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It's funny how the smallest of things can be a trigger.
Neil's in the living room when it happens; so is Lyle. They're watching one of those shit TV shows about how you can make lots of money by auctioning off the crap you find in the bottom of your closet. It's oddly fascinating. Neil's just getting excited because the old sewing machine has been sold for twenty times its original value when the front door opens and Halle walks in.
"Afternoon, cocksucker!" calls Lyle. "Have a nice time in class?"
"Afternoon, fuckface!" replies Halle. "Have a nice time sitting around scratching your ass?"
"I did," says Lyle. "And I am." He scoots up on the couch to make room as Halle vaults over the arm.
"Good." Halle lounges back, making himself comfortable. "Now get me a beer."
"Fuck off." Lyle obliges by throwing the TV remote at Halle's head.
And that's it. That's what does it. Suddenly Neil doesn't give a shit about sewing machines any more because he's too busy thinking 'I want this.' Not the insults and the fighting and the external decoration, but what's behind all that: the closeness and the relationship and the caring about each other. Neil wants it. Wants it with Tieria. Has been wanting it for more months than he cares to count. But now the need for it is so strong that Neil can't hold it in anymore. He has to make a move soon or he's going to suffocate on his own longing.
Neil doesn't get much sleep that night.
He plans it out. He'll get up early the next morning, early enough to bump into Tieria in the kitchen, and Tieria always eats breakfast at the same time every day so there'll be no problem there. And then Neil's going to do it. He's going to ask Tieria out even if it kills him. He hasn't decided where yet (hadn't Tieria said something once about wanting to go to the theatre?) but that's not important.
And so Neil does wake up early the next morning. And he does go down to meet Tieria in the kitchen. And his hand is shaking as he goes to open the kitchen door so help him.
"Morning!"
Tieria looks up. Neil suddenly feels like he's going to fall over if he doesn't hold onto something right now. He opts for pulling up a chair and sitting down at the kitchen table instead.
"Good morning," says Tieria. "You're up early."
"Yeah." Neil runs a hand through his hair, then stops when he realizes how much his fingers are trembling. "I, uh... hm... Do you have a lot of classes today?"
"It's Friday," replies Tieria, as if that's answer enough. Knowing how Tieria likes to stick to a schedule, it probably is.
"Ah, so you've only got classes this morning, right? And then you'll go to the library?"
"Yes." Tieria is looking at Neil oddly. He's probably got good reason to. Neil wonders if he's blushing. He doesn't normally blush easily but...
"I have to go shower," says Tieria, getting up.
"Oh, right, ok."
As the kitchen door shuts after Tieria, Neil slumps down until his forehead hits the tabletop. Ok, so, he didn't quite manage it that time. He wonders if he should eat breakfast now that he's up. Maybe if it didn't feel like his stomach was tying itself in knots.
And his hands are still fucking shaking.
But Neil is determined to ask Tieria out by the end of the day, even if it kills him. So when it gets close to lunchtime, he gets dressed and wanders up to campus. Then he finds the lecture theatre where Tieria's in class and waits nervously outside for the class to finish.
He keeps a sharp eye as the door opens and students start to filter out, but he can't see Tieria anywhere.
As the last few students straggle out into the corridor, Neil corners one and asks her if she's just been in a class on mechanics. She smiles brightly at him and fiddles with her hair, but Neil's too caught up in his own problems to pay any attention.
"No," she says. "We just had a class about 19th Century English poets."
Shit. Neil just about remembers to say thank you as he wanders dejectedly away. So he got the wrong room. Well fucking done. The whole day is turning into a farce.
It's lunchtime, and Neil's got no idea where Tieria's going to be. He tries the canteen and a few sandwich bars, but gives that task up as hopeless when he doesn't find Tieria in any of them. So he wanders over to the library instead. He might have to wait an hour or so, but Tieria's bound to turn up there at some point, right?
Tieria does turn up. Forty-five minutes later. Neil's looking in completely the wrong direction when Tieria stops behind him.
"Hello, Neil."
Neil jumps, spins round on his heel and that's when the anxiety decides to kick in again. He tries to smile, but it probably comes out as more of a grimace.
"...Hello, Tieria."
Tieria frowns. "What are you doing here today? You're not normally here at this time."
"Er..." Neil steers them away from the jostle of people by the library door. "I came here to see you."
Tieria frowns even more. "Is something wrong?"
"No!" And that came out far too loud! Neil swallows and continues. "I was, uh..." Now or never. Come on, be a man. "I was wondering if you want to go to the theatre tomorrow?"
