Chapter Seven #2
Gayle sputters, his face going bright red. “Oh my gods! You can’t just say that, Rodney!”
I raise my hands, pretending to be completely innocent. “I simply want to try a piece of this divine pizza, Gayle. No ulterior motives, none whatsoever.”
“What do you want on your pizza?” Gayle asks, completely ignoring my innocent act which only makes me chuckle harder.
I stand up and move around the couch, leaning down so I can look at Gayle’s phone as he puts in an order. “Oh,” I say, pointing at something on the menu. “Can you get that veggie pizza for me? But instead of red sauce, can you see if they’ll make it with their barbeque sauce? That sounds amazing.”
“You’re weird,” Gayle says, tilting his head back and looking at me. “I like it.”
I try to act smooth but fall flat. Literally. My hand slips off the couch and I lose my balance, ending up on the floor behind the couch. Awesome.
“Shit. Are you okay?”
“Fine! Just fine! Don’t look down here! I’ll just stay here while we wait for the pizza.”
I can hear Gayle giggle again and I wonder if he covered his mouth or not. Gayle makes the call, ordering our pizza before turning his television on.
“I have a question,” I say, walking around the couch.
I tighten my fingers around my sleeves, suddenly feeling nervous.
I could just sit on the couch but gods, it’s a big couch.
My instincts are going a bit frayed on the end, begging me to ask the question I want to ask even if it’s kinda scary. “And feel free to say no.”
“Okay,” Gayle says slowly. “Ask away.”
“Do you have some blankets I can use to make a nest on your couch?”
I’m not sure what I was expecting but the look of absolute delight on Gayle’s face wasn’t it. He stands up right away, grabbing my sleeve and pulling me towards a closet down the hallway where the bathroom is.
“You nest?”
“Yeah,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck with my free hand. “It’s a whole thing for me. Do you nest too? I know some alphas do.”
“I don’t,” Gayle says, throwing open the closet and showing me a stack of soft blankets.
I take the one off the top, smelling it.
It smells new. Normally, the more worn out the better, but I can make this work.
I take a few from the stack, handing them over to Gayle.
“I’ve never really had the desire to nest but Calloway is an omega and he’s just starting to get the itch. ”
“That’s so cute,” I say right away. “Gods, I remember my first couple nests. They were fucking awful. I used wet towels,” I say, wrinkling my nose. “Why the hell did baby Rodney think that would work?”
“You’re adorable when you wrinkle your nose like that,” Gayle says before putting a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
“Oh my gods,” I say, bringing the blankets back into the living room. “This is payback, Gayle! Finally, you know what it’s like to fuck up your mute button.”
Gayle rolls his eyes at me, the gesture so endearing it takes all of my will power not to pinch his adorably soft cheeks.
I get to work, directing Gayle as I need.
Pillows get put on either side of the couch so we’ll have soft cushions to lean on and use as arm rests, then the blankets go down.
If I was at home, I’d probably make this nest on the floor so we could properly lie down together but this is a first date and I’d rather not give in to temptation to get horizontal with Gayle. Not yet anyway.
The final piece is the blanket that seems the most well loved. That will go over our laps once we get onto the couch properly. I stand back, admiring my work. It’s not perfect because it doesn’t have any of our clothes in it, but it’s good nonetheless.
Someday, I think I’d like to make Gayle a proper nest. I want to make one that smells like the both of us. That makes me wonder--
“Do you still go into rut?”
Gayle sputters. “What?”
“Shit. I’m so sorry! That’s so rude of me! Jesus, why can’t my brain to mouth filter actually work?”
“Hey, no, no. It’s fine, Rodney. I just wasn’t expecting that.” Gayle says, clearing his throat. “Yes, I go into rut. I’ve never had an issue with my alpha side. If anything, it makes me feel gender euphoric in a lot of ways.”
“Oh,” I say, taking in that information, realizing that I really don’t know shit about shifters or alphas or any of that. My google algorithm is about to be wild when I get back home. “I was just thinking about--” at this, I bite my bottom lip, cutting myself off.
“You can say it, I don’t mind.”
“I just think it would be kinda special to make you a nest for your next rut. You know, if we’re to that stage of things.”
Gayle hides his face behind his hands but even so, I can see the way his face is flushed. Oh my gods, could this man get any more adorable?
“I think I’d like that,” he says between his fingers. Thankfully, he’s saved by a knock on the door. He rushes away to get our pizzas.
