Page 76 of Steam

"So what now?" Will asked.

* * *

Daniel panicked for a moment.

Willwas the one who was supposed to know what they were supposed to do now, wasn't he? Daniel hadn't thought past the evening they would spend together. Did Will want to discuss, what, whether or not they would tell anyone? Whether or not this evening was going to have to be a total secret?

He didn't want it to be a secret and suddenly Daniel realized that he didn't want to get dressed and leave, either. He wanted to talk to Will about what had happened—what they'd both been through and whether or not it had been as profound for Will as it had for Daniel.

Instead of answering Will's question, instead of telling him that he'd be happy to keep it all a secret and he'd never mention it to anyone, Daniel kissed Will. He held the older man by the back of the neck and tried to communicate all of his anxieties, his worries, and his desire for more than just this one random hookup through that kiss.

Could Will tell how passionate he was about this? How he only wanted this to be the beginning of what they could explore together and not the end?

When they broke, Will gave him an odd look.

"What was that for?"

"I don't know," Daniel admitted. "It was for... It was because I don't know what to say when you ask what now."

Will puffed a laugh through his nose and shook his head.

"I didn't mean..." Will started, moving his hand in the air as if he could find the right words there and grab them. "I mean, I meant... Hell, Daniel, can you stay for dinner?"

The question caught him off guard and Daniel laughed.

"Sure," he said. "Of course. Where do you want to go?"

"I could cook," Will offered.

"You cook?" Daniel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What the hell does that tone mean, Rhodes?"

Daniel snorted. "If you’re the one cooking, maybe I should rethink this. I mean, you are the same guy who came to class with a button-down shirt on inside out."

Will frowned. "It was an honest mistake. That could happen to anyone."

"It wasn't even your first class of the day..."

"Jesus, a man can't make one mistake in his life."

"There was also the time you spilled beer on the entire class's timed in-class essays and had to give everyone an A."

"What the fuck? You weren't even in that class."

"No," Daniel said, "but word travels fast."

“Just because I’m a human dumpster fire doesn’t mean I don’t know how to cook.”

“Then there was the time that you accidentally sent a dick pic to one of your students…”

Will snorted. “Sometimes my mistakes work out just fine.”

Daniel rolled his eyes but couldn’t bite down a smile. He stood and pulled on his boxers. Will just sat there on the bed, staring at him.

“So, what’s for dinner?” he asked.

Will’s smile went crooked. “Does that mean you’ll stay?”

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