Work Text:
Baz
I groan as consciousness begins to pull at me. I just want to go back to sleep! It’s Saturday and I don’t have to get up for anything.
I try to go back to sleep, but the battle is futile. There’s soft music coming from the other room and delicious smells are wafting in from the kitchen. I bet Simon is baking something. He’s been doing that a lot this past year. It’s very therapeutic and he’s working towards opening a bakery.
I should probably get up, but when I go to move the covers, cold air floods into my brilliantly warm cocoon within the blankets. I immediately snap the blanket back down around me.
Screw it! It’s Saturday and I won’t get up!
Just then the door to the bedroom opens and Simon bustles in carrying a cup of tea. He’s wearing this white apron with orange and yellow leaves that bring out the highlights in his hair. I gave it to him for Christmas last year. He crosses the room and I take a moment to appreciate my boyfriend’s appearance.
Simon does look lovely this morning. His hair is extra shiny today. Probably because he has started using conditioner. For the longest time he just used those three-in-one sopes that I would die if I ever thought about putting in my hair, and I mean permanently dead. We would get in the biggest tiffs over it. Finally Simon went to America to stay with Penny before her university started up again and when he came back he was using conditioner. He won't say a word about it and Bunce has no clue either, but now Simon uses conditioner. And I was right, it’s done wonders for his hair.
He’s also got on this green t-shirt that I bought for him the last time I was able to drag him out to go clothes shopping. Simon doesn’t put any effort into his wardrobe, but that means that I get to do all his shopping. Just so long as he never sees the price tags.
Simon comes to stand next to me and I scoot up to kiss him. His mouth is soft and the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, and all-spice cling to him in a delicious cloud. My fingers scrunch through his curls. He sighs into my mouth and pulls away.
“Goodmorning Darling. I made you some tea, but you need to get ready. I made plans for today.”
I glance up at him as I gratefully accept the tea he hands to me. It's warm and steam drifts up from the dark liquid. I take a sip. Ahh! Cream and extra sugar, Simon always makes it just the way I like it.
“What are we doing?” I ask as I take another sip of my tea. I really do love a good cup of tea!
Simon has turned around to riffle through a drawer in our dresser.
“It’s a surprise, but I packed lunch and you should wear your coat, we're going outside,” he turns around and tosses a pair of wool socks and my green scarf at me. “I’m going to finish packing, but it would be nice if you could be ready in 55 minutes.”
I nod and finish my tea. I know that sounds like a lot of time, but with my hair care routine it’s going to be a tight squeeze.
I spit into the white sink and rinse my toothbrush. My hair has gotten longer recently. I’m about to run product through my hair and pin it up in a bun, when I feel warm hands slide around my waist. Simon leens his chin on my shoulder. His curls are soft as they brush against my cheek.
“You should leave it down. It looks nice that way,” his breath is warm against my neck. It makes me shiver.
“Ok, but you need to give me another hint about your surprise,” I demand, beginning to gather up my various hair products and return them to their places in the white medicine cabinet above the sink.
Simon hums and kisses my neck thinking about my proposition.
“Fine,” he huffs, pulling away, “We’re going to take my truck and drive out to this place I found on one of my drives. I really want to share it with you.” Then he turns and leaves the bathroom.
I’m curious, a few months after the whole thing with Smith and Watford and all that hot mess, Jamie restored his sister’s truck and gave it to Simon. It's an old Ford pickup, forest green. He loves it. I think that it connects him to his mum.
Anyways sometimes when things get to be too much for Si, he’ll just take his truck and drive. He never says much about these outings, but I can really tell how much they help. Clearing his mind and all.
As I am leaving our bedroom, I hear Simon closing the door to the backyard and that’s all the warning I get before Millie attacks me in a massive ball of fur and tounge.
“Down, Millie, down,” I cry, laughing as an ecstatic ball of black fuzz exuberantly tries to climb up my legs and lick my face.
Millie is Simon and I’s two year old newfoundland puppy. We got her a year ago when Simon’s coworker convinced Simon to adopt her. His coworker, Lindsy, is such a bright, bubbly girl who’s sister is an animal breeder. She’s always showing Simon pictures of cute baby kittens and puppies.
Finally Simon said yes when Lindsy actually brought Millie to work.
“Ok, I loaded up the truck, we just need to put ourselves and the dog in it,” states Si and I nod.
After we are settled comfortably in the old truck, Simon turns on the radio and pulls out onto the narrow road. We live in an old farm house a short drive from Watford. It’s much easier to live out here rather than in London, since I started teaching there.
We drive in comfortable silence, just listening to the radio and enjoying the company of each other.
