#alas.......

Hal's a friend you made in a bar, he's older but he's nice. You went there by yourself one night, when you were having a bad day and your partner was out of town so they couldn't be there.

You drank and met him, this fun older guy who made stupid jokes and talked about jets like they were the second coming of Christ. The two of you sang karaoke, played pool, play fought and had a good time. He drove you to his home and you passed out on his couch before things could go any where.

When you woke, in a home that wasn't yours, you panicked. Spotting him in the kitchen, you asked if anything happened between you two. Ever the joker, Hal made light comments about the possibility but then asked you why it would be so bad if something did.

You sighed and clarified that you had a partner, that you weren't intending to mislead him. You saw his face shift, but then soften as he sat down next to you, hand on your back as he offered you a hangover cure.

"Hey, it's alright. I'm just glad to know you, haven't met someone like you in a long time."

Maybe now, you could have seen through it, but back then, you were lonely and you were grateful for the company. You two hung out for the next month until your partner finally came back to you.

On their return, you prepared a dinner for them and the two of you caught back up, you've certainly been enjoying it. That doesn't stop you from meeting up with Hal again, after all, the two of you are friends. There isn't any harm in hanging out with a friend.

Though, every time you tried to introduce him to your partner, Hal's busy. So much so, that you find yourself beginning to miss him. At the very least he still messages you, almost every day in fact. Each morning, he greets you and at the end of the day, he bids you a good night. Through out the day, he checks in and you fill him in. He adores all the photos you send, whether it be of a location, a cool knickknack you found or just you hanging out at home. He especially enjoys those.

It's funny, but you're flattered by the extra effort, by the interest he took in you and every little thing you did. It makes you feel special, important.

You finally find time to meet up with Hal again, unfortunately it happens to be while your partner is working. You've done just about everything to get these two to meet but it seems like the universe just won't will it. You've told Hal about how often they work and how much it frustrates you, being on your own most of the time. He sympathizes, understanding you like no other.

"I couldn't imagine spending that long away from someone like you."

Just as you're getting ready to head out, your partner asks where you're headed and you mention Hal's name. They tense and you shoot a confused gaze. They ask you to stay behind, to post pone another hangout. You furrow your brows, not understanding.

Did they expect you to wait at home like a lovesick puppy? You contest them and before you know it, it's become a fight.

"I don't even know him!" They shoot back, throwing their coat over their uniform.

"Like I haven't tried? Like you'd even have the time to, it's like you never even came back! I still never see you!"

"What do you want from me?"

"I want my partner, why do I have to date the idea of you?"

They want to say something, it's clear on the way their mouth hangs open before it shuts. Instead they glare before slamming the door shut, the sound making you flinch. An angered heat rises to your cheeks and you begin to tear up. You feel a buzz in your pocket and you're reminded of your outing.

Checking the time, you find that you're more than late to your meeting with Hal and he's noticed.

"Everything alright? I can come pick you up if you need." "Just let me know if you're okay, I worry about you <3"

You bite back tears and call him. The ring tone barely lasts as he almost immediately answers. He always has time for you, especially when it matters.

The sound of his voice immediately makes your heart ache—soft, mature, comforting. "Hey, tough stuff. What's goin' on, where are ya?"

You try so hard to hide the fact you're on the verge of crying, not wanting to burden your friend further.

"Sorry, I—"

Unfortunately, Hal is just the attentive type. He pays so much attention to you, he's shown it in the gifts he's bought you. Expensive but so very personal. He really knows you.

"Woah, woah. What's happening, hon?"

You break, always far too comfortable being vulnerable with him. Tears roll down your face and you hiccup your way through explaining the fight you just had. You tell him that it might be a bad idea to go and see him right now, how there's tension you're worried about worsening. But Hal reassures you, he comforts you, he convinces you.

"You shouldn't be alone right now, not after all that. I'll come get you, we don't gotta go out tonight. We can just hang at my place."

"I dunno, you really don't have to—"

"Let me take care of you, alright?"

