A Reunion of Lips

XXVII

"Ow. Ow. Ow—"

Scott glanced up from the paper he was scanning. "Why don't you stop if it hurts?"

"Because I want to finish this."

Scott stifled a laugh at Mitch's hunched position. He was trying to hand stitch two pieces of fabric together with his left hand and hold the fabric in place with one socked foot and his immobilized elbow.

"Couldn't you just design stuff on paper? Instead of... that?"

Mitch glared at him. "I am so sick of sketching. I have pages and pages and pages of designs but nothing done and I want to make something."

"But you're hurting yourse—"

"I don't even care anymore the damn stitches are coming out tomorrow and then I can take the sling off for a little bit—"

Scott closed the laptop and set it to the side. Theresa, his new therapist, would be proud of him for taking a break anyways. "Mitchy," he slid himself over to Mitch's couch in the lounge. "How about we go get a snack or something? I bet Avi has some new dessert for you to try for him."

"Not until I finish this seam."

"Then here, let me be your other hand and—and foot." Scott poked Mitch's foot on the table, holding down one piece of fabric, and replaced it and Mitch's elbow with his own hands. "Now you finish the side and we'll go chill for a while."

Mitch glanced up and Scott already knew what he was going to say.

"Netflix and chill?"

As much as Scott would love to... "No, Mitchy. You know Sarah said no strenuous activities. That would definitely count."

Mitch groaned and turned back to his needle as he kept whining. "But Scotty..."

"Not until after the stitches are out."

"But Scotty! I will let you do whatever you want to me. Anything at all."

Scott did not verbally react to that offer how he would have liked to, but that didn't mean that his mind did not go immediately to the long, long list of things that he would be very happy to do for Mitch. "Mitch, you are making this way more difficult than it needs to be."

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah huh."

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah huh."

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah huh."

The cycle continued well after Mitch looped and knotted the end of the seam and they departed for the kitchen. In fact, it didn't end until Mitch got his hands on the slice of cake that Avi pushed down the counter and over to him, and even then, it was only because of Avi's questioning and Cleo's humored glances as she grated cheese next to him.

"Do I want to know?"

"No." As much as Scott teased Avi with dirty jokes, he didn't really need to share—

"Scott won't fuck me."

"Mitch!"

Mitch just grinned evilly at him while Cleo snickered and Avi rolled his eyes and turned back to his potato peeling.

"Well, uh, wouldn't that be a bad idea with your stitches?" Cleo looked like she was regretting saying anything.

"That's what I said—"

"That's not the point. It would be fine. We can be careful."

Avi sighed and refused to look back at either of them. "I can't believe that I am being forced to say advise on this, but no sex until your stitches come out."

"Avi, you're a mean, mean man."

"Avi, you are my favorite person in the world."

Cleo mumbled something about "never thought I'd know so much about the king's sex life" while Avi grabbed the empty plate from Mitch and waved them towards the door.

"Out. Shoo. No more sex talk in my good, pure kitchen."

"It's not your kitchen, it's my house—" Scott pointed out as Avi ignored him and shooed them further away.

"Out!"

The door swung shut behind them and Mitch turned to Scott. "Shall we roam the corridors aimlessly for a few minutes, then?"

"Yeah, sure." Scott grabbed Mitch's left hand.

He really loved holding Mitch's hand. It was the perfect size to fit in his grip, and he loved the casual sign of affection that was one of the first things they could do when they had first confessed their feelings. Scott also loved instigating their walks around the palace, not just because he got to hold Mitch's hand the whole time, but also because he got to hear what Mitch was thinking about and take a break from being responsible for an entire country.

Hm, maybe he should have considered going to a therapist a lot sooner. Maybe he should've realized how good of an idea it would be after he put so much time and funding into making therapy more accessible for lower-city citizens two years ago.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Mitch bumped Scott gently with his good shoulder.

"How much I love you."

"Yeah, sure. I'm pretty sure you just said that so I wouldn't think no one loves me."

Scott frowned down at Mitch's unconcerned face. "Why on earth would you think that no one loves you?"

The corners of Mitch's mouth twitched up. "Because Avi and Cleo sided with you instead of me, so obviously they like you more than me."

When it clicked that Mitch was making fun of him, his jaw dropped and he gently shoved Mitch away. "You little bastard! You told Avi and Cleo about our sex life to prove a point?"

"Yep. And it worked, didn't it?"

Scott scowled. Well, yes, it did—but he didn't want to admit that.

Mitch just laughed and pressed himself back into Scott's side, grabbing his hand again. "Love you, Scotty."

Scott stuck his tongue out at Mitch, but didn't have it in him to not respond. "Love you too, Mitchy."