Chapter Text
The Breaker Box being closed had been the talk of the house. Not one object hadn't heard of the news, it spread through each room like a wild fire.
Tony showed up at the Tipsy Tumbler, telling Bev about how it had been closed for a few days, how if he did manage to flag Eddie down he would brush him off, tell him they would open up soon, and then it became a question of what did Eddie mean by they. Bev passed the news on to Kopi, Kopi passed the news on to Able, Scandelabra overheard and well, that was that. Maggie began investigating, Phoenicia posted about it online, Mayor Celia decided to let Eddie be for a few more days, and Dorian. Well, Dorian waited.
He had been a bit preoccupied during the whole thing, been keeping to himself for a bit until the loneliness drew him back out to his friends. He had broken things off with Keith. Again. Every time it happened he swore it was the last, that they should just be friends instead of complicating it with talk of love and romance.
Keith's love was hot and cold, too much or too little. When they were friends they could keep things lukewarm, regulated. Even the first few weeks or months when they got back together were nice. But eventually things would go downhill. Keith would be smothering, or he would forget an important date, or he would close himself off, all while still talking in that sweet voice. Occasionally Keith would be the one to end the relationship, confessing that he felt he was hurting Dorian more than helping him, regardless of how Dorian would argue.
It didn't matter how it happened this time, Dorian didn't want to think about it. He needed some time away from Keith to readjust to being friends again or else they would instantly wind up back in it. So he wasn't particularly focused on the gossip running about, even if he was right in front of it.
Being the door to the electrical closet meant people would ask him if he had seen anything. Had he seen Eddie leave at all? Was it true that his hair was shorter? Did he happen to glimpse the mysterious new figure that roamed around there with him? Dorian shrugged them off, gruffly muttering that he hadn't seen anything, to ask Tony or Maggie if they found anything new.
He had already kept to himself for several days when the gossip had started, and the continuous buzz of objects chatting and stopping by to talk to him made his chest ache. He was lonely. That was the other thing about dating Keith, he made Dorian forget about his other friends. He was too charming, fit him too perfectly, Dorian wanted to spend every moment with him. But for all his charm, Keith wasn't as social as him. He got along well with most of the other objects, but he preferred to spend time with just the two of them, and Dorian rarely argued about that.
Dorian needed time to be alone after their breakup, but it was never long before the yawning void of loneliness made him reach out for his friends again, hoping they would forgive him for abandoning them. He always felt hesitant, no matter how accepting they were every time. He was doing his regular route around the house, checking in at every room, when he found Amir, Bathsheba, Barry, and Tyrell gathered together in the first floor bathroom.
“You simply have to tell me what happens tonight! Oh I can hardly imagine,” Bathsheba was saying excitedly.
“Yeah! Don’t hold back on any details, I’ve been going crazy wondering what’s going on in there,” Tyrell agreed.
“Duh! Everyone has!” Barry grinned, sitting on the counter and swinging his legs.
Dorian stepped in, raising an eyebrow at the group. “What’s all this then?” he asked, one part doing his job to make sure there wasn’t any riffraff going on in the house, another part curious what the group was talking about.
Everyone turned to look at him and Amir spoke up first. “Dorian, my friend! We were just talking about tonight’s plans,” he said with a smile. “Barry, Jacques and I plan on going to the reopening of the Breaker Box!”
“Eddie’s finally opening it back up?” Dorian said, almost in disbelief.
“Supposedly! That’s what I overheard from Tony when he was downstairs fixing up one of Sinclaire’s handles,” Tyrell told him. “I don’t want to go on the first night though, it’s going to be way too busy.”
“I thought the exact same thing,” Bathsheba agreed with him. “But oh I just can’t wait to hear what’s been going on in there!” Her excitement was contagious, bubbles overflowing from her.
“Huh, interesting,” Dorian said and he felt a slight pang in his chest as he thought about the club overflowing with all the objects in the house getting together for a night of drinks.
“Are you planning on going?” Barry asked with a tilt of his head.
