One Week Before GaymerX, Friday evening.

Kevin watched Patrick with something close to fascination, finding it difficult to equate this well-bred young WASP with the man who burped his way through a family sized bottle of diet coke the night before.

'What are you doing?' he asked, as Patrick delicately forked his fish into his mouth. Patrick chewed his tiny mouthful thoroughly before swallowing, making sure he was fully finished before he spoke.

'What?'

'Are you kidding me? Why are you being so ...dainty. It has literally taken you five minutes to take four bites of your dinner.' Kevin laughed.

'And?' Patrick wasn't budging an inch. Acting like this was an everyday occurrence, as if Kevin hadn't spent the last week practically glued to his side, when they weren't at work of course.

'Patrick...you are a human vacuum. I have never seen anyone inhale food the way you do. You fit more in one mouthful than most people have for their entire meal. I don't know how the fuck you aren't a fat fat frog anymore, because I swear to God, this past week I have seen you put more food away than I ever though was humanly possible. And now, you're sitting here, eating like the Queen of fucking England is joining us for tea.'

'Firstly, you're wrong, about pretty much everything you just said. And secondly, this is a nice restaurant so I am eating with my fancy manners, which I learnt from years of eating with my tight-ass parents, so...suck it.' Patrick responded, obviously doing his best to ignore Kevin's grin. Any ability Kevin ever had to inspire respect and awe in Patrick had pretty much disappeared at this point. It was just as well that Kevin liked this new, cocky Patrick because it seemed he was here to stay. Kevin's grin grew broader. Patrick continued ignoring him.

'Alright, I'll let you off the hook for now. I'll pretend that this is the real you and the Patrick I've been living with for the past week is the anomaly. But just so you know, it wasn't an insult. I really appreciate how much you can fit in your mouth' Kevin reassured him, straight faced. Patrick pursed his lips as he attempted, quite feebly Kevin felt, to glare at him.

'You see? This is why we had to come out for dinner. You make everything about sex and we never get anything done' he whispered.

'What did I say?' Kevin protested innocently.

'If we were at home now, you'd probably say something about me showing you just how much I could get in my mouth and then you'd have me down on my knees with your pants unzipped. And then we'd lose another evening without working on the app, and gaymerx is only a week away, so you have to get your head out of the gutter and back in the game, Kevin.' Patrick raged on, still whispering, which rather spoilt the effect. Kevin tried very hard to pretend to take him seriously, but the idea that Patrick was anything but a thoroughly willing partner in the whole debauching each other constantly thing...well it was laughable. They'd been fucking like rabbits every spare moment they could get, and it was pretty much a tie as to who initiated what, when. Patrick had both eyebrows raised at him now though. Time to sober up it seemed.

'Sorry. I'm sorry. You're right. This is serious stuff' Kevin tried to pull it together. 'I get it. Too much sex. Not a good thing. Less sex, more work.'

Patrick sighed and stared at Kevin for a moment. Kevin tried to give him a cute smile. Patrick shook his head and rolled his eyes. Kevin tried harder to look sweet, which finally got Patrick to laugh at him.

'Alright. Forget what I said about sex. We can do it as much as you like. But can we talk about some of the decisions we have to make now, before we go home and you go all caveman on me?' Patrick got back to eating, relishing every tiny bite he was taking. But now Kevin was distracted by Patrick's reference to cavemen...

'If you're referring to this morning, I don't think they had refrigerators back in those days.' Kevin gave Patrick a slow, languid smile. The memory of this morning was making him feel very...happy. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Patrick noticed and opened his eyes wide in warning. Kevin tried to look contrite. He took a bite of his food and chewed, watching Patrick's mouth as it opened and closed around his fork. Lucky fork. Patrick shouldn't have reminded Kevin about the morning. Not if he wanted to talk about anything but sex.

Honestly... this morning had been fucking...hot. He didn't often get to pounce on Patrick anymore, and he sort of missed that, coming up on him unexpectedly like he had a couple of times before...when they could only fuck in the office.

