Redemption || MorMor

And The Morning After

Light was streaming in through the thin curtains, illuminating the duo. They were both in the place somewhere between deep sleep and being awake, not wanting to move for the fear of waking the other and destroying the moment. What were previously strongly-held hands, were now loosely joined. They faced opposite directions, but they managed to still keep their hands held, even when they were asleep they needed the contact. Jim was the first to move, briefly squeezing Seb's hand before detaching himself and sitting up.

Seb murmured, his eyes flickering open and Jim groaned, rubbing his forehead to ease the hangover headache that he wasn't used to. It had been years since he'd drank to that extent. Seb twisted himself around to look at him, "mh, morning."

He didn't look back and just grunted in response. Seb frowned, sensing that it wasn't going to be the romantic morning he was hoping for. So he just admired to view of Jim's back, with his t-shirt that had shifted up his torso slightly, revealing some skin that Seb was only too happy to gaze at for a while. His dark hair was messy from sleep, sticking out in all directions, making him smile. He looked so normal like this, so ordinary. He could pass for anyone from that angle. He was rubbing his forehead and between his eyes, clearly suffering from a headache.

The lamp was still on by the door and Jim reached to turn it off, sighing. Seb sat up, feeling a little out of place and more than a little awkward. He wanted to break the silence but didn't dare. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Do you want coffee?" He asked, getting fed up of the atmosphere in the room.

"Yeah, ta, and some painkillers if you can find them. They might be in the bathroom, actually..."

"Back in a minute," he nodded, patting Jim's shoulder once and leaving to make the beverages. Upon getting to the kitchen and putting the kettle on, he sighed loudly and rubbed his eyes. His mind was both racing and completely still. He wasn't sure what to make of everything. He wasn't entirely sure how much he'd told Jim and the same the other way. Only faint details and emotions came to his memory. He poured the coffees and looked for painkillers in the cupboard but didn't find any. He took the mugs upstairs to Jim, who was still rubbing his face in various places and generally just looking like he was in pain. He couldn't help smiling at him, "not much of the drinker, eh?" He held the coffee out to him. Jim looked up and took it after a moment.

"Thanks. And no, I haven't drank for years... don't know why I suggested it," the regret was obvious in his voice as he sipped on it.

"I'll find something for the headache now," Seb went into the en-suite and opened the mirrored cupboard above the sink, assuming that was the place it would be. There were lots of pills there, things he didn't recognise as household things. He frowned, reading some of the labels. 'Moriarty, James. Chlorpromazine,' 'Moriarty, James. Olanzapine.' They were prescription. He didn't know what they were or what they did but they sounded scary and serious. He never knew he was ill, he didn't seem it.

Swallowing his worry, he searched for and found ordinary painkillers and brought them to Jim. He looked at him differently, this man was more damaged than he ever knew, and there was still a lot that he didn't know. He sensed that he could just see the tip of the iceberg.

Jim was too hungover to bother noting that Seb went into that cupboard, so just took the pills and thanked him. Seb sat next to him and sipped his own drink. They both sat there, in silence apart from the occasional loud sip and Seb's leg tremor rubbing on the carpet. The atmosphere between them was different to what it had ever been before and neither could tell if it was better or worse.

"What's the plan for today, then?" Seb asked, his voice quieter than usual, getting fed up with the silence.

"Fuck all, if this headache continues," he sniggered, finally looking across at Seb and smiling at him. His head was resting on his hand and his eyes were glinting. He looked beautiful.