Chapter Text
a/n this is going to be separate ficlets about joseb and drama and sexytimes, no plot intended, enjoy. or not. your choice.
- Comfort
Joseph caught himself staring again. He’d tried to put it under control over the past few weeks but he realized belatedly that he couldn’t stop. There was something wrong with Sebastian. His usual dreary appearance had worsened and so had his drinking, the man stank of whiskey. Even Kidman wasn’t going anywhere near him. Joseph as Sebastian’s partner wasn’t sure what to do, after all the loss Sebastian had experienced over the years this would happen on occasion. He’d be fine for a long time and then, like rising water he would suddenly submerge into a depression and fall off the wagon like he’d been napping and life had dug a pothole in his path. This was just another pothole, another bump in the road and Sebastian needed help.
That was the problem though, Joseph knew he needed help but he didn’t---couldn’t help him, not when he was…he was susceptible to Sebastian’s moods, he couldn’t keep his calm, couldn’t observe rationally and objectively. And there was the inevitability of Sebastian’s return to this state even after recovery, leaving Joseph feeling that his efforts were all for naught. He sighed deeply when he saw Sebastian leaning on his chair with his hands holding his head, another hangover, it was only Tuesday and he’d--- Joseph’s temper flared impatiently, at least they didn’t have any current cases, but that was because they knew, they all knew and Sebastian understood just as well that he wasn’t going to get any more cases until he sobered up.
One of their fellow officers came up to Sebastian, “Boss wants to speak with you in his office.”
Joseph glanced at him, Sebastian didn’t bat an eye he stood up and walked to their superior’s office and Joseph waited by the door not wanting to be part of the resulting argument.
Sebastian really blew up, he yelled, threw the chair he was sitting on across the room and stomped out red faced and furious. Joseph peered in and was told in no so many words, “He’s your problem now, Oda.”
Joseph reluctantly followed Sebastian to his car, “We need to talk,” he said when Sebastian was opening the car door.
“No, we don’t. Get lost.”
Joseph wanted to do nothing more, “You’ll lose your job this time, Seb you can’t keep-“
Sebastian turned to face Joseph his expression cold and angry, “I’m not in the mood for you to play nurse right now, Joseph. Fuck off.”
He got in his car and drove away leaving Joseph with no other option.
He returned to their shared work desk and stared down at it, he searched Sebastian’s side and plucked out the tiny shot bottles of rum, the bottle of whiskey he had hidden in the back of the bottom drawer and put them all in a bag. Kidman approached him, “That time of year again?”
“It’s not a holiday, Kid!” He snapped, nobody here understood what Sebastian was going through right now. Nobody.
He sighed and turned to her seeing her stricken look, “I’m sorry, Kidman, I didn’t mean to yell, but you don’t understand. Sebastian isn’t the easiest…”
“Its fine,” Kidman said, “I don’t know him like you do, so…do the office a favor and bring him back to normal.”
Easier said than done.
His suspension was for about two months, two months of nothing, of his apartment and the liquor cabinet. Why had he bothered with this job anymore? He wasn’t saving anyone, in fact, for every person he did manage to help ten others were killed in some other horrible place. Sebastian stood by his window watching the city lights. He downed the remnants of whiskey from his glass and went to the kitchen to get more. He wasn’t ready to deal with any of this right now. He never would.
He glared at the cool amber liquid in his glass waiting for it to tell him to stop, but all it promised was peaceful oblivion, a break from all the misery and the sorrow and the loss---
He was about to give in when he heard his front door open.
He put the glass down and went to find his gun, but stopped when he saw Joseph standing in the hallway, he had a duffle bag in one hand and his laptop case looped over his shoulder.
“What do you want?” Sebastian demanded, “Didn’t I tell you before-”
Joseph put the duffle bag down along with his laptop bag and began to walk to where Sebastian was, he hadn’t said anything but Sebastian could tell he was irritated- no…angry maybe?
It annoyed Sebastian that he felt like he’d done something wrong, like it was his fault that Joseph was here when he wasn’t needed.
