Fairytales

"Have a good day Johnathan." With a nod to Red, Johnathan patted his jacket pocket to check for the trejule once more before leaving the building and starting the trek back home. The night before, he had wished that his mother would be cured of cancer and Theodore had granted it. With a simple snap of his fingers, Theodore had made Johnathan's biggest nightmare fade. He was not going to lose his mother. It was... simply amazing.

However, there was something else Johnathan had to worry about. After their awkward hug and Johnathan's slight objectification of him, Theodore had tightly asked if that was all he was needed for before snapping himself back into his trejule. Johnathan could remember staring at it for a while, during commercial breaks while he watched the news before going to sleep. He even went as far as bringing it into the bedroom with him, making a conscious decision to change in the bathroom because he wasn't sure if Theodore could see or sense things... he made a fool out of himself.

Work had felt twice as long as usual, with the trejule resting solidly in his coat pocket for most of the day. He couldn't even begin to think of what else he could wish for. Materialistic things? Money or a better apartment or maybe a job he actually liked? There was so much he wanted, just like everyone else in the world. He wanted to make it count though, make these last two wishes mean something. Plus, his last two wishes meant the time with Theodore was coming to an end. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that yet.

Except he knew how he felt. He was intrigued by the genie aspect, but all in all, he was pretty intrigued by Theodore in general. After he said his two wishes, Theodore would be gone from his life and Johnathan wasn't sure how he'd handle it. He wanted more time. He wanted... he wanted Theodore.

His key got stuck in the lock twice before he was able to get into the apartment, rubbing a hand over his neck as he did so. He felt guilty for the thoughts he had about Theodore as he was getting ready for bed last night, the thoughts he had had about him while he was at work. Not to mention the thoughts he had about him in the shower. It was an infatuation, one with the serious potential to turn into a full blown crush given the right amount of time. He wasn't even sure... what was sexuality to a genie?

He placed the trejule on the coffee table, paying almost more attention to it than anything else. He wanted to talk to Theodore again, ask the questions he hadn't had the chance to the night before, but he also wanted to keep his perving to a bare minimum. Two beers in, Johnathan simply decided to run out and grab something to eat rather than cook again. Not to mention, he really wanted some time away from Theodore to clear his mind.

Which was an odd thought because he hadn't seen Theodore at all today, but having the trejule in his pocket all day, he felt like he was right there beside him. He wasn't really sure why he felt the need to do that either, why he felt the need to bring it with him. He could have left it at home, probably should have, but for a brief moment that morning he had thought that if he left it behind, he would come home and it would be gone, that it never happened. That scared Johnathan more than he'd like to admit.

So gathering his wallet and keys once more, Johnathan paused before swiping his finger over the ridges on the side of the trejule, biting his lip as he waited for Theodore to appear. The trejule shook, warmed in his hands, before Theodore appeared infront of him.

"Johnathan." Johnathan nodded with an uneasy smile.

"Hi. Listen, I'm about to run out and grab something to eat to bring back. I was wondering if you wanted anything?" Theodore turned his head to the side, what Johnathan now knew to be gathering information, before giving him a blank look.

"I would not be... opposed to joining you again tonight." Johnathan smiled and looked around the living room before motioning to his remote.

"You can... I'd like it if you stayed here while I went. You can watch television or listen to music... I'm not sure if you've done those before. But please, make yourself at home. I'll be back in twenty or thirty minutes." Theodore nodded, glancing down at the remote before giving Johnathan a smile. Taking that as an okay to leave, Johnathan walked through the door, shooting Theodore a quick look before shutting it behind him and heading towards town.

When he got to a nice Indian place, Johnathan stood in line while looking over the menu. He hated being the person that holds everyone else up, although there weren't many people in the restaurant, but it was the thought that counted. After he ordered, a few different things because he wasn't sure what Theodore would like, he stepped to the side to wait. The man that took his order had told him it would be a while, since his order was a little difficult, but he didn't mind. He had a lot on his mind, things he wanted to work through before he showed up at his apartment with Indian food.

"Johnathan?" Johnathan closed his eyes for a second before spinning to face the person behind him, etching a quick smile on his lips as he did so. Evan was the last guy that Johnathan seriously dated, also the last guy that he casually dated. Both separate times. Went from college fuck buddies to college sweethearts, to adult fuck buddies to a relationship to... Their relationship was complicated, but that had ended right before Johnathan had gotten the promotion.

