2021-09-23 21:59:21 ¶ ●

## Rainy Evening

Written for @lonelyeyesweek

Day 4 - Humanity

When Peter comes home he finds his husband engaging in highly suspicious activity. Does he see well or is Elias really… resting?

Read on AO3

…

Elias Bouchard likes routine. All of his days play out by the same script. It could be summed up shortly as spending the day running his institute and spending the evening by Watching. It could be described in great detail as every task, even as little as a cup of coffee is tied to a concrete time.

There are not many things that could make him interrupt it. Usually only his Archivist keeps ruining his day. Even on occasions he happens to be married his routine stays almost unchanged (yet Peter complains he pays him way too much attention anyway.)

Yes, Elias likes familiarity with the same tasks repeated every day. So, even as he is leaving Institute precisely at five o’clock he is already planning his time of rest. First he will make himself a cup of coffee. Then he will dive into the bath. He will Look how Gertrude is doing on her trip to Pu Songling Research Centre. Hopefully he will also manage his skin care routine before his husband returns from whatever he is usually doing the whole day when he happens to stay in London. He smiles and opens his umbrella as the rain finally starts to drop from the cloudy sky which has been hovering over London the whole day.

And he indeed manages to prepare himself a double shot of espresso but then he makes the mistake of sitting on a couch. It should have been just a quick rest to drink his coffee but the cushion seems even more comfortable than usual. Also there is a warm blanket lying right next to him from two days ago when he threw Peter out of their bedroom because he was snoring too loudly.

So what if he postpones his plans just for a minute or two as the rain keeps knocking on his windows and instead of Watching he decides to let his eyes rest.

He is half asleep when a sound of keys in the lock brings him back to reality. It takes the intruder too many tries before he finally finds the one that fits and he manages to open the door. Elias does not bother to Look nor look nor open his eyes all together. If the inability to remember the key to his house is not a clear giveaway he is still able to recognize Peter by footsteps – much louder than one would expect from the servant of the Lonely.

“Good evening my dearest voyeur; what are you watching tonight?” Peter announces himself as always way too cheerfully. He is asking him that every time and most of them Elias does not bother to answer as he would usually be preoccupied with Watching his Archivist, some other employee or even spy on servants of other entities.

“I thought I have already told you I am not very fond of your attempts to use endearment.” Elias turns his gaze towards his husband – both his coat and hair soaking wet as he has been avoiding society enough to never learn about umbrellas. He seems to be caught off guard for a second as he did not expect to get any answer. Unfortunately he regains his ‘wits’ very quickly.

“Oh but why, I wonder, oh, siren of my sea, light in my lighthouse, seashell on my beach, barnacle on my ship…”

Elias rolls his eyes. This is not even worthy of his answer. He rather waves at his tiny cup. “Be useful and make me one more cup of coffee.”

“No one interesting to stalk tonight?” Peter inquires and it is the closest he can get to ask his husband whether he is alright since it is very strange to find him just relaxing.

“Maybe I am just already done with watching. Do you wish to hear about it, husband dear?”

“Depends whether you want the coffee now or in a few months after I return recovering from all the unwanted information…”

Elias for once is not in a mood for their bickering so he only shrugs and rolls more into the blanket. For lack of other things to do now Peter picks up his cup and heads to the kitchen where the coffeemaker is. The silence in the flat misses its usual tension and is surprisingly comfortable.

“Here you go.” Peter puts in front of Elias his fourth attempt (not that Peter would ever admit that) which almost looks drinkable.

“Took you long enough.” Elias takes a sip. It tastes acceptable.

“No words of thanks?

“I would offer a kiss but I do not want you anywhere close. You are cold.” Peter is incredibly easy to manipulate sometimes. There is no more certain way to make him do something than request the exact opposite of him. Elias does not even finish a sentence and his husband is already next to him pulling him into a hug and trying to get his share of the blanket.

Then again maybe his husband might know very well what he is doing and just taking the offered excuse. Elias chooses not to think about it too much. He rather puts some effort into his scheme in the form of a very light push against Peter. He naturally hugs him even tighter. He is a bit too cold for his taste actually…

“Is your body giving up and dying again? Or are you getting that old that you forgot your own schedule?”

“I am fine Peter. It’s just the weather probably. You don’t have to worry.”

“I don’t.”

“Of course you don’t.”

Peter scoffs and Elias smiles, closing his eyes. He is not completely done seeing yet. He cannot help himself but Look through one of the paintings on the wall curious what facial expression Peter has. He is not surprised to witness one of his soft looks. They are not as rare as his husband would claim. Then again Elias himself has not realized he is smiling till now. Cuddled together like this they cut quite a lovely image of domestic bliss…

He closes his Eyes as well. The rain is still dripping on the windows and Peter finally pulls him for his promised kiss. Yes this all feels so awfully and unnaturally human for them. But maybe a glimpse of humanity once in a while will not kill them…