Chapter Text
Weeks passed before Sebastian had finally started to feel like himself again. He even made sure to make regular calls to his family, not wanting them to worry.
He started getting back into a somewhat normal routine, at least doing things for himself again. As soon as he was cleared for screen use, he began doing some research. After everything Jim had done for him while he was healing, he wanted to do something for him to let him know how appreciative he was.
Jim had a schedule for Sebastian. He wrote down almost everything. Entering the bedroom, notebook in hand, he looked at him. “Screen time. Excellent.” He wrote that down. “I made an appointment for you to get your head checked. I want to get confirmation your skull has been healing correctly. We’ll go tomorrow after your bath.” He said. Going to the dresser, he checked his bottles of medications.
Sebastian rolled his eyes with a sigh. He hated keeping such a strict schedule, but he didn't want to argue with Jim either. Closing his laptop, he set it aside. "Come take a break, love," he said, patting the spot next to him on the bed.
Jim kicked off his shoes and went over to Sebastian. Kneeling on the bed beside him, he started to check him over. “Your hair is growing back around the incision.” He said. He met his eyes. “Focused and clean. Excellent.”
"Babe," Sebastian rolled his eyes, taking Jim's hands. "Relax. You don't need to worry so much. I'm getting better." He brought Jim's hands up and kissed the knuckles of each in turn. "In fact, I have a proposition for you," he smirked.
‘Obviously, it’s in the charts’, Jim thought to himself. He wiggled his fingers, watching his lover. “Proposition?” He asked. He settled in, letting him play with one hand. The other stroked his neck mindlessly. “I’m listening.”
"Take the rest of the day off," he said with a raised brow, leaning into his touch. "No charts, no schedules. Take some time for yourself. Maybe go shopping? Or take a long bath? Whatever you want. And when you come back, I'll have a nice dinner set up for us. Hm?"
Jim listened to him and to the ideas he had. “It’s better if I stay close to you. Something could happen when I’m out.” Dinner was a different story. He glanced over at the bathroom. “I could take a bath. I’ll leave the door open though.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh. "Jim, you need to get out more. Terry can stay with me, if you're that worried. Besides, I haven't had any problems in nearly two weeks. I feel fine. Great, even!" He placed his hand on Jim's knee and squeezed gently. "You're going crazy in this house, love. You don't have to be gone long and we can even send you updates if you want."
Jim leaned over and rested his chin on his shoulder. “I’m just afraid.” He admitted quietly. “It’s foolish, I know.” It would be good to go out though. He did love shopping. “Can you promise me no fighting? No hurting your head?” He asked. Looking at him, his eyes were fawn-like.
Sebastian smiled softly and nodded, gently running his fingers through Jim's hair. "I promise, love. I've learned from mistakes. I'll be fine." Leaning in, he kissed Jim softly. "Go on. We'll have dinner ready when you get back."
Jim’s eyes closed, kissing him back. God, how he missed the little bits of intimacy. Breaking away, he nodded. “Okay.” He whispered. Getting up, he went into the walk-in closet. He chose an outfit.
There was a knock and Terry appeared. “Found the bloody laptop cord.”
Sebastian chuckled and got up. "Where did I leave it this time? The kitchen?" He took the cord and plugged it in, connecting it to his laptop. "You'll never believe it, mate. I actually convinced Jim to go out for a few hours."
“Fuck off.” Terry said in disbelief.
“You’re lucky that I know you have an insatiable lust for pussy or else I would think you two were having a fling.” Jim said from inside the closet.
Terry laughed, crossing his arms. He watched as Jim walked out in a dress pants and shirt.
Sebastian chuckled and went over to Jim, taking his hands. "No less than two hours, alright? And text me when you're on your way back so I can have dinner brought out." He kissed Jim's cheek, not caring if Terry saw. He'd seen enough of the two of them lately.
Jim smiled softly, “Two hours.” He echoed back. “Don’t strain yourself too much.” Squeezing his hands, he felt a bit hesitant to go. He gave him a quick kiss though. Wallet and phone in hand, the Irish criminal left. Terry watched him leave.
As soon as they were sure that Jim was gone, Sebastian and Terry got to work (but mostly Terry). A table and chairs were brought up to the balcony that overlooked the garden while dinner was being prepared. Sebastian's hand often went to the box in his pocket while they set up.