“Hm,” he hesitated. A part of him wanted to go, distantly curious about what Eddie had been up to and also wishing for some company, but another part was reluctant, unsure if he was ready for a night at the bar yet.
Amir had his chin propped on his hand as he looked over him, his radiant smile softening. “You should come with us! We would love to have you along, wouldn’t we, Barry?” He turned to look at him and Barry nodded eagerly.
“Oh! You should stop by a little early, I could do a bit of makeup for you,” he offered.
“Plus,” Amir continued, giving Dorian a more serious, albeit still gentle, look, “You have been so busy as of late, I think a relaxing night out would do you some good.” There was a knowing look in his eyes, one that Dorian had gotten to know well.
Dorian sighed, reluctantly agreeing with Amir’s implications. “Alright, I’ll join you. I’ve got to finish up my rounds first, but I’ll come back once I’m done with all that.”
“Wonderful! We shall see you tonight then,” Amir said as Barry clapped excitedly. Dorian nodded as he left to continue his path around the house, a small smile on his face now. It was nice to have plans with friends to look forward to.
“Three, two, and done!” Barry counted down as he pulled the eyeliner away, allowing Dorian to blink and look back down again. “That wasn’t too bad now, was it?” He was beaming down at Dorian as he tucked away his tools. “Take a look! What do you think?”
Dorian took a second to breath and waved at his face, trying to keep his eyes from watering since he didn’t want to mess up Barry’s hard work. Then he turned to look at himself in the mirror, tilting his head side to side to admire himself. He wasn’t one to wear makeup, but Barry’s excitement over it was too hard to say no to. He did ask Barry to go light on it though, and the two of them settled for just some eyeshadow and eyeliner.
Barry had done a great job, Dorian had to admit. He wasn’t quite sure what he did, what mixtures of browns and creams he used or how he decided to place them, but he did look good. It was a subtle enough look that it didn’t stand out like a sore thumb on his face, and the little wing of eyeliner was dainty enough to draw attention to his eyes without being overly bold and distracting. It was a great balance of natural and neutral that went well with the rest of his look.
“It looks fantastic,” Dorian complemented, flashing Barry a smile in their reflection. He had been doing this just to entertain his friend, but on second look he did feel nice with his eyes all done up. It added an odd sense of confidence that he couldn’t quite place, it wasn’t like he was a non-confident person to begin with.
“I’ll say,” Amir chimed in as he finished his own makeup, popping his lips as he recapped his lipstick. His own makeup was bolder than Dorian’s, but still simple in a way. A thicker eyeliner, some deep lipstick, and highlighter and eyeshadow silver and glittery enough to match his outfit. “You look absolutely stunning! Makeup isn’t needed to give someone confidence, but it can give a boost when necessary," he said as he turned to look at him, and there was that knowing glint in his eyes again.
“Well it’s going to be real hard for me to get any looks when you’re dressed like that,” Dorian teased back, nodding up and down at Amir’s outfit. “You looking to apply for a job as their new disco ball?”
Amir gave an exaggerated gasp, his hand resting against his chest as he feigned offence. “How cruel of you, my friend,” he said with a smile.
“Ay, let’s not get into a fight now,” Jacques interrupted them before they could continue their bickering. “You all look lovely with all your bright colors.” Out of the four of them, Jacques was the only one who had left his face bare, having refused when Barry offered because he didn’t want any of that gunk on him.
“Ah, my dear, you’re always so rational when it comes to fighting,” Amir said, leaning down to give Jacques a quick kiss on the cheek before he could push him away.
“Yuck! Don’t kiss me with that all over your lips,” he protested, wiping at himself with the back of his hand even as he blushed from the attention.
“Relax, it’s transfer resistant. I can kiss you to my heart’s content and you won’t have to worry about any of it getting on you,” Amir reassured him, giving him a big smile.
Dorian smiled along with him, amused at their affection and argument. There was a part of him that felt like he should be sad, that there should be a yearning in him to have that again, but it was overshadowed by his gratefulness to be with his friends. Seeing his friends happy made him happy, it was as simple as that.
