Beating For Two

Chapter 20

Friday, March 18th

Thirty weeks and four days

When I'd asked Harry for some bacon in the meal he was to make me, I didn't mean for it to only be bacon. Apparently Harry had different thoughts though.

“Did you just make... hot dogs wrapped in bacon, baked potatoes stuffed with bacon and a bacon salad on the side?” I asked hesitantly when he put down a huge plate in front of me and grinned widely.

“Yupp,” he said as he sat down next to me on the couch with his own plate in his lap.

“You said you craved bacon, so I made you a lot of bacon.”

“I said I wanted bacon, not that I craved it.”

“So you don't want it?”

“No, of course I want it!” I exclaimed, possibly a little louder than necessary.

“It looks tasty. And really greasy, I'm probably gonna gain ten more kilos from eating it. But it looks yummy.”

“Yummy?” he laughed.

“What are you, five?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Let's just eat.”

“Wanna watch a movie?”

I shrugged.

“Sure, if you have a good one.”

“How about...” he started slowly as he put his plate on the coffee table and walked over to the giant TV and crouched down in front of it.

“Dirty Dancing?” he finished and held up a DVD cover.

“Seriously?” I snorted.

“And I'm supposed to be the gay one.”

“What's gay about it?” he asked with a frown.

“They dance. That's gay enough.”

“Stereotyping your own people... that's just sad.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Are you saying that every gay man is of 'my people'?”

“Are you gonna kick me if I do?”

“Can't be bothered to stand up, so no. I will, however, glare sourly at you.”

“Well, seeing as I don't really refer to every heterosexual man as a man of my people, I'm not gonna be a dick and say that every gay man is a part of your people either,” he said as he opened the DVD-cover and put the disc into the player.

“Good answer,” I said with a smile before I took a spoon-full of my mashed potatoes, picking up a couple of pieces of bacon in the process.

“Thank you,” he said as he stood up and walked over to the couch again.

“Holy shit, this is good,” I said with my mouth full of food.

“You have a comfortable bed, you're the father of my baby and you know how to cook; please marry me,” I added once I'd swallowed.

“Yeah, sure, once I've turned gay,” he said.

He picked up two remotes from the table and pressed a couple of buttons on both of them, making the TV come to life. His gaze was fixated on the screen and he didn't notice the way my smile fell and my cheeks flushed red at his latest uttering.

Once he'd turned gay. Right. It was strange, but I still became equally disappointed every time I was reminded of the fact that Harry was straight; every time I was reminded, it left me with the same heavy lump in my chest and the same clenching sensation around my heart. Every damn time.