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The poor security guard who was left to look after Jim became his personal assistant. By the end of the shopping trip, the boot of the car was stuffed. When he returned home, Jim was giddy. The guard, not so much. He hauled in each of the bags, dropping them on the floor.
Jim, circling the bags, tip-toed to examine his haul. “Outside garden for that. Ooh! My butterfly display!!” He picked up the framed butterfly in his hands. “My office for sure…”
Sebastian leaned against the doorframe, watching Jim with a smile. He shot the guard an apologetic look before going over to Jim, wrapping his arms around the criminal's waist from behind. "Good trip?" He asked.
Jim’s mood had drastically changed. He leaned back, feeling something hard (the box) against his hip. “Is that a gun or are you happy to see me?” He teased. Turning around, Jim looked at him. “You need to see what I bought!” He exclaimed, still very giddy.
Sebastian cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Later? Wouldn't want dinner to get cold. They're bringing it up now." He smiled, glad to see Jim in such a good mood. He just hoped that he could keep him that way.
Jim frowned, “Your loss. I was going to show you my new fountain pen that doubles as a stun gun.” He said. He placed his hands on either side of the man’s neck. “How are you? Don’t lie to me. I’ll ask Terry and with him I’m not as…compassionate.”
"Well, that certainly sounds like fun,'' Sebastian chuckled as he held Jim close. "I feel good. My head hardly even hurts." He smiled and nodded towards the stairs. "Come on. We don't want dinner to get cold."
Jim rolled his eyes but was smiling widely. “I’m just happy to spend time with you.” Food wasn’t something he looked forward to. “Alone, hopefully. Is Terry joining us?” He asked, walking with him.
Sebastian chuckled and shook his head. "Just us. Although, I could ask him, if you'd like?" He joked, nudging him gently. Taking Jim's hand, he led him up to the balcony. Food was laid out on the table, a flower arrangement in the center and the sun setting on the horizon
Jim gave him a look then looked over, seeing the terribly romantic setup. “I never took you as a romantic.” He teased gently. He walked over, smelling the flowers. Jim couldn’t help but admire the set up. “This is beautiful, Sebastian. You spoil me.” Touching the fabric of the tablecloth, he saw the work he put into their dinner.
Sebastian shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous smile. "You've been working so hard, taking care of me while I recover. I just wanted to do something nice for you." He went over and pulled out a chair for Jim.
“Thank you.” Jim kissed him on the cheek. Beaming, he sat down. Grabbing a napkin, he set it down on his lap. “We could have just ordered pizza and eaten it in bed.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes as he went to sit down. "We do that anyway." Reaching for Jim's glass, he poured him some wine. He stuck with water for himself, however, not wanting to mix alcohol with his medication. "You had a good time out, then?"
Jim looked at Sebastian, watching him pour a glass of wine for him. “Very good. I bought a few shirts for you among other things.” He couldn’t help but shop for Sebastian. Taking a sip from his glass of wine, he set it down. “I may have spent more than I intended to.” He said.
"That's alright," Sebastian shrugged. "I'm just glad that you were able to have some time to yourself. You've been working hard since I've been home." Hidden under the table, he pulled the box from his pocket, holding it tightly.
“When don’t I work?” Jim asked, looking at him with amusement in his eyes. “Sometimes I work so much I lose track of the days.” He looked out at the yard. “I took care of you cause I love you.” He shrugged.
"I know," he nodded. "And I appreciate it. I know it hasn't been easy." Glancing down at the box in his hand, he took a deep breath. "I, um... I have something for you."
“Something for me?” Jim asked. He looked at the man, meeting his eyes. “Are they your brain pictures??” He asked. He was thinking of putting them in an album. The criminal wished he could see his own brain. He was convinced it was massive and beautiful.
"I haven't been able to get them printed yet," he chuckled softly. Sebastian stared down at the little black box in his hands before finally reaching across the table to set it down in front of Jim.
Jim reached for his glass but paused when the box was brought out. He was suspicious.
“What…?” He picked up the box then chuckled, “Oh! For Richard, right? Your mother will get suspicious if he doesn’t have a ri-“ He opened the box and froze.
Inside the box was a simple silver band, nothing too flashy but still something he was sure Jim would like. Sebastian bit his lip softly, keeping his eyes down. Of course he thought it was for Richard. It made sense. It probably wasn't even safe for Jim to have one, if he even wanted one, wanted to be married to him. His thoughts spiraled but sat still in his seat.
