Heronstairs: A Fluff Collection

The Eggplant Incident

Jem opened the door and was immediately greeted by the sight of their kitchen looking as if a hurricane had blown through it. Hanging his coat by the door, he looked down to see Church chewing on something in his other pair of shoes.

Kneeling beside the fat little feline, he pried it from the cat's jaws and sat back on his heels.

"William?"

A very drunk-sounding Will appeared from the doorway of their bedroom. "Hey, baby, what's up?" he said, voice slurring slightly.

"Why in God's name is there an eggplant in my shoe?"

Will laughed, leaning unsteadily on the doorframe. "I was trying to make dinner," he said through his laughter, "but the cat kept stealing things. I let him have the eggplant to stop him." Will looked far too pleased with himself.

Jem was less than amused. "Alright then. Well, kind gesture aside, I think you made more of a mess than a meal." Jem kissed his cheek fondly. "I appreciate it, though."

Will pouted for a moment, but brightened at the kiss on his cheek. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Jem said, shaking his head a little. A drunk Will was always... Well, always an interesting night, to say the least. "But how about we clean up and I'll make dinner? The cat won't... steal eggplants that way."

Jem privately reflected that it was equally likely Will himself had dropped it there and was simply too drunk to remember, since Church was too chubby to make the jump onto the kitchen counter to successfully steal an eggplant. Actually, he didn't even remember buying an eggplant...

He was pulled from his musings by a sudden crashing noise, followed by a long string of swearing. Waiting patiently until Will had exhausted his vocabulary, he called, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, m'fine, this damn cabinet just tripped me."

It was going to be one of those nights.

Next time he left for a performance, he was calling Magnus. And hiding the alcohol.

~•~•~•~•~

Eventually, the kitchen was put back in order, the cat was fed, and dinner was made. Will, of course, was a little more tactile than usual, so Jem found himself doing most of the cooking while pulled flush against that strong chest with Will's arms firmly around his waist and Will's lips on his neck.

He couldn't say he minded that part of Will's drunken behavior, though it did make cooking a bit more difficult.

They were curled up on the couch now, ignoring the dishes in an otherwise clean kitchen.

"So," Jem said carefully, hand on Will's chest. "What's the occasion for you to be drunk on a Wednesday night?" He was a little worried. Will was spectacularly drunk at this point- and feeling rather amorous, if his wandering hands were any indication- and for him to drink alone was not always a good sign.

Will shrugged. "Bored. Lonely. Access to alcohol."

Jem made a mental note to have Magnus come over next time he left for a performance overnight.

"Drinking alone?"

"Nah, Magnus was here for a while." Jem immediately scrapped his mental note. "Alec's out of town too, so we were... We were.... What's the English word I'm looking for? Comisering?"

"Isn't that my line?" Jem joked, smiling. "Do you mean 'commiserating'?"

Will's eyes lit up. "Yes, that one!"

Jem shifted from his comfortable position against Will's chest to look up at him. "Don't you have work tomorrow?"

"That," Will said emphatically, "Is a problem for future Will."