REST

Connor reached to touch the tired lines surrounding Markus’ eyes, suddenly glad for the rain. They’d been examining the little wooden rowboat when it had started. One large drop on the boat’s curved bottom, then another that made Markus yelp as it struck, cold and finding its way inside his collar.

“Maybe we should-” Connor began, and several more drops hit, a quick pat-pat-pat on the jetty. Markus was already reaching for his hand and together they sprinted for the cabin, whooping as the sky seemed to split beneath the weight of too much rain. 

Soaking and shivering, Connor filled the kettle and placed it on the stove while Markus stared out of the window. Not that there was much to see beyond the blur of wet, spirals of heavy rain.

“I’ll build a fire,” Markus offered, his hand curving Connor’s hip and his lips pressing to the back of Connor’s neck, the dripping hairline. “Down here, or-”

“I’ll bring the tea up. I need to get out of these clothes, anyway. So do you.”

Another kiss to Connor’s shoulder, this one much warmer. Tender. 

Now, some hours later, the fire had burnt away to embers but neither of them was cold.

Stirring under Connor’s fingertips, Markus murmured a sleepy what? Curled closer.