ruffians | #vampireproblems

Mmhmm.

[He gives him a reassuring smile as if he'd lean in for a quick kiss if he wasn't worried that his teeth are blood-stained. He sighs and leans against the counter.]

It's fine, it's just as soon as you said steak it made me think of all the times you ate it just... you know, for me.

[Eames nods in understanding, and part of him wants to pull Arthur over, but he just can't be that close to him when there's blood in his mouth. Which gets a rueful sigh out of Eames when he realises his discomfort.]

We'll get there again.

[He'll table the biting-- hell, he needs a while without Arthur's teeth in him almost as much as Arthur does. But he's not prepared to throw it out the window just yet.]

Let's not talk about it right now.

[Arthur's tone is like he definitely wants to put his to rest for a little bit. He already knows it's going to be a while before he can drink Eames' blood, if not the rest of Eames' life, and he's totally fine with that. It's not why they're together.]

[It's hard to go from having very conditional access to none at all, but Arthur's good at rules and he'll figure it all out for him.]

Anyway, I should go shower. Don't eat without me.

[He takes himself and his mug of blood in the direction of the bathroom, so he can down the rest and finally clean off all the sticky mess that was left from last night.]

[Eames sighs as he watches Arthur go, giving himself a minute to simultaneously feel a little guilty and also be annoyed at Arthur before he pushes that aside in favour of Not That.]

[He takes ten minutes just to finish his coffee and check his phone for any disasters that have occurred since he got home. The food shouldn't take more than half an hour altogether, so he's kind of timing it around Arthur's shower. A relatively light meal too, because it's late for Eames and effectively breakfast for Arthur, and no decent person as a steak cooked more than medium rare.]

[It's easy to focus on the food rather than anything else though, so he'll be in a relatively decent mood by the time Arthur comes out of the shower.]

[Arthur doesn't take too long in the shower. He'd rather be with Eames making sure everything is still fine and that he doesn't want to suddenly throw him out. Not that everything is actually fine, but both of them want to work this out and they can only do that if they're in the same room.]

[When he finishes his shower, he finishes the blood and brushes his teeth to make sure the smell isn't on his breath. By the time he throws on some sweatpants and a t-shirt he smells and looks like an actual human even if he isn't one. He wanders out to the kitchen and takes a deep breath.]

Hey, how's it coming?

Should be about ten minutes.

[He glances back over his shoulder at Arthur and offers him a smile, mostly in anticipation of this delicious meal, but he knows how easily Arthur gets anxious sometimes and Eames doesn't want him focusing on anything except how good this food is going to be.]

Okay.

[He walks over and leans on the counter next to where Eames is cooking, observing and looking as casual as possible. It's not that he wants affection, it's just that he kind of needs affection.]

Smells good.

[Eames can't offer a lot on that front, but he does reach out with a temporarily free hand to brush up Arthur's arm. If he's gonna try and be casual and be too far to lean over and kiss, this is just what he's gonna have to accept.]

It better.

[Arthur smiles and pushes off the counter, brushing his fingers across Eames' shoulder affectionately as he walks to the fridge. He opens it and stares inside for a little while before he sighs.]

You want a beer?

[The noise he makes suggests that's the best idea Eames has ever heard, and he nods.]

How did you know?

[Arthur grins and puts a beer on the counter well within Eames' reach, and then he leans on the counter again closer this time, just on the other side of the beer. He twists off the cap of the beer and takes a sip.]

I know you.

[There's a couple of choicw comments knocking around Eames' head at that-- about how he never would've left if he knows him like he rhinks he does, but Eames pushes them aside. Arthur's apologised about 100 times and he's here now. Here and being almost offensively charming.]

[Eames takes a sip of beer and when he puts it down he reaches to take Arthur's wrist and pull him closer.]

Come here so I can kiss you.

[Arthur goes willingly, bringing his free hand up to Eames' jaw as he gets closer. He smiles and leans in for a soft kiss, lingering there for as long as Eames is willing to look away from the food.]

[Eames moves his hand to rest it lightly on Arthur's hip with a soft hum as he turns a little toward him and into the kiss. It's not a long one, there's food to consider, and he pulls away after a minute or so and presses another quick kiss to the side of Arthur's face with a smile.]

[Arthur smiles so wide and goes back to the counter where he leans on it, watching Eames silently between sips of beer. It's so nice to be here, just existing together again. A week ago Arthur was trying to convince himself he could keep going without this.]

[Eames glances at Arthur now and then, part of him wishing he wasn't cooking so he could just spend some time kissing Arthur, but he is so he'll settle for a look or two as if he could possibly have forgotten how handsome he is and how good it feels to have him here and staying here in the intervening moments.]

[When it's done though, Eames turns everything off and moves to grab a couple of plates for them and dishes everything up with little ceremony.]

Here you go.

Thanks.

[Arthur grabs all the cutlery and takes his plate to the table. He waits for Eames to sit down as well before he digs in, humming happily once he does.]

Tastes even better than it smells.

[Eames smiles and nudges Arthur's foot with his as he gets started. Arthur's right, it's pretty fucking good.]

High praise from a nose like yours.

[... Or is it just blood he's sensitive to? Oh well, he's said it now.]

[It's everything but especially blood. Either way, Arthur accepts the compliment with a smile and nudges Eames' foot back.]

You have any plans for tonight?

I have to look over the books from last week.

[He gestures with his fork, very much the air of a man who hates... Everything about this.]

Just making sure everything ran smoothly while I was... Unavailable.

[Turns out a blood transfusion followed by being abruptly broken up with makes it kinda difficult to focus on work.]

Right.

[He looks down at his food.]

I should go do the rounds too. I haven't checked in for a while.

[Eames makes a gently disappointed noise and watches Arthur for a moment before he speaks, trying to make sure he doesn't sound at all desperate and needy.]

You could always get back in the habit tomorrow instead.

[Arthur glances up at him from his food, battling with himself about whether to just say it baldly. He decides to go for it, because all of this will be better.]

I can stay in if you want me to. You're always welcome to come with me too.

[Yeah, okay, no way is he going out on the rounds with Arthur when he still has stitches in his neck. It'd be fucking awful for both of them, and the last thing Eames needs is to be dragged home for trying to fight one of Arthur's clients. Or a repeat of what started this fucking mess to begin with.]

[He sighs.] I might get through things faster if a number-loving immortal fancied giving me a hand.

[Also if that same immortal felt like making out a lot afterwards.]

You can always go while I'm asleep.

[Arthur smiles a little bashfully at being called a "number-loving immortal" and shakes his head once Eames is done.]

It can wait. I haven't been reading the news but I'm pretty sure I would have heard about it if someone had been causing trouble, and cleaning up after them is all I really do anyway.

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