by Talya Andor
Soren murmured by way of answer, and attached himself to his coffee cup.
"You're kidding me! You've lived in Oregon all your life, and you've never been to Voodoo Doughnuts? They even opened one in Eugene, you know."
"I know that. I guess I've never been that much of a doughnut fan? I didn't get the big deal about Krispy Kreme, either. If you give me a choice between a doughnut and a scone or a danish, I'll usually choose whatever isn't the doughnut."
That stopped Lucas's laughter. "We don't have to go get doughnuts," he said, flashing a brief look at Soren. "You should've said—"
"No, it's fine," Soren interrupted, shaking his head. "I'll try anything once."
"Like Cock and Balls?"
"Like what?"
"It's one of their signature doughnuts," Lucas said. "You'll see."
Soren laughed. "Signature doughnuts, all right. See, it's worth it just for the experience."
"And they taste really good when they're hot and fresh," Lucas added, blissful over the thought of that warm, yeasty goodness, cream filling or otherwise.
He navigated the streets of Portland and found a place within walking distance. Soren stood at the curb sipping his coffee and watching with a bemused expression as Lucas obtained a parking permit from the green dispenser nearby.
"You didn't have these in Eugene, either?" Lucas teased. He joined him on the curb and moved in to bump elbows, stopping when he remembered Soren's coffee.
"Meters are easier," Soren replied, wrinkling his nose. "Dad always parks in a lot when we stay in downtown Portland."
"Poor, sheltered baby." As they fell into step with one another, Lucas did jostle his elbow, gently. Soren had switched hands and his coffee was no longer at risk.
"Ha, ha," Soren said, but he was smiling. "I am a sheltered baby, truthfully. I've never really had to do things for myself."
Lucas bobbed his head. "I've been doing stuff for myself pretty much since—" My mom died. "—I moved in with my dad and step-mom. Unless it was paying for stuff, I was on my own when it came to getting things done."
"You seem older than me," Soren said. "I guess it's because of that independence?"
Lucas raised his brows at Soren. "You're not that much older than me. What, about a year?"
"Well, I was born in September."
"I was born in July." Lucas nodded. "Not even a year, then. Still, you're the oldest of, what, how many?"
"Five."
The tips of Soren's ears were red, and Lucas wondered if he was embarrassed. It was chilly, but not cold enough for that kind of reaction. He changed subjects. "If the fall lineup wasn't so crappy this year, I'd take you to see a movie."
"Ugh, what's out there right now isn't worth wasting the price of a ticket."
That set them off on a discussion of current and upcoming movies, and Lucas was pleased their tastes overlapped at so many points. They both liked action, preferring something smartly written to dumb and loud; and horror was a favorite, but not torture porn.
"I'm getting sick of the twist ending, though," Soren said. "There's a twist for the twist's final twist."
"It's getting ridiculous," Lucas agreed. He gestured across the busy street. "Here it is: the original location of Voodoo Doughnuts." Lucas had never done this with any of the girls he'd dated. He'd always taken them to someplace he thought would impress them…basically, someplace calculated to get him laid. In contrast, he was taking Soren to one of his favorite places and he was a little anxious over how he'd react.
"Oh my God, there's a line!" Soren exclaimed. "What is it—eight in the morning on a work day? How is this possible?"
Lucas laughed. He wanted to take Soren's arm as they crossed the street, but didn't quite dare. He'd sworn to himself to stick to Soren's pace and be guided by his comfort levels, but that was difficult when he wasn't sure where those were. He settled for putting a hand to the small of Soren's back as they entered the crosswalk.
Soren gave him a sidelong look, but when Lucas worried he might have trespassed a boundary, Soren gave him a little smile.
"Seriously, though, I wasn't expecting this," Soren continued. "They really are that popular?"
"They really are. People come from all over the place to get these doughnuts, at all hours when they're open. You should see it on Saturdays."
Soren's eyes widened and he shook his head slightly. "Maybe someday," he said. "I guess it depends on how much you like the doughnuts."
