From the doorway came a familiar voice, soft but sincere. âHello, nurse~.â
Chrisâs welcoming smile was small, as usual, but it was still there as the redhead peered over his shoulder, watching his short, stocky companion give him a cheery two-fingered salute, before closing the front door to their apartment.
 Terryn then went about lowering the comestibles heâd been carefully toggling in his arms to the floor with a practiced ease that might make a Commissary bagger jealous. His friend was wary with the staples theyâd likely be eating for the next month, and nothing broke or spilled out, despite the obvious weight to his burden. He was as vigilant as a dragon guarding its hoard.
Chris would have admired the performance, oh to hell with it; he was impressed continuously by Terrynâs surprisingly steady hands. The only problem was, he knew where his partner had learned to keep such a solid hold on his belongings. And, though he never voiced it, it never failed to make him feel guilty. Ashamed as he was for playing a part of(no matter how loosely associated) that pathetic gang of neighborhood gangster-wannabes who had amused themselves picking on the boy theyâd deemed local loser. Theyâd knock books, and anything else heâd been caught carrying from his hands and into ditches and mud puddles, and whatever was available, just to watch the kid slowly get on his hands and knees to retrieve what was his.Â
There were complex subjects that went well beyond simple apologies, and this was one of them.Â
Terryn knew the depth of his shamefaced remorse, and theyâd both acknowledged that past that could be forgiven but not forgotten, and theyâd reached a point where they could build a future together atop those shaky foundations.
One day, they might even talk about it in greater detail, possibly with a therapist who knew their profession well and could weigh in on the subject with greater grace than either man was capable, but for now, they were content on leaving things as they were.
Chris and Terryn. Two roommates who had somehow stumbled their way into becoming something more.
As Terryn removed the food from the paper bags, Chris caught several bright yellow âCLEARANCEâ labels, signaling the other man had today had selected an excellent day to make a trip to the supermarket.Â
It also meant Theyâd need to stuff all the meat in the freezer before it went bad.
Deciding to offer some assistance, Chris set aside his remote, pausing the episode of Fullmetal Alchemist heâd been watching on Netflix.
(Heâd seen this one before, anyway. The protagonists were about to realize the upper echelons of the military were planning to create a utopia via Human Sacrifice. To be blunt, it was not really all that much of a stretch from what the brass on top did on a regular basis through policy, but he supposed the symbolism didnât have to be esoteric for a fan to appreciate the message.)
Stretching out his limps like a well-rested cat, he sauntered around the plush leather sofa to reach his destination.Â
This was the same sofa heâd discovered on someoneâs curb on garbage day and hadnât found the willpower to resist bringing home(Seriously â real leather. Someone had probably died on it, or maybe it was cursed or wiretapped by the government to keep tabs on him, but it was all worth it, knowing he had a sofa worth more than some of their neighborâs cars).Â
He immediately began folding the paper bags, so he could toss them in the recycle bin. If he didnât do it, his flatmate would, and watching the shorter man struggle to ensure everything was perfect to his own exacting specifications tugged at a few rueful twangs on his conscience.Â
Helping cost him nothing, and so it had become one of their little routines whenever his roomie returned from an outing.Â
Finishing their respective tasks, their eyes met over the stove-tops (recently cleaned, Chris could smell Terrynâs favorite aerosol disinfectant wafting pleasantly in the air) and he walked the few extra steps to embrace him, his smile widened further as Terryn slowly began to melt into it, returning the affection with his own.Â
âThat all you have to say to me?â Chris asked lightly, a teasing lilt entering his voice. âJust a âHelloâ and nothing more?â
They both knew there was more meaning to those two words than what had been said, that Perhaps those words shouldnât mean as much to him as they did. However, it seemed that a good portion of life was all about being contradictory, and that greeting managed to be one of them.
His days as a practicing nurse were long over, his attempts to get back into what he had once thought would be his calling always put him back in that time when the men with butter bars on their uniforms called all the shots and where bad things happened to good people.Â
But contrary to what one might think, his botched profession wasnât what the expression brought to mind.Â
No, instead, it recalled a running gag in vaudeville, a catcall used to gain the attention of a beautifully presenting individual passing by. It was a compliment, one that not only made Chris feel attractive and wanted, but the saying itself was one that would always hearken back to Before the Now. Reminding him of better days, before even his troubled teenage years heâd rather forget, back when he was a kid watching Animaniacs reruns, laughing over the antics of three titular cartoon siblings, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, and their giant cast of cartoon loonies.
