Combeferre shut the door behind him as he stepped into the apartment. He could smell the freshly baked bread and the tomato soup that was to go with it. It was a much appreciated scent after a hard day at the hospital. He walked into his room to shed his scrubs and change into his jeans and Doctor Who t-shirt.
"Hey, Vegas! Is that you?" A voice called out from the kitchen.
The doctor walked into the living room, which led to the kitchen. "In the flesh." He replied.
A blond-haired man turned around from the stove to show the grin that made Combeferre melt. His name was Julien Enjolras, and Vegas Combeferre was head over heals for him. He had recently come out. Enjolras happened to be the first person he told, but he never admitted that he was the reason why he had done so.
But Enjolras was straight. He was in a happy relationship at the time with Sierra Grantaire. She was the sister of Richard Grantaire, who was a close friend of Enjolras and Combeferre.
"I'm glad you're here. I need you to set the table, please." Enjolras said.
Combeferre obliged happily, setting out bowls and spoons around the table that seated three people. "Will Sierra be joining us tonight?" He asked.
Just saying the name 'Sierra' tasted like acid on his tongue. It pained him so much to think of her and his crush together. Enjolras came over to the table to pour soup into the bowls.
"Yes, she will." He replied.
At those words, Combeferre mentally grimaced. He nodded, set an extra bowl out, and added a chair to the table. He changed the subject to clear his mind.
"So, how was work?" He asked.
Enjolras shrugged. "It was fine. Very uneventful as it has been all week." He said, taking the pot with tomato soup in it back to the stove.
Combeferre smiled slightly. "No bills needed to be passed?" He asked.
"The one about gay marriage is on the verge of being passed." Enjolras said, walking back over to his friend. "I'm fighting so hard for it, Vegas…just for you."
The doctor felt butterflies in his stomach. "Aw, really? For me?" He said jokingly.
Enjolras smirked and hit Combeferre in the stomach with a rag he had been holding. Combeferre laughed and nudged his friend playfully.
The front door opened violently, and a man with curly brown hair and a cheeky smile ran in. "I'm home, my loves!" He exclaimed.
Enjolras laughed and threw the rag at the man. "Keep it quiet, Nathan. We don't want any complaints from the neighbors again about a banshee living in our house." He teased.
That was Nathaniel Courfeyrac, the other man who was a roommate to Enjolras and Combeferre. He was also their best friend. Courfeyrac had come out three years ago, and was now in a committed relationship with Jean Prouvaire. They called him Jehan, though.
Courfeyrac jumped onto Combeferre's back, kissing his cheek happily. "How is my favorite doctor doing today?" He asked.
Combeferre chuckled, trying to regain his balance. "That would really hurt Dr. Joly, now wouldn't it?" He said.
"But he's not here, so it's okay!"
"I am fine, Nathan. I assume you are, too."
Courfeyrac hopped off Combeferre's back and flopped onto the couch. "Oh, what a stressful day it was!" He said, acting way too dramatic. "The kindergarteners painted, and then I had to hang their artwork on the wall. Then, one of them said my bow tie was crooked, and you know what, Vegas?" He paused for a moment. "That was the worst thing anyone has ever said to me."
Enjolras rolled his eyes and leaned against the couch. "I hate to interrupt your session with Dr. Phil, but we have to eat." He said.
Courfeyrac crossed his arms. "I'm making you pay a fine next time you interrupt." He said.
"Oh, would you hush? Sierra's gonna be here any minute."
The three sat at the table. Combeferre stirred his soup with his spoon slowly, while the other two slurped theirs while they could. A knock at the door caused him to flinch. Enjolras stood up and opened the door.
All you could see was a pair of arms fling around his neck and two bodies pressed together. Combeferre cringed at the quiet smacks of kisses being exchanged. Courfeyrac noticed this, but said nothing of it.
"Hey, Romeo and Juliet. Get over here. The soup's getting cold." Courfeyrac said.
Enjolras was red in the face when he sat back down. A young woman sat down in between Courfeyrac and Enjolras. Her black hair was pulled into a high ponytail, just like Enjolras' was.
Combeferre slouched against the seat as he listened to the conversation.
"Yeah, I really like the job. It's so fun to get to watch over all the little babies. They are so cute!" Sierra said. "Oh, honey, I hope that maybe later we have a baby as cute as them."
Enjolras grinned and blushed deeply. "Whatever you say, love." He whispered.
Combeferre wanted to vomit at the statement. His whole world was spinning. He was watching the man he loved fall in deeper love with someone else. It was the worst thing ever. All he could do was watch.
"Thank you so much, Vegas, for recommending me! It means so much to me!" Sierra said.
Combeferre snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh, you're welcome. We were running low on staff in the nursery." He said politely.
"It must be fun to get to be the one to hand a parent their baby for the first time. Like, getting to see their reactions is the most precious thing in the world!" She added.
Combeferre glared gravely at Sierra. "Mademoiselle…it's not always the case. Like what happened today." He said.
Enjolras titled his head, as did Courfeyrac. "What happened at work?" The blond asked.
The doctor stared at his untouched soup. He was going pale and his breathing was light. Sierra decided to speak for him.
"Today he operated on conjoined twins. They both died during the operation due to a malfunction during the surgery. The parents were devastated." She said.
Combeferre stared sharply at Sierra. "It was not a malfunction; it was a weak heart that caused them to die." He hissed.
"The word in the hospital said you dropped your knife." The girl replied innocently.
Combeferre slammed his fists on the table before snatching his glasses off. He stood up, ready to yell at Sierra, but in the corner of his eye, he saw something. Something that made him stop.
Enjolras was staring at Combeferre like a predator who was being stalked by a larger one.
Combeferre blushed heavily, slid his glasses back on, and pushed his chair under the table.
"Excuse me." He said before walking into his room.
For the first time in forever, he cried. Tears slid down his face. He couldn't handle the emotions or the anxiety or the depression. He just sat there and silently weeped into the pillows of his bed.