(chapter 8)
Vinny was a mess.
He had never been on an actual date before, let alone with someone as good looking as Owen. He had no idea how to feel or what to do with his nerves. Further, he didn't know what to wear! They hadn't really talked much since that day in the cafe, and nothing that was talked about had anything to do with what the date was going to be. He didn't know where Owen was going to take him or what they were going to do. How was he supposed to pick what to wear? The only relief he felt was in knowing that there weren't any more formal places nearby, and the chances of Owen wanting to go an hour or two out of the way to go to one were slim to none.
He couldn't ask Dee for help because she was busy with her daughter, who had gotten sick again, somehow. Asking his mom was definitely out of the question, for obvious reasons. He sighed, letting his body fall back on his clothing littered bed. Blowing the hair out of his face, Vinny stared up at his bedroom ceiling. He was just glad that he had started getting ready early, so he would have enough time to figure out just what the hell to wear. He knew this would be a problem. It always was, even if it was just a friendly hang out with Dee, but usually he at least had her help figuring it out.
He pouted, fingers twirling his hair. He had to figure out something to wear. He couldn't go out in his casual, at-home clothes, especially not with Owen. A sigh pushed through his lips as he forced himself back to standing and stalked back over to his closet. He needed to wear something, and he wasn't going to figure it out just laying around.
There weren't very many options, really. None that would be great for the current weather. Just jeans and various styles of shirts, most of them t-shirts or cropped tanks that he could only wish to be able to freely wear. His gaze strayed to the clothing hidden in the back of his closet. A single skirt and some shorts that would be deemed too short for a boy to wear by his mother. His teeth nibbled his lower lip as he forced his eyes back to his other clothes, hands moving to pick out a pair of well-worn black jeans with rips in the knees, a tank top that was just long enough that he could claim it was tucked in if his mom questioned him over it, and a black floral button-up.
An outfit that wouldn't have his mom asking any questions but would be expressive enough that he could feel comfortable in himself. And best of all: cute. He felt cute, and while still nervous, he was much more ready for the date than just a few minutes ago. Walking into his bathroom, he wet his fingers to brush through and tame his hair. The waves curled more, some strands darkening from the regular copper with the water. Moving a few specific pieces, he was finished with his hair, just in time for his phone to beep with a message.
His heart stuttered in his chest before it set a fast pace that left him breathless and his cheeks red. It could only be Owen. Everyone who had his number was busy, and he had asked him to text when he made it to his house. He didn't want his mother asking any more questions than she already would be with him leaving the house and not being home for dinner time. He didn't want her questioning why a man was picking him up, let alone one who's all dressed up and keeping him from home for so long.
Striding across the room, Vinny picked his phone up from his bed, pulse thrumming in his throat. A tremor overtook his hand when he checked the name displayed above the message, proving himself correct. Owen. His breath caught in his throat as he read the text.
owen:
I'm here
don't forget to bring a light jacket!
His heart stuttered, but he ignored it as he gathered up his things. Requested light jacket? Check. Chapstick? Check. Phone? In his back pocket, check. Portable charger? Check. Wallet with I.D., spare cash, and debit card? Check. Small bag to hold all the smaller things? Clipped to his belt. He was ready. At the very least, he was prepared. Maybe. His nose wrinkled, and he shook his head of any thoughts. His heart was already beating too fast, he didn't need his thoughts to start spiraling.
With a final spritz of perfume–another item his mother wasn't aware he owned but smelled "manly" enough that she wouldn't know about without snooping–he rushed out of his bedroom, calling out a goodbye to his mother as he flung the front door open. Owen's car was parked in front of his neighbor's driveway, the black paint shimmering beneath the sun. The reflection of the light nearly blinded him as he bounded down the sidewalk to the idling vehicle.
Owen stepped out as Vinny get closer, coming around to open the passenger door for him. Vinny's cheeks burned at the action, eyes turned down to watch his feet as he slid in, unable to look at the other man. He settled into his seat, pulling the seatbelt around himself absentmindedly to click it in place as Owen came back around to the driver's side.
Vinny fiddled with his fingers as Owen drove, knowing that he should try to broach a topic for conversation but also enjoying the semi-comfortable silence they had fallen into. Relief flooded him as Owen cleared his throat. Vinny glanced his way, still not daring to look at him directly, to see his hands momentarily tighten around the steering wheel.
"You look good," he said, voice tense, and cleared his throat again.
"Oh," Vinny mumbled, cheeks flaming again as he forced himself to look over at the other boy, finally. His dark hair was curled for once, falling over his forehead, nearly into his eyes. He was dressed in what seemed to be well-worn jeans that had rips at the knees and hugged his legs, especially his thighs, well. A soft-looking cardigan and a well-loved t-shirt covered his torso, a watch peeking from beneath the sleeve. "Thanks. You-you too."
