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It was a gloomy day. The skies were grey without a hint of rain. The lack of the warmth of the sun and the weight of the hazy sky lead to Rex wanting to be inside as quickly as possible. The bag he’d had on his shoulder was heavy and even now he felt like he could hear every footstep behind him echoing in his own mind. Was he being followed? No that was just someone hustling to their car.

This was a special day, and this day always took him back to the past. He remembered the first time he found out. It was actually a really silly way to find out as well since he’d just seen Luke entering it on a few job applications.

    Rex had started quickly getting plans together and thrown Luke the best party for just the two of them he could remember. It was the Birthday he’d bought him the bike. Luke’s face had been so happy, ecstatic. He’d kissed him. Rex remembers them both laughing it off, though he knew the truth even then. He’d pretended not to but he’d always known.

    There were no parties after that one. It had been incredible and he hoped Luke still looked back on it with the same amount of fondness that he did. Though it might also bring the same amount of despair. He’d tried to make him something the year that followed, on his birthday. He wanted him to have something special though he wasn’t there to see if he saw it or even know if he liked it. It might have made him angry.

    But he’d done it all the same, sure it had been washed off before long but it had taken one night of full dark to dawn work before it was ready. The mural had been one of his most proud, an orca in cyan and pink, their colors, cresting a wave that was overtaking the city. He’d seen it in a few newspapers and art magazines, people loved it. Well everyone except for city officials and the building owner. He remembered there were protests about it but at the end of the day it had been power washed the same way he’d put it up, throughout the night.

    Even now as he walked alone along the city streets he wondered if this day would ever be the same again. Leaving Luke alone for that long, even seeing him again the relationship wouldn’t be the same. A few drops of rain finally fell from the sky, breaking a tension he didn’t know he was holding. Everything felt heavier in the rain, and the rain was the only reason he was slowing down. It was always so strange that it could even rain inside his goggles so easily.

    Still his bag wasn’t waterproof so he had to run. There really wasn’t a reason for him to try and get anywhere quickly, he wasn’t being followed, but old habits die hard and he pulled himself up a fire escape. He wasn’t in a hurry, he needed to be careful actually instead of quite so reckless, so he wasn’t about to try and daring jumps or desperate climbs.

    In more recent days Rex worried Luke had spent his birthday or other holidays mostly alone, though he’d been happily proven wrong when he’d first seen his detective partner bringing him something this day a year ago. They’d only been working together a short while and still he’d brought him something. It was even something pretty personal and Rex, who of course had been really hoping to catch Luke seeing his own mural but had missed it, was surprised. Happy even. Seeing them acting that friendly had him certain that Luke would be fine. He didn’t miss him that much right?

    He’d still known the truth even then. He still knew just how much Luke’s heart hurt and how much it was breaking over this. He was still looking for him even while he cried into the shoulder of his partner. It was upsetting enough that Rex hadn’t stuck around to see what he thought of the mural after all. Instead he’d taken himself back to his hidden little tent and cried for a while, holding his head and wondering what choices he’d made to lead up to this point.

    He was passing the building now that that mural had been on. If you knew where to look you could see a little bit of the paint under a window sill, yes he’d specifically looked for some trace of it. Luke didn’t live in these horrible apartments right across from it anymore, and for that he was thankful. They were honestly the worst and he couldn’t believe just how disgusting they’d been from the inside. Moving in with his partner was the best choice for both of them since he knew Rowan had a terrible problem with intense loneliness.

    Rowan’s apartment was loud, he wasn’t sure how he could stand it.

    “Rex? You’re soaking wet! You should have told me you were walking here. I would have come and gotten you!” Luke had pulled open the door, screaming over the club sounds that were way worse outside of the soundproofed apartment. Rex held out the gift bag and smiled at him as he saw Luke’s face light up in a way that he’d missed more than any sight in the world. “You idiot, you know you didn’t have to- What did you even--”

    “Hush you, let me in so we can celebrate. I hope you actually got some vegetables and not just junk food.” Rex pushed his way inside, giving Luke a little kiss to the corner of his mouth as he went. Waving at the faces around the room. Rowan of course was there and so were a few of his friends. The nosey detective that Rex had met a time or two, Aurum, was having a heated argument with Pyr who gave Rex at least the most friendly wave and nod he could muster. There were so many people, but for once Rex didn’t feel like he needed to run away. He felt like this was a safe place he could be.

    Balloons, cake, snacks, and finally a lot of video games preempted the gift opening that Rex was hoping for. Luke had a snarky ‘you shouldn’t have’ for everyone's gift, though he could tell just how much each one meant to him.

    Rex couldn’t hold back, fidgeting and awkward, until Luke got to his. He stood up and moved closer, the damp tissue paper fortunately coming away pretty easily from the shiny gift bag and the gift within. The little plushie orca perfectly mimicked that mural from a year ago, and the tattoo he’d seen on Luke as well.
    “Ah- Rex--” This tough guy really wasn’t so tough as Rex saw the tears welling up and he came closer wrapping his arms around him and squeezing him with all the strength he could muster. Rex let him hide his tough guy tears against his neck.

    “Happy Birthday Lukas, may each one shine brighter than the last.”

