The Weekend Arrangement

These Waters are Dangerous and I Have no Compass

"Martin? Martin?! Are you coming down? I've got the delivery place pulled up- I need to know what you want so I can order before they close"

Martin's voice drifts down from upstairs. There's something so intensely domestic about shouting takeaway orders around the house a knot forms in Jon's chest and he pushes it down forcefully. He has to keep reminding himself that workplace friendliness and flirting aside, this is quite literally their first date- of a sort. Granted, first dates rarely come with as intimate a knowledge of the other person's body; but it's still far too early for any other thoughts.

"You said curry- yeah? I'm good with whatever; just not too spicy for me. I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spice. I'll be down as soon as I find my contact case- I know I stuck it in this bag... somewhere."

Jon takes him at his word, and chooses a couple of the more popular dishes, mild across the board. He's never been one for spicy foods either; always too worried it might interfere with whatever sleep he may be able to get. It isn't much longer before Martin pads into the room, wearing a hilariously loud pair of flannels and an old, faded band tee.

"Is that a Smiths tee shirt?" There's an undercurrent of delight at Martin's pj's, they are just so incredibly Martin. He's replaced his contacts with round glasses that give him a winsome, owlish look and Jon is hit with the desire to kiss him until those glasses are fogged and askew on his face.

"Hey- The Smiths are classic, thank you very much. And I'd like to point out I'm not the one in an old man matching pyjama set." Martin settles on the couch and Jon throws his legs over his lap, yet another intimate act that feels incongruously easy to do with him.

"Well, not all of us have 'cool' band tees. And Morrissey-"

"Is a giant prat. Yeah. Well I know that now . It didn't matter when I was sixteen though. It also didn't matter that I had a crush on a 1987 version of Morrissey; it was all very tragic and romantic to a sixteen year old me. I went vegan for an entire six months, you know."

Far from being perturbed by Jon's overly familiar action; Martin has draped an arm over his legs, and rested his cheek on Jon's knee. If any one were looking, the two would seem as at ease as a far more established couple.

"No! Vegan? What happened?"

"I broke down for some cream in my tea." Martin shrugs a little at the memory, and Jon can't disguise his glee.

Talking about music from their youth gave them an easy subject to chat lightly about while waiting for their food. Martin was stunned to find Jon had been obsessed for a time with a few bands and had once been nearly arrested trying to sneak into a club while underage.

"They thought I was looking for drugs. I guess even then I didn't seem the type to be trying to meet a band member. It was daft, really. My grandmother threatened to lock me in my room for a year."

"They didn't think you'd be autograph hunting- but DID look at you and settle on drugs?" Martin chuckles at the idea.

"I'm afraid I've never been very good at sleeping; a skinny, sleep deprived fourteen year old must have just screamed looking for drugs to them."

"Is that when you got a tattoo? When you were sneaking around London trying to get into clubs? " Martin is almost more shocked by the self deprecating joke than the revelation.

Jon grimaces, and his hand strays to the place on his hip. "No, that was university. It may come as something of a surprise, but I wasn't particularly popular . I was accused by more than one person of never DOING anything- only watching others. I challenged that idea, and when someone bet me I wouldn't go get one-well. I just couldn't let that go. They never said how big, what of, or where. So a small, hidden, watching eye felt like a fun poke at the whole thing. I won a hundred quid off the bet."