Archive of Our Own

1. Casually

Allison was content to sit back and watch fondly as Joey and Thomas chatted on the other side of the lounge. Their extended vacation had been lovely, and very needed, but it was good to be back in the studio. Susie had led the charge in getting her all caught up on everything she’d missed, so now she supposed it was Joey’s turn to give Thomas an update. It was already the end of the first week post-holidays, but her fiancé had missed most of it thanks to a stomach bug. 

She was mentally reviewing their fridge to get an idea of what they could do for dinner when the door at the top of the stairs opened. Henry poked his head in, the rest of him following a moment later. He spotted her as he came down into the lounge, offering a smile. 

She waved back and wasn’t surprised when he gave no indication he’d be detouring to visit with her. Henry wasn’t much of a socializer, and though she hadn’t known him long, she was confident in saying that Henry didn’t often chat for the sake of chatting. 

That wasn’t to say he was rude or a recluse, no. He could engage in conversation just fine—for the most part—if someone stopped to talk to him with no real reason. But Henry, from her observations, rarely set out to initiate those types of conversations himself. 

Honestly, Allison appreciated it. It could get tiring, having so many people eager to speak with you. Oh, that sounded a bit uppity, didn’t it? Mm, it couldn’t be helped, though. While Allison wasn’t as introverted as Henry, she did enjoy peace and quiet. And there were days when she felt she needed to save her words for the recording booth, already tired of interacting with others. 

So Henry was a refreshing change of pace in the studio, which seemed to be filled with so many loud, larger-than-life individuals. Allison loved them, loved her little family here, she really did. But it was nice to have a friend who didn’t feel the need to fill every silence or take every chance to gossip. 

Henry wove through the high-top tables to where Joey and Thomas were sitting. They were the only ones in here, it being the middle of the workday, only an hour or so after lunch. Joey was clearly his destination, as she was certain Henry and Tom hadn’t exchanged more than a collective five sentences since they’d been introduced. 

Henry and Joey were a surprise, she mused, feeling quite languid and in the mood to reminisce, even on things not so far in the past. 

Shortly after Henry had been hired, Susie had claimed she suspected Joey to be harboring a crush on, at the time, their newest animator. Allison hadn’t believed her, not until just before she left for her vacation. On her second to last day in the studio, she’d caught Joey lurking outside one of the animator’s rooms—the one Henry was in. He’d just been watching, and though she hadn’t been able to see his face very well, he’d seemed relaxed. 

He hadn’t even noticed when she walked by, to her unending amusement. She’d slowed down and peeked around him to try and see what had so thoroughly caught his attention. 

It had been Henry, plainly so. He’d been sitting sideways in his chair, elbow leaning on the back, as he listened to another animator. She didn’t even know what they’d been talking about, just that Henry had smiled and Joey had too, absently, like he didn’t even notice he was doing it. 

Even realizing Susie was very likely correct about Joey’s feelings, Allison hadn’t expected anything to come of it. She couldn’t have said why, really. The joke was on her, then, because she doubly hadn’t expected to show up on the first day of the new year and get bombarded with Susie’s excited tales of lunchtime visits and mistletoe.  

Henry had said he was happy, and surprised or not, Allison had been glad for him. What little she had seen of the two of them together supported that, though only time would tell if the relationship would last. 

Upon reaching the table, Henry gave Thomas a close-mouthed smile and nod before turning to Joey. It was quiet enough in the lounge for her to hear him say, “I’m heading out. We still on for dinner at yours?” 

Joey leaned back in his chair and beamed. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” 

Even with Henry’s back to her, Allison could tell Henry rolled his eyes. But she could hear his smile when he replied, “Good to know where a dinner date ranks in your priorities. I definitely won’t be using that for nefarious purposes later.” 

Allison smothered her giggles into her hand. She truly loved Henry’s sense of humor. 

Hand to his chest, Joey faux gasped. “And what nefarious purposes would those be?” 

“Mm, well, that would be telling, wouldn’t it, Mr. Drew?” 

Joey’s eyes positively gleamed. If there was one thing she’d been noticing this week, it was how Henry was apparently capable of inciting a reaction in Joey no matter what he said. She didn’t know if it was his tone, a look in Henry’s own eyes, or some other detail she hadn’t connected the dots between. She just knew that Joey was helpless when it came to his partner—and blissfully so. 

“I have the grocery list,” Henry said, not sounding terribly different but still somehow signaling that the teasing was over, “I’ll stop by the store on my way.” 

Smiling, Joey nodded. “Sounds like a plan, Henry. Thank you.” 

He shrugged. “It’s no problem.” And then to Allison’s mild surprise but genuine delight, Henry leaned over and gave Joey a quick kiss. “See you later, then.” 

Without waiting for a response, Henry turned and headed back for the stairs. Utterly unruffled, too, the menace. He smiled at her again without pausing, and in no time, he’d ascended the stairs and left the lounge. 

Joey stared after him, smitten, before returning his attention to Tom with a little sigh. “Where were we?” 

“The hell was that?” Thomas blurted out, staring with wide-eyed consternation. 

Shoulders shaking in silent laughter, Allison watched as Joey tilted his head, confused. “What? Henry? He has an appointment to get to; I already knew he was leaving early.” 

