Felix only needs a quick look at the address to know exactly where it is. He's been there plenty of times, Shea and Grace dragging him there whenever the women had a random bout of adrenaline for the gym. It's not far, shouldn't be less than ten minutes. With a final squeeze and another swipe of his thumb, Felix takes his hand back to rest on the wheel, shifting gears as he rolls away from the house.
He's at a stop sign when he notices that his eyes are fuzzy. The back of his throat aches. He's literally a professional at masking and repressing emotions. Felix has made millions off of hiding his thoughts and feelings. God. God fucking damn it– Without thinking, Felix slips his hand right back into Damian's. It's shaking with every sob, and Felix's heart is shaking right with it.
"Don't apologize," Felix murmurs, his voice firm and gentle at the same time. "Please, Damian you have nothing to apologize for." If anything, something deep within Felix's subconscious screams that he should be the one apologizing. Felix can't be anything but an added stressor on top of the detective's already hellish life. A widower, a father, a distant son, a homicide detective– God, all of that has to add up eventually.
Luckily, they arrive at the YMCA soon, and Felix parks his sedan in the closest possible spot. "Do you want to go in with me? I'm not exactly well-versed on the YMCA's policy on letting kids go–"
The drive to the YMCA felt both short and terribly long. He tried working on taking deep breaths, thinking that would stop whatever is going on with him right now. The only concern he has right now is how his kids will react to him. He is exhausted, but he has to be present for them regardless of how he is at the moment.
At least he had time now to gather up some bits of himself before they go pick him up. Honestly, Damian doesn't know what he would have done if Felix was not there for him. Spending his own time sitting there, holding hands, and even helping him pick up the twins, Damian wished that he had the energy to say thanks. Later on, he could make some food for Felix to take home; he'll have to find the tupperware for it.
The crying came to a gradual stop. All the energy from it left him drained. He looked at the entrance to the YMCA then sighed heavily. Underneath his breath, he muttered a thanks.
Damian gave a shrug. "I have to go in to pick them up. You can come if you want." His voice was coarse as he spoke. He sniffled while his wobbly fingers pulled out his wallet then went to undo the seatbelt. With the back of his hand, he wiped away the remaining tears. The tip of his nose was a shade of light pink. His eyes were the same color. "It's up to you, I don't want to force you to do anything. You're already doing so much."
Felix swallows and looks over the detective's face. On one hand, Damian could clearly use the moral support, but on the other, Felix doesn't know the twins all-too-well and he doesn't want to worry them. Felix has no clue how a five-year-old's mind is supposed to work, and he doubts that they'll immediately jump to good conclusions when they see their red-eyed father approach with a man they've met a grand total of once.
"I'll stay here, alright. I'll be waiting." He smiles in what he prays is a reassuring smile. "Go get your kids."
As Damian leaves, Felix sighs and swipes his fingers through his hair. He checks his phone, swiping away stupid coupon emails and muting "urgent" updates. In the app he actually cares about, Felix checks his messages. He asks Rhyda to feed Jackpot his dinner, he reads over his younger sister's rants, and then glances at the message that he least expected to see.
abel: tell him im sorry
"Holy shit–" Felix hisses to nobody but himself. Abel is… not the type of person to apologize. Don't get him wrong, Felix is happy to relay the shocking message, but it'll have to wait a little bit.
"Okay," Damain said with an attempted smile. "I will try to be quick then." He got out of the car then trudged inside to where the daycare was. With each step he took, he felt his legs being wobbly. From a distance, Adonis's voice resonated. Soon, he could hear Mina's as well. They were talking to each other about something. By the volume of them both, it must be something exciting for the two.
The lady at the front desk greeted him with a smile. Damian gave a solemn nod while handing over his ID then signed his name on the clipboard. By the time he put his ID and wallet away, the door handle clicked then he heard the faint sound of little light-up shoes against the floor.
