Jared Abitol is ugly, past his prime, and desperate for love.
Years of being hyper-aware of his own looks have made Jared develop social anxiety. When you look like Jared, love isn't easy to find. Jared might not have the looks or confidence, but h...
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The rest of dinner had an awkward air about it. Darnell and Yves had spoken to each other and exchanged numbers before the older men got back, and it seemed Jared and Austin had a talk of their own.
"Call me," Yves said, kissing Darnell's cheek as the group of four stopped at Jared's car. Darnell smiled, nodding before waving off Austin and Yves as they walked in the direction of Austin's car. When they were out of sight, Darnell opened the door to the passenger seat of Jared's car, slipping in before drawing out the seat belt and wearing.
"Did you have a good time?" Jared asked as he turned on the car and heater. Darnell nodded, resting back on his seat as he played with his fingers.
"I like your friends," Darnell trailed, not really knowing whether it was accurate to call Yves Jared's friend. "Yves is nice."
"Oh." Jared's one word was filled with so much insecurity that it was impossible for Darnell not to pick up.
"As a friend," Darnell added, making Jared realize that his jealous spat had been noticed.
"I'm sorry—"
"It's alright," Darnell assured him, cutting him off as he reached out to put his hand on Jared's thigh. "I like it, actually," Darnell said in a low tone, squeezing Jared's tight before giving him a small smile. Jared blinked, his eyes moving from Darnell's face to the hand he had on his thigh. He liked that he was jealous? Was Darnell just saying things to make him better or was his being serious? Jared looked up, clearing his throat before driving the car out of the parking lot and into the main road. Darnell didn't remove his hand from Jared's thigh, and Jared had to do a lot to try and concentrate.
When they got to Jared's place, he turned off the car, and they both got out before Jared locked the door. It was late out now, probably somewhere around eleven or twelve P.M. They walked into the living room, and Darnell made a beeline for the living room's long sofa, sitting on it with a dramatic sigh as he hugged one of the throw pillows. Jared chuckled, shaking his head as he started to make his way upstairs.
"Hey, where are you going?" Darnell asked, making Jared turn back to look at him. Jared looked down at the floor, playing with the keys he had in his hands. There was something about looking at Darnell in the eyes for too long did to him.
"I'm going to take a shower," he explained, and Jared looked up when he heard footsteps. Darnell had gotten up and was now approaching him.
"Let's take one together," Darnell offered, smiling before pressing a kiss to Jared's cheek when he came up to him. They were loosely the same height. When Darnell's curls were thicker and stood up more, he even looked taller. "You don't want to?" Darnell asked when Jared didn't give him a reply. Darnell leaned away from Jared a bit so that he could look at the man's face.
"No," Jared said, turning his gaze to the floor. "It's not that. I'm just a little shocked," Jared muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't sure why he was acting like he was. He had seen Darnell naked many times — a handful of nights a week to be specific. So why did he feel the offer was a little more intimate than just being naked in the shower together.
