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The light off the tv flickered across Danny’s face. He blew a strand curl away from his eyes, careful not to move his hands.
Rough, large fingers absentmindedly stroked the skin of his thigh. Jerome hummed from where he sat between his legs, watching the baseball game on the TV with mild interest.
Danny continued the braid he had been working on, ignoring the trickle of sweat on his brow. Jerome’s apartment had air conditioning, but Danny suspected the radiators were louder than they were efficient. Jerome's scalp was warm beneath his fingertips.
Danny finished the cornrow as he thought, picking up a wide-tooth comb and parting the way for the next, and final, one. Jerome hated handling his natural hair in the humidity. Normally, he would braid it himself, or even go upstate to his mother’s and have her do it for him. But Danny wanted to practice, and besides, it gave him something to do to take his mind off the heat.
Danny touched his chin and tilted Jerome’s head up and back, looking down into dark eyes. Jerome grinned, nose scrunching slightly. Danny couldn't resist, and leaned down quickly to press their lips together.
Something about it was so attractive to Danny. It was the same feeling as seeing Jerome in his work clothes, or a backwards hat, or nothing at all. It just did it for him.
“Baby?” Jerome asked, tracing his knee.
Danny hummed in response, “hmm?”
“I have something I want to give to you.” Danny paused for a moment. Fourteen months of reconnection and eleven months of dating and he still was getting used to such blatant love. His mom rarely had the money to afford gifts even on holidays, and Marlin was out of the question.
He got over the feeling quickly. “This is your boyfriend,” he thought. “People buy their partners gifts. It’s not weird. It’s normal. This is normal.”
“Like what?” he asked, playfully. Jerome smiled. He waited for Danny to finish off the last braid, and then stood up from his place on the floor, groaning as he twisted his back. He made a show of stretching, earning a giggle from the man on the bed. While he began to search around the bedroom closet, Danny took the opportunity to place the comb and oil on the oak-wood nightstand. He scooted further back on the soft bed, crossing his legs and watching Jerome as he searched for whatever it is he was looking for.
“Ah ha!” the man exclaimed in triumph, straightening up and holding something small in his hand. He wasted no time in coming over to the bed, socked feet padding on the carpet. As he sat next to Danny, brushing a lock of brown hair behind his ear, he handed it to him.
It was an eyeshadow palette. Small and seemingly not overpriced (Thank gosh. Danny hated when Jerome overspent on him). He removed the seal and popped it open, marveling at the pigments.
Blues and blacks and dark shimmers, not unlike what Ariana would have worn years ago. There were a few nudes and browns mixed in, as well as a silver, glittering shade that caught his eye. The inside of the palate had a small ridge, and in it, was a thin makeup brush.
He looked up suddenly, a swell of emotion pooling in his eyes. Jerome watched him, a soft smile on his face.
“Thank you.” Danny said. He bit back soft tears. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”
“Gonna look even more beautiful on you, that’s for damn sure,” Jerome said, teeth glinting as he grinned.
Danny shot forward, arms winding around Jerome’s neck. His boyfriend grunted in surprise, before embracing him.
The kindness he possessed never failed to amaze him. It had taken Danny more than three years to accept Ariana and her femininity as a part of his identity, and Jerome had accepted it the moment he met him. He didn’t think it was weird or unnatural or wrong; it was a part of Danny, and Jerome loved all of him. That alone was more than he could ever ask for.
Once Danny pulled back a bit, swallowing down his emotions, Jerome waggled his eyebrows.
“So, when do I get to see you all dolled up?” Danny rolled his eyes, pushing Jerome’s chest. He didn’t budge.
“Whenever I feel like it, mister.” His boyfriend pouted, one hand sneaking down from its place on his waist. Danny smacked it away before it could reach his ass. Jerome playfully yelped, pulling his arm back like he'd been burned. Danny laughed.
“Alright then, Honey. If that’s how you wanna play.” He promptly rolled over onto his side, facing away from Danny. “Goodnight.”
“Shut up, you big baby,” Danny laughed, wrapping his arms around Jerome. His boyfriend huffed, but he could see right through his annoyed facade. There was a sliver of laughter in his eyes. “Don’t pretend like you haven't been teasing me all night. You know how I feel about you with braided hair.”
“Oh yeah??”
“Mhm.” Jerome rolled over again, pulling Danny into his chest. He traced strong arms, broad shoulders. He shivered. “Among other things.” Jerome laughed sharply, running one large hand across Danny’s side.
This was another thing to adapt to. Intimacy, both physical and emotional. Danny had never experienced both simultaneously, not as himself, anyways. Sex in club bathrooms and shared cigarettes with Annabelle flashed through his head. Once, he never thought he would be able to find both.
“Hey,” Jerome broke his thoughts, “what are you thinking about?”
“Just you.” Danny answered truthfully, meeting his eyes. “How lucky I am.” Jerome smiled.
“Trust me, Baby, I’m the lucky one.”
“I love you.” Danny blurted. For a shock, he was brought back to dirty couches and the smell of marijuana and cringed away. Jerome didn’t miss a beat.
“And I love you.” Suddenly, he forgot the club and Ariana, and their fear of being close to someone. Jerome, along with his large band of doctors and psychiatrists, had changed that. Danny had changed that.
He sighed sleepily, nuzzling further into Jerome’s tank top.
“Hey,” Jerome muttered quietly, “can’t let me turn the light off before you konk out?”
“Nope.”
“Alright then, Honey.” His arms tightened, resting his head on top of Danny’s. His heartbeat thrummed steadily beneath Danny’s ear, a constant reminder of the life they had been gifted.
As the light of the tv flashed against the walls, buzzing in the background, as he felt the warmth of bedsheets and skin, he couldn’t fathom trading it for a thing.