The vibration against his hand in his jacket pocket made David jump; sometimes he forgot he had a phone. He didn't bother to check before answering, there was only person who had the number. "Hello?"

"Hey," came the familiar voice that made his heart flutter. "Busy?"

"Very," he replied.

He and his friends, about six other teenagers in various forms of black and silver, were gathered outside the all-night convenience store. It was cold and empty, the place so dead that the cashier came out to smoke with them.

"Delinquents don't just happen overnight, you know," he continued, pushing off from a metal parking rail, to walk a few yards away, putting the talking and laughing group behind him. "I have to put the time in." He was rewarded with a laugh that made him bite his lip. "Are you on your way back?"

"Not quite," Jason said. "Turn around."

David did, his eyes scanning the front of the store from one end to the other until he saw, standing at the far corner of the building, a figure raise a hand in greeting. Hanging up the phone and slipping it back into his pocket, he jogged towards it, stopping short in that way you do when you want to hug someone, but don't. "Hey," he said, slightly breathless, but not from the walk over. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back tonight?"

"That would have ruined the surprise I was going for," Jason said. "Surprise!"

David gave a breathy laugh. "You're such a dork," he mumbled.

"I heard that," Jason said with mock seriousness.

David met the smiling gaze, then let his own drop down the man's body, clad in a dark blue suit, tailored to perfection, and a crisp white shirt opened at the collar. "You're in a suit."

"Yeah," Jason said, opening one lapel and glancing down at himself. "My former CO said her wedding was not military themed, so we were banned from wearing our dress uniforms." He laughed. "Does it look weird?"

"No," David said. "It looks—"

"What?"

David hid a smile behind compressed lips. "You'll get mad if I say."

"Best leave it for later then."

David flicked a glance at him. Usually, his flirting with met with mild rebuke. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"It's your night off from the diner," Jason said. "You're always here."

"I wasn't really ready for you," David said. Raising his hand self-consciously to his hair drew Jason's attention to it.

"Oooh, new hairdo," Jason said, nodding. "It looks good."

"Really?"

Jason smiled at the beseeching question. "Yeah, really. It reminds me of snow on the peaks of mountains with glimpses of black rock underneath. Very beautiful."

Heat rose in the pale face. "Thanks." He shifted from one foot to the other. "Is your coming back early the whole surprise?" he asked.

"Why? Are you saying my presence is not enough?"

"No, that's not—" Laughter stopped him, and made him look up into green eyes shining with amusement. "That's not funny," he said, with some exasperation, making Jason laugh more. He opened his mouth to protest again, but a gasp of surprise came out instead, as Jason took his hand and pulled him into the shadows of the building and out of sight of the others. His heart beat rapidly as they stood in the darkness, barely able to see each other. One hand still holding his, another came up to cup his cheek, cold on his flushed skin.

"Did you really think I wouldn't remember?" came the soft, warm whisper of breath on his lips. A thumb grazed his cheek. "I've been waiting for this just as much as you have."

"Really?" David asked, holding the white cuffed wrist, the fabric stiff beneath his fingers.

"Really. It's time we had a good, long..."

David took a half-step closer. He leaned in and up—and a thumb was placed firmly over his lips.

"...talk."

David, flustered and frustrated, gave a sharp exhale. "Really?" he said. "You want to talk?"

"That's what I promised," Jason said, letting go of him and stepping back. "I'm a stickler for rules, you know that."

"Said the guy who was arrested seven times before he was sixteen."

"What can I say? I got it all out of my system early."

"Did you really?" David asked. "Or are you just making excuses."

Dark brows rose. "What excuses do you think I'm making?" Jason asked. "Because I won't kiss you, that automatically means I don't want to be with you? That I don't care about you?"

"Doesn't it?"

"David, no," Jason said with a disbelieving laugh. "Part of what I wanted to talk about was what you expected out of me. If that's all you want from me, instant gratification, then we can go right here, right now. Is that all you want?"

