Chương 5: Chapter5

#Chapter5

It had a green and black strap and the face moved, rotating to face the tiny little monster silhouettes that were engraved into the wider rim. It was supposed to look like the Omnitrix. It did in a way, but only enough that a true fan would be able to identify it.

/"At any time,/" Angel murmured, his fingers twisting the dial. The arrow on the twisting face turned, coming to a stop on Grey Matter. Fitting, considering he was feeling smaller and smaller by the second. /"At any point, if you want to go home, let me know. I'll take you back. No questions asked./"

/"Thank you,/" Lucien said quietly, shivering as one of the man's fingers brushed against his flesh as he spun the dial on his watch again. Angel seemed quite captivated by it, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he went through the range of monsters. Every new monster made the face of his watch glow for a few seconds.

/"Your comfort is my main priority,/" he said. He let go of the watch, falling back against the couch cushions. /"So midnight or three in the morning, if anything changes, let me know./"

/"I will./"

Angel hummed again. /"I made you a drink. Dr. Pepper is your favourite, no?/" Nodding his head towards the coffee table, Lucien followed his prompt, blinking dumbly at the glass of dark, bubbling liquid that sat on a coaster.

/"Yeah, how did you—/" He trailed off. He had nervously told him that on their first date. He just hadn't expected him to remember.

/"I didn't know whether you liked ice or not so I didn't put any in. There should be some in the freezer. I can get some if you'd like./"

/"Without— without is fine,/" he promised. /"Thank you./"

He was grateful for the drink. His throat felt like it had been sanded down to nothing. The fizzy liquid was cold even without ice and as he guzzled a few mouthfuls, the burn bringing tears to his eyes, he felt somewhat better.

/"You're shaking,/" Angel said once he'd returned to his seat. /"Why?/"

/"Sorry./"

/"You overuse your manners,/" Angel observed. /"You apologize or thank people for every little thing./"

/"Sorry,/" Lucien said again.

/"My point proved./"

/"I don't know why I'm– I'm shaking,/" he admitted. Balling up his hands, drawing them into his lower stomach, he willed them to behave and to stop tattling. The way he'd spilt his drink down himself had been what had given him away to begin with.

/"You're nervous,/" came the reply. /"That's okay. I get it. It's a little new and awkward and we've gotta learn how to be completely comfortable around each other./"

Lucien stole a glance at him. He was turned in his seat slightly, his large body taking up a lot of space in his sliding slouch. /"I just . . . I just like you,/" he admitted. /"And I don't want to— to disappoint you./"

A single eyebrow slid up. /"Disappoint me? Not even close, boy. I wouldn't have asked you back here if I wasn't invested in you. There's no fear there./"

From anybody else, he wasn't sure that would have been a compliment, but as they rolled from Angel's tongue, they were more like magic. He nodded, accepting them.

/"We've got a lot to talk about if we're going to make this official, haven't we?/" Angel's eyes briefly flickered to the screen. Lingered there for a good few seconds before they settled back on him. /"But we can deal with all that tomorrow. I know you're still unsure. I know you're a little bit scared. It's normal. So tonight can just be about getting to know each other better and learning how to be completely comfortable. I'm not going to push you for more, if that's what's bothering you./"

Flushing, Lucien flinched. Was he so transparent?

/"I don't—I mean—/" Annnnd back to the stuttering Porky Pig gig. Breaking off to suck in a deep gulp of air, Lucien tried again. /"I don't mind. If that's what you want to—/"

/"Don't do that,/" Angel cut off. He moved so that his broad shoulders shifted direction, swivelling so they were mirroring his own. /"It's written all over your face that you're not ready to take this further. I'm all down for taking things slow. This goes at your pace; don't agree to something that makes you uncomfortable just because you think that's what I want./"

/"How do you know what I'm thinking even when I don't know what I'm thinking?/" he whispered in awe.

/"Your face,/" Angel murmured. /"It's an open book. You wear your emotions loudly./"

And you don't wear yours at all, he wanted to say. He didn't. Wasn't brave enough to. But he almost did.

A loud gunshot rang out. Squeaking, he shot backwards. Wide-eyed and his heart rate spiking, his head whipped around. Then settled, bowing down in embarrassment when the T.V rang back into focus. He'd almost forgotten that the thing was on. When he turned back to Angel, he swore he saw humour sparkling in his dark eyes.

/"Come here./" Shifting, Angel held his arms open. /"Sit with me. You can choose what we're watching./"

So solid, like anchors that kept him grounded to reality, as the man's arms closed around him, drawing him to his chest, bathing him in the deliciously manly scent of old spice, Lucien's head fell against his chest, the tension slowly leaving him as Angel's hand gently patted against his back.

He declined the remote. /"Just catch me up on this,/" he whispered. Angel had mentioned he liked westerns on their last date. They'd been talking about movies and shows, and it had come up. He had a deep love for Wyatt Earp too, if Lucien was remembering right.

Then again, he'd clung onto every word Angel had said like a desperate little puppy, so he wasn't sure why he felt the need to doubt himself.

/"Yeah?/" For the first time, a smile turned Angel's lips. A real smile. Dimple in his cheek, eyes sparkling kinda smile. It changed his entire face. For a moment, Lucien could only stare. His breathing hitched, and as if by some contagious miracle, a smile of his own formed. /"You sure?/"

/"Yes,/" he said, chest puffing out beneath the swell of pride that nuzzled into him at being the reason the Angel had smiled like that. /"I'm definitely sure./"

Angel caught him up. Spiralled off into a backstory and got so caught up in telling him what had happened that he accidentally told him what was going to happen too. Lucien didn't mind. He lay there quietly, enjoying the vibrations that rippled through the big guy's chest as he explained. When the movie was over, he even asked if they could watch another shooty-shooty-bang-bang kind of film just so he could play dumb and ask Angel to give him another rundown.

Angel was more than happy to oblige. It wasn't how he pictured their first night together, cuddled up on the sofa, finding blankets and snacks once the evening broke into late night, and talking nonsense, banishing any remaining awkwardness from the party, but he wouldn't have changed it. Not for anything.

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