Chapter Text
Dennis wakes up the moment he feels the mattress sink. It’s that time of morning when everything is still muffled, when the wind blowing outside the windows makes you hope for just five more minutes in your warm cocoon of blankets and embraced bodies -that moment when you’re not quite sure where you are and it takes your brain a few minutes to fully wake up. But this morning, Dennis has to wake up, and pretty quickly at that.
Dennis mumbles something -he doesn’t even know what- and a hand is already on his head, stroking his hair.
“Go back to sleep, baby, it’s still early”
Dennis stretches (the joint in his shoulder making a strange noise he doesn’t want to think about) and shakes his head, yawning and looking up at Michael, who is watching him with a half-smile and a gaze full of affection.
God, he’s going to miss being looked at like that over the next few days.
“No, I’m awake, I’m awake. I’ll come with you to the airport.”
“Sugar-”
“I’ll come with you,” Dennis’s voice is firm; they’d already talked about it the night before, but Michael insisted it wasn’t necessary.
Well, for Dennis, it is.
Dennis pulls back the blankets and the warmth dissipates, waking him up completely as he sits up on the edge of the bed and looks up at Michael with what is probably the most exhausted expression he’s ever seen on his face. Michael rolls his eyes in exasperation, then leans down to give him a quick peck as a good morning greeting.
“You’re going to regret this dearly this afternoon,” Michael says, and Dennis knows he’s right because a grueling shift on the ward awaits him, but Dennis knows he’d regret it even more if he didn’t stay with Michael while he can.
It’s only for a week, he tells himself as he hears Gloria’s voice telling Michael that this time it’s non-negotiable, that this time he absolutely has to attend the seminar and make the hospital look good, that his ER can survive a week without him, and that he can survive public speaking and being friendly, just this once.
Dennis has never disliked Gloria as much as he does in that moment.
The morning unfolds just like any other morning when they’re on shift together.
They take a quick shower together.
Michael makes coffee while Dennis toasts bread and cooks eggs for Michael (Dennis can’t stomach much for breakfast, so he just has cereal).
They sit down at the table, and while Michael reads the newspaper on his tablet, Dennis glances quickly at the New York Times and scrolls through TikTok (Victoria always posts really interesting videos, and Dennis is happy to see that she’s found her place and is happy with her job in the psych ward), commenting with Michael whenever he finds an interesting headline.
Even though it’s incredibly early and Dennis would have liked to sleep a little longer, this is also his favorite part of the day. The streets outside aren’t as noisy as they are during rush hour yet; there’s an almost peaceful silence, and Dennis is comfortably leaning against Michael’s side while Michael wraps an arm around him and kisses his temple.
It’s on mornings like these that Dennis feels like nothing bad could ever happen in the world.
All too soon, however, it’s time to call an Uber, and Dennis watches with barely concealed annoyance as Michael loads the suitcase into the car.
Michael looks at him and smiles smugly, but says nothing as he opens the door for him and lets him get in first (always a gentleman), taking his hand as he sits down beside him.
Dennis rests their hands on his lap and leans his head against Michael’s shoulder again. Michael, for his part, plants a light kiss in his hair and then starts talking to him about the seminar. Dennis listens to everything, but above all he listens to the inflection of his voice -the much lower tone because Michael is tired too, the hoarse voice he has in the morning, and the amused tone when he asks, are you listening to me? and Dennis nods slightly because yes, of course he’s listening. He always listens to him.
They arrive at the airport, and Dennis insists on carrying the suitcase and accompanying him to baggage claim and the security checkpoint.
When it’s time for Michael to go, Dennis already has his arms around his neck and is pulling him close for a kiss.
Michael holds him so tightly that Dennis can barely breathe, but he doesn’t care.
“I miss you,” he finds himself saying when they pull apart and he looks him straight in the eyes.
Michael smiles.
“I’m still here.”
“I miss you,” Dennis says then with more conviction, and Michael’s eyes soften even more; Michael understands, and Michael nods.
“I miss you, too.”
Dennis wonders for a moment if skipping work for a week without giving any explanation could be grounds for being fired, but then he takes a step back, steps out of Michael’s personal space, and clears his throat.
“Call me. And text me!”
Michael smirks and adjusts the backpack he’s brought with him on his shoulder.
“When I arrive, when I’m at the hotel, when the conference starts, when it ends, and when I get back to the hotel.”
Dennis nods, trying not to laugh.
“And before you go to sleep!”
Michael shakes his head and rolls his eyes.
“Yes, mum.”
“Too young to be your mum, you old creep.”
Michael laughs.
“Love you”
“Love you, too”
And with one last peck, Michael heads to the checkpoint and Dennis books an Uber.
And it feels strange to go home knowing that Michael won’t be there for a whole week.
Knowing that he’ll come home in the evening and there won’t be Bruce Springsteen’s music to welcome him or Michael’s coffee in the morning (which for some reason always tastes better than the one Dennis makes) and that the spot next to him in bed will be empty.
Trinity would tell him how disgusting he’s become (she’s told him that over and over again, to be honest), but Dennis doesn’t care. He’s fought tooth and nail for this relationship. He’s fought against himself and that strange sense of guilt instilled by the church and his family; he’s fought against Michael’s depression, and they’ve both come out on top. He fought against the silences, the barriers they’d each erected to protect themselves, and the judgment of the people around them. And Michael fought right alongside him. He couldn’t care less if people think he’s a sap; he’s earned the right to be one with his boyfriend.
He’s almost home when his phone vibrates in his pocket, and Dennis pulls it out, unlocking the screen.
“On the plane. I miss you”
Dennis’s heart skips a beat, and he finds himself closing his eyes and resting the phone against his forehead.
God, he loves this man.
“Almost home. I miss you, too”
Michael doesn’t reply, and Dennis puts the phone away, sighing and looking out the window.
It’s going to be a very long week.