They were both not only stubborn but, as it turned out, impatient.

Liam wasn't a fan of taking time off work, even for just a few hours, but for Gavin's sake, he decided to make an exception. And when he explained to his aunt why he needed her to cover for him on a Friday afternoon, she enthusiastically agreed.

Liam had no idea what Gavin had planned, although they had talked before about what their hypothetical date would look like. For some reason, he didn’t believe that he was planning on taking him to his house, but at the same time, he had no idea what else he could come up with.

For that reason, he also didn’t know what to wear. James wasn’t at home, so he couldn’t give him any advice, and Liam was on his own, standing in front of his closet, criticizing everything he saw.

"This is stupid," he commented when he still hadn't chosen anything.

He had a solution to his indecision, though, as he had officially added a new contact on his phone as of yesterday.

"I need a hint," he typed the message, hitting the send button before he could change his mind.

"What if I want to surprise you?" Gavin texted back practically immediately.

"At least tell me if I need a jacket," Liam tried.

After a moment, he got a satisfying answer: "Yes. But that’s all I’m going to tell you."

Although he still didn’t know more and his curiosity kept growing, a smile automatically formed on his face.

"If I’m dressed inappropriately, it’s your fault."

"You’ll still look hot, so it doesn’t matter," Gavin replied without hesitation. He was boldly flirting with him, and Liam had no doubt that now their relationship had moved from the professional to the personal level, that remark wouldn’t be the last.

Maybe that was why he decided to test how much Gavin liked him and ended up choosing an outfit he definitely wouldn’t wear to work.

Instead of dark trousers, he opted for light jeans. Instead of a shirt, he chose a black turtleneck. And instead of a sweater, he reached for a biker jacket—black with white detailing on the sleeves and collar and red trim.

It wasn’t something he wore to work, and it wasn’t something he wore when he went to the store. Gavin had never seen him like this, and Liam couldn’t wait to see his reaction.

They had agreed to meet outside the Cupid, Inc. agency since they both knew where it was, but unlike their usual meetings there, this time they had switched roles. Liam knew he’d arrive at the location ahead of time, but he certainly didn’t expect Gavin to already be standing at the door. Clearly neither of them wanted to be late, and that thought brought a smile to the blond’s face again.

The tall man paid no attention to his surroundings. Instead, he leaned his shoulder against the wall and stared at the screen of his phone. This allowed Liam to continue watching him for a moment without being caught.

Gavin was good looking—dangerously good looking—and Liam finally allowed himself to fully admit how much he found him attractive.

He stopped a few feet away and waited. But before the tanned man looked up at him, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Liam took it out, and when he saw Gavin’s name on the lock screen, he decided to give him a reply out loud instead of a message.

"It’s not," he said loud enough, giving him an answer to the question of whether it was stupid of him to wait so far in advance because he couldn’t wait to see him, despite the fact that they’d seen each other yesterday.

Gavin lifted his head in surprise and began to look around. When his eyes fell on the blond, he looked him over thoroughly from head to toe, and Liam couldn’t suppress a laugh.

"Like what you see?" he teased, then decided to move closer.

"Like?" Gavin repeated. "I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to get my jaw off the floor. I'd ask why you don't dress like that for work, but the answer is obvious."

"Oh, really?" Liam stood just in front of him. "And why is that?"

"Because I wouldn't be the only client who liked you more than their matches," the tall man replied without hesitation.

"You're lucky I like you, then," Liam said, his voice lower, his hand reaching up to the collar of his jacket, gripping it as he ran his thumb over the fabric.

Slowly, he shifted his gaze from Gavin’s chest to his face, their eyes meeting—Liam pleased to find that his flirting was just as effective as Gavin’s.

"You're such a tease," Gavin said, though his words sounded like anything but a rebuke.

"Said the one who wouldn't tell me where we're going," the blond retorted.

They stood so close that if either of them had leaned forward even an inch, their lips would have met. Gavin clearly noticed too; his brown eyes briefly flicked from Liam’s to his pink lips.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Liam took advantage of his hand still resting on Gavin’s chest to push slightly, moving him back a step.

The tall man laughed, not looking discouraged in the slightest. Instead, he lifted his hand and offered it to the blond. "What about this?"

Without hesitation, Liam placed his hand in his, savoring the touch, and lowered their joined hands to let them hang loosely between them. Gavin entwined their fingers as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"What's the plan?"

"I won't tell you, but I'll show you," Gavin answered vaguely again.

"What if I don't like it?" Liam teased, though he doubted the truth of his own words.

"You like me, don't you?" Gavin countered, flashing him a confident smile.

Liam shook his head as if annoyed by his overconfidence, but the opposite was true.

"Walk with me? I promise it's not far," Gavin said, nodding in the direction where his secret spot was probably located.

"Alright."

And just like a few weeks ago, Liam fell in line at Gavin's side—but this time, it was different. A good different.

"Have you already figured out what you're going to do with all that honey?" he asked after a few steps.

"No," Gavin replied, and he didn't sound bothered by that fact. "But I’ve discovered that honey doesn’t expire. It can even last a thousand years, so I’m thinking of writing it into my will as an heirloom."

Liam laughed, but when he looked at the other man’s face, he almost seemed serious. "Who the hell makes honey their heirloom?"

"I'm enjoying the thought that right now my parents or my sister would get it, and all of them would be outraged about it," Gavin revealed.

"You have a sister?" Liam focused on the part of the sentence that intrigued him the most.

"Uh-huh," the tanned man nodded. "Gabrielle. She’s a few years older than me."

"Are you close?"

"Tough question," Gavin replied, seeming to consider how much to say. "I can tolerate her for a short time. Sometimes she stops by my place unannounced, since she knows I wouldn’t invite her over myself, and she gets on my nerves with it. But if she needed a kidney, I guess I wouldn’t hesitate long."

