Chapter Text
Theo observed a singular raindrop roll along the curve of the passenger window. It sped quickly, as if it couldn't wait to splatter onto the ground. Pattering sounds were heard inside the car. Since his arrival in Antwerp, which was about a week ago…? (Theo couldn't quite remember the timeline), this had been the rainiest day yet.
How odd it was that Gyuri wasn't driving him and Boris to the airport today. When Theo asked about it, Boris waved him off dismissively. Theo had raised an eyebrow, curious but knew better than to pry for an answer.
"Potter, are you listening?" Boris asked, snapping Theo out of his daydreams.
"Yes," Theo answered hesitantly.
"What was the last thing I said?" Boris took his eyes off the road momentarily to glance at the other man. Theo tapped his fingers against the armrest, trying to come up with something Boris-esque. Anything.
"Uh-"
Boris cut him off with "Ha! Am taking that as a no."
Theo shot him a withering look, which didn't go unnoticed by Boris even whilst driving. Boris added, "Is not your fault, Potter. Always right about these kinds of things. Certainly not the first time, can confidentially say that."
"Mhm," was the lame response that came out of Theo's mouth. Comfortable silence fell between the two of them for the remainder of the car ride. No music, nothing. Just Theo and his imagination.
Boris, typically rambunctious, was able to relax in Theo's presence. Despite the gloomy weather outside, Theo was momentarily brought back to those starry, clear nights in Vegas where it was far too stuffy to sleep next to someone in a twin-sized, cramped bed and yet, him and Boris clung onto each other like a lifeline. That tranquility… it was all too familiar. Theo wondered how he managed to go so many years without seeing Boris.
Once again, Theo's train of thought was interrupted by Boris. "We are here," he said softly. Theo attempted to peer out the window but at that point, it was so foggy that Theo couldn't discern whether they were outside of the airport or not. Nonetheless, Theo trusted Boris' judgment.
Theo placed his hands against his lap and tugged at the fabric of his slacks, trying to figure out what to say next. Who knows when they'll see each other? It could be years before that happened.
"I guess this is it," Theo said. There was a slight bitterness in the way he enunciated that final word.
"Yes. Do not fret, Potter. Sure we'll meet again."
Theo raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"
"What is the English word… intu-something? Anyways, is just a feeling," Boris shrugged. "Hope you understand what I am talking about."
"I think I do," Theo replied with a ghost of a smile.
Boris opened his mouth to reply—perhaps with a witty comment—but a loud honk from the car behind them cut him off.
"Is really tragic, wish we had more time together. You should go before the person behind honks and gets even more pissed off."
Theo nodded and opened the car door. He stepped out into the pouring rain, blond hair instantly absorbing droplets of water.
Boris absentmindedly rapped his knuckles against the steering wheel, humming a tune that Theo didn't recognize.
It's funny how much Boris had changed over the years and yet, his boyish mannerisms never quite faded away like they're supposed to. Same goes for himself though.
Theo leaned forward and grabbed his singular duffel bag with very few contents. A couple of clothes, toiletries and that was pretty much it. He usually carried light, even for international trips.
After double-checking that he didn't leave anything behind, Theo shut the car door. He bent down and waved to Boris, who waved back. He straightened up and put his foot on the curb.
This doesn't seem right, I should've said goodbye at least instead of a meaningless wave. What if something happens and this is my last time speak-
Boris erratically rolled down his window and yelled, "Wait!"
Theo turned around instantaneously, there was a sign of urgency in Boris' voice. Luckily, Theo hadn't walked very far so he turned around. He saw the person in the car behind Boris raise their hand to honk with the horn again, Theo put a hand up. They stopped, if only just for a moment.
"What is it?" Theo asked when he was eye-level with Boris.
"Put your hand out real quick."
"Boris, I don't have time for this. I gotta catch my flight."
"Potter! Please, just listen for once."
Theo sighed but complied. Before he knew it, Boris flipped his hand around, placing a kiss as though he was a prince courting a princess. He slipped something into the palm of Theo's hand.
"Wha-?"
"Don't open it until you get inside, okay?"
Theo stared stupidly, the gears turning a tad bit too slowly in his head. "Alright." He knew that he had to step away now. Deep within his gut, there was something tugging at him to stay with Boris for just a little bit lon-
BEEP BEEP BEEPPPPP!
Shit, that was coming from the car behind Boris and they were clearly not happy. Boris didn't even say goodbye to him this time, he sped off before Theo had a chance.