David's eyes fluttered with doubt and hesitancy as he placed a restraining hand on the man in front of him. "No," he said, hurriedly. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," Jason said. "But this is why I think we need to talk. I don't want to just assume our relationship. I don't want to just assume we know how the other feels, or what the other wants. I don't want us to jump into something with the expectation of it being more than what it is."

David felt his hands being taken and held, cold fingers rubbing against his palms.

"I want you to tell me everything," Jason continued. "About how you feel, what you think." He paused. "Is that okay?"

Curling his fingers against the ones in his palm, tightening his grip on the other man, David nodded. Then, remembering Jason could not see him, he said, "Yes."

"Do you have some time later?" Jason asked. "To come by the apartment?"

"Can I come now?"

"What about your friends?"

"What about them?"

Jason gave a breathy chuckle and shook his head. "Um..." He paused, thinking. "Yeah, okay."

"Just give me a minute," David said, stepping back into the light.

"I'll bring the car around."

David jogged back to the group and pulled a girl, dressed in a dark green dress with ruffles, a leather corset, and neon pink hair in ponytails, away from the others. Leaning close, he spoke in her ear. She reached into her bag—which was shaped like a coffin—and pulled something out. It passed from her palm into his, and then into his pocket.

On the street, a dark car pulled to the curb, and David jogged towards it. The rest of the group watched as he opened the passenger door, briefly illuminating the driver, a man in a suit, and got in. The car pulled away, and the group chuckled, shaking their heads. It was not the first time David had left them to get into a car with someone they didn't know.

**

Back at Jason's apartment he made David wait with his eyes closed on the couch. David, sitting and trying not to fidget, heard cellophane rustling, muffled cursing, the rattle of utensils, and then the click of a lighter. The couch moved beside him as weight settled there.

"Okay. Open your eyes."

David did and gave a little gasp at what he saw. On the coffee table in front of him was a small, round cake, beautifully decorated in black and red chocolate flowers on a white drizzle. The lights were off, leaving eighteen golden candles on the cake flickering with tiny flames to cast a warm, cozy glow.

A sudden stinging behind his eyes made him blink rapidly. It had been a long time since he had been surprised with a cake on his birthday.

"Think I have enough candles?" Jason asked, holding his palms out towards them as if they were a campfire. "Or maybe I don't have enough cake."

David laughed. "No," he said. "I think you have enough of both."

Jason smiled, his green eyes flickering with candlelight. "Make a wish."

David leaned forward, paused, then blew out every flame. "You didn't really think this through, did you?" David said with amusement as they were plunged into darkness.

"Oh, I thought it through perfectly."

On the coffee table Jason's phone lit up, drawing David's attention. It was a clock with the time: eleven fifty-nine. Two ticks of the second hand brought it onto twelve, striking midnight with the sound of a gong.

David felt one hand take his, and another sliding behind his head. There was the shifting of weight on the couch beside him. A warm breath brushed his cheek, and then lips pressed against his. He gasped lightly, then closed his eyes and leaned in. It was soft, sensual, brief, and tasting of wine.

"Happy birthday, David," said quietly in the dark.

"Thank you," came the whisper. "I think it will be."

A soft chuckle. "I'm turning on the light."

Jason clicked on the lamp beside the couch, throwing them into golden yellow light and making David blink. "Let's have cake," he said. With forks from a napkin on the table, they dug in, eating right from the cake. It was a dark chocolate cake with raspberry mousse—light and silky in the mouth, tart from the fruit, rich, slightly bitter, and decadent chocolate, with a layer of sweet crunchy toffee in the center.

"It is good?" Jason asked.

David tried to answer, but his mouth was too full, so he nodded enthusiastically. Jason laughed at him, then went to get a bottled water. Taking a big gulp and swallowing, David put his fork down. "I have something for you, too," he said.

Jason stopped short of taking a sip of water and rose his brows in surprise. "For me?"

David nodded. "Close your eyes."

Jason did—and felt lips touch his, and a body press against him. His hands curved around David's slender waist as he reciprocated the moist, sensual kiss. He had taken off the jacket of his suit and now David's hands slid up the front of his shirt, over the toned abs and strong chest. With the