~Xander~
One week later
Fall and all her glorious colours were in full bloom as Achilles drove us across the city for our first official date. The sky was a peaceable blue with thick clouds rolling on by. But below that, the trees we passed were red, brown and and green and it made me realize autumn was alive and well.
Achilles' car was cool and he hummed along a bit off beat to a trashy pop song playing on the radio. I hadn't seen Achilles since we'd come back from the road trip and he looked as good as he always did. Strong jaw, broad shoulders, that little bit of stubble that never really went away. For the first time I realized Achilles could be the poster boy for rugged and handsome.
The past week had been frantic for me. I'd had to assess a number of my students along with attend a few seminars and conferences, while sending revision drafts to the Galatrickiton team. Achilles had asked to go out but I'd had to reject him or cancel last minute and somehow he hadn't taken it too harshly. It helped that we'd been texting and calling frequently. It had become something of a routine to take my nightly bath while on the phone with Achilles. He would tell me about his day, and I'd tell him about mine.
I learned more about Achilles as a person, the fact he'd broken both his legs as a child, his best friend was a shifter named Rory who could be a bit of a pothead, his first memory was of shifting and that he was jet black as a wolf. Apparently, it was an uncommon occurrence.
And I told him about most things, how my mom came to America and started her own billion dollar hotel chain, the fact she was probably asexual and aromantic even if she didn't believe it, how my favourite holiday was halloween and how my hair was the closest thing to religion I got.
He must have caught me staring at him in the car because he turned to smile at me, driving into a parking lot. "We're here now."
"Cool." I said smiling back. We got out of the car and Achilles took his backpack stringing it over his back and I had my trusty fanny pack over my arm.
Achilles locked up his car and we started walking down towards the entrance. I gasped, looking around. "The botanical gardens?" Even from the parking lot I could see the sheer mass of trees peeking out above the buildings. And it smelled different here. My nose didn't have anything on a shifter's but even I could detect that there were a lot of plants here.
Achilles nudged my shoulder, talking in a soft voice. "I knew you'd like it! There's a walk we can take to see a lot of the trees in fall, and then we can eat at one of their gardens. It's supposed to be—" A young couple passed us by, a man and a woman where the woman was pushing a stroller with their baby inside. They were laughing and Achilles voice quieted towards the end. "Romantic."
I looked at him while he watched them for a few seconds, then his fingers brushed mine and he interlaced our fingers together for the briefest of moments before squeezing my hand and then letting it go. His brows were furrowed and he looked afraid.
"Listen." I said, turning to face him. "We can take things slow."
"No." Achilles said. "I want to be here with you, honestly." He moved in front of me, touching my cheek and giving me a quick kiss. Blushing, he turned on his heel and started walking towards the entrance.
I touched my lips for a moment and then hurried after him, surprised Achilles could kiss me in public.
#
The walk was nice but Achilles was nicer. The walkway was wide and made of concrete with the border comprising of different perennial flowers and different types of colourful plants. There were scores of tulips, lilies, irises, peonies and many flowers I didn't even know the name of. Achilles pointed out his knowledge of flowers before we even passed the signs labelling them as such.
There weren't too many people on the path, but Achilles was still walking pretty close to me, his arm brushing mine every few steps. We were standing closer than friends would, but that was okay, too.
"Your hair looks really nice today." Achilles said as we reached a fork in the path, and he took us right towards the garden area, where the plants turned into mature, tall trees.
"Gee thanks." I said bumping his shoulder. "I spent a lot of time on it."
He raised his hand gesturing at his own head. "How do you get it all curly like that?"
"Maybe some time you'll come over and you can see my routine. It's kind of hard to describe...to someone like you."
Achilles snorted. "To someone who's white?"
I frowned. "More like someone who's not black. Have you even..." I gestured between us, not sure how to describe our relationship. "With a black person?"
"I had a girlfriend when I was nineteen who was black. She was from Georgia. I always thought her little twang was cute and the way she said my name." Achilles looked at me. "I like the way you say my name, too."
The pathway was still carefully maintained but it was like we were deep in a forest. There were fewer people along the path now, most having turned at the fork in the road. I wanted him to kiss me but Achilles seemed like the kind of person who thought too much about making moves and the over calculation warred with his own instincts so he just wouldn't act.And I didn't want to risk making him uncomfortable.
Achilles started to tell me about his family, how he actually had two brothers, a younger one named Harrison and his older brother Anders. He mentioned off hand that they were closer to one another than to him and tried to not sound to hurt.
