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 Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 3:42 pm
Tobias had been thinking a lot lately, and finally, one day his thoughts turned to actions as he sold a few of his stocks and dipped into his quite extensive savings account, writing a nice check for ten thousand and slipping it into a stupid singing birthday card, then made his way to Evans place. He figured that the other male would be there, he hardly went out unless it was to the library, and that was from Evan’s own mouth, so Tobias wasn’t really worried…
The thing to be worried about was if Evan would answer the door or not, perhaps that should have been taken into account.
But, he didn’t want to ruin the surprise so he knocked loudly on the door to the house and waited, fidgeting slightly and pulling his phone out of his pocket, scrolling to Evan’s contact number, ready to call him just in case he didn’t quite feel up to answering the door.
The teal haired male waited for a few seconds, then knocked on the door again, sighing. “Come on, Ev. Let me in.” The words were muttered, and Tobias’s thumb still sat, poised to hit the green ‘call’ button, if Evan didn’t open the door soon.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:16 pm
Ordinarily, Evan would have ignored the knock at the door but he’d been walking by the window when he heard the knock and instincntively peered out it. Tobias’ car in the driveway made him suspicious, but it was enough to get him to make his way to the door. He fumbled with the locks for a moment—there were too many on there, even though Zac had put them on at his own request.
He opened the door with the chain still on it, just in case, blinked at Tobias, and then closed the door in his face.
A second later, the sound of the chain unlocking was heard, though that was a few awkward seconds of clattering. Evan wasn’t as tall as Zac so it wasn’t a comfortable reach for him. The chain unlocked, finally, and he opened the door.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, blunt but without any rude intention. He seemed to realize how his words could have come across and moved aside, gesturing for Tobias to come in. “I mean, I didn’t know you were coming.”
As evidenced by the fact that he was only half dressed; he’d slipped into his pajama pants about twenty minutes ago and suddenly felt like the cute little cat faces on it were laughing at him. The house smelled faintly of food, like it usually did; there was a mess on the table close to the kitchen and it was clear that Evan had been working on his food truck plans again.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:45 pm
Tobias grinned when the door opened, though the grin faded when it was suddenly closed in his face. Huh. Maybe he should have called after all. His eyebrows were raised, and there was a small look of amusement on the older male’s face when Evan opened the door again, and when he was asked what he was doing here, Tobias shook his head, reaching out and cupping Evan’s cheek. “I missed you. That’s all.”
His hand slid down the soft skin, and Tobias made his way inside, chuckling softly at the cat pants. It was so Evan that it almost hurt.
“Did you save any dinner for me, Ev? It smells fantastic in here, as per usual, and I’m hungry…also as per usual.”
His hand was still holding onto the card, and with a grunt, the male flung himself onto the couch, sighing and stretching out. “You look cute, as always. I love the pants. They look so comfortable.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:50 pm
Evan huffed, though it wasn’t clear at what. He seemed to do a lot of that when he didn’t know what to say. He kept his back to Tobias for a few seconds as he locked the front door and then shuffled towards the kitchen. “They’re very comfortable,” he called as he disappeared into the kitchen. “They’re new. Cambria got them for me.”
Dishes clinked in the kitchen and a moment later, Evan entered the living room. He had a bowl of chili in one hand and a spoon in the other; it was dressed up nicely and he held it out for Tobias.
He always had food lying around.
“If you missed me, we could have FaceTime’d.” He seemed oblivious to the card and good naturedly, accused, “You just came over for food, didn’t you?”
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:14 pm
“Well, Cambria always does have very good taste.” Tobias grinned, waiting for Evan to return with whatever food was on the menu for the night, and lo and behold, there he was with a bowl of the most delicious smelling chili that he had ever had the pleasure to smell.
“Ah, fantastic, thank you my friend.” He was quiet for a moment while he mixed up some of the chili and took a bite, nodding and making a happy little grunt. “I came for more than the food. I can’t touch you on Face Time, and you know how much I like touching you. Also, I know I missed your birthday…just by the sheer fact that we weren’t really friends back then. But, I do hope this helps.”
He held the card out, grinning. “I really think it’ll make you happy.” And perhaps give him a small heart attack when the card burst out with a bunch of squirrels singing happy birthday, but that was just half of the fun. Tobias took another spoonful of the chili and waited for the bomb to drop. It was going to be…fantastic. At least he hoped that it was going to be fantastic.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:35 pm
Evan looked a little embarrassed when Tobias offered him a card and he seemed torn between taking it or letting Tobias hold onto it. He knew it would have been rude to decline though, so he reluctantly reached out to take it. “You didn’t have to get me a card,” he said slowly. “You know I don’t celebrate my birthday, right?”
