Le Mien

[Pearlholy]

Damien was never considered to be a shifty person but his cooling caffeinated drink needed to be ingested. His eyes couldn’t stand the weight of the other’s alluring gaze. Could he blame the warmth of the other’s hand or his growing desire of maintaining contact? The doctor felt too stiff, too still in the moment. The detective’s fingers touched Langston’s half-smile. Lowering and eventually closing his eyes, the doctor eased into relief. Leo’s responses may have been quick but the doctor had held in his breath. His pulse may have slowed or accelerated, he simply couldn’t decipher either. He was certain of his decision, and it was his pride kept his stance firm and strong. Yet… what was pride when he felt vulnerability in honesty or in Leo’s affirmation? What was confidence when he, for the briefest second, feared that Leo may have taken his hand away? More than once the detective had shown meekness. Oh, but the detective was still going to pull his hand away.


He felt conflicted. Damien wanted to hold the other’s hand again. Where he didn’t have to be secretly greedy with self-indulgence anymore, the doctor was more than permitted to take his hand again. Instead of carrying out the gesture, he resorted with occupying his hands with the mug. The thought never acted out and he used his hand rubbed his cheek. His desire for the other lingered and overpowered any other thought. “Workaholics with active minds rarely rest but I want you to know...” Words were harder to come by than just actions. Maybe he should have just held the other back in a different way. “I tire myself out, working my way back to you.” There was a light pause. “Would you mind staying here?”

 

[sorrow made you]

Hearing Damien's comment linger warranted Leo to turn back to the other. He waited for Damien to finish what he was saying, but found it somewhat went in another direction. Another small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Why was is amusing? Maybe it was because of the elated edge that came from the mutual acceptance between the two.


"Yeah, sure." He said simply and glanced over the other before sitting beside him on the bed. He looked down at his now somehow empty mug and then leaned over to place it on the nightstand. With a small sigh, he ended up just laying back to stare at the ceiling. "I feel slightly guilty.... I really love your bed. It's much better than mine was."

 

[Pearlholy]

Angling himself to look away from Leo, Damien hid his frown. Too bad his mouth ran fast than his train of thoughts. "I paid more for it too, the man flatly stated, betraying all efforts to stomp on his sudden irritation. "I guess that explains why your drunken self always had the energy to climb the stairs." With a bitter scoff, the doctor finally emptied his cup of black coffee. At least he knew where to send the bastard whenever he deserved to sleep somewhere half as comfortable as the bed.


Hold on. "I never heard you complain about the sofa in the office." Was this some kind of materialism in the other that the doctor had never noticed in the past? What the fuck? Leaving the corner of the bed which he greedily claimed, Damien settled and leaned against the dresser furniture, adjacent from the night table. Although the cup no longer had any black coffee, the doctor still placed it against his lips. "Whatfuckingever, Enjoy it to the fullest while you can." Work was prioritized and he knew sleeping in bed wasn't going to be a habit they'll pick up so easily.

 

[sorrow made you]

He couldn't help but to snicker a little. Maybe his body knew where the most comfortable place in the house was. He tried to keep back his little smirk but his efforts were in vain. He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh that only got caught at the end when the sofa was mentioned. "Hm? But that's in the office." was all he could come up with. "Great for naps."


With as mall grunt, he pushed himself up to look at the other. He debated on bringing up the idea of alternating nights, so that Damien didn't feel like he was being jipped out of a bed. He wondered if the man would even do that. Oh that little selfish piece in Leo grew just ever so slightly. One night. This first night, he'd take the bed, then camp out in the living room. "Yes, sir." He said and started to sort the blankets. "We'll switch tomorrow night, how about that?"

 

[Pearlholy]

Leo's conviction played weak when the subject revolved around self-indulgence. The detective must be underestimating the doctor because last he checked, he was nowhere close to be as gullible or as naive as the Italian's female admirers. Whatever decision they agreed, it would be a losing situation for Damien. Leo will have the bed no matter what and no possible obstacle would get in the way, the doctor included. "Asshole," the man finally grumbled as he took the mugs with him and moved towards the door. That might as well pass off as a bid goodnight.


The doctor returned to the lower floor and left the cups in the sink after rinsing them. He sat on the couch. After setting up the alarm on his cell phone, he closed his eyes and gave in for a nap. Gil jumped onto the couch and cuddled up to the resting man, hoarding the space that was left. "...Gil." He was unamused but the the dog's stare just made him lose yet another battle. With a frustrated sigh, he propped his elbow on the armchair and rested his head on hand.


When the alarm signaled morning, the grouch re-opened his eyes and stared down at his companion just snuggling up closer to his side and arm. Gil wasn't the only one who was too tired to move but Damien left the couch nonetheless. Using the main floor's bathroom, he cleaned himself. He needed to change but that can wait after breakfast. The smell on oil and food on his clothes did not appeal to him. Starting the kitchen stove, the doctor prepared the meal for two....uh... staring down at a barking dog.... three. Definitely three.

