SAME TIME NEXT WEEK
By
Ashleigh Anpilova
Ducky and Fornell have a regular date.
A pre-slash story.
Written: February 2012. Word count: 600.
Ducky sat on the third bench on the left in the square waiting for Tobias to meet him. It was a glorious winter's day; the bare tree branches were frost-covered and beautiful, a light covering of snow made the ground white. The sun shone, even thought it had little heat, it was chilly but not too cold, people smiled as the hurried by; it really was the perfect December day.
In addition to add to the beauty, a large Christmas tree stood upright and tall, the focal point for the square. Clearly a great deal of money had been spent on decorations, but Ducky was sure the money had been well spent.
Tobias and he had been meeting every Wednesday afternoon for the past six months and Ducky always looked forward to it. They'd always been civil to one another; indeed Ducky would have said they had a kind of friendship. However, it wasn't until the death of their close mutual friend, that they really began to talk, really began to appreciate one another, really began to become close.
And they were close; Ducky certainly regarded Tobias as one of his closest friends, a person he enjoyed spending time with. During the six months they had been out to dinner a few times and Tobias had partnered Ducky at a couple of bridge tournaments. But it was this Wednesday date that was really important. And Ducky felt was growing more so.
For the last few weeks in particular, he'd noticed a change in the way Tobias looked at him, the handshake they greeted one another with and parted with lasted a little longer and seemed a little tighter, a little more intimate; more than once Tobias had helped him off and on with his coat and had touched his arm or shoulder a few times.
The last time they had met, Ducky had felt certain Tobias wanted to say something and felt equally certain he knew what that something was. He'd found himself surprised by the fact he hadn't been surprised. He'd never in the past thought Tobias had any interest in men, but having been gay his entire life, Ducky could recognize the signs of interest.
He found himself warmed by Tobias's interest and found himself returning it, which did surprise him, as he had never looked at Tobias in that light. But now he was; now he was picturing them sitting before the fire at Reston House, sharing a bottle of Macallan, before -
"Hey, Ducky, sorry I'm a bit late." Tobias hurried up to him.
Ducky stood up and smiled. "Hello, Tobias. Are you? I really hadn't noticed. I was enjoying looking at the Christmas tree."
Tobias glanced at it. "It's lovely," he said, rubbing his hand together. "Are you ready for tea?"
Ducky smiled. "I am always ready for tea, Tobias."
They enjoyed afternoon tea in their usual café, while talking about ordinary things, their respective weeks being the main topic of conversation.
Their two hours flew by and Ducky was surprised when Tobias signaled for the check before standing up and helping Ducky on with his coat. "Same time next week?" he said, handing Ducky his hat.
Ducky took it and then put his hand on Tobias's arm. "Or," he said quietly as he stared into Tobias's eyes, "you could come back to Reston House with me and join me for supper."
The look on Tobias's face confirmed Ducky's early thoughts. "I'd like that Ducky."
"Good. So would I, Tobias. In fact I would like it very much."
The tip Tobias left was larger than normal.
Feedback is always appreciated
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