FIC: Radius
Title: Radius
Author: rebecca
Series: Geometry
Pairing: Tony/David
Summary: Something's got to give.
Notes: So for those who actually care, in this universe we're in January of 2008. That eventual comprehensive write-up and bios and things is coming any...year now...
Warnings: Contains references to past violence and sexual assault.
Tony wakes from a restless nap to the sound of voices in the living room. David must not have shut the bedroom door all the way, although he's not sure who's there. Glancing at the clock makes him groan; it's seven o'clock and he's totally screwed for sleep tonight now. He gets up, padding out into the living room.
"Sure, we talked," Christian says, sounding bitter. "Long enough to ask who had the condom." He puts his head down on David's shoulder. "I think I'm giving up dating."
"That wasn't dating, baby, that was a back room fuck," David says, stroking Christian's curls. "You haven't dated since him."
Christian snorts. "When your last boyfriend leaves you for dead on the kitchen floor, it kind of puts a damper on any interest in having a romantic life." He glances up. "Hi, Tony."
"Hi," Tony says, feeling very out of place. "Maybe--should I go get dinner?"
"There's a casserole in the fridge, courtesy of Stephen," David says. "He's nesting again, which means we all get food and Joshua has a spotless apartment."
Tony decides not to ask what that means. "I'll go heat it up then," he says, deciding to escape into the kitchen. He can still hear Christian and David talking and although he tries not to listen, he doesn't try that hard.
"I think I'm taking up celibacy," Christian says with a sigh. "It's easier. And safer."
"Not as a long term solution, but maybe not a bad idea for now," David says. "Are you still having nightmares?"
Tony glances back to see Christian nod. "Yeah," he says quietly. "I thought maybe I'd go up to Boston for a few weeks, spend some time with Mum and Dad, get away from here. I thought--I thought I saw him the other day, when I was in line at the bookstore, and then again when I was coming home from rehearsal."
"Did you tell the cops?" David asks. "You've got the restraining order--"
"I wasn't even sure it was him," Christian says. "I just saw him briefly, and I thought--but by the time I got a chance to really look, whoever it was was gone."
Tony's senses go on alert at that. He wants to know more about this, about where Christian's seen the guy, the circumstances, everything. He doubts it's just coincidence.
"If you see him again, anyone like that, I want you to tell me," David says. "I don't trust him to stay away from you."
"Yeah, well." Christian sighs. "I don't think it's that big a deal."
Tony doesn't agree. He comes out of the kitchen. "If you give me his name, I can--"
"No," Christian says, shaking his head. "No. I don't want any trouble, it probably wasn't him anyway, it's fine."
Tony looks at David, who shakes his head slightly. "Is that casserole ready yet?" David asks, changing the subject. Christian looks relieved, and Tony promises himself he'll talk to David later.
Christian leaves after dinner and brownies and Tony follows David into the kitchen for clean up. "What's his name?" he asks.
David blows out a breath, loading the dishwasher. "I don't really--"
"How badly did he hurt Christian?" Tony asks.
"Three cracked ribs, a fractured collarbone, a concussion, a bruised kidney, he was black and blue from head to toe, scrapes and contusions around his wrists from where J--the guy tied him down, and a bruised trachea from being choked." David recites the injuries in a monotone, his hands trembling slightly as he rinses plates.
There's more to it. "What else did he do?" Tony asks carefully, seeing the way David's not looking at him.
"He--" David sets a plate down carefully. "I think you can put the pieces together."
"He raped Christian," Tony says quietly. "Didn't he."
David nods. "Yes."
Tony sighs. "What's his name, David? I can look it up if I have to."
"James Harris," David says finally, closing the dishwasher. "He works for some lobbying firm on K Street."
"Thank you," Tony says. "Let me do some checking. I'll make sure he's not--not bothering Christian." He wonders if Gibbs would go with him. Gibbs is much, much scarier than Tony can be.
David washes his hands. "He pretends like he's okay," he says. "He flirts, he teases, and under it all, he's so scared. He won't go dancing with us anymore, won't really go out period. Travis and I convinced him to come to Steel Rose with us last week--when you were on stakeout--and we thought he'd hit it off with this guy, but it just turned into a really short hookup and that was it. It's like he thinks he doesn't deserve any better. He already moved once, after--after it happened, because he couldn't stand to be in that apartment anymore, but now he's asked Travis for help finding a safer place. The bastard broke him, Tony. If he's anywhere near Christian again--"
"I'll make sure he isn't," Tony promises. He moves to stand behind David, rubbing his shoulders. "We'll take care of him."
"Yeah." David sighs, leaning back against Tony. "Thank you."
*****
Monday turns out to be a slow day at work, save for the reams of paperwork. Tony ignores his--he can bribe McGee to deal with half of it anyway--and starts digging up information on one James K. Harris.
What he finds doesn't make him feel any better. The guy took a plea against Christian for a minimum of jail time and anger counseling. "Like that ever works," Tony mutters under his breath.
The problem is, Harris isn't in town. According to his records, he moved to New York shortly after being released from prison, with a new job at some corporate law firm up there. Tony digs deeper and finds out he's been in Paris, France for the last two weeks, and isn't supposed to be back in the States for another ten days.
Maybe it is just coincidence. It's possible Christian's just overreacting now that Harris is out of jail. He wouldn't be the first.
"Problem?" Ziva asks, glancing over at him.
"Not exactly," Tony says.
"Tell me about it." Ziva comes over to lean against Tony's desk.
"One of David's friends," Tony says. She'll just harrass him until he tells her something. "Thought he was seeing someone who shouldn't be anywhere near him."
"Was he?" Ziva asks.
Tony shakes his head. "No. The guy's out of the country. And yes, I checked. Called the hotel and everything. Faxed over a picture, they confirmed he's there."
"So this is good news, yes?" Ziva asks.
"Yeah, it is." Tony leans back in his chair. "I was just hoping I could have a talk with this guy and now I've got no reason to go near him."
"I understand." Ziva nods. "Sometimes, your country's laws are frustrating."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Tony says. "This guy should have gone away for attempted murder, but the most he got was simple assault."
"Why?" Ziva asks.
Tony shrugs. "Probably a combination of a high-priced lawyer, an overworked prosecutor, and a witness who didn't want to testify."
Ziva makes a face. "Do you need help?"
"No, I don't think so," Tony says, a little surprised by the offer. "Thanks, though."