Theo was soaking wet and the rain wouldn't let up any time soon, might as well as enter the airport. He put the duffel bag over his shoulder and made his way towards the automatic double doors.
He nearly forgot that he was holding the small item in his hand until it fell to the ground when he relaxed he muscles. Huh, it was a piece of paper.
The side that Theo had picked up from was blank so he flipped it over. It read:
Call/text me when you land x - Boris
Below that message was a scribbled phone number. Almost as if he rushed while writing it. Knowing Boris, he probably did.
Theo snickered. Then, he put more thought into the fact that he was only just receiving Boris' phone number.
How the hell did he not have Boris' contact information after all this time?
He heard an announcement in Dutch over the intercom and although he didn't understand the language, they had mentioned New York.
What time was it anyways? He stuffed the piece of paper in one pocket then grabbed his phone from the other.
4:42 pm.
Theo blanched. His flight was leaving in less than 20 minutes. He seriously needed to learn how to time-manage better when it came to trips.
Grogginess from the 8 hour flight was starting to affect him as he traveled from JFK via subway. He blinked, forcing himself to stay awake during the commute. Sleep was practically non-existent for him most days—even before the loss of his mom—but, the insomnia wasn't any better in such a cramped space.
When he did fall asleep in those rare instances, his dreams were often hazy and confusing. Theo could never quite understand his own mind, even as an adult.
"Sir, are you okay?" A short, stocky police officer asked Theo as he left the platform. There was usually at least one officer posted near the exits of every station. You never know when it comes to New York.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just tired, I had a long flight."
The officer grunted in response, eyeing him skeptically. Theo took a deep breath to ground himself then continued on.
Even when Theo was drunk, high, or simply not in his right mind, he always knew how to get back to Hobie's. One step after another, he kept telling himself. He was almost home.
If he could even call it that anymore.
Theo pulled out his key for the shop two blocks away. He was surprised at how quickly he found it when scouring his duffel bag.
The city was as lively as ever despite the late hours of the evening so there was no problem opening the shop door.
However, the next part was going to be much more difficult. Hobie's apartment was notorious for being loud, squeaky, and not easy to sneak into late at night.
Theo quietly climbed up the steps, avoiding the creaky ones. He winced at the groaning that echoed in the small stairwell. The sound came from a particular one close to the door.
He let out a breath of relief when he finally reached the top of the stairs. He thought he was successful when he unlocked the door, making minimal noise.
Moments later, he would be proven wrong. As soon as he entered the front door, Theo sensed that something was off.
Intuition, as Boris would say.
One of the first things that Theo noticed upon entering was the kitchen light, which was turned on. Hobie was never the type to stay up late, certainly not at almost two in the morning.
He crept towards the door, unable to see anything unless he stood directly within the frame.
Theo nearly yelped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was aware about who it was and yet, he didn't want to face the other man.
He was led to the kitchen table by Hobie. Silently commanded to sit down as if he was a teenage boy sneaking out past his curfew.
No words were exchanged between the two men as Hobie made him a drink. Theo normally would have been more than glad to accept it but in this situation, it felt like a trap even though the rational part of Theo's brain knew that wasn't the case.
Hobie set the cup of tea on the table. The screech of a chair, a small huff as the older man sat down.
"Thanks," Theo murmured.
He motioned to raise he cup to his lips but thought better of it. It would burn his tongue off if he drank it at this very moment.
"Theo," Hobie's furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips weren't a good sign. A father concerned for his rebellious son.
Across the table, Theo gulped. Shit, shit, shit was all he could think. He wasn't prepared to do this. Not today.
Like the coward he was, Theo would have to somehow talk himself out of this situation. At least for now, he couldn't avoid it forever.
"Listen, Hobie. I understand that you want to talk about my sudden absence and I’ll explain it. I promise. Not tonight though. I've been traveling for half of the day and I can barely think at the moment."
Hobie was quiet for a long time. Theo was unsure if he was going to say anything at all. After what seem like ages, Hobie finally spoke up, "Okay, tell me another time."
Theo picked up on the slight disappointment in his response. He let Hobie down yet again.
A few sips of tea was all that Theo could handle, his stomach was becoming queasy by the second. He stood up, grabbing his bag to haul up the stairs.
Theo nearly left the room but he felt Hobie's stare on him. Hobie was almost done with asking questions, just almost.
"Why?"
