A/N - God I'm glad you lot are liking this so far! Reviews are the loveliest.
"This is it!" Jeff cries, almost dragging Nick off the bus the moment the doors open.
Nick laughs, letting Jeff pull him down the street, their fingers intertwined, palms pressed tight together. Jeff checks his watch, then slows his pace, walking alongside Nick, who's looking at him curiously.
"We've got time to look first." Jeff smiles, squeezing Nick's hand.
"Look at you, all happy because you have a secret."
"I'm happy because we've actually made it to date number three. I thought you'd chicken out after two at the most."
"I can still go home now you know..." Nick says, making to pull his hand away from Jeff's and laughing when Jeff pulls him back.
"No, you can't."
"And why's that? I'm a big boy, I can do what I want."
Jeff raises his eyebrows, smiling slowly.
"Oh, you're a big boy are you?"
"Shut up."
Jeff laughs. "I meant that you can't go home because well... you have no idea how we got here..."
"That is true..."
Jeff smiles as he leads Nick down one of the quieter streets, past a row of shops selling nick-nacks and little oddities. He stops, turning to look in through one of the windows when Nick tugs on his hand.
"Look at that, Jeff..." Nick almost whispers, his nose practically pressed against the glass as he tries to get a better look at the hardback book propped up in the window.
Jeff smiles at Nick as Nick traces his finger, spelling out the title across the glass.
"I'll never understand your obsession with Peter Pan..."
"It's the greatest book of all time! And all the proceeds since like, 1929, go to a children's hospital! What's not to like about that?"
"It's just a book, Nick."
"But it's so beautiful." Nick says, finally tearing his eyes away, looking up at Jeff. "Look at the cover... Look at those illustrations..."
"Look at the price..."
"Oh my god... ok, let's move away before I spend all my money for the rest of my life."
Jeff laughs, taking Nick's hand again and walking him a little more briskly down the street until they reach where Jeff's been heading for since they got off the bus. He stops in front of a tiny cafe, holding the door open so that Nick can step inside before following him in.
"Jeffy!" yells a small blonde girl, running to him and hugging his waist.
Jeff laughs, dipping down to hug her back, picking her up and spinning her round, making her giggle as Nick looks on, confused but smiling.
Jeff puts the girl down, crouching next to her and smiling up at Nick.
"Suzi, this is my friend, Nick."
Suzi waves before scampering back behind the counter, suddenly shy. Jeff grins at Nick.
"My cousin." He explains. "This is my Aunty's cafe." He gestures around him, smiling broadly as Nick looks around, taking in the white tables and chairs, laughing when Nick catches sight of the trays of cakes on the counter.
Jeff leads Nick to one of the tables by the window, sitting opposite him and smiling, resting his chin on his hand. Nick smiles back, then slips his hand across the table, taking Jeff's in his. Jeff's smile widens.
"Boys!"
"Hullo Aunty Clara," Jeff smiles, standing up to hug her, somehow managing to keep hold of Nick's hand as he does so, pulling Nick up to his feet. "She's going to want to hug you too you know..."
Nick laughs as the blonde woman opens her arms, pulling him into a tight hug.
"So good to see you again Nick! I don't think I've seen you since you were... ooh... five years old and dressed as a cowboy."
They sit back down, and Clara heads back to the counter, returning moments later with two mugs and a cafetiere full of coffee.
"He's as handsome as you said, Jeffy." She whispers loudly, and Jeff laughs when Nick looks up from his coffee in confusion.
"Thanks for that Aunty Clara, that was not embarrassing at all..." Jeff smiling over at Nick, "Now, dearest Aunt, could you get back to your job and fetch us two slices of every cake you have?"
"'Back to my job!' Honestly, kids today..." Clara laughs, disappearing off into the back of the cafe, leaving Jeff and Nick alone.
"So... Jeffy." Nick smiles, trying not to smirk.
"Oh shut up, you have some strange French nick-name, I've heard it. I just... don't know what it means."
