Mi Casa

[brower]

Andy pushed open the door with the weight of his shoulder, and flicked on the light. The place was kind of shabby, but Andy had long since gotten past being embarrassed by it. He had a living room with a mostly working tv, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom: he was set. The windows had clothes over them, draped in as curtain-y a fashion as Andy could manage.

He plopped the bag of fast food on the paint chipped, coffee table and turned towards Toby. He held out his hand to the sofa. He quickly set about to folding the two blankets strewn onto it from last night when he'd collapsed after coming home from work.

"You can take a seat if you want," he offered. "You can watch tv or we could talk, either's fine."

[Tobias Vaughn]

Tobias took the seat that was offered to him. This was probably the best thing for him... he didn't want to go back to Kyan's house just to be drilled about every little detail of his decision. He also wasn't scheduled to work either... the thought of calling his mother crossed his mind, but he knew that his father would take this as a sign of weakness on his part and decided that was a bad idea. No, this was just what he needed. New surroundings, a new face to hang out with, it was perfect.

"Thanks," he said as he sat. "Can we talk while the tv is on?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. He wasn't sure how talkative he was going to end up being, but he knew that he wanted to get to know Andy a little better, since he was being so nice and all. He just didn't want to have any of those awkward silences if they ran out of small talk, or something stupid like that. The tv was a nice back-up plan.

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"Sure, no problem," he said, walking over to the tv and turning it on.

He had a feeling the remote was somewhere in the couch, but didn't want to waste time just now searching for it. He turned t comedy central, figuring most people enjoyed the channel: The Daily Show was on a repeat.

"I hope that's all right," he said, taking a seat on the sofa and reaching into his bag for the burger inside.

[Tobias Vaughn]

Toby was glad for the background noise. It already put him a little more at ease. Simple little comforts like that were what most people overlooked when they were upset or worried about something.

"That's fine," he said, glancing over at the screen which was showing Jon Stewart behind his desk, pausing while the audience cracked up over another one of his jokes. Waiting until Andy took his burger out of the bag Toby reached in and grabbed his medium box of fries, popping one into his mouth.

"Hey, thanks for this. You have no idea how much I needed to just sort of step back from everything," he said, not wanting to get too emotional but realizing that Andy probably had no clue how close to exploding he had felt back at the school. If he hadn't been there, Toby probably would've done or said something stupid - well, more stupid than quitting the wrestling team, at least.

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"I kind of figured you could use a break, " he said with a small smile.

He folded one leg up under himself and let the other foot rest on the dark green carpet. He found it strange that after all this time, in a moment, he had suddenly managed to invite Toby here, and have him accept: all so quickly.

"I know I'd want one after a rough day,' he said.

[Tobias Vaughn]

Toby nodded, chewing through the bite of burger he had just taken before opening his mouth to speak. He didn't want to forget all of his manners, even if he was feeling a lot more relaxed and at ease here than he did when he was in the Walker's house. He supposed that the current lack of parental units had something to do with it.

"Yeah, I s'pose," he agreed. "So, what've you been up to? We haven't really gotten a whole lot of time to talk in Chem recently," he pointed out. Most of the stuff they were learning now was equation-related and solo work, though labs would be starting up again soon and the two of them would most likely partner up for that.

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"Oh, I uh," he said, his eyes widening ever so slightly.

I've been fucking guys for money, so I can afford to live in this place? He had a feeling that Toby wouldn't be quite so accepting as his last 'boyfriend' had been. He seemed too innocent, too altogether nice to be entirely comfortable with his line of work.

"Not much, really," he said with a would-be-causal shrug. "Just living large. . .enjoying life. ..that sort of thing."

[Tobias Vaughn]

Toby was pretty quick to pick up on the rapidly changing facial features of Andy Brower. He wasn't sure how he should take the slightly shocked expression that he had witnessed, if only for a brief statement while he floundered for something to say. Was there something he wasn't telling him?

"Not much, really. Just living large. . .enjoying life. ..that sort of thing."

Tobias nodded, smiling. He decided to leave any concerns to himself. "That sounds like the best way to spend your time," he agreed. "Anything but being bored... which I guess goes for me too. My life has been far from boring," he said, finishing his fries, putting the empty container back into the empty bag and lying back on the couch a little.

