Hands to My Heart (boyxboy)

Chapter 3

When class had finally ended and Noah had convinced Oliver that he would in fact be okay with walking to their shared apartment, literally three blocks away, he rested against the wall outside the class room, tapping his fingers impatiently. He still couldn't believe Ethan had said yes to him. They hardly knew each other! But that's what dating's all about, right? And he asked in such a cheesy way! But who could deny it was cute? Okay, so maybe Noah's freaking himself out. Maybe. 

Ethan finally exited the classroom, a blazer thrown over his white button down and the raggedy satchel over his shoulder, lips lifted in a bright smile. God, he looked great. 

Okay, maybe a little more than maybe. 

~

"I still can't believe you said yes," Noah murmured, his fingers fiddling with the coffee cup. 

"Why?" Ethan asked, a comically curious expression on his face. 

Shrugging, embarrassment coloring his cheeks, Noah sipped at his coffee, preoccupying his mouth and managing to burn his tongue at the same time. Ethan still continued with the wondering expression, brow furrowed, hand limp around his cup, lips parted. God, Noah really just wanted to fit his between...

"I just didn't know if you were..."

"Gay?" Ethan finished, with a slightly amused look. 

"... Yeah..." Noah answered, embarrassed. 

A laugh broke the air between them. "Did you completely miss the whole part where I got my ass grabbed by another guy?" He teased with a light hearted grin. 

Noah blushed brightly. "Okay, yeah, but... Didn't you turn him down though?" He asked skeptically. 

Ethan laughed awkwardly, scratching at the back of his neck. "Well, yeah, but not for that reason. Casper's a great guy... He's just... Not really my type..." He dragged out. 

It was Noah's turn to laugh. "You mean because he has a di--"

"I mean because he's kind of the jock type," Ethan cut him off, fixing him with a pointed look. 

"Right," the brunette mumbled, sipping his drink in moderation this time. "So you said yes because...?"

The smaller boy smiled sheepishly, stuttering out, “Well, um, you're, uh, you're really-- I mean, you're cute."

Noah's cheeks were on fire, but he had to hold in the 'aw' at the stuttered mess of words. "Um, thanks," he managed. "But you're way better looking than me." 

Ethan shook his head skeptically and fiddled with his mug of tea, before signing out something like, You are, but Noah wasn't quite sure what the next sign was. 

Looking down at the cup before him, Noah wondered what else they could be doing. It'd been a while since he'd really been on a first date. His eyes drifted to the window, where one could see the wind spinning round autumn colored leaves. It was late November and the weather just kept on getting colder. "Do you want to go for a walk?" He asked suddenly. 

Ethan apparently hadn't noticed he'd spoken, his eyes downcast at his own drink. The brunette snuck a hand across the table, tapping the blonde's forearm. Ethan looked up once more, not necessarily startled, but in that ball park. Noah repeated the question, his lips quirking slightly at the way the man seemed to visibly relax before nodding and standing to his feet. 

The taller boy followed his example, slipping on his jacket. Ethan had paused to set a five spot on the table before slinging his blazer back on. Subconsciously, Noah wet his lips as he watched the movement, before rushing in front of his companion to hold the door. He could be a gentleman when he wanted to.