Chapter Text
“You came!” Emile beamed, opening the door even more for Damian to walk through.
Dr. Picani had always dressed a little oddly. No therapist should ever wear so many pink cardigans and cartoon-print shirts to work. (Considering he was so skilled at his job though, no one paid him any mind.) Yet all that pep and bounce to his outfits paled in comparison to Dr. Picani’s chosen home attire.
The door shut behind them and Damian dutifully followed Picani to the living room. A bowl of popcorn waited for them on the coffee table. “You look good,” said Damian. He felt far too overdressed in his button-up compared to Picani’s casual graphic tee.
It didn’t matter though, since Picani laughed and tugged at the hem of his shirt. “It IS pretty great, isn’t it?” The atrocious pink tee read ‘Steven Chew-niverse’ in garish block letters. There was a picture of a cartoon boy underneath the letters, delightfully shoving one too many pizza slices into his mouth. Terribly uncouth in Damian’s opinion.
“I’m assuming that your TV selection for the night has something to do with your shirt?”
Picani winked. “Don’t you know it Mr. Lawyer Man! You’ll love it, I’m sure.” Damian resented that nickname. He resented the idea of wasting hours sitting in front of a TV even more. Then again, was it really a waste if he could spend those hours with Emile? They haven’t been dating long, but Damian really likes this one.
So if Emile wanted to watch some silly cartoon, Damian will humour him. They settled on the couch, shoulder-to-shoulder, thigh-to-thigh, and sat back as Emile pressed play on the remote. An annoyingly catchy theme song started up, and Damian readied himself for a dull night.
.
“I KNEW IT!!!!” Damian exclaimed, almost leaping off from the couch in his excitement. “When Alexandrite unfused earlier, there were two figures that made up Garnet’s silhouette. I knew she was a fusion!”
Beside him, Emile giggled as he cradled a bowl of popcorn in his lap. “You figured it out so quickly! Good eye. I only realised that when I saw a post about it online.” Damian settled back beside him, and Emile offered him the bowl. Damian took it, popping a few kernels into his mouth.
It was an unexpected surprise, enjoying a bunch of silly cartoons. Damian didn’t expect to enjoy himself, much less get excited about some animated boy named Steven and his enviable Gem Moms. Yet here he was, eyes glued to the screen, hand shoveling popcorn in his mouth regularly as colours and sounds exploded from the TV.
From the corner of his eye, Damian caught Emile staring at him. “What?”
Emile jolted to an upright position, eyes snapping back to the screen. His cheeks were flushed. “Nothing!” he shouted. Damian pretended not to notice the fact that the blush had spread to Emile’s ears, turning the tips a very delectable shade of pink. “Just wondering if you were having fun.”
Well, Damian’s definition of fun consisted of reading a book, or playing the piano. But he had to admit, this was fun too. So he smiled at Emile and said, “Why wouldn’t I? You’re here aren’t you?”
That was partly the truth. Damian did, in fact, enjoy the show. But he enjoyed teasing Emile more. The pink had now turned into a violent shade of red.
Damian passed him back the popcorn bowl. Emile ate a few pieces. Then he began to tap an irregular beat right at the rim of the bowl, a habit of his nervousness. “It’s getting late. Are you sure you want to stay?” he asked hesitantly, keeping his eyes locked on the screen.
While the show was interesting, Damian couldn’t resist turning to face Emile, mock-gasping as he placed a hand delicately on his chest. “Dr. Picani! Are you rescinding my invitation into your lovely home?”
The sight of a normally serious lawyer make such a fool of himself startled Emile into a soft laugh. “Uh, no?”
“Then I shall stay a while longer,” said Damian. And yes, this may be a little underhanded, but Damian didn’t see any harm in leaning against his boyfriend. Damian rested his head on Emile’s shoulder and relished in Emile’s warmth. If he was asked, he’d say that he simply wanted a better angle to get some popcorn. That, and to get a better vantage point of the TV. “We’re almost at the end of this season, Dr. Picani, and you promised me an amazing finale. I’m not about to miss this.”
Emile shook his head, but he snuggled closer to Damian anyway. “By the time we finish, it’s going to be past midnight. You might not be able to get home safely.”
Damian hummed as he looked up at Emile’s face. All he had to do was lean in just a tiny bit, and his lips connected with Emile’s cheek. Damian will never get tired of watching colour blossom on his boyfriend’s cheek. “Well, if that’s the case, would my darling boyfriend consider letting me stay the night?”
Emile’s arm slid against Damian’s waist.
“Maybe.”