Comfortable Silence |Virgato|

Chapter 5

The black framed posters on his wall. The teal throw pillows on his grey couch. The plants in the window and the vase of fresh flowers on his table, a mix of bright purple and orange blooms Joel selected based entirely on their sheer boldness.

Looking around his apartment, Joel wonders what Chris will think of it all. What will it say about him? He's not used to thinking about this, because this is the first time he's ever had a space that's fully his own. No compromise on rug designs or furniture selection, just Joel's preferences, exposing him in a new and surprisingly scary way.

It feels like he's about to let Chris read his journal or flip through one of his mom's elaborate scrapbooks documenting every move he made from birth until high school graduation.

He even vacuumed for the occasion, then immediately questioned why he was so concerned about making a good impression on a guy who Joel knows for a fact uses milk crates as balcony furniture.

When Chris arrives, he looks around, taking it all in, while Joel stands there, jittery, blabbering about what a good sale the supermarket had on Granny Smith apples.

There's no judgement in Chris's investigation, though, just curiosity. Every so often his eyes will land on something that makes his lips pull into a little smile, and Joel tries unsuccessfully to follow his gaze to try to sort out what provoked the reaction.

"Do you want to just... jump into the pie?" Joel shuffles awkwardly toward the kitchen, unsure how to proceed with this interaction since ostensibly, Chris is just there to learn how to make a pie, but maybe he just wants to hang out? And the pie was just an excuse? Maybe he actually doesn't care at all about learning to make pie.

The implications of this possibility are fairly riveting, but before Joel can dwell on it, Chris pivots to follow him into the kitchen. "Yeah, bro, let's jump into the pie. I need you to know how much restraint it's taking for me not to make a pie wrestling joke right now."

"I think you just did anyway."

"What kind of pie would you want to wrestle in?"

Joel considers this. "Chocolate cream, maybe? It'd be soft and not too sticky or lumpy. Tasty to lick off."

Chris makes an extremely satisfying strangled noise and asks hopefully, "Is that what we're gonna make?"

"Nope." Joel nods at the bag of Granny Smiths on the counter. "Apple. It's easier for a beginner. Sorry," he adds, seeing Chris's dramatic pout. "What kind of pie would you want to wrestle in?" He reaches for the bag of apples and starts rinsing them in the sink.

"I'm so glad you asked," Chris says, sidling up next to Joel to watch him rinse the apples, as if there is some special technique he needs to be learning. "Blueberry, I think. You'd look nice stained in purple."

"Me? Who says I'm participating in your pie scenario?"

"It's my pie scenario and I say you're in it."

Is this flirting? Are they flirting? Is that what's happening right now? Is that what Joel wants to be happening right now? He can't remember the last time he actually flirted with someone on purpose. The last time it happened, it was an accident. But it was Chris, wasn't it?

Now that he's conscious of it, Joel doesn't know how to act. So, he deflects, immediately disappointed in himself, because that's when he realizes that yeah, he did want to be flirting with Chris.

Instead, he flips into teacher mode and says, "We'll start with the crust so we can get it in the freezer while we work on the filling." At this point, he's so familiar with the pie-making process that it's basically muscle memory, gathering the various supplies and ingredients they'll need and placing them strategically on the counter.