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The past couple of weeks were rough for Pied Piper and by sheer luck they managed to come out the other side better for it. Well… mostly. Richard would be lying if he said a fight with another man and almost losing his company (again) weren’t painful and terrifying but his new internet worked and how could he not feel elated? Still, it was tiresome. He spent the better part of the last four years trying and failing, trying and failing, but there seemed to be some hope on the horizon and for now, it was enough to keep him fighting.
Richard sat on the edge of the pool, his pant legs rolled up and his feet lazily dappling in the water. The blue glow of the pool lights lit him from underneath as he gazed at the few stars he could see above. He was content in this moment, it was calm and quiet, a feeling he didn’t get to cherish often.
A few moments later he heard someone open the patio door and a quiet, “Richard?” followed suit.
He turned his head and saw Jared standing in the doorway wringing his hands. “Yeah, Jared?”
“Do you mind if I join you?”
“Of course not.” He motioned for Jared to sit next to him.
A small grateful smile and a hesitant stride, Jared stood next to him discarding his shoes, folding up his socks, neatly tucking them into his loafers with care and rolling up his own pant legs before gently sliding down beside Richard. “Aren’t you chilly?”
Richard’s lips quirked and he shrugged but Jared wasn’t sure if he shivered or if it was one of his many nervous tics. “A little, but I just wanted to take the night off before we dove into the next phase. Before the next round of crazy happens.”
Jared nodded in understanding. It wasn’t rare for him to spend many moments of his day with Richard pouring over figures and business plans but it was rare for him to catch Richard alone in a moment of amicable silence. With Erlich gone it was more commonplace now but the chaotic nature of Dinesh and Gilfoyle’s relationship didn’t render the circumstances too different. He was happy to take this in for as long as Richard allowed him to: the two of them in a comfortable silence practically stargazing. It was more than Jared ever dared to ask for aloud.
If his thoughts were more immersive, he almost wouldn’t have heard the faint “I’m sorry” tumble out of Richard’s lips.
“Oh, Richard… what for?”
“For how I treated you the past couple of weeks.”
“Richard, you’ve already apologized and I’ve already forgiven you. Water under the bridge.”
“No, Jared, I know, but I just need you to know I mean it. Really. It wasn’t cool of me to ask you to turn the other cheek and it definitely wasn’t cool of me to treat you like I did. I feel really, really bad and I wish I could take it all back.”
Jared allowed himself an earnest smile. If Richard wasn’t too ashamed and staring down at his feet in the water, he would’ve looked over and seen the warmth and forgiveness emanating from Jared’s eyes.
“You deserve so much better than all this. You’ve done so much for us and I wish I could make it up to you somehow.”
“You know it was never about the money for me. I joined your team because I believed in you. As long as you continue to strive to make the world a better place and contribute to some real change, that’s enough for me. Truly.”
Richard shook his head, smiling in mirth. He would never understand how someone the world wasn’t immensely kind to could turn out to be exceedingly optimistic and loyal. All he knew was he was grateful to have Jared in his life. Beyond solely being the head of his business development team, Jared meant a great deal to him and he wasn’t sure how. The thoughts bubbled up from time to time but he usually squashed them down, never a moment to think on them, too much to do.
Now though, they sat shoulder to shoulder on the eve of another battle with Gavin but that was later. Richard gently bumped shoulders with Jared and asked him if he could point out Arcturus. There weren’t many stars to see in Palo Alto but Jared wished there were more if only to ensure this moment never ended.
-*-
Jared accepted Richard’s many apologies eons ago. In fact, he accepted the very first one and hoped it obvious when he defended Richard’s honor against Dan Melcher. He didn’t care to dwell on the brief rift between the two of them but there was one detail he couldn’t shake: the way Richard turned up at his door. Something about the interaction nagged at him. It wasn’t merely a CEO apologizing to his CFO for his unprofessional behavior. There was something to it and he couldn’t place what.
“Oh my God, Richard’s such a hypocrite.”
Jared startled, both his hands firming up around his cup of tea. “Oh good morning, Dinesh, I didn’t hear you come in. May I ask why Richard is a hypocrite?”
