Devin looked at the address on his phone the one Hunter texted him today for their date and then up at the building before him, thinking Hunter wasn't lying when he said he knew how to handle his money. Devin lived in a complete shit box and Hunter here seemed to be high rolling.
Pushing the button of the elevator to the eight floor. Looking at his reflection in the metal door rethinking his outfit for about the hundredth time. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He changed his shirt several times before going with the first one he pulled from the closet.
Black pants as normal along with his boots. Hair slicked back with some cedar smelling putty because the top was getting a bit too long but he didn't seem to have time to get it cut between working full time at his new job; a personal assistant for a local business owner. Going to therapy and he also picked up working out a few times a week for him to help relieve any pent up feelings he might have. A suggestion given to him by his therapist.
Knocking on the door, as he took a deep breath. He shouldn't be the nervous one here it should be Hunter, right ?
"Hey, sorry I didn't hear you knock the first time." Spoke Hunter as he opened the door in the middle of buttoning up the front of his shirt.
"The sauce wasn't being nice."
He got a little too close to the stove and it popped on him. Devin walked in clearly tense questioning why he even agreed to this. Knowing that a small part of himself would just nag him to no end if he hadn't agreed. The constant what if's floating through his thoughts.
"So I'm still kind of unpacking and trying to get used to the lay of the land here but help yourself."
Hunter motioned for Devin to move freely.
"You look nice by the way." Hunter smirking as he gave Devin a slow once over. Yeah he promised no 'funny business' but he still had eyes.
"Thanks."
The place wasn't what Devin had expected from the outside but he wasn't displeased either, the place was still a hell of a lot better than his own. Hunter had a loft. Just one massive open space with a small upper level. The open landscape worked.
The living room area in the center; sofa, oversize chair, coffee table, TV. Kitchen to the right with a large island that also functioned as a breakfast bar. What he assumed was a dining area held his music equipment, a few guitars and a bass.
The back wall was nothing but floor to ceiling windows. His bed placed in the middle of that wall on the upper level with two matching side tables from what he could tell from where he was standing. A glass bookshelf that held awards and a few photos from his past next to a desk beneath the upper level. Some boxes stacked next to the desk which he figured was the unfinished part of his unpacking.
Devin moved around the space taking in the details as Hunter went back to the stove All the furniture was modern gothic; black of course with a few pops of white.
Picking up a framed photo of what appeared to be a young Smith and Hunter from the book shelf.
"He'll probably kill me once he sees I have that out on display." Commented Hunter causing Devin to quickly put in back where he found it.
"You know you can relax a little." Hunter spoke pulling out of the roast he had in the oven. "Want a beer?"
"No." Devin spoke, moving to the island leaning against it as he eyed the counter space and saw what Hunter had been working on. His nose was already pleased with the smell.
"It's highly recommended that I not drink with the medication that I'm on, don't really care to see what might happen if I do."
The bottle just said it would intensify the effects of his medication. So higher sedation with the potential to black out and not recall events. The usual shit.
"Well sober dinner it is." Hunter spoke pouring Devin a glass of water instead.
Popping Devin's hand as he turned back around to find him picking at the green beans he had made.
"What? It's for me anyways."
"To be eaten as a side, not appetizer." Replied Hunter moving a different plate towards Devin that he intended to be eaten first.
There was quite a lot of food on the counter. Devin didn't expect this when Hunter said he would cook; green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, pork roast with some kind of sweet citrus glaze.
"So medication?"
"Yeah, just the one thankfully. The hospital had me on like four and I couldn't function so I stopped taking them. My therapist put me on the one and so far it's working."
The words just seemed to flow from Devin. Having no intentions of sharing all of that information with Hunter.
"Medicated and seeing a shrink." Hunter nodded, "I'm impressed."
Hunter was also happy to hear this, it seemed that Devin had really been working on himself since he had been gone back home. He looked better for sure. His gaze not so dark and cloudy but still muddling through things. Hunter knew it was just the beginning but there were a lot of improvements he could see already.
"Impressed?"
"Yeah, It takes a lot to admit you need help even more to seek that help. So why wouldn't I be impressed. Really should be proud of yourself."
Hunter slicing the pork now that it had a few moments to cool, fixing up a plate for both Devin and himself. Taking the seat next to him once he had everything plated and in order.
"So I hope this is okay. I really didn't know what to cook for a date or even what you might like so I just winged it."
Devin smirking, "It's perfect, I'm really not that picky. I'm impressed as well. Every meal from you so far has been better than pretty much anything else I have ever eaten before."
Not lying as he spoke, Hunter was oddly enough a really good cook. The fact that the meal was made for him just added a special touch to it.
"I was in therapy for a while myself. Went through some shit. Well we all do really but still . ." Hunter pausing, "There was a time that I didn't like who I was. I couldn't accept the thought of being a man that was torn between loving women and men. Like my mind couldn't understand why I just couldn't have the one and why it couldn't just be women. Always having this pull towards boys when I was younger but pushed it down. Hiding it from everyone and myself. Thinking it wasn't right, not normal."
Hunter opening up sharing part of himself with Devin. Maybe letting him see that they weren't so different would help. His past looking much like the life Devin currently found himself in, a torn path.
"Slipping up when I was twenty messing around with a man that was no good and hell of a lot older than me. Not caring about my life or what might happen to it."
Devin paused in his eating as Hunter started to speak. Pulling his full attention to him really listening and understanding that what he was saying right now wasn't easy for him to do.
"You don't have to tell me this. . . ."
"No, I want to. I should have already, really." Hunter looked at Devin, placing his hand on Devin's thigh without thinking first, pulling it away.
No funny business.
He was a physical person so having to stop normal habits of his was hard to do.
"It took an HIV scare for me to snap out of the binge that I was in with him. Took even longer to get my life together and make something of it."
Hunter wasn't a huge fan of his past but it was what it was. It made him who he was today. It was part of him that took work to accept just as it took work to accept that he liked men.
Devin sighs as he sits there, his gaze moving from Hunter to his plate again pushing some of his food around.
"I guess this is my que to open up and tell you about my demons."
Hunter touching Devin again, "No, I didn't say all that just to get something from you. I wanted you to know. If and when you want to tell me something I'm here to listen."
Hunter wasn't going to push for anything from Devin. He really just wanted Devin to understand him a bit more. To see why he knew the things he knew about him without even knowing him. To show that he too has been where Devin was, that he would understand.
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