She nods and goes back to her desk, and Tony rubs a hand over his face with an inward groan. So much for Plan A. Although really, it's not a bad thing that Harris is out of the country. He knows David will be glad.
He sends David a quick text message. "JH out of country for last 2 wks. Tell C." Duty done, he goes to bother McGee into doing his paperwork.
David calls him as he's getting ready to leave work. "Your place or mine? I'll bring Thai."
"Mine," Tony says. "I'm out of clean clothes at yours."
"See you in a bit." David hangs up and Tony goes to catch the elevator.
Eventually, something's got to give. It's been three weeks since New Year's, and David's acting as though nothing's changed, but--Tony sighs. This back and forth between their apartments is driving him crazy. He's starting to lose track of what clothes are where. But David won't budge. Not that Tony's tried to convince him, exactly, because...because David's got a point, much as he doesn't want to admit it.
David's got pad thai and tom yum for dinner and they eat quietly in the living room. David looks like he's got something on his mind, but he doesn't say anything until they're done and throwing containers into the trash. "I told Christian," he says at last. "He was upset that you'd gone digging, but sort of relieved to know the truth. The problem is, he keeps seeing the guy, and..." He sighs. "I think he's going to take vacation for a couple weeks, go see his parents."
"Someone around here has normal relationships with their parents?" Tony asks, teasing.
David snorts. "We can't all be completely dysfunctional," he says. "You should meet Diana--Kyle's mom--someday. She's a hoot. Anyway, yeah, Christian thinks it'd be good for him to get out of town and Travis and I agree. We're planning to move him while he's gone. Travis found him a new place. Christian's seen it, he loves it, he does not know Travis bought it for him. It's just a couple blocks from Travis and Kyle's place."
"Travis can just go around buying people apartments?" Tony asks.
"Travis is worth millions," David says. "He can buy anything he wants."
"If we--" Tony stops. "Never mind."
"The answer is yes, he would, should you and I ever decide we're ready for that," David says, easily reading Tony's mind.
"Right." Tony looks away.
David reaches out, resting a hand on Tony's knee. "I'm not pressuring you," he says.
"I know." Tony covers David's hand with his own. "You want to watch a movie?"
In bed that night, David falls asleep before Tony, sprawled out over his half and then some of the bed. Tony sighs and pushes him over, stretching out against the sheets. David mumbles something and promptly sprawls over Tony.
"Shoulda expected that," Tony mutters, managing to arrange them both in a more comfortable position. He closes his eyes, listening to David breathe, slow and even, and runs his fingers through David's hair. "You drive me crazy," he murmurs, safe in talking to David while he's asleep. "I think...I think I love you. Okay, no. I do love you. I just...I've never told anyone that before, except this one girl when I was fourteen, and really." He sighs. "One of these days I'll have the guts to tell you, I swear."
If life were a movie, this would be the point at which David looks up at him, sleepy but awake, and reveals he's heard everything Tony just said.
Life isn't a movie. David sleeps peacefully and Tony sighs again, closing his eyes. Sleep's a long time in coming.
*****
The last thing Tony wants to do with his blissfully work-free weekend is spend it hauling boxes. When he expresses this opinion to David Wednesday night, he gets a look that makes him wince. "No hauling boxes," David says. "Travis hired movers to do all the heavy lifting. We just have a lot of cleaning and unpacking to do."
That doesn't sound much better. Tony sighs. "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"
David pats his cheek. "Stephen promised to cook for us when we were done," he says. "And I bet you'll be able to beg a massage from Kyle."
"Rather beg one from you," Tony points out.
"I'm sure we can arrange that," David says, kissing him lightly. "No, you're not getting out of this."
"What time?" Tony asks, kissing his plans for a day in bed with David goodbye.
"The movers are getting there at eight," David says. "We need to be at the new place by nine to make sure it's ready for them."
"You hate mornings more than I do," Tony points out.
"We'll get coffee on the way. Stephen and Joshua will meet us there. Travis and Kyle will be at his old apartment to supervise the movers. We'll get him unpacked, go to the store, fill his cabinets, Stephen will make us dinner, it'll be done by evening," David promises. "And then we can go soak in the hot tub."
"Hot tub," Tony says dreamily. "Someday, I want a place with one of those."
"You and me both," David says, laughing. "I promise it won't be that bad. Christian's not much of a stuff person, other than his music collection."
"Doesn't he have a cat?" Tony asks, remembering discussion of this. "What are we going to do with it?"
"Oh, he took Mimi with him to see his parents," David says. "He wouldn't leave her alone for weeks. She'd never forgive him."
"Right." Tony nods as if it makes sense. "So, Saturday morning."
"Yes." David kisses him again. "Thank you."
"Sure," Tony says, wondering why David's thanking him when he didn't actually get a choice. "You think maybe we can go to bed now?"
"Yeah, I think so," David says, rising from the couch and holding out his hand to Tony.
*****
Saturday morning comes way too early. Tony stumbles into jeans and a sweatshirt, barely aware of David doing the same thing on the other side of the bed. They stop to get coffee before taking the Metro to Christian's new building. Tony would have figured it for one of the sleek high-rise buildings in the area, but it's an older brick building, elegant and stately. "They converted it to condos last year," David says. "Travis's boss owns the building. Each unit is really well soundproofed, there's a state of the art alarm system and a doorman on 24/7, with any luck it'll make him feel safe. C'mon in."
Christian has the top floor; the elevator opens directly into the living room. Tony looks around, impressed--it's spacious, lots of windows and a couple skylights to let in the sun. Two bedrooms plus a den, two bathrooms, hardwood floors throughout. "Does Christian cook?" he asks, noticing the high-end kitchen.
"God no," David says. "He can operate his electric kettle, the microwave, and occasionally the toaster oven. He's utterly hopeless when it comes to cooking. If Stephen didn't feed him, he'd exist on takeout and frozen meals."
"So this--" Tony gestures at the granite counters and Viking range.
"Is the kind of kitchen I want someday," Stephen says, walking in. He's got his hair tied back in a ponytail and both he and Joshua are carrying bags. "Cleaning supplies," he says, seeing Tony's glance. "We'll need to clean the place before I'm willing to cook or put food in it."
"I thought Christian didn't cook," Tony says.
"I'm not going to leave him to starve," Stephen says. "After we're done here, we'll go shopping so I can stock his cabinets with the kind of thing even he can't screw up. I'll fill his fridge and his freezer before he gets home."
"How come you don't cook for me?" Tony asks, giving Stephen a pout.
