Work Text:
“Cheers!”
“Cheers, fam!”
“Here’s to you, boss!”
Eiden happily raises his glass and gives a hearty ‘cheers.’ They serve some type of artisanal beer here that he’s never had before. It’s good. Spicy, nutty aftertaste.
He promised to stick to beer tonight. After all, the guy he came with is cheers-ing with water. So.
“Edmond!” A youngish woman taps Edmond on the shoulder. She is the youngest one here, a paralegal maybe. “Will you try this one with me? I can’t decide if I want mango or peach.”
Edmond dabs his lips primly with a bar napkin. He peers at the menu like he’s being offered a report on a new client. Utmost attention and care.
The noise of the bar rages around them. Friday happy hour. The busiest time for an after work hangout spot like this. Probably even busier than their Saturdays.
Eiden’s never been here before. He doesn’t usually come to this part of town; way downtown where the bulk of the businesses are. The crew here likes this bar because it is close to their legal office, where Edmond works.
This crew is, naturally, Edmond’s coworkers. The lawyers, paralegals, and administrative staff who share an office space with him day in and day out. Tonight is the first time Eiden has had the pleasure of meeting them.
Under normal circumstances, he might have met them sooner. After all, he and Edmond have been dating for almost two years (actually it’ll be two years to the day in a few weeks, not that he’s counting!). But. Edmond is Edmond. Eiden had come to terms with the idea that Edmond might never feel comfortable introducing him to the people in his life. In two years, they’ve never called each other “boyfriends” or anything like that. It’s always been…them. The two of them. Spending evenings together. Days, or weeks (a vacation to a snowy ski cabin last year, one of Eiden’s favorite memories on record). Just them!
Well. Them, and, of course. Edmond’s empty cup. The third wheel they’ve gotten used to. The stress Edmond carries around from his grueling job and pitiless self-drive. The pressure that he puts on himself, which Eiden eases in their spare time. Every way he knows how. Hands, mouth, body, and soul.
When Eiden eases his stress, it is easier for Edmond to see the good things about his work. The highs, not just the lows. The good he’s doing for people. The things that called him to be a public defender in the first place.
These days, Edmond’s cup is not often as empty as it was when they first met. Sometimes there are bad days. But typically, the days are…
“I think you should try the peach,” Eiden interjects, throwing his arm around Edmond’s shoulders with a suggestive wink. “Sounds right up your alley to me.”
Good. Mostly the days are good.
You could even say they’re great.
Edmond throws Eiden a look of curdling rage. Subdued because of the company they’re in. But Edmond knows—oh, he knows. What Eiden is so rudely referring to.
“Great idea! Mango for me, then!” The young intern prances off to order their drinks.
Cheeks tinged pink, shoulders stiff, Edmond slinks out of Eiden’s grasp. He clears his throat. Under his breath, he says to Eiden, “I thought we discussed…”
“Sure we did. No PDA. I heard you, babe.” Eiden knocks back his beer. “I was just offering some friendly advice. You know, as a friend. Anyone would do that, right?”
Edmond wrings his hands under the table. His leather half-gloves squeak. “I…suppose so, but…your arm…”
Sly, very confident in himself and what he’s doing, Eiden slips his hand in between Edmond’s own. Like a minnow wriggling through an iron vise. He squeezes his hand. Then just holds it. Reassuring. Stable. In a way that Edmond, on pins and needles like he always is in social situations, is not.
He leans closer and whispers in Edmond’s ear, “You’re doing great. Easygoing, likable. Flawless. Don’t worry.” He kisses him on the cheek and says, “You’re a total pro at this.”
Even though Edmond jumps at the kiss, a tiny smirk appears on his lips. He is hyper aware of himself whenever he goes out, and this, an outsider’s point of view telling him that he’s doing okay, not making a fool of himself, not putting anyone off with his prickly personality. This is exactly what he needs to hear.
He breathes a soft sigh of relief. His gloved hand squeezes Eiden’s in return.