 

[sorrow made you]

Sleep never seemed so welcoming. After Damien had gone to bed for the night, Leo ended up quickly falling into slumber and was in a good dead sleep. No dreams, no nightmares, he barely stirred at all. If only he could get used to this. But no. No. If he got used to it, that meant that the pleasure in it would only fade. No, this had to remain a glorious feeling. Even the smell of food making its way up from the kitchen barely woke him from his comfortable sleep world.


It was only the sound of barking that made him jerk awake. He quickly pushed himself up onto his elbows and his eyes shot open. He looked around, finding nothing had changed since last night, minus the new found light that came in through the blind-covered windows. With a groan, he plopped back down, face in the pillow. The smell of the other was strong on the pillow and sheets. He hadn't really thought anything of it, but it did make him wonder how the other slept.


And then his stomach growled something fierce.


With a long yawn, Leo rubbed his head, ruffling his hair so that he could relieve himself of a little bedhead as he headed down the stairs. "Morning" he muttered, passing Damien and Gil, heading straight for the fridge for some water. The lovely aroma of cooking food engulfed him, making him curiously look over to see what was cooking in the skillet. His mouth watered, forcing him to open the bottle of water faster and take a long sip.


Another bark from Gil made Leo look over to the dog. "Eyyy, why you being so loud so early, huh?" He asked, not harshly, though he already hoping that Gil wouldn't wake him with barking every morning. He went over to the dog and crouched down, petting his head and shaking and patting his fur around, muttering this and that to it. Once he was done with his dose of affection, he stood and took another sip. "Ahh, smells great."

 

[Pearlholy]

Was there just any barking? “Gil. I’m serious, s—"


And there the husky dog went, howling and whining in the morning. The dog was fortunate that most neighbours should have been up and awake at this time. “Gil,” he said firmly but his companion refused to comply. Aggravated, the man rolled his eyes as the door tried to headbutt closer to the stove. With his leg, Dr.Langston kept the dog at bay. Fortunately, the excitable animal found someone else to bother. The doctor glanced at Leo. At least someone slept fucking comfortably. He grumbled a word but it certainly wasn’t a morning greeting of some sort. Flipping the omelette over, the grouch let it sit and walked away to prepare the table.


He placed whatever was ready in the middle and walked back to the stove, turning it off and slipped the omelette on Leo’s place. “What time are you taking your break, if any.” It sounded more like a statement than it was a question. However, that was the only way for both not to neglect each other’s health and remember to take a breather every now and then. “Also.” Damien recalled what the other had said last night, “You’re not seriously going through that with Antigone, are you?” Wouldn’t that be too costly? Wouldn’t she take advantage of that? In fact, was that even a good idea?

 

[sorrow made you]

Leo headed for the table and sat down when the food was being placed out. Ahh, home cooked meals. In whatever form it came in, he loved it. A nicely home cooked anything was better than anything that came out of a box or given through a drive-through window. "Thanks" he muttered and closed his eyes for a brief second before picking up a fork and digging into the delicate blanket of eggs. After swallowing the bite, he picked up a glass of juice and paused only brief enough to reply. "Probably around 2pm." He started to chug down the juice and placed the glass down.


Glancing up at Damien, he raised a brow. Was he really that against Antigone? "Yeah I am." He said and poked at his food. "Just covering bases. It's work, not play. If I didn't think that she could possibly be in danger, I wouldn't have even considered it." Another bite and a small sigh. "Pretty sure she has cameras, but I need to have them connected to the station's database and that they're all functioning." He paused for a moment, his eyes flickering back up to Damien. "I'd like to have security cameras placed outside around here too, but I'd need your permission." He highly doubted Damien would want holes drilled into his home and cameras watching his doors and windows, but it was at least an effort enough to ask.

 

[Pearlholy]

As the doctor took a seat down, he took a sip of his coffee. There was a mental note of the time but the lack of response simply meant he'd make time to be there or at least take his break around the same time frame. The real problem was Leo De Luca's upcoming task. If the frown and the grunt failed to serve as gestures of disapproval, then his flat stare turning into a glare should suffice. With effort, his eyes may as become as slanted as a tanned Chinese or more accurately, an angry Khmer. "Hell no," Dr. Langston firmly stated into another sip. His objection was not limited to an invasion of privacy in his domain but in Antigone's residence. "And where are you even going to supervise? From the station?" There was a saying to keep your friends close and your enemies closer but Leo was just looking for a severe burn. The doctor did not doubt the detective's skills. By now, both understood the Marlboro smoker was grounded and level-headed again. "You'll have more camera than eyes to go through everything." He closed his eyes and pinched his nose bridge. The same arm lowered, fingers stretched out. "And you're going to do that with Rosemary too." Damien mouthed a curse and took the last swing of his coffee. Shit, he was awake but he needed more caffeine. He be damned if Antigone and he were really to get harmed. With much restrain, the high-tempered doctor left his seat to pour himself yet another full cup of coffee. "Do whatever you want." The bastard better be covering his own back while he was so bloody absorbed protecting the damsels in distress.