The truck smells like Simon, and wood smoke, and trees. There’s also a hint of wet dog from all the times Simon has taken Millie to the river and just put her in the cab with him rather than the bed.
We drive along the road and I watch the sheep grazing. Simon is humming along to the music drifting from the speakers and the heater is blasting warm air onto my face.
Finally Simon turns off the road and pulls up alongside an open metal gate that breaks up the monotony of the stone fence we’ve been following.
I get out and adjust my coat, Millie flings herself out of the truck with a happy yelp and tears around my feet. Her excitement is a little contagious and Simon laughs. It’s so good to hear his laugh, I love it.
Millie sees the open gate and tears off into the field. Simon is holding a basket in one hand and slides the other into mine. He squeezes and I squeeze back.
“Hey,” I murmur and lean in to kiss him. When I pull away he smiles, “I have something I’d like to share with you,” then he tugs on my hand and follows in the direction that Millie took off.
We’re following a dirt road that cuts across the field and Millie is happily hopping around us. Simon has been telling me about his recent work at the bakery and I’ve been telling him about my students and what I’m teaching. It’s been a long time since we just got to hang out and talk like this. It’s nice. I make a mental note to try and work more time in my schedule for things like this.
Eventually we start to approach the other side of the field. There’s a forest of deciduous trees. The road cuts into the trees and Simon and I keep following it.
The forest is stunning, with brilant golds, and coppers, and fiery reds. A substantial coating of leaves covers the ground and Millie is being incredibly cute as she jumps through the leaves. She’s making Simon laugh again.
The sun is sifting through the branches above us in that thick glowing way that it does sometimes. I almost feel like I could reach out and gather it up if I want to.
“Simon, why is this forest like this? Shouldn’t the trees have fewer leaves?”
He shrugs, “Uhm, I think there’s some forest elves affecting it, I ran into one last time I was here.”
We walk for a while longer until we arrive at a small clearing. Simon stops and pulls his hand out of mine and begins to unpack the basket that he’s been caring for.
On the top is a blanket that he lays out for us to sit on. Then he pulls out an assortment of baked things. He has tarts and rolls and cakes. The smell immediately hits me and I melt.
Si hands me a sausage roll and I accept it gratefully. My first bite is absolutely perfect. The roll is perfectly flaky and buttery. The meat is fatty and the juices flavor the roll with a steady underlying taste of various herbs. It’s utterly glorious.
“Simon! This is brillant!” I exclaim.
“Aww, it’s ok,” he shrugs, but he’s blushing, so I know that he’s pleased.
I eagerly reach for another roll and Simon takes a large thermos from his basket. When he takes off the lid I can tell that it’s spiced cider.
Millie runs up to us and Simon pauses, pouring us cider to toss her a piece of meat. She barks happily and races back into the trees.
“You know,” Simon says as he leans back and settles against me, “I think we’ve been doing a fine job with her.”
“She is lovely,” I replied.
“And maybe since we’ve had such luck with an animal we should try a child,” he snuggles into my chest and it feels like he’s hiding from me.
“Simon? Did you just ask me to have a baby with you?”
“I don’t know, is that what you want me to have asked?” his voice is muffled by my sweater and I have to think for a minute. We’ve been married for four years and I’ve had a solid job teaching magical history at Watford. Bunce and Shepard just had their first baby, Abby, a few months ago.
Finally I answer Si, “Yes, Love, I would like you to have asked me that question. And if you did, my answer would be yes, I think we’re reddy.”
He looks up, “Really?” His blue eyes are sparkling and it fills me with happiness.
“Yes, really.”
Immediately he gives me no warning, but throws his arms around my neck and kisses me hungerly. I kiss him back and he tastes like apples and buttery pastry.
Eventually he pulls away, “I’m so glad you said yes, I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t want kids. I’ve been considering this for the past few years and then when Penny got pregnant and her life was flooded with all things baby, I really got thinking. I don’t know what option you would want to go with for getting a child. I’ve made a list. There’s adoption and surrogate and…”
“Simon,” I cut him off. He’s nervous and rambling, “Simon, I think you’ll make a lovely father and that we don’t have to decide all the fine points right this minute.”
He focuses on me and relaxes, “I know, you’re right, but this is a big step in our lives and I want everything as well as it can.”
“Yes, so do I, but right now I just want to enjoy the lovely forest with my lovely husband and this brilliant food that he made. Can we do that right now? We can stress about this when we get home?”
“Yeah,” he nods, “side note, this is the place I found after Abby was born. This is where I decided that I wanted my own baby.”
I don’t know what to say in response to his statement so I just kiss him instead.