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Tommy didn’t know it then, but he does now. He’s in love with Evan, has been in love with Evan since the day at the coffee shop.
And who could blame him for falling so fast? The way Evan had been so earnest, offering an apology and a do-over, asking Tommy to give the future Evan saw for them a chance.
“The truth is, I don’t know what I’m ready for. But I’m ready for something, and I think maybe that something could be with you,” Evan had said, unknowingly earning Tommy’s heart in that moment.
Tommy realized he was in love with Evan early on in their relationship, and he could tell Evan felt the same. They danced around it, avoiding the conversation, both having been burned by previous relationships. Following the other’s lead, they both chose to express their love through anything other than words.
But Tommy couldn’t stop thinking it, every time Evan touched him, smiled at him, existed with him. After receiving a video from Eddie one night where a drunk Evan was rambling about how Tommy’s eyes were the color of home, and “the pheromones he releases smell like love,” Tommy decided he was ready to tell Evan how he felt.
Tommy had expected it to be dramatic; with the risk of their jobs, he assumed the first time they said it would be in a hospital room after surviving some horrible accident, or in the middle of a fight because one of them was reckless and they’re both terrified of losing each other.
Despite his expectations, the hopeless romantic in him wanted it to be tender, special, maybe even a bit cringy in a rom-com kind of way. A night off that they spend in bed, cuddled under blankets watching a movie, heavy rain pattering against the windows. Or, a grand gesture, a romantic date, specifically designed to be the perfect moment.
It was a straw of all things.
“After you, my dear,” Evan announces, bowing to Tommy as he holds the door open.
They were at the same cafe they had been at when Evan asked Tommy to be his date to his sister’s wedding, the place where (Tommy likes to think) their relationship truly began. They were both coming off 24-hour shifts and had decided that a morning coffee would be the perfect way to start their 48 off together.
“And they say chivalry is de–hey!” Tommy responds as he walks through the door, yelping when Evan pinches his butt.
He looks over his shoulder to find Evan with a smirk, blue eyes bright despite the dark bags underneath them. Tommy can’t help but smile, turning to extend his hand towards Evan, who grabs it as they make their way to the back of the line.
Evan rests his head on Tommy’s shoulder, letting out a contented sigh that turns into a yawn. That causes Tommy to yawn as well, and he lets his head fall on top of Evan’s, breathing in the smell of Evan’s shampoo as he presses a kiss into his boyfriend’s gel-free curls.
“I might fall asleep right here,” Evan mumbles, burying his face in Tommy’s neck, kissing his pulse point.
“How about we take the coffee to go?” Tommy suggests, his blunt nails scratching the back of Evan’s head.
Evan hums in acknowledgment, nuzzling deeper into Tommy’s neck.
The cashier calls them forward, and Tommy chokes down a laugh when Evan whines , a displeased squeak escaping him when Tommy steps forward, causing Evan to stumble over his feet.
“You order first, baby,” Tommy tells him, eyes flicking over the menu on the wall behind the counter, “I’m not sure what I want yet.”
“Can I just get a large iced vanilla latte, please?” Evan requests, “And my boyfriend will have the same thing, but with an extra shot of espresso.”
“Actually, could we make the second one a hot latte? And I’ll grab a muffin, too.”
"Babe, it’s like a million degrees outside,” Evan says, pulling out some cash from his back pocket, “why are you getting a hot drink? You’ll melt.”
Tommy grabs the cash out of Evan’s hand, using his own card to pay for their drinks.
“I know,” Tommy interrupts before Evan can fight him about who’s paying (he likes paying for their stuff because Evan’s reaction is always adorable), “but you’ve converted me into someone who believes cold drinks taste better with a straw, and the only straws they have here are those stupid paper ones that disintegrate before you can take a second sip.”
Evan rolls his eyes, shoving Tommy toward the counter with the milk and sugar and cutlery.
“Go get what you need, Mr. Straw Snob. I’ll wait for our stuff.”
Tommy does as he’s told, and if he adds a little swing of his hips to his walk just to hear Evan’s laugh, well, could you blame him?
Evan’s chuckle fades into the background while Tommy grabs what he needs, trying to figure out how to keep their coffees fresh for long enough to shower together and drink them in bed. Evan’s drink is cold, so he could just put that in the fridge, and he can probably put his in a mug and microwave it. Now the only problem is convincing Evan that this is an excellent idea, but he’s pulled from his thoughts when an arm slips around his waist and a chin hooks over his shoulder.
“You have our stuff?” Tommy asks, smiling when Evan’s lips brush against his temple
Evan hums in response, pulling back so Tommy can turn to face him. His smile morphs into one of confusion when he notices two cold coffees in the tray Evan is holding.
Before Tommy has a chance to ask, Evan whips out something from behind his back.
It’s a straw.
A plastic, reusable straw with different color stripes around it.
Evan tries (and fails) to hide a gigantic grin as he shoves the straw into Tommy's chest.
“They were giving out reusable straws with every purchase of a cold drink, so I got one for my straw-snob boyfriend, because drinking hot coffee during a heatwave is insane, and I’m not going to have you passing out from heat stroke because you’re too stubborn to deal with a straw-less drink.”
Tommy blinks, looking at the straw in his hand, and then back to his boyfriend. He’s speechless, overwhelmed with the feeling of being cared for, being loved, by Evan.
“This is the part where you say “thank you, baby” and give me a kiss,” Evan tells him, expectantly.
“I love you, Evan.”
“I–you what?”
Tommy could try to play it off as a joke or blame it on his tiredness. Maybe he should apologize for springing it on Evan with no warning, or because this is not the most romantic place in the world to say those three words for the first time, but Tommy can’t find it in himself to take it back. He doesn’t want to.
“I love you, Evan.” He repeats with renewed conviction, “And I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time, but I guess I was too scared.”
He can feel his eyes watering and knows there's a blush on his face, but he charges ahead anyway.
“But you got me a straw because I hate drinking cold coffee without one. You made an entire lasagna for my team and brought it to my work because the oven there broke. You got new laundry detergent because I didn’t like the way your old one smelled.
You hold me when I’m happy, or sad, or just because. You come to my basketball games even though you hate basketball, and you watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians with me even though you hate it.
You put me first, above everyone else, including yourself. You make me feel loved, and cared for, and safe. I need you to know how much you mean to me, how much I love you, because I really, really do.”
He pauses to take the tray from Evan’s hands and sets it on the counter behind him. Then, he steps forward and cups Evan’s face in his hands.
“My heart belongs to you,” he whispers, “I love you, Evan.”
“I love you too, Tommy,” Evan chokes out, and then Tommy’s kissing him.
It’s soft and unhurried because there’s no rush, no pressure. No one is in the hospital, there’s no moment to ruin.
It’s perfect, even though Tommy never expected it like this.
It’s a random Wednesday, in a cafe, and they're both exhausted.
It’s a straw of all things, and Tommy wouldn’t want it any other way.