Luke kisses him again, clinging to his broad shoulders. “Happy Valentine’s Day, honey.”
Hal is grinning when he pulls back.
~*~
The best part about being in love with your best friend – and really, it’s just one part of many – is the way romance doesn’t have to look anything like it does on TV. Hal has a tendency to overthink their relationship at times; Luke can see the wheels turn in his head. It’s like he catches himself shoving at Luke or laughingly calling him an idiot, and then worries that he’s said something he shouldn’t as Luke’s boyfriend. It’s a habit Luke is slowly breaking him of, and tonight proves that. Instead of an expensive dinner and tapered candles, they have a pillow fort, pizza, and the first season ofStargate SG-1on Netflix.
Luke goes into the bedroom and changes into his favorite pair of Hal’s sweats – he likes the way they don’t quite catch at his hips, and he’s caught Hal staring at him enough times that he know he likes it too. He keeps his green-and-black flannel, because it’s soft and it fits him well, and he went to the trouble of wearing it open at the throat, with nothing underneath. He thinks Hal will like that too. Then he goes back to the living room.
In the fort, Hal reclines back against a massive stack of pillows in crisp white cases that Luke realizes are new; they don’t have this many pillows. A thick fleece blanket covers the rug and Hal pats the spot beside him, his gaze dark and inviting. Luke doesn’t think he’s ever wanted to be anywhere more.
He stretches out on his back, snuggles in close. Hal hooks his leg over Luke’s.
“Holding hands is so overrated,” Luke teases. “Let’s hold feet instead.”
“You can’t hold hands and eat pizza.” Hal drags the box up onto his flat stomach and flips it open. “Which piece do you want, picky?”
Luke makes a mock-offended sound, but takes his time selecting the perfect slice, the one with the most pepperoni. He takes a bite and then holds it out to Hal. “Here, I’ll share with you.”
Hal takes a huge bite and gets sauce all over his face, laughing.
“Slob,” Luke accuses, and leans in to lick it away.
It’s gross, and they both laugh, and Luke wonders why he was nervous about this night.
~*~
The nerves return, though. Of course they do. He’s nervous as an old woman’s lap dog, and that’s just his damn personality.
After they eat pizza, Hal gets a sheepish look and pulls a red, heart-shaped box of chocolates from behind his pillow. They bite all of them in half, testing the centers. Luke spits out the one with the gross pink stuff and Hal snorts an inelegant laugh.
When Hal sets the box aside and slides a hand down Luke’s back, pulling him in close, Luke knows it’s present time. He allows himself a chocolate-flavored kiss first; lets Hal pull his leg up over his hip. But pulls back when Hal’s hand finds his hip bone and starts easing the sweats down a teasing fraction.
“Wait, wait,” he gasps, breaking away. “I got you something.”
“Aw, baby.” Hal plants kisses down his jaw, his throat, utterly distracting. “You didn’t need to.”
“Beg to differ. Here, stop.” He pushes Hal away, who groans.
“Come on.”
“Nope. Present first, sex after.”
“Fine.” Hal pretends to pout, but he’s bad at it, sitting up and grinning like an excited kid instead. Which just makes Luke’s nervousness worse. Now Hal wants to see what he got him; God, he hopes it isn’t stupid.
He goes to his bag just inside the front door and stays on his knees there a moment, turning the carefully-wrapped present over in his hands, tracing the sloppy tape seams with a fingertip. Sandy offered to wrap it for him, but he decided he needed to do it himself. It only took two tries, and he only cussed a little (a lot).
“Babe,” Hal calls, softly, and he takes one last deep breath and returns to the fort.
“Here.” He holds out the present and sits down cross-legged next to Hal, stomach full of butterflies.
Hal’s face glows like Christmas morning, like melting snow beneath the sunlight.
“It’s not anything big,” Luke warns.
“Shut up,” Hal says, and peels back the paper like he’s trying not to damage it.
Luke holds his breath.