"I cook for David," Stephen points out. "That implies feeding you."
"We don't live together," Tony argues.
"That? Isn't my problem," Stephen says with a grin.
"Babe," Joshua murmurs. "Easy."
Stephen shrugs. "How much bigger is this place than his current setup?"
"This place is 2200 square feet," David says. "Which, in case you were curious, is over twice as big as my current apartment, and since Christian's loft is smaller than mine..."
"It's a hell of a lot bigger than my place," Tony says, looking around again. "And Travis just bought it outright?"
"His boss owns the building, so I'm sure they worked out some sort of deal," David says. "Either way you look at it, it means Christian doesn't have to pay rent, but the place is in his name. Sweet deal, really."
"You know Travis would do the same for you," Stephen points out.
"I know, but I'm less comfortable with the idea of it," David says. "Besides, I'm not ready to move."
There's no undercurrent there Tony can detect and he finds himself acutely uncomfortable anyway. There's no guarantee telling David he loves him will even lead to them moving in together, except for the part where it makes a ton of sense and they spend five out of seven nights together anyway and yeah. Tony sighs. "I think I need more coffee," he says. "Anyone want?"
"I'll go with you," Joshua says. "I could use a cup of tea. Babe?"
"The usual," Stephen says. "Thank you." He kisses Joshua's cheek.
"David, do you want anything?" Tony asks.
"Yeah, I'd love a hazelnut latte," David says. "Thanks."
"Sure." Tony kisses him lightly and follows Joshua out of the apartment.
Christian's new building is in the middle of a great neighborhood. There's a Whole Foods nearby and a few different restaurants and shops clustered around the area. Tony sees two different independent coffeeshops within walking distance. "Which one?" he asks Joshua.
"This one," Joshua says without hesitation, heading for the one on the near corner. "They have a great tea selection."
Tony shrugs and follows him inside. He orders David's latte and gets one for himself, and watches as Joshua orders his tea and something insanely complicated for Stephen. "It's less weird than you think," Joshua says, seeing Tony's look. "Mostly it's coffee with a couple shots of espresso in it."
"Okay," Tony says. "You know--I don't know Christian that well, but are you sure he's not going to mind just--being moved while he's in Boston?"
Joshua finishes paying and moves down to wait for their drinks. "Christian really, really needs to get out of his current place," he says. "Aside from not feeling safe there, he's just...it's not a good fit. He's seen this place, he loves it, and if he were anyone else he'd probably know what we're up to. Christian, however, is the most oblivious man I've ever met."
"Right," Tony says. "Okay." He picks up his two cups and waits for Joshua to get Stephen's drink. It still seems weird to him, but he figures they all know Christian better than he does.
When they get back to the condo, David and Stephen are sitting on the floor against the west wall. David looks half asleep and Stephen's kicked off his shoes and folded himself into lotus position. "Travis called," Stephen says. "The movers got there early and the truck is almost all loaded by now. They should be here within the hour."
"Thanks," David says, taking his latte from Tony. "I have to admit, I'm feeling condo envy, and he's not even unpacked yet."
"He might actually have room for his piano," Stephen says. "That should make him happy."
"I thought he was a flautist," Tony says, folding himself down on the floor opposite them. He takes a drink of his latte.
"In the symphony, yeah," David says. "He plays keyboards in Belfry, though, and he does most of his composing on the piano. He's got a keyboard, but it's not the same thing."
"Christian, the musical genius and social...something," Joshua says. "Has he ever dated a man who was good for him?"
"Hey!" David protests. "What about me?"
Tony nearly drops his coffee. "You and Christian?" he asks, knowing he sounds strangled and unable to stop it.
"For a bit, after he first moved down here," David says. "It was never anything serious, off and on. We stopped altogether when I met Stephen." He looks at Tony, amused. "Not a big deal. Stephen and I were more serious than Christian and I ever were, and..."
"We really weren't," Stephen says, laughing. "When you break up in the middle of sex, that's not serious."
"That's also really bad sex," Tony says with a wince. He's not sure how he feels about the revelation that David and Christian were lovers. No one else seems to care, but...
"It wasn't that bad," David says. "Just...didn't work for us."
"Your loss," Joshua says, putting his arm around Stephen.
David looks at Tony, smiling faintly. "I don't think so."
Tony smiles back. "I don't either," he admits softly.
The movers get there about twenty minutes later, and Tony admits to being impressed with how quickly they unload everything. Travis directs each box to a room and within an hour, everything's unloaded and they're off. "All right, darlings, let's get started," Travis says. "David, you get the music, Stephen, you get the kitchen--please be so good as to remember that Christian is kitchen-helpless--Daddy and I will take the bedroom. Tony, you help David, Joshua, you get everything else. Yes?"
David laughs. "Sure, stick me with the impossible one," he says. "Did we turn the second bedroom or the den into the music room?"
"The den," Travis says. "It's actually bigger."
"C'mon, then." David gestures to Tony.
Music doesn't sound that bad, until Tony gets an idea of just how much Christian has. Boxes and boxes of sheet music, and even more boxes of CDs. Christian's got a couple of sleek black shelving units, and those get used for the stacks and folders of sheet music; the CD racks take up one full wall and Tony's still not sure all the albums will fit. Instrument cases--"How many flutes does one person need?" Tony asks, setting them carefully on shelves.
David shrugs. "I have two regular clarinets, an alto, an E-flat, and I'm saving for a bass," he points out. "Let's put his keyboard over here, this way he can set up the computer next to it."
"Does he have these organized in any particular order?" Tony asks after they set up the keyboard and go back to the CDs.
"Yes," David says. "They're organized by artist within genre. Christian can be...compulsive about some things. But they should have gotten packed in order."
Even with the CDs packed in order, it takes close to an hour to unpack and shelve them all. The racks hold them all--barely. "What's he going to do when he buys more?" Tony asks.
"He's switched to downloading a lot of his music these days," David says. "He only buys CDs for things he thinks he can't stand to lose if his hard drive ever crashes."
"Okay," Tony says, surveying the albums. "How come your music collection isn't this big?"
"It is," David says, looking at Tony with amusement. "You have seen my second bedroom, haven't you?"
Tony thinks for a moment. David's turned his second bedroom into a library, mostly. Shelves of books--and racks and racks of CDs, now that he thinks about it. "Oh."
"Oh," David says, laughing. "Yeah."