“Alright, are we all ready to go?” Barry asked, his own bright, bold makeup shimmering as he practically bounced. “I’m so excited, I can’t wait to see what Eddie’s been working on!”
“Not to mention that ghostly beauty people have been talking about,” Jacques said with a nod. “That ought to be the most interesting thing going on tonight.”
“It is interesting to hear there might be a new face about,” Dorian agreed, though the thought did unsettle him a bit. The fact that he didn’t know who this mysterious new house member was made him uncomfortable. Very few of the objects in this house had appeared without passing through him.
“Well then what are we waiting around for? Let’s go,” Amir said with a hand wave to get them all moving.
The Breaker Box was buzzing, quite literally, when they got there. They’re still fairly early in the night, but already several others have gathered inside, and the lights seemed brighter than they have in years. As soon as they entered they were greeted by a tall, handsome man whose hair crackled in a ponytail behind him like a lightning bolt. “Hello, welcome to the Breaker Box,” he said as he greeted them with a dazzling smile. “Party of four tonight?”
“Yes, and thank you, mister…?” Amir said, holding out a hand to their new housemate.
Instead of shaking it, he took Amir’s hand and leaned down to press a kiss to the back. “Call me Volt, and you are?” Volt asked, glancing at the group as a whole. They took turns to introduce themselves and Volt left a kiss on the back of their hands as he greeted them, kneeling down politely to kiss Jacques’ hand.
“Dorian,” he introduced himself when Volt got to him, and the kiss that Volt placed on his hand left a sparking tingle on his skin.
“Delighted to meet you,” he said, stepping back. “Now then, where would you like to sit? Table, booth?”
“Are there any seats at the bar still open?” Dorian spoke up before the others could. He wanted an opportunity to ask Eddie some questions about what had happened over the last week.
“There is! Make yourselves comfortable and Eddie will be happy to help you with any drinks you would like,” Volt replied, gesturing towards the bar. “If you’ll allow me just a moment, I can meet you over there with a stepladder,” he said to Jacques.
“That’d be greatly appreciated,” Jacques told him, and with that, Volt strode away and allowed the group to make their way to their seats. He returned quickly to set up the stepladder for Jacques and offered a hand to help him onto his stool.
Once they were all settled and Volt had walked away for a moment, Barry was the first one to break the silence. “Woah! He is dropdead gorgeous! Where in the world did Eddie get him from?”
“I wonder that myself,” Dorian agreed, looking over at Eddie who was at the other end of the bar preparing a drink for one of the other patrons.
“And rather charming,” Jacques said, leaning back on the stool as he watched Volt flit about the Breaker Box from table to table. “He acts like a natural, like he’s been here for ages.”
Eddie paused their gossiping as he walked over, giving them a smile as he leaned on the bar. “What can I get for you folks tonight?”
Dorian was surprised with the way Eddie moved and spoke. He still had that tired, always slightly irritated gruffness to his voice, but he seemed lighter, his smile just a bit brighter.
“Eddie! So wonderful to see you again, you had us all worried about you,” Amir said, propping his chin in his palm. “You must tell us what you’ve been up to while you were closed.”
Eddie shrugged, brushing off the worry and question. “I realized I needed some help around the bar, so I got Volt. Had to spend some time teaching him how things work around here,” he said, his answer casual and blasé, but Dorian could see a stiffness crawl across him.
“But where did you get him from? It’s so rare to see a new face around here,” Barry said with excitement.
“Well now that’s a secret,” Eddie said, crossing his arms in front of himself, irritation starting to creep into his voice. “What’s important is that he’s here, and he’s a huge help to the place. Don’t know how much longer I could have kept the bar running without him,” he said, and he glanced across the room, a melancholy look in his eyes.
Dorian was still a bit unnerved, but he could see the sincerity in Eddie's words. He would just have to trust him and see how things panned out with Volt.
“Anyway,” Eddie sighed and uncrossed his arms. “How ‘bout those drinks?”
The group stopped interrogating him and ordered, chatting while they waited. Throughout the night, Volt would frequently make trips back to the bar to get drinks for people at tables and booths, cloths to clean up, any bills that needed paying. Every time he got close, the smile on Eddie's face grew just a little, and the two navigated around each other with perfect ease. Dorian was reminded of how Washford and Drysdale used to move when they performed together, like they were made for each other.
