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The two of them were at Gourd Lake, finally having the time to get together and hang out. They had been discussing what had been going on since their last date, their hands linked and swinging idly between them as they walked along the forest trail that circled the lake. It was so comfortable yet intimate, It made Sebastian feel oddly romantic.
He and Hugh had been dating for about a month now, and It was amazing. He didn’t really know how a relationship would work between them, not being particularly romantic himself, but Hugh never seemed to mind. He had told him early on that dating was new for him too, having never had the time or desire to be with someone before becoming a lawyer. Going slow was just fine, having only gone so far as kisses on the cheek. He didn’t like thinking about doing anything past kissing.
The date was winding down naturally as they rounded the last curve of the trail. Hugh dropped their hands, giving his partner a warm smile. “I had a lovely time today. Hopefully, we can do this again, sooner rather than later.” Sebastian nodded but found himself oddly nervous. Without thinking, he heard himself blurt out, “Wait!” Hugh turned back to him, raising a brow.
“Can I kiss you?”
"...W-What?!" Hugh sputtered, his face quickly going red. Sebastian felt his face go hot too. Oh god, I didn't mean to actually say that out loud fuck fuck fuck shit .
"Um... Haha... Uh... Yeah..." He struggled to find proper words, wringing his hands and tugging on his gloves. He didn't want to repeat what he said but he knew Hugh had heard him the first time. He had no idea if it was too soon to ask for a proper kiss. To be honest, had no idea why he had even asked in the first place.
Hugh looked to the ground, his hand going to the choker around his neck. Sebastian knew this was a nervous habit of his and felt horrible for making him uncomfortable. He almost expected Hugh to run away, he wouldn't blame him if he did. He was about to blurt out an apology to save face when he heard Hugh mumble something under his breath.
"...ould..li..th..t."
"I'm sorry?"
Hugh looked up at him finally, his face seemed to be forcing a neutral expression despite his wide eyes and him grasping his choker tightly. "I said... I would like... be fine ... with that..."
"O-oh!" Sebastian perked up, not expecting that response. Despite Hugh’s attempt at appearing calm, Sebastian had never seen his boyfriend this flustered, even when they had first started dating. For someone who tries so hard to appear cool, It was oddly endearing to see Hugh so out of his element. He swallowed stepped closer, a bit hesitant considering how nervous Hugh was. He grazed a gloved hand along the near-white knuckles of his boyfriend, carefully coaxing him into taking his hand in his and away from his neck. With his other (slightly trembling) hand he reached up to cup Hugh's cheek, and awkwardly raising up on his toes, closed his eyes and leaned in.
It wasn’t Sebastian’s first kiss, He had a few forgettable kisses when he was younger, but this was the first time it felt like he was kissing someone he truly cared about. However, It only lasted a second or two, and while Sebastian would've love to have held the moment, he was still worried about Hugh, who was squeezing his hand tightly. He pulled back faster than he had leaned in, scanning his boyfriend’s face to try to gauge a reaction.
He had to hold back a laugh seeing how tightly Hugh’s eyes were shut and how vibrantly red his face was. He was visibly tense, still gripping Sebastian’s hand as if holding on for dear life. Sebastian could practically feel the sweat through his gloves. After a few seconds, Hugh finally opened his eyes, blinking a bit before averting his gaze, covering his mouth with his open hand. He stared at the ground next to Sebastian, completely silent and still save for a few confused blinks as if his brain completely malfunctioned. Sebastian was about to ask if he was ok, terrified he had fucked things up between them when Hugh finally looked up at him with wide eyes. A nervous smile spread across his face, and It made Sebastian grin back at him in return.
"That was... You..."
"Yeah...?"
They stared at each other a moment before Hugh dropped their hands and coughed into his fist, as if trying to break the trance. "I would not be... opposed to a more... mutual gesture like that... in the future."
Sebastian chucked at his suddenly verbose speech, "So you want to kiss again, right?"
"A-ah... Yes."
He reached up again to guide Hugh’s face closer. They leaned into each other, Hugh a bit more hesitantly, before closing their eyes and meeting their lips. Sebastian wanted this to be slow, and Hugh must have felt the same, seeing as he practically melted into him, wrapping his arms around the shorter’s waist. He had more time to process how he was feeling, from the rumble of butterflies in his stomach to the warmth radiating off his partner. He found himself wanting to stay like this forever, although he was running out of breath. Perhaps kissing Hugh would be the best way to die, Though his boyfriend may scold him for his "mouth-breathing".
Hugh broke off slowly, keeping their faces still quite close to each other. "Admittedly..." Hugh started softly, "I'm a bit worried my frames may have gotten bent." Sebastian blinked and pulled back, confused, before breaking down laughing when he noticed the comedically obscured glasses on his partner’s face. Hugh laughed too, adjusting his glasses that had gotten crooked in their moment. Sebastian dropped his head into Hugh’s shoulder, the both of them still shaking. He felt the tears streaming down his face, whether from the laughter or from happiness, it didn't really matter. Hugh wrapped his arms around him again, pressing a kiss into Sebastian’s hair. “Thank you.”
Sebastian hummed, shifting so that his face rested in the crook of his boyfriend’s neck. “You still need to get going right?” He mumbled, feeling Hugh nod into him. “I dont need to… but I probably should, yes.” Sebastian sighed, pulling back to plant a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Hugh nodded again, and they pulled away.
They waved at each other as Hugh walked off towards where he had parked, but Sebastian stayed back. He pressed a fist to his chest, feeling his heart pounding. For once, not thinking before speaking may have been the best decision he’d ever made.