The sun glints on his hair and his bracelet--the bracelet Tony gave him for Christmas, he notices. He's dusty from the boxes and his shirt's rumpled and Tony can't resist the urge to step closer to him, slip his fingers through the belt loops of David's jeans and kiss him. He rests his forehead against David's, realizing that this is where he wants to be.
"Hey," David murmurs, curling his hands around the back of Tony's neck.
"I love you," Tony blurts. He doesn't mean to say it, isn't even thinking about it, and the words slip out before he can bite them back.
David pulls back a little, eyes searching Tony's face. He looks--uncertain, Tony thinks. A little scared--and that hits him like a punch to the solar plexus, that he can make David look this vulnerable. He's not really sure what to make of that.
"Yeah?" David says finally, a little hesitantly.
Even if he wanted to, he can't take it back. "Yeah," Tony says softly, kissing David, just a brush of lips. "Yeah, I do."
"Well then," David says, leaning his forehead against Tony's again. "That's...that's good to know."
"That's all you have to say?" Tony teases.
David laughs and nips Tony's lower lip. "I love you, too, you know," he says quietly.
"Yeah," Tony says, closing his eyes. "I know." He kisses David's jaw, rubbing his cheek against his stubble. "You should not shave more often," he says. "I like it."
"I'll keep that in mind the next time you bitch about beard burn," David says, stroking Tony's hair and the back of his neck.
"Mm." Tony leans into David's touch, and they could stand there for ages as long as Tony cares, but they're interrupted by the door opening.
"Darlings, did you get lost among the--oh, I see," Travis says, laughing. "I'll leave you two to canoodle. We're finishing up the rest out here and then Stephen says we have to clean up everything."
"We'll be out in a minute or two," David says, glancing up at him.
"Take your time, take your time," Travis says, closing the door again.
"We should..." Tony says reluctantly.
"Yeah." David kisses him again, long and sweet, pulling back slowly. "Let's break down these boxes."
They break down boxes and haul things out to the trash and clean the entire condo to Stephen's incredibly high standards and Tony's ready to drop by the time they're done. He does admit the place looks great, if a bit empty. "I'll do the grocery run another time," Stephen decides. "I think now would be a good time to have a late lunch or early dinner."
"Are you cooking?" David asks.
"I could, but there's a great cafe two blocks over," Stephen says. "Probably be faster."
"Faster is good," Tony says, all too aware of his empty stomach.
"Cafe it is. Come, darlings," Travis says. "I'll even buy."
"You'd better," David teases him as they leave. "You're the one who got us into this."
"Are you meaning to say you wouldn't help your best friend move if he asked?" Travis asks indignantly.
"Not at all," David says. "But when I move, you'd better help me the same way."
"When are you moving? Where are you moving to? Can I help?" Travis demands.
"Travis," Kyle says quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder. Tony's surprised to see Travis visibly subside.
"I'm not moving yet," David says. "Tony and I are talking about it, that's all."
"Well, when you do decide, let me know," Travis says. "I do so love shopping for real estate."
"We know," David, Stephen, and Joshua say in unison.
"It's an excellent investment," Travis says loftily. "As Stephen should know."
"I do know," Stephen says, taking Joshua's hand. "And if Joshua and I can ever agree on a place..."
"What's wrong with our apartment?" Joshua demands.
"I want someplace I've built," Stephen says. "What was wrong with the last two houses I showed you?"
"One had no light and one just...it looked like a giant penis," Joshua says. "I'm gay, but I'm not that gay."
Tony doesn't hear the rest of the conversation, he's laughing too hard. David gives him an amused look as they reach the cafe. "You all right there?" he asks.
"Just fine," Tony wheezes. He straightens up and kisses David's cheek. "Everything is just fine."
*****
Tony's not sure what he expected from David. House listings? Apartment ads? Something? But nothing changes. They spend more time together than apart, after work; Tony has a drawer and closet space in David's bedroom and David has the same in his. Tony wonders if maybe David's waiting for him to bring up the subject, since he was the one who mentioned it last time.
It's like a really weird game of chicken, Tony thinks Wednesday with David's legs stretched across his lap and David reading a book while Tony watches whatever's on AMC. Who blinks first?
"House or apartment?" he says, looking at David, and well, that answers that.
"House," David says, looking up from his book. "I want equity. I've got enough saved for part of a down payment."
"You're not counting on Travis?" Tony asks. "I mean, I've got enough for a down payment too, but..."
David grins. "If we decide we want Travis's help in finding a place, we are going to need a very, very stringent and specific list of requirements and things we don't want," he says. "It's not like just getting a blank check, it's like getting your very own realtor, who has his own ideas of what you should have. You should have heard him about my current apartment."
Tony nods. "Okay," he says. "So what does your dream house look like?"
"Hm." David closes his book. "It has a room I can use for practicing," he says. "Not the makeshift thing I've got in my living room, an actual practice room. It's got a garage or assigned parking, but it's relatively close to the Metro and the local grocery store and such. It has a bigger bathroom than I have now, and better water pressure. Ideally it has central air and heat, and the kitchen isn't electric."
"My dream house has a room I can turn into a gym," Tony admits. "Kyle's makes me green with envy."
"You know he'd let you come use it anytime you wanted, right?" David asks. "Christian already does--he doesn't feel that comfortable in public gyms anymore."
"Yeah, but I want a home gym," Tony says. "In my own home."
"What else do you want?" David asks.
"I don't know," Tony says. "I hadn't thought about it. I like your list, though." He rests a hand on David's legs. "You'd really want to live with me?"
"We practically are living together already," David points out. "It'd be nice to not have to juggle two sets of keys and remember whether my clean jeans are in your dresser or mine."
"Well, when you put it like that..." Tony manages a smile.
"Tony." David's voice is soft. "Yes, I want to live with you." He shifts to kneel on the couch, leaning over to kiss Tony. "Okay?"
"Yeah," Tony says, reaching out for David's hands. "Yeah."
"Come to bed," David murmurs, sliding off the couch and drawing Tony with him.
Tony nods and follows David into the bedroom, closing the door behind him, and thoughts of houses or apartments or anything get pushed aside, replaced by hands and kisses and David buried inside him, making Tony cry out into the pillow, fingers clenching tight in the sheets.
They tangle around each other, after, and Tony closes his eyes, his cheek against David's shoulder and David's fingers running through his hair. "I...yeah," he mumbles.
"Yeah." David tightens his arms a little. "I know." He kisses Tony's hair. "Sleep, baby."
"Mm," Tony murmurs, already mostly there.
