Work Text:
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and David is fucking pissed off. When he pictured working at a stall at the Christmas market, he thought it would be a fun and easy way to make some extra money for Christmas presents this year. What he didn’t expect was to be standing here with his hands freezing off and the guy who was supposed to be here forty-seven minutes ago to work this shift with him nowhere in sight.
By now, the line of people waiting has grown long enough for the end of it to disappear around the corner, a dozen of impatient faces staring at him as he tries to calculate the change for the girl in front of him. Somewhere in the vicinity of the stall, a choir is singing Christmas songs and David swears he’s going to scream if they sing Silent Night one more time.
Forcing a strained smile onto his face, he reaches over the counter and hands the girl her change. “Here you go. Have a lovely evening.”
She mumbles a reply and leaves. Once she’s gone, a couple steps forward and the boy asks for a gingerbread heart. David’s voice sounds close to hysterical as he says, “Sure, take your pick! Which one do you want?”
The boy turns to his girlfriend. After a few seconds of giggling and a back and forth of “You decide!” “No, you!”, the boy finally points his finger at a heart with pink icing and My sweet princess written across it in cursive.
David thinks he might cry. “Good choice! That’s five euros, please.”
Just as the boy fumbles to fish the money out of his wallet, the door to David’s left suddenly bursts open and a guy with tousled blonde hair and a panicked look in his eyes is suddenly standing in front of him. “Sorry,” he says while trying to catch his breath, “I… slept… through my alarm.”
“You slept through your alarm,” David repeats, raising an eyebrow. “At five in the afternoon?”
The boy shrugs sheepishly and runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?”
“Work,” David simply grits out and turns back to the couple in front of him. From his peripheral vision, he can see the boy standing there for a moment, uncertain of what to do. Then he only nods and quietly goes to stand beside him to tend to the next person in line.
With a second person there, the line advances much faster and soon there’s no one else waiting. Using the moment of quiet, David glances over at the boy again. He seems to be around David’s age, with blue eyes, long lashes and a tousled mop of blonde hair that’s attesting to the fact that he overslept. Even now, he’s slouching over the counter, his chin in one hand as he looks out onto the Christmas market, eyelids droopy. If David isn’t mistaken, his eyes are a little red, which also explains the faint scent of weed that has mixed in with the smell of gingerbread and toasted almonds.
David fights the urge to roll his eyes. So he’s stuck with a lazy stoner for the next few weeks. This just keeps getting better.
He schools his expression into boredom when the boy’s eyes slide over to him and he says, “I’m Matteo, by the way.”
“David.”
Matteo nods, lifting one hand to rub at his neck. “I’m sorry, again, about being late. I promise I’ll be on time tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” is all that David says in response.
There are a few seconds of silence. Eventually, Matteo sags a little heavier onto the counter and murmurs, “Wow. This is gonna be great.”
***
Matteo makes sure to be there at least five minutes early every day after that, even though it’s a struggle. When he applied for this job, he did it hoping he’d be able to work the stall with Jonas. But apparently Jonas missed the deadline for applications, so now Matteo is stuck with David.
David, who, as it turns out, is great at holding grudges. Even now, four days after that incident, he’s still not really speaking to Matteo and when he does, it’s usually just to tell him something he needs to do. Matteo gives up on trying to make conversation when every attempt to lighten up the mood is immediately shot down with a curt answer and a glare that’s icier than the cold winter air.
Eventually, Matteo decides that he doesn’t like David very much. He hates the way he keeps bringing up that first day of work, like Matteo has burned down an orphanage instead of simply having hit one too many blunts and subsequently taken a little afternoon nap. He hates how he makes a show of acting surprised every time Matteo arrives on time and how he scrunches his nose in such an obviously exaggerated way whenever he smells the slightest bit of smoke on him. Most of all, he hates how every other costumer finds it necessary to flirt with David while completely ignoring Matteo’s existence.
He can see why it happens, okay. He’s not blind. David is fucking good-looking with his warm brown eyes and edgy clothes and perfect hair. Still, it’s annoying to see him preen under the attention, to see his lips curl into a grin and his eyes glitter with quiet satisfaction.