Joseph walked right past him and into the kitchen, the moment he heard glass break Sebastian followed. “What the hell are you doing?!”
Joseph was standing in a puddle of whiskey; he’d probably thrown the glass on the floor. He grabbed the bottle and Sebastian felt his stomach drop, “No! Wait- Please don’t-“
Joseph didn’t drop it, he didn’t tip it over, he threw it violently to the ground and let it shatter and splatter his pants and shoes with whiskey. Sebastian hesitated but anger and desperation won out, he quickly grabbed Joseph’s arm and yanked him back from the cupboard but Joseph managed to shove him off, actually kicked him and pushed him to the floor as he continued to ravage the kitchen, he found every bottle, every hiding place, every cup and threw it to the floor, he even threw some at Sebastian at the wall next to his head.
Sebastian was in so much shock he didn’t know what to do or say. Joseph was stiff and cold with rage. And here was Sebastian sick and guilty; disgusted with himself about how miserable he was now that he knew there wasn’t one drop left inside the apartment.
Joseph walked toward him then, panting, the sound of his nice shoes stepping on shattered glass echoed in the quiet kitchen. He squatted down in front of Sebastian and grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head, exposing his flushed, tear-stained face.
“Are you in the mood for me to play nurse now, Sebastian?”
Helpless and humiliated Sebastian didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t the first time Joseph had come and taken his alcohol, it wasn’t the first time he’d ‘Play Nurse’ it was maybe the tenth time he came over to the apartment and pulled him out of this pit his life had become. But he’d never been angry, never violent, he’d never broken anything and seeing him like this, breathless and cold and so angry at him. Sebastian couldn’t even stammer an apology.
But those feelings flitted away to be replaced with resentment, “You’re going to pay me back for those,” he sneered, “who asked you to come here anyway? I don’t need your help, get lost Joseph-”
That was when Joseph slapped him, hard and with the back of his hand.
It surprised him so much that Sebastian didn’t know what to do or say his first instinct which was to hit back had been stopped by the fact that it was Joseph and Joseph was a friend he wouldn’t hurt him so right now he just wanted an explanation.
Joseph let go of his hair and stood up, “Get up, Seb.” He said sternly.
Sebastian stood up, clumsily, senses still dulled from the whiskey.
Joseph took his hand and led him out of the kitchen and down the hallway and into the bathroom where he broke the tense silence by slamming the door behind him and locking it.
“Get undressed,” Joseph ordered. Sebastian stared at Joseph shocked and unsure which earned him another smack when Joseph leaned over and grabbed him by the hair and pulled him down to backhand him across the face again.
If it had been anyone else, anywhere else, Sebastian would have hit him back, and right now he was questioning why he hadn’t done it yet, why he was pulling off his shirt and pushing his pants over his hips as fast as he could. He didn’t know? Or did he? But it was Joseph he wouldn’t do something like this unless he had to and…and Sebastian deep down knew that he deserved it. He was trash. It was a simple fact.
Joseph pushed Sebastian into the shower and turned on the cold water, he watched the drunk idiot flinch and flounder under the icy spray, he hadn’t even fought him, Joseph watched coldly, his blood boiling, this wasn’t his friend. This was something that looked like Sebastian, smelled like Sebastian and talked like Sebastian but it wasn’t him. Remembering him on that kitchen floor crying because he’d lost his precious whiskey---it had made Joseph so angry, so out of control that he’d actually- no, this wasn’t the time for regrets. He needed to do this objectively. He needed to keep his emotions at arm’s length until he found Sebastian.
Sebastian eventually stopped curling and flinching from the water and simply sat down under it. Joseph pulled the nozzle down and sprayed him all over with it, afterward he left the nozzle hang and reached for the soap. Joseph thought briefly about making Sebastian do it himself, he thought about it, and that had to count for something.
Joseph grabbed the body wash and snapped off the cap and poured t over Sebastian’s head, he shoved Sebastian back and exposed the rest of his body and poured the rest of the soap over his chest and thighs.
