Re: adrian's place; dietre & hugh
The fact that Dietre started off so late with life experiences may explain why his way of courtship could be seen as innocent. He was a very late bloomer and grew up without much outside influence aside from his books. If he read anything that could be considered a romance, it was likely written a hundred years ago or more. Love could happen upon first sight, but kissing was something you worked up to.
Sustained eye contact was difficult for Dietre, he tended to avoid it, especially when feeling particularly shy around someone he liked. Eyes were the window to one’s soul, and he was always afraid that his would be laid bare, his secrets, his fears, his desires… And he was right, to a degree. Hugh would have to be blind not to see the back and forth between hopeful and hopeless, a vulnerable mix of adoration and the fear of hurt when their eyes met. And if kissing hadn’t been on Dietre’s mind earlier, it was now.
“I would too…” Do it all again, he meant. As if there was any question of that. Without realizing it he was drawing closer. By the time he noticed the music had ended and he definitely was not in his own dance space. There was a flash of panic, then his trajectory was quickly shifted to the side, his soft smooth cheek pressed briefly against Hugh’s rough prickly jaw as he gave the man a hug. A nice safe hug.
He was blushing hard when he pulled away, his face averted in an attempt to hide it. “Um… Would you like me to walk you to your car?”