As they walked up the sidewalk, the details of the line, which had appeared to be on the order of a small crowd, became clear. Part of the sidewalk was roped off and divided into three segments, doubling back on itself on that part of the available block. Beyond the cordoned queue, the line extended down the concrete sidewalk past an alley filled with picnic tables.
"Oh, we are going to be here a while," Soren said under his breath.
"The line moves fast," Lucas assured him. He thought about offering cuddles while they waited, but he wasn't sure what Soren's views were on public affection. Stephen would have wanted him to…but Soren wasn't Stephen.
Lucas edged up close into Soren's personal space when they took up a position at the end of the line, testing the boundaries to see how that would be accepted. Soren appeared not to notice, pressing his sneaker against Lucas's when he stood close.
"You know, they're advertising your favorite cartoons right next door," Soren observed, pointing to the marquee of the theatre on the lot beside the doughnut store. It depicted a scantily-dressed, blue-haired girl with ample breasts and kitty ears in a rather erotic contortion.
Lucas growled under his breath. "They are not cartoons," he said with a show of pique, and wrinkled his nose at Soren. "Besides, the hentai genre of anime is so far from what I watch, that's like calling all horror movies 'torture porn.' Not the same thing at all."
"Fair enough," Soren said with a laugh. "What is it called again?"
"Anime," Lucas said, enunciating each syllable carefully. He repeated it for good measure. "It baffles me you don't know this."
"Hey, I may be a geek, but it's a books, movies, and games variety of geek," Soren replied with a laugh. "I never got into the Japanese animation craze."
"It's anime. No one calls it Japanese animation anymore."
"If I do, you can bet there's a whole bunch of people out there that still do."
Lucas shook his head with a mock scowl and put his hand to Soren's shoulder as they walked forward a few paces in line. That earned him another shy, sidelong smile, and Lucas had to bite his lip to prevent himself from appearing too amused. It was like being in high school again, his cheeks warm over the thought of taking another boy's hand and whether he'd want that even if Lucas was brave enough to do it. At least they were in Portland, and no one would look twice if they did hold hands. Some of the outlying towns were far less liberal.
"Check it out," Lucas said, pointing across the street.
Soren squinted at the building on the opposite block. One side was painted black, with tall white letters reading 'Keep Portland Weird.' He laughed. "Oh, I like it. That's from those bumper stickers."
"Yeah, it's an ongoing campaign," Lucas said, smiling. "Have you been to Saturday Market?"
Soren shook his head, looking inquisitive.
"We'll have to go some time," Lucas said. He wrinkled his nose. "Well, as work allows. They don't often give me a free day on the weekends."
"Easier to schedule you for them. What usually happens?"
"It's like a cross between a street fair and a carnival. There's something new every which way you look."
"Sounds like it could be fun," Soren said, but his expression clouded.
"Something wrong?" Lucas asked.
"Well, it's only…I'm not a fan of big crowds. Something like this is fine, but a situation where I'm hemmed in by a bunch of people and can't get out—"
"No good?"
"It's stupid," Soren muttered, looking down.
Lucas touched his
arm. "Nah," he said, trying to downplay it. "Social anxiety?"
Soren shrugged, his shoulders tense. "I don't know about that. It's just not my favorite kind of situation."
Lucas nodded and changed the subject. He was curious, but the way Soren's attention now seemed riveted to the pavement let him know he ought to let it drop. "You up for lunch, or will your schedule not allow it?" Even as the words came out of his mouth he realized he might be getting ahead of himself.
That thought made Lucas acknowledge to himself that he did want to spend more time with Soren, whether it was lunch or otherwise. He was getting drawn in.
"I'm not sure I'll even be able to think about lunch after a doughnut," Soren said, looking up and meeting his eyes. "Uh, I mean, not that it's a bad thing. I'm working mid-shift, and I didn't bring a lunch, so it's better if I'm not hungry."
"No way, you weren't wearing these clothes for fashion's sake?" Lucas stepped closer as the people in front of them moved further down the line. He brushed his thumb along Soren's hand. Beyond a desire for contact, he wanted to see how Soren would react.
