Where The Heart Is

Missed You

Note: Solitaria-Fantasma prompt: Set after Best Served Cold but before Worse Than Death…something fluffy, with Arthur and Lewis rebuilding their friendship? Child: *raises mace, roaring* I CAN BE FLUFFY! Also I say this happens basically right after the grocery shopping trip (chapter 2). I’m sorry it’s much shorter.

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            Lewis walked their body back into the house. They passed Mystery, still asleep on the couch, and set down the groceries. Lewis paused, asking quietly, “You think you can get this Arthur?” He paused, then nodded, phasing out of Arthur’s body.

            Arthur leaned heavily on the fridge for a moment, taking in slow, deep breaths. He managed a shaky grin. “Thanks L-lew.” Before painstakingly loading the food into the fridge and freezer. On finishing, he turned around and took a few steps toward the hall, before reaching out to grab onto the back of a chair, weaving. Lewis grabbed his arm, supporting him as they made their way down the hall carefully together. Arthur flung out his arm toward the workshop, and Lewis guided him in, helping him over to his chair.

            “What are you working on now?” Lewis asked, sitting on the edge of Arthur’s work table.

            “N-n-not sure.” He admitted. “B-been kind of focused e-elsewhere. L-last thing I m-made was V-v-v-v….” He sighed. “Ecto-detect-ecto.”

            Lewis’ head dropped slightly on mention of Vivi.

            “Sh-she still w-w-wants space?

            Lewis nodded.

            Arthur tilted his head. “H-hey Lew, y’kn-know what I b-b-bet she really missed? I b-b-bet she missed you singing to her.”

            Lewis blinked, staring over at Arthur quizzically.

            “Sh-she didn’t talk about you m-m-much after, we k-kind of both were… it was h-h-hard for different r-reasons. But sometimes I’d c-catch her humming b-b-broadway. It’s n-not really her thing, y’know? It was yours.” Arthur gestured at a shelf on the other side of the room. “Got a r-recorder over there. Bet sh-she’d love to hear something from you.”

            “And flowers.” Lewis brightened. Then his eye quirked in a cheeky grin. “Forget-me-nots?"

            Arthur groaned. “L-lew you’re t-t-terrible. Here.” He fished in his pocket for his wallet and handed it to the ghost. “G-g-go get her some flowers.”

            Lewis hesitated.

            “They w-w-won’t be from me, we can work out a way for you to get income l-l-later. It’s a l-loan.”

            Lewis accepted the wallet, then hovered to the other side of the room to scoop up the recorder. He checked inside. “Can I use the tape?” At Arthur’s nod, he clicked it shut. “What song was she humming?”

            “Um….” Arthur rubbed his chin. “I think it was from that m-m-music con man sh-show. Some s-slow song.”

            Lewis stilled, staring down at the recorder. “Goodnight My Someone?”

            Arthur grabbed a few tools, pulling over some scrap parts. “I think so.” He grabbed some paper and a pencil, making a few quick lines on an idea. “Lew… I kinda missed-d it too. You w-working on m-music and all.” He peeked out of the corner of his eye. “D-don’t suppose…?”

            Lewis looked down at the recorder in his hands. “You really missed me too?” He asked, the sentence less of a question and more of an acceptance. “Guess I could do a few. What was your favorite?”

            Arthur stuck his tongue in his cheek hard, trying to keep a straight face. “Oh I d-d-don’t know, M-Matchmaker?”

            Lewis groaned. “Arthur, really? You pick a song with THREE girls singing?”

            “C-c-consider it payback for the t-t-terrible puns.”

            “You missed the puns too, jerk.” Lewis jutted his chin forward then blinked in disappointment.

            “T-t-tell me you didn’t just t-t-try to stick your tongue out at m-me.”

            “Shut up and tinker.”

            Arthur grinned, continuing with the design. He had to put together a prosthetic for Mystery, that’s what needed doing. As he did, he heard the recorder click on, and Lewis’ rich baritone beginning with, “Goodnight my Someone, goodnight my love…”