Chapter Text
I will not, the message proclaimed grandly, fall for paltry parlor tricks such as knitwear again.
Nicky blinked. He had opened the app with the full intention of deleting Grindr for good this time, no matter what Nile said. ("You lose 100% of the shots you don't take, man" was what she said, to which Nicky's only reasonable reply was that she needed to keep her unholy delight in Jägerbombs far, far away from him).
However, that resolve had not been made with this message in mind. That resolve had been made with the twelve or so poorly lit dick pics he had gotten in the span of two months in mind.
This message appeared to be from some sort of divine creature who hated cardigans.
@altayyib's profile picture showed him naked from the waist up, a sight that made Nicky's mouth water. Inexplicably he was holding a bundle of lavender in one hand, apparently slowly trailing it up his chest, grinning at the camera.
I'm sorry my sartorial choices offended, Nicky messaged back. Is this the part where I offer to take off my sweater for you?
I don't know if I'm emotionally ready for that, altayyib wrote. I've had questionable experiences with your type.
What's my type?
guys who put a fully clothed pic on grindr.
Nicky blinked. That's not something I ever expected to hear, he wrote.
It's a long and arduous tale, altayyib wrote. One I'm only prepared to share with adequate libations.
Are you asking me out for drinks?
Certainly not. I would never ask out a cardigan-wearer.
Nicky blinked. He didn't want to overstep and push it, he hated that too much himself. Maybe altayyib was just a bit of a weirdo, even if he was gorgeous.
If, altayyib wrote, and then three dots appeared as he typed more. If we happened to meet at the same bar, say that place off the corner of High Street where the Woolworth's and the bus stop are, and we both happened to be drinking something at the same time, that might be a different matter.
It wasn't that Nicky was entirely short on other options, he told himself, it was just that he was incredibly intrigued.
altayyib was wearing a beanie, which was a shame because his hair had looked beautiful in photos. Still, Nicky was impressed that he was easily recognizable. "Hi," he said, sliding into place at the booth on the opposite side of the table.
"Hi," altayyib said. "You're actually wearing that?"
Nicky looked down at himself. "I really don't know what's wrong with it," he said defensively. "It's just a sweater."
"It's a cardigan," altayyib said, "and I have had my heart ruthlessly broken by a closeted man in a very similar garment."
"Alright, then," Nicky said. "Well. I'm not closeted. My name is Nicky di Genova, you can ask my parents all about how gay I am."
There were little crinkles around altayyib's eyes when he smiled. "I'm Joe," he said. "And don't make promises you don't want to keep."
"Would you call my parents just to make sure?" Nicky asked, amused. He signaled the waiter for a beer and watched as Joe ordered a virgin caipirinha with just a tiny shot or two of gin.
Joe shrugged. "I've done crazier things," he admitted easily.
"Name two."
Leaning back against the booth, Joe said, "Well, after cardigan man left me, I ripped every sweater in my closet to pieces. It was February."
Nicky laughed. "What did you do?"
"I sewed the bits into a blanket, actually. It's very cozy; I still have it."
"Handy," Nicky said approvingly.
Joe nodded. "And I got to go shopping, so, you know, not a total waste."
Nicky leaned forward, chin in his hands. "Did you regret it?" he asked.
"What, ripping up my clothes? Pretty much instantly."
"No, I mean, dating the closeted cardigan man."
Joe looked at him for a long moment. "I would never regret," he said eventually, "feeling with all the intensity I can. What's the point, if you don't put your heart in it?"
Nicky's mouth went dry. "That's a good question," he said. "Maybe I've been doing these things wrong."
Joe raised a teasing eyebrow and thanked the waiter kindly for his abomination of a drink.
Nicky took a sip of his beer. "So what's the second thing?"
Casually, Joe shrugged. "I'm going to fall for a second man in a cardigan."