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"I've been anything but bored," Andy replied, regaining some of his composure.

((Moving right along, hope it's ok Lessie))

They sat there in silence for a while, watching tv, after Toby seemed to relax a bit: lying back on the couch a little. Andy chanced a glance at Toby out of the corner of his eye. He had a moment's hesitation, before deciding that he might as well take a chance. He seemed comfortable enough sitting there beside him.

Andy leaned across the sofa, placing his left hand just in front of Toby's thigh and his right along the top of the sofa. His eyes were nearly closed, and his lips ever so gently grazed Toby's neck.

((I left it open for you to say whether or not he succeeds in the kiss))

[Tobias Vaughn]

Tobias had gotten rather comfortable in Andy's home, thanks partially to the fact that he'd been living with the Walker's for the past few weeks. Before, like most people, he'd been a little more concerned with having perfect manners and being a good guest when he visited someone else's home. Not that he didn't now, but having lived with a new family for a few weeks he has long since learned when he could relax a little and let his guard down and still be a courteous guest.

Toby was very engulfed in the Colbert Report, which had followed The Daily Show as per usual, when he became aware of Andy shifting his weight and leaning towards him on the sofa. Toby turned his head to see what was up and was met with Andy's lips grazing over his neck and resting on his lower cheek in a kiss.

Sitting there, completely rooted to the spot, there was no way that Tobias could force himself to move either in favor of or away from the soft touch of Andy's lips on his cheek. He was surprised, but not in a horrified way. He was more like 'dazed and confused', as his expression clearly reflected.

"I... uh..." Toby started, not sure what he was supposed to say. Andy had just kissed him! He swallowed hard, wondering if Andy was really trying to make a move on him. He hadn't been sure if Andy was straight or not, and he supposed that now he had his answer...

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Andy broke away when he realized Toby wasn't quite returning the kiss. He felt the hint of a blush touch his cheeks, and averted his eyes from the boy beside him. He had seen the confusion on his face: not exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for.

He shifted back to his side of the sofa and resting his elbows on his knees and letting his hands dangle towards the floor. He turned to look over at Toby briefly, before glancing at his hands.

"I just thought. . ." Andy began, tilting his head down slightly and allowing his bangs to slip into his face. ". . .ummm sorry."

[Tobias Vaughn]

Tobias could sense the rejection that Andy must have felt, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it. He had frozen, completely unable to do anything out of pure shock.

"No, don't be sorry. I mean... I just wasn't expecting that, is all," Toby said quickly, not wanting Andy to get the wrong impression. Shit, now Andy couldn't even look over at him, and Toby couldn't read his expression at all through the boy's bangs.

So now what should he do? Obviously any conversation stemming from this would be full of awkward pauses and the inability to form complete and coherent sentences, so... how was he supposed to figure out what the hell that kiss meant? Did Andy like him, or had it just been an impulse?

There was something nice about the kiss, though, about how soft and hesitant it had been. This was something he'd never really experienced before; with Kyan, everything had been confident and rushed, getting right down to business. The change was... nice. He realized that if Andy really did like him, then getting food, watching television like this, it may have all been set up to win him over. Like, wooing? Could this lead to what Toby had wanted all along, which was a simple, caring relationship?

He sat there, looking over at Andy who was slumped slightly in defeat. Deciding that there really wasn't anything else he could do, it was Toby's turn to slide over on the sofa. He reached out a hand and lifted Andy's face towards his, returning Andy's kiss with one of his own. Who knew, maybe there was something there between the two of them? Maybe, if Andy really liked him, he had a shot at a normal relationship. Only the other boy's response would tell him now.

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Andy didn't know what to say in response to him not expecting the kiss. Things where different for him when he actually cared about someone. Sure when he was turning tricks, he was probably the best at what he did. . .but this. . .this was different. He liked Toby, he cared what Toby might think about him.

He felt Toby slide towards him on the couch. Was he going to ask why he'd done it? Was he going to push him off the sofa? Or maybe he'd just stare at him in a disappointed sort of way? And then he felt Toby's hand lifting his face, and his lips returning the previous kiss.

