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4am was the time at the safehouse when almost everyone is asleep, however not everyone follows that schedule exactly. The safehouse lights were off, the living room was empty, and the building was dead quiet. Jimmy was hunched over at his bar in the moon lit safehouse after his creator used him as a vessel for the drugs and alcohol as usual. His head was pounding as his head felt too heavy to lift off the bar. His eyes strained when they were open, even in the low lighting. As the lingering high dissolved and he went offline, his head fogged up with melancholy. He silently wondered if this was all he was worth, to be used for someone else's indulgences and debauchery. He questioned if he was worthy of self, love, or life. He absentmindedly gripped his hair, feeling unable to control what goes on in his own head. He felt like he should be used to not being in control, but he didn't understand why he feels such despair anyways.
Slow, measured footsteps echoed from behind Jimmy. He glanced back briefly towards the familiar sound of someone approaching. The first thing he saw was a set of expensive brown dress shoes treading on the stairs. As the figure in the brown shoes lowered, Jimmy recognized the black dress pants. The figure lowered down the stairs to reveal a green sweater vest over a white dress shirt. He instantly recognized the figure as Duke, someone he had grown to fancy as of late. His wrinkly pale face and grey hairs revealed as he descended the stairs and made his way to the main floor. Jimmy relaxed slightly at the sight of the man who had secretly caught his eye. It wasn't long before a comforting baritone warmed the quiet air.
“Rough night?” Duke inquired, stepping closer to Jimmy. When Duke came close enough to see the clone’s stud earrings were a bright green, he gently planted an arm on his shoulder. Jimmy froze slightly, completely unprepared for the friendly contact. Up close, the gentleman had slightly darker circles under his eyes and a few loose hairs over his forehead.
“Yeah, you too?” Jimmy responded, finding the strength to lift his head slightly off the bar. He knew Duke was brought in to solve some mystery the gang had accidentally stumbled upon, but he also knew the gentleman tended to overwork himself. “You look like shit, mate.”
Duke chuckled softly at Jimmy's observation, a sense of weariness bellying his amusement. “I'd say you're one to talk” He quipped, stepping closer to Jimmy. “I was actually thinking about hitting the hay…” Duke started, a small pink blush formed on his cheeks before he continued, “Would you like to join me?”
Jimmy perked up slightly at the offer. He wasn't sure what to say. He has never been physically close to someone like that before. All his experiences with intimate touch were for the debauchery his creator wanted to get up to. He paused, unsure if he should take the offer or not. In a split second decision, he blurted out, “fuck it, sure.”
Duke smiled approvingly, holding out a hand for Jimmy to take. Jimmy hesitantly took the gentleman's hand as he slumped out of his stool. He swayed slightly as the two began to ascend the stairs towards Duke's area of the safehouse, still dizzy with the hangover. Duke let go of the clone's hand to wrap an arm around his waist to keep him steady. Jimmy's breath paused from the contact, unsure of how to feel about it as the two made it to Duke's mini gallery. Duke slipped past the paintings with Jimmy, his free hand grabbing a doorknob. He gently opened the door to a rather ornate bedroom with rare paintings on the walls, an antique wooden bookshelf full of all kinds of literature, and a 2 poster king sized bed holding a weighted comforter and large pillows.
Duke led Jimmy to the bed for him to sit down. “I'll be right back, I just need to change.” Duke explained as he headed towards the walk-in closet connected to the room. As Jimmy waited for Duke to change, he wondered how he could even get this layout arranged in the safehouse. He eventually concluded that the situation surrounding the layout wasn't worth looking into. Duke was a man of mysteries after all, and Jimmy found that to be part of his charm.
Duke walked out of the closet in a long, elegant forest green robe. Jimmy's attention reverted back to Duke as he took in the nightwear. He let out a low whistle, which drew an unimpressed look from Duke. The clone noticed the upset expression and glanced away as he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Sorry mate, force of habit…”
Duke sighed, shaking his head with a chuckle. “You're hopeless” he muttered as he drew closer to Jimmy. He sat next to him on the bed, the springs squeaking slightly under the new weight. “Can you take your shoes off, please?” The gentleman requested.
Jimmy looked confused at the request before smacking himself in the head. “Oh, shit, right!” He scrambled to take off his heeled boots. “I totally didn't realize I still had them on, I'm stupid, I'm sorry…” he apologized, setting his shoes on the floor next to the bed.
Duke got up to turn off the lights, chuckling softly at Jimmy's airheadedness and self-deprication. “You’re alright, Jimmy” he reassured, walking back towards the bed. Jimmy stood up, allowing Duke to crawl underneath the covers. Duke held up the comforter after climbing in as a silent invitation for Jimmy to join him. The clone hesitated, not knowing what to expect before determining it was too late to turn back. Jimmy awkwardly climbed under the blanket and made his way to Duke.
Once Jimmy was laying by Duke's side, the gentleman enveloped his arms around the clone. Jimmy froze from the embrace, unsure of how to respond to such unfamiliar warmth surrounding him. Duke gently squeezed him close, seemingly unwilling to let go. His hand rested on the back of Jimmy's head, positioning the clone in the crook of his neck.
Jimmy could smell Duke's expensive cologne that hadn't fully faded over the course of the day. He could feel the gentleman's slow, soft heartbeat against his chest. As he slowly got used to the alien feeling of being held so fondly, Jimmy began to melt into Duke's embrace. His body involuntarily curled into the gentleman's warmth, his arms wrapping around the one handling him so lovingly. He nuzzled into the crook of Duke's neck, trying to soak in all the affection he had never gotten before.
Duke noticed Jimmy clinging to him, chuckling as he mindlessly brushed the clone's hair between his fingers. “I'm glad you like it” he muttered softly, adjusting his body slightly to maximize the comfort for both of them. “Although, your ribs are poking into me, you should probably eat more…” he murmured with a chuckle.
Jimmy didn't respond immediately, too lost in the bliss of being loved that no drug could replicate. His heart began to slow, eventually matching the sleepy pace of the gentleman's heart. His eyes grew heavy as he muttered, “fuck off…”
Duke tittered quietly at the drowsy response. He gently lifted Jimmy's head to give him a soft kiss on the cheek before lowering his head back into the crook of his neck. “I love you…” he whispered sweetly into his ear, seemingly too exhausted to make any of his usual poetic declarations.
Jimmy smiled warmly as sleep began to overtake him. “Love ya too…” he muttered before sleep gripped to his exhausted body.
Duke kept his hand in Jimmy's hair, too fatigued to keep petting him. As sleep began to claim him, he uttered one last whisper.
“Goodnight, my Phoenix…”