The three of them had been having breakfast together before work, and it was probably the first time that Agustin had forgotten himself and actually been genuinely warm and friendly. Eddie must have given him a work out the night before, because he was relaxed and laid back, and had talked to Kevin as if he was just a regular boyfriend who'd stayed the night, rather than the fucktard cheating tosser that had lured his poor Paddy to the dark side. It had been very nice. Agustin was funny and smart, and like any one who knew and loved Patrick, enjoyed taking the piss out of him thoroughly. And Patrick ate it up. The two of them thought they were a regular Laurel and Hardy, yucking it up, cracking themselves and each other up. It would have actually been rather annoying if Kevin didn't enjoy watching Patrick laugh so much. So breakfast had been fun...and then Agustin had left to run some errands before his shift at the shelter. Patrick had started cleaning the dishes, tunelessly humming something Kevin couldn't recognize...when Kevin made his move.

Within seconds he had Patrick pinned against the refrigerator, and a moment later his mouth was glued to Patrick's, demanding he open up and let Kevin in. Mmmmmm. Fresh coffee and lots of sugar. The taste of Patrick's mouth in the morning, after breakfast. He had Patrick caged between his arms, but Patrick wasn't trying to get away. Kevin leaned into him, grinding his rock hard cock against Patrick's crotch, feeling Patrick against him. Delicious. Patrick was trying to take control of the kiss, and whereas Kevin usually let him, because frankly, the man was a genius with his mouth, Kevin had something different in mind for today. So he gripped Patrick's head with his hands, and held it still for him, so he could get at his mouth the way he wanted. Patrick acquiesced instantly. Kevin pulled back for a moment. Nothing turned him on more than the sight of Patrick dazed with lust. The most erotic thing ever, lips dark red and wet, tongue licking himself as if to chase the taste of the kiss...eyes half closed, drowsy looking...and his hair all mussed up from Kevin's hands. Kevin smiled. Patrick smiled back then tried to reach for Kevin's lips.

'Your arm is fully healed, right?' Kevin had whispered. Patrick's eyes had widened in confusion, but Kevin didn't give him any time to think. He spun him round and pushed him face down onto the kitchen table. Patrick yelped and grabbed on to the sides.

'I want to fuck you now.' Kevin had growled into his ear, licking and sucking every piece of Patrick's skin he could find. 'Say yes.'

'Fuck yes!' Patrick responded, no hesitation. Kevin had reached under Patrick and with some unzipping and unbuckling, finally took Patrick's lovely cock in his hands, making him moan with delirious pleasure. He bit the back of Patrick's neck, not too gently, then nuzzled into his hair, loving the smell of him, the taste of him. He almost forgot that he wanted it rough this morning, he was getting so carried away in petting Patrick, taking in deep breaths of him, but Patrick himself brought Kevin back to his original purpose. He was wriggling about, trying to get his own pants down, and Kevin remembered that what he wanted was a quick hard fully clothed shag. Keeping Patrick pinned down with one hand on his back, Kevin reared back and pulled his own clothes off just enough to be able to free himself. He'd come prepared with lube and a condom in his back pocket, and he used his teeth to rip the packet open. Patrick had lifted his head off the table and turned it around to stare back at Kevin, and at the sight of that, at the sight of Kevin preparing them both, at the feel of Kevin's fingers inside him, he started panting with lust. He'd closed his eyes as Kevin entered him, and dropped his head back down, his mouth open to take in deep breaths, his arms spreading out again to clutch the sides of the table. Fuck, he was so gorgeous, so fucking...hot. It blew Kevin's mind that all this beauty was his to play with, explore, have any time he wanted. Any way he wanted. And now he wanted it fast, and hard, no frills. Just lovely, lusty fucking.

'Oh...oh...oh,oh god...oh fuck...yes. Fuck...harder' Patrick was gasping over and over. Music to Kevin's ears. He might not be able to carry a tune, but his voice, when he was being fucked, it was the sweetest thing Kevin had ever heard.

'Cum with me' Kevin ordered him, pounding him into the table.

'Yes...yes...' Patrick moaned. Kevin pulled him back from the table so he could reach for Patrick's cock freely, and as he came closer and closer, he stroked Patrick faster and faster. Patrick's knuckles turned white as he grabbed the edge of the table tightly, coming so hard he stopped breathing. Kevin squeezed his eyes shut as he came too, though he wished he could keep them open to watch...but it felt like they would explode out of his head if he had.

'Oh...fuuuuuuck. Fuck...me...' he groaned as he emptied himself into the condom. Then, like the conquering hero he felt he was, he collapsed forward over Patrick's back and lay there, trying to catch his breath. Patrick reached back with one arm to pull Kevin's face towards him, and finally, he got the kiss he wanted, licking at Kevin's lips, pushing between them to lap at his tongue.