What he hates the most though, is how he still catches himself staring and thinking that he wishes that smile was directed at him.
***
A week goes by and David comes to the conclusion that applying for this job was the worst decision he’s ever made. He’s just so cold and his feet hurt from standing around so much. He also still can’t stand Matteo.
He rants about him to Laura one evening, his ice-cold fingers wrapped around the mug of hot chocolate she handed him as soon as he entered the kitchen. He expects her to agree with him, but instead she raises an eyebrow and says, “David… Are you sure you aren’t exaggerating? The poor guy was late one time and now you’ve turned it into a personal vendetta?”
After that, he tries to see things in a different light and comes to the realization that, okay, maybe Matteo isn’t all that bad. He really seems to be trying to be punctual and to do a good job. He’s also kind of really cute, if David is honest with himself.
He’s almost ready to lay down his arms and admit that he was wrong about Matteo- that is, until Leonie and Sara come by the stall.
It’s already dark by the time they show up, the Christmas market filling more and more and the customers beginning to be tipsy adults rather than families with kids. David is so busy that he only notices them when Leonie knocks onto the counter and announces herself with a teasing “Hey Schreibner!”
David turns his head to look at her with a broad grin. He quickly finishes serving the customer in front of him before he walks over to where Leonie and Sara are standing. Leaning over the counter to squeeze both of them in a hug, he says, “Hey! So nice of you two to show up.”
Leonie chuckles. “You’ve been whining so much about this job, we wanted to see in person if it’s really that bad. Honestly, I don’t see what you’re complaining about, this is nice!”
“Well, yeah, that’s because you’re not the one freezing to death here every day,” David sniffles and reaches his hands out for them to feel how cold they are.
“Aw, poor you,” Sara laughs.
Chuckling, David braces his arms on top of the counter again. “I know right. So, what are you guys doing?”
“Oh, we were just having a stroll across the Christmas market,” Leonie says with a shrug, slipping an arm around Sara’s waist.
“Leo tried to win me one of these really big stuffed teddy bears at one of the stalls,” Sara chimes in with a grin, “She lost.”
Leonie rolls her eyes with a scowl. “The game was rigged.”
“Sure, babe, if you say so,” Sara laughs, leaning in to press a quick peck to Leonie’s cheek.
David slumps onto the counter with an exaggerated groan. “Guys, you’re really rubbing it in here.”
Leonie momentarily tears her eyes away from her girlfriend’s face to send him a questioning gaze. “Rubbing what in?”
“That I’m gonna be single over the holidays!”
“Who’s saying that?” Leonie grins. “You’ve still got a few weeks to get yourself a girlfriend… or a boyfriend.”
David is about to reply, when from the corner of his eye he notices Matteo. He didn’t think that he was listening in on the conversation, seeing as he was busy arranging the gingerbread hearts a few moments ago, but at Leonie’s comment, David catches him freeze. There’s a small furrow between his brows, something heavy in his gaze as he slowly looks David up and down.
It’s in that moment that it dawns on David that the guy he works with might be homophobic.
***
Matteo doesn’t know what David’s deal is anymore and it’s getting tiring. There were a brief few days where it seemed like maybe they were finding a common ground, like maybe David didn’t actually hate his guts and the weeks until Christmas wouldn’t end in a blood bath. They were talking more -about pretty insubstantial stuff, but at least they weren’t being pointedly silent- and there were even one or two times where David flashed a rare smile.
Now it’s back to the silent treatment and Matteo honestly has no clue what he’s done. It’s grinding on his nerves a little bit, so he’s more than relieved when he’s at work and hears Jonas calling out his name. “Na, little one, how is it going?”
Matteo can’t help but grin at him, reaching a hand over the counter to accept Jonas’ fist bump. He has to laugh when Carlos and Abdi squeeze in next to Jonas, both of them looking at him with hopeful grins.
“Let me guess,” Matteo chuckles, “You want some toasted almonds?”
“Dude, yes,” Carlos immediately says, drumming his hands on top of the counter.
Matteo shakes his head a little in amusement and hands him a paper bag filled to the brim with almonds, still slightly warm. Abdi immediately snatches it out of Carlos’ hand and tilts is so that a few almonds fall straight into his mouth.
