A Fresh Start IV
Title : A Fresh Start III
Author : dalehead
Pairing : VigBean
Rating : NC-17: For adult themes of a non sexual kind
Summary: Sean is in mourning.
A/N : For krazykitten46
“Good morning, Sean.”
Viggo, who looked exhausted, greeted Sean more in the manner of a polite acquaintance than someone who had listened to the outpourings of a broken man. It was only then, Sean remembered he was supposed to have come up to the Manor yesterday, had clean forgotten. Once Charlie had turned up, it had put everything out of his mind and none of it had come back till it was far too late to do anything about it.
Sean realised he was not in Viggo’s good books.
“Vig, I am so sorry. I was going to come up yesterday but young Charlie came a calling...”
“Charlie? Not Charlie Plumstead?”
“Didn’t ask his surname, he was one of the young lads from the night before.”
“One of the young thugs who called me names?”
“Yeah, but he’s not a thug, his brother was in Richard’s battalion, he’s a good lad who needs a job and like many other kids of his age, can’t find one.
“So that makes it okay...”
“No of course not, but people are shits for a reason, usually. Anyway, he needs someone to give him a chance and maybe I am that someone.”
“So you reneged on your promise,” he broke off. Sean was staring at him.
“Promise? I didn’t promise and I didn’t renege, here I am, one day late. I don’t know why you’re being so pissy, lad but.” It was his turn to break off.
“Lad? You called me lad?” Viggo looked outraged and that probably saved the day because Sean’s good nature got the better of him.
“Pax...” He held up his hands. “Pax, look I’m here now. I’ve left Charlie tiling so I can get up on your roof and have a look, if you still want me to.”
“Actually.” Viggo looked exhausted. “You can’t. We would need to get the scaffolding up, health and safety are very strict about that.”
“Bollocks. There must be another route.”
“Well yes, through the attics.”
“Am I allowed up there? I mean you’re a volunteer right? But can you authorise me to go take a look?”
“Probably not but we could go up there if you like?”
“C’mon, you just ripped me a new one so it would be stupid not to go and take a gander.”
Viggo smiled, nodding, relaxing visibly. Sean felt a little guilty for yesterday but at the same time, the house wasn’t Viggo’s; why all the drama? He decided not to say anything about it, lest he hurt Viggo’s feelings.
“Let me take you upstairs.” Viggo blushed when he realised what he’d said. Sean kindly ignored the blush, following him through a maze of corridors and staircases.
“Be careful...” Viggo warned leading Sean out onto the roof of the house.
“Wow, look at the view.” Sean was transfixed.
“Be careful.” Viggo replied sharply.
“Chillax man.” Okay so Sean was teasing a little. “I’m not Nigel Pargetter.”
“You listen to The Archers?”
“Yeah.” Now Sean sounded defensive.
“Chillax man.” Viggo mimicked him but he was finally, finally smiling properly.
Sean grinned. He had spent many years getting the piss ripped out of him for various reasons. He thought of Richard, of the way they’d laughed their way through their first dates together and into Richard’s bed... His smile didn’t dim at all, if anything it got brighter. Remembering Richard with such love, it made him feel a little dizzy...
“Sean?” Viggo was watching him. “Earth to Sean...”
“Sorry mate.” Wool gathering on top of a very high roof was not a good thing to do. Sean looked down at the section of roof nearest to him.
“I can fix this, you know. Do you have some safety harnesses?”
Viggo nodded. “Yeah, I think we … they have them somewhere but …”
“But what?”
“This should really come from the National Trust, I mean they are supposed to administrate the house.”
Sean was about to ask why but he held his peace. If there was more than this than met the eye, now was not a good time to ask. “Well let’s get back to terra firma and you can show me the harnesses.”
Having examined the equipment, Sean decided he wouldn’t need more than a day to slot the slates back into place. “But the question is, Viggo, why are you organising this rather than getting the proper authorities to do so?” He used a tone Viggo hadn’t heard before. Sean didn’t like being dicked around. He might be grieving, he might be sad but he wasn’t stupid and there was something going on here and he intended to find out what.
“Had you really not worked it out?” Viggo grinned. It was just the sort of shit eating grin Sean hated.
“You know, strange as it may seem, I have better things to worry about other than what games you are playing.” Sean growled. Richard would have known that this was just a form of defensiveness. Richard knew that Sean had worked his way up the ranks of the military, that he’d been looked down on by many of the officers because he didn’t have a Sandhurst education nor yet a degree. He would be the first to admit he had a chip on his shoulder but only to someone he was close to, someone with whom he could let his barriers down with.
