#okay okay i'll stop now sldfsd

[barry-j-blupjeans]

43 and either taakitz or the IPRE crew please? :0

43. “I’ve been alone so long, I didn’t even know I was lonely”

--

Maybe he was just in the honeymoon phase of this new relationship, but Taako was happy. Like, legitimately happy. Sure, he was happy every now and again. And sure, joining the Bureau had lifted his mood quite a bit. But before dating Kravitz, the last time Taako could remember feeling happy with where he was at, let alone feeling content, was with Sizzle It Up. At least Kravitz couldn't be poisoned.

It was... disconcerting in a way. Taako never would have described himself as lonely but like. He was realizing now that he had been. Even during Sizzle It Up, he had been lonely. Sazed, obviously, hadn't helped any. Magnus and Merle filled that gap a little, but not enough for it to be noticeable. With Kravitz, he felt like he had a bit more room in his heart for love instead of whatever soggy, achy feeling had been there before.

He really wasn't used to it. But he wasn't going to complain. Because, y'know, you can't exactly go up to your boyfriend and say "you make me too happy".

"You make me too happy," Taako said.

They were lying on Taako's bed, a blanket in between them in a poor attempt to warm Kravitz up. It was late and Taako was tired but he didn't want to miss any Kravitz time. Kravitz was running his fingers through Taako's hair (he was letting it get long again but he might have to cut it soon because he couldn't stand the weird phase of having it curl against his neck). When Taako spoke, Kravitz's fingers paused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're just... good at this," Taako said.

"This being?"

"Boyfriend-ing?" Taako said. "Being- so fucking hot. And nice. All the time. And you're spoiling me with it. I'm gonna get spoiled, Krav, d'you really want that?"

Kravitz laughed softly, his fingers resuming their path through his hair.

"I think I can handle a spoiled Taako," he said. "Can't be any worse than a cat, right?"

"Well, that's where you're wrong, compadre," Taako said, smiling. Gods above, he needed to stop being so good. Taako didn't know what to do with that. "I'm not gonna settle for just some wet food and cuddles."

"Yeah?" Kravitz said. "You want something else?"

"This is what I'm talking about," Taako said, instead of doing something that would make him blush more. He ducked his head down a little, staring at his hands. His ears flattened. "You're just- you're really fucking good, is the thing."

"If it's any consolation, you're also really fucking good," Kravitz said, pressing a kiss to his head. Taako's face, somehow, felt even hotter. "You're smart-" Taako scoffed. "And really funny. And, believe it or not, you're the second hottest person I know."

"Second hottest?"

"Not everyone can look as good as I do, babe," Kravitz said and Taako snorted so hard that he started coughing. Kravitz sat up, patting him on the back and Taako broke down into giggles. Kravitz's hands were warm against his skin. "You good?"

"I take it all back," Taako said. "You're awful. I hate you."

"Come here," Kravitz said, pulling him back down. Taako crumpled up the blanket that had been between them and threw it aside. It hit something and there was a loud thunk as things hit the floor. Taako didn't look back.

"I think you just knocked your umbrastaff over," Kravitz said.

"It's fine," Taako said and then pressed a kiss to Kravitz's lips. Kravitz laughed into it, circling a hand to hold him around the waist. When he finally pulled back, Kravitz finally looked just as flustered as Taako felt.

"You're really good at that," Kravitz said, breathless. Taako grinned. For the first time in years, the gap that felt in his chest was almost, almost closed. And while Taako figured that it was never truly going to go away, he would make damn sure that he could keep Kravitz here to fill it.