Bigger Than Us

008. It's A "Date" Date

Jonas

Taking his seat across from Schuyler, Jonas smiled to himself pulling his jacket back off to drape over the back of his chair. He was out on a date for the first time since high school. Okay it wasn't his first since highschool but this just felt different. He was out with an attractive guy that actually insisted that he got to pay for dinner and he didn't have to sneak around. That's what had Jonas smiling so hard. For the first time since his senior year he was out on a date in public with an attractive guy who didn't seem to care for the odd stares they were getting. He wasn't hiding under a bed or in a bedroom closet but out in the open and flirting.

"This is nice," Jonas said, not really talking about anything in particular.

"Yeah, it is. I'm starting to think that bread sticks and water doesn't sound half bad," Sky quipped, looking around at the place.

"It's not all that," Jonas said, picking up a menu off the table. "They didn't even have a hostess lead us to a table."

"Is that important?"

"No, but I just like being led to a table."

"That's cool." Sky nodded, eyes glancing down at Jonas hand resting on the table.

Jonas mentally willed him to take it. To reach over and lay his hand atop his just for a moment even. This was something that fourteen year old Jonas had only dreamed about. But Sky didn't take his hand and the conversation ended there with the man grabbing his own menu.

A little disappointed Jonas quickly skimmed the laminated paper and decided on what he wanted just in time for a waiter to approach them. For some reason the blonde man looked familiar as he came closer to the table, reaching up to fix his bow tie before stopping right next to Jonas seat.

"Good evening, gents. May I ask what'll you two be havin- Jonas?" the man- er Liam said. That's who it was. Liam from the study group Liam. Was it wrong of Jonas to take a second to admire the man's appearance for just a tiny little second? He'd never admit it but at first he had a crush on the man, until he realized that he was straight.

"Liam?" Jonas said, putting on a fake smile. No need to get friendly, he was on a date with a (may he say) more attractive guy who seemed genuinely happy to be out tonight. "I thought you looked familiar."

"Same here. How was Jill's party, I didn't get to go?"

"Were you studying?" Please hurry and take their orders, Jonas could practically feel Sky's eyes on him as the man watched the conversation in front of him transpire.

"Yeah. You're still planning on helping me-"

"Ahem. Sorry, not to sound rude but I'm kinda here with a friend," should Jonas refer to Schuyler as his friend, they weren't together like that but the teenager in him was feeling a little excited at the prospect, "and we were hoping to maybe order something to eat."

"Oh," Liam said before blinking, "oh... got it."

Did he just wink? Liam from the study group just winked at him.

"What would you two gentlemen like?" Liam asked, his words lost on Jonas the young man tried to piece together what happened.

Sky went on ahead and ordered his food and, still a little dazed, Jonas places his order too. He wasn't sure how to feel when Liam lingered for a second longer after taking his order, lips spreading into a smile before leaving to head towards the kitchen.

"Friend of yours?" Sky asked, setting his menu back down on the table.

"Not really. My friend Jill added us all to this group chat. It's mostly for school stuff like help with quizzes or a way to set up a study group at the library."