churbooseanon

Relocation - Interlude Three

Weekends, Nathaniel has been led to believe, are times of relaxation. In fact, he thinks he almost remembers something like that from way back when he was in high school. Of course he mostly remembers it for other people because he’d played football, and he’d been good. Every Saturday had begun early, he had warmed up for the game, and he’d gone in to play. After the game was chores, mostly helping his father fix and improve things around the house. When the game was in the evening then things happened in reverse: first help his father, second prepare for and play the game. Sometimes, if nothing was pressing, he’d spend his time with friends to celebrate a victory or mourn a loss. Sundays were about homework, reading ahead or catching up because of how much time football took up, and cleaning the house. And when it wasn’t football season, well, then he had a job that took up the better part of the same period of time.

Weekends, he had been told back when he’d been in the service, were this thing to be longed for. It was when you could go off base for a beer. When no one would try to cut you down. You’d go back to America and your family would welcome you, and every weekend would be its own little paradise of rest and maybe watching sports of having a cookout or something else that they missed. Weekends were this unattainable pleasure that they hoped for, that they fought to protect, that some people in his unit talked up to mythic proportions with stories of keggers, road trips, picnics and pick up sports, and anything else that they missed. Weekends were filled with steaks and beer and sleeping in and gorgeous women who wanted your number.

Weekends, Nathaniel has decided, have talked a big game and failed to bring it, so to speak. Or, perhaps, he’s being too hard on them.

But can he be blamed? Nate sighs as he strolls down the street toward the cafe where he’d taken his breakfast every day since Daniel had brought him here. Still he hoped that he might run into the other man, especially since their recent texting had proved so fruitless. Even though Friday had been filled with pleasant exchanges, small jokes, and kind words, Daniel still hadn’t given him an up or down answer. Could they meet again? Could he spend time with this captivating young man that Nate had come to think of more and more often in his free time? Perhaps it was the frustration that had him so focused, but going through an entire Friday and Saturday with no real results other than non-committal answers had only made him start to wonder.

What if Stephen had been right?

Nate growled lowly as he turned the corner on the busy downtown street. Truth be told he hadn’t expected so many people out and about so early on a Sunday morning, but there was something about this city that kept proving him unprepared for normal, civilian life. It probably also didn’t help that there was not one, but two churches up the hill from the cafe and parking downtown seemed to be limited at the very best except in the parking garage just down the street from Connie’s. Of course a growl from someone the size of Nate always seemed to put people on edge, and a man he had been walking just a few steps behind clearly sped up his pace to get away from someone he might see as a hulking brute. Wonderful. Now he’d left an unintentional bad impression on someone because of his mood.

The foul mood had a source, of course. A source named Gary. Stephen’s best friend had decided, without telling anyone apparently, that his period of ‘exile’ from Stephen’s apartment was over. Which had meant the presence of a man that Stephen had assured him to be a quiet, kind soul. A quiet, kind soul that delighted in the idea of someone like Nate staring at his phone as if it held the secrets of the world somewhere inside its wires and circuit boards. All night the two had discussed other reasons why such an ‘amazing, strapping, confident young man’ like Nate would be ignored by his mystery stranger.

The memory made Nate more than simply angry. Something about Gary brought out a strange pettiness in his cousin that made Nate uncomfortable enough to slip out of the apartment this morning, solely because Gary intended to show up for video games and help editing a paper for school. So here Nate was, early on a Sunday morning, strolling into the cafe.

Laughter flowed over him as he entered, lifting his gaze to a table by the windows. Laughter that was familiar and sweet. In the face of it, he had to frown for not causing it, not drawing it from the quiet young man as he had the other day. For sure enough there was Daniel, his back to Nate, laughing and shaking his head at something the man across the table had said. A man that Nate recognized as the one who had left, drawing Daniel away from him before their conversation on Thursday had really run its course.

