So We Meet-Cute Again

by Geneva Vand

  "Yeah, all right. Just a minute!" He could hear her snickering in the kitchen as he went down the hall.

  Jason snuck into Mark's bedroom and dug to the bottom of his sweater drawer. The rejects were kept down there, and Mark wouldn't notice until it turned up in the laundry. Sweater secured he went out to hide it in his saddle bags, then went back to find Rina in the kitchen.

  He was unsurprised to find himself on salad duty. Rina was a great cook, and like many great cooks didn't trust other people not to mess up her good efforts. He settled into veggie chopping, enjoying the familiar routine and the company.

  "Where are the munchkins? I thought they'd be home."

  "School was a disaster today. Or so I hear."

  "What happened?"

  Rina sighed. "Mark texted me to say that the school called. The boys got in a fight."

  "About what?"

  "Don't know yet. Something not good, I think. Like, it wasn't self-defense or someone making fun of Mark or something. But Nicky's coat is ruined, and Luke needed new shoes."

  Jason cackled. "Mark's punishing them with shopping, isn't he? That's awesome."

  "It is, isn't it?" Rina's grin was huge and evil. "He said he was taking them to the mall. And that he told Luke he can't have superhero shoes."

  "Oh man. Luke loves his superhero shoes. That's way worse than grounding them."

  "Right? I mean, Luke'll need more new shoes in, like, a month. He'll need winter boots. He can still get superheroes or whatever. But the boys hate shopping. Loathe it." She pulled the spoon out of the pasta pan and waggled it at him triumphantly. "And they're going to have to walk right past the toy store to get to Famous Footwear."

  "That part was your idea wasn't it."

  Rina hummed. "I may have mentioned that that particular shoe store was by the toy store, yes."

  "You're a bad, bad woman." Jason held up a hand for a high five. Rina obliged and went back to the stove. Jason went back to his salad, thinking Aiden was going to think they were all crazy if he ever spent time around his family. Speaking of...

  "Hey, I can tell Aiden about this, right? He enjoys the kid chronicles."

  "So, you're seeing Aiden then?"

  "Well, he gets coffee almost every morning at the—Dammit."

  "Ha!" Rina pointed her finger at him dramatically. "I knew something was going on! You've been way too careful not to mention him the past couple weeks."

  Jason cringed. He hadn't meant to admit to intentionally stalking Aiden. Rina and Mark were going to tease him until the end of time. He tried to look innocent. "I don't know what you mean."

  "You're dating!" Rina bounced. Jason sighed.

  "We're not, not really. I told you how his cousin's dog tried to kill me. Then I sort of tricked him into having dinner with me. And I've gotten coffee with him a few times. That's it."

  Rina took the pasta off the stove and drained it, then turned to look at him. "That sounds an awful lot like dating to me."

  "Maybe. Except for the part where we go on an pre-arranged, planned outing. You know, the actually dating part." He turned back to his vegetables and started throwing them in the bowl.

  Rina appeared next to him and tucked her arm around his waist. "Ah, the sounds of the romantically frustrated male." She rested her head on his shoulder. "Why aren't you doing the actually dating part, then? You really like him, don't you?"

  Jason stopped abusing the salad and sighed. "I really like him." He leaned his head against Rina's. "I really, really like him. He's charming, and sweet, and funny. And totally hot. He's also totally busy. And totally shy. Or something."

  Rina stood back to look at him. "Or something."

  He tossed his hands in the air. "I don't know! He's skittish. The last time I saw him, I started to ask him out. His eyes got great big, he said he had to go to work, and then he ran away. He didn't even let me ask him!"

  "Okay, that's weird, but maybe it was a coincidence. Those do happen. Especially with you two."

  "Maybe."

  "Right. So, ask him next time. Maybe earlier on in the conversation. Now help me set the table. The men will be home soon."

  Jason hip-bumped her and grabbed the plates.

  Scott bumped his shoulder into Aiden's. "Hey, isn't that Hot Guy?"

  Aiden sighed and handed his debit card to the theater attendant so he could pay for their tickets to the last Friday matinee showing of...something. Whatever it was Scott had wanted to come see. "His name is Jason." It probably wasn't him. Aiden hadn't seen Jason since he'd embarrassed himself on Tuesday.

