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It was over, finally; all of the Red Ring were being brought in by the truckloads, Coupé and Visi had been brought back to the Z-team and Shroud was dead. Robert finally felt some small sort of relief, of course things were still complicated and work would never stop but he could finally at least know that chapter of his life has ended. That being said, the aftermath had left the city in a bit of disarray. Robert was lucky (which is rare) that his shitty little apartment hadn't been destroyed or affected heavily considering some had lost their housing in the uprising. His water however had been affected, some of the city's plumbing and flowing water had been halted because of damages so for the time being whenever he wanted to shower he'd had to use a bucket and a washcloth. It wasn't very glamorous but nothing in his life was. Yesterday however the SDN building had finally finished being repaired and he could go back to work, which meant he could use their showers. Despite never really needing much to get by, the idea of a warm shower instead of lukewarm bucket water sounded sublime. He would've gone before work started but he didn't know how long he'd take and he knew a lot of the other z-teamers would be showering in the morning; way too many of them had already seen him naked or half way there.
. . .
Honestly it wasn't a bad day. Of course as a dispatcher he had to deal with more calls than usual, some from the city needing help with some repairs, some because of Red Ring copycats and many because of locals just back on their usual bullshit. But through all of that he was happy to hear from the Z-team again, though he wouldn't admit it they had a certain little community and it felt nice to know they were all doing well. Nothing, however, got him more excited today than when his shift ended and everyone was leaving because it meant he could finally have a nice peaceful shower. There was one set back though - Beef. He didn't want him to just be all alone while he showered, especially not after his life was threatened only weeks previous. So he did what he always did when he needed someone to watch Beef. He turned to the cubicle next to him and plopped that big fluffy meatball into Chase’s lap. “Hey, wanna do me a favor?” Robert asked basically already knowing the answer
“Fuck no” chase replied, as expected “but I'll do anything for this little fat fuck”
“Yeah well he needs a babysitter tonight, you good to watch him”
“Robert you couldn't pry this dog from my cold dead hands”
Robert chuckled slightly as he watched Chase pet his little spoiled dog “I'll take that as a yes” he said before yawning a bit. It was a tiring day and he was ready to rest - he never really got to relax because of his lifestyle and deep-rooted issues with taking care of himself but even still he looked forward to the few simple pleasures he had. It seemed Chase’s distraction with Beef had dissipated slightly considering he finally asked “wait a minute you have no life, what the fuck could you possibly be busy with?”. Robert scoffs slightly at his comment, it was usual of Chase to hide concern or curiosity behind insults and he had missed that about him when they were made to stay home. “I'm using the SDN showers and I didn't wanna leave the little guy alone.”
“Waters been off?”
“Yeah, just like half the city. That's why I'm going now instead of that busy morning time”
“A shower will do you good, you smell like depression and dust” he said, making them both chuckle “don't blame you for waiting tho, so many fuckers around here lost their plumbing half the company was in there this morning”
“Well hopefully it gets fixed soon, nobody wants to have to watch you wash your ancient ass” Robert adds before walking off chuckling, pretty sure he could faintly hear chase muttering ‘fuck off’ before turning back to beef and saying something about flying him home.
. . .
Robert entered the locker room and waited until he saw the last few people leave. He wasn't very shy about his body but as a guy who didn't get much privacy he figured an empty shower room all to himself would be nice. Once all of the other guys finally filtered out he entered the quiet shower room. The only sound was the echoing of dripping water and his footsteps. He shed his towel and hung it up before turning the dial for one of the spouts nearby him. Warm water splashed down onto him and it felt heavenly, he knew he missed having real showers but sometimes experiencing something again reminds you of why you love it. Most of his wounds from the battle before had either scarred over or were basically healed by now, joining all the other marks he'd earned over the years. He had a pretty fit body, not considered incredibly muscular but he was lean enough to manage on his own. Showers were the closest he ever got to relaxation, his bed was a lawn chair and his job almost killed him every day (up until recently) so being able to just sit in the gentle warm rushing water, hearing nothing but water droplets and his own thoughts was like a spa day. He found himself breathing a soft sigh of relief while shampooing his hair until he heard steps behind him breaking him from the illusion. He tilted his head to the side to Flambae standing there in just a towel. Despite him being roughly as clothed as usual considering his suit's v-line goes so low you can see his entire abdomen, he seemed more exposed right now. Some of his happy trail was visible from above the towel and - maybe it was because Robert hadn't seen him in weeks but - he looked somehow more defined than usual, those broad shoulders and pecs, his strong arms, all of it caught Robert off guard. Even something as simple as Flambae’s hair being down seemed to charge something within him, he only ever saw it up; though Robert never let this revelation show on his face. Not that Flambae would have noticed Roberts expression considering he wasn't looking at him, well he was - just not at his face. His vision was directed lower, much lower, staring directly at Robert's ass; guess it wasn't as ‘flat’ as Flambae claimed it was. “You just gonna stand there or did you need something?” Robert’s deep voice sounded through the shower hall seemingly getting through to Flambae “god knows you need to wash that greasy ass ponytail” he added.
