The Boyfriend PART 1
For the KinkKinkBangBangMeme prompt:
so how about...
Harry can't stand Perry's new boyfriend. He's clingy and annoying and superficial; but he's gorgeous--that's why Perry keeps him around. Harry hates him but he tries his best to act civil for Perry. Perry can tell how hard he's trying and finds it endearing. Continue from there.
(optional)I imagine that Perry would be spending too much time with him to take any extra cases with Harry. While Harry's thrilled he gets to do it alone, he's upset it's not out of trust and he never gets to spend any time around Perry anymore.
"Harry!" Perry called from upstairs, toothbrush in his mouth. "Get the door!"
Harry stared lazily at the door from his place on the couch. He let the knocking continue and finally stood up when the doorbell sounded. When he opened it, he smiled, but it was a flat, 'well shit' kind of smile.
"Hey, Richard," he greeted, stepping aside so the other man could come in.
"Hey, Harry." Richard smiled at him. "Where's Perry?"
"Getting ready upstairs." Harry went back to the couch and grabbed his clicker.
Richard looked around and finally sat next to Harry. "What'cha watching?"
"Oh...um..." Harry actually paid attention. It was some sort of Telemundo flick with rancheros and girls in bikinis. There was also a donkey wearing a clown afro. He gave up. "Hell, I don't know."
Richard laughed. There was really nothing wrong with him. He was a couple years older than Harry, but looked great for his age. He had nice teeth, neat hair, big abs. He was less flamboyant than most of the guys Perry'd picked up in the past, and always polite. He was a doctor, and an otolaryngolocist at that. Harry couldn't even pronounce the title correctly without stuttering.
"Hey, Babe." Perry came downstairs and Harry and Richard both looked up at him. Harry sunk down in the couch and turned his gaze back to the clown donkey as Richard stood up and pecked Perry on the lips.
"You looked wonderful," Richard said, rubbing his hands up and down Perry's arms. "Really. You do."
Harry narrowed his eyes without moving his head and noted Perry scratch the side of his neck awkwardly. There wasn't a shy bone in Perry's body. Was there?
"I was thinking we could go out to lunch, maybe catch a movie-they're playing some old classics down at the theatre on Rosemont." Richard tapped Perry's arms with his fingertips with every suggestion. "Or spend the afternoon at my place. I could cook us dinner."
"Didn't we have a stakeout tonight, Per?" Harry asked, still staring at the TV. "I mean, if you want to reschedule I don't care."
"Oh right..." Perry winced slightly. His brows furrowed and then unfurrowed. He turned to Harry. "Why don't you go by yourself, Chief?"
Harry looked at him. "By myself? You don't even let me go to the grocery store by myself."
Richard gave him a funny look, but just laughed, as if Harry were kidding. He pulled Perry against him, still rubbing his arm. "Come on, Harry. It'll be easy. All you guys do is hide somewhere and take pictures, right?"
"It's a little more complicated than that-" Harry said.
"No it isn't," Perry interuppted him, rolling his eyes.
"It isn't?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "Okay, why don't you tell him about the Dexter case where we were kidnapped, I got my balls zapped, hung from an overpass...or how about the Deacons case where we were tied together in a burning warehouse or-"
"Harry, it's just a I-think-my-husband-is-cheating-on-me scenario, that's all," Perry said. "You'll be fine. Plus, you've been complaining about getting to do stuff on your own for..." he looked at Richard and they both chuckled. "Shit. Forever."
"Fine." Harry would have argued-had it been just him and Perry, but he did not feel comfortable making a scene in front of Richard. He turned back to the TV. "Have fun."
Richard tugged on Perry's hand, but Perry seemed hesitant. "Hey, go ahead and start the car and I'll be there in a sec."
"I can wait," Richard said, looking between him and Harry. When Perry stared at him, he said, "Fine. Don't be too long, Babe."
When he left, Perry walked around to the other side of the couch and squatted down, becoming eye-level with Harry. Harry deliberately kept his eyes fixed on the TV screen.
"Harry?" Perry sighed. "What do you not like about Richard?"
"I never said I didn't like him," Harry muttered, scooting away from him, sitting in the middle of the sofa.
Perry stood up and moved to sit beside him. "You didn't have to. It shows."
"What does it matter?" Harry tensed and threw his hand out. "You're going to date him no matter what so-"
"So it matters to me because you live here and you're my best friend," Perry said.
"Well, Richard's not my best friend, " Harry said, slouching.
"Why don't you come with us?" Perry finally asked, after several moments of silence. "You'll have fun."
Harry shook his head. "No. I'm good."
"Harry-"
"It's fine, Perry." Harry looked at him. "Really. Go. Have fun." He attempted a smile. "I'm okay."
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"Harry!" Perry came downstairs, scowling. "Your room is a fucking sty!"
Harry shrugged from his place at the kitchen table. "I'll get around to it."
"Yah, I've heard that before," Perry scoffed, moving to the fridge. He frowned. "Did you make breakfast?"
"Yah." Harry took a bite of his french toast.
