Pairing: Rishi Sunak/Sadiq Khan
Summary: Sadiq and Rishi took the same train back to London after a meeting.
Words count: 1231 words
Rating: G
The urban transport conference in Manchester ended later than expected.
Sadiq had barely had ten minutes to himself the entire day. One moment he was giving a speech about London’s electric bus expansion, the next he was sitting through a panel with northern mayors discussing transport funding, and after that the press had cornered him for another half hour to ask the same questions about rail fares over and over again.
By the time he stepped out of the conference centre, the evening sky had already turned a soft shade of orange. His aides were still talking behind him about tomorrow’s schedule while his security team tried to clear a path through the crowds at Manchester Piccadilly. Sadiq walked with one hand loosened around his phone, skimming through emails, exhaustion obvious beneath his usual polite expression.
“Mr Mayor, the train is ready for about 10 minutes.”
One of his security officers spoke quietly beside him. Sadiq was just about to nod when a small commotion stirred near the end of the platform. Several people instinctively stepped aside as a group of suited protection officers moved quickly through the crowd, earpieces still lit.
In the middle of them was the Prime Minister. He was carrying a thick stack of folders against his chest, his red tie slightly crooked, dark hair windswept and messy. While everyone around him looked tense and professional, Rishi somehow looked excited.
The moment he spotted Sadiq, his entire face lit up.“Sadiq!”
Rishi immediately sped up.
“Prime Minister—” one of the officers called after him helplessly.
But Rishi was already walking faster, practically leaving half his escort behind. One security officer had to hurry after him to keep up.
“Sir, please slow down.”
“But I found him already,” Rishi replied brightly, as if that explained everything.
Sadiq laughed despite how tired he was. “You’re alarming your entire security detail, you know that?”
“No, they’re fine,” Rishi said dismissively. “They’re just dramatic.”
Behind him, one of the officers briefly closed his eyes like he’d heard this exact sentence far too many times before.
“I’m glad you’re still here,” Rishi continued, slightly out of breath when he finally stopped in front of him. “I thought you might’ve left already.”
“Rishi, I’m literally waiting for a train.”
“Perfect.” Rishi smiled immediately. “Then come with me.”
Sadiq raised an eyebrow. “Come with you where?”
“I’ve got a four-seat table in first class.” Rishi tilted his head slightly, looking absurdly hopeful. “We can keep discussing the green transport project on the way back. I still want to hear more of your thoughts.”
That was the thing about Rishi Sunak. He always managed to make invitations sound both entirely reasonable and impossible to refuse at the same time. Partly because the work excuse was legitimate. Mostly because Rishi very obviously wanted him to say yes.
Before Sadiq could answer, one of his security officers stepped forward. “Mr Mayor, we should probably—”
“It’s alright,” Rishi interrupted smoothly, still perfectly polite but with the effortless confidence of someone used to being obeyed. “My team will escort the Mayor back to London with us.”
A brief silence followed. Rishi smiled a little wider.
“Actually, it’ll probably make things easier for everyone.”
Sadiq’s security team exchanged glances. Meanwhile, Rishi’s own protection officers barely reacted anymore, as though they were already used to their Prime Minister casually adopting people into his travel plans. Sadiq let out a quiet and tired smile. He moved closer and whispered to the Prime Minister. “Did you just use the entire apparatus of state security to convince me to sit on a train with you?”
Then he looked at him with that damn warm, bright, unbearably friendly expression again. He was like an overexcited puppy that had just found someone it liked in a crowded station.
Honestly, it was very difficult to say no to Rishi Sunak when he looked at people like that.
“…Alright,” Sadiq sighed softly. “I’ll come with you.”
Rishi’s grin immediately widened. “Excellent.”
—
The first-class carriage was quiet. Golden evening light streamed through the large windows, washing the compartment in warm amber tones as the train slowly pulled away from Manchester.
Rishi sat opposite Sadiq and immediately began spreading documents across the table with impressive efficiency. Laptop, reports, coloured highlighters within moments the entire space between them looked like a temporary government office.
“You brought your entire office with you?” Sadiq asked with a laugh.
“Only the essentials,” Rishi said seriously. “I’m trying to improve my work-life balance.”
“It’s slightly horrifying that this is your improved version.”
Rishi laughed softly before sliding one of the reports toward him.
“Look at this section. I think TfL could probably adapt a similar model.”
For the next half hour, they genuinely worked. The atmosphere settled into something calm and focused, filled only with the sound of turning pages and the rhythmic noise of the train tracks beneath them.
Somewhere along the way, Sadiq realised the headache behind his eyes had eased slightly. Rishi had a strange kind of energy when he worked. He was fast, sharp, intensely focused, yet somehow still warm enough to make the entire space around him feel lighter.
After a while, Rishi suddenly looked up. “You love coffee, right?”
Sadiq blinked. “Yes?”
“I remembered.” Rishi stood up immediately. “Give me a minute.”
“Rishi, you really don’t have to—”
But he had already disappeared down the carriage, with one unfortunate security officer instantly following behind him out of reflex.
Ten minutes later, Rishi returned carrying two hot coffees. He carefully placed the flat white down in front of Sadiq as though it were something genuinely important. “I thought you might need this.”
Sadiq looked down at the foam still curling faintly with steam and smiled despite himself.
“Thank you.” Sadiq said gently.
“You’re welcome.”
Rishi sat back down opposite him, Americano in hand. The sunset outside reflected softly across his face, making his dark eyes look gentler than usual.
A few quiet seconds passed between them. Then Rishi rested his chin lightly against one hand and smiled. “You know,” he said softly, “I like being around you.”
Sadiq glanced up from his papers. “Why?”
Rishi shrugged slightly.
“I don’t know.” His smile softened. “Being around you just feels nice.”
Sadiq didn’t quite know what to say to that. For a moment, he just looked at Rishi across the table, at the soft warmth in his expression and the easy sincerity that always seemed to come so naturally to him. Then he smiled faintly and lowered his gaze back to the papers in front of him.
“Me too,” he replied quietly.
Before Rishi could say anything else, Sadiq picked up his documents again and resumed reading, eyes scanning carefully over the page as though he suddenly found the transport funding report extremely important.
Across from him, Rishi watched him for a brief second longer, the corners of his mouth lifting into a small, fond smile. Then, respecting the silence, he turned back to his own work as well.
Outside the window, the first lights of outer London were beginning to appear against the darkening evening sky. Inside the carriage, between the warmth of fresh coffee, scattered paperwork, and the quiet hum of the train, everything suddenly felt peaceful.
The journey home to London no longer felt very far away.