Jim saw the maker of the ring on the box and when he opened it, he saw the silver. This wasn’t some cheap costume ring. “Wait-! This is real! This is-!?” He stared at it then Sebastian, clueing in. Heart pounding, eyes wide, he looked back at the ring then at him. He did this several times before uttering one important word.
“Yes.”
He heard that one word and looked up to finally meet Jim's eyes. "What?" Sebastian asked softly. He had been fully prepared to brush it off as a ring for Richard, like he had said. "You... Really?"
Every time they talked about marriage, they were either acting or Sebastian was high. This time though, the sniper was completely serious. Getting up, Jim nodded, “Yes, Sebastian!” He exclaimed. Going over to him, he embraced his face with his hands and kissed him on the lips.
Sebastian couldn't help his smile as he leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around Jim and holding him close. "You mean it? You really want to?" He asked softly, looking up at him.
Jim ended up on the man’s lap. He held onto him, feeling an overwhelming sense of love and happiness. Looking into his eyes, his own watering with tears. “Yes, Sebastian. I want this. I want you. I want to marry you.” He said.
Sebastian held him close, touching his forehead to Jim's. Reaching a hand up, he gently wiped the tears away from the corners of Jim's eyes. "Fuck, I love you," he smiled and kissed him once more.
“I love you too. So much.” Jim said, kissing him once, twice and three times. He became giddy once again. Looking at him, he touched his face. “Jim Moran.” He murmured. Glancing at the box, he pulled it over. He picked up the ring.
He chuckled softly, biting his lip as he took the ring from him. Sebastian took Jim's hand and slid the ring onto his finger before pressing a kiss to it. "You know, I always thought you'd want to keep your name... or hyphenate."
“Jim Moran-Moriarty.” Jim said, liking the sound of it. He looked at the ring on his finger then at his lover. “Are you sure you want to do this? Last time we talked about it you were on some pretty strong painkillers.” He said.
"Jim, I've been thinking about it since you told me you love me. It's not some drug-induced fantasy. I want this." Sebastian smiled and kissed him gently. "I want you."
Jim rested his hand on Sebastian’s cheek, giving him a gentle kiss. He was incredibly excited for what their future would look like. “I want you, too. I want to be yours.” He broke away and rested his forehead against his.
Sebastian smiled happily. "You know, this will give me something to do while I'm stuck in bed. Oh, that reminds me." He had Jim get up from his lap and went to lean over the balcony, spotting Terry training a group of men below. "Terry!" He called down. "He said yes!"
“Oh my god.” Jim blushed, hiding from the men below.
Terry raised his hands above his head. “Haha! They owe me a hundred pounds!” Grinning, he gave the man a thumbs up. The other men scowled and turned out their pockets.
Sebastian grinned and went over to Jim, wrapping his arms around him. "I can't believe you said yes. I wasn't sure that you would," he admitted softly.
Jim hugged Sebastian, head resting on his chest. “Why wouldn’t I say yes? You’re everything to me.” He said. Still smiling, he loved seeing him on his feet. Glancing at the ring, he grinned, “Gorgeous…”
"I don't know," Sebastian shrugged,looking away from Jim. "I thought, maybe... you'd think it wouldn't be good for the business or your image or something."
Jim shook his head, “Never.” Smiling, he leaned up and kissed him again. “I’m just overwhelmed and excited.” He touched the sniper's neck. “I love you, Sebastian and I want to marry you. I want to be yours.”
Sebastian nodded, biting his lip as he leaned in to touch his forehead to Jim's. Tears stung in his eyes. "I know, I just... you've been working so hard lately, and most if that's my fault, but I thought maybe you were starting to get sick of me."
“Sebastian, I could never get sick of you.” Jim murmured. He noticed the tears in his eyes. “I was worried and it was tough taking care of you. I admit that.” He brushed the tears away. “Don’t cry.” He whispered. “Be happy. You’ve got me for life.”
“I know,” Sebastian nodded with a watery smile. “I love you… So fucking much. And as soon as I’m recovered, I’m going to make all of this up to you. I promise.”
Jim shook his head. “You’re alive. You’re standing. Get better, get your hands on a loaded rifle and be my sniper.” He leaned on up on his toes, kissing him. The criminal didn’t care if the other men down below saw them kiss. He was excited.
