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Freemind glanced out the open door of the Chuck E. Cheese, taking in a breath of fresh air. Calm, it wasn’t something the man had come across in a while, a break from the havoc at Black Mesa, seemingly indefinite.
He noticed the hand he had forgotten, left nestled in his squeezing gently, causing a precipitate pull back to reality. He glanced up to loving eyes and a concerned face.
“Go... Gordon, are you alright?” Tommy peered down at the shorter man, Coomer and Bubby had left minutes prior yet Freemind had been sitting in that doorway until now. Somehow between then and now his HEV suit had disappeared, Gordon hadn’t even noticed, too drunk to even recognize its disappearance.
“I’m sorry, it’s just weird y’know,” his words slurred as he explained, Tommy could smell the alcohol he somehow got. Freemind took a second to think of how to explain his thoughts, “we just went through what I can only describe as hell and now it’s just over.” Tommy sighed a deep breath, lightly visible from condensation in the cold night air. The taller man raised Freeman’s hand with his and placed another on top. Tommy focused down at their hands as not to imply an obligation to hold eye contact, sacrificing his ability to pay attention.
“Mist- I mean... Gordon” Tommy shook his head after catching the mistake and correcting it, “w-we should get somewhere inside... my apartment isn’t too far of a drive...” Freemind peered at his hand then up at Tommy’s face which was a mix of concern and softness.
Freemind nodded, drunkenly smiling, and studying the entertainment center one last time (fuck you if you say it’s a restaurant /j). Somehow, that was his gateway back into the normal world, the 4 worst days of his life gone, his brain couldn’t leave the topic. “Yeah... let’s go...”
•••
Tommy pulled into his apartment buildings parking lot, he sat there for a moment and studied at his sleeping passenger. He smiled, taking in the man and his lulled demeanor, as well as slow movements, mimicking his sleeping breaths as his body rose in fell, Tommy almost felt bad for having to leave. Tommy gently placed a hand on his partner’s shoulder in an attempt to wake him.
“We’re at my apartment G-Gordon,” Tommy observed as Freemind’s eye slowly opened and glanced at Tommy, resting a hand on the other's and sleepily smiling back briefly. After a few seconds Freemind opened his door and shakily stood up, almost tripping before his arm was swiftly caught hold of from across the central storage counsel of the car by Tommy. “Y-you need some rest, it’s been a long few days, come on.” Tommy wrapped one of the shorter man's arms around his shoulder and guided him from the apartment complex’s parking lot to said building itself.
Luckily for the pair, the small lobby was almost empty, as it usually was this late at night. A few onlookers stared confused by the one-eyed, drunk, scientist and man with a propeller hat, both within the blood and alien guts covering their torn clothes walking into the elevator.
While waiting in the elevator, Tommy indulged himself in his partner’s random topic of discussion, his words were almost illegible. Tommy nodded, attempting to look interested. After a bit of talking, Freemind determined he wanted to lean more into Tommy, who still held him up, seemingly out of exhaustion and affection.
Tommy softly rubbed Freemind’s side and sighed “we’re almost there” Tommy’s voice was soft, it was calming, just what Freemind wanted to hear. Just then, the elevator dinged, the doors swiftly flew open. The taller scientist helped Freemind out of the elevator and to his inconveniently far room. He teleported a key from his pocket into his hand, so he didn’t need to search everywhere for it, opening to a vaguely messy living roomy and a sleeping dog. Tommy quietly walked to his room, as to not wake up Sunkist, sitting Gordon on his bed and rummaging through his dresser.
“You... you really shouldn’t shower with how drunk you are, Gordon, for now just put this on.” Tommy handed Freemind an obscure band t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, as well as a pair of colorful fuzzy socks. “You can just throw your current clothes out” Freemind drunkenly looked at the clothing and smiled, it was a kind gesture for Tommy to give him clothes and he appreciated it.
The black-haired man bounced his leg and sighed, trying to think of all they would have to do tomorrow as he waited for Freemind to finish up changing. Tommy rubbed the bridge of his nose before someone finally walked through the door. Freemind was standing there, propping himself against the door frame for balance, wearing the oversized pajamas, HIS pajamas. The flustered man blushed and stared to his side, prompting the drunk man to smile.
“Hehe, Tommys flustered~” his words were as slurred as tired but clear enough to pick up. Tommy laughed along a bit.
“Okay you idiot come here” Tommy stood up and walked The drunken idiot to the bed.
“Wait?! If I’m sleeping on your bed... where are you sleeping...?” Freemind exhibited his confusion as he sat down on the bed.
“I'm... I’m sleeping here too” Tommy sat down, setting a hand on his partner’s.
“Wait... we’re sharing a bed?!”
“Yes, Gordon, we’ve been dating for a few months, this isn’t even the fir-...” Tommy sighed, recognizing the frustration in his voice, he kenned getting mad at Freemind when drunk wouldn’t help things, “let’s just get to bed, it’s been a long week, the rest will be good for you.” Gordon snapped from his confused expression and smiled. Tommy sat himself and his drunken companion up, turning off the lights and getting under the sheets of the bed, opening up his arms for Freemind.
As Freemind laid down Tommy wrapped his arms around him, being careful not to scare him and pull him into something he didn’t want. Gordon happily allowed him to do so, resting his arms around Tommy’s torso. The tall man could smell the alcohol off him, he couldn’t quite identify what type it was but it didn’t smell like beer.
Tommy nestled his face in Freemind’s hair and pulled him in closer making Freeminds heart leap with a quiet drunken giggle. His body heat was comfortable and safe, it's nice to finally be safe. Freemind melted into Tommy, making the tall scientists able to perceive every small movement his partner made, from heartbeat to breath.
“I love you Tommy” Freemind whispered, words still slurring, he could sense the taller man smile against his head. Tommy laid a soft kiss on the one-eyed man’s head, a silent, yet tender and effective response to his proclamation of love. The MIT graduate had butterflies in his stomach as he felt that. Gordon now recognizing how close he was to his partner, how good it felt to being here embraced and held, how good it felt to have someone else there, how good it felt to be loved. He smiled as he felt hot tears roll down his face, it had been a while since someone had touched him in a calm, tender, non-hating way. Freemind tightened his arms around the man, pushing his face deeper into his chest. The taller man was, having noticed the crying, silently surprised, to say the least, whether from seeing Freemind cry for the first time he had seen or from this being the first time. Even when drunk this was an unusual occurrence.
“Yeah... go ahead... laugh at me... it’s been a while since someone has shown any level of affection to me... it j-... it just feels so good...” Gordon sounded, at first, ashamed but then his voice broke up near the end and he clung on more as if letting go meant losing Tommy.
Tommy started running a hand up and down his partner’s spine, slowly, setting the other hand behind his head and holding on tight as well, doing the only thing he knew how in this position, comfort.
“It’s fine, shhh, I’m not gonna laugh, I’m here” his voice was soft and meaningful, like nothing Freemind had heard before, every time he listened to it he couldn’t help but smile. Freemind loosened his arms around Tommy’s torso, still crying slightly, but just little enough to tell he was falling asleep. Tommy realized this and started to hum a quiet song to help calm him down, Tommy didn’t like his singing voice enough to sing anything but was confident enough in his humming. The man hummed Blackbird, a song he remembered hearing Freemind whistling back in Black Mesa, an odd song for him to like but Tommy found it cute.
Freemind smiled as he nestled his face into Tommy’s chest and closed his eyes, drifting asleep. Tommy ceased his humming and looked down at the sleeping man in his arms, smiling once more before finally deciding to get some sleep himself.