'Was it something I said?' he'd whispered into Kevin's mouth, and Kevin shook with laughter.

So that's what he was remembering as he sat in the restaurant, automatically eating his probably very excellent food, on his first official dinner date with Patrick, and that's what had him shifting in his seat. Cue Patrick looking at him in disapproval.

'Really? I just told you to get your mind out of the gutter, and this is what happens?' Patrick shook his head.

'Relax. Just talk to me about the app and I'm sure little Kevin will quickly behave' Kevin patted his hand soothingly.

'Little Kevin? Really? Very funny. I happen to love our game, and I don't mind working hard to make it happen...'

'That's not fair!' Kevin protested. 'I worked on it alone without you for days after you left me. I had it half coded up by the time you remembered it even existed' Patrick looked chastened. He took Kevin's hand. Gave him an awkward half smile...the one he used when he tried to cover up his embarrassment. Another small bite of food, another lick of his lips catching a little of the sauce.

'You're right. I'm sorry. And you did a great job. For someone who hasn't coded anything for real since the dark ages, you actually did pretty well. I only had to rewrite about two-thirds of it.' Kevin pulled his hand away from the now-laughing Patrick.

'Tosser' Kevin said.

'So are you ready to talk now? About what needs to get done?' Patrick pressed him, still laughing.

'Yes. I am totally not aroused by you in any way at this moment' Kevin confirmed.

'How sweet. Can we have a sampler made of that and hang it over the fireplace?' Patrick batted his eyelashes in mock adoration.

'Probably not, since we're spending all our money on this GaymerX booth that you're so in love with' Kevin shot back. Ah, so that was the difference between fake embarrassment and real embarrassment...the blush. Patrick could fake the half smile, the sideways glance, but he couldn't fake the blush. That was an important tell.

'I know' Patrick admitted, sounding gratifyingly sheepish. 'But you can't show up at these things with just a pack of business cards and some candy in a bowl. You know what these things are like. You need to have...presence.'

'I do know what they're like Patrick, being a manager at a leading video game design company, and I also know how much they cost. We are not MDG, Patrick, we're just making a little game for smart phones...' Kevin reminded him.

'And all I did was order some basic stuff.' Patrick exclaimed. 'Just a backdrop thingy, and a cover for the table, some business cards, and of course the posters for us to put up anywhere we can, and...I think that's it.'

'All rush ordered. Costing twice as much.' Kevin added. He didn't really begrudge the money they were both spending. But...he worried that Patrick was a little too invested in the game. When Patrick had left him the game had been his lifeline...his link back to Patrick, and the time he had spent on it had been bittersweet. Now Patrick had taken up the gauntlet, and was determined to put the game out there, as if...well, almost as if it represented the two of them. Which it didn't. Not at all. Because games were at heart pretty simple. Coding them was a matter of knowing how to use the language in the most elegant and efficient way possible. If you got the design right and you knew how to program, the game would become what you wanted it to be. No surprises, nothing in it that you didn't put in it. But you could live your whole life with someone, think you knew them inside out and they could still surprise you, still act randomly, out of character, come at you with something from left field. Not like creating a game at all...more like playing one. So...Kevin wasn't too keen on Patrick seeing the game as something meaningful, for them. It made Kevin a little anxious that Patrick might think everything in life was as programmable and foreseeable as a video game or a smart phone app, that he might believe if you did certain things in a certain way, you could get a predictable result. If they'd learnt anything from the way their own relationship had started surely it was that you never could predict, never could foresee...you could only...hope and trust, have faith that something would turn out the way you wanted it to.

But he was probably reading too much into it. Patrick was probably just nerdily excited about going to the conference as an exhibitor rather than a visitor, right?. It was pretty exciting. As long as they kept it in perspective.

'Think of it this way,' Patrick was saying. 'We got the artwork for free, and that could have cost a fucking fortune, you know that.'

Amen to that.

'You're sure the guy's not going to regret it. Not asking for a contract or royalties or anything.' Kevin winced at the thought of the poor artist that had so willingly given up his work just for some artistic credit. No fucking business sense whatsoever.

'He's not like that. Agustin's known him for years and he's never been interested in money...he's just excited that people might get to see his art. He's so fucking good, isn't he?' Patrick enthused.

