The Deep End

'The day' had arrived. Alan was prepared; with civility resting on his features and hickeys (courtesy of Austin) etched on the top of his collarbone. He was supposed to pick her up at her house and they would walk to a small restaurant near her house. He hadn't bothered to try and learn to drive yet, let alone a restricted license; he could barely walk in a straight line, what hope was there that he would be able to drive a car without causing Armageddon?

He rung the door bell and waited on the porch, his breathing shallow and erratic, the anxiety was beginning to sink in. God, what if it all went wrong?

Tessa's mum opened the door, beaming ear to ear, and rambling about how ecstatic she was that her baby was going on her first date with a nice guy. Well fuck, if he didn't feel bad enough. Alan nodded and made polite small talk, he never had really minded Tessa's mum, he hadn't really interacted with her before, but she seemed nice enough.

Soon enough, Tessa came sprinting down the stairs, she almost tripped down them twice (thank god for banisters) with her shirt half done up. Her mum nearly fell off the seat on which she was perched because there was a boy in her living room that saw her daughter's boobs and that scared her. Tessa, having made it down the stairs without permanently damaging herself, did up the rest of her shirt only mild embarrassment manifested in her features. She greeted Alan with a kiss that was too low and close to his mouth to be considered an cheek kiss. The beady stare of her mum forced Alan to return it hesitantly, he hoped Tessa realised that was about as far as she would ever get with him.

On their little walk to the restaurant, Alan acted as a date would. When Tessa complained of the cold; his coat was now her's. Even when she grabbed hold of his hand, although he visibly stiffened in discomfort, he held her's back but even she began to notice.

The meal wasn't bad; the food was so good Alan almost cried, and he didn't mind Tessa's company, but he couldn't help the guilt from seeping into his thoughts. He was cheating her; his only hope was that she wouldn't take it offensively. They had finished the dinner and Alan was about to pay when Tessa uttered something that sent Alan's heart racing:

"Let me pay some, it wasn't really a date, I'm not going to expect you to pay it all."

A perplexed look in her direction later, the waiter came, and so she gave him her half of the bill. Alan was near to protesting but she hushed him defiantly, sending him into silence and to quietly hand his side of the bill over.

Alan was half way out of the door when he reached for his hand, which confused him even more. Didn't she say it wasn't a date?

He let out a surprised sigh when she linked their arms together in a friendly manner, and they beamed at each other. Alan decided now was a good time to ask. "So, um, what did you mean by 'it wasn't really a date'?" From her recent reactions he had a hopeful hunch that she wouldn't be pissed off at him if the truth did come out. "Oh, please, Alan, I hate to break it to you, but your acting skills aren't nearly as advanced as you think they are." The laughter that she offered calmed him. She continued: "I know you don't like me like -that-, but that's okay, I don't like you like that either."

Alan let out a bubbly giggle, and pressed a brief, friendly kiss to her cheek, before thanking her. After the giggles subsided, she said innocently "You looked so nervous the whole 'date'." She made gestures with her fingers for the quotation marks. Alan turned to her with a sincere gaze, and answered shyly "I felt like I had cheated you."

She only laughed, and hit his arm in a joking way. "Awww, is there someone else you like, Alan?" She teased, pinching his cheek in the way that his mother would. He rolled his eyes mockingly. "Oh my god, there is, isn't there?" She, inevitably, found delight in this that she was unable to veil. Poking him in the sides, she began to bombard him with questions.

Alan was close to the breaking point, because secretly he was incredibly ticklish, he silence her by holding his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I'll tell you." She squealed. "If..." She placed her hands on her hips, and hissed:

"If what?" Alan's request happened to be fairly straightforward, and predictable. "Don't tell anyone." He offered his smallest finger, which Tessa shook with her own.

They had arrived at Tessa's front door, but her mum's partially hidden gaze from the window didn't deter Alan from leaning in to her ear and whispering. "My neighbour."

She blinked momentarily, before giggling. She almost started to bounce, covering her mouth as she laughed. "Oh my shit, the hot Goth that lives next to you?" Tears began to gather in her eyes from her laughter, when Alan nodded sheepishly, she calmed down slightly and placed a hand on his arm. "I've got to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow. Same place in the canteen?" Alan nodded, glad as she seemed to have not abandoned him quite yet. She was half way through the door, before she turned back and said quietly so her mum wouldn't hear: "Have a great night with lover boy." She winked and motioned towards the hickeys that lay fading on his collarbone. Alan blsuhed and waved before returning home.

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Alan was about to plan his escape route to see Austin when he heard the tap of a pebble on his window. When he peered out he, no surprise, saw Austin beaming up at him through the darkness. It was late; his parents had gone to bed about an hour ago. He went down stairs to let him in, Austin had insisted he climb through the window but Alan was too paranoid that Austin would hurt himself. Austin greeted him with a warm hug, and Alan replied with a: "See, coming through the front door wasn't so bad after all."

They snuggled down into Alan's bed, and Alan told the story of his and Tessa's "date." Alan exaggerated a little, so Austin would make sympathetic 'awwwww's and would rub his back. "See, Alan, I told you my plan would work." Austin pecked his boyfriend's reddening cheek. "I think her mum thinks we are dating. And I think my mum does too" Austin clung to him tighter after the announcement, and Alan couldn't resist but hug him even firmer.

"It's okay. We are together, and everything is okay."