Matteo knows he isn’t supposed to give stuff away for free, but he chooses to ignore David’s disapproving frown. Instead, he watches with a grin as his friends squabble with each other until Jonas finally grabs the paper bag and holds it tightly out of their reach.
“So,” he says after stuffing some of them into his mouth, “How’s it going here?”
Matteo lifts his shoulders in a vague shrug. “Fine, I guess. Cold. Pretty boring during the afternoon because most people only come in the evening.”
“No offense, bro,” Abdi chimes in, “But this is probably the gayest you’ve ever looked.” He’s gesturing at Matteo’s apron as he says it; it’s light pink with hearts on it and the name of the stall, Sana’s Sweet Treats, written on it in cursive.
Chuckling, Matteo asks, “Dude, I know.”
The laughter dies in his throat when he suddenly hears the door of the stall slam shut. Blinking in surprise, he watches as David storms off, disappearing in the crowd a moment later.
“What’s his deal?” Abdi asks, still staring after him.
“Fuck if I know,” Matteo murmurs, the grin wiped off his face. “He’s been weird the entire time.”
Carlos cocks his head to the side, his eyes trained on Matteo’s face. “Are you into him?”
“What? No,” Matteo immediately says. When the three only look at him, less than convinced, he firmly adds, “I’m serious, I don’t like him. Besides… he hates me.”
Jonas shakes his head slightly, frowning. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” Matteo sighs and rubs a hand over his face. “I was late the first day of work, which apparently really pissed him off. Then after that I thought things were getting better, but now he’s stopped talking to me again. I don’t know.”
“Shame,” Jonas murmurs. “Good-looking guy.”
Matteo nods. “Fuck, I know. He’s even into guys… Just really not into me, apparently.”
Abdi reaches over the counter to pat his arm. “Whatever. You’ll find someone, someday.”
“Wow,” Matteo says, sending Abdi a blank stare. “Thank you. That’s just what I needed to hear.”
Snickering, Carlos says, “Dude, you’re acting like you’re gonna die if you don’t get laid next week. It’s no big deal, stop fucking stressing so much.”
“It’s not about getting laid,” Jonas objects with a knowing smile. “It’s about not having anyone to cuddle with this Christmas. Am I right or am I right?”
Matteo’s only response is an eyeroll and a muttered “Whatever.”
“Aww,” Abdi coos. “I don’t have anyone either, I’ll cuddle with you.”
Matteo shakes his head, but can’t hold back a smile at his friends’ antics. “A tempting offer, but I think I’ll pass. I’ll just die lonely, I guess.”
The boys only groan at this before moving on to another topic, that one being the Christmas get-together with the whole crew that they want to organise.
A few minutes after they’re gone, David comes back. Matteo wants to ask what happened, but the rigid set to David’s jaw and the cold glance he spares him as he enters the stall are enough to keep him silent.
***
That incident with Matteo’s friends is the final proof that David needs to connect the dots. First the weird glance Matteo sent him when Leonie was talking about David finding a boyfriend, then the way he made fun of gay stereotypes with his friends- he’s seen this stuff before, okay, he knows what’s going on.
What he doesn’t know is why it bothers him so much. It’s not like he’s close to Matteo; he can count the instances in which they’ve exchanged more than two sentences on one hand. Still, there’s a lingering sense of disappointment that he can’t seem to shake.
Matteo seems to notice that something is up, too, after David shoots him down for the third time when he tries to make conversation. He studies David when he thinks he isn’t looking, a small furrow between his brows, but apparently decides not to say anything about it. Instead, he stays silent for the most part, slouched on his stool and playing some stupid game on his phone when there’s no customers.
David tells himself he prefers it that way and that the silence is not awkward, but pleasant.
The next time he hears Matteo say something vaguely addressed at him is a few days later. David is going through the register, sorting some of the change, when he hears Matteo’s groan and glances over at him.
“Jesus,” Matteo mumbles absentmindedly, his eyes fixed somewhere in front of him. “I hate seeing all these happy couples around Christmas.”