Perfect.
Eiden is always telling him: Edmond does great when he relaxes enough to be himself! That prickliness only comes out when he’s caught off-guard and gets too defensive, like that first night at Huey’s Palace. When he’s calm, Edmond is a wonderful person to be around. Everyone at work agrees.
At least, now they do.
With Eiden’s continued prompting, Edmond was able to start attending some of the weekly happy hours with his coworkers. They were flabbergasted at first. Out of the blue one Friday as they were heading out, Edmond boldly walked up to them and asked, “May I come along as well?”
It was a gutsy move! Putting himself out there like that.
But his coworkers always wanted him to come. They were just so used to him saying no that they stopped asking. Though they never intended to close that door completely.
They’re good people. Like most people in the world. They’re just fine.
They welcomed him that night, told him to grab his coat and come along. (They did not know Eiden was rabidly texting Edmond words of encouragement all day and all night, telling him that he could do it, he could be just as friendly and warm as the rest of them, he could! Those lovey-dovey socially-fortifying texts are Edmond’s little secret.)
Actually, these people are more than fine. They’re fun to drink with! Eiden is realizing that for himself tonight.
More importantly, they are completely comfortable with Edmond. Who he is. His mannerisms, his way of being. Edmond started the night drinking water but now his colleague effortlessly coaxed him into ordering a real drink. A house special cocktail. Like a frozen margarita but peach (sounds ungodly sweet).
Edmond takes small sips of alcohol from time to time. He confesses that he can’t stand the taste, but he’ll do it for the experience. Edmond only does what he likes. Whatever satisfies his own curiosity. Eiden admires that about him too.
And yeah, peach is definitely Edmond’s flavor. Come on!
“I have to say, you guys do too much!” Edmond’s boss finally sits down. She’s been standing for about ten minutes making a long impromptu birthday speech. At her wife’s behest, she picks up her drink again and takes a long pull.
It’s neat whiskey. This lady—Ashrah is her name—knows what she’s doing.
Eiden liked her the moment he shook her hand. She’s his kind of person. Straightforward, long winded, quick to smile. Fun. And she looks after Edmond. Not just that time when Edmond was getting unjustly penalized at the hearing two years ago. As his supervisor, Ashrah makes sure to set Edmond up for success in all kinds of ways.
Even socially.
She points a thick finger at Edmond. “You better have been taking notes,” she barks jovially. “That was a long ass speech. Can’t say I’ll ever be able to repeat it. But it was pretty good, right? Might want to revisit it someday!”
“Who, Edmond?” Another public defender, Edmond’s co-counsel on occasion, guy named Kieran, gives the boss a thumbs up. “It’s in the bag. He probably got that whole speech on voice memo for you. No problem!”
Laughter echoes around the table.
It’s casual ribbing. A joke at the expense of Edmond’s flawless hard work. Two years ago, that comment might have driven Edmond to tears because he was sensitive to even the slightest criticism…
Now though, Edmond chuckles in response. He raises his glass of water in Kieran’s direction. “Yes, well. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve relied on my voice memos in a time of crisis. The only question is, would you like the transcript with diacritics or without?”
Another round of laughter, this one even louder. Kieran tosses his head back and laughs with an open mouth. “That’s our man! Cheers! Here’s to you and your voice memos!”
Everyone raises their glasses. “To Edmond’s voice memos!”
Oh man. Eiden has to get his hands on one of those transcripts. Edmond’s professional voice is a hell of a thing (Eiden has heard snippets of phone conversations). Precise, erudite, and serious.
Sexy.
Needless to say, Eiden’s hard-on for Edmond’s lawyer-ness has not flagged over the last two years.
If anything, it’s gotten even bigger. Large enough now to be called a fetish.
What has this man and his hot lawyer talk done to him?
Moreover, Edmond nailed that quip. He’s a quip guy now! That’s amazing! Eiden’s eyes sparkle at Edmond, who is calmly accepting his sugary monstrosity of a margarita from the waiter. If Eiden could be reborn as a peach margarita, would it be worth it?