Sebastian returned the kiss happily. He meant it, though. He was going to make it up to Jim as soon as he was able, no matter what it took. “There’s one other thing you should know. I, um… I told my mum that I panicked and lied about us being engaged. She and Sev actually helped me pick out the ring,” he admitted with a shy smile.
Jim blinked his eyes, listening to him closely. He looked at the ring then up at him. “Well, I love it. You and your family have wonderful taste.” Looking up at him, he smiled. “Give her my number and I’ll text her with a thank you.” He told him.
Sebastian nodded as a loud bang sounded off from the distance. Fireworks erupted in the sky over the garden. “I think Terry may have gone a bit overboard,” he chuckled.
Jim jumped and turned around. He looked over, seeing the fireworks. His smile widened. “You’re insane.” Kissing his cheek, he took his phone out. He took a few selfies with him. One of them showed the engagement ring.
Sebastian kissed Jim’s cheek happily before letting out a small yawn. His energy was beginning to crash. Might have overdone it, he thought to himself. But it was worth it.
Jim looked at Sebastian. “Time for bed, you.” He said. He completely forgot about dinner. His mind was elsewhere and for good reason. It was a huge surprise. “Or at least go to bed and we can eat there.” He suggested with a smile.
“I’m alright, love. I think I can manage to last another thirty minutes while we eat.” Taking Jim’s hand, Sebastian led him back to the table.
Eying him a little, Jim sat back down. Getting comfy again, Jim attempted to calm right back down. “This has been amazing. You’re sneaky and very evil but it’s amazing.” He said, offering him a smile.
“How the hell does this make me evil?” Sebastian laughed and began to eat. “I think I did a good enough job. I mean, I got you out of the house. That’s quite a feat, itself.” Glancing up from his food, he smiled at Jim happily.
“Tricking me is evil.” Jim replied and offered him a smile back. “I did appreciate the time to myself. I will admit that.” He shrugged and smoothed his hair back. “Can we not get married in a church?” He asked.
“Oh, absolutely,” Sebastian nodded as he ate. “No church. We could go out to the cottage again? Get married on the beach? We could rent another house on the coast for my family to stay at.”
“Not too big, okay? Intimate is fine.” Jim said. “It never crossed my mind that I'd ever marry. Yet, here we are.” He smiled softly. “Just us and your family.” He nodded. Jim didn’t have anyone to bring.
Sebastian nodded his head in agreement. “What about any of the men? Or clients? Colleagues?” He wasn’t sure if Jim was close with anyone else. “Terry is obviously invited. He’d probably kill me if he wasn’t,” he chuckled.
“Oh, Terry, yeah.” Jim nodded. He fixed his fork on the table. It wasn’t a nice feeling knowing he didn’t have anyone to invite. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he shifted in his chair. Taking his glass of water, he sipped from it.
Sebastian sighed softly, sensing something off with Jim, and reached across the table to take his hand. “It could always just be the two of us, you know. I’d be okay with that.”
Jim looked at their hands. “I would never do that to you.” He remembered the excitement on Mrs. Moran’s face when she found out Sebastian was engaged. “I’m okay, honestly. As long as I’m marrying you, I don’t care.”
Sebastian nodded with a quiet sigh. “We don’t have to decide anything right now. We have plenty of time, love.” He kept a hold of Jim’s hand while he finished eating, growing more and more tired as the evening went on.
Jim agreed with the sentiment. They had time. Food finished, Jim got up. He helped Sebastian to his feet. “Come on, dear. You had a long day.” He kissed him on the cheek, linking his arm with his. “You need your rest.”
Sebastian leaned into him a bit as they made their way back to the bedroom. Sitting himself down on the edge of the bed, he slowly began to undress, pausing occasionally to rub his eyes. “I didn’t think it would take this much out of me.”
“That’s okay. You’re still recovering.” Jim turned the lights off and helped Sebastian undress. He could tell how tired he was. Letting stay in only his boxers, Jim moved around the bed to undress too. He slid underneath the sheets, getting comfy.
Sebastian rolled onto his side and reached out for Jim. Pulling him close, he finally let himself relax into the bed and closed his hands. “I love you,” he said softly, hardly able to believe they were really going to get married.
Jim slid over, more grateful now to be held than before. With Sebastian recovering, he couldn’t be held as much. Echoing the same words in a soft whisper into his ear, Jim closed his eyes. He fell asleep, hand with his engagement ring resting on Sebastian’s chest.