Unsaid Words

Arrest

To be honest, Seb was actually trying to get Jim drunk. In a playful way, not a creepy way. However, to Seb's dismay, Jim didn't seem to want to do anything that night. Seb seemed to have tried everything to get him to say yes. He had tried sitting close behind him, kissing his ear and neck, and loosening his tie. Jim finally gave a valid excuse.

"Seb," Jim laughed, tightening his tie again. "Someone's coming over later! They can't find us like this!"

"Screw them," Seb whispered, slipping his hands around Jim's neck, brushing his jaw.

Someone knocked on the door just as Seb was bringing his face closer to Jim's.

"Shit," Jim muttered, moving away from Seb. "That'll be the police. They always knock the same way, no matter who it is."

"What the hell?" Seb whispered, suddenly alarmed. "The hell did you do?"

"Could you be a dear and hide in the storage room real fast?" Jim asked, moving towards the door.

"Are you getting arrested?" Seb asked, alarmed.

"Sh, they'll arrest you too if they think you're in league with me," Jim whispered.

"I'm not going to wait there and let you get arrested," Seb protested.

"Yes you are," Jim assured him, pushing him towards the room.

Seb opened his mouth to protest, but Jim was giving him a serious look that clearly said "Get the hell over there. You're making this more difficult than it needs to be."

Seb turned away and walked into the storage. He shut and locked the door behind him. He began pacing the room, worried that Jim might not be okay. He ran a hand distractedly through his hair.

He heard unfamiliar voices in the living room, and Jim replying. Seb couldn't make out what they were saying, but Jim sounded confident. After a few minutes, Seb heard the door open and close, as well as several pairs of feet walking out. A few moments passed with no additional noise, Seb stepped out of the storage room.

The flat was completely empty. Jim and the police officers were gone. The only thing that seemed out of place was an untidily-written note on the table. Seb read it.

"Dear Sebastian,

"I'm writing this down because I want to assure you that I'll be fine (I told them someone was coming over later so I could write this). They don't want to jail me for anything; they just want to interrogate me a bit. There's a lot they're not allowed to do so the worst I'll come home with is a couple scratches. Don't worry about me, love. Buy coffee.

"JM"

This wasn't remotely assuring to Seb. He didn't know when Jim would get home. It could be anywhere from two days to two years.

~

Seb received a call early in the morning, jolting him awake. He was still hugging one of Jim's pillows. It didn't feel much like Jim, but it was the closest thing to him Seb could find. Besides, it smelled like his shampoo.
Seb didn't recognize the number, but he answered it.

"Hello?" Seb asked blearily, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, Seb."

Seb recognized Jim's voice instantly.

"Jim?" Seb asked, sitting up straight.

"Yeah, they let me out today," Jim answered.

"What... why were you...?" Seb stuttered.

"I'll explain when I get home; talking about that shit over the phone probably isn't safe," Jim replied.

"Where are you calling me from?" Seb asked.

"A pay phone downtown," Jim answered. "Just to let you know I'm coming home."

"I'll stay right where I am, then," Seb answered.

"Where?"

"In bed."

"Seb..." Jim laughed. "Stay there, then. I'll tell you everything once I get home."

"Can't wait."

Jim laughed again, and then hung up.
Seb found that he had severely missed his laugh, even though it had only been two weeks since he'd been gone.

Jim walked into their flat quietly. Seb might not've heard him if he hadn't been listening for him. Jim came into their room, kicked his shoes off, and climbed into bed beside Seb.

"Tired?" Seb asked, curling an arm around him.

"Yeah," Jim admitted.

Seb looked at his face properly. Sure enough, it was slightly cut up, and he had a small bruise on his cheek.

"Damn," Seb whispered. "You look like shit."

"Don't rub it in," Jim sighed, scooting closer to Seb.

"You can tell me everything in a few hours when you're not exhausted," Seb assured him, rubbing his back.

"Thanks," Jim breathed, putting his head into Seb's chest and taking a deep breath.

Seb recalled what he had previously said. About how he was sick of Jim giving him no personal space. In that moment, he realized that he wouldn't mind having a smaller bubble.