Chapter Text
Alex does her part by taking the photo albums to a place that scans them all in for a cost and the rest is up to Travis. He spends a chunk of the small fortune that Wes has been transferring into his account every single month on paying to have the photos printed out and buying a bunch of frames and photo albums. He has to wait for Wes to be gone before he can get to work sorting through the pictures and putting them into the albums and picking which ones to put into frames but the process is surprisingly fun.
He loves seeing pictures of Wes from when he was little, pictures of Wes with his parents during birthday parties and at Christmas; Wes at his graduation from high school, law school and the police academy; pictures of Wes and Alex’s wedding and trips they had taken together and later, pictures of Alex, Wes and Travis together. There are some pictures with just Travis and Wes too, where Alex had taken over control of the camera. He’d also made duplicates of some of the pictures he has of Wes and him together at various department Christmas parties and other times when Cap brings his camera to work and insists on taking pictures of everybody.
It’s really cool putting everything together and Travis is ridiculously excited when he’s done and waiting for Wes to come home.
But nothing is better than the look on Wes’ face when he comes in and Travis drags him over to the table where he’d set up the picture frames and left the photo albums open to some of his favorite pages. Wes freezes when he recognizes the pictures and he stands there, shocked into silence as he gapes at the table covered in photos.
Travis is practically vibrating. “You like it? Obviously, you can change the ones that are in the frames. I picked ones that I remember from your living room.”
Wes still looks stunned as he slowly leafs through one of the photo albums and gently picks up some of the picture frames, gazing at the photos. His hands are shaking a bit and he still hasn’t said a word. Travis is starting to think that maybe he’d made a mistake and maybe this is something Wes wanted to do by himself, then Wes wipes all those worries away when he puts down the picture frame, turns and wraps his arms around Travis, hugging him tight.
Wes is shaking in his arms and his breathing is choppy as he presses his nose into Travis’ neck. “Thank you,” he mumbles. “You know how much this means to me.”
Smiling, Travis hugs him. Without really being aware of it, he kisses Wes’ temple. As soon as he does it, he stiffens, waiting for Wes to get upset. Except Wes doesn’t. He keeps clinging to Travis and nothing else changes. Travis’ heart thuds in his chest for a few beats because yeah, he’d been wanting to do that for ages but he’s not sure if Wes wants things to move in that direction. And there’s no way Wes didn’t feel the casual kiss.
But when Wes stays right where he is and he doesn’t tense up, Travis relaxes again and presses his head against Wes’. Then he remembers that he shouldn’t take all the credit for this whole thing. It might have been his idea, but he wouldn’t have more than a handful of pictures if it hadn’t been for Alex. “So, Alex helped. I got most of the pictures from her.”
Wes pulls back, looking surprised. “Really?” Wes hasn’t stepped back and his arms are still casually holding onto Travis’ hips, so Travis keeps his hands on Wes’ sides too.
Travis grins. “Yeah. She took all her photo albums to a place that scanned them in and sent them to me.” Then his grin changes to a smirk. “By the way, you have to call her so she can yell at you for not telling her about the fire.”
That makes Wes level a mock-glare at him. “Thanks a lot.”
Chuckling, Travis pulls away and walks to the kitchen to start dinner. “Don’t get mad at me. You’re the dumbass who thought your house burning down wasn’t important enough news to share.”
After they eat, Travis sprawls out on the couch and cues up the movie they were planning on watching tonight. Wes comes over to join him, but he’s got his phone in his hands. “Do you mind if I call Alex first?”
Travis shrugs and switches over to a re-run of a basketball game. “Sure, take your time. But you gotta stay close cause I wanna hear Alex yelling at you.”
Wes rolls his eyes, but he sits down next to Travis and puts the phone on speaker as it’s ringing. They’re only sitting a foot apart and Travis slides a bit closer and puts his arm across the back of the couch. Wes glances at him and Travis shrugs. “I gotta be close so I can hear.”
It’s his way of testing the waters because Wes can either let Travis stay close or he can shove him away and turn up the volume of the phone. But to Travis’ pleasant surprise, Wes does neither. Instead, he slides right up against Travis and leans his head against Travis’ shoulder and puts the ringing phone on Travis’ thigh.
Smiling as warmth spread through him, Travis casually lets his arm down from the back of the couch and wraps it around Wes’ shoulder. Wes lets out a soft sigh and shifts to make himself more comfortable against Travis, which is when Alex picks up the phone.
Wes stays where he is during the whole conversation and even though Travis should be relishing Alex yelling at Wes, he’s barely paying attention because what’s happening on the couch is so much better.
* * *
The permit finally gets approved six months after the fire. Wes thinks that’s ridiculous but the construction crew who have been hired by his insurance company are actually surprised that it happened so quickly. Construction is going to take four to six months but Travis brushes off Wes’ concerned tone when he explains that all sorts of factors could slow down the work, making it take even longer. “I like having you here and things are good. I know you wanna have your house back, but I don’t care how long it takes.”
It makes that funny feeling in his heart glow brighter when Wes’ only response is to smile and stare at Travis with that soft look in his eyes.
