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hobbiting“Brooke, I think I have a problem,” David announced one cold November afternoon as the two headed towards their favorite after-church restaurant.
“You think you do, or you know you do?” she teased, linking an arm through his.
“Brooke,” David said. “I’m serious.”
“Okay, okay,” she answered, growing somber. “Tell me all about it and I’ll see what I can do to help.”
David waited until they were seated and their drink orders had been taken before continuing. “I think…I think I have a crush on Cook,” he said quietly.
“Wait, this is your problem?” she asked, laughing cheerfully.
“It’s not funny, Brooke,” he hissed.
“Of course it is! I don’t understand why you’re angsting over this. You like Cook, Cook obviously likes you. I fail to see the problem here.”
“What do you mean you don’t… Wait, Cook likes me?”
“This isn’t exactly news, David. Cook’s been head over heels for you for a while. You don’t think the rest of us haven’t noticed how often he’s volunteered to be designated driver lately, even when it’s not his turn? How even when he’s not designated driver, he usually drinks water and leaves the rest of us at the table to play pool with you- something he never did before you started coming with us? He’s got it bad, David, almost as bad as you,” Brooke answered, a gentle smile on her face.
David blinked at Brooke, not sure how to take this news. “Aren’t you supposed to be telling me that it’s against the Bible for me to love another man? That I’m sinning against God?”
Brooke laughed again. “Remember what I told you before David- I’m not the world’s best Mormon. If you want someone to tell you all of that, you came to the wrong girl. Me? My advice is more along the lines of ‘get it boy, get it!’ Besides, you have to admit that you and Cook would make the world’s cutest couple.”
David buried his face in his hands. “Why am I friends with you?”
“Before Thing One and Thing Two run off and leave us to play pool like usual, I have to ask. What are everyone’s Christmas plans?” Michael asked as everyone sat around their usual table at Paddy’s.
“I’m going home to Arizona,” Brooke answered first, setting her empty cup down on the table. “It’s been awhile and my sister just had her baby so I’m kind of required to go. Besides, who doesn’t love playing with small children? I can’t wait to spoil my little niece rotten.”
Carly grinned. “I demand pictures, just so you know.” Brooke nodded her acceptance of this demand before Carly continued. “My best friend from Ireland is getting married in New York and I’m the Maid of Honor so I think you can guess where I’ll be. It’s not like I haven’t been telling you about this all semester, Johns. I swear, you’re worse than the kids when it comes to listening.”
Michael grinned cheekily. “I try my best, Ms. Smithson,” he said, failing completely at his attempt to sound sincere. “What about you, Thing One and Thing Two?”
“I’m staying here,” David said, frowning. “I really wish I could go home but I’ve got student loans I need to pay back, unfortunately, so I can’t afford it.”
“I’m staying too,” Cook said. “So you won’t be the only one stuck here. Maybe we can hang out sometime.”
Michael tilted his head, confusion written on his features. “What? But you always go home, mate. Ouch!” he cried, leaning down to rub at his shin. “What the hell was that for?” He glared at Carly.
“You never told us what you were doing for the holidays,” Brooke quickly interrupted.
“I’m going to Colorado to ski,” Michael announced proudly, bruised shin forgotten. “Hopefully I’ll meet a pretty girl or two while I’m there.” He winked in David’s direction.
“That’s, uh, nice,” David said. “I didn’t know you could ski.”
“‘Course I can ski. I’m like a god on the slopes!” Michael said arms spread wide as if to support his argument.
“Uh-huh. On that note, I’m going to play pool,” Cook said as he slid out of the booth. “Care to play, David?” David nodded and followed Cook over to the table.
David’s phone vibrated across the table signaling the arrival of a text message as it sang out “The Remedy” by Jason Mraz. David turned off the water and dried his hands before reaching for the phone and smiled when he saw that the message was from Cook.
You busy?
No. What’s going on?
