#awrlc

[b-t-c-cumberbatch]

I am sorry.

[martin-jc-freeman]

[b-t-c-cumberbatch]

’You’re dead on your feet. You were asleep in the car as well, for God’s sake. I am not going to keep you awake. Besides,’’ Martin nudged Ben, ‘’you have more lines to learn than I do. Wouldn’t want you to mess up again, you know?’’

"Well... " Ben started, trying not to bite his lip because of that dig he probably even deserved after botching up quite a number of takes tonight, "We're off tomorrow, so it doesn't really matter if I'm awake for, what, another hour? We even could have been working longer, for all that I know."

He started walking towards the elevator, slowly, but steadily, and turned around a bit as he continued to talk to Martin.

"So, I'm just offering you a place to stay, where you're not forced to keep yourself awake with another cup of coffee, and where you're not out in the public after this already very long day. Your choice, I certainly won't force you. Also, despite what's being said in all of those 'slasher fictions'," he drew quotation marks in the air with his fingers, "you know that we all got a double room, so if you really were so worried about us not getting enough sleep, it is entirely possible for us to just go up there and sleep - without any implications."

If Ben hadn't been so tired himself, he probably would have thought more about what he was actually saying there, but right now this seemed like the most practical solution for their situation. His own need for sleep and also his concern about Martin not being able to do the same any time soon had decided that this would be good enough.

[martin-jc-freeman]

Martin gasping Ben’s name was nothing more than an almost voiceless whisper, but it was the permission Ben had so desperately needed. He brushed down the sides of Martin’s body with his hands, needing to touch, needing to be touched, and the kiss grew more hungry, more messy, when suddenly-

The shrill ringing of a phone caused them to break apart and with a shock, Martin realised the ringing came from his own trousers. ‘’What… ‘’

Ben moved back a little so Martin could reach down to pull the phone from the pocket. When he saw who was calling however -

‘’Shit.’’

Martin scrambled off the bed, rubbing his hand through his hair as he tried to calm down before answering. Amanda’s name was flashing on the screen.

How long have I even been here? How long has she been awake? Oh Jesus, what have I done?!

He avoided Ben’s gaze even though every fibre of his being was aware of it. He couldn’t look at him right now. Not with Amanda calling.

Shit!

‘’Amanda!’’ he called out when he answered the phone. ‘’Goodmorning, love. Yeah, I - no, we just finished. I just arrived at the hotel. Yeah, we’re done. What time do you - okay. Okay, love, see you in a bit. Pop the kettle on? Thanks. Yeah, see you. Bye.’’

Martin clutched the phone in his hand when he ended the call, staring at the floor. He couldn’t turn around. He couldn’t look -

Fuck! You stupid idiot, how could you even -

‘’I have to go,’’ he stammered.

[b-t-c-cumberbatch]

The elevator dinged before the doors slid open and Martin straightened himself. ‘’Lead the way, Holmes.’’

Ben could not believe they were having this conversation, in this elevator, after a very long day of work, and about to go where they were about to go. Together.

He knew that there was no way Martin would know what talking about those stories did to Ben; and it wasn't because Ben had read a lot of them, quite the contrary. He tried really hard to avoid them, despite the permanent input Martin provided. And in no way this was because peoples' sometimes very colourful imagination, and the weird stuff - oh my god, Martin had sent him a lot of weird stuff... - was unsettling Ben. It was more about those "normal" stories. "Friends to lovers" was what Martin had once called them, and in a way they had confused Ben much more than all the straight-up porn. Because, as stupid as this might sound, when Martin had started sending him those stories, Ben had frequently found himself in the position where he actually had felt this little tingling in his stomach. That somewhere deep inside, he kind of wanted this to actually happen. For Martin, of course, this was all just a nice pastime, why else would he engage with this apparently huge number of stories... especially the weird stuff... "Lead the way, Holmes." Ben flinched a little, stopping dead in his tracks as he just had commenced to walk through the now open door of the elevator; and now tried to overplay his bewilderment, "Believe it or not, but our work day's finally over… Watson."

[martin-jc-freeman]

Martin felt exhausted. He had never liked night shoots to begin with, but this night was near impossible to get through. They should have been done ages ago but there had been some problems with the lighting and some last minute changes to their lines - the moment Martin had received the new lines, he had been reminded of New-Zealand and he had struggled not to laugh hysterically - which caused to be here, in the middle of August, in the dead of night and everyone swaying on their feet with exhaustion.

Ben had messed up his lines more than usual, but Martin hadn’t had the energy left in him to tease him about it. He’d been working near non-stop for months, travelling back and forth between the UK and New Zealand and the end wasn’t even in sight.

Martin usually loved it.

Just not right now.

He sank down on the motionless escalator stairs, clutching a watery cup of coffee. Just a little break. Half an hour, tops, before they had to be back, but he was going to make the most of it. By doing absolutely nothing. Martin leaned against the glass railing, yawning broadly. It couldn’t be long now. Not even Mark and Steven were that cruel. They had to be tired too! 

Right?

[martin-jc-freeman]

It was mostly meant to reassure himself of this, probably, but Ben poked Martin’s leg a little to amplify his encouragement. “Amanda’s already in the hotel, isn’t she? Lucky her.”

‘’Starbucks?’’ Martin huffed with raised eyebrows. ‘’Is that what they’ve been feeding you over there in Hollywood?’’

Martin stuck out his foot, nudging Ben’s ribs in retaliation. Damned git. ‘’Just shut up and let me complain. I’m old. I’ve deserved the right to do so, you know? I’m old, tired and in desperate need of a bed to sleep in. Instead, I’m here, drinking weak coffee in the middle of night, while sitting on a bloody escalator.’’

He shifted a little, trying to get more comfortable on the cold, hard stairs. ‘’Yeah, Amanda left a while back. She has an early call tomorrow morning. I’d take a 5 am call over this every day.’’

‘’Martin! Ben! You’re up!’’

Steven’s voice rang out through the room and Martin sighed deeply, looking down. ‘’Case in point.’’ Martin glanced back up to catch Ben’s gaze. ‘’Just… one more take, okay? I need sleep and you look like you need it too.’’

[b-t-c-cumberbatch]

‘’Goodnight, sirs. Bright and early on Monday morning.’’ Martin grunted, feeling annoyed at the reminder that they’d only have tomorrow off, as he left the car.

"Goodnight, Richard," Ben chimed in, and got out of the car only shortly after Martin.

They never really had checked the time after they had left the set, but going by the already dawning sun, it truly had been a really long day.

Both yawning and stretching their limbs occasionally, they walked towards the entrance of the hotel in silence, knowing that despite their one day off they wouldn't have very much of it. They both knew that this was the job, at least on some occasions, but it didn't make the prospect of probably another six-day-week with the worst possible sleeping schedule more appealing.

As they entered the lobby, Ben had already fished the keys to his room out of his jacket pocket, and let them sway loosely in his hand, almost deliberately provoking the jingling sound.

"You going up to Amanda then?"