Officially Cumberbatched? A sequel to 'Well and truly Cumberbatched'

Chapter 47

                   

                   

AN: Song for chapter- 'Incomplete', Backstreet Boys.  

A few days later...

Tuesday. Evening. Home comforts farm.

"You're like a small child waiting for Christmas, stop pacing about."

"I know; do you think he'd be annoyed?" I asked finally sitting down at the kitchen table, the kettle as always bubbling away, its contents ready to fall into a cold mug awaiting warmth.

"I doubt it, despite his insistence on working all the hours he can taking him away from you. I get the impression he'd rather that wasn't the case." Alex calmly said, gently fiddling with his lighter at the table, my mind thinking back to the dwindling pack of Nicorette gum in my coat pocket.

"I suppose you have a point." I mumbled looking over at him.

"Suppose?" he frowned, not to seriously.

I faintly smiled. "Mm" I nodded, patting Merlin as he lay next to me, having given me one hell of a tackle when we got back.

Combined with the affections of Hazel, Ariel, and Albany alike it took a while to stand up again.

"You mean well, clearly. But do remember what I said. Like Percy, he'll close off or snap if you coddle him to death and will start blaming himself for everything. Well in the event he's stopped blaming himself." he prodded, standing up and stepping over Merlin to reach for a mug.

"It feels more complicated the more I think about it Alex. The whole self blame thing, I can't stop that can I? I can't stop anything bad happening to him, not really." I asked, my fingers drumming the smooth grain of the table.

"Ben didn't come with instructions did he?" he faintly teased setting a steaming mug of camomile down in front of me, I shrugged momentarily, the tiniest of laughs escaping me.

"No, more often than not I wish he did." 

...

Night. The living room.

"Anyone home?" I heard, Merlin's excited barks leaving me and heading to the hall, two large footsteps meeting his four dark paws.

"Merly, why aren't you asleep? Where's Gracey hm? Come on, let's get you settled." he said placing his satchel on the bannister, his shadow in the hall growing by the second, a few candles by the front door burning away into the night.

"Grac-" Ben almost said.

"She's asleep Ben, everyone else is." I said. Merlin looked up at him, just as curious as I was.

He came over to me a moment later, clearly tired.

"Rosie, what, what on Earth are you doing here?" he asked, hands on my shoulders.

"Are you annoyed?" I quietly asked looking up at him.

"No, absolutely not. Of course not." He gently said, pulling me into him for a while.

...

Our room.

"What caused you to detour then?" Ben asked, changing into a grey t-shirt and black sweats.

"This is going to sound stupid but..." I almost said before sitting at the windowsill, the night washing over the fields beyond.

"I'm sure it won't." He said pulling on a pair of woolly socks.