Dinesh rolled his eyes, grabbing some milk from the fridge. “He yelled at me and Gilfoyle to ‘fuck each other and get it over with,’ his words, not mine by the way, but he clearly won’t even make a move on you. Typical.”
This was one of the few times Jared was ever taken aback, he stood and tilted his head with a puzzled smile on his face.
“Oh please. You’ve been staring down the back of his head for the past ten minutes. At first I thought you were looking at me but you didn’t blink once any of the times I looked up. It’s creepy, man.”
Jared chuckled, “I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable, Dinesh. I was just deep in thought.”
“About Richard? Yeah, I got that. Is this about your little lover’s quarrel? I think Richard should take his own advice, I’m pretty sure he’s projecting.”
Jared shook his head, “No, I think you’re mistaken. Our relationship isn’t of that nature.”
Dinesh exhaled slowly, clearly miffed. “Whatever, man, it’s none of my business. You tell me how many people show up on someone else’s doorstop like that after a fight and not have makeup sex. One of you just needs to make a move already and get it over with. Gilfoyle and I are tired of being in the middle of you guys making heart eyes at each other all the time.”
Before he could get another word in, Dinesh was already gone. Jared knew how he felt about Richard and he knew Richard would never reciprocate. Ever. Which was fine, he didn’t expect anything in return. Besides, the world simply didn’t work that way for him. Every once in a while the idea of Richard loving him back floated into his head and he pushed it out immediately. That road only led to false hope and heartbreak and what they created together was far too important to risk losing. But if Dinesh wasn’t pulling his leg, it explained much about Richard’s visit to his condo and a great number of other instances.
Jared thought back to many of their interactions over the years. Of course there were the little things such as how closely they sat or how they smiled at each other; it was easy to chalk all that up to getting to know each other better and growing comfortable with one another. Situations similar to how Richard was as forgiving of him as he was of Richard were harder to ignore. Or how he came to Jared first before any of the other guys if the circumstances were dire enough. Or how Richard made his way back to him, standing on his doorstep with a metaphorical hat in his hand. The only thing that could’ve made the scene any more cliché would be pouring rain in the middle of the night (and of course if Jared’s doorway wasn’t in the middle of a hallway to accommodate all that). Maybe the crescendo was growing louder and louder and this was how it finally broke.
What if that was Richard’s confession? Was the ball in his court now? Getting a date wasn’t hard for him but this was Richard. This was the man he fell for the first day he saw him, the man he pined for and never sought anything in return from. He couldn’t just go up and ask Richard how his day was and oh by the way do you want to grab dinner later at a high-end restaurant. That wasn’t their relationship or Richard’s style either. He never lacked confidence for romantic or physical pursuits but he didn’t want to screw up his chance. If he came on too subtle, it might appear their friendship continued on, nothing out of the ordinary. If he came on too strong, he might scare Richard away and have to turn in a resignation later for the second and potentially final time. Jared closed his eyes and breathed in deep, calming breaths. He needed to resurrect Ed Chambers.
-*-
He needed to be careful. Last time Ed Chambers hung around the Hacker Hostel he nearly got Pied Piper in a world of trouble but Jared knew how to better navigate the waters now. If Jared subtly made advances towards Richard it wouldn’t be enough but luckily Ed Chambers’ subtle was precisely the right mix of cocky swagger and seductive if played right. This was it and this needed to work.
-*-
Jared awoke with a smirk on his face in place of his usual smile. He headed for the kitchen, prepared himself some gluten-free pancakes, and took his usual morning cup of tea in his hands, leaning against the counter and surveyed the state of the house: not a single person around. He heard footsteps shuffling their way into the kitchen, headed for the coffeemaker. Richard appeared looking worse for wear, partly due to a probable lack of sleep, and partly due to the bruises still blossoming across his features.
“Richard, did you sleep at all last night?”
Richard shook his head no, pondering pouring a can of Homicide into his coffee. At this, Jared sat his cup down and pushed off the counter, looming over Richard in a matter of seconds. He leaned in and delicately placed his hand on Richard’s cheek, turning his head to the side softly to inspect his injuries.