A rumbling chuckle came from Owen's chest, and Owen could see the way the corners of his eyes–at least the one on his side–crinkled up as he grinned. "Thanks."
Vinny looked away, watching the road in front of them as Owen navigated through the city. "So, uh," his tongue poked out to wet his bottom lip. "Where are we going?"
"When was the last time you visited the aquarium?"
"A year or so ago, I think? I went with Dee on her daughter's birthday."
"Would you wanna visit it again?"
"Of course! A few of the exhibits were closed when I went last time, and I would really like to see them!"
"Good," Owen said, laughing softly. "Cause that's where I was wanting to go. I would have been really sad if you didn't want to."
Vinny found himself smiling, sinking back into the passenger seat to get himself comfortable. "Fortunately," he said, "I love the aquarium. It's one of my favorite places."
"Good," Owen murmured, seeming to focus on the road.
Vinny looked out the window, watching as the buildings and occasional trees blurred passed the moving vehicle. He was comfortable with the silence, actually enjoying it since he wasn't sure how long he would be able to keep a conversation without stuttering or having a malfunction. His heart was still beating far too quickly, and his breathing wasn't steady in the least. But he wasn't uncomfortable, and he was glad about that.
The rest of the car ride to the aquarium was silent, allowing Vinny to settle better into the situation. His body properly relaxed into the passenger seat, heartbeat slowing to just above normal (there was honestly no way his heart would ever beat at a resting pace around an attractive person, let alone one as attractive as Owen), and his hands stopped shaking against his thighs. His fingers gripped the loose fabric of his button-up shirt when the large sparkling blue sign came into sight, teeth nibbling his lower lip as Owen navigated the vehicle into the surprisingly not-very-full parking lot and shut the car off.
They exited the vehicle simultaneously, and Vinny could feel his excitement overtaking his renewed nervousness. He wasn't lying when he told Owen that the aquarium was one of his favorite places. It was quiet, only full of excitement and happiness and content animal noises. The one they were walking into was one of the biggest ones he had ever been to, and had several different exhibits based on the different environments all the fish and aquatic creatures came from. There was even a penguin exhibit!
He led the way to the entrance, practically skipping his way across the vast parking lot. If he could, he would visit the aquarium at least once a month, but that was a much too expensive hobby for a humble college student to have. So, he was going to enjoy this experience to the absolute fullest.
"Can we see the penguins?" Vinny asked as he pulled the front door open, glancing back at Owen.
The other boy's expression was soft, eyes sparkling with amusement and lips quirked up at the corners. His curls shifted as he bobbed his head, smile widening. "Sure," he said. "If the exhibit is open, we can go look at it."
Vinny grinned wide, bouncing his way into the dim lobby, slowing only to allow Owen to take the lead in buying their tickets and navigating the vast building.
Everything was as he remembered it, sparkling clean and blue, full of healthy looking fishes and other creatures. Lights shined brightly where necessary, while other exhibits were dimmer, especially in the Amazon exhibit. The sound of crickets and frogs filled the air, and Vinny loved seeing the large fishes and the various reptiles. He also loved the stingray exhibit, enjoying the little touch pool they had set up as if her were five years old again.
What's more, he loved experiencing all of this with Owen. The other man didn't say much, but the way he looked at Vinny had his heart thrumming the whole time they were there. Nobody had ever looked at him the way he did, like he was someone worth admiring. Like he couldn't take his eyes off of him. Like he didn't want to. Especially when they finally were able to see the penguins. Vinny had released a squeal, softened only by an excited hand over his mouth, and bounced over to the glass to watch the black and white creatures play around in their white and blue exhibit. He was too happy in that moment to care about how embarrassing that was–he was acting like a child in front of one of the most attractive men he had ever met. But when he looked back to grin at Owen, he was simply staring at him, that same look on his face.
When they had made their way through the whole building an hour and a half later, Owen's hand had made it's way to his own. The warmth from that touch traveled up his arm and settled in his cheeks. "Are you hungry?" he asked, setting a slow pace back across the darkening parking lot.
Vinny couldn't talk, and simply nodded his head. He normally would have eaten almost an hour ago and had a dessert by that time.
"Good," Owen murmured, fingers tightening before releasing his hand entirely. He opened the passenger door, nodding his head to signal Vinny inside. His cheeks reddened further as he slid past the larger man to settle into the passenger seat. He looked up at Owen as he leaned down into the door. "Let's go get something to eat, then."
(word count: 2,033)