* * *
They’re playing a video game and as usual, Wes had realized that he won’t beat Travis fairly, so he’s cheating. When Wes successfully pushes Travis off the racing track for the third time in a row, Travis drops his controller and glares at him while Wes laughs, sounding way too pleased with himself. Unfortunately, hearing Wes laughing and watching how happy he looks wipes away Travis’ annoyance so it’s a struggle keeping his smile off his face and maintaining the intensity of his glare.
Wes puts down his controller and widens his eyes, trying and mostly failing to look apologetic. “Sorry.”
“Apologizing for cheating doesn’t actually make it okay, you know.”
Wes chuckles, the sound very smug. “I know. But I’m still sorry. So very sorry.”
Travis narrows his eyes at him because Wes is a dirty liar. “No, you’re not.”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
Travis snorts. “Yeah, right.”
“I’ll make you those cheesecake brownies tomorrow. I can’t do it tonight because we’re out of cream cheese.”
Those brownies are heaven, so they’d normally be enough to get Travis to forgive Wes for being a dirty cheater who cheats at video games. But he won’t give in so easily, so he glares at Wes and jerks his chin up. “Not good enough.”
Wes is still smiling, but as they stare at each other, Wes’ smile gets a bit tense and his jaw is shifting. His eyes flick back and forth between Travis’ eyes and his lap a few times, then he licks his lips. “How about I make you the brownies and give you an apology kiss?”
Travis’ breath catches and he stares at Wes. A part of him is going ‘yes, yes, yes, please, please, please’ but another part thinks Wes is joking and that means he has to respond as if it’s a joke, even if he doesn’t want to.
But Wes doesn’t look like he’s joking. He looks nervous and tense instead of smug and that gives Travis hope. But he still has to be cautious because if things go sideways, they’ll both so sliding off the race track in a fiery crash. “I’ll take the brownies and a kiss. Or just the brownies. It’s up to you.”
Wes still looks nervous but his smile gets a bit brighter and Travis barely has time to breathe before Wes is leaning over, tilting his head and softly pressing his lips against Travis’. The kiss is over way too soon but once it’s done, Wes doesn’t pull back very far. He’s staring at Travis, still looking nervous but also hopeful.
Travis smiles. “I forgive you,” he whispers because he doesn’t want things to get confusing.
Wes’ smile brightens even more. “Okay.”
Wes isn’t moving away and he stays still when Travis gently puts his fingers under Wes’ chin. If Wes looked more nervous, Travis would crack another joke to lighten the tension but Wes is breathing calmly and his eyes keep flicking down to Travis’ lips, so they’re on the right track.
Smiling, Travis tilts his head and kisses Wes, adding more pressure than the first kiss. Wes makes a soft sound and kisses him back, which sends a happy shiver through Travis. He’s sliding his hands around Wes’ waist as he kisses him and as usual, it turns out they’re on the same page because Wes shifts and straddles Travis’ lap, barely pausing in their kissing as he presses himself against Travis. It’s hard deciding whether to keep his arms wrapped around Wes’ waist or to cradle Wes’ face so Travis alternates back and forth, their kisses growing more heated as Travis’ heart does a happy dance in his chest.
Eventually, Wes pulls back, but he doesn’t go far. “I think we should do this in bed.”
Travis smiles and presses his forehead against Wes’. “And I think we should wear less clothes.”
Wes’ smile has lit up his entire face. “Agreed.”
Then Wes is scrambling off Travis’ lap and hauling him to his feet before they stumble to the bedroom.
* * *
Travis is locking Wes’ car after putting their empty lunch containers inside when yet another construction van pulls up outside Wes’ house. The name of the van seems to be related to kitchen stuff, which makes Travis grin as he adjusts his hard hat. Wes’ neighbors must hate that half the street is constantly taken up by construction crews six days a week, but by the project manager’s estimates, they’ll be done in three weeks and then the parking situation will return to normal.
The workers climb out of the kitchen-related van and Travis walks up to them. “Hey, guys. You here for the Mitchell house?”
One of them nods. “Yeah. We have the kitchen cabinets.”
Travis grins because this is something they’ve been eagerly anticipating for weeks. It’s finally time to create Wes’ dream kitchen!
He and Wes have been coming to the house nearly everyday after work and sometimes spend Saturdays here too ever since the construction had gotten underway five months ago, but Travis wouldn’t have it any other way.
It had been shocking to see the house stripped down to the wooden studs and concrete floors, but at least it had been clean and all traces of the fire had been removed. Travis’ frequent reminders for Wes to always think of the house as a work in progress, rather than a damaged mess had helped and Wes has loved being part of the construction progress right from the start. Travis likes tagging along because seeing the slow progress is cool, he loves it when he’s allowed to help bang a few nails and paint some walls, but his main reason for being there is to help mediate between Wes and the construction crew when there are issues. The fact that he also likes being here because he loves spending time with Wes is a given.
“I’ll help you guys carry stuff in. I’ll get Wes once we’re inside,” Travis says and grabs a box of cabinet doors before heading across the muddy, debris filled yard towards the open front door. Once he’s inside, he heads for the kitchen as the sounds of hammering and shouting drift around him. “Wes? Get down here! You’ll never guess what just arrived!”
