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CM: Hey, I know you said not to get you anything for Valentines. Buuuut
What do you think you’re up to Miracle? :RH
CM: Meet me at the RA in fifteen and I’ll show you.
It better not be a puppy, I’ve already got one :RH
CM: You have a puppy?
Look in the mirror and smile for me. :RH
CM: Okay I did… and I don’t get it.
Puppy. :RH
As he put his phone face-down on the arm of the chair, he couldn’t help the smile that snuck its way onto his lips. Of course it was Valentines Day, yet again, and rather than receiving a bouquet of flowers and Belgian chocolates on his doorstep with a sickly-sweet handwritten letter; he was getting a surprise from his ever-handsome companion, Christopher Miracle.
Despite being together nearly every day for months, Rudy had no clue what the dirty-blond headed man had in store for him. Chris was never good at keeping events secret or lying about things to Rudy, he was worse at it now that they were officially together, but somehow he kept this present (quite literally) under wraps. It was rather endearing to be honest, Chris was giving it his all to impress him.
“You’re hopeless, Miracle,” He said to nobody in particular. “Absolutely, positively, hopeless.”
The doors of the Royal Academy of Art were always open to Rudy, especially since he and Chris were beginning to be more public with their relationship. Chris’ students would greet him in the hallway and say hi, the staff knew him well from his frequent visits to the RA’s underbelly, the occasional agent would scuttle away at his presence. For his partner, the RA was a second home, a place he could feel comfortable at, and it was quickly becoming the same thing for Rudy. It was a comfortable atmosphere compared to his usual scene of Whitehall; the people here worked together to create , not tear one another down.
His feet took him to Chris’ classroom, though when he tried the handle; it wouldn’t budge.
“Rudy! You’re early.” Chris’ excited voice came from behind him.
“Punctual,” He chuckled, turning to face his partner with open arms. “What’s this I hear about a gift?”
A bright smile found its way to Chris’ lips as he hugged Rudy close, pulling him down for a gentle kiss and mumbling against Rudy’s lips, “Close your eyes.”
“ Miracle .”
“C’mon, it’s a surprise. I promise I won't let you run into anything.” He leaned away, unlocking his classroom, and waited for Rudy to close his eyes. “Please?”
Rudy smiled at Chris’ excitement before finally giving in. “Alright, I won’t peek.” He heard the door click, signalling that he had opened it, and a strong hand took his elbow to guide him. The classroom was chilly compared to the main halls of the RA, he could hear the echo of their footsteps as they traversed his room. Rudy had virtually memorised the layout of Miracle’s room, so when they stopped in the middle of his lecture space, he was a bit more than confused. “Can I open my eyes yet?”
“Hold on.” Chris’ hand left his arm, making the skin under his clothes tingle. He walked away for a moment, the opening of another door told Rudy that he had disappeared into his connected office. Rudy’s senses were on high alert, he wasn’t quite sure what the artist had in store for him, and frankly he was starting to get nervous. Though the pair of bouncy footsteps approached him once more before he could overthink the whole situation. “Alright. Open.”
The older man blinked a few times so his eyes could adjust to the light. Chris stood in front of him with a leather bound binder in his hands, proudly presenting it to him. It would have looked brand new to the untrained eye, but Rudy saw the scuff marks, the way it had been mended and patched with love over the course of years. And before he could ask about the contents, Chris flipped open to a specific page, and smiling back at him was the first picture they had taken together. It was decades old at that point, they were younger men, but it was still them all the same. “You… kept this?”
They were in the park, the summer before Lucifer and Chris got accepted to the RA, and Rudy had tagged along. Chris and Lucifer had known each other for a little over a year by that point, it was the first time that Rudy had graced them with his presence, but of course he was busy with running the government at the time. He still had the same stunning and bright demeanour as he did back then.
“Of course I did.” He flipped the page over to reveal a picture of Rudy and Chris standing by Lucifer’s side. They had just graduated from the RA in that picture, their smiling faces and diplomas on full display. “We got wasted that night.”
Rudy let out a laugh at the memory. “You were beautiful at karaoke.”
“I sounded like a dying cat!” Chris pointed to the adjacent page. “There’s Charlie when he first came to London with Lucifer.” The four of them sat at a dinner table. A wine glass sat in Charlie’s hand, threatening to spill, as he laughed with Rudy. Lucifer donned a particularly sour expression as he looked directly into the lens. The joke was entirely on him. “You two had the best time taking the piss at Lucifer.”
“Nobody knows him better than I do, and Charlie was all too happy to monopolise on that.” Rudy turned the page himself, next. The photo was of him and Lucifer passed out on one another, a bit older now, in what seemed to be a waiting room. “Ah, we were waiting for Charlie to finish visiting with Muffin.”
“Mhm, he refused to put the lad down.”
“Still does,” Rudy laughed, making Chris join in.
