Unwritten Fate [BL]-Chapter 34: “A Little Work, A Lot of You”

"The morning sun stretched lazily across the sky, warming the earth beneath their feet." A crisp breeze carried the scent of fresh soil and the faint aroma of baking bread from nearby homes.

Billy and Artur walked side by side along the dirt path, their steps unhurried, their movements easy—comfortable.

At first, neither of them spoke. The sounds of the village waking up filled the air—the distant chatter of early risers, the occasional creak of wooden carts being pushed along, and the soft rustle of leaves swaying overhead.

Billy inhaled deeply, letting the cool air settle in his lungs.

Then—

"You still haven't said it again... the word," Artur added, grinning.

Billy blinked, glancing at Artur. "What?"

Artur smirked, hands tucked into his pockets. "The word."

Billy frowned. "What word?"

Artur tilted his head, feigning disappointment. "Wow. Already forgotten?"

Billy groaned. "Oh my god, drop it."

Artur chuckled. "I just think it's funny. You said it so easily back at home, but now you won't even look at me."

Billy did look at him—just to glare.

Artur grinned. "See? You do know what I'm talking about."

Billy exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "You're impossible."

Artur hummed. "And yet..."

Billy refused to bite.

They walked in silence for a moment. The village was coming to life around them—vendors setting up their stalls, the distant laughter of children running past. A few people greeted them as they passed, and Billy returned the gestures politely.

Artur, on the other hand, barely seemed to notice. His attention was entirely fixed on Billy.

Billy felt it—the weight of his gaze, the way his steps seemed to fall in sync with his own.

"...Stop staring."

"Artur's lips curled into a slow, teasing smile. "I'm not."

Billy shot him a sideways glance. "You are."

Artur shrugged. "Can't help it. My boyfriend is very interesting to look at."

Billy nearly choked.

Artur laughed. "Oh, now you react?"

Billy groaned, covering his face with one hand. "I hate you."

Artur grinned. "You love me."

Billy peeked through his fingers, eyes narrowing. "Keep talking and I'll make you carry all of Mrs. Elizabeth's supplies yourself."

Artur raised a brow. "Bribery?"

"Billy's mouth twitched, just shy of a smile."Motivation."

Artur chuckled. "Fine, fine." He held up his hands in surrender. "I'll behave."

Billy sighed in relief.

They continued walking, the gentle hum of the village surrounding them.

Eventually, Artur stretched his arms above his head, exhaling. "You know, I kind of like this."

Billy raised a brow. "Like what?"

Artur grinned. "Walking with you like this. Feels... nice."

Billy looked away, pretending to focus on the road ahead. But his ears warmed slightly.

"...Yeah," he murmured. "It does."

Artur didn't push further. He just smiled, walking beside Billy, enjoying the quiet together.

And soon, Mrs. Elizabeth's shop came into view.

Mrs. Elizabeth's shop sat at the edge of the village square, nestled between a bakery and a small tailor's workshop. The wooden sign above the door swayed slightly in the breeze, the scent of dried herbs and fresh produce drifting from the open window.

Billy and Artur stepped onto the stone path leading up to the entrance. The door was already ajar, and inside, the familiar rustling of paper bags and the soft clatter of jars being arranged could be heard.

Artur knocked lightly against the wooden frame. "Mrs. Elizabeth?"

A moment later, a warm voice called back. "Come in, come in!"

They stepped inside, the cozy space greeting them with its usual charm. Shelves lined with neatly stacked goods filled the room—baskets of vegetables, jars of preserves, dried flowers hanging from the ceiling. A faint floral scent lingered in the air, mixed with something herbal.

Behind the wooden counter, Mrs. Elizabeth—a woman in her late fifties with silver-streaked hair tucked into a neat bun—was adjusting a crate of fresh produce. She looked up, her sharp eyes brightening as she spotted them.

"Well, look who it is," she said, wiping her hands on her apron. "I wasn't expecting both of you today. What a pleasant surprise."

Billy nodded politely. "Mr. Dand mentioned you needed help."

Mrs. Elizabeth smiled, glancing between them. "That man always looks out for me. And lucky for me, you boys seem to have plenty of free time today." She turned to Artur, raising an amused brow. "Even you showed up. I'm impressed."

Artur grinned. "What can I say? I was feeling generous."

Mrs. Elizabeth snorted. "Or maybe you were just following Billy."

Billy stilled.

Artur smirked. "Smart woman."

Billy elbowed him. "Don't encourage her."

Mrs. Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head. "Alright, enough teasing. Let's put you both to work." She gestured toward the back. "I've got new supplies that need sorting, and a few deliveries for customers. Think you can handle that?"

Billy nodded. "Of course."

Artur stretched his arms lazily. "How hard can it be?"

Mrs. Elizabeth gave him a knowing smile. "Oh, we'll see about that."

Billy smirked. "Careful, Artur. She might actually make you work."

Artur shot him a look. "You love picking on me, don't you?"

Billy shrugged innocently. "It's just so easy."

