Chapter Text
Flambae loved nights like this, just him and Robert on the couch watching trash tv and eating junk food. There shared apartment was just warm enough to be comfortable regardless of the ungodly amount of heat his body emitts. Robert, who always seemed to be cold, would sit in his lap just to soak in more of that delicious heat.
As they lay there together, legs tangled under the blanket, Chad would run gentle fingers through soft brown hair. Robert would lean into the touch while listening to the flame users steady heartbeat.
It was perfect, until it wasn't.
Chad had glanced down, just to sneak a peak at his boyfriend's sleepy face, it was always so cute after all. That is not what he saw this time however. Instead of droopy eyes and soft slightly parted lips he saw a light flush over freckled cheeks and silent streams running down from glassy brown eyes.
“Robert? Baby what's the matter? Is it your legs? Your back? Do you need me to go get your medicine?” Chad fussed, worry evident in his gaze.
Robert didn't answer, instead his silent tears turned into fat droplets as he shook with quiet sobs.
Chad sat up quickly, taking Robert with his and carefully examining his entire body, this only seemed to make the tears come faster and the sound of his sobs grew louder until he was nothing but big ugly sobs and hiccups.
Not knowing what else he could do Chad just held him tightly in his arms, allowing the smaller man to cry to his hearts content and hoped he would settle back down soon.
Each heaving breath and hiccuping sob felt like a knife stabbing straight through Chads heart. He didn't understand what was wrong, everything had been so perfect just moments ago. Was it his chronic pain? Did something happen at work that he didn't know about?
Beef apparently was just as worries and confused. The fat Chihuahua whined and huffed as he stood on his hind legs in an attempt to be closer to his master, too far to simple jump up on his own.
Chad, knowing how much his lover relied on the tiny cow for emotional support waisted no time helping him up and into Roberts lap. The smaller man held the dog, who licked insistantly at the salty tears on his face, all while Chad held them both in his strong arms.
After a few more minutes Robert finally settled down, taking a deep shuttering breath before he spoke.
“M’sorry” he sniffled “I-i don't know what came over me just now.”
Chad pulled back to take Roberts face on his hands, warming them slightly. Robert leaned into the touch with a soft sigh. The tears were still falling but they were slower now. Quiet, just as they were when this all began.
“zendegim” the pyrokinetic breathed “you don't need to be sorry”
A small, almost imperceptible smile graced Roberts lips. He reached out for his lover, falling back into his strong arms and sturdy frame so that he could hear his heartbeat again. Beef shuffled to lay in the small space beside them, content as long as Robert was in reach.
“No one's ever cared this much” Robert admits”I mean, Chase cares but it's… different. It doesn't feel like this. I guess I just got a little overwhelmed?”
Again Chad felt a thousand knives in his heart. How in the thirty years that Robert had been alive had no one loved him at least half as much as he did? Robert, despite there fucked up history had so easily and completely become his everything. His love, his life, the very breath in his lungs. It just didn't make sense.
He felt the need to tell him, to let him know how much he meant to him but there weren't enough words in any language he knew to express this all encompassing adoration for the man laying on top of him. Instead he held him closer, tighter and settled on the three little words he said every morning when they woke up, every night when they went to sleep and as often as he could in between.
“I love you. I love you more than you'll ever know nafasam”
Robert snuggled impossibly closer at those words. Chad could feel Roberts tears begining to soak through his shirt.
“God I'm such a crybaby” the smaller groaned
Chad couldn't help but chuckle. He leaned down slightly so he could press a kiss to the crown of his boyfriends head. “Yeah, but your my crybaby, bitch” Robert groaned again, not bothered in the slightest by the way Chads chest shook below him in laughter.
Robert was exhausted from all the crying so he decided to let himself sleep now. They could have an emotional talk about his breakdown in the morning or something. Chad would carry him to bed when he decided to go himself, so Robert just got comfy again. One hand resting on Beefs back and the other fisted in the fabric of his boyfriends shirt. This way he could be sure they were close by.
“Love you Chad” he mumbled and began to drift off.
Chads eyes softened again and one hand reached out to trace idle patterns into Roberts back as she slept. The other adjusted the blanket, which had slipped off of them in all the commotion.
“Love you Robert. Good night”
With a final kiss to his hair Robert slipped into blissful slumber