“Welcome,” someone behind the counter called, but Nate couldn’t tear his eyes from that other table, from the back of Daniel’s head. The other man at the table, though, looked up when he heard the greeting, and something flashed across his face at the sight of Nate. Trepidation? Hard to tell with the scars fingering out around his eye, making him look a bit shocked in truth.

There was no chance he was going to go and interrupt those two, so with a sigh he nodded an acknowledgement to the man behind the counter, not David, and moved to the booth he had shared with Daniel days before. Strange how it seemed so empty with no company. Within moments the man from behind the counter, a dark-skinned individual who looked maybe eighteen with that stupid grin on his face, was there for Nate’s order. And more, if he was a judge of character. There was an energy about the stranger that said he wanted to know why Nate had spent so much time looking at the other customers. With a grunt Nate delivered the order, and a dark look sent the other man scurrying away, perhaps no longer comfortable with bothering a clearly surly customer.

Was it possible, then, that Stephen had been right? Could it be that Daniel was actually dating this other man? David had assured him otherwise, but how could Nate know for sure? Asking would be too forward, to presumptive of him. What right had he to know what Daniel’s relationship with the scarred man was? They worked together, if the texts from Daniel had been any indication. Friends. Best friends.

His train of thought was derailed when a large mug of coffee and a scone was put down in front of him, and when Nate looked up, he had to smile thankfully when he saw it was David there.

“Not even going to say hello, big guy?” David asked, amusement in his voice.

“You weren’t visible when I entered,” Nate countered, only to get an eyeroll from David.

“I was,” he answered. “I was just coming out of the kitchen. But someone was a little too focused on a certain green eyed man.”

“Of course he was. D’s fucking cute as a button.”

The new voice made Nate look to the side, and there he found the scarred man, slipping into the seat across from him. Nate couldn’t help but snarl at the man who was depriving him of time with Daniel, but it was an expression he quickly schooled. What was he thinking? This man was a friend of Daniel’s, maybe something more. It would do him no good in the quiet man’s eyes if he was hostile. Still…

“What do you want?”

“I think we need to have a little talk,” the stranger answered, and with a dismissive gesture, sent David walking away.

* * * * * *

“You know, if you keep scowling at your phone like that, your face is going to freeze that way.”

The words, coming when he was certain Shaun would be deep in that first blissful moment after his first sip of his coffee, shock Daniel enough to look up from his phone. What he found when he looked up was Shaun, staring at him, over a raised but still full cup of coffee. Oh. So maybe he’d launched himself back into his phone a little too early. But, really, how could he help it? The better part of a weekend past and despite the frequent texting back and forth, Daniel had still somehow failed to answer that first question. There was now a small voice in the back of his head that was saying if he couldn’t even remember the question long enough to answer it, maybe he just wasn’t as interested in talking to the other man as he had thought. Maybe it was just the shared language, the reminder of his mother that had caught him so off guard. That had made the stranger fascinating. No, not stranger. Nathaniel.

With a sigh he put his face down, tucked his hands in his lap, and looked very seriously across the table at Shaun.

“We both know my mother only said that to keep you from pulling faces in front of your parents,” Daniel reminded his friend, shaking his head. “It will not, in fact, ‘get stuck that way.’ And I am not scowling.”

“Okay, maybe not stuck, but you will definitely develop scowl-based wrinkles. And you don’t want scowl based wrinkles, D.”

The comment, punctuated by Shaun’s exaggeration of a scowl, was too much. Before Daniel could stop himself he was practically doubled over with laughter. How did his friend always come up with the perfect things to say to cheer him up? Hell, how did Shaun even know he needed cheering half the time. And, caught up in his giggling as he was, Daniel didn’t even know someone had entered the cafe until he heard Tucker calling a greeting from the counter. Quickly he fought himself for control, not wanting to seem like a giggling idiot if it was someone like Alexa had entered. Constance’s girlfriend had been nothing short of scary the last few times he had met her.

“Well, lookie who’s here,” Shaun observed, finally taking a sip of his coffee. That made Daniel sit up straighter. Given the tone that the other man was using, Daniel knew it could be only one person.

