out?”
“ Honestly, there are moments in time where I’m not sure anything I do is
real,” Daniel admitted, shaking his head. “In fact, I’m still not sure if any
of this is even real.”
Nick tilted his head. “If what is real?”
Daniel nodded. He gestured to Nick, and then to
himself, awkwardly shifting in his seat. “All of this. You know, having this
conversation with you. Being on a date with you. I just thought you were being
nice.”
Nick grinned and leaned forward, trying to look Daniel
in the eyes. He waggled his eyebrows playfully. “Why can’t it be both? Can’t I
be nice while also wanting to go on a date with you?”
“ You could, but then I’d accuse you of lying, because I think you’re
being nice because of some ulterior motive,” Daniel said, finally meeting
Nick’s gaze once more. “Then again that could just be the part of me that
doesn’t want to expect anything so that I don’t feel betrayed.”
Nick lifted up his cup of coffee and took a sip.
“Couldn’t the ulterior motive be wanting to get to know you more and seeing if
your damage and my damage are compatible?”
It took a few moments for Daniel to respond, but when
he spoke, there was another slight smile on his face. “Putting it that way, I
think that’s possible, but I’m still not sure why you see me as more than just
single-date material.”
Now Nick didn’t get that part at all. Even though Nick
knew that Daniel had suffered through a few things in his love life and that he
felt like this failure defined him, it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Daniel was attractive, he had a sense of humor, he had a smile that made Nick
wanted to smile right back at him, and he was kind-hearted. All he needed was
to give himself a chance.
“ And why exactly do you think I wouldn’t want to date you?”
Once more, Daniel turned away. Nick was beginning to
sense that when Daniel was uncomfortable, he had a tendency to avert his gaze
from people. “The shallow part of me wants to say, look at me. I’m like a
double-scoop ice cream cone, or like the Pillsbury dough boy. Round in the
middle, and a little on the pudgy and soft side. I don’t even compare to you.”
Nick chuckled. “No one said you had to be compared to
me. And you’re right, that is shallow.
The only physical aspect you should be thinking about is how compatible we are
when we do physical things.”
Daniel’s lips quirked slowly into a smile, like he
couldn’t help himself from reacting the way he did. There was thinly-veiled
intent in Nick’s words, after all. “I also feel like I’d be inadequate for you
in a lot of other ways. Maybe it’s just the image in my head, but that might
just be that star-struck part of me, you know? The one that still feels sort of
happy that someone like you could be paying me any attention.”
“ Someone like me?” Nick’s face scrunched up in confusion, though he was
still amused by what Daniel was saying. Well, amused and a little frustrated.
Thad had done a number on him. It was becoming exceedingly clear to Nick that
the person in front of him was sensitive.
“ Yeah. You know, hot. You’ve got…” Daniel gestured over towards Nick’s
body. “All of that going on. You’re hot. Like, smoking hot. Like I feel like if
I stared at you too long, I’m going to melt, or go blind. Maybe both!”
“ There’s more to me than just the outside, you know,” Nick replied,
though he did have a grin. He wasn’t taking any of this like an insult. In
fact, it was very, very complimentary.
What he didn’t like, however, was that Daniel was becoming a little too self-deprecating. It made Nick want to bring out a mirror and
just ask Daniel to point out whatever flaws he had, so that Nick could tell him
that was bullshit. Maybe even kiss away his insecurities. And the thought that
Nick was getting in way too deep, way too fast with Daniel was both frightening
and exciting.
“ Thanks for saying I’m
“ Honestly, there are moments in time where I’m not sure anything I do is
real,” Daniel admitted, shaking his head. “In fact, I’m still not sure if any
of this is even real.”
Nick tilted his head. “If what is real?”
Daniel nodded. He gestured to Nick, and then to
himself, awkwardly shifting in his seat. “All of this. You know, having this
conversation with you. Being on a date with you. I just thought you were being
nice.”
Nick grinned and leaned forward, trying to look Daniel
in the eyes. He waggled his eyebrows playfully. “Why can’t it be both? Can’t I
be nice while also wanting to go on a date with you?”
“ You could, but then I’d accuse you of lying, because I think you’re
being nice because of some ulterior motive,” Daniel said, finally meeting
Nick’s gaze once more. “Then again that could just be the part of me that
doesn’t want to expect anything so that I don’t feel betrayed.”
Nick lifted up his cup of coffee and took a sip.
“Couldn’t the ulterior motive be wanting to get to know you more and seeing if
your damage and my damage are compatible?”
It took a few moments for Daniel to respond, but when
he spoke, there was another slight smile on his face. “Putting it that way, I
think that’s possible, but I’m still not sure why you see me as more than just
single-date material.”
Now Nick didn’t get that part at all. Even though Nick
knew that Daniel had suffered through a few things in his love life and that he
felt like this failure defined him, it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Daniel was attractive, he had a sense of humor, he had a smile that made Nick
wanted to smile right back at him, and he was kind-hearted. All he needed was
to give himself a chance.
“ And why exactly do you think I wouldn’t want to date you?”
Once more, Daniel turned away. Nick was beginning to
sense that when Daniel was uncomfortable, he had a tendency to avert his gaze
from people. “The shallow part of me wants to say, look at me. I’m like a
double-scoop ice cream cone, or like the Pillsbury dough boy. Round in the
middle, and a little on the pudgy and soft side. I don’t even compare to you.”
Nick chuckled. “No one said you had to be compared to
me. And you’re right, that is shallow.
The only physical aspect you should be thinking about is how compatible we are
when we do physical things.”
Daniel’s lips quirked slowly into a smile, like he
couldn’t help himself from reacting the way he did. There was thinly-veiled
intent in Nick’s words, after all. “I also feel like I’d be inadequate for you
in a lot of other ways. Maybe it’s just the image in my head, but that might
just be that star-struck part of me, you know? The one that still feels sort of
happy that someone like you could be paying me any attention.”
“ Someone like me?” Nick’s face scrunched up in confusion, though he was
still amused by what Daniel was saying. Well, amused and a little frustrated.
Thad had done a number on him. It was becoming exceedingly clear to Nick that
the person in front of him was sensitive.
“ Yeah. You know, hot. You’ve got…” Daniel gestured over towards Nick’s
body. “All of that going on. You’re hot. Like, smoking hot. Like I feel like if
I stared at you too long, I’m going to melt, or go blind. Maybe both!”
“ There’s more to me than just the outside, you know,” Nick replied,
though he did have a grin. He wasn’t taking any of this like an insult. In
fact, it was very, very complimentary.
What he didn’t like, however, was that Daniel was becoming a little too self-deprecating. It made Nick want to bring out a mirror and
just ask Daniel to point out whatever flaws he had, so that Nick could tell him
that was bullshit. Maybe even kiss away his insecurities. And the thought that
Nick was getting in way too deep, way too fast with Daniel was both frightening
and exciting.
“ Thanks for saying I’m
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