They moved to a nearby table to continue their journey through the past. Each picture held a memory for both of them; and while some were in the company of Charlie or Lucifer, some were just of the two of them on their own exploits, their own adventures. And as the ages passed, Rudy stopped at a very specific photo. It was a polaroid selfie of them in a hotel room. Champagne rested in a bucket of ice, already opened and more than likely drained of its contents, Chris held the glass in cheers to the camera, Rudy was mid-sip.
“Monaco.”
“I still can’t believe we ran into each other there,” Chris looked up at his partner, smiling, but his face quickly fell as he met the teary look in Rudy’s eye. “Are you alright, love?”
It was by pure chance that they had found each other in the same city, hundreds of miles away from London. Rudy had gone to France on a business trip, something about trade, and Chris was there for an exclusive art show to high-profile collectors. It was a one in a million chance, and they seemed to have beaten the odds yet again.
“Chris?” he approached the familiar figure who had his back turned to the room as he chatted with someone Rudy couldn't care less about.
The shorter man turned, a brilliant smile on his face. "Rudy! I was looking for you!"
"I-'' Chris' eyes pleaded for Rudy to take him away from what he could only assume was a dreadfully boring conversation. "Oh yes! I wanted to speak with you about your latest work. I hope I'm not interrup-"
"Not at all!" He stepped away from the man, leaving him a bit befuddled. "It was lovely speaking to you Monsieur, but I have business to attend to."
"O-of course, Miracle. Another time then."
"Yes." And in the blink of an eye, Chris took Rudy's arm to leave the venue all together. "Thank god you're here- I would've been stuck with him all bloody night otherwise."
"Oh but you looked like you were having a delightful time," Rudy jested, poking his companion in the side to earn a laugh. "What on Earth are you doing out here in France, Chris?"
"Collector showcase." He patted his chest pocket, sighing, "You wouldn't happen to have a fag on you?"
"In fact." He pulled a carton from his pocket, offering one to Chris. "I also have a light."
"Thanks mate." He greedily sucked on the tobacco for a moment, puffing smoke out in a quick procession.
"Never stay in France without good nicotine and even better wine. That's my rule at least." Rudy lit his own as they walked down the dimly lit street. It was a cool night in autumn, they could hear the ocean from where they were.
"A good rule." He beamed up at the older man, cigarette between his lips. "So what brings you to Monaco? Business… Pleasure?"
"Business, unfortunately.” Chris’ face fell at the notion. “But I'm hoping to overextend my stay, it's been a while since I've visited."
"Well, can you indulge tonight? One of the ladies I met gave me a bottle of what I can only assume is expensive champagne. And I'm sure as hell not inviting her to share it." He grimaced at the thought, his face twisting into disgust for a moment. “I had it sent to my room earlier, so it should be waiting there for us.”
"Someone's gotten on your bad side? She must have been a bitch to you then." Rudy stated matter-of-factly, not sparing room for mercy on the mystery woman.
"It doesn't take a lot, Rudy." He stopped to put out the butt of his cigarette on a bin, disposing of it. "Dishonesty is what really gets me though."
"Cheating?"
"Bingo." Chris looked up at the sky above them, the moon shone bright against the wisps of clouds. "Not twenty minutes after she handed me the bottle I saw her with her husband, they even had a kid." The older man knew of Chris’ losing streak when it came to finding a partner, and if he was honest with himself; it was hard to imagine why someone would want to reject such an honest and good person. That was a rare thing in their age, a good man, and Rudy wouldn’t dare lump himself in with them.
"Damn." Rudy flicked his own half-smoked cigarette into a nearby bin, flashing a warm smile at his companion. "Well, are we on the right course to your hotel? I think I'll take you up on your offer."
"Wonderful!" He looped his arm in Rudy's, picking up the pace. "This is the one, just up here."
"Rudy?" Chris had pulled his partner into his lap, gently rubbing circles on his back. "Love, please talk to me."
"You wanted me to stay that night." He brushed a tear from his cheek with the back of his hand, not daring to look Chris in the eye. “After we drank, you asked if I would stay the night…” He leaned impossibly closer into Chris, tears flowing freely. “I could have had you that night, so so many years ago, I could have had you.”
“Hey, no.” Chris nuzzled in close to his partner, inhaling his scent. “Don’t regret anything that happened that night. We were drunk, yeah, and it could have led to more. But we had fun, didn’t we?”
“We did- but if only I could tear myself away from Charles…”
“Rudy, look at me.” He gently raised Rudy’s face up to level his gaze, their eyes locked. “I can’t say I know how hard it was for you to move on from Charles… And I can’t say that I know how you feel. But I can say that it was, and still is, hard for you. Twenty years is a long time for someone to get to you, and you were in love… You’re doing the best you can love, and that’s all anyone can ask of you.”
A teary smile crept its way onto Rudy’s face before he buried his face into Chris’ shirt. “I guess you’re right. You’re always right.”
“Debatable.”
“Charmer.”
“I love you.” Chris knew Rudy couldn’t say it back, not yet. “What say you to a bottle of champagne and a late night in?”
“I’d love that.”
Even if it took years for Rudy to say it back, Chris would still love him all the same.
“Happy Valentines.”
“Happy Valentines, puppy.”