Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first time Agron had laid eyes on Nasir, a few hours ago, he had seen the saddest face of Europe, no less. Now that he laid in his bed, among rumpled blankets, satiated, still panting from their embrace, he looked even happier than when he danced. Agron could not believe such smile was directed towards him. And those grins just never left! Nasir seemed to love being touched, sometimes almost on pillow queen level, he loved to give and take the upper hand but he looked especially glorious when he received attentions. His happy smiles would have boosted any lover's ego.

Even after they were done humping, fingering and frotting like unexperienced teens, Nasir kept touching him, all soft butterfly kisses, gentle nibbles and tender caresses. He craved snuggles Agron was happy to give. This was not his usual type of “sleep on first date” night -- after all, it had started with him dancing, which should have predicted for an atypical evening.

“Thank you,” Nasir murmured as he ran his fingers in Agron's hair, a touch the fighter could easily get used to.

“Thanks for what?” Agron chuckled, “You did at least half of everything.”

“I really liked your half,” Nasir assured with a grin, rolling onto his side to wrap his legs around Agron's waist.

They kept their touch light for a moment, brushing fingertips over sensitive skins. To Agron's eyes Nasir was perfect, his only flaw was to look like boyfriend material but the poor boy was not responsible for Agron's unique ability to fall in love so quickly.

After a long moment resting in each other's arms, since none of them seemed ready to doze off, Agron rested on his elbow next to Nasir's head, brushing strands off his brow.

“So, sexy stranger, where do you come from? I had never seen you around…”

“I come to this club once a month,” Nasir chuckled. “You never do, so you couldn't see me.”

Agron had to admit he wasn't wrong. Then Nasir added, “I'm from Syria”, making Agron blush and profusely apologize.

“Wait, wait no-- I didn't mean…” he stammered, feeling heat rising up on his cheeks. “I meant where you're from, where you grew up. Not… ethnically! I am not one of these white people! I mean… your accent is funny, I thought you were raised in Stuttgart, Düsseldorf maybe?”

He felt so terrible for sounding so wrong! Nasir must have mistaken him for some racist douchebag, fuck, Spartacus didn't teach him this way! His handsome date ran two fingers in the center of his chest and his abs, a path he seemed to enjoy a lot, then repeated, “No, I'm Syrian. Born and raised. I came here one year ago.”

“Uh… you did?” Agron mumbled, surprised and speechless.

“Yeah. My auntie taught me german when I was a kid, she said if I ever had to run away, I would find the most supportive immigrant communities here.”

Agron frowned, slowly processing all the information, putting two and two together while his hands couldn’t stop tracing patterns on Nasir's golden skin. “Oh, so what you said about having small jobs here and there… you're, like, a refugee?”

Nasir nodded, bright smile almost gone. “Asylum seeker, yeah. Still seeking, the administration is slow, even more with all the shit happening all around the world, and it’s not easy working without papers.”

Agron nodded in silence, impressed by the layers he uncovered one by one. There was so much depth behind those beautiful eyes, so much sadness under the smiles. He wanted to learn more, to know who he was behind his handsome facade.

“You mean you could get deported?”

Nasir shrugged, “Among many other things yeah. But hey, it's cool, I didn't come here to talk about that, okay? I didn't even mean to talk so much…”

Agron brought his hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles like a young groom. “You didn't stop talking, dude, not even when you came… not that I don't like that, though. But if you can't work, I guess you have no benefits either, how do you pay for what you need?”

“I get some jobs sometimes, off the books. Small undeclared contracts. Otherwise I relay on the solidarity of Middle-Eastern communities, generous locals, associations...” Nasir explained. “We don't have much choice but to help each other.”

Agron tried to remember the last time he had volunteered or even given food or money to a charity, and felt guilty for not managing. Nasir took his hand to nuzzle it gently, almost shy. Agron regretted bringing serious topics up because he had chased the beautiful smiles away.

