Sean
SEAN
It wasn’t his first time at Blake’s apartment, or rather, not the first time at the address. A few times in the weeks leading up to the wedding, he’d been assigned to pick Blake up for some planning meeting. Of course, he had shown up in his car rather than on his bike and never entered the apartment. He’d been content to wait outside until Blake jogged out, grin wide and welcoming.
Of course, before, that grin hadn’t sent ’s heart thundering and his mind racing. Before, he had greeted Blake with a raised hand and a smile, waiting patiently until he was in the car. Now, he was almost stumbling over his feet as he entered the small hallway, fighting the urge to reach out and touch Blake.
Blake, however, didn’t seem to suffer from such issues. He took hold of ’s elbow, drawing him close and kissing him suddenly. Neither of them had been shy about physical contact, but it was the first time it had ever shown up as a greeting and with such affection.
“Hey,” Blake said as he leaned back.
“Hey yourself,” murmured, body growing warm.
Blake nodded toward the nearby stairs. “C’mon up. Get comfortable.”
didn’t want to admit that he would read more into that statement than intended. It didn’t stop him from following Blake up the two flights of stairs to the door that led into Blake’s apartment. However, as the door swung open, he realized it was less of an apartment and more of a penthouse.
It was open plan, with rooms flowing into one another seamlessly. One wall was entirely glass, looking out upon the street below.
entered what he assumed was the equivalent of the foyer, where he kicked his shoes off before stepping into the next space. To his right was the kitchen, equipped with a sleek refrigerator and stove, and he didn’t miss the espresso machine in the corner. A small dining table sat a few feet away, with enough room for four people.
It was the rest of the space that drew his attention, the area he assumed was the living room. The space, which could have been filled with modern, minimalist furniture, was filled instead with what could only call ‘modern primitive.’ The huge couch was deep crimson leather, in front of a low table of clear glass and dark wood. In fact, as looked around, the most prominent materials were wood and leather, and as he searched over his shoulder, he realized stone played a part as well, particularly in the kitchen.
“I’m beginning to understand why you liked the lodge so much,” said.
Blake stopped, turning to stare at with a confused expression. “What?”
gestured around him, pointing to the natural elements used in the decor. “It’s very...well, it’s what the lodge would look like if it were more modern.”
Blake stared at him with open confusion. “What?”
laughed, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it. I was...talking aloud.”
Blake continued to stare at him. “Uh-huh. What’s going on in that head of yours, Dr. Andreas?”
Once more, he found himself growing warm at the fond use of his official title. That Blake’s question was a loaded one was a different matter entirely. After all, what was he supposed to say? The fact that he was becoming more attached to a man who probably didn’t know what he was feeling wasn’t exactly making him feel comfortable.
But then Blake laughed softly, and felt his nerves dissolve. He had always enjoyed Blake’s sense of humor and his laugh, but in the past week, it had quickly become so much more than just enjoyment.
“Hey,” Blake said, pulling his attention back to the present. “I wasn’t expecting you just to show up, and I got distracted after work talking to Blaine. Do you mind making yourself comfortable while I take a shower?”
cocked his head. “You talked to Blaine? I thought they weren’t supposed to be back until Sunday?”
To his surprise, Blake flushed. “Uh, yeah. I called. Wanted to talk to him.”
reached out, holding onto the back of the couch as he let that sift through his head. It didn’t take him more than a few seconds to realize why Blake must have called his brother while the man was on his honeymoon. What stopped him from speaking immediately was trying to judge precisely what he should say.
Blake sighed. “Sorry, I talked to him about all of...this.”
“I assumed as much,” said, smiling to show he wasn’t upset. “So he knows. Before we get to the reason, does that mean my brother knows?”
Blake winced. “He wasn’t around when we talked. But Blaine might say something, I don’t know.”
“I’ll brace for impact if it’s all the same to you,” said with a chuckle.
Eric finding out was bi? That might cause a few ripples if only for the surprise factor. Eric finding out had been involved with Blake recently was bound to create a tsunami.
“I didn’t think it through,” Blake said.
shook his head. “You’ve been going through a whole new experience. I won’t fault you for wanting to turn to Blaine for some perspective, help, whatever you were seeking.”
