When Gareth arrived to the restaurant where he was to meet some friends for dinner he could’ve sworn he was late, but as he walked to the door he was greeted from behind with that charming voice he was all too familiar with.

“Oh, Gareth good thing you’re here, I would’ve thought I was running late.” Rob said smiling his usual cheeky smile at his shorter bulkier friend whom he didn’t have “just friends” feelings for. In fact, Rob hadn’t had any “just friends” feelings for Gareth in a while, but he wasn’t the only one that was feeling that way. Gareth was boiling inside, in his chest more like seeing Rob there, he nearly forgot he was coming to dinner but it wasn’t like he minded. He seemed so much more attractive, Gareth didn’t wanna toss around the word but he thought Rob looked /gorgeous/. He wasn’t dressed down as usual he went out with a button up with rolled up sleeves and his usual tight jeans but some slick new shoes to go with. Then there was Gareth, a t-shirt, his usual jacket and jeans with some sneakers, he felt so unpresentable.

“You gonna keep staring at me or are you gonna say somethin’?” Rob teased his ginger haired friend like he usually would, gaining a laugh from Gareth as usual.

“You just look nice tonight, but hey let’s get to dinner, I’ll hold the door for you so you don’t have to put your pretty little self to work.” Gareth flirted not even subtly, his specialty, opening the glass door for Rob, lavishing himself in Robs little giggle as he passed. They sat down for dinner at the already mostly occupied table with friends, Gareth couldn’t help staring at Rob all throughout dinner, and he felt like a creep but God if he didn’t like what he saw. Rob noticed Gareth staring more than once, he didn’t mind mostly because it made him excited. The fact that he seemed to pique Gareth’s interest really made him proud. They had talked all throughout dinner, nearly ignoring everyone else and they were still picking at their food while everyone around them was done. They ended up being the last two at the booth after dinner, ordering glasses of wine and a dessert to share since “neither could finish a slice of cake on their own”.

“Do you even like chocolate cake?” Gareth asked as he took a big chunk of the dessert up on his fork while Rob picked off the corner.

“Of course I do, I just don’t wanna take too much, and maybe you should just feed me.” Rob said that as a joke but Gareth followed through, offering his forkful to Rob, smushing it playfully against his lips before Rob actually accepts it.

“Look what you did, you made a mess of it now…” Rob tried to play off annoyed but Gareth leaned in with a napkin to playfully dab off his lips and Rob was reeling. They finished their drinks and dessert and paid their tabs before leaving, Gareth holding the door to be ever so polite again, yet they stayed outside the restaurant instead of going right to their cars just then, perhaps they were too tipsy to walk alone or maybe they weren’t done talking.

“So why’d you dress so nice, you got an actual date later?” Gareth asked, looking Rob up and down once again, finally asking what he’d been wondering all evening.

“No, I haven’t been going on many dates; I just wanted to look good.” Rob seemed to get a little embarrassed for being even a little vain.

“Well, you definitely succeeded, button ups do you justice.” Gareth replied, patting Rob’s back, lavishing himself in that little smile from the taller man. Rob couldn’t believe Gareth seemed to actually be flirting with him, it seemed too good to be true, or maybe it was the drinks talking. But he’s always heard that alcohol makes an honest man so Rob wasn’t sure what to believe. Gareth was half worried he was coming on too strong to his friend, but Rob seemed to actually be enjoying the attention so he kept with it, it wasn’t easy reading your best friend’s mood when you’re trying to get them interested in you.

“Would you mind walking me to my car? Y’know so I don’t bust my ass or anything?” Rob asked, playing on how tipsy he was in that notion.

“You? Driving when you’re worried you’ll fall while walking? No way we’re taking a fuckin’ cab.” Gareth retorted letting Rob know he wasn’t gonna let him get hurt or anything and that sort of worry made Rob feel pretty important. Gareth called a cab, waiting outside with Rob, chatting the whole time til Rob mentioned he was cold.

“Here, I’ve been wearing this thing all night I got enough warmth saved up to survive without it.” Gareth said as he stripped off his jacket and gave it to his skinnier friend who would without a doubt fit into it. Rob thanked him and slipped it on, zipping it up and enjoying the fact the sleeves were too long so he slapped Gareth playfully with them once or twice before the cab showed up. Gareth let Rob stow his skinny self in first before he came in, closing the door and telling the driver to just take them both back to his place, giving him his address and all.

“Your place?” Rob asked curious if Gareth had some other motive in mind when they got back, not like he would mind in his swilled state.

“Yeah, my place is closer so the ride’ll be cheaper.” Gareth assured Rob that he wasn’t totally intending on anything that night, but if things happened they happened. The ride was short, it almost seemed like Rob and Gareth weren’t silent the whole time, wrapped up in their thoughts and what they were both thinking might happen once the door of Gareth’s house was shut. They both got out once the car was stopped, Gareth paid while Rob waited at the top of the porch stairs for Gareth to open the door. Gareth jogged up the stairs next to Rob, smiling at him lazily.

“Don’t worry princess I got the door.” He teased, making Rob shy away for a moment ‘til he actually opened the door, then they both walked inside. Rob shut the door behind them and Gareth headed straight away to the kitchen leaving Rob in the living room to turn on the TV while he was alone.

“So how about we conquer our tipsiness by getting shitfaced.” Gareth chimed as he came back to the living room with two beers in each hand, getting a ‘sure why not’ shrug from Rob. The two men ended up drinking for another hour, laughing about how weird people they noticed when they were out were and how pointless that dinner was because they only wanted to talk to each other.

“So why did you get all dressed up?” Gareth asked once more, feeling more prying thanks to his two and a half beers.

“Well, I thought you’d like it, and I was right.” Rob laughed, feeling triumphant in that fact.

“Yeah, I did, but you always look so damn good.” The older man seemed adamant on that fact, which made Rob mostly silent.

“Y’ think so?” He inquired, drawing a nod and a casual grasp of the thigh from Gareth which lead to some extended silence. Rob put down his beer and shifted on the couch making Gareth worry he was leaving.

“Wait no I didn’t-” Rob cut off Gareth by crawling up onto his knees to kiss his friend, not as sloppily as you would imagine, he was trying hard to make their first kiss civil and a little romantic but Gareth didn’t hesitate to grab Rob’s ass making him jump and pull away.

” Oh, fuck sorry did I mess it up?” Gareth asked worried he ruined the moment but Rob just smiled and leaned into Gareth to hug his shoulders and rest his head under his chin.

“Nah, you just surprised me.” Rob reassured his friend, or boyfriend, he wasn’t sure what was going on with them now but he was too drowsy to ask. Gareth noticed his dozy form and didn’t speak much after, letting Rob get comfy and eventually pass out on him. Sure he had tons of questions to ask Rob about what just happened but he wasn’t gonna wake him up like that, besides he could use some rest himself. He gently set Rob down on the couch, propping his head up with pillows and pulling down the couch blanket over him, even tucking him in, God he cared too much.

Gareth found himself staring at Rob for a while in a sort of “I think I love this person” kind of way which didn’t strike him as odd as it should’ve after a first kiss. Maybe that just let out his feelings; he did feel relieved after it. Ah, he was thinking too much on it, they’d just talk about it in the morning. Gareth found himself flopping back into bed, staring up at the ceiling trying to force himself to sleep but all his mind was doing was thinking of that kiss, how Rob laid on him, how it felt, how he smelled faintly of cologne and alcohol. All those things just made his head swim and he was worried. He was clearly in love, who knew if Rob really was. But he’d just have to find out.