It was a typical sibling response, and Liam wasn't surprised to hear it from Gavin.

"What about you? Any siblings?"

"I have two older brothers," the blond revealed. "Mason is eight years older than me, and Oliver is six years older. I'm the baby of the family."

"I would never peg you as the youngest child," Gavin immediately responded.

"What child vibe am I giving you then?"

"I’d say the oldest. You’re serious about being responsible and not putting yourself as a first priority," came the reply.

They continued their casual conversation, and Liam realized he hadn’t been aware of his surroundings, all his attention on the man at his side. Ultimately, Gavin’s plan to surprise him was more than successful, as the blond almost didn’t stop when he did.

“We’re here,” the tall man announced.

“Here?” Liam glanced around, discovering that they were at the beginning of the park.

“Uh-huh.” Gavin nodded. “I saw a flyer for a student open-air performance. They’re doing a play in the park, and I thought you might like it.”

“A play?” Liam was sure he’d never told him about his love of theater, especially since it had been almost two years since he’d last seen a play, never being able to find the time.

“I won’t tell you any more,” the tanned man assured him immediately, then lifted his hand to check his watch. “We’re here just in time.”

Instead of further conversation, he began to lead Liam deeper into the park, and he let him, intrigued by the plan. When he saw the first benches and a small stage with scenery, he knew they were in the right place.

The centerpiece was a prop of a large glittering moon. On the sides and in the background were a few paper trees and various colorful flowers. The only thing that disturbed the scene and stood out at first glance were the columns made of paper placed on either side.

Liam tried to put two and two together in his mind, but before he could, Gavin noticed his efforts. “Don’t cheat.”

“How’s that cheating?” he asked in amusement.

“You’ll ruin the surprise,” the tall man explained as they moved to an open bench, taking their seats side by side. There were a few people sitting around them, clearly also waiting for the show, but not many.

“It’s about to start,” Gavin pointed out, and Liam stopped looking around, shifting his gaze back to the front.

It wasn’t long before the first strains of ethereal music sounded and several women scattered across the makeshift stage. They had fairy wings and wore long dresses that billowed around them whenever they twirled. They darted across the stage, running quickly past each other until they suddenly scurried away, leaving only one of them—dressed in white—on the stage.

“Let’s hear a story of love,” she echoed in a powerful voice. “A story of love that is complicated, chaotic, and quite magical. A tale where fairies dance, and men stick together, fiercely guarding the sacred bro code... and their fragile egos.”

The voice in which she delivered this was solemn, but her words were the exact opposite, eliciting laughter from the audience. She gesticulated with her hands, adding even more drama to her lines, and it was evident that she was enjoying herself.

And then came the line that finally told Liam which story Gavin had taken him to watch.

“And let us not forget the one man whose joy in planning a wedding doth surpass even that of the bride herself.” She gestured with her hand to the right and moved aside as a guy dressed like a royal walked onto the stage.

“Have you guys already seen my hot Amazon fiancée?” was the first thing he said, and everyone started laughing again, Liam included.

“New Moon is coming up, and then she’ll be mine and mine alone,” the student playing the duke continued, stepping to the side and reaching out his hand to the girl who quickly joined him on stage.

“New Moon?” she asked in confusion. “Is this the new Athenian play about Sir Edward and his rival, the lycanthrope Jacob?”

“Oh my God.” Liam laughed, immediately catching the reference—and then felt Gavin’s gaze on him. That was also why he turned his blue eyes to him, and when their gazes met, he saw how Gavin was enjoying the play as much as he was. And maybe he was just enjoying Liam’s reaction, like he always did.

When the performance ended, almost an hour later, Liam's face almost hurt from how much he had been smiling, and if he had to admit the truth, he was a little disappointed at how quickly it had gone by.

"I take it you enjoyed it?" Gavin asked, though he could read the answer in the blond’s expression.

"I loved it," he replied honestly.

"Does that mean I get another chance to take you on a date?" Another useless question.

"Does that mean this one is over?" Liam returned the question.

"Not yet," Gavin immediately assured him. "First, I need to show you where they have the best coffee in the area."

"I like that plan." The blond nodded contentedly, putting on a fake serious expression that was spoiled a second later by the smile he couldn't keep off his face.

"Good." The tanned man seemed very pleased as well. "Does that mean I can walk you home after?"

Maybe it was too soon to reveal where he lived—plus, if Gavin was expecting more at the end of this date, Liam must have disappointed him—but he agreed nonetheless. And so, another hour later, they stopped in front of Liam’s apartment block.

"This is me."

He expected Gavin to look around, but his gaze was still sternly locked on him.

"If you're expecting me to invite you upstairs to test your theory, I'm going to have to disappoint you," Liam told him in an amused tone when he didn’t give him an answer right away and just continued to stare at him.

"Too bad." Despite his words, there was no disappointment in the tall man’s voice, confirming to the blond that he hadn’t expected any invitation to sleep over on the very first date.

"But maybe..." Liam began, scooting closer to him.

"Maybe...?" Gavin repeated, and his gaze slid lower again, hypnotized by the pink lips that were so close and yet so far from his.

"A little ta—" Liam didn’t finish his provocation, as he was lost for words the moment he felt Gavin’s hand on his waist, and even forgot what he’d actually wanted to say when he felt the man’s breath on his cheek.

The blond didn’t need more than that, leaning forward, tilting his head to the side, and pressing his lips to Gavin’s welcoming ones. One hand automatically went into his dark hair while the other grabbed his collar to make sure he was as close to him as possible, ready to pull him even closer.

And while the two men were exact opposites when it came to their natures or outlook on love, their lips had no problem finding a common rhythm and melding into one.