‘ if my threat to cease coming to visit you was enough of a motivation then i’ll gladly come and help you clean up. ‘ fingers dance along the of a still ridiculously dusty picture frame. within it sits a weathered polaroid of the two of them, much M U C H younger than they are now. it’s heartwarming to see such a thing survived the test of time, including the shift of families, significant others, children, homes, careers, addictions, transitions– they’re still kicking and they’re still together now.
❝And who’d of thought it’d work so well?❞ he replies happily, an arm wrapping around Damien’s shoulder and pulling him closer, planting a stubbly, passionate kiss against his cheek. He catches a glimpse the photo out of the corner of his eye, and his grin remains. ❝The good ol’ days, eh? Look at how young we were,❞ hell, his childhood and teenage years may have been S H I T, but he wouldn’t trade them for the WORLD.
❝… If anything’s changed since back then, we can at least say we’re both better at sex.❞
what normally passes for a pallid tone in his flesh is now vibrant with color. whether it be the alcohol or not doesn’t matter, he’s openly embarrassed and it’s apparent. his mouth remains fixed in a grin despite the fact that both faces are now pressed against each other.
‘ and how are you so sure ? ‘
it’s quite a change from the robert he had spent evenings with. he’s treating him with much more of a noticeable grace. the way he’s touching him is calculated, delicate, and gentle. the change from robert’s commanding and forceful nature is nothing short of a pleasant surprise. it’s enough so that damien leans in a second time, dusting the other’s before dipping in.
❝I can see right through you, baby. Nothing hides from good ol’ Bob– Robert,❞ he coughs awkwardly, catching himself. There was no possible way that he was already feeling TIPSY. Where did all his alcohol tolerance go? Oh, that’s right. He’s with Damien. The only other man who could twist him in his own absurd version of submission. ( emotional vulnerability, giddiness. )
He is happy to return the kiss, arms yet again finding their way around Damien, curling back into his hair, had his mood been worse, he’d of tried to make more of a move, perhaps push Damien deeper into the couch, or put a hand up his shirt. But this didn’t feel like the time or place for the moment being.
lips curl against the rim of his wine glass. surely a few glasses couldn’t get him terribly drunk, but they certainly would make him bubbly. the sensation was already evident in his newfound grin. robert’s brand of flirting never got old.
when he finishes hiding behind his glass, damien welcome the kiss with a bit of a somewhat inebriated chuckle. ‘ if you continue to flatter me, i may have to show you to the door. ‘ he laughs again, falling back into the sofa. ‘ what the door leads to, however– has yet to be decided. ‘
they might’ve been just sitting around ( damien in his victorian style loungewear lest you forget ) but it wasn’t very often. this was quite the treat. the two had gotten a fire started in the fireplace, lit a few candles for mood, poured a fair amount of wine, and now found themselves curled up together for what seemed the first time in close to a decade.
‘ you are a tease though… your flattery embarrasses me. ‘
❝… Cute when you’re embarrassed,❞ he mutters under his breath, eyes shut gently as he traces his lips against pale skin, only stopping in favor of finishing off his current glass and setting it down atop the coffee table. ❝Y’already know which door I’d prefer, but that can wait.❞
Robert wasn’t one for such intimacy, usually. Sober or not, he was often discomforted with being emotionally vulnerable, but with Damien, he’d been through it all, knowing him since they were both still in HIGH SCHOOL, for that matter. Damien had seen him through most everything ( aside from those ten-or-so years he’d disappeared with Marilyn, off with her raising Val until she met her untimely death and Val had left ) and likewise was the same for Damien. Together, they could learn to be themselves.
Free fingers find their way to Damien’s chin, forcing the other ( softly ) to turn his head, lips clumsily pressing to his. ❝I know you love it, baby.❞
Usually such wasn’t strong enough for Robert’s tastes, having a personal preference for bourbon or whiskey, but he was with Damien tonight, and it wasn’t like him to turn down alcohol in any form– especially when asked to accompany someone for a drink. It wasn’t like Damien had a bad taste either, hell, his taste in wine was FANTASTIC, if not a bit too sweet for Robert and his desire for hard alcohol ( anything, ANYTHING at all to get him as drunk as quickly as possible ), but hell, he’d drink it for him.
Just as he’d do anything for him.
He must of been on his third or fourth glass, ( or whatever, he didn’t need to keep count ) swirling his half-empty glass absently as he leaned against his companion, his free hand allowing calloused fingers to twirl through Damien’s ( luxuriously soft ) hair. Here, he felt comfortable, sitting in the other’s candlelit living room late at night, Lucien off spending the night elsewhere. It was just the two of them for now, drinking wine in the quiet of each other’s company.
A thin smile presses onto Robert’s lips, before he leans and presses a kiss to Damien’s jaw. ❝You look gorgeous tonight,❞ he says. God, had he said that before? How many times had he repeated himself tonight? Has he even repeated himself once? It didn’t matter. He’d tell him as many times as he wants.
❝Hey, now, I’m not making fun of you, first of all,❞ he gives a chuckle sheepishly looking back at his now-clean bedroom. ❝Can’t really say it’ll be easy to break old habits, you know. Self destruction has always been in my nature,❞ OBVIOUSLY, that wasn’t something that most would find funny, though dry humor has always been something Robert is fond of. ❝Uh, thanks for motivating me, though. God knows it would’a just remained the same if you weren’t so insistent on this.❞
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. )
the unwarranted invasion of personal space catches him off guard yet he neglects to move or even attempt to defend himself. he didn’t have it in him at this moment to send him away. yes, lucien would be asleep so long as both of them were quiet. the only thing he’s worried about is the smell of alcohol on his neighbor’s breath. this was a smell he associated with robert a lot; he was drinking again.
“ i care not when you sleep so long as you say off the streets during the hours that would call too much attention to your antics– seeing as you are suspicious enough as is– “
a sweeping motion of his arm ushers robert into the main foyer. lord knows he’s seen it close to a million times, but nonetheless, damien does he best to keep it all looking impressive and properly kept.
“ i assume you remember your way to the library, yes ? “
❝… Can’t STAND being at home,❞ he’d mutter under his breath, though he is quick to regain his cool, giving Damien a soft smile as he’s ushered towards the doorway. ❝Nothing I do is THAT atrocious. People just see a shady dude in a leather jacket hunting cryptids and assume he’s up to something. I mean, sometimes I am. What ever, I digress.❞
Robert would flash Damien a soft grin, giving his partner a soft pat on the back. ❝'Course I do, Dames. Don’t even worry about it.❞ Upon entering the house, Robert would sigh and stretch, lifting his arms above his head momentarily as his eyes wander around the room. It looked just as it usually did, of course, but even SOBER, Robert had found himself amazed each time how well put-together and elegant Damien’s house was.
Breaking from his few seconds of marvel, he shoves his hands in his pockets, and begins to make his way up the stairs, to the library.
periodiic-blog says: ' pull that knife on me again and you'll find yourself waking out on the curb-- '
❝Calm down, babe, I was being gentle,❞ he joked, quickly putting his knife back in its holster. ❝No, really though. Won’t do it again. Knives are out of the question now, yeah?❞
