The impending excitement over dinner was mutually shared. While Cash busied himself with dinner and straightening his already clean home, Negan was hustling around his own kitchen making his dessert with what bare essentials he kept at the lake house. Running into town had set him back a bit but he was determined to make up for that lost time. He did get the cleaning supplies he needed but figured that he'd be up all night anyway thinking about how his night went with Cash so he could clean then and make up for the time he'd lose having dinner.
Negan hurriedly tasted the apple concoction he had made for his pull apart dessert before scooping it into the buttered glass dish.
"Perfect. You're gonna love this, Big Boy." He praised to himself tossing the spoon in the sink. He could make this dish in his sleep. It was a family favorite and he made it often. It was also, warm, quick and fitting for the Fall season. Plus, Cash just looked like an apple sort of man. Had he had more time he'd have made him a pie. He'd like to think maybe next time but Negan tried to focus on that this was it. He was just going to have this one night with an incredibly handsome man sharing a meal over conversation, shameless flirting and if he were lucky or if he'd allow himself to, maybe they'd kiss. "Those fucking dimples." He painfully groaned recognizing his weakness and tossed his dessert in the oven. "Yeah, we're making out on your doorstep and I'm digging my hands into that muscled ass while I do it too. Jesus fucking Christ. I don't fucking care." He embellished with a sadistic laugh and set the timer on the stove.
At first, even while he was racing around the unfamiliar grocery store grabbing his ingredients, he had contemplated taking a quick shower once his dessert had made it in the oven knowing it would be obvious to Cash that he was indeed interested when he showed up fresh and trimmed. Guys just didn't shower for each other to share a few beers and watch a football game but at this point he didn't care. Showing up with a caramel apple breakfast dessert was plenty enough clue to say that he was gay. His only regret was that he hadn't packed anything more flattering to wear. He had packed work clothes so it would have to be the lesser of the two flannel shirts to go over a white under shirt. But had he been home he knew exactly the Giorgio Armani turtle neck he'd choose.
Little did Negan know that while he was looking at himself in the foggy bathroom mirror raking styling gel threw his wet black hair that Cash was doing the same. He too had contemplated the same; he'd look so fucking obvious. He almost had talked himself out of it too but he had been working on installing a new guest bathroom that was still in progress earlier in the day and now had cut up onions and peppers for supper. He needed a shower.he however had his pick of his closet and chose a black bicep hugging shirt and a nicer pair of jeans. What down played it was he wore his slip on brown leather moccasins so keep himself casual.
The meat had about 15 mins left to go yet but Cash had planned it that way. Negan would arrive, if he was one for punctuality, it would give them a few minutes to settle in and crack a beer before they'd sit down to eat.
Negan was indeed right on the dot. He smelt his supper cooking out on the grill as he stepped out into the dark, damp Fall evening with his casserole dish covered in tin foil. Cash's lights were warmly glowing inside and his nerves settled. Despite their shared intense flirting that was happening, something about Cash and in this very moment made him feel the most at ease that he had felt in a very long time. He'd gone on a few dates here and there since coming out but he was extremely selective to who he chose. His standards were very high and although this was the most casual date he would spend it somehow felt the most perfect. Now he had his long awaited answer to the magic of his lake house. It had been Cash. Cash was the key. How poetic this was to end the last weekend at his lake house with such perfect company. He was at ease and he was ready.
Cash blew out a hard breath and straightened the hem of his shirt as he went to answer the door. "Here we go." He told his skipping heart and opened the door.
Immediately Negan noticed that Cash's thick hair was wet and feathered back at his temples in a 70's ravens wing style. He had showered too and yes, how could he have over looked that hair? Cash had a great head of hair. He could easily fantasize his hand gripping it at the root as he guided Cash threw gagging on his length.
Cash had recognized that Negan was fresh too. What Negan admired in Cash, he admired in Negan. He liked his hair, and he especially liked his beard and noticed that it had gotten trimmed and cleaned up and his neck for their dinner. Then he took notice of the casserole dish in Negan's hand.
"You not only actually brought dessert but you made it too." Cash laughed feeling incredibly touched.
"I did and you're going to love it." Negan added handing him over the warm dish.
