Chapter Text
As Charlie had predicted, the dinner is, indeed, a raging success.
Everyone arrives somewhat on time. Todd brings along a bottle of wine and a set of vanilla-scented candles. Knox and Chris bring crockery and dreamcatchers. Meeks brings them a small, shining radio with a bow on it and Pitts brings them a radiant bouquet of roses.
Monica, Charlie’s date, the same girl from the bookstore, shyly hands over what is obviously a book, covered in purple wrapping paper, to Charlie.
“Don’t cry, Charlie.” Neil teases him and there’s snickers all over.
Then Monica turns to him and thrusts a bottle of wine at him. “And this is for you.”
“Now I might cry.” Neil gushes and Monica giggles, playfully nudging his shoulder.
“Can I just say – I’m a fan of this.” Charlie gestures between the two of them with a grin.
They lounge around for a bit around the kitchen island, pouring wine for each other. Todd is introduced to the group, half of whom he’s already acquainted with, and Neil is privately elated to see how seamlessly Todd fits in. They chat away about nothing until Neil announces it’s time for the actual eating part of the dinner now.
Todd ends up sitting right beside Neil, and, occasionally their arms will brush as they talk and pass the bread to Knox or pass it back to Pitts or threaten to throw a fork at Charlie if he tries another horrible one-liner on Monica, who is laughing more than she is eating.
At one point he refers to her as an ‘adorable little lamb’ and Neil says to Todd, “Hold me back, someone, hold me back.”
Todd dips his head and shakes with laughter.
After dinner is deemed over, Charlie declares that it’s time to show everyone around the house and there’s a cheer that goes around as they fall into a group and start traipsing around the flat.
Neil feels every bit the dutiful co-host as he takes the little entourage of their slightly tipsy friends around the two bedroom flat, happily chatting away about the reason why they chose this wallpaper for this room or the delightful story behind this corner table they found at a Sunday flea market.
They squeeze into the balcony and Todd grasps Neil’s elbow when they’re pushed into a corner.
Neil smiles and hopes the rosiness blanketing his face isn’t too obvious. He looks over his shoulder at the good writer, mouths an apologetic oh, hi, and Todd’s sweet and gentle voice murmurs to him, “Little cramped, no?”
“Maybe, maybe.” Neil admits and then they laugh silently as Charlie finishes talking about the essentiality of a balcony in any flat, how it gives the home character, acts as an extension to the outside world, and ‘of course, it’s terribly romantic’. At this, he gives a meaningful look to Monica, who rolls her eyes with a smile.
“Get a room!” Chris leers.
“Chris, you’re being necked as we speak.” Pitts points out, gesturing at Knox who is sort of just leaning into his girlfriend, kissing her hair, or smelling it, or something between the two.
Charlie shouts, “Thank you, Pittsie!”
“Jesus, man,” Neil laughs, poking Knox, who is entirely unaffected.
“Isn’t it beautiful.” Todd remarks. “I wish I had someone who was content just to sniff at my head. Like a mildly curious dog.” Neil snorts and then there’s laughter because of his snorting.
Eventually, they hear a neighbor’s distant yelling at them to shut the bloody hell up, it’s past midnight, you animals, and they hurriedly move out of the balcony, tripping and laughing.
While the rest retire to the living room, Neil stays back to close the screen door, which shouldn’t be something he needs to especially stay back for, but the door is a little problematic and requires some maneuvering.
Todd, who opted to stay back with Neil, to linger, listens attentively as Neil rants about said door. Then they start to talk about other things and then they fall into a brief moment of silence.
Which, Todd breaks, with a smile that pierces straight through Neil’s heart.
“Hi.” He says. Swirls the dark red liquid in his glass.
Neil laughs, wine-drunk and happy.
“What,” Todd protests softly, laughing along.
Neil shakes his head, leaning on a nearby wall, his hands behind his back. Todd steps closer, still grinning softly and saying words to Neil that he doesn’t even compute because he can only look at him and his mouth as it forms the beautiful words his beautiful mind thinks, and he’s thinking again about that day in the bookstore, and he’s remembering Todd’s poems, and he wants to say, will you read me something you’ve written, just for me, will you do a reading?
But he blinks and moves his hand in a flourish, a move he already knows he will regret for nights to come for many, many years, and, instead, asks:
“So, did you, um, enjoy the house tour?”
Todd makes a coy face. Weirdly, it reminds Neil of Lady Di and he cackles.
Todd laughs, too, face scrunched up with confusion.
“Tell me!” Neil reminds him.
“Right, right,” Todd says, attempting to put on a serious face. He puts a finger to his chin comically and Neil bursts out laughing again, bending, his stomach twisting into knots the way it does when he laughs too hard for too long.
“Neil, come on, hey.” Todd says, tapping his shoulder.
Neil straightens up, his smiling eyes watering, and gestures for Todd to speak.
“Well, one of the guides – uh, I believe his name was, uh, Charles? – Neil, Neil, quit laughin’, I can’t, I can’t give my review if you’re being so unprofessional! Right, so, one of the guides, he was, uh, quite inadequate. He was thoroughlydistracted. I was so displeased. Disgruntled, even.”
Neil’s laughter subsides a little and he looks at Todd, pulling his lips together into a a soft, relaxed smile.
“But otherwise, yes, it was decent tour.” Todd concludes, keeping his gaze on Neil’s. “You have a lovely home, Neil.” He says. Then, he smiles at him and speaks in a softer voice. “Thank you for having me over. It was one of the best nights of my life.” His eyes are summer sky blue and just as warm and honest.
Neil inhales shortly. He feels like a balloon about to lift up delicately into the atmosphere.
“What are you two whispering about?”
It’s Charlie, cheery apparition he, hanging by the doorway of the room, inquisitive face looking at the two of them.
“Ah – ” Todd starts.
“We weren’t whispering.” Neil shifts his gaze.
Todd drinks from his glass. Charlie looks between the two of them, eyes briefly narrowing.
“Well, close the screen door, at least.” He says, then, gesturing at it with displeasure. “Or mosquitos will get in. And then come join us in the living room!”
Neil gets to it, trying to rashly tug the door into place, but it stubbornly refuses to move, snagging on air. He lets out a frustrated huff and then feels Todd touch his shoulder.
“Let me.” He says off-handedly, handing his almost empty glass to Neil.
He steps to the door and grabs it with both hands, jerking it suddenly, after which it smoothly slides right into place. Charlie lets out a satisfied there, perfect behind them. Neil feels a little dazed. Todd’s back had flexed, visibly, through his short sleeved white tee, and, well.
Eyes twinkling, he plucks his glass from Neil’s fingers.
Charlie ushers them out the room after that, and Neil thinks – well, it’s ridiculous, all Todd did was a close a door – but he thinks, oh, thank god, thank god because I cannot be left alone in a room with that man any longer.