"Evan. How've you been?" Evan shrugged, tossing a glance over his shoulder to the door before looking back at Johnathan. He was famous for that, checking the exits every few minutes. Always prepared to run.

"I've been good, really good. How about you? Still working at that little call center of your's?" The irritation that always came with Evan's patronizing tone came in full force, causing Johnathan to grit against it and trying to smile through it.

"Yup. Got promoted actually, I'm a manager at that little call center now." Despite the fact that most days Johnathan hated that his father got him the job, he really did enjoy it. And he was proud, because although his father had pulled the strings, Johnathan had definitely earned it. He fought tooth and nail to get where he was, just got an extra push to get all the way there.

"Get a pay raise with that confidence boost?" Evan's smile was charming, what drew Johnathan in at first, but it was the snide tone that rubbed at Johnathan the wrong way. How had he put up with it for as long as he had? Worse off, how was it Evan that ended things about not Johnathan?

"Yes. As is the usual order of things. Promotion, pay raise, my own office, a parking spot."

Evan laughed, moving to the counter when a woman called what Johnathan assumed was his number, sliding his credit card across the counter. While she rang him up, he made a big show of putting a twenty into the tip jar, winking to her as he did so, before returning his card to his wallet and grabbing his bag.

"Which you never use, I assume, unless you've finally broken down and bought a car? Let me guess, you still live in that tiny apartment, don't you?" Johnathan rolled his eyes, pushing back a defensive response.

That's what Evan wanted, a confrontation. That was the type of person he was, competitive and confrontational and aggressive and everything Johnathan definitely didn't need or want in his life anymore. Instead, Johnathan kept his painfully fake smile on as he replied.

"It's big enough for me, so that's all that matters." He didn't realize that it was the wrong thing to say until he watched Evan's eyes light up, a smile curling on his mouth. Shit.

"Oh, so you're not seeing anyone right now?" Johnathan opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the woman calling his number.

He glanced at the register before fishing out his card, sliding a couple of bills into the tip jar with less grandeur than Evan had, signing his name on the reciept and grabbing the two bags.

"That's a lot of food for just one person Johnathan. Company?" Johnathan sighed, mentally shaking his head as he turned back to Evan. There was no way he could explain Theodore, not that he even wanted to explain him to Evan. Not that he needed to.

"I like having extra left over. And to answer your question, no, I'm not seeing anyone. I've got to go though. It was nice seeing you Evan."

Johnathan pushed past him and shouldered the door open, smiling to a couple walking in, and turned in the direction he'd need to go to get back to the apartment. He was barely out of the door before Evan's voice caught up with him again.

"Come on Johnathan, how about you and I go out for drinks sometime?" Johnathan rolled his eyes before turning around.

"I'm busy, with work." Evan smiled, moving to the side where a nice looking car was parked. He leaned against it, obviously trying to show it off.

"And you can't even go for after work cocktails? Live a little Galbreath." Biting his tongue from what he really wanted to say, Johnathan sighed. It wouldn't be the end of the world to go for drinks, especially since he knew that nothing would come of it. It could work for closure, if nothing else.

"Fine. The Tap Room? Say tomorrow at six?" Tomorrow was Thursday, so it was safe enough. Evan shook his head, clicking his tongue a few times before smirking.

"Come on Johnathan, do it right. Friday at seven thirty." He moved around to the driver side of his shiny car before Johnathan could respond, already regretting his choice immensely. Evan was going to extraordinary lengths to make it a datelike atmosphere but Johnathan wasn't going to budge. He'd make sure Evan understood that it wasn't a date when they met up. At least he'd got to pick the place. The Tap Room was casual, a small grace.

When Johnathan made it to his apartment, he could hear the television playing lightly. Opening the door, he could see Theodore sitting on the couch, staring intently at whatever was on the television. Once he heard Johnathan though, he shot up and grabbed the bags from his hands, carrying them from the living room into the kitchen and placing them on the table. Johnathan glanced at the television and almost choked on air as he saw what Theodore was watching.

"I was intrigued by the title. It is very-" Johnathan shut the television off, his eyes wide and face red. He had effectively walked in on Theodore watching porn, although he wasn't really sure if Theodore knew... not going on that thought process.

