Chapter Six #3
The house was silent when he walked in, so he went straight to his bedroom.
Thankfully, he had his own bathroom, and he didn’t waste time using it.
By the time he was out of the shower and back in his bedroom, he could hear Seth and Ryan talking downstairs.
He wasn’t surprised when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs, but he didn’t pay them much attention.
He’d pulled out a few pairs of jeans and even more t-shirts, setting them on his bed, and he was staring at them, trying to decide what he wanted to wear.
Rowan had said he needed to be comfortable, which was great and all, but Thomas also wanted to look good.
Did he own anything that would fit both criteria?
A knock on the door interrupted his spiraling. He didn’t look at it as he yelled for the person there—no doubt his brother—to come in. He continued staring at the clothes until Seth opened the door and walked in.
He seemed surprised, which Thomas had expected. “I didn’t expect you to be home early,” Seth said.
Thomas turned to him. “I have a date, and I don’t know what to wear.”
Seth blinked. “You have a date?”
“Yes. With Rowan, my boyfriend. We’re together, but we’ve never been on a date, and I have no idea what to wear.
He said I needed to be comfortable, but I also want to look good, and I have no idea what makes me look good.
It’s never been a priority, you know? Rowan said jeans and a t-shirt would be great, but he sees me dressed like that every day at work, so maybe a shirt?
Or would that look like I’m trying too hard?
We’re going to watch a movie, so it’s not like he’s going to be able to see me much, but I want to make a good impression and look good for him. ”
Seth raised a hand. Thomas sucked in a breath, telling himself not to panic.
This was Rowan. They might not have gone on a date yet, but they were together.
Rowan had seen Thomas at his most vulnerable, when he was in his rabbit form.
He knew about Thomas’s past on the street and about his family, which was the most important thing in his life.
Everything would be fine, and he needed to stop freaking out.
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.
“I’m not angry that you didn’t tell me anything about this sooner, but I have to say I am curious, especially because you just said that Rowan sees you every day at work.”
Thomas realized he hadn’t told Seth about Rowan, possibly because in his mind, Rowan and studying for the GED were linked.
He swallowed and looked down at his bed again, hoping his brother wasn’t too disappointed.
“Well, Rowan started working at the sanctuary a little while ago. I was initially afraid of him because he’s a wolf shifter, but we became friends, and now, more. ”
Seth nodded. “I can see that. What did you say you were doing for your date?”
“Rowan mentioned watching a movie.”
“Then jeans and a t-shirt are good. Maybe wear those light blue jeans.”
Thomas wrinkled his nose. “They’re a little tight, aren’t they?”
“Thomas, that’s the point. Are they tight to the point that you’re uncomfortable?”
“No. I can wear them the entire evening, and be fine. It just feels a bit much.”
“Not if you’re going on a date.”
Since Seth had more experience than Thomas, Thomas decided to accept his suggestion. “All right. I’ll wear those jeans.”
Seth grinned. “Good.” His smile softened. “I understand why you’re freaking out, but I really don’t think you should be panicking. If Rowan decided to take you on a date and you’re already together, there’s no reason for you to be.”
“I’m just nervous. Usually, we spend time together at work, but this is different.”
“It is, but that doesn’t mean it’s different in a bad way.
Give yourself a chance to have this. And when you come home tonight, or maybe tomorrow, depending on how late you are, we can sit down, and you can tell me about him.
I’d like to know more about him if you two are together and if it’s something you want to share. ”
Thomas’s heart squeezed when he realized just how much distance he’d put between himself and his siblings since the GED mess had started. “Yeah, I do want to tell you about him,” he murmured.
“Good. Now get dressed and go and have fun. You deserve it.”
Thomas really did, didn’t he? He deserved to have something good, someone like Rowan, in his life.
It didn’t matter how nervous he was. In the end, everything would be okay.
This was just a phase, and he was sure that once he got over the nervousness, the date would be great.
He and Rowan meshed together perfectly at work, so why wouldn’t the same go for them outside of it?
* * * *
EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS far from being Rowan’s first date, he was still nervous.
Most of his previous dates had been with women because he’d known it would be unacceptable for him to date a man.
His heart hadn’t been in it, no matter how much he’d liked them.
He’d been dating them to make his parents and his alpha happy, but that wasn’t what this was.
No, dating Thomas was making Rowan happy, which was all that mattered.
That didn’t mean that Rowan wasn’t afraid he’d mess things up.
Thomas was important to him. Now that he knew a bit about Thomas’s life, Rowan wanted to make things perfect for him, even though he knew it was impossible.
He could make them as close to perfect as possible, though, which was what he was planning on doing.
He hadn’t been lying to Thomas when he’d mentioned they would watch a movie.
He’d been looking into what they could do for their first date for a while, and he’d found the perfect thing.
It was a classic, and hopefully it would help keep Thomas from being too nervous, but there was a twist. Rowan was pretty proud of himself for coming up with this and hoped Thomas would like it.
He was a little nervous as he drove into pack territory.
The only thing that told him that he was there was a sign on the side of the road.
No one tried to stop him. No one demanded to know who he was and why he was there.
Just as Thomas had said, he could drive in, and no one seemed to find it strange.
It was easy enough to find Thomas’s house.