When he twisted in his seat he found himself staring at the large, white covered, and retreating back of Nathaniel. Strange, the slight ache in his chest to know that the man hadn’t even come over to greet him. No, maybe it was just that Nathaniel hadn’t realized Daniel was here, yes, that had to be it, right? But, then, why was he purposefully positioning himself to not look toward the door. Was he not even hoping to see Daniel come in today?

Daniel turned back to Shaun and frowned at his mug of coffee. Why should he care anyway? It wasn’t like he had to be excited that the other man was here. It was a nice, peaceful Sunday morning, they hadn’t exchanged any texts yet today, and Daniel was here for his coffee like he was every other morning. Sure, it was a bit later in the day because it was Sunday, but here he was nonetheless, and he was here with Shaun, and talking to David, not to some man he had met only because he’d been singing French in a supermarket. He wasn’t upset that he hadn’t been greeted…

Why then, he found himself asking, was he quietly fuming.

“Fucking hell,” Shaun grumbled on the other side of the table, causing Daniel to look up. Before he could protest his friend was moving, away from Daniel, away from their table, and most decidedly toward where Nathaniel had gone. Panicked, Daniel turned in his seat, following Shaun with his eyes until his friend at stopped at Nate’s table. Then, as he saw Nate start to turn a bit to look his way, Daniel meeped and turned his body and attention back to his body.

What in the world was Shaun doing, his brain screamed. Another part of him was amused, because normally that question was applied when Shaun was doing something truly foolish, like trying to flirt with Allison. To have it, in a way, turned back on himself was far from comforting though. Because, really, what the hell was Shaun doing.

The sound of two, unequal strides coming across the cafe floor made Daniel, despite himself, tense up. One was the light, not-quite limping that Shaun’s gait had taken on since his injury. The other was the heavier sound of boots, and there was only one person in the shop right now that could belong to. Well, other than Michael, but Daniel was certain the other man wasn’t coming out because he could see the kitchen door easily from where he was sitting. At last Shaun slid back into his seat across from him, and the other footsteps ended with Nathaniel standing beside their table.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” Nathaniel greeted him in French, his voice that beautifully low rumble that turned an already lovely language into an absolute dream, “but your boyfriend insisted that I come and greet you. I was unable to refuse.”

There was, of course, several problems with that statement. First was the fact that Nathaniel thought his presence would be a bother. Already Daniel was remembering what a delightful time he had sharing a drink with the other man, and he was deeply regretting his failure to schedule another meeting. Secondly there was the concept that Nathaniel, as large, fit, and well trained as he was, would be unable to refuse anyone. And finally, boyfriend?

That one just left Daniel’s mind reeling. How was it possible that someone might mistake his relationship with Shaun as a romantic one? Well, he supposed outsiders had been so mistaken before, but to have this particular individual hold onto the idea after Daniel and presumably David had set him straight? Surely Shaun had claimed no such thing, especially knowing how Daniel felt about the other man. Which was another silly thought in and of itself because Daniel still wasn’t certain he knew how he felt about the other man. And dear god if he didn’t speak soon, no one was going to know what he thought about the other man.

Luckily, or unluckily really, Daniel’s subconscious mind was apparently far more ready to confront the situation than his conscious. Even as he attempted to pick apart Nathaniel’s greeting, his legs were pushing himself to his feet, springing him up like some trigger action. And, god help him, his mouth was running despite him not sending words to it.

“I don’t have a boyfriend!”

The words burst forth, some weird subconscious mixture of protest and apology, and it made a one-hundred percent embarrassing situation as Daniel caught the blank stare on Shaun’s face. Why couldn’t he still be wearing his scarf? As it was he had nowhere to hide his developing blush, save to look down at his feet.

“I mean…” he started to explain, only to have Shaun jump in.