David follows his gaze expecting to see just another clingy pair. He freezes when he realizes that, instead, Matteo is staring- no, glaring at a gay couple a few stands away. The two boys are sharing some cotton candy, the taller of them leaning down to press a kiss to the other boy’s cheek, both of them oblivious of Matteo’s stare and so obviously in love that it makes something in David’s chest clench.
He can’t help himself as a white-hot wave of anger floods over him, releasing all the frustration he’s bottled up during the past two weeks as he slams the register shut loud enough to make Matteo flinch and snaps, “Yeah, and you especially hate this kind of couple, don’t you?”
“Wha-“
“You know,” David cuts him off, eyes ablaze, “I’m pan and trans, so if you want to keep spouting homophobic shit, you can kindly fuck off.”
For a few seconds, all that Matteo does is blink. Finally, he stammers, “I… what? I’m not homophobic. O-or transphobic!”
David only snorts, shaking his head as he spits, “Yeah, right. You really expect me to believe that after everything I’ve heard?”
“Oh, what the hell…” Matteo looks less confused and more annoyed at this point. “I’m gay. I like boys, okay?”
Now it’s David’s turn to stare in disbelief. “What? But then why did you glare at that gay couple like that?”
“I didn’t fucking glare at them!” Matteo exclaims. “I was jealous because maybe I’d also like to have a cute boy kiss my cheek and take me out on dates and- Fuck, I don’t even know why I’m telling you this, it’s really none of your business.”
During his short rant, his cheeks have gotten progressively redder and David knows for a fact that he doesn’t look any different. He wishes he could turn back the time to just five minutes prior to this and keep his big mouth shut this time so that he wouldn’t be standing here now, looking like a giant dick.
After a few seconds of staring at each other and wondering how the hell they can move on from whatever that was, David finally clears his throat and murmurs, “Shit.”
“Yeah,” Matteo says, rubbing a hand over his face. “Shit.”
***
The next few days are… awkward, to say the least. David can barely look Matteo in the eye and Matteo stays resolutely silent for the most part, except when he sees an opportunity for a passive-aggressive quip. Like when David tries to ask him about his plans for the weekend and he replies with “Probably go to an anti-gay rally. Or harass some queer people online. I don’t know, haven’t decided yet.” Or when David accidentally bumps into him and before he can apologize, Matteo says, “That’s pretty homophobic of you, man.”
David tries to hold out, he does. Finally, he breaks.
It’s a bit later in the evening and they’re about to close when he takes a deep breath and turns to Matteo. “Hey, Matteo…” he begins, “I’m sorry about what happened. That was stupid of me.”
Matteo raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t look up from the inventory list he’s writing. “Yeah. It was.”
David nods and looks up at the ceiling for a moment before he gathers all his courage and says, “I want to make it up to you. Do you… Uhm, would you let me invite you for a coffee?”
This time, Matteo’s hand stills. He seems to ponder for a moment, his nose scrunching up as he thinks about it. Finally, he meets David’s eyes and something mischievous flickers across his face. “I don’t like coffee.”
David rolls his eyes but can’t stop his lips from curling into a small smile. “Okay... Tea, then? Or hot chocolate?”
“Deal,” Matteo says. “But only if it has whipped cream.”
“Deal,” David chuckles.
Matteo smiles back at him for a split second before turning back to his list.
They close about half an hour later. David tries to fight down the nerves fluttering in his stomach while he watches Matteo lock the door and pocket the key, but he can’t stop his heart from skipping a beat when Matteo turns around to him with a crooked smile.
“Lead the way then.”
David only nods and together they start walking, making their way across the crowded Christmas market. Christmas music is drifting softly from one of the stalls and the crisp air is sweet with the scent of smoke and cinnamon. Glancing over at Matteo, David can see the fairy lights reflected in his eyes as he looks up at the ferris wheel.
Bumping his shoulder against Matteo’s to get his attention, David asks, “Do you want to go for a ride?”
Matteo quickly shakes his head. “Nah.”
“Afraid of heights?” David asks, unable to suppress a delighted smile.
“No,” Matteo lies. “But I believe I was promised some hot chocolate.”
