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[shadows_have_offended]

It was a passing comment at Valentines day, but Neil's been unable to put it out of mind, and so here he was, having worked hard on figuring out their schedules and his budget and a nice, but not too nice, place that they could go and get dinner together.

Dinner for a birthday seems like an important thing to do. And it's a Monday night, so when it comes right down to it, it's not hard to find them a table somewhere. But he really hopes that Gabriel's all on board with the idea. He's told him what to expect--dinner, dessert afterward at his place--but it's still sort of daunting to be arranging a whole date for Gabriel's nineteenth birthday.

And maybe he had other ideas for the end of the night, after dessert. But that was for much later. And it was a school night, so they'd see how it went.

Comments

[shadows_have_offended]

Neil smiles a little bit, because he likes hearing Gabriel talk about his family. He imagines he must miss him--even Neil misses his family, even after everything, and they don't sound nearly so nice on the surface of things like Gabriel's family does.

"Yeah," he says. They're nearly there now.

[asoncalledgabriel]

He stays close for the walk, eventually even holds Neil's hand as they get up to the building. He wants to say again that Neil didn't have to go through all the trouble, but he doesn't want to sound ungrateful, or like he doesn't want it.

He's just not used to the fuss from-- well. He's never really had anyone like Neil.

[shadows_have_offended]

They reach the building, and Neil heads straight for the elevator. He lives too high up to take the stairs--and there's a moment of privacy, just the two of them on the way up. So as soon as the doors slide shut, Neil tucks himself in against Gabriel.

It's nice, just to be close. He's content to tuck in, to hold Gabriel's hand, and just relish that they can be close.

"Happy birthday," he whispers.