Page 5 of Mutual Desire

Damien gave a small chuckle and patted Nick’s back. “You look terrible,” he teased, though concern was simmering underneath. “How many espressos have you had?”

Nick groaned, shaking his head. “Not enough, apparently.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Damien chuckled, sliding his arm around the back of Nick’s neck, pulling him in for a proper hug.

They walked back to the kitchen, Nick pulling Damien by the waist as if he’d just returned from a long absence instead of just a few weeks. Damien glanced at the two laptops and the endless lines of code, and already, his headache seemed to pulse again. Damien’s mind briefly wandered to Craig back at the apartment. He wished he were still at home with Craig, sipping coffee and watching his boyfriend sleep off the night shift. He quickly shoved those thoughts aside—this was a day to be a friend. Nick needed him. His friend had always been the type to overwork himself, and as much as Damien wanted to get this software situation handled quickly, he couldn’t ignore the deep fatigue in Nick’s eyes.

“So, what’s the emergency?” Damien asked as they both sat down at the cluttered kitchen table.

Nick sighed heavily and rubbed his face. “It’s that fucking bug, man. I’ve hit a wall. I’ve been working on this for days, and nothing’s clicking. I just need your fresh eyes on it.”

Damien nodded, pulling out his MacBook and setting it on the counter. He pulled up the software interface Nick had sent him after their phone call a couple of hours ago, diving in despite the dull ache still knocking at the back of his skull.

“I’ll do what I can. Let’s take a look.”

Nick jumped straight into explaining the latest glitch in the system, hands flying over the keyboard as he spoke. Damien listened, following along as best as he could, though some of the details flew over his head. Still, he appreciated Nick’s trust—it wasn’t every day someone handed you their mess and asked you to make sense of it.

That was the thing about Nick; he always knew Damien would come through, no matter what. Nick’s desperate gaze lingered on Damien for a moment longer, and Damien couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. He’d known Nick for years, and while Nick always threw himself fully into his work, it wasn’t often that he saw him this frayed.

As they worked, Damien found his thoughts drifting again—not to Craig this time, but to the complexity of his relationships. Nick, of course, had always been there, one of the few constants in his life. He couldn't help but feel lucky to have such strong bonds, especially after everything he'd been through in the past. The toxic, whirlwind romance with Jason had left scars. Then Craig came along—steady, dependable Craig. It was Craig who brought calmness into his otherwise complicated life.

Nick snapped him back to the present. “D, you okay? You look like you’re on another planet.”

Damien blinked, refocusing on the screen. “Yeah, just thinking.”

Nick smirked. “About Craig?”

Damien couldn’t help but laugh. “Always.”

As they worked, the hours blurred together. Line after line of code filled the screen, and slowly, bit by bit, they began to make progress. As the sun began to lower in the sky, and the familiar hum of the city softened outside the windows, Damien knew it was time to wrap things up. His fingers ached from typing and his headache had returned, but Nick seemed in much better spirits now.

“Thanks for this,” Nick said, his voice quieter now, gratitude evident. “I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Damien smiled, shaking his head. “You’d figure it out. You always do.”

Nick grinned. “Maybe. But it’s good to know you’re there when I can’t.”

They shared a quiet moment of camaraderie, and for the first time that day, Damien felt a sense of peace. He would head home soon—back to Craig—and for now, everything seemed manageable.

THREE

The Twist

Damien stared at his phone, the screen glowing with missed calls and texts from Craig. He hadn’t checked it all day while helping Nick with his project. They’d been so absorbed in coding that the hours slipped away unnoticed. And now it was past one in the morning—hours later than Damien had planned to leave. He was lost in a world of algorithms, barely stopping for food or water as they slogged through the antivirus software.

The project had proven more challenging than Damien anticipated, especially since it hinged on finding the right patent to protect its functionality from potential copycats.

After hours of grinding, Damien and Nick finally found the patent and had fixed the bug. It was worth the effort, but Damien’s body ached with exhaustion. Stretching his sore limbs, he felt more than ready to collapse in bed. Nick had done most of the heavy lifting, but Damien’s contributions had been crucial. As grateful as Nick was, the endless “thank you” grated on Damien’s nerves.

At the door, Nick walked Damien out, his constant gratitude practically spilling over.“Thanks again, D. I couldn’t have done it without you,” Nick said, flashing a grateful smile as he reached for the doorknob.

Damien yawned, barely stifling it. “Yeah, yeah. You owe me one. Or ten.”

But just as Damien was about to step outside, Nick dropped the bombshell.

“So... I’m presenting everything tomorrow at three,” Nick said casually, as though it wasn’t a grenade tossed into Damien’s night.

Damien paused mid-step, narrowing his eyes. “You’ll be fine. You still have time to sleep and prep,” he replied, oblivious to where this was heading.

---