Viggo didn’t know all that of course and he was a little offended by Sean’s tone but remembered that, after all, Sean was still raw and there was no point in starting a row, particularly as Sean was in a position to help this beloved house.
“This house used to belong to my father, Sean. Before he died, he made it over to the National Trust with the proviso that I could have the Dower House for as long as I wanted it and that if I got married, had children, it would pass to them. He knew I was gay and he didn’t want the house to be eaten up with death duties.”
“Oh...” Sean realised how dim he’d been. “I’m not usually this thick.” He said dryly. “But what with one thing and another...”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be a smart ass.” Viggo gave Sean his most charming smile, so charming that Sean was quite disarmed.
“No mate, I’m sorry, if Richard was here, he’d be elbowing me and reminding me about the fucking great sack of spuds on my shoulder.” His expression was rueful. It seemed to have a profound effect on Viggo who stepped forward to embrace Sean, rather to pull him into his arms for a long hug.
At first Sean went with it, having been starved of simple human affection for so long, he couldn’t help himself, he almost melted into the embrace. It was a moment or two later he realised what he was doing.
“Get off me.” He almost pushed Viggo away. “What the fuck am I doing?” He was breathing heavily.
“Hugging Sean, only hugging.” Viggo held his hands up.
“But...”
“No, please don’t think you have to cut yourself off from simple human contact.”
“Don’t fucking patronise me.”
“I’m not, I promise I’m not.” Viggo sounded hurt. Sean calmed down almost immediately.
“Look, I’m sorry...” There wa a pause, a pause that Viggo didn’t attempt to fill. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you on one level but...” He broke off helplessly. “I can’t do this.”
“No, no I know you can’t but you could fix my roof yes? And you could let me buy you a drink? In the pub one evening?”
“Yeah, I could do that.”
“Well then.” Viggo’s smile was tinged with sadness. “That’s a good start.”
Pretending not to see that sadness, Sean nodded. “I’ll come up tomorrow morning, first thing, right? I might bring Charlie with me, just to fetch and carry, hold stuff for me.” He could see the words framed on Viggo’s lips. “It will be easier to boss him about, okay?”
It seemed to work. Viggo appeared to have given in. “Sure, well in that case...”
“Yeah, I’ll get off, get back to my bathroom.” Sean didn’t look back, almost ran to his car. Before he returned to the house, he needed to give himself a long talking to, take a cold shower too, most likely...
(tbc)
Author : dalehead
Pairing : VigBean
Rating : NC-17: For adult themes of a non sexual kind
Summary: Sean is in mourning.
A/N : For krazykitten46
“Good morning, Sean.”
Viggo, who looked exhausted, greeted Sean more in the manner of a polite acquaintance than someone who had listened to the outpourings of a broken man. It was only then, Sean remembered he was supposed to have come up to the Manor yesterday, had clean forgotten. Once Charlie had turned up, it had put everything out of his mind and none of it had come back till it was far too late to do anything about it.
Sean realised he was not in Viggo’s good books.
“Vig, I am so sorry. I was going to come up yesterday but young Charlie came a calling...”
“Charlie? Not Charlie Plumstead?”
“Didn’t ask his surname, he was one of the young lads from the night before.”
“One of the young thugs who called me names?”
“Yeah, but he’s not a thug, his brother was in Richard’s battalion, he’s a good lad who needs a job and like many other kids of his age, can’t find one.
“So that makes it okay...”
“No of course not, but people are shits for a reason, usually. Anyway, he needs someone to give him a chance and maybe I am that someone.”
“So you reneged on your promise,” he broke off. Sean was staring at him.
“Promise? I didn’t promise and I didn’t renege, here I am, one day late. I don’t know why you’re being so pissy, lad but.” It was his turn to break off.
“Lad? You called me lad?” Viggo looked outraged and that probably saved the day because Sean’s good nature got the better of him.
“Pax...” He held up his hands. “Pax, look I’m here now. I’ve left Charlie tiling so I can get up on your roof and have a look, if you still want me to.”
“Actually.” Viggo looked exhausted. “You can’t. We would need to get the scaffolding up, health and safety are very strict about that.”
“Bollocks. There must be another route.”
“Well yes, through the attics.”
“Am I allowed up there? I mean you’re a volunteer right? But can you authorise me to go take a look?”
“Probably not but we could go up there if you like?”
“C’mon, you just ripped me a new one so it would be stupid not to go and take a gander.”
Viggo smiled, nodding, relaxing visibly. Sean felt a little guilty for yesterday but at the same time, the house wasn’t Viggo’s; why all the drama? He decided not to say anything about it, lest he hurt Viggo’s feelings.
