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He prepared and pre-prepared for tonight. The menu was something he didn't want to spend too much time cooking, but he didn't want it to be just slapped together either. If Billy wanted quick and easy, he could have had fast food. Ladon wanted to show him a home-cooked meal and impress him. So, apron tightened, he set to work in the kitchen. Ladon found a time when his mother wouldn't be coming home till very late, and would give them time for him to cook without anyone wondering what he was doing and from his mother knowing. It wasn't that he was ashamed of Billy, it was that he wasn't ready to have that sort of agreement with his mother on who he could and could not date. Then there was the whole "it's a guy" thing he was still dealing with and just wasn't up dealing with his family. Best to leave tonight as drama free as he could which meant no parents.

The preplanning had started in the grocery store, where he had spent nearly an hour debating what he should make and raising some worry from the stock boy that he was either going to hold the place up, was lost, or he was going to shoplift. In the end, he settled on Chicken Alfredero. This was mainly because he saw Billy eat a pasta dish when they last went out. (He smiled at the thought of 'last went out' too often. He had 'gone out' with someone – TWICE!) He didn't want something with garlic in it as it would just make the date offensive with the smell. What if they……wanted to be…….close again.

The image of sitting next to Billy sprang back all to eagerly to his mind and he smiled again, moving about the kitchen to turn on the radio. Usually he could care less about mainstream songs, but some of them were rather upbeat. It did help that he had a newfound interest in some songs now.

Humming, he stirred the skillet and watched the pot of pasta boil, checking the clock on the oven display and keeping the music just low enough if the doorbell should ring, but just enough to hear the song. Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone. I'll be waiting, all there left to do is run. He hummed and continued cooking, checking his phone just in case. Okay, just a wee bit nervous, but he was at his own home this time around and he even cleaned up his room to make it look normal (all stuffed animals sitting in his closet with the door closed and his craft table cleaned up to just look like a project desk). Not that they would be going upstairs of course!! He even found out the code to pay-per-view if they wanted to watch a movie while they ate.

Paris was bored. So very bored. He’d had a crap day at school during which he’d been bitched at by his teachers for slacking off again, and now he couldn’t find anything to do. The usual didn’t seem to interest him at the moment. While he would have liked to lose himself to the pounding beat of music on the dance-floor, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with the people. So he wandered, checking store fronts and considering a few cafés before deciding none of it was appealing.

Instead, he pulled out his phone and flipped it open to send Ladon a text.

‘Im bored. Wut r u doin?’

"Greeting~" Billy said with a flourishing half bow meant to flatter his boyfriend!host. "I think I'll save the drinking for dinner," Billy responded, following Ladon into the kitchen none the less. Billy would likely have the soda with his dinner, if only because juice and pasta was not a combination he wanted to try, and he wasn't the biggest fan of water.

Billy let Ladon reply to his text and move back to tending the pasta before, coming up behind the boy, Billy wrapped his arms around him, and pressed him lightly against the counter. Warm breath met Ladon's neck and moved up to his ear.
Billy's voice rumbled softly, "I missed you, love~"


In the time since their last date, Billy had calculated carefully with next course of action - just how he would proceed. He had noted, and admitted to himself that Ladon was someone worthy of Billy's attention, whether or not Billy were playing a game with him. In any other circumstance, Billy and Ladon could have truly been...friends, perhaps was the word? Moreover, Billy found himself vaguely enjoying the time spent with Ladon. Whether or not that was simply because Billy had no one else to associate with could have been a factor though. Or so he assumed.
Billy had reiterated in his mind that this was a game, and falling in love was an auto 'GAME OVER, YOU LOSE.' He had objectified Ladon again in his mind. Because if he saw him as a person, then he would lose. Billy didn't like to lose.


So Billy played the game - his body pressed firmly against Ladon's. Most predominantly his pelvis against the slightly shorter boy's backside. Billy's lips grazed against his ear. He had calculated the flustering affect this would have on Ladon. Billy might have been in his boyfriend's home, but Billy was going to be the one in control. The one with the advantage.
"You know, you're rather hot when you're busy. Working. Distracted with something else," He dropped his voice and continued, "and when you're flustered, and don't know what to do or say~"

Billy wasn't lying. Even if Billy wasn't falling in love, he could appreciate the...Ladon's looks. Although young and boyish, they were soft. Delicate. And the manner in which he acted gave Billy a feeling of power that made him feel... Well, Billy enjoyed being superior, so of course he enjoyed the feeling of power Ladon provided him. Having Ladon working in the kitchen was just icing on the cake. he was cooking. Like a good housewife should. Heh.

So...maybe he wouldn't throw him away when he was done with this game. Maybe he'd keep him around. Ladon was someone to talk to, looked good, and would hopefully satisfy his lust,...in due time. The challenge was keeping Ladon objectified in his mind, if he was to stay.
How was Billy to know that he would have to fight to keep Ladon around? Was it worth it to fight for an object? Or would love prove to be what he really was fighting to keep? Fighting for? Well...it was time for the game to get interesting.

Billy chuckled, "Okay, maybe hot isn't the right word, but you're more than just cute." As he sad this one hand slid to take Ladon's burned one and kissed it in classic 'make it better' fashion. "But take this from an artist - you are very visually appealing. Not just your looks either." Billy kissed the hand again, "And I am glad you missed me~"

The arm that was still around Ladon's waist slowly released him, but there was still that smile on Billy's face - the one that was either warmth or confidence. It was misleading, and Billy often used it to its full extent.
"I apologize for causing you to burn yourself."

