Chapter Text
John opened his eyes and smiled. John fought through the cobwebs of sleepiness, trying to figure out why he was so content. He didn’t usually wake up this happy. Then he felt someone shift behind him. Dorian, the answer to his question, wrapped his arm around John’s chest and kissed his shoulder.
“Morning” Dorian murmured.
“Sleep well?” John asked, rolling onto his back.
“Mmm,” Dorian bent down and kissed John, “Aside from your snoring, better than I have in a while.”
“My Snoring?! What about you, you bagpipe?” John playfully shoved Dorian’s shoulder.
“Bagpipe? That’s the best you can come up with?” Dorian raised his eyebrow.
John threw an arm over his eyes. “I just woke up.” John glanced over at the clock on his nightstand. “Shit. I’ve got to go to work.” He looked back up at Dorian, unsure how to proceed. “You don’t... want to-” John stammered out.
“I have some work I need to do. All the things I didn't get done yesterday."
John chuckled. "Like you even regret not getting it done."
"Well something got done." Dorian smiled.
"I seem to recall someone-" Dorian cut John off with a kiss. As John began to pull Dorian closer, he tried very hard to ignore the voice in his head telling him to get to work, that he didn't have time for this. Suddenly that voice sounded very much like Dorian's.
"I thought we both had work to do." John leaned back and looked Dorian in the eye. "Not that I'm complaining," Dorian continued.
"Good." John grunted as he flipped Dorian on his back. John kissed Dorian on his neck, then slowly, began to work his way down Dorian's chest. "'Cause I have a feeling I'm going to be late."
~~~
At 11, John strolled into the Coffee Shop.
"Hey, John, I did inventory this morning." Patel greeted him. "The report is on your desk."
"Thanks. Let me know when Val gets in." John headed back toward the office.
"She's in the break room, filling out paper work." Patel responded.
John stopped and looked back at the young barista. "Really? Why?"
Patel shrugged and turned back to fill the order Max had just given her. Max seemed to be working out. He was efficient, if a little cold. John altered his course and opened the door to the breakroom. Val had covered half the table with forms and print outs. She also had her tablet open on the table beside her.
"Val, you know we have an office not ten steps away. It's perfect for whatever the hell you are filling out here." John looked down at the mess. "What is this stuff anyway?"
"I was thinking we need to add more food options. It would put us in a good position to compete with other places around town. We just need to get a different food permit than the one we have."
"Sounds good." John lowered himself into a chair. "What do you need me to fill out?"
Valerie handed him one of the sheets of paper. "The forms are fairly straight forward, we just need to-" Val stopped and cocked her head. "You just offered to fill out paper work."
John looked up from the form. "Yeah. So?"
"You are practically chipper today."
"I am not chipper. I am never chipper."
"John, you have been moping around here for weeks. Today, you are completely different."
"What's your point, Stahl?"
"Have something you want to share?" Val smiled and rested her chin on her hand.
"Y..no. No I do not." John looked back down at the sheet Valerie had handed him.
Val looked at him, analyzing every aspect, looking for a clue. “It’s happy news,” Val mumbled more to herself than anyone, “so it’s…” Valerie narrowed her eyes. “Dorian.” John looked up, a little too fast.
"You and Dorian are dating. Oh my god! That's it!" Val sat up straight.
"I am a complex and multifaceted person. Everything does not revolve around my love life." John did not look up to meet Val's eyes. "And sleeping together does not mean we are dating."
John got exactly the reaction he was looking for. "Sleeping together!? You had a sleepover?" Val leaned forward and put a hand on John's arm. "You actually let him stay at your place?”
“What’s the big deal?” John leaned back in his chair.
“As of yesterday, you were still wondering if you had completely fucked up by running out of the talk. I recall hearing you say you would ‘never get laid again’.” Valerie crossed her arms. “Twenty-four hours later...” John mirrored Val’s crossed arms. Val threw her pen at John. “Are you going to share? Or do I have to beat it out of you?” John laughed in response, but proceeded to satisfy his partner’s curiosity.
~~~
Across town, Dorian attempted to slip quietly into his desk chair. Unfortunately, his presence did not go undetected.
“I expected to see you here twelve hours ago.” Rudy looked up from his computer screen, Dorian jumped in his seat. “Rudy! Jesus!” Dorian put his hand up to his chest. Then he paused and looked at the clock over Rudy’s head. “It’s noon on a Saturday. You have a problem, man.”
“Pot, you are the one unstealthily sneaking in here.”
“If someone hadn’t rudely thrown me out of my own office yesterday, I wouldn't have had to sneak back in here.” Dorian grabbed a book from the top of his desk. “Now I have what I came for, I’ll see you on Monday.”
“That’s it?” Rudy turned in his chair to better face his colleague. “You are actually listening to what I said?”
Dorian shrugged, “Why not?”
“I honestly thought that you would be asleep on the couch, like you have for the last few weeks, no matter what I said. Instead, you stayed away. And now you’re leaving again.”
“I’m just taking your advice.”
Rudy looked at the book in Dorian’s hand and then back to his face. “I can see that.” Rudy turned back to his desk. “If you’re going to work, you might as well stay and work here.”
Dorian remained standing, shifting from one foot to the other.
“Dorian?” Rudy looked back up at Dorian.
“Why did you think I would be back here to sleep?” Dorian asked.
“Well, you have been, haven’t you? Between work and your roommates- By the way, the offer still stands. My couch is rather comfortable. Unless you’ve found somewhere else to sleep.”
The lack of sleep was getting to him. Dorian couldn’t hide the little smile that gave away what he was trying not to share with Rudy.
“You- you met someone? What about J- um- I mean- That’s great! I assume that’s where you…” Rudy motioned with his hand. Dorian nodded. Rudy smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That’s good. That’s wonderful. What’s he like? Or she? Don’t want to ...limit.”
Dorian put his hand up. He needed to put Rudy out of his misery. “Rudy, it was John.”
“Really?” Rudy’s smile was now genuine. “That’s wonderful! Valerie was adamant- Oh, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Dorian smiled again. “John told me what he knew about you two...meddling. So, thank you for attempting to pull our heads out of our asses.”
“I’m glad you finally managed.” Rudy turned back to his desk. “Now, don’t you have someone you should be meeting?”
Dorian sat back down in his chair, put his feet up on his desk, and opened the book he had in his hands. “After I do some grading.”
~~~
It was nearly ten when Dorian heard a distance door slam. Rudy had left hours ago. Now was a good time to get out of the nearly abandoned building. He stood and stretched, then began to pack up his things. As Dorian bent over to grab his bag from under his desk, a low whistle came from the doorway.
John was leaning against the door frame.
“How did you-” Dorian began.
“Rudy stopped by. He said you might need food. After all that thinking and processing.” John held up a take out bag.
Dorian grinned. “Rudy will have something to say about you bringing food in here.”
John pushed off the door and walked over to Dorian’s desk. “Na. He suggested it.” John sat down on a clear corner. “He can’t get mad at me.”
Dorian simply raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps we should take this out to the patio in back.” Dorian leaned over to kiss John. “Especially since this is technically our first date.”
“Last night didn’t count?”
“No.”
John smiled. “Too bad. I thought it was a hell of a first date.” John ran his thumb across Dorian's cheek, still not entirely convinced this was real. He leaned in and bumping noses. Dorian huffed a laugh, and grabbed John’s jacket, and pulled him back in the last few inches.
When they broke apart seconds later, John put his arm around Dorian’s back. “Well then, we better get this date started.” They walked through the hall toward the outside door. “Tell me about your day, D.”