wink | frerard | ✔️

two - second date

"Hey, Gee, what's up?" I said, picking up my phone right as I finished getting ready. I walked into the living room and Jamia raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"I'll be at your house in like five minutes," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice and feel my own forming on my face.

"Great! See you then," I replied, and we said goodbye, hanging up.

"So, you're going on a date with cutie?"

"Don't... refer to him as cutie."

"Okay, but we've got to come up with a good code name, so we can... you know talk about him in secret in public."

I sat down on the sofa chair across from her and facepalmed. "Mia, only middle school girls do that."

She shrugged and pressed on. "How about 'direction?'"

"What the fuck?"

"Because his last name is 'Way.' So, like way or direction... synonyms... you know."

"That's stupid. How about 'lane boy,' like street names? Like lane or way or drive..."

"That's also stupid, and I hear a car pulling up in our driveway. How about just 'the Rat?' He looks like a rat. But like a cute rat. You know?"

I shook my head, laughing as I got up. "Sure. Why the fuck not?"

I heard a knock on the door, and I opened it, still laughing, and Jamia yelled "THE RAT!" before I could close the door behind me.

He raised an eyebrow. "The Rat?"

I closed the door all the way and stuck my keys in my pocket as he took my hand, leading me to his car, trying to ignore the fluttery feeling he created as his fingers slipped into mine.

"Yeah... it's uh... it's a complicated inside joke."

He laughed. "Alright."

And yeah, it's fucking cheesy as fuck, but he opened my car door for me, and I couldn't help the little blush that spread on my cheeks. He walked to his side as I closed my door and we got settled.

"By the way," he started as he started the car, pulling out of the driveway. "You don't... you don't mind me holding your hand, right?"

"I—no, of course not," I said, and he caught my eye, probably making sure I was telling the truth, which I was.

"If you're ever uncomfortable, tell me," he smiled, and I nodded.

"Thanks. I'm just not used to it, you know?"

"Oh, why not? Who wouldn't wanna hold hands with a boy like you?"

"I... uh," I looked down at my hands. Why Alex had never held my hand in public he made clear. He didn't want us to seem like we were dating. He didn't want people to know he was gay. "It's a long story."

"Wait... have you not ever had a boyfriend before?" His eyes widened as they met mine for a second as he glanced at me and then back at the road. "Wait, how?"

"I have... just not in a few months. And I haven't really held anyone's hand since high school."

"Wait, hold up, are you way younger than you seem?" he said quickly, looking at me. "You weren't drinking illegally yesterday, were you?"

I laughed a little bit, and he seemed to be more at ease. "No, I'm twenty-two. How old are you?"

"Twenty-six."

"Oh, so did you think I was like fresh out of high school?" I said, snickering despite myself. "You're such a creep, trying to pick up high schoolers."