The Tea Shop [mxm]

XIV: Late Night Coffee Kisses

If this was how dates usually went, Elliot had been missing out. The evening had flown by, and he was sad to see it come to and end. The food had been amazing - as expected when Auntie Mae, Abigail and Desmond cooperated in the kitchen. They were all culinary geniuses. The plates had been scraped clean, neither Wren nor Elliot wanted anything to go to waste; it was too good.

     Elliot had to lean back and sink lower in his chair to avoid popping the button of his slacks, and he could see Wren discreetly doing the same. Dish after dish had come out of the kitchen, one more delicious after the other, and it had all been consumed. Elliot was absolutely stuffed, and admitted that this was probably the best birthday dinner he’d ever had. Partly because of the company.

     ”They really know how to cook, those three,” Wren said with a sigh, and a content smile on his face. Elliot could only nod in agreement, too deep in his food coma to even open his mouth. He closed his eyes for a second, and let all the impressions of the evening sink in.

     He smiled as he thought back on everything that had happened, in the midst of dinner a large baking tray loaded with gifts had been carried out through the kitchen doors. Some of them had yet to be opened, but the ones he had unwrapped rested at the edge of the table. Amongst them were a new tea cup — abnormally large, but Elliot was delighted — several new types of tea and a new set of pencils. The ones he had at home were so short he could barely hold them anymore, but his emotional attachment kept him from replacing them. Apparently Abigail thought it was time, and Elliot would just have to accept that.

     Nothing was too expensive, because through the years they’d learned that Elliot would only feel guilty for accepting those gifts. He didn’t like when people spent too much money on him. He had yet to see what was in the rest of the gifts, but he believed that they’d learned their lesson from previous years.

     Wren hadn’t presented a gift yet, so Elliot assumed that the dinner was his birthday gift. He couldn’t help but feel relived by that fact. He already had enough, so he’d never really seem the point in receiving gifts for something as silly as a birthday. He’d done nothing to deserve it.

     ”I really enjoyed this, Wren. Thank you so much for an amazing night.” Elliot smiled at him, and leaned forward. ”I think this might just be the best birthday surprise I’ve had in years.” Wren seemed glad to hear this, as he too leaned forward.

     ”To be honest I was a nervous wreck before you came. I thought that maybe I had misjudged the situation, and maybe you didn’t see me as anything more than a friend. I think it’s safe to say that you do, right?”

     Elliot could sense the insecurity in Wren’s words, though he did his best to hide it. Wren was just as unsure about this as Elliot was, and that made Elliot feel more at ease.

     ”Well, after all of this I guess it would be a bit unfair to put you in the friend zone, wouldn’t it?” Elliot teased.

     ”I’d certainly say so, but I guess I couldn’t object.” Wren lifted his wine glass and took the last sip.

     ”Are you saying you wouldn’t fight for my affection?” Elliot said with an exaggerated gasp.

     ”No. Oh, that’s most definitely not what I’m saying,” Wren said and smirked. ”I wouldn’t object tonight, but tomorrow I would’ve come up with a foolproof plan to convince you otherwise.”

     ”And what might this plan include?” Elliot whispered and leaned closer. He could feel Wren’s breath across his face, and the aromatic scent of the wine he’d just drank invaded his senses. For some reason, it seemed almost erotic — the earthy scent seemed to enhance all Elliot’s other senses, and he was painfully aware of how close they were, and how his gut tightened when Wren looked into his eyes. His pupils were dilated in the faint lighting, and his intense gaze made Elliot’s breath hitch.