Sebastian stared at him, confused, speechless, he lifted his hands to his chest and Joseph grabbed Sebastian by the throat and which made him freeze his movements looking up at Joseph with wide, confused eyes, “Do you really think a fucking animal like you can clean yourself?”
Sebastian grabbed his arm suddenly as if to fight, and for an instant it was the old Sebastian, but in that same instant he was dragged back into darkness and his arms fell slack and his eyes closed, there were no more tears this time.
Joseph glanced around for a rag or wash cloth but found nothing, he settled for his hands, perhaps it was a better choice, Sebastian would feel the humiliation more deeply now.
Joseph ran his fingers through Sebastian’s soapy hair, threading them through the greasy locks that hadn’t been properly cleaned in weeks. He felt irritated just remembering that Sebastian had fallen out so badly this time; that he hadn’t taken any care of himself. He scrubbed at Sebastian’s cheeks and jaw and down his neck. His fingers sliding against the stubble covered skin under his jaw, then Joseph went lower, he rubbed his hands all over Sebastian’s wide chest, he noticed with slight distaste that Sebastian was flushed, his cock was twitching.
“What the fuck is that?” Joseph hissed, “You really are an animal aren’t you?”
Sebastian swallowed thickly, he stared at the ceiling, as Joseph pinched his nipples with the tips of his nails, “Look at yourself, you’re a fucking mess.”
Sebastian still hadn’t moved but Joseph’s hands had, they followed that soap trail over his flat stomach, scrubbing insistently over his sensitive skin and when he reached between Sebastian’s legs there was a reaction. Sebastian grabbed his arms, “Joseph, what are you doing?”
“I’m cleaning a filthy dog.” Joseph sneered, “Why, what did you think I was doing?”
Sebastian was looking at him confused, still so confused, he bit his lip and let go and Joseph did as he pleased. He wrapped one soapy hand around Sebastian’s hardening cock and slid it up and down slowly until he was gasping and rock hard in his hand and then he let it go and continued to soap him up, he reached under Sebastian’s balls with his slippery fingers finding Sebastian’s anus and pressed teasingly against it as he spread soap along his sensitive flesh. Sebastian was trembling, his eyes focused on the tiles and there was no sound except for the spray of the shower head hitting the shower wall. Joseph spoke up, “What’s this?” his finger teased around the hole, “Do you want me to put my finger in here? I bet you need some serious cleaning here.”
Sebastian’s eyes snapped to Joseph’s face wide and uncertain, his mouth opened to speak but Joseph moved first he grabbed the shower head and sprayed Sebastian in the face with ice cold water as he rinsed the soap off his body.
Sebastian felt like he’d been flung off a cliff for a second. He spat out the soapy water and shut his eyes as Joseph rinsed him off. He felt awake; and aroused and humiliated beyond his limits. He could still feel Joseph’s hands on him, their warmth and skill and care as they moved over his body. But his voice had none of that, he was cold and angry and--- Sebastian dared to look at him now, his hair slicked back, he was still in his work clothes, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his almond shaped eyes hidden behind those thick rimmed glasses looked over him like he was as small as a bug, like he was a bother and something not worth giving attention to.
Sebastian watched him so intensely that his body began to react again, and he was aching for the feel of his fingers on his skin again, for the gentle press of his nails and the sting, oh god, the sting of his hand against his face. Sebastian realized this suddenly, and with it rose more complicated feelings and before he could properly address them Joseph caught his attention by grabbing his hair, “Get up, dog.”
Sebastian obeyed, not wanting to get hit, but wanting to at the same time and his brain was a jumble of confused desires. He was still hard when he got out of the shower, Joseph’s hand reminded him of that as he grabbed it and tugged him by his cock to the sink, where he made him stand absolutely still. Sebastian shuddered as he watched Joseph grab his tooth brush and squeeze tooth paste onto it. He looked up at Sebastian who even as he stood a good head taller knelt down without being told so that Joseph could open his mouth with his fingers and start brushing his teeth for him. He called Sebastian an idiot, a piece of trash, he called him a dog. As Joseph scrubbed away the taste of the whiskey from Sebastian’s mouth and saliva streamed from the corners of his open mouth Sebastian pressed his hands to Joseph’s knees, kneaded his hard thighs up to his crotch area where he found him hard, he slipped his hands in, still breathing through his nose, still drooling, still looking up at Joseph’s face--- he grabbed his cock and found it slick and warm. Sebastian moved his hand slowly, following the rhythm of the tooth brush in his mouth, he looked at Joseph’s mouth, how his lips parted and his breathes stuttered.
