same way. can't believe this is how it ends up."

[byrned]

"How it ends up?" he echoes, looking up at him and shaking his head. "Nah, Nate this isn't how it ends up. You're wrong there. This is how it starts."

They've so much ahead of them, and so much together, how could he be anything but excited by that?

"Now help me get this thing stood up."

[cravating]

Setting his phone down with the light pointed upward, Nate goes to help Matt with the keyboard, getting it flipped over and standing.

"Does she work?" It wasn't something he could check ahead of time, after all.

[byrned]

When it's standing, Matt stands there for a moment, looking over it. He runs his hands over the keys and he simply can't wipe the smile from his face.

"Well let's see shall we?" he grins as he steps around it to retrieve the plug and place it into the nearest wall socket. That done, he heads to the kitchen and grabs one of the chairs from the table where their dinner still sits. Returning, he places it in front of it before sitting himself down and shooting a grin towards Nate.

Lifting his hands, he starts to play. It's just something brief, not some classical triumph, but it's intricate enough. He stops to adjust a setting before continuing.