Chapter Text
It's two and a half days after submitting his creative writing project, at long last, that Dante decides— fuck it.
Clearly the whole scheme of "write your feelings away" didn't work out, otherwise there wouldn't be a need to count down the days that he's lacking excuses to see him. Literally counting down the days, hours almost. As if he's waiting for something.
Well, here was the something.
He's going to ask Ari out.
It's a daunting idea, though not exactly a novel one. After all, Dante's inner romantic had been envisioning this from the start. There'd been temptation to ask him out in the hall, in the elevator, in the letters he'd written. But he hadn’t been able to.
But now, now he's made up his mind. He can. He will.
Unfortunately, both Gina and Susie prove to be little help. They're excited for him, and yet sorely doubting his abilities.
"If you don't do it, I call dibs." Is Gina's first response, which would be pretty hurtful if he didn't know better.
"Um, what? No, NO."
"It's been what, two months? That's totally fair. You've had enough time." Susie laughs while Dante pouts at them.
"I'm just getting up the courage, and now you want to sweep it out from under me?” Gina pursues her lips and shrugs, but he can see she's kidding. Mostly.
Susie's only slightly more supportive, and yet as straight to the point.
"So where will you take him?"
"Take him?"
"Yeah, what do you have in mind? Eating dinner somewhere? Walking Legs around the park? Picnic on the roof?"
He snorts, but inside he's not entirely unopposed to the idea. Still, when he thinks of a date, he thinks of magnificent, heavy buildings and rooms and rooms full of art. The Art Institute near the park is one of Dante's favorite places, and he thinks Ari might appreciate it.
He's a kind of art.
Susie approves of the idea, and after another round of "encouraging" pep talks (no stuttering, stand straight, ease up on the eye contact; basically advice for a job interview and public speech rolled in one), he is pushed out the door and left to his own devices.
Which is— honestly kind of terrifying. It's not so much the idea of confessing that scares him, but more on what could happen after.
Would Ari reject him? And if he did, would he be disgusted? Freaked out? Uncomfortable? Angry? Dante's not sure he could visualize any of those outcomes, but right now they all seem very, very possible.
And if he accepted? What was he supposed to do then? Give him his phone number? A kiss? His virginity?
He almost trips over his own foot at that last thought.
Great, now he was distracted and blushing. A fucking wonderful combination.
Shaking his head a bit, he focuses on the hallway. It is empty, which is amazing because it means no Luis. It is wide, which is less amazing because it means more time to freak out before reaching Ari's door.
He takes a deep breath, psyching himself up.
Dante, you can do this. You are a human being with feelings and you deserve to confess those feelings.
Ari deserves to give you the right to voice them, and respond however he likes, and you can take it.
You can, you will.
He repeats the mantra a few more times before stopping in front of the door, its gilded lettering shining optimistically above him.
Apartment 512
His hand reaches up to knock, the force of his fist against the door raising goose-bumps all over his arms.
One more breath, one more repeat. You can, you will.
But everything, like his heart, falls apart the moment he catches long blond hair answering the door.
-
It's so unfair.
So, so unfair.
Dante did not deserve to have his heart break into a hundred pieces for the first slow seconds after the door opens and the blonde stares at him.
He did not deserve that shocking, sudden surge of hope when she opens her lips to say, "Were you looking for my brother?"
He definitely did not deserve that second heartbreak upon being invited inside and discovering that he had gone through all this only to find Ari wasn't even there.
"He's visiting our parents back home." The blonde— Sylvia (as she introduced herself), explains, looking very sympathetic to Dante's emotional turmoil. He knows he shouldn't be so thrown off; the guy has a life outside of his romantic imaginings, but did it really have to be today of all days that he's gone?
Gina's going to have dibs now, and it's all Ari’s fault.
A piece of paper flutters to his lap, and Dante snaps out of his annoyance to stare up at Sylvia in confusion.
"He left you a note." She clarifies, giving him a wink.
Oh.
Carefully, he uncurls the paper, his heart pounding as he skims over the spacious handwriting.
Not a note. A letter.
To: Dante
Hi,
I have to leave town for a couple of days to see my parents. If you stop by, you'll meet my sister Sylvia. Hopefully she doesn’t ruin any good impressions you have on me.
I'm thinking that when I get back, we should spend some time together. Hang out. Go out. Whichever one of those and whatever it could mean. I don't think I'm interpreting this wrong, and if I am, you'll let me know. You let me know a lot of things. I'm trying to return the favor.
Ari
It's still unfair, but Dante's grinning too much to care anymore.