"I thought you didn't have any sugar." Cash joked and stepped aside to allow Negan to enter his home.
"I went to the damn grocery store." He replied walking in while his eyes scanned the open floor plan. It was absolutely perfect. He had only been in that house a handful of times over the course of 10 years but Cash had completely changed it. There had been a wall that had separated the rooms and he'd knocked it down. He'd added dark wood and re done the fire place. It was simple, manly and just perfect.
"What is it?" Cash asked of his dessert and impatiently peeled back a corner of the tinfoil to both peek and smell.
"It's a Carmel apple, pull apart, breakfasty, goes great with a cup of coffee type of thing." He shared and appreciated the way Cash smiled with his nose was buried in the corner of the dish. Not to mention his biceps that were as big around as his goddamn thigh.
"I love apple." Cash swooned taking in another deep breath before he covered it back up to keep the steam in.
"I figured that you might. You look the apple type." Negan smiled.
" I'm also a peach cobbler, blueberry pie, chocolate cake, oatmeal raisin, Christmas cut out cookie kind of man too in case you're taking notes." Cash laughed and slid the dish on the granite counter.
"Dully noted." Negan winked.
"Can I get you a beer?" Cash offered rounding the counter to get to the fridge to help himself to one.
"Please." He accepted and took a seat at the counter to watch Cash move.
"The place looks great. You've been busy." Negan complimented to start things off with.
"Thank you. I closed first of May after my divorce was settled and I haven't sat down since." He shared wanting to make sure that Negan knew that he was divorced and single.
"The need to keep busy, how are you doing?" He asked knowing full well what that felt like.
"Oh, it was a real shit show, your text book nasty divorce but I'm feeling a lot better." Cash shared and twisted off Negan's bottle cap and Cash handed it over he realized what he had done and that Negan didn't need his cap taken off for him.
"Habit. Sorry. I'm not implying. This is just a first. But then again, shut the hell up, fuck" He rambled on with his apology and felt an ass for treating that moment like he was politely doing the favor for a woman.
"Relax." Negan hummed and took a drink from the cold long neck. "You're perfect." He winked in reassurance making sure that he had made eye contact with Cash opposite the counter.
" I just didn't mean to imply anything. I just invited you over to meet my new to me neighbor, have dinner, you're married.." Cash continued on with digging himself a hole.
Negan swallowed his drink and placed his his bottle down on the counter.
"I'm divorced too. 10 years now. However, Emily, my wife, is very happily remarried and is lovely woman and the mother to our twin teenaged boys. She doesn't deserve the ugly prefix of ex." He said using air quotes. "I will always refer to her as wife." Negan clarified and had blown his cover. He usually hid behind Emily's wall. "I'm a gay man, Cash and I'm absolutely hoping that this is indeed a date. If not, that's ok too." He said picking up his bottle and tipped it to his bottom lip for a swallow. "But for what it's worth," he paused wiping his mouth, "you're extremely, undeniably, fucking the most attractive man I've ever laid eyes on and I will take the evening with you however you see fit." He ended raising his brows and took another drink.
Cash had but a split second to let that bomb shell sink in and reply to but at least now he fucking knew and the ball was in his court. He knew what he felt and it was quite strong. He knew that he felt more excited then he had about anything in so long that he couldn't readily remember. He knew that with each passing minute he was finding Negan to be more captivating then the last. Nothing material could top the feelings of newly found butterflies of attraction and that it was being reciprocated.
"Despite the lie that I'm trying to tell myself, I'd like to get to know you on more then a neighbor sort of way." He tried. "And for what it's worth to you, I'm looking right at you and I still can't get you off my mind" He freed of his sudden strong feelings.
"I get it." Negan agreed with a nod. "The pull is pretty fucking strong I have to agree and at least for me, I'm ok with feeling this way. Meaning I've come to grips a long time ago that I like men. This has to be rough on your head right now." He winked.
"Both of them" Cash joked threw blushed cheeks.
Negan burst out with a hearty laugh.
"More of that." He said tapping the counter with his finger tip.
"I better go get our food." Cash exhaled deeply needing to have just a moment and Negan fully understood.