David chuckles, but nods and continues walking. At some point, they get separated in the midst of a large family, only for Matteo to press up behind David a moment later, one hand curling into the back of David’s coat as not to lose him.
Finally, they leave the Christmas market behind and find themselves in a small alley. There, it is much quieter than it was a moment ago, no one in sight but them. It should be awkward, David thinks, but it’s not. The silence between them is comfortable, Matteo walking next to him and bumping their shoulders together on purpose every few steps.
Only a few moments later, their destination, a small café tucked neatly between pretty boutiques, comes into view. The golden light from the windows washes onto the sidewalk and lights up Matteo’s face as they come to a stop in front of it.
“After you,” David says and holds the door for Matteo, who walks through with a small curtsy.
Inside, they quickly find a table by one of the windows and strip off their jackets. David has to hold back a smile when he sees what Matteo is wearing beneath all his layers.
Matteo notices and utters a defensive “What?”
“Cute sweater,” David grins, pointing at the knitted atrocity. It’s red, with pretty much every Christmas symbol there is on it; gingerbread men, candy canes, presents, a tree, three reindeer pulling a sleigh.
Matteo crosses his arms over his chest with something close to a scowl and says, “You’re on thin ice, Schreibner.”
Before David can reply, a waitress with a friendly smile asks them for their orders. She also lights up the candle in the middle of the table, which makes David’s cheeks feel a little warm.
Once she’s gone, David looks down at his hands and murmurs. “God, my fingers are tingling every time I finally get inside. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna freeze them off by the time it’s Christmas.”
Matteo shakes his head slightly. “I was wondering the entire time why you don’t wear gloves.”
“I don’t have any,” David says with a shrug. “I wanted to buy some but then I kept forgetting.”
“Hm.”
There’s a beat of silence. Then, Matteo suddenly says, “You know, I still don’t get how you came up with this whole theory about me being homophobic.”
David shrugs, feeling his cheeks flush. “Do you remember that one day when two of my friends came by?”
Matteo nods.
“They said something about me finding a girlfriend or a boyfriend in time for the holidays,” David explains. “And as soon as they said that, I caught you looking at me. You had this really intense stare and… I don’t know, I guess I jumped to conclusions.”
“I…” Matteo begins before abruptly breaking off. He blinks a few times, confused, before realization seems to hit him. “Oh. I think I was staring at you like that because… Uhm, I thought you were kind of attractive but I didn’t think you were also into guys, so when they said that, that uh… got me thinking.”
“Hold up,” David says, eyes widening. “That was you checking me out?”
Matteo’s cheeks are bright red by now, his gaze stubbornly fixed on a dent in the table. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” David echoes with an incredulous chuckle.
Matteo rolls his eyes before scoffing, “Fine, yes! I was checking you out! Don’t act so surprised, that’s what every single customer at our stall was doing as well.”
David can feel his lips curving into a shit-eating grin at that. “Are you actually jealous?”
“No,” Matteo immediately says and quickly goes on to ask, “Anyways, was that really all it took for you to think I was homophobic?”
David shakes his head. “No. There was also the other thing when your friends stopped by.”
“Oh. Oh.” Matteo slaps a hand to his forehead. “Was it the gay jokes?”
“Yeah,” David laughs. “At that point I was already weary and then when you began joking about how gay you looked in your apron with your dudebro friends, I put two and two together.”
“Well, your math was way off,” Matteo chuckles. “If you must know, my dudebro friends went to Pride with me last year. Carlos identifies as pan, Abdi is definitely bi-curious and Jonas goes to protests every week and was the first person I came out to. So… they’re cool.”
David scrubs a hand over his eyes with a groan. “Oh man. Now I feel like even more of a dick.”
The waitress returns to their table and sets down a steaming cup of tea for David and a large mug of hot chocolate (with whipped cream, obviously) for Matteo.
Matteo thanks her with a smile before he turns back to David and says, “You know… I’m glad we’ve talked about all this now. I thought you hated me because of me.”
David shakes his head. “I don’t. You… You’re not like I thought you would be.”
“Why?” Matteo asks, tilting his head with a curious look in his eyes. “How’d you think I am?”
