PAST:
After reconciling with Ray, Jason felt happier than he had felt in a very long time. He was so thrilled for the second first date of his life that he couldn't even sleep due to anticipation. He kept turning from one side to another all night long.
When the sun came up, and he still couldn't fall asleep, Jason finally gave up and went to work out. Later, when he got out of the shower, he instinctively checked his phone. His face lit up when he saw that there was a text from Ray. 'Hey, sexy! Washington Square Park @ 6?' the text said. 'Sure. I'll be there, Blondie. ;)' Jason replied.
Later that day, Jason was headed to his class when he saw Ray walking towards him with Cody. When their eyes met, Ray winked and flashed the most genuine smile Jason had ever seen. His heart melted a little at that moment.
Finally, the classes got over, and it was time to get ready for the big date. Jason chose to wear black denim jeans with a black t-shirt, topped with a black denim jacket. He also decided to wear a christ earring on his right ear. He was pretty sure that Ray would like it.
By letting someone get close, Jason was breaking his own rules, and that terrified and excited him at the same time. When Jason saw himself in the mirror, he couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't remember the last time that happened. Even getting accepted into NYU Law didn't make him feel that good. So, he decided to risk it all and be happy for a while.
On the other hand, Ray decided to dress simple. He wanted to wear jean shorts and a tank top so as to show more skin but resisted the urge. He wanted to be as real as possible with Jason. In the end, he opted for plain dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt.
Ray knew that he would have to make Jason feel comfortable and give him time to open up. In other words, no sex on the first date. That bummed him out a bit, but he was excited about the prospect of a successful relationship. A lot of sex over a long period of time instead of a few quick fucks was a good enough bargain for him.
Finally, when the clock struck six, Jason was at the entrance of the park. He waited for a while and looked around for Ray. When he couldn't find him, he decided to text. 'Hey, I am at the entrance of the park. Where are you?' Jason texted. A few seconds later, his phone went off. It was a text from Ray. 'Right behind you,' the text said.
Jason turned around, and his eyes met with Ray's. "You are late," he said when Ray got close. "That too on our first date."
"Sorry. Would this help?" Ray asked as he brought a white rose from behind him.
"That's for me?"
"Of course, who else?"
"Thank you," said Jason as he took the flower from Ray and smelled it.
Ray could see that something was going on inside Jason's head. "What's wrong," he asked.
"Nothing. It's just... No one has ever given me a flower before. It feels...nice. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
For a minute, they just stood there. Neither knew what to say. Ray knew that there was no point in waiting for Jason to say something, so he decided to go with whatever came into his head.
"So, you don't like people who are late?" Ray asked.
"Nope."
"Well, then it's a good thing that I am a man. Had my period gotten late, you would have totally freaked out on me."
Jason guffawed at Ray's words. "Had you been a woman, my genitals would have stayed a million miles away from yours," he said.
"Point. Do you know that this is the first time I have seen you laughing? It's beautiful. You should do it more often."
"Honestly, I can't remember the last time I laughed, so it's not your fault. And, thank you," said Jason.
After that, there was awkward silence again. Jason wanted to say something, but nothing came to his mind. He cursed himself for not having more experience. Thankfully, Ray came to the rescue.
"So, to break the ice, let's start by exchanging basic information," said Ray, and Jason agreed. "So, how old are you?"
"26. You?"
"21," said Ray. "When's your birthday?"
"17th July."
"3rd June."
"Where are you from?" Jason asked.
"Murfreesboro, Tennessee," said Ray.
"Montgomery, Alabama. How tall are you?"
"Six. You?"
"Five-ten," said Jason.
Ray had a lot of experience when it came to keeping a conversation alive. So, when he sensed that another awkward silence was coming, he quickly brought something up.
"So, my middle name is Caleb, and I like to dance. I would have become a dancer if I didn't love law so darn much," said Ray.
"I am gonna ignore the fact that those two things were completely unrelated. Anyways, my middle name is Arthur, and the only thing that I am good at besides academics is kickboxing."
