Would you like Dessert?

⇠Run Away⇢

As soon as Drake walked into the kitchen, he knew his day would be horrible. His co-worker had a giant grin on their face, their eyes watching him as he walked further into the kitchen. "So, how was your night?" He questioned.

Drake narrowed his eyes, shrugging. "Fine, why?" He answered.

"I saw you with one of the customers; I thought you two looked cute together." He commented.

Drake stared at the other male, his eyes widening. "W-What?" He stammered.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd move on so quickly from your last relationship. But good for you, bro. I was tired of you moping around the ship like someone kicked you in the balls." He replied.

"Have you told anyone?" Drake asked, lunging forward and grabbing the male by the shirt.

"Of course not; I know the rules the captain has. "Your secret is safe with me, dude." The male said he was holding up his hands in defense.

The older man gradually loosened his grip as his heart thumped against his chest. Drake rushed into the pantry, rubbing his chin with his hand and leaning on the metal shelf. Drake's world spun around him as he tightened his eyes, wondering how he could have been so careless. Drake groaned, kicking the box next to him as he slid down the shelf and buried his face in his hands, knowing Simon would be furious if he found out. Drake chewed his bottom lip with a shaky breath until he could taste blood. The male knew he had to tell Simon; he should tell Simon, but he knew the risks of that. There were only two options with that outcome, and Drake didn't want to risk Simon leaving him. As much as the older male didn't want to admit it, he was in love with the chubbier male. There was a slight chance Simon wouldn't do anything and would trust Drake to handle whatever happened in this situation. But the older male had experience with secret relationships, and they all ended badly.

Drake spent what felt like hours in the pantry until another co-worker knocked on the metal door, arms folded over his chest. "Dude, stop fucking around. It's almost time for the New Year's party, and we are down a chief." He growled.

"I'll be right there," Drake said, waving toward the other person. I watched them push themselves off the metal door and disappear into the kitchen.

Drake stood up carefully, running his hands down his face once more. The guy took a few long breaths, forcing his concerns to the back of his mind; he'd worry about the party first, then Simon. Swallowing heavily, Drake emerged from the pantry, grabbed various plates, and followed behind the line of other crew members toward the ship's deck. Drake's co-worker may have seen his mood shift and gently nudged him on the shoulder. "Are you okay, man?" He spoke in hushed tones.

"N-N-No...." Drake admitted.

"If you're concerned about me informing people, don't be. I've known you long, dude, and I know how to keep a secret." The male soothed him by placing his hand on Drake's shoulder.

"I'm not worried about you telling people; I am worried about him finding out people know about us," Drake responded.

"You have to tell him that relationships don't work with secrets. He'll understand if you guys were meant to be after he calms down." The others responded.

"Our whole relationship is a secret." Drake sighed.

"Perhaps this is a good thing; no more hiding. You two may unwind and concentrate solely on one another." The man shrugged, picked up the empty dish, and returned to the kitchen.

"I doubt it," Drake muttered, following behind.

***

Drake was nothing but a nervous wreck by the time the party began. He ran into other visitors, delivering them the wrong food and drink; he even spilled wine on a lady's robe, earning him an earful from the captain. A hand on his shoulder startled the male out of his thought. He snapped his head towards the person, relaxing slightly when he saw Simon. "Hi, are you okay?" He whispered.