Lewis looked up as he heard the apartment door close and he tucked his book under his pillow. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he heaved himself up and walked out into the main room.
"You're home late," he said. Oswald, who'd been walking into the kitchen, jumped in surprise and turned around.
"Oh, Lewis, it's you," Oswald said, relaxing. "You scared me. How'd you get home?"
"Eugene drove me," Lewis said. "He came over while I was at Kate's and when he left he offered to give me a ride." He slipped into the booth, making himself comfortable, and Oswald came to join him. "So, I'm assuming by the time that things went well?"
"You kidding?" Oswald said with a big grin on his face. "It was great."
"Did you meet her kid?" Lewis asked. Oswald looked surprised. "She told me about him at the hospital," he said by way of explanation.
Oswald nodded in acceptance. "Yeah, he actually came with us," he said. "He was going to go to a friend's house but I guess the other kid got sick. Jenna was all worried about ruining the date but I just asked Tyler if he wanted to come, too. It was great, he's a good kid."
Lewis grinned, knowing that his theory about Oswald loving the kid had been right. He owed Jenna a 'told you so' the next time he saw her. "What'd you guys do?"
"Went out for pizza and then went to an arcade," Oswald answered, still grinning excitedly. "That kid is a video game whiz." He stuck his hand into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out a strip of photographic paper. "This is all three of us. They had one of those picture booths at the arcade."
Lewis took the slip of paper and glanced down at the three pictures. Something about it caught him off guard. "The kid's black?" he asked, looking up at Oswald in surprise.
"Half." Oswald shrugged and leaned back into the seat, still smiling. Lewis almost laughed at how unaffected Oswald was by this, which is something that would startle most normal people. Shaking his head, Lewis glanced back down at the images. The three of them looked so comfortable with each other and they were obviously happy.
"You guys make a nice group," Lewis said, handing the pictures back to Oswald.
"Thanks," Oswald said, his smile broadening again. "So how'd things go at Kate's? Is she doing okay?"
"Things were great, yeah," Lewis said, slightly distracted. He knew that he needed to tell Oswald that he and Kate were now dating, but inside he was afraid to do it. While Oswald's reaction wouldn't change his mind about being with Kate, he still didn't want to have any tension between him and his best friend. Of course putting it off would only make the confrontation worse, especially if Oswald heard through someone else, since Eugene had already found out and Kate was planning on telling Drew tonight. Lewis raked his good hand back through his hair.
"Buddy, you okay?" Oswald asked, suddenly concerned.
Lewis looked up and smiled. "For being such an idiot sometimes, you're very perceptive."
Oswald smiled proudly, knowing that the comment had been meant as a compliment even if it didn't particularly sound like one. "What's up? Problems with Kate again?"
"No, not problems," Lewis answered. "Definitely not a problem." He hesitated but knew that waiting wasn't going to make it any easier. He ran his hand through his hair once again and then looked up at Oswald. "Actually, Kate and I are – well – we're together now."
Oswald stared at him in stunned silence and Lewis could almost see the truth processing inside his head. "Really?" he finally asked, his voice obviously surprised. Lewis nodded without a word, watching carefully for a response. Oswald seemed to think for a moment and then nodded. "Well congrats," he said, a faint smile touching his cheeks. "You finally got her to give in to you."
"Oswald, it's not like that," Lewis said, his tone serious and almost pleading. "This isn't about getting Kate to sleep with me or anything. I really, really care about her. I think – I think I love her." Lewis paused, surprising himself with that statement. Was he really in love with Kate? Sure, he had thought it enough times, but there was something that felt so different about saying it out loud. It was almost as if it changed it from a fantasy to a reality. As if being able to say it out loud made it true in a way that it had never been before.
"How long have you been together?" Oswald asked. Lewis looked up, shocked by the strange tone in his friend's voice. Oswald's face was composed for the most part but there was hurt in his eyes. Lewis guessed immediately what he was thinking. Oswald thought that they had been together for a while and had just never told anyone.
"Just since today," Lewis said firmly, trying to inject all of his honesty into his words. "I swear it."
"And Leslie…?"
"Really isn't my kid," Lewis emphasized. "I wouldn't keep something like this from you, buddy. You should know that. You're my best friend."
This little statement seemed to have an amazing impact on Oswald and for a moment the brunette looked breathless. He quietly mouthed, "He's your best friend…" Lewis watched him in confusion, wondering what was happening to Oswald, but Oswald seemed momentarily oblivious to the fact that Lewis was there. When he abruptly looked up at Lewis again, the change in his demeanor was surprising.
"Yeah, you're right," Oswald said, a smile on his face. "You're my best friend, and I trust you."
While he was grateful that Oswald believed him, Lewis was still a little disconcerted by the sudden change. Still, he smiled. "Thanks, buddy."
"And good luck with Kate," Oswald said, his smile only faltering just slightly and hardly noticeably. "You've got your hands full. Especially now. Do you think you're ready to be a dad?"
"I don't know," Lewis admitted. "But I care about Kate and I'm willing to try. Leslie is just so beautiful and little, I want her to have everything. Do you think I could give her that?"
Oswald surveyed the expression on his friend's face and then a contented smile touched him. "I think so," he said. "It's easy to see that you love her. Both of them," he added with a small laugh. "I think you'll do alright." Lewis said nothing, but the gratitude in his eyes said more than he would ever have been able to find words for.