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"She told us it would be a good place for ideas," Jimmy told Thomas as they walked through one of the mock-up flats on the IKEA showroom floor.
"I've just never been to one before," Thomas replied.
Thomas and Jimmy had just gotten their first flat together after having been dorm mates at university for the last three years. Their relationship had started off a bit rocky, primarily due to Thomas being a bit too presumptuous and forward. The two eventually worked things out and became near inseparable friends by the end of their first year, but only in their last year together had they crossed over the line of friendship into the realm of lovers. Thomas had started into school a bit later than most his age and was a good six years older than the young man whom had gone straight from secondary.
Both had graduated the same semester and found rather menial jobs in their fields of study, but had started looking for a place together before their final exams. The both of them having spent their last few years in a dormitory did leave them with rather little to move into a place of their own with. Their flat was small, but it was theirs. They both mutually agreed they wanted to maximize their space as best as possible and were suggested to take a look at IKEA by their friend Daisy when they had been out for drinks together one evening.
"This one definitely is about the size fo our place, though the layout's a little different," Thomas said looking around at all the walls, enamored by how things were hung and lied out.
Jimmy plopped himself down on the sofa in the living area and made himself comfortable. "Oh man, this sofa's the berries! Come on Thomas. Come sit with me."
Thomas walked over and casually looked at the attached price tag as he sat down. "It is very nice."
"I know that face. You think it's too expensive." Jimmy pouted.
"Little more than I'd like to spend, but the tag says it's a sleeper and that sort is always a bit more expensive," Thomas explained.
"Is it?" Jimmy stood excitedly looking at the sofa to figure out how it became a sleeper. Thomas slowly stood next to him. Jimmy quickly noticed the little straps poking out from under where he'd just been sitting and pulled them producing the additional piece that made the sofa into its sleeper form. "Now that's cool."
"We don't need a sleeper sofa, Jimmy."
Jimmy grinned, a grin Thomas had come to know to mean Jimmy had something in mind. He shook his head and pushed the additional piece back into place. "You're not seeing what I'm seeing."
"Apparently not."
"Let me paint you a picture." Jimmy motioned for Thomas to sit back down on the sofa. Thomas complied, then Jimmy climbed upon him straddling his lap.
Thomas looked around a bit franticly, though no one was about near this particular show model. "Jimmy what are you doing?" he hissed.
"Proving a point for why we need this sofa," he explained casually, taking no mind to Thomas' small panic. Neither were particularly afraid about showing public affection, but still acted a bit careful in public not wanting to draw attention to themselves. "So, imagine we're being a bit romantic in the living room." Jimmy leaned to the side and pulled Thomas over on top of him. Jimmy took note of the light flush upon Thomas' pale cheeks. "We've both had long days, or maybe too much to drink, but either way going to the bedroom is suddenly a chore. But then..." Jimmy reached down to grab one of the straps and started to pull, struggling a bit then realizing you probably had to pull both straps straight outward. "Give me a hand," he told Thomas, nodding his head toward what he was trying to accomplish.
Thomas began snickering and helped to pull the piece out all the same. As it popped into place his world was tumbled as Jimmy rolled them over and was now on top of him. Thomas smiled and knew without a doubt he looked nothing less than a goofy fool as he stared into Jimmy's sapphire eyes.
"Then there's plenty of room. No cramped sofa sex," Jimmy beamed down at Thomas with a smile and suggestive eyebrow wiggle. Jimmy got up from th esofa and looked around the rest of the setup walking toward another room that was most likely the bedroom of the showroom flat.
Thomas sat up on the edge of the sofa staring at Jimmy as he rounded the doorway still in disbelief that he'd been so lucky to have acquired such a man as his lover. It had been worth every silent hour, cut, and bruise he'd managed through just to be proper friends with him that even more pleasingly developed into their current relationship.
"Oh my god, Thomas, you've got to come feel this bed!" Jimmy's voice rang out from around the corner. "And this pillow! I've never felt anything so wonderful! We've got to get some!"
After having looked at everything on the show floor and making some decisions, the two found themselves with an already very full cart in the bedding section. Sheets were the current topic of discussion and Thomas was holding packs up aside Jimmy's face.
"You've got to pick something I'll look lovely on. Nothing that will clash with my eyes or complexion."
"You're being very vain. What about how I'd look on them?" Thomas asked.
"I'll be honest, Thomas, this sort of thing matters far more to you than it would to me. You'd actually say something about the sheets clashing as I lay naked on the bed waiting for you, whereas myself would just see you and pounce without a second thought."
"I would not," Thomas countered.
"Need I remind you of that quilt my auntie sent me the second year we roomed together and I came back from class to find a dog in our room and it mangled to shreds and then you bought me that lovely duvet that you said the color of suited me better? I still don't believe that being an accident as you say it was, by the way."
Thomas pursed his lips as his only response biting back saying anything.
"May I help you gentleman?"
Both Thomas and Jimmy looked to their side to see a tall older gentleman with eyebrows so fuzzy they looked like caterpillars ready to crawl from his brow. He was wearing the employee uniform with a name tag sporting the name Charles.
Jimmy smiled and replied, "I think we're good. Thank you."
"Now, now, the man asked if he could helpt and I can't quite make up my mind."
Jimmy raised an eyebrow in question to Thomas' intent as the taller man rounded behind him.
Thomas raised the packs of sheets he held in both hands up to surround Jimmy's face and looked very casually at the store employee and asked, "Tell me, sir, which color do you think my boyfriend here would look better sprawled out naked on our new bed on?"
The man's face flushed and his eyes widened and they could both swear his eyebrows disappeared into his hair. "I do not believe I can help answer that question, nor could any other member of the IKEA staff, so please refrain from asking anyone else. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm being paged." The man answered and quickly walked off out of sight.
Jimmy quickly turned around to face Thomas. He was snickering, trying very hard not to burst out laughing and a bit flushed in the face himself. "Thomas, you arse, what was that?"
Thomas smiled, chuckling under his breath. "I needed a laugh. And an honest opinion if he'd been willing." Thomas held the two packs of sheets up blocking their faces from view and leaned in to kiss Jimmy. He then held both packs in front of Jimmy, inspecting them once again. "I still can't make up my mind between these two. Think I'll just buy them both."
"I think you may have scarred that poor old chap."
They both chuckled as Thomas put the sheets in the cart and they continued on the rest of their home furnishing adventure.