*This story takes place on New Year's Day in 2010, during which Darren has been spending a lot more time with me than I expected when we first crudely and abruptly met. You can read about the morning of, (Air Force Dorms: Darren's "Straightness" Goes Out The Window)
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**Parson :** "For real though, who were you plowing this morning?"
Airman Parson was gesturing about with a cigarette in hand. A few others in the smoke pit were still giggling or smiling, waiting for the details to add to the latest gossip that runs the type of conversations that take place in the smoke pit outside the dorms. Everyone was dressed in some form of lazy/lounge wear. Sweatpants and shirts, flannel decorated pajamas, hoodies, and then a few who had never lived in the midwest/north, that were wearing thick parkas and coats in response to the Nebraska winter. Imagine how you would be the day after a party in your own house/apartment and hungover, and that is how everyone looked and was dressed. They were only outside because of their inclination towards nicotine. Without such inclination, most of them would not have left their dorm rooms aside from succumbing to hunger.
Nevertheless, Parson was one of those "morning people," meaning, unlike everyone else under the smoke shack, he was exceedingly chipper and bright-eyed. I paused my walk, and Darren stopped with me, keeping about a foot distance away from me, even though we were walking to the same place (my room). I shook my head and smiled as I acknowledged Parson's question.
**Me:** "Something, something, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."
**Parson:** "Be real now. There wasn't a lot of gentlemanly behavior last night from anyone. Same from your room this morning."
**Me:** "You're not wrong. But all the same, I'd prefer to keep it between her and I."
**Parson:** "Oh my god, you're so *booooring* Ty."
I keep my smile and give a slight tilt towards him, as if I was lazily bowing.
**Me:** "Sorry buddy. If it becomes something serious, then you can know."
**Parson:** "I'll hold you to it, fucker."
We smile and exhale/chuckle towards each other. As I start to leave with Darren in tow, the chatter and normal activity of the smoke shack resumed. I badged into the dorm entrance and let Darren in; we continued through the hall and staircase up to my room. Once inside, the security and safety of my singular 10x10 dorm room took hold, and I let loose a long breath of relief. Darren went into the bathroom and I walked over to the TV, turned it on and quickly found a college game. Sure enough, this New Year's Day, and on a Friday, no less, the Rose Bowl was on. Ohio State and Oregon were already in the 2nd quarter.
I kicked of my shoes, socks, and hoody and fell onto the bed in my light sweatpants and tight t-shirt. I spent a lot of time deciding where to lay on the bed, and how. As I heard the toilet flush, the bathroom door open, and the water running in my tiny kitchenette right outside the shared bathroom door, I decided to scoot over on the bed, close to the wall at which my bed was pressed against. This would give Darren the choice. He can go sit on my single chair, a carpeted recliner from the 80s, or get on the bed with me to watch the game. Though, I knew that he knew, he was coming up to my room for the company, and not the game. I propped a pillow against the head rest and laid flat on the bed looking towards the TV at the other end of the room.
The sink water shut off, and a few casual footsteps get closer as Darren emerges from around the corner, staring only at the TV. He just stood there. I tried to let my peripheral vision see if Darren was ever looking my direction, if he was wavering at all while standing there, or anything. He didn't even react or speak about the game. This reminded me of my first few hookups, where I was so nervous I just sat or stood there, and expected everything to happen for me.