It felt great to be with friends again. Dorian felt relaxed and smiled easily as they all talked and caught up on what was going on in each of their lives. He was happy and content and distantly wondered why he didn't do this sooner.
Barry was energetically talking about a new project he had started, that he was learning embroidery so he could add decorations to his bags and clothes. Even though Dorian didn't understand everything he was talking about, especially when he started describing different decorative stitches and thread types, his joy was contagious enough that he couldn't help grinning and nodding along with him.
A familiar noise caught his attention even as he was focused on his friend. A gentle, rhythmic tapping against the tiled floor. The recognition of it made Dorian's blood run cold and his face flush hot. He tried to move casually as he glanced out across the Breaker Box, eyes searching until he found him.
Keith was being guided by Volt to one of the back booths, the new host gesturing for him to take a seat. The two of them talked briefly, Volt's smile nearly lighting up the room, before he nodded and began his trip back to the bar. Keith was settled in his booth, his eyes following Volt as-
“Ah ah ah! No more of that,” Amir's voice cut through, his fingers snapping in front of his face to redirect him.
Dorian blinked and spun back around to the bar, his face burning from embarrassment. “Sorry,” he mumbled, hiding behind his drink as he took a sip.
“You don't have to be sorry,” Barry said as he sat a hand on Dorian's knee. “You just have to not worry about him. You're here with us!” He clapped his hands together for emphasis.
“You're right, you're right,” Dorian agreed, trying to relax but the back of his neck prickled, like he could feel himself being watched.
Amir had prompted Jacques to talk about one of his many adventures and he was going into great detail about it, gesturing wildly as he spoke. Dorian tried to focus on his words, but his eyes were distracted by Volt walking behind the bar, probably to tell Eddie what Keith ordered, but before he could open his mouth, Eddie was nodding to a backroom and the two of them quietly slipped inside.
Dorian swirled the ice in his glass for a second before he took a drink, swallowing down a few quick mouthfuls. He just needed to relax, everything was fine, he should've expected Keith to be here on opening night, curious as he is.
The door to the backroom opened again after just a few moments and Volt practically bounded out, like a dog unclipped from its leash. He buzzed around Eddie, cleaning and organizing and refilling drinks for those at the bar, while Eddie whipped together a fruity cocktail, topping it off with a cherry before he passed it to Volt. It took every ounce of Dorian's poise to not twist around on his seat to follow him with his eyes, knowing exactly where that cocktail was going.
“Need another drink?” Eddie asked, jolting Dorian from his thoughts. He hesitated for a moment, debating on if he did or not, but Amir interrupted him.
“Yes, he does,” he said, giving Dorian a stern look.
Eddie raised an eyebrow, looking back to Dorian and he nodded, agreeing with Amir. Another drink might do him some good. Eddie wasted no time putting it together and sliding it across to him, taking his empty glass as he left.
Dorian tried to focus on the conversation going on around him as he drank his second glass. He was quiet, listening to them share stories and jokes and commenting occasionally, but he didn’t have much to share himself. He hadn’t done anything interesting lately, just his usual job, and aside from that it was, well…no one wanted to hear about that.
Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t help glancing out of the corner of his eyes as best as he could. He couldn’t get a good view without obviously turning around, but he could watch as Volt flitted back and forth, bringing orders and empty glasses back to Eddie and taking filled ones in return. His face had a flush to it, the energy around him growing charged when he was nearby, every hair on Dorian’s body raising when he was close. Eddie gave him a blank, unimpressed stare when he dropped off a set of empty glasses and Volt smiled sheepishly, his eyes flickering to a spot above and behind Dorian before he pranced off again, his hair sparking with each bounce of his ponytail.
Dorian listened to Barry, half tuned in as he talked about something him and Clarence were working on together. He nodded along with his friend’s excited voice and gestures before he risked another glance towards the booths. His gaze stopped early, landing on Keith walking towards the bar’s bathrooms, Volt’s hand in his as he followed behind. Keith’s eyes met his for just a moment, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, before he and Volt disappeared into the bathroom. His stomach sank.
