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Blake shuffled around his apartment nervously while trying to get everything ready for his guest. This was the first time since getting back into contact with his friend, that they would be hanging out at his place. He’d gone to insane lengths in order to make it possible for them to feel comfortable enough to visit with him. They’d both come a long way, and Blake would do whatever it took to keep in his friend’s good graces. He’d suggested the two have a movie night, like how they used to before everything went to hell. At first, his friend had seemed hesitant to go, saying that they weren’t sure if they would be free that night or how they would feel.
Blake assured his friend, however, that everything would be fine, and that they didn’t have to rush the bonding process. Yes, they’d been thick as thieves previously, but now things were different. They were older and had been apart for some time now. He didn’t expect things to go back to normal straight away, but he wanted to at least get back into the swing of things. They had both been so close before Blake had fallen away from everything, and he desperately wanted that back.
In truth, he harbored a great deal more than just platonic feelings for his dear friend. Ever since getting back into contact with them, his old feelings of pining and romance resurfaced. He couldn’t help but feel a rush of adrenaline every time he looked in their direction, or every time they smiled at him. That’s why tonight was so important. Because he wanted them to be as comfortable as possible, and make them feel as good as they made him feel.
Blake was quickly ripped away from his thoughts by the sound of knocking coming from his front door. His heart nearly skipped a beat upon realizing that it was his friend showing up as promised. He’d almost half expected them not to for some odd reason, even though they weren’t the type to flake like that.
“H-hey! You made it!” His heart raced as he opened the door and there stood his friend, all smiles and warmth as per usual. The two hugged briefly before he led them inside.
“Yeah! Sorry, I’m a little early, I hope that’s okay,” they spoke quietly while Blake led them into the living room. A quiet chuckle left them as they stared at the setup that he had made. There were three or four blankets strewn about over the couch and floor and a mound of pillows to accompany them. Blake had set up his living room to match precisely how the two used to have movie nights, which warmed his friend’s heart a great deal.
“It’s totally fine! The food actually just got here a few minutes ago so you’re right on time! Make yourself comfortable. I’ll go uh, get everything,” Blake offered before racing into the kitchen. He was nervous. Probably more nervous than he ever thought possible. He wanted everything to go right tonight; he needed it to. After a few minutes, he came back out with a box of pizza and bottles of water. “I got it from Max’s, I hope that’s okay”.
“Oh yeah, I love it from there! Plus the delivery guy is super nice, so that helps,” they laughed as they grabbed the bottles from Blake. A small pang of jealousy found its way into Blake’s heart as he listened to them gush, albeit in the briefest of moments, about the delivery boy. To them, it was nothing more than a passing comment about a stranger. But to Blake, it was yet another challenge for their affections, even if it wasn’t meant to be. He shifted slightly in order to grab the remote, switching on the tv so the two could start the movie.
“Right, yeah. Anyway, I thought I’d let you pick the movie since we haven’t done this in forever. But I swear if you pick something scary I’m going to have to veto,” Blake teased, lightly bumping their shoulder. They laughed and nudged him right back, which in turn caused Blake’s face to slightly heat up.
“You are such a baby. I’ve only ever picked one scary movie before, and it wasn't even that bad! You need to broaden your horizons, my dear,” they joked while they grabbed the remote to search for a movie for the two to watch. Blake laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck, unable to fight off the warmth spreading across his face at not only the playful pet name but also the embarrassing comment.
“I am not a baby! What can I say, I’m just not a fan of horror,” Blake attempted to defend himself, but his laughter made it clear that even he didn’t believe what he was saying. Suddenly, his friend turned to him with a wicked expression that made his heart drop.
“Well if you’re so brave then let’s watch a scary movie tonight. Unless of course, you really are just a little scaredy cat,” they teased, prodding his sides playfully. He laughed and grabbed their hands in an attempt to make them stop, holding them close to his chest so they couldn’t get away. The two divulged into a fit of giggles and struggling, which eventually ended with their faces much closer together than either had intended. Blake slowly let go of their hands before turning back to the tv.
“Fine. One scary movie, but if I hate it we’re changing it,” he chuckled. They agreed and clicked on one they’d been eyeing the whole interaction. They shifted closer to Blake, grabbing half of his blanket and throwing it over their legs. He could feel his heart rate increase even more at the notion that they wanted to share a blanket, instead of grabbing one of the many others. Perhaps his advances weren’t going unnoticed after all. Maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling something more than friendship.
As time passed, the two caught up on life and the goings-on of each other’s separate worlds. The movie was long forgotten in the background. It had been some time since they’d last gotten together, so there was quite a bit to catch up on. Halfway through the movie the two somehow ended up on the floor, the blankets and pillows nested around them in the most comforting way possible. Out of nowhere, a jumpscare sounded off and startled Blake so badly that he turned away and grabbed onto his friend, hiding his face into their shoulder. They laughed and wrapped an arm around Blake, rubbing his shoulder in a comforting manner in order to coax him back out of their shoulder.
“I- Sorry. I just um, got startled I guess,” Blake spoke quietly as he made eye contact with them, still holding onto them with a gentle grasp. Their faces were mere inches apart now, Blake’s heating up as his eyes darted swiftly to his friend’s lips before meeting their gaze once again.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind,” they muttered while never breaking eye contact with Blake. They moved their hands down slightly to his forearms. Blake attempted to find the words to express what he wanted, but the words fell flat the minute he tried to open his mouth. How was he supposed to tell them what he was feeling? More specifically, what he felt for them. The longer the two stared at each other, the more the tension grew. A classic will they or won’t they scenario. “Blake?”
His name sounded so different when they spoke it. It wasn’t a command or in disgust. It sounded so natural like it rolled off of their tongue. Like it was the most normal thing to call his name. Every time that they would, his heart would race and it would feel like he was on the edge of his seat.
“Y-yeah?”
“I… Can I…” they paused for a moment, breaking their gaze and looking back to the TV for a moment before looking back. In just a glance it seemed that they’d lost whatever nerve they’d been working up. Blake couldn’t help the intense disappointment that weighed on his heart as he saw the spark fade from their eyes. “Nevermind, just forget it,” they whispered as they turned away. Their hands fell away from Blake, and in turn, he took his away too.
In a final moment of bravery, Blake called their name. As they turned towards him, he cupped their face and quickly pressed a kiss to their lips. They let out a surprised noise before Blake pulled away. A stunned silence fell over the two for a beat until Blake began to profusely apologize.
“I-I’m sorry! I just, you seemed like you were thinking about it. And I don’t know I guess I just thought maybe you wanted this too I shouldn’t have done that I’m so s- mmf!” He was swiftly cut off by their lips on his and their arms wrapping around his neck. His hands found their ways to their waist, holding it tightly and pulling them against him. He practically melted into their touch as their hands gently weaved their way into his hair. When the two finally broke apart, laughter erupted from both.
“So I guess it's safe to say we both feel the same way,” they teased, pulling him in closer to their body. Blake smiled and kissed their cheek.
“Yeah, I guess so”. His heart felt like it was bound to burst from his chest at any moment he held onto them. The two shared one more kiss before they turned back to the tv to finish out what was left of the movie. Maybe they didn’t have everything figured out right then and there, but to be in each other’s arms and share the rest of the night together was enough for now.