"I brought a bunch of different things." Theodore nodded, his head tilting to the side for a split second before he righted it, his skin tinging pink as he did so. Johnathan knew that Theodore had realized why Johnathan had reacted the way he had, although Johnathan sincerely hoped that Theodore didn't also know what Johnathan had been so close to thinking about. He'd have to be more careful about that.

After sitting down to eat, Johnathan found himself dwelling on his outing with Evan on Friday. He was half tempted not to even go. Whatever his reasoning to go had been, he didn't realize until he was there that it was a bad idea. Evan would get the wrong idea and Johnathan just didn't want to deal with it.

Glancing up, Johnathan saw that Theodore had his head tilted to the side. He opened his mouth, going to ask what was on his mind, but Theodore cut him off.

"You have a date on Friday." His voice had dropped back to its monotone, the voice he used when Johnathan associated it with his genie duties. It wasn't conversation, it was a statement. He couldn't help it, a shiver ran up Johnathan's spine at the words.

"Not a date, definitely not. I'm just going to meet up with my... a friend. For drinks. It's nothing big." Theodore nodded, eyes dropping to the food he had placed on his plate.

"A friend you were in a romantic relationship with at one point." Pushing himself away from the table, Johnathan opened his fridge and grabbed a beer. It'd make his third of the day, but maybe it'd make him go to sleep earlier.

"Yes, we dated. But it's not a date. He just wants to get together, catch up." Johnathan had sat down as he spoke, taking a few quick swigs of his beer before smiling tightly.

"I'm sorry if I've offended or upset you Johnathan. It was not my intention."

Sighing, Johnathan's smile loosened and he shrugged. It wasn't half as reassuringly as he'd wanted to be, but it would have to do.

"It's not you Theodore, honest. Being around Evan always puts me on edge. I used to like that about him, that he was abrasive. He knows what he wants and he goes after it. It was part of his charm when we were together. Now I just find it annoying. Really." Theodore nodded, pushing his food around his plate before smiling.

"Tell me about your work. What is it that you do exactly?"

The rest of the meal was spent with Johnathan telling about work, how he got involved with the call center and how the promotion came about. He skimmed over his anger with his father, not wanting to get into that conversation with Theodore.

After they finished eating, they moved into the living room where Johnathan was quick to change the channel on the television as he turned it on. Once it was on something that didn't require their attention, some sitcom or other, he turned to face Theodore and they continued their conversation. It went from the call center to Johnathan's family, his brother and sister mostly, before he sucked up the courage to ask Theodore about his family. If he had a family. Theodore had been a little hesitant at first before he explained that he didn't really have a family. He explained that he had a First, someone that helped him as he came into his full powers, but that it wasn't a person or a genie, just a being, a thought.

"How do you know that other genies even exsist?" Theodore laughed, as if he hadn't been offended by the question. Johnathan had thought he might have been, but apparently not.

"The First was a genie once. It's very complicated." Not bothering to fight his smile, Johnathan leaned forward and placed his chin on his hand, elbow perched on his knee.

"I've got all the time in the world."

As if something like that had never been said to Theodore, he tilted his head for a moment before smiling, glancing down at his hands and mumbling something under his breath, before looking up. His eyes were shining, as if fighting back tears, and Johnathan was worried that he had said something wrong again. He was always very aware of the fact that he was treading on thin ice with a genie.

However, Johnathan's fears seemed unfounded as Theodore began to speak, painting a picture of a world and customs that made his head spin. They stayed like that, with Theodore telling stories of his life before he took up the trejule, until almost sunrise.

Thursday went by quickly, mostly because Johnathan was dead tired. When Friday came around though, the irritation returned. He was meeting up with Evan at The Tap Room at seven thirty, meaning he had two hours after work before he had to be there. He spent the first hour debating on whether or not he should actually go, before deciding that he should just get it over with. The second hour was spent trying to decide to do with the trejule, and by default, what to do with Theodore.

He could bring it with him or he could leave it in the house. Maybe let him out so that he can watch television. He wasn't sure when or how he made his decision, but as he put his wallet and keys in his pocket, leaving his apartment as it approached seven thirty, he also slid the trejule into his jacket. Johnathan ran his finger over the edge of it through the material of his jacket before laughing, second guessing himself and wondering if he should run back and put it back into his apartment.