“Dorian,” Barry’s voice cut through to him as his hand landed on his shoulder. “Ignore him, don’t worry about what he’s doing. You know he’s just trying to make you jealous,” he said, voice more gentle than stern.
“Just because the new fellow got charmed by his siren song, doesn’t mean you have to,” Jacques agreed, looking at him seriously.
“I’m not jealous,” Dorian said defensively. “I’ve got no problem if he wants to be with someone else.”
“You say that, but look at you, looking like a lost puppy,” Amir said, sighing in frustration. “You just broke up with him, you do not need to concern yourself with who he’s sleeping with. You’re here to hang out with friends, not ex-lovers.”
Dorian frowned as he met Amir with a serious expression. “We’re still friends, Keith and I. Even if I don’t want to be with him romantically, that doesn’t mean I can’t talk to him if I want.”
“You can talk to him if you want, but should you?” Barry questioned. Dorian opened his mouth to argue but a loud clattering from behind the bar caught all their attention.
Eddie’s face was red, a spilled cocktail spreading out over the top of the bar, metal shaker bouncing and rolling across the floor. He was still for a moment before snatching up a cleaning rag and tossing it at Bev, hardly letting her get a word out to ask if he was okay. “Watch the bar for me,” was all the explanation he gave before he stormed away. They all watched him, a sense of dread pooling in Dorian’s stomach as he saw him slam into the bathroom.
“What happened?” Someone asked, voice quiet.
“I don’t know, he just ran off.”
“Is he okay?”
They all exchanged worried glances for a second, wondering what could have made Eddie so angry suddenly.
The door to the bathrooms swung open suddenly and Dorian’s heart nearly stopped as Keith came stumbling out, a hand holding his face as he rushed towards the Breaker Box’s door. Eddie was close behind him, veering off to snatch Keith’s cane from where it had been left in the booth. He made his way to the front door, throwing the cane out after Keith. “I don’t want you using this as an excuse to come back. If I see your face anywhere near him again I’ll make the other side match,” he shouted.
The door slammed shut behind him and Eddie’s chest heaved with each breath. Dorian watched out the large windows of the club as Keith shakily bent down to pick up his cane, his white gloves soaked and smeared with blood. He leaned on it heavily, hunched over as he started to walk away.
It was dead silent inside the club, everyone staring at Eddie, trying to piece together what had just happened. Dorian hesitated and then leaned forward to slip off the barstool, but a hand on each shoulder stopped him. “Don’t,” both Amir and Barry said simultaneously, trying to hold him back. But Dorian didn’t listen, instead he shrugged them off, muttering a quiet apology to his friends, his face burning with shame as he approached Eddie.
He pulled out his wallet, grabbing several bills that he knew was too much. “Will this be enough to settle his tab and mine?” he asked, holding the money out to Eddie as he avoided his eyes.
Eddie snatched the cash from his hand, not even bothering to count it before he spoke. “Yeah that’ll cover it fine, just don’t let him around here again,” he snapped, anger still rolling off of him. Dorian nodded and quickly made his way out the door, following after Keith.
He hadn’t gotten far and Dorian was able to catch up quickly as he jogged after him. “Keith!” he called out, trying to get his attention.
“What?!” he snapped, spinning around to face him. There was a fury in his expression that Dorian had never seen before and it caught him off guard, stunning him for a moment to have such anger directed at him from Keith. When he realized it was Dorian the expression fell. “Oh, I’m sorry, Dorian. I didn’t realize it was you,” he said, but his voice was wrong, too dull and pained.
Dorian blinked, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find what to say. Now that he was closer to Keith, he could see the actual damage done to him. The whole side of his face was an ugly bruise, sprawling from his cheek to across his nose and swelling into his eye. Blood ran down from his nose, spilling over his mustache, lips, and beard, staining the front of his shirt, his gloves. “Fuck, Keith, you alright, mate?”