I’m bored. :(
David chuckled. What do you want me to do about it?
Entertain me. Duh.
Aren’t you able to entertain yourself?
Why should I when you’re so qualified for the job?
David made a face at his phone. “Since when did it become my job to keep you entertained?” he asked when Cook answered halfway through the first ring.
“It’s been your job for a while, you just haven’t noticed,” Cook answered laughing. “Come on. You said yourself that you’re not doing anything. Come hang out with me.”
David sighed, pretending to think about it. “I guess…”
“Sweet. Thanks, man. You won’t regret this,” Cook swore. “I’ll be around the pick you up in about an hour?”
“Sure?”
“Awesome. See you then.”
“Yeah. See you,” David answered before disconnecting the phone.
An hour later David was walking down to meet Cook in the parking lot. Once he was buckled in and Cook was driving away he couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” Cook said cryptically, refusing to give into David’s prodding about where they were going. Minutes later, as he put the car in park, he grinned gleefully at David.
“Mini-golf?” David asked sure that Cook was pulling his leg.
“Well, I wanted to go golfing for real, but I wasn’t sure I could convince you to do that,” Cook answered, shrugging. “At least I didn’t surprise you with bowling.”
“I might actually have a chance if we went bowling,” David muttered, pushing the car door closed maybe just a little bit harder than he really needed to.
“Oh, come on, don’t sell yourself short. You’ll be fine.”
“Maybe I should have taken you bowling,” Cook said, scratching the back of his neck. “I thought everyone was good at mini-golf.”
“Shut. Up.” David’s arms were folded across his chest and he was pretending to nurse his wounded pride. Cook had been unfairly good at mini-golf whereas David had been reduced to, well, not cheating. More like, he had to help his ball along when Cook wasn’t looking or risk never making it off the first hole. It had been a long afternoon of Cook laughing (“With you, David. Not at you, I swear.”) and David pretending to subtly nudge his ball while Cook pretended he was looking somewhere else. Around Hole Six, Cook had begun making wild (and impossible) shots like trying to get the ball to go over the elephant rather than under it, just to make David feel better. David had to admit, though he would never tell Cook, that it had been a ridiculously fun afternoon.
“Fun’s not over yet,” Cook announced as though reading David’s thoughts. “It’s time for dinner!”
David eyed Cook warily. He’d seen Cook’s lunches for the past few months and he was pretty sure the man existed solely off pizza, a food David wasn’t too fond of, if he was honest. “I don’t--”
“Trust me,” Cook interrupted and it really wasn’t fair the way he managed to make it sound like David’s trust was the one thing he wanted.
“Okay, okay,” David held his hands up in a faux defensive manner. “You can choose where we have dinner.”
Cook’s smile was back. “Awesome.” As Cook turned into the Chick-fil-a parking lot David decided that Cook did not exist solely on pizza, just mostly. “I prefer going inside, if that’s okay with you?”
“That’s fine,” David assured him as Cook eased into a parking space. The two walked into the restaurant in companionable silence where they were greeted by the sight of a large walking cow, several balloon animals and quite a number of children from their school. Cook’s brow crinkled before David pointed out the sign both of them had missed out the window proclaiming tonight as Children’s Night right about the time Sophia wrapped herself around one of Cook’s legs with an arm thrown around David’s for good measure.
“MR. COOK! MR. ARCHULETA!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” she shrieked in excitement.
Cook leaned down to unwrap her from his leg before giving her a proper hug. “Mr. Archuleta and I are here to eat dinner.”
“ME TOO, ME TOO!” she said quickly.
“That’s awesome,” Cook said, voice low and soothing in attempt to counteract the effects of the girl’s overly excited personality. “But, honey, where are your mommy and daddy? Did you ask before you ran over here to see us?”
She hung her head. “Nooooo.”
“What have we talked about in class?”
“I need to stay with mommy and daddy and not run through a bunch of strangers.”
