7
“Thank you for doing this for me,” Nolan said, passing Finn the one hard cider he’d said he’d drink on Gavin’s dime last week.
Finn grinned at him, taking it and cracking it open immediately. “You’re welcome.”
As Halloween parties went, this wasn’t the worst he’d ever been to. It was quiet, mostly, with people sitting around in half-assed costumes and talking about work.
Not that he could talk when it came to half-assing his costume.
He’d found a set of vampire teeth in the dollar store—which he’d already given up on wearing because he kept biting his tongue—and let Oscar break out the shimmery highlighter he’d gotten for Pride a few years ago.
He was a vampire. The kind that sparkled.
It was the easiest costume he could think of, and he was glad now that he hadn’t tried any harder.
Nolan had managed to out-lazy him by not even changing after work and explaining that he was a werewolf, but since it wasn’t a full moon tonight he was just a regular guy.
Finn was sincerely impressed by his ingenuity. If thishadbeen a real date, they were absolutely made for each other.
He also… kind of wished it was a real date. Which was why he was eyeing off a comfy-looking couch that had just freed up in a quiet corner. Nolan’s company wasfun, and he wanted more of it.
“I’m probably having more fun here than I would be bingeing animal documentaries on Netflix at home,” he added when Nolan didn’t respond. “Let’s go sit.”
“You… you binge-watch animal documentaries…afteryou finish your job at a wildlife sanctuary?” Nolan asked, blinking at him as he claimed the couch for both of them.
Finn shrugged. “That, or I play video games. I don’t lead an exciting life outside of work.”
“Well, neither do I,” Nolan said, sitting down beside him. “Although I’ve just started volunteering at this place…”
Finn chuckled. “It’s good to have hobbies. Seriously though, I don’t mind being here. I can’t wait to see the look on your cousin’s face.”
“You’re about to get your chance,” Nolan said, nodding over to a group where Gavin was at the center, all of them laughing just a tiny bit uncomfortably. No one really wanted to hang out with the boss, Finn thought.
Although, May was really cool. But she also didn’t really act like aboss. Everyone who worked at the sanctuary did their own thing, and they did it because they loved it. No one really needed to be wrangled into doing their job.
As jobs went, Finn was pretty happy trading in the otherwise better pay of being a practicing vet for the fulfillment of working at the sanctuary and being surrounded by cool people. Nolan included.
Finn saw Gavin spot the two of them, his eyes sparkling like a predator’s from across the room.
Beside him, Nolan tensed up. Finn hated that Gavin had the power to make him do that. HelikedNolan, and Nolan didn’t deserve this.
A thought occurred to him, his heartbeat speeding up a little as he even considered it.
He could kiss Nolan. That’d remove any doubt that he was here because he liked the guy, and it would wipe the smirk right off Gavin’s face.
Before he could talk himself out of it, Finn reached out and touched Nolan’s cheek, turning his face toward him gently. “Hey. Is it okay if I kiss you?”
Nolan swallowed, his throat bobbing. Uncertainty washed over his features, and Finn worried that maybe he’d misread everything so far, that the little spark between them was just in his head, that Nolan wasn’t interested at all.
But then, to Finn’s surprise, he nodded.
Finn smiled at him, thrilled that they were in on pissing Gavin off together. His stomach swooped as he leaned in, anticipation making his whole body thrum with excitement.
Hell, he’d wanted to kiss Nolan on that first day. Nolan just hadn’t given any sign that he’d want that, and besides, it would have been unprofessional.
And then he’d convinced himself that the wholeideaof making a move on him was terrible, and besides, if Nolan actuallywantedto date him, he could have just asked.
Instead, he’d asked Finn to fake it.
