Okay, I'm finally back. :) I was at my grandma's, if I didn't already say, but I got two pages written there, so this should be a good length chapter for you all. Thank you very much to those that reviewed. I hope you like this chapter too.

At last, it was the weekend. Saturday morning. He could daydream all weekend about what could have happened if he had gathered up the courage to ask Tim out earlier.

He didn't know how long he had been lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, before there was a knock at the door.

He was surprised (and maybe even a little nervous) to see Tim at the door.

"Hey, umm… what're you doing here?" he asked, trying to act calm.

Tim shrugged. "Just wanted to see how you're doing. Can I come in?"

"Could you not?"

"Are you in the middle of something?"

Gareth blushed. "Course not. Jus' don't want you coming into my apartment, is all."

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. Just…" Gareth sighed. "Seriously. What did you come for?"

"…Wanted to make sure you weren't hurting yourself again."

"I won't. Promise."

"You sure you won't? 'Cause you looked upset before."

"I'm fine. I swear."

Gareth could tell Tim didn't believe him, so he held out his wrists.

"No new cuts, you see? They don't look like they've been bleedin' recently, right? I promise I'm not gonna hurt myself anymore."

"So you're okay with me and Dawn, then."

"Well, no, but it's not like I can just ask you to-"

"Hold up there, Gareth. So you're not okay with us getting married?"

"I should be."

"But are you?"

Gareth hesitated. "…No, I'm not."

"Why aren't you?" Tim asked, crossing his arms.

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"'Cause it's nothing that'll matter to you."

"How d'you know that? You don't really know me that well, Gareth."

"I know you put my stapler in jelly and love to annoy me all the time."

"You annoy me back." Tim paused as he realized they were getting off topic. "Just answer the question. Why aren't you okay with me and Dawn getting married?"

Gareth stayed silent for a few moments, thinking over whether he should answer or not.

"Is it because you fancy one of us?"

"We've gone over this. I don't fancy Dawn!"

"She's not the only one getting married, Gareth."

Gareth stared at him for a moment before turning and going back into the apartment and shut the door.

"'M not a bender!" he yelled angrily at Tim.

"Oh my God… Gareth, stop being such a twat and open the door!"

When that didn't work, Tim sighed and tried a gentler voice.

"Gareth, I just want to know how you feel about this whole business. Let me in, and I promise I'll listen, and I won't laugh at you."

There were a few moments of silence, then Gareth finally opened the door, looking at Tim carefully.

"Alright, but if you do, I'll have to kill you," he said. Ignoring Tim's incredulous look, he continued on, quite seriously. "I know how to, too. You just-"

Tim held up a hand. "I don't want to know, Gareth. Just let me in."

The skinnier man did so, and the two went to sit on the couch in front of the TV.

"Okay, so is this whole mess about me?" Tim asked, rather bluntly.

Gareth hesitated before giving a noncommittal shrug. "I guess."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Is it or isn't it, Gareth?"

Not meeting his eyes, Gareth nodded.

"And you haven't told me this yet- why, exactly?"

"Because I thought that you'd laugh at me, and because you said you were marrying Dawn."

"So what is it you want to say now?"

Gareth lowered his head and mumbled something so quietly Tim couldn't catch a word.

"Repeat that?"

"Please don't get married?" Gareth asked again, looking up at Tim desperately.

"Okay."

Gareth frowned. "That's it? That was too easy."

"Well, I could have made it harder for you, but it took you too long as it is, and I felt bad."

Gareth rolled his eyes. "Shut up. I meant, so you're just going to give up on Dawn, easy as that?"

"I was never going to marry Dawn, Gareth."

Gareth stared at him in disbelief. "This was all just some sort of prank?"

"I prefer the term 'grand scheme,' and you getting all emotional and cutting yourself wasn't part of the original plan-"

"Shut up! You just played another prank on me!"

"But I'm serious this time."

"Then what was up with all that 'I'm going to marry Dawn' business?"

"She came up with that, actually. I told her I liked you, and she somehow knew you liked me, we just weren't telling each other. You took longer than we hoped to come around, and that was with prodding."

