Work Text:
"Why is there gourmet coffee being delivered to our break room?"
Wes didn't look up from the mess of mechanical parts covering his desk. "The coffeemaker broke this morning."
He waited, but Wes appeared to be testing screwdrivers on something. " ... And that is?"
"The coffeemaker."
"And we're not ordering a new one *why*?"
"Because you keep complaining that I'm wasting the company's money - "
"Buying Penny flowers because she's whining about having a bad week *is* a waste of money," he interrupted, rolling his eyes.
"So since coffeemakers are actually pretty easy to fix," Wes continued, obviously ignoring him, "I figured I'd see what I could do for it before I try and order a new one."
He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Since when do you know how to fix a coffeemaker?"
"We had an old one in the clock tower that kept breaking. They're actually pretty easy to take apart once you know how." He tilted something on its side, frowning thoughtfully. "I'm thinking it's either the thermostat or the heating element."
Eric shook his head. "Whatever. Just don't forget about the conference call with Drake Medical at 2:00. Or your paperwork," he added pointedly.
"Uh huh," Wes murmured absently.
"*Before* five o'clock this time, Wes."
"Uh huh."
He rolled his eyes again, shaking his head as he walked out the door. No matter how much he nagged, they both knew that Wes would have to be dragged into the conference call, and would likely spend most of it still working on the coffeemaker. Then he would wander around checking up on random employees, eventually head back to his office, and start on his paperwork sometime around four. Eric would come to drag him home against more protests somewhere between 6:30-7:00, depending on how long he ended up taking for his evening workout.
Somehow it had become routine in the months since Wes had joined the Silver Guardians.
Eric shook his head. Routine or not, he had work to get done. He'd track Wes down again later.
****
Much later, freshly showered and ready for a quick meal and bed, Eric made his way to Wes' office as usual to drag the other man home for the night. Wes would probably argue about it - he always did - but it was a challenge Eric was used to. It was an easy win when Wes was usually half-asleep at his desk anyway.
Except that this time he wasn't.
Instead he found Wes leaning back in his chair, staring vacantly at the ceiling. The coffeemaker was still strewn across his desk, although there didn't look like quite as many pieces as there'd been before. There was a small pile of paperwork off to one side, but it was nowhere near the amount Wes had usually finished by now.
"Problems?"
Wes continued to stare upwards for a few minutes before finally letting out a long sigh. "Did you hear about Chris?"
"Should I have?" he asked wearily. Wes was always getting dragged into office gossip, no matter how many times Eric warned him against it. Even worse, he kept trying to drag *Eric* into it along with him, no matter how many times he told him he didn't care.
"His wife's leaving him."
"Hmm."
"I still can't believe it," Wes sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I mean, they seemed so happy ... "
Eric snorted. "Everyone seems happy until it goes to shit."
There was a long, awkward pause. He could have kicked himself. He already knew what Wes was going to ask now that he'd given him an opening.
"Is that ... what happened with us?"
It was the constant elephant in the room. Eric refused to bring it up, not wanting to hash out what was already over and done. Wes never did because for all they argued, he was constantly trying to make compromises. But past was still there, no matter how much they'd tried to ignore it.
It was in the moments when they actually agreed on something for once, and Wes would smile at him, and he'd find himself starting to smile back. It was trying not to laugh because Wes had zoned out during another meeting and was trying to pry information out of him on what he'd missed without actually admitting that he hadn't been paying attention. It was heated arguments that left them in each other's faces, when one of them would suddenly freeze, and he'd realize how close Wes' lips were, and that all he had to do was lean forward and -
He could have dodged it. They'd spent enough time avoiding the topic, focusing on work and getting things done. Wes had learned when not to push, just like he'd finally learned to give a little.
But for some reason he found himself sighing, shaking his head. "We didn't fall apart, Wes. Hiding all the time, pretending ... We didn't have anything *to* fall apart."
"Is that why you left?" Wes sat up abruptly, turning to look at him. His face was far too serious, but his eyes were pained. "Because it wasn't even worth saying goodbye first?"
Eric reached up to rub his face. "No. I left because I couldn't ... I couldn't deal with myself, and who I was. I was miserable and all I ever seemed to do was make you miserable with me. I didn't say anything because you deserved better. You still deserve better."
Wes' eyes narrowed. "That's arrogant of you. Don't I get a say in what I 'deserve'?"
He snorted. "What, because you think you want an asshole like me?"
"And what if I do?"
He paused. " ... You're not serious."
But Wes was already on his feet, moving towards him slowly. "You can keep pretending all you want Eric, but we both know there's something there. Why are you avoiding it?"
He could have given a dozen excuses, but Wes was already way too close and his mouth was dry. "I - "
"Go out to dinner with me," Wes urged. "Nothing fancy. We don't even have to act like it's a date if you don't want to. Just ... give it a try. Let's see what happens."
"And if nothing does?" he forced out. But something *would* happen. There was too much between them for it not to.
"I guess we'll have find out."
He should say no. It wasn't going to work. They'd just end up making each other miserable again. It was a bad idea.
" ... Where should I meet you?"