“Since I'm pretty, I can get more easy cash than some others, at least it helps… please don't judge me,” Nasir added with a sorry smile, strangely shier than usual, top of his cheeks blushing dark.

Never anything but supportive, Agron shrugged, “Oh, it's ok, I get it! My friends Gannicus and Crixus often get modeling gigs too!”

This time Nasir couldn't contain his deep sigh, he shook his head and grunted, a hand on his eyes, “Astaghfi-rou-llah, Agron, you're really exhausting!”

Agron lowered his head, unsure of what he had done wrong this time. He repeated Nasir's words in his mind, then opened his mouth on a surprised “oh” when he understood the ways a cute guy could easily get cash. He blushed, didn't dare to maintain eye contact for a while.

“Sorry, I, uh… okay! I see! No problem,” Agron stammered. “It's fine, I mean, no, not that it's fine for you but… no judging from me! I, uh…”

He scratched his head as Nasir gave him an amused look, then added, “Do you want money for tonight? It’s fine, I can…”

“Excuse me?” Nasir exclaimed with an indignant pout. “You've got to be kidding me, get out of my face!”

He threw a pillow at Agron, making him lose balance and fall on the floor, which was a lesser punishment than he actually deserved for upsetting his little treasure of a man. Agron knelt on the floor next to the bed, hands on the mattress, only his eyes visible.

“Sorry, sorry. I thought that, I mean if that's what you had in mind for us from the beginning…”

Nasir rolled onto his stomach and ran his fingers in Agron's hair. “Just because I have had sex for money a few times doesn't mean I can't do it for my own pleasure. Don't ever do that again or I'm gonna kick your ass, cage fighter or not!”

Agron dared to climb on the mattress again, unsure where to place his hands, or himself. It was a lot to process. Nasir scooted against him, once again cuddly and warm.

Careful with his words now, Agron dared to whisper, “I understand now why you looked so sad when we met before the club. Life was not kind to you.”

Nasir nodded. “Yeah, we can say that.”

“Your family they're still there? In Syria?”

“I had parents and a brother.” Nasir mused, nostalgia filling his eyes. “They never had an opportunity to search for a better situation elsewhere. I hope the afterlife is good to them.”

Agron let out a soft sigh. Why had he asked? Should he shut his big mouth and call it a night now instead of making things worse? He tried to lift the mood, “And still you find the energy to go dancing, you're amazing!”

Nasir nuzzled his palm again with a feline smile. “Dancing is my breath of fresh air, I can't live without it. I save enough for a night out every month, grab my only classy outfit to make sure I can get in the club, and go let steam off, forget everything. Makes it easier to bear the other days. Some of my friends do drugs, or drink, or practice religion intensely to find comfort… me, I just dance. I don't even try to get men to look at me, I just really want to let go and dance.”

Agron's heart threatened to leave his chest, pounding hard, bringing tears to his eyes. He could not start punching things to hide his sensitivity, not tonight. Like hell would he leave his bed to run to the Ludus when he could stay in this handsome man's arms. He brushed his thumb on Nasir's cheek.

“You’re much more of a fighter than I am.” Agron lowered himself and whispered, “What can I do for you? Is there any way I can help you?”

“Pffft, hey, I don't want your pity!” Nasir shrugged, failing to push him away but still shoving his palm in his lover's face. “I was fine before you and I'll be fine after. Thanks for the shawarma though.”

Agron protested with a pout, “That's not pity! I just want to help. Would you refuse my solidarity?”

“Solidarity as a consequence for sex…” Nasir curled his nose. “I think solidarity is not the word you're searching for, think again.”

Agron sighed, cheeks swelling like a scolded child. Wanting to help and not being able to was so frustrating! Nasir caressed his neck, his shoulders with a kind smile.

“You know what you could do to help me?” He smiled, then added as Agron nodded, “Put your clothes on and go get us a box of condoms. Then blow me. That's all the help I need.”

Agron wanted to say no, to offer more help, to give him everything he wanted, to marry him if it could provide more comfort, whatever it would take! But he also understood he had to accept Nasir's pride and deal with it. So he kissed his lips, let his tongue linger for a while before he purred, “This I can do, that would be my pleasure, little man!”