“I don’t know…” David says. “I just thought you were lazy and a stoner.”
“I am lazy and a stoner,” Matteo grins.
“Okay, maybe, but you’re more than that,” David objects.
Matteo looks up from his hot chocolate in surprise at that. “How?”
David shakes his head slightly, only looking at him for a few seconds. Matteo is sitting there, the sleeves of his horrible sweater pushed up to his elbows, tousled hair falling into his eyes and a stripe of whipped cream above his upper lip and, fuck, David is so goddamn endeared.
“You’re… you’re sweet,” he finally says, feeling his cheeks flush. “And funny. And a bit of an asshole. And I… I really like you, I think.”
Matteo’s eyes go almost comically wide at that. David idly thinks that the look on his face would be enough to crack him up at any other moment- as it is, all he does is hold his breath as he waits for Matteo to reply.
He doesn’t expect that reply to be a disbelieving “Shit. Really?”
“Y-yeah?” David says. It sounds more like a question, his head spinning a little bit as he realizes how stupid it is to say something like that so soon, especially to a guy who he treated like his archnemesis until a few days ago.
Matteo stares at him for what feels like half an eternity before finally choking out, “I like you, too. Like, a lot.”
“Okay,” David breathes, nodding rapidly. “Okay. So… what now?”
“I don’t know…” Matteo murmurs, his voice soft and the look on his face even softer. “We like each other. I guess we’ll figure out the rest together.”
David smiles back at him, feeling Matteo’s foot press against his beneath the table and wondering how the hell he ended up so lucky. “Sounds like a plan.”
***
They stay at the café for two more hours, talking about anything and everything over another round of drinks and a slice of chocolate cake that they share.
Matteo learns that David is a film student and that he has a sister called Laura and that he came out as trans when he was still in school. He also learns how David looks when he’s really smiling, broad and with his gums showing, and that being on the receiving end of that smile is exactly as devastating as he predicted.
In return, he tells David about the flat share he lives in and how he’s taking a gap year just jobbing because he doesn’t really know what to do with his future and how he goes to therapy once a week. Talking to him is surprisingly easy; it doesn’t feel like they were purposefully ignoring each other until literally a few hours ago, but like they’ve known each other for months. He feels good with David. Understood.
In the end, they only leave because the café is about to close and because David receives a worried text from his sister asking why he hasn’t come home yet.
They’re both giggling and shoving each other as they leave, bundled up in their coats and scarves once again to brave the chilly night air. Matteo grabs David’s hand almost as an afterthought, because he can do that now, and David smiles at him in a way that makes Matteo tingle all the way down to his toes.
He’s so caught up in David and staring at David’s face and feeling David’s hand in his that he startles when he suddenly feels something cold touch the tip of his nose. He lifts his free hand to rub at his face, head tilting back, only to let out something embarrassingly close to a squeak when he looks up at the sky.
“It’s snowing,” he whispers, abruptly stopping in his tracks. He can’t keep his lips from breaking into a smile, one hand stretching out to catch a few slowly drifting snowflakes.
David looks up for a brief second before his eyes find Matteo’s face again and he murmurs, “Yeah.”
Matteo suddenly becomes aware of how close they’re standing, their hands still clasped together, the snowflakes glittering where they’re softly settling in David’s hair.
He doesn’t know who leans in first. All he knows is that a moment later, David’s lips are on his and that he can’t stop smiling. It’s soft and cautious at first before David slides a hand to the back of his head and kisses him like he means it, firm and generous and tasting of chocolate and cinnamon.
Matteo can feel warmth trickling down into his chest and spreading through his whole body. It feels golden; the warmth, David’s grin against his lips, this entire moment. He can’t help but press closer, his hands finding their way into the pockets of David’s coat as they stand there for what feels like seconds and years at once.
He only blinks his eyes open when David pulls back to breathe. David looks at him for a moment, his hand softly cupping Matteo’s cheek and their foreheads pressed together, before he suddenly bursts out laughing. “Oh my god. This is such a fucking cliché.”
Matteo blinks again and looks around, at the snow falling around them as they stand under the streetlight, still holding each other tight. “Yeah,” he chuckles breathlessly, lightly touching a hand to one of the snowflakes in David’s hair, “But it’s a fucking nice cliché.”