Theo quickly whipped his head around at that question. "Why what?"
Hobie studied him, choosing his words carefully. "I mean, why leave your engagement party? It's one of the few nights meant to celebrate you and Kitsey. I saw her briefly after your departure and unhappy would be an understatement to describe how she looked."
Theo's expression faltered. He wiped his clammy palms against his pants and cleared his throat before responding with, "It's a long story. I would rather not get into it right now."
"Understood. Sleep well, Theo." Even under the dim lighting, signs of exasperation were obvious but neither wished to push the subject any further at the moment.
"You too," was all that Theo could muster. He tiredly made his way up the stairs. He threw his bag onto the ground next to his door. He didn't bother to get ready for bed and instead, collapsed on top of the bed.
As Theo dozed off, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. Boris. He was supposed to text when he landed.
Theo felt around for his phone on the bed, typed in the number from the paper along with a brief text, clicked on the send button, and passed out within a few minutes.
About 40 minutes later, Theo received a response. He was dead asleep by then, no chance of messaging Boris back until the morning.
Theo: Got back to Hobie's safely, no need to worry about me. Night.
Boris: Am always going to worry a bit. Sweet dreams, mój kochany.
The following morning, Theo was suddenly woken up by the sound of paws skittering across the hardwood floor then the carpet.
"Huh?" Theo said groggily. He rubbed his eyes and aimlessly searched for his glasses. He placed the round lenses on his face then examined what (or more specifically, who) had caused the commotion.
Theo picked up Popchyk and put him on his lap. Despite his age, the little white dog still had a bundle of energy like their time in Vegas. Theo dodged Popchyk's licks but petted him absentmindedly, thinking about what was to come next.
A trainwreck, in his opinion.
His phone, which was originally in his hand when he fell asleep, buzzed at the edge of the bed. If it moved even an inch, the device would be thrown off. Theo carefully placed Popchyk on the ground, letting him yap and run around as much as his frail, old body would let him.
Theo adjusted his position to grab his phone. The lock screen lit up when he lightly pressed on it with his thumb. Most of it were useless notifications from random apps that he never bothered to delete. But, there were two distinct ones that caught his eye.
He scrolled down a bit and his heart dropped. On the screen was a long thread of text messages from Kitsey, waiting to be opened. He hardly should be surprised by now, considering who Kitsey was as a person.
Undoubtedly, her dissatisfaction at his prolonged absence was quite obvious by now. At the engagement party, Theo had stated that he would be gone for a few days at most and well… it turned into a few weeks. It's not his fault that they lost the painting and he nearly killed himself. Theo should be given some grace for god's sake!
Fuck, he did not want to deal with this whole fiasco either. He truly wished that he could've stayed in Amsterdam with Boris. Maybe then, his life would've been just a little bit simpler.
When Theo opened his phone again, he properly examined the texts from Kitsey this time. Most of them consisted of incoherent rambles, repeated question marks, and her asking of his whereabouts.
The final text, which she sent four days ago, read: Please call me as soon as you can. Mommy's quite distressed. She keeps asking about you.
Theo rolled his eyes at the last sentence. Of course, she involved Mrs. Barbour in this. He cringed thinking about the older woman's reaction to him leaving his and Kitsey's engagement party.
He opened the contact section for Kitsey, thumb hovering over the call button. Did she actually want to hear from Theo or was this just another ploy of hers? As much as he would've liked to believe the latter, she seemed to be genuinely concerned for him.
Kitsey could be cold at times but Theo understood that she still cared for him. She would be even more pissed if she saw the read receipts from Theo's end.
Theo closed his eyes and took a deep, long breath. He felt his body shake slightly as he exhaled. Without further hesitation, he dialed Kitsey.
Ring…. ring… ring… rin-
"Hello?"
"Er- hey, Kitsey. Sorry for not replying to your texts, I didn't have cell service for a while," Theo said awkwardly.
She let out a small sound, a huff? "It's fine. I'm just glad you're not dead."
Theo sucked in a breath. She didn't know. How could she? It's not like he was going to confide in her about the events that transpired in Amsterdam.
He struggled to find words for what he wanted to say next. Should he do this on the phone? Would that be fair to her? No… she needed to hear the truth. It had to be in-person.
He really did not want to tell her in the first place but also, Theo understood that he could no longer keep himself wrapped around in a bundle of lies. Not after Amsterdam.
"I'm okay, I promise. Listen, are you busy today?"