"Appa!" Mina beams as she ran towards him. Adonis follows behind, dragging his little Superman backpack behind him. They both look up at him with wide eyes, but concern lit up in them. Adonis asked, "Why do your eyes look like that? Are you okay?"
Damian shook his head. Mina then added, "Was it the monsters?" He nodded. The three hugged for a second before he took their hands and they all walked outside. "I can cook dinner for us," Adonis smiled. "And we can watch Hercules then go to bed early." Mina shook her head, "What would you make? We already had mac and cheese." The boy giggled whike giving a shrug.
The two little ones were confused when their father led them to Felix's car. They were even more confused as there were no booster seats in the back. Adonis yawned while Damian put on the seatbelt, making sure it was tight. Damian kissed his son's forehead then repeated the same steps with Mina.
While Damian was getting himself settled, the twins looked up at Felix. Adonis only stared with curiosity; mostly because he was trying to figure out what Felix's name is. He's heard his dad called him many things, but he cannot remember. Meanwhile, Mina waved at Felix then asked, "Are you having dinner with us?"
Felix is in the middle of scrolling through Braxton Dane's social media page when the sight of Damian exiting the building with two kids in tow catches his eye. Deciding his work will have to wait 'til later, Felix shuts off his phone and drops it into the empty cupholder. He changes the radio station to one that isn't in the middle of an eight-minute commercial and double checks to make sure the doors are unlocked. He doesn't say anything as the detective seatbelts the twins into the back; he only catches quick glances of them through the rearview mirror.
"Me?" Felix, suddenly the subject of a child's attention turns around to face Mina. His experience with children has been minimal, but if there's anything babysitting his triplet toddler terror nephews has taught him, it's to always entertain a child's idea. "I might be able to stick around if your dad allows it." He glances over at Damian as the detective gets into the passenger seat.
Once everyone's safely in the car, Felix puts it into reverse and heads back to the Mae Residence. Since he's already traveled the route once, he'll remember it forever. Forever might be an exaggeration, but with the amount of feelings he's harboring for Damian, he seriously doubts it. Felix still remembers how to get to all of his exes houses from anywhere in Nevada. Oh, the curse of a fantastic memory…
The little girl giggled, "Yes, silly!" Her nose scrunched as she laughed in amusement. She looked over at her dad while waiting for an answer. Damian turned around to look at his kids. Adonis was too focused on the feeling of the car seats while swinging his little feet in excitement. Then there was Mina, staring back at him with big dark brown eyes that shined with curiosity. He shrugged then glanced over at Felix, "Sure. I don't see why not."
With all that has happened, he doesn't want to keep Felix longer than need be. And yet, Damian could feel that his heart wants Felix to stay with him a little longer. He doesn't know if he will say anything about his feelings. He wonders if he should.
On the way back, the twins spent the time pointing out clouds and saying what they look like. Meanwhile Damian relaxed into the car seat, trying to collect himself from all that had happened mere moments ago. All he wanted to do was go to bed and to never wake up for the next few days. He wants to stay home until he feels well rested.
Only when the twins get more energetic does he realize that they are home. By the time he gets out to take care of the twins, the both of them hop out and bolt to the door. Damian rested his one hand on his hip as he closed the car doors.
"Alright, alright!" Felix says, placing a subtle bravado in his tone that he knows children love. As he catches his own eyes in the mirror, the gambler notes that his smile is genuine. How rare. "I guess I'll hang around for a little while then."
The ride is short, Felix's time split between listening to the children's observations, ensuring Damian won't enter another mental breakdown, and watching the road. The atmosphere is nothing like Felix is used to, which feels foreign, yet he isn't intimidated by it. The Felix from six months ago would never had figured he'd be in this situation.