As he slid his boxers up his thighs, ready to sprint to the store, he heard the door of the apartment opening and voices laughing. He rolled his eyes.

“That's Duro coming home, and he's not alone.”

“Your brother? Why don't you ask him for the condoms he took?” Nasir suggested with a smirk.

Agron considered his options for a second then whined as he grabbed his socks. “Nah… he's gonna give me shit. It’s safer to avoid him!”

“Tssk, how old are you, guys?” Nasir laughed.

He got to his feet, crumpled his boxers into a ball to hold in front of his crotch then walked out of the room, with a huge smile and all his radiant beauty.

“Hello!” he said, reaching for Duro's hand. “Agron and I need the condoms you took from his room, do you mind?”

Agron bit his lip with an amused glare as Duro, speechless between his two dates, handed Nasir four small square packages.

“Thank you, and sorry in advance for the noise,” Nasir teased as he walked back to the room, hiding nothing of his glorious ass.

Agron welcomed him with a warm kiss. He was handsome, funny, playful and he messed with his little brother? God, that man was a real keeper!

.

It was almost noon when Nasir woke up. Agron was in the small kitchen, cooking a feasty brunch while whistling Despacito, when he saw the bedroom door open. The vision made him smile, as he always did when he saw Nasir anyway, even when his date was all rumpled from their night, long hair tied in a parody of a bun on top of his head, wearing only his boxers. He looked grumpy like someone who hates mornings and Agron presented him a mug of coffee with a grin.

Nasir eyed him, the mug, the table, the plates filled with toasts, eggs, bacon and sausages, then shot him a sleepy but deadly glare. Agron showed him the empty plastic packages, and Nasir let out a deep sigh as he stroked his temples.

“Didja go out just to buy halal sausages? For me?” he slurred.

“Yeah!” Agron nodded proudly. “You just had to eat one of my famous breakfasts! That's my job to make sure everyone gets enough proteins!”

“Let me guess, you're the clingy type, aren't ya?” Nasir said, sounding harsh but tender, before he raised a suspicious eyebrow. “You have a strange diet for a coach.”

Agron shrugged and added some mustard on his own plate. He sat, waiting nervously for Nasir to take a bite, wondering if he had done too much. They had spent a wonderful night together, discovering each other through hours of foreplay and languid sex, they had shared stories of their past and dreams about their futures but they were from radically different worlds. They came from different backgrounds, and Nasir trusted Agron more with his body than with his heart for now. So when he finally started devouring his plate, Agron was reassured.

“Ok, that's really fucking good,” Nasir moaned between two bites. “Exactly what I needed.”

Agron put his chin on his hand with a smile that looked a lot like the one Castus had showed last night. “You spent many calories, you gotta regenerate your cells.”

After watching him eat in silence for a while, Agron put down his fork and nervously fidgeted with his paper napkin --he had made exceptional efforts to set the table.

“So, uh… I did not just go groceries shopping since I've been up,” he stated. “And I know this is a sensitive topic, so just let me talk and then we'll get from here.”

Nasir leaned on his elbow, put down his coffee cup, grunted like a warning as a strand of hair fell on his nose, “I'm not moving in with you and I'm not marrying you.”

Agron took a deep breath and smiled like he had never considered the option at all. “Yeah, no, not what I had in mind, don't worry! This morning I talked to my friend Naevia, who talked to her best friend Diona who works with BAMF. She could help you get the procedure done faster, put your file on top of their list and make you safe very soon.”

Nasir's sleepy eyes opened a bit more in surprise. He tried to speak but Agron cut him off.

“No, listen first. I know you don't want to feel like I pity you or something so… getting her email is not a reward for having sex with me. I can give you her contact and we can stop seeing each other if you feel like us sleeping together makes it less of ‘solidarity’. I could find you a job at the gym, there are many options available and my boss Spartacus is a real social justice warrior, I know he wouldn't mind. I just want to help… but I know you wouldn't feel comfortable receiving help from your boyfriend so if that means not being together, it's okay.”