His voice has a husk to it you can't ignore, a passion you haven't heard addressed to you in some time. You can't help but listen, you can't help the ache in your chest as you agree and grab your coat, heading downstairs.

It's cold and you pull the jacket tighter against your body, your shoulders shivering as your seated on the outside step. You wonder if this is a good idea, if maybe you should just turn back.

Before any more logical thoughts can remain, Hal's car pulls up and he exits, his large form pulling around the front of the car. His brown and grey hair catches in the wind, yet the heavy curls still manage to fall just right. The angry wrinkles between his brows, along his forehead and at the corner of his eyes all relax when his eyes land on you.

You swear there's another look other than gentleness, something deeper, something heated. It goes before you can speak on it and as you stand, he brings you straight into his arms.

Compared to the outside, compared to the silent walls of your empty apartment, Hal is so warm. You arms wrap around him in return and you feel tears start to build again. You miss the way his head turns into your hair to get a hit of your scent. Your forgotten jackets weren't enough for him, nothing compared to you.

"Come on," He pulls back, taking your hand and opening the passenger door for you. "Let's get you out of here."

You follow, despite your better judgment. You follow because he feels safe, he feels good and you need that right now.

The moment you entered the door, he took your jacket and lead you to the couch like a gentleman. Hal wasted no time in preparing you a drink, even offering a shot just to ease your nerves. You were unsure but when Hal insisted, you didn't have it in you to deny him.

Now, you're curled up on the couch, watching Hal return from his room with a blanket. He sits closely to you—knees brushing against yours—throwing the blanket over your shoulders.

Your eyes can't help but follow the way his short sleeves wraps tightly around his biceps. His arms are firm around you as they tempt you in closer, allowing you to rest your head against his chest. Contrasting to his muscled arms, his chest is softer, you imagine it comes with his age. You peek and take note that he's gathered himself a belly, something you had always seen, but only now, feeling against your body.

His hand rubs up and down your arm, his chin resting against your head. "I'm real sorry about all that, hon. You feeling any better now?"

"Yeah." You mutter, the way his chest rumbles against your cheek making heat crawl over your body.

Hal hums, his hand moving from your shoulder down to your waist. You shift in slight surprise, but the massaging motion of his large hand against your body inclines you to relax back into him.

You miss the way he bites back a grin at the sight. "The way you spoke about them, guess I was expecting them to be a little more.."

"They're not—we're just having a rough time right now, I guess."

"Sure," He muses. "That's normal, but tough time doesn't mean giving up on a good thing."

"They haven't give up." You defend with a desperate look up at Hal, your heart still having room for the person you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with.

Hal frowns, deep lines at the edges of his mouth. "Then, why aren't they here? Why did I have to come make sure you were alright, instead of them?"

Your words die in your throat, not wanting to consider the implications. That maybe he has a point, that maybe they could have taken just a second off of work to stay and fix things with you. You deflate, eyes turning down to the ground as you feel the urge to cry again returning. Hal coos at you, his calloused knuckles brushing against your cheek.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright. I got you, tough stuff." His voice is barely above a whisper, loud enough for only for the two of you.

You've fallen asleep, breathing lightly on Hal's shoulder as you instinctively cuddle him. He smiles, fingers tracing lightly over your shoulder. You look so comfortable in his arms, he hopes you can see it to. He's doing his best to show you, to show you just how much better you can do. It seems like your starting to understand at least, he's patient enough to help you get there.

Your phone buzzes and your nose twitches, but you don't wake. Good.

Hal grabs it, and sees a message from your partner. They're checking in, apologizing, all that crap. It's kind of them. They really don't seem all that bad, but unfortunately for them, they have the one person Hal can't take his mind off of. He inputs your password—he recalls it from all the times he's peeked over your shoulder to watch every text you sent them, seething in envy.

Hal erases the messages and he blocks them, at least for the night. He'll take care of the rest in the morning, he'll keep you so happy that you won't even notice how quiet your phone's been.

You'll see just how badly you need him. How badly he needs you.