A minor pause, nearly inconspicuous to most. "No, why?"
Theo momentarily put Kitsey on speaker phone to check the time, which read 11:23 am. Damn, he slept in. He must've been super exhausted from traveling.
He switched the mode and put it up to his ear. "Can you meet me at Nolita's on 2nd Avenue in 45 minutes?”
Although Kitsey seemed somewhat peeved, she replied with, "Yeah, sure. Did something happen? Besides you leaving our engagement party." Ah, she wasn't going to let it go. Noted.
"Uh, it's too complicated to explain over the phone. I'll see you then."
"By-" The line was dead. She abruptly hung up. Theo slumped against the headboard and sighed, rubbing his eyes with the end of his palm.
Currently, Theo's life was a complete shit show from every single aspect. At the very least, he had the comfort of Boris. Even if the other man was thousands of miles away.
Speaking of… Theo noticed that he had received a text from him during the middle of the night. He opened the message log and read it.
Huh, those last two words. It had to be Polish. Theo could identify Boris' native language because of his Conversational Russian class in college.
Theo curiously translated it and his eyes widened. An endearment.
For a solid ten minutes, he tried writing a variety of responses. None of them seemed to fit. Frustrated, Theo discarded his phone and opted to get ready for the day.
Theo slipped on boots, atypical for his clothing style. When he searched the weather for the day up earlier, it said that there was a low chance of snow but January was peak snow season in New York. It was better to be safe than sorry.
A chilly breeze passed by him as he left Hobie's and began walking down the street. The place that he had chosen was closer to Kitsey's than his. There were more options near Hobie's but he wanted to keep her in a positive mood, considering the bomb that he planned on dropping on her today.
People around the city were in a hurry, trying to shield themselves from the cold. He shivered when he was hit by a particularly brisk gust of wind. Perhaps frozen yogurt wasn't the best option for today but it was too late to change plans, Kitsey was probably already at the shop.
About 15 minutes later, Theo arrived. Based on the outside decor alone, it was a quaint place. A white sign read Nolita's, outlined in pink. A few succulents were placed along the window. Sky blue strips covered the shop from top to bottom. The frozen yogurt shop looked like it was plucked out of the 1950s and placed in the heart of New York. He noticed that there weren't many seating options outside and upon closer a closer look, the furniture was sort of cheap. But, Theo forced himself to concentrate his thoughts elsewhere.
He stood near the entrance, scanning passersby. None of them were Kitsey. Where was she?
Theo impatiently checked his watch again, irritation growing by the minute. She had to be this late on purpose, there was no other possible reason.
After what seemed like ages, he spotted Kitsey. Blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, jewelry galore on her wrists and neck, and makeup that appeared to be airbrushed from a distance. When she approached Theo, he caught a scent of her staple perfume.
Jasmine with a hint of vanilla. Even after all this time, he didn't know which brand she used. Never cared to ask but after today, it wouldn't matter anyways.
"Hi," Kitsey said. Her annoyed tone from earlier was no longer there. She stepped a bit closer and leaned into Theo, pressing a light kiss on his cheek. She took hold of his arm and looped hers around his in one swift motion. "Shall we go inside?"
Theo nodded, not trusting himself to speak. She led him into the shop and scrunched her nose when she figured out what type of place this was.
"Frozen yogurt, seriously? It's too cold outside to eat this. Why not coffee instead?"
"I wasn't in the mood. I'm tired of coffee shops anyways," Theo shrugged noncommittally.
Kitsey hummed, as though she wasn't completely satisfied with his answer. As they waited in line, she put her head on Theo's shoulder and adjusted her position so their hands were intertwined. Her thumb rubbed against his comfortingly.
Shit, Theo couldn't let her show signs of affection. He wasn't cruel enough to push her head away from him but he undid the connection between their hands. Kitsey looked up at him with a confused expression.
Before she could comment on it, Theo cleared his throat and said, "What took you so long? I live farther from here than you do." Great thinking, Theo. She's going to notice the deflection.
If Kitsey did, she chose not to acknowledge it. "About that… I was trying to make it on-time but Em woke up super sick this morning so I was helping her recover for a bit before I left."
Theo noticed the way that she bit her lip and fidgeted with her engagement ring as she said this. So many lies between the two of them and this was just another one.
Luckily, he wouldn't have to worry about that any longer. He wondered how Mrs. Barbour would take the news. He couldn't bear to tell the poor lady herself.
