Falling in Place (MxM)

Chapter 5

A/N: with about ten minutes to spare, day 5 of the event has been uploaded ahahaha.

Wesley had spent that last thirty minutes wondering if he should make food for Ethan, or give him something to drink. Maybe even let him change his clothes and let him sleep properly on an air mattress. But with how adorable he looked on the couch, Rosie sitting beside him, Wesley didn't want to disturb him at all.

Ethan was snoring lightly as he leaned against the backrest of the love seat, still bundled up like a swaddled child, Wesley's winter coat still attached to him like a second skin. Wesley wasn't sure if he should've let him sleep in, or if that was a bad idea for someone who could have had hypothermia. But the lack of shivering and seemingly normal complexion suggested that his temperature probably had got back to normal.

It had been a while since Wesley had seen Rosie snuggle up next to someone, or have anyone over in the years it had just been them. The nostalgia he got from seeing Ethan and Rosie like that tugged on Wesley's heartstrings. He couldn't help but compare the sight to a couple of years ago when it had been a family of three.

Wesley peeled his eyes away from the two, deciding he'd make chicken noodle soup for Ethan to eat, in case he didn't feel well after waking up.

As it simmered, Rosie had gotten up, smelling the food as she hopped over to the kitchen. "Hey, baby."

Rosie leaned into Wesley's hand, as he showered her with pats and belly rubs. "That's my girl."

She whined as Wesley's eyes started to water, the sight of them earlier still leaving a lasting impression. No matter what he did, Wesley had always been reminded of the love of his life. It could have been as simple as seeing his favorite flowers at the florist shop, or hearing someone order his favorite drink at Pete's coffee. Everything reminded Wesley of him, and now even the stranger in his home was making him feel this way.

Wesley sat beside Rosie, letting his episode past as she continued to rub her head into his hands, occasionally licking the salty tears away from his face.

It took him about ten minutes before he finally felt like his world wasn't falling apart. He was fine, Rosie was fine, things would be okay, he told himself as he stood up, bracing himself on the counter. He turned to stir the pot of soup some more before turning it off. Putting some in a small bowl, he walked over to Ethan, setting it on the coffee table before tapping his shoulder. He didn't budge at first, but as he continued to nudge his shoulder, Rosie propped herself up to lick his face, which successfully made the sleeping man stir.

"What the-" he mumbled, his features scrunched up in confusion.

"Hey," Wesley said as Ethan fumbled about in his cocoon of blankets like a man in a straightjacket. "I made some food if you're hungry."

He paused, turned to look at Wesley then at the bowl, his expression slowly shifting from confusion to joy as he realized just how damn hungry he was. Ethan shuffled a bit to free an arm to grab the bowl. After blowing on it gently, he was shoveling it down.

"Good?" He asked amusedly. "I can make something else if you'd like."

Ethan hummed as he continued to down the bowl as quickly as a school of piranhas. "No, this is perfect."

"Well, I have more in the pot if you'd like."

"Thanks," Ethan said softly as he looked up at Wesley, an unreadable expression on Ethan's face. An awkward silence fell upon them before Ethan cleared his throat. "Actually, is there a shower I could use? And possibly some spare clothes? I left it in my car."

"Oh, right." Wesley seemed flustered before pointing upstairs. "First door on the left. I'll go look for some spare clothes."

Ethan finished the last of his bowl of soup before putting the dishes in the sink. He washed them and put them in the dry rack before following Wesley upstairs. He was pleasantly surprised that his strength was back, even though he did feel like he could take another nap.

And also shocked to see that the Christmas decorations extended even to the hallway and the rest of the upstairs. He tried to see past it, before heading to the bathroom. He didn't want to leave the comfort of Wesley's warm jacket, the smell surprisingly relaxing despite how Christmas-ey it was.

No, Ethan thought. He was just tolerating the smell so he could feel warmth, that was all it was. Nothing more.

Meanwhile, Wesley pulled some of the basic tees from his closet, wondering if they'd even fit Ethan given the broad shoulders and height he had over him. He hummed before looking for any larger shirts he possibly had. But nothing. He grabbed a couple before knocking on the bathroom door. The shower had just turned off and Wesley waited, hearing the scrape of the shower curtain rings before Ethan opened the door with nothing but a towel on.

Wesley wasn't one to gawk at people's bodies, after all in his mind he was still taken despite the technicalities. But he knew good-looking when he saw it, and Ethan hadn't been lying about the firefighting it appeared. Volunteer or not, Ethan was ripped, and Wesley could only hope that his cheeks weren't betraying him as he handed the clothes over to Ethan.

Thankfully, Ethan closed the door to try on the clothing, only for him to clear his throat. "Um, it's too small."

Of course it is, Wesley thought before placing his head in his hand. With those muscles, what was I thinking?

"Um-I'll...I'll go look for something else," he stammered as he cursed himself as he walked back to his room. That was when he thought about the box of clothes in the closet. The ones he swore he'd never touch again. Ethan was about the same size, same height, surely those would fit, right?

Wesley would have never guessed he'd ever opened those boxes again. He had intended to donate them, but every time he'd drive up to the donation place, he'd get cold feet. He had loved these clothes on him. Had bought a couple of them as gifts. Even worn a few after it happened just to breathe in his scent again. But over the months and years following, it had just brought Wesley back into tears. Into a sobbing mess that took hours even days sometimes to get out of.

He couldn't get rid of it, no matter how much he knew he should have. It, along with Rosie and the house had been the last few remaining things he had left of his, and he didn't want it to go away. Didn't want to toss it out, not after all the memories they shared, the love they had.

He'd never thought that one day he'd just lent these clothes to a stranger so willingly, he hadn't even let his family near his belongings in the house, had never wanted them near the house to begin with. But with Ethan, there was something about him that he felt like he could trust him with this. Maybe it was because he saved Rosie, or maybe it was how he reminded Wesley of him, Daniel, but Wesley was determined to find out why.