He took a seat on an arm rest, next to Tobias, and began to tug open the card. He tore it carefully, mindful not to damage the card inside as he pulled open the envelope. He pulled out the card and squinted at it, clearly judging the cover. He opened it slowly and, as Tobias expected, was alarmed when the card began to make a shrill musical noise. He seemed flustered and immediately slammed the card shut—but not before the check slid out.
He seemed exasperated and side eyed Tobias, huffing again to try and cover the fact that it had surprised him. He was starting to think Tobias liked to see him jump, and this time had almost been enough to send him toppling over the armrest and onto the floor. He caught himself and tried to hide it by leaning down to pick up the slip of paper that had fallen out.
“Ha ha,” he said dryly, but froze when he saw what was written on the check. He sat up and squinted, still looking at it.
It was a joke, right? Tobias liked to joke.
He wasn’t going to be made a fool of, not this time.
He turned to face the male, holding the check between his fingers. “Very funny, Tobias. Nobody drops ten grand like that.”
Evan’s eyes returned to the check and he tried to find the line about it being a joke or a gag gift. Instead, he only found Tobias’ name in the top left, and his address. And phone number. He drew the check closer, faltered, and then looked back at him almost helplessly. “I don’t get it.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:55 pm
Tobias’s face never lost its grin, and when Evan fell over, the laughter started, and the male had to wipe some tears of mirth from his eyes. “I’m sorry, Ev. I wanted to spook you with the card. You always do have the best reactions.” He reached out and ran his fingertips down Evan’s back while the male picked up the check, and when he questioned it, thought it was a joke, Tobias shook his head. “I’m excited for your food truck. I thought this would help you out. I sold off a few of my stocks and pulled from my savings…I’m excited for you to get started, and I don’t want you to start out super deep in debt from the loan that you’ll have to take out, so…I thought I’d help.”
He held both of his hands out, clearly wanting Evan to sit next to him, or in his lap, whichever was better. “You’re worth ten grand, you’re worth more than ten grand, honestly, but. I figured if I gave you any more, you’d think I was just trying to buy a relationship from you. Which, I’m not. But, if you wanted to give me a few kisses in thanks, I wouldn’t say no. And I do expect to eat free from your truck…pretty much forever.” Tobias winked and grinned again.
“You’re going to change the world with this truck, and I want to be a part of making it happen.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 6:08 pm
For a long moment, Evan faltered; his eyes went from Tobias, to his arms, to the check, and back again. His brows remained knit even as he hesitantly walked onto the couch and sat down next to him. He flopped against him, still looking at the number written on the check. “I don’t get it,” he repeated after a minute. He held the check like it was glass and suddenly Tobias had his full attention again. “I knew you had money, but, Tobias. That’s like, almost a full year’s salary, back when I was working in the kitchen. I’m all for giving you free food but—are you sure? I’ll pay you back,” he promised suddenly. “I mean, if I cash it. I’ll pay you back. With money, not prostitution. Or prostitution, I guess, that’s what kisses would be.”
He seemed red faced and flustered, but he was used to saying stupid things in front of Tobias, now. He was still too astounded by the amount of money on the check to let it get to him, fully. “But—are you sure? It’s just a food truck, I don’t think I’m going to save the world. I’m just going to make it taste a little better.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 6:21 pm
Arms went around Evan, pulling him close, and Tobias buried his face in Evan’s soft dark hair, peppering it with kisses. “One day you’ll get it. One day you’ll realize that I’m not messing around, and that I’ve made the mistake of falling madly in love with you. And one day, hopefully, you’ll realize that you feel the same and we’ll stare into one another’s eyes…and then Zac will come and shank me with a banana, and then Cambria will come out and hit him, and she’ll be all happy for us, and most likely embarrass you, and I’ll be lying there, bleeding out, spilling banana pudding all over the ground.”
He drew in a breath and moved his lips to Evan’s ear, kissing it and nibbling on the lobe just a bit.
“It’s not just a food truck. It’s your passion. And your passion is what makes you such an engaging person, and it’s what draws me to you. I want you to smile, and this is the easiest, most efficient way that I can help you out in the short term. Long term, I’m sure I’ll think of more ways to make you smile…but for now…this is all I got.”
Tobias chuckled softly. “I don’t want a prostitute. If I wanted one of those, it wouldn’t be this expensive. The only thing I want is for you to be happy. And you making the world taste better benefits everyone, but it really benefits you, so happy birthday, my dear friend. I love you.”
Good lord. He had turned into such a sap. Laurie would have a field day if he ever knew these words were spewing from Tobias's mouth. A regular field day.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 6:40 pm
Evan squirmed under the kisses, partly because he liked them and partly because they made him nervous. He didn’t try to pull away, though—already an improvement compared to when he’d first met Tobias.
“You say a lot of nice things,” he finally managed; his face was red and his heart was pounding. “In ways that nobody’s ever said them to me before. You just…you make me want to try even harder for it. When you say things like that, it makes me feel like I have to give it my all. I can’t back out, I have to make sure it gets done because I don’t want to let anyone down. Of course,” he snuggled against Tobias, shrinking in size as he made himself comfortable.
