periodiic:

            of course he couldn’t… he never wanted to be home. if not there then
             whatever bar would serve him. if not there then it was his home; the 
             library to be more specific, but only so long as damien was in there 
             with him. ( this wasn’t their first rodeo )

             damien follows along behind, making sure to remind himself a few 
             times that he needs to be up in the morning for a call with a client
             about a website. this visit could only be so long, but knowing the two
             of them, something was going to end up drawn out. 

            ‘ you do know that this is getting to be a bit regular– you coming by 
             in the dead of night like this. one of these days, lucien’s going to figure
             out you’re here. ‘

    ROBERT WOULD IMMEDIATELY TURN AROUND IN THE DOORWAY, _{resting his shoulder and one arm against the door frame as he faces Damien. ❝Then let him find out. What are we hiding? Fuck, Damien, we’ve been doing this shit since high school, before Marilyn. This isn’t some scandalous love triangle we know we’re not supposed to be in,❞ he sighs, running a calloused hand over his face tiredly.}

    _{❝If you want to keep things how they are now, that is} FINE, _{entirely. The sex is great. It feels good. But just know that…❞ he clears his throat.}

    _{❝…. Don’t remember if I’ve ever told you before, but} I love you._❞ GOD, _{this was tacky. Here he was, drunk in the entrance to Damien’s library,} THIRTY YEARS _{after they first started seeing each other, everything was still just flings, one night stands as Robert would swing by Damien’s door at odd hours, to do nothing more than ASK for sex, then leave. It is what Damien wanted, he supposed. Things were different in high school where they were both emotionally vulnerable and cuddle to sleep and Damien would try to prevent Robert from harming himself while drunk, most of the tenderness seemed to fade with time, the ten-year gap between them having emptied their need for anything further than aftercare, at least from how it felt.}

    _{❝So, let him find out. I wouldn’t care.❞} ( He cares immensely. )