. . .
Flambae's gaze finally met Robert's, those fiery orange eyes locking onto his brown ones “I don't need anything from you bitch I just can't figure out why your showering here so fucking late” he said with his usual tone of snark.
“I could ask the same thing of you” Robert said as he turned his head to face the tiled wall of the shower again. He heard Flambae's towel hit the floor and his eyes narrowed slightly at the idea that Flambae was naked behind him. A certain intensity within his brown eyes that Flambae couldn't see. He then continued “waters not working in my apartment and I didn't wanna be squeezed in here with Punch-up and Chase pressed up against me while we’re all naked. Not exactly my idea of a good time if you’ll believe it” he said. Flambae came into his peripheral vision as he turned on the showerhead next to him - Robert thought it was strange he wouldn't choose one further away but didn't question it out loud. “Whatever Bob Bob just try not to stare at me, you might get distracted by what a real hero looks like” Flambae said while wetting himself under the spray of the water. Despite now knowing Robert was Mecha Man and being the one who had been staring moments before Robert didn't think to combat him on his comment. It was usual for them to go back and forth like this. All Robert offered him as a response was a small tsk.
. . .
After a moment of silence and attempts not to look over at his showermate Robert finished washing and conditioning his hair - usually he used a shitty 3-in-one but they had better products at SDN - he needed to wash his body but didn't have a single bar of soap on his side of their shared space. “Make yourself useful and pass me the soap” he muttered to Flambae without looking at him and after a moment felt a small pressure against his back. Robert turned his head up to find Flambae directly behind him, his long wet locks framing his serious face as he looked down at Robert. Roberts head only reaching roughly his chest or collarbone, the back of his skull pressed to his pecs. “Is that the soap or is your little match stick pressing into me?” Robert asked and Flambae's gaze intensified. Steam arose from him like he might've been creating an angry flame but it was diffused by the rushing water “nothing about me is ‘little’ Bobert” the flame thrower said before reaching around to place the bar of soap within Robert's hand. His eyes then shifted lower down Robert's front and added “I guess that makes one of us” with that shit eating grin he always got from making fun of the man - a single gap in his pearly whites, courtesy of Robert himself. It was obvious he was lying, I mean he may not have been as big as whatever Flambae had going on but he was by no means ‘little'. “Whatever you have to tell yourself man” was all Robert said before breaking their connected gaze and focusing on washing his body. It was weird, he'd always butt heads with Flambae, they were both incredibly stubborn and Flambae's angry outbursts mixed with Robert's dry insults always proved entertaining. But something about that stupid, arrogant, erratic bonfire was weirdly attractive to the other man. It's not like he'd never considered being with guys before, he never really put a label on his sexuality - especially since he never had time for relationships - but he had definitely found some guys attractive. He just never thought that the person he'd be attracted to was an ex-villam who made fun of him constantly but something about that bitch ass candle just drew him in - like a moth to a flame, quite literally. If someone else talked to him the way Flambae did he wouldn't be as chill with it, if someone looked like Flambae but acted different he might think they're attractive but still not worth more than a glance. But when that fireball bothers him every day, poking and prodigy until Robert is ready to cut off a few more of his appendages, it just… works. He was zoning out while washing himself, trying not to think too heavily about the proximity of his shower-mate. It was difficult though, he could feel the heat of the other man standing just behind him. The water Robert was showering with was comfortably warm but he could still feel that warmth he only felt when Flambae got slightly too close, the heat that seeps beneath that first, second and third layer of skin just to nestle in your bones and chest.
