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

Chapter 58

AN: I Found- Amber Run.

Sunday night.

Canterbury Road.

"Bed, Merlin." I said entering the hall, he'd had a long enough day wrestling the kids and Hazel. I knew he'd be a grump without a walk to end the day.

"He didn't seem as playful on his walk." Ben uttered locking the front door behind him. I took my coat off, resting it on the bannister.

"He can sense the faintest change in our moods, mine especially. He'll either try to please us or feel helpless." I added sitting on the last step, pulling my shoe off.

"He also brought you toys?" he asked taking his Barbour off, resting it over mine.

"Yeah, this afternoon he kept offering me his tennis balls, you know he likes to carry them all at once. I suppose it works, he gets to play and we distract ourselves thinking about him instead." I muttered standing back up, a part of me wishing we were both too preoccupied to talk at all.

"We, um. It was alright wasn't it? Just the three of us this evening?" he asked, I nodded rubbing my wrist a few times.

"Yeah, yes. It was fine, normal. I need to think about what I'm doing tomorrow morning, I'm just going to bed." I said, the faintest twitch coming from his lips.

"Sure. I'll put the kettle on."

...

The bathroom.

Locking the door behind me I sat at the wicker chair under the window, a small vanilla candle resting on the sill.

"It's not supposed to be like this. I don't want to do this." I rubbed my face with my hands, irritated with everything.

...

Taking two tablets to get to sleep I sat in near darkness drying my hair, having drowned my thoughts in the shower.

Hearing the door open behind me I continued drying with just the ends left, it wasn't exactly going to be a stranger coming in; in theory anyway.

Pouring a small amount in my hands I combed the Argan oil from tip to root, the softness comforting in each stroke.

Giving Ben the paddle brush I turned my back to him, he gathered sections in each hand, occasionally grazing my nape, my shoulders.

'Don't pull away', I thought sitting there, tiredness taking over.

He stopped brushing after a while, gathering my hair in his hands, braiding it down my back, tying it at the end, his fingers brushing my back as he went along.

"Thank you, Ben." I turned around to face him, a faint ease in his profile.

"I wanted to do it."

"I know, let's just go to bed."

Climbing into bed I thought about spending some time with Mrs. Hudson tomorrow, maybe Ben should too, he's always been able to confide in her.

Shuffling onto my back, I looked over at him flicking through the TV mounted on the wall opposite.

...

"Do you want to see Mrs. H tomorrow? I'm only working in the morning" I asked after a while, he nodded turning the TV off, sounds of an alternate reality silenced for the night.

"Together?"

"Yes, I want to spend some time with her and I know she wants to see Merlin. Only if you want to."