MyBlue Airways

Ch. 5 - Slow and Steady

Ohm was exhausted. His heart had raced and stopped so many times in the last few hours that he was surprised he didn't outright pass out. Shaking himself, he went to turn out the lights, not wanting to think about today anymore.

Suddenly, there was a knock. Though confused, he was too tired to check the peephole, it would be quicker to just redirect whoever was at his hotel door so late. He opened the door and there went his heart again.

"Fluke?" Ohm certainly didn't expect to see the smaller man on the other side of his door. He looked to have sobered up and seemed nervous.

"Hi." Fluke sounded unsure of himself and cringed at his greeting.

Ohm didn't like that he did that to Fluke. Made him unsure and nervous, quiet.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out. He was pretty sure Fluke said it at the same time but he pushed forward. "I'm sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to- I think I hurt you and didn't explain myself well enough." Ohm took a breath. "I like you, Fluke. I do but I want to take things slow. Because I've been burned in the past and I don't want us to burn- Er, I mean, I just don't want us to hurt each other - which I know I've already done, I'm so sorry about that." He wanted to explain, he wanted to make things right or as right as he could with Fluke. Even if he didn't want this, he couldn't bear to have Fluke hate him or avoid him. "I didn't- It wasn't about you or -well, it was, but not meant to be against you... I just, I've had bad situations happen before where I fall too deep, I care too much, and the other just... isn't there. Whether they've led me on or I simply read things wrong, it's not something I want to feel again..."

And he felt too deep already. The pull he felt towards Fluke, there was nothing he could compare it to.

He was about to continue rambling when Fluke raised his hand to stop him. "Ohm. Ohm. Stop, you don't have to apologize." Ohm noticed his eyes seemed... fuller, less shaky but also more restless. "I didn't even give you a chance to explain earlier. I just cut and ran. I'm sorry. I'm not great with..." Fluke struggled for words before just gesturing between the two of them. "It's just not something I'm good at. Clearly. I mean, what I did at the bar.. I'm sorry."

Ohm quickly stepped back in. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. I have no claim over you, Fluke. You can do whatever you want-"

"But I hurt you and made you leave even when I'm the one who invited you out." Fluke interrupted and Ohm did the same back.

"It kinda hurt yeah but you didn't hurt me, I hurt myself," Fluke gave him a bewildered look, so he tried to explain himself further. This was a lot of sharing right off the bat for them but Ohm would spill anything to clear the air with Fluke. Maybe start fresh. "I went there knowing full well you were upset and probably didn't want to see my face. I wanted to explain to you but I also knew you would be drinking and it wouldn't be the best way to explain things. But I was a little selfish, I was feeling guilty and didn't want to leave you thinking so badly about me all night. And when I saw you and you kissed him, I really saw how angry you were and I knew you didn't want me there. So I left to give you space."

Fluke was looking up at him with an expression he couldn't read but he had this little smile creeping on his face and Ohm let out a sigh. At least he wasn't upset. "I was going to ask you tomorrow after work, but since you're here now... Would you like to go out with me sometime? On a proper date?"

"You... were going to ask me out even after what happened at the bar?" Fluke looked a little dumbfounded and Ohm chuckled softly.

"Well yeah. Like I said, I like you and I want to get to know you more. I think this will help us figure things out between us. Right?"