22

                                    

                                          
NSFW WARNING !! its a bit graphic.
                          
//
                          
Not much longer until Suzy finishes up dinner and Arin is gently shaking Dan awake. The older man yawns, blinking his tired, sleepy eyes up at Arin. "Hi," he whispers as Arin runs his fingers through his long curls, which make him want to go back to sleep more.
                          
"Hey," Arin smiles as Dan stretches his long limbs. "Suzy made your favorite. You ready to wake up and eat, baby?"
                          
"Yeah," Dan replies as Arin helps him sit up. He looks over and sees Suzy at the island and he smiles. "Hey Scuze, I missed you. Thanks for cooking dinner- it smells super great."
                          
After Dan gets up and hugs Suzy, they all sit down together to eat. Dan mostly talks about the tour and the things he and Brian did and saw between shows and such. Arin fills him in on all the things he recorded while Dan was gone and Suzy fills Dan in on how her last three months were spent and what she got accomplished.
                          
Dan doesn't really notice when Suzy pulls Arin aside to "help with dishes" and checks his phone to keep himself awake, listening to the movie on TV at the same time. And while Suzy and Arin are at the sink washing and rinsing everything, she gives him a few pointers for later, but it's not all that much useful.
                          
She thinks he'll be okay though since he's technically practiced before and her biggest piece of advice is to just try and copy the things she's done to him before that he likes. That is what actually helps him a little.
                          
After everything is done and cleaned, they all just hang out for a couple of hours talking and doing whatever until it starts to get closer to 1AM. Suzy excuses herself off to bed with a wink directed at Arin while Dan isn't paying attention, heading upstairs. Arin clears his throat after a couple of minutes and then stands up to stretch while Dan yawns and tries to convince himself to actually move.
                          
Arin lends him a hand, easily lifting Dan to his feet. He grabs the duffle bag for him and they turn out the lights downstairs before they go up as well, heading into the guest bedroom that's already ready to be slept in. He sets the bag down with shaky hands, feeling weirdly nervous, and Dan thanks him, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
                          
Arin kind of wants to just leave and back out of anything that could happen between them, too anxious and embarrassed to bring any of it up and hoping that Dan has forgotten all about it already because that'd really make things easier.
                          
But instead of just leaving, Arin awkwardly stands there, waiting for something to happen and he doesn't know why. When nothing does, he finally moves towards the open door and says, "Well, goodnight, Dan. I'll see you tomorrow?"
                          
Dan frowns at him. "Where are you going, Ar?" he asks, confused. Arin stops before he makes it into the hall, unsure of what to do at this point. "Um, didn't you want to like...? You know."
                          
Arin can see Dan's adam's apple bob when he swallows, gesturing wildly with his hands and avoiding eye contact. So he's nervous about this too. That makes sense, of course, it's just that somehow Arin didn't quite expect it.
                          
"Fuck dude, I mean- yeah, of course, but only if you want to," the younger of the two admits, pushing his hair away from his eyes and leaning against the doorframe. He's said this before, but he feels like he always has to make things completely clear; he only wants it if Dan wants it and if Dan is comfortable. "Like I get it if you're not ready- you don't have to say that you are if you're really not."
                          
Dan nods, fiddling with his jacket's zipper and looking over at Arin again, but at his face this time so that it's known that he's being sincere. "Okay, I get that, but I do want it, Arin. I wouldn't lie to you or force myself to do anything I'm not ready for. I want this, but let's just take it a little slow, alright? Now um... come here and fuckin' kiss me."