You’re On My Mind
*August 1900*
“Come on, boys, or we’ll be late for the inventor’s fair!” Ratigan called out. “Say goodbye to Mrs. Judson…”
As much as Bill tried to ignore it, he couldn’t help but sense that things were not all right in paradise concerning his boss. Fidget, Phil, and Frank were none the wiser like they usually were when it came to emotional intelligence, so when Bill happened to hear raised voices coming from upstairs when everyone else seemed oblivious, he concurred that he was on his own in figuring out what happened. But he also knew that he would have to tread lightly and only ask questions when the time was right.
Bill had to hand it to Ratigan, though; throughout the entire inventor’s fair, he put on an air of happiness and excitement so well that you would never know he was hurting on the inside. He probably would’ve forgotten all about it had it not been for the moment when the other thugs wanted to go and explore the fairgrounds outside of their little set-up.
“We wanna go and get something to eat!” said Fidget.
“Yeah, see ya back here in an hour or two!” added Phil.
“Very well, then…here’s some money for you three,” said Ratigan wearily as he handed each of them a few shillings, more than enough to last them the whole afternoon if they didn’t go through it too fast.
“Thank you, professor!” they chirped before running off together.
“What’s wrong, Bill? Aren’t you going with them?” he said to the lizard.
“Actually, sir…I was wonderin’ if I could have a word with ya?”
Ratigan drew back with surprise, but he agreed to Bill’s request anyway, and they sat up underneath their little white tent under the English sunlight.
“Alright, Bill…so what did you want to talk to me about?” asked Ratigan as he drew a cigar from his pocket and began to smoke it.
“You, sir…are you alright?”
“Hm? Oh! I’m fine…I mean, I wish my husband were with us, he would’ve loved it here!”
“Right…”
There was a moment of awkward silence before Bill spoke again.
“Ummm…boss…perhaps it ain’t my place to speak about your relationship…but I heard what you and Mr. Basil were arguin’ about, and honestly…I think it would be a good idea to at least hear him out! I mean, think about it, right? Havin’ kids a major responsibility, and given that your situation isn’t the best at the moment…I’m sure that you two can work this out if you just talk to each other! And perhaps even make a breakthrough…”
Bill looked at Ratigan to gauge his reaction, wondering if he was saying too much or if he had overstepped a boundary. Not that he could tell much of anything because Ratigan wasn’t saying a word for several minutes.
“Right…I-I’m sorry, boss…I know it’s not my place, but…”
“No, no…you make a valid point!”
“Huh?”
“Basil and I haven’t spoken since our spat, and…well, you’re right! Perhaps I should talk things out with him when we get back…thank you, Bill!”
Bill didn’t know what to say; his boss listening to him about something was almost unbelievable if it weren’t happening right in front of him…and on top of it, he had thanked him?! What the hell was going on?! Had Ratigan really changed that much since marrying his arch-nemesis?
“Uhhhh…you’re welcome, boss…”
“Hmmm…I never knew you could be so wise about these things! Do you…have someone special in your life that I don’t know about, Bill?” he said with a teasing tone in his voice.
“Huh?! No! No, I don’t have, uhhh…anyone at the moment!” cried Bill as he looked around frantically to make sure no one could hear them.
But Ratigan noticed that he was looking in one particular direction: at Fidget and the others as they laughed and ate candy apples together.
“You do have someone…”
Bill’s face practically lit itself on fire from how hard he was blushing.
“Boss, wait! I, ummm…!”
“It’s alright, Bill!” laughed Ratigan as he took another drag of his cigar and let it out slowly. “I think you two will make a great couple…”
“R-Really…?” said Bill quietly.
“Why, yes, of course! If you do indeed have feelings for Fidget, then why not go for it? You never know, he might actually like you back…”
Bill paused a moment to think things over and let his brain marinate in the confusion.
“You’re right, boss,” he finally said. “I-I’ll tell him…just…not now. But…soon! Is that alright?”
Ratigan shrugged. “Honestly, it depends on you, Bill; I won’t get involved in whatever you’ve got going on…but please just…take things slow and steady! Okay?”
Bill swallowed hard, becoming shy all over again…but he couldn’t deny how relieved he felt that his boss understood where he was coming from, and he greatly appreciated it.
“Right…t-thank you, boss!”
“You’re very welcome, Bill…”
They sat together again in silence as they watched everyone else playing…including Fidget.
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When they finally returned home close to midnight, Phil and Frank made a beeline for their bedrooms as Bill remained at Ratigan’s side.
“Bill?”