When they arrive, he pulls the key from the ignition and steps out of the car, taking a deep breath of the evening air. It's still sweltering, but a little less than usual due to the setting sun. Checking that his key is safely in his pocket, Felix locks the car and takes a step onto the front lawn. The twins scuttle inside; Felix turns his eyes to Damian. He takes the few steps to the side of the car to meet him. He leans against the side of his sedan, crossing one leg over the other and folding his arms. "Are you okay?" He asks, barely above a whisper. "Tell me if I'm overstepping."
His systems are not fully operational yet. Parts of his mind feel heavy and still throbbing. Then there is his feelings picking a part the details in the way Felix is leaning against the car; how it makes Damian swoon over the leg placement. He looks away, not wanting to be called on his stare.
In a way, he is okay. Just a little bit. He is still standing. Very much alive and feeling a little lighter than before. Of course, he still feels weary and needs a lot of time to rest before doing anything like work. He knows it's best for him to be with someone. As much as he enjoys being alone, it can be harmful for him and himself.
Damain shook his head. "You are fine, Felix. I think if I say 'yes,' then I would be lying to you," He whispered. "But…I am okay knowing that you were there for me…that you care."
Something deep in Felix confirms that Damian's words are true. Though the detective may not be operating at a hundred percent, he knows he'll recover. Damian'll bounce back and Felix will leap right on the trampoline with him. If he wasn't a poker face champion, Felix might've flushed at the thought. Instead, he catches Damian's eye.
A half-smile crosses his face. "I'm happy to be here." His voice is quiet, almost like a secret shared between them. He nudges Damian's arm with his elbow, tilting his head towards the house. "C’mon, I'll make some dinner or something." But even as he speaks, Felix can't quite will his feet to move from the spot. He's staring right into Damian's eyes and his heart flips and Felix might as well be rooted right to the side of his sedan.
"Okay," Damian breathed. As much as he wants to sit down on the couch in some pullover and shorts, he can't find himself to go inside just yet. Even his eyes didn't dare to move away from Felix's. Looking back into them was more than comforting to him. They were everything.
Meanwhile the twins were standing at the doorway, watching Felix and their father. Adonis wanted to shout to ask about dinner, but Mina put her arm out and the two were watching the adults. They giggled to themselves, hoping that the adults were not noticing them. Then Adonis stepped out, shouting, "Appa! Can we make dinner now?" Mina poked his left shoulder as he pouted.
Damian looked over at the two. His shoulders dropped after he sighed. "Yes," He responded loud enough for the twins to hear. "But Felix is going to be the main chef, okay? So you two just help him if he needs any." The beasties nodded then ran off inside, still laughing at whatever they found to be funny.
"They love to help, even if it's just getting a paper towel or washing vegetables," He chuckled while beginning to walk over. He tugged on his shirt. "I gotta get outta these clothes. I'll make it quick so you won't be stuck with those little monsters for too long."
Felix looks over to the kids when they call for their father. Mentally, he runs through all the dishes he could possibly make. Really, it would depend on what the detective has stockpiled in his fridge. Felix could ask either Bianca or Grace–both of them trained chefs–for advice, or even turn to his sister Santana, also known as the best damn chef Felix knows. God, it's been far too long since he's had one of her tamales. He shoots the children a quick thumbs-up as they scuttle back into the house.
"Sounds good to me," Felix responds, slipping his hands into his pockets as he follows Damian into the house. He tries not to feel disappointed. Whatever moment they shared is over, but God what Felix would give to get it back again. Fully remembering the rule from last time, Felix slips off his shoes at the door and sets his sunglasses on the small entry table. "Do what you need to do, doll. I won't be going anywhere."
Felix offers a smile before turning to the kitchen. It takes him a few tries to find the correct light switch, only startling himself with the garbage disposal once. There's no window over the sink which only mildly infuriates Felix, but before he can get too worked up over the kitchen layout, he opens the refrigerator and beckons the kids over with a nod of his head. "What do you guys like to eat?" He asks as he takes inventory of the ingredients.