Yes. Yes it would.
“And you. Yeah, you.”
Summoned by Ashrah’s laser-focused attention, Eiden sits up in his seat. He points to himself, “Me?”
“That’s right. Stand up. Go on.”
“Yes ma’am!” Without a second’s hesitation, Eiden stands.
Shenanigans. His middle name.
Ashrah’s wife sighs indulgently, suppressing a giggle. It seems her wife’s antics have found their audience.
“Now, you. What’s your name again? Eidough? Eggbert? Something like that?”
Eiden joins the host of chuckles and says, “Eiden, ma’am. At your service.”
A satisfied smile makes its way to Ashrah’s face. She likes the way Eiden doesn’t shy away from her teasing.
“That’s right. Eiden. Listen up, son. Tonight is your first time out with us, first time any of us have met you. So, as is customary, you must submit to our cross examination.”
The lawyers nod and nurse their drinks. Amused but not invested. The vibe here is not serious. Edmond leans back in his seat, staring up at Eiden confidently. Like he knows Eiden will perform well at…whatever this is.
In that case…
Eiden raises his right hand. “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. So lay it on me.”
Ashrah’s smile widens. “Where were you on the night our office’s bluetooth speaker went missing?”
Okay, that’s a curveball. “Uh…huh?”
Even more satisfied that she has him on the hook, Ashrah digs in (damn this lady must be terrifying to face in court!). “It’s a simple question, 8chan. Our bluetooth speaker. It’s small, round, looks like a fucking speaker? You know the one?”
Eiden scratches the back of his neck. “Uh, I’ve seen the kind of—”
“Aha! Seen it before, have you?” Ashrah wraps her arms around the back of the seat. “Suspicious, very suspicious. Hey, Soowon. You still got that cop friend?”
A guy who started drinking early, already rounding tipsy, nods. “Yep. I do.”
“Better give her a call. Might have to take this guy in.”
“Wha…?” This is going pretty fast!
Luckily, Eiden can think on his feet. “Hey, I’m innocent, I swear! I don’t know anything about your bluetooth speaker or any other speaker for that matter! You can search my place—!”
“And that right there is the biggest mistake you’ll ever make.” Ashrah jabs her finger at him again. “Never invite the authorities to search your place. Wrong move. Dead wrong. If they want you for a crime, they’ll find something. Always will. Which leads me to my next point…”
She reaches into her pocket and takes out a business card. She passes it to Eiden with a knowing look. “Call your lawyer first. Every time. Anything goes down, you’ve got our number now. That’s the beginning and the end of it. Got it?”
Eiden takes her card. “…Got it, yeah. Thanks.”
Ashrah nods. “Good. Now, sit down. You’re dismissed.”
“The court thanks you for time,” Soowon adds, piling on the charade.
Not sure exactly what to make of this hazing—but pretty sure he came out okay—Eiden takes a seat.
Edmond pats Eiden on the knee. “It appears we have more to discuss in regards to proper interactions with authorities.”
“I’d say so. Better teach this guy right, Edmond.” Ashrah sips more whiskey. “When we first started dating, Mishelle had to put up with hours of training about talking to cops.”
The woman on Ashrah’s arm nods grimly. “You made me go to that class, remember? The one about ‘what to do if you’ve been arrested’?”
“Oh, I remember.” Ashrah pats her hand. Their wedding rings clack together. “Time and money well spent. Never regretted it for a second.”
Mishelle shakes her head. “Yeah, but it was a five hour class on a Saturday…”
“Worth it.” Ashrah cups her wife’s cheek. She leans in and kisses her.
Ashrah seems fairly demonstrative. Must be a regular thing. No one bats an eye.
Edmond takes another sip of his slushy drink. “Perhaps we should consider enrolling you in such a course, Eiden. I agree that it would be time well spent. The first decisions made at the time of an arrest can be life-altering. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”
These guys would know. Public defenders all.