Author: rebecca
Series: Geometry
Pairing: Tony/David
Summary: Something's got to give.
Notes: So for those who actually care, in this universe we're in January of 2008. That eventual comprehensive write-up and bios and things is coming any...year now...
Warnings: Contains references to past violence and sexual assault.
Tony wakes from a restless nap to the sound of voices in the living room. David must not have shut the bedroom door all the way, although he's not sure who's there. Glancing at the clock makes him groan; it's seven o'clock and he's totally screwed for sleep tonight now. He gets up, padding out into the living room.
"Sure, we talked," Christian says, sounding bitter. "Long enough to ask who had the condom." He puts his head down on David's shoulder. "I think I'm giving up dating."
"That wasn't dating, baby, that was a back room fuck," David says, stroking Christian's curls. "You haven't dated since him."
Christian snorts. "When your last boyfriend leaves you for dead on the kitchen floor, it kind of puts a damper on any interest in having a romantic life." He glances up. "Hi, Tony."
"Hi," Tony says, feeling very out of place. "Maybe--should I go get dinner?"
"There's a casserole in the fridge, courtesy of Stephen," David says. "He's nesting again, which means we all get food and Joshua has a spotless apartment."
Tony decides not to ask what that means. "I'll go heat it up then," he says, deciding to escape into the kitchen. He can still hear Christian and David talking and although he tries not to listen, he doesn't try that hard.
"I think I'm taking up celibacy," Christian says with a sigh. "It's easier. And safer."
"Not as a long term solution, but maybe not a bad idea for now," David says. "Are you still having nightmares?"
Tony glances back to see Christian nod. "Yeah," he says quietly. "I thought maybe I'd go up to Boston for a few weeks, spend some time with Mum and Dad, get away from here. I thought--I thought I saw him the other day, when I was in line at the bookstore, and then again when I was coming home from rehearsal."
"Did you tell the cops?" David asks. "You've got the restraining order--"
"I wasn't even sure it was him," Christian says. "I just saw him briefly, and I thought--but by the time I got a chance to really look, whoever it was was gone."
Tony's senses go on alert at that. He wants to know more about this, about where Christian's seen the guy, the circumstances, everything. He doubts it's just coincidence.
"If you see him again, anyone like that, I want you to tell me," David says. "I don't trust him to stay away from you."
"Yeah, well." Christian sighs. "I don't think it's that big a deal."
Tony doesn't agree. He comes out of the kitchen. "If you give me his name, I can--"
"No," Christian says, shaking his head. "No. I don't want any trouble, it probably wasn't him anyway, it's fine."
Tony looks at David, who shakes his head slightly. "Is that casserole ready yet?" David asks, changing the subject. Christian looks relieved, and Tony promises himself he'll talk to David later.
Christian leaves after dinner and brownies and Tony follows David into the kitchen for clean up. "What's his name?" he asks.
David blows out a breath, loading the dishwasher. "I don't really--"
"How badly did he hurt Christian?" Tony asks.
"Three cracked ribs, a fractured collarbone, a concussion, a bruised kidney, he was black and blue from head to toe, scrapes and contusions around his wrists from where J--the guy tied him down, and a bruised trachea from being choked." David recites the injuries in a monotone, his hands trembling slightly as he rinses plates.
There's more to it. "What else did he do?" Tony asks carefully, seeing the way David's not looking at him.
"He--" David sets a plate down carefully. "I think you can put the pieces together."
"He raped Christian," Tony says quietly. "Didn't he."
David nods. "Yes."
Tony sighs. "What's his name, David? I can look it up if I have to."
"James Harris," David says finally, closing the dishwasher. "He works for some lobbying firm on K Street."
"Thank you," Tony says. "Let me do some checking. I'll make sure he's not--not bothering Christian." He wonders if Gibbs would go with him. Gibbs is much, much scarier than Tony can be.
David washes his hands. "He pretends like he's okay," he says. "He flirts, he teases, and under it all, he's so scared. He won't go dancing with us anymore, won't really go out period. Travis and I convinced him to come to Steel Rose with us last week--when you were on stakeout--and we thought he'd hit it off with this guy, but it just turned into a really short hookup and that was it. It's like he thinks he doesn't deserve any better. He already moved once, after--after it happened, because he couldn't stand to be in that apartment anymore, but now he's asked Travis for help finding a safer place. The bastard broke him, Tony. If he's anywhere near Christian again--"
"I'll make sure he isn't," Tony promises. He moves to stand behind David, rubbing his shoulders. "We'll take care of him."
"Yeah." David sighs, leaning back against Tony. "Thank you."
*****
Monday turns out to be a slow day at work, save for the reams of paperwork. Tony ignores his--he can bribe McGee to deal with half of it anyway--and starts digging up information on one James K. Harris.
What he finds doesn't make him feel any better. The guy took a plea against Christian for a minimum of jail time and anger counseling. "Like that ever works," Tony mutters under his breath.
The problem is, Harris isn't in town. According to his records, he moved to New York shortly after being released from prison, with a new job at some corporate law firm up there. Tony digs deeper and finds out he's been in Paris, France for the last two weeks, and isn't supposed to be back in the States for another ten days.
Maybe it is just coincidence. It's possible Christian's just overreacting now that Harris is out of jail. He wouldn't be the first.
"Problem?" Ziva asks, glancing over at him.
"Not exactly," Tony says.
"Tell me about it." Ziva comes over to lean against Tony's desk.
"One of David's friends," Tony says. She'll just harrass him until he tells her something. "Thought he was seeing someone who shouldn't be anywhere near him."
"Was he?" Ziva asks.
Tony shakes his head. "No. The guy's out of the country. And yes, I checked. Called the hotel and everything. Faxed over a picture, they confirmed he's there."
"So this is good news, yes?" Ziva asks.
"Yeah, it is." Tony leans back in his chair. "I was just hoping I could have a talk with this guy and now I've got no reason to go near him."
"I understand." Ziva nods. "Sometimes, your country's laws are frustrating."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Tony says. "This guy should have gone away for attempted murder, but the most he got was simple assault."
"Why?" Ziva asks.
Tony shrugs. "Probably a combination of a high-priced lawyer, an overworked prosecutor, and a witness who didn't want to testify."
Ziva makes a face. "Do you need help?"
"No, I don't think so," Tony says, a little surprised by the offer. "Thanks, though."
