#robert 1

Spring was finally in bloom, casting off the chill of a long, painful winter to let the sun in. Seedlings began their journey for the season towards that light, sprouting through the earth, growing in a flourish of healthy colours and delicate scents. Birds built nests and filled the air with music. People started to hang their wet laundry outside on the line. All felt fresh, awake, and energized.

So why did Nick feel so tired?

He’d always been a good sleeper, quick to rest and quick to rise, guided by his natural body’s schedule; and with Robert wrapped around him, he slept better than ever. It wasn’t like he’d been working himself too hard either, that he’d been working period. In fact, he’d been planning to do some gardening, to get out on the town and take a look at the job postings, but he felt oddly lethargic and his thoughts, foggy. The kitchen he was standing in felt strangely dry and heated as well, even though the sun had only risen two hours ago. Standing by the counter, Nick watched the kettle start to boil apathetically. Hopefully Robert would get up soon and share a pot of tea with him.

Coming to the university was basically a given. Barry has to know the sorts of things they study on this plane, and what better place to find it than in a school? (Well, a lot of places. But it’s often a decent starting point.)

Right now, though, he’s doing exactly none of that productive stuff. He is, instead, in the near-empty university cafeteria (it’s not meal hours), with the public use microwave turned on its back, pouring a tenth bag of marshmallows into it. The microwave looks nearly full to the brim, now.

When he hears someone passing behind him, he starts talking before he’s even turned all the way around to face them.

At his lover’s half-asleep response, Nick had to suppress his snickering, lips curling into a wobbly smile. He carefully set the tray farther down the bed, then eased onto the mattress and crawled beside Robert, chest against his back. He wrapped his arms around him and hummed by his ear. “Roooobert,” he softly sang, “I’ve got something for you.”

Robert decided to get Nick all three of the robes he’d been eying. One was a slinky, silk robe for when his lover was feeling sexy. One was a nice, fluffy robe for cold nights and chilly mornings. The third was something simple, with matching underpants. Of course, Robert was already wearing the matching set. “Merry Christmas, Nicky. Now, try on your new robe and let’s spend Christmas properly, drunk on egg nog and sitting by the fire in our pajamas.”

When Nick opened his gift, he had to laugh seeing that Robert had really gone out and gotten him three different robes. Well, that had been what he expected. And they’d even match with one to boot, how cute. He grinned, delighted and merry with Christmas cheer. “I’ll feel like a king, owning so many luxurious pieces. The height of decadence. I love them.” Yet he loved him more. Nick kissed him on the cheek.

“I’ll try them on in a moment. But first…”

Laughing gently, Nick threw his arms around Robert’s shoulders and casually leaned against him, looking up for a kiss. “Mm... I’d have to think about it, honestly. Perhaps a new robe?”

Blue eyes darted to the outstretched hand and Nick took it near immediately, understanding the offer and the proper response on his part. This man--a Robert Muldoon, he was told--had strong, weathered hands, experienced hands; he wondered how often they would be holding hands, how often it was customary. Nicholas bowed his head in a partial nod. “I would like to see a garden.”

After weeks of travel, months of thoughts, and metaphorical years wasted fretting over options, Nick at long last settled on the city that would be their new home: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

There'd been no defining feature of the location that made his decision; rather, a multitude of factors added up. It was no New York City, but it was fair and would always ensure there was plenty to do, not to mention work to be had. Yet while it was certainly urban, it was not without its splendors of nature to find refuge, from trails and parks and of course Lake Michigan. Most importantly, it was close to home in case of emergency, but not so close as to warrant frequent visits by either parents or son. Though the decision was nearly entirely Nick's, he'd been persistent in getting Robert's opinion. The man hadn't seemed to care much every time, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

But they were not settled quite yet; first came the issue of housing and neighbourhood location. They'd been staying at a hotel until then, going out daily to get a feel for the city. A doctor's visit branded Nick with a fresh cast, to his sour discovery. 'Just another week or so,' the man insisted, 'Just to be cautious.' Nick supposed having his arm busted for three days before medical intervention was good cause for this trepidation, annoyed him as it did. Pouring over maps as he was certainly would've been easier with two hands at his disposal. At least it gave him something to do during the night in their little room.

"I don't recall finding residence in New York to have been this difficult," Nick sighed, looking up from his papers. "But I was much more limited then. Maybe a wooded area?"