“ well, i apologize, that was how i heard of you for years, before your grandfather passed. the praise and awe i heard about each of you almost intimidating. my father used to tell me that i had better get my act together so i wasn’t outshined by ‘the roosevelt boys’. ” thaddeus laughed, but this was dangerous. he wasn’t just some man he met in a bar. he was someone who ran in the same circles as thaddeus did, they would never be at the same event and not lock eyes now. “ oh yes, i can tell. i don’t mind him so much, he has been to an opening or two at the galleries. he is charasmatic, if a little arrogant. you don’t share that with him. ” thaddeus admitted, a real compliment this time. “ oh ? ” thadd said, more than a little surprised that— nash roosevelt. he was the one she was always getting into trouble with. “ nash roosevelt. the eternal thorn in my side. yes, sasha is rather fond of him, the two of them have a tendency to break all the rules when they meet up, don’t they ? i apologize for her behaviour. ” thadd sighed, but the smile on his face showed just how glad he was that sasha had even made a friend. she had a habit of pushing people away with her, eccentric behaviour, at least the people that thadd recommended she befriended. thaddeus watched theo carefully as he took a sip of the drink, trying to figure out if he had won, but when theo pulled back from the drink with whipped cream across his lip, thaddeus lost all his care for the drink, instead drawn to the other mans lips, and how much he wanted to pull him in and kiss him. when had that happened ? he grinned when given his score, to hell with the painting. well, not really, he was excited to see what theo could come up with but he kept glancing back at theo’s lips. “ if you wanted my to know, you would have told me. ” he said but the urge was too strong. “ i’m sorry, you have just a little— ” thaddeus reached to brush his thumb over theo’s lip, but instead he cupped theo’s cheek, his lips crashing against the other man’s. what was wrong with him ? was he incapable of controlling his id tonight ? had ego walked out the door ?
“the old man liked excellence. the only person a roosevelt can lose to is another roosevelt.” theo couldn’t help his poor imitation of his grandfather’s texan accent. he had heard the words far too many time to not know them by heart, even if it had been more than twenty years since he had last heard them. “you got birthday gifts, the four of us got new yearly tasks. something we were supposed to be good at before our next birthday.” nash always picked a language. theo always picked a new instrument. richard always picked whatever he thought was gonna make their grandfather happiest. — theo kept his smile still at the comparison. “i don’t. i am prettier though.” a small laugh rolling off his lips at his own joke. “nash roosevelt, indeed. you have nothing to apologize for,” came with a dismissive wave of his hand, “she is a sweetheart.” — he was halfway through a thought, nodding at whatever thaddeus was saying to him when the man stepped closer and everyone of his senses exploded. he had wanted that kiss ever since he sat there beside him, but he wasn’t expecting the way his heart suddenly raced. all but melting at thaddeus’ touch as he cupped the other man’s face in his hands. suddenly there wasn’t any conversation anymore, there wasn’t a single thought to share, there was the kiss and only that. sweeping his tongue into thaddeus mouth, with a smirk still tugging the corner of his lips. he wasn’t hungry, he wasn’t needy, no, he almost lazy. kiss languid and slow and oh so very happy to take his time enjoying every single second it.