. . .
Meanwhile Flambae felt a different kind of burn, he may be immune to high temperatures, may ‘control the fire and the flame’ but he's not so immune to the kind of warmth that comes from sharing a shower with Robert Robertson. Especially not after seeing him for the first time in a long time, he'd been thinking about the little Normie the whole time the building had been repaired. Flambae would never turn down a break from work but a break from their playful yet viscous hate flirting wasn't as welcome. He always wanted to push things a bit further, wanted to see if Robert was all talk or if maybe he did have a little interest in guys, specifically himself. But with the fear of rejection and having to still work together mixed with the remaining fear that Robert was too ‘good’ for him - again, literally - he usually keeps it to banter. Though seeing him all alone in the showers, naked and at ease - or as at ease as Robert ever allowed himself to be - with that tight ass so close just to tease him; it was definitely testing his patience, something that already wore quite thin. He watched as Robert washed himself, trying not to be creepy but also having trouble prying his eyes away. He found himself getting lost in the movements of that weak little man while he himself continued washing his hair, working on autopilot as his eyes followed the bar of soap along that beautiful scarred body. He then watched as Robert reached up to try and wash his back only to come up short and barely reach his own shoulders. It seemed years of soreness and lack of proper rest was catching up to him. “Tsk, pathetic” Flambae muttered and Robert could almost hear the smirk on his face
. . .
Robert glanced back, not bothering to even turn to look at the other man but just looking over his shoulder enough that he could see those bright orange eyes and long dark hair out of his peripherals “are you still staring at me?” He asked and that seemed to remind Flambae that he has no good excuse to be watching Robert this closely. A certain steam started forming above them both again as an excuse struggled to be formed “I'm not staring at you Bobert, it's just hard not to notice you not being able to reach your own fucking shoulders. I didn't think you needed a spot in the showers too, they don't have posters for that”. Robert rolled his eyes despite slightly enjoying the larger man's insults. “Yeah well, you try working 24/7 for as long as I have with no powers and no breaks. You'll get some tight muscles too” Robert responded only to be shot back with
“You don't have enough muscles to tighten up Robbie, you're skin, bones and scar tissue. You're like one of those bitchy little stray dogs except there's no random blonde white woman to pick you up off the side of the road”. They then both shared a small look in realization that his ‘Blonde White Woman’ was Blazer and a small scoff was shared between them. Robert put the bar of soap down with a small sigh as if giving up on washing his back. He just hung his head for a moment to feel the drops of water methodically falling against him. He then felt a familiar pressure against him from behind. A slippery bar of sudsy soap sliding across his bare scarred back. He didn't say anything at first, just looked back to see Flambae purposely trying not to meet his questioning gaze, staring hard at Robert's back. “What? Don't look at me like that Normie. I don't want to have to work with you if you're going to smell like shit, bitch” he said a bit defensively but in his usual tone of stubborn helpfulness. While Robert could've combated by reminding Chad he couldn't smell him through the dispatching screen he was enjoying the feel of those strong hands dragging against his tired body. He kept going in sections, sudsing up Roberts back before scrubbing that area and at the same time deeply massaging the aching muscles. At this point he knew Flambae was closer because the heat behind him intensified, not so hot that it would burn just a bit warmer than a usual human. That soft aroma of ember and woodiness that Flambae always smelled of enveloped him and a part of him wished the taller man would get even closer, press against him from behind and let Robert feel those muscles he likes to brag about so much against his back - but the message was nice too. His eyes closed and despite himself he felt his body relax, he usually had a tenseness within him - not just from having a sore body - but just naturally he was never really at ease; but it seemed those calloused hands worked wonders on him. He was even making some quiet noises, soft hums of deep appreciation that, despite their quietness, rumbled through his body - barely audible under the sound of falling water “y’know this is definitely an HR violation” Robert mused aloud but there was no malice behind his words.