Damian tried avoiding making eye contact with Felix. As he set his shoes to the side, his face was flushed pink. He knew that his kids (who were standing by the table and watching him) would ask a million questions. Questions that he would rather answer when Felix is not there. But, he saw that smile again that left him sighing. "Well…thank you," He lightly grinned before making his way to his room.
Both kids stared at their father till he closed the bedroom door behind him. Mina tilted her head to the left in confusion then turned to her brother. "Does Daddy look funny to you?" She whispered. She watch as Adonis, with his hands up, shrugged in response. Then she pointed at Felix, "Does he look funny?" Again, her brother shrugged, but then he stared at Felix with squinted eyes. Do the adults look funny?
Adonis was the first to stand by Felix at the fridge. With his little legs, he dashed over. Soon Mina was at his side. They both looked into the fridge then up at the adult. Without hesitation, Adonis responded, "The one that Daddy makes like the meat tamale or like the one with noodles and vegetables. You know?"
Mina nodded, concurring with what her brother said. As she played with her braid, she asked, "What do you like to eat, Felix?"
It's hard for Felix not to overhear the twins' short exchange. He's been called many things in his life, but being called funny by a child is something new to add to the list. He crouches down, both to be at a similar height to the kids and to be at a decent angle to stare into the vegetable crispers. Clearly Adonis has never had a tamale straight from Felix's childhood. Those are the real things, sent straight from Mexico with Felix's parents. "Yes, I do know," Felix says though he truly has no idea what noodle dish Adonis could be talking about.
Felix hums as he ponders what he likes to eat. "Well, I love a lot of what my friends make, but they're not around all the time, so I have to get creative." He shrugs as he pulls open a drawer in the fridge, finding a couple different vegetables. "I like Mexican food. My mom and sister taught me how to make lots of food when I was little." He finds tortillas, cheese, enough produce to make a decent salsa, and a chicken breast in the freezer. "Do you guys like quesadillas?" Those should be easy. As he sets the jalapenos on the counter, he has to wonder what the twins' spice tolerance is. The only clue he has to go off of his his own nephews, but they were raised in Miranda Herrera-Wells's household, and she can eat a ghost pepper without wincing.
"Help me out with this, yeah?" He nudges a stool over to the sink and sets the vegetables down on a kitchen towel. He tests the water with one hand and closes the fridge with the other. "You guys good with washing veggies?" He nods and leaves the two of them to their own devices as he begins to scavenge through Damian's cabinets looking for a proper pan to cook them on.
Neither Adonis nor Mina could really remember the names of the food they liked. All they were able to recall is what ingredients their dad would use or the names that he would call them. Since he makes food from a wide range of cultures, they get mixed up on names for things. Nonetheless, the twins smiled at Felix.
All sorts of questions pranced around them as they listened to the adult. Their eyes followed as each ingredient was set out. "We like quesadillas, but our daddy makes quesillos most of the time," Mina answered. Both of them jumped up when the jalapeños were out. Adonis giggled, "Those make my tongue feel funny. I like those. Daddy does too." Mina laughed too. Somehow jalapeños are amusing to them.
Without hestitation, the twins sprung into action. They began their little routine of getting ready to help. First, they put on their cooking aprons and chef hats that Damian had bought at a crafts store. Adonis had light blue apron and hat whereas Mina wore burgundy ones. "We have to wash our hands first though," Adonis pointed out while getting on the stool, "Daddy says it's very very important to wash our hands." Mina nodded, only to stop so she could adjust her chefs hat.
After drying their hands, they started to clean the vegetables. Adonis hummed to himself. Mina looked over her shoulder at Felix then returned to the task at hand.
Quesillos? Like flan? Huh. The other option is just straight Oaxaca cheese and Felix doubts that Damian is a cheese maker in his free time. Well, the kids seem to enjoy jalapeños so that's at least a plus. He couldn't imagine a decent Mexican dinner without the proper spice of the peppers.
