He wasn't ready.
Well, his mind was, but his body wasn't. The thought of his smile made him giddy. He hadn't seen much of him. The last time he really saw him, he couldn't say anything. Theo was shopping and thought he'd seen Mason. He didn't want to make a mistake, tap him on the shoulder and realise that it was just some random black guy. So he stopped following him around completed his shopping and left.
But fate gave him a second chance. Valentine's day was coming up. He was single, but ready to ask Mason out. "Why not?" He thought to himself. He wasn't going to go all out. Book Disneyland tickets or fly him to somewhere exotic. He got a traditional red heart-filled card. He wrote in his best writing how he felt about him, then went to a Godiva chocolate store and got him a box of gift wrapped chocolates the next day.
He couldn't deny the he was nervous when he drove up to Mason's place. He growled as his hands slipped off the steering wheel covered in sweat. Mason was a nice guy, he reminded himself. This wouldn't be too embarrasing. He leans back in the car seat, tell's himself to calm down and takes a few deep breaths. He pulls the sun mirror down and leans it over his body. He looks smart. Latest Converse. New jeans, tight grey T- shirt that girls gawked at the in coffee shop.
He hoped Mason liked it as much as the girls did. He saw some movement in the house and got out of the car. Fiddling with his collar. He cleared his throat and knocked on the door. A few moments later a smartly dressed Black woman with a gleaming Sliver locket around her neck opened the door. She has Mason's eyes and Theo immediately smiled when he looked at them.
"Good Morning. Hey...Hi, are you Mason's sister?"
"Mother" She corrected with a grin.
"Oh Hi there, Mrs Hewitt, I won't keep you Madam. I just wanted to give Mason this" He said raising the card and the chocolates up in the air.
"Oh, There's no need to give them to me" She said waving him away gently.
"What? Mase does eat Chocolate right?" Theo frowns.
.
"Sure, but he's right behind you" His mother says pointing.
Theo gulps and turns around. Forcing a smile. He's nervous, the very thought of Mason, makes him nervous in this thrilling, clingy, sentimental way that his brain doesn't really understand yet. But Mason and Brett Talbot are both walking towards him and he doesn't know what to do. He turns around. Mason's mother is still there.
"Don't be shy" She urges smiling. He genuinely smiles back and decides to grab the valentine's day bull by the horns.