“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Nigel asked Adam without looking away from the night sky. Adam was sitting in silence beside him. It was a perfect night for stargazing; though it was cold, the stars shone bright above them.
“Yes,” Adam answered, though he wasn’t paying much attention to the stars. Instead he paid attention to the little details of Nigel’s face illuminated by the moonlight, the way his eyebrows furrowed in confusion at Adam’s answer.
“What is the problem gorgeous? You have been way to silent tonight... hell, Adam, you haven’t said anything in all the time we had been here.” Nigel blurted, realizing the fact that yeah, it was not normal for Adam to not be speaking his ear off in front of such a sight and for so long.
“I...I wanted to ask you Nigel. If you would go out with me?” Adam said nodding to himself at the way the question had been delivered.
“I’m already out with you, Gorgeous,” Nigel answered chuckling. Adam only stared at him, his mind going blank.
Adam had spent the last week practising the question over and over again. He had planned everything, from the location to the tone of voice he was going to use, if the answer was yes, and how he would deal with the rejection if the answer was no, since Harlan had warned him about Nigel possibly rejecting the idea of a homosexual relationship, but Nigel’s unexpected answer had taken him by surprise and the speech he had planned was gone from his mind.
“I meant a date, Nigel.” Adam clarified.
“Sure thing darling. When?” Something didn’t feel right about Nigel’s answer and Adam couldn’t explain why he felt uneasy about it. The answer had been positive but something was bothering him.
“Nigel, I meant for it to be in a romantic manner. I’m asking you to be my partner.”
“What?!” Nigel’s eyes widened then blinked at him once, twice.
Adam shivered, maybe he had done something wrong. Maybe Harlan was right and Nigel would react badly to it.
“Adam, do you think I would stay up until 3a.m. in the cold, at what feels like two miles up a hill,on a Saturday with just anyone?” Nigel frowned at him with disbelief.
“Oh…” Adam blinked back, confused. “Do you mean…”
“I won’t start a relationship with you Adam.” Nigel interrupted him, and Adam swallowed, feeling a sting in his chest. “Going out in the middle of the night every few days to watch stars, watch Julia fucking Roberts movies on marathon, we have lunch and dinner together every day, we fell asleep on the couch more times than I can count, we go together to get your mac and cheese on regular basis... Adam, I am under the impression that I am already in a relationship with you.”
Adam’s breath quickened as the meaning of the words sank in, his mind tried to tie the knots.
“But we never...you never asked me, I never asked you before, how? When?”
Nigel looked confused himself.
“I thought it was... obvious, oh fuck, Adam I’m sorry, I thought... it just...happened.”
“But we never... We didn’t...I didn’t know.” Adam said, as he thought back to their routines, they had routines together , they were domestic, most of nights Nigel didn’t even go back to his apartment. Adam looked around him, they were up a hill in the middle of the night, together.
Adam’s thoughts came to a halt as cold hands settled on his cheeks and Nigel’s lips covered his. Before he could return the kiss Nigel pulled away. “I should have done that since I realized.” Nigel said softly caressing his right cheek with his thumb. Adam nodded and pulled him closer into a comfortable embrace.
“I’m so sorry Gorgeous, I assumed that because I knew, then you…”
“It’s okay, Nigel, I do that too.” Adam smiled, too happy at the turn of events to be annoyed at himself for not realizing and at Nigel for not making it clear.
Adam started to think about Nigel sleeping in his bed not the couch that night instead.
