The last few weeks had been very, very strange.
Following the... event in the pet store, Jonathan had gone home with not only a new pet (which he had now dubbed Danny) but something else new entirely. What was between he and Dio was still up for explanation; it didn't really help that since then, he hadn't actually seen much of him. Between teaching and the end of the year finals Jonathan was swamped with work - most often than not, he found himself falling asleep over grading deadlines and lesson plans to make sure his students were getting the most out of their educations. Barely spending any time away from the university kept him exhausted most of the time... but this weekend he had worked hard enough for a break, and had two full days of relaxation to do with what he chose.
He found himself on the veranda, reading a favorite book. The weather was pleasant and perfect for spring; Danny snoozed peacefully in a sunny spot on the grass beyond him. Birds chirped and fluttered to give life to the crisp air; he could breathe it in and feel it cleansing his entire body of stress. The cherry on top was the delightful cup of tea that sat poised on the coffee table beside him, and as he took a sip, he wondered if this moment was actually real. It was the first time he had felt real peace since--
Even he couldn't help but close his eyes and blush at the thought, though he was alone in the privacy of his own home and his own thoughts. Despite the heat that had grown between them in the store, the night had progressed to be something much more tame than he could have imagined. Additionally, it came as a relief. Dio came home with him and slept, literally slept, beside him the entire night... perhaps because Dio knew that's what Jonathan really wanted following the emotional moment they shared. Both were equally exhausted, as well. It was some of the best and most restful sleep he could remember in a long time, as innocuous as the entire thing was. Waking up had been disappointing; he remembered turning over to an empty bed and wondered it if was all a dream. Maybe.
He imagined it best, given that reaction, to give Dio his space. Though it had been a very taxing discovery on Jonathan's end, Dio probably felt similarly overwhelmed despite his usual cool demeanor. He had noticed a crack in his stone cold resolve, which of course was only welcomed with open arms, and yet completely understood that Dio didn't view things the same way he did. Honesty was something Jonathan truly appreciated, especially between the people in his life that mattered most, but Dio was much different than he in every possible way, which made everything about their union eccentric. But that had been established; they both knew how strange it was, he imagined. It was now about moving forward and choosing what to do with it.
A lot of his previous anxiety had thankfully settled. In the moment, his heart had bled and he was scared, positively frightened, at the idea of having ruined his relationship with Dio. This of course was a bit ridiculous considering the reception from the other man, but Jonathan was not at his wits during their messy burst of passion. Most of that logic seemed to just pass itself from his lips to Dio's being; he wondered, then, how Dio was taking all of this. Just as the worry grew, he silenced it, returning to his book. No sense in being this way without any kind of resolution. The lack of conclusion did bother him - ambiguity did not fit in well with his gentleman's values - but for now, he knew it was best to stay here in his relaxed state, thinking of Dio fondly and remaining positive.
These thoughts slowly brought him to where he now napped on the veranda; his book laid lazily on his abdominals, a hand rested on his chest while the other arm cradled his head and temporarily, the gentle giant was truly content . . .
