More of my HMRT they wanna look at the stars together fic? You're welcome. [Rated G | Words: 1426] This is part 2, part 1 can be found here.
It had been weeks since Yorktown, and longer still since Robert had left York City. He was fine with it, really. He didn’t miss his life there at all. Not even when he looked up at the stars and remembered a laugh and a promise made to a man he never should have known. Not even a little.
His father didn’t seem to believe him, but what did he know about what Robert wanted and what Robert missed? It wasn’t like Robert had ever told his father about Mulligan. Not really. Not beyond what they were officially, that was all they were meant to be. Robert had simply allowed his feelings to do away with his good sense when it came to the man. But that was over and now Robert was living the life he should have had all along and he’d be happy about it if it killed him.
It didn’t stop his eyes from lingering on the ad in Rivington’s paper, hidden amongst the rest of the things he didn’t need and next to articles that he wondered at the truthfulness of. It was a betrayal to the new, better version of him he was trying to build but he couldn’t help memorizing every word, every letter. There was no code hidden in the lines of the ad this time, but it still felt like a lifeline.
In the end, it was nothing that broke him. All his resolve and all his hopes were broken because the ad was in the lower left-hand corner instead of the top right. It was nothing yet somehow it was everything.
His father agreed easily. His smile was one of relief when he said he’d be happy to play host to Hercules Mulligan and Robert wondered if his strain had been so obvious as to be affecting his father in such a way. He felt a wave of guilt that was quickly washed away when his father sent him to go write the letter.
It wasn’t his finest work. Not by far. It wasn’t persuasive. It wasn’t kind. It was blunt and honest and apologetic. He just hoped it didn’t read as desperate as he felt. He posted it the next day and avoided his own reflection for the rest of the week.
His shame was forgotten when he received Mulligan’s reply. It was filled with soft words and easy affection. He waved off the apology like it was nothing that Robert had left him in the dark to what happened during his mission, though he admitted no less than four times to having been worried sick. At the end, he accepted the invitation and it was set. One week from then Mulligan would ride out to visit and finally see the stars the way they had spoken about months ago.
Robert didn’t know what to do with himself at that point. There was a week and there seemed to be a million things to do before Mulligan got there but every time he turned to do something his mind caught on something else and he ended up wasting the day jumping between tasks that all needed doing while his father smiled from his chair.
The next morning at breakfast he smiled at him and said to go about his regular schedule, that everything would be fine without him worrying every second over it. Robert tried and mostly succeeded. He went back to his normal routine and the week seemed to slip by.
It was long dark before Mulligan rode up, though it was still before dinner. It was just the nature of wintertime. Robert met him on the porch and the smile Mulligan gave him warmed him through. He felt silly as they smiled at each other from ten feet apart but neither seemed able to move, taking in the sight of each other.
“How about you show our guest where he can put his horse?” his father asked from next to him though Robert had no idea when he had walked out.
Robert shook himself and finally stepped away from the doorway. They stabled Mulligan’s horse in the barn with the others, Mulligan stopping for a moment to give it a kiss before they went back out. There were two quilts sitting on the porch, each with a bowl of stew sitting in the center of them.
Samuel came out with two rolls of bread and a smile. “Since he came out to see the stars I thought I would bring your dinner out here for you. Please check the fires before you go to bed, you two. I’m going to go to bed early tonight.”
“Father, it’s not even six o’clock,” Robert pointed out.
Samuel fixed him with a flat look. “I’m very tired. Goodnight, you too.” He handed Mulligan the rolls. “I’m happy you’re here.” Then he turned and went into the house, going directly up the stairs to where his bedroom was.
Robert turned to invite Mulligan inside where he could warm up but he was already wrapping the quilt around his shoulders with the stew in one hand.
“He’s right,” Mulligan said as he sat, his hands barely poking out of the blankets for him to eat the steaming stew. “And it’s only going to get colder.”
Robert sighed heavily, picking up his own stew and wrapping himself in the blanket before he sat down next to Mulligan on the steps, looking up at the stars he’d hated the past few weeks. They were close enough that if Robert swayed even a little to the left their shoulders would bump into each other.
“They really are everything you said they are,” Mulligan said with a smile. When Robert looked at him his eyes were fixed firmly to the sky.
“I’m glad you think so.”
Mulligan hummed and they ate their soup in silence. “Just one problem, Mulligan said a while later, as he set aside his now empty dish and tucked the quilt tighter around him.
“And what would that be?” Robert asked, ready to rebuff whatever complaint Mulligan had. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, yes it was a bit chilly but it was December, Mulligan had known it would be cold before he ever showed up. They had warm stew and fresh bread. What more could a man want?
“I’m distracted.”
“Well, that’s your own fault.”
Mulligan let out a loud laugh, one even freer than any Robert had heard in the city. It was beautiful. “You can’t blame me for being distracted. I haven’t seen you in months and when I show up here you’re smiling more than I’ve ever seen. It’s distracting.”
Robert looked down at the ground to hide his blush, though with the cold and dark he wasn’t sure it would have been seen anyway.
“Case in point! How am I supposed to focus on the majesty of the heavens when you’re looking like that? Bashful and beautiful, like you don’t know you’re the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen?”
Robert rolled his eyes. “You’re ridiculous. Did you really miss me so much?”
“Like a drowning man misses air,” Mulligan said, his eyes never leaving Robert’s face, reading him and waiting for something. “Did you miss me?”
Robert nodded, begrudgingly. He looked back to the sky for a moment as he waited for the fallout. He’d had a moment like this, years ago. A moment so charged that it choked him and made him want in a way he’d never wanted before, but that’d ended with a laugh from the other boy and them never speaking again even if nothing had actually happened.
But something happened this time. Mulligan put his hand on Robert’s knee. “Then I’m glad you wrote to me,” he whispered, and he had moved closer and all Robert had to do was turn his head and they were kissing.
It probably wasn’t great. Robert was very conscious of the fact that he’d only kissed three other people and none of them had ever set his blood aflame like Mulligan’s touch did now. But Mulligan was smiling when they broke apart, giggling quietly as he placed soft, chaste kisses on Robert’s frozen cheek.
“I think we should go inside and get warmed up,” Robert said, not caring if there was innuendo in there or not. He didn’t care how Mulligan took what he said because in that moment he’d agree to almost anything.
Mulligan laughed and gave Robert one more chaste kiss under the stars. “You have all the best ideas.”