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His arms tightened around the body of his lover, and he breathed in the scent of the perfume at the nape of his neck. He kissed the bare skin from his shoulder blades down to his spine and closed his eyes in happiness when he heard the answering moan. Babe arched his back against him and tried to turn to face him, but Gene shook his head and prevented him from doing so.
“Gene,” Babe gasped and Gene wasn’t sure if it was in protest or in pleasure. He said nothing, kissed the back of his ear and intertwined their hands before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
*
The next day, Babe came back from work with a deep gash on his cheek and it took everything in Gene not to panic. Accustomed as he was to wounds, he never got used to seeing them on his lover. Babe tried to reassure him but Gene refused to listen to him. He made him sit on the bath’s edge and carefully cleaned the wound. Babe winced but never dared protest. He knew what would be Gene’s reaction and he didn’t want that.
“Gene,” he whispered anyway, as Gene’s eyes stayed focused on the wound. “Gene, look at me.”
Stubborn, Gene ignored him, gritting his teeth.
“Gene, please.”
At the plea, he looked up and his eyes met the gaze of an apologetic Babe. “I’m sorry.”
“You shoul’ be more careful, Babe,” Gene said in a low voice and Babe nodded.
“I know, I know I should be. Am sorry,” Babe’s fingers went to Gene’s cheek, caressed it and Gene leaned into his hand without thinking, eyes closed. When he opened them again, Babe was looking at him with fondness, but the cut on his face made him come back to reality.
After a few minutes, once everything was cleaned and bandaged, Babe joined Gene on the shred sofa. Babe held him and they talked in whispers for hours, holding on to each other, murmuring promises and sweet things into each other’s ears.
*
“This has been your worst idea yet,” Gene glared at Babe, but the man grinned at him and shook his head. He opened the door to the cabin and let Gene enter first.
“Admit it, Gene,” he said as he gestured at the living room, “This is pretty great!”
Gene’s eyes swept over the room and he took in the furniture and the already lit fire and had to say that it was cosy. Babe chuckled and took his hand. “You gotta see the bedroom!”
Five hours later, they were both shivering in bed and Gene was cursing his lover in his head.
“Gene…” Babe called out softly.
“Hm?”
“You were right, this was my worst idea,” the ginger conceded with a pout. Gene couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing. Babe turned to him, surprise written all over his face, and Gene kissed him softly, dropping the last traces of his laugh on Babe’s lips.
“We could go in the living room, near the fire,” Babe suggested but Gene shook his head with a smile.
“Nah, we can warm each other up,” Gene winked and Babe beamed at him.
“You’re right, you’re definitely right Gene!”
“I always am,” he kissed him again.
*
“Why this movie?” Babe asked with a raised eyebrow. Gene shrugged but his eyes never left the screen. “Geneeee, why?”
“It ain’t so bad, just watch it,” he gestured to the screen and hoped Babe would shut up now.
But Babe did not. He continued to complain about the movie, the plot and the cinematography and Gene, Gene pretended to be bothered, sighed and rolled his eyes but in truth he found Babe sweet.
The more he talked, the closer he got to Gene. At first, only their knees had been brushing. Now, Babe’s head rested against Gene’s shoulder and he had an arm around Gene’s waist. His fingertips drew on his skin under the hem of Gene’s shirt. Every so often he sighed Gene’s name against his chest and looked up, and during those times Gene couldn’t stop himself from kissing him.
“You’re too good to me Gene,” Babe slurred as he fell asleep against the dark-haired boy.
*
The party had been going on for hours and Babe wanted nothing more than to go home. He had no idea where Gene was but he swore that if another guy came up to him and asked him if it was true, if he truly was dating a nurse, he was going to lose his mind and leave the party without him.
“Here you are!” Babe scowled at a wide-eyed Gene. “I’been looking all over for you!”
“You… were?”
The girl Gene had been talking to slowly sneaked away and Babe crossed his arms.
“Course I was. Can we leave now?” He started to leave but Gene caught him by the arm.
“Hey, hey, talk to me. What’s happened?” he asked softly.
“Nothing happened,” Babe broke out from his hold, “I just wanna get outta here.”
“Babe,” Gene called out with confusion. Babe stopped. “I know you. I know something’s happened. Tell me.”
Babe turned towards him and Gene was shocked to see tears at the corner of his eyes. He fell face first on Gene’s chest and Gene held him against him, his right hand circling around his waist and settling on the centre of his back.
“Hey, I’m here. It’s okay.”
Gene led him in the empty corridor and Babe sobbed lightly on his shirt.
“I’m – I’m sorry,” he said through the sobs. “I dunno why I’m crying.”
The corner of Gene’s mouth lifted, but his eyes were sad and he closed them. He took a deep breath, and whispered, “It’s okay, it’s alright, I’m here.”
They stood that way for minutes, a crying man being comforted by his lover.
“Can we just go home?” Babe asked in a murmur as he wiped away his tears.
“Of course,” Gene took Babe’s hand and they walked to their car, Babe’s head down while Gene occasionally glanced at him.
“Hey Gene?” Babe called out just before entering the car.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
Gene squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek, his other hand stroking Babe’s hair.
“You’re welcome Babe.”