Tavros waited for him every night.
He'd settle down at the corner of the couch and lean over the side table so he could get the best amount of light for his nightly book. He always read slow, glancing up at the silent door with each turn of a page before looking back down and losing himself in another world.
He wanted to be the first thing Dave saw when he got home from a long night's work. The first thing he saw, smelled, and tasted. Whenever Dave finally got home, Tavros would rise to greet him with a soft kiss to the lips, wrap his arms around his lover's neck and lift himself on tiptoes.
Even if Dave's arms were full, he'd drop everything to wrap his arms around the small of Tavros's back. They'd lost quite a few eggs that way on grocery nights. But they never cared. They were always completely lost in the moment, as if they hadn't felt each other's touch in years.
But as the nights got longer for Dave, it was harder for Tavros to stay awake. Sometimes it was a few hours before dawn when Dave finally shuffled in, shoulders slumped from exhaustion. The sound of the keys and the creak of the door would always wake Tavros up, but it made him feel late. Like he missed something, even if their greeting was always the same.
One night, Dave didn't come home for hours later than usual. When Dave was late, that was when Tavros would worry. Old habits of fear set in like dark strangers, familiar strangers. Night in the city was a dangerous time and Tavros knew that. He knew it very well and every possible scenario of terrible happenstances plagued his mind.
He wasn't sure if he could handle ever losing Dave. Especially in the dark, violent ways the edge of his mind conjured.
The earliest birds were up and Dave still wasn't home. Tavros's own exhaustion started to set in. He rested his head on a pillow, hugging it as if he would fall from the whole world if he were to grip any looser. Whenever Tavros curled on the couch, he felt small and there was no doubt that he looked even smaller.
With slow blinks, he watched the door before sleep took over and he closed his eyes.
Something soft touched Tavros's cheek and he stirred. His eyes searching in dim morning light for something to make sense of the world. Then a hand, gentle and warm, set down on his bare arm. Confusion melted away as Tavros lifted his head and met awaiting lips. His mind wasn't quite aware, but his body knew old habits well.
Dave said something in a soft low voice, the voice he only used only for him and no one else. The words were little more than a blur, but Tavros knew what they meant.
With a last quick kiss, Tavros stood on shaky feet. Dave hooked an arm around him, planting his lips in Tavros's dark hair in an almost kiss. It was something much sleepier than a kiss. They made their way to the bedroom, supporting each other in their mutual exhaustion.
Once they were in bed, Tavros laid his head on Dave's chest, listening as the steady beat lulled him back into a more peaceful sleep.