Kitsey opened her mouth—maybe to interrogate Theo—but he wouldn't know because the moment that she did, the employee yelled out "Next person!"
They stepped forward. Neither had taken the time to look at the menu beforehand but to be quite honest, it was pretty simple.
Vanilla, chocolate, the basics. They had premium toppings and options but Theo usually selected what most would call "plain."
"Hi, what can I get started for you two?" The woman in front of them asked. The name-tag read Ariana. She had short, black hair with several piercings and tattoos. Her looks didn't match her bubbly attitude. It caught Theo off-guard.
"I'll just get the vanilla one with chocolate chips and she'll get the-"
Kitsey quickly cut Theo off, "I can order for myself, thank you very much." She shot him a dirty look and continued, "Sorry, miss. I would like strawberry frozen yogurt with… what do you think is a good topping choice?"
"My go-to is cookie dough or some sort of candy, if you like chocolate."
"Perfect! I'll pick cookie dough in that case."
The worker glanced between the couple, almost apprehensively then said, "Alright, you got it." Once she finished making their frozen yogurts, they all congregated towards the cash register. Click, beep. "Your total comes out to… $19.29. Would you like to round it up for charity?"
"No, thanks," Theo interjected. Kitsey stepped back expectantly while he searched for his wallet in his pockets. He pulled his debit card and paid.
"Would you like a receipt?" Theo shook his head. "No worries. Have a good day, you two."
"Thanks! You as well," Kitsey said cheerily.
Since she couldn't hold his hand, she decided on holding his arm as an alternative. As much he would've liked to shake her off again, Theo resisted the urge.
For a cold day in the middle of winter, a lot of people were apparently craving frozen yogurt because there were hardly any spots left. This place was tiny so most of the tables were crammed to the side. Theo surveyed the area, Kitsey mirroring his actions.
"Let's sit there," she commanded.
Theo allowed her to lead them to a round white table, barely large enough to seat the two of them. People chattered on with friends and family at the other tables. It was becoming more difficult to concentrate by the second. He needed to get his head straight in order to break the news to Kitsey.
She wasn't going to take it kindly, that was an absolute fact. But, this facade that everything was okay and normal between them couldn't continue any longer.
Both ate their dessert in silence for a brief moment. Calm before the storm, one might say. But, it didn't last long and Kitsey was the first to speak between the two of them. "So, why did you want to meet up? What was so important that you couldn't tell me over the phone?"
Theo paused mid-bite. He took a moment to relax then finished the bite of frozen yogurt. Kitsey crossed her arms and leaned back. She studied him, analyzing how he fiddled with the collar of his sweater. He nervously tapped his foot against the floor.
Stop being a pussy and just get on with telling her, damn it. Don't back out now.
He straightened his posture, scooting his seat closer to the table and put his forearms on the cool surface. Kitsey frowned. Impolite is what she must've been thinking. "We should call off the engagement."
Whatever she had expected, it was clearly not that. She gawked at him, unable to say anything at first. He waited for her to berate him, call him nasty names, get angry at Theo in some way.
None of that happened. Instead, Kitsey calmly said, "Darling, why would you even suggest that? I thought we've already discussed this topic and agreed that it's better to continue on with this marriage."
"Yes, that's true. But, I've changed my mind. We're done."
Theo should've left right at that moment. He would only be rubbing salt into the wound if he stayed. But, he felt compelled to. Whether it was due to guilt, pity, or another indescribable feeling, he remained glued to the seat.
A long, uncomfortable silence between them lingered on within the crowded space. Theo didn't want to cause a scene, there were a ton of people. He chose a public place for a reason instead of her apartment.
"No, we're not. We work well, Theo. It's only logical for us to stay together. We'll be letting down so many people."
Theo scoffed. "You really don't get it, do you?"
"Maybe I don't," Kitsey responded stubbornly. He was suddenly reminded of their childhood, those few weeks at Park Avenue where she would stomp around the Barbours' apartment if she didn't get what she wanted. That's what she was acting like now: a child.
"Kitsey, I'm trying to say it as kindly as possible. I don't understand why you're refusing to accept what I want."
"How am I going to explain it to my family? Those who know us?"
"I don't know, Kitsey. We'll figure all of that out soon enough."
"Basically, I'm going to be creating more bullshit excuses for your actions. Just like the night of the engagement party," she said bitterly.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Theo questioned angrily.