 

[sorrow made you]

Welp, there was his answer for everything. He acknowledged Damien's vehement decline. He continued eating, dropping the topic of setting up cameras in Damien's home. However, he knew that the other male's anger wouldn't stop at that. He finished off the omelette and worked on finishing his toast. "There's going to be a special station to--" Yes, Rosemary too. He let out a small sigh shook his head slightly. He figured this wouldn't have bode well with the doctor, but he had hoped that he would at least understand.


"If it really bothers you that much..." he starts, sounding more irritated and frustrated, "I'll figure out something else. But I'm working on catching this guy. But I need to make sure he's not going to knock over any more of my pawns. I want to go straight for the queen." Today would be a big day for Leo at the station. Sure he would be just hanging out, doing paperwork, but that was the most important key. He would be analyzing every single person there. Anyone that would come in contact, that would walk in that door. With a clear head, surely he would find who it was. "I'm coming in with an aggressive approach. Its a gamble, so I'm just thinking ahead."

 

[Pearlholy]

"The fucking worst," he mouthed into his mug. Leo was a risk-lover. He was weak to addiction and gambling another one of them. There could have been other ways to word his thoughts but the trust he had for Leo never required verbalization. Damien was a doctor not a law enforcer. What decision to make for the safety of the civilians was rarely his to take. Langston may be able to influence the final word but everything else rested on De Luca. "It pisses me off," Damien corrected. It also pissed him off that he was more worried about Leo getting hurt. If it was as dangerous as sounded, the doctor would have rather not see his friend take those drastic measures. As a worker who loved his profession, it would be hypocritical to stop Leo from doing his job. "but I know your methods."


"Just rinse the dishes." He didn't want to end the conversation so dryly but it happened anyway. With the last drop of coffee ingested, Damien left the kitchen and changed for work.

 

[sorrow made you]

It wasn't the first time Leo's ideas had been met with disdain from the doctor. He let out a small sigh and reached over for a napkin, finishing off his breakfast. As soon as he heard Damien's submitting comment, Leo knew that the man would let the detective go with whatever he planned. Not like there was really a way to stop Leo when he set his mind to something, but he liked the idea of having the doctor support him even if he disliked the situation.


Leo nodded at the doctor's demand and got up to collect the dishes while he left the room to prepare for the work day. So much work to do in so little time. Even though it was still early morning, the cogs in Leo's brain were turning. He was going over information that had been pushed to the side while dealing with the endeavors with Damien. He had a clearer head, and things started fitting into place. He finished washing the dishes and went to prepare for work.


He stopped short and called out, "Hey Doc, can I borrow one of your shirts?" as he went toward the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and combed through the mess of curled and wavy hair. Once finished, he went to meet the doctor in his room.

 

[Pearlholy]

By the time the dishes were done, the doctor was suited and fully prepared to head off. When Leo walked in, Dr.Langston was dapping his cologne on his wrist and behind his ears. It was strange to hear the older man asking for clothes. Upon the detective's question, a light pause instilled. Damien stared at the man standing by the door. "You don't need my permission for that," the man grumbled into a sigh as he re-adjusted his eyewear on his nose bridge. "Grab whichever one you want." Although Damien was slightly taller than the other, Leo was more built in comparison to him. It might as well be a tight fit but it was better than nothing. "We'll just have to find a night, liberate our schedule, and pick up some clothes." The mention could have simply been a mental note but he needed to remind both that they had to put some time aside for shopping--not his favourite activity but he knew they wouldn't dwell for long in the shopping district. Or the doctor could toss Leo his card but the other may disagree to that. The grouch walked past the detective and brushed his fingers on the other's hand, "I'll wait for you downstairs."

 

[sorrow made you]

"Thanks." Leo muttered and paused as Damien came toward him to pass by. The note that they needed to pick a point in time where they could go clothes shopping was met with a nod in agreement. Leo knew he couldn't wear out Damien's clothes, not with their different build. Even the brands and materials were different with certain clothing. Leo's eyes settled on Damien as he paused, hand brushing against his own. "Alright, I'll be down in a minute." He replied and ignored the small flutter in his stomach.


He headed to the closet and pulled out a simple white shirt, slipping it on and fixing it so that it didn't look too off. He went downstairs and grabbed his suit jacket from the coat hanger, slipped it on, then finished with his shoes. "We're meeting at the station?" He asked, wondering whether they were going to have lunch together at his work or in the doctor's office. He patted down his pockets and glanced around. "Wallet." He muttered, but ended up finding it on him anyways.


Emerald eyes returned to Damien and he gave him a simple partial smile. "I've got a good feeling about today, so don't stress too much, yeah?" With a more confident breath in, he leaned closer to the other and hovered just before his lips. In his hesitance, he felt slight warmth rise to his cheeks. "Have...a good day at work." He mumbled and placed a simple kiss.