Injured Mother Hen

[Damien Tremblay]

Damien smiled fondly at his boyfriend and lightly shook his head, hair falling into his face as he did so. “Dislike or no, I’ll still watch it with you.” Because he truly was willing to do just about anything, jump through any hoop, to make this better for Josef. He knew how much an injury to the bottom of a foot hurt. As for the rather blunt accusation, he just shrugged and gave Josef a good-natured smile. He’d said it first, after all. “I think you’re justified in whining now. And I promise not to tell any of your students. As far as they’re concerned, you took it like Chuck Norris would have.” The same went for Harmony, of course. Damien knew how to keep a secret, and this wasn’t that hard of a secret to keep to help Josef save face.

Damien generally entertained himself when Josef was in a stupid movie mood. There was something about watching his boyfriend laugh himself stupid that was sort of refreshing. For how serious Josef was most of the time, getting to see him kick back and act like a teenager was sort of... special. In an odd way. He would just content himself with watching Josef from the corner of his eye, as well as play tug of war with the dogs or fuss Charlie as the movie went on. “Good. Because I can think of at least a dozen ways that would be more fun, and less painful than this.” As to what those ways were, Josef could use his imagination.

At least he didn’t need that list of reasons. That was a bit of a relief. “Good. Because I wouldn’t lie to you.” Especially not about that. He knew that deep down, Josef was still somewhat fragile between William and Sam. He didn’t want to do anything to break the trust they’d built. Careful to spot him as he got up, Damien held out a steadying hand in case it was needed. Yeah, they were going straight home. “I can handle you tipsy. Just don’t threaten to graffiti the walls again like after the Superbowl.” Smiling at him, he nodded. “Yeah. Home, and I’ll order pizza and throw White Chicks in for you. And bring you beer.” As for the clinic, he glanced around. “Is there anything I need to do to close down the clinic, or just lock it up?” Not that he wanted to delay going home, but he wanted to make sure the clinic was safe for Josef first.

[Josef Muller]

Josef smiled at the man and reached up a hand to brush the hair from his forehead. “You’re way too nice sometimes, did you know that? You should be…I dunno. Less nice. More whiny. Something like that.” He let his head flop forward again. “Otherwise I’m just going to keep doing this to you and you’re going to get frustrated with us.” Although to be fair, he had never done this much to William. William had been even worse with injuries than he had been, and Josef had only once let his strain from an injury show. Sickness? Certainly not. William was not the nurturing kind of man. He chuckled weakly. “I think the only one who wouldn’t buy that is Harmony. She thinks that I exaggerate when I tell her I could kick Norris’s ass.” Which he was still quite sure he could. No one could talk him out of believing it.

Josef chuckled. “You’re too good for me,” he said. And he meant it, as he’d always mean it.

“Course you wouldn’t. I’ve always known that.” He’d just kind of assumed the man would always be honest to him because he didn’t seem like the type of guy who would lie. Nor had he in the time that they’d known him. He was just a very, very good guy. Honest and forthright to the end. Well, maybe not forthright. Honest and polite. Yeah, that was better.

The whiskey was definitely kicking in though.

Josef shuddered. “Never mention that day again.” Between the miserable loss and the equally miserable hangover the day after, Josef was doing his best to block that entire 24 hour period from his memory. You’re the best.” He nuzzled his boyfriend’s neck. Easy to do, being shorter than him. That was one thing he’d always enjoyed about not being tall. “Nope,” he said. “Just lock it up. I’ll take care of it when I’m walking again.” He rested his head briefly on Damien’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

((Wrap after yours?))

[Damien Tremblay]

Damien returned the smile with an affectionate look. Maybe there were people out there (like Harmony) that would find this whole situation ridiculous, but he didn’t mind. Everyone had their downfalls and weaknesses, and if Josef’s was blood, he could handle it. “I’m positive I used up my whining quota for at least the next three years in the past few months,” he reminded him. “Besides, I like taking care of you. I don’t get to do it often enough.” Since they’d been together it had seemed awfully one sided in the care taker role. Then again, he’d been the idiot that had had an allergy attack and gotten food poisoning, not to mention the less than fun side effects of nicotine withdrawal. Yeah, it was absolutely his turn to look after Josef. “I promise you’ll know if I’m frustrated with you. Right now I just want to make sure you’re okay.” That was what partners did, after all.

Oh, Harmony. Sigh. “I’ve seen you spar. I think you could take him, no contest.” He nuzzled closer to press a kiss to Josef’s jawline. “Doesn’t matter what Harmony says.” Ever since he’d butted heads with the teenager in the midst of his nicotine withdrawal haze, he’d had marginally less patience with her as a whole.

Damien was very capably of lying. No, he wasn’t very good at it, but he was capable of it. But with Josef? Not even when he’d wavered and gotten close to breaking his clean streak for smoking. Relationships based on lies just weren’t something he wanted to involve himself in.

He did smirk at the little shudder, though. He had to admit, Josef’s little tantrum after the Superbowl had been entertaining, even if he’d had to wrangle him away from things to color the walls with. “All right, I promise. Never again.” Today didn’t seem like a graffiti day, thankfully. More like a pizza, beer, and bad movies day. “Okay, give me the keys and I’ll lock up behind us.” The contact made him smile and close his eyes, gently resting his cheek against Josef’s hair for a moment and wrapping his arm around his back. “Always,” he murmured softly as they headed out.

((Wrap!))