It was his turn to be surprised, he felt his eyes widened slightly, in a confused way. He'd thought Toby would be upset with him, after all he had been upset early about wrestling and his confusion over his open relationship with Kyan. He might have thought Andy was trying to take advantage of him, which wasn't the case.

He only took a moment to relax, though and felt his eyes close instead. He leaned into the kiss, emboldened by Toby's return. His hands flexed instinctively, but all he did with them, was touch the bottoms of Toby's forearms. This was strange for him: kissing someone he felt something for, and not having to pretend he was enjoying but actually enjoying it.

[Tobias Vaughn]

Tobias wasn't sure what to expect. Andy had made a move on him, and he had responded by tensing up and freezing. Essentially, Toby had turned him away. Then, after regaining his composure again, he had kissed Andy back. On the lips. And waited with bated breath in the hopes that he hadn't ruined his chances at trying to make this endeavor work.

He was very, very relieved when Andy kissed back, leaning into the kiss. Feeling Andy's hands rest on his arms sent tingles up all the way to his shoulders. He was rather enjoying this, but wasn't sure how far he - or Andy for that matter - wanted to take things right away. He still wasn't sure what Andy meant by his kiss in the first place.

And so Toby kissed back with equal force, resting one hand on Andy's thigh as he leaned forward slightly. This was just what he needed. This kiss caused everything else to fade from his mind; the wrestling team, his frustration with Kyan, and his family situation. The only thing that existed was this moment, and that was fine by him.

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Andy felt a pleasant shiver run through his body as Toby touched his thigh. He removed one hand from Toby's arm and rested it on top of the hand, lacing his fingers with Toby's. This was the moment he had been longing for. The moment his whole being had craved. He had only hoped that Toby might return his feelings. He had always thought that he loved someone one who would never ever feel the same way about him.

His other hand he also removed from Toby's arm, but placed it along Toby's cheek, letting the feel of his smooth skin on his soft fingertips, send another pleasant shiver through his body. He knew that moving to fast would be a mistake. Despite the nature of his work, he still didn't want to jump right into sex.

[Tobias Vaughn]

This was all rather new to Toby, who wasn't used to the comforting, calculated movements of a slow, tender kiss. Feeling Andy's fingers intertwine with his own, he realized that this really was what he was looking for in his life.

He knew that before he could go on he would have to figure out exactly what Andy was aiming for here. Toby knew that it was common knowledge that he'd been involved with Kyan recently, and despite the fact that they hadn't actually 'done' anything yet this may have given him a reputation for having causal relationships or something. He didn't want another one of those, though, and if that's what Andy thought of him then he wanted to stop this thing before it started.

Slowly, Toby reluctantly pulled back and out of the kiss, the tingling sensation on his lips lingering even after the two boys had parted. Toby figured that he should be the first to say something, since he had ended the kiss.

"Listen, I don't know what sort of rumors are going around, but... I'm not like Kyan," he started. "I need to know where you think this is going? Do you really like me, or was this just convenient?" Toby said it in a kind, gentle voice that wasn't criticizing at all despite the bluntness of his question. He didn't want Andy to feel pressured or awkward about the question, but he needed to know what was going on inside of his head. Was he just looking for a fling? Friend with benefits? Or a real relationship? Because Toby wasn't sure he could handle either of the first two after everything that had been going on recently...

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Andy stared over at Toby as he broke away, a look of willingness to continue mixed with a curiosity as to what he was going to say. At his words about Kyan he felt a smile touch his lips.

"I know you're not like that," he said, toying with a piece of his pale blond locks.

"I need to know where you think this is going? Do you really like me, or was this just convenient?

"I just. . .where do you want it to go?" he asked. "I . . . I care about you. I always have, it sounds corny, but it's true. I just always thought, you didn't feel the same way. . ."

[Tobias Vaughn]

Tobias was glad that Andy had smiled at his Toby comment. It showed that he really did believe him, and even better than that he was pretty sure that Andy had never thought that about him in the first place. This was very reassuring.

He noticed Andy playing with a piece of his hair, and wondered how the mind could pick and choose the actions it noticed. He was pretty sure that before their kiss he never would have noticed such a thing, but now...