Kevin nodded. But his mind was back on Patrick's expectations.

'Listen, you know this was just supposed to be a fun project right? I mean, it's just a sweet funny little game...it's not something of monumental significance whose future decides anything important...about us...right?' Kevin persisted. Patrick smiled at him.

'I know. It's not what you think. Or at least what I think you think. I'm not making this out to be some big metaphor for us. You know why I love our game? Because we've been pretty much stuck inside the apartment like prisoners, and outside of fucking, which I LOVE, it's been the most incredible fun to just sit and work with you on it...I love doing that. So, I love our game and I want other people to love it too.'

'I'm sorry about...not going out...it's just this is such a small city, and I don't want to rub it in Jon's face. It would be humiliating for him if I just started showing up places, happy and beaming while he's trying to sort his life out and get back to Seattle. And no one knows at work either yet, so we just have to keep a low profile, just for a little bit longer...' Kevin felt the need to explain again. Mostly because he felt like a total shit about not letting Patrick enjoy all the outside trappings of a relationship...yet. And that was the key. It was just about timing. They'd get to do all the things regular couples did, but...not quite yet. And sometimes that still felt to Kevin, and most probably to Patrick too, like they were still a dirty little secret. Hence the need he felt to continually apologize.

'I understand all of that. I promise. And it's fine, I totally get it, as long as we keep taking little baby steps towards really being out in the open, right? I mean tonight is a pretty big deal, even though... no-one we know ever hangs out in this part of town.'

Kevin nodded, taking Patrick's hand, wanting Patrick to feel connected and not to ever feel that he was alone in this, wanting to show him that he was happy and proud to be seen as a couple in public...but not fully...not quite yet. For Jon's sake.

'But that's also why GaymerX is so important to me. Because...Jon has NOTHING to do with that world. No one from work will go since we're the only gay people at MDG, which, can I say, still blows my mind given we're in San Francisco. And Jon's not going to be there. No one we know is going to be there so we get to be out as a couple, doing something we love. That's all it is. I promise.' Patrick brought Kevin's hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles tenderly. Giving a tiny lick as he brushed his thumb over Kevin's fingers.

'Ok.' Kevin acquiesced. 'You can spend whatever you want on it.'

Patrick grinned.

'God, you are so easy. A total pushover. Was that really all it took to get you to stop grumbling?'

'Well, that and the promise of lots more sex when we get home' Kevin grinned back, waggling his eyebrows.

'Oh no, or at least, not till AFTER we finish up some more of the coding.' Patrick said firmly. Then...with a charmingly innocent look he added,

'What would I have to do to make you let me buy us some cute matching sweaters?'

'What?' Kevin asked, bewildered.

'Sweaters. With the One Up Him logo we chose. Don't you think that would be cute?' Patrick tried the batting eyelashes thing again.

'Err...only if you let me pick them and design them' Kevin stated flatly.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Patrick was indignant. Kevin wasn't buying it though. Patrick HAD to know the truth. Surely he wasn't that blind.

'Patrick, you have the same five t-shirts you wear every day. The same two hoodies. I've seen some different clothes in your closet, but I've never seen you wear them. You have absolutely no sense of style. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE the way you look, in AND out of your clothes, but you are NOT designing any clothing for our game. I'll do that, if you don't mind.'

'I love my t-shirts' Patrick protested.

'Obviously.'

'Well, I don't mind you picking out our business-related clothing, but you really shouldn't comment on the size of my wardrobe because frankly, since you brought your clothes back, with your dozens of Calvin's and your five hundred sets of workout clothes, and your gazillion shirts, which I NEVER see you wear...there's barely enough room for my five tshirts anyway.' Patrick was grumpy.

'I'm sorry babe. I didn't realize how many clothes I have. Because basically, I have the normal amount of clothes for a functioning adult man, as opposed to the 'starving student on a budget' amount you have. I didn't realize MDG wasn't paying you enough to keep you fed and clothed or is it that you spend it all on keeping your face stuffed with food every day?' Kevin laughed at him. Patrick was back to ignoring him. Finishing up his dinner. Kevin went back to eating too, though he couldn't resist adding,

'But honestly, I only brought back what I consider the basics. The rest are going to be boxed up and stored until I find a place to live, so...if you thought THAT was a lot of clothes...' Kevin grimaced. He looked up at Patrick, hoping to share a smile, but the look on his face stopped him short. He rested his arms on the table and sighed deeply.