"So, that's the secret behind these muscles. Thank you, kickboxing." Ray's words made both of them chuckle.
Jason thought for a second, and finally, something came to his mind. "What's your favorite TV show?" he asked.
"I know that ideally we are supposed to say 'Friends,' but between the two of us, it's 'Will & Grace.'"
"Oh my God, I love that show too! And, think about it, you do remind me a lot of Jack McFarland," said Jason.
"Yeah, I have been told that a lot."
"You know, I used to record that show and watch it secretly so that no one would find out," said Jason. "Did you notice that even though the show was gay-themed, there was a lot more straight PDA than gay?"
"Oh, yes. I hated that. Ugh!"
Soon after that, their conversation shifted to more general topics. For a while, they talked about their friends. Ray told Jason a lot about other members of the group. Then they laughed for a bit on Emma's crush on Jason and how embarrassed she was when she found out that she had no chance.
From friends, the conversation moved on to their other classmates and professors. From professors, it moved to subjects. While discussing subjects, they eventually started talking about starting their own study group.
By the time they were finished talking about a study group, it had been more than an hour of them walking around the park.
"So, what do you wanna do now?" Jason asked.
"All this walking around has made me hungry. Maybe we can do the dinner part of the dinner date I asked you on?"
"Sure. There's a great diner nearby. It's quite affordable, and the food's great."
"Cool. Lead the way," said Ray.
Jason's words – quite affordable – triggered a chain of thought in Ray's head. He had noticed how Jason repeated a very small set of clothes again and again, and how he declined the invitations to the movies or pubs, and how he walked to and from the school every day. It finally clicked to Ray that Jason wasn't financially sound. He was ashamed of the fact that he didn't realize it sooner.
"I like your earring. It's really cool. Can I try it on?" Ray asked.
"Yeah, sure," Jason said as he handed Ray the earring. "I knew you would like it. That's why I wore it in the first place."
Ray clipped on the earring to his right lobe and turned towards Jason. "So, how does it look?"
"Great. You know what, you should keep it. It looks really good on you."
"Nope. I can't really wear earrings for a long time. My ears start to hurt. And, I kinda like it more on you. You should wear it more often."
"Okay. I will," said Jason as he wore it back.
A few minutes later, the both of them reached the diner. The place wasn't swarming with people, but it wasn't dead either. Ray liked the retro theme of the diner. It had a cozy ambiance. Jason chose a booth by the window, and Ray followed.
Just as they sat down, a young lady popped up to take their order. "What would you like to order?" she asked the two guys.
"I'll take the Mexican burger, fries on the side, and a vanilla milkshake," said Jason.
"Same, but chocolate milkshake. I'm not really a big fan of vanilla, you see," said Ray.
The waitress wrote their order and left with a huge grin on her face. Ray's words weren't exactly hard to decode.
"So, what's the one place in the world where you would absolutely love to go?" Ray asked.
"Europe... All of it. You?"
"Argentina."
While the two were telling each other why they would like to go to those places, the waitress arrived with their order.
"Oh, this looks delicious," said Ray.
"Then dig in."
The moment Ray took a bite of the burger, he choked on it. It was way too spicy for him. Jason quickly got up and rubbed Ray's back while he drank water. When Ray calmed down a bit, he could see how worried Jason was. Ray wanted to lighten up the mood, but only one funny statement came into his mind at that point. He knew he shouldn't say it but went with it anyways.
"I hope that it's not the only thing I'm choking on tonight," Ray said, looking into Jason's eyes.
"Oh God, Ray... You don't say that on a first date. Jesus!"
"Then why are you blushing?" Ray asked with a huge grin on his face.
"I am not blushing," Jason said as he sat back down on his seat.
"Even though this burger is lethal, I can't stop eating it. It's so damn good," said Ray, changing the topic. He could sense that Jason was a bit lost after the whole incident.
"So, Ray, have you got a job?" Jason asked after a while.
"Nope. I am currently not working."
"Why so? Didn't you say you were a massage therapist?"
"I am. A very good one at that. But I am not doing that anymore. I wanna focus all of my attention on becoming a lawyer."