Nasir yawned against his fist. He stayed silent for a moment, then sighed, “I did not sign up for this. I just wanted to fuck a hot guy.”

Agron beamed at the compliment. “Thank you!”

“So what?” Nasir asked. “You would see me work at the same place as you and not be upset that we're not together? You seem pretty hooked already.”

Agron shook his head. “Honestly? I'd be devastated, like, super sad for a while, because you're one of the coolest guys I ever dated and I want to spend more time with you. I might be a dummy who falls a little too fast for pretty eyes like yours but I'm not a rapist. If you don't want me, then I won't harass you. This is life, it happens.”

Nasir let out a soft sigh. “Listen, I need some time to think about it. That’s a lot to take, I sincerely don't know what to do.”

“I know, take all the time you need,” Agron nodded with a kind smile. He got up, gathered the plates and cleaned them to stay busy.

He expected Nasir to leave, take some time alone far from him, politely abandon him after a warm night, but his date simply laid on the couch, staring pensively at the ceiling for about half-an-hour. Agron knew he would miss him like hell when he'd be gone, so he ordered a kilo of Belgian chocolate from Amazon to handle the breakup, but when Nasir finally got up, he looked peaceful, and more awake too.

“Ok, I thought about it.”

Agron hummed nervously. He could feel the upcoming departure on the tip of his heart, he hated feeling so bad already. He hoped Duro would soon get rid of his two lovers so he'd have a shoulder to cry on. Spartacus probably was available too, always ready to listen to his friends and help them kick toxic masculinity in the balls. Yes, he was being ridiculous, he knew it. It was just one night. One sweet night to remember.

Nasir walked to him, rested his hand on the table.

“Here's the thing. I really want a better life, not gonna lie, so if your friend can help me, I would appreciate that. If I were legal I could help my friends more, maybe study to get a degree equivalent to mine, because all the gardening jobs I get are nothing like what I've learned in journalism school.”

“Ok. We'll do that.” Agron nodded, not so secretly happy to at least be able to give him logistics support.

Nasir settled on his thighs, arms around his neck, with a gentle but determined look. “And I could really use a boyfriend too… I mean I found myself a guy, the clingy romantic type, he looks boyfriend material to me.” He gave him a soft kiss, lips still tasting of his breakfast. “I don't want a sugar daddy, or a white savior, just a boyfriend. Is that clear with you?”

Agron had unconsciously tightened his embrace around Nasir's waist. With a sheepish smile, he asked, “No spoiling you then?”

“Come on, don't start with the puppy eyes! No spoiling. I want to feel like me, not like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, that's the deal.” Nasir warned. “Treat me like your boyfriend, not your good deed.”

Agron had a solemn nod and kissed his knuckles. “Fine, I'll try to do that, and if I ever forget…”

“I'll treat you like an idiot that doesn't understand much, trust me you won't like it,” Nasir promised, softening his threat with a gentle kiss.

Their lips remained chaste for a while, soft kisses sealing the deal. With a purr, Agron whispered, “What about a real date outside? Tomorrow? Starbucks?”

Nasir rested his forehead against Agron's with a sigh. “Is that what you call cheap? I can't even tell if you're joking.”

Agron shrugged, “Okay, fine, a box of condoms and my coffee maker?”

Nasir laughed this time and promised, “I know a place that makes a mean mint tea with pine nuts, I'll take you there. Today I gotta go home though, my friends are always worried when I go out alone.”

“No wonder why,” Agron smiled, running his fingers in thick hair to undo his bun.

“But first, shower! May I?” Nasir asked, getting up already.

“Sure! Do you want me to show you how it works? I know I'm always confused in other people's bathrooms,” Agron offered with a knowing smirk.

Nasir held his hand to help him up, with a heated look that left no room for misunderstandings. “Just what I was going to ask, come with me…”