Terrance didn't think that Mason would agree to go out with him, even if it was a test trial of sorts for them. Time to get to know each other outside of Terrance punching someone and Mason having to play a cliche role to keep him out of jail.
Mason was honestly wondering if he shouldn't have just left Terrance to go to jail. Then he wouldn't have to go on this weird date that he didn't want to be a part of. However, he wouldn't be able to live down the guilt caused by his wolf and his own morals since he knew Terrance acted to protect him.
"Pizza or pasta?" Terrance asked over his and Mason's shared caprese crostini appetizer.
Mason allowed the basil and mozzarella to wash over his tastebuds as he chewed, thinking about what he preferred.
"I like pasta more, but pasta doesn't like me back," Mason said, taking a sip of his cream soda. "It makes me bloat."
Terrance chuckled, sipping on his alcoholic beverage. He was surprised when Mason claimed he hated alcohol and preferred cream soda, but he didn't judge him for it. Maybe it was just an Omega thing, not that Terrance would say it out loud in fear that the Omega in front of him would tear his eyes out for assuming he did something because of his biological status.
"What about you?" Mason asked in turn. "Pasta or pizza?"
"Pizza... the pasta has to have seafood if I'm gonna eat it."
Mason fake gagged. "Never make me pasta then. I'm allergic to shellfish," he said, cringing slightly. "It won't kill me but I get hives everywhere and have to take drugs to knock me out so I can sleep the initial reaction off and my face still stays puffy for a week."
"Ouch," Terrance responded, taking another sip of his drink. "So no seafood and no cinnamon?"
Mason paused as he was about to take a bite of crostini, surprise written on his face. "How'd you know about cinnamon?" he asked, shuffling through the menu to see if he'd somehow implied he hated cinnamon.
"The coffee." Terrance took the menu from Mason so he was paying attention. "You made us the same coffee but didn't add cinnamon to yours. I thought it might just be something you chose to avoid."
Mason slowly nodded as the waiter came up to take their orders. They made small talk about more food preferences until Terrance broke the strange tension with a bold question.
"Why do you hate Alphas?"
Halfway through a drink of soda, Mason paused, his entire body tense. He slowly set down his drink before crossing his arms and scowling.
"I don't hate Alphas," he growled lowly, daring Terrance to accuse him again.
Terrance didn't step off. "Yes you do. Well, maybe not all Alphas, but you're against them and against the idea of being mated to one. Why?" he asked, using a mild Alpha tone to gently intimidate Mason.
The Omega wasn't having it. "If you wanted an interrogation you'd should've told me so I could've left you with the police," he said, leaning back in his seat and falling silent.
"It's just a question," Terrance insisted. "I'm not trying to say that you're wrong but I want to know why."
The waiter showed back up at the table with their meals and Mason dug into his salad so he didn't have to talk. He made a point to make eye contact with Terrance so the Alpha knew what he was doing, and judging by the eye roll he received, Mason could tell that Terrance already knew.
Once they finished, Mason asked for the check and ignored Terrance as the latter tried to pay. Mason threw down a one hundred dollar bill and wrote on the check to keep the change before he grabbed his jacket and headed toward the door.
"Wait!" Terrance called, chasing after him and grabbing Mason's arm.
Mason whipped around and pushed Terrance away. "Don't grab me!" he snarled, stomping toward the cafe.
They had taken a cab but Mason wasn't comfortable riding alone with some driver and he didn't want to be around Terrance. The Alpha didn't want to stop prodding and it was making him both angry and anxious.
"I'm sorry," Terrance said, jumping in front of him and trying to keep Mason from walking away. "I shouldn't have pushed. I'm just confused and I don't want to ruin my chances of being able to be with you."
Mason growled at him. "Why would you even want me?! I'm stubborn, I'm not a normal Omega, I'm not giving up my independence, and I don't want kids! I'm not what an Alpha wants, so just move on and find someone else to satisfy your knot!" he yelled, pushing Terrance out of the way and stomping down the street.
Terrance's jaw was dropped, but he shook off his shock and ran to catch up with Mason again. "So what if you're not normal? I'm not a super normal stereotypical Alpha either!" he said, making Mason pause. "I don't care if you're stubborn, I'd never make you give up any independence or sell your coffee shop, and if you don't want kids we don't have to have kids! I've never been too big on being a dad so it doesn't bother me!"
Silently, Mason looked Terrance up and down, searching for a lie in his eyes but he didn't find anything. He almost entertained the idea of being with Terrance, but the idea scared him and he wasn't ready for it.
"Let's go get ice cream," Terrance said, grabbing Mason's hand. "I need something to cool my throat after all of that talking."
Mason didn't fight him, letting Terrance hold his hand and lead him toward a small ice cream shop called 'The Happy Cow.' They went inside and ordered their treats neither of the pair talking, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable either. It was more Mason being too tired to talk because he didn't want to start another fight and Terrance knowing that Mason was exhausted.
"You have work tomorrow, right?" Terrance asked as he walked Mason home, not wanting him to be in any danger if he was alone.
Mason nodded as he unlocked the cafe and invited Terrance in. "Yeah," he mumbled, glancing at the clock and then to the dark sky outside. "How far do you live?"
"It's a half hour walk," Terrance said, looking at his watch. "I better get going."
"Um... what do you do for work?" Mason asked suddenly.
Terrance was confused but he didn't ask questions. "I'm an analytical writer."
"So most of your work is online?"
"Yes, why?"
Mason kicked the ground, not making eye contact. "I'm not inviting you to have sex with me or even sleep with me, but I have an extra bed upstairs if you want to stay here," he said, peeking up at Terrance. "I'd feel safer if you weren't walking around at night."
Terrance gently touched his cheek with a smirk. "Aw, growing to care about me?" he asked, already excited about staying at Mason's place.
"Shut up," Mason scowled, leading Terrance toward the stairs after locking up the front door and then the door at the bottom of the stairs once they were inside. "Come on."
Terrance was impressed by the set up. It was a good sized place with a main room and a guest room, a tiny art studio with a window overlooking the city outside. There was a bathroom with the washer and dryer in it, and the entire place gave off warm, home-like feelings.
"I like it," Terrance said, smiling as he found a framed picture of Henry and Mason. "Nice place."
"Thanks," Mason said, tossing Terrance one of his bigger shirts and a spare toothbrush. "Here. You know where the guest room is."
"If I have nightmares can I cuddle with you?"
"If you have nightmares and wake me up, I swear I'll be scarier than any nightmare you've never seen," Mason growled as he pulled off his nicer shirt and changed into a sleep shirt and pulled off his pants. "Goodnight. Thanks for the cute and awkward date. Loved it. Let's never do that again."
"The date or the weirdness?"
Mason smiled at him and lead him to the guest room. "I guess it depends on how much you annoy me," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Terrance's cheek before he left and went to his own room.
Terrance smiled as Mason retreated to his room, settling into the bed. He pressed his nose into the shirt Mason gave him and sighed contently.
Everything would work out.
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