“They’re dating, hon,” Allison called over. 

Her fiancé looked between her and Joey with the look of a man who’d just found out the sky was not, in fact, blue. Leaning forward over the table, he jabbed a finger at Joey. “Someone’s dating you willingly?” 

“Tom!” 

“Excuse me!” Joey cried. “I am quite the catch!” 

Thomas barked a laugh, which set Joey off in an effort to explain why he was an excellent partner, thank you very much. To which Thomas returned fire with examples of why Joey was a mess of a human being. 

Chuckling fondly, Allison didn’t get involved, content to enjoy the show.

• • •

2. For Comfort

Henry had been in a poor mood all day, and Winnie knew that because he’d said so. He arrived a little later than normal, more rumpled than was usual for him, put down his bag, and took a deep breath, eyes closed. 

With visible restraint, he had turned to face the rest of the room, an uncharacteristic stiffness about him, and announced, “I’m having a bad day, and I’m self-aware enough to recognize I’m rotten company when I’m irritated like this. Quite frankly, my recommendation is to leave me alone because I don’t want to snap at any of you, but at present, my brain to mouth filter is nonexistent. So. There you go.” He gave a nod, sharply pulled out his chair, and sat down. 

A metaphorical storm cloud had been hovering over him since, and they’d all wisely taken his advice. Quite frankly, Winnie appreciated the hell out of him for being so straightforward about it. It was kind of him to give them a heads-up—Winnie knew she wasn’t selfless enough to warn people away when she was pissy about something or other. Misery loved company, and the annoyed were seldom shy about sharing their gripes with innocent bystanders.

Not that it was much of a surprise. He was a remarkably kind man in general, though that part of him often went unnoticed beneath his wit and deadpan humor.

But Winnie knew better—as did everyone else who was stationed in their room. Working with a man day-in and day-out for months meant you learned a little something about him. Henry was always willing to help others. That was what had stuck out to Winnie from the very beginning. She’d been around for a while and had seen the arrival of enough new hires to know how they usually acted: trying to find their place in an established hierarchy, often striving to show off so as to stand out or immortalize their name, sometimes floundering and failing to adapt to their new job. And being amusingly awkward while doing it all.

Doubtlessly through some deal with the devil, Henry didn’t seem capable of being awkward. Maybe it was a hell of a good show, but he was just so sure of himself that even silly things didn’t make him self-conscious. Yet he never came off as conceited or arrogant. As a result, he slid so seamlessly into their ranks that she’d very nearly forgotten he was a newbie. 

He offered his help without ulterior motives, though it had taken most of them a little while to really accept that. But nope, Henry wasn’t looking for favors or to get a leg up or even for sabotage or blackmail opportunities. He just disliked sitting idly by while someone else was struggling. 

Maybe that was why it didn’t sit well with Winnie that Henry was having a bad day: because she felt like there was nothing she could do about it, and she knew if their positions were reversed, Henry would give it his best shot. And she wasn’t alone, she knew. Plenty of their group sent him worried glances throughout the morning. 

It was a quandary she was still ruminating on come lunch, and she happened to pass Joey in the hall. Her feet pinned her in place before the idea even finished forming, and she twisted around. “Joey!” 

He whirled around, already grinning. He reminded her of an eager dog some days. It was a well-meaning comparison, though one she’d keep to herself. 

“Winnie!” he returned enthusiastically. “What can I do for you on this fine day?”

“I’m afraid it’s not a fine day for all of us, boss.” 

He eyed her critically. “Oh? You all right?” 

She waved his concern away. “Me? I’m just fine, no worries there. But Henry could use some cheering up—ah, not to say he’s sad. More like… a ticking time bomb.” 

Joey’s mild frown deepened. “Well, that’s no good.” He glanced over his shoulder, in the direction of the animator’s room where Winnie knew Henry’d still be during lunch, not in the mood for company. “Thank you for letting me know, Winnie.” 

“No problem, boss. None of us like seeing him so frustrated and not being able to help.” 

With a softness in his eyes, Joey nodded. “Of course, of course. Consider yourself having helped, Winnie. I’ll see what I can do.” 

Feeling a little lighter, Winnie continued on her way, hoping Joey’s efforts to ease Henry’s dark mood were successful. 

• • •

She’d mentioned her conversation with Joey to more than one of their group, so most of them weren’t too surprised to return from lunch to the sight of their boss in a borrowed chair beside Henry. Henry’s head was on Joey’s shoulder, and he definitely looked more relaxed than he had all morning. 

Since they were facing Henry’s desk, no one could see their expressions or the like, though Winnie caught a glimpse of their fingers laced together, hands held between them where their thighs pressed together. 

Joey might’ve been talking, or they might’ve been sitting in peaceful silence. Either way, Winnie and all the rest stayed respectfully quiet, though not so pointedly to seem like they were trying to listen in. The atmosphere was much more relaxed, and a weight had been lifted from the room. 

Maybe half an hour after lunch ended, Joey reluctantly stood. Henry didn’t seem too miffed, easily letting him go with a small smile. He wasn’t fully himself—bad days sometimes needed to truly end before they could be left behind—but he was much better. That was clear enough. 