Green eyes lowered to their hands, and Billy's familiar kiss upon them. Whatever thoughts about the burn that might have been there were swept away to concentrate more on pressed lips, and he felt that maybe he should have been the one to ask for something to drink as his mouth went dry and it was harder to swallow. Slowly, he looked up and shook his head. "No. It's not your fault. It was an accident." And he couldn't blame Billy for being a distraction as it was…one that Ladon rather liked. It was welcomed even though he hardly knew what to do with himself whenever the other came around.

Slowly turning about, he looked up to the other boy, still close by, still there, but no longer pressing. "I'm just…new to this is all. You keep surprising me." In many ways. Billy was very unpredictable, but when he had zero experience in this sort of game of flirting and sweet words, everything was surprising. "It's not bad or anything like that. Just…new." Like the hand holding, small kisses, and sweet words.

Debating, he wondered that, with all that Billy sweetly told him, if he should be returning the favor. Billy had made it know more openly about what he thought about him and made him feel wanted. Shouldn't he return the favor? Wasn't that what real couples did? If not, he might give the impression that he didn't care for him. "I think…you're very sweet." Should he mention his looks as well. "……..and nice looking." Okay, it wasn't cute or hot, but it was in that area. Ballpark at least.

He could hear voices coming from the kitchen but couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. Curious, Paris quietly shut the front door, leaning over to slip his shoes off and leave them there so that he could pad across the floor in socked feet. He slipped his jacket off as well and tossed it onto the couch in the living-room, straining his ears to hear. It didn’t sound like Ladon was talking to his mother. The responding voice was masculine, a fact that piqued Paris’s confusion.

Maybe it was Ladon’s dad? Paris hadn’t really heard all that much about him -- if anything, really -- and he’d been under the impression that Ladon didn’t see much of him, probably less than Paris saw his own father. He didn’t know the circumstances, seeing as Ladon never told him -- they talked more about the present and the future than they did about the past -- but he could guess. Paris was no stranger to divorce.

He made his way, noiselessly, to the kitchen, having used it to cook for Ladon before. He peered in first, in case he was interrupting something -- and was he ever. As he’d thought, Ladon wasn’t alone, but the young man currently with him definitely wasn’t either of his parents. For one, they were too close -- much too close -- almost intimate in a way, but that couldn’t be right because Ladon was rarely intimate with anyone. Paris certainly never stood that close to him. He might grab onto his arm or cuddle against his side, but there was still a distance, still a hesitancy in Ladon that they could never quite cross.

Paris looked at the second figure in the room, wondering what sort of person it took to make Ladon consider being so close to anybody, but as soon as his eyes rested on him Paris wished he hadn’t looked at all. The hair was too familiar, and the skin-tone, and the build of his body, and Paris didn’t want to see because it was just so bizarre. It didn’t make any sense in his head at all. It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t logical. It wasn’t right. He knew that boy, but he didn’t want to because it made the situation all the more disturbing.

“Billy?”

At the sound of Paris calling out his name behind him, Billy closed his eyes and let out a chuckle. It was then he took a couple of steps back and to the side to look at the intruder, amused, although he put on an affronted look, and took his boyfriends hand.
"Hello, Paris. I never thought I'd see you here of all places - intruding on our date." He would play the offended card, but at the same time try to be as pleasant as possible,..simply because it would look better on his part. He could say it was because he didn't want to upset his dear Ladon.

It didn't take a rocket science to figure out that Billy and Paris knew each other. What with having to go to the same school, it seemed natural. It just seemed odd that his best friend and ..boyfriend would know each other, but hey, maybe they talked in the cafeteria a lot. Paris was rather social and his name did get around and seeing as Paris didn't come to see Ladon with any punch marks, he guessed that he hadn't gotten into a fight.

Billy's pleasant nature seemed only natural to Ladon, and he took it as both being surprised to see a classmate here. A little hope sprang up to think that maybe Billy and Paris were friends since it would be nice to think they were all the type to get along. That didn't help him now as Ladon was still the one in hot water and having already been burned once, he didn't want to be burned twice tonight.

It helped that Billy was holding his hand, and while the gray-haired boy only showed comfort and ease in the situation, Paris' laughter cut through him. It was silly, wasn't it? He, of all people, having a boyfriend. Did Paris think it was funny that anyone would want to go out with him, or that Ladon would be up for going out with anyone? He wasn't sure, but it twisted him up inside. He wished Paris wouldn't laugh.

Clutching the hand in his tighter than he ever did, he looked down, somewhat ashamed by his sneaking around. "I'm sorry. I ..wasn't ready to tell you yet. It just…….sorta happened and I wasn't sure……..how far it would go." Or how long Billy would let it last. Ladon was more than willing to date as long as the other wanted, but he wasn't sure if Billy would find someone better and move on or just find they weren't right for each other. Whatever strange attraction Billy had for him, he didn't know how strong it was. Ladon hoped it was.

Flushed, he looked at the tile of his kitchen floor, something he had done more than once when he was in trouble in this room, by parents and this time his friend, and slowly raised his eyes to look at the other. He slowly stepped a little closer to Billy. "I'm going out….with him." It was no joke. He wans't kidding around. Ladon wasn't the type to kid around about these things. About many things. He wasn't a liar either – but he hadn't exactly told Paris everything. He liked to think that he would have if he had more time and a few more dates.

Then, because it was nagging at him and he hoped that Paris would show his approval for a boy he assumed was a classmate and friend, he tested a smile. "You know Billy, right?" He said, looking up at the tan teenager beside him and smiling. He hoped that, if they didn't, they would introduce each other and meet. His best friend and his boyfriend. It was only natural they should get along.