76 76- Budding Relationship

Dating Michael was proving… interesting. It'd been nearly a month since their disaster of a first date, and Edwardo still caught his heart skipping beats around the tiny male omega. Michael's smile should be considered a certified drug. And the way Michael's nose crinkled when he laughed? All Edwardo knew was that it did things to him. And then there were the photos Michael had put out of him decorating a gingerbread house after getting his hair redone…

Edwardo was smitten. Head over heels. And due to some unfortunate occurrences within the city he now had a very valid reason to be around Michael as much as possible.

With the holidays literally right around the corner, it had taken a murder for the city to officially issue an omega curfew and increase security. His father had even gone on tv to deliver the news of the curfew himself, citing that the safety of omegas is and always has been his top priority.

Either way with the curfew in effect, Michael now required a chaperone both to and from work. Since Edwardo was already up and at work by the time Michael had to show up for his shift, it was usually Michael's parents or his boss Mr. Kranston taking care of getting Michael to the bakery in the morning. As for when Michael got off however… that timing was absolutely conducive to Edwardo's schedule. He'd had the pleasure of ensuring Michael got home safely ever since the curfew started.

No one seemed to mind, Michael least of all, that Michael was getting home a few hours later than normal.

They had all kinds of fun together! Shopping, early dinners, people watching, and of course photography. Everything seemed more fun with Michael around. They even went to the opening day of the city's outdoor ice-skating rink together. It was Michael's idea. Edwardo tried to play it cool, but he couldn't move too far from the barricade before falling flat on his face. Michael was amazing at ice skating though. Not only could he turn on a dime, he could even skate backwards! Edwardo wouldn't say his dignity was a little bruised at being helped back up after repeatedly falling on his ass, but it was a good excuse to hold Michael's hand.

He loved holding Michael's hand. He loved the way Michael would cling to his arm. He loved the feeling of pulling Michael close to his side, tucked protectively against him. It was a heady thing.

One other thing about Michael that was driving him crazy… Sometimes, like when they would go shopping for example, Michael would reach up to get something, and is shirt would rise up just enough to show a peek of frills or lace from under the top hem of his pants. And there was one time he bent down to pick something up, and very clearly revealed he was wearing a neon green thong. Eddie thought it was a cruel test of his self-control. There was no way Michael knew he was into lingerie, that he got as much enjoyment out of the candy wrapper as he did the candy itself…

Speaking of, he already had a nickname for Michael, not that he'd used it aloud yet. "Dolcito." "Little Candy." With the bright colors Michael was so fond of, it fit. At least, Eddie thought so. And when his Dolcito wasn't around, he found himself craving a little taste.

He never allowed himself more than a little taste. They kissed, sure, but those were quick affairs, and nothing like what they did on their first date. Not that Edwardo didn't want to experience that again, he was just scared. He was scared he'd lose his control and hurt Michael by mistake. Michael was so much SMALLER than he was! And then there was his family… He still hadn't told them he was dating another man. He didn't know what his father would think, or his brother, or how it would impact their political careers. No matter his own feelings, he had his family's image to take into account too.

But if he let himself get more than that little taste, there'd be no going back.

And today was a bittersweet occasion. With it just starting to snow, just like the teleprompter he read from all week said it would, he and Michael would be having their last date before Edwardo had to fly to Mexico to spend the holidays with his mother's family. There wasn't any getting out of it. He wish he dared to invite Michael to come with him…

--------------------

Michael kept an eye on the time as he rang up the seemingly endless stream of customers. Gingerbread cookies were popular with the holidays so close, and the whole bakery smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg as huge batches of the things were being prepped for the numerous bulk orders. The fact that it was barely starting to snow outside added to the ambiance. This was honestly the most fun Michael had ever had working. The customers were usually nice, it always smelled amazing, and there was never a shortage of treats just a little too old to sell that were up for grabs. Mr. Kranston was a wonderful boss to work under, and for the first time in forever he found himself looking forward to coming in to work.

Couple that with a guaranteed afternoon of debauchery with a grade A alpha, what more could you want? It was the perfect distraction from how scary the world was right now. And speaking of grade A alpha, it was just about time for him to show up…

Michael was bummed this was going to be the last afternoon they had together until after Christmas. Eddie had already told him he had a mandatory family vacation he was flying out for tomorrow… On his family's private jet…

Must be nice.

Michael was hoping he would somehow have gotten an invitation to go with him, but with it literally happening tomorrow that probably wasn't going to happen. And it wasn't like he wanted to ride in an airplane at all just… He wouldn't have been able to go anyway, his heat was supposed to start in a few days. Even if he did go, he'd be trapped in some room the majority of the trip horny out of his mind. Now, if Eddie was in that room with him… That wouldn't be so bad.