“Take it easy,” Joey instructed Henry with no care of their audience. “Eat something. Come hide out in my office if you need to.” 

Henry huffed. “If you insist.” 

“I do, as a matter of fact,” Joey said imperiously, straighten his tie. “And I’m the boss, so what I say goes.” 

“You sound like a six-year-old talking to her birthday party guests.” 

Winnie, with effort, held back an impressed whistle. She wasn’t ashamed to admit she loved Henry’s creative insults, the ones that were too funny to cause real offense. 

Indeed, Joey puffed up, playing along. “A six-year-old! I’ll have you know, I was a model child, not one prone to dictatorships.” 

“Hm, I wonder what changed.” 

Joey cracked, snickering. He took a moment to examine Henry, careful and attentive, and Winnie wasn’t one prone to cooing, but hell if their sappiness wasn’t downright adorable. 

“I’m all right, Joey,” Henry told him. He sounded honest, at least; Winnie was glad for that. “Thank you.” 

“Of course, darling. Anytime.” And Joey leaned down, bracing himself with a knee on his abandoned chair, and pressed a gentle kiss to Henry’s forehead. 

Winnie tactfully kept her eyes on her desk until she heard Joey walk out of the room. She glanced over at Henry, right as he looked over at her. She wondered if Joey had snitched on her. 

Whether or not he did, Henry gave her a quick smile before turning back to his work. Winnie did so as well, pleased with the outcome of her minor meddling. 

• • •

3. By Request

Pierre Drake, like many of the employees at Joey Drew Studios, was an artist. His chosen medium was film—both still photos and motion-picture. He enjoyed his job, and he did it well.

So long as the actors were cooperating, of course. 

Now, he couldn’t wholly blame them this time. Julia had said her throat had been a bit sore when she woke up, and it had reportedly only gotten worse since. Naturally, Malcom had no interest in recording the reference for a kissing scene with someone who was likely ill. Pierre wouldn’t have either. 

But it did leave him in a bind, since this reference shot was already two days late, and his entire team was eager to turn it in before anyone could take notice and hunt them down over it. 

In many other cases, he would have said, “Bah! Let them figure it out themselves!” and been done with it, but even Pierre could admit the shot would be hellish without a reference. It was a full orbit around a couple dipped in a kiss with some complicated lighting elements due to background fireworks. No animator deserved to face this shot without as much assistance as he could provide them.

It wasn’t uncommon for members of his team to jump in and fill a role themselves, but just by looking around, he knew he’d have no volunteers this time. No wonder; a simple kiss was one thing. Obtaining a full 360-degree lineup of images meant the couple would have to hold the pose for several minutes at least, and everyone had a limit for how much awkwardness a small bonus could buy. 

After a long pause dedicated to silently mulling over the issue—Pierre refused to admit he was hoping someone would feel pressured enough to step up—one of the shyer interns half raised her hand like a schoolchild. “It, um, doesn’t have to be one of us, right?” she asked timidly when he looked at her.

“You know someone who would be willing to work with Malcom for this shot?” 

“N-no. I just mean, well…” Gradually sinking into herself as her voice got quieter, she nevertheless valiantly continued, “What about an actual couple?” 

Pierre considered it. “That… is not a bad idea. Excellent suggestion, Anya.” 

She squeaked, cheeks going pink. 

“Did you have anyone in mind?” Pierre asked. “I am not familiar with the social side of our fellows here at the studio.” 

Anya’s flush spread to her entire face. One of the others chuckled. “She’s prob’ly thinkin’ about Joey and Henry.” 

“Our boss, Joey Drew?” Pierre asked, nearly appalled. 

“The very same.” 

They could not possibly ask their own boss to pose for a reference, a kissing shot or not. That just—it simply wasn’t professional!

• • •

Pierre was not a self-conscious man by any means, and certainly not with his work. But at the moment, he was acutely aware that his boss was watching him and his team double-check the lighting setup. 

It had been mortifying to ask, but as the leader of his team, it had fallen to Pierre to approach Joey Drew with their request. It was a small mercy that the man had collected his partner himself, leaving Pierre to retreat to his sanctuary with at least some of his pride and dignity intact. 

Neither of their new subjects seemed put-off or frustrated with the task ahead of him. On the contrary, Joey looked the part of a twice-satiated cat. Henry Stein, while slightly harder for Pierre to get a read on, mostly appeared amused. 

Anya had mentioned they’d been together for several months, since Christmas, and she had thought to include them because of the studio party where they’d gotten together. This was all news to Pierre, who neither engaged with the rumor mill nor socialized with his coworkers any more than strictly necessary. 

“There was mistletoe,” she had said, close to whispering. “And Mr. Drew, he…” 

His primary assistant had whistled teasingly and grinned. “The pose you want, boss? They’ll be able to handle it just fine.”

Satisfied with his team’s work, Pierre approached their subjects to guide them into place. Joey eagerly followed his instructions.

“It’s nice to have a closer look at my employees’ craft!” he said. “I don’t think I’ve visited during one of your shoots before, Pierre. Perhaps next time, I’ll be in the audience, not in front of the camera!” 

Pierre chuckled at his boss’s enthusiasm. He stepped back to make sure he was happy with the distance between them and the camera. The circle they’d taped was good, he decided. 