“Well if you wanted me to stop you wouldn't be purring Bob Bob” though his comments didn't usually get a reaction from Robert, his eyes actually made him open his eyes in subtle surprise at that one. A small scoff escaped him but he couldn't really argue because as the fire wielder's hands moved closer to the center of his back the soft sounds only got louder.
“Well… thank you, Chad” Robert responded, sincerely. It was a rare genuine moment from him and it threw Chad slightly off his game. There was a silence from behind Robert before he heard Chad's voice again
“ok, ok, shut up bitch. It's only weird when you thank me for it”. It made the ‘Normie’ chuckle slightly but he did as told and didn't say thank you again.
. . .
As Chad's hands went slowly downward, Robert's back felt like it was melting and not just from the warmth of the other man. It was like the spots he'd already massaged had gone limp while the rest that he was working on was tensed and slowly getting more and more limber. When he reached the small of his back Robert leaned back subconsciously, his shoulders falling back onto a warm muscular chest, the back of his head seedling back against into it's spot against super’s collarbone. When he felt himself make contact with Chad hewas surprised as if it wasn't his own body that'd done it. He opened his eyes to see Chad looking down at him, mischief burning in his firey eyes “feeling weak, Mecha Man?” a smirk hinting at the corner of his lips. Despite himself, that comment only made Robert feel weaker; he could barely muster an eye roll. “Just… tired. I could use a heated pec pillow right now”
“You ain't seen heat yet bitch” was all Robert heard before feeling Chad's hands begin to warm exponentially against his waist. It wasn't burning him, especially since he'd been through too much for a little temperature shift to hurt him, but it felt almost like the highest setting on a heating pad. His voice shook slightly, he wished it hadn't knowing how much pleasure Flambae took out of seeing him weak but at the same time if it encouraged him to do more of… whatever this was, he might just let himself be fragile for a moment. It was unusual for something to feel good enough that he'd allow himself to be vulnerable in front of someone but he wasn't really mad about it either. Once Flambae finished cleaning his back he ran his hands along the sides of Robert's body, ran them along the arch of his back and then brought them all the way down to just where his ass curved into his spine. “I-...Chad…” Robert whispered to which he got no response. “...Chad” he murmured a little louder as Flambae's hand started teasingly feeling up the sides of his hips. Robert felt the other man's thumb start to slide slowly down the cleft of his cheeks - this was definitely an HR violation, “Chad.” he said in a slighter harsher tone, finally eliciting a response from the matchbox. His hands paused and eyes refocused on Robert's face. “...what?”. The shorter man's eyes opened and locked onto Flambae's - they shared a look of realization of what this was becoming - Robert looked more like he was asking what they were doing but Chad didn't seem perplexed at all, except maybe a bit confused why Robert hadn't expected this. It wasn't like they had never been flirty towards each other, they had, a lot; but Robert wasn't used to just going with the flow like that. Just letting it happen. But as he looked into those eyes, burning with a heat and warmth that only one specific man contained, that hot anti hero melted all of his worries down to nothingness. He felt weirdly safe - despite being naked in what would usually be a cold, open and exposed tiled room and it being late in the night by now - he just felt safe. So as Chad leaned in, slowly closing the gap between their faces, Robert decided to just simply go with the flow.
. . .
Robert let his eyes fall closed and felt Chad's lips press to his. It wasn't rough but there was a definite want in his movements. Chad's 3 fingered hand moved up to curl around Robert's throat, not choking him - at least not yet - but holding his face in place to kiss him - his other hand continued it's journey on the south half of the smaller man's body. His middle finger split Robert’s plump behind, circling that tight little hole, the rest of his hand pressing into his round cheeks. Robert had never had anything inside him before but it wasn't really the time to be shying away from firsts so while he may have tensed slightly, he didn't pull away. Chad smirked through a kiss, breaking it away only to mutter “scared, Mecha Bitch?” and through his focus, the Dispatcher couldn't help but give a small laugh “shut the fuck up” he said before pressing their lips together once again. Chad took it further this time, pressing past those plump lips and tasting him. Their tongues danced together and for a third time Robert felt a pressure against his back but this time he was sure it was Flambae's ‘matchstick’ though he hadn't been lying before, it wasn't little. He wasn't the only one getting work up, Robert's own cock pressed idly against his abdomen as if asking for attention but Chad's hands were busy elsewhere. Busy applying increasing heat to his lover's body and teasing the puckered hole of the ass he'd been staring at all night. Flambae's mouth started to move lower, down a sharp jawline, down the column of a neck - nibbles and open-mouthed kisses distracting the former hero for just long enough that he was relaxed so the tip of Chad's middle finger could slip inside him. “F-Fuck” Robert cursed shakily under his breath, his finger wasn't big enough to hurt but it was definitely a bit uncomfortable.
