Chapter Text
~ +1 ~
I’ve been working through a pile of receipts, checking them against our books, for what feels like weeks— and the pile does not seem to be diminishing. I know, logically, this can’t be right. But I’ll be damned if I can see an end to this mind-numbing task.
I should be grateful. It’s mind-numbing, yes. Repetitive. Thankless. But it’s a distraction. And I need a distraction from the endless scenarios my mind is creating.
Monty lost. Monty hurt. Monty drunk in a gutter. Monty struggling, hurting, needing me. Monty— no. There are certain things I don’t even allow myself to imagine. But something is wrong. Very, very wrong. It’s been four months since they left, and in that time I’ve had just three letters. The last was over a month ago, and was painfully cryptic.
What would one of my adventures be without a little disaster? But don’t worry, darling. I’m still in one piece. Just about.
Every day since, I’ve frantically sorted through the letters we receive, looking for his handwriting, and I come up empty. I feel empty. I haven’t been apart from him in this long since we were boys. And even then he wrote regularly. So regularly my aunt and uncle started to scowl every time another letter appeared. I could write back then, too. These last few months, that hasn’t been an option. Monty and Adrian have been all over, it seems. Hardly settling in one place long enough for me to get an address.
I miss him like a goddamn lung.
The blasted bell we put above the shop door rings, snapping me out of my thoughts, and I take a deep breath. I’m almost certain I left the closed sign in the window, but I must have forgotten to lock up.
“We’re closed! Sorry!” I call out, without looking away from my work.
It’s past eight— Marvin is long gone, and it’s usually his job to see people off, but I guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands. There’s silence, then I hear slow footsteps, and what seems to be a cane. I scowl, looking up at the door.
“I said we’re—“
The rest of my sentence fails to materialise as I see him. Standing in the doorway and looking very, very sheepish.
Monty.
I stare at him. I’m suddenly unable to do anything else. He looks tired. Slimmer than I last saw him. His hair is longer, roughly tied back, half of his curls escaping to fall over his face. He stares back at me, eyes wide and expectant and… I forget how to speak.
And then his face turns from expectant, to something akin to devastation, and he closes his eyes— choking out a single sob.
Before my brain has even caught up with my feet, I’m out from behind my desk and heading towards him. I pull him into my arms, and his cane falls to the ground with a loud clack. His cane. Why does he have a—
“Percy.” He chokes out, holding on to the front of my jacket. “Darling, I—“
He moves his arms around my waist, squeezing as hard as he can manage. I squeeze back, and it feels so good. To have him here, to be touching him. He’s okay. He’s alive. Monty is here. I pull away just enough to hold his face in my hands. He’s still crying. His cheeks wet and his eyes red-rimmed.
“Stop that. Why are you crying?” I kiss his forehead, then lean my head against his. “Stop. Please.”
He laughs, wetly. “I don’t think I can. Shit. God. I’m so sorry.”
I shake my head. “Why? What for?”
“Everything, Perce! Everything. The way I’ve been. For leaving you here.”
I close my eyes. “I thought you’d be gone two weeks. Three at most.”
“So did I! Perce. Look at me.”
I look at him, he puts a hand over mine.
“So did I. Do you think I meant to be away from you that long? Months. Without your face. Your hands. Your voice. Your—“
“It’s okay. Everything is okay. You’re here.”
Monty shakes his head. “No. It’s not okay. But it could be.”
He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before looking up at me again.
“Marry me.”
My heart feels like it’s throwing itself against my ribcage. I swallow. “What?”
“Marry me.” He strokes my cheek with his other hand, his eyes wide and serious. “If… if you still want me. Oh god. Do you still want me?”
“Monty, that’s… why wouldn’t I want you?”
