"That's the last of the boxes."
Dec turned around from his preoccupied staring in the living room, dragging his eyes from the assortment of bags and boxes that had already populated the floor space around the window. It had been one of those late night, sleep deprived conversations towards the end of the tour that had set this in motion. He'd realised how much time Stephen spent away from his own house, how much of his stuff had naturally gravitated into Dec's space, and he'd seen no reason to stop that process.
"You know, if we're out now and it doesn't matter if people notice things, we could just live together." He remembered Stephen's huffed laughter in the darkness of the bedroom and the feeling of a hand squeezing his arm.
"Are you asking me to move in?" Stephen had asked, oddly calm in that way he often was when they had 'big' conversations in their own, unconventional way. Dec imagined the stakes were lower when they were lying in a dark room, meant to be asleep, talking about important stuff instead.
He'd liked Stephen's question. He'd liked that unspoken acknowledgement that Dec lived opposite Ant and had done for some time. Stephen probably knew Dec would move if he had to but he didn't even start that conversation.
"I'm not really attached to this place," he admitted when they were back over there a couple of weeks earlier, figuring out what they could get rid of and what duplicates could replace Dec's own belongings. "I prefer your house. I've never had to be someone I'm not there."
It was another one of those offhanded comments that he sometimes made now – the honesty Dec had wanted when they got back together. He'd smiled at the floor whilst Stephen rummaged in a cupboard, feeling as if he were floating from the unspoken affection in the younger man's tone. And when Stephen had turned around, face screwed up and asking if that made any sense, Dec had just nodded with that same look of contentment and then pointed at a questionably patterned vase on a nearby windowsill, demanding to know how it had ever been allowed within a hundred metres of Stephen's house just to make him laugh.
In between all of that, it hadn't quite felt real. Dec had never asked someone to move in with him. He'd never had the anticipation of mixing everything he owned in with someone else's possessions – never finding anyone he could share that space with.
And now Stephen's life was boxed up and sat right in front of them, sprawling across the living room floor.
"It will be a nightmare to unpack," Stephen said, as if he thought that was what Dec was contemplating.
He smiled naturally when Dec turned to him, feeling that same content expression make a home on his face. And he didn't complain when Dec stepped over a pile of bags and wrapped an arm around his back, returning to his staring match with the boxes and resting his head on Stephen's shoulder.
"You hate tidying," Stephen said eventually, his smile evident in his voice. Dec didn't turn to see it, waiting for him to continue. "Sure you aren't regretting asking me yet?"
Dec laughed under his breath, tilting closer, eyes closed, letting himself murmur, "I'll put up with it. For you."
"I think that's the most flattering thing you've ever said," Stephen replied, laughing when Dec nudged him with his head petulantly.
"I'll throw you out if you keep being sarcastic," he retorted, feeling another amused exhalation on the crown of his head.
"I'd like to see you try."
"Yeah?" He lifted his head at Stephen's challenge, grinning childishly.
"Yeah," Stephen replied, "You couldn't even lift me, never mind throw me."
YOU ARE READING
As we fall apart
Fanfiction"Maybe it would be best if..." "What's that supposed to mean?" "I don't think I can do this anymore." It felt like it came out of nowhere. They'd had a lot to contend with for a long time but still, after it all, they'd had each other. Until they di...
