Room for One

5

Toby was no stranger to one-night stands, although admittedly he'd only had a few over the years since the fallout with Alan. Still, he knew that the morning after was always awkward enough that it was better to be long gone before morning hit the situation. He had never hooked up with someone at his own house before, though, much less one of his own tenants, so he figured he was in for some first class denial-avoidance behavior from Dakota that day.

He was not prepared for the loud noise.

"What the fuck!" He stumbled into the hall where Steff was standing, looking shell shocked, her coffee mug sloshing in her hands.

"I'm not going back in there," Steff said, pointing at the kitchen then disappearing like a ghost into her room, slamming the door behind her. Toby cringed at that, shuddering as another loud bang came from the kitchen along with nerve-wracking noises of dishes being... well, he was not sure, actually. Tortured, maybe?

Pulling his robe tight, he took a deep breath and went to face the music.

"You're waking up the whole house."

Dakota did not even look at him as he practically tossed the stew pot into the cabinet. "Oh? I woke you? Sorry."

Toby blinked and tried to process what was going on. Dakota continued to clean the kitchen with extreme prejudice.

"Did I miss something?"

Dakota stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Apparently not."

"I'm getting coffee." Toby shouldered past him to the coffee pot, ignoring Dakota's tantrum as he poured a cup and took a deep, painful swallow of the steaming hot liquid. "So this is about last night."

"I'm surprised you even brought it up." Dakota started scouring the countertop.

"Well, you are kind of making it into an issue."

"Sorry." Dakota grit his teeth. Sighing, Toby walked out and went back to bed. It was his basic defense mechanism when things went to hell and he didn't know why, but he also knew it was only a short-term reprieve.

It was not as if he regretted having sex, or even having sex with Dakota. Toby liked him a lot, and he seemed to put a lot of effort into being a good tenant and a nice guy. He sat on the edge of his bed considering this, when there was a knock on the door.

"Go away!"

"Toby, open." Steff sighed. Toby mumbled at her to come in. It was rare that anyone tried to cross the sacred boundary of his bedroom door, and Toby respected Steff for putting forth the effort.

Steff closed the door behind her and sat down on the bed. She was still clutching her coffee cup, so they drank in silence for a bit as the kitchen noises started dying down.

"Dakota's a nice guy," Steff said finally, giving Toby a studied look.

"Yes yes yes, we had sex. I was tired and we were drinking and he made dinner and we had sex."

Steff nodded. "I figured. I've lived with you for three years. I knew something was up when the couch was a disaster and your boxers were on the rocking chair."

Toby looked around frantically and realized that the pile of clothes he'd dragged back with him the night before was, indeed, missing his underwear. "Oh, crap."

"Anyway, he was awake when I got home, looking thoroughly debauched."

"Who says that? Debauched?"

"Shut up. You know what I mean. Also, he looked thoroughly pissed too."

"Hey, I'm not that bad."

"What are you, blind?"

Toby frowned. "No, I know he's cute. Pretty, even. I'm a photographer, Steff, I notice things like that."

"But not that he's been hitting on you for the last three months?"

"He... what?"

Steff rolled her eyes and took a slug from her mug before answering. "He grilled me not long after he moved in, asking if you were gay and about who you were seeing and what kind of guys you like and... really, really not subtle. And then he's always making you dinner, and making sure you attend his parties, and... seriously, you didn't know?"

Toby sat in stunned wonderment, remembering the candles and the music and the food, the very good whiskey and Dakota's willingness to share.

"It was a date." Toby groaned and lowered his head into his free hand.

"What?"

"I kept asking him if he had a date planned last night. It was all so... staged. I can't believe I fell for that."

Steff laughed, loudly, and the noises from upfront paused for a bit. Then the vacuum cleaner started up.

"Toby. Toby!" Steff, still laughing, poked him.

"What?"

"Do you like him?"

"Well yeah, hello, boxers on the rocking chair."

"No, I mean...you know, like him."

Toby paused. "I don't know." He turned to look at Steff. "It's been a long time."

"Long enough, maybe?" Steff gently put her hand on Toby's knee, smiling at him. "You gotta try again sometime. Dakota's awesome, and he adores you. Everyone knows it. Well, except you, obviously." Steff patted his knee and then stood up. "I'm just saying, think about it." She left, closing the door behind her, and Toby sat on the bed drinking his cold coffee long after Dakota gave up on the house cleaning and slammed the front door on his way out.