He laughs, and it’s mirthless. “Because you’ve been asking. Since I can remember. And I’ve said no. No. To marrying Percy Newton! Darling, I’m not well. I cannot be well. I’m not sure I’ll ever be well. I don’t know if I can ever stop drinking. Not really. Not for good. It’s always there, on the surface. And my mind is…” He shakes his head, like he’s furious at himself. “Why would I say no? Because… because I thought I didn’t deserve this? I thought I was bad at this. At being a partner. At being what you deserve, and you deserve so much! You have no—“
I kiss him. Because I can’t hear any more of this. And because I want to kiss him. So badly. More than anything. He sighs into it, his whole body melting against me in relief. We kiss. And kiss. And kiss until we’re out of breath. When we finally part, I lean my head against Monty’s, and we breathe together for a few moments, just… looking.
“Monty….”
“Percy?”
“What in God’s name happened to your leg?”
He smiles. “More swashbuckling adventures, darling. Does it make me look even more dashing?”
“You’ll always be dashing. But—“
He interrupts with a dramatic breath. “Oh darling, it’s been terrible. Well, no— no, it’s been nice. Family bonding, Percy! That happened. So it was mostly nice but somewhat terrible. I thought Felicity had died, you know! But I now realise no weapon forged on this earth could take her down— oh and Adrian! He is a character. You weren’t wrong, calling him a nervous wreck. I’ve never seen anything like it. We ended up losing him in Iceland. Iceland, Perce. And did you know frostbite was actually a real thing? Feli had to take some of his toes and fingers off— I’m starting to think she actually enjoys it, you know. Dismembering her brothers. She fixed my ankle and my leg the best she could, mind you, but they really were scrambled egg. I’ll tell you all about it at some point, although I was far too out of it to really know. I’m surprised she didn’t just slice the whole lot off, to be hone—“
“Monty. Breathe.” I tell him, because I don’t think he’ll ever stop talking if I don’t tell him to. “My god. I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”
He closes his eyes, taking a breath. “Sorry. My point is… marry me, Perce. I know I don’t deserve it, but—“
“Stop. Stop saying that.” He looks at me, and I kiss him again. “You deserve everything and more. That’s the one thing I’ve always been certain of. You deserve everything you could ever want.”
He pauses, then groans. “I had such a gorgeous speech planned, you know. Then I saw you. And you’re more gorgeous than I even remembered, and words are suddenly very difficult.”
I smirk. “You don’t seem to be having any trouble talking.”
He nudges me slightly. “There are words coming out of my mouth. They’re just not… sufficient. Or logical. They’re not enough, so just… marry me, Percy. Please.”
I bite my lip, staring at him. “I don’t know.”
His face falls. “Oh. That’s. I mean, you don’t have to answer straight away, of course.”
“Monty, I’m teasing you.”
He stares, then his jaw drops. “You prick. I’m terribly fragile. And you’re torturing me. It’s unfair and frankly, you’re going straight to hell.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what? I’m not joking. You’re a terrible person.”
“Monty!” I cover his mouth, his eyes widen. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
He stares, as if trying to figure out if I’m in earnest. I don’t know how much more I can say, so I take my hand away from his mouth, and lean in to give him a gentle kiss.
“Let’s get married.”
He grins. I grin back. A tear escapes his eye, and I reach out to wipe it away.
“Now?” he asks.
“No. Now, we’re going to bed.”
His grin gets more wicked. “Even better.”
“To sleep, Monty. You look exhausted. And I’ve barely gotten a wink worrying about you.”
“God. I’m so sorry.” He pushes a stray curl from my face. “But you’ve known me my entire life, and I’ve not seen you or your marvellous arse in months. You know damn well I am absolutely desperate for a fuck, and there’s no way you aren’t either.”
I laugh. “You need to rest.”
“I need to shag.”
“Rest.”
“Shag.”
“You’re not being as seductive as you think you are, my love.”
“Hmmph.”
He pauses, then leans up and whispers in my ear— something so terribly filthy that my breath catches in my throat. Then he pulls back and looks at me, looking as innocent as a lamb. I swallow.
“I should probably lock the door.”
He laughs, staggering backwards and sitting with a thud on the desk as I practically run towards the shop entrance.
“Hurry back, dearest fiancé!”