Rowan parked in front of it, then hesitated.
Should he text Thomas to let him know he was there?
Or should he go up to the door and knock?
There was a chance that Thomas’s brother or his boyfriend would open, and Rowan wasn’t sure how Thomas felt about that.
They’d talked about Thomas telling his family about Rowan, but Rowan wasn’t sure he’d had time to tell them what he’d be up to tonight.
He didn’t want to create trouble for Thomas before they even went on their first date.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to wonder for long. The front door swung open, and Thomas walked out, turning back as he spoke to someone inside the house. Rowan saw who it was when they leaned out the door to watch Thomas climb down the porch steps.
“Stop being a mother hen,” Thomas called out. “I’ll be fine, and I promise I won’t be home too late.”
The man looked nothing like Thomas. He had short blond hair and was on the short side, while Thomas was tall and thin, with soft brown hair and freckles. Rowan still knew who the man was. He didn’t have to ask.
“You can be as late as you want,” Seth called back. “As long as you give me the details when you finally come home.”
Thomas groaned as he opened the passenger door of Rowan’s car. “Why does he have to embarrass me like this?”
Rowan laughed and waved at Seth, who waved back. Seth looked curious, and Rowan felt very much the same about him, but tonight wasn’t a night for them to meet each other. That was something Thomas would have to decide. Tonight was about Thomas and Rowan, though, and Rowan couldn’t wait.
“You look good,” he told Thomas as he reversed the car.
He kept an eye on Thomas, pleased when he noticed Thomas’s cheeks flush. He really did look good, but then, he was one of those people who would look gorgeous even wearing a trash bag.
“You look nice, too,” Thomas said, reaching out to pull on the sleeve of Rowan’s t-shirt.
Rowan hadn’t tried too hard because of what they were doing tonight, but he still wore a nice pair of jeans and a new t-shirt. He’d wanted to look good, especially since Thomas usually saw him at work, when he was a little sweaty and sometimes, a lot dirty.
“So, what movie are we watching?” Thomas asked as he relaxed in the passenger seat. “I checked the movies they’re showing at the theater, but I can’t say there’s anything I really want to watch. What did you have in mind?”
“We’re not going to the theater.”
Thomas blinked. “I thought we were going to watch a movie? Please tell me that wasn’t a euphemism for Netflix and chill.”
Rowan laughed. “Not yet. We’ll be surrounded by other people, I promise. You don’t have to worry about me taking advantage of the darkness.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t mind you taking advantage of the darkness,” Thomas murmured.
Rowan’s heart did a weird skip in his chest. He sucked in a breath, telling himself to focus on the road.
The last thing they needed was for him to crash the car because he was distracted by the gorgeous man sitting next to him.
They both stayed quiet as Rowan drove. He didn’t want Thomas to think that he was rejecting his offer, though, so he reached over to take Thomas’s hand.
Thomas squeezed, and Rowan knew he’d made the right decision.
No matter what happened tonight, it would be perfect, and there was no reason for either of them to be nervous.
It didn’t take long for him to reach the drive-in where the movie was being shown. It looked nicer than he’d expected, which was a good thing. He glanced at Thomas when they reached it, relieved to see a delighted expression on Thomas’s face. “We’re going to a drive-in movie?” he asked.
“We are. I was hoping you’d like it.”
Thomas bounced a little in his seat. “You’re kidding? Of course I like it. I’ve never been to a drive-in before.”
“You don’t have to worry about anything. I took care of snacks, drinks, and everything else.”
Thomas looked a little confused by that, but he didn’t ask, and Rowan didn’t volunteer any information. He got their tickets and drove in, parking in the spot he’d been assigned. When he turned off the engine, he turned to Thomas. “I’ll be right back.”
He quickly stepped out of the car. He’d been happy when he’d seen how nice this place was. Everything was clean, and there was plenty of space between the cars. It would give them a little privacy, even though Rowan wasn’t planning on doing anything that demanded it.
He grabbed everything out of his trunk and opened the back door to set up the back seat with pillows and a blanket in case they needed it.
Thomas twisted in his seat to look, but he didn’t say anything and waited until Rowan waved at him to come to the back to move.
Rowan climbed into the back seat and closed the door behind himself, and when Thomas did the same, they were wrapped in silence.
Rowan could still hear the people around them talking, but it felt like they were in a private cocoon, which was what he’d been aiming for.
“I didn’t even ask what the movie is,” Thomas said with a chuckle as he leaned back against the seat.
“It’s an old movie my sister loves, The Mummy.”
“Never heard of it, but it sounds nice.”
Rowan laughed. “You don’t know anything about it except for the title.”
“But I’ll be watching it with you.”
Rowan couldn’t resist anymore. He wrapped an arm around Thomas’s shoulders and pulled him close to kiss him. Thomas came easily, sighing when their lips met.
This was what Rowan wanted. He might not have any idea of what their future would be like, but he liked the thought that they would have one.
He liked the thought of them doing this and so much more.
They had time now that they were together, and Rowan wasn’t in a rush.
He just wanted to be close to Thomas. He wanted to be able to be with him openly and be happy, something he never would’ve had in his old pack.
But he wasn’t there anymore. He was in Mayport, and he was free to be with whomever he wanted.
And he wanted Thomas.