'Not again, Patrick...' He warned.

'I should have been there. It wasn't right that you had to go through that alone' Patrick said quietly, stubborn man.

'And I told you, that would have been unbearable for Jon, seeing you there. How do you think he would have felt?' Kevin spoke gently. This was a very sensitive topic for Patrick and Kevin needed to tread carefully.

'I know, but, it wasn't just you at fault though was it? I was involved too and you shouldn't have to take all the blame. If he wants to rage at someone I should be a part of it.' Patrick insisted. Kevin wondered how long Patrick would feel the need to be punished. He himself knew he deserved to feel like crap and for Jon to treat him like the trash he was, but...he didn't want Patrick exposed to that. It was some fucking toxic shit.

He hadn't been surprised that Jon was at the apartment yesterday, at the exact time that they'd arranged through email for Kevin to pick his stuff up. He hadn't even been surprised that Jon had taken all his clothes and books and Nic Nacs and dumped them in a pile on the living room floor. It was spiteful, but pretty minor compared to what he'd done to Jon's life. He didn't bother sorting through anything except the clothes, to pick out what he'd need to survive the next few weeks. The rest he'd stuffed into large plastic bags where he could and dragged it all into the guest bedroom. While Jon watched. Silently.

Kevin had called a moving company and with Jon's curt nod of consent had arranged for them to come on the following Monday, pack up his stuff in boxes and take them to storage. He wouldn't even need to be there. It was going to cost a bloody fortune.

As he'd picked up the last pile of his books off the floor, Jon had finally spoken.

'Didn't take you long to drag away two years of your life did it?' He said, bitterness oozing through every word.

'You really never were in this, were you. You were always just treading water, biding your time, waiting to make your next move...' He continued. Kevin knew it was best to keep quiet. Jon didn't really want answers or excuses. He just wanted to hurt Kevin as badly as he was hurting himself. And Kevin wanted that for him too...if it would help.

'Adults don't behave like this Kevin. Don't you think it's time you grew up and started thinking seriously about what it means to commit to someone? Or is this what you want from life? Meaningless relationships, moving from one pretty young fucking airhead to the next? Is that what turns you on now? The big boss impressing his little minions? Your nerdy groupies? Does Patrick sit there hanging on every fucking word you say like you're the fucking Dalai Lama? God's gift to gay techies the world over. Does he know that you'll never let him really know you? Because you're shallow and empty inside? Maybe I should warn him. A parting gift. Maybe I should tell him to watch out, because now that you've developed a taste for them young and adoring, a newer, better version will be along in a couple of years, if that long. But I don't think I'll bother. It doesn't look like he's the type for much deep thinking or introspection. More like a fluffy little bunny, a little pet you can take out and pat on the head every now and then. You're shallow and he's stupid. A perfect match.' Jon had gone on.

Kevin had simply let him. This version of the truth was a lot more palatable for Jon than Kevin's would be. Kevin's version being that he hadn't let Jon really know him because Jon... hadn't touched his soul. That he hadn't developed a taste for anything or anyone but Patrick, and that having had a taste, he was going to hold on to Patrick with everything he could, bind him to him, make it so that Patrick was as desperate at the thought of losing him as Kevin was at the thought of losing Patrick.

But he couldn't say any of that to Jon. That would be the ultimate cruelty. Let Jon believe his own narrative. That was the best gift he could give him.

So, having cleared away every piece of himself out of Jon's sight, he put the apartment keys on the kitchen counter and turned to say the only thing he could.

'I'm sorry. Hurting you was not what I wanted. I'm truly truly sorry. Goodbye' and he'd walked out.

And of course he hadn't told Patrick the details of what Jon had said. It had been hard enough insisting that Patrick not come with him, he wasn't then going to negate the reason for that by laying out all of Jon's bitterness before him. Kevin just told Patrick that Jon was obviously hurting, had been a little vicious but ultimately, behaved like the gentleman he was. Patrick wasn't particularly buying it, but he also was sensitive enough to let it be. He didn't want to add to Kevin's burden. But he did want to share in the punishment and guilt.

Kevin sighed.