“We’ve talked about this, you really should get more sleep. It’s good for your health, it’ll boost your productivity, and spur creativity. You aren’t doing yourself any favors by hindering your growth.” Jared tilted Richard’s head back so their eyes locked. His thumb slowly parted Richard’s lips and he leaned in closer, their noses barely grazing, his voice a husky whisper. “I’ll even join you if it helps.”
Richard’s breath hitched and his eyes couldn’t help but glance down at Jared’s lips. He angled his head ever so slightly, unsure if this was all taking place but he met with air. Jared left already with his cup of tea and Richard stood alone in the middle of their kitchen.
“What the fuck just happened?”
-*-
Their moment in the kitchen was all the confirmation necessary to carry on. Jared wanted nothing more than to grab him and kiss him then and there, but Richard required further coaxing into the open. He needed him to understand what they felt for each other was okay and he was in good company but more than anything, Jared enjoyed teasing Richard and coaxing him in other ways. If he was going to get Richard to admit his feelings, he was going to have fun with it along the way.
The next night Jared made sure to take a little longer in the shower. He wasn’t sure if this tactic would work but luckily it paid off. He opened the door and there was Richard waiting to use the bathroom, tapping his feet impatiently. He startled at the force of the door swinging open but once Richard regained his senses, his eyes only widened again. Jared, who dressed achingly handsome and modest, stood before him now dripping water onto the carpet with a towel slung low on his gaunt hips.
“Oh hello Richard. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. All yours.” Jared gestured to the freed up bathroom behind himself but made no move to leave.
Richard hung his head in embarrassment and avoided eye contact, sputtering out “it’s okay” and “no worries” to no avail. Jared purposefully slid by him excruciatingly slow ensuring as much physical contact as possible without snagging his towel. He pressed his lips to the shell of Richard’s ear, murmuring, “The door was unlocked. You should’ve joined me.”
Richard bolted into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Deep breaths, in and out, in and out and he could only get his heartbeat to settle down a few beats per minute. He didn’t know what was going on but it scared him how much he relished it even if it frustrated him it wasn’t going much further. He wasn’t sure what Jared was playing at but he was certain he wanted him to get to the point faster than he currently was.
On the other side of the door, Jared stood with a cocked head, a smirk just as lopsided and a feeling of satisfaction Richard was reaching his breaking point.
-*-
The next day, it was Richard’s turn to stare contemplatively at the back of Jared’s form. Sitting in the living room with his laptop firmly seated atop his legs, it was all he could do as Jared moved deftly around the kitchen making space in the cupboards and fridge for all the new groceries he bought. He was tight-lipped and furrowing his brows, bound to cause some worry lines sooner in life rather than later. Frustration coursed through him but uncertainty clouded the rest of his thoughts.
Dinesh walked by and Richard didn’t stir one bit. He purposefully walked by again. No movement. He leaned in close and waved a hand in front of his face. Richard snapped out of his reverie, “Jesus, Dinesh, what?”
He smiled mischievously as he wordlessly sat down next to Richard, patting his knee in sympathy.
“What?! Are you still mad at me for telling you to go fuck Gilfoyle? Because I mean what I said, we’d get a lot more work done if you guys weren’t constantly in the middle of bickering-as-foreplay.” He was rambling out of nervousness and they both knew it. “Heh, I bet you have less to be jealous about since Anton’s out of the picture now.”
“Sure, Richard. Whatever makes you feel better. I got my revenge, I’m not mad anymore.” He pointedly glanced at Jared before giving Richard’s knee one last squeeze.
“Fucking Dinesh,” he mumbled to himself. Dinesh might be the reason he was in this mess but Jared did all the dirty work.
-*-
It was 2:17AM on a Tuesday when it finally happened. Richard was up late again coding and he hadn’t eaten dinner yet. He pushed himself away from the desk in search of a snack. Too loud to make dinner, too late to order delivery, the best he could do at this hour was nibble on some cookies and chug some soda. He stood up on the tips of his toes, trying to reach the top shelf where he hid the Oreos from Jian Yang. Richard soon sensed a presence behind him and as he turned around, Jared stood inches from his face, pinning him against the counter.
“Something I can help you with, Richard?” Jared’s eyes momentarily flickered down to watch the way Richard parted his lips in the dim kitchen lighting.