“Good job remembering,” Cook said encouragingly, holding up a hand which she quickly high-fived. “What do you say we go find them?”
“Can Mr. Archuleta come too?” She asked, eyes lighting up again.
Cook looked up from his crouch. “What do you think, Mr. Archuleta? Do you think you could walk with us?”
David moved his hand from where it had been hiding his smile and offered it to Sophia instead. “Of course.”
“YAY!” she squealed, one hand latched onto Cook and the other firmly grasping David’s before they were off. They found her parents in a matter of moments (it wasn’t a large restaurant after all) and Sophia excitedly introduced them as her “favorite-est teachers ever”. After a few moments of small talk, it was time for Sophia’s family to leave, but not before Sophia gave Cook and David another bear hug each and continued to wave good-bye over her shoulder until they were out of the restaurant.
By the time they had ordered, been served and found a booth to sit in, they had talked to a total of ten more students, some of them Cook’s and some of them David’s.
“Who knew dinner was going to be so exhausting?” Cook asked eyes still lit with mirth.
“Hazard of the job?” David offered before biting into one of his waffle fries.
Cook nodded, taking a sip of his drink. “Hang on. I’ll be right back,” he said when he finished, sliding out of the booth as he did.
David shrugged to himself, figuring that Cook had seen yet another person that he knew and continued to work on his waffle fries (the best part of Chick-fil-a if he were honest). He jumped when he felt something touch his head and he raised a hand to ward off whatever it was. “What are you doing?” he asked in response to Cook’s impish laughter.
Cook batted his hand away. “Stop that. I get you a present and this is your reaction?”
“You got me a what?”
“A present,” Cook said again, giving up on putting it on his head and handing it to David. “It” turned out to be a balloon hat that matched the one sitting on Cook’s head. David bit his lip, willing the giggles not to escape. When he failed, Cook looked up sharply. “I will have you know, balloon hats are the best part of Kid’s Night. If you don’t like yours, give it back and I’ll give it to someone who’s more appreciative,” Cook said, hand held out for the hat.
“No, no, no,” David said quickly as he shoved the hat back down on his head. “I like it. I really do.”
Cook’s boyish grin lit up his face again. “I’m glad.”
David was barely inside his apartment before he had his phone out, dialing Brooke’s number.
“David! It’s so good to hear from you. My niece is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, I swear to you,” Brooke said in a rush as soon as she’d answered the phone.
“That’s… really nice,” David answered, pacing his living room anxiously.
“Alright, wait, I know that tone of voice,” Brooke said, her own tone growing serious. “What’s wrong?”
David bit his lip, not sure how best to put it. Taking a deep breath, he decided that there really was no way to say it, other than to just say it. “You know how I told you before that I might have a crush on Cook?”
Brooke made a soft noise of assent.
“I was wrong. I definitely have a crush on Cook.” He dragged a hand through his hair, making it stand out at impossible angles.
“And the problem with this is….”
David made a frustrated noise. “Brooke, have you forgotten what the Bible says?”
“David,” she said gently. “Have you?”
That stopped him mid-pace. “What?”
“Do me a favor,” she prompted. “Go get your Bible for me.”
David retrieved the book from beside his bed. “Now what?”
“Turn to 1 Corinthians 13. Read verses four to seven for me.”
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres,” he read quietly, still confused where Brooke was going with all of this.
“Alright, now answer me this: did it say anywhere in that passage that love is only heterosexual?”
“No?”
“Darn straight, it didn’t. David, love isn’t defined by what gender you are. The outside is just the packaging. What matters is what’s on the inside. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“Yeah?” David answered. “Kind of?”
“Well, then, my mission here is ‘kind of’ accomplished,” Brooke said. “Think about what I said, David. Call me again if you need to but think about it, please.”
David promised he would before disconnecting the call. He stood in his room, standing over his desk, staring down at his open Bible. Did Brooke really have a point or was she saying it just to make him feel better? What would his parents say if they knew what he was considering? He had never been gladder for the distance he’d previously lamented, the space to determine what he believed without the church deciding it for him.
