30.Whatever
Or Whatever
The high-pitched squeal that came out of his aunt was the kind usually reserved for boy bands and anime. She slammed the table with the palm of her hand, making his mom’s computer bounce and the picture of them on Theo’s screen shake. “It’s about time!”
“I’m happy for you both,” his mom said, leaning closer to the camera, her voice thick. “This is lovely news. Just…” She shut her mouth tight, and Liana fondly shook her head.
“Give her a few hours. She’ll stop crying eventually.”
“It’s just really lovely news!” She hit her shoulder, grabbing some tissues from off screen. “We’ve always loved Dae.”
“Thank you.” Dae’s smile was sweet and shy and altogether too breathtaking to exist in real life. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the kitchen counter as whatever Dae was making for dinner filled the apartment with a spicy, savoury aroma.
Liana winked. “Nothing like a near death experience to make you realize some things, eh kid?”
“Do not talk about that.” His mom blew her nose loudly, and Liana put her hand over the camera as if that would stop the noise.
“I’m just glad we’d already left,” his aunt said, “otherwise, your mom would’ve crawled out there to get you.”
“Ugh.” His mom squinted with a quasi-stern glare at the camera. “Promise me you’ll never go out there again.”
“It’s fixed now.”
“Theo.” The new tissue she’d grabbed ripped in her clenched fist. “Promise me.”
“Okay, I promise.” He wasn’t in a hurry to go back to the scene of that particular moment in his history anyway.
She pointed at her screen, and even though her finger wasn’t even in Dae’s direction from their point of view, the intention was clear. “You too.”
He nodded. “I promise.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath and put on a smile, seemingly ready to move on from the unpleasantness. “So if that’s when Theo realized, how about you, Dae? When did you know?”
He tucked his chin, shy. “Um, Peter Pan the Musical.”
Liana gasped. “In the fifth grade?” It had actually been fourth grade, but Theo wasn’t about to correct her. “Are you kidding me? No.” She shook her head as his mom gaped, tearing up anew. “That’s too cute. Stop it. That’s too fucking cute!”
“That long, Dae, sweetheart?” His mom covered her mouth with her hand, still clutching the tissue. “And you waited for him?”
Dae laughed, holding up his hands in defence. “That makes it sound like I was waiting around for something more. No, I just genuinely liked being his friend. No ulterior motives. In fact…” His cheeks exploded with pink. “I’d pretty much given up.”
“Stop it!” Liana threw her head back in an exaggerated wail. “That’s too fucking cute!”
The oven dinged with whatever Dae was cooking and he moved off screen to deal with it. His aunt leaned in close. “Theo, you listen to me. Do not mess this up.”
He glared at her as Dae laughed from the stove. “You know that even when Dae isn’t on the screen, he can still hear you.”
She shrugged. “I stand by it.”
They stayed on the call for dinner, the three of them talking over each other like they did at home, while Dae listened with a fond smile. Theo’s mom cried off and on, pretending she wasn’t, repeating, “It’s just so lovely!”
By the time they logged off, the light through the window was fading, casting an orange glow over the apartment and creating cozy shadows. Theo settled himself in front of the sink to do the dishes, which was the usual ritual: Dae cooked, Theo cleaned.
Putting his hands into warm, sudsy water always made him feel warm and sudsy. Before his grandma had passed away, he’d always insisted on being her kitchen assistant. He had a vague memory of her hands covering his in soapy water, letting him splash around instead of actually cleaning.
He was scrubbing a baking sheet when he felt Dae behind him, his hands sliding around his middle. His chest pressed against his back and his chin perched on his shoulder, then Theo felt a soft kiss below his ear. “Like this?”
Theo melted into him. “Yes.”
Dae turned him around and gave him a kiss that tasted like the spice from dinner. "I still can't believe I get to do that whenever I want."
Theo kissed him back, short and sweet, wiping the water from his hands on his pants so he could hug him. "Within reason.”
“Okay…” He kept his arms around him as he contemplated the possibilities. "What about at the grocery store?"
"As long as we're nowhere near the eggplants. Let's keep it classy.”
Dae huff-laughed and pulled him closer. “The gym?”
Theo screwed up his face in disgust. “When have we ever gone to the gym?”
“In case we start, I want to know if I can kiss you.”
“Wait.” Theo put a hand to Dae’s chest, holding him back from another kiss. “I’m concerned you want to go to the gym together.”
Dae shook his head, his mouth so close it brushed Theo’s. “I don’t.”
“Don’t ever make me go to the gym.”
“I won’t.” He pressed their lips together, and they leaned against the sink, kissing as if they had all the time in the world. Dae barely pulled away to speak, his breath warm on Theo’s lips. “But if we did go to the gym…”
“Yes, Dae, kiss me at the gym. In fact, I insist. The only reason I would ever set foot in a gym is to kiss you and make sure everyone knows you’re mine.”
He smiled, then stepped back, surveying the kitchen. “What are you doing tonight?”
“Laundry. Organize my notes. I have some work I’ve been putting off.”
“Can you keep putting it off for one more night?”
“What do you have in mind?”
Dae stared at the fridge. If he hadn’t just started a conversation, Theo would’ve assumed he was memorizing their word-a-day magnets.
“Dae?”
“Doyouwannagoonadate?”
Theo tried. He really did. But there weren’t real words anywhere in what Dae had said. “Um?”
He ran his hand through his hair, his cheeks once again blooming with a blush. “Do you want to go on a date with me?”
After what they’d done the night before, how was it possible he was nervous?
“Of course I want to go on a date with you, you adorable dreamboat.” Theo flicked soap bubbles at him, and he laugh-sighed in relief.
“I don’t know how to do this.”
“You’ve dated before.”
“Not like this.” He didn’t have to elaborate. Theo knew exactly what he meant. “Dinner and a movie?”
Theo was about to snark about doing the same cliché date everyone else does, but Dae’s expression was so vulnerable that he couldn’t manage any kind of negativity. Plus, his aversion to the everyman date meant he’d never actually done it. “Sounds fun.”
??? ???
The date was a recreation of every first date in every coming-of-age tale.
They shared popcorn and snuggled at the movie theatre, then got ice cream and wandered through Kensington holding hands, browsing stores and trying on funny hats.
They even tried to think of childhood stories they hadn’t shared before.
It was cheesy and sappy and fucking glorious.
“Are you going to wait three days to call?” Theo asked as they walked towards their building. To make it authentic, they’d agreed Dae would drop him off then circle the block before coming home.
“Maybe even four, just to make you nervous.”
The streets were busy. Kensington was a tourist spot, so Saturday nights became a breeding ground for partiers on the hunt for a Toronto fling before going back to their lives.
The soundtracks of three different bars competed for their attention, which usually annoyed Theo, but tonight, it was charming.
Dae took a step forward, his eyes dipping to Theo’s lips. Apparently Theo’s heart hadn’t gotten the memo that they were already together, because it jumped around his chest like it had too much sugar. The kiss was soft and sweet. Perfect.
“Goodnight, Theodore.” He started to walk away, but then turned around, the streetlight washing him in an ethereal glow. “I love you.”
Theo clicked his tongue at him. “That’s not first date behaviour.”
Dae’s head fell to the side in an adorable pout. “And?”
“And…” Theo hadn’t known this kind of happiness was possible. “I love you too.”