"I think that's why me and Sunny are so close." Achilles continued. "I used to pick her up from school because her older brother went to a different school. It happened to be nearby my high school and even then I could tell she was kind of lonely. So we stuck together. But, now, I don't know. I feel like I should come out to her." He shrugged a shoulder, then looked at me. "I owe her that right? Before I tell everyone else."
I stopped. "You plan on telling everyone else?"
He stopped as well. "I want to. I have to. I think I'll tell Sunny tonight after she comes back from practice. The others? I don't know. Could you—" Achilles folded his hands together in an insecure gesture that surprised me, pursing his lips, and breathing quickly through his nose. "Could I ask you to be there when I tell them? Whenever that is. Eventually—" He was whispering now and I had to lean closer to hear him. His brown eyes were soft but insistent and trying to communicate something his lips struggled to do. "As my boyfriend. I don't think I'll come out at work, but if the vision holds we'll be together for a while anyways. But what's important is my telling my family, and the pack."
I gave Achilles the hug he struggled to ask for, wrapping my arms across his shoulders as he slipped his around my waist. "Of course I'll be there for you." I said, talking into his neck.
"Thank you." He said in a rough voice as a few people passed around us, some staring and some not paying us any attention at all.
#
We were sitting on a red and white checkered cloth that Achilles had materialized before he pulled a picnic basket out of his backpack. Carefully, he took everything out, showing me a surprisingly full basket teeming with fruits, some kind of fruit dip, cheeses, crackers, half a baguette and several skewers of dark chocolate and white chocolate covered strawberries. Achilles was talking quietly while arranging everything on plates and and setting up a small platter. "The few times I've been to your place I noticed you had a lot of fruit in your fridge, and I heard you talking to Elle about liking dark chocolate."
Oh, so he listened, too. I couldn't help the wide smile on my face. Instead of sitting across from him I slid up beside Achilles, folding my right leg under my body and leaning into the solid weight of him beside me. I turned into him the same time he turned into me and we kissed. Achilles' hand was squeezing my thigh and the feel of his tongue moving against mine was making my heart race. He was kissing me, and kissing me, one hand in my hair, God, I hope he didn't mess it up, and one hand squeezing almost too high on my thigh and then he stopped.
His breath was hot against my mouth as he turned his head to lean his forehead against mind, closing his eyes. "They're so loud." He whispered.
"What?" I said just as quietly.
"The couple over to our right, and the family over to our left." I moved back from Achilles as he starting arranging a plate for me and I looked around the glade designated as a picnic area, seeing a couple several feet away from us. I could tell they were talking but I had no idea what they were saying. I looked over to the left and saw the same family with the stroller we'd seem earlier. The child was older than I'd thought, a proper toddler. The child was sitting in the dad's lap, while the mother fed him slowly.
"Can you really hear what they were saying?"
Achilles gave me a look, making his voice sound feminine. "Oh my God, Ash, look, they have a whole picnic basket why didn't you do that for me?" He switched to a lower dudebro intonation. "C'mon, baby, they're two guys...It looks kinda gay don't you think?" Back to the girl. "No way, Ash. Way to promote your heteronormative standards, maybe they're just friends." And then the guy. "Babe...they're making out." He sighed, speaking in his regular voice. "And don't get me started on the family over there. They were talking about how they hoped their kid turns out normal, not cause they're homophobes or anything, they just want to ensure their kid has the best quality of life." Achilles started talking in a low sarcastic drawl. "Cause clearly, that is not possible."
I hadn't realized Achilles' hearing was quite that good. I curved my fingers over his ear, and he made a low sound in his throat. I spoke quietly. "Is that a shifter thing?"
"It comes out more when I'm nervous. You make me nervous so my senses go all haywire." He was talking in a rush but his face was red. "Can we eat now?"
I picked up a chocolate covered strawberry, locking eyes with Achilles before taking a bite. "It's good." I said, chewing around a sweet mouthful of fruit and chocolate.
Achilles snorted, but his face only reddened further. "You're unfairly attractive, you know? Your proportions are basically perfect."
I touched his chest, rolling my eyes. "Stop it. You're making me blush."
Achilles laughed, giving me a broad smile. "You are beautiful, and I think you know that, Xander."
I fluttered my lashes and he gave me a real laugh then, eyes sparkling at me. "You're not too bad yourself, handsome." I said in a soft voice.
Achilles laughed yet again and I loved how honest the sound was, how deep his dimples were and this moment here on our date where he could finally relax. I wanted it to last forever.
#
They've finally gone a date, that took forever. Overall thoughts?
I think there will be a time skip soon just to get things merrily rolling along.