Still. Five hours on a Saturday?!
Eiden clicks his teeth. “There’s got to be a cliff notes version, right? An online webinar or something?”
Edmond licks his lips. Considering. “I will look into it.”
Oh boy. This is happening.
Well. They have a point. The class could be useful. In more ways than one, if these guys are going to grill him on how to talk to cops every time they hang out.
Something tells him though…
Ashrah’s eyes linger on Eiden. The cross examination has not ended. She’s still interrogating him. In her own small way.
Eiden scoots closer to Edmond. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t intimidated by her, but. At the same time…
Eiden is happy. He feels like he’s getting some kind of shovel talk. Which…feels right. He’s never met Edmond’s parents; Edmond’s mother keeps in regular contact with her son, but they live on the other side of the country. So they don’t have much face-to-face interaction. Edmond only goes out to his childhood home for a visit about twice a year. The last few times he’s been too shy to bring Eiden along. The idea of ‘meeting the parents’ dances along the line of exactly what they are to each other. Dates? Boyfriends? Six months ago, Eiden moved into Edmond’s apartment. They share the same address now. So, what is that? Roommates with benefits?
Edmond is reluctant to put any kind of name on it. Eiden doesn’t really know why, but if he had to guess…
Edmond is afraid. Afraid to name what Eiden is—a thing he coveted in his heart for so long—only to risk losing him one way or another. Edmond had never been with anyone before Eiden. Eiden is his first everything. Wanting the kind of relationship they have now for so long and not having it…well, that’s done its damage to Edmond. They say once bitten and twice shy, but Edmond’s never been bitten! Yet he’s ten times as shy as anything!
Apparently that’s its own kind of bite: Loneliness. Solitude. Afraid, as Edmond was at 28 when he met and fucked Eiden for the first time, that he would never…ever…
Well. Eiden can relate. He never thought he’d be in a committed relationship that lasted two years. So, color him just as surprised.
Maybe that’s the reason he’s never pushed Edmond to declare what they are to each other. Never nagged him about meeting the family (not like Eiden has any family for Edmond to meet in return, although Edmond has certainly met all of Eiden’s friends by now). Eiden is just as afraid.
The look Ashrah is giving him, though…
That look doesn’t seem to care about their private hesitations. That look sees Eiden for what he is to Edmond. She’s put the peg in the hole and there’s no wiggle room.
She knows they’re together. She is treating Eiden as such.
And that feels…
Nice, actually. Ashrah is part of Edmond’s daily life. The coworkers, the boss, the office. Now Eiden’s been added to that picture. Two parts of Edmond’s life merging. That means Eiden exists. To Edmond, he is a thing.
The invite to happy hour for his boss’s birthday came from Edmond himself. Last week he showed the group text his boss sent to the office inviting them all out to celebrate her fiftieth. The last line of the text said, “Significant others are welcome and encouraged!” She wanted to make it a big get together.
At the time, Eiden held Edmond’s phone in his hand blankly. Not sure why Edmond was showing this to him. “Oh okay,” he said, trying to piece it together. “So you’re busy next Friday? That’s fine, I’ll call up Aster and see if he wants to go out—”
“In fact, I…” Edmond fiddled with his gloves. “I had hoped you would also…be busy with me. Next Friday. Ah…for this.”
It took Eiden a solid thirty seconds to figure it out. “Wait, are you inviting me? You want me to come to drinks with your coworkers?”
Silently, Edmond nodded. “…The last line. It says…well. You can read it.”
Eiden could read it, but he still needed to do a double take.
‘Significant others,’ it said. That meant him? Eiden?
The blush on Edmond’s cheeks and the shell of his ears said yes. Yes. That’s who Edmond thought of when he read it. He was thinking of Eiden.
The feeling Eidan had in that moment is hard to describe. It was just birthday drinks, nothing serious. Acting like it was all a big deal would be stupid. This was regular stuff! Eiden should have played it cool and said something like, yeah let me check my plans.