There were an immense amount of things Richard wanted to say in this moment. He wanted to ask what the fuck was going. He wanted to tell Jared he looked good in a t-shirt and boxers. Instead he tripped and stumbled over his words to let out a half-hearted, “couldn’t reach the cookies I hid.”
“Ah, I see.” Jared let go of his grip on the counter only to press his chest deeper against Richard’s as he reached up.
“I can make you something with more nutritional val–,” his words were cut off by the surprising turn of events where Richard was the one pinning him against the counter now. The only word he could use to describe the look on Richard’s face was ‘intense.’ His eyes swirled with a ferocious darkness he couldn’t recall seeing before and it excited Jared.
“What do you want from me, Jared?”
The faintest of smirks played at the corners of Jared’s lips, “Richard, I just want to make sure my CEO is properly taking care of himself.” He rested his hands low on Richard’s hips, a few of his fingers slipping under the hem of his shirt.
Richard snapped up his hands into the collar of Jared’s t-shirt, fisting the material to pull him closer. “I don’t know why you’re messing with me like this but knock it off. Isn’t this against your whole sexual harassment policy?”
“What, you mean like this?” Jared closed the gap between them, kissing Richard forcefully. He was content to leave it at a quick but memorable kiss and continue the game later but Richard’s hands desperately clung onto either side of his face. He instinctively pulled Richard’s hips against his own, his hands traveling up his lithe torso. Jared gasped when he felt Richard bite down on his lower lip and the kiss became hungrier, more frantic. He raked his nails down Richard’s chest breaking away minutes later only to kiss along Richard’s jaw and neck sweetly where there were still faint bruises from the fight and bite down on untouched skin to create more.
“Y-yeah, like that.” He answered the question Jared asked him minutes ago which surely anybody else would’ve forgotten by now.
“Ah, Jared!” He found Richard’s sweet spot by nibbling at his ear lobe and pressing the flat of his palms into his hips. Jared moved back to his lips, kissing Richard one last time to remind him who was in control. Both of them broke apart flushed and panting for air.
Richard smoothed down the wrinkles he caused in Jared’s night shirt, an unnecessary apology. He looked up and his lips were swollen, cheeks tinged red, and new bruises adorned him he’d have to explain away later but Jared was certain Richard never looked better. He leaned in once more, hesitating briefly, silently asking for permission this time. Richard granted it and Jared kissed him gingerly. He pulled away and intertwined their hands, pecking each one of Richard’s fingers as if to apologize for the days of taunting.
“If this was what you wanted all along, why didn’t you just ask me out or something? We hang out all the time.”
Jared chuckled, “That’s exactly why. I was scared. I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject without being so subtle you didn’t notice or too forthcoming and out of character. So I enlisted the help of Ed Chambers.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Ed Chambers, you remember? I had to fire him. It was unfortunate but I figured I could enlist his help in seducing you.”
Richard only balked further, none of Jared’s explanation was clearing anything up, “…what?”
Jared laughed further, “I’m sorry, let me clarify. He might be rather loathsome at times but I admire his bold confidence and brash ‘go-get-em’ attitude. I already harbored feelings for you but wasn’t sure how to act on them in the off chance you possibly didn’t feel the same way. Then you came to me, and with a little surprising help from Dinesh, it gave me the push to do something about it. I figured that was your version of a peacock putting on a display and I was too scared to respond. I knew if I could tap into Ed Chambers’ energy it was a win/win either way. Either I display right back and you respond favorably or you reject me and I bury it deep down and lock it away to never see the light of day.”
Richard found himself for the second time tonight at a loss for words if only because he wanted to say many things right now. He wanted to remind Jared Ed Chambers wasn’t real. He wanted to question the line of reasoning how rejection and burying feelings constituted a win. Instead he continued to look on at Jared in bewilderment.
Jared smiled serenely at him. “I know it’s silly, Richard. He’s the Sasha Fierce to my Beyoncé. I just didn’t want to endanger a good thing. I cherish you too much to lose you and I value our business too much to risk it. We’ve come so far and you mean a great deal to me.”
Richard caressed Jared’s cheek, a genuine smile playing across his face, warming up his features. “That’s all you ever needed to tell me. I love you too.”