CHAPTER FOUR: 'STRAIGHT'

The plain fact is that if you don't have a problem, you create one. If you don't have a problem you don't feel that you are living.
-U.G. Krishnamurti

"You know..." Jason begins quietly, head tilted at Tobias. "You and Ollie, you like... you actually click. Better than anyone I've ever met."

"We click?" Tobias asks, though a large grin at Jason's words took over his features.

It was refreshing to have the first friend he ever considered family, one that he can look up to as both a brother and a father, to tell him he approves of his relationship.

Jason rolls his eyes, thinking he should have known the delinquent would want more details. "It means you and him just fit when you're next to each other, it's like you're interacting with one person who occasionally turns into two. You guys might argue, but the way you guys care for each other -it's undeniable."

They'd all die for each other at this point, and Jason knew that.

"And you better start thinking about the future because when you marry Ollie, you can't let any of these small bickering fits get in the way of anything. You can't fuck this up, not when all of us are affected by it now."

Tobias lets out a deep chuckle. "That's nice and all, and I won't fuck anything up, but I'm not gonna marry Oliver."

That sentence, apparently, didn't worry Jason one bit.

Because the lacrosse player just smirks, shakes his head and says, "Give it another year, dumbass, yeah?" before busying himself in reorganizing their movies.

Felix and Oliver were watching movies in Jason and his room and had messed his selves all up.

"He hasn't even said anything about me wanting to kiss him, or when I said two fucking days ago I'd willingly fuck him."

Jason's mouth drops open and he turns back over to face the delinquent, "That is how you're telling him you want to be his boyfriend? Toby, we talked about this."

"Yeah," Tobias nods. "You told me to be confident because you think he likes me too, and to still be myself so he doesn't overthink about the fact I clearly had to turn to your mom-ness for help."

"What was his reaction when you first told him?"

The delinquent shrugs. "Kind of frozen, but he was still smiling when we talked after it. I think he took me seriously, anyway. I said 'we need to do something about this' and explained that 'this' included my desire to kiss him stupid."

"Toby, you tell him shit like  that all the time." Jason deadpans, eyebrows furrows and grey eyes sharp with warning. "He probably doesn't think you're serious about it, even if you're being confident. Be straight forward and ask him on a date or something, hell, kiss him if that's what you want to do. Stop being all bark and no bite, and don't bite him."

He only had to add the last bit because of Tobias's new found smirk, brown eyes lighting up in mischief.

Continuing on Tobias says, "I don't think I can do anything 'straight' but I'll definitely ask him out."

"Thank fuck," The lacrosse player sighs out, turning back to his movie collection. "The tension you two create was getting real old."

Then, without any warning, the delinquent shouts "Oliver!" loud enough that it makes his best friend flinch at the noise and drop a few of his DVDs. 

Pausing their movie, both Felix and Oliver come into the living room.

The redhead is in his pajamas, thick pants and a thin long sleeve, and Oliver- -who pointedly took off one of Tobias's large shirts before seeing what he wanted, all to avoid being teased- -is in a tank top and sweatpants that were admittedly a little small for him.

But both Tobias and Felix said his ass looks really good in them, so Oliver kept them. 

Tobias is leaning back on the couch, ankle crossed over his knee and looking infuriatingly confident next to an almost sheepish looking Jason.

"Do you wanna got out on the town tonight? Sister Charlotte is on duty tonight, so we won't be caught or anything. Plus the bakery you like is going to open until two." 

Jason had a feeling Tobias only knew that because he could tell his tactic wasn't working, and had a feeling he only brought it up to confirm that it was okay to ask the smaller boy on a date.

Honestly, Oliver really had to try to make sense of the situation, but ended up giving Tobias a weird look in reply anyway.

Normally when the delinquent wants to go sneak out to the nearby town at night, he pretty much demands the presence of his three best friends.

And he had that look plastered over his features that Oliver knew only as his 'I'm in trouble, please believe me' face. He, for the first time in a while, was faking his confidence.

"Dude, you don't have to sound all weird because you wanna hit the town tonight!" Felix, completely misunderstanding the situation, exclaims and starts grinning. "Just give us a minute to change."

And that's how, when Tobias tried to ask Oliver out on a date, all four boys are on the way down to the town.

The delinquent was starting to fall behind, bummed out by this turn of events when his best friend started to complain rather loudly.

Felix, grumbling at the ground, rubs his arms. "I'm cold as balls."

"Here." Jason says, shoving his extra sweatshirt- -that he wrapped around his waist purely because he knew the ginger wasn't good at reading the weather report- -right on top of Felix's meticulously gelled hair.