"Why do I feel like there's more to it," said Jason.
"There is, but you won't like it. You see, it's not really the first date kinda information," said Ray, with a playful expression.
"Oh, okay."
"What about you?" Ray asked.
"Yeah. I work at a boxing club nearby."
"You are a trainer, nice."
"No, no. I am not that good. I help the trainers a little bit, like with the newbies and stuff, and I also clean up. In return, I get to work out there for free...with a very poor salary."
"It's still impressive," said Ray.
"No, it's not. You are just being generous."
"Yeah. Yeah, I am." Ray's words again made both of them chuckle. "So, tell me something that most people haven't done, but you have," he said, after a while.
Something that most people haven't done, but I have... Murder? "I haven't really done a lot of things in my life. I am kinda boring. What about you?" Jason asked.
"Again, not really first date kinda information."
"Okay... Oh, I have a question. What's your guilty pleasure?"
"Umm, okay... Uhh... Going commando," said Ray sheepishly.
"What? Are you...now?"
"Oh, no. Not on first dates. What about you? What's your guilty pleasure?"
"Not really first date kinda information," Jason said with a smug.
"Oh, I see. Okay, we'll exchange all this information on further dates."
"There are gonna be further dates?"
"You don't want..."
"I'd love nothing more," said Jason, cutting off Ray.
"Okay, then. Let's end this one, shall we?" said Ray and asked the waitress to get the bill.
When the young lady brought the bill, both of them took their wallets out.
"Uh, I am paying. I brought you here," said Jason.
"Nooo, I am paying. I asked you out on this date. Not the other way around," Ray argued.
"That's...a fair point. Okay, you can pay if I get to drop you off."
"Will I get a goodbye kiss?"
Jason smiled as he covered his face with his palm. He was blushing so hard. "Sure," he said.
After the guys paid and left the diner, they walked towards D'agostino hall – Ray's residence. While walking, they saw a man and a woman fighting over something. The man was using a rather obscene language, and it bugged Jason, but he kept to himself. Though, he could not do the same with Ray.
"Hey, man. Take it easy. That's no way to talk," Ray said to the man.
"Mind your own fucking business, you faggots," said the man and pushed Ray away. Meanwhile, the woman took a step away from the scene in order to run.
For once, Jason tolerated the hate directed towards him and Ray, but when that man grabbed the woman's hand to stop her and physically harmed her, he snapped. In the next moment, that man was lying on the floor with a broken face, begging for Jason to stop hitting him. But, Jason was in a frenzy. He had lost all control over his rage and was blindly hitting the man wherever he could.
Ray grabbed Jason from the back and tried to pull him away, but he was no match for his strength. "Jason, STOP! He got the point," he said, but it was of no use. "Let him go, Jason, or you'll kill him."
That did the trick. The moment Jason heard the word 'kill,' he stopped. He got up and fixed his clothes. "Go before I actually do kill you," he said to the man.
The man got up and walked away. Jason apologized to the woman for what happened and gave her his number. "If he troubles you again, or you ever need to learn how to defend yourself, call me." The woman thanked Jason and Ray for what they did and walked away.
Once alone, Jason was back to his calm demeanor. "I am sorry," he said.
"For what? You did nothing wrong. If I had your strength and skills, I would have probably done worse," said Ray and intertwined his hand with Jason's. "Come on, let's go."
After a few minutes of walking, they were outside Ray's residence.
"I guess this is it. See you tomorrow."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Ray asked.
A smile came onto Jason's lips. He knew exactly what Ray was talking about. He took a step closer to Ray and cupped his face. He stood up on his toes, hating the fact that Ray was taller than him, and gently connected their lips. The moment that happened, both of them got goosebumps all over their bodies. It felt like fireworks were happening on their skin. They both had been waiting for it for so long. And now that it was actually happening, it felt surreal.
Eventually, the lips parted, and the both of them just stood there, looking into each other's eyes. It was like they could see what was going on inside the other's head and what they wanted. The pent-up lust had finally exploded. And, before they knew it, they were kissing again, this time, with more passion.
