Author's Note:
I decided to go a different route than intended. Instead of making a week later or even a couple days later, this chapter takes place the next morning. I decided to document the beginning stages of whatever this thing is between the boys more closely.

Ben groaned loudly as he opened his eyes. His head was pounding. He was intellectually familiar with the symptoms of a hangover, having had Hal and his friends describe it to him, but he had never experienced them for himself before. His mouth felt like sandpaper. His eyes burned, not least because he had obviously fallen asleep without taking his contacts out. At least he didn't feel like he had to throw up. As he fully opened his eyes, last night's occurrences, most of them anyway, rushed into his memories. He bolted upright, which his headache protested quite loudly.

Is this a date? I don't know, do you want it to be? Second date. Jimmy's lips softly against his ever so briefly. The feel of Jimmy's hand in his own. As for memories after that, nothing really. A kind of blank wall that he could blame on drinking. That was ok. He knew going into a college away from home, he would eventually drink too much. That was like a requirement of college life, wasn't it? Then he took stock of his surroundings and really started worrying. He wasn't in his dorm room. He was in the same guest bedroom that he and Jimmy had confronted each other in the night before. He looked around. He was fully clothed (thank God), though he wasn't wearing his shoes. His coat was neatly hanging in the closet on a hanger. What the hell happened?

He stood up, carefully because of the way his head was screaming at him in pain. He walked out into the hallway and saw two of Jimmy's friends from the night before sleeping heavily on one of the couches. He tread softly down the hallway so as to not wake the other boys. He entered the kitchen. He couldn't help staring around. Even more than the size of the apartment itself this room brought Jimmy's family's money into focus. Everything was either shining chrome or marble. Even the floors were marble. A huge oven (Ben liked to cook, so he definitely noticed that), a gigantic subzero fridge. Everything you could imagine. The aroma of bacon and other food lingered in the air. Ben was startled briefly when he realized Jimmy was sitting at the table, reading a book whose cover he couldn't see and drinking coffee. He was wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and baggy sweatpants.

Ben cleared his throat, immediately regretting it. Even that small motion set his headache off again. Jimmy looked up and smirked. Obviously noticing and recognizing Ben's pained expression, he spoke softly.

"Morning. You look like hell. Want some coffee…maybe some Tylenol? There's food too if you want some." Ben was in too much pain to react to the look like hell comment. He ran his hands through his short blond hair. It was sticking up in places. He probably really did look hell. He muttered something like yes, thank you and sat down at the table. He put his head in his hands and rested his elbows on the tabletop. Jimmy studied him for a minute, with a slight grin and then got up to grab Ben the coffee and other stuff.

"What the hell happened last night? All I remember is sitting with you holding…on the couch. Then nothing." Ben asked quietly.

Setting the coffee, aspirin, and a plate of eggs in front of Ben, Jimmy started grinning broadly. "Nothing much. Oh there was the fact that you got really drunk. You started shouting 'MY DAD MADE ME MEMORIZE THE DECLERATION OF INDEPENCE WHEN I WAS SIX. LOOK I'LL RECITE NOW, JUST TO PROVE IT!' You did, very impressive by the way, and then you collapsed and passed out on the couch. Robert and I carried you to the guestroom and dropped you in there on the bed." Ben stared slack-jawed at Jimmy.

"I didn't really do that, did I? Oh my God. That is so…so…I don't know, embarrassing. I don't usually drink. I guess that's kind of obvious, though?" Jimmy grinned even wider at that.

"Yeah, you really did that. Don't worry, it was very endearing. And yeah, it was pretty obvious you were a dinking beginner. That's why I made you my patented Blue Pond. It's my own recipe; I make it for all the novices. Of course when you have five of them it adds up…" Jimmy's expression turned serious. "Listen, about last night. The whole date thing. I know you were drunk. We don't have to make anything of it if you don't want." Jimmy was trying to keep a straight face but Ben could tell that his answer was very important to him.

Ben, though fortified by the coffee and food, headache dulled by the aspirin, was honestly too tired to form coherent thoughts, let alone try to piece together a long verbal response. He stood up suddenly and walked over to Jimmy. He grabbed Jimmy into a rough hug, and pressed a kiss to Jimmy's lips quickly.

"That's my answer. Now, do you mind giving me a ride home? I feel gross; I really need to shower and sleep the rest of the day."

A little later, Jimmy dropped Ben off in front of his dorm. Seemingly on impulse, Jimmy pressed a quick peck to Ben's cheek. Grinning sheepishly; it struck Ben how differently Jimmy was acting from the cocky guy who grabbed him by the arm and threw him into the lecture hall just two days ago. Suddenly aware that somebody he knew could have seen this, Ben darted his eyes around, and saw no one. He was relieved. It wasn't that he was ashamed. He didn't know what he was. Two days ago he had never thought of a boy like this before. He hadn't really thought about girls either though. He was always so focused on school his whole life that even the couple of dates he had gone on had felt like distractions. Crap. What am I going to tell my family? Do I have to tell them, when I don't even know what's happening myself?

He walked into his dorm room. David looked up from his guitar.

"Whoa. I can't believe you didn't come back last night. Drink too much at a party or did you get luck?" David said mockingly.

Completely serious, Ben replied "I drank too much at a party. But I'm definitely also lucky."