11- We're Going To The Mall

SCOTT - [I'm outside, you ready?]

Ryan saw the notification pop up on his phone and panicked. He'd overslept and was rushing to get presentable. It was never good to keep an alpha waiting. Toothbrush in one hand, phone in the other, he sent back:

RYAN – [Almost. In bathroom. Be down soon.]

Not a lie, but sounded better than saying he couldn't drag himself out of bed to get ready on time. This was their third official date, and Ryan wasn't quite used to the change in schedule. The lack of sleep gnawed at him. Their first date was only dinner, since Ryan was tired. The second date was the same, though the pizza at that place beat the Chinese buffet hands down. He really wanted to spend time with Scott, but that was hard to do when he was practically falling asleep at the table!

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Scott turned his car off when he got Ryan's reply. He was going to try something different tonight. Twice now, he'd ended the dates early because Ryan looked so exhausted. He was starting to think he rushed in to this a little too fast, and maybe that Ryan didn't actually enjoy spending time with him. Was it really possible someone could consistently be that tired all the time?

He had a perfect idea for a change of pace, and a good opportunity to really win some of Ryan's affection. And, if this didn't work, maybe it was time to back off and let whatever his feelings were stay a crush. After all, they've known each other not quite a month and this was only their fourth date. The night after Ryan came to his clinic totally counted. Sure, they texted sometimes, but he'd never had a relationship where you only met the other person once a week. Schedule conflicts or not, was that even a relationship?

Scott mulled over the question, keeping an eye on the apartment complex entryway. Soon enough, he saw a familiar figure walk up to the glass, smooth his hair down, and push the door open. It was a cute, absent-minded gesture, which brought a smile to Scott's face. He wanted this to work. He was done being single. He wanted this one, and he was going to go for it. He got out of the car and waved Ryan over.

Ryan waved back and jogged over to Scott's car, thankful he didn't seem upset at having been kept waiting. Scott swept him up in a quick embrace. Ryan was starting to get used to this kind of greeting, and was able to return it somewhat, but it still felt awkward. Scott smelled amazing today, too.

"Sorry for the wait," Ryan apologized as he pulled away.

"Don't worry about it." Scott held on to Ryan's hands. "You hungry?"

"Starving!"

Scott laughed and opened the passenger door for his boyfriend. That was another thing Ryan was trying to get used to. He couldn't quite decide if Scott was acting, or if he really was that cheesy. Either way, it was growing on him a little. Scott got in on the driver's side and started the car.

"So, where to today?" Ryan asked, fastening his seatbelt.

"My sister's birthday is coming up so I wanted to hit the mall. I figure we can get something at the food court, then walk around with overpriced coffees and window shop. What do you think?"

"Sounds fun. I haven't been to the mall in years."

The mall was just outside the city limits, a half hour drive from Ryan's place. It was two hours by bus, making for a very good reason why Ryan hadn't been in a while. Scott held Ryan's hand the whole time, as they talked about the odd things that happened at work. It was just one more thing Ryan was slowly getting used to, not that he thought it was a bad thing.

The building soon loomed ahead of them, cars clustered around shop entrances in the expansive parking lot. Ryan had been told once that around the holidays the entire lot would be full, but he'd never seen it. Still, for a weeknight, there were a lot of cars. Scott circled around the building to the food court entrance. Parking here was in short supply, but he was able to find a spot close-ish to the door.

Scott turned off the car and pointed finger guns at Ryan. "You ready for some shopping?"

Ryan snorted at the ridiculous gesture and got out of the car. They walked hand in hand towards the building. Ryan wondered briefly how they looked as a couple, Scott in his scrubs from work, and himself in a plain shirt, pants, and collar. He happened to look down once they got to the door and realized he'd made a mistake when getting ready. "Aww man..."

"What's wrong?" Scott held the door for him.

"I just realized my socks don't match."

"Really? I didn't even notice. I was too busy looking at that cute face of yours."

Ryan tried, and failed, stop the smile from creeping up on his face. Nor could he stop the blush that came with it. "H-hey... You're hungry r-right? Let's pick a place to eat from!"

The plan to pour on the charm was working and Scott was more than pleased with himself. They ended up getting hand pies from one of the trendier shops. Ryan had never had them before, but they were a go-to for Scott whenever he came to the mall. From the look on Ryan's face with his first bite, Scott could tell he was a fan too.