Nick laughs, leaning back in his chair to sip his coffee. Jeff smiles, watching him in silence until Clara returns with a tray full of cakes, placing it on the table with a flourish. Nick laughs again at that.
"Thank you, Mrs Sterling."
"Call me Clara, Sweetheart. You and Jeffy are a lovely couple."
"We're not a..." Jeff tries to correct her, but she's already walking away. He turns back to Nick. "Sorry about that... um... cake!" Jeff says, cutting a piece off and spearing it with his fork, holding it out for Nick to eat.
Nick raises his eyebrows at Jeff, who wiggles the fork temptingly, smiling.
"It's really good. Chocolate orange cake... Go on..."
Nick sighs, then leans in and eats it off the fork, eyes closing as he swallows.
"Oh my god..."
"Good, yes?"
Nick nods, pulling the plate toward him.
"My cake now."
Laughing, Jeff pulls a plate full of profiteroles toward him, picking up one with his fingers and popping it into his mouth. He licks the chocolate sauce off his fingers, catching Nick staring at him as he does so. Jeff grins, slipping his finger into his mouth and sucking it seductively. Nick almost chokes on his mouthful of cake.
"Family cafe, boys!" Clara calls from behind the counter, "There are children here, behave yourselves!"
Jeff laughs, sticking his tongue out at his Aunt before eating the rest of the profiteroles with a spoon, glancing to check Clara's looking away before wiping his finger around the chocolatey bowl and holding it out to Nick.
"No chance."
"Go on."
Nick looks over to Clara, who's busy icing a cake, her back to them, before taking Jeff's hand and pulling it up to his mouth, sucking the sauce from his finger slowly. Jeff's eyes close briefly at the feel of Nick's tongue on his skin, the sensation all too short before Nick pulls away. They look at each other, Nick wiping a trace of chocolate from the side of his mouth and Jeff has to force himself to lean back, to not kiss Nick there and then.
Nick breaks the silence, reaching for a slice of cheesecake and digging into it, making appreciative noises as he eats. Jeff smiles happily as he watches Nick eat for a second before helping himself to a brownie, eating it slowly between sips of coffee.
They eat their way through pastries and cakes, tray bakes and cream slices until every plate is empty and, in the case of a few, wiped clean with fingertips, and the boys are leaning back in their chairs, full and happy.
Clara potters around the cafe, wiping down the counter and putting the chairs up on every table except theirs.
"Time to go, I'm afraid, boys." She says, picking up the tray piled with plates from the table and carrying it back to the counter.
Jeff pulls on his jacket, then runs round to hold Nick's out for him before he can pull it on by himself. Nick rolls his eyes, pushing his arms into the sleeves and tugging his coat on. Jeff goes to hug his Aunt, leaving Nick waiting by the door.
"Thanks, Aunty Clara. See you on Saturday?"
"As always." Clara hugs him again. "Now go be with your boyfriend."
"He's not my..." Jeff trails off as Clara waves him away.
Jeff takes Nick's hand, pushing the door open, and they're about to step out into the street when Jeff feels a tug on the back of his coat.
"Made these for you Jeffy."
Suzi's standing behind them, holding up two cupcakes covered in white icing and sweets, edible glitter sprinkled liberally over the top.
"Awwww! Thank you Suzi!" Jeff says, taking one of them with a grin and reaching for the second and pouting when Suzi pulls her hand away.
"For you." She says, holding it out for Nick to take, smiling broadly when he does before running away back behind her mother.
The two boys head out into the street, walking slowly back up to the bus stop, Jeff finishing his cupcake before they're even half way there.
"Pig."
"Shut up, it was really, really yummy."
Nick takes a bite out of his, getting a mouthful that's mostly icing.
"Wow."
"I know right!" Jeff laughs, swinging their hands as they reach the bus stop, spinning round to face Nick.
There's a dab of icing in the right corner of his mouth and Jeff leans in, kissing it gently, hesitating before parting his lips and licking it off, tasting the vanilla in his mouth. When he pulls back, Nick's staring at him, eyes wide.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Nick says, biting into his cupcake, "It was nice."