“Stick out your tongue, Seb.”
He obeyed, the bristles of the toothbrush on his tongue felt different from when he would do it, they sent tingles down his back, an itch under his skin that he couldn’t scratch, he moaned despite himself.
Joseph stopped suddenly, as he climaxed in his pants, all over Sebastian’s hand.
Joseph almost dropped the toothbrush, instead he took it out and dropped it in the sink, he bit his lip and undid his pants with his other hand he grabbed Sebastian’s head with the other, “Lick it off.”
He watched Sebastian wipe the toothpaste and saliva from his cheeks and chin and wordlessly began to lick him clean. Joseph tangled his fingers in his hair then, lost in the warmth and wet of Sebastian’s tongue, how gentle his movements were, even after what they’d just done. Sebastian looked up at him as he sucked him gently into his mouth, his golden brown eyes looking up at him; Joseph caressed his cheek with one hand as he licked upward now, his hands pulling Joseph’s pants down the rest of the way.
Joseph was helpless as Sebastian’s hands slid under his shirt cold on his warm skin as they slowly lifted his shirt over his chest, Sebastian’s mouth close behind as he licked up Joseph’s firm stomach, lingering a bit on his sensitive bellybutton. When Sebastian reached his chest Joseph made a sound, he couldn’t help himself. His ankles were trapped by his pants and Sebastian was looming over him, breathing heavily in his ear, he grabbed Joseph’s shoulders and turned him to face the mirror as he grabbed Joseph’s ass and split his cheeks apart with his hands as he knelt down between them.
Joseph didn’t say a word, he could barely breath, one hand came up to the mirror when his whole body started at the tongue pressing against his anus, Sebastian was making him hard again, Joseph looked at his reflection in the mirror, at his own flushed face, his crooked glasses, his hair, his chest wet with kisses and gentle bite marks that were growing deeper in color as time passed. He bit his lip and glanced over his shoulder when Sebastian stood up again and one instant there was a hard press and the next the slide of his cock entering and Joseph gasped sharply, Sebastian caught his face with one hand and pulled him back against his naked, damp body. Joseph didn’t know what to do with his hands now; he grabbed what he could find, a hip with one and Seb’s arm with the other. The heady burn, the feeling of fullness, the ache and the warmth and everything about it was spiraling out of control.
Sebastian bit down gently on the space between Joseph’s neck and shoulder, not enough to leave a mark like the ones on his chest, but enough for him to pause, to stiffen and allow himself to be fucked, slowly, gently, a brief respite from the violence of his previous actions.
Sebastian’s free hand came to his chest, pinched his nipples making them hard and then he turned his attention to Joseph’s cock sliding his hand along its length as he stared at Joseph in the mirror.
That was the eye of the storm.
The hot press of Sebastian’s cock against Joseph’s prostate became too much and his body was demanding release, Sebastian’s hot breath against Joseph’s ear became rushed and Joseph pushed hard against the sink slamming Sebastian against the bathroom wall, Sebastian caught him with skill, the push not even disturbing his rhythm, he crushed briefly under his breath as Joseph slipped from his grip and turned around kicking off his pants and shoes and pulling off his shirt.
They stared at each other in a moment of awareness, questions floating between them with each breath, nothing needed to be answered; nothing between them had to change now.
Joseph moved a second late, Sebastian having been one step ahead of him as he grabbed Joseph and pinned him up against the door spreading his legs impatiently and pushing inside at the first opportunity.