Terryn didnât smile per se, but his eyes lost a bit of their usual weariness, as he reached his hand out to rest affectionately on Chrisâs shoulder. âThanks for folding those bags for me, Chris.â
âWeâve been roommates for seven years.â Chris chuckled, enjoying the feeling of holding and being held more than words could truly say, from the look of him, he was more than willing to bet his favorite pillow Terryn felt the same. âIâd think thatâd be part of the job description or something.â
âOh?â Terryn raised an eyebrow, a ghost of amusement fluttered across his face. âSo what wouldnât be part of your guide to a typical roommate cohabitation?â
Chris spared a glance around the room. Willing his facial features to become impassive and detached, he gave the place a quick glance over, heâd searched the apartment for listening devices, and it had come up clean, but still, he worried what a possible spook might think after listening to their conversation and watching the video.Â
Throwing caution to the wind, he guided them both on to the sofa, the frozen visage of Edward Elricâs shocked gaze their only visible observer as he leaned in to give Terryn a little kiss.
He felt the man smile against his lips, and it was enough to make his heart swell with warmth. Terryn was mapping Chrisâ face out intently with his eyes when he drew back, and the taller of the two men stayed close, resisting the urge to lean against Terrynâs chest, to pull him up, and maybe carry him, as he laid claim those soft lips for his own.Â
They stayed this way for quite some time before Terryn peered up at the taller man, voice filled with an almost playful sternness. âIf you keep this up,â He said, eyes gleaming. âWe might not be in time to catch the eight pm movie.â
Chris laughed. âWhat a pity,â he said. He steadied himself, resisting the urge to take things further as his mouth dared to nuzzle across the otherâs forehead, making steady progress until he was not quite kissing his lips. âI know how much you hate wasting money,â he said. âWe really should get going before it goes to someone else, that Tyrian dye job behind us looked like he was about ready to take us out in the parking lot when he learned we had the last tickets.â
Terryn let out a disappointed exhale through his nostrils as he leaned back, regretfully releasing his arm that had somehow slipped itself tightly around Chrisâs waist without either noticing. âHe was a rude little degenerate about the whole thing,â he agreed, voice dark. âWe wouldnât want to teach him that discourtesy pays.â
âMy thoughts exactly,â Chris laughed. He enjoyed these sweet stolen moments with Terryn in the (hopeful) privacy of their own home like very few things heâd experienced in life. However, sticking it to some jerkwad who deserved it brought a pleasure of a different kind, and the fact that he could share this with the most important man in his life made it all the more satisfying.Â
Their relationship, such as it was, might have been a tad unconventional, but itâs peculiarities didnât reduce how much better he felt when the two were together, close to the one he loved, close to Terryn. They were both whole people without the other, but somehow, they were made better with the otherâs presence. Unable to help himself, he kissed Terryn with all he was worth, teeth dragging across his lower lip as the other man responded in kind.
They both stared at each other for a few minutes, eyes questioning and full of an unstated expectation, but it was Terryn who separated first, removing himself from the couch and fetching his coat from the closet near the door.
âIf my incentive is a disgruntled hipster, and an adoring kiss from my partner, I think this may yet be the easiest challenge set to me to date,â he said, smirk playing at those lips that had been so recently kissed, holding Chrisâ coat for him to take.
âPlay your cards right with that hipster,â Chris said, getting up and taking the offered garment, before swinging a scarf around his neck. "You might find yourself on the receiving end of something a bit stronger than an adoring kiss.â he grinned darkly, knowing he had Terrynâs undivided attention, and relishing in the fact.
âReally, nowâŠâ Terryn said softly, he had that intense look in his eyes, the one that never failed to stimulate something in him, the feeling stronger than a sucker punch to the stomach, all tingling feelings in the tips of his fingers, and places never mentioned in polite conversation. âAnd what are your intentions, I wonder?â
Laughing to himself, Chris took hold of Terrynâs hand and led him out the door.
âWhen it happens,â he said voice low so only his partner could hear him. âYouâll know.â
The heated look Terryn sent him as they both buckled in made Chris chuckle like an addict on his drug of choice.
And truthfully spoken, that wasnât too far from the reality of their circumstance, he thought as he chanced a glance through the rearview mirror at the handsome figure the driver cut as his hands clasped firmly to the steering, because, honestly, despite their less than stellar history, when they cut to the heart of the matter, Hellâs bells, he was in love with this man.