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The front door opened and Jean Loo dragged himself inside. He was beyond exhausted, his feet struggling to carry him through his shared home and into his bedroom.
He was too tired for a shower. Too tired for anything. All he wanted to do was collapse onto his bed and never wake up. Never have to go back to that shitty job again. Never have to pick up the phone and answer some stranger’s stupid questions again.
His room was dark when he entered. Makes sense. It was fairly late into the night, after all.
“My love?” a voice weakly called out. Jean Loo mentally scolded himself.
Jean Loo held onto the bedroom doorframe, exhaustion overtaking him. He couldn't face his beautiful husband right now. Not like this. God, now he was sounding just like him when they first met…
Their shared bed creaked, and soon he could feel the warmth radiating from his beloved as he got closer. The second that his husband's hand was on his shoulder, Jean Loo let himself fall forward and into his warm embrace.
“Oh!” Hector squeaked, fumbling for the light switch so that they could both see better. He found it and clicked it on, illuminating the room. “Is everything alright, my dear?” He brought a hand down to Jean Loo’s face, gently stroking the man’s jaw.
Jean Loo grumbled something under his breath. Oh dear. Not even able to talk… Hector sighed and maneuvered the two back to their bed, sitting himself down on it and gently holding his husband's wrists in front of him.
“Please talk to me, dearest…” Hector traced small circles onto the back of Jean Loo’s hands. “Too many calls at work? Your boss being a complete mess again? Your pants shrunk in the wash but you didn't want to tell me, so you just sucked it up and dealt with it for the whole day?” He pressed a kiss to one hand.
A quiet groan escaped from Jean Loo before he sank down to his knees, resting his head on Hector's lap and hugging him close. It was everything. Everything had just been too much. He's still stuck in a job that he has no love for.
Hector’s hand worked immediately into combing through Jean Loo’s messy hair, brushing out whatever remained of the gel he'd used that morning to keep it in place.
“He just… It is terrible there,” Jean Loo admitted, his lip threatening to quiver as if he wasn't a grown man with a career to uphold. He couldn't just cry whenever he didn't get his way. Lil’ Crapper never did that, so why should he? “Too much. All of it. Too much time without his lover, too much noise, too many people walking around and talking on their phones and to each other…”
His amazing husband just nodded along with his complaints, letting him get everything out of his system. He loved him so much. Loved everything about him and their relationship. He loved not being interrupted when he was “venting”, as Hector called it, or when he was excitedly explaining something that he was interested in. He loved how beautiful his husband was. If he wasn't so upset over his work, he could've spent the next hours until sunrise just gushing over this man like he was the best thing on Earth. Because he was. To Jean Loo, at least.
“Je déteste tout ça,” Jean Loo muttered, trying to hug himself closer. “Too many things he cannot control. It is infuriating.”
Hector waited patiently for him to finish talking, lovingly grazing his love’s skin to try and ease his nerves.
“We must work on getting you somewhere better, then. It pains me to see you like this.” Hector pulled back a bit, cupping Jean Loo’s face in his hands and making him meet his gaze. “You said you were interested in marine biology, yes?”
Jean Loo nodded without hesitation, sparkles like stars shining in his eyes.
“My masks are doing quite well out here. Perhaps you may be able to pursue this dream after all.” He brought a kiss to Jean Loo’s cheek, then another to his lips. His breath had never been better ever since they got out of the old house. “It is never too late to further your education.” He kissed him again. “We will get you into something you love.” And again. “Seeing you come home like this every day… it hurts me more than you could ever know.”
Hector reached behind him and brought forth Jean Loo’s left arm, holding his hand out for him to see. There on his ring finger was his wedding band.
“This means we get through these things together, my love,” Hector reminded, watching the dopiest smile spread across his husband's lips. “You know if you ever want to pursue marine biology, that I will support you endlessly. I will put in twice the effort to support us until you can do what you love.”
He let go of his hand, and it immediately snaked back around his waist, hugging him close. He loved just how clingy Jean Loo really was. Their non-sexual intimacy was one of the highlights of their relationship, in Hector's eyes.
Before Hector knew it, he was pushed back into their bed, Jean Loo soon joining him on the comforter.
“Take your shoes off on the bed, love.” The sounds of hard leather hitting the floor made Hector let out a breath of relief. He loved his husband to death, but shoes on the bed was where he drew the line.
An extra blanket was pulled from the side and pulled over the two of them, cocooning them completely.
Hector looked down, his face flushing at the sight of his Jean Loo’s eyes fluttering shut as he rested his head on Hector's chest. How great it was to be “pillow-worthy” in Jean Loo's eyes. Hector glanced over at the light switch that was still on, then back at his dozing husband. He could sleep with the lights on, no problem.
“Merci,” Jean Loo mumbled into his husband's night shirt, his voice softer than Hector had heard it be in a long while. Far too long.
“Of course, my love.” Hector kissed the top of his head. “Je t'aime.”