repost - bodyguard au My Man Godric

[thatrcooper]

Remember (vaguely) that AU where Godric was Bertie’s bodyguard? Ah, and Bertie so fabulous and arty and refined, in his elegant house during the rain. Of course he wants to mope, because by this point he’s completely head over heels for Godric, and Godric is ever the stoic bodyguard and barely even looks at him except for personal safety reasons? Maybe, maybe there had been a point where Bertie had thought differently, maybe he’d thought they’d grown closer. Perhaps there was a moment of stillness where they almost kissed, and then something Bad happened, and Bertie was hurt, and Godric was all business again.

And Bertie… Bertie didn’t react well. He fell (slightly) into old bad habits, and went to a party and didn’t behave, and got drunk, and started to introduce Godric as his love. This is my love, Godric, aka my bodyguard. This is Godric, I adore him and he hates me. And he didn’t mean to, really, But he was in pain, and it only made things worse because Bertie is famous, and now everyone calls Godric his love instead of his bodyguard.

And Godric never denies it. Just stays silent and watchful, near him at all times, retreating with what feels like cruelty whenever someone flirts with Bertie.

But in this moment, no one else is there. They are alone in his restored townhouse on a gray, rainy evening, and Bertie has been ignoring his phone to stay curled up on the couch in front of the fire. Godric is there, in the doorway at first, and then outside the room, and then in again.

Bertie doesn’t mind. Godric is frowning, but that’s better than blank quiet. The rain is steady, and the fire crackles, and when his phone rings again and still goes unanswered, Godric is the one who slips out to get more firewood. He places it on the fire, then steps back.

He’s out of sight, but hardly out of mind. He speaks softly, but then, he almost always does. “Are you all right?” after a while of warmth and peace and Godric.

Bertie doesn’t look for him. He will be just out of Bertie’s sight, somewhere he can watch Bertie without Bertie ever getting to watch him. That doesn’t feel right. Not tonight. Not in this weather.

He normally prefers the spring, but there is something about a windswept fall day to make him shiver and stick to his blankets.

“Godric,” he allows himself to say it because he can’t see Godric’s face. “Godric, my love, won’t you at least sit on the couch with me?”

“If you’re lonely, you could–”

“Godric,” Bertie sighs. “am I never allowed to see you again?”

He sees Godric every day, but that’s not what he means.

“There’s nothing much to see,” Godric answers at last, but steps from the shadows by the door. He glows in the light of the fire, of course he does.

Bertie takes in the sight of him, and smiles, and leans over to pat the other end of the couch. “You’ll be far from me and my wicked gay hands. Safe and sound, and still able to spring into action to save me, if necessary.” Although, Bertie remembered the aftermath of the last incident, after what might have almost been a kiss, and Godric injured and bleeding–for him. “I hope it won’t be necessary.”

“So do I.” It’s a trick of the firelight that makes Godric’s gaze so warm. The intensity however, is naturally Godric’s.

Bertie sighs again. “Please, sit. I promise I won’t cross any boundaries. I merely want a little company.”

“You never lack for company.” Godric’s voice is briefly not-soft. But when Bertie turns his eyes up to meet his, he comes forward, and sits with a frown. “It’s no wonder you’re cold.”

The short press of his big, callused hand on Bertie’s bare foot is startling, but then he tugs Bertie’s blanket over it. “How can someone with as many clothes as you not own socks?”

“I own socks!”Bertie pouts despite himself. “I just… forgot them. I was in a mood. A dramatic, rainy day mood.”

“Your mood seems to have lightened.” Godric comments, too light to be serious.

Bertie takes him seriously anyway. “I wonder why that could be.”

He will not look away first. He has said it many times. Godric is the one who will not acknowledge it, to either accept or refuse.

“Godric, my love,” Bertie can’t not say anything at the pure shock on Godric’s face. “How can you surprised? You? With your eyes that see everything? I have told you. I’ve waited. I told you, over and over, like an idiot, and still you wouldn’t leave, or give me an answer, and now I am a joke who has to force you to sit with me in front of a firepl–”

He stops at the rapid way Godric blinks, the stunned tension in his broad shoulder. His eyes are as intent on Bertie as ever, despite his softly parted lips, but then he glances down. Bertie follows the movement and realizes.that the pleasing, warm weight on his chilled toes is Godric’s hand.

He recalls all at once the light pressure of Godric’s hand at his back to help him in and out of cars, the strength in his arms as he’d carried Bertie to bed after that one disastrous drunken party, the coffee ready to go in the mornings, the suggestions that Bertie stop working and eat, the soft question, just now. The worry.

He can’t stop staring at the hand resting on his foot. Still, it’s a surprise to see his hand come down on top of Godric’s.

How silly of him. Of course Godric would not answer with words.

The laugh is a surprise too. Godric almost yanks his hand away, but Bertie has him and he’s not letting go now.

“How dumb I am.” Bertie laughs a little more. “No wonder you thought I was toying with you. You did, didn’t you?” It feels right to stroke the side of Godric’s hand with his thumb. And because he is Bertie, weird and queer and famous, it feels just as right to twist a little so he can scoot his feet beneath Godric’s thigh.

The sigh that slips out of Godric stops his laughter.

Their hands are still together, something so innocent that Bertie’s friends might laugh to see it.

He thinks perhaps he needs new friends, because this is perfect.

“Godric loves me,” he says, carefully, to try it out, and closes his eyes to listen to the drum of the rain and the spitting fire and the even rhythm of Godric’s breath.

(via sweetfirebird)