time has been kind. well, no - not kind. effective. work and deadlines to direct his affections to instead, jamie has functioned just as well. sure, sometimes the feeling finds him in the middle of the night, alone in his bed, and tries to smother him. and yeah, sometimes he lets his vision go spotty with it, the way he can’t breathe around his name. but other than that, all good! so jamie remains wholly composed when their eyes meet across the room, crowded with the din of a - a birthday party? someone’s housewarming? whatever it is, a mutual friend’s celebration that jamie couldn’t get out of. and neither could hamish, it seems. jamie’s plus-one, they’ve wandered off in search of the host, after a quick side-hug and jamie’s lips pressed to their temple in what he would say was a friendly parting. he makes his way to hamish alone, ignores the way it feels like unraveling. “hey,” with a strained smile, when he’s close enough to be heard. he slips into the space beside hamish, body facing the crowd while his eyes drink him in. “do you mind if i stand here?” an underlying question he doesn’t want the answer to either way “i’ll take a hike in a second. just - it’s good to see you.”
