Ayaan rushes to receive Mason when the doorbell rings, freezing right when his hand is on the keypad.

"Shit," he mutters, striding back to the kitchen to take his apron off before he comes rushing back and opens the door for the curly-haired boy.

Ayaan's too busy blinking at the boy, taking in how... soft he looks in his fuzzy black sweater with a plain red line that runs across the middle, to notice that Mason is reaching out to touch his hair.

He's broken out of his trance when Mason lightly ruffles the ends of his hair.

"You had... flour in your hair," he explains when Ayaan looks at him with a question on his face and reaches out to touch his hair after Mason pulls his hand back. "Hi."

Feeling the corners of his lips lift, Ayaan steps back a little to let Mason in. "Hi."

They both stare at each other for a few seconds, silent and a little awkward after Ayaan closes the door. And then Mason lets a laugh slip, immediately covering his mouth with his hand. Ayaan can't help but follow, a little surprised.

"What?" he asks, still chuckling.

Mason shakes his head. "Nothing, it's just..." He gestures at the space between them. "We get a little awkward every time we're left alone with each other."

Ayaan scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah... you're right. Should we start over?"

Mason looks at the door, then at him, gesturing at himself. "Wait, should I-" He gestures at himself again, and then at the closed door. "You know... go back outside?"

They both blink at each other, and Ayaan is the first one to shake his head and laugh. "No. God, no. Just come here."

He reaches out for a hug and Mason stills for only a moment before shyly vining his arms around the older boy. When Ayaan's warm hand touches the small of his back and the other slips into his hair, and Mason melts.

He did that before too, Mason remembers.

And he's learning it quickly that he likes it. Really, really likes it.

"Hi," Ayaan mumbles again, and Mason can hear the smile in his voice.

He breathes out a laugh in return, hiding his face against Ayaan's shoulder. "Hi."

Although they're the same height, Mason feels... tiny, somehow. In Ayaan's hold. He can't help but focus on how warm the older boy is. Can't help but want to stay like that for as long as possible.

Mason used to be a touchy person until his father had hit him. After that, he could only hate it. But Gwen had slowly helped him accept, and eventually crave it again. And right now, he internally thanks her for the millionth time. For being patient when he had flinched away from any sort of physical affection. And for being there when he was finally ready to have his hair ruffled and his back rubbed.

Because Ayaan's hold feels homely.

"You smell like food," Mason mumbles against his shoulder, making no move to step away or loosen his hold.

"Mhm. Must be because I was cooking."

Ayaan's voice is too close to his ear, and he feels the tingle that starts from the side of his neck go all the way down his arms and follow the line of his spine.

Mason pulls back a little to look at him when the hand on the back of his hair slips down to settle on his shoulder blade.

"Wait, you cooked?"

Nodding, Ayaan finds himself unable to hold back from reaching out and brushing locks of soft, curly hair off Mason's forehead. And then he slowly loosens his hold, the reluctance clear on his face, and rubs the back of his neck after letting go of him.

The pout reaches Mason's face involuntarily as he follows Ayaan inside the apartment. "I thought we were going to order something. Why didn't you tell me? I could have come earlier to help."

With a shake of his head, Ayaan turns around to smile at him "It's fine. I actually enjoy doing it every once in a while."

Mason follows him in, taking in the pleasant spicy smell and the distinct aroma of garlic in the air, looking around the surprisingly simple place. If he says he wasn't expecting something over the top, he would be lying. But the thought that despite all the money, Ayaan went for a decent place with a little more than enough space for one person, reminds him that he does not, in fact, know the guy all that well yet.

And he's looking forward to getting to know him more.

The furniture is grey and white, and everything is primly arranged. Right where it should be. It contrasts highly with how Mason tends to mess his own room up.

But it's very... Ayaan. There's an air of coziness around the place with just enough neatness to make him realize that the older boy really did cherish the apartment.

"Make yourself comfortable," Ayaan calls from the kitchen he just walked into, and Mason peeks in to notice him opening the fridge. "Would you like something to drink?" He wiggles his eyebrows, and Mason laughs at how ridiculous it looks. "Or would you like to eat right away?"

Mason stands in front of the window on the wall to the side of the couch. Tilting his head to one side, he replies without looking at Ayaan. "Depends on what you made."

Ayaan's grumbled 'that's rude' is audible from the kitchen. But there's a smile on his face. If Mason's joking around him, that means he's comfortable. And Ayaan likes that. A lot.

"Everything I make tastes fabulous, thank you very much."

Laughing under his breath, Mason turns to make his way into the kitchen, peeking over Ayaan's shoulder at the pan. "Hm, I see mushrooms."

"Do you like mushrooms?"

"Nope. Hate them."

Ayaan rolls his eyes. "Yeah, okay. I didn't see you picking them out of your food to eat them before anything else back at the restaurant."

"Jeez, you're so observant."

Mason watches him smile to himself before he reaches out to sprinkle red pepper flakes over the mushroom and fettuccine, already feeling an appetite forming at how good it looks. The smell that wafts out as soon as Ayaan neatly arranges their food on the plates makes Mason's mouth water.

Taking that moment to catch Mason's expression, a grin forms on Ayaan's face. "Looks good?"

The younger boy only tries to hold back his own smile. "Whatever. We'll see."

-

It's not long before they sit with empty plates in front of them, Mason gladly accepting defeat and admitting that the food was amazing.

