dwayne entered the room, waving a tabloid in his hands. “ can you believe this? ” he tossed the magazine onto the other's lap and announced the scandalous headline. “ broadway’s worst kept secret. ”

he poured himself a glass of vodka and drank it down like it was water. the burn didn't stop him from continuing to voice his outrage. 

“ they’re saying that our affair has been going on for years. that I cheated on my ex-wife with you —– that you were only hired because we're sleeping together. ”

“ you’re getting better now. ” a firm hand landed on the young man's shoulder and robert made an effort to show his most encouraging smile. “ you're starting to get the hang of it. a couple more months and you won’t need to put up with me anymore. ”

it had been a month since robert’s lonesome home had welcomed a new guest. he thought living under the same roof would help break the ice and make trusting each other easier. being constantly around someone else was a change of pace from what he's grown used to — and all he hoped for was to not screw things up.

“ let’s try that again one more time and we’re done for the day. don't hold back. show me what you can do. ”

it was unusual for a client to return to the uddenberg residence before the ceremony. especially after all the details of the service had already been arranged. so when stefan found [y/m] at the door, his first reaction was confusion.  “ is something wrong? please, come in. ” he guided them to the living room, offering a cup of coffee before settling into the couch. mostly, he listened, occasionally offering a few soft-spoken words of comfort or a reassuring touch – maybe a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, a steadying hand, even a half-hug if it felt right. in the end, his job was not just to prepare bodies, but to provide solace for the living.

 “ i wish there was more i could do for you. ”

｢#𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐎𝐍｣: independent, semi - selective, multimuse hub blog. including canon and original characters from many universes. low to medium activity. dead dove warning. do not follow if you're under the age of twenty - one. m/m focused. COMMANDED BY DIAKTOROS, twenty - four, he/him.