“Dude, that isn’t even remotely okay to think,” Shaun said, his voice higher with his distress, his words fast and almost blurring together. “I mean, D is like my brother. Sort of is my brother in a non-legal but totally family binding sort of way. I would never, ever get involved with him like that. Not that I’m saying you’re not attractive physically and intellectually, D, or that I didn’t kiss you that time, but… Fuck, that story is so not fucking relevant right now. Okay, so anyway, that is not what is going on here at all. I’m happily involved with David, the waiter. Wave for the audience of our little melt down over here, David. There you go. See, that is my type, sexy and totally not impressed with me. Shit, I guess D isn’t impressed with me either. Oh god I need to shut up.”

Yes, Daniel thought to himself, he really did. And yet, Shaun rambled on.

“Anyway, long story really fucking short and hopefully less confused, I’m with David, D is single as all hell, and by the way he wouldn’t consider me if he was looking because he is so clearly smitten as hell with you and dear god, D, your face looks like a cherry tomato.”

Really? Really? Of course Shaun would have to go and say something as foolish as the idea of Daniel being ‘smitten’ with someone. Of course he wasn’t smitten with Nathaniel. He was just eager to pursue a friendship. Why was that so hard to accept?

And yet, when he turned his gaze to Nathaniel to apologize for his friend’s behavior, there was a brightness to those eyes and a relaxing of his shoulders that suggested the statement wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

Well… that was interesting.

* * * * * *

Shaun, as the man had introduced himself, clearly had a predilection toward babble. In another situation, Nate would have found that infinitely annoying, especially since it was having quite the negative impact on Daniel, and was interrupting his interactions with said lovely man. In this particular instance, though, he found himself quite thankful for the rather distasteful behavior. Yes, he was learning more than he desired to know–the last thing he wanted was to imagine the two friends kissing–but the good news was more than worth the tumble of words. Especially given how they had only deepened the beautiful red on Daniel’s cheeks.

A blush that deep only served to make the emerald of Daniel’s eyes all the more wonderful. Artistic. Captivating.

The only downside of the good news that Stephen was, in fact, wrong was the fact that Nate wanted to celebrate the reassurance. If only he could cheer or applaud his good fortune. But to do so would be inappropriate and further upset Daniel, of that he was certain. And upsetting Daniel couldn’t possibly be further from the list of Nate’s goals for the day.

To think only a brief stretch of time before this, he had been resolved to the pain of knowing Daniel wanted nothing to do with him. Yet the energy of that denial added to Shaun’s choice of the word ‘smitten’ had only served to make his day a hopeful thing. A thing of joy. A pleasure.

It was a moment not to be wasted, that much he was certain of. There were only so many days he would be in town. Only so many chances to spend with the man before him, and to waste the one he already had in his back pocket would be unforgivable. A regret worthy of carrying for the rest of his life, however long that might be.

“Well then, since I’m here, do you mind if I ask a question that’s been on my mind lately?” Nate asked, the use of French turning both sets of eyes on him. He could already see Shaun bristling out of the corner of his eyes, which was amusing in and of itself, but he didn’t intend to prod at that too much.

“Oh my god, we’re in America, speak a language all of us can understand,” Shaun grumbled from his seat, but Nate’s eyes were glued to Daniel and his expression. The faint hint of dread mixed with hope.

“And that would be?”

“Think we could find some chance to spend time together?”

The question drew a nervous giggle from the other man, and Nate watched as Daniel’s hand came up to tug and twist at the long tail of his black hair. Must be a true nervous habit then. While he didn’t like the idea of making Daniel nervous, it probably meant that he was actually taking the question seriously. And given the color of his cheeks, this whole situation could be shaking up to go his way.

“All we have to do is talk, if that helps,” Nate offered, and he was met by Daniel shaking his head and smiling. It was a soft, warm sort of smile that made him almost melt inside. Made him almost one big, goopy pile of melted military man.

“No,” Daniel responded at last, his voice just as soft as his smile as he released his ponytail. “I mean. Oh god. I mean, yes, I would quite enjoy meeting again. And no, it doesn’t just have to be talking.”