For someone who took so long to get ready, he really wasn't prepared that well.

Huffing, the albeit even more unprepared boy there- -Oliver- -shoots Jason a glance with wide blue eyes. "I'm cold too."

"I fucking told you to put on a long sleeve today, idiot. You act like you're fucking allergic to wearing more than one layers." All while shrugging his leather jacket down from his shoulders, Tobias snarls this out and glares at Oliver -oblivious to the fact he was wearing more layers, and is just embarrassed about it. "It's like every time we go out I have to make sure you don't freeze to death."

"Shut up, Toby." Is all Oliver really says, not going to truly rebut any of it because he knows the delinquent is quite willing to just take it right back.

So he just grins and tugs the larger boy's jacket on.

The only problem was that the smaller boy practically drowned in the leather, and he looked adorable and kissable.

And Tobias had to look away because the truth about this little trip wanted to spill out between his lips but he didn't want to make Felix upset- -because Felix would be upset about ruining what the delinquent planned to be their first date, upset that he didn't get it when Tobias asked Oliver- -so he stayed quiet.

Jason knew the truth right now, and he'd find some way to let his other two best friends have a little time alone.

-&-

Getting Felix to come with him alone to a store was easy, all Jason had to do was ask Felix what he was in the mood to do and he instantly pointed in the direction of a comic book store between a ramen place and a shoe store before running off.

The lacrosse player and the delinquent were never more relieved that their best friend was never picky about his entertainment.

It was clean that Oliver felt perfectly fine being left alone with the delinquent. And honestly, Tobias should have felt fine too, this being a very normal situation for both boys.

"Toby," Oliver pulls on the taller boy's arm, heels dragging into the ground as he whines. "Are we going to, or what?"

"What?" Tobias blanks, brown eyes widening.

Oliver pulls a face. "What? The bakery, idiot, it's why we're here anyway."

The delinquent can only nod and let the smaller boy drag him towards his favorite bakery, trying hard not to pout when Oliver's being all cute and smiley in his jacket.

After all, it was only half of Oliver's fault that he was such a cute little shit that is unable to stop himself from gorging himself on cookies and hot chocolate.

Tobias stayed salty about the night, and only after Jason and Felix texted them saying they went back to the dorm, two cups of hot chocolate and about twelve cookies later, Oliver notices.

Shifting in his chair, Oliver puts his hot chocolate down but keeps both his hands around the mug.

"So what's up?" He asks, eyebrow raising. 

With a sigh, Tobias structures his arms out on the table and puts his chin down on his arms. "I'm stupid."

Admittedly, this does make Oliver smiles. "I knew that already. But why is that getting you down now?"

"Think about when I asked you to go out tonight."

To his credit, Oliver actually does pause to think but comes up dry, shrugging.

"It's like your head-" Tobias flicks Oliver on the side of the temple, making the smaller boy give a loud squeak. "-is just full of air."

Pout looking half like a scowl, Oliver rubs his temple. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I was trying to ask you on a date, dumbass." Saying this, Tobias sits up straight and crosses his arms. "You didn't notice. Why am I so bad at this? No -why are you so dumb! I've been dropping hints for forever and you go on your happy little way, over thinking and then dismissing it."

Stealing his mug of hot chocolate, Tobias takes a drink before motioning to the now gaping Oliver.

"I have no fucking clue why I like you." He makes a face and pushes the mug back in Oliver's hands. "But it's not for this shitty un-caffeinated drink, even if you do look cute with it in your hands."

Cheeks flaming red, Oliver blinks himself out of his frozen flustered state. "You asked me on a date?"

"Yeah," The delinquent throws a hand up. "And now since Lex accepted it, I'm basically here with him. Which fucking sucks, even if I do love that little shit."

Oliver smiles, "But we're here alone."

"Yeah, we are." Tobias smiles back. "Do you actually want to go on a date with me then? Just me and you the entire time."

Giggling to himself, evidence of it being a late night, Oliver nods and grabs onto one of Tobias's hands.

"Can we go to a movie, and then come back here?" He asks excitedly. "Because fuck you, this hot coco is good!"

"We can do anything you want, Ollie," Winking in reply, Tobias squeezes his hand back. "And I agree, fucking me would be a good way to end the night."

Flushed with happiness Oliver only pushes half-heartedly on one of his shoulders and laughs out a, "Shut up Toby."

Even if Tobias didn't get the date that he wanted, all in all this night ended up being a good one.

In fact, now he wasn't very disappointed at all.