“Do I fucking look alright?” Keith spat back, anger bristling from him before he shut it back down again. He let out a deep sigh, his face falling flat. “Sorry. No, I’m not alright, I just want to get home and get cleaned up. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he said, turning away from him and walking again.
“Wait,” Dorian said, catching up to Keith in a few quick steps. “What the hell happened back there?”
“I don’t really want to talk about it, my friend,” he replied, voice short, the words rehearsed. “Just leave me alone. Go back to the Breaker Box, go back to having a fun night with your friends, just forget you saw anything.”
Dorian frowned, reaching out to lightly brush his fingers against Keith’s arm. “Keith, please. I’m not going to leave you like this. Come back to my place and we’ll get you patched up,” he begged. A part of him was telling him that he should listen to Keith, he shouldn’t have even followed him out of the club. But Dorian can’t help wanting to help. Even knowing that he shouldn’t, that he was already falling back in it with Keith, he couldn’t resist.
Keith stopped and looked at him, his eyes tracing over Dorian’s face methodically. He really looked like shit with how bad the bruising already was. After a long, tense moment where he weighed his options, Keith sighed, his shoulders slumping in on himself. “Alright, we can stop by your place,” he agreed, his voice sounding heavy and tired.
Dorian let out a sigh of relief, giving Keith a small smile. “Thank you,” he said, glad that he wasn’t going to have to fight Keith to let him take care of him. He moved over to the side that didn’t have the cane and offered his arm to him just like he had done many times before. For a second he thought Keith wasn’t going to take it, but after a moment’s hesitation he looped their arms together, allowing Dorian to take some of his weight as they walked.
Thankfully Dorian's place was close by, it always was. He let them in, locking the door behind them, his arm never moving from Keith’s. “Here, sit down,” he said as he guided him to the couch, helping him gently lower himself onto it. “Wait right here, let me go get stuff to clean you up,” he murmured, brushing back Keith’s hair from his face.
He looked over Keith’s face carefully for a moment, taking a closer look at the damage. The bruise had grown and deepened, but the blood seemed to have stopped dripping from his nostril at least. His open eye stared back at him, looking over him in return, but Dorian had no idea what he was thinking, his expression totally unreadable. “I’ll be right back,” he said, finally dragging himself away to go to his bathroom.
He sighed heavily as he knelt down to open the cupboard under his sink, pulling out the first aid kit he had stashed under there. He used a hand on the sink to push himself back up and glanced at the mirror, pausing for a second as he caught his reflection. He had forgotten about the makeup he let Barry put on him, and seeing the shimmer of the eyeshadow made him suddenly feel ashamed. It wasn’t fair that he looked so pretty while Keith was in his living room looking like…that.
Dorian turned the sink on and hastily soaked his face, using the hand soap to scrub at his eyes and wash the makeup away. He shut the water off and grabbed his towel, roughly drying his face, paying special attention to wipe at his eyelids. When he looked in the mirror again, most of the makeup was gone, but now there was a faint shimmer over more of his skin and a lingering, blurred ring around his eyes. It would have to do for now. He grabbed a washcloth and dampened it, ringing it out slightly before he grabbed the kit and went back.
Keith was exactly where he left him, staring straight ahead as he waited for Dorian. “Here, look at me,” Dorian said as he sat next to him, fingers lightly resting on his chin to turn his head. Keith let him, twisting to face him. There was a distance in his expression that unnerved Dorian, making him scared to wonder just what had happened. “This is gonna hurt, let me know if you need me to stop,” he mumbled before gently beginning to clean the blood from him.
He started low on his neck, using the washcloth to wash away the blood that had dripped all the way down to his shirt. He took his time, being thorough as he ran the cloth through his beard several times, repeating the motion until he had cleared the red from the gray hairs. He moved further up, delicately wiping the blood from his lips and the surrounding skin, swallowing hard as he watched the way his lips moved under his touch.
Dorian paused as he looked at the blood in his mustache and from his nostril. “Tell me if this hurts,” he said and he wrapped the washcloth around his finger to have better precision. He washed away the blood from his mustache with small strokes, very careful to not move too much. Lightly, hardly even putting any pressure down, he dabbed at his nostril, trying to wipe away as much of the blood on the outside as he could.