But…at the same time…
It didn’t feel like the kind of thing he could just shrug off. It felt like a big deal. Not regular at all. That casual text on Edmond’s phone…
Truthfully, Eiden’s hands shook when he read it again, knowing he was invited. A fragile, watery feeling welled up in his face. Deep in his heart. A kind of longing that he never saw coming. An urge, a want.
Fuck. Eiden wanted to be the one. He wanted to be the guy Edmond took to work drinks with friends and family. He so badly wanted to be Edmond’s plus one. With all the baggage, all the implications. All of it.
Eiden wrapped Edmond in his arms, kissed him, and said, “Of course I’ll go. I’d love to.”
Edmond stiffened, then melted all at once. He laid his head on Eiden’s shoulder and said, “It’s very informal, no need to wear a suit. Business casual will suffice.”
With a smirk, Eiden whispered, “Got it. Noted. I’ll business your casual until you suffice—”
That earned him a swift groan and set of empty arms, but. The seriousness of the moment had been broken.
Deflection. It was one of Eiden’s specialties.
They never talked about the text again. Until tonight when they were getting ready, and Edmond told Eiden to keep his hands to himself and be ‘decent.’ Which, Eiden has. So far. He intends to keep it that way. Hence, beer only!
Although, Edmond has finished nearly half of his peach margarita. More than a sip, that’s for sure. Eiden knows quite well what happens to Edmond when he drinks like this…
Edmond tucks some hair behind his ear and launches into a monologue with Kieran’s girlfriend, who, lo and behold, likes the same political documentaries he does. “Yes, I take your point about the functionality of the green initiative. However I would argue that the initiative hyper-focuses on the responsibility of the individual consumer and not enough on the corporate element that contributes to climate change as we know it…”
Oh yeah. There it is. Edmond gets talkative when he’s tipsy. His eloquence as a professional diminishes into a kind of info-dumping that Eiden finds so freaking cute.
He glances at Kieran’s girlfriend. Edmond is talking faster than usual. She’s doing her best just to keep up with him amid the ambient bar noise. Edmond raises his voice to offer his detailed understanding of a five part plan that would fare better than the current initiative. A look of gentle confusion appears on the woman’s face.
She’s not following.
When Edmond finally pauses to take a breath, Eiden leans in. “So how was the peach? Not bad, right?” He wraps a hand around Edmond’s waist to get his attention.
Stopped in his tracks, Edmond sucks in a harsh gasp. This is another thing that happens to him when he’s drunk: Inhibitions lowered means Edmond becomes even more sensitive than usual. Right away, just from this hand on his hip, Edmond’s legs snap shut underneath the table.
If Eiden plays his cards right, he might be able to get Edmond to give it up in the bathroom (which they have done before over the years, much to sober-Edmond’s chagrin…).
But, no. No. Not tonight. This is about supporting Edmond in front of his coworkers, not putting the moves on him (they can do that at home). So, Eiden will do his best to hold the line.
He reaches over and takes a sip of Edmond’s drink. Holy cow, what a sugar rush! But dang, it has an alcoholic kick at the end. No wonder Edmond is already tipsy!
“Ah, it’s strong!” Eiden puckers his lips. “Wow! This place knows how to party, huh.”
Kieran’s girlfriend giggles. “Yeah I think that’s why these guys like to come here. The bar is not shy about pouring.”
Kieran jumps in. “Hey, hey. What’s wrong with a strong drink at the end of a long day?”
“Here, here!” This is from another lawyer named Lee. “We’re entitled to our coping mechanisms like anyone else!” They knock back their glass in demonstration. “I think I’ll have another!”
Eiden raises his own glass. “I mean you guys work harder than anyone I know. So I think you’ve earned a little fun.”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Kieran plops a heavy hand on Eiden’s shoulder and gulps more of his gin and tonic.
Lee gives Eiden a curious look. “So, um. You’re here with Edmond, right?”
