him.
~~~
He could not sleep without the sound of
Charlie’s breathing and got out of bed before light. He dressed and
went out, ordering coal though they had plenty as well as lilies
from lonely flower-sellers to decorate the front entranceway.
Ladies liked flowers, from what Will understood of them. He stopped
at the markets just as the merchants began to lay out their wares
and purchased fresh bread and eggs. He had no idea how to prepare
the eggs aside from boiling them but many gentlemen ate boiled eggs
for breakfast.
He dug out and polished a silver egg cup and
served the egg and bread for his master’s breakfast with hands that
barely trembled. His gentleman froze at the sight of the tray,
frowning down at it and then up at Will.
“We were out of biscuits?” Charlie asked. He
had shadows under his eyes as though his night had been a bad
one.
“No, sir.” Will flashed him another small
smile and went to the closet to decide on a suit for the day. His
master had many appointments about town and possibly a lady to woo.
He would need serious colours and a cravat that indicated his
intentions. “I thought you could use a change.”
“A change?” Charlie spoke in a heavy,
disappointed tone but did not press the issue. “I’m sure it’s
delicious.”
Will glanced over as Charlie cracked the
eggshell and exhaled in relief when the egg was revealed to be
fully cooked after all, if somewhat soft. Perfectly edible. Will
had done well for his first time.
“You have several appointments today, sir, do
not forget,” Will spoke up after another few moments, when he could
not take his master’s dark eyes on him any longer.
“I have not, thank you, Will.” The warmth in
his master’s voice tested his resolve. Will made himself take a
long, critical look at the shirt he had taken out for today and
decided it needed a better ironing. He could not look up. His
master seemed out of sorts and sad and that was Will’s doing but he
could not make it better. He was not the one to make it better, no
matter how hard he tried to be a true gentleman’s gentleman.
“I… I can see you have your own errands to
attend to,” Charlie spoke as Will prepared to take the shirt into
the kitchen. Will briefly closed his eyes before turning around
although he did not leave the doorway.
His gentleman was sitting up in bed, his egg
and tea mostly untouched before him. His bedding was the kind of
mess that meant a night of turning, and he wore no shirt, as though
he had removed it in the dark and flung it to the floor. He looked
back at Will for a moment, his gaze traveling slowly over his face
and then down to Will’s plain, small starched collar. He considered
Will’s simple coat, then swept his eyes back to Will’s hair, held
down for once, as was proper. He sighed before looking away.
“I had thought… a shave,” Charlie cleared his
throat, “but I shall shave myself. Thank you, Will.”
Will curled his hands into fists, further
wrinkling his master’s shirt, but he nodded. “Whatever you wish,
sir,” he breathed and turned back.
He returned with an ironed shirt to help his
gentleman in and out of the tub. Charlie did not ask, but Will saw
him moving to stand and came closer without being bidden. Charlie
smelled clean and warm and pressed himself to Will with a strength
that said he could have stood on his own. Despite that he didn’t
let go and for a long moment Will turned his face into his master’s
neck and breathed. His fingers curled into hot, slippery skin. His
master’s heart beat furiously under his hand and his muscles were
firm and tense.
Will opened his eyes and saw himself in the
mirror clinging to his gentleman. He made himself step back.
“Will,” his master called after him then
cleared his throat. “There is a draft of a speech on my desk, I
hoped you might read it through if you had a moment,” he proposed,
only to fall momentarily silent when Will swallowed noisily and
nodded for
~~~
He could not sleep without the sound of
Charlie’s breathing and got out of bed before light. He dressed and
went out, ordering coal though they had plenty as well as lilies
from lonely flower-sellers to decorate the front entranceway.
Ladies liked flowers, from what Will understood of them. He stopped
at the markets just as the merchants began to lay out their wares
and purchased fresh bread and eggs. He had no idea how to prepare
the eggs aside from boiling them but many gentlemen ate boiled eggs
for breakfast.
He dug out and polished a silver egg cup and
served the egg and bread for his master’s breakfast with hands that
barely trembled. His gentleman froze at the sight of the tray,
frowning down at it and then up at Will.
“We were out of biscuits?” Charlie asked. He
had shadows under his eyes as though his night had been a bad
one.
“No, sir.” Will flashed him another small
smile and went to the closet to decide on a suit for the day. His
master had many appointments about town and possibly a lady to woo.
He would need serious colours and a cravat that indicated his
intentions. “I thought you could use a change.”
“A change?” Charlie spoke in a heavy,
disappointed tone but did not press the issue. “I’m sure it’s
delicious.”
Will glanced over as Charlie cracked the
eggshell and exhaled in relief when the egg was revealed to be
fully cooked after all, if somewhat soft. Perfectly edible. Will
had done well for his first time.
“You have several appointments today, sir, do
not forget,” Will spoke up after another few moments, when he could
not take his master’s dark eyes on him any longer.
“I have not, thank you, Will.” The warmth in
his master’s voice tested his resolve. Will made himself take a
long, critical look at the shirt he had taken out for today and
decided it needed a better ironing. He could not look up. His
master seemed out of sorts and sad and that was Will’s doing but he
could not make it better. He was not the one to make it better, no
matter how hard he tried to be a true gentleman’s gentleman.
“I… I can see you have your own errands to
attend to,” Charlie spoke as Will prepared to take the shirt into
the kitchen. Will briefly closed his eyes before turning around
although he did not leave the doorway.
His gentleman was sitting up in bed, his egg
and tea mostly untouched before him. His bedding was the kind of
mess that meant a night of turning, and he wore no shirt, as though
he had removed it in the dark and flung it to the floor. He looked
back at Will for a moment, his gaze traveling slowly over his face
and then down to Will’s plain, small starched collar. He considered
Will’s simple coat, then swept his eyes back to Will’s hair, held
down for once, as was proper. He sighed before looking away.
“I had thought… a shave,” Charlie cleared his
throat, “but I shall shave myself. Thank you, Will.”
Will curled his hands into fists, further
wrinkling his master’s shirt, but he nodded. “Whatever you wish,
sir,” he breathed and turned back.
He returned with an ironed shirt to help his
gentleman in and out of the tub. Charlie did not ask, but Will saw
him moving to stand and came closer without being bidden. Charlie
smelled clean and warm and pressed himself to Will with a strength
that said he could have stood on his own. Despite that he didn’t
let go and for a long moment Will turned his face into his master’s
neck and breathed. His fingers curled into hot, slippery skin. His
master’s heart beat furiously under his hand and his muscles were
firm and tense.
Will opened his eyes and saw himself in the
mirror clinging to his gentleman. He made himself step back.
“Will,” his master called after him then
cleared his throat. “There is a draft of a speech on my desk, I
hoped you might read it through if you had a moment,” he proposed,
only to fall momentarily silent when Will swallowed noisily and
nodded for
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