“There’s a familiar sound,” Farzan muttered, but then his eyes went wide and his cheeks darkened.
The expression was so funny, David started to laugh, but instead he swallowed wrong and started coughing and hacking.
“Sorry! Sorry.” Farzan set down his plate so he could pat David’s back. “That was inappropriate.”
David reached for his wine, took a sip and cleared his throat. Farzan’s hand retreated, and he missed its warmth. “It’s all good. Revenge for that blowjob joke I guess.”
“I’m not that petty.” Farzan gently nudged David’s side with his elbow.
“I know.” David leaned into the contact.
Even if this went nowhere—even if they were just buddies and not fuck buddies—he was surprised to realize how easy it was, just being with Farzan. Sitting and eating, casually brushing each other. Comfortable.
Maybe Kyra was right. Maybe he did need more friends.
When they’d both finished, David took their plates back into the kitchen, while Farzan topped up their wine.
“So what are we studying first?” Farzan called from the living room.
David returned with a pile of flash cards, all in neon colors, because he’d found them on clearance in five-hundred packs. They burned his eyes, but at least they were hard to misplace.
Farzan gaped as David handed them over. “These are… bright.”
David sat back down, reaching for his wineglass, and if he settled a little bit closer to Farzan than he had been when they were eating, well, that’s just how the couch cushions were.
Farzan reached for his own glass, then studied the top card. “Wait. Cognac?”
“Yeah, the master somm covers beer and spirits, too.”
“Huh. Okay.” Farzan straightened out, twisting on the couch to face David more fully. David tried not to be disappointed they weren’t touching anymore; he really did need to focus. Farzan licked his lips and read the first card. “What are the departments where grapes for cognac are grown?”
They spent the next hour going through the flash cards, until David’s brain felt fuzzy. He retreated to the kitchen to get them waters; when he came back, he was pretty sure Farzan was looking at his dick swishing back and forth in his soft sweatpants. He bit his lip to stop from smiling as he sat, splitting the last of the wine bottle between their glasses.
Farzan nodded absently and flipped over another note card. “What are the two—”
“Wait wait wait,” David said. “I’m fried. I think that’s enough flash cards.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.” David rolled out his neck. “We haven’t even talked about what’s going on with you.”
Farzan groaned and ran his hands through his hair. David remembered how soft it was, how sleek the gentle curls felt when they tangled between his fingers.
Before he could stop himself, he scooted closer and reached for the nape of Farzan’s neck. Just a touch.
Farzan didn’t move away.
“If you couldn’t tell by me licking my plate, I think you’ve got the food angle covered. What’re you so worried about?”
Farzan let out a dry chuckle. David kept playing with his hair.
“Just… everything. I’ve got to manage a staff. Do inventory and payroll. Maintenance and overhead and budgets and…”
“Hey.” David tugged on Farzan’s hair, just enough that he saw goose bumps break out along the plane of Farzan’s neck.
He wanted to play connect-the-dots with his tongue.
But they were here to work.
