#sebstef

Work at his studio was starting to pile up. Stefano had started to offer his skills for hirer to help bring in a bit of extra money to help out at home, as well as his passion for art. His most recent job involved having a set amount of photographs for business advertisements but each one that Stefano presented was not good enough for the manager. The irritating bastard having no appreciation for Stefano’s photography skills, and the sly comments thrown under his breath did not go unheard by Stefano though he held his tongue, swallowing the bitterness that he wanted to spit back out. He needed to remain professional in order to earn money. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t curse the man out when he was in the safety of his home.    

While it would normally take about a twenty to thirty-minute travel by bus, it took him twice as long in the pouring rain. By the time he reached the front door, he was soaked through fully. The coldness seeped into his bones, sending his body into a shaking mess to the point it made opening the front door difficult with getting the correct key. A part of him was tempted to just bang his fist against it until Sebastian opened. Still, the pain of the coldness made it difficult to do so, and so the use of the key was his option. He wasted no time in peeling the wet clothes off once he was in his bedroom, swapping them for dry, warm pyjamas. On the way out, he grabbed a towel to help dry his hair and try to gain some sense of warmth again. Thankfully, the heating was already on, and Stefano made his way into the kitchen to make himself a cup of something hot before heading into his home studio to develop the pictures and finish everything off.

Weights tugged at Stefano’s eyelid, exhaustion seeping into his muscles, tempting him with the sweet lull of sleep. He shook his head, rubbing the sleep from his good eye before turning back to the computer, printing everything off. The colours aren’t right in these images, he needed to get the shading right, as well as the shadows. But the temptation to flutter his eyelid, his cheek pressed against his propped up arm. The darkness held onto him, but it wasn’t malicious, it was comforting. He fidgeted in his seat a little more, leaning his weight more against the desk while his head slowly began to slid down his arm, nuzzling against his arm, his consciousness slowly slipping away like droplets of water dripping through his fingers.

A sudden beeping sound from the printer snatched Stefano away from the peaceful arms of sleep, a burning pricking around his eye from the tiredness as he grumbled with annoyance. A small curse left his lips in his native tongue. A red light flickered from the printer, demanding more paper. With a huff, Stefano checked to see how far he still had left to go with the photos.

“Eight more?” Twinges of annoyance sparked at that, he thought he was almost finished by now. Running his hands through his hair, he lightly gripped at it, an irritated groan seething through gritted teeth.

“Stefano.” Sebastian’s voice came from the doorway, the man dressed in his nightwear also, sleep lightly brushing his features, “You’re tired, come to bed and get some sleep.” It had become known that Stefano’s late nights and early rises were chipping away at the man. Three times he had left the house without eating, and one of those times, he had almost collapsed at work. Yet, Stefano still remains buried in his work. Something Sebastian can understand. But he also missed their moments together, missed holding Stefano close as they laid in bed together. That warm, secure feeling, knowing that someone was there for him.

It had also come to his attention that Stefano’s smile had faded over the weeks, replaced by a constant sigh, frown or irritated scowl at something that didn’t go as he planned. It tugged at Sebastian’s heart every time.

“I can’t. Need to finish this, but the damn printer is acting up.” He muttered, grabbing at some more paper and pushing it into the open printer. With a soft sigh, Sebastian walked over and set his cup aside before turning Stefano’s chair around to face him.

“You’re tired. Please, come to bed. You can finish this in the morning.” Stefano opened his mouth to protest but Sebastian continued, “You said so yourself, when you’re tired, you make mistakes.” Stefano had told Sebastian that countless times when he was staying up late in his study to finish off paperwork and reports. Having his own words used on him eared a light pout from the photographer but he caved in.

“Alright, fine. Let me just save the progress and I’ll come up to bed.” True to his word, Stefano did so and turned off the computer and printer, leaving the prints in their place before standing to follow Sebastian, a yawn hindering him for but a moment, and making him realise just how exhausted he really was. His muscles protested at each movement, desiring him to just lay down on the floor to rest, but Stefano pushed through it, having no desire to sleep on a hard floor. A light smile tugged Sebastian’s lips at this, reaching his hand out to take Stefano’s and guide him up to their shared bedroom.

The soft light from the lamp was gentle and welcoming, but nowhere near as welcoming as the bed that called for Stefano. The soft blankets, the comfortable pillows, every bit of it called for him. Sebastian watched as he shuffled across the room and plopped himself down on it, releasing a deep sigh as he sunk into the warmth. He moved and joined Stefano in the bed, pulling the man close and pulling the blanket over their bodies. Stefano softly hummed, nuzzling against the warmth of Sebastian, his arms circling and holding onto him, resting his head on the man’s chest.

Sebastian smiled, gently bringing his hand up to brushing through Stefano’s hair, gazing down at his sleeping face before lightly placing a kiss on his forehead.