'Patrick, this had to be about what HE needed, not what we wanted. The last thing he'd want is for you to be there. And I had to respect that. It was the least I could do for him. And the last thing I'm ever doing for him. From now on its just you and me. Together.' Kevin gripped Patrick's hand again, and Patrick gazed into Kevin's eyes, a slow smile spreading across his face.

'You and me. I like that.' He'd said softly. 'But together means you don't keep things from me, right?' He persisted. 'And I know this involved Jon so you're just being respectful to him too, but that's the only exception you get. You have to share things with me, or I don't know what being together means. Ok?' He pushed. Kevin nodded, slowly.

'Ok. I promise I'll tell you one day. When it's really in the past. I promise. And by the way, that goes both ways. That whole sharing thing' Kevin looked at Patrick, meaningfully.

'What? I tell you everything!' Patrick was indignant.

'Really? Everything? There's nothing about your day with Richie you conveniently left out? The day you fucking tore my heart out then ran to spend the day frolicking around the city with your cute ex-boyfriend' Kevin asked, ever so casually. He really hated that bit of their past. That day of the office party, when Patrick had so brutally walked away from him and then, as he'd found out this past week, had gone on to spend the day with smoldering, sexy, hot Richie.

'I told you everything' Patrick insisted. 'I told you how he borrowed the money for the suit, how he wants us to be friends despite our past, how he was glad I'd left you...'

'Yeah...about that last bit. Why exactly does he get to have a say?' Kevin queried. That really pissed him off. There were enough people's opinions they had to deal without that holier than thou perfect mother-fucker chiming in.

'Because he's my friend, and he cares about me. You can be friends with ex-boyfriends you know, with people you've hooked up with. Look at me and Dom' Patrick was obviously trying to steer the conversation away from Richie. Kevin contemplated whether he should press him. There was something there, between those two, but Kevin felt pretty confident that he was the winner in that particular lottery. It would help though if Patrick would tell him he loved him. It would be nice to hear the words just to know for sure...but he wasn't going to press him. Patrick was obviously happy to be with him, and he'd had a chance with Richie and not gone for it, back in the very early days of their affair...so, time to move on.

'Ok. A friend. Just...well I hope you don't always go running off to Richie every time you need a friend to talk to. If I had to choose between him and Dom as your past fuck-buddies that you confide in or whose shoulder you cry on, I choose Dom. Though why our life has to include anyone you've slept with in the past is something of a mystery to me. They probably all still want to sleep with you' Kevin concluded glumly.

'Kevin they're FRIENDS. Not everyone's mind is in the gutter the whole time. I can have entire conversations with other people that never include sex or even the possibility of sex.'

'I can't help it if all I think about when I look at you is fucking you' Kevin told him simply. Patrick laughed.

'I think that's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me!' Patrick gushed, fanning his face in mock shyness.

'More romantic than me telling you I love you?' Kevin grinned evilly, knowing that would shut Patrick right up. And he totally called it. The telltale blush was back, and the whole chewing his lip thing, the whole squirming in his chair...It really was mean of Kevin to do that to him. He knew he wasn't ready, but he wanted him to be thinking about it, remembering it.

'No. That was...lovely. That was very...special. But you wanting to fuck me, that's pretty lovely too.' He rallied. Kevin could wait. Hopefully not too long, but...he would wait.

'Shall we get the check?' He asked Patrick, looking at his mouth meaningfully. All this talk of sex had got him feeling revved up. And if they had to work on the game before Patrick let him have his way with him, then he wanted the work started sooner rather than later.

'I thought we'd get dessert? You don't want dessert?' Patrick complained. Time to pull out the big guns.

'How about instead of dessert we go home and you can fuck me in any room you like before we start working on the app. Any way you like. Over a chair, on the floor, up against the wall, on the bed, from behind, me on top, anything. And you can do it hard and fast, or long and slow...you totally get to pick. Then later, I get to fuck you wherever I want, however I want. But I already know how I want it. I'm going to fuck you on the bed, face to face, very long and very very slow.'

Kevin's eyes were glued to Patrick's lips but he still saw Patrick's eyes widen, as his mouth dropped open and his tongue pushed forward, just grazing his teeth. Patrick waited for maybe a moment or two before he swung round, raising his hand in the air and beckoning their waiter.

'Check please' he mouthed. Kevin grinned at him. Patrick grinned back. Now they were both on the same page.