Keith flinched at the first touch but quickly stilled as Dorian mumbled an apology. He didn’t say anything as Dorian continued, but his eyes began to water, a slow tear running down his cheek. “Almost done,” Dorian comforted him as he cleaned off the last bit of blood from his face, setting the washcloth on the coffee table when he was finished. “Alright, worst part’s over,” he said as he opened the first aid kit, looking through the supplies for an icepack.
He squeezed the pack until he felt the pocket inside burst and shook it for a few seconds until it chilled. “This’ll help with the swelling and pain,” he told Keith as he placed the pack so that it covered most of the bruise, but especially his black eye and the bridge of his nose. Keith flinched back from the cold with a sharp hiss before he stopped himself, grimacing as he took the pack from Dorian to hold it himself.
“It looks broken, but hopefully it’s not too bad,” he told him, looking him up and down slowly. Blood still stained his shirt and gloves. “Do you want me to get you some clean clothes?” he offered.
Keith stared at him for a second, a heavy silence between the two of them before he spoke. “I’d appreciate that,” he said quietly.
Dorian nodded and took the first aid kit and washcloth as he stood up. “Let me get you something then,” he said, stopping by the bathroom to put the kit back under his sink. He tossed the washcloth into the laundry hamper as he went to his bedroom, opening a drawer and going through the stash of Keith’s clothes that had slowly accumulated. He grabbed a pair of sleep pants and a comfortable t-shirt.
He returned to him and stood there for a moment. “Do you want a shower before you change?” he offered.
“No,” Keith answered. “I don’t think I could stand long enough for it.” He sounded tired, like the events of the night were finally catching up to him, the adrenaline wearing off now that he was settled.
“Alright, feel free to help yourself to it later if you want,” Dorian extended the offer as he sat down next to him. “Give me your hand,” he said, and he began to tug off his ruined glove when he did. “Other one.” Keith switched which hand he was using to hold the icepack to his face, allowing Dorian to remove the second glove.
He set the gloves in his lap and reached forward to gently push Keith’s jacket off his shoulders and down his arms. He folded the jacket into his lap too and began to unbutton Keith’s shirt. “You don’t have to do this,” Keith said above him, voice soft, almost sounding remorseful.
“I know,” Dorian told him, looking at him for a moment as he tugged his shirt from his waistband. “I want to.”
Keith nodded carefully and Dorian continued to undress him, slipping his shirt off him and adding it to the pile. He took the t-shirt he brought and waited for Keith to remove the icepack from his face so he could raise his arms for him. Dorian was extremely careful as he pulled the shirt over Keith’s head, being sure to avoid jostling him or accidentally bumping him.
Dorian slid off the couch and kneeled on the floor, working to untie Keith’s shoes. “So what happened back there?” he asked, breaking the topic.
Keith sighed, closing his eye as he tilted his head back. “I fear there was some…miscommunication between us,” he said wearily, as if just thinking about the event was causing him pain.
“What kind of miscommunication?” Dorian pressed as he got one of Keith’s shoes off.
“Er, well,” he cleared his throat as he hesitated. “Volt and I were going to be…intimate with each other. We had hardly done anything when he got cold feet and decided he no longer wanted to. I didn’t even have a chance to respond before Eddie came bursting in and the next thing I know I was on the floor with a broken nose,” he lamented. “I have no idea what overcame him, I can only assume it was jealousy,” he gave a small chuckle in an attempt to make light of the situation.
Dorian frowned as he listened to him while he got his other shoe off and set them aside. “You think Eddie was jealous that you and Volt were going to hook up?” he questioned, reaching up to undo Keith’s pants.
“I believe so. It turns out that despite how close the two of them seem they still haven’t done anything with each other. I suppose Volt started to second guess losing his virginity to a stranger in the club’s bathroom,” he said, amused, as he grabbed his cane, ignoring the dried blood on the handle of it, and took Dorian’s offered hand to pull himself up, wobbling for a second before gaining his stability.