Gareth looked confused. "What if I hadn't said anything by the time the day of the wedding came around?"

Tim looked embarrassed and looked away. "I… hadn't planned for that. I thought you'd say what you thought right away, like you usually do."

"I see. So… what happens now? Do I, like, kiss you or something?"

Tim shrugged. "I dunno. I guess so."

Gareth nodded, leaned forward slowly, and gently pressed his lips to Tim's, his eyes closing. After a few moments, he pulled away and opened his eyes, looking a little embarrassed.

"Was… was that bad?" he asked uncertainly, as Tim hadn't responded yet.

Tim blinked a few times, coming back to himself. "No, not at all. Um… You've waited how long to do that, exactly?"

Gareth shrugged. "Dunno. Too long. Can I do it again?"

"If you want to- mmph!"

Gareth leaned forward quickly, pressing his lips to Tim's, pushing him backwards so he was lying on top.

After a few seconds of a desperate feeling kiss, Gareth pulled back slowly, searching Tim's eyes carefully for any sign of betrayal. If the other man said it was a joke this late in the game…

Tim stared, wide-eyed at Gareth.

"Wow."

"Sorry 'bout that," Gareth mumbled, quickly getting off of Tim. "Got a little carried away."

"That's fine by me. Get as carried away as you like," Tim replied, sitting up.

Gareth blushed. "No, it's okay. Now," he swallowed nervously. "You got what you came for, yeah? Or… did you want to do something else before you went home?"

Tim frowned. "Gareth, what are you talking about? You still think I'm lying to you?"

Gareth ducked his head. "Well, yeah… a little… I mean- just listen, will you?" he said, as Tim looked like he was going to interject something. "How would you feel if a guy you liked, or girl, whatever, had been treating you the way you treated me, said they were getting married, and then suddenly they come in and say they like you. Would you believe them right away? 'M not gullible."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Gareth… let's get a few things straight here. One, I do like you, two, I do not want to just use you for my wants, and three, I am not marrying Dawn. Now will you relax, already?"

Gareth hesitated before nodding. "Prob'ly a good idea."

"Answer me something," Tim said suddenly. "Does this make us going out?"

"…I was going to ask you the day you told me you were getting married."

Tim cursed softly and put his hands over his face. "So all of this could have been avoided if I had kept my mouth shut?"

"Probably."

Tim cursed again.

"But it's okay. I mean, I don't know how dating a bloke works, but we can work it out. As long as we don't tell anybody about it, it'll be fine."

Tim was slightly annoyed at Gareth for wanting to keep secrets, but he understood the other man's desire to keep it quiet.

"Fine, we can keep it secret. But what do you want to do now?"

Gareth seemed to tense. "What d'you mean?"

"I dunno, do you want to sit here and keep kissing each other, or do you want to talk?"

"Talk," Gareth said, and tentatively sat closer to Tim on the couch.

"So… does this mean we're going to live with each other now?" he asked.

"Maybe we could just… get to know each other first," Tim suggested.

Gareth nodded. "That'd be okay. Treat it like a normal relationship, then."

"No reason not to."

"Just no kissing in public and such."

"Yes, Gareth. I already agreed to that. Relax."

"Sorry, I'm just a little nervous because I'm trying to plan out a relationship with a bloke, which I was always told not to do!"

Tim frowned. Gareth was getting wound up too easy. Maybe he was too stressed out.

"Hey, calm down. No reason to be nervous. I said we'd keep it a secret."

Gareth took a deep breath and nodded, rubbing his hands over his face. "'M sorry."

"It's okay, you don't have to be." Tim put an arm around Gareth's shoulders. "I get it. You don't want people to think you're gay."

"'Cause it's not respectable," Gareth muttered.

"You can be respectable and gay, Gareth."

When the other man didn't respond, Tim rolled his eyes. "Fine. I won't bring it up again. Just calm down… and I can go home."

"Don't," Gareth said suddenly, and Tim looked at him in surprise.

"Don't?"

Gareth blushed lightly. "I… don't want to be alone…"

Tim's expression softened into a comforting smile and he kissed Gareth gently on the cheek. "I'll stay."