@ceylantro I'm your partner for the @msa-secretsanta-2020 !!!
I did a fic off Prompt 1 (with a little applicable angst relating to Prompt 2)
Lewis got there after the text first, but only because he lived closer, and Vivi, who once again proved why she shouldn't be allowed to drive the van, arrived suspiciously soon after. They both shared a look before they headed inside.
Lance looked up at them from behind the counter as they came in and gave them a nod, a bit of relief in his eyes. “Glad he finally messaged you both. This project is driving him batty and I don't know how to help at this point.”
Lewis frowned a bit at that and glanced back at the room. “Did he sleep?”
Lance shrugged. “Maybe. I fell asleep around midnight, he was awake when I woke up about six, but his bed was mussed so maybe a few hours.”
Lewis nodded and headed back towards the bedroom without another word.
Vivi watched him go and looked at Lance with a soft smile. “We'll take care of him,” she promised and then followed Lewis back.
They stepped into Arthur's room without knocking, as was expected with the three. Arthur was hunched over his desk, one hand keeping his head up while he held a chewed pencil with the other, tapping it against the desk. Wadded and discarded paper piled in his trash bin. On his laptop screen sat specs and blueprints of the Van.
Vivi approached him first, wrapping her arms around him and leaning over his shoulder to look at the paper. Van modifications again. “Whatcha workin on?”
Arthur jumped, but only slightly, at the realization she was there. “Oh! Hey Vivi, you and Lewis came?”
Vivi gave him a playful nudge with her head. “Of course we did. You texted us to didn't you?”
“Well yeah but… never mind , I'm glad you're here.” He seemed to falter a bit, but bounced back.
Lewis replaced the trashcan after he'd stepped out to empty it, and stepped over to lean on the wall by the desk. “Glad to be here. What's going on?”
Arthur sighed and vaguely gestured to the paper on front of him. “I'm trying to work out the van's issues… again. She can't keep breaking down as much as she does. It's a mess to try and fix her on the road, and I'm worried for the day we get stuck without the parts I need. It's not safe for us.” He seemed to look at it, then he sketched something on one of the models, before scowling and erasing it. “I can't isolate the problem.”
Vivi frowned a bit as she watched him. “Artie, how long have you been at this?”
Arthur glanced at the clock on his laptop. “Twelve hours or so? If you don't count the nap from two to four.”
“Have you eaten? Water?” Lewis prompted, eyes scanning the desk and only finding a coffee mug, causing him to frown a bit.
Arthur looked at him and then grimaced and looked away a bit guiltily.
“That's it, break time,” Lewis declared, pushing off the wall.
“W-what? No. I asked you guys to come over to bounce ideas off of,” Arthur protested, leaning back, though that just put him deeper into Vivi's clutches.
“Nope, you heard him Artie. You're gonna burn yourself out like this. You need a break.” Vivi declared, giving him a peck on the cheek before spinning him, in the chair, towards Lewis.
Arthur was no match for Lewis, especially when the larger man was in care mode. Lewis scooped him out of the chair and carried him over to the beat up couch Arthur kept in his room, plopping them both down on it, and keeping an arm around Arthur to keep him rooted.
“Lewis I'm fine, really. I just have to figure out how to keep the engine from springing leaks all the time, without replacing the engine, because then I'd have to replace the spark plugs. Which, are also faulty but I still don't think they're the cause because it seems like wiring from further in but I can't figure out where because then I'd-" Arthur started ranting off the laundry list of issues from the van, slowly starting to sound more panicked the further along he went.
Vivi slapped her hands over his mouth to stop him the moment his voice started to pitch. “Nope, no more of that. I'm going to order pizza and drinks, you and Lew are going to pick something to watch. And we're gonna spend the rest of the day relaxing and not working. So when I pull my hands away you are gonna say ‘Yes Vivi' deal?” Her tone was stern, but affectionate.
Arthur nodded from behind her hands, and she slowly removed them. “Can one of them be a Surf's Up Surprise?” he asked hopefully.
She grinned a bit. “That's not what I told you to say, but I'll count it. One Surf's Up and one Spicy Meat Lovers coming up,” she declared before booping Arthurs nose and striding from the room.
Silence settled over the room after she left. Lewis leaned back off of Arthur once he was sure the blond wouldn't make a break for the desk and waited for Arthur to make a move.
“Hey Lewis?” Arthur spoke, after Vivi had been gone a couple of minutes.
Lewis raised an eyebrow at his softer tone. “What's up?”
“Thanks, you know, for coming to help me out. I know things aren't… perfect between us but, it still means a lot.” Arthur subconsciously rubbed his metal arm as he spoke.
Lewis was almost glad Arthur wasn't looking at him, so he couldn't see the concern on his face. It had been almost a year now, since everything had happened. The possession, his death and revival, Mystery. None of it had been easy, and so much of it had taken time to work past, but he'd thought they had worked past it. He'd hoped that Arthur had finally stopped blaming himself.
Lewis reached forward and gingerly wrapped his arms around Arthur, giving him plenty of time to object or move away. Arthur stiffened, but didn't reject him, and so Lewis pulled him back to lean against his chest, arms settled warmly around him.
“Arthur, you know I've put what happened behind me. It wasn't your fault, I know that now. I'm more relieved that you forgave me. I'm always going to be here for you,” Lewis assured him, chin resting on his head.
Arthur was quiet, but sank his weight against Lewis, easing. “I… I know. But I still see it now, remember it like I did it. It's… it's vivid sometimes. I see you falling and then-" he couldn't finish.
Lewis pressed a kiss to his head, rubbing his hand in a soothing and affectionate manner.
“I remember rage. Blind and burning. I remember dragging you to a cliff of my own making and holding you over the edge, knowing what I was doing. I remember revealing myself and the grief and fear that overcame your face. My name slipping from your mouth so… stunned. And I remember still letting you go.” Lewis's voice was soft, full of emotion.
The two were quiet again, before Arthur turned a bit in Lewis's arms and brushed the couple of tears that had escaped away. “Hey now, I… Lewis I don't blame you for that. The last thing you saw was me. You couldn't have known,” he assured his boyfriend softly.
They sat there, trying to comfort each other in the silence, for a good few minutes, before Arthur leaned back just slightly.
“Guess we both have some stuff we still need to work out, huh?”
Lewis chuckled softly and nodded. “We'll work it out together though,” he dried away his tears and gestured to the Dvd tower. “Let's get that movie picked.”
Arthur chuckled and stood, going over to it and slipping a movie from it. “Yeah, I don't think Vivi would appreciate coming back to nothing.”
“Not true,” Vivi declared, carrying in pizza and soda, “I'd be coming back to you two, so that’s never a loss.”
Arthur quickly set the movie aside and helped take some of the food out of her hands, his stomach rumbling at the smell of his pizza.
Vivi thanked him and set out to dishing everything out as Arthur got the movie set up.
Once they were settled with food and drink, the movie running through the previews as they got comfy. Lewis on the end, leaned against the arm, Vivi resting against him as her legs kicked up and rested over Arthur's lap, a kiss pressed to his cheek in thanks.
Arthur was incredibly thankful, more so in that moment than usual, for them to be so loving and patient with him. And that he was lucky enough to have them.
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