“Y’know, for an animator, I end up in a lot of departments that aren’t the animation department,” Henry mused, ignoring the way Joey wiggled his eyebrows as Pierre showed them where to put their hands. 

Joey laughed, ever boisterous. Curiously, to Pierre, Henry showed no great reaction to his partner, where others would smile or laugh along. “You’ll be a jack of all trades soon, Henry! You don’t get experience like this just anywhere!” 

Henry smirked. “I’ll make sure to add it all to my resume, just in case.” 

Stepping up to his camera, Pierre just managed to catch the quick narrowing of Joey’s eyes. “That’s hardly necessary,” he said lowly, and barely a second later, Henry jerked forward, as though he’d been startled. 

“Hands to yourself, mister.” 

A sly smile spread over Joey’s face. “That would rather defeat the purpose of our job here, wouldn’t it?” 

Henry’s reply was too quiet for Pierre to hear, even listening intently as he was. Observing human nature had always fascinated him, especially the telling ways it was scripted. To his trained eye, it was as if the two men in front of him had each become a wholly different person in the span of a few seconds. They’d been a clear distance between them when they arrived to the set, but now they were settling into each other’s space in an even more natural manner than Pierre had arranged them. 

He cleared his throat, garnering their attention. “We’ll be taking a picture at each of the marked locations around this circle, adjusting the lighting as we go,” he explained. “So you will have to hold your positions for a not inconsiderable length of time. Make sure you are as comfortable as possible to avoid fidgeting.” He gestured for them to go ahead. 

Joey wasted no time dipping Henry backwards, laughing at his partner’s noise of surprise. He pulled up after achieving the reaction he’d evidently wanted, and it took only a moment for them to settle into a pose, their hands mostly where Pierre wanted them. They weren’t leaning too far back to put a strain on either of them, but it was very clearly a dip. 

All that remained was the kiss. 

“May I?” Joey murmured, nearly inaudible to anyone but his partner. 

And though Henry rolled his eyes, he replied, just as soft, “You may.” 

It took Pierre a too-long moment to remember what he was supposed to be doing, entranced by the way they fit together. Their heads just slightly tilted in opposite directions, their noses brushing, the simple close-mouthed press of their lips together for the sake of decorum. And he was sure it was exactly that; he was sure, if they were not about to be photographed, that Joey would hardly have stopped there. 

“The mistletoe kiss,” his team had tittered earlier. Pierre got the sense, especially with the dreamy sighing he heard behind him, that this was precisely what they meant.

He came back to himself and quickly got to work, his team snapping out of it and following his lead. They had perfected their efficiency for shots such as this, and they had the first few done in no time. 

Around the fourth photo, Henry giggled. So long as they didn’t move out of position, Pierre didn’t care what they did. 

Joey made a questioning noise.

The kiss became somewhat less of a kiss as Henry smiled, but the animators could handle that. 

“I can feel your arms shaking,” Henry said quietly between pictures, his mirth plain to hear. He trembled with the effort of suppressing his laughter. 

“Lies and slander,” Joey protested. “The only shaking going on here is coming from you.” He was smiling too, and even Pierre had to admit there was something sweet about it, the way they were pressing their smiles together. 

“I could go dead weight.” 

“You wouldn’t dare!” 

“Oh, would that be a struggle for you?” 

“Henry,” Joey whined. 

“Halfway there,” Pierre said, mentally pleading that they wouldn’t make them start over again. 

His team dutifully kept up with the changing lights as he moved his camera from mark to mark. 

“I don’t think we’ve kissed below fireworks before,” Joey said. 

“Is that a dream of yours?” Henry asked. 

“Could be romantic.” 

“Could be loud. Remind me to show you the light trail back home one day.” 

“What’s that?” 

“Mm. I don’t think I’ll tell you. It can be a surprise for next winter.” 

Instead of complaining or pouting, Joey’s smile somehow both widened and softened. Both their eyes were closed. “Planning that far ahead, darling?” 

“I—oh, just—shut up.” 

Joey chuckled, and he might’ve held Henry a bit closer to himself for a bare moment, but it didn’t affect the overall pose, so Pierre let it go. 

Neither of them spoke after that, but it wasn’t the awkward silence of maintaining such intimate contact with a relative stranger or someone you held no great affection for. They merely seemed content to exist like that, their smiles never fading. 

It was only another minute or two before Pierre sighed with relief. “Done. Thank you, gentlemen. We have the full reference we needed.” 

Henry and Joey were slow to separate, but once they did, it was like a switch was flipped. Henry put his hands in his pockets, for all the world looking entirely unaffected. Joey stepped over to give Pierre a pat on his shoulder. “An overall fascinating experience to be a part of!” he said cheerfully, fixing his hair. “Now that I have something to compare the final product to, I’ll be interested to see how it differs from the reference.” 

“You will have to take that up with the animators, if they do not translate it to your satisfaction.” 

“I’ll let you know who does the shot,” Henry said blandly, yet mischief glinted behind his glasses, “since it’ll be whoever suddenly can’t look me in the eye for a week or two.” 