***
The day after that is the first time that David can’t wait to go to work. He’s giddy all day and can barely focus on his lectures, his mind drifting back to Matteo. Matteo, who looks really cute when he smiles and who kissed him on the stairwell after walking him home last night and who has spent all morning sending him stupid memes that make David hide a smile behind his hand in class.
He’s almost vibrating out of his skin by the time he reaches the Christmas market in the afternoon, grinning wide when he sees that Matteo is already opening the stall.
“Hey,” he says, leaning onto the counter.
Matteo grins back at him and steps closer, bracing his hands on the counter. “Hey. How can I help you?”
“I think I want to buy a gingerbread heart for my boyfriend.”
Matteo’s grin widens as he tilts his head to the side. “Oh, yeah? Which one do you think he’d like?”
David pretends to think hard about it for a moment before he points at one that says For my sweet prince. “That one.”
Matteo gives an unimpressed snort. “Wow. Yeah, I bet he’ll be over the moon.”
“Hmm. Okay… Then how about that one?”
This time he points at one with Best grandma in the world written across it. Matteo rolls his eyes, but can’t hold back a chuckle as he murmurs, “And they say romance is dead.”
“Alright, fine,” David laughs. “I want that one.”
The heart he’s now pointing at is a large one with baby blue icing and the words Kiss me written across it in delicate cursive. Matteo shakes his head when he sees it, but there’s a broad smile on his face as he leans over the counter and fists a hand in David’s coat to pull him closer. It’s only a short kiss, but it has David’s heart do a little flip in his chest, his cheeks red by the time Matteo pulls back.
“Now get in here,” Matteo grins.
David doesn’t need to be told twice. He quickly rounds the stall and gets inside, only for Matteo to fling himself against him the moment he enters. David wraps his arms around him with a chuckle and mutters a quiet “Missed you” into his hair.
“Me too,” Matteo says back. He pulls back a moment later and offers him a bright smile. “I have something for you. An early Christmas present, kind of.”
“Really? What is it?” David asks, watching as Matteo picks up his backpack and rummages through it for a moment.
Finally, he makes a triumphant sound and turns around to David. In his hands he’s holding a pair of dark blue mittens that he hands him.
“Here. My friend Linn knitted them for me last year, but…” Matteo runs a hand through his hair, suddenly looking uncertain. “I thought you might like them. Because your hands are always cold.”
David has slipped them on by now. Flexing his fingers inside them, he smiles at Matteo. “I love them. But… won’t you be cold without them?”
“Linn made me another pair this year. It’s kind of her hobby, so…”
“Oh. That’s cool,” David smiles. Crossing the small distance between them, he cups Matteo’s face in his now warm hands and presses a soft kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”
Matteo smiles back at him, pleased and slightly pink-cheeked. “You’re welcome. But you have to promise something in return.”
“What is it?”
“I want you to come to the Christmas party at my place next week,” Matteo says. Grinning, he adds, “That way you can meet my dudebro friends. And all my other friends, too.”
“Okay,” David chuckles. “I’ll be there.”
Matteo nods, smiling. “Cool.”
“Cool,” David smiles back.
***
Matteo is a little nervous about how the evening will go. He hasn’t told any of his friends that David will be there, so he doesn’t really know what to expect. However, his nerves are immediately soothed when he opens the door and finds David standing in the hallway, cheeks flushed from the cold and a brilliant smile on his face.
“You’re really on time,” Matteo chuckles.
David only grins. “Well, yeah. Some people don’t come late to important things.”
Matteo choses to ignore the teasing side blow and wriggles his hands into the pockets of David’s jacket to pull him a little closer instead. “Important things, yeah?”
“Yeah,” David says, bumping his nose against Matteo’s. “I’ve got to make up for the terrible first impression I made when I stormed off when your friends where there the other day.”
“I’m pretty sure they’ve already forgotten about that,” Matteo laughs. Grabbing onto David’s hand, he says, “Now come in, it’s getting cold.”
David does as he’s told without objection, his eyes curiously darting around the flat as Matteo takes his jacket and hangs it up next to the door.
