#* i. visage ———— linda park.

[roseswrit]

TAG  DROP,   LINDA PARK  ED !

[insane-control-room]

At the Stroke of Luck

They say a midnight kiss on New Year’s Day brought good luck.

Joey is in desperate need of said luck.

At times, the least lucky people in the world become the most over night.

Joey Drew was by no means a lucky man. He was perpetually tired, plagued by nightmares, haunted by bills, and his heartthrob was Henry Stein.

Henry Stein. A wonderful name for a wonderful man, oblivious but intelligent, adamant but gentle, soft hearted but energetic.

Beautiful and not gay.

Joey sighed, trying to put Henry out of his thoughts, going over paperwork, the date on the calendar constantly catching his eye.

December thirty first.

The clock beside it glaringly stole his attention.

Eleven thirty six.

At night.

Joey quietly set aside his work, getting up and exhaling, trying to keep the sadness at bay.

It was going to be a new year! Things were going to get better! He would stop feeling so bad!

But he knew he would not.

Not with a depression looming before them.

Not with the polio diagnosis.

Not with Henry around.

Here is where the timeline splits. In one, a certain animator had already returned to a shaky home with his soon to be ex-wife and his daughter Linda, and none of what could have occurred next happened, and hell eventually broke loose.

But this is a world where he did not go home. This is a world where Diane and he already were too far at the seams, the woman taking Linda on a holiday to her parents, leaving Henry alone.

Henry hated being alone, and so he dropped himself into his work.

He didn’t know how quickly time passed until he found himself dozing off.

And this is where we continue.

Joey stifled a hiccuping cry, even alone. He shakily leaned against the wall to steady himself. A snore brought him out of his melancholic stupor. He knew that snore from waking up after pulling all nighters animating, when the man would take a nap in the public room, that one night Joey had gotten sick and he opted to take care of him… Henry’s snore, the one Joey wished he could wake up to or fall asleep to.

Joey followed the sound to the animator.

Henry was sleeping in what appeared to be an uncomfortable position, but he slept soundly by his desk, his folded arms cushioning his head.

Joey’s heart stopped at his awe, completely relaxed and soft. All his gorgeous features bathed in a sepia light.

He shook his head, telling himself to focus.

“Henry?” Joey’s voice took him out of his sleep. “Why in hell are you still here? Thought you would want to get a headstart on your day off tomorrow.”

“Hnuh?” was Henry’s intelligent reply. Joey smiled wistfully feeling his heart twinge. “Wha’? Joey? What time’s it?”

“Almost twelve am,” Joey answered, going over to him and helping him up. “Let’s get you home, eh? Might want to be inside before it gets far too late.”

“Alright, Johan,” Henry mumbled, pushing his hand under his glasses to rub his eyes. “Man. I feel pretty awake right now. Don’t know if that’s a good thing.”

“It could be, if you’re planning on staying up all night,” Joey quietly answered, knowing that his bad luck with night terrors would be keeping him alert until morning light. Henry hummed. They quit the studio together, Joey’s heart aching with every step. Joey felt a smile tug his lips as he and Henry ambled down the empty streets. “Are we going to take the little short cut of yours?”

“I don’t see why not,” Henry laughed, much to Joey’s surprise. The short cut had been a path to Henry’s home that Henry and Joey had accidentally stumbled upon after getting lost, Henry claiming he knew where they were going (he did not). It took a long twisting route though the little park, and paused at a plateau that overlooked the whole of the city. He took Joey by the hand, leading him on. Snow fell around them softly. “Keep up, Drew!”

They traversed the miniature forest in the center of the town, neither speaking and both reveling in each other’s presence. Joey felt like he was slowly getting higher and higher out of the world as the earth slowly elevated. Here he was, with Henry Stein, not another soul in the world around.

The ground slowly evened out. Henry pulled Joey to the smooth and moderate edge of the cliffside, standing and marveling over the city, soft lights twinkling and indicating persons in their homes. In one, Wallace and his twin Wilbur were relaxing with their boyfriends, Willy curled on Shawn’s chest, Wally splayed out over Sammy and Thomas who pressed kisses to his face and hands. In another, Susie and Allison swept across the floor in a slow waltz, gazing into each other’s eyes and swaying softly. Eros, Lacie, Norman, and Bertrum were all spending the night in Bertrum’s abode, Eros making fatherly jokes at his son’s expense, but no offence was taken before his step father and future spouse. Jack, Kim, Grant, Niamh, and Johnny were all getting smashed at a local tavern. Joey could have sworn that he could hear their singing from where he stood, high above the city.

Henry looked to him, and instantly looked away.

He leaned his head on Joey’s arm.

“Diane is planning on getting a divorce with me,” he quietly divulged. Joey started, turning to stare at him, startled by the news of Henry and his wife’s discord. He studied the animator, and found that he was not blinking back tears nor was upset, in fact, he seemed rather… happy. “Guess why, Joey?”

“Because I’m making you spend too much time in the studio?” Joey jokingly - not - jokingly offered. Henry laughed a little and shook his head. Joey was shocked. “R-really? Then why?”

