Two Heartbeats on One Page

Chapter 9

Darcey opened his eyes to a dark, unfamiliar room with an unfamiliar weight on his arm and soft music playing. He jerked up and the person beside him groaned softly. His eyes darted around the room as he tried to figure out where he was, and then his eyes fell on the laptop, then Jordan, asleep beside him, and his shoulders relaxed.

He yawned and stretched out his arms. They'd both fallen asleep in their boxers, and Jordan in an undershirt. Jordan was sprawled out on the bed haphazardly, legs in a tangle of blankets. His mouth was slightly open and his breathing slow and even, his hair an absolute mess around his face. Darcey smiled and brushed a stray curl out of his eyes, hooking it back behind his ear.

The blinds were pulled, only the faint yellow light of the streetlamp outside trying to sneak through the spaces. Darcey slid out of the bed and Jordan whined quietly in protest. He reached out to where Darcey had just been sitting, his hand lazily sliding across the sheets. Darcey pulled the blanket around Jordan's shoulders and he curled into himself, knuckles brushing against slightly parted lips.

He was beautiful. Darcey had been afraid to say so last night because of the word's feminine connotations, but he was. Jordan was beautiful.

In the past, this was when Darcey would have slipped back into his clothes, quietly headed out the door, and slid the key back underneath and been on his way. He'd never even left a note. But he couldn't do that, this time. He pulled on his jeans and stood, pulling out his phone to check the time. Just past 4:00 a.m. He intended to leave the room – for what, he wasn't sure, maybe to get a glass of water or use the washroom – but, instead, he stood there, watching the rise and fall of Jordan's shoulders. His tattooed wrist just peeked out from underneath the blanket.

Darcey pulled on his undershirt and folded up his t-shirt, slipping it underneath the bedside table. Then he did the same with Jordan's clothes, placing them beside his so they wouldn't get stepped on when he woke up. He didn't know whether binders were expensive, but he didn't want it to get damaged, just in case.

He quietly left the room, slowly walking around the apartment to get a feel for where everything was. The living room was mostly clean but a little disorganized, lived-in but cared for. The bookshelves were organized Tetris style, books placed by size wherever they fit best. A few vegetarian cooking magazines lay scattered across the coffee table, a few DVDs on top of the TV and shoes left about haphazardly. Darcey made his way to the kitchen.

It was immaculate. It could have been part of a completely different home. Everything was perfectly organized and clean, not a spot anywhere and nothing out of place. Labels on every cabinet and drawer stated what was inside, and the refrigerator and freezer both had whiteboards on them with lists of, presumably, the food they held. Pots and pans hung on hooks, covering the small far wall. It was small, even for an apartment, but Jordan had clearly done everything he could to maximize the space. He'd said he worked in a coffee shop last night, but had he been a cook at some point, too? This was the kind of thing someone learned in a professional kitchen. Darcey had been thinking of making breakfast, but if Jordan was a professional, he didn't want to fall flat and embarrass himself.

But he was a good cook. He couldn't imagine Jordan caring if it was pretty as long as it tasted good, and that was something Darcey could do. So he pulled out a griddle pan, cutting board, box grater, and knife and got to work.

He started his prep – grating potatoes and onions, chopping vegetables, cracking eggs – and let his mind wander as the familiar movements happened through his hands.

Darcey didn't know if he could leave this as just a one-night stand. Before last night, he'd never laughed during sex. It had almost been a chore. But all the time they talked before, falling asleep to the movie after, it had been exactly what he'd needed for so long. Jordan was funny, he was sincere, he was so full of compassion and joy and honesty, and was wholly, unashamedly himself. There was no façade and it was clear the idea of putting up a mask had never crossed his mind, even if it did lead to some briefly uncomfortable moments. He was exactly what Darcey wanted in a... he didn't like the term 'boyfriend'. It seemed juvenile. Partner? Darcey didn't think he wanted anything serious right now, but if he did, Jordan was the kind of person he'd have wanted it with.