“Ah, yeah, sorry,” Luis said and finally stepped in.
“It’s okay,” Julien said, turning to lead him toward the living room. “It’s sweet you were worried, but we’ve discussed you at length, so that part at least, is not an issue.”
“Discussed me?” Luis’s heart started beating faster.
Julien hummed. “Of course.” Then he gave Luis a quick up and down, “I see you haven’t brought your kit today.”
Luis almost tripped over his own feet. He got that feeling again, like everything was happening too fast. “Oh, uh, I wasn’t sure–I didn’t want to presume.”
“Karim will be happy about that,” Julien said. “You’re still short on your treatment quota I’m guessing, one bite isn’t very much. Unless you stayed for a second?”
“No, I didn’t,” Luis said.
They took seats in the living room, Julien across from him. “I know I’m a broken record, but however this goes, it’s up to you. And you can change your mind at any time.” He met Luis’s eyes as he said it.
Luis bit his lip, words sloshing around in his head. “I meant it, on Wednesday, I’m glad it was him. And…god, it was better than sticking myself with a needle.”
Julien nodded slowly. “I’m glad to hear it was a better experience. And it looks healed.”
“Yeah completely,” Luis said. “Which–I mean you can’t know how much it sucks to constantly be sticking yourself with a needle. It was nice to get a break.”
“I’m glad he could give you a positive experience,” Julien said. “But he still will be apologizing for how he went about it. He should’ve asked you beforehand, not cornered you in a bar.”
Luis nodded. Julien wasn’t the kind of person who’d let something like this go, so Luis would just take the compromise.
Their conversation moved on to lighter topics after that, interrupted eventually by Julien’s phone buzzing.
“Ah, dinner’s ready,” he said, standing with a smile. He reached for Luis’s hand, guiding him up. Luis led himself he led to the dining room, and Julien kept his hand the whole way.
##
Tonight, Karim had made something called ‘kofta’, which he served with a steaming pile of basmati rice. Luis was given a heaping portion, which his stomach was happy to see.
But some of Karim’s usual swagger had been dimmed tonight. He sat Luis’s plate down and moved on with only a mumbled comment about what it was.
“This looks amazing,” Luis said as he picked up his fork.
“It smells wonderful, darling,” Julien said.
Karim said nothing, taking his seat.
In the awkward tension, Luis scooped up a generous bite of dinner and slid it into his mouth. The flavor burned on his tongue, and he hummed his pleasure as he chewed.
Damn, Karim could cook.
At the sound, Karim’s eyes finally lifted to meet his. Luis felt a heady slash of triumph at getting his attention. Heswallowed quickly, so he could get out, “Karim, this is really, really good.”
Karim made a sound of acknowledgement, and then his eyes dropped back to his own plate. Luis frowned.
“You haven’t lost a lick of skill in the kitchen,” Julien said after he’d taken his first dainty bite.
Karim started to push his own food around his plate with the fork. Luis had to do something.
“Listen,” Luis said, “about Wednesday—”
“Don’t.” Karim clipped at the same time that Julien set his fork down.
“Yes, let’s do. Karim?” Julien prompted.
