The third part of my Midnight, Texas series! I had to do Chuy and Joe. They're the cutest couple on the show! They are. I love them
Warnings: None that I know of.
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A sigh fell from Chuy's lips when he realized that he had no idea what was going on in the book he had been reading for the past hour. Turning back to the beginning of the chapter he reread the first paragraph before his mind ran away from him again.
It wasn't all that surprising really. He had been doing the exact same thing for a little over a week now. Every time he was trying to relax his mind went to the same thing. Every. Single. Time. No matter how hard he tried.
He knew he wasn't the only one that was feeling the same way. The entire town was a little on edge since that night. It was as if they were all waiting for either the other shoe to drop or for a repeat performance.
A shiver ran down his spine at that. The last thing that he wanted was to hear that sound again. That scream and the way he pleaded for it all to stop. The way he had clawed at his head until he was bleeding…
It was terrifying to watch the younger man do that to himself. In the back of his mind Chuy knew that it hadn't been a random thing. That it had been building for awhile and the dams had just burst that night.
That knowledge didn't make him feel any better. He had been alive for more than a few centuries and he knew that it was going to be haunting his dreams for years to come. He doubted he was the only one.
They had all had a few conversations about Manfred and how they could help him. So far the only thing that had been done was by Fiji. She had mixed up a tea that was supposed to help him sleep at night. From the way he looked now it was helping. A little.
Still, whenever the psychic left his house, which wasn't all that often anymore, he didn't look healthy. It was obvious that he wasn't eating all that well and though he was sleeping more it wasn't enough.
Everyone knew that he wasn't okay. They just had no idea how to help him. The man had only been in Midnight for a few months and he had held himself back from everyone. They didn't know him at all. How could they help someone they didn't know?
That didn't stop them from watching him from afar though. Something he would have noticed if he was paying attention to the world around him. Instead the man was in his own little bubble. Almost as if he was just floating around the town.
Emilio had taken to showing up where Manfred was and directing him. Neither of them ever really spoke. It was just a hand on the psychic's low back or his neck as he was lead to wherever he was going.
It was as if he was an abused animal. Maybe he was after what happened. Chuy was just glad that at least one of them was directly doing something to help the man. That wasn't right. It wasn't just Emilio. Fiji was still working as well.
Everyday she could be seen working in her gardens with that look on her face like she was a woman on a mission. Which probably wasn't all that far off. She wasn't going to give up until she finally had something to help him sleep through the entire night.
With that part of his day getting taken care of everyone was concerned with him during the day. Being led around by Emilio could only do so much. He needed to start acting and looking like he was a human again.
Something that would be helped a lot if the man would eat something. All of them had taken to buying him food whenever he was in Home Cookin'. He never ate more than a few bites before he was pushing it away.
The man had lost a lot of weight since he came to Midnight and was losing even more as the days past. Weight that he couldn't afford to lose. He looked like he was nothing more than skin and bones. On the days they saw him.
That was another thing that everyone was worried about. Okay, so by 'everyone' Chuy meant himself. At least he thought he did. Honestly, he wasn't sure if his worries shared by everyone or if he was just projecting anymore.
There were so many questions going around town that it seemed everyone was concerned about something else. At least he hoped that they were concerned because it was obvious Manfred wasn't concerned about himself. Not with the way he was withering away in front of them.
"You're lucky I'm not a jealous" Joe teased falling onto the couch and wrapping an arm around Chuy's shoulders.
"What?" he questioned looking at his husband.
"You're think about Manfred again."
"You're not supposed to read my mind, Joe."
"I don't need to read your mind to know what you're thinking. I just have to know you and you, my love, you're tense and worried. You've been that way since that night."
"Can you blame me?"
Joe leaned over and placed a gentle kiss to the side of his head before pulling him closer. He went willing to his lover his eyes closing as he rested his head on his chest and forced himself to take a deep calming breath.
When Chuy had first met Joe he had already been alone for awhile. His mama had loved him dearly, but she had died a few years previously. With her any sense of the word 'family' had gone out the window.
At least that was what he had thought. Joe was different though. He brought this life into his life that he couldn't really explain. All he knew was that he didn't want to know the type of person that he would be without it.
After they had gotten together he had been sure that that was it. He has the person that he was going to spend the rest of his life with and nothing and no one else mattered. He had a family and it was perfect
Then they moved to Midnight. At first it had been a little strange. They didn't want to get close to anyone there. It was safer that way. It wasn't as if they could risk having anyone find out who, what, they were.
They had been able to make it a year there before things changed. Chuy still wasn't exactly sure what happened to change things. All he knew was suddenly they both started to truly care about the people in the town.
All too soon he was thinking of the people as his family. His brothers and sisters that needed to be protected and loved. He had gone from having just one person as his family to having an entire group and he loved it more than he could explain.
That was just the way things went for awhile. It wasn't as if they got new people in town very often. It was a safe haven for supernatural creatures and it was fiercely protected by all of them that lived there.
When Manfred came to town he was met with the same welcoming suspicion that everyone was met with. For the most part. The man was different and not just because he was psychic. For as many fakes as were out there it was rare to find a real psychic.