"I had to clean up your mess when you ran off with that straggly-looking man on "business." You said you would be gone for a few days. Mommy was absolutely devastated, wondering where you had gone.”
Boo-hoo. Dramatic much?
"I'm sorry for my absence, it was unexpected. I thought it would only be a couple of days at most."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever."
"I'm being serious, I had to take care of something before coming back to the U.S. I didn't mean to cause problems."
"Without Hobie? How strange. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that you and that man were up to no good."
Theo curled his fist. Kitsey eyed him and smirked. "Oh, poor man. So troubled. It's okay, dear, I'll keep your secret. No one besides me will know about you and him traveling across the globe," she cooed.
Wait… was she implying something about him and Boris? The fucking audacity! He slammed his hand on the table, startling some of the patrons nearby. They gave him an anxious glance but he ignored them. "May I remind you that you were the one who cheated on me with Tom Cable. I had every right to call it off then but I didn't."
Ha! Two can play at that game. If she was going low, he would go even lower.
Kitsey eyed him dangerously. Her face contorted into an ugly, outraged look. "You're a fucking coward, that's why you didn't call off the engagement. You know what? I don't want to beg you to be with me anymore, it's not worth it. You got what you wanted, Theo. I hope you're happy."
Kitsey plucked the engagement ring from her finger and lightly threw it down. It clacked, the diamond hitting the table at an odd angle. Her chair scraped against the tiles. The rustle of her coat nearly knocked her cup over but she caught it in time and threw it away.
Theo stared down at his own dessert, not wanting to make eye contact as she left the frozen yogurt shop. Stomping sounds and the ring of a bell indicated that she was gone. He closed his eyes momentarily, leaning against the uncomfortable chair that offered hardly any back support.
The patrons from earlier went back to their conversations, paying Theo no mind.
He had no idea how long he stayed after Kitsey left. It might've been twenty minutes or two hours, who knows? Time didn't matter to him.
One band-aid was ripped off. Now, he needed to rip the other with Hobie. He would deal with that another day though.
While Theo was walking to grab a few last-minute items from a local grocery store, his phone buzzed.
He pulled the device out and thank god it wasn't Kitsey. Theo was pretty sure that today wasn't the last he would hear from her even though they called it quits.
Surprisingly, it was Boris again. Theo had expected yesterday to be the only time that they messaged each other.
Boris: You are good, yes? I did not hear from you after last night so am checking up on you.
Theo chuckled. He already reassured Boris that he was okay and yet, he was still worried for Theo. He found it endearing.
Theo: Didn't I tell you to not worry about me? To answer your question, I'm fine. Had a shitty day but what's new?
"Watch where you're going, asshole!"
Theo looked up quickly from his phone. Ouch, that was no good. He nearly knocked over a man carrying two bags of groceries. Theo was going to yell out an apology but realized that he had already rounded the corner.
Oh well. He pocketed his phone and looked to his right. Great timing, he was at his destination. Although Theo had an urge to reply to Boris' texts when he got the notifications, he waited until he was in the comfort of his bedroom.
Boris: What happened? Something bad?
Theo: Eh, broke it off with Kitsey.
Boris: At last! We must celebrate!
Theo sardonically rolled his eyes, a tiny smile creeping on his face. Boris was always unapologetic, a trait that Theo admired. He glanced at the cabinet near his bed where he stored alcohol. He poured a glass of whiskey for himself. He usually wasn't a whiskey guy but it felt appropriate for the situation.
He held the phone up in one hand, glass in the other. A quick snap of a picture. Theo sent it along with a message saying Cheers without double checking. It took a minute or two to send but when it did, he cringed a bit. The picture was taken at an awkward angle and part of the glass was cut off.
Boris sent a picture of his own. Theo opened the image when it loaded.
His heart nearly stopped. Boris looked… ethereal. His mess of black curls were covering a quarter of the screen. He mirrored Theo's action, raising a glass in celebration. The glass had a clear liquid. Vodka, perhaps? It was difficult to distinguish exactly where he was due to the dim lighting. A bar? His bedroom?
Theo stared at the picture for far too long, studying every last detail. God, he wanted to be by Boris' side so badly.
But, that was wishful thinking. Theo wasn't optimistic enough to even consider that he would meet Boris in-person again for a long time.
He put his phone down on the bedside dresser and called for Popchyk, who eagerly ran towards him. Within half an hour, he was soundly asleep with Popchyk on his chest.