“I couldn’t say ‘I love you’ now without it seeming like it was for the money.”
He was quiet for a long moment and then said, “You know Zac would shank you for real, though. I’ve got knives lying all over, I’m pretty sure he’d just grab one and,” he drew his finger across his neck and whistled. The thought made him draw a little closer. “…Banana pudding,” he muttered a few seconds later. “You’d have to eat a lot of banana pudding to start gushing it like that. Do you even like banana pudding?”
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:03 pm
Tobias gave a soft, happy sigh, tightening his arm around Evan, holding him close. “And I mean each and every word that I say, Evan. I wouldn’t lie to you.” Not about something like this, at any rate. “Well, then when you’re ready to say it not because of my money, you know I’m eager to hear it, Ev. Eagerly waiting for the moment you realize that you can’t live without me. Even if Zac shanks me for real…”
He sighed, dipping his head so he could reach Evan’s neck, placing a gentle kiss there. “It would be worth it to know that you love me.”
The comment about the banana pudding though, that made him chuckle. “I think…I like the idea of banana pudding more than I like the actual thing…why? Do you make good banana pudding? I wouldn’t say no to some, you know. I wouldn’t say no to anything you cook.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:31 pm
Evan snorted, entirely indignantly, and squirmed beneath Tobias’ lips when he kissed the back of his neck. He seemed flustered—what a surprise—but now more so because he seemed to be embarrassed of being ticklish there.
“I don’t make a ton of desserts!” he said a bit too loudly, twisting as he reached up to rub at his neck where Tobias had kissed. Trying to make a quick save, he added, sitting upright, “I can teach you. Right now. We should go into the kitchen right now and I’ll show you how I make banana pudding. Or, maybe you should drive me to the bank so I can cash this before you change your mind.”
He paused, looked at Tobias, and realized he had’t actually said thank you.
And yet, when he tried, the words didn’t want to come. Like, he was afraid if he acknowledged that if this was real, Tobias would have some punch line.
But he had told himself he was going to try to work harder at trusting people—and, really, had Tobias ever let him down?
He swallowed and said in perhaps his most earnest, heartfelt voice, “I really do appreciate this, Tobias. I know I’m really bad at showing it, but I really do mean it when I say thank you. This…this food truck thing, it really…It really means a lot to me. I’m really excited. It makes me want to go out and do something, and….”
He shrugged and chewed on the inside of his cheek. “I feel really good about myself working towards it. And this just means a lot to me. I’m not even sure if I believe it yet, so if this is a joke, now’s your last time to say something about it before you break my heart.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 9:00 pm
When Evan squirmed, Tobias was utterly delighted. But when the darker haired male pulled away, he was a little disappointed. He had wanted to make Evan squirm some more…but now all he seemed to want to do was talk about banana pudding. And a trip to the bank.
…He could do a trip to the bank.
“All right. Let’s go then. You might want to change your PJ’s, but, you can put them back on when we get home, and then I can kiss you some more…I mean, we can make banana pudding then, and try not to get me killed by Zac.” Tobias smiled and stood up, pausing at Evan’s words and looking at him, giving a soft chuckle. “Hey. I want to be your hero, not your nightmare. This isn’t a joke, and your dream isn’t something I would ever joke about. I’m so excited to see your food truck come to life, and I’m just really happy that I’m in the position that I can help. I believe in your success, I know it’s going to be great. You’re a great investment. You’re going to be amazing, and that’s not something I would ever, or could ever joke about. Ever. You’re wonderful, Evan.”
He held out a hand, smiling once again. “Let’s go cash that check.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 9:21 pm
Evan had forgotten his pajama pants until Tobias pointed them out. He brushed at them, only slightly considering their appearance. They were cute; why should he have to be embarrassed that he liked them?
He seemed distracted but reached out a hand to Tobias and pulled himself up. For a few seconds he lingered, mind clearly elsewhere. He wasn’t used to this, wasn’t used to feeling like this. Some guy he’d met a few weeks ago wanted to be his hero. He was so passionate about helping Evan that he’d given him a check for more than Evan was worth. At least, by his own appraisal.
Someone who had no stake in him believed in him.
Well, sure, Tobias liked him, but he’d always respected that Evan didn’t want a relationship. Even now, he’d done this without expectation of anything but food—which Evan would have given him, money or not. Hope and pride and joy swelled in him, so much that he wasn’t even sure what he should do with it. So, he stood on his tip toes and planted a quick kiss on Tobias’s cheek. “Thank you,” he said, overwhelmed with emotions.
It wasn’t the money. It was that Tobias gave him the money. It was that Tobias believed in him.
It made him believe in himself, just enough to know that he wasn’t going to sleep until he finished his plans for the Truck.
He shuffled off quickly to change clothes before he could mess things up.
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