“Knock, knock!” David looked up from where he had his head pillowed on his arms to find Cook leaning against the door of his classroom. “You coming tonight? Water’s on me.”
David shook his head. The first week back had not been kind to David and cranky kids who had become used to getting their way just because they whined enough had done a number on his nerves. “I don’t think so. I really don’t feel up to it tonight. It was a rough day and I just want to go home and sleep.”
“Come on, David, please? I’ll even let you beat me at pool a few times…”
David felt his brows furrow. “You don’t let me do anything. I beat you fair and square. You’re just mad that I’m better than you.”
Cook scoffed. “You are not. That was beginner’s luck.”
David quirked an eyebrow. “I won all four games last time. You’re trying to tell me that was all beginner’s luck?”
“Exactly! I dare you to try it again.”
David chuckled but shook his head again. “I don’t know, Cook. I’m still really tired. I’m not sure I’ll be good company tonight.”
“That’s why naps were invented, my friend,” Cook answered. David opened his mouth but Cook kept talking. “Go home and take one and we’ll be around to pick you up at seven, like always. I’ll see you later!” He called over his shoulder as he hurried away from David’s classroom, not giving him a chance to refuse.
As much as David wanted to just stay in, he couldn’t find it in himself to deny Cook’s request and, as a result found himself falling into bed as soon as he got home that afternoon, only waking when his phone started buzzing, alerting him to an incoming call.
“‘lo?” he mumbled into the phone.
“Based on how awake you sound, I’m going to assume that you took my advice. The question remains however- are you coming tonight?”
David sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and taking stock of himself. His headache was gone and he didn’t feel like he’d been run over by a Mac truck so there wasn’t really any reason to refuse. “If it will make you happy, yes, I’ll come.”
“Not only does it make me happy, I am ecstatic. We’ll be there in about ten minutes.” Without waiting for David’s acknowledgement, Cook hung up.
With a sigh David pushed himself up off the bed and wandered over to his basket of clothes that he had folded but not yet put away and pulled out a pair of jeans and the first shirt he came to and quickly dressing so he would be ready when Cook and the rest of the gang showed up.
The night was actually very sedate, at least where David’s friends were concerned. There was some sort of mini-scuffle over at the bar but David had long since learned to tune those out; it was usually better for his sanity if he didn’t know. In the middle of their second game (David had won the first and declared Cook’s theory of beginner’s luck to be invalid) Cook leaned against his pool cue and tilted his head, looking at David thoughtfully. “You know, blue is really your color,” he’d said gesturing at David’s shirt. David had missed his next shot by about a mile but thankfully Cook didn’t comment on it.
“I had a lot of fun tonight, Cook,” David said as he leaned in to unlock the door to his apartment. “I’m glad you talked me into going. Thank you.”
“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Cook answered happily. “It wouldn’t have been quite as much fun without you. Hey, David,” he waited until David was looking at him again, “do you think we could do this again sometime? Except with a more exclusive guest list?”
David stared at Cook. His tone of voice suggested something more than just their mini-golf outing; David just wasn’t sure what Cook was getting at. “Um, what?”
“You know, just you and me, maybe? Do you want to do this again but…as a date?” Cook asked again after a minute, after it became clear that David didn’t have a longer answer attached to that question.
David blushed and rubbed his neck, avoiding Cook’s gaze. “Oh, um. I couldn’t.”
Cook frowned. “Did I…I thought you liked me?”
“I do! I do like you, Cook.”
Cook sighed, “I can’t believe I’m regressing to this but I thought you liked me liked me.”
“That’s because I do like you like you, Cook.”
“Well, then, what’s the problem? I like you, you like me. I’m not seeing a downside here.”
“I just…can’t, you know?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know, David. You’re going to have to spell this one out for me. Is it because you’re Mormon or something?”
