Apartment 4C

It took most of the evening on Valentine’s Day for Jake to be able to compose himself after seeing Alfie. He still didn’t understand why he’d gotten so upset, he had basically given Alfie permission to go after other guys when he rejected the date that had resulted from their flirting. But it still hurt, he couldn’t deny that. At least he didn’t have the apartment underneath Alfie’s on this floor. At least he was saved from hearing Alfie’s hook-up even if he did see the beginning of it.

Jake forced himself to get back into his usual routine. There was no use hiding from Alfie if he’d seen him now, right? Not that he was hiding before…he just wasn’t actively seeking him out and avoided places Alfie might be. Wow he was pathetic. Regardless, a couple of night later, his usual 8pm Wednesday Night laundry session, Jake was sitting on top of the dryer reading like he always did. Tonight’s book is Adam Bede by George Eliot. Not his favourite read by a long-shot, but he was confident he could get at least some of his students excited about it. Unrequited love and unintentional murder would excite some of the sophomores he had tomorrow afternoon, right?

Jake should’ve known that Alfie would come down with his washing like he had done before. Had the beautiful guy kept this routine up in the hopes that Jake would be there? No, that was stupid. His life wasn’t like one of his novels.

“Hey,” Alfie murmured.

Jake managed a tight smile. He didn’t trust himself not to say anything stupid, so he decided not to speak at all. That would be best, right?

Or not, judging by the incredulous look on Alfie’s face.

“Are you really going to ignore me?”

Think, Jake. Think!

“I don’t really have anything to say,” Jake said softly.

Oh for fuck’s sake.

“You’re the one that cancelled our coffee date!” Alfie spluttered.

“You don’t shit where you eat! And you don’t even know me!” Jake retorted.

Now he just sounded like Gabe. Fantastic.

Alfie just shook his head. “What made you change your mind on me? You were eager enough when I asked,”

Jake swallowed heavily, marking the place in his book. This was taking a turn he didn’t like.

“I thought about it, about the pros and cons, and I realised it would be a bad idea,” Jake said simply.

He inhaled sharply as Alfie dumped his washing basket on top of the dryer next to Jake. Why was he so close?!

“That’s your problem right there – you were overthinking. Why did you have to weigh up the pros and cons? Why couldn’t you have just taken a chance?”

He may not know how old Alfie is, but that statement just proved he was younger. Clearly Alfie hadn’t had the same long years of lacklustre lovelife that Jake had. Typical.

“Because life doesn’t work like that,” Jake mumbled.

But Alfie didn’t give up.

“It can do, you just have given it a shot,” Alfie insisted, “You haven’t given me a shot. Do you know how much it hurt me when you sent that text and then didn’t reply to any of mine?”

A lump rose in Jake's throat, so he quickly swallowed to get rid of it. Well fuck, he just had to say that didn’t he? Why did he have to make Jake feel guilty all over again? Jake bit his bottom lip and hopped off the dryer as it beeped, still not sure what to say. What could he say? He knew he’d been wrong to act like he did.

“So that’s it? You’re just giving up on something that could be really good, just like that?” Alfie said sharply.

Jake took a deep breath as Alfie moved to stand even closer.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Jake said meekly.

Alfie’s anger seemed to soften slightly, his hand moving to rest on Jake’s hip. Oh wow. Oh wow oh wow.

“You could tell me why you reacted like you did to seeing that guy all over me on Valentine’s Day,” Alfie murmured.

Oh God. He had to bring up that memory too. Jake paled slightly, and moved to step backwards, but Alfie bracketed him in, hands planted either side of Jake against the dryer, not letting him move.

“Please answer me,” Alfie begged.

The desperation and sadness in Alfie’s eyes was what made up Jake’s mind. The taller guy really did look upset, like he’d tortured himself over what had happened, just as much as Jake had. That couldn’t be right, could it?

“I-I don’t know. I don’t know why,”

Well fuck, that wasn’t much of an explanation. Congratulations Jake.

Alfie frowned, running his hands over his head, giving Jake some breathing room, especially as he didn't put them back. “You confuse me, Jake. I thought you liked me then you cancelled on me without an explanation…I don’t know how to read you,”

He really had hurt Alfie, hadn't he?

“I’m not exactly complex - I’m a book nerd who managed to make it into a living,” Jake muttered.

He was nothing special. That’s why it didn’t make any sense that Alfie was getting so worked up about this.

“See, I didn’t know that. That’s an interesting fact I’ve learnt about you, and I want to learn more,” Alfie said, smiling.

Jake couldn’t help but blush slightly. He just didn’t understand why Alfie cared so much.

“Please give me one chance? If nothing more than to welcome a guy to a city he barely knows?” Alfie asked.

“I don’t know where you’re originally from, but you’re definitely not from Chicago,” Jake blurted.

No Chicago guy had ever (or would ever) make such an effort to ask out someone like him. It just wasn’t what happened here.

“Is that a yes?” Alfie asked hopefully.

Jake bit his bottom lip. If Alfie was so persistent, he should give him a chance, right? He knew he’d tortured himself enough, and it looked like Alfie had too. Screw Gabe. He could take a chance, right? Try something new? Try someone new?

“Yeah, okay,”

The wide smile that spread across Alfie’s lips let him know he’d said the right thing.

“Tomorrow night, 6pm. I’ll meet you outside the college you said you work at. And I’m turning off my phone so you can’t text me to cancel,” Alfie grinned.

Jake just blushed. There was no way he was throwing away this second chance. No way in hell.