  "Right. Yes. Isn't that Jason?"

  Aiden thanked the attendant and took their tickets before he turned and leaned to look down the line. Oh. It was him. "Yeah."

  "Excellent! You can introduce us!" Scott tugged him out of the way of the next customer and started toward where Jason stood in line.

  Aiden raised his brows. "Why the hell would I do that? You're embarrassing."

  Scott stopped, putting his hands on his hips and glaring. "Nooo. I'm charming."

  Aiden snorted.

  Scott took a big step forward and started waving. Aiden lunged for him, but missed as Scott kept moving. He groaned quietly in disgust and followed.

  Aiden caught up just as Scott stuck his hand out at Jason, smiling excessively. "Hi!" he said brightly. "You're Jason, right?"

  Jason blinked down at the proffered hand, then up at Scott's face. "Ah...Who are you?"

  Scott dropped his hand and leaned forward, grinning meanly. "I'm the one that gets to break your fingers if you mistreat our lovely Aiden." He straightened, letting the grin fall away. "Okay?"

  Aiden groaned into his palm. "Oh my God."

  "Sounds fair." Jason looked over at Aiden, then back at Scott. "You're Scott."

  "Oh, good. You know who I am already." He tilted his head. "Wait. You guys talked about me?"

  Jason snorted. "Yeah. He said his best friend, Scott, is boisterous but terrifying."

  Scott crossed his arms and turned to frown at Aiden. "Terrifying? Really, Aiden?"

  "I've watched you work." Aiden shrugged. "You're scary."

  "Fair enough. I'll own that." Scott grinned and turned his attention back to Jason. "Are you here for the fantasy flick or one of the dramas?" he asked.

  Jason shrugged. "The fantasy flick, I guess."

  Scott made a huge show of examining the people around Jason. "Are you here all by your lonesome?" he asked innocently.

  Jason raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, my cousins were busy and I was bored. Why?"

  Aiden sighed, already knowing what was coming.

  Sure enough Scott snatched the tickets out of Aiden's hand. "Excellent. I've just remembered that I have a last-minute menu to prep for a client, but I didn't want to abandon my bestie." He handed a ticket back to Aiden and stuffed the other one into Jason's coat pocket. "Here. I'll go get my work done, and you can keep each other company. Perfect!"

  He turned to hug Aiden. "Don't you dare waste my ticket," Scott muttered threateningly in his ear. Scott then turned and raced off down the sidewalk, waving over his shoulder. "Bye!"

  Aiden could feel his face turning red as he turned back to Jason. "Um...Sorry about that."

  Jason grinned. "Don't be sorry. I think I owe him his favorite candy or something. Is he always that interesting?"

  "'Interesting' sums Scott up pretty well, actually."

  Jason laughed. "Good to know. So, you wanna do this? Or do you want to ditch me and pretend we did it?"

  "He would know." Aiden rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Somehow he always knows."

  "Great." Jason grabbed Aiden's arm and started leading him toward the entrance. "So I'll buy you some popcorn, we'll watch a movie, and then maybe you'll let me ask you out for real."

  Aiden jolted in surprise. And then he tripped over the sidewalk. True to his luck, he didn't just stumble a little but staggered sideways with his feet going every which way.

  Jason turned, gripping hi
s elbows gently to steady him. "You all right?" Jason asked softly.

  Aiden looked down into that gorgeous face, full of concern, and swooned a little. Jason really was a sweet man. Aiden nodded. "I want peanut butter cups with my popcorn."

  Jason paused, clearly processing the non sequitur, before he let out a loud laugh. "I like the way you think, love. Popcorn and chocolate it is."

  "And peanut butter!" Aiden said loudly as Jason pulled him toward the doors. A couple people around them chuckled. He just grinned at them and let himself be pulled inside.

  Part 3

  Intentional Waltzing

  "For fuck's sake Aiden, it's just a date."

  Aiden glared at Zack where he was reclining on the bed watching Aiden panic. "It's a first date. I'm allowed to be nervous about a first date."

  Zack snorted. "Aiden, honey, it's not like you don't already know the guy. You've even hung out some. Plus you guys had dinner at your place the one time, remember?"