It seemed to occur to Joey just then that soon enough, an animator would be closely studying numerous reference photos of him kissing his partner. “Ah, yes, well… They’ll get over it.” 

Shaking his head, Henry jerked his thumb toward the door and said to Pierre, “If that’s all you need from us…” 

They left soon after, and Pierre had to begrudgingly admit, after listening to his team titter about the interaction that had taken place right in front of them all, that the gossip surrounding Henry and Joey was certainly… interesting. 

• • •

The animator who ended up with the soon-to-be-infamous kissing scene was apparently inspired by the references showing Henry and Joey smiling against each other. The animated kiss, rather than be maintained during the full orbit—an impressive shot on its own for presenting 2D characters in three dimensional space—instead quickly became the two characters smiling and laughing into each other. 

It was a fan favorite. Some said the love between the two was so much more real with the happiness they shared as opposed to a generic kiss. 

When Joey asked, Henry could only shrug and admit he hadn’t noticed anyone acting oddly around him. Either the animator had a spectacular poker face or was someone he didn’t regularly interact with. 

(Or perhaps, Henry never suggested, it had been done by Henry himself.) 

• • •

4. As a Bet

If Parker had to pick a favorite part of their internship, it would be how no two days at Joey Drew Studios were the same. Their duties always changed, at least a little, and there were always going-ons around the building that caught their interest. It did wonders for keeping away the boredom—their greatest weakness. 

Their parents had always despaired over their inability to focus. But it wasn’t Parker’s fault that boring things and monotony were so easy to tune out! 

They’d only been an intern at the studio for a month, sure, but they hadn’t gotten a single write-up for distractions yet, which was a new record. 

Today wasn’t half bad, mostly because they were a messenger for Mr. Drew today—constantly being sent to every corner of the studio to deliver paperwork or verbal memos was nearly fun—but also because someone had brought in boxes of donut holes, and every time Parker passed by the lounge they’d been left it… well. Could anyone blame them? 

But it was right as lunch was approaching that the day took a turn for the interesting. Parker missed the conversation that sparked the whole thing, but they’d gotten the scoop from Brielle who got it from Greg who got it from Casey who got it from Roe. And the scoop was that Henry and Mr. Drew—the studio’s most gossiped-about couple—had been dared not to kiss today. 

Except not quite that simple. Henry had apparently claimed it’d be easy, Mr. Drew had apparently pouted mightily, and someone had apparently suggested a competition instead of a dare. But not the competition one might expect, given the original dare, oh no. 

A bet. Bets, in Parker’s humble opinion, were far more interesting than dares. 

Someone—they dearly wished to know who, golly—had bet Henry couldn’t, in fact, go the rest of the day without letting Mr. Drew kiss him. Though, less “letting him” and more “getting caught by him.” Because Mr. Drew’s role in the bet was whether he could manage to kiss Henry, despite Henry avoiding him.

It was absolutely pointless and had great potential to be disruptive and Parker loved it. They loved the drama of it all, the high school vibe of the silliness of Henry trying to avoid Mr. Drew and Mr. Drew trying to corner Henry. Becoming an adult couldn’t suck that much if this was how respected professionals behaved at work. 

As Mr. Drew conscripted Parker into being his secret Henry tracker, Parker distractedly mused that they really needed to keep this internship. Where else were they going to be told by their boss that the rest of their duties for today would be spying? 

• • •

Parker would freely admit that they had sided with Mr. Drew for the bet. They didn’t feel too bad about it, since Henry had a small army watching his back. Animators stuck together, who knew? 

Parker wasn’t even the only one helping Mr. Drew out. A fellow intern, one of Henry’s own friend group—oh, the betrayal!—was gleefully relaying information whenever Henry pulled an admittedly impressive disappearing act. 

“He went downstairs,” Penny told them, panting lightly from her sprint across the studio. She was highly invested in Mr. Drew winning, it seemed. Good for her. 

“He won’t find allies in Susie or Allison,” they mused. Susie was also in favor of Mr. Drew—no surprise there—and she’d reportedly gotten to Allison first. 

“Susie said he’s been getting real friendly with Norman and,” she leaned closer to whisper, “Sammy.” 

They both paused, tense, but today was not a “speak of the devil and he shall appear” day. Thank goodness, Sammy was terrifying. 

“I’ll let Mr. Drew know,” Parker assured her. “You keep an eye on the staircases.” 

She nodded, determined, and speed-walked away. Parker hurried to find Mr. Drew. They caught him just as he was leaving the animation department, obviously unsuccessful. 

“Parker!” he said as soon as he spotted them. “Give me some good news!” 

Snapping off a salute, Parker reported, “Henry was sighted going downstairs, sir. If Susie’s down there, she’d probably be happy to help block him in. But Penny thinks he’s going for Norman or Sammy.” 

“A valid concern,” Mr. Drew agreed, rubbing his chin. “I think it’s time for the stealthy approach.” 

Parker hoped they could forever work at a place where they were actively encouraged to peek around corners and through cracked-open doorways in search of a runaway animator. 

• • •

They had to admit it, they were impressed with how long Henry lasted. But no amount of running, hiding, and vaulting a desk at least twice could keep him from falling victim to the body’s daily needs. 

The bathroom. Only one way in, one way out. 