“She and I came to an agreeme-” Henry began, interrupted by the church clock’s first slow chime. He, with an almost panicked look, turned to Joey. “We both agreed I fell in love with someone else.”

Chime.

“Y-you what?” Joey asked, trying to wrap his head around what Henry was saying. “Fell… you fell in love? In love with whom?”

Chime.

Henry took his face in his hands, yanking him down to his level, mere inches apart. Joey froze as he saw the nearly desperate look in his eyes.

“I want you to look me in the eyes and ask that again,” Henry, his breathing forced and ragged, demanded. Joey’s eyes widened, unable to speak, his mind stringing together the pieces. “Who else, Joey, Johan, I fell in love with you.”

Chime.

He was pulled even closer, hot breath on his skin, he could smell Henry, and it was nearly overpowering, and then-

Chapped lips from biting them nervously.

Fluttering eyelids on his.

It felt-

Sweet.

Warm.

Soft.

Caring.

Safe.

Home.

Love.

Henry Stein.

Henry was kissing him, gripping the sides of his head and pressing his lips to his with all his might, breath harsh and slow, pulling him closer.

Chime.

Joey felt like he was soaring, far far above the clouds and the stars and the moon, the white crescent smiling down at them, far above all his bad luck, shot like a rocket into goodness.

Henry licked his lips, and he opened up to him without a second thought, it was bliss, it was perfect, it was meant to be, it was love, and no one could take it from them.

Henry moaned, swaying with him, and when did he arms get wrapped around him, when did Joey end up on the ground, when did his hands get tangled in his hair, how did it happen so quickly, how did so sinful an act feel so heavenly, why were they doing this, why were they doing this now, why had they not done this before?

Chime.

Sins were meaningless, nothing felt as perfect as Henry’s lips on his, nothing could compare to the rush of euphoria.

Henry pulled away, panting, and saw Joey’s star and moon lit visage, radiating love and admiration and some shock, and he fell in love and fell in love and fell in love and fell in love….

He dove back to his lips, no desire in the action aside from showing his adoration, revealing he care, displaying his love to Joey.

Chime.

Joey felt warm, not an uncomfortable heat, but the fluttering heat of dreams coming true, no matter how shocking the wish or how unlucky the wisher was. Earlier the cold had been getting to the tall man, yet now there was no chill now, only the warmth of Henry.

He let Henry take over every inch of him, his mouth firmly on his and his hands traveling over his coat covered body, feeling over and claiming all of him.

Joey felt like he could cry from all the affection he was receiving, his heart swelling, his pains vanishing, his fears destroyed, Henry his knight and protector and savior.

Chime.

Henry pulled back again, pressing kisses from Joey’s lips to his ears, and whispered softly,

“I fell in love with you.”

Chime.

Joey laughed and cried at once, he cupped Henry’s face and kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him, quietly telling him each time his lips broke contact with his skin,

“I love you.”

Chime.

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you so badly, Joey….”

“I love you to the ends of the earth, Henry….”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

Chime.

“Come home with me tonight,” Henry murmured, kissing him softly again and again. “We don’t need to do anything. Come home with me, I love you.”

“I’d love to,” Joey answered, leaning up to every touch of Henry’s lips. “Yes, please, I love you.”

“I’ll carry you there,” he whispered, lifting them both off the snow covered ground in one fluid sweep, a halo surrounding in the area they had lain. “I’ll carry you anywhere you need, Joey, Joey, I love you, Joey….”

“Henry, anything you need or want, I’ll provide,” Joey attested, kissing his forehead and hairline, brushing back luscious waves of gold smeared with rogue. Henry pulled his lips back to his, their saliva mingling and pulling them together. Henry slowly sauntered towards his home, pausing every now and then for more kisses. “Anything at all, I love you, Henry….”

Chime.

As the final ringing toll washed over them, Henry pulled him once more to his lips, deepening the kiss as much as he could, Joey able to feel Henry’s rapid heartbeat through his coat and able to taste his pulse on his lips, and all he could hear ringing in his ears was a chorus of heaven and praises of goodness.

Henry, true to his word, carried Joey all the rest of the way to his home, settling him gently on the couch and dutifully, dotingly, adoringly removing Joey’s coat, kissing his shoulders, then took off Joey’s shoes, kissing the inside of his ankles. He slipped off his own extraneous clothing, putting both sets by the front door, grabbing a blanket and swooping it over both of them as he rolled onto the wide couch, looking into purple red eyes, those beautiful swirling abysses of illuminated ink. Joey looked back into twirling turquoise veined with green, skies and oceans of hopes and dreams.

Joey teared up as he smiled, his face feeling as though it were glowing, he had never been so happy in his life.

Henry grinned with pure love, his cheeks lighting up his eyes and lips, and a complete contentedness flowed into him like it had not in more than five years.

“Love was just a feeling, irrelevant before today,” Joey whispered, his smile gaining a twinge of sadness. “Being… being gay… being in love with you… it just seemed so impossible.”

“I know darling,” Henry whispered back. Joey felt his heart explode, Henry already using pet names. “I know that this feels so surreal... it feels so strange, but so nice, I love you....”

“I love you,” Joey choked out. "I love you."

Luck smiled on him that year.