"Ah, yes, washing your hands is very important," Felix notes as he locates the cupboard for frying pans. "The last thing you want is disgusting grime on your delectable dinner, right?" As soon as he finds an adequate skillet, Felix rises to his full height and steps beside the twins to wash his own hands. The hand soap is one of the fancy kinds purchased at Bath and Body Works, and Felix finds this tidbit of information thrilling.
When he looks back at the children, they have aprons and chefs hats and Felix cannot hold back his laugh. It's not mocking at all in the slightest–he's just surprised. They're… adorable? Is that the right word? Felix has never really described another human as adorable, but hell, this sure seems like the right time to start.
Because it's unwise to give children knives, Felix instructs the twins to just begin washing off vegetables while he finds an adequate blade to craft a pico de gallo with.
Adonis nodded his head in an exaggerated way, "Yeah! Washing hands is very important. Daddy says so. Nana says so. Even Abue and Granda says so. So that must make it very important. You know?" His chefs hat started to tilt then slide off his little head. Mina held the vegetable with her right hand in order to push her brother's hat up with the left.
As if they were in sync, the twins looked over their right shoulders. They stared curiously at Felix with raised brows. Adonis shrugged, going back to taking care of the vegetables. On the other hand, Mina hopped off the stool then hopped over to stand next to Felix. She watched whatever he was doing all while trying to figure out what was he looking for. Her fingers tugged the straps of her apron.
"We have plastic knives that are different colors in the drawer by the stove because my brother and I can't use the adult knives. I like the bright red one cause it's one of my favorite colors," She explained, "What's your favorite color, Felix? I like red but I also like black too. Having one favorite color is too hard."
Damian quietly stepped out of the bedroom in a long sleeve black pullover with 1988 summer Olympics logo on it and matching black shorts. The weariness on his face lingered. He was both energetic and tired at the same time, but seeing the three in the kitchen made him content. It was enough for him to smile as he stood there, watching.
Felix nods along to the twins' ramblings. He doesn't know who Nana or Abue or Granda are, but he can assume they're relatives of sorts, likely from their mother's side of the family. As far as Felix knows, Damian isn't on speaking terms with his own parents. Family isn't exactly a topic he'll breach unprompted. "Yes," he confirms with a nod as he locates the knife drawer. It isn't the one Mina had pointed out, for the actual knives are far from where their hands can reach.
"Gold," he answers without hesitation. "Gold is the best color." He smiles down at the girl and brushes a piece of hair from in front of his ear, showing off the trio of small gold hoops pinching the helix of his ear. His watch–stolen–is also gold. "But I suppose I do like black as well. It pairs well with any color." Luckily, the cutting boards are easy to locate.
Unconsciously, Felix flips the knife in his hand, catching it and chopping into the washed jalapeños in one smooth motion. "Adonis–" he catches the attention of the other twin. "Do you have a favorite color?" Behind him, he can hear the soft creak of the bedroom door. Felix doesn't address Damian, allowing the detective to have a moment to himself.
The girl's eyes lit up at the gold hoop earrings. Her lips formed an o shape. "Woah. Those look very very pretty." While Mina has been aware that people can get their ears pierced, she never had seen someone with their ears pierced like Felix. The gold from the watch shined as light from the kitchen bounced off. Gold is a pretty color.
Damian walked into the kitchen. He reached over to turn the sink facuet off. Then, after Adonis hopped off of the stool, he moved it to side and out of the way.
Adonis bit the corner of his lip while tilting his head to the right. "Uhhh my favorite color…." He started to look around at different things in the kitchen. Standing still, he paused and looked down at the floor. "I think blue. I like lots of colors like purple, pink, and silver, but blue is like my favorite, I think." He turned around, facing his dad, and asked, "Daddy, what's your favorite color?"
"My favorite color…" Damian hummed. In the middle of thinking, Adonis went over with arms up, and Damian picked the little one up. His lips moved to the left before he looked down at his shirt. "Green," He said while pointing to the respective Olympic ring, "I've never really had a favorite, but green is always nice." The two little chefs nodded at the same time.