“C'mon stop tensing up, it'll only make it feel weirder. If you can't take a finger or two then you're gonna be real fucked when you get to my dick” Flambae murmured against Roberts neck, the hand he had holding the other man's head in place sliding down to tease his nipples; the few fingers he had left on that hand flicking and twisting the hard pebbled nub to give him something better to focus on. Robert breathed a soft sigh and attempted to relax himself, once his body softened the Firewielder started to slowly press deeper. He didn't rush it, gently prodding inside until his middle finger was buried inside Roberts tight heat “fuck Robert, have you never even fingered yourself or something. It's like your trying to cut off my fucking circulation. I mean, not that I'm complaining” Robert was shuddering slightly as he adjusted, one hand gripping Flambae's wrist that was currently latched to his lover's now hard and throbbing nipple; and the other holding onto the larger man's thigh. “Oh so you can pronounce my name now? All that it took was shoving your finger in my ass”
“Yes, well I'd never fuck a guy named Bob Bob so it's a compromise. Your welcome bitch”
Robert exhaled a shaky breath as Flambae started to move his finger but slowly eased into it. It felt more and more normal the longer he went on and the easier it slid back and forth. A second finger slid inside soon after both working to loosen up his tightly puckered hole. It felt strange but slightly pleasurable for Robert, especially for his first time taking anything; that was until Chad felt he'd situated his fingers well enough inside the other man and started curling his fingers in a come hither motion. At just the first pump Robert let out a grunt so sudden even he didn't expect it. Flambae's finger just hit that perfect little bundle of nerves inside him, and then again and again and again so the weirdness of the sensation faded. “Ah… a-ah fuck. G-ugh fuck why didn't you start like this”
Flambae shrugged “I don't know, maybe I thought you should get used to my fingers first or maybe I just didn't think you deserved it yet” he said with an audible smirk
“ass”
. . .
It was only a few minutes longer that Robert muttered a surprising “stop, stop” a brief flicker of worry flashed across Flambae's face which was unusual for him
“what? Does it hurt”.
“No I just…” Robert started but trailed off, he didn't want to admit to Chad that he wanted him to stop so that he didn't cum early, he knew he'd have to see that missing-toothed grin again “just… just fuck me already” he murmured. There was momentary surprise on the larger man's face before his gap was on display again, he was grinning like he'd just won the lottery. He glanced down at the Dispatchers dick knowingly to find a small bead of precum on his tip “awe, little bitch going to cum too early. Getting this worked up over just my fingers”
“don't forget I can revoke your fingers, again”
“oh you're fucking getting it for that Robert” he said as he slid his fingers from Roberts ass. The water above them was running cold now but Flambae was warm enough for the two of them both. He pushed Robert against the tiled wall in front of him, his face smashed against the cold surface. One of Chad’s hands fell against the wall next to his lover's head while the other found the swell of his hip. “Well, you better be ready Robbie, I'm a lot bigger than two fingers”