“What? No.” David crossed his arms and frowned at Cook. “It’s possible to be gay and Mormon. It’s like being Catholic and gay or something. Okay, maybe that one was a bad example but the point is they’re not as mutually exclusive as some people seem to think.”
“Well then, what is it?”
“We work together, Cook. Isn’t it against regulations or something?”
Cook laughed and wrapped an arm around David’s shoulder. “It’s only against the school district’s rules for married people to work in the same building and last I checked I wasn’t asking for your hand in marriage. We can date all we want, as long as we don’t have PDA in front of the young, impressionable children.” The left corner of Cook’s mouth quirked up. “How about we try this again? David, would you like to go on a date with me sometime?”
David’s forehead wrinkled as he frowned. “I don’t know, Cook. I like you and I understand that it’s okay for teachers to date within the same school but I still don’t think I should. This is my first teaching job and I love it and I really don’t want to mess this up. I’m sorry. I hope you understand.”
Cook nodded, patted David on the back once before retracting his arm. “I understand. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not a little disappointed but I understand.”
David’s forehead smoothed. “Thanks, Cook.” He leaned up and pressed a kiss to Cook’s cheek before opening the door. “I’ll see you Monday morning.”
“Bright and early,” Cook agreed before turning to head back to the parking lot as David closed the door.
David waited until they were seated at their table to finally give in to Brooke’s badgering to tell her what had him preoccupied. “Cook asked me out Friday night,” David said in a low rush, half-hoping that Brooke wouldn’t hear him or would misunderstand him or something.
“He did?!” she squealed, bouncing in her seat. “When do you go on your first date?”
“We’re not.”
“Oh, you’re….wait. What do you mean you’re not?”
“I mean, I turned him down.”
David hazarded a glance at Brooke, whose mouth was hanging open. “What do you mean you turned him down? You like him, he likes you. What’s the problem?” Her face grew serious. “Is it what we talked about over Christmas?”
David shook his head. “I’ve come to terms with that. That’s not an issue.”
“Then what is the issue?”
David told Brooke what he had told Cook two nights previous, listing off the reasons he given. When he finished, she was giving him a disapproving look. “You sound like you’re trying to convince you more than you’re trying to convince me or Cook. I think you’re scared and you’re letting it hold you back, but you’re my best friend, David, and I’m going to support you however you need.” David bit his lip and nodded his thanks. “Alright, now where is that waiter? I’m hungry,” she said, clearly trying to change the subject and David had never been more grateful in his life.
Their lunchtime conversations had been a little strained and awkward to David after that Friday night but he was determined not to let it bother him. Well, too much anyway. He missed the easy back and forth he and Cook had shared only the week before, even if no one else had noticed it. They still met with everyone in the morning before school started, they still ate lunch together and they still carpooled to Paddy’s. There was just….something missing. Something he wanted back.
“I’ll see you Monday, Cook,” David said before turning to leave.
“Hey, uh, David,” Cook said quickly. David turned back to look at him and noticed Cook fiddling with his car keys, something he never did unless he was nervous. “I meant to ask, are you doing anything this weekend? You know, for Valentine’s day?”
David frowned and shook his head, confused. “No. Nothing big anyway; I was just planning on staying home and watching whatever was on TV or something.”
“Do you---I mean, would you want to hang out and watch whatever’s on TV together?” David watched as Cook bit his bottom lip. Something was definitely up with the other man, David just wasn’t sure what. “Cook, I told you that I couldn’t and you promised you wouldn’t push,” he finally answered.
Cook cocked his head to the side. “What? Oh, I didn’t mean as a date. There’s no point in both of us sitting home alone pathetically if we can hang out together. But, you know, if it were a date we could watch Finding Nemo and cuddle on the couch….” A lopsided grin grew across his face as his eyes lit up with mirth, all signs of nervousness gone.