"Blue's also a good color," Felix answers with a nod, finishing his jalapenos and moving onto mincing the onions and quartering the limes. Save the tomatoes for last, always. He'll finish the salsa, then he'll move onto making the quesadillas. The salsa's there to snack on while cooking, that's what his sister had always said. "And green?" Felix raises an eyebrow with a smile. "I thought you were going to say black or beige."
Felix recognizes the olympic symbol as the one for the Korean Olympics. He saw it once at trivia night at some bar. He doesn't remember the date he was with, he just remembers there was never a second date. Felix can't help it if there are attractive people in his vicinity and he wants to talk to them as well. God, it would have had to have been half a decade ago.
As he finishes the cilantro and tomatoes, Felix finds a decently sized bowl and begins to spoon the piled and chopped ingredients into it. He places the knife carefully in the sink and finds a large spoon to mix. He tops with plenty of lime and a few dashes of table salt. "Chips–" He says. "And where do you keep your protein? Chicken, beef? Y'know."
Damian was so focused on Felix's smile that he forgot that he was holding Adonis. His ears turned pink as he looked off to the side. He wasn't able to think of a response. Only when the little monster began to wiggle himself free did Damian realize then helped his son safely get down. He looked over at the table, seeing how it was littered with papers, crayons, and markers. "Hey, you two!" The twins both turned around, staring at him with wide eyes. He asked, "Could you guys go clean the table for me? You can set it up anyway you want to afterwards."
The two chefs nodded then waddled off. Adonis was the first to reach the table and begin putting crayons back in their place. Mina, on the other hand, stopped at the corner of the counter. She held her hands together behind her back and said, "I think that green and gold go really well together." Then she skipped off to help her brother.
Green and gold. Damian was only able to process Felix's question after a shiver went down his spine. After relaxing his muscles, he went over to the sink. "I am pretty sure the chicken is in the bottom drawer on the left side of the fridge," He answered while turning the faucet on. The smell of soap filled his nostrils. It smelled like mangos and flowers. Once he was satisfied with his hand washing, he turned the sink off and started to wrap the cloth around his hands. He leaned back against the counter. "I can help prepare it if you want or you want me to just stand here? It's your call."
Felix briefly watches the kids scuttle off to clean the table before turning back to Damian. Mina's comment rings in his ear, but he chooses not to think about it until what will probably be three in the morning. Felix is lucky that he doesn't flush easily, an ability he was either born with or trained away at his seat at the poker table. "They do go well together," he notes aloud, finding the fridge and the chicken within.
As he sets the meat out, he finds a skillet and sets it atop of the stove, already clicking the gas on and letting it warm the pan. "I'd love your help, doll," Felix says smoothly. "I'm assuming you know how to cook chicken?" He teases softly, elbowing Damian's bicep. With that, he turns to the pantry and finds a barely opened bag of plain tortilla chips. They're clearly not Felix's choice of quality chips, but he'd rather be eating the salsa with those rather than stale Doritos.
He quickly dips a chip into the salsa and puts it into his mouth. "Mm." He hums as he chews and swallows. "That's good." The jalapeños are warm, but not irritatingly hot. The lime was also a good one and provided a perfect amount of citrus. Not wanting to be selfish, Felix slides to bowl towards Damian. "Try some."
Damian ambled over to stand beside Felix, but he couldn't look at him. His eyes flickered over as he chuckled. "Depends on the dish," He coyly responded. Picking up the chicken, he washed them underneath the sink. He sprayed some cooking oil on the pan then placed the pieces of chicken down.
"You are too kind, good sir." He took the blue rag from the oven railing and wiped his hands with it. Then he tossed it to the side, away from the stove. He continued to talk while grabbing a chip then dipping it into the salsa. While carefully putting the whole chip into his mouth, he covered his mouth and chewed.
