send me an autumn prompt!
39. homecoming -This is probably referencing school homecoming but i hate school AUs so YEAH, we’re going with a more literal sense
The house they come to a stop to in front of isn’t what Flint is expecting. It’s neat and tidy, window boxes overflowing with flowers, and neatly painted shutters. Silver looks enormously proud when he goes up to the door, looking over his shoulder at Flint as he pulls the key from his pocket.
“Madi’s recently gotten very into gardening,” Silver says when he notices Flint looking, nodding at the flowers. “The back plot is for the inn’s kitchen garden, so I put those in just for her.”
“It’s lovely,” Flint says, going over to look at them. “But these boxes are going to fall off when autumn comes and it starts raining more. Whoever put them in-”
“Me,” Silver says and Flint blanches, which makes Silver laugh.
“I’m an innkeeper, not a carpenter,” he says, motioning for Flint to follow him. “Come on, you can criticize my woodworking later.”
Flint smirks at that and Silver rolls his eyes with a sigh.
“Honestly, not even home five min-”
There’s a pattering of footsteps and then Flint’s arms are full of Madi, who wraps her arms so tightly around his neck he’s forced to hold her up against him.
“I’ve never been greeted like that,” Silver pouts and Flint can hear Madi huff against his neck.
“He’s lying, I came all the way down to the docks last time he took a trip,” Madi says, but she doesn’t move away.
Flint holds her tight too, resting his cheek on her head. Takes a deep breath and feels his throat tighten at the familiar smell of her hair oil.
“I told you I didn’t kill him,” Silver says, nudging her and Madi reaches out to lightly swat his arm.
“I missed you too,” Flint says to her and Madi rests her chin on his chest to look up at him. She looks the same, save a few gentle wrinkles a the corner of her eyes. Like ten years was no time at all.
“Still handsome,” she says after a moment. “Don’t you think John?”
“Quite,” Silver says, though his cheeks turn a deep shade of pink to let them know the extent of what he thinks.
He reaches out to stroke the curve of Madi’s cheek with his knuckle and she hums, leaning into the touch. Grins when he reaches up and does the same to Flint.
“He only shouted for half the trip too,” Silver says and Madi turns to give him a surprised look.
“Only half? I yelled at you for five years.”
They both laugh, but Flint knows it was rough. He’d had his own roughness learning to fit together with Thomas again.
“And he says he’s going to fix the window boxes.”
Madi turns back to Flint and raises her eyebrows.
“Is that so? We’ll have to keep you around for a while. Will Thomas mind?”
“As soon as he’s satisfied his new students are up to his standard, he’ll make his way here,” Flint says. “Though we might have to send him a letter to remind him.”
“A schoolmaster’s spouse,” Madi says, tsking. “And I’m an inkeeper’s wife. You and I should have run off James. You could be king by now.”
Flint can’t help but laugh, even as Silver groans.
“Nonsense,” says Madi, finally pulling away from Flint to put her hands on her hips. “It’s about time you brought him home. Maybe I’ll finally get my kitchen table fixed too!”
“I told you I could hire someone-”
He and Madi start to bicker and Flint can feel the last bit piece of himself settle back into place, finally home after ten years.