“Well then,” Nate chuckled, a bit heartened by the immediately clarification of the negative response. For a moment he had almost panicked, “how about tonight, if you have time? There’s a pair of French films being shown tonight on the college campus. My cousin decided he had better plans than to join me for that like he promised, and so I hoped you might instead.”

He could see Shaun roll his eyes, and honestly, Nate could not even care less at his expression. Despite the other man’s listening in on the conversation, he was not a part of it. If Nate wanted to offer French films, it was well within his rights. Specially considering the way Daniel’s eyes were lighting up.

“They’re free to the public?” the smaller man asked, his eyes dancing with excitement behind the frames of his glasses.

“A small cover charge, but nothing I can’t handle.”

“It would be lovely,” Daniel agreed at last. “Do you know when?”

Actually… Nate didn’t. He wanted to curse himself for forgetting so vital a piece of information when it came to asking Daniel to join him. And it wasn’t like he could call Stephen in the middle of the conversation to check with him. Which left him but one option.

“No, but I can head back to the apartment and text you the information,” Nate offered. “You could call me to figure out the details.”

“I will,” Daniel promised before finally sitting back down in his seat. “Would you, perhaps, care to join us.”

Nate just shook his head. Right now he needed time to process his outstanding luck, and perhaps a chance to settle down the pounding of his heart. As much as he might want to, he needed to sit, alone, with his coffee and think. And, of course, send a message to Stephen so he could figure out tonight’s plans sooner rather than later. Thankfully, Daniel seemed just a content with that answer, and Shaun seemed pleased, so after quiet goodbyes, Nate felt no qualms over walking back to his table, to his cooling drink, and to his thoughts. Nor did he find a reason to keep his back to the pair, so when he sat it was on the other side of his booth, pulling his drink and treat across the table with him.

The view from here was amazing. For a few minutes Nate sat there, sipping tea and munching his breakfast, looking occasionally across the room at the lovely man whose back was to him. The animation returned to the conversation that Daniel and Shaun were having, though this time it was clearly from Shaun, whose voice was a low buzz. Not that Nate didn’t know the conversation was about him, given how often he was gestured toward. At last, though, he tore his gaze from the other men and pulled out his cellphone. Time for answers.

Stephen I need your help, he texted his cousin.

l8r, was the quick reply. Not for the first time Nate huffed in irritation at the abbreviated language, but his real annoyance was the dismissal.

Now.

u cnt c it but im rolling my iiiis

And proper English may make this easier.

fine what do you want?

When was the movie tonight?

still not going

I’m not asking you to go. I need to know when and where it is.

ill find the answer if you answer me one question

Get it over with.

why do you need to know? got a date?

Yes.

For a while Nate was left staring at the screen, waiting for a response.

your mystery guy, does he know you’re not staying to the end of the month?

Nate sighed and set his phone aside. Sooner or later Stephen would get the hint and send him the answer he wanted. Just… why did his cousin have to jab him with the reminder that, at best, he’s got two weeks to get to know this man before he has to go right back out of his life?

* * * * * *

The way that Nathaniel laughed captured the imagination like nothing else for Daniel. It seemed to start as a low rumble, deep in his chest, rising until it was bubbling forth like an endless font of mirth. The amusement would shake his shoulders and sometimes almost double him over, rendering him strangely breathless for how he barely voiced it. In a way it seemed to consume Nathaniel, like the laughter was the only thing he was capable of the moment he started, and he didn’t wish to wrest control back from it.

Maybe, Daniel let himself muse, it was because there was so little laughter in a warzone. But no, that didn’t make sense. The larger man seemed more than capable of finding humor in any situation. In fact, the very reason that he was laughing right now had a lot to do with the an offhand joke he had made about the event they had just left. Not that Daniel had thought his own comment about the way a certain line in the noir film easily turned into the worst pun when translated into English was very funny, but Nathaniel seemed tickled so he let it slide.

