Warnings : Toxic workplace

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Remy knew as soon as Damien got home, something had happened. And whenever something hurt Damien, Remy entered Protective Boyfriend Mode and it was as if Instant Kill had been switched on.

Damien was far too quiet when he had returned from work, a cafe that was steadily gaining popularity in town. Normally Remy would hear nothing except the events of Damien's day for an hour at minimum. And Damien never just plopped down on the couch, laying face first in the cusions. That was Remy's thing.

Remy sat himself close to Damien's head and began to stroke his hair, playing with Damien's blond curls. "What's wrong babe?" Remy asked, voice soft than it normally would be.

Damien shook his head, shifting so he could stare at the off television. Remy frowned. "There's obviously something wrong, what is it?"

Damien just shook his head again. "Another time."

And Remy knew that was all the information he'd get for now.

But when 'another time' had risen, Damien yet again refused to talk.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Remy grew frustrated, even Remus began to notice that Remy was annoyed with something. But Remy was just as stubborn as Damien, and he wouldn't spill any tea without proper facts.

And like any other human being, Remy reached his breaking point.

-

"Will you just listen to me for two seconds?" Remy snapped at Damien. "I'm worried about you! And all I want to know is why!"

Damien hugged himself, keeping his gaze on the floor. "Dee, I want to know what happened... is it something that I did?"

Damien squeezed his eyes shut, forcing out a sigh. "I don't- I don't want to talk about it, ever. Can we please just drop it?" Remy frowned, and Damien could practically feel the hurt radiating off Remy.

But he couldn't tell Remy.

He couldn't tell anyone.

Remy sighed and slouched against their couch cusions. "Fine."

Damien snapped his eyes up to look at his boyfriend. "If you don't want to talk about it, then fine. I can't force it out of you."

Remy rubbed at his face, and Damien didn't miss the hurt expression that flashed across it. "But... if you're not going to be open, even if it's a vague openness.... I don't... I don't think this is going to work out."

Remy looked to Damien now, and Damien's eyes widened. He was being given two options, and he couldn't just say "not right now." Not this time.

"What...?"

Remy's hurt expression changed to a neutral look, a tired glint in Remy's eyes. He had given in, but he wasn't willing to stay if Damien truly didn't want to be open, even slightly, about what had suddenly changed.

"If you don't want to even give me vague details, I'm out, and we're done. I want to be able to help you, but if you're unwilling to accept my help, and you're gonna keep pushing me away, I can't stay. I'm sorry."

Damien bit his lip, tightening his arms around himself. Had he not even noticed how bad it had gotten? How had he not noticed? He didn't want to lose Remy. He didn't want to lose the only person who was currently able to make him smile. Remy was the only reason Damien was still here. If he was gone...

Damien swallowed thickly, and took in a deep breath. "I don't want you to try and help, if I tell you, okay? Promise you'll stay out of it?"

Remy kept his eyes locked onto Damien's as Damien sat beside him on the couch, and Remy nodded in agreement. A lie, they both knew it. But Damien still spoke.

He said how suddenly the cafe had been bought by a rather aggressive man, and how poorly he treated the servers. How they were all bound by contracts until the end of the year unless he fired them himself. How awful the environment became, less and less money was being given to the servers.

The work place that Damien once loved had turned into a living nightmare, and he couldn't get out of it. Not for another month, at the very least.

And then he went into more specifics, breaking down into Remy's arms. And Remy clenched his jaw, rage filling his heart as he gently stroked Damien's hair, the blond curls being smoothed out slightly.

Damien was reduced to a crying mess, and Remy kissed his forehead gently. And he reached towards the phone.

Damien caught his wrist, shaking his head at Remy. "You said you wouldn't get involved."

"That was before I knew just the kind of asshole was hurting you, I'm sorry hon, but he needs to be taken care of."

"Virgil already tried calling the police though- they didn't do-"

"I'm not calling the police, I'm calling Remus."

Damien fell quiet, and as the phone rung, he let the smallest bit of hope fill his chest. Maybe he'd finally be free once again.

When Remy hung up, he held Damien closer, and Damien buried himself in Remy's chest. It felt like a new beginning to him, turns out opening up actually helped.

Remy placed another kiss to the top of his head. "If they mess with you, they're messing with me. He's not gonna get away with hurting so many people, you included."

-

"... man in his late forties has been called in missing, he owned the establishment Silver Dream Café for about three months before this. And oddly, the servers of the cafe have been hosting a celebration in the name of the holidays where everything is ten to twenty dollars. They act as if their boss disappearing was the best thing to ever happen. But please call this number if you find anything, and now to Kathy with the wea...."

Remy flicked off the tv, and Damien sighed, nestling into Remy's side. "Good riddance, remind me to thank Remus next week." Damien mumbled. Remy chuckled and held Damien closer, tilting Damien's head slightly and capturing his lips in the kiss.

"Will do."