Work Text:
“An’ it’s really something for you to get up on my arse as if you’re any better 'bout 'em than me!”
Hughie knew fuck all as to why they were having this conversation. Okay, sure, maybe it annoyed him that Butcher seemed to think he had the moral high ground (well, as close as a man like Butcher could get to having one) over Hughie.
And how Butcher may have had a point.
“Never claimed to be, son.”
“So, what’re you tryin' to get out of judgin' me?” Hughie asked accusingly.
“Not judgin', just observin', lad.”
Hughie bit back a remark, couldn’t allow Butcher the satisfaction of getting his words stuck under his skin.
Unfortunately for Hughie, that was second nature for Butcher.
Butcher shifted forward just enough to be dangerously close to closing to the gap between him and Hughie.
Hughie winced. “Butcher, what’re you-“
“Provin’ a point,” Butcher said matter-of-factly, and okay now Butcher was way too close—
What happened next came as a surprise to the both of them.
Hughie’s lips met his.
Butcher froze and oh, God, fuck fuck fuck fuck Butcher was going to fucking kill Hughie for that, fuck-
Then, Butcher laughed like Hughie’d just done the funniest goddam thing. When Butcher saw the bewilderment on Hughie’s face, he only laughed harder.
Arsehole.
Warmth burned through his cheeks. Butcher let out another boisterous laugh. “Jesus, Hugh, you’re blushin' like a schoolgirl! Got something you want to tell me?” He teased.
Hughie stammered something that might’ve been an apology, an attempt to explain himself, but definitely not a coherent sentence. Butcher was wearing that shit-eating grin of his, which wasn’t exactly helping calm Hughie’s nerves.
At that moment, the only thing that could help him was being swallowed up the earth.
“Oi! Earth to Hughie!”
Hughie, to his personal torment, snapped back into reality at Butcher’s voice. Butcher didn’t sound particularly pissed but Hughie knew better than to take his chances.
“Gonna tell me what that was all about?” Butcher asked. “Or am I going to have solve that mystery on me own?”
“You- you were gettin' real close all of a sudden, and…” Hughie trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
”Hughie,” Butcher said without a trace of the teasing from seconds earlier, “what did you think I was tryin' to do?”
Hughie let his silence answer for him.
“Jesus,” Butcher mumbled.
“Well, were you?” The words fell out of Hughie’s mouth before he could stop them.
Butcher shook his head, frowning. “Bloody hell, Hughie. Think I’d go and pull something like that?”
Hughie didn’t miss the subtle hint of hurt in Butcher’s voice.
Fuck, why did Hughie feel like a prick when Butcher was the one who’d gone and invaded his personal space like that?
(And was it the implication that he was willing to assault Hughie that bothered Butcher… or was it the idea that he’d be okay kissing a man?)
Butcher sighed. “S’pose I fucked up there.”
“Aye.”
“Tell you what, son. I ever try anything like that again, you can knock me teeth out. Sound fair?”
“Aye, sounds fair,” Hughie agreed, smiling slightly.