Unwritten Fate [BL]
Chapter 74: When the House Breathes

Chapter 74: When the House Breathes

The house welcomed them with a warmth that felt like memory—a quiet kind of comfort stitched into creaking floorboards and the lingering scent of tea.

Billy set his shoes by the door while Artur blinked toward the small dining table, where Mr. Dand sat with a steaming mug in hand.

"Dad?" Artur’s voice held a mix of surprise and concern. "You’re back?"

Mr. Dand looked up with a tired but calm smile. "I am."Sit down, boys," Mr. Dand said, glancing at them over his shoulder.

Artur stepped forward, concern softening his voice. "You traveled all day? You should’ve called—we would’ve come to get you."

Mr. Dand chuckled lightly, lifting his mug. "Didn’t want to trouble anyone. Figured I’d make it home just fine."

Billy stayed a little behind, watching quietly while Artur pulled out a chair beside his father.

"How was it?" Artur asked, lowering his voice slightly. "The journey... everything okay?"

"Smooth enough," Mr. Dand replied, taking a sip of tea. "A few delays, but nothing I couldn’t handle."

"Do you want something to eat?" Artur offered, glancing toward the kitchen. "We have leftover rice and vegetables—"

Mr. Dand waved a hand gently. "I already ate, don’t worry. Just needed the quiet for a moment before turning in."

Billy stepped closer, hands tucked into his pockets. "Still, you gave us a bit of a scare."

Mr. Dand lifted an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Billy nodded. "We thought someone broke in. We had a whole plan to charge in and catch a thief."

That earned a full laugh from Mr. Dand, low and amused. "Did you now? What were you planning to fight with, a broom?"

"I had a rock in mind," Billy said with mock seriousness. "Artur was going to use his dramatic shouting to confuse the thief."

Artur rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his mouth. "Glad it wasn’t needed."

Mr. Dand’s laughter faded into a quieter hum. "I’m glad to see the two of you like this. The house feels... warm."

He said it like he didn’t mean to say it aloud, and maybe he didn’t. But it lingered, gently wrapping around them.

Artur sat still for a moment, absorbing it. Then nodded. "We’re trying."

Billy met his eyes briefly, offering a soft, knowing smile.

The older man nodded once, thoughtful. Then he stood, stretching. "Well, no complaints from me. Just don’t forget to rest, alright?"I’ll turn in first. Don’t stay up too late, boys."

He yawned and turned toward his room. "I’ll unpack later. Too tired to care now.

"Goodnight," they both said, almost at the same time.

Once his door clicked shut, the house seemed quieter but not empty. Just full in a different way.

Billy leaned against the table, looking at Artur. "He really doesn’t miss a thing, does he?"

Artur exhaled through his nose. "Nope."

"Still think we should’ve used the broom."

Artur chuckled softly. "We’d both be grounded for life."

They shared a look—tired, amused, deeply comfortable.

Billy shifted, brushing his knuckles across Artur’s. "Sleep?"

Artur didn’t answer right away, only nudged his mug closer. "In a bit. Let’s just sit a while."

The night settled deeper around them, wrapping the small house in a soft hush.

Outside, the wind brushed lazily through the trees, and the occasional creak from the old wooden beams filled the silence like an old lullaby.

Billy stayed beside Artur at the table, both of them leaning slightly forward, arms touching just enough to feel the other’s presence.

The low light from the overhead bulb painted warm shadows across their faces.

Artur toyed with the rim of his empty cup, the habit grounding him—something to do with his hands when his heart felt too full. "It’s weird," he said, voice low and steady, "how quiet the house feels when Dad’s home. Like it breathes different."

Billy tilted his head a little, watching him. "More settled?"

Artur gave a soft nod. "Yeah. Like something’s been clicked into place."

Billy smiled faintly and reached for his hand under the table, lacing their fingers together. "You’re always the one holding everything together. It’s okay to breathe too."

Artur glanced at their joined hands, thumb brushing lightly along Billy’s knuckles. "I do, now."

That quiet confession settled like a warm ember between them.

After a moment, Billy gently tugged Artur’s hand closer, resting it over his heart. "You’re here," he whispered, "so I’m okay."