“Uh! Yes, boss?”
“I’ll do what you told me…and I hope you’ll take my advice as well! But I wish you the best in whatever decision you make…”
That being said, Ratigan made his way upstairs to see Basil, leaving Bill all by himself in the living room…until Fidget came barrelling into the house, all wound up from their trip but excited to be home.
“Hehe! Hey, Bill!”
“Oh! H-Hey, Fidge…”
“Did ya see the new ride me and Phil got into earlier?! It was so much fun! You should’ve come, yeah? I wanted to see how you’d react to seeing me!”
“Heh…you know I can’t handle those types of rides, Fidge…”
“Yeah, I know…man! I wish I could take how you feel about rides out of ya…”
Blimey, why was Bill suddenly blushing so much at that last sentence?! Was it supposed to be innocent or dirty? Literal or metaphorical? Surely not literal…right?
“Bill? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Uhhh…I’m alright!” Bill said quickly, avoiding eye contact. “Really! I’m fine, Fidge…please, you really don’t have to…”
His sentence was cut off when Fidget placed a hand on Bill’s blushing forehead to check his temperature.
“You look sick…do you medicine?”
“I said I’m fine!” Bill told him with a little bit of an edge to his voice.
“Ohhh…” said Fidget, looking down in defeat. “I’m sorry…did I…do something wrong?”
The guilty look on his face was cute enough to make Bill almost cry with affection.
“No, Fidge, of course not! I guess…I guess I’m just tired; it’s been a long trip…”
“Okay…well, get some rest now, buddy. I’ll do the same!”
Fidget started to walk away when Bill remembered something.
“Wait!”
“Yes?”
“Ummmm…”
There was so much that Bill wanted to get out at that moment…but he wondered if this was even the right time to say it.
“I, ummm…”
“AAAAAUUGGGHHHHFUCKMEPADDY!!!” Basil was screaming from upstairs.
They looked up awkwardly at the same time, but Fidget still wanted to know what was on Bill’s mind.
“What is it, Bill?”
How the hell was he going to confess like this when their boss and his husband were getting their freak on? No…Fidget deserved better than that.
“Ummm…I just wanted to say goodnight! Yeah…goodnight, Fidge!” he said, running off this room.
Fidget watched him go with a confused look on his face, but he couldn’t dwell on it for too long before he was reminded of the, uh…commotion upstairs. So he took out his earplugs and headed to bed for the night.
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The next morning…
“S-Stop that! Not in front of the others, Padraic…!” Basil was giggling.
“Oh, to hell with them! I missed you…” Ratigan mumbled as he kissed his husband’s face and neck.
“Noooo…stop that…!”
Dawson and Mrs. Judson were the only ones in the house who didn’t seem to mind the PDA happening right in front of them…the thugs, however, were groaning at how many nights they were going to lose again.
“Looks like they’ve made up…” grumbled Fidget.
Bill didn’t know what to say; on the one hand, it was wonderful to see his boss happy again…but he would be a fool not to notice how awkward he felt watching them while he was still stuck in the same space. Especially with the object of his affection sitting right next to him…
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A few hours later…
Basil and Dawson returned home from solving another case with Basil immediately jumping into Ratigan’s arms to hug and kiss him.
“Uhhh…doctor?” said Bill. “How was your, ummm…case?”
“Hm? Oh! It was all right, old boy…we had a bloody hard time tracking down our suspect, but of course, Basil solved it in no time and—”
The detective let out of squeak of excitement as he and Ratigan continued to devour each other. Dawson rolled his eyes as Bill blushed slightly.
“…And we helped Mrs. Lavigne find her husband again!”
“Oh, that’s jolly good, doctor! Now, uhhh…are they, ummm…?”
“Oh, they just missed each other…” said Dawson flatly.
“Mmmm…! Oh, Paddy–!”
Ratigan had now thrown Basil over his shoulder and was carrying him upstairs like a sack of potatoes, giggling like teenagers the whole time.
“Bloody hell…looks like we’ll be up all night again!” grumbled Phil as Frank sighed in annoyed agreement.
Bill remained silent, catching Dawson’s attention.
“Bill? I say, are you alright?”
“Huh? Yes! Yes, I’m alright, doctor…I think I’ll just…take a rest for today…”
“Hey, doc!” said Fidget out of nowhere.
“Um! See ya later!” said Bill, rushing out of there in a hurry.
“Is he alright?”
“I have no idea, doc…” said Fidget, looking down sadly.
“Are you alright, Fidget…?” asked Dawson, more gently this time.