"You've liked me for a while?" Toby asked, completely shocked by the information. This meant that even when everyone else - himself included - thought that he was straight that Andy had a crush on him. That was a weird thought, but not one that he was uncomfortable with. "I mean, I only really got to know you this year, and before that... well, I wasn't sure that I was gay, so I was pretty focused on girls," he admitted, laughing a little. Oh, how his ex-girlfriends hated him ever since he had come out.

"I mean, if you're interested... maybe we could go get coffee sometime? Go to a movie? See where things go?" He wasn't very good at asking people out, but was obviously talking about dating. The idea of possibly having a boyfriend made his stomach tighten a little, but in a good way.

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((I meant he's like him since the first time he met him, for the record))

"Yeah," he admitted, laughing sheepishly. "I mean, I didn't like you just because you were gay, but I kind of figured you were straight. . .but then, and I mean you were with Kyan."

He didn't really think it was a difficult choice between the two of them. Kyan was outgoing and completely confident in everything that he was and did. Half the school still didn't even know he went there, to the rest, well he liked to think he was sort of relaxed and mellow. Besides which, he wouldn't want to compete with Kyan if he made Toby happy.

"I mean, if you're interested... maybe we could go get coffee sometime? Go to a movie? See where things go?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," Andy said, trying to sound cool and attempting not to show all the excitement he was really feeling. It was hard, considering everything he had thought could never happen seemed to be happening all so quickly.

[Tobias Vaughn]

Tobias nodded, glad that Andy wasn't to shy to admit that he had liked him even when he thought that he was straight. Actually, Toby was kind of excited by the idea that he had an admirer then, it meant that maybe he wouldn't have such bad luck in the dating scene among guys after all. Obviously not now, since it seemed as if he had himself his very first date with another guy (he hadn't qualified any of his encounters with Kyan as 'dates).

"Good," he replied, trying to sound as casual as possible when really he was very, very excited at the prospect of a date with Andy. "What are you doing tomorrow after school? Say, around four? We could go get pizza or something... any ideas?"

Things hadn't been going terribly well for him recently, and he had a good feeling about getting to know Andy better. It might do him some good.

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Andy felt a moment's hesitation. Tomorrow? He had planned on working tomorrow, since he'd taken tonight off. But it wasn't like this was a chance that would come around often, and besides which he never actually started working before 7. He was assuming Toby would want to stay out for more than 3 hours.

"I'm not doing anything tomorrow," he informed him. " Pizza'd be fine. D'you want to meet there?"

Andy couldn't offer him a ride: he had no car, despite having a license. He couldn't afford one yet, what with all his money going to either pay for rent/utilities/food or to his savings account for college.

[Tobias Vaughn]

For a moment Toby was afraid that maybe Andy was busy, or was regretting accepting his offer to go on a date. Wondering if maybe he was moving too fast in his eagerness, Toby found himself very relieved to hear that Andy was free.

"Great! We could meet there, I suppose. I may need to sort some things out with the team after school, make sure there are no hard feelings and stuff, so... yeah," Toby had almost forgotten about all the drama that he had come here to, well, forget.

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"That's fine," Andy assured him. "Take your time with that. If you need to be a few minutes late or anything, that's fine too."

He didn't want Toby to feel pressured to rush through something he might have already had planned. Setting things right with his team seemed like a pretty big deal. He smile dover at him though, unable to help it. He was so elated by this whole ordeal.

[Tobias Vaughn]

"Thanks. I'm sure it won't take that long, though," Toby assured him. He was so glad that things had worked out the way they did. His day went from bad to worse, but now things seemed to be looking up. Plus, Kyan was back from the hospital and recovering, which was a good sign. Maybe life was going to get itself into order again. Toby could wish for nothing more.

"Well, that's perfect then. I guess I should be going, it's getting kind of late. Thanks for having me over, and the food... it was a great distraction," Toby said, trying to be casual and smile, making the goodbye less awkward for the kind-of-sort-of-maybe-a-couple.

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"Oh yeah, no problem," Andy said with a smile, as though it was nothing really.

He stood up slowly as Toby mad allusions to leaving. He picked up both their trash, and quickly threw it in the garbage can in the kitchen before coming back to Toby.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets so he wouldn't seem awkward with them just hanging useless at his sides.