  Aiden frowned at his closet some more. There had to be something in it other than work clothes and club clothes. He was an adult, after all. Adults had date clothes.

  Scott wandered back into the room with two beers and bounced onto the bed. After handing the second beer to Zack, he turned his attention to Aiden.

  "Is he still freaking out?"

  "Yup. Total freak out."

  "It's a first date!" Aiden realized he had all but yelled and huffed out a breath. It was possible that he needed to calm down.

  Scott and Zack both laughed. Aiden looked over at the bed to find them cuddled up comfy as could be against the headboard. He planted his hands on his hips and decided he might as well go fully diva. He was halfway there already, anyway. He glared at the pair on the bed. "I thought you two were supposed to be helping me."

  They grinned unrepentantly. "It's way more fun to watch you go bananas and flail around," Zack quipped.

  Aiden groaned and dropped his face into his hands. "I really am hopeless, aren't I?"

  Scott bounced off the bed and wrapped his arm around Aiden's shoulders. "You are, sometimes. But it's charming and we love you for it." Scott carefully turned Aiden back to face the closet. "Now what kind of look are we going for?"

  Aiden sighed. "A first date look? Something that's nice but doesn't scream, ‘Look at me, I'm a slut’?"

  Scott snorted in his ear and Zack cackled from the bed. "I think we can manage that. Let's start with where you're going."

  "He said dinner and something romantic because we'd already done movies."

  "Hah!" They both jumped at Zack's loud exclamation. "I told you it's not a first date!"

  Aiden turned to glare and Scott turned him back to the closet. "It's the first official date and you know how much he likes this guy, so shut up." Scott reached into the closet and pulled out Aiden's favorite blue shirt, the one that made his eyes kind of glow. "Casual or dressy?"

  "Yes?"

  "That's not helpful."

  Aiden shrugged. "He didn't say."

  Zack jumped off the bed and dove into the closet. "Okay, so romantic could be an expensive restaurant or a picnic in the park. We have to cover both options. Since Aiden didn't do his research."

  "Hey!" It wasn't that he hadn't tried. Jason was just stubborn and wily.

  Zack popped back out of the closet. He was holding a pair of black jeans and Aiden's best boots. "Here." He kicked a pair of orange sneakers back into the closet and shoved the clothes into Aiden's chest. "That shirt is all nice and silky looking so it's dressy. The jeans will be nice enough, but they won't get trashed if you're out gallivanting about. Ditto the shoes."

  Aiden frowned. "They're boots."

  "Yes, darling, but they're very nice boots. And they look more like dress shoes once you tuck them under the jeans." Scott help up the shirt and eyed him critically. "Yes. I think this will do."

  Aiden sighed and started to strip down to his boxer briefs and socks. "I feel like a Ken doll."

  His friends grinned and returned to their spots on the bed.

  "Well, at least you'll be a well-dressed Ken doll," Zack said.

  Aiden sent a glare their direction as he pulled on the jeans. He slid the shirt over his shoulders and did up the buttons. It wasn't tight, but the fabric clung to him slightly when he moved. It showed off his biceps and clung to his chest and stomach when he walked. The Chinese collar made his neck look longer and drew the eyes to his jaw. The buttons were, through sheer dumb luck, the exact same color as his hair. All in all, he knew it made him look amazing.

  He pulled on the jeans and stuffed his feet into the boots before doing the requisite model spin. "Well, will I do? Should I tuck it in or leave it out?"

  Scott came over and fussed at him. He tugged the shirt down and unbuttoned the bottom few buttons until Aiden's waistband showed. "Do you still wear eyeliner?"

  "Nooooo...Not usually."

  Zack frowned. "You wore it for the concert."

  "I'm not wearing eyeliner on a first date when I have no idea where we're going."

  "Damn. That would have been so dramatic."

  "Or it would have scared him off. Which, I suppose, would also be dramatic."

  Zack chuckled and shoved a pale grey belt into his hands. "I can hear it now. Hey how was your date, Aiden?" Zack's voice changed into a falsetto. "Oh it was just great! Until we walked under a streetlight and he saw my eyes. It turns out he has a terrible makeup phobia!"