She nods and goes back to her desk, and Tony rubs a hand over his face with an inward groan. So much for Plan A. Although really, it's not a bad thing that Harris is out of the country. He knows David will be glad.
He sends David a quick text message. "JH out of country for last 2 wks. Tell C." Duty done, he goes to bother McGee into doing his paperwork.
David calls him as he's getting ready to leave work. "Your place or mine? I'll bring Thai."
"Mine," Tony says. "I'm out of clean clothes at yours."
"See you in a bit." David hangs up and Tony goes to catch the elevator.
Eventually, something's got to give. It's been three weeks since New Year's, and David's acting as though nothing's changed, but--Tony sighs. This back and forth between their apartments is driving him crazy. He's starting to lose track of what clothes are where. But David won't budge. Not that Tony's tried to convince him, exactly, because...because David's got a point, much as he doesn't want to admit it.
David's got pad thai and tom yum for dinner and they eat quietly in the living room. David looks like he's got something on his mind, but he doesn't say anything until they're done and throwing containers into the trash. "I told Christian," he says at last. "He was upset that you'd gone digging, but sort of relieved to know the truth. The problem is, he keeps seeing the guy, and..." He sighs. "I think he's going to take vacation for a couple weeks, go see his parents."
"Someone around here has normal relationships with their parents?" Tony asks, teasing.
David snorts. "We can't all be completely dysfunctional," he says. "You should meet Diana--Kyle's mom--someday. She's a hoot. Anyway, yeah, Christian thinks it'd be good for him to get out of town and Travis and I agree. We're planning to move him while he's gone. Travis found him a new place. Christian's seen it, he loves it, he does not know Travis bought it for him. It's just a couple blocks from Travis and Kyle's place."
"Travis can just go around buying people apartments?" Tony asks.
"Travis is worth millions," David says. "He can buy anything he wants."
"If we--" Tony stops. "Never mind."
"The answer is yes, he would, should you and I ever decide we're ready for that," David says, easily reading Tony's mind.
"Right." Tony looks away.
David reaches out, resting a hand on Tony's knee. "I'm not pressuring you," he says.
"I know." Tony covers David's hand with his own. "You want to watch a movie?"
In bed that night, David falls asleep before Tony, sprawled out over his half and then some of the bed. Tony sighs and pushes him over, stretching out against the sheets. David mumbles something and promptly sprawls over Tony.
"Shoulda expected that," Tony mutters, managing to arrange them both in a more comfortable position. He closes his eyes, listening to David breathe, slow and even, and runs his fingers through David's hair. "You drive me crazy," he murmurs, safe in talking to David while he's asleep. "I think...I think I love you. Okay, no. I do love you. I just...I've never told anyone that before, except this one girl when I was fourteen, and really." He sighs. "One of these days I'll have the guts to tell you, I swear."
If life were a movie, this would be the point at which David looks up at him, sleepy but awake, and reveals he's heard everything Tony just said.
Life isn't a movie. David sleeps peacefully and Tony sighs again, closing his eyes. Sleep's a long time in coming.
*****
The last thing Tony wants to do with his blissfully work-free weekend is spend it hauling boxes. When he expresses this opinion to David Wednesday night, he gets a look that makes him wince. "No hauling boxes," David says. "Travis hired movers to do all the heavy lifting. We just have a lot of cleaning and unpacking to do."
That doesn't sound much better. Tony sighs. "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"
David pats his cheek. "Stephen promised to cook for us when we were done," he says. "And I bet you'll be able to beg a massage from Kyle."
"Rather beg one from you," Tony points out.
"I'm sure we can arrange that," David says, kissing him lightly. "No, you're not getting out of this."
"What time?" Tony asks, kissing his plans for a day in bed with David goodbye.
"The movers are getting there at eight," David says. "We need to be at the new place by nine to make sure it's ready for them."
"You hate mornings more than I do," Tony points out.
"We'll get coffee on the way. Stephen and Joshua will meet us there. Travis and Kyle will be at his old apartment to supervise the movers. We'll get him unpacked, go to the store, fill his cabinets, Stephen will make us dinner, it'll be done by evening," David promises. "And then we can go soak in the hot tub."
"Hot tub," Tony says dreamily. "Someday, I want a place with one of those."
"You and me both," David says, laughing. "I promise it won't be that bad. Christian's not much of a stuff person, other than his music collection."
"Doesn't he have a cat?" Tony asks, remembering discussion of this. "What are we going to do with it?"
"Oh, he took Mimi with him to see his parents," David says. "He wouldn't leave her alone for weeks. She'd never forgive him."
"Right." Tony nods as if it makes sense. "So, Saturday morning."
"Yes." David kisses him again. "Thank you."
"Sure," Tony says, wondering why David's thanking him when he didn't actually get a choice. "You think maybe we can go to bed now?"
"Yeah, I think so," David says, rising from the couch and holding out his hand to Tony.
*****
Saturday morning comes way too early. Tony stumbles into jeans and a sweatshirt, barely aware of David doing the same thing on the other side of the bed. They stop to get coffee before taking the Metro to Christian's new building. Tony would have figured it for one of the sleek high-rise buildings in the area, but it's an older brick building, elegant and stately. "They converted it to condos last year," David says. "Travis's boss owns the building. Each unit is really well soundproofed, there's a state of the art alarm system and a doorman on 24/7, with any luck it'll make him feel safe. C'mon in."
Christian has the top floor; the elevator opens directly into the living room. Tony looks around, impressed--it's spacious, lots of windows and a couple skylights to let in the sun. Two bedrooms plus a den, two bathrooms, hardwood floors throughout. "Does Christian cook?" he asks, noticing the high-end kitchen.
"God no," David says. "He can operate his electric kettle, the microwave, and occasionally the toaster oven. He's utterly hopeless when it comes to cooking. If Stephen didn't feed him, he'd exist on takeout and frozen meals."
"So this--" Tony gestures at the granite counters and Viking range.
"Is the kind of kitchen I want someday," Stephen says, walking in. He's got his hair tied back in a ponytail and both he and Joshua are carrying bags. "Cleaning supplies," he says, seeing Tony's glance. "We'll need to clean the place before I'm willing to cook or put food in it."
"I thought Christian didn't cook," Tony says.
"I'm not going to leave him to starve," Stephen says. "After we're done here, we'll go shopping so I can stock his cabinets with the kind of thing even he can't screw up. I'll fill his fridge and his freezer before he gets home."
"How come you don't cook for me?" Tony asks, giving Stephen a pout.