As soon as he swallowed, he gave a thumbs up. "It's really good." His mouth was tingling, but he liked the feeling of it; it's what he likes about hot food anyways. Damian probably could have gone for another one, but he nudged the salsa in Felix's direction. "Where'd you get the recipe from? I might wanna use it for later…sometime…" Returning his focus back to the stove, he turned the heat up a notch. "You can have more of it. I don't have much of an appetite right now."
Felix smiles–or, well, he hasn't really stopped smiling. It just rests naturally on his face, and it's not like the devilish smirk he used to keep with his expression at all times. This isn't the Felix that loves poker and lying and causing problems for people… No, this is a different Felix. "It's a family recipe," he answers as he takes another chip. "My oldest sister invented it when I was eight. I've just remembered it ever since."
Another chip and then Felix begins shredding some cheese. It isn't his first choice, but he'll take what he can get. One of these days, he's going to have to make Damian a dish that's worthy of Felix's high standards. Expensive ingredients, time spent creating, a nice meaningful dinner– "I'll write it down later tonight for you." He nods and sprinkles some seasonings over Damian's shoulder. His chest is nearly touching the detective's back, but Felix is definitely not thinking about that at all. Nope, Felix is just reaching around him to flavor some chicken.
The more he kept looking over at that gosh darn smile, the more he was giving himself heart palpitations. At one point, Damian was more focused on keeping himself occupied so he wouldn't be blushing or staring so much. "Ahh, I see," He beamed, "You should tell her that it's great. The twins will like it."
All of the sudden his hand crashed above his heart. To play it off, he pretended to clear his throat and act like nothing was going on. Felix is only just helping him by adding seasoning therefore he shouldn't be overthinking this. Oh but the slight brushing is causing his legs to freeze. This is just like high school all over again. It is just dinner. It is just seasoning chicken. There is nothing for him to do an in-depth analysis of.
In the corner of his eye, he let his gaze linger on Felix. Time must have froze when he turned his head to get a better look. His breathing slowed. Traces of a smile lingered before he grinned. "Okay…okay…Thank you." Damian was not able to keep his stare for long. His heart panicked after a few seconds and he was back to staring down at the pieces of chicken.
Huh. Felix is tempted to give his sister a call right now just to relay the message. God–Damian's damned smile. It makes Felix feel warm and happy and full and fuck. He's just spiraling and spiraling… this can't be just a crush.
When Damian clears his throat, Felix has to mentally backtrack and wonder if he overstepped. Where could he have miscalculated? Well, he can't fathom a time where Damian had been outwardly comfortable which leads Felix to believe that something else is going on. Felix quite literally made his living off of reading people and lying, but Damian proved his uncanny ability to predict outcomes and read minds wrong on their first meeting. Hell, has Felix been smitten with the man since then? Jesus Christ.
Felix steps back and takes another chip, hoping that the warm jalapeños will distract him from his own thoughts. At the counter adjacent to Damian, Felix finishes his cheese grating and pushes it all into a neat pile next to the vegetables he set aside for the inside of the quesadillas. "Let me know when you're done with that, doll." Felix says, his voice unexpectedly quiet between them.
"Oh okay…..I'll keep an eye on it. Don't worry." He tried to give an assuring smile, but his attention to detail stopped him. Damian could not ignore the low volume in Felix's voice; its tone was different from moments ago. He tried to distract himself by putting a timer on for the chicken. It didn't really work, but he tried.
The difference between Felix now and Felix a few moments ago alarmed him. Had he done something wrong? Damian didn't know if it was the smile or something he said or what. Maybe Felix knew he liked being in close proximity and doesn't want to be. Then there was all those flirtatious exchanges they had; not to mention what he had done yesterday. Oh God. Oh God. Was he subconsciously crushing on him the whole time?
His lips puffed out into a pout as he stared at the pan. Even while picking apart every single thing he had done, he ignore Felix from the side of his eye. He leaned to the side, whispering, "Are you okay, baby?"
