Arthur leaned back against the chesterfield, er, Nabooru. Matthew sat on the floor next to the laundry basket, laying out what they had found on the cushion next to the Englishman. In total, their treasure hoard consisted of:
A roll of duct tape; a quarter, a nickel, and two loonies; four blank sheets of paper; a bar of chocolate; an empty beer bottle; two separate balls of string; three pencils; a bouncy ball; a full bottle of maple syrup; a half-empty bottle of maple syrup; a guitar pick; two CDs; a stuffed octopus; a stapler; a DS with three games; a feather (from Arthur’s hat, but he didn’t know that); a box of paper clips; a collection of silverware; a pillow; some socks; a dictionary; crackers; a marshmallow gun; pancake mix; a hockey puck; a blanket; two hats; a photo frame; and Kumajirou (THAT was it!).
“Get out of here!” said Matthew, shooing his bear off the chesterfield. Arthur chuckled quietly.
“Need help putting these back, pet?” he asked. Matthew nodded and began to put their findings into the laundry basket. It only took about a minute to get everything back. After that, Arthur patted the cushion next to him. “Sit,” he said. Matthew did, and Arthur wrapped an arm around him. “Thank ye for today, luv,” he said quietly, leaning his head on Matthew’s shoulder and closing his eyes.
“No, thank you,” Matthew replied, laying his hand gently on Arthur’s. He yawned, covering his mouth with his free hand.
Arthur opened one eye (the visible one). “Tired, luv?” he asked. Matthew nodded sleepily. Sitting back up, Arthur removed his hat and jacket and placed both on the floor. “Stand up for a minute,” he said. Matthew stood, careful not to step on the hat, jacket, polar bear, or laundry basket of treasure surrounding him. Arthur removed his boots, placed them next to his hat, then lay down on the chesterfield and pulled Matthew on top of him.
“W-Warning?!” Matthew exclaimed, blush taking over his face.
Arthur grinned. “What’s the fun in that, pet?”
Sighing, Matthew fidgeted a little to make himself more comfortable, then wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck and lay his head under his chin. “Cold, luv?” Arthur murmured quietly. Not waiting for a response, he lay one arm across Matthew’s back, then with the other grabbed his jacket and lay it over both of them. “Better?” he asked, moving his other arm to hold Matthew as well.
“Much,” the Canadian replied, closing his eyes and pressing closer to Arthur. He heard Arthur chuckle quietly.
“Good night, poppet,” he whispered, planting a soft kiss on the top of Matthew’s head. Matthew smiled.
“Good night, Arthur. Love you.”
“Love ye too, Mattie.”
That was the last thing Matthew remembered before he drifted into sleep.