"I cook for David," Stephen points out. "That implies feeding you."
"We don't live together," Tony argues.
"That? Isn't my problem," Stephen says with a grin.
"Babe," Joshua murmurs. "Easy."
Stephen shrugs. "How much bigger is this place than his current setup?"
"This place is 2200 square feet," David says. "Which, in case you were curious, is over twice as big as my current apartment, and since Christian's loft is smaller than mine..."
"It's a hell of a lot bigger than my place," Tony says, looking around again. "And Travis just bought it outright?"
"His boss owns the building, so I'm sure they worked out some sort of deal," David says. "Either way you look at it, it means Christian doesn't have to pay rent, but the place is in his name. Sweet deal, really."
"You know Travis would do the same for you," Stephen points out.
"I know, but I'm less comfortable with the idea of it," David says. "Besides, I'm not ready to move."
There's no undercurrent there Tony can detect and he finds himself acutely uncomfortable anyway. There's no guarantee telling David he loves him will even lead to them moving in together, except for the part where it makes a ton of sense and they spend five out of seven nights together anyway and yeah. Tony sighs. "I think I need more coffee," he says. "Anyone want?"
"I'll go with you," Joshua says. "I could use a cup of tea. Babe?"
"The usual," Stephen says. "Thank you." He kisses Joshua's cheek.
"David, do you want anything?" Tony asks.
"Yeah, I'd love a hazelnut latte," David says. "Thanks."
"Sure." Tony kisses him lightly and follows Joshua out of the apartment.
Christian's new building is in the middle of a great neighborhood. There's a Whole Foods nearby and a few different restaurants and shops clustered around the area. Tony sees two different independent coffeeshops within walking distance. "Which one?" he asks Joshua.
"This one," Joshua says without hesitation, heading for the one on the near corner. "They have a great tea selection."
Tony shrugs and follows him inside. He orders David's latte and gets one for himself, and watches as Joshua orders his tea and something insanely complicated for Stephen. "It's less weird than you think," Joshua says, seeing Tony's look. "Mostly it's coffee with a couple shots of espresso in it."
"Okay," Tony says. "You know--I don't know Christian that well, but are you sure he's not going to mind just--being moved while he's in Boston?"
Joshua finishes paying and moves down to wait for their drinks. "Christian really, really needs to get out of his current place," he says. "Aside from not feeling safe there, he's just...it's not a good fit. He's seen this place, he loves it, and if he were anyone else he'd probably know what we're up to. Christian, however, is the most oblivious man I've ever met."
"Right," Tony says. "Okay." He picks up his two cups and waits for Joshua to get Stephen's drink. It still seems weird to him, but he figures they all know Christian better than he does.
When they get back to the condo, David and Stephen are sitting on the floor against the west wall. David looks half asleep and Stephen's kicked off his shoes and folded himself into lotus position. "Travis called," Stephen says. "The movers got there early and the truck is almost all loaded by now. They should be here within the hour."
"Thanks," David says, taking his latte from Tony. "I have to admit, I'm feeling condo envy, and he's not even unpacked yet."
"He might actually have room for his piano," Stephen says. "That should make him happy."
"I thought he was a flautist," Tony says, folding himself down on the floor opposite them. He takes a drink of his latte.
"In the symphony, yeah," David says. "He plays keyboards in Belfry, though, and he does most of his composing on the piano. He's got a keyboard, but it's not the same thing."
"Christian, the musical genius and social...something," Joshua says. "Has he ever dated a man who was good for him?"
"Hey!" David protests. "What about me?"
Tony nearly drops his coffee. "You and Christian?" he asks, knowing he sounds strangled and unable to stop it.
"For a bit, after he first moved down here," David says. "It was never anything serious, off and on. We stopped altogether when I met Stephen." He looks at Tony, amused. "Not a big deal. Stephen and I were more serious than Christian and I ever were, and..."
"We really weren't," Stephen says, laughing. "When you break up in the middle of sex, that's not serious."
"That's also really bad sex," Tony says with a wince. He's not sure how he feels about the revelation that David and Christian were lovers. No one else seems to care, but...
"It wasn't that bad," David says. "Just...didn't work for us."
"Your loss," Joshua says, putting his arm around Stephen.
David looks at Tony, smiling faintly. "I don't think so."
Tony smiles back. "I don't either," he admits softly.
The movers get there about twenty minutes later, and Tony admits to being impressed with how quickly they unload everything. Travis directs each box to a room and within an hour, everything's unloaded and they're off. "All right, darlings, let's get started," Travis says. "David, you get the music, Stephen, you get the kitchen--please be so good as to remember that Christian is kitchen-helpless--Daddy and I will take the bedroom. Tony, you help David, Joshua, you get everything else. Yes?"
David laughs. "Sure, stick me with the impossible one," he says. "Did we turn the second bedroom or the den into the music room?"
"The den," Travis says. "It's actually bigger."
"C'mon, then." David gestures to Tony.
Music doesn't sound that bad, until Tony gets an idea of just how much Christian has. Boxes and boxes of sheet music, and even more boxes of CDs. Christian's got a couple of sleek black shelving units, and those get used for the stacks and folders of sheet music; the CD racks take up one full wall and Tony's still not sure all the albums will fit. Instrument cases--"How many flutes does one person need?" Tony asks, setting them carefully on shelves.
David shrugs. "I have two regular clarinets, an alto, an E-flat, and I'm saving for a bass," he points out. "Let's put his keyboard over here, this way he can set up the computer next to it."
"Does he have these organized in any particular order?" Tony asks after they set up the keyboard and go back to the CDs.
"Yes," David says. "They're organized by artist within genre. Christian can be...compulsive about some things. But they should have gotten packed in order."
Even with the CDs packed in order, it takes close to an hour to unpack and shelve them all. The racks hold them all--barely. "What's he going to do when he buys more?" Tony asks.
"He's switched to downloading a lot of his music these days," David says. "He only buys CDs for things he thinks he can't stand to lose if his hard drive ever crashes."
"Okay," Tony says, surveying the albums. "How come your music collection isn't this big?"
"It is," David says, looking at Tony with amusement. "You have seen my second bedroom, haven't you?"
Tony thinks for a moment. David's turned his second bedroom into a library, mostly. Shelves of books--and racks and racks of CDs, now that he thinks about it. "Oh."
"Oh," David says, laughing. "Yeah."