“If I laugh any more, my sides will hurt,” Nathaniel warned, his French as spot on as ever.

“Maybe we should give you something else to…” Daniel started to respond, only to have a loud growl from Nathaniel’s stomach cut him off. The two paused in their slow stroll away from the college building the films had been shown in so they could laugh all over again. Daniel was actually gasping for air a minute later as he tried to get his question out. “Should we get some take out?”

“I don’t think my stomach would forgive me if we didn’t. Are there even places around here we could get something at…” the other man pulled his phone out to check the time, “nearly ten at night?”

The very question brought a smile to his lips, and Daniel could see one growing in response on Nate’s face. It was warm and gentle, like Daniel almost remembered of his mother, but… Well, there just seemed to be something deeper, something he didn’t know how to quantify. So he brushed the strange feeling aside and took the question at face value.

“We’re on a college campus, Nathaniel. It’s time to show you just what that means,” Daniel chuckled as he returned his attention to the street. It took only a few seconds to get his bearings. If his memory served regarding some of the work Shaun had done on campus last year, there was an all night, non-fast food burger joint between where they were standing and the parking garage where Daniel had left his rarely used car parked after picking Nathaniel up. More likely than not it should be the perfect place for them to…

“Nate.”

Daniel frowned and turned to look at the other man once more, tilting his head to the side. “Come again?”

“Call me Nate.”

For some reason the request, and the look of genuine hope in the other man’s eyes, made Daniel nod in agreement, and smile warmly right back at him.

“Well, Nate, there’s a place just up the street. I hope you like burgers, but if not, I think they have some vegetarian options. Pretty much every place on campus proper does.”

Nate just nodded in agreement, and the two of them started back down the street together, their conversation turned once more to the three movies they’d enjoyed together. Of course, the very act of talking about them brought Daniel’s mind back to some of the things he’d been unable to help but notice during the whole situation. Like how Nate had seemed to radiate a kind of heat that Daniel had been hard pressed not to lean into when they had been sitting next to each other. Or the ease with which they had shared popcorn, given how reluctant Daniel found himself to share with even Shaun. Granted he was pretty sure that had to do with the fact that Shaun was a master popcorn hog, and Daniel liked to take small handfuls every now and then and eat it kernel by kernel. What really mattered, as he let his mind be partially distracted by remembering their interactions during the movie, had been how easy it had been to be there. How relaxed he had been. Maybe it was because of the language they had defaulted to reminding Daniel so much of his childhood, but perhaps it was the voice itself. The man himself.

Soon, perhaps too soon, they were seated across from each other in a small booth at the restaurant Daniel had suggested, their meals between them, like a barrier that hadn’t been there before. Strange how the meal made the conversation seem a bit heavier. Or perhaps that was the slightly pained look on Nate’s face.

“Is something wrong? Do you not like your burger and fries?” Daniel asked, his voice soft.

“I haven’t been entirely honest with you.”

The words hung heavy between them, and Daniel paused with a fry halfway between his plate and his mouth. The look Nate was giving him, though, made him slowly put the fry down and push his food aside for a moment. Clearly there was something important here, especially given how his chest ached at that idea. What could Nate have possibly said that was a lie? Why would he have even done it in the first place? Daniel’s mind raced through a variety of possibilities as he waited for Nate to speak. And maybe, just maybe, he watched the way Nate’s shoulders rose and fell with a sigh.

“I haven’t told you much about my family, have I?” Nate asked, his words slow, as if he was trying to figure out how to say something difficult. The sort of look that said Daniel interrupting would only make it worse. So instead he just nodded at the other man, hoping it would prompt him into continuing. “We’re a big group, to be honest. Every few years there’s a ‘reunion’ of sorts somewhere in the country, where we go and take in some sights or something, big picnic, those sorts of things. I’ve missed more than the last few because of my service…”

There was a slight tremor in Daniel. This wasn’t going to be good, was it? He was so nervous about what it was going to mean when Nate was done explaining. Clearly the other man was as well, because his gaze was downcast now, focused on a fry in his fingers that he was drawing repeatedly through a puddle of ketchup. Back and forth, back and forth, betraying the concern and tension in the other man. Still Daniel was silent, waiting, because what else could he do?