“Let me take you upstairs.” Viggo blushed when he realised what he’d said. Sean kindly ignored the blush, following him through a maze of corridors and staircases.
“Be careful...” Viggo warned leading Sean out onto the roof of the house.
“Wow, look at the view.” Sean was transfixed.
“Be careful.” Viggo replied sharply.
“Chillax man.” Okay so Sean was teasing a little. “I’m not Nigel Pargetter.”
“You listen to The Archers?”
“Yeah.” Now Sean sounded defensive.
“Chillax man.” Viggo mimicked him but he was finally, finally smiling properly.
Sean grinned. He had spent many years getting the piss ripped out of him for various reasons. He thought of Richard, of the way they’d laughed their way through their first dates together and into Richard’s bed... His smile didn’t dim at all, if anything it got brighter. Remembering Richard with such love, it made him feel a little dizzy...
“Sean?” Viggo was watching him. “Earth to Sean...”
“Sorry mate.” Wool gathering on top of a very high roof was not a good thing to do. Sean looked down at the section of roof nearest to him.
“I can fix this, you know. Do you have some safety harnesses?”
Viggo nodded. “Yeah, I think we … they have them somewhere but …”
“But what?”
“This should really come from the National Trust, I mean they are supposed to administrate the house.”
Sean was about to ask why but he held his peace. If there was more than this than met the eye, now was not a good time to ask. “Well let’s get back to terra firma and you can show me the harnesses.”
Having examined the equipment, Sean decided he wouldn’t need more than a day to slot the slates back into place. “But the question is, Viggo, why are you organising this rather than getting the proper authorities to do so?” He used a tone Viggo hadn’t heard before. Sean didn’t like being dicked around. He might be grieving, he might be sad but he wasn’t stupid and there was something going on here and he intended to find out what.
“Had you really not worked it out?” Viggo grinned. It was just the sort of shit eating grin Sean hated.
“You know, strange as it may seem, I have better things to worry about other than what games you are playing.” Sean growled. Richard would have known that this was just a form of defensiveness. Richard knew that Sean had worked his way up the ranks of the military, that he’d been looked down on by many of the officers because he didn’t have a Sandhurst education nor yet a degree. He would be the first to admit he had a chip on his shoulder but only to someone he was close to, someone with whom he could let his barriers down with.
Viggo didn’t know all that of course and he was a little offended by Sean’s tone but remembered that, after all, Sean was still raw and there was no point in starting a row, particularly as Sean was in a position to help this beloved house.
“This house used to belong to my father, Sean. Before he died, he made it over to the National Trust with the proviso that I could have the Dower House for as long as I wanted it and that if I got married, had children, it would pass to them. He knew I was gay and he didn’t want the house to be eaten up with death duties.”
“Oh...” Sean realised how dim he’d been. “I’m not usually this thick.” He said dryly. “But what with one thing and another...”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be a smart ass.” Viggo gave Sean his most charming smile, so charming that Sean was quite disarmed.
“No mate, I’m sorry, if Richard was here, he’d be elbowing me and reminding me about the fucking great sack of spuds on my shoulder.” His expression was rueful. It seemed to have a profound effect on Viggo who stepped forward to embrace Sean, rather to pull him into his arms for a long hug.
At first Sean went with it, having been starved of simple human affection for so long, he couldn’t help himself, he almost melted into the embrace. It was a moment or two later he realised what he was doing.
“Get off me.” He almost pushed Viggo away. “What the fuck am I doing?” He was breathing heavily.
“Hugging Sean, only hugging.” Viggo held his hands up.
“But...”
“No, please don’t think you have to cut yourself off from simple human contact.”
“Don’t fucking patronise me.”
“I’m not, I promise I’m not.” Viggo sounded hurt. Sean calmed down almost immediately.
“Look, I’m sorry...” There wa a pause, a pause that Viggo didn’t attempt to fill. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you on one level but...” He broke off helplessly. “I can’t do this.”
“No, no I know you can’t but you could fix my roof yes? And you could let me buy you a drink? In the pub one evening?”
“Yeah, I could do that.”
“Well then.” Viggo’s smile was tinged with sadness. “That’s a good start.”
Pretending not to see that sadness, Sean nodded. “I’ll come up tomorrow morning, first thing, right? I might bring Charlie with me, just to fetch and carry, hold stuff for me.” He could see the words framed on Viggo’s lips. “It will be easier to boss him about, okay?”
It seemed to work. Viggo appeared to have given in. “Sure, well in that case...”
“Yeah, I’ll get off, get back to my bathroom.” Sean didn’t look back, almost ran to his car. Before he returned to the house, he needed to give himself a long talking to, take a cold shower too, most likely...
(tbc)