"I don't know why I'm even surprised anymore. You're good at everything," Mason had said after taking his first bite.

He likes the blanket of ease wrapped around them both. Likes that they both seem to laugh more around each other. Likes that he's slowly getting to learn more and more about the guy he had found so intimidating and unapproachable at first.

And he especially likes the way Ayaan is so open with him.

He's almost the opposite of what Mason had first expected him to be like. And although he had already learned that on their first date, it still surprises him a little that Ayaan is extremely easy to talk to. He's a patient listener, gives his own input whenever necessary, and a surprisingly witty conversationalist.

Along with being endearing, Mason has to give it to Ayaan that he's extremely charming too.

"I don't like cooking just for myself," Ayaan replies to the question Mason had asked him last, taking a sip of his wine. "It's something I picked up when I was in Uni and shared an apartment with this guy who was just as sick as I was of ordering takeout."

Mason just listens, twirling the now-empty glass in his hand that held apple juice in it a few minutes ago. Looking down at it makes him smile a little again, a reminder that Ayaan had yet another remembered a small detail about him.

He likes apple juice.

"Cooking for yourself gets dull really, really fast," Ayaan adds with a shrug. "Not to mention I'm usually tired after work."

The image inside Mason's head is a little sad: Ayaan sitting alone in the apartment that he originally bought for himself so he could be away from his overbearing family, ordering food for himself and eating it all alone.

"Doesn't it... get lonely?"

Ayaan leans forward, placing his chin on his palm as he nods. Mason doesn't miss the flicker of sadness in his eyes even as he smiles. "Sometimes."

Mason presses his bottom lip between his teeth, setting the glass down on the table. He thinks whether he should say it or not; that he doesn't ever want Ayaan to feel that way. Doesn't want him to eat alone. Or come back to the apartment only to sigh at how empty it is. And eventually, the more he thinks about it, the harder it is to hold himself back.

So, he says, "We should eat together more often."

Ayaan brings his other hand under his chin so his face is tucked between his hands, elbows resting on the table. The smile on his face pushes the oncoming embarrassment away from Mason's face.

"You know what? I'd like that."

Mason's smile matches his. "Good."

Grey eyes soft, Ayaan admits softly, "I'd do this every day if I could."

Mimicking his position, Mason leans forward too. "Then maybe we should."

They both stare at each other for a bit, Ayaan looking genuinely baffled as he blinks his eyes, and Mason just staring back expectantly. Ayaan leans back, setting his palms flat on the table and tilting his head to one side.

"You're... serious about this?"

Mason nods.

Shaking his head, Ayaan lets out a surprised laugh. "I'm actually considering this. Like... I am actually thinking about ways inside my head to make this work since we're both usually busy."

There's a sparkle in Mason's eye. He's adamant about this.

"Mase, I-"

"Do you ever skip your meals?" Mason cuts him off, and Ayaan's mouth is still open. With the way his eyes shift away from his form, Mason knows he's either going to guiltily say yes or lie about it.

Ayaan does the former.

"Sometimes. When I'm too tired to eat. I just... go to bed."

The words tug at Mason's heartstrings. Letting out a little sigh, he drops his hand and leans back. "Alright. We're definitely doing this."

A wide-eyed look, and then a chuckle of disbelief escapes past Ayaan's lips. "Mase, that's ridiculous. You know we can't-"

"When was the last time you had dinner on time?"

Ayaan doesn't look fazed in the slightest about Mason's interruption. He just bites his lip and mumbles, "Today."

"And before this?"

Ayaan looks like a guilty child as he admits, "Over a week or so ago at Tanvi's."

Mason stares at him for a bit, this guy, this insanely amazing guy that seems to have time for nothing but his work; not even himself. He does know it sounds way easier inside his head than it's going to be to manage his time and make sure Ayaan eats on time. But after a few quick arrangements that he knows he can make, he's sure this is something he really wants to do.

"I go to work by two," Mason says, tilting his head like he's thinking. "I get off around nine. If I went earlier, I could finish everything way before I do now."

Mouth still parted in surprise, Ayaan continues to stare at him.

His thoughts are in shambles, and his chest feels tight. He tries to repeat it inside his head that Mason is absolutely serious about this. And as he continues to stare at the younger boy like a gaping fish, the latter is already managing his working hours inside his head solely because he wants Ayaan to eat on time.

"I could come to you and we could go together when I get off," Mason says with an easy shrug, and Ayaan only shakes his head, now grinning. "What?" Mason asks with a laugh, leaning forward with his palms flat on the table. "I'm serious. Don't laugh at me. I know you're way busier than I am, but on days when it's possible, you could come over and I'll cook. Or Gwen will. I don't know. I haven't figured that out yet."

"You're insane."

"No, you are. How can you talk so casually about skipping your meals? It's not just dinner either, is it?"

Ayaan only shrugs in response, oddly abashed.

Mason finds it a little funny that a few weeks ago, he was turning red at the thought of almost dropping tea all over Ayaan Sharma of all people, and now the very same guy sits in front of him with a tinge of pink on his cheeks and his eyes downcast.

"You know what? We can work out the basics later."

Shaking his head one more time, Ayaan says, "You're kidding. You aren't switching your work hours for me."

"Yes, I am."

"Mase, seriously-"

"Yes, I am."

"Mason."

"Ayaan."

"God, we... haven't even known each other that long..."

"We can. During all of the dinners that we're going to have together."

Ayaan can only throw his head back and laugh.