“If I wanted to skate around telling you what we talked about, would you let me?” Blake asked.
raised a brow. “Well, putting it like that arouses my curiosity. But I won’t force you to talk about it if you don’t want to. Just so long as there’s no problem between us that I should know about.”
Blake tilted his head one way and then the other, scrunching his nose. “Well. There is a problem, if I’m being honest.”
“Is it one we need to talk about?” asked softly.
Blake’s face twitched, a rapid fire of emotions shooting across it. The tightening of his eyes, a wince of one eye, pursing his lips, tightening his jaw. Worry, guilt, concern, and anxiety. Whatever it was, it was apparently enough to make the normally lighthearted man uncharacteristically tense.
“It’s not bad,” Blake began, sinking onto one end of the couch. “Or at least, I don’t think it is. I hope it’s not. I suppose it could be for you, and that would make it bad for me.”
gave him a gentle smile, sitting on the other side of the couch. “Why don’t we start with the problem and then ascertain whether it’s something we need to be worried about.”
Blake eyed him, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Are you therapying me right now?”
winked. “I remember you once complaining that your job has completely ruined a perfectly normal trip around town. You can’t look at buildings without assessing their worth and what kind of attitude the owners would have when selling them.”
“It’s true,” Blake said. “It’s annoying.”
“Well, I can no more escape the effects of my job than you can. Plus, my therapy tools are effective for everyone, not just my patients. And you’re stressing yourself out more than you probably should,” told him.
“You sure about that?”
“Yes.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because unless you’re somehow not the man I think you are, I doubt I’m going to be upset at whatever you have to say.”
Disappointed and a little put out? Well, yeah, since he was sure this was the conversation where Blake would tell him it had been fun, but what was done was done. expected it, even if he wanted a little longer before it came. But considering how much his traitor heart had been behaving lately, he would be secretly relieved that he didn’t risk getting any more attached.
“This is going to sound...ridiculous,” Blake said, clasping his hands in his lap. “And I’ll understand if you back off and don’t want much to do with me afterward, considering what you’ve told me. And despite what Blaine said, I probably shouldn’t even be worrying or thinking about it in the first place.”
“You’re hedging your bets,” told him.
Blake laughed shakily. “Yeah, I guess I am. I just want you to understand that I would get it if you were put out by it, you know? If it bothered you.”
Still hedging, noted. Apparently, the only way they were going to get the train moving was to give it a push.
leaned across the space between them, took Blake’s knee, and squeezed. “It’s okay, Blake. You were never under any obligation with me, and while it will be disappointing, I completely understand your wanting to stop everything.”
Blake nodded, shoulders slumping. “I know it’s a weird thing to bring up and you’re...wait, what?”
stared at the man’s blank expression with confusion. “What?”
Blake shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to...end anything between us.”
pulled his hand back, straightening. “You’re not?”
Blake let out a laugh. “No! I was trying to see if things might get serious between us, not just sex.”
stared. “You...you were?”
“Well,” Blake said, shoulders shaking. “It’s nice to know the great people reader is human and fallible.”
brushed that comment off easily. He had never considered himself to be some mind reader. He was far more interested, fixated even, on the real reason Blake wanted to talk to him.
“You wanted to talk to me about...being more? Like, dating?” asked, unable to hide his shock.
Blake smiled. “Well, I mean, yeah. In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve always liked hanging out with you. And I mean, it’s not just the sex, though that has been pretty amazing so far. This past week, being with you has been great. I guess in my head, you put all that together, and it only makes sense to my brain.”
“You,” said, “want to date me? As in, serious, committed dating, to me?”
“Did I break you? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?” Blake asked, watching him warily.
He had entered the conversation assuming that what they had would end before it could really begin. had been braced for it, accepting it, and perhaps a little resigned. He wasn’t usually off the mark when he predicted what someone would do, but when he got it wrong, he really got it wrong.
Blake winced. “Look, I know it’s sudden, and I tried to tell Blaine that. And all he said was that when you know you want more out of someone, you just know.”
“Did he now?” asked faintly.