“prove it” Robert said with a clear challenge in his tone. Challenge, competition, it drove them both wild. Next thing Robert knew Flambae's fingers were in his mouth, wetting themselves before coating his cock and once it was nice and slick he rubbed the tip against that primed hole. “Relax bitch” was all that was said into the brunette's ear as he took a deep breath before feeling a firm tip push it's way inside him. His partner's dick was longer than it was girthy, long enough to hit the right spot every time and still just girthy enough to fill and rub against every ridge inside him but not so big that it was painful. Robert preferred it that way, it didn't hurt really but it went so fucking deep. Not that Flambae would just push himself all the way in, no he eased his cock in nice and gentle just to tease Robert, and - though he'll never admit it - to keep it from causing unnecessary damage to that stupidly cute man. “Fuck Robert you're still that tight? Don't worry, give me a minute and I'll change that”
“ah f-fuck, shut up and get on with it” Chad didn't appreciate Roberts tone, or maybe he did, just too much. His hips started moving just as instructed, hard long thrusts that took his full length in a steady rhythm. He wasn't going too fast, at least not for Chad's usual pace but for Robert's first time the speed definitely seemed like Flambae's way of shutting him up. It wasn't just his dick that felt good, and it did - hard and hitting that sweet spot within him with every movement, drawing moan after pathetic grunt from his lips - but the heat. Flambae was always less in control of his powers when engaging in ‘extracurriculars’ and his partner could feel it. That hard cock was so warm inside him, like it was melting him from the inside and the strong hands resting on his body seemed to steam and smoke as they both started to lose themselves in it. Their charged groaning combined as they both got enveloped in thick hot fog, It would've been a shocking sight to see if anyone walked in right now; the flamboyant anti-hero was slamming his hips into his superiors - lewd sounds of moans, faintly whispered ‘fuck you's, Roberts occasional pleading demands that Chad fuck him harder, the water cascading over their quickly moving forms and Flambae's heavy balls slapping against Roberts ass. He was sure that they would both get into trouble if caught like this, the paperwork would be stacked to the ceiling but neither could care about that right now, not even the ‘Normie’. all he wanted was for his partners hips to keep moving, for him to keep heating up and hitting that perfect fucking spot inside him. Chad could feel himself getting closer and he knew that if he was close, so was his little Mecha bitch considering he almost came before just from some fingering. He wrapped both his arms around the other man's waist from behind so he could fuck him harder, his thrusts beginning to get sloppier but Robert didn't seem to mind, he just seemed glad Flambae was fucking him harder. “Fuck, Chad.. I…ugh God fucking damn it ngh- I'm almost t-there” Robert managed to spit out, his voice quivering at the end. Chad's few-fingered hand found it's way around Robert's neck again, pulling his head back slightly and squeezing just enough to constrict his breathing. “Good, I don't like to be kept waiting”. Robert tried to respond with something along the lines of “oh shut the fuck u-!” But was cut off by Flambae's sudden increase in pace. It was so fast, so hot, so hard. He couldn't take it anymore, his mind felt blank and his entire body felt feverish. He felt Flambae’s load rush into him just as his own cum splattered against the tiles of the floor and wall - expelling a string of moans, colorful words and Chad's name as he reached his peak. Chad's body lit up when he climaxed, luckily the water kept the flames away and he did all he could not to burn Robert but there was still visible red burns of his hands on his lover's waist and neck. He fucked him through the high, riding out the after shock until they were both left gasping and overwhelmingly warm.
. . .
