#Blu Shortfuse

[the-tartan-spartan]

OOC POST

Just another one shot about their date :)

As they took their seats at a quaint and rather...unusual diner, Caz would say, he had never seen this place before. Despite knowing this town like the back of his hand, he was quite sure that he had never been here before.

Caz looked over at the menu, the words blurred together, the letters dancing around on the paper. He squinted, the letters improving a little bit. The feeling of anxiety clawed at his stomach like a fox in a stinkpit.

Dallas knew him better than anyone.

And yet.

He didn't know the dark thoughts that plagued his mind, the ones that whispered horrible, unspeakable things.

That he was a disappointment, that he was worthless, unlovable.

And the worst part of it all? Dallas would still love him anyway. Even if this turned sour and they tore eachother apart, skin to soul.

"Whaddya thinkin' of gettin'?"

Caz snapped out of his thoughts, his eye darting up to meet the warm, honey gaze.

"I..uh, dinnae ken yet." Caz admitted, giving the menu a quick glance. "What are ye gonna get?" He asked and Dallas hummed, a small smile spreading across his face. "I'm not too sure yet."

"What is this place, anyways?"

"It's a bit of a dive. Some place we can be ourselves without judgement, if ya catch my drift. Take a quick gander at the clientele." He nodded to his left,

Caz glanced around the diner, and it seemed to be a mixture of both men and women, with a handful of androgynous looking people.

Some in duos, others in groups. Two women sat across from one another, chatting away and giggling like schoolgirls. Another duo, two men, were sitting across from one another, one laughing a bit too loudly, causing the other to go red and start scolding him in hushed tones.

"See? No one's givin' us a second look." Dallas assured, and Caz nodded.

"I'm glad ye thought o' tha'.." he trailed off and Dallas' smile widened.

"Anyways, the food's alright, could use a lil' work, but it's fine for the price. An' they've got a great bar, which is what I come here for."

Caz chuckled a little bit.

"Well, if ye're here, tha' must be a good sign, aye?" He offered and Dallas shook his head, chuckling as well.

"They got a pretty killer shepherds pie, too. Ain't too shabby, actually. You wanna try it?" Dallas asked, and Caz gave a half shrug. Seemingly trying to hire a hole in the table with his eye.

"Hey, you okay, Caz?"

The concern was evident in his tone, and Caz could only shrug. "I..dinnae ken, lad." He sighed, the nausea still not leaving him. Amongst their people, huh? What did that say about him, though? Did Dallas expect him to be the girl in the relationship, and himself the guy?

"Is there something wrong, Caz?"

Dallas was leaning forward, he placed his hand over the other man's gently. "Hey, I can see somethin's troubling ya, what's up?"

Caz didn't meet his eyes, and instead focused on the table.

"How's this work?" He asked, and Dallas' brow furrowed in confusion.

"How's what work?"

"You're the girl, right? I'm the guy?"

Dallas was a little confused, and didn't seem to have a good answer for him. He was a little caught off guard by the question and almost laughed.

"No, not necessarily. There's no girl and boy, really." He explained.

"There's just... two people. People who love each other."

"An' what if I dinnae want ta be the girl? Would you make me?"

"Cameron..."

His voice was soft and gentle, similar to the way an exasperated mother might talk to her child. Caz's eye darted up to meet the concerned expression of the other, immediately feeling embarrassed for asking such a silly question.

"There Is no such thing as boy and girl in this typa thing, it's...just different. We are who we are and that's the end of it. You don't have ta act any sorta way, an' you don't have ta do anythin' that makes you uncomfortable. Just be yourself, I wouldn't want anyone else."

"Dinnae have to be no lady?"

"If that's not your cup o' tea. Were ya a lady before this?"

"Of course not."

"Then it's no problem, then. Now, whaddya want, hon?" His gaze softened, Caz felt his cheeks heat up slightly as he stared at the menu. "Shepards pie sounds grand."

"That's a mighty fine choice. You'll love it, I promise. Any drinks?"

"A lil' scotch wouldn't hurt."

"Sure, hun."

After they ordered, they made light conversation, talking about the new project the engineer was working on, and what the Demoman had been up to recently.

Still, he had to admit he wasn't fully listening, the term echoed in his head.

Boyfriend.

It felt weird to think about, but also comforting, in a way.

Caz glanced down at their hands, their fingers interlocked.

He couldn't help but notice how perfect his hands fit.

He squeezed them gently, and he heard a soft chuckle.

"You're thinkin' awful hard, Caz. Anything I can help you with?"

Caz's eyes flickered up to the soft smile.

"Nah, it's nuthin' important."

"If you're sure."

They chatted idly, as time passed the sun grew low and the crowds began to clear, empty glasses crowded the table space. Dallas paid before they left, despite the other's protests.

They were both a bit tipsy, walking a few paces apart from each other, not too far but not too close.

Caz stopped for a moment, before they had to exit the alley, grabbing Dallas's hand and pulling him close, and closer yet still

Until their faces were mere inches from one another.

Caz took a slow, deep breath, their eyes meeting. Neither of them spoke for a moment, and before he could second guess himself, their lips met.

The kiss was slow, and careful.

As if they were testing the waters, and the taste of liquor still lingered on his lips, his tounge exploring the inside of his mouth, feeling his tongue ring.

God, his stomach was doing flips.

When he pulled back, Dallas was staring at him, a mix of surprise and joy evident on his features.

"What's gotten into ya, Caz?"

He sounded genuinely surprised.

"I... I love ye, Dal. I really do."

He leaned his forehead against the others, his arm wrapped around his waist.

"An' I'm sorry. Sorry fer puttin' ye through all the pain an' bullshit I did."

"Oh, Caz.."

Dallas's expression was tender, he leaned in and pressed his lips to his forehead, causing his cheeks to go red.

"I forgive ya. An' I love ya, too. Don't you ever doubt that."

His grip on his waist tightened slightly, and he buried his face into the crook of his neck.

"Now, let's get home before someone sees us."

He could only nod, and they began to walk back to base, breaking their hold on one another before they exited the alleyway, back to reality.

[the-tartan-spartan]

Och, if only ye ken how much Da' would love ye, an tha' wee pup too. Someday I'll introduce ye, maybe. Someday.