The sun glints on his hair and his bracelet--the bracelet Tony gave him for Christmas, he notices. He's dusty from the boxes and his shirt's rumpled and Tony can't resist the urge to step closer to him, slip his fingers through the belt loops of David's jeans and kiss him. He rests his forehead against David's, realizing that this is where he wants to be.
"Hey," David murmurs, curling his hands around the back of Tony's neck.
"I love you," Tony blurts. He doesn't mean to say it, isn't even thinking about it, and the words slip out before he can bite them back.
David pulls back a little, eyes searching Tony's face. He looks--uncertain, Tony thinks. A little scared--and that hits him like a punch to the solar plexus, that he can make David look this vulnerable. He's not really sure what to make of that.
"Yeah?" David says finally, a little hesitantly.
Even if he wanted to, he can't take it back. "Yeah," Tony says softly, kissing David, just a brush of lips. "Yeah, I do."
"Well then," David says, leaning his forehead against Tony's again. "That's...that's good to know."
"That's all you have to say?" Tony teases.
David laughs and nips Tony's lower lip. "I love you, too, you know," he says quietly.
"Yeah," Tony says, closing his eyes. "I know." He kisses David's jaw, rubbing his cheek against his stubble. "You should not shave more often," he says. "I like it."
"I'll keep that in mind the next time you bitch about beard burn," David says, stroking Tony's hair and the back of his neck.
"Mm." Tony leans into David's touch, and they could stand there for ages as long as Tony cares, but they're interrupted by the door opening.
"Darlings, did you get lost among the--oh, I see," Travis says, laughing. "I'll leave you two to canoodle. We're finishing up the rest out here and then Stephen says we have to clean up everything."
"We'll be out in a minute or two," David says, glancing up at him.
"Take your time, take your time," Travis says, closing the door again.
"We should..." Tony says reluctantly.
"Yeah." David kisses him again, long and sweet, pulling back slowly. "Let's break down these boxes."
They break down boxes and haul things out to the trash and clean the entire condo to Stephen's incredibly high standards and Tony's ready to drop by the time they're done. He does admit the place looks great, if a bit empty. "I'll do the grocery run another time," Stephen decides. "I think now would be a good time to have a late lunch or early dinner."
"Are you cooking?" David asks.
"I could, but there's a great cafe two blocks over," Stephen says. "Probably be faster."
"Faster is good," Tony says, all too aware of his empty stomach.
"Cafe it is. Come, darlings," Travis says. "I'll even buy."
"You'd better," David teases him as they leave. "You're the one who got us into this."
"Are you meaning to say you wouldn't help your best friend move if he asked?" Travis asks indignantly.
"Not at all," David says. "But when I move, you'd better help me the same way."
"When are you moving? Where are you moving to? Can I help?" Travis demands.
"Travis," Kyle says quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder. Tony's surprised to see Travis visibly subside.
"I'm not moving yet," David says. "Tony and I are talking about it, that's all."
"Well, when you do decide, let me know," Travis says. "I do so love shopping for real estate."
"We know," David, Stephen, and Joshua say in unison.
"It's an excellent investment," Travis says loftily. "As Stephen should know."
"I do know," Stephen says, taking Joshua's hand. "And if Joshua and I can ever agree on a place..."
"What's wrong with our apartment?" Joshua demands.
"I want someplace I've built," Stephen says. "What was wrong with the last two houses I showed you?"
"One had no light and one just...it looked like a giant penis," Joshua says. "I'm gay, but I'm not that gay."
Tony doesn't hear the rest of the conversation, he's laughing too hard. David gives him an amused look as they reach the cafe. "You all right there?" he asks.
"Just fine," Tony wheezes. He straightens up and kisses David's cheek. "Everything is just fine."
*****
Tony's not sure what he expected from David. House listings? Apartment ads? Something? But nothing changes. They spend more time together than apart, after work; Tony has a drawer and closet space in David's bedroom and David has the same in his. Tony wonders if maybe David's waiting for him to bring up the subject, since he was the one who mentioned it last time.
It's like a really weird game of chicken, Tony thinks Wednesday with David's legs stretched across his lap and David reading a book while Tony watches whatever's on AMC. Who blinks first?
"House or apartment?" he says, looking at David, and well, that answers that.
"House," David says, looking up from his book. "I want equity. I've got enough saved for part of a down payment."
"You're not counting on Travis?" Tony asks. "I mean, I've got enough for a down payment too, but..."
David grins. "If we decide we want Travis's help in finding a place, we are going to need a very, very stringent and specific list of requirements and things we don't want," he says. "It's not like just getting a blank check, it's like getting your very own realtor, who has his own ideas of what you should have. You should have heard him about my current apartment."
Tony nods. "Okay," he says. "So what does your dream house look like?"
"Hm." David closes his book. "It has a room I can use for practicing," he says. "Not the makeshift thing I've got in my living room, an actual practice room. It's got a garage or assigned parking, but it's relatively close to the Metro and the local grocery store and such. It has a bigger bathroom than I have now, and better water pressure. Ideally it has central air and heat, and the kitchen isn't electric."
"My dream house has a room I can turn into a gym," Tony admits. "Kyle's makes me green with envy."
"You know he'd let you come use it anytime you wanted, right?" David asks. "Christian already does--he doesn't feel that comfortable in public gyms anymore."
"Yeah, but I want a home gym," Tony says. "In my own home."
"What else do you want?" David asks.
"I don't know," Tony says. "I hadn't thought about it. I like your list, though." He rests a hand on David's legs. "You'd really want to live with me?"
"We practically are living together already," David points out. "It'd be nice to not have to juggle two sets of keys and remember whether my clean jeans are in your dresser or mine."
"Well, when you put it like that..." Tony manages a smile.
"Tony." David's voice is soft. "Yes, I want to live with you." He shifts to kneel on the couch, leaning over to kiss Tony. "Okay?"
"Yeah," Tony says, reaching out for David's hands. "Yeah."
"Come to bed," David murmurs, sliding off the couch and drawing Tony with him.
Tony nods and follows David into the bedroom, closing the door behind him, and thoughts of houses or apartments or anything get pushed aside, replaced by hands and kisses and David buried inside him, making Tony cry out into the pillow, fingers clenching tight in the sheets.
They tangle around each other, after, and Tony closes his eyes, his cheek against David's shoulder and David's fingers running through his hair. "I...yeah," he mumbles.
"Yeah." David tightens his arms a little. "I know." He kisses Tony's hair. "Sleep, baby."
"Mm," Tony murmurs, already mostly there.