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It was a rare night that Don found himself walking into his own home with a relaxed smile on his face.
In fact... he could not remember ever walking into this particular residence happily. With a false smile for the sake of his guest? Of course, what host hasn’t put on a show? However, tonight was the first night that the smile was for his own sake. It was funny that it also came with a complete sense of exhaustion to go with it. A pleasant sag in his body. One born of a good night. A good holiday.
He had the oddest man to thank for such an experience. The last kind of person Don expected to give him such happiness. In a situation that he never thought he’d find himself. Don has always gotten along better with liberal-minded, high standing, white people than anyone else. Being raised in the setting he was, he related most to such people. Never entirely, but that was better than being alone.
Spending time with such people meant that the everyday causalities of most mundane life was above him. Which is why, it was such a miracle that he could find himself not just befriending but... developing what he knew to be unacceptable feelings for the man. A married man at that. He never thought that meeting his family, his wife and kids, who he had such contrition for would be a good night for him.
In a way, he felt that fondness he had for Tony extend to his family as well. Like he was surrounded by a bunch of different variations of the man. Even his wife, was like the female version of him. Sweet, earnest, family orientated, and so very good at speaking her mind with little apology attached to it. They were well matched. She proved, just by being, that any hope or prayer that his desperate mind might conjure was just that. Nothing more than a hope or prayer. A dream that died before he even opened his eyes.
Don was okay with that. He had to be. He’s always had be. He can live with that. Now he knows that he can even be happy with it. He would be blessed for even just having this night. From how he was engaged with, he anticipated more such nights.
Even now as he laid his exhausted body on his throne, gazing around his room, he felt himself imagining this to be the next location of such an engagement. He thought to have his space best suited to the potential guest he might have over. The price of such decorating would be well worth it. To hell with it, even the chicken would be worth setting out to make it all a reality.
Don hoped... that a man like him might be able to hold onto this little piece of happiness.