Not that he expected Edwardo to be up for that.

Waiting for Edwardo to make the first move was like trying to pour molasses that had been stored in a walk-in cooler. Michael was trying to be patient, really he was, and he thought he was doing a good job but… it was beyond frustrating. And every time Michael would try and solicit a sexual response Eddie would freeze up like he wasn't sure if he wanted to react or not. Michael's self-confidence couldn't take much more of that. He was almost certain Edwardo wouldn't ever be able to find him sexually attractive.

And yes, he knew fundamentally that sex wasn't a requirement for a relationship, but Eddie hadn't called him his boyfriend or said he loved him yet or anything.

So, forgive him his frustration.

The shop was packed with people today, just like it had been for the past week. It was hectic, but the shifts went by so much faster. The little bell they had mounted above the door jingled almost constantly with the steady flow of people in and out of the building, but Michael made sure to call out the bakery's greeting for everyone who came in. And finally, the person he'd been waiting to see all day finally showed up, jingling the bell.

"Welcome to the Kranston Bakery!" Michael called out with a wink before going back to help the next customer in line. He resisted the urge to call Edwardo by some cutesy nickname, even though he really, really wanted to. Eddie had a super public job, and without really knowing where they stood relationship wise Michael was trying to be super conscientious of how he behaved in public.

Edwardo waved awkwardly before finding a place to sit out of the way and wait for Michael to finish his shift. It wouldn't be too much longer now. The smell of the bakery was making him hungry, and he tried to remind himself that as soon as his Dolcito was free they'd be going to their customary late lunch/early dinner. Even from across the busy store he was captivated by Michael. No one had a right to be that adorable. Just imagining that there was the slightest possibility he could wake up next to someone like that every morning… Which of course wouldn't happen unless he worked up the courage to tell his family about his and Michael's relationship.

The next cashier had come in by now, and Edwardo watched as Mr. Kranston came out to swap the tills. Any minute now Michael would come out of the back and come running up to him and- ah! There he was!

Michael was always super quick with getting things in order when he knew Eddie was waiting for him. It didn't take long between getting the tills sorted and getting clocked out, and he was grinning nearly ear to ear when he came out of the back of the bakery. He resisted the urge to run, but that didn't mean he didn't speed walk straight into a certain somebody's outstretched arms. Edwardo gave the best hugs! And in Michael's opinion, getting to bury his face in that impressive chest was an added bonus. He was going to miss this while Eddie was away.

"So Mick, where do you want to eat today?" Edwardo asked with a chuckle. It never stopped surprising him how excited Michael seemed to get upon seeing him, even though they saw each other yesterday, and texted last night, and talked on the phone this morning.

Michael's eyes sparkled as he looked up at Edwardo's face and hugged him a little tighter. "How about you surprise me again today?"

Edwardo leaned down to kiss Michael's forehead. "In that case, I think I have an idea…"

It was a relatively short walk to Edwardo's car from the bakery. The snow was still only coming down in flurries, but Michael made it a point to try and catch a few on his tongue. It was eventually supposed to stick, and by tomorrow the whole city was expected to be covered in a few inches of the white stuff. Edwardo hoped that by the time he got back from vacation there'd be enough piled up for him and Michael to enjoy some winter fun.

"So, do I get a hint for where we're going?" Michael asked after they'd gotten in the car.

"You said to surprise you." Edwardo replied as he pulled out of the parking spot and made his way to the city streets.

"Can you tell me how far away it is?"

"It's not that far."

Michael sat in the seat fiddling with the zipper on his jacket. Edwardo had yet to disappoint with his meal suggestions. Then there were the activities to look forward to afterward… With today being their last date for a while, Michael was super curious to see if Edwardo was going to make it more special than usual. The destination proved to really not be that far, and it certainly wasn't somewhere Michael was expecting.

Edwardo had pulled up to a fancy hotel. Eddie was taking him to a hotel? Did that mean what Michael thought it meant? Was he finally going to get a taste of some genuine nudist two-player twister? His heart fluttered wildly at the thought. He was beyond ready! Good thing he'd started wearing his sexier sets of underwear when he knew they had a date! If he had to have his heat alone again it was about time he got some real-life experience to fantasize about!

They got out of the car and Edwardo handed the keys off to the valet. Michael clung to his arm eagerly, almost vibrating in anticipation. Then the next thing Edwardo said dashed all his hopes.

"The rooftop restaurant here has amazing steak!"