Tieria looks genuinely surprised. "The theatre?"
"Wait, I mean. With me. Do you want to go to the theatre with me tomorrow?" Tieria is staring at him. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. "As a date. Do you want to go on a date with me?"
There's only a fraction of a second after Neil stops talking for his heart to threaten to give out, but then Tieria smiles.
"I would like to go on a date with you, Neil Dylandy."
"Really?" Neil can't quite process the answer. "The theatre? Tomorrow?"
"Yes." Tieria's still smiling, and Neil doesn't quite know what to do next (his plans didn't go that far!) but Tieria solves the problem by turning towards the library.
"I have to go study." He says. "I'll see you tonight."
If Neil was starring in a romantic comedy, this is where he'd punch the air and whoop in triumph. As it is, Neil just wanders dazedly away. He returns home and sits staring out the kitchen window for half an hour. Then he makes himself some toast; he's missed two meals today and he's fucking ravenous!
Neil doesn't get to say much to Tieria that evening. Tieria's out with Regene for most of the night, so Neil hardly sees him. Back at the house there's a lot of talk about Lyle going to Ali's funeral tomorrow, which Neil really doesn't want to think about at the moment.
Luckily Al notices the tension in the air, and decides to clear it by pulling out his Monopoly set. Tieria returns home just after a huge argument erupts because someone (Lyle) has been stealing money from the bank while the others went to the kitchen for more snacks. Tieria takes one look at the fray, rolls his eyes, and makes his way upstairs to bed.
The next day, Neil wakes up unintentionally late, and by the time he wanders into the kitchen, Tieria's already left for the library. Neil's ridiculously anxious that Tieria may have changed his mind, but he tries to picture the way Tieria was smiling yesterday, and busies himself with booking some theatre tickets instead. His fears are assuaged when he calls Tieria with the details and Tieria readily agrees to meet Neil outside the library after lunch.
The students hanging around on campus are all in jeans and sneakers. Neil's wearing his best shirt, and his best shoes. He feels a bit ridiculous, but he's determined to do this right, even if Tieria's seen him in a stained T-shirt and scraggy old boxers more times than Neil would like to admit to.
Tieria looks smart when he turns up, but then, Tieria always looks smart, or at least, as smart as you can look while wearing pastels.
"Hello." Tieria smiles at Neil again, and Neil's starting to think that he can get used to this.
"Afternoon."
"So," says Tieria, "what are we going to see?"
"Ah, it's a play called, er... hold on, I have it right here." Neil pulls the tickets out of his pocket. "It's called Happy Days."
Tieria's wearing a strange expression. "Have you seen it before?"
"No," Neil admits. "But it sounded fun. And I heard that the writer's an Irish guy so I thought I... Are you laughing?"
"No. It's nothing." Tieria coughs, but Neil doesn't quite believe him.
They walk off towards the bus stop, with Tieria trying to stifle a laugh all the way. Neil wonders if this is a good time to try to hold Tieria's hand. He gives the idea some serious contemplation for a few minutes before he decides that he's not quite brave enough for that yet, so he shoves his hands in his pockets instead.
Three and a half hours later and Neil's wondering just who exactly enjoys this kind of abstract nonsense. There has to be someone or they wouldn't spend all that money on the play.
Tieria catches Neil's hand in his own as they step out of the theatre and into the fresh air. Well, that was easy enough.
"Did you like it?" Tieria smiles up at him.
Neil wonders how to say, 'well, it was kind of boring, and long' without sounding like a complete philistine.
Instead Neil goes for the easy option. "What did you think?"
"I liked it," says Tieria. "It's the best production of Happy Days that I've seen. The set design was very well done and the acting..." He stops and looks up at Neil for a few seconds. Finally, with a smirk playing around his lips, Tieria says, "It's ok. I won't be offended if you didn't enjoy it."
Neil deflates a little. "I didn't get it." He confesses. "I mean, why was she buried? What was she talking about all the time? I thought plays were supposed to have a plot or... or, well, at least something."
Tieria laughs out loud, then leans up and kisses Neil on the lips. This, Neil thinks absently, is something else he could easily get used to.
When they break apart, Tieria says, "I won't mind if you'd rather go see a comedy next time."
Neil smiles in agreement. He can't quite remember the last time he's felt this happy. "But," he says, "even if I didn't get it, I'm still glad I could come here with you."
Tieria kisses him again. "Me too."