In all of Chuy's years he had only met two that he knew weren't fakes. They were both assholes. He would have been more than happy to never met another of their kind for the rest of his years.
That was exactly what he thought he'd get from the younger man. Then he spoke. Yes, he had a few rough edges, but so did everyone else when they came to the town. It was why most people came in the first place.
When you got past that edge though he was a decent man. Alright, so he tried to hold himself away from all the crazy that went on in the town, but that changed as soon as he knew that he was needed.
He wanted people to think that he was a standoffish type of person and that they should leave him alone. He had a heart of gold though. One that he was more than willing to show when someone, even complete strangers, needed him to.
At least that's what everyone saw in him. To himself though? Chuy did not want to know what the man thought about himself. For as caring as he was towards everyone else he paid little to no attention to himself. It was horrible to watch.
"Hey," Joe soothed running a hand through his hair, "He's going to be okay."
"Have you looked at him recently?" Chuy argued before sighing, "He's wasting away."
"He looks better than before."
"Because that would be difficult. I've seen dead look better than he does. He doesn't look healthy or alive."
"What have I told you about adopting people?"
"Oh, like you haven't."
"I know. I was just hoping only one of us would fall this time. Oh, by the way, you're making green chile stew for dinner."
Blinking Chuy pulled away from the embrace to stare at his husband. The other man smiled shyly before motioning to the bags by the front door. It looked like he had gone out and gotten everything he'd need for the stew. Which was odd since they were supposed to be having pizza.
"And why would I be making stew?" he questioned crossing his arms over his chest.
"Because I ran into Manfred," Joe said the smiling growing on his lips, "And I told him you were making it and asked if he would like to join us about seven."
"And he said yes?"
"Well..."
"You left before he could even answer, didn't you?"
"Told him I had to get to the store quickly or you wouldn't have enough time to make it."
"That is devious."
"I can cancel."
"Don't even think it and stay out of the kitchen."
Chuy made his way into the kitchen picking up the bags as he went. A content smile bloomed on his lips as he started to work. Sometimes his husband knew exactly what to do to put him in a good mood. Other times he was just annoying. Loved, but annoying.
He couldn't believe that he hadn't thought to invite the psychic over for dinner yet. It was exactly what he needed at the moment. A good stick-to-your-bones comfort food that made a lot of leftovers for him to take home. Perfect solution.
It was because of those very reasons his mother had thought him made him learn it. She was of the mindset that your man would never leave if his stomach was too full to let him move. It was actually the first meal that he made Joe when they first got together.
Thinking back on that day always brought a smile to his lips. He couldn't believe his lucky stars that he had met the man. They might have a few bumps in the road, but he wouldn't change that for anything in the world.
As he put the lid on the finished stew he heard a knock on the front door letting him know the psychic had arrived. As much as he hated to admit it he was a little worried that he wasn't going to show up at all.
"Manfred," Joe greeted happily as the younger man awkwardly walked in, "I'm glad you made it."
"I almost didn't," he admitted before holding up empty hands, "I know you're supposed to bring something, but I didn't know what you would have liked or what even went with what we were having. I've never had green chile stew before"
"You don't eat after this," Chuy jumped in walking out of the kitchen, "You might hibernate though. It's ready if you guys are."
With a nod of their heads the three men made their way to the table in silence. It wasn't exactly awkward, but there was something stiff about it. Almost as if Manfred had no idea what he was supposed to be doing. Truthfully, none of them really knew what they were doing.
Scooping out a bowlful for them all Joe started to ask the psychic about his tattoos. It was a safe subject and something that the two of them obviously had a passion about. There was no better way to start a friendship than by something they already knew.
The conversation never fell flat though it never went really deep. Tattoos and piercings were about it. It was better than nothing and Chuy was more than happy with it. For now. He would get to know the man somehow.
"That was so good," Manfred moaned after finishing most of the bowl.
"I'm glad you like it," Chuy grinned putting his own spoon down, "It's my favorite."
"I can see why. Oh, I don't want to stop eating, but I think I'm going to explode."
"I'll pack some up for you when you leave."
"You don't..."
"Please let him," Joe said a smirking growing on his lips, "Chuy only knows how to cook for an army. If you take some I might be able to have something instead of leftovers this month."
"No appreciation," Chuy dramatically rolled his eyes and looked at Manfred with a pout, "You see what I put up with?"
"You could always leave him for me," Manfred shrugged a small, shy smile tugging on his lips.
Reaching out Chuy linked their fingers and fluttered his eye lashes causing all of them to laugh. For the first time in a long time he looked completely relaxed and happy. Like he was just another person. He'd have to thank his lover of that when they were alone.
"You can't have my husband," Joe stated his voice full of humor, "But if you like I can share some of his cooking."
"What?" Manfred questioned his eyes wide.
"He gets bored cooking just for me. I know he'd love if you would join us for dinner sometimes. Every Wednesday night? If the world isn't end. What do you think?"
"That sounds perfect to me," Chuy happily squeezing the younger man's hand, "Don't you think?"
"I don't… I mean… Sure?"
"Good. That's settled then. Why don't you help Joe clean the table off and I'll pack you up some stew to take home?"