One Long Project

Chapter 25

Dec feels like its not the same person when he's on this date in some coffee shop with Ant. Maybe the same Ant that Dec has known for a bit, but not the same one that everyone else seems to see. And finally, Dec finds himself trusting that this isn't just his mind making this up.

Ant doesn't make any unsolicited sexual remarks, but he makes Dec laugh.

"Are you okay? You're really quiet," Ant asks.

"Oh, yeah, of course," Dec says. He smiles. "I'm fine, really."

"Okay, well, now you're just blushing."

"Shut up," Dec rolls his eyes.

"Make me, Declan," Ant winks. Dec decides he likes Ant's flirting beyter when it's like this.

Dec goes to kiss him, even if it's one quick kiss.

"See, that would never have worked on you a month ago," Ant grins. His hand is still wrapped around Dec's waist. People are glaring at them strangely enough, but neither of them care enough to bother to stop it.

"Months ago you were kind of a dick."

"I still am," Ant says coolly. He drops his hand from around Dec's waist to take a sip of his drink, then looks back up at Dec.

"I know you are," Dec replies. "I just trust you more now."

"You do?"

"Im not like, about to put my life on the line because i know you'd save me. But yeah, more than before. I don't hate you or anything."

"You never really hated me."

"I totally did, forever. You have no idea."

"You loved me."

"Oh, shut up."

"Do you want me to say it again?"

"Be quiet, Anth," Dec laughs. Je sits back down in his seat. Ant doesn't seem to worry about their surroundings, even though he's pretty sure two of the girls sitting on the other side of the shop are in his year. He doesn't want to say it out loud, but he likes that. Ant isn't pretending to have him just as some toy anymore. Maybe happy endings don't always happen, and things don't turn out how people want them to, but at least he'd have been right about Ant Mcpartlin.

Ant Mcpartlin isn't some bad boy who uses people for bets. He's now Dec's idiot.

Or, at least, around Dec he is. Hopefully he's nit going to be doing anymore bets of that sort, especially not if he's already dating Dec.

Dec has trouble even forming the question he has to ask Ant. "Anth?"

"Hm?"

"What- what are we? Like, ya kna. Friends, friends with, uh, benefits."

"Boyfriends." It surprises Dec how that word comes from Ant with almost no hesitation at all.

"Like, actually?"

"I'm not forcing you to be my boyfriend. You still have a choice in this. But, ya kna, even if I'm going to fuck up a thousand times because im awful at relationships. I still kind of want to do it. I mean, have a relationship. No, wait. I mean have a relationship with you. " Ant pauses, and his cheeks are definitely tinted a few shades darker than they were at the beginning if the conversation.

"Do i sound really stupid? I don't need to embarrass myself more than i already have."

"Look who's blushing now," Dec teases.

"Shut up, Baby."

And for once, that nickname sounds more sweet than intimidating. This is the way relationships should be, Dec decides.