Graves strength begins to fade as it grows dark outside, his head coming to rest on Theseus’s shoulder and his eyes drifting shut.
“You shouldn’t sleep like that,” Theseus fusses gently. “You’re body’s been strained enough. I’ll help you to bed.”
“No, I’m fine,” Graves protests, and Newt watches and he readjusts his position so that he’s lying stretched out on the sofa with his head in Theseus’s lap. “Just keep talking. I love listening to your voice. I’ve had more silence than I can bear these last three months.”
Searching for something light to chat about, Theseus tells him of an occasion when he’d had to venture into the Forbidden Forest after a curious Newt in his last year at Hogwarts. Newt listens with a fond smile, watching as Graves is lulled into a deep sleep by Theseus’s mellow voice and his long, slim fingers carding through his hair.
They sit for some time in silence, punctuated only by the sounds of Graves’s even breathing. There’s a thousand questions bubbling on Newt’s tongue, but he doesn’t know where to begin.
“Six years,” Theseus says quietly, and he’s startled out of his reverie.
“I’m sorry?” he questions.
“That’s what you’re wanting to ask isn’t it?” Theseus smiles understandingly, though Newt thinks his eyes are a little sad too. “How long we’ve been together? It’s been six years. We got close in the war, but we only made things official when I came over here in 1920.”
“Thee…” Newt begins plaintively. “Why didn’t you tell me? You didn’t think…please don’t tell me you thought…that I’d mind?” Tears spring to his eyes and, when his brother smiles gently and holds out his free hand to him, he crosses the room to take it. He perches on the sofa at his side; the side not taken up by the slumbering Graves.
“I never thought that for a second,” Theseus assures him quietly, putting an arm around him and giving him a gentle squeeze, mindful of Graves slumbering in his lap. “We kept it quiet largely for Percy’s sake. You’ve seen how things work over here – you said it yourself, it’s so backward in so many ways compared with back home. Don’t take up with muggles, don’t take up with other men, blah blah blah. He didn’t want to risk his job – he’d worked so hard for it – and, well, I didn’t mind no one knowing as long as I had him.”
“You really love him, don’t you?” Newt is moved by the warmth in his brother’s voice.
“I do,” Theseus nods. “I bloody adore him. Being away with work so often is a bugger, but we’ve made it work, the long distance thing.”
“I’m glad,” Newt leans against his brother affectionately, resting his head on Theseus’s shoulder. He’s speaking the truth. His kind, brave brother has been his unflinching supporter since before they went to Hogwarts and Newt more than anything wants him to be happy. “And if he ever breaks your heart, I’ll set the nundu on him!”
Theseus gives a gentle huff of laughter and, warmed by the light of the fire and the knowledge that Percival Graves is safe again, the two brothers fall asleep on the sofa together.
*** Tina returns the next morning with a message from President Picquery for Graves and a ridiculous amount of breakfast foods that Queenie apparently insisted she bring.
She and Newt go to eat in the living room to give the newly-reunited couple a bit of privacy together, but no sooner does Newt sit down than he realises he's left the pot of tea he'd brewed sitting on the kitchen counter.
He hurried back to the kitchen to retrieve it, stopping when he hears Graves and Theseus discuss something in low voices through the partially open door. He blushingly realises that he's developing rather a habit of eavesdropping!
“She says I can return as soon as I’m feeling able,” Graves says, reading what is presumably Picquery's message. He's leaning against one of the counters and Newt thinks he detects a hint of bitterness in his voice; quite understandably.
“Don’t!” Theseus says suddenly, getting to his feet from where he'd been sitting at the small table.
“I think thirty six is a bit young for retirement, baby,” Graves jokes wryly and Newt watches his brother move to stand in front of Graves and take his hands.
“Come to England with me!” he says, his tone fervent and hopeful. “You deserve better than that shower, Percy, you deserve people who will have your back. You’d get a position with the ministry in a hearbeat; hell, you know half my team already! When I read Newt’s letter, I was so afraid I might have lost you. I don’t want to spend a day away from you again that I don’t have to. I want to be by your side forever and spend the rest of our lives together!”
“Theseus Scamander,” Graves says, his voice cracking. “Are you proposing to me?” Newt bites his lip joyfully, a smile spreading across his face as he watches his brother slide down onto one knee.
“Yes,” replies Theseus ardently. “Percival Graves, will you marry me and let me share…oomph!” The rest of his sentence is lost because Graves has knelt down beside him and is kissing him so ferociously that Newt’s face begins to warm.
“That’s a yes, in case you were wondering!” the American draws back long enough to say, and then renews his exploration of Theseus’s tonsils. Suddenly, his hands are undoing Theseus’s shirt…and Newt takes that as his cue to leave, pot of tea forgotten. He’s delighted, truly delighted, for his brother - but there are some things that he does not need to see!
***
Graves resigns from MACUSA the next day. He and Theseus stay at his house for another fortnight until he’s physically recovered enough from his imprisonment, passing everything he knows onto Tina, and then they start to pack the place up with help from Newt, Tina and Queenie.
All three of them turn up to say goodbye to the couple before they take the portkey back to England; Newt opting to stay a little longer in New York before coming home.
Graves accepts hugs from the Goldstein sisters and shakes hands with Newt; already looking far healthier than when they’d found him and practically glowing with contentment. Theseus too is radiantly happy, the icy anger he’d turned up in America with all gone – he is now charm personified again.
“See you soon, little brother!” he hugs Newt affectionately before reaching for the portkey and whispering for only Newt to hear. “Don’t wait too long before you ask her. I’m sure Percy would love having another American around the ministry!”
He tips Newt a cheeky wink and then he and Graves are gone, leaving Newt smiling after them.