They both knew how this worked, or at least thought they did, Joseph struggled not to say a word, but it was hard enough to breathe right because he was so overwhelmed by the man he had in his arms right now, before he could think straight he had his nails raking down Sebastian’s back without warning. Sebastian groaned in pain and bit his shoulder this time hard enough to bruise. Joseph bit his lower lip when Sebastian thrust into him hard and steady, the slide and the burn and the feeling of his cock slamming into him was making it hard to think, the bathroom was cramped, the doorknob was pressing against his side, the wood was going to give him splinters dammit! But he was pulling Sebastian’s hair instead of complaining; he was suffocating him with kisses and raking his nails across his arms when he fucked him in just the right way, at just the right angle and in the right speed. He wanted to scream but all he could do was push back, bite the edges of Sebastian’s ear, mark him up so that he would know how much he was wanted, how badly he was desired. Joseph’s words were locked away, they were too far for him to grab onto so he clung to the flesh he could reach and he dug his longing into Sebastian’s skin.
Sebastian found the balance in between the molten fire of Joseph’s insides and the aching burn of his nails on his skin. Somewhere in between the passion of his kiss he realized what Joseph was doing. He grabbed his partner with one arm halting his thrusts and earning a hard bite on his shoulder and a panting, beg moaned into his ear. He unlocked the bathroom door and they made it into the hallway- he was aiming to get to the bedroom but Joseph knocked him off balance and when his back hit the floor he was pinned down and lost in the vision of Joseph riding him, he reached up and ran his fingers through Joseph’s hair, it was almost ethereal, his mind blanked as climax tore it’s way over his flesh, he grabbed Joseph’s hips with both hands and thrust upward and into him. Joseph’s glasses slipped right off his nose leaving his flushed, sweaty face in plain view, his coal black hair sticking to his forehead, his brow creased his lower lip red from biting and Sebastian wasn’t ashamed that he came just because of that- just because he saw his partner’s face above him, caught in the throes of a pleasure that Sebastian had given him.
It was like his soul awoke and the dim light he’d been living in cracked apart and Joseph, as always, was there.
Joseph cried out in the end, as his body spammed as he come spattered onto Sebastian’s chest.
Joseph slid off Sebastian’s chest and sat on the floor with his back against the wall, breathless, panting and gloriously naked.
Sebastian sat up on his elbows and stared, emotions flickering into existence.
“If this is what you’re planning to do whenever I’m in a slump, I’m not quitting whiskey.”
The glare he earned from that made him wince.
“Hand me my glasses, Seb.” Joseph said in a tired, hoarse voice.
Sebastian sat up completely and picked the black frames off the floor, he handed them over, “You look better without them.”
Joseph put them back on and Sebastian watched him surprised at the absurdity of the situation. Joseph was sitting on his hallway floor completely naked, Joseph opened his mouth to respond but he noticed Sebastian staring between his legs, before he could scold him Sebastian instantly crawled over and knelt between his legs. Joseph grabbed Sebastian’s head in surprise; he didn’t know what to do. He stared up at the ceiling in disbelief as Sebastian lapped his come from between Joseph’s legs; he was still shaking from the aftershocks and now-
Joseph made small sounds as Sebastian licked at his hole, his fingers tightening in his hair, Joseph wanted to say enough but he wouldn’t mean it, he wanted to keep him there, because every moment he was here in Joseph he was far away from the alcohol cabinet.
Sebastian’s eager sucking and licking had reached a mellow rhythm and before he ended up with another erection Joseph yanked Sebastian’s head up and stared at him, Sebastian licked his lips, “Hm?”
Joseph wanted to call him an idiot, wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to do this; wanted a lot of things.
“Come to me…” he said softly, “I’ll be here.”
Sebastian understood; he almost leaned forward to kiss him but stopped and laughed instead; he rested his head against Joseph’s chest, and when the laughs became soft and sad and those large, strong shoulders began to shake Joseph pulled Sebastian into his arms and let him mourn.
Because every few years he’d fall into this dark place where only his failures awaited him and it was up to Joseph to pull him out.
Every time, without fail.