Eventually, they managed to move out of the alley, but not before Evan gave Ryan two more hickeys - one in a spot where everyone would see it and the other in the same spot where he would one day place his bite.
And Ryan didn't protest at all. This time it was he who was simply silenced. What's more, after Evan was done with his masterpiece, he smiled even brighter than before.
Evan, on the other hand, was so pleased with himself (and Ryan's reaction, not gonna lie) that he didn't keep asking where they were going and let Ryan lead him into the unknown.
The unknown turned out to be an old movie theatre that showed older movies that, while available on the internet, were better experienced this way. And sometimes, they even showed movies from the days when they were still without colour or even sound.
Evan had no idea what movie they were going to see since he hadn't seen a schedule anywhere, and Ryan dragged him through the lobby before he could look around properly. Luckily, though, he dragged him to the snack counter, which meant he was now sitting contentedly on a seat, waiting for the movie and munching on buttered popcorn.
"I guess there are two ways to shut you up," Ryan stated, watching him reach for more popcorn and pop it into his mouth. He, unlike Evan, was an advocate of only starting to eat popcorn when the movie started.
"'You somehow like the idea of silencing me too much," he remarked at once.
"I'm just expanding my knowledge. I'm sure it will come in handy one day." He grinned at him and turned back to the screen as the opening shots finally rolled in.
"I hope it's clear to you that I'll be commenting the whole time," Evan leaned in and whispered. Even though Evan was already so close to him, Ryan echoed his gesture and leaned in closer. Their cheeks were almost touching, but neither of them seemed to mind.
"I wouldn't expect anything else," he assured him in a whisper.
"So, am I allowed to judge you based on your choice of movie?" Evan put on a playful tone, not hiding his intention to flirt. After all, they were on a date, when would he have a better opportunity?
"I mean, you can, but we both know you already like me anyway."
Evan pulled away for a moment to catch the smile Ryan gave him and returned it. He had decided long ago that he could joke about anything but never about his feelings for Ryan. He wanted him to always know that he cared for him and could count on that.
"I'm sure you have proof of how much I like you." He patted a spot on his neck, the same spot where Ryan had a visible red and purple mark.
"Maybe I need more," was Ryan's reply, and Evan immediately decided to fulfil it. His gaze briefly fell on Ryan's hand on the armrest, and then he placed his own on top of it, intertwining his fingers with his own.
"Will that do for now?" he asked, though Ryan's smile was answer enough.
"Are you telling me to expect more later?"
His eyes automatically fell to the black-haired boy's lips at the question.
"Maybe." He still wasn't sure what was keeping him from kissing him and starting their bond, but he told himself that if he wasn't one hundred percent sure, he shouldn't do it. And so, he didn't. Luckily, Ryan was understanding and didn't push him. He let him set the pace of their relationship, and Evan tried to show his appreciation whenever possible.
After that, they left their conversation open, and both of them quietly shifted their attention to the screen, where they began to show footage of the spaceship. If the title of the movie was written at the beginning, Evan missed it, as he was only focused on the boy at his side and so had no idea what the movie was going to be about.
Predictably, it looked like an old movie, but not in the way Evan had previously imagined. It was a colour movie, and the spaceship shots looked pretty realistic (not that he'd ever seen a spaceship), so he started thinking that maybe it would be okay.
To his surprise, he was so intrigued by the movie that he didn't start commenting until halfway through.
"I can see why you wanted to see this movie. There could be a drinking game when you drink any time someone dies because they were saving a cat."
Ryan was clearly amused by his remark.
"You have to admit that Jones is too cute to let him die," he explained the logic that Evan didn't approve of.
"Jones, in particular, shouldn't be on a spaceship at all. Who sends a crew into space and is like Oh, and don't forget your cat. We straight up picked the orange one since those are the least predictable," Evan countered immediately.
This comment of his made Ryan beside him laugh out loud, and he had to cover his mouth with his hand to avoid disturbing the other people in the cinema, even though there weren't many of them. And since he was reaching for the popcorn at that second, he managed to spill some of it on the ground the moment he moved his hand violently.
This, in turn, made Evan laugh, who couldn't help but find the sight before him extremely endearing.
"I admit you don't have such bad taste in movies. They just obviously have to involve cats." Evan leaned closer to him, though he honestly wasn't the least bit interested in the other people in the cinema, and his whisper was for a different purpose.
"Well, I like cats, but I like one wolf a little more," Ryan admitted with a cheesy grin, and Evan rolled his eyes at his words. As sweet as they were, he was still compared to the furry balls that were called cats.
"I'd say I like you too, but I'm sure it will make you happier to admit that I've grown quite fond of Marshmallow," he admitted, quickly adding, "But she's the one exception."
Judging by Ryan's expression, he had indeed chosen the appropriate words, and it was doubly confirmed when Ryan leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
"Wow, and all it took was for me to give the cat a compliment," Evan couldn't help the remark. Fortunately, Ryan was used to his answers, so he was amused by his statement.
"I hope it's clear to you that she's like my daughter," the black-haired boy admitted in a whisper.
Evan didn't answer at first, thinking twice about his answer, or rather whether it was appropriate to say it, but then he figured he had nothing to lose.
"Does that mean I should start calling you Daddy?" And, oh boy, Ryan almost choked on his popcorn. Evan reached out to his back in case he needed help, but thankfully it wasn't too bad, but he didn't pull his hand back anyway, enjoying touching him.
"You're going to kill me someday." Ryan declared as he finally took a deep breath. He pulled the hand he had in the popcorn straight out and placed it in his lap, piercing the bucket of popcorn with his gaze as if he'd suddenly lost his appetite for it.
It wasn't long before their gazes met again, and even in the darkness of the cinema, Evan could clearly see his cheeks flushing.
"I'll kill you with my love," he corrected his statement. They weren't even at the kissing stage yet, let alone admitting their feelings, but Evan didn't think he could spoil anything with that declaration. His feelings had long been approaching the fine line of love, and he hadn't resisted them. He had no doubt that all he needed was a kiss, and he would be lost forever in that intoxicating sensation.
"I like the sound of that." Ryan has always had a knack for focusing on the positive. His smile was genuine, but his eyes betrayed even more, and the more his gaze fixed on Evan, the shyer he felt. He was suddenly extremely warm, and he could feel the heat rising to his face.
Evan cleared his throat and turned back to the screen.
"We should finish watching the movie," he declared, moving his hand from Ryan's back and back to the armrest, palm up, letting the ink-haired boy finish the gesture.
Ryan didn't protest and also leaned back comfortably again, but not before intertwining her fingers with his.
And that's how they lasted for another hour. That is until Evan found out that the cat had survived to the very end.
"You've got to be kidding me."