Fill Part 5/5 - Percival/Theseus
“You shouldn’t sleep like that,” Theseus fusses gently. “You’re body’s been strained enough. I’ll help you to bed.”
“No, I’m fine,” Graves protests, and Newt watches and he readjusts his position so that he’s lying stretched out on the sofa with his head in Theseus’s lap. “Just keep talking. I love listening to your voice. I’ve had more silence than I can bear these last three months.”
Searching for something light to chat about, Theseus tells him of an occasion when he’d had to venture into the Forbidden Forest after a curious Newt in his last year at Hogwarts. Newt listens with a fond smile, watching as Graves is lulled into a deep sleep by Theseus’s mellow voice and his long, slim fingers carding through his hair.
They sit for some time in silence, punctuated only by the sounds of Graves’s even breathing. There’s a thousand questions bubbling on Newt’s tongue, but he doesn’t know where to begin.
“Six years,” Theseus says quietly, and he’s startled out of his reverie.
“I’m sorry?” he questions.
“That’s what you’re wanting to ask isn’t it?” Theseus smiles understandingly, though Newt thinks his eyes are a little sad too. “How long we’ve been together? It’s been six years. We got close in the war, but we only made things official when I came over here in 1920.”
“Thee…” Newt begins plaintively. “Why didn’t you tell me? You didn’t think…please don’t tell me you thought…that I’d mind?” Tears spring to his eyes and, when his brother smiles gently and holds out his free hand to him, he crosses the room to take it. He perches on the sofa at his side; the side not taken up by the slumbering Graves.
“I never thought that for a second,” Theseus assures him quietly, putting an arm around him and giving him a gentle squeeze, mindful of Graves slumbering in his lap. “We kept it quiet largely for Percy’s sake. You’ve seen how things work over here – you said it yourself, it’s so backward in so many ways compared with back home. Don’t take up with muggles, don’t take up with other men, blah blah blah. He didn’t want to risk his job – he’d worked so hard for it – and, well, I didn’t mind no one knowing as long as I had him.”
“You really love him, don’t you?” Newt is moved by the warmth in his brother’s voice.
“I do,” Theseus nods. “I bloody adore him. Being away with work so often is a bugger, but we’ve made it work, the long distance thing.”
“I’m glad,” Newt leans against his brother affectionately, resting his head on Theseus’s shoulder. He’s speaking the truth. His kind, brave brother has been his unflinching supporter since before they went to Hogwarts and Newt more than anything wants him to be happy. “And if he ever breaks your heart, I’ll set the nundu on him!”
Theseus gives a gentle huff of laughter and, warmed by the light of the fire and the knowledge that Percival Graves is safe again, the two brothers fall asleep on the sofa together.
***
Tina returns the next morning with a message from President Picquery for Graves and a ridiculous amount of breakfast foods that Queenie apparently insisted she bring.
She and Newt go to eat in the living room to give the newly-reunited couple a bit of privacy together, but no sooner does Newt sit down than he realises he's left the pot of tea he'd brewed sitting on the kitchen counter.
He hurried back to the kitchen to retrieve it, stopping when he hears Graves and Theseus discuss something in low voices through the partially open door. He blushingly realises that he's developing rather a habit of eavesdropping!
“She says I can return as soon as I’m feeling able,” Graves says, reading what is presumably Picquery's message. He's leaning against one of the counters and Newt thinks he detects a hint of bitterness in his voice; quite understandably.
“Don’t!” Theseus says suddenly, getting to his feet from where he'd been sitting at the small table.
“I think thirty six is a bit young for retirement, baby,” Graves jokes wryly and Newt watches his brother move to stand in front of Graves and take his hands.
“Come to England with me!” he says, his tone fervent and hopeful. “You deserve better than that shower, Percy, you deserve people who will have your back. You’d get a position with the ministry in a hearbeat; hell, you know half my team already! When I read Newt’s letter, I was so afraid I might have lost you. I don’t want to spend a day away from you again that I don’t have to. I want to be by your side forever and spend the rest of our lives together!”
“Theseus Scamander,” Graves says, his voice cracking. “Are you proposing to me?” Newt bites his lip joyfully, a smile spreading across his face as he watches his brother slide down onto one knee.
“Yes,” replies Theseus ardently. “Percival Graves, will you marry me and let me share…oomph!” The rest of his sentence is lost because Graves has knelt down beside him and is kissing him so ferociously that Newt’s face begins to warm.
“That’s a yes, in case you were wondering!” the American draws back long enough to say, and then renews his exploration of Theseus’s tonsils. Suddenly, his hands are undoing Theseus’s shirt…and Newt takes that as his cue to leave, pot of tea forgotten. He’s delighted, truly delighted, for his brother - but there are some things that he does not need to see!
***
Graves resigns from MACUSA the next day. He and Theseus stay at his house for another fortnight until he’s physically recovered enough from his imprisonment, passing everything he knows onto Tina, and then they start to pack the place up with help from Newt, Tina and Queenie.
All three of them turn up to say goodbye to the couple before they take the portkey back to England; Newt opting to stay a little longer in New York before coming home.
Graves accepts hugs from the Goldstein sisters and shakes hands with Newt; already looking far healthier than when they’d found him and practically glowing with contentment. Theseus too is radiantly happy, the icy anger he’d turned up in America with all gone – he is now charm personified again.
“See you soon, little brother!” he hugs Newt affectionately before reaching for the portkey and whispering for only Newt to hear. “Don’t wait too long before you ask her. I’m sure Percy would love having another American around the ministry!”
He tips Newt a cheeky wink and then he and Graves are gone, leaving Newt smiling after them.
The End.