Edmond bristles and takes another sip, even though he must know he shouldn’t. Heat radiates through his satin shirt and into Eiden’s shoulder.
“That’s right!” It’s all Eiden will say for now. The moment feels…risky.
Lee’s eyes widen. They are intrigued. “Huh. So you’re…? I mean, Edmond, I didn’t know, uh…wow.” They quickly realize no further information is coming. So they pivot and say, “Anyway! Good to meet you!” They turn to the person on their other side and start a conversation in hushed whispers.
And yeah. Eiden has gotten a few pointed glances tonight.
It doesn’t take a senior sleuth to figure out why Eiden is here (although Edmond introduced him to the crowd simply as, “This is Eiden,”). No one knew Edmond was dating anyone.
In fairness, Eiden himself didn’t know if that’s technically what they were doing! So who can blame his poor coworkers being left in the dark!
Kieran, it seems, is not as shy as Lee. “Well, I’m glad to see that you have someone, Edmond. Honestly, I was always worried that you went home to an empty apartment. That’s too rough, man.” He winces. “Can’t let the job do that to you.”
He looks over at his girlfriend, supreme gratitude in his eyes. She sees it and smiles back.
Eiden knows exactly what he means. He nods. “Yeah, for sure. And don’t worry, I’m the one who takes care of the apartment.” He points at himself with his thumb. “Definitely not empty when this guy comes home.”
It’s not that Eiden is a house husband. No, he still works. But he switched to part time after he moved in with Edmond because…well, the corporate grind was kind of killing his soul. And Edmond’s salary more than covers the bills, so. At this juncture, Eiden is finding creative ways to spend his free time. Craftwork, namely. An online business that caters to people with…certain interests.
Also, yeah. He makes sure the apartment isn’t a total mess when Edmond comes home. Sometimes he even whips up a dinner he found on the internet. Edmond loves eating his cooking! He offers honest feedback and insight. Living together has been smooth. Easy. Fun as hell.
Kieran clinks Eiden’s glass. “Good to hear.”
“Yeah you guys must have been dating for about what, two years?” This comes from the spunky intern.
Edmond whirls around to face her. “How did you…?”
She shrugs. “Oh, no. Not a big deal. It’s just, I mean. Your whole vibe started changing around that time and it’s changed a lot ever since. Not in a bad way! Just um. A few months ago, when I found you in the break room chowing down on the donuts our client sent in, I thought you were going to kill me. If that had happened a few years ago, I think you might have, actually. Back then you would have slaughtered me on the spot for walking in on you with no warning—”
Edmond flusters. “N-nonsense, I would never—”
“No but instead you immediately apologized for some reason and offered to share what was left with me. And I got this feeling like, I don’t know. Like things must have been going well for you. You know, personally. Maybe you had someone in your life and you didn’t need to be so uptight anymore.”
What a cute story! Edmond never told Eiden about that. The secret donuts in the break room. And yeah, Edmond’s penchant for sweets can get out of hand when he works too hard. He must have been stuffing his face, which is kind of embarrassing to do at work. Poor guy. Eiden makes a mental note to send more sweets to the office so that Edmond doesn’t have to go without for too long.
Now that people know Eiden exists, it won’t be weird.
“I-I…” Edmond clenches his hands into fists. “I was happy to share with you, of course. The treats were for everyone and it would have been rude to eat them all…”
“I appreciate it! That’s how we learned we both like sweets!” She sips her mango margarita. “Yeesh, this is good. I’m already feeling it! How about you, Edmond? Is the drink hitting?”
Overwhelmed, Edmond stands abruptly. “Excuse me for a moment.” He waddles to the bathroom and Eiden swiftly follows.
Inside the restroom, Edmond stops at the sink to catch his breath. It takes him a moment to realize Eiden is standing there. When he does, he merely sighs in recognition.
“It is strange to think…”
Finally alone, Eiden slinks next to him and wraps him in a hug from behind. The noise from the bar is muffled behind the closed door.