After dinner, the next stop was Starbucks. The smell of coffee and the sound of the blenders was inviting and all, but Ryan was nervous. He'd heard this place was pricy, but how could coffee cost that much? Sure, he could really use the caffeine right now, but was this okay? He didn't know what half the things on the menu board were...

"Hey, um, Scott?" Ryan asked timidly.

"Yeah?"

"I've... never actually ordered at a Starbucks before. I don't know what to get." It was a dual-purpose question. Sure he was a bit lost, but he also needed to know the acceptable price range.

Scott gave him a smile and pulled him off to the side, giving a basic description of the different drinks on the board. He hadn't tried all of them, but he knew what most of them were. He was a little surprised though. There were Starbucks all over the city. He'd never expected Ryan to not have tried it before.

"So, what do you normally get?" Ryan asked after Scott finished his rundown.

"I usually get the venti mocha frapucchino with extra chocolate sauce, but you get whatever you want."

It took Ryan a second to process the new words, but the shock must have shown on his face. That was literally the most expensive thing on the menu!

"I know, the calories are through the roof for it, but I don't come here often. I figure it's okay to indulge a bit." Scott laughed.

In the end, Scott got his usual, and Ryan got a smaller version, with caramel instead of chocolate. He'd been swayed by signage, but the picture didn't lie. "Mmmmm..." Ryan hummed in delight at the first sip, earning a bemused look from his boyfriend. They started their walk around the building, fingers laced and coffees in hand.

"Good?" Scott asked.

"Very good! Want to try it?" Ryan held the cup out towards Scott.

Scott was taken aback, just for a second. Ryan's face radiated pure sunshine, as if joy over the new treat completely overruled the fact that he just asked Scott to drink after him. Scott's ears warmed. Time to go for it!

"Sure," Scott leaned over and took a sip of the offered drink. "Not bad. Not as sweet as I thought it'd be. Here, try mine." Scott offered Ryan his own.

Ryan hesitated, seemingly realizing what he had done. "Oh! O-okay," he stammered slightly and sampled Scott's coffee. "Wow, it's really rich! Almost like drinking a candy bar."

"Mommy look!" A kid ahead of them being pushed in a stroller was twisting himself around to look back at them. "Those boys are holding hands!"

Ryan waved awkwardly at the kid. The mother turned and flashed an apologetic smile.

"Are they doing that so they don't get lost in the store?" The kid asked in the loud kind of voice toddlers used. Scott let out a quiet laugh.

"When adults hold hands it means they like each other." The mother corrected.

"Boys can like boys!?"

"People can like whoever they want. Liking people is funny that way."

"Ohhhh." The kid craned himself back to look at them again. Scott smiled at him. Ryan looked away, slightly embarrassed. Scott gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. The mother took her child into a store, and they didn't hear the rest of the conversation.

"Hey Ryan," Scott teased, "did you know I like you?"

Ryan bumped Scott's shoulder. "I had some idea."

They walked in silence for a few store lengths.

"So, what are you going to get your sister for her birthday?"

"There's a figurine she's had her eye on for a while. The Hot Topic here had one. I called earlier, so they've got it on hold for me."

"Isn't that at the other end of the mall?"

"We'll make it back around there. Was there anything in particular you would like to shop for? I could get you something too?" Scott was hoping there was something, anything, Ryan might like.

"I don't need anything. My birthday's not until February anyway."

"Oh?" Scott hid his disappointment well. At least this was new information. "When in February?"

"Promise not to laugh?"

"So that must mean leap year or..."

"Valentine's day... When I was younger I used to think the whole school celebrated my birthday." Ryan cast his eyes downward, watching the floor tiles pass one by one as they walked. "Silly right?" He wanted to touch his collar, to make sure it was there, but both hands were occupied.

"Actually, that's really adorable. I would've totally play it up if my birthday fell on a holiday like that."

"Haha... Yeah, I guess it's kind of different when you're a kid. So, um, when's yours?"

"October 12th. Just late enough for people to start thinking about Halloween. Most of my parties were costume parties."

"That sounds fun. You like Halloween then?"

"Eh, I haven't done much for Halloween since moving out of my parents place." They passed near a men's clothing store. "Hey, check out those mannequins!"

It wasn't hard to figure out which storefront he was talking about, the mannequins had grey suits with neon pinstripes and matching hats, posing ridiculously. The backdrop of the display read: "Defy Convention."

"That's one way to do it," he laughed.