Trophy Eyes.

Aled’s trying to formulate in his head how to tell everyone he leaves in just over a week when Jack jumps on him.

“Aled!”

The Welsh boy jumps and turns to glare at him.

“Are you trying to kill me, Barakat?” He asks with a glare. Jack laughs and shakes his head.

“As much as you might think so, I’m not.” Jack continues, “Alex told me to ask you and Daniel if you wanna come to the movies with us after class tomorrow. Something like a double-date, he said.”

Aled raises his eyebrows and suppresses a small laugh.

“That’s what I said.” Jack smiles, raising an eyebrow, “But what can I say? He’s a hopelessly classic romantic.”

Aled makes a vomit noise from the back of his throat and Jack slaps him playfully around the arm.

“Check with Daniel for me anyway, would you?” Jack asks. Aled nods.

Jack leaves down the corridor, content having convinced Aled into it.

Aled’s walking down the corridor to Physics when Daniel passes him.

“We’ve been asked on a double-date with Gaskarth and Barakat.” Aled says with a smirk, pressing his books to his chest.

Daniel stares at him for a second, before letting out a giggle.

“The movies tomorrow, after class.” Aled explains, and Daniel eyes him warily.

“And yes, I know they have astoundingly bad taste in films but we can just say no to anything they suggest.”

“I like that plan.” Daniel says, hugging Aled to his chest and kissing his forehead lightly.

“Great. I just have to tell Jack you said you’ll do it and then he’ll talk at me all Physics about what he’s going to wear.” Aled says, pursing his lips.

“I pity you.” Daniel says, capturing Aled’s lips in a gentle kiss before leaving for class.

As Aled’s walking to the Science corridor, Jack and Andrew appear and fall into step beside him.

“So? What did he say? Did you ask him?” Jack demands, practically bouncing as he walks.

“He said he’ll do it.” Aled says with a smirk. Jack’s face lights up, and he waits all of a minute before thinking about what he’s wearing.

“So, I was thinking; would a shirt and tie be too formal? What are you wearing?”

Aled rolls his eyes as the three of them take their seats on the back row.

“You can tell someone’s never been on a date before.” Andrew laughs quietly. Jack glares at him around Aled, and is about to make a sassy reply when the teacher walks in.

Aled laughs at them both and rummages around in his bag for his books.

*

Aled and Daniel are about ready to leave Aled’s hotel for the theater when he gets a frantic call from Jack.

“Aled! Help! I don’t know what to wear! Alex is coming over in twenty minutes!”

Aled rolls his eyes, but begins to drag Daniel downstairs anyway.

“We’ll be right over.”

Daniel has barely knocked on Jack’s door before it’s flung open and Jack’s standing there, dressed apart from shoes.

“You said you didn’t know what to wear.” Aled laughs.

“It’s the shoes!” Jack growls, dragging them both inside, “Look!”

He gestures wildly at the two pairs of shoes in the hall; blue Converse and plain white trainers. Aled looks at them for a second and then back at Jack’s outfit; a red plaid shirt open over a white v-neck, and too-tight black skinny jeans.

“I’d say the white, but then, it’s you. Probably wouldn’t last the twenty minutes until Alex gets here.” Aled says, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow, “But then, the blue doesn’t really go all that well.”

Jack glares at him as Aled picks up one of the Converses and holds it near Jack’s chest.

“Now, do you have these in red? They’d be perfect.”

Jack rolls his eyes and purses his lips before stalking off to find some red shoes. Aled looks across at Daniel, who’s standing awkwardly across the room, and smirks.

Jack stomps back and thrusts a pair of red Converse into Aled’s hands. Aled smirks and holds one up to Jack’s chest.

“See these, these are perfect.” Aled says triumphantly, forcing them into Jack’s hands, “Now you get them on and we’ll go, so you can pretend that you did it all yourself.”

Jack sits on the back of the sofa and forces a shoe on.

May appears from the kitchen with a glass of orange juice and as she walks past Jack and Aled, she pauses to comment, “You two are so obviously gay, you know that, right?”

Jack hits her playfully with the other shoe before he puts it on.

Daniel slides his arm around Aled’s waist and kisses him gently.

“You know, if you two weren’t so disgustingly cute, I’d be throwing you out of my house right now.

“Yeah, whatever.” Aled says against Daniel’s lips and he feels the American laugh against him.

“Excuse me while I throw up.”

There’s a knock on the door and Aled pulls back from Daniel.

“Looks like you don’t have time to throw up.” He smirks. Jack, however, flies into a panic and runs at the door, trying to calm himself before throwing it open.

Alex is there, and he gives Jack a little smile before kissing him lightly.

“You ready to go?” The elder asks. Jack pulls back for a second and disappears into the sitting room. He reappears a second later, shepherding Aled and Daniel out.

“I am now.” He says, falling back and catching hold of Alex’s hand.

“You know, I’m not even going to ask.” Alex laughs.

*

“You see, this is why we never let you choose movies.” Aled groans as the four of them leave the theater a few hours later, “I’ve never seen something as mind-numbingly boring as New Moon in my life.”

“Oh, come on!” Jack cries, “It wasn’t that terrible! And what are you trying to say about my taste in movies?”

Aled rolls his eyes and slinks into Daniel’s side. Alex laughs a little and pulls Jack into his side by his waist.

“This was fun, though.” Alex comments, “We should do it again sometime.”

Aled swallows nervously but doesn’t say anything. It’s unlikely he’ll be here for it to happen again.

They go their separate ways and Daniel ends up walking Aled back to his hotel.

“Stay for a while?” Aled asks, and Daniel nods as the Welsh boy pulls him into his room.

They lay on Aled’s bed together for a while, just kissing casually and occasionally, and Daniel wraps his arms around Aled’s waist to pull him closer.

Aled buries his face in Daniel’s shoulder, but still doesn’t mention the tickets in his case until Daniel brings it up.

“I know you’re leaving on Saturday.”

Aled looks up at him, almost scared.

“I’m not mad at you for not telling me. I just wish… I wish you didn’t have to go.”