Edmond’s eyelids flutter closed. “I did not know that…they were watching me so closely. That they could discern…”
“It’s not a bad thing, though.” Eiden kisses the side of his face. “They’re happy for you.”
“Yes, I see that. And I appreciate their well wishes. However, I…” Edmond leans closer to Eiden, desperate for his warmth. As always. “If the changes in me have been so utterly obvious, then…I’m in the minority. Perhaps I’ve been the slowest one to realize—”
At that moment, a man bursts into the restroom. Clearly eager to use it. He sees Edmond and Eiden locked in a tender embrace, which brings him to a halt. After a blistering moment of silence, he turns on his heels and walks out with a mumbled apology.
“No, no, Soowon, the fault is mine! We’ll excuse ourselves! Ah, wait!” Edmond hurries out of the bathroom in an awkward rush. Mortified. Caught by a coworker in his lover’s arms.
Too bad. Eiden would have liked to know what he was about to say.
At any rate, Eiden decides to give Edmond some space. He takes a few minutes washing his hands and then slowly exits the bathroom. Intending to put a gap between them so people won’t ask questions.
On his way out, he bumps into Ashrah. Who happens to be exiting the women’s restroom at the same time.
She slows her walk. Fixing Eiden with that same stare she was giving him at the table. “So. You’re his…”
Yeah. Edmond’s dot dot dot…
Sounds about right.
Used to this by now, Eiden grins toothily. “Yup! That’s me.”
She grins back. “Great.” She wraps an arm around Eiden’s shoulder and wrangles him back to the table.
On the way, she says something surprisingly sincere.
“Stick by him. That’s the key.” She glances at her wife. “You stick with them. Best thing you can do.”
Eiden eyes the diamond ring on Mishelle’s finger. He imagines how it must feel to have a partner in this world walking around with a ring like that. He imagines how it would feel for Edmond to wear one…
Fuck. Getting ahead of himself there!
But oh man. The sheer excitement. Casting light and sparkles all over the place, just like that ring.
Eiden wonders what size ring Edmond wears.
Not for any particular reason, of course.
_____________________________________
The night winds down fairly quickly after that. Another hour or so of drinks and friendly banter. Eiden thinks he ingratiates himself fairly well with Edmond’s colleagues. Enough to say that he feels…relevant. More than one person attested to the good Eiden has brought to Edmond’s life tonight.
That alone would be enough to give him ideas. Feelings. Things he has to mull over properly, and probably at the bar of Huey’s Palace with Morvay.
As they walk out together, Eiden pointedly holds Edmond’s hand. Where everyone can see. Edmond has sobered up enough that he can no longer be considered under the influence of anything.
Even so. He holds Eiden’s hand. Just as tightly. Not flinching when the others spot where they are connected.
“Bye guys! Have a good night!” Eiden waves at them with his free hand. Casual as anything.
Edmond nods politely. “See you in the morning.”
“Don’t stay up too late, friends!” That from the spunky intern again. Eiden has to check if he ever got her name…
He might want to reach out to her again soon in the future. Ashrah too. If Morvay is going to vet his idea, then. Edmond’s friends should as well. The people closest to him.
Because, damn. Eiden’s never done anything this stupid before. This reckless.
And yet…
That urge he felt when he saw the invite text. The deep-seated watery feeling he’s had this whole night. It is passing into determination now. Maybe this is what they need. A moment where Eiden throws away all their insecurities and says what he feels. What Edmond is to him. What he wants for their future, for the rest of his life, for as long as Edmond can stand to be with him.
Who can predict the future. All they have is the present. Eiden wants to make that present as meaningful and wonderful as he can. He thinks he knows just how to do it.
In the taxi on the way home, Eiden fiddles with Edmond’s hand. He sneaks his fingers inside Edmond’s half glove. He eyes the sapphire on his necklace, which is peaking out of his peacoat. The brilliance of that jewel…well, not like Eiden can compete, but…first things first.
“Hey, Edmond. What size ring do you wear?”
~~The End