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This is really embarrassing, but I have seriously sprained my ankle. I can more or less manage, but I can't quite manage carrying things, opening doors, and crutches, yet. I can eat take-out and delivery forever to avoid it, but I need some help with the cat-food and cat litter that got dumped just outside my door.

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"I'm going to get you the soup I bought, first," Bail said. "Then you can use me as your pillow all you want."

And before Ben could protest- well, Ben could protest, but Bail was already moving back towards the kitchen counter. He'd gotten take out (from that soup and salad place they'd first started their relationship). He found a spoon, grabbed the take-out tub, and then returned to the couch.

"Sit up, so I can sit down."

He knew damn well that he needed to eat with the pain killer but he was - not super interested. He sighed and sat up so Bail could sit, and while he was still up reached for the soup.

"Are you sure you're not upset that I didn't call you sooner?"

...He's submissive and in pain. There was going to be some emotional wobbling.

Bail sat down, and grabbed a throw pillow to make his lap even more comfortable.

"I am not upset," he said, reassuringly. "I... just assumed we were at that place in our relationship where we'd call or text one another if something like this happened. If you aren't there, that's okay. It's nothing to be upset over, especially when you're hurt. That comes first."

He doesn't make use of Bail's lap just yet, because he's trying to get at least half that container of soup down and doesn't trust himself not to spill if he's more reclined.

"I'm not sure there is any point where it would have occurred to me naturally. That you asked why I didn't means at least I'll pay attention in the future."

"You know you don't have to drink that soup in one gulp, right?" Bail asked.

He was thinking about a question to ask Ben, he was just trying to find a way to ask it without being misundertsood.

"Yeah, but the faster I'm done the faster I can stop eating and can use you as a pillow."

Probably not the best attitude toward food but there were extenuating circumstances, in a serious way.

He looked curious, though, half-sensing Bail was trying to work up to something.

Edited 2020-09-09 14:18 (UTC)

"Just don't add choaking on soup to your list of injuries, today," Bail said. His lap would still be there in five minutes or ten minutes.

As for the question he was trying to form in his mind...

He decided to just be direct because by now, Bail had learned it was the best approach with Ben.

"How many serious relationships have you had?"

He set the soup on the coffee table and leaned in against Bail, waiting for his painkillers to truly take effect and thinking about that question.

"I suppose that depends on how you define serious. I've had a couple where we lived together, at least nominally, but that was also at a time when travel was happening a lot."

"So what is the dynamic that you are used to for a serious relationship?" Bail asked, curious. There was nothing acusatory in his tone, he just wanted to know what Ben thought. "What I mean is, what do you expect?"

"I don't know that I really have expectations. Both of those relationships worked differently, because they were with different people." Which wasn't an evasion just - he doesn't know how to answer the question.

"What expectations do you want for us?" He wasn't trying to pry into Ben's previous relationships, he just wanted to know what Ben wanted for them.

"That depends," he says, snuggling more deeply into Bail. There's only a faint wince to go with it. "Do you mean right now, or long term?"

"Long term? Hmm?" Bail asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. Did he... Did they dare think of long term yet? He thought about that as he brushed his fingers gently through Ben's hair once he was settled

He'd work up to that, he decided.

"Start with now," he said.

Good. That was much, much easier. He made a soft sound that was all about enjoyment of the contact, and tilted into it, so he could maximize the amount of time Bail's hand was touching his hair.

"That we'll see each other regularly as much as our schedules allow, that we will support one another in life, care about one another's well beings, and if we ask for help the other will provide it. And sometimes sleep over and have sex."

That's probably too simple.

It was simple, but Bail still liked the answer.

"I like and agree with all of that." A finger strayed down the back of Ben's ear.

"And, I'll cook for you," he added.

Then he dared to make the conversation more complicated, "What about long term?"

He'd offered that as an option, and he knew that implied he had an answer, but. "I don't know. Not beyond expecting that there will be one. That I'll meet your daughter at some point." The rest got complicated and kind of scary in detail, but he wanted something just what it looked like? So many variables.

"I want that, too," Bail said. And because his goal here was to take care of Ben, not pressure him or make him feel worse emotionally than he already did, Bail decided to leave it at that.

"Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?"

"Good pain killers, a belly full of warm soup and your company? I don't think so. If you want to help me get to my bed so Elsa can join us and have a proper cuddle, though, I won't say no."

He... just adored Bail. The future was just big and there were a lot of details there he wasn't sure what to do with.

The future was a bit scary. But it was okay to just let it be the future right now.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Bail offered. "Or does that hurt your pride too much?"

"It doesn't hurt my pride at all if your back is up for it." He was trying to not make too big a deal out of it, but between the drugs and the closeness he felt a little like crying. In a good way.

Bail chuckled a bit, "I'll be fine. I'm only old when I complain about it. And I'm not too old to do this for you."

HE bats his eyelashes a moment then stops and just smiles. "Then treat me like a princess and carry me to bed."

Yeah. He was in love.

Dammit.

"And a lovely princess you are."

Bail thinks for a moment he can see that emotion in Ben's eyes, but chalks it up to imagination. Time. Just more time. Confirmation could wait.

But boy was Bail falling just as hard and fast.

"Do you need help sitting up?" Because he wasn't about to just stand up and unceremoniously dump Ben's head on the couch.

He groans in only mostly teasing protest, but sits himself up so Bail can move. "We're lucky I didn't sprain my stomach." Meaning his core worked even if he didn't want to use it.

As soon as Bail was up he narrowed his eyes to consider how to make this work, and decided that his best bet was to let Bail start and then just hold on.

Bail knelt down to the right height, Ben was not the first person he'd ever lifted.

But he didn't reach for Ben yet. "Have you ever sprained your stomach before?" he asked.