[Nightlight]

[seeagreatergood]

So things got awkward and Auggie moved his stuff back out of the Stark household into Milliways.

And he's been totally fine with it. Honestly. It's been kind of a relief not to have to keep such a close eye on himself the last three or four days. Milliways is kind of anxiety-inducing, but less anxiety inducing than living in a house with those two young men.

Of course, he misses the easy camaraderie. But it's not like this is the first time he valued safety over friendship.

Comments

[if_inconvenient]

"And he loves you," Sherlock says quietly. "We both do."

[seeagreatergood]

Ah, right, that other terrifying detail.

"I know."

Well, it was a good enough answer for Han Solo. (Being frozen in carbonite sounds kind of relaxing right about now.)

[if_inconvenient]

"I don't know how to convince you that you have nothing to be afraid of."

[seeagreatergood]

"Neither do I."

He sits back in his chair, rubbing his face.

"I told you I don't want you or Tony to get hurt. That goes double for getting hurt by me. And the chances that I'll eventually hurt you are pretty fucking high."

[if_inconvenient]

"Why?"

[seeagreatergood]

"Well, one, I've got kind of a track record, and two, because I will always put my work over you."

[if_inconvenient]

"Does it follow that we are necessarily doomed? I don't believe it does."

[seeagreatergood]

"Why not?"

[if_inconvenient]

"Your work and I are not in conflict."

[seeagreatergood]

"Insofar as you live in a different world, sure."

He takes a deep breath. "But if I can come to Milliways, there's no reason people from my world can't, too. Someone could come here and see me with you or Tony and decide you're a way to get to me. My bosses could come here and find out I lived with a couple of boys barely out of high school and terminate me. I could go back to my world and be killed in an op and you and Tony would never know where I'd gone."

[if_inconvenient]

"True on all counts, but it seems to me that the only one which would get measurably worse if we were also fucking you is the second one."

[seeagreatergood]

--Auggie cracks up.

"Well, when you put it like that."

[if_inconvenient]

He grins.

"And are your bosses the sort to care?"

[seeagreatergood]

Sobering: "Yeah. On a personal level, maybe not, but on a security level -- yes, they care about my relationships."

[if_inconvenient]

"Well. I will not stop being Sherlock Holmes for them. I cannot fail to notice things they likely would not want me knowing. But again, that is true even now."

[seeagreatergood]

"Yeah." A sigh. "But it's a lot easier for me to convince them that you're -- and that I'm not a security risk if we're just friends. Speaking from experience."

[if_inconvenient]

"Do you believe I am a security risk?"

[seeagreatergood]

". . . No. No more than a typical civilian in my world."

[if_inconvenient]

"I am not sure whether to be touched or insulted," he says dryly.

[seeagreatergood]

"If we were from the same world you'd be a huge security risk. Does that help?"

[if_inconvenient]

"Well, at least I know you are taking me seriously."

[seeagreatergood]

"I wouldn't want to fuck you if I didn't."

(It's the first time he's said that -- out loud, unprompted.)

[if_inconvenient]

He smiles. "I am glad to hear it."

[seeagreatergood]

Auggie blows out a breath. He said it; the world didn't end.

He still doesn't feel right about it, though.

[if_inconvenient]

"Why does it trouble you so?"