Koda wondered if that much privacy was really a good idea, but he nodded in agreement. They traversed to the park in silence because Koda didn't feel much like talking now that he had an important talk looming right in front of him. He just kept looking over at Declan nervously.

Declan walked besides Koda, the silence strung between them feeling oppressive, but he didn't want to start talking. He didn't even know where to start, so he kept his mouth shut and looked anywhere but at Koda. He spotted a relatively private bench and headed towards it.

Koda sat on one end of the park bench and stared at the horizon. He focused only on how green the grass was if a bit in need of a mow. "So...how do we go about this talking thing?" he asked finally.

"I don't know," Declan shrugged, "We just talk... start laying out where we stand.. where we don't stand. Do we even make something of this?" he bit his lip, pausing, uncertain to continue, "I'll respect anything you decide."

"Uh-huh. I think you should start talking first. I'm still working on how to put words to...stuff," Koda said. "But I can say, how can we not make something out of this? I think we both already said we weren't forgettin' this."

"Forgetting is most likely not possible, no. Ignoring might be. If that's what you want. But if we are talking about where I stand. Where I want to be. I'd like to try a relationship. Consequences aside. I don't care. You're a good guy Koda. You're adorable as all hell and I like just being around you." he smiled softly. "I really want to try, but I don't want anything you aren't comfortable with..." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Koda found himself turning pink and even though he wanted to shut up, he said what he needed to say anyway. "I agree! Ugh, I-just," he couldn't think of anyway to finish the thought. But he didn't just start things and throw them way. Well, he did, but he didn't want that right now. He didn't know exactly how to say it or if it was even a fully formed thought in his head, but he wanted to have something with Declan.

"You. You do?" Declan could hardly believe that Koda agreed. Though there seemed to be something stressing him out. "You just.. what?"

Koda flung a hand up into the air as if that could express all this with the motion better than with words. He probably could. "Just! Is rela....anyway, the right word? Can't we just not define things and pretend we did?" he asked hopefully.

"Umm...I'm a man who likes labels, but how about we try just dating first. Go one a few dates, act couple-y see how we like it?" he looked over at Koda.

"Suuure...." Koda said. He wondered how that would go, but really, his mind just blanked. It wasn't liked he'd dated before or even listened when his friends talked about it. "I think that's what I want."

Declan opened his mouth to respond as his phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and chuckled, answering, "Hey Gary what's up?"
"Yo! Irish! You're late for our coffee date!"
"Oh right. Um.. I'm talking to Koda" he looked at the younger boy. "I could bring him along" A raised eyebrow at the younger male. "or drop him off and meet you in say forty-five minutes. You at the apartment?"
"Yep, but I'm gonna run to my office and do some work, so I'll see you then. Bring Boytoy along, I want to know what last night was about."

Koda stared at Declan and raised an eyebrow. when the older male finished his call, he simply asked. "Who? Bring me where?"

"Gary. He and I have a coffee date whenever we are both available, which I forgot to cancel today and I'm late. You can come along if you like, but he'll probably question us."

"Hm, I think I have a date at the arcade actually!" Koda exclaimed without so much as thinking. He didn't need to think to know that was a party he didn't want to be part of. He didn't even like coffee or tea. "So we'll....talk later I guess?" That was how...dating worked tight. God, it was so weird just to think the word date.

Declan chuckled, "Alright then. I can drop you off there. And then head over to the coffee shop. And yep. We can text or I can call you or whatever. I'll figure out a date for us too. Something fun." he smiled at the younger male as he stood and walked over towards their car. They still had some awkward waters to navigate but they'd figure it out, and he was excited to see how things progressed once they both calmed down.

"Cool," Koda said and followed Declan to the car. He was sure he would lose all his money to the games today.

~~

William had just gotten out of class and was wondering what to do with himself. It only took him a couple seconds to decide on going to the coffee shop if only to lurk. He was happy to be able to talk and text with Gary again, though he hadn't do so yet. He preferred face to face meeting so he was going to try that first. So he parked himself at a table next to the door that gave him a view of the parking lot and sipped a cup of hot tea.

After dropping Koda off at the arcade, Declan drove over to the coffee shop. He'd probably beat Gary by a few minutes but that would give him time to figure out a way to figure out a way to avoid most of Gary's questioning; it'd probably just come down to flat out telling him no.

As he walked into the coffee shop he noticed William sitting at a table nearish the door and figured he should apologize to the guy for scaring him the other day. He walked over and smiled waving, "Hi," he said, softly.

William's eyes jumped up to Declan as he spoke, lightening with hope which quickly faded. He hadn't actually noticed Declan walk up, but he had been so focused on only finding Gary. He looked around. "Hello," he said as he did so. "Are you here alone or is Gary...?" He really had to ask.

Declan chuckled, "Gary's own his way. We can sit here, I think Gary would like it, though the tosser would never say it." he chuckled and looked around, a slightly evil smirk spreading on his face. He'd found his revenge it seems. "You know..." he paused, "Gary really does like you, he's just too much of a gobdaw to really do anything about it. Don't get discouraged."

William nodded to Declan but stopped mid nod at his last words. "What?" He almost forgot to breathe, but as soon as the feelings started to swell in him, he squashed them again. "There's no way that's true. I mean, I have been chasing after him for a while now. I'm very good at reading these things!" He didn't want to get his hopes up, but he really really did.

"Yeah, well that's Gary. Eejit things he can survive without love and will basically run from it every turn, but I know him well. The fact that he's even friends with you says a lot. Don't get discouraged, but don't do anything to make him run cuz he will." he smiled softly at William and added, "I'm rooting for you."

William found himself nodding numbly. He still wasn't sure he believed it, but he could probably trust Declan. It always seemed to him that those two knew each other very well. "Thanks for--" He suddenly caught sight of Gary walking toward them and his eyes widened as he stopped mid-sentence.

Declan grinned and then turned around quickly at William's face. "Oh hey Gary!" he greeted.
Gary looked between William and Declan a few times, almost certain his roommate had been up to something, but not sure what to do about it. So instead he grinned wickedly and was like "So tell me how did things go with boytoy?"

William grabbed his tea cup and took a huge gulp, almost choking himself in the process. He coughed and turned slightly pink in embarrassment. "Oh hello Gary. Nice to see you," he said once he recovered. He looked at the space between Declan and Gary instead of at either one of them.