David closed his eyes and shook his head. “I knew I was going to regret telling you that that was my favorite movie.”
“Oh, come on, man, I think it’s adorable,” Cook replied, chuckling softly.
“Adorable? Great. That’s exactly what every twenty-three year old man wants to be called. Sometimes I wonder why I’m friends with you, Cook.”
“You wound me, Archuleta. I meant it as a compliment. Now, if I try pinch your cheek, that’s when you should be worried.” David’s hands flew to his face to cover the body part in question. “Who said I was talking about those cheeks?” Cook’s grin had grown along with David’s belief that Cook was more than a little off his rocker. “Sorry, man,” Cook said sobering quickly as he noticed the blush creeping across David’s skin. “I make inappropriate jokes when I’m nervous; that was out of line.”
David shook his head again. “You are absolutely insane, you know that?”
“I tell myself that every day.” Cook’s grin was back. “You never did answer me about Saturday though.”
“You’re incorrigible but I guess I don’t see the harm in hanging out with you on Saturday. Insanity’s not contagious, last I heard,” David answered, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Come by my place around 7:00 or so?”
“While your enthusiasm is overwhelming, that sounds fantastic. I’ll bring the pizza,” Cook answered and headed back to his car before David could say anything else. “Bye,” he called after Cook, feeling slightly lame but Cook turned around to wave back so maybe he wasn’t that lame after all.
David sat on his couch anxiously playing on his laptop to distract himself. Sure, Cook had said that he was respecting David’s wishes and that this wasn’t a date but it definitely felt like one and that had David on edge for reasons he really didn’t want to think about. He forfeited yet another game of solitaire when someone tapped the beat of “shave and a haircut, two bits” on his door, making David jump. “What is wrong with you?” he said angrily to himself as he walked to his front door. “It’s just Cook, there’s no need to be nervous.” With that settled, he opened his door to find Cook leaning against the doorframe wearing a simple black t-shirt that showed off several of his tattoos (tattoos that David definitely did not find attractive, not at all) and tight blue jeans.
Cook smiled at David and held up the bag in his left hand, a bag that definitely did not look like it was holding pizza. “I talked to Brooke last night and she informed me you don’t actually like pizza, something you could have told me, you know; it’s not like you would have offended me. She also told me that you’re crazy about pad Thai. Luckily, there is a little hole in the wall Thai place down the block from my apartment that makes the most amazing pad Thai ever, or so I’ve been told. I’ve never actually had the stuff but I figured that now was as good a time as any to try it.”
“This still isn’t a date, Cook,” David said sharply, more as a reminder to himself than anything else, as he gestured for the other man to come in.
Cook’s smile grew teasing as he toed off his shoes. “Of course not. I don’t see Finding Nemo anywhere so it couldn’t possibly be a date.”
“I hate you, so very much,” David complained as he headed to the kitchen to retrieve chopsticks for himself and a fork for Cook. Apparently he was never going to live down telling Cook that Finding Nemo was his favorite movie; he really should have lied all those months ago.
“Is that anyway to talk to the man who brought you pad Thai?” Cook’s voice came from the direction of his living room, amusement still evident.
“It is when the man who brought me pad Thai is acting like a jerk,” David answered laughing. “Would you like anything to drink?”
“Water’s fine with me,” Cook answered from the doorway of the kitchen. “In fact, point me in the direction of the glasses and I’ll even get it myself.” David pointed silently as he continued rifling in the drawer. His chopsticks had to be in there somewhere. “Whatcha looking for?” David jumped when Cook’s chin settled on his shoulder as the other man tried to look into the drawer with him. “Ow. That kind of hurt,” Cook said, rubbing his chin.
David’s hand flew up to cover his mouth. “Oh, my gosh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, you startled me! Are you okay? Did you bite your tongue? Do you need ice?”
Cook chuckled. “Want to kiss it and make it all better?” David’s eyes narrowed but before he could say anything Cook shook his head. “I’m just joking. Anyway, I’m fine, David, I promise. It was my fault; I didn’t mean to startle you. What were you looking for anyway?”