  Aiden put his hands on his hips and glared at Zack while Scott sniggered. "I do not sound like that! And my makeup choices are not that scary! Asshole."

  "I may be an asshole, but my duty here is done." Zack bowed. "You look amazing and your charming gentleman will be awestruck by your magnificence. Let us be off, my compatriot!"

  Scott grinned and linked his arm through Zack's. "Have a good evening, Aiden. Send us a text in the morning and let us know how it went."

  Zack winked. "Maybe not too early in the morning. Because I do hope you'll be busy with breakfast. Or something."

  Aiden flipped Zack off. "Thank you for your help. Now leave." He looked at his watch and tried not to panic. "He's supposed to be here in less than ten minutes, and I don't want to be another cliché."

  Scott laughed, but lead Zack to the door. Aiden's last glimpse of them had their heads leaned together whispering. He groaned. That would be all he needed, those two getting up to something. Well, they were always up to something. But he really didn't need them pestering Jason. More than Scott already had anyway, with the whole movie thing last week.

  Aiden checked his watch again and sighed. He forced himself not to fidget with his clothes and allowed himself to pace and tidy things in the living room that didn't need tidied instead. Just when he was wondering if time had actually stopped, there was a knock at the door.

  He stopped moving, took a deep breath, smoothed down his shirt, then laughed at himself when he realized what he was doing. Shaking his head, he went to the door and opened it. He grinned when he saw it was indeed Jason, and started to say hello. Once he got a decent look at his date, though, the words got stuck in his throat and all he could do was stare.

  Jason looked like some kind of gentleman biker wet dream. A leather jacket hugged his shoulders over a dark grey sweater and slim blue slacks.

  When Jason's grin widened, Aiden cleared his throat and shrugged. "Hi?"

  Now that was a beautiful man. Jason took his own time to stare while he waited for Aiden to finally say something. It wasn't a hardship. Finally, Aiden noticed Jason staring back and shrugged sheepishly. His greeting came out as a weird mix of perky and strangled that Jason found rather adorable.

  "Hello, yourself." Jason held out a hand for his Panther, curious what would happen. He rejoiced when Aiden reached out almost immediately. He wrapped his hand around the long fingers and used them to slowly pull Aiden in. He didn't stop until he had Aiden resting lightly against his chest, blinking down at him.

  "Would it be inappropriate to st
art with a kiss, or am I supposed to wait until the end of our evening?"

  Aiden smiled sweetly. "I've been told this isn't technically our first date."

  "Hmmm. More like our third, I would think."

  "Then I guess it would be fine."

  Jason felt Aiden lean into him a little and reached up to pull the taller man down. He tried to behave, he did. But Aiden felt so good, tasted so good, and didn't seem to want to behave either. Jason groaned and let Aiden pull him into the apartment and lean him against the now closed door. They kissed until Jason was mad with it and they were clinging to each other, Aiden's body holding Jason against the door while they ground against each other. Jason pulled back and buried his face in Aiden's shoulder. "Jesus," he gasped.

  Aiden chuckled weakly. "Maybe we should go?"

  Jason groaned. "You mean you still want to do the actual planned date part? Are you sure?" He would definitely be up—hah—for skipping the whole leaving-the-apartment thing at the moment.

  Aiden thumped his shoulder lightly and stepped back. "Yes, that part. I'm looking forward to that part. And I'm holding you to that whole romantic evening thing you promised."

  Jason grinned, excitement about spending some decent time with Aiden replacing some of his reluctance to discontinue the previous fun. "Yeah. Let's go then." He pushed himself off the door and opened it again. "After you."

  Aiden smiled broadly and pulled on a pretty grey pea coat. Jason waited for him to lock up and lead them to where he had parked his car.

  Jason knew it wouldn't take Aiden long to realize the implications of Jason's car being parked in a resident spot in the same garage as his. As soon as he unlocked the car door Aiden stopped.

  Jason looked back to where Aiden was standing at the trunk. "What?"

  "You live in my building?"

  The question was almost a screech and Jason winced. Yeah, that tone of voice was about what he'd expected. "No. I live across the street and down a few."

  Aiden crossed his arms over his chest and glared. "You should have told me when you came over for dinner."