He’s putting down the box of doors when Wes appears in the doorway, frowning through his safety glasses, his hard hat slightly crooked.
“What’s that?” Then his eyes widen and he sucks in a sharp breath. “Are those the cabinets?!”
Travis grins. “Yup!”
Wes rushes up to him, making grabby motions with his hands. “Open, open, open! I wanna see them!”
Laughing, Travis pulls out a knife from his back pocket and slices open the box before gently pulling out one of the heavy stainless steel cabinet doors that Wes had spent hours selecting. It’s ridiculous that Travis’ heart is racing and his grin is as big as Wes’ because this isn’t his kitchen and even if it were, he doesn’t care what the cabinets look like. But Travis kind of feels like he’s been involved in creating this new version of the house in a way he hadn’t been with the former version. Plus, he’s always happy when Wes is happy, just like Wes is happy when Travis is happy. That’s just the way it goes between them.
* * *
Grabbing the last box of Wes’ stuff out of the trunk, Travis walks up the brand new stone walkway that cuts across the brand new green lawn of the front yard and steps into the house. Even though he’s been in the house a million times already, it still makes him smile whenever he comes in for the first time. It’s not his house, but he was part of creating it and despite never having spent the night here, he feels as comfortable as he does at home.
Shutting the door, he climbs up the brand new staircase and makes his way into Wes’ bedroom.
Wes is standing in his walk-in closet, carefully hanging up one of his suit jackets. Putting the box in the closet doorway, Travis leans against the closet door frame. “This is the last box.”
“Thanks,” Wes mumbles, his eyes on the suit jacket.
As Travis stands there, he suddenly starts feeling weird.
This is it. It’s stunning to realize that he’s been living with Wes for an entire year, first as just friends and then months as something more. It’s by far the longest relationship he’s ever had and it’s the first time he’s lived with somebody he’s in love with. And now...it’s apparently over.
Travis will go home to his apartment and for the first time in a year, Wes won’t be there. They won’t cook dinner together or eat together. They won’t cuddle together on the couch while bickering over what movie to watch. They won’t stand side by side in his tiny bathroom as they brush their teeth and do their choreographed routine of taking turns using the sink without even having to look at each other because they’ve been doing it for so long. And even worse, Travis will go to bed without Wes beside him.
That last thought is what really hits him and sadness squeezes his heart because he can’t stand the thought of sleeping alone. Tomorrow is Sunday and that would normally mean waking up and watching Wes sleeping next to him for a while before rolling on top of him and kissing his neck and listening to his sleepy chuckles.
Wes is fiddling with the hanger in his hands. “I’ll get one more insurance payment in a few days so I’ll transfer that over when I get it.”
“Uh huh.”
“I probably left some bits and pieces at your place. If there’s too much stuff, don’t bother bringing it to work. I’ll come over and get it at some point.”
Travis wants to cry because this sucks. “Okay.”
They stand there with Travis struggling to keep breathing while he tries forcing his feet to turn and walk away, but he can’t.
Then Wes turns and hangs up the suit jacket before he’s stepping closer to Travis. Wes has crossed his arms over his chest and he’s staring at the wall. Travis isn’t really looking at him because he’s trying not to cry.
“Travis?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you wanna go home?”
The answer to that is ‘no’. Actually, the answer is a lot more complicated than that because his definition of ‘home’ has changed over the past year and ‘home’ is wherever Wes is but he doesn’t want to make things awkward by putting Wes into an uncomfortable position and anyway, his throat is too tight for him to say anything so he stays quiet.
Wes waits for him to answer, then he’s coming even closer and reaching out, sliding his hands over Travis’ hips. That tiny gesture lights a small flicker of hope in his heart and Travis glances at him.
Wes is staring at him, his eyes wide and he’s chewing on his lower lip. “If you wanna go home, that’s fine. I understand.”
Travis has to clear his throat a few times before he can get any words out. “I...” But that’s as far as he gets.
“But I was kind of hoping you’d wanna stay here for a while,” Wes says, his voice quiet and shaking a bit. “But only if you want to. I understand if you don’t.”
The words make Travis’ heart skip a beat and he stares at Wes. “You want me to stay?”
“I want you to be where you’re happy being.”
When Travis can’t figure out what to say, Wes gives him that soft smile before he leans over and kisses Travis. It’s a chaste, soft peck on the lips and he presses his forehead against Travis’ after, sliding his arms around him to pull him closer.
Relief floods through him and Travis makes a stupid sound in his throat as he wraps his arms around Wes and clings to him. Reaching up, he shifts Wes’ head so his nose is pressed against Travis’ neck and he buries his hand in Wes’ hair, holding him as close as possible.
Wes chuckles, his breath warming Travis’ neck. “You weren’t really gonna make me try out my new bed by myself, were you?”
Chuckling too, Travis kisses Wes’ temple as everything falls back into place. “We gotta try out your new couch too. And that insane sound system you got.”
“And the new kitchen.”
“But we should try the bed first.”
Wes is smiling against his neck. “Definitely.”