“My chopsticks. I hate eating Thai food with a fork but I can’t seem to find them.” David shot the open drawer behind him a dirty look as though it was the drawer’s fault he couldn’t find his chopsticks. He closed it before reaching for the drawer next to it. “I guess forks it is though.”
“Did you want water too?” Cook asked as he walked to the cabinet David had indicated earlier. At David’s nod, Cook reached in to grab two glasses before walking over to the refrigerator to fill them up. Everything gathered from the kitchen, the two headed into the living room to the waiting food. “What did you want to watch, anyway?”
David shrugged. “I hadn’t really thought about it, honestly. Maybe we should just start flipping through the channels to see what we can find?”
Cook shrugged back. “I can’t think of a better plan so let’s do it.” David picked the remote up from the end table next to him and hit the power button turning the television on. He started thumbing through the channels, pausing occasionally when something caught his or Cook’s eye before continuing on, neither able to agree on a channel yet.
David was starting to believe they would never find anything to watch when Cook suddenly sat up straighter, looking interested. “Wait, wait, wait! Go back.” Not sure what had caught Cook’s eye but willing to go along with it, David slowly flipped channels in the other direction until Cook told him to stop. Cook turned to David with an excited grin on his face. “I think I’ve found what we’re watching tonight!”
David looked at the commercial skeptically. “An eighties movies marathon? Are you sure?”
Cook’s jaw dropped. “Dude, it’s The Princess Bride, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science. These are classics. You can’t tell me you’ve never seen any of these movies.” When David didn’t say anything, Cook’s face grew horrified. “You’re kidding me. You’ve never seen any of these? It’s settled, this is what we’re watching; you have been deprived and we are going to correct that tonight.”
Slightly offended but more amused than anything, David set the remote down on the end table again. “Just so you know I reserve the right to change the channel at any point.”
“Deal,” Cook agreed, clearly convinced that David wouldn’t feel the need to change the channel.
It turned out that Cook had been right in his assumption. Within minutes of The Princess Bride, David was captivated. He could definitely identify with the kid in the beginning- at twenty-three he still got his cheek pinched whenever he saw his abuelita and he hated it more than he could express, though he knew better than to be rude and ask her to stop (if only because he’d could already hear his mother’s offended ‘David James! Didn’t I teach you better manners than that?!’). David may or may not have gotten misty-eyed when Westley was murdered, much to Cook’s amusement. “Don’t worry,” he had assured him, patting David’s hand that was resting on the couch between them. “It all works out in the end.”
By the time Westley and Buttercup were riding off into the sunrise, David was slouched low on the couch with Cook mirroring his position on the other side of the couch. By the time John Bender walked across the football field and fist-pumped victoriously at the end of The Breakfast Club the two men had migrated to the center of the couch, David’s head cushioned on Cook’s shoulder as they watched through sleep-heavy eyes.
“As essential as I think Weird Science is to your cultural education, I’m going to have to ask that we call it a night,” Cook said through a yawn as a commercial advertising Snuggies played. “We can pick this up at a later date, if that’s okay with you.”
David nodded, not moving from his position. “That sounds like a good idea.”
“Do you mind if I crash on your couch? Because I’ve got to say that I don’t think I can stay awake for the drive home.”
“That’s fine; I’ve got some extra blankets and stuff that you can borrow. Just give me a few minutes to get the energy to go get them,” David answered, fighting off a yawn of his own.
Cook laughed before prodding at David. “I have to warn you, if you don’t move now I’m going to fall asleep and use you as a pillow.”
“Alright, alright, I’m going. There’s no need to resort to threats.” David uncurled himself from his position and headed in the direction of his bedroom. He reappeared a few minutes later with an extra pillow and a few blankets. “The couch doesn’t fold out so I’m not sure how comfortable you’ll be,” he told Cook, tone apologetic.