Dorian pulled Keith’s pants down, letting him rest a hand on his shoulder while he stepped out of them. He moved quickly to gather up the sleep pants, holding them open and easily letting Keith slip into them without having to raise his feet too high. “And that was enough for Eddie to come in swinging and kick you out?” He pulled his pants up for him until the elastic cinched around his hips, then offered his hand again to ease him back onto the couch.
“Apparently. I tried to explain myself after he hit me, but he refused to listen. I didn’t want to risk getting hit again so I left,” he sighed, relaxing onto the couch now that he was in more comfortable clothes.
Dorian continued to frown as he picked up all of Keith’s dirty clothes and took them to the laundry basket, tossing them in with the rest of his. He was surprised to hear that Eddie got so violent so quickly, especially over someone so new. Though maybe Eddie had known Volt for longer than any of them expected, after all, Eddie didn’t explain where he had hired Volt from.
He sighed to himself, shaking his head to push the confused thoughts away as he started to strip out of his own clothes. He put on his own pair of sleep pants and a tank top before going back to join Keith on the couch.
When he walked back into the living room, Keith opened his eye to look at him, giving him a soft smile as he sat down next to him. “Thank you, my friend,” Keith said, reaching to set a hand on Dorian’s thigh and give it a gentle squeeze. “For everything you have done for me tonight. I know it must not have been how you wanted to spend your evening, all things considered,” he said, trailing off as he took his hand back quickly, realizing the touch might be too intimate. “My apologies.”
Dorian shook his head, setting his hand on Keith’s thigh in return when he pulled away. “No, no, it’s…it’s alright,” he said, unsure of what exactly he wanted to say. He looked at Keith again, staring at him for a second before he raised his hand to cup Keith’s uninjured side. His thumb petted along the edge of his beard slowly, swallowing as Keith tilted into the touch with a gentle sound and closed his eyes.
Damnit. Dorian was about to make a big mistake, but he couldn’t stop himself.
He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Keith’s, kissing him softly. It was slow and short, just a moment of their lips moving against each other before Dorian pulled back. “Do you…want to spend the night here?”
Keith gave him a warm, tired smile. “That would be wonderful. It will be a lot easier to sleep on your couch than have to walk myself home.”
Dorian frowned at him. “Who said you had to sleep on the couch?”
Keith looked at him for a second before he laughed softly. “You are too kind, my dear Dorian,” he said, setting his hand over Dorian’s to pull it away from his face and press a kiss to the back of his hand. “Let’s go to bed then, shall we?”
Dorian grinned and stood, holding out his hand to help pull Keith to his feet and walk him to the bedroom. Keith leaned more on Dorian than he did his own cane as he followed him, sitting down on his side of the bed with a pleased sigh after Dorian folded down the sheets.
“Wait, let me get you some extra pillows, it’ll help with the swelling,” Dorian said once he was seated, quickly grabbing the spare pillows he kept on his couch to bring them back. He arranged them carefully until Keith was able to lay down on them comfortably, his head and shoulders raised so he was partially sitting up. “How’s that?”
“It’s perfect,” Keith told him, settling onto the pillows so that he could rest the icepack on his face without having to hold it. “Would you care to join me then?” he teased, patting the empty side of the bed until Dorian crawled under the sheets next to him.
Dorian pressed close to Keith, an arm and leg curled around him protectively while Keith wrapped his arm around his shoulder, his fingers tracing over his hinge tattoo. For a moment, Dorian could close his eyes and pretend that everything was fine, that he and Keith hadn’t broken up and gotten together again and again, that Keith didn’t have a broken nose because of him. If he hadn’t broken up with him this time, he wouldn’t have been alone at the Breaker Box, wouldn’t have tried to get him jealous.
Keith sighed softly under him, his hand moving to run his fingers through Dorian’s hair. “I love you, Dorian,” he mumbled, voice tired.
“Love you too, Keith,” he mumbled back, his chest aching with the weight of the words. His friends were going to be so mad at him, but he didn’t care about that right now. All he could care about was having Keith in his arms again.