"You made french toast?" Perry peered at a plate on the stove covered by another plate. He looked at Harry. "Is it any good?"
"I'm eating it," Harry said, shrugging. He held out his fork, his eyebrows raised.
It was nothing new. Perry and Harry ate after one another all the time. Perry took the fork and took a bite. He chewed thoughtfully and nodded. "That's not bad." He went back to the stove to retrieve his own plate. He sat down at the steel and glass table for two across from Harry.
"How was your day with Richard yesterday?" Harry asked, chasing a piece of soggy toast around his plate.
"Good." Perry shrugged. "He cooked dinner last night at his place and we watched Gone With the Wind."
"That's a fucking long movie." Harry looked up at him.
"Harry." Perry stared at him. "On a date, you don't actually watch movies. You bang each other until it goes over."
Harry looked down at his plate and pushed it away. He drummed the tabletop with his fingers and grunted in acknowledgement. Perry stopped eating and looked at him. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing is wron-"
"You've been moping like this for weeks now!" Perry frowned. "What's wrong with Richard? You've never had a problem with anybody else I've brought home."
"I never had to see any of them more than once!" Harry scoffed. "But every single minute Richard's here or when we go somewhere he goes with us." He scooted his chair back and sunk down in it. "I mean, am I ever going to get to spend time with you without Richard attached to your arm?"
Perry sighed. "You need a girlfriend." He nodded. "I understand how you feel left out, but Richard and I..." he waved his hand around. "We're new to each other. We want each other's company all the time. He doesn't live here like you do." He looked away briefly.
Harry felt sick. "Oh God...he's moving in, isn't he?"
"His apartment is fucking tiny," Perry said, attempting to defend the situation.
Harry let his eyeballs roll back in their sockets. "This is fucking rich."
"Harry, I really think Richard could work," Perry said. "I mean, he's not some asshole I get bored with after three fucks."
"You don't get bored with me," Harry pointed out. "Well, you used to not."
"I also don't get to fuck and cuddle you," Perry said in his most smart-ass tone. "If you got a girlfriend, you wouldn't be so jealous."
Harry stood up, collecting his dishes. He completely ignored Perry as he went to the kitchen and proceeded to rinse them and put them in the dishwasher. Perry caught up to him.
"Harry, Richard's not going to come between us. You're still my best friend, my partner...at work..." he leaned against the counter. "Are you going to PMS like this forever?"
Harry slammed the dishwasher shut and said, "I'll start looking for an apartment tonight."
---------
"Hey, Harry." Richard smiled as Harry reluctantly entered the kitchen. "I made the three of us dinner-salmon patties and baked squash."
There are two of us and one of you, but that does not equal the three of us, Harry thought as he sauntered over to the counter and plucked a carrotstick from the salad bowl.
"So I guess Perry told you the big news?" Richard asked, smiling.
"Oh yah," Harry said, crunching away. "I just gotta warn you, though-Perry's a fucking nightmare to live with." He plucked a tomato sliced from the bowl and ate it. "He wants everything organized, everything tidy, he doesn't let canned corn touch canned beans..." he took a purple onion ring. "He pisses himself if there's hair in the shower..."
Richard laughed. "He's different with me, Harry. Trust me." He smiled sweetly. "Does that salad need anything?"
"Avacado," Harry said, chewing on the onion ring.
"Oh, no." Richard made a face. "Avacados are too fattening."
"Perry loves 'em," Harry said.
"Perry loves his groceries period," Richard laughed. "We're going to start working on his weight."
"Are you saying he's fat?" Harry frowned slightly. "He's not fat. That's all muscle. He's just...huge."
"He's thick," Richard said, shrugging one shoulder. "But I guess to you...well-" he smiled again. "You're petite."
"Perry tells me I'm fun-sized," Harry scoffed softly, taking another carrot stick and toying with it. "He told me one time that if I didn't shut up then he was going to fold me up and put me in his wallet."
Richard smiled, but it wasn't an oh-how-funny smile, but an uneasy one. He went back to tending to the fish. "It's strange that a straight man and gay men live and work together," he finally said.
"Everybody says that," Harry said, crunching into the carrot. "But to me...Perry's not gay. He's just Perry. I even think the nickname Gay Perry was wrong for him. Should have been Scary-Perry or Bionic Man or some shit."
"Oh, he's gay," Richard chuckled. "Believe me. Some of the things he does in the bedroom."
Harry could sense they were suddenly competing in an odd fashion. He looked away, squinting skeptically and then turned back, blinking. "Yah, I know."
"You do?" Richard's brows furrowed.
"He's brought home tons of guys. I sleep right next door." Harry picked up the salad bowl and a stray fork and proceeded to eat it that way. "Plus they all end up telling me about their wild night with Perry Van Shrike."
"Fucking gross." Perry walked in and took the bowl right out of Harry's hands. He leaned over Richard to smell the fish. "Smells nice."
"I bought pears for dessert," Richard said, kissing him.
"I have a pack of oreos in the pantry," Harry piped up.
To Be Continued...