Road To Happiness ✔

TWENTY-FOUR

Even after everything that had happened that night, Hugo and Stefan slept in separate beds. Hugo wasn't ready for anything more than the tender kisses they continued to share as the night wore on. It took Hugo far longer to fall asleep that night than any other, giddiness keeping him awake.

The same giddy feeling stayed with him all the way until Stefan dropped him off for work, giving him a light kiss on the cheek and a promise to see him later that night as a parting gift. Robert had questioned him at one point, asking what had happened to make him smile so much. He'd been tempted to text Renee and tell her everything during his lunch break, but knowing Stefan, he already had.

His nerves began to take over the happy feeling towards the end of the day. Stefan would be coming back soon, and they would be going on their first date. It would be the first date Hugo had ever gone on. Hell, the kiss the night before had been his first. Kissing wasn't as strange as sixteen-year-old him used to think it was. If anything, it was nice. He liked it. He wanted to do it more.

Stefan probably thought he sucked at it, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He'd learn how to do it properly with time and hopefully a lot of practice. That was if the date that night went well. He was sure it would, but there was always the voice in the back of his head that whispered constant doubts at him.

Robert tapped him on the shoulder towards the end of your shift. "You've been staring at that for the last ten minutes," he said, a concerned frown on his face. "Are you alright? You were smiling all morning, now you look down. What happened?"

Hugo didn't know what to tell him. He didn't even know if Robert knew he was gay. His mother had probably told him before she passed, she never could keep her mouth shut. But they'd never talked about it. It never came up, so he hadn't seen the point.

"I have a date tonight. I'm nervous is all," he finally replied, eyes looking anywhere but at his boss.

"Oh, really? That's great, kiddo!" Robert said, a kind smile on his face. "Is it with the boy from the other night? Your friend?"

Hugo nodded, a blush heating his cheeks and ears. "I have no idea what to do on dates."

Robert faltered then and grabbed his chair from his desk. "Look, I haven't been on a date in years. Romance isn't really my thing, but all you have to do is be yourself. You guys have been friends for a while, right? So, you don't need to do anything too fancy, just do what you always do," Robert explained. Hugo wanted to laugh at the awkward look on his face. It looked like his father when he tried explaining puberty to him. "And make sure you feel comfortable and safe, alright? Get some fresh air if you need to."

Hugo nodded along with him, smiling at Robert's attempt to help him. It did calm him a bit, but when the bell for the front door rang and footsteps echoed across the empty front room, nervousness filled him once again. Robert went to greet what Hugo hoped was a customer, even though he knew it wasn't. His shift was over, the store would close a few minutes after he left. Stefan was there to pick him up for their date.

He drummed his fingers against the table as Robert came back into the backroom to get him. "Come on, kiddo, you can't sit here all night," he said, handing him his bag. "He's waiting for you."

Stefan beamed at him when he finally wandered into the store's front room. He wasn't dressed in anything fancy, for which Hugo was grateful. There wasn't time for him to dress out of his uniform. But even in normal clothes, Stefan looked amazing. His jeans weren't too loose or too tight and hugged his legs just right. The sleeves of his blue button-down were rolled up to his elbows and the stubble on his cheeks made him look handsome.

Hugo looked so plain in comparison. He had brought one of his new jumpers with him, a woollen grey thing that he loved because it was warm. His beard had grown out again and he looked a little scraggly, but from the look on Stefan's face, it didn't matter too much. He did wish that when he had stubble, it looked as good on him as it did of Stefan. It never would, but there was nothing wrong with wishful thinking.