Idiots to Lovers (bxb)

Flashback | It Was Most Definitely A Date, Right?

A/n: this is another reader request for chapter 11, made my Mags :)

From the next chapter it'll go back to new scenes again <3

Everett

"You're supposed to only fill it up halfway," Clementine grumbled as I filled up the cupcake liners.

"Excuse me, Clementine, but I don't cheat my customers with too-little cupcakes." I sniffed in disagreement.

"It rises in the oven, it's going to spill all over!" He pointed an accusing finger at me, violet eyes narrowing in disapproval. "And that's way too much ganache, there's more ganache than cake."

"There's no such thing as too much ganache."

"You need it to be inside the cupcake, not have the whole cupcake made of it," he argued, reaching for the spoon, "Just let me do it."

I pulled back quickly before he could grab it. Unfortunately, it whacked me in the face, leaving a splodge of chocolate on my nose. Clementine burst into sudden giggles. His laughter tinkling like soft wind chimes.

"You laugh, Clementine, but I have the most decadent dessert a mere inch away from my reach," I joked, trying to reach it with my tongue.

Clementine chuckled again and I prodded his cheek with the ganache
covered spoon. "It's not that easy...you try!"

"Hey!"

It was my turn to laugh as I ducked out of the way. I tried to escape to the other side of the counter but Clementine grabbed me around the waist, freezing me to the spot. He easily plucked the spoon from my hand; I don't think I could've gotten any of my muscles to work anyway.

I stumbled back, hitting the oven. My hands were somehow on his chest, and his had gotten tighter around my waist. My breaths came out fast and hard as my eyes locked on his. His pink lip caught between his teeth and a similar shade flushed over his cheeks. His eyelids lowered as he leaned towards me. My heart slammed against my chest.

Then he pulled away.

I stared slack jawed in shock as Clementine went back to filling the cupcake trays. His eyes stayed pointedly averted from mine, his jaw tense. I felt like throwing up.

He had almost kissed me...hadn't he? I couldn't possibly have imagined it. I felt like my mind was blurring together fact and fiction into a huge congealed mess. I was getting so many mixed signals that I didn't know what was real and what was not. And I hadn't really doubted that Clementine liked guys too, not up till now.

I realized with some nausea that he hadn't really specified it. I had simply assumed it because he'd been chill about going to couples counseling with me. And we'd gone on a date!

At least, I think it was a date.

Perhaps he had thought we were just hanging out, and I was just reading too much into it. And yes, obviously two guys can be friends without it being gay. There's nothing inherently gay about going to the zoo together and baking cookies every week—but it's gay in a gay narrative.

I still felt like I needed to apologize for something, though I wasn't sure what. Perhaps for assuming things. Perhaps for asking him out so indirectly. Just for whatever I did to make things so awkward now.

"I'm sorry." I paused as Clementine suddenly swiveled to face me. "That was really awkward earlier."

"You didn't—" Clementine looked down, swallowing thickly. "It's fine." He seemed like he wanted to say more.

"We're pretty much done now except for the fondant," I said, "You can go home if you need to."

He blinked at me, pursing his lips together as if he wanted to stay. As if he wanted me to ask him to stay. It clicked that perhaps Clementine was just afraid of...whatever this was. It was written oh so clearly over every inch of his face.

But I didn't know whether I was just reading into it again.

Clementine rocked on the balls of his feet, tapping his fingers erratically on the countertop before his next words tumbled from his mouth. Spoken so fast as if he were afraid he might change his mind halfway. "And allow you to ruin all these cupcakes with your terrible decorating skills?"

I laughed lightly, the tension breaking. I guess he hadn't wanted to leave after all. "God, I was scared you were gonna actually go and leave me to it. We still have to ice all these...and I'm a mess with the piping bag."

"I can imagine." His tone was serious but a smile quirked up his lips.

"Okay okay I get it, you're a total artistic pro and the rest of us peasants cannot even hope to compare," I joked.

"Pfft, plebeians the lot of you." Clementine paused for a moment, a slow blush spreading over his face. He ducked his head as he mumbled, "I was looking forward to the decorating part anyway."

Clementine caught my eye, silently pleading me to read between the lines. Something told me his heart was slamming against his ribs as violently as mine was. And if I was being delusional—I couldn't care less.

I get it. It was scary to imagine being with someone new after just ending a long term relationship. It was scary to confess your feelings, especially when it had happened so fast. And it was scary to come out—I had been too.

But the scariest thing was, I think I was falling in love with him.