Jason pinned Ray to the wall as he took over the kiss, and Ray didn't protest at all. He was loving the way Jason was making him feel. Ray moaned as Jason's tongue entered his mouth and played with his own. He wanted to fight and take over the kiss, but he was too lost in the pleasure to do that. Finally, when the both of them couldn't breathe anymore, they broke apart.
"Are you...sure you...don't wanna come upstairs?" Ray asked as he tried to get a hold of his breath.
Jason rested his forehead on Ray's and stood still for a while. Once he had his breath back, he stepped away from Ray. "Good night, Ray," he said, looking into his eyes.
"Good night."
•••••
The next day, when Jason got to the campus, he met Jessica and the group. She was snuggling with Cody while Emma and Raven were reading something from a book.
"Oh my god, look at that. Jason is smiling," Raven exclaimed.
"And he's wearing an earring too," Emma added.
"Who are you, and what have you done with Jason?" Raven teased.
Jason didn't answer anyone's question with words. He just smiled. A slight blush crept up his face, which thankfully wasn't visible because of his dark skin color.
"So, I guess the date went well?" Jessica asked.
"Yes. It was...amazing. He is so amazing. I can't even remember the last time I smiled this much. My cheeks are hurting, you know."
"You have no idea how happy that makes me. And, you should smile more often. It's beautiful," said Jessica.
"Thank you. And, thank you all for making me go talk to him," Jason said to everyone.
"It's nothing. Though I am curious. How did he bring out this side of yours, this happy Jason? What did he do?" Emma asked. "I mean, for my future men."
"He didn't do anything. He just... He was being himself, and that was enough. I guess just spending time with some people fixes everything," said Jason.
"It sure does," Jessica and Cody said at the same time. Their face lit up when they looked at each other. The love they had for each other was visible. It radiated from the aura around them. Jason wished he could have that with Ray.
"Oh, hey. Here comes your loverboy," said Raven.
Ray and Harley walked to the group and greeted everyone. Ray gently hugged Jason and kissed his cheek. "Good morning," he said softly, and Jason returned the favor.
"Aww, look at the love birds. So cute," said Harley.
"Shut up," said Ray, as he left Jason's embrace.
Ray saw that Jason was wearing the earring. He gently caressed it to show his appreciation and then kissed him goodbye.
A few minutes later, Cody and Ray were walking to the class together. "Where were you all night?" Ray asked.
"At Jessica's. I thought you might need the place to yourself, with the big date and all..."
"As much as I would have loved that, nothing happened. I appreciate your effort, though."
"What? Nothing happened? But, Jason said the date went very well."
"Oh, yes, it did. It was hands down the best one I have ever had. And, it's not like nothing happened at all. We had a smokin' hot make-out session, like wow!"
"I feel like there's a but there."
"Yes, there is. He's just...so reserved, you know...about his personal life and everything. He doesn't share much. I still know nothing about what defines him," said Ray.
"Yeah, he is like that. You'll have to be patient with him. Give him time. He'll open up once he feels comfortable with you."
"I was patient. And, I did make him feel comfortable. I refrained from asking any personal questions, like about his family and stuff. And, I also made a lot of jokes. By the end of it, he was laughing and joking around with me."
"Again, there's a but," said Cody.
"But, he still holds himself back, like he's afraid of opening up. I think he's hiding something, and I am gonna find out what."
"Oh, no. Don't pry. That would only make him run away."
"But," Ray tried to argue, but Cody cut him off.
"No buts. I agree that you have to find out what it is, but going headfirst into things won't do any good. Rather, just be with him and try to make him talk on his own. Nonchalantly urge him to break down his walls. Got it?" Cody asked.
"I think so, yeah."
"By the way, that's what I did with Jessica, so I know it will work. Gay guys can't be that different from women, can they?" Cody teased Ray.
"Shut up!" said Ray, as he playfully pushed Cody away.
With that said, the guys went into the classroom and got busy with their day.
•••••
A/N: What did you think of this chapter? Please let me know in the comments.
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