Henry, anticipating their closing in on him, tried to make a break for it. But between Parker, Penny, Susie, and half a dozen people Susie had dragged with her, they had all escape routes covered. Lucky for them that Henry wasn’t the type to just bowl innocent interns over. 

Upon seeing his initial intended path blocked, Henry did an about turn and pretty much ran right into Mr. Drew. 

Now, Parker wasn’t usually one to speculate about their boss’s personal life, beyond what said boss offered up. But that sure as hell didn’t stop them from having the suspicion that the whole chase thing had been a bit of foreplay for Mr. Drew. 

Mr. Drew certainly wasn’t helping to prove them wrong, either. Not with the way he was quick to pin Henry to the wall with a triumphant laugh, breathing maybe a bit too heavily considering he’d only been lying in wait for the past few minutes. 

“Gotcha,” he said, pressing close to Henry, using their height difference to his advantage. 

Henry bonked his head back against the wall and huffed. “You only resorted to cheap tricks because the workday ends in fifteen minutes.” 

“Maybe so,” Mr. Drew admitted. He smirked. “But we never said anything about not playing dirty.” 

Penny squeaked quietly on Parker’s left, and on her other side, Susie was watching avidly. They couldn’t blame her; Mr. Drew and Henry each had a magnetism about them, made all the more potent when they were together. It was hard to look away. 

They didn’t feel too bad about staring, though. If Mr. Drew or Henry had a problem with an audience, they shouldn’t be having such a moment in the middle of the hallway. Which was par for the course with them, by Parker’s understanding. 

Henry raised an eyebrow, but Mr. Drew didn’t give him a chance to respond. The kiss was just this side of harsh, Mr. Drew not letting up on pressing Henry against the wall. With the angle, he was nearly pushing Henry downward. One of Mr. Drew’s hands moved to snake around Henry’s waist, tugging until Henry’s back was forced into an arch away from the wall. 

Yeah. Definitely foreplay. 

Susie fanned herself with an appreciative hum, and poor Penny’s face had to have been burning, red as it was. Even Parker’s cheeks felt a bit warm, and they weren’t prone to blushing like that. Sue them, Mr. Drew and Henry made for an attractive couple. 

They were hardly the only one… reveling in Team Drew’s victory.

Mr. Drew only let up when suffocating was probably becoming a problem. Henry certainly need a moment to catch his breath. He tried to straighten and pull away, but Mr. Drew held fast. 

“I’ve spent several hours chasing you,” he told Henry, a note of possessiveness sending a delightful shiver down even Parker’s spine. “I’m not done with you yet.” 

But never let it be said that Henry was a passive participant in his and Mr. Drew’s relationship. He reached up, grabbed his partner’s collar with both hands, and yanked. Mouth to Mr. Drew’s ear, Henry whispered something—and oh, Parker would have paid good money to know what he said—that made Mr. Drew shudder and duck his head into Henry’s neck. 

With colossal effort, Mr. Drew stood up, releasing Henry. He cleared his throat and adjusted his wrinkled shirt collar. “Well,” he said to his co-conspirators. His voice only cracked a little. “Thank you all for your invaluable help, and I hope you all have an excellent weekend!” 

“It won’t be as excellent as yours,” Susie said with a knowing smirk.

“That,” Henry said as Mr. Drew spluttered, “will depend on if he can catch me again.” 

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at their boss’s house, Parker mourned. 

• • •

5. After Time Apart

Renee was perfectly content with her job as a receptionist. None of that climbing the ladder of success for her. It was pleasant, she got to stay seated for most of the day, and she was good at it. A win all around. 

It also meant she knew nearly everyone at the studio at least a little, and furthermore, knew a thing or two about the inner workings. 

In this case, Renee was highly aware of her boss’s absence for the past week. Ah, the evils of business trips. Joey usually made time each day to stop by the front desk, and she missed those little moments of camaraderie. 

She kept on eye on the door today, perking up when Henry entered the building. He looked over to smile at her as he almost always did, and it took Renee no small amount of effort to act natural. She was just glad Bianca had the day off; her co-receptionist would surely have noticed her odd behavior.

You see, Joey had originally planned to return from his trip on Saturday. But a last minute change in plans meant he was actually going to be back today—not that Henry knew that. Joey had asked for her help to surprise his partner. She had eagerly agreed. 

Henry headed off down the hall, none the wiser to Renee’s internal excitement. 

She giggled to herself, checking the clock even though she knew it was hours before Joey’s scheduled arrival. Besides it being fun to be involved in a happy secret, it always felt good to brighten up someone’s day. Henry hadn’t seemed too down about Joey’s absence, though he clearly missed his partner. She looked forward to seeing his reaction. 

Time would pass slowly today. The curse of anticipation. But Renee gamely settled down to immerse herself in her work—while casting frequent glances at the clock, of course. 

• • •

Her plan went off without a hitch. Mere minutes before Joey was due to walk through the front door, Renee led Henry to her desk, apologizing for the mixup in his employee file. 

“Don’t worry about it, Renee,” Henry told her, leaning on one arm across the top of the counter that bordered the front desk. “You’re not bothering me.” 

