At the Reception

Part 1

"Hey um, so Connor?" Jude asked awkwardly as they sat in the living room of their shared apartment one evening.

"Yeah Jude?" Connor responded, not even breaking his gaze from the TV to look at Jude.

"So you know that my sister Mariana is getting married this weekend, right?" Jude said nervously.

"Yeah..." Connor replied slowly. Jude's hesitation combined with Mariana's history with the two of them told Connor that he knew where this was going.

"So um, Mariana keeps insisting that I bring someone with me to the wedding, even if it's just you, and uh, I don't have anyone else to ask." Jude explained quickly.

"So you want me to come is what you're saying." Connor said, groaning. So this was just another one of Mariana's schemes to set them up.

"Yes. Pleeeeeeeeease Connor?" Jude whined. He did not want to face Mariana if he showed up to her wedding alone. He wasn't exactly sure why she was so insistent he bring someone, though he suspected she was trying to set the two of them up. Again. Jude had long ago asked Mariana to stop meddling with their relationship (they were just really close friends for heaven's sake), but given that it was her wedding day, Jude figured it was probably best just to play along this time. Connor sighed, trying his best to ignore Jude's begging puppy dog eyes. Mariana wasn't his sister, he didn't have to play along. But Jude kept looking at him, silently begging him, and Connor was losing his resolve to say no.

"Jude do I—"

"Please?"

"Alright fine Jude. But I'm only doing this because I don't want Mariana to bitch you out, got it?" Connor said resignedly.

"What am I even supposed to wear?" Connor shouted out of his bedroom that Saturday. They were supposed to be leaving for the wedding in twenty minutes and Connor swore that nothing in his closet looked good enough to wear.

"Seriously Connor, there are like at least ten outfits in your closet that you could wear!" Jude yelled back, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, but your family has seen all of them." Connor protested.

"Oh my god Connor, when did you become so gay?" Jude said, cackling as he walked into Connor's room to help him pick an outfit.

"Wow okay stereotypes Jude." Connor retorted, too absorbed by his wardrobe dilemma to find Jude funny right now.

"Look Connor I've got an idea, why don't you wear all black, and then you can borrow one of my bow ties. That's a little bit different from what you normally wear." Jude suggested.

"Bow ties? And you have the nerve to say that I'm the super gay one."

"Oh just shut up Connor and go pick one." Jude said, shoving Connor towards the door and rifling through his closet for a black button up, tossing it to Connor when he came back in clutching a blue bow tie. "I like the color choice, now quick put this shirt on so I can tie it for you." He tried to avert his eyes as Connor took off his shirt to change into the other one, he really did, but he failed, eyes landing on Connor's well-defined chest muscles and abs. His best friend had a body to die for, there was nothing wrong with appreciating that beauty, Jude reasoned. Though these glances we're turning less into appreciation and more into—well Jude didn't really want to think about what kind of looks they were now. Once Connor had buttoned up his shirt, Jude stepped forward, throwing the tie around Connor's neck so he could tie it, shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts. Being a couple inches from Connor's lips was not where Jude wanted to be at the moment. Jude kept his eyes on the tie; ignoring the hot breath that Connor was blowing on all over his face, and making him shiver.