He slid out and watched with exhausted pleasure as his cum dripped from Roberts hole. “Now that is the kind of wet I like to be Robert” Robert had his forehead against the cold shower wall, letting the freezing water wash over him and cool him off - especially his burns - so all he could muster was a measly “fuck you” Flambae just hugged him from behind, his chin tucking it'self into the crook of the others neck before whispering “I mean I guess we could try that next but I might melt your dick off. Would be good payback for the fingers though… and the tooth”. They both chuckled there quietly for a moment, letting their sins get washed away by the water before slowly un-entangling themselves from one another. Robert had to relearn to walk for a minute or two but he was used to pain, and usually it didn't come from a pleasure like that so he found it a worthy price to pay. They both finally dried off, their fingers a bit pruney after the long, long, shower they had together, and got dressed. Robert didn't particularly want to walk home so Chad offered to fly him. “You sure you can do that without cooking me” Robert asked, a bit skeptical. “Yes bitch ok, believe it or not I can still fly with only my bottom half on fire. It just has less dramatic effect. You'll only be a slightly toasted marshmallow by the end, at most” the Dispatcher gave a dry chuckle once more at his Lover’s response but being ‘lightly toasted’ - which he already kinda was based on the burns on his body - sounded much better than limping his plowed ass home. So they gathered their things, went outside and took flight; The wind whipped in Flambae's hair and Robert was watching him almost lovingly. The air was cold against him but Chad was warm enough to keep him from catching a cold - the sights of the city were rushing past beneath them but Robert's eyes were only pointed up to look at his recent partner. They were silent for a few moments before Flambae started “uh… sorry about your neck and stuff. Really you're lucky it wasn't worse. I can't really control that kind of thing when I y'know, am like fucking someone or something” it wasn't normal to hear Flambae apologize, it actually seemed unnatural coming from his mouth
“awe, do you mean you actually care. Wow what a softie. Next thing I know you'll be buying me burn cream” Chad scoffed with a small upturn to his lips but it was clear something else was on his mind
“no bitch, I just mean that… if we were to do something like this again you might get actually hurt or we'd have to, I don't know, keep my fucking hands away from you or something”. Robert could see actual worry on Chad's face and that alone made the burns feel better - it was knowing that it wasn't just a one time thing to the other man either, that despite himself he cared about Robert. He kissed him on his jaw “so what, I'm covered in scars anyway - what's a few more. Maybe I'll just get you some oven mitts for Christmas”. Flambae looked at Robert seriously for a moment before cracking a smile
“oh fuck you” and they both laughed softly. When Flambae landed it wasn't where Robert had expected, his apartment wasn't in sight, just a homey little brown cottage. “Listen as much as I'd love to hull up in this place, this is definitely not my apartment”. The fire handler carried Robert inside despite them on solid ground now
“yes fucking obviously Bobert, this is my place. If you think I'm gonna destroy your ass like that and let you sleep on a lawn chair you're fucking stupid”. The inside made it pretty clear whose place it was too; It all smelt woodsy and warm, if that was a smell and there was a large fire place in the living room crackling, not to mention the high temperature of the building that hinted at it's owner. It looked like one of those cabins you'd rent out for a romantic weekend with someone but just a bit more scattered and less modern. Before he knew it Robert was being carried upstairs into Flambae's bedroom and plopped on the bed. The room was cozy, a plush bed with lots of blankets and a window in one corner. There was a t.v. and, unsurprisingly, a lot of candles around “y'know open flames in a wooden house doesn't seem very safe” Robert said as he shed his outer layers of clothing. “They go out if they tip over dumb ass, Alice got them for me. I'm the flame expert here Bobby, the only fires I start are on purpose. Besides, it's not like I'll die in a fire or something”. They both stripped back down into their boxers and huddled together in the bed, Chad held Roberts waist and the back of his head, keeping it firmly planted against his chest. “I wanted another fireplace in here but my sister said having more than one in your house is too ‘extra’”.
“Of course you did. You know I'd think of all people your sister should know your always extra”. They both shared a soft, defiant but amused look, kissing a few more times before passing out.
. . .
It was rare for Robert to feel so comfortable, so relaxed; Flambae's massage had done wonders on his back and the warmth helped too. Not to mention having an actual fucking bed to lay in, it probably made him even more comfortable knowing it who it belonged too. The next morning when Robert woke up for his shift he didn't want to open his eyes. He could smell the fiery mix of scents that was Flambae's house but when he opened his eyes he realized the sole resident was already gone. All he left was a note that explained he'd gone into work early to exercise. He may have been a bit stand offish to a relationship but it was pretty clear that he - however begrudgingly - wanted one with Robert. He was just going to be incredibly awkward and avoidant at the start. Robert didn't really mind that much though, he had his own shit to get through so he kinda understood. He walked to work that day, praying nobody asked about the red mark in the shape of a hand - suspiciously missing certain fingers - on his neck that was peaking out from the collar of his uniform, though if he knew the Z-team (and he did) they wouldn't let him live it down. He was starting to think he might want to text Chad to see if he was ok considering he hadn't heard from him since last night until he reached his desk. A small tube of burn cream sat on the keyboard with a note attached to it that read “you're gonna need it bitch” and he couldn't help but give a small stubborn smile.