Mrs. Elizabeth chuckled. "You two are entertaining. Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's get started."

Billy and Artur exchanged a glance before following her further inside, ready to tackle whatever tasks she had in store for them.

The backroom of Mrs. Elizabeth's shop was packed with crates of vegetables, sacks of flour, and glass jars filled with dried herbs. The scent of fresh produce mixed with the earthy aroma of stored goods, making the space feel warm and familiar.

"Billy scanned the stacked crates and sighed, mentally preparing for the task ahead."Alright, where do we start?"

Mrs. Elizabeth pointed to a stack of wooden crates. "Those need to be sorted and stacked properly. Some go on the shelves, and some will be delivered later. I'll leave you two to it."

With that, she disappeared to tend to customers, leaving them alone.

The shop smelled of dried herbs and fresh produce, the air warm from the afternoon sun filtering through the wooden windows. Crates were stacked high against the back wall, waiting to be unpacked.

Billy rolled up his sleeves, eyeing the workload. "Let's get this done fast."

Artur stretched lazily beside him. "Why rush? I'm enjoying this—just us here."

Billy glanced at him. "It's work."

Artur grinned. "And?" He picked up an apple from one of the baskets and tossed it in the air before catching it smoothly. "Work can be fun when you're with someone you like."

Billy's hands paused over a bundle of vegetables, his breath catching for a second before he forced himself to focus. He grabbed a crate and set it on the counter, deliberately ignoring Artur's gaze.

"You're just trying to get out of doing actual work," Billy muttered.

Artur smirked. "Nah. I just like watching you."

Billy shot him a pointed look, but his cheeks betrayed him—warming slightly. "That doesn't help."

Artur stepped closer, picking up a sack of potatoes beside Billy. "I think it does." His voice had dropped slightly, teasing. "At least for me."

Billy exhaled, shaking his head as he focused on organizing the vegetables. But then, in a move Artur did not expect, Billy suddenly leaned in, lowering his voice just enough.

"You sure talk big," Billy mused, sliding a basket of onions toward Artur. "But I don't see you actually working."

Artur blinked.

Billy smirked.

Artur let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he finally—finally—started helping.

For a while, they worked in comfortable rhythm—sorting, stacking, sneaking occasional glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking.

Then, as Billy passed Artur a bundle of herbs, his fingers brushed lightly over Artur's hand.

Not an accident.

Not entirely.

Artur noticed.

His eyes flicked to Billy, amused. "That was smooth."

Billy shrugged, feigning innocence. "What was?"

Artur grinned, shaking his head as he continued working, his chest feeling strangely light.

And Billy?

Well, Billy just kept sorting vegetables, a very pleased little smile tugging at his lips.

The shop door creaked open, and a warm breeze followed as Mrs. Elizabeth stepped inside. Her keen eyes immediately swept over the neatly arranged crates and baskets, taking in the two young men working side by side.

"Well, well," she mused, setting down her woven shopping bag. "I've never seen this place looking so organized this quickly."

Billy straightened up, wiping his hands on his pants. "We just—"

"Worked hard," Artur cut in smoothly, flashing a grin. "We make a good team, don't we?"

Mrs. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, glancing between them. "That so?"

Billy shot Artur a look, but before he could say anything, Mrs. Elizabeth chuckled, folding her arms. "It's rare to see you this productive, Artur. Usually, you find a way to slack off because you are not use to this kind of work."

Artur placed a hand over his heart. "That hurts, Mrs. Elizabeth. I am capable of hard work, you know."

She gave him a skeptical look before turning to Billy. "I take it you were the one keeping him in check?"

Billy exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Something like that."

Mrs. Elizabeth nodded approvingly. "I might have to keep you around more often, Billy. This shop's never been this well-organized."

Billy smiled. "Happy to help."

Artur leaned casually against the counter, tilting his head toward Billy. "See? We're good together."

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Billy ignored him.

Mrs. Elizabeth smirked. "Mm. I see that."

Billy felt his ears warming.

Artur? He was loving this.

Mrs. Elizabeth shook her head, amused. "Well, since you two worked so well, you've earned yourselves some fresh bread." She handed them a wrapped loaf, still warm from the morning bake. "Go on, enjoy the rest of the day."

Billy accepted it with a polite nod. "Thanks, Mrs. Elizabeth."

Artur, on the other hand, took the bread and turned to Billy with a smug smile. "Sharing this with me, right?"

Billy rolled his eyes. "Don't push your luck."

Mrs. Elizabeth chuckled. "Go on, get out of here."

As they stepped outside, the midday sun was bright, the air warm with the lingering scent of fresh bread. Artur tore off a piece and held it out to Billy.

Billy hesitated.

Artur wiggled it in front of him. "Come on, you can't say no to this."

Billy sighed but took the piece.

And when Artur's fingers brushed his for the second time that day, Billy pretended not to notice.

Billy pretended not to notice, eyes fixed ahead. But Artur did—and the way his fingers lingered said more than words ever could.