“Which is not helpful at all and completely ignores the issues.”
“Issues?”
“Like the fact that up until a week ago, I didn’t have a thing to do with dudes. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that’s a big deal. At this point, I think I’m kind of over it, already been strolling down that path for days now, might as well get over it, right?”
“Yes, that’s a good way to look at things,” said slowly, still trying to get his brain to function properly.
Blake was on a roll and didn’t seem to notice. “But I’d completely understand if you looked at me saying all this dating shit and thought to yourself, ‘Well, here’s this straight guy who suddenly wants to be serious? Yeah, that’s not a flight risk or anything.’ You also said you haven’t dated a guy seriously before, and Blaine said there’s a difference between hasn’t and doesn’t. Which is a good point...I guess.”
shook his head vigorously, holding out a hand to silence Blake for a moment. “First, I never dated another man seriously because that’s just how my life has worked out. I never made it a point never to date one. The possibility was always there.”
Blake blinked. “Oh. Okay.”
“Secondly,” said, managing a smile now his brain was functioning correctly. “I’ve never considered you a...flight risk.”
“You just said you’d understand me wanting to put a stop to it,” Blake said wryly.
nodded. “Because I would have understood if that’s what you wanted. This whole thing is incredibly new for you, as I’ve said endlessly, to the point that I’m growing tired of hearing my own voice.”
“I’m not,” Blake said hastily, and with such earnestness, paused.
His smile felt warm, even to him. “Thank you, Blake. And I apologize for expecting you to run as soon as you were bored or that it would be something you didn’t want. I suppose I was expecting the worst. Pessimism is another trait Eric and I share, though I’ve done my best to dissuade us both from it.”
“I mean, I also said I would understand if you thought I was going to dip,” Blake said.
laughed softly. “That you did. I suppose I should skip over the entire thing and tell you that I’m happy it was more than just sex and fun for you. To tell you the truth, I’ve been feeling a little...attached myself.”
“You have?” Blake asked, perking up.
smiled at his eagerness. “In case you haven’t noticed, I enjoy spending time with you. I love how you make me laugh, and I love how you don’t take things too seriously, only the things you think you should. You’re warm and kind, and while some people might not notice, I see your patience and understanding too.”
“That’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. It even beats that compliment you gave my dick,” Blake said, grinning.
snorted, scooting closer to take Blake’s hands in his. “And Blaine was right. When you feel it, you feel it. I’ve been putting off acknowledging that for a while now because I didn’t want to risk putting any expectations on you or getting my hopes up.”
Blake’s smile faded, and he squeezed ’s fingers. “Well, I hope to prove your pessimism wrong. If, you know, you’re willing to give it a shot.”
laughed, shaking his head. “You apparently haven’t noticed, but this has been me saying yes to your question the whole time.”
Blake brightened. “Wait, you’re down? You wanna do the serious thing?”
“You can just call it dating,” told him.
“Wait,” Blake said, cocking his head. “Is this, like, dating, or is this, like, we’re boyfriends now?”
chuckled. “I would be far happier to call us boyfriends than to simply say we’re dating. Or, use whatever term you want that’s equivalent to boyfriend. I’m not picky.”
Yet before he’d even finished speaking, Blake was positively beaming. It was amazing to that this man, who had been straight just over a week before, was so relaxed and delighted by this new change in his life. knew all too well that everyone dealt with life’s changes differently. Still, even he had to be impressed by Blake’s flexibility.
And overjoyed that he was the one who had put that delight on Blake’s face.
opened his mouth, but instead of words, a yelp came out as Blake tackled him to the couch. His back hit the cushions, and Blake’s mouth was over his. It was eager and assertive, but there was a happiness to it that could feel as Blake kissed him soundly.
“First boyfriend kiss,” Blake proclaimed.
“You are acting like a child,” told him, not bothering to hide his pleasure.
“Hey, by the way, you wanna stay the night? The weekend?” Blake asked, brightening.
“I believe it’s a boyfriend’s obligation,” told him, running a hand down the man’s back.
Blake’s grin slowly morphed into a smirk. “What’s in the obligations about helping me take a shower?”
“That’s just a bonus,” said, grinning.