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The dress was a tight fit but it would have to do. A leftover of his last girlfriend, he kept finding more of her stuff that she didn’t take with her when she had moved out. He stared in the mirror unsure how to put the makeup on. Usually, Madeleine would help him, would put the stocking on, snap them shut on the garter and do his makeup because that’s what best friends do but she wasn’t there. When Quarantine had hit she had decided to stay with her parents which left Joey alone in their shared apartment.
He sighed loudly as he zips the dress up. It was a simple thing, blue with a floral print but he quite liked it even if it was a bit too tight around his arms and shoulders. The makeup took him three attempts until he was satisfied but finally he smiled to himself in the mirror. During the quarantine, his hair had grown out and now curled around his ears, loose strands falling into his face. He was supposed to Facetime with Henry later tonight but he had time to enjoy the outfit before having to change again.
Smiling he took his glass of wine to his favourite chair and opened the book he was currently re-reading. He felt at ease like this, and even though he didn’t feel like a woman he enjoyed dressing like one from time to time. It had taken him years and Maddie’s help to accept that part of him without any shame.
The stockings matched the blue of the dress, so dark they almost appeared black and he loved the feel of them when he rubbed his legs together. One of these days he needed to buy himself a dress that actually fitted. All of his feminine wardrobe were either hand me downs from Mads or ex-girlfriends or stuff that he bought at flea markets.
He must have fallen asleep because he could hear his laptop Discord sound ring loudly from the other side of the room, waking him up almost violently. He blinked his eyes open, adrenaline rushing through him. He saw Henrys Screenname lighting up and without even thinking about it he clicked on –accept Video call-
“Hey Hen, sorry I overdid my nap. I just have to go pee super quickly and be right with you.”
Without waiting for his co-worker's answer he rushed to the bathroom.
When he came back Henry's face was still unmoving, his mouth hanging open his eyes blown wide. Joey blinked. “Did the stupid app freeze up again? Hello?”
“Hi….”
“Okay, so it does work. You okay over there buddy?”
Henry blinked very slowly and leaned back in his office chair, scratching his slightly stubbly chin.
“Yes…I am okay….” Joey could see his throat working as he swallowed and sat back onto the thick carpet floor, his laptop on his coffee table.
“What’s wrong Hen?”
“I…you are … your outfit.” Confusion ran over Joey's face until he realised what he was still wearing. He had gotten so used to pushing a skirt up to pee that it hadn’t even occurred to him to change before accepting the call.
“Shit…” Panic made its way onto his face.
“Joey wait-“ was the last he heard before he smashed the laptop shut, breaking off the connection and burying his face onto his knees.
Stupid. He was so stupid and because of it, he was now gonna lose his job. He sat on the floor rocking himself for twenty minutes before angry at himself and the world and mad at Henry with his perfect face and personality.
He forced himself to undress removing all the makeup and took a cold shower to calm himself down. Henry was a good person, he would probably be disgusted but keep his mouth shut, maybe even being polite about it out of pity.
His phone had been ringing a few times but he had been ignoring it until finally, he had just turned it off. He grabbed the wine bottle, not bothering with a glass and was about to wallow in self-pity when the doorbell rang. He sighed and wobbled downstairs opening the door in his old dirty pyjama, wine bottle in hand and was met with Henrys worried gaze.
Fuck.
“Fuck.”
Henry was quick to move a foot into the door before Joey could smash it shut and squeezed his way inside the small hallway. “Joey…look I….”
“You can’t just come here! You…That’s not! No!”
“Joey, please. You have the wrong idea. Please.”
The younger man stared and finally took a large sip from his bottle, grunting and gesturing upstairs, for Henry to follow him. He let himself drop onto the small sofa and waited for Henry to sit beside him but the larger man kneeled in front of him, taking the wine bottle out of his hands and putting it on the small table next to the laptop before taking his hands and holding them.
“Joey, dear. Please look at me.”
Slightly trembling Joey gathered his courage and looked directly at Henry, almost getting lost in his intense blue eyes. Maybe this was better. Getting told off now, so he had time to recover before shooting continued. If he was lucky he could even squeeze a sad song out of the whole ordeal and-
“You were so beautiful Joey.”
“Wait…What!?”
Henry sighed and let his thumbs slowly caress the soft skin on the back of the singer’s hands. Slowly moving to his wrists, slightly applying pressure.
“I was just surprised. I did not know you wore stuff like that. I am sorry if my reaction made you feel…bad or unwanted.”
Unwanted. What the fuck was Henry talking about? Sure, they had casually flirted and over the course of the last month they had talked almost daily slowly getting closer but Joey had been sure that his crush had definitely been one-sided. “I’m….What?”
Henry's fingers wandered up to his naked arms, slowly and gentle like he was touching a frightened animal, trying to calm it.
“God Joey, the black eyeliner. The lipstick. I….fuck…”
Slowly blinking Joey leaned closer, a shiver of Goosebumps on his arms as Henry reached his shoulders.
“You liked it?” He was still so very scared of rejection but the soft smile on Henrys face made his heart flutter.
“Fuck yes, Joey, I liked it. I loved it. You looked good enough to eat.”
Oh.
Oh.
“Oh.” Henry smiled once more. His hands still lingering onto Joey's shoulders who could feel all the tension drain from his body. “I thought….I was afraid…I…that you’d be disgusted. That whatever this is.” He gestured between them. “Was over now.”
Henry was about to answer when Joey shouted. “Shit Hen! You broke quarantine.”
“I get tested regularly and I haven’t left the house in three weeks. You are the only person I made contact with.”
Joey punched him playfully against the shoulder. “I could be sick you Idiot.” Henry shrugged and pulled his hands back.
“You weren’t answering the phone and I didn’t want you to think that it changed anything between us.”
Joey nodded, sighing relived. “So all is…the same?” His left eyebrow shot up in question.
“Well,” the smirk on Henry's face was purely unfair and Joey’s stomach gave a small flip.
“If anything I am only attracted to you more now.” He leaned in and pressed the softest kiss to Joey’s lips, just for a second.
“Henry…I…I am sorry. I should not have assumed….”
“It’s okay dear. I forgive you….if you let me see you in a dress again?”
Laughing Joey nodded, pressing another still very chaste kiss to Henry's mouth. “Yeah, that can be arranged.”
“Good, looking forward to it.” He stood and pulled Joey up with him, pulling him into a hug.
“I have to sadly go now. Kal is alone at home. If I call you later, will you answer?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Good.”
Joey walked Henry to the door and hugged him again.
“You really did look amazing songbird.” Before the musician could respond he was pulled into another kiss, this time nothing chaste about it. Henrys held him close, his strong arms wrapped around him, his teeth playfully pulling at his lower lip until he opened his mouth and let Henry's tongue in. Joey could hear himself moan into the other man’s mouth and pushed closer.
They only separated when the need for air overwhelmed them and Henry kissed his forehead before waving goodbye and walking back to his car. Joey watched him drive off, not going back inside until the car was long gone from his street and then running upstairs to find the perfect dress for the call he would surely receive as soon as Henry was home.