oh my god, they were neighbors

an official date + other drama

Though he'd only planned on a short nap, Ezra didn't wake until 9 the following morning. There was a smell of coffee in the air, which, he discovered, was coming from Mateo's stove. He was using a saucepan to make coffee. This news boded well for Ezra, who woke with a staggering headache and a desire to never see light again.

"Good morning, Ezra," Mateo greeted, stirring the coffee. His voice was quiet and monotone, as if speaking louder than a whisper would outright kill him. Given how Ezra felt, he didn't blame him. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Mmm." Ezra grumbled. "Why is alcohol a thing?"

"So neighbors can kiss each other," Mateo said back, plainly, and Ezra was struck with the realization that none of the night before was a dream. "Obviously."

"Oh. Yeah, right," Ezra said, feeling weirdly embarrassed about it even though they'd both played a part.

Mateo grinned as he grabbed two mugs from his cupboard and brought them to his counter. He poured coffee into both and looked back at Ezra. "Do you take sugar or milk in your coffee? I have creamer, too, um...if you'd like."

"Black is fine," Ezra replied.

Mateo shrugged as he finished making up his own coffee with milk and sugar. He brought the mugs over and handed one to Ezra.

"Thanks," Ezra said, taking a small sip of the black coffee. Mateo sat down next to him on the couch; close, but not too close. "Sorry for crashing here. I wasn't planning on it, but...you know. I didn't plan on a lot of things last night."

"It's okay." Mateo looked at Ezra for a moment before darting his eyes away. "Um...so...what happens now? I mean- we don't have to, um, do anything about it."

Ezra needed another sip of coffee. "I think we should go on a date with a little less alcohol involved."

"Okay. Yes." The bartender smiled a little against his mug of coffee as he pressed it to his lips. "I would like that. Can it be somewhere quiet? I just- I don't know. You know me, I don't like crowds."

"We can do that," Ezra replied. "Any ideas?"

"Well, I- you know my spot on the rooftop of the building, right?"

Ezra squinted a bit. "I- no?"

Mateo acted as if this was some great crime. "I didn't tell you? Oh. I- I can show you tonight, uh, if you're not busy. I'll make dinner."

"Okay, Mateo."

The two sat around drinking coffee for another ten or so minutes before Ezra went back to his apartment. Everything felt different again. His apartment was even colder and lonelier than before, but Ezra didn't even care. He was too busy waiting for the night to come faster. Something likened to joy stirred up in him, but that wasn't a strong enough feeling. Hell, he was so excited that he forgot, at least for the day, that his mother was in Atchison, waiting for him to reply to the texts and voicemails she had sent that first night.

At least for the day.

When night came, Ezra felt like he had to dress up even though he was only seeing Mateo, and Mateo had already liked him enough to kiss him. Still, he changed out of a hoodie and sweatpants and into a black shirt and jeans. He went over to Mateo's apartment when it was time to, and suddenly, waiting outside of the apartment, he got nervous.

Ezra never really dated anyone in college, and his last relationship was with a girl in highschool that he obviously didn't even really like. In other words, he'd had flings and fake girlfriends, but no boyfriends or dinner dates. It felt strange to stand outside of Mateo's door now. Even though he'd done it many times before, his intentions had changed. This was no longer just a night where they watched movies or shared a simple meal and laughed about things. This was an honest-to-God date, a potential proposition of a non-platonic future. And that worried him just a little.