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Adil was excited, he was checking the time for the umpteenth time in the last half an hour: Toby would arrive in 10 minutes, and everything was ready.
He looked at the room around him, and he was very satisfied and proud on how it looked. He put a lot of effort to make it cozy and somehow elegant to host his lover: he knew it was silly, it was just a dinner, Toby had been there before and he knew it didn’t matter to him how the room would appear.
But it was their first official dinner together, and it was a very important step for Adil.
He managed to have a day off, to be sure to prepare everything.
He cooked Toby’s favourite dish, he asked his householder to borrow him a towel and a table service for two, stating he will have his sister here for dinner, who was in London for visiting some friends who just arrived from India.
She seemed not to trust this explanation much, but she wasn’t a meddler and Adil has always been a good lodger, so she happily helped him.
He bought some candles and some flowers, put on his newest “kurta-pajama”, like Toby asked him more than once, curious to see him wearing his traditional dress, and waited to hear Toby’s knock on his door.
*********
Toby was radiant. Not only his mother hadn’t fussed when he told her he wasn’t going to have dinner with her, but also she had nothing to say against Toby sleeping at his colleague’s house, since his birthday party would probably end a little late in the night.
He felt…rebel. Basically, he hated telling lies, but if it meant he was free to stay the night at Adil’s, he was fine with it.
He packed up his pyjama and a change for tomorrow, took a bottle of wine from The Halcyon’s cellar, and drove smiling to Paddington.
It was their first official date, and the first time they would spend the whole night together…and Adil didn’t know it! It was a surprise Toby wanted to make for their sixth week together.
Tonight, it would be something to remember.
**********
They kissed like they hadn’t seen each other for months, completely unable to keep their mouths apart, hands firmly holding the other in place. Adil ones were in Toby’s hair, while his lover was squeezing his hips.
When they finally broke the kiss, they laughed, happy and that’s when Adil noticed the bag.
“What’s this?”
“Ehm, I just…thought that, maybe, it was better if I stayed here, for tonight?” he turned the statement into a question, suddenly not sure about his decision: what if Adil didn’t want him to stay?
“You want to spend the night, here, with me?”
“Yes?”
“Are you serious?” Adil couldn’t believe his dream was finally becoming true.
“Of course I am…only if I don’t bother you…I mean, I understand if you don’t…” he couldn’t finish the sentence because Adil pulled him closer for another kiss.
“It’s ok, then?”
“More than ok”
When they finally stopped kissing, Toby looked around: everything was simply perfect.
An intimate atmosphere, candles, a table perfectly arranged for two. And Adil…he was the most perfect thing amongst all the other perfect things, he was just…breath-taking, and Toby would never stop thanking whoever was in heaven for bringing this wonderful man in his life.
***********
The dinner was great. Toby was delighted to find his favourite meal: roasted veal with a plum sauce and potatoes, a slice of chocolate cake with strawberries topping. And Adil was proud of the compliments he received.
They talked about everything and anything, about Toby’s work and some strange colleagues of his, about The Halcyon and his staff, about Adil’s life before coming to England (something Toby was never tired to hear of).
They were happy, they felt free, and complete and like this was exactly how things were meant to be: Toby and Adil having dinner together, like every “normal” couple would do.
While Adil was washing the dishes (Toby wanted to help him, but his lover firmly refused), Toby kept looking dreamily at him, thinking that this was what he really wanted.
At a certain point in his life, he’d thought he wasn’t meant to love someone or have a family: he pictured is life as an endless loneliness. He had his brother, of course, and perhaps his mother would turn some attention to him one day, but his hopes of having a normal family were really low…the damages caused by his father would affect him forever.
But when Adil kissed him, everything changed. He was terrified, at first, and tried to keep his feelings at bay in every possible way, but he failed…and it was the best failure of his life!
Of course, their life won’t be easy, what they have is illegal and most of the people around them would never understand, but he was determined to make this work.
***********
They made love passionately and slowly, taking their time to undress, claiming every inch of the other’s body, enjoying the moment without the rush they always had when they were in Toby’s room.
To Adil, it seemed like it was the first time they actually made love instead of sex. On his side, he has always tried to let his love for Toby show during their lovemaking, but he’s never felt like his feeling was returned. He was completely head over heels for Toby Hamilton, but he wasn’t a fool: Adil was well aware that all of this was new for his man, and he can get tired of him at any moment.
But tonight, something was different. The way Toby looked at him, the way he kissed and touched him, the way he took possession of his body like it was the most precious and sacred thing…Adil felt like he could let his hopes bloom, that maybe Toby felt something for him, strong enough to make him want to stay the night.
He didn't dare to ask, but he felt the urgent need to say the three magical words to him. It was a great risk, Toby could panic and leave, or laugh at him, or reject him, but he couldn’t help it…
“I love you…”
Toby held his breath. He was laying with his head upon Adil’s heart, almost falling asleep with his beat…so, probably, it wasn’t real…he was sleeping and that was a dream…but his lover’s heart was beating faster, and his hand stopped stroking his back, like he was waiting for an answer.
He stood just a bit, to be able to look at Adil and see his eyes full of fear and hope.
“Say it again”
“I love you, Toby Hamilton”
Toby smiled, the greatest smile Adil had ever seen on his face, and he felt his body melting under his man’s warm, naked one.
“I love you too…I love you so, so much…”
They kissed, a kiss different from all the others they’ve shared in the past weeks. A kiss full of promises, because now that they’ve said it, their relationship could grow stronger. Now that they both knew the other feels the same, every experience together would be more intense and intimate, and this feeling of completeness was definitely something to remember.