When he gets back, I’ve gotten into the nest and pulled the coffee table to sit up against the couch.
He sets down our pizzas and gets in beside me.
Of course I try a slice of his pineapple pizza.
I’m not sure it’s quite moan-worthy but I surprise myself with how much I enjoy it.
We chat while we eat. When we’ve had our fill, Gayle takes the leftovers into the kitchen.
I set a few blankets onto the table so that we can stretch out our legs. Gayle comes back quickly, sitting close enough that our sides touch.
“Do you wanna watch a movie?”
“Yeah,” I say softly, the lights all dimmed around us. Gayle puts something on but I’m not really paying attention, too focused on the feel of him beside me.
“You’re watching me, not the movie,” he says, barely above a whisper.
“Sorry,” I whisper, both of us knowing I’m not. “You’re very pretty, Gayle. It’s hard for me to look away.”
Gayle looks down at his lap before turning his head towards me. Our faces are so close I can feel his breath against my skin.
“Normally, I hate being called that, but when it comes from your mouth, I think I like it.”
“I’ve always been a sucker for pretty things and you’re no exception, Gayle. I’m happy to call you whatever you’d like though. I know how some words don’t feel right.”
“I don’t mind it,” he says, shaking his head. “But only because it’s you.”
My heart is racing inside my chest. We’ve somehow inched even closer together, barely an inch between our faces.
“Gayle?” He hums, his pretty brown eyes darting down to my lips. “Can I kiss you? Please?”
Gayle smiles as he nods his head. That’s all the permission I need. I bring one hand to his face, cupping his cheek before darting forward and pressing our lips together.
Gayle makes the most wonderful noise against my lips, a shiver running down my spine.
His hands grab the front of my shirt, just holding on, like he’s worried I might pull away too soon.
There’s like a minus thousand percent chance of that happening.
This is everything I didn’t know I needed in my life.
His lips are perfect against my own, slotting into place.
His skin is soft against my hand. When I move, it’s not to pull away but to deepen the kiss.
Gayle makes another broken noise before his tongue is darting out, licking across my bottom lip, asking for entrance.
I open for him and a moment later, our tongues are touching.
My head swoops, my heart races, and my entire body warms. This kiss is everything.
When I finally pull back, I rest my forehead against his, just trying to get my bearings.
I open my eyes as I finally move away from Gayle, staring at his face which looks absolutely wrecked in the most delightful way.
His eyes are wide, his cheeks are pink, his lips are red.
All that from just one kiss. Fuck, I can’t stop thinking about how he’ll look when we go further, when we’re both naked, when we’re--
“That was the best kiss I’ve ever had,” Gayle says softly, cutting off my dirty thoughts which is for the best. I cannot walk home hard.
“It was pretty damn good,” I say with a grin. “This entire date has been the best, Gayle.”
“Does that mean you wanna keep dating me?”
“Absolutely. One hundred percent.”
“Good. That’s good,” Gayle says, turning back towards the movie. He reaches across the blankets and takes my hand, lacing our fingers together.
When the movie is over, I have to leave otherwise I’ll miss the last train back home. On his doorstep, I give him one last kiss before leaving.
Rin: Ohhhhh you’re still not responding… this date must be so goooood
Kei: Don’t jinx it. What if Gayle is actually a murderer and Rodney’s body is sinking to the bottom of the sea as we text?
Rin: Oh my gods, stawp putting that out into the world! He’s FINE!
Kei: Damn, it’s actually getting late. You think our boy is getting laid?
Rin: At this rate, he’s gonna have to stay the night!
Rodney: …leaving now, Mom and Dad!
Rin: How very heteronormative of you, Rodney. Shame.
Kei: Stop trying to make me the mom of the group, wtf
Rin: WE ARE GETTING OFF TOPIC!
Rin: HOW DID IT GO?
Rodney: It was good.
Kei: That’s all we get??? Really???
Rodney: I’ll tell you everything when I get home! But yeah, it was like really, really good. Like maybe the best date of my life kind of good.
Rin: OH MY GODS OUR BOY IS IN LOVE
Kei: *said through clenched teeth* wow, happy for you!
Rin: DONT RUIN THIS MOMENT KEI!
I chuckle as I slide my phone back into my pocket, getting onto the train and preparing for my hour long trip back home. All the while, I can’t help but smile softly. I wasn’t lying, that really was the best first date of my life.