Work Text:
The thing about having a job was that Edwin was sometimes required to actually work. Even, sometimes, on the weekends. And even worse, sometimes as far as Cornwall. There was no reason for Edwin to bring Robin along on this trip. He would never have asked Reggie to go with him. If anyone peered too closely into it, they would find it suspicious; but the likelihood of anybody other than Adelaide noticing was small, and the privacy of being on the road, with the smokescreen of working together to protect them from prying glares, was enough to tempt them both into taking the risk.
The office paid for their train tickets, but not a compartment to themselves, so by the time they disembarked at St. Austell, Robin was weary and aching for time alone with Edwin. The only inn was across from the station, so at least they didn’t have far to walk. Robin took the lead in talking to the desk clerk, as he knew Edwin didn’t like making small talk with strangers. “One double room for tonight, please.”
“There’s only one room left.” The clerk paused for what felt like an almost wickedly long time. “But you’re in luck. It does have two beds.”
“We’ll take it.”
She handed them their key and pointed the way, not offering to carry their bags. The room was upstairs, but as they only planned to stay the one night, they didn’t have a lot of luggage, so it didn’t matter. Robin led the way and Edwin followed. When they were both inside, Robin closed the door and turned the key in the lock, then turned to Edwin with open arms. Edwin stepped into them, and Robin enfolded him into an embrace. They held on to each other for a long moment.
When Robin let go, he looked at the room. It wasn’t a particularly small room, and it did indeed have the two beds promised. Two very narrow beds.
“Are these children’s beds?” Edwin asked. “I don’t think we can both fit in one. Maybe we can shove them together.” He tried moving the bed nearest to him towards the other. “Fuck. It’s bolted to the floor.”
“They both are. Jesus.” Robin sat on the floor with his back to the foot of the bed, head in his hands. “I was really looking forward to a cozy night with you but I’m afraid one of us will fall out if we try.”
Edwin unlaced his shoes and left them by the door, padding over to the second bed and laying down on top of the coverlet, stretching his arms and legs out as far as they would go. He closed his eyes. “Do you think the lady at the desk knew we wanted a single?”
“I doubt it. It’s just an old trope, isn’t it? ‘There was only one bed.’”
“If only.”
“Indeed.”
Robin tried to be cheerful. He gamely suggested that this provided the opportunity to try out new positions, as compared to the familiar rhythm they fell into when they were at Sutton with its huge bed. Edwin had difficulty mustering enthusiasm for being fucked against a wall or the floor. Disappointment had blunted his usually fierce desire for making love to Robin. What Edwin wanted was a night tucked against Robin’s shoulder, falling asleep listening to the sound of his breathing, and knowing he’d wake up the next morning still in Robin’s arms.
In the end they only used their hands on each other before a long goodnight kiss and retiring separately to their respective tiny beds. Edwin laid awake for a long time, listening to Robin’s breath become slow and even, trying to quell the cold fingers of unease around his heart.
Edwin woke gasping, having swum up from a nightmare of Walt holding his face underwater while he thrashed and kicked and felt his lungs would burst. It was pitch dark and he was freezing cold, having kicked off the coverlet at some point in the night. “Robin?”
No answer. Edwin’s thrashing hadn’t woken him.
Edwin got up, poured himself some water from the jug on the nightstand, sipped it slowly as his heart gradually returned to its normal rhythm. He looked at Robin’s face, relaxed in sleep, hair mussed on the pillow, and then at his own narrow, empty bed. The claws of dread from the dream constricted his lungs again.
Edwin set down the empty glass. He left his coverlet where it had fallen on the floor and instead squeezed himself into Robin’s bed. Edwin had to lay almost completely on top of the other man, his head tucked against Robin’s neck.
“Mmm,” Robin murmured, laying one strong forearm across Edwin’s back and pulling him closer.
The last thing Edwin noticed as he drifted off was the sound of Robin’s pulse against his ear.