Cook shook his head slowly. “It’s all good. At this point, I think I could probably sleep on the floor and I wouldn’t notice it. Good night, David.”
“Good night, Cook.” David gave a small wave before trudging back towards his bedroom to collapse in his bed, snoring almost immediately upon hitting the pillow.
David awoke to his cell phone alarm trilling at him that it was time to wake up, otherwise he was going to miss church. He fumbled around, eyes half-opened as he searched for his phone. Phone finally found, he pressed the ‘end’ button, effectively silencing it. He stretched before sliding out of his bed and padding in the direction of the kitchen. It wasn’t until he was stumbling through the living room and was presented with the visual evidence that he remembered that Cook had spent the night. Quickly backtracking, he picked up his phone from where it was still lying on his bed and sent Brooke a quick text message to let her know that he wasn’t going to be able to make it to service that morning. After all, it was just plain rude to wake up your guests only to kick them out minutes later.
His errand accomplished, David began the trek back through his apartment again, pausing briefly to check on Cook. His face was slack with sleep and though David was sure that he couldn’t be completely comfortable curled up on David’s small couch the way that he was, he was still out like a light. Once he reached the kitchen, he paused, unsure what Cook ate for breakfast. After a moment’s worth of internal debate, David decided that one could never go wrong with pancakes and set about pulling the ingredients out of his cabinets.
He was almost ready to start cooking them, whisking the last of the ingredients in as the griddle finished heating, when Cook stuck his head in the doorway of the kitchen. “Morning,” he greeted, voice still rough with sleep as he tried to flatten down his hair’s valiant attempts to defy gravity and possibly escape his head.
David smiled at the sight before him. “Good morning. I know you usually have coffee at school but I don’t have any here. I’m sorry.” Cook waved off his apology as he fought off a yawn, trudging further into the kitchen. “There’s orange juice in the fridge if you want any of that.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Cook answered, opening the cabinet with the glasses and pulling down two, taking them with him to the refrigerator to fill with the juice. He set one down next to the griddle where David had the first few pancakes cooking before taking a sip from the cup still clasped in his hand.
“Thank you,” he said the nervous feeling from the night before returning. He fidgeted with his glass, feeling more and more like this was one of those “morning after”s he’d heard tale about but never actually experienced for himself.
“Don’t mention it; you’re making me breakfast, you are clearly the better person. After all, all I did was give you orange juice out of your own refrigerator.” Cook turned so that his back was resting against the counter and he could see David’s face. “So tell me, David…” he trailed off and David stared back, thrown enough off-kilter by how domestic and right this all felt that he wasn’t sure what Cook was going to ask any more. “Did you have a good time last night? Because I was kind of rude taking over your tv like that and making you watch what I wanted to watch.”
David smiled easily at the other man, his anxiety starting to fade. Between the night before and that morning, something had fallen back into place. This was beginning to feel like one of their lunches, like something familiar; he could do this. “Of course I had a good time. You were right about those movies. I can’t believe I had never seen them before, especially The Princess Bride.”
Cook chuckled. “We’ll have to do this again so that you can see what else you’ve been missing.”
“I’d like that,” David said, feeling the weight he hadn’t known resided in his chest lighten as he slid the first few pancakes onto a plate and poured more batter onto the griddle.
Part Three
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no subject
Date: 2010-05-19 05:54 pm (UTC)And I seriously cracked up during this part:
Brooke laughed again. “Remember what I told you before David- I’m not the world’s best Mormon. If you want someone to tell you all of that, you came to the wrong girl. Me? My advice is more along the lines of ‘get it boy, get it!’ Besides, you have to admit that you and Cook would make the world’s cutest couple.”
Your Brooke rocks my socks. :D
no subject
Date: 2010-05-23 06:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-23 07:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-24 05:06 pm (UTC)Hee! Brooke's my favorite girl, for sure. :)