Soren twitched, sidling closer to the wall in a shuffle. He looked at Lucas, though, and their eyes met.
"Think about what you know of me and that's your answer on whether I have anything to do with fashion," Soren replied. He smiled, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, and the back of his hand brushed against Lucas's in turn.
Lucas smiled. "Starbucks is always in style," he said. He put a hand to his face in an attempt to vogue, and Soren laughed.
Their hands brushed together every now and again as they stood together in line. It was maddeningly chaste. Lucas figured it was too soon to outright grab for Soren's hand, but the little touches, the nearness, definitely wound him up and got him wanting more. Soren smelled good, looked adorable, and the way he was getting over the bump of their awkward start and opening up to light-hearted banter and conversation made Lucas want to grab him by the shoulders and kiss him.
That would definitely shut him down. It didn't take a Psychology major to understand that much.
"Oh, wow," Soren said, lifting a hand to the sparkling brick face of the shop's outer wall. "It's all glittery. What did they do, shellac it or something?"
"Voodoo magic," Lucas joked, earning himself a mild punch in the arm. "I don't know. It's always been like this."
"It's cool," Soren said, reaching out with a finger, but pulling back before he could touch the brick. He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, aimed carefully, and took a picture instead.
"That's no way to take a picture," Lucas said sadly, shaking his head.
Soren peered over at him, wide-eyed. "No?"
"No, there's got to be some human interest in the shot." Lucas sidled up close to Soren. He extended a hand to indicate a wide shot. "Here, do it again, but with the two of us."
Soren huffed softly, but did as indicated, extending a long arm to capture a picture of the two of them, heads pressed together with the brick wall in the background. Afterward, he fussed with his phone. "You can't really see the glitter, in either picture."
"But we did commemorate the occasion," Lucas said, cheerful.
From that point it was mere moments until they were on the doorstep of the doughnut shop. Lucas inhaled the mingled odors of sugary goods and fresh-baked dough. It had been a while since he'd visited, and he thought he could buy a half dozen and inhale them on the spot.
"Oh my God, there really is a—" Soren lowered his voice and spoke closer to Lucas's ear, "Cock and Balls doughnut."
Lucas chuckled. "I wasn't just making a dick joke, I swear. There really is. It's cream-filled."
"Of course it is."
"Want to give it a try?"
Soren's face began to turn red. "Uh…yeah? God, I can't buy that. Never mind. No way."
"I'll buy it," Lucas offered. "I'm shameless."
Soren smirked at him. "I've noticed." A look of distress crossed his face. "But, no. I was planning on paying. You paid, last time."
Lucas did brief battle with his impulse to pay and giving in to Soren's chivalrous impulse. He wasn't hurting for money, and his tuition and a monthly stipend were paid by his father. "Doughnuts was my idea," he reminded Soren.
"Yeah, but I want to pay. Consider it my turn."
"Okay, give me a five, and that should cover it."
"You sure?"
Lucas nodded. "Doughnuts aren't that expensive. Unless you want another drink?"
Soren studied the board while they shuffled through the indoor line. At last, he shook his head and passed a five-dollar bill over to Lucas.
"Anything besides the…" Lucas paused. "What you wanted to try?" Cute as it was to see Soren blush, Lucas didn't want to purposely embarrass him.
"The Voodoo Doll. If anything is a signature doughnut, that sure sounds like it, raspberry filling and all."
Lucas grinned. "I'll make you a doughnut convert, yet."
He stepped up to the next available register as a cashier flagged them over, and placed their order. With two doughnuts for Soren and the three that Lucas ordered, the total was slightly more than the money that Soren had given him, but Lucas considered it fair. Lucas shook his head when Soren tried to press more money on him.
"But you got me coffee too," Soren said insistently.
Lucas led them over to an unoccupied side of one of the picnic benches that stood in the doughnut shop's alley. "If you're so wound up about paying, you can do it next time," he said. He hopped up onto the table, setting his feet on the bench, and patted the wood beside him.
Soren made a face at him before climbing up and sitting next to him.
"If…that is, if you want to go out again."
A startled look crossed Soren's face. "Why wouldn't I want to?"