The Tap Room was crowded, full of people taking off suit jackets and ties and high heels to wind down for the weekend. The town was full of three piece suits, something Johnathan hadn't really paid attention to. However he did pay attention to one in particular, one that was smirking in his direction.

"Welcome to the land of the living. Started to think you weren't coming." Johnathan rolled his eyes, sliding onto the barstool next to Evan.

"Against my better judgement. Hey Stacy. I'll have a beer. Whatever's on tap." The bartender Stacy, a girl that quit the call center after working their two weeks, smiled and moved to the tap to fill up a drink for him. Johnathan glanced at Evan's drink, rolling his eyes.

"Rum and coke, you're so predictable." Evan leaned back a bit, as if startled, and then winked at Stacy (who visibly gagged before moving to her other patrons).

"Oh come on, at least I'm not drinking beer like every other night."

Johnathan hadn't had a beer since the night that him and Theodore had spent about five hours talking. Instead of saying that, he simply shrugged and turned the conversation to the football game that had come on the night before.

They talked for a while about meaningless things, Johnathan uncomfortably aware of how many times Evan reached out to touch his arm or leg. He was also very aware of the trejule weighing down in his pocket. He felt a little pathetic, almost completely unable to rid his mind of Theodore for even one day. For even one hour.

As Evan's head steadily moved its way up, Johnathan found himself more and more irritated and uncomfortable. He kept subtly moving his leg, trying to get away from Evan's hand, but he didn't seem to get the message. Stacy had shot him a sympathetic look, moving her lips to ask if he needed some help, but he shook his head. He reached one hand over to grab Evan's wrist, to still it, but it was then that he realized where his other hand was. He had reached into his jacket pocket at some point and ran his fingers over the edge of the trejule. He stilled, fingers still wrapped around Evan's wrist, and felt his chest tighten. A cursory glance around the room didn't show Theodore, but he knew... if he rubbed it, Theodore should have appeared.

However a glance at the door showed Theodore stepping through, eying everyone curiously before spotting Johnathan. As he opened his mouth, unsure of what exactly his plan was, his breath was stolen as Evan surged forward and crashed their mouths together. Johnathan released his wrist quickly, trying to pry Evan off of him, but before he even had the chance to, someone else was pulling Evan away from him. When Johnathan blinked through the haze, he saw who it was. Before he could pull himself out of the stupor, off of his barstool, Evan had swung around and slammed his fist into Theodore's face.

He pulled his hand back to do it again but Johnathan caught it, pushing Evan away before moving to where Theodore was holding his face, stunned. It had happened so quicky, and Theodore was probably not used to fighting, so Johnathan didn't blame him. His lip was split, a little drop of blood there, and his eyes grew wide when he wiped at it. His head tilted, trying to catch up with everything, as Johnathan spun around to yell at Evan.

"What in the fuck is your problem? You don't go around kissing people and you don't go around hitting people!" He was livid, his hands shaking. He didn't really care that Evan had kissed him, he could handle that. He couldn't handle that he had hit Theodore.

"Are you... what the fuck? I thought you wanted me to! And what the fuck is your problem buddy? This had nothing to do with you. Why don't you just go on?" Theodore's head was still tilted, still catching up, and Johnathan stepped between them because it looked like Evan was angry enough to take another swing.

"He's a friend of mine. I'm glad he pulled you off. I don't want you Evan, never again. You had no right to hit him like that." Johnathan turned to Theodore, seeing that he was straightening up a bit, his mouth set in a frown. The blood had started to drip again, making Johnathan wince.

"Are you kidding me here Johnathan? You just told me two days ago that you weren't with anyone. Now you're saying you belong to him?"

Johnathan opened his mouth to set Evan straight, because he hadn't said that at all, but Theodore spoke up first.

"He does not belong to me, but I am his." The words, although meaning something slightly different than they would be taken as, warmed Johnathan up more than the alcohol had. More than a fire could. More than was probably healthy. Evan's mouth dropped, eyes narrowed, and looked as if he was about to say something but Johnathan threw down a few bills for Stacy- if he was short, he could count on her to just tab it for him- before grabbing Theodore's arm and dragging him from the bar.

Outside, Johnathan checked his pockets to make sure he had everything before sighing, turning to glance at Theodore before continuing down the street. He knew Theodore would follow him, although he wasn't sure what that meant. His head was swimming, that was for sure. He really needed to get a grip on himself before he made a fool of himself. They walked in silence until they reached the apartment complex.