She smiled genuinely at him. Even though there wasn’t a problem, she appreciated his reaction. Too many people at past receptionist jobs she’d held had little care or kindness to spare for her, especially not if she was oh-so-terribly inconveniencing them.

Renee shuffled through some folders, stalling. “Any plans for this weekend?” she asked. 

He shrugged. “Beyond relaxing? Not really. Joey gets back tomorrow, and I don’t know about him, but I find traveling to be quite draining.” 

“It really is,” she agreed. “My family lives south a bit, and even that trip wears me out. Poor Joey’s crossing several time zones.” 

“I don’t envy him.” 

“Me neither.” She laughed lightly and patted her desk. “I’m perfectly content right here, thank you.” 

“And thank goodness for that. I don’t know what we’d do without you, Renee.” 

She pressed a hand to her cheek. “Aw, you flatterer.” 

The front door clicked open, and Renee bit back her beaming grin as Joey slipped inside. Henry automatically glanced behind himself to see who it was and promptly did a double-take. Joey laughed at whatever expression Henry was making—Renee could just see from her chair that he was gaping in shock.

“You’re back,” Henry said, and for him to state the obvious like that was a testament to his surprise. 

It’d only been a week, but Joey was looking at Henry like he was quite the sight for sore eyes. He nodded, smiling softly, and then his eagerness took over and he was loping across the foyer. Henry, to Renee’s delight, met him halfway. 

It was entirely sweet, the way they mutually engulfed each other in their arms. She pressed her hand to her mouth to contain the coo that wanted to escape. 

Joey, looking quite content to press his cheek to Henry’s head, beamed at her. He rocked Henry back and forth, making him laugh, as he whined, “I never want to go on another trip like this! A week was far too long to be away from you, darling.” 

“You big baby,” Henry said, muffled against Joey’s shoulder. “Did you conspire with Renee to surprise me?” 

“I did, yes! And she did wonderfully—look at you, right here at the perfect time!” He winked over at her before turning his head to press a kiss to Henry’s temple. 

Henry pulled away, twisting to look at her. Joey kept an arm around his back, preventing him from going anywhere. “Impressive subterfuge,” Henry said with a grin. “I take it my file’s just fine?” 

“Right as rain, Henry! And I was happy to do be part of your plan,” she said, nodding at Joey. To Henry again, she teased, “It was a good surprise, I hope?”

“An excellent one,” Henry said. 

Standing, Renee sent them a sly look. “Then I’ll leave you two to your reunion.” 

As she made her way out of the foyer, she heard Joey say, “Much as I like a good hug, it has been a week. I hope that’s not the only ‘welcome back’ greeting I’ll get?”

“Oh for—come here, you ridiculous man.”

She glanced over her shoulder just before leaving sight of the foyer. Henry had both his hands up around the back of Joey’s head, pulling him down and very effectively silencing him, whereas Joey had a fierce grip on the back of Henry’s shirt. 

Renee understood in that moment why so many people embarrassedly whispered that they found it hard to look away from Joey and Henry when they got like this. There was something lovely about it, the sheer affection so obvious in them both. Even as she watched, Henry’s hands slid down so he was less holding Joey in place and more just… holding him. And Joey, in response—she could only describe it as him melting closer. 

They really were a good couple, as near to perfect for each other as two humans could get. Renee smiled to herself and silently carried on, leaving them alone in the foyer. 

• • • 

+1. Just Because

Joey leaned against the doorframe leading into his living room, all thoughts but for Henry having fled his mind. 

Henry hadn’t noticed him watching—this was often the case, to Joey’s equal relief and amusement; it gave him plenty of opportunities to simply observe his partner—absorbed in his work as he was. His socked feet were braced on the ottoman in front of the armchair he’d commandeered, and a sketchbook was propped up against his raised legs.

It was one of Joey’s favorite chairs in the room, not because he liked sitting in it himself, but because Henry did. It was positioned just so near a window to provide good natural light for Henry, which was a boon for Joey because the sun was perfectly situated behind him, casting a haloed glow around his messy hair and shining off the gold of his glasses. The just slightly too-large shirt he wore was Joey’s, and it had slipped to show a tempting bit of shoulder, warm and freckled in the sun’s rays. With serene happiness in his eyes and his jaw set in concentration, he looked near angelic. 

Joey loved him. 

Was it too early to say so? They hadn’t even hit their sixth month anniversary, though it was only a few weeks away. He didn’t think Henry would get spooked, but the butterflies in his stomach roared to life whenever he considered blurting it out. He didn’t want to mess this up, and certainly not by moving too quickly. 

Henry was the easiest partner he’d ever had. Not—not like that. But in the sense that he was so easy to be with. Every one of his relationships before Henry, though not always right away, had felt complicated. They’d become full of unspoken rules, things he was just supposed to know, and annoyance on both sides when there was inevitable miscommunication. He’d found himself trying to find a balance between living up to their expectations and still being himself. It had taken him too long, when he was a younger man still trying to find his place in the world, to realize he shouldn’t need to try and compromise who he was. Those who wanted him to be someone he wasn’t, who were disappointed with reality, had done a number on him. 

For a while, he’d lost interest in dating, for all that he very much wanted to be in a relationship, to have someone who was his and to be someone else’s in return.