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

It was a gloomy day. The skies were grey without a hint of rain. The lack of the warmth of the sun and the weight of the hazy sky lead to Rex wanting to be inside as quickly as possible. The bag he’d had on his shoulder was heavy and even now he felt like he could hear every footstep behind him echoing in his own mind. Was he being followed? No that was just someone hustling to their car.

This was a special day, and this day always took him back to the past. He remembered the first time he found out. It was actually a really silly way to find out as well since he’d just seen Luke entering it on a few job applications.

    Rex had started quickly getting plans together and thrown Luke the best party for just the two of them he could remember. It was the Birthday he’d bought him the bike. Luke’s face had been so happy, ecstatic. He’d kissed him. Rex remembers them both laughing it off, though he knew the truth even then. He’d pretended not to but he’d always known.

    There were no parties after that one. It had been incredible and he hoped Luke still looked back on it with the same amount of fondness that he did. Though it might also bring the same amount of despair. He’d tried to make him something the year that followed, on his birthday. He wanted him to have something special though he wasn’t there to see if he saw it or even know if he liked it. It might have made him angry.

    But he’d done it all the same, sure it had been washed off before long but it had taken one night of full dark to dawn work before it was ready. The mural had been one of his most proud, an orca in cyan and pink, their colors, cresting a wave that was overtaking the city. He’d seen it in a few newspapers and art magazines, people loved it. Well everyone except for city officials and the building owner. He remembered there were protests about it but at the end of the day it had been power washed the same way he’d put it up, throughout the night.

    Even now as he walked alone along the city streets he wondered if this day would ever be the same again. Leaving Luke alone for that long, even seeing him again the relationship wouldn’t be the same. A few drops of rain finally fell from the sky, breaking a tension he didn’t know he was holding. Everything felt heavier in the rain, and the rain was the only reason he was slowing down. It was always so strange that it could even rain inside his goggles so easily.

    Still his bag wasn’t waterproof so he had to run. There really wasn’t a reason for him to try and get anywhere quickly, he wasn’t being followed, but old habits die hard and he pulled himself up a fire escape. He wasn’t in a hurry, he needed to be careful actually instead of quite so reckless, so he wasn’t about to try and daring jumps or desperate climbs.

    In more recent days Rex worried Luke had spent his birthday or other holidays mostly alone, though he’d been happily proven wrong when he’d first seen his detective partner bringing him something this day a year ago. They’d only been working together a short while and still he’d brought him something. It was even something pretty personal and Rex, who of course had been really hoping to catch Luke seeing his own mural but had missed it, was surprised. Happy even. Seeing them acting that friendly had him certain that Luke would be fine. He didn’t miss him that much right?

    He’d still known the truth even then. He still knew just how much Luke’s heart hurt and how much it was breaking over this. He was still looking for him even while he cried into the shoulder of his partner. It was upsetting enough that Rex hadn’t stuck around to see what he thought of the mural after all. Instead he’d taken himself back to his hidden little tent and cried for a while, holding his head and wondering what choices he’d made to lead up to this point.

    He was passing the building now that that mural had been on. If you knew where to look you could see a little bit of the paint under a window sill, yes he’d specifically looked for some trace of it. Luke didn’t live in these horrible apartments right across from it anymore, and for that he was thankful. They were honestly the worst and he couldn’t believe just how disgusting they’d been from the inside. Moving in with his partner was the best choice for both of them since he knew Rowan had a terrible problem with intense loneliness.

    Rowan’s apartment was loud, he wasn’t sure how he could stand it.

    “Rex? You’re soaking wet! You should have told me you were walking here. I would have come and gotten you!” Luke had pulled open the door, screaming over the club sounds that were way worse outside of the soundproofed apartment. Rex held out the gift bag and smiled at him as he saw Luke’s face light up in a way that he’d missed more than any sight in the world. “You idiot, you know you didn’t have to- What did you even--”

    “Hush you, let me in so we can celebrate. I hope you actually got some vegetables and not just junk food.” Rex pushed his way inside, giving Luke a little kiss to the corner of his mouth as he went. Waving at the faces around the room. Rowan of course was there and so were a few of his friends. The nosey detective that Rex had met a time or two, Aurum, was having a heated argument with Pyr who gave Rex at least the most friendly wave and nod he could muster. There were so many people, but for once Rex didn’t feel like he needed to run away. He felt like this was a safe place he could be.

    Balloons, cake, snacks, and finally a lot of video games preempted the gift opening that Rex was hoping for. Luke had a snarky ‘you shouldn’t have’ for everyone's gift, though he could tell just how much each one meant to him.

    Rex couldn’t hold back, fidgeting and awkward, until Luke got to his. He stood up and moved closer, the damp tissue paper fortunately coming away pretty easily from the shiny gift bag and the gift within. The little plushie orca perfectly mimicked that mural from a year ago, and the tattoo he’d seen on Luke as well.
    “Ah- Rex--” This tough guy really wasn’t so tough as Rex saw the tears welling up and he came closer wrapping his arms around him and squeezing him with all the strength he could muster. Rex let him hide his tough guy tears against his neck.

    “Happy Birthday Lukas, may each one shine brighter than the last.”