Artur’s lips curved into the smallest smile, the kind that only showed in his eyes. "You’re such a sap."

Billy leaned in, their foreheads nearly touching. "Takes one to love one."

Artur held still for a moment. The words landed softly, but a small flicker of guilt whispered inside him—what if one day he couldn’t be?

They stayed like that, sharing breath and silence, until the tension of the day softened into something weightless.

The stillness wasn’t empty—it was full of unspoken things, of comfort, of steady affection.

Eventually, Billy whispered, "Come on. Let’s rest."

Artur hesitated for half a second before rising slowly with him, their hands never parting as they walked toward the hallway, leaving the dim kitchen behind them.

The hallway was dim, lit only by the sliver of light from the kitchen fading behind them.

Their shadows stretched along the wooden floorboards, mingling quietly as they walked side by side, fingers still loosely intertwined.

Billy pushed the bedroom door open with his shoulder, letting Artur step in first.

The room was warm and softly lit by the lamp on the small bedside table.

The bedsheets, half-straightened from the morning’s rush, still held the shape of shared hours.

Artur glanced at the bed, then at Billy. "You want the left side?"

Billy smirked. "Like you’d let me have the right."

Artur chuckled, walking over and pulling the blanket down. "True."

Billy peeled off his sweater, folding it with care before setting it on the nearby chair.

Artur did the same, slower, his eyes flicking toward Billy every now and then as if still not used to sharing a space so openly.

When they both slipped under the covers, the bed dipped slightly under their weight. For a moment, neither said anything.

The only sounds were the soft rustle of fabric and the distant creaks of the house adjusting to the night.

Then Artur turned on his side, reaching out, his fingers brushing Billy’s wrist. "You’re warm."

Billy shifted closer, sliding his hand into Artur’s without hesitation. "You always say that."

"It’s always true," Artur murmured, tugging him gently closer.

Billy sighed contentedly, tucking his face into the crook of Artur’s neck. "Good kind of tired tonight," he whispered.

Artur’s thumb traced idle circles along the back of Billy’s hand. "Yeah... it was a good day."

They lay there for a while, tangled up quietly, the hush between them full of everything they didn’t need to say out loud.

As sleep began to nudge at their edges, Billy shifted just enough to whisper, "I like falling asleep beside you."

Artur didn’t reply immediately. He just kissed Billy’s hair, barely a brush, and murmured, "Then don’t stop."

Outside, the wind softened. Inside, the two of them stayed close, the world shrinking to the space between their breaths.

The sun filtered gently through the curtains, casting golden strips of warmth across the wooden floor.

The room felt still, quiet, save for the soft hum of birdsong outside the window.

Artur stirred, shifting beneath the covers. His eyes blinked open slowly, adjusting to the light. It was far brighter than it should’ve been—and the empty space beside him told him Billy was long gone from bed.

He sat up with a groggy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. The scent of soap drifted faintly through the open window, carried on a breeze—fresh, clean, and familiar.

Throwing the covers aside, Artur padded barefoot toward the window and peered out. Down below, in the back yard near the old wooden washing bench, Billy stood beside Mr. Dand. His sleeves were rolled up, a cloth tucked into the waistband of his pants, and he was laughing at something Mr. Dand had said.

Artur leaned on the windowsill, watching quietly.

Billy bent to lift a full bucket, insisting as Mr. Dand reached to take it from him, "I said I got it, didn’t I? You rest, I’ll rinse."

Mr. Dand chuckled, shaking his head. "You’re stubborn. Just like someone I know."

Billy glanced up toward the house as if sensing Artur’s gaze, eyes squinting in the light. He raised a hand to shield his face, then grinned when he spotted him.

Artur couldn’t help but smile back, lazily raising a hand in return.

"Morning!" Billy called, his voice carrying.

"It’s not morning anymore," Artur called back with a stretch and a yawn.

Mr. Dand chuckled again, dipping a shirt into the wash basin. "He sleeps like a log."

"I heard that," Artur mumbled with a grin, pushing off the windowsill.

The day had already begun without him—but somehow, the sight of Billy below, elbow-deep in soapy water and still smiling like the morning hadn’t worn him out, made everything feel just right.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.