The… numerous infatuations among his employees were flattering, but he’d never truly entertained the thought of indulging in any of them. That he was their boss was only part of it. His greater reservation was the doubt and uncertainty, knowing that most, if not all of them, were dreamy-eyed over the Joey Drew who stopped existing outside of work. 

That first time he and Henry had met, he’d been so relieved to see no sign of attraction in his soon-to-be animator. Henry hadn’t been the slightest bit affected by his charm; there hadn’t been even the smallest spark of interest in his eyes. Joey had just been a man to him, not someone to be revered. Henry hadn’t sucked up to him, no, he snarked at him. He was honest, not saying what he thought Joey wanted to hear. 

It was ironic, then, that Joey had so quickly been charmed by him instead. 

It didn’t help, of course, that Henry was, in all ways, his type. But he’d restrained himself, kept his distance (poorly, some days), was probably less subtle than he would have liked to be, and he wondered. Daydreamed, even. Wished and hoped, futilely. 

He’d remained undecided on whether or not to keep his interest to himself, vacillating wildly between confidence and doubt, right up until Henry said, “I prefer you without the mask,” and “you have until we finish to convince me I know you well enough to use your first name,” and “I hear there’s gonna be mistletoe at the Christmas party.”

And with that wicked grin of his, too. 

It’d been so good since then. Communication came easily with Henry, who said what he meant and meant what he said. Henry wanted to talk about boundaries and preferences, rather than force Joey to try and guess them, then get angry when Joey got it wrong. He welcomed affection and shows of emotion. And even Joey’s possessive streak wasn’t a problem. Quite the opposite, really. 

They got along so well, and Joey had been so happy these past months, enough to feel like he was about to burst with it all. 

And looking at Henry, beautiful and glowing and comfortable in Joey’s home… his heart was positively overflowing. 

He couldn’t ruin this. He wasn’t sure he’d survive it. 

Oh, but what monumental effort it took to swallow back those three little words. They so badly wanted to escape; he longed to press them into Henry’s skin, to whisper them against his lips, his throat, his heart. To show Henry the true extent of how much he meant to Joey, of the way he’d slotted so perfectly into Joey’s life and thoughts and own heart. 

He craved to hear them said in return. 

Henry sat back and stretched, arms raising over his head as he yawned. With his concentration broken, he caught sight of Joey lurking across the room. He smiled and huffed a little laugh, slumping lazily into the armchair. “You staring again?” he asked, utterly without accusation. 

“Can you blame me, handsome?” 

He turned his head away, the closest to bashful he ever got—his weakness when it came to being complimented never failed to charm Joey. Feeling soft and nostalgic and so impossibly content, Joey left the doorway and went to kneel down beside the armchair. Henry obligingly looked back at him, eyes half-lidded in a sleepy way. Joey just wanted to hold him and never let go. 

“Hi,” Henry said. 

“You look ready for a nap,” Joey whispered, raising his hand to brush a stray lock of hair away from Henry’s eye. 

“A nap does sound nice. Would you join me?” 

“I’d be happy to.” 

“Good.” And Henry leaned over the armrest to press a quick kiss right at the corner of Joey’s mouth. 

“What was that for?” Joey asked, pretending like such casual affection didn’t nearly leave him breathless sometimes. 

“Mm, just because.” 

Overcome with a sudden spark of giddy joy, he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I love you.” He tensed immediately, his grip on the armrest growing tight.

But Henry smiled and took his hand before he could press his handprint into the fabric. “I know,” he said, linking their fingers. “I love you too.” 

As Henry set aside his sketchbook, page full of a beaming little demon who’d grown quite familiar to Joey since December, Joey’s mind went blank. He spluttered. Then, only after Henry pulled him to his feet, he managed to ask, “How did you know?” 

Henry sent his aptly named devil’s grin over his shoulder as he led the way to Joey’s bedroom. “You get honest when you’re really tired sometimes, and it’s obvious you aren’t even half aware of what you’re saying.” 

“You—you mean I’ve said it before?!”

“Yep.” Henry let go of his hand to pull of his borrowed shirt off, immediately distracting Joey from his annoyance with himself. His eyes trailed down to play connect-the-dots with the hickeys he’d left behind. “Don’t worry, though. I waited to say it back until I knew you’d hear me.” 

Oh, didn’t that just make his insides feel all warm and fuzzy. He belatedly unbuttoned his own shirt as Henry crawled to the center of the bed on top of the covers. He flopped down and waited for Joey to join him. 

“Say it again?” Joey pleaded as they settled, tangled together so thoroughly it was hard to tell where one of them ended and the other began. Just the way Joey liked it. 

Henry hummed, already looking close to drifting off. “I love you,” he mumbled. 

Smiling uncontrollably, Joey hugged him tighter and pressed gentle kisses across his cheek and temple and eyelid, only stopping when Henry giggled tiredly and elbowed him. 

“Nap first,” Henry said. 

“Nap first,” Joey agreed, though he couldn’t help it, and he gave Henry one last kiss on the tip of his nose. 

“Sap,” Henry breathed. He relaxed, growing heavy against Joey. 

“Guilty as charged,” he whispered, nudging their foreheads together for a moment. He closed his eyes. “But only for you.”