Matteo is about to say something, when Hans suddenly steps out of the kitchen and lets out a delighted sound. “Oh, you must be David!” he says, smiling widely at them. “Matteo told me all about you!”
“Hello,” David sheepishly says. “It’s nice to meet you.”
After looking him up and down, Hans shoots Matteo a grin. “My my, butterfly, how did you manage to find yourself someone like him?”
Matteo exchanges an amused look with David, stepping a little closer to sling an arm around his waist. “It’s a long story.”
Hans raises a brow, but doesn’t investigate further for once. Instead, he tells them to make themselves useful in the kitchen.
Together, they prepare the rest of the snacks and decorate the living rom with fairy lights and tacky Christmas decorations, most of them rainbow coloured. David quickly grows more comfortable, joking around with Hans and thanking Linn for the mittens when she shuffles into the room a while later.
Finally, the door bell rings and Matteo goes to open it.
“Merry Christmas!” Jonas exclaims, beaming at him before he pulls Matteo into a hug.
Carlos and Abdi greet him with a fist bump, both of them carrying bottles of the cheapest alcohol available at the kiosk around the corner, which Matteo accepts with a groan. “Thanks, boys. Can’t wait for the headache we’ll all have tomo-“
“Dude,” Abdi cuts him off, his eyes wide as he stares at a spot somewhere next to Matteo’s shoulder. “What’s he doing here?”
Matteo glances behind him to find David standing there with an uncertain smile. He smiles back at him and intertwines their hands before he turns back to his friends and says, “Boys, this is David. My boyfriend.”
“Dude, yes!” Jonas exclaims, lifting a hand to high-five Matteo. “You did it! You really got a boyfriend just in time for Christmas!”
David lets out a little snort at that.
Carlos is beaming just as brightly as Jonas as he looks from Matteo to David and then back. Triumphantly, he says, “See, I knew it! I saw the vibes!”
“Sure you did,” Matteo says. He has to laugh when he looks over at David and sees his confused expression.
“So… what’s changed?” Abdi asks curiously. “Didn’t you two, like, hate each other?”
“We had some differences, yes,” David chuckles.
Matteo grins. “It’s all good now, though.”
The boys all nod, each of them looking inexplicably proud of him. They all make sure to squeeze David in a tight hug as they enter, which he accepts with a little bit of confusion but mostly something that looks like relief.
“See,” Matteo whispers to him as he closes the door. “Told you they were cool.”
Of course, the girls aren’t any different. They all get along immediately, David fitting into the strange cluster as naturally as if he’s never not been a part; Matteo leaves him alone for a moment to get them more drinks from the kitchen and when he returns, David is already deep into a political discussion with Jonas, everyone else in the room hanging on his every word.
By the time the night begins to wind down, Matteo is so happy he feels floaty with it. He’s sitting on the couch, his face nestled into the crook of David’s neck and their hands loosely clasped together in his lap. Around them, their friends are chattering away, their voices mixing with the soft Christmas music floating through the room. He feels warm and relaxed and a little bit drowsy from the mulled wine he shared with David earlier and it’s perfect, everything is.
“I really didn’t expect things to end up this way,” he murmurs into David’s neck.
“Me neither,” David says, his quiet chuckle rumbling in Matteo’s chest. Softly running a hand through Matteo’s hair, he adds, “I’m glad they did though.”
“Me too.” Matteo tilts his head back a little so he can see David’s face, eyes slightly hooded and a relaxed smile dancing around his lips. Playing with his fingers, he asks, “Did you have a good time tonight?”
“A really good time. Your friends are awesome.”
“Dude, they already added you to the group chat,” Matteo points out. “They’re your friends now, too.”
The smile that appears on David’s face at that is bright enough to light up the entire room. Matteo really has no other choice but to tangle a hand in David’s hair and pull him down into a soft kiss, ignoring the cheers and whistles from his friends.
Against David's lips, he murmurs, “Stay here tonight?”
“I already told Laura,” David smiles.
Matteo nods and puts his head down on David’s shoulder again, his lips curled into a content grin. “Merry fucking Christmas to me.”