"How is your lip?" He tossed it over his shoulder, not bothering to glance behind him. He was hyperaware of Theodore's presence just at his back.

"It hurts, but it seems to have stopped bleeding." Johnathan nodded, fishing in his pockets for his keys, unlocking the door and stepping through with a sigh.

"I'm sorry he hit you, but uh... thanks for pulling off of me. That was really... great." He set his keys and wallet on the table next to the door, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it onto the couch. After a second though, he made his way over to it and pulled out his trejule, placing that on the coffee table. Theodore's eyes went straight to it, staring at it as if it was speaking to him.

"Why did you bring it with you?"

Johnathan opened his mouth once, then twice, and then a third time before snapping it shut and shrugging. Hell if he knew. A glance to Theodore showed him tilting his head and Johnathan tried to stop thinking, as if that alone would help. He knew that Theodore couldn't read his mind, was just gathering information, but it made him uncomfortable. What would Theodore do or say if he found out how Johnathan was starting (hah, starting) to feel for him?

It seemed to hit him quickly, his eyes widening and face blushing, looking up at Johnathan. He didn't know what to do, felt frozen as Theodore stared at him. Theodore took two steps forward, pausing for a second, before closing the rest of the distance. He leaned forward, pressing his fingers to Johnathan's cheek lightly before leaning down and capturing his lips in a quick kiss. He pulled back, wincing as he did so, and snapped twice. The blood disappeared, the cut in his lip sealing as if it had never been there.

Johnathan watched Theodore's face for a moment before smiling, surging upwards to claim Theodore's mouth once more. He'd wanted this, god how he had wanted this, and now it was there. He raised a hand, wrapping it around Theodore's neck to keep their mouths pressed together, and sighed into his mouth. It wasn't much, a simple slide of lips, but it was everything Johnathan had imagined it would be.

He went to work the next morning with a lump in his throat. Partially because he'd stayed up all night staring at his ceiling, wondering if the kiss had happened. Not long after it had started, Johnathan had ended it and Theodore had smiled brightly before saying goodnight and snapping himself into his trejule. The other part was because he had been called in by his manager, told that because of downsizing, they had to fire a handful of people. As Johnathan was the first manager over the employees, he would be the one doing the firing.

The list that his boss gave him had a few names on it, mostly people that did the calls, but he noticed one name that was definitely not on the floor.

"Is this right? He's-" His boss nodded, frowning.

"That's the way of it Johnathan, shit rolls down hill sadly. Janitorial staff is taking a cut just like everyone else." Red's name was written right along with everyone's else and he knew without a doubt that he would be the one he regretted firing the most.

The actual firing had been difficult, because the man had seemed so accepting. He had smiled sadly, shook Johnathan's hand, and told him that it had been a pleasure to know him. Johnathan had never felt his heart feel so cold before, never knew that his skin could feel so tight. He made his way back home, thinking everything over and realizing that he knew just what to do. The last three blocks of his walk home he took at a jog, almost barrelling into his door in a rush to get it unlocked.

The trejule was still on the coffee table and Johnathan ran his fingers over it quickly. His anxiety over seeing Theodore after the kiss was overtaken by the need to do the right thing. When Theodore appeared, he was smiling, but his smile fell short when he saw how out of breath Johnathan was.

"Is somethin-" Johnathan shook his head, knowing what he was thinking.

"Everything's fine. I want to make my second wish." Theodore nodded, obviously confused, and waited for Johnathan to make his wish.

"I wish that Red and his family will be set financially and not have to worry about a thing now that he's unemployed." He tried to cover all of his bases, make sure there were no loopholes that could screw up his wishes later.

Theodore smiled and reached out a hand, clasping it around Johnathan's and shaking it. When they released, Theodore snapped twice and then smiled even more.

"So it will be." Johnathan sighed, shoulders sagging in relief. However his spine tensed as he realized what had happened. He had used his second wish. He had one more before his time with Theodore was over. Theodore seemed to realize it too, his eyebrows furrowing at whatever he was thinking, before he stepped forward and pressed one finger to Johnathan's temple and rubbing it softly.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it Johnathan." Johnathan nodded, the tension leaving a little, before leaning up to pressed his lips to Theodore's lightly.

He couldn't fight the smile when the pressure was returned.