Trying not to think about anything other than quesadillas, Felix applies oil to the griddle and turns it on low, waiting for the chicken to finish so he can chop it up and begin assembling their dinner. The domesticity of it creeps in and Felix has to shoo it away with a broom. This means nothing… This should mean nothing. Right.
Fuck it, this all has to mean something. Felix isn't oblivious and he knows how to read most people. There's no use in being quiet about this.
Of course, Felix's usually swiftly functioning mind stutters and stalls at the pet name. "I'm great," he answers, voice even as always. "But…" Felix sighs and sets down the bottle of oil. To better time to bite the bullet than now. "Damian, que somos nosotros?" His eyes momentarily flick to the twins, still busy with fixing the table up for dinner. "Porque creo que me podrías gustar." It's awfully blunt, but if Felix has been picking the clues up correctly, hopefully it'll all turn out right. This should all turn out okay because all of the arrows have been pointing this direction, and Felix might explode if he harbors unsaid feelings for any longer.
What are they? Damian really wished that he knew. First they were just colleagues and he wanted to be anywhere other than with Felix, but it is completely different. He wants to be more than just colleagues and he wants to be with Felix. But then there's the twins. What will they think? Do they like Felix? Does Felix like them?
His response was delayed. It wasn't just the switch from English to Spanish, it was a whole equation. Language switching plus mental exhaustion plus feelings; if only he could find the answer to it all. He gave Felix a smile before he asked, "¿Qué somos nosotros?"
The timer went off. His eyes expanded at what he heard. Swiftly, he turned the heat off then turned to face Felix. "¿Tú haces?" Somehow his vision became slightly blurry. He wiped his eyes then sniffed. "Me gustas. Me gustas mucho y no se que decir." Damian sniffed again, wiping the corner of his eyes. "Ah carajo…Lo siento. Lo siento." If only there was a less teary-eyed way for him to say it. He wished he had more to say aside from stating the obvious. The only other ways he could say it would be in English or Korean, but it all would be the same thing…I like you, Felix.
When Damian only repeated the question, Felix felt something inside him dip. It wasn't rejection it was… something. Something else, something confusing and something Felix doesn't like. He likes to know and when he doesn't know what's happening inside his own stomach–but as soon as Damian speaks again, any sort of confusing and annoying and mildly infuriating emotions diminish.
"Me alegro de que el sentimiento sea mutuo," he says quietly. Instinctively, Felix's hand goes up to gently hold the side of Damian's face. Felix smiles, not like his wide laughing ones or mischievous smirks, but a small, genuinely happy smile that's reserved for only one other person to see. Not wanting the other to see the light tears forming across his eyes, Felix closes them and lets his head fall to Damian's chest. "No te disculpes, no tienes nada por lo que disculparte," he murmurs.
The timer goes off again, and Felix, reluctantly, steps back to shut the stove off. "Tus hijos estarán bien con esto?" He briefly looks over to the twins at the table and then back to Damian.
There was nothing else for him to say. Words seemed to have failed him once again. He stood still while staring at Felix with glassy eyes. The other's hand felt warm against the side of his face. Damian could feel his heart beating, even after the hand was removed. He just hoped that Felix didn't notice, even when he rested his head against him. His fingers gently brushed through Felix's hair.
Damian looked over his shoulder. The table was cleared aside from the markers Mina was using to draw something. Adonis, on the other hand, had rolled up a piece of paper and was pretending it was a telescope. Watching them made Damian smile. He took a deep sigh while turning his head to face Felix.
He nodded, "Ellos deberían estar bien con eso. Probablemente te harán miles de preguntas." While thinking of what to say, all he could hear was the twins debating on where everyone will be sitting. He laughed to himself while wiping away the tears. "Ellos deben estar bien. Estaban bien contigo cuando yo no estaba, ¿verdad?"
