[Devian R. x Oliver A.]
-DO-
"Devian."
"Hm? Why are you suddenly calling me by my full name? Scary." Devian chuckled softly, but Oliver wasn't impressed at all. The man then got up from the chair towards Oliver who was sitting on the edge of the bed, then he sat beside Oliver. "What?"
"If you're tired, why don't you just stop?" Oliver looked at Devian seriously.
Devian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean well, Ian." The Afton sighed before resting his head on his lover's broad shoulder. He looked at their clasped hands. "Don't you want to quit the laboratory completely? This is the right time to do it."
For a moment, Devian was silent. "Soon," he replied quietly. "I just need to take care of some other important matters ... Lucas will help me, don't worry."
"When? Luke is out of the country right now, don't make excuses."
"First of all, I have to find a replacement job first." Devian put his arm around Oliver's waist.
"You can work for me."
"Secondly," Devian didn't heed Oliver at all, "there's something fishy. I have to leave you again for that." The man's smile showed he felt guilty, his gaze warmed to Oliver who seemed worried. "I will be fine."
Oliver frowned deeply. "You've left me for a whole month, no news at all. You're going to do it again?"
"I'm not cheating on you, don't worry."
"That's not what I'm worried about, you idiot."
Oliver took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Ian, I've lived long enough, I've lost a lot of things and I don't want to lose you at my age like this."
A chuckle of laughter escaped Devian's mouth. "You sound like a grandpa."
"I am a grandpa. I have three grandchildren. You're only four years younger than me after all. You're technically a grandpa too." Oliver hit Devian's arm in annoyance and playfulness, Devian's laughter was loud for a moment. "I'm serious, Ian. Hurry up and retire."
Devian returned to his thin smile before he cupped the side of Oliver's face and kissed Oliver for a few moments, then he pressed their foreheads together. Their gazes met. "Soon, Ollie, soon. Don't worry, I'll be fine. You can keep my promise."
Oliver didn't reply anything else but pursed his lips and just hugged Devian tightly, as if he would never see the man again the next day.
***
Thunder sounded loud, Oliver flinched. He looked out the window, it was raining heavily. He had just checked the condition of his two children in their own rooms because the lights suddenly went out because of the storm that night. Oliver sighed a little and tightened his nightrobe, then intended to head to the kitchen to get a glass of water and take it to his own room.
He grabbed a glass from the shelf and was about to fill it with water when his doorbell rang rapidly, surprising him. Oliver quickly headed for the front door wondering who had come in the middle of the night. He opened the door, and a body immediately collapsed towards him.
Oliver was momentarily stunned after they both fell since he didn't have time to keep his balance. He could hear his ragged breathing, his clothes soaked through, and smell of blood. Someone he knew so well. "Devian?" he muttered in disbelief.
He laid the man down carefully, he couldn't deny it ... that pale face, closed eyes, open mouth grasping for air, and his bleeding chest. "Ian! Devian!" Oliver started to frantic, he didn't know what to do—he couldn't let his beloved die. "Devian—God, hold on a moment—Devian!"
His frightened cry seemed to attract the attention of his kids, who appeared together quickly. Oliver turned to them with watery eyes, Devian was in his lap and he could feel his pulse weakening. Arthur and Patricia looked taken aback and shocked at the same time, he stared at them desperately. He just hoped this was just a bad dream.
---
"Stop it," William laughed and tried to dodge but Vincent often kissed his neck passionately. "Vince you're going to wake the kids up!"
"If you don't laugh too loud, they won't wake up." Vincent chuckled, before hugging the man in front of him tightly—William immediately made himself comfortable in his husband's embrace. Before long, Vincent seemed a bit surprised and pulled away from William. "Wait a minute, someone's calling," he said as he took his cell phone out of his trouser pocket.
"Who?"
"Patricia," Vincent answered with interest, William was curious and came back closer to Vincent. He accepted the call from his sister-in-law and before he could speak, Patricia cried out first.
["Devian! He—he got shot ... he is dying ...."]