“Normally it happens mid-summer, but when I got news of when I was going to be coming home, my mother convinced everyone to put it off. For my sake. It’s happening later this month. The weekend of the twenty-fourth, up in Cleveland. There are probably a lot of plans. Anyway… Well, it was decided it was better that when I came home I just shacked up with my cousin for a bit, and I could come home to my parents, back to where I grew up to find a job and a new life, when the reunion was over…”

Oh.

Daniel just sat there, still as stone as Nathaniel looked up to him at last, searching his expression. Or maybe Nathaniel was just looking at him, not trying to read Daniel’s blank face. Which would be useless, Daniel thought. Because how was he even supposed to feel about this? Hadn’t the whole thing just been to give Nathaniel the reassurance of a language they both prefered? Surely it was nothing more than that, two people bonding over a shared past. Or a similar one. Why should Nathaniel be concerned over the fact that their connection was a temporary one? Besides, if it was friendship, they could continue online with calls or Skype chats or…

Why did it hurt?

“So you’re going to be leaving town on the twenty-fourth,” Daniel asked, and a part of him wondered what had caused him to slip out of French. Surely he wasn’t upset. “Well, that sounds like a lot of fun for you. I am sure that your family will be glad to see you. It’s always nice to be around…”

“Daniel,” Nathaniel cut him off, his hand reaching out across the table. Daniel was shocked into silence as that large hand settled over his own. “I wanted you to know that in spite of that, I’ve enjoyed our time together, and I’d honestly like more of it.”

Yeah, more. As if there was much they could fit in between now and then. Less than two weeks. What in the world did the man want out of him in the course of two weeks? More movies like this? More sessions at the cafe and late night texts and conversations that go no where and yet leave Daniel smiling? How was that even fair? To offer him a friendship and then yank away any hope of it meaning anything with a time limit?

And yet… could he say that he hadn’t had fun tonight? Or during their time at the cafe? Could he genuinely say he hadn’t enjoyed the company of the other man and that he’d go without it when he could have it?

Still Nathaniel was silent, clearly waiting for some kind of indication of what way the cards were going to fall.

“You could join Shaun and I for coffee in the mornings. We come in first thing, but if you’re up early, there is no reason we can’t have another at the table.”

“Shaun won’t mind?” Nathaniel asked, concern thick in his voice.

“For two weeks? No,” Daniel assured him. And if Shaun did, he’d deal with that himself, especially given how much time David seemed to make to talk to them in the mornings when he was working. “And we can find other ways to spend time together before your reunion. You wouldn’t want to go and meet your French-speaking family without being certain you’re brushed up, right?”

That prompted a smile on his friend’s face, a radiant one. If nothing else, the reassurances were worth that, to see Nate happy. It still made Daniel warm inside.

“Right,” Nate chuckled, pulling back at last to his food. “I suppose we need to figure out more ways to spend time together before I’m gone, right?”

“Right,” Daniel agreed, already coming up with a variety of means. “For one thing, there is an art-theater in town that shows more films like this on Wednesday nights. Would you be free to…?”

“Yes,” Nate assured him, almost leaping to agree and that made Daniel smile right back.

“And what would you say to coming over to my place on Friday? I’m not the best cook, but I’m passable. We could drink high brow French wine, listen to music, and be so very desperately cliche while we eat bits of cheese.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Nate laughed. “Provided ‘high brow French wine’ is relatively cheap, and the cheese is the thing with actual quality, I’m in.”

“How could I ever have it any way other than that?” Daniel laughed with him.

When they later part at Daniel’s car, Nate insisting his cousin lived nearby and he could walk it, Daniel just smiled and reminded him of the cafe the next morning. And when he sat in his car, watching Nate walk off with a wave, he had to smile.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.