Lucas shrugged. "You might decide I'm not dating material. You might get bored with me. You may have gotten to know me enough, in person, to decide I'm not the right guy—"
Soren reached over and flipped open the lid to the doughnut box. "You haven't decided any of that about me?"
"Not a chance," Lucas said, bestowing a mischievous grin upon him.
"I like you," Soren said, surprising Lucas with the openness of the declaration. "I want to go out again. Now, are we splitting this, or not?" He pointed to the monster Cock and Balls doughnut.
Lucas grinned over at him and shifted close enough to press his thigh to Soren's. "I'm game if you are. This might require both hands."
Soren snorted and leaned against him, in turn. "I wondered when the dick jokes would start."
"You'd better worry about how long it'll be until they stop," Lucas said, bumping his shoulder against Soren's, and they shared a grin.
*~*~*
When the car began to slow near the curb outside of the St. Johns Starbucks, a knot formed in Soren's stomach. He had a mid-shift, but things had reached an equilibrium of banter and casual touching between him and Lucas, and he didn't want it to end.
"I had a good time," he said, as Lucas guided his car to an illegal yellow zone at the end of the block.
Lucas shifted the car into park and turned in his seat to face Soren. There was a little smile on his lips. "Yeah, me too."
Soren held very still as Lucas leaned forward, moving into his personal space. He half-closed his eyes and froze, unsure of what to do—hold still, move forward—and settled for the easiest option: nothing at all. He bit his lip when Lucas lifted a hand and tucked a lock of Soren's hair behind his ear.
"Have a good rest of the day," Lucas murmured, the faintest breath coursing over Soren's skin before he straightened, returning to his own seat.
Soren was disappointed, and a little confused. He'd thought he was about to be kissed. His eyes widened a little as he realized Lucas might have thought he didn't want to, because he'd stayed so still.
He summoned up a smile for Lucas, sure that the moment had passed. He wanted to kiss Lucas. He was going to have to be more obvious about it at t
he next opportunity.
"I'll see you later?" Soren asked.
Lucas grinned. "Sooner than you think. I've got a shift later today. Closing, but there'll be some overlap."
"Oh, good," Soren said without thinking.
Lucas's grin widened. "Careful, or I'll think you can't get enough of me."
Soren recognized this playful banter. It was the kind he'd heard Lucas dole out to Sloane, or the other girls in the shop. That gave him confidence to reply in kind. "What if I can't?" he said, coy, tilting his head to give Lucas a sidelong glance.
Lucas shifted in his seat toward Soren, his expression more intent, focused. That wasn't a look Soren had seen when he'd been flirting. "Then I'd say that's exactly what I hoped for," Lucas replied, sounding serious.
It put a pleased, somewhat goofy smile on Soren's face. "Looking forward to it," he said, and wiggled his fingers at Lucas before exiting the car.
The smile lasted until about halfway across the store floor, at which point he caught sight of Aaron behind the bar and it wilted. Part of him wondered if Michelle had it in for him, because he was scheduled with Aaron so often. But, he was scheduled a lot with Lucas too, and now that worked in his favor.
"Good, you're finally here," Aaron said. "You can work bar."
Soren checked his watch. He was ten minutes early, as usual. He supposed Aaron's 'finally' was more reflective of his impatience to get off the bar.
"Be back in a few," he murmured, slipping past Aaron without comment. It was easier to get along with some people if he simply didn't engage.
He killed the time before he was allowed to clock in by examining the schedule tacked on the bulletin board. It amused him to think that only last week, he'd been bemoaning the fact that his and Lucas's schedules overlapped so often that it was impossible to avoid him.
"What's going on with you?" Aaron asked him in a cheery tone, the kind of charm he turned on customers. Arms folded, he pushed up from where he'd been leaning against the bar.
Soren came to a halt near the register, glancing toward Teri, who looked in the other direction with a slight shrug.
"Uh, nothing?" he replied, reaching for his midsection to check and make sure his apron was tied tightly. He looked around to see if there was some chance that Aaron had been speaking to someone else.