He had thought ...he blushed and flynn cut the engine, turning around, eyebrows raised.
"I don't know about you, but I could go for a milkshake," flynn said, grinning, and oncie tried to swallow the lump in his throat again.
"P-pardon?" he replied, and flynn smiled wider, wilder, if that was possible.
"A milkshake? You know what that is, right?" flynn laughed at him, green eyes searching his face. oncie felt his face heat up even more as "I'm sorry, I don't really have any money..." oncie stammered and flynn waved him off, shoving his keys into his pockets.
"Good thing I plan on paying." flynn sighed, holding an arm out at the curb. "After you."
oncie reluctantly climbed off of the bike, trying not to squeeze too hard when he used flynn's shoulder for balance. He stood a foot or so from him watching as flynn stood, humming to himself. He oozed confidence, and oncie had to try his best not to just check him out every time he got the chance.
flynn just smirked, pulling a cigarette from a pack stowed in his jacket, the matches balanced in the other hand. He lit up and took a pull, offering it to oncie as they stood right outside the diner, the lights from inside oncieting shadows on the street.
"You smoke?"
"Not really," oncie replied. flynn shrugged and surged ahead, still humming to himself, singing a little under his breath, oncie following behind him, the bell above the diner door jingling as they entered.
"Ellen!" flynn called, and a woman turned behind the counter, smiling at him.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in!" she said, pouring coffee into the mug of the man hunched over the sports section of that day's paper. oncie fidgeted with his sweater as Ellen's eyes slid over him and then back to flynn, questioning.
"The usual?" she asked, but her voice held a tone that oncie knew was asking more than that.
flynn smiled at her, not bothered in the least, and then looked at oncie, waving him forward.
"Two please," he responded, and then he indicated for oncie to follow him to a booth towards the back, flynn sliding in on one side and oncie sliding in on the other.
"Jo working tonight?" flynn said to Ellen, leaning back, tapping his smoke out in an ashtray by the window. oncie watched him, astounded thatflynn hadn't even asked for his name but was buying him a 'usual'.
"No, she's off. I'll have that right out for you boys..." Ellen trailed off, jotting something down and going through to the kitchen to put their order in. flynn smiled and brought his cigarette back up to his mouth, finally turning his eyes to oncie.
oncie took a breath and twisted his hands together on his lap.
"You'll like this place. Food's great," flynn started, blowing smoke out the side of his mouth. oncie nodded.
"I've been here before," he replied shortly, suddenly irritated with how presumptuous the whole thing was. He just wanted a ride home, and now he was out of his comfort zone and the idiot smiling at him was to blame.
"Have you?" flynn laughed. "Well, then you know."
"I guess."
flynn looked at him with hooded, lazy regard, eyes smoothing over oncie' face and then down, to where the table cut his torso off. oncie cleared his throat and flynn flicked his eyes back up to him.
"You know about me?" flynn said all at once, , his smirk back, careless and curious. He pulled on his cigarette and oncie shifted a little, glancing out the window.
"Not much, really."
"That's surprising," flynn exclaimed, a little more animated. "Most people know all about me. Especially if they're at a Delta party. But you don't look like the usual. You must live in the library."
"I'm studying to become a Doctor," oncie interjected and flynn grinned, bared his teeth, almost like he was impressed or something.
There was a pause and oncie counted the grains of salt spilled on the table, distracting himself from flynn's eyes, until flynn leaned forward, palming his chin.
"So, you queer?"
oncie' face shot up and he inhaled sharply, staring at flynn who was smiling softly at him. oncie glanced away, his cheeks no doubt stained with red.
"So what if I am?" he whispered, and he couldn't believe he'd actually said it out loud. To flynn rider of all people. Fuck he was stupid. There was no reason for him to admit that, but – flynn didn't look offended. He didn't even look excited about it. It was as if he'd asked what classes oncie was taking or what records he listened to.fuck, he was stupid.
flynn nodded and shrugged. "I figured. Last time someone looked at me like you did at rapunzel 's, I got laid." oncie' eyes widened. "I don't even know you!" he hissed, "I just was trying to walk home, and you picked me up and – !"
"Now I'm buying you a milkshake," flynn finished for him. "And fries too." He tapped his cigarette out. "Pretty good for a first date, if you ask me."
"Wha- First date?" oncie choked out, turning to look at flynn with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open.
flynn only grinned at him, shrugging again "First date."
He said it so matter-of-factly, like this is the only reason why he offered oncie a ride- just so that he could take him to this diner and buy him some french fries and a milkshake, and then claim it as their first date. They didn't even know each other. oncie only knew about flynn from what Hester had told him back at the party, and flynn hadn't even asked for his name yet.
"You don't even know my name."
"Then tell me."
oncietiel narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, but flynn didn't falter at all. He just sat there, watching oncietiel \. The way flynn was staring at him made him nervous and his voice faltered as he spoke.
"C-oncietiel."
"oncietiel," flynn repeated, easily rolling his name off of his tongue, and the way that he said it sent chills down oncietiel's spine. It made his cheeks grow red and butterflies flutter around in his stomach.
"So is this why you picked me up? To bring me to a diner to get a milkshake and some fries?"
"Basically." flynn leaned back in his seat too, and he just looked so nonchalant, like he didn't have a care in the world. He didn't seem to care about being out in public with oncie, buying him food and claiming this to be their 'first date' out loud. "I saw you at the party and you looked, well, interesting. But then you left before I could talk to you. I was going to let you go, but, I figured, 'Hey, why not?' You only live once, right?
"You weren't even planning on taking me home, were you?"
"Not yet."
oncietiel laughed softly, shaking his head as he turned back to look outside of the window. The street lights were barely illuminating the sidewalk, and a car passed by.
"That's not how you ask to take someone out."
"What?" And this time, flynn faltered.
"It's better to ask politely. Not offer them a ride a home, and then just not take them home."
"Well, I am actually planning to take you home afterward, if that makes anything better."
"I don't think that counts."
flynn didn't say anything for a few moments, and oncietiel turned to look at him again, smiling softly when he saw that flynn had his mouth slightly agape, as if he didn't even know what to say.
"But, y'know, this is kinda nice. I was pretty hungry anyway." oncietiel shrugged and flynn straightened up, grinning the way he had been before, bordering on feral.
oncietiel pushed his glasses up with his finger and tapped his nails on the formica, a tense silence falling over them.
"So, tell me oncietiel, what's your story?" flynn asked after a moment, jamming the remainder of his cigarette into the ashtray, one arm thrown over the back of the booth. He tilted his head at oncietiel, inclining him to speak. oncietiel stopped drumming on the table top and tried to think of something to say. He wasn't really the kind of person with a story – he was just going to school. He was going to become a doctor. He lived alone in a shitty apartment and pretended to touch girls at parties.
This was probably the most interesting thing that had ever happened to him, so he supposed he might as well tell the truth.
"I'm sitting at a booth with you, and this is the first time that has ever happened," he began, noting the way flynn's eyebrows shot up. "Ever."
flynn huffed and squinted at him.
"Don't tell me this is your first date ever."
oncietiel stared at flynn despite the flush rising up his collar. flynn's eyes widened.
"You're kidding. Face like yours?"
oncietiel remained silent and flynn covered his mouth with his hand, chuckling and looking at the counter for a few seconds.
"Well, damn," he said into his palm, looking back at oncietiel, his smile peeking out between his fingers. "Guess that makes me kind of special, huh."
oncietiel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
"Just because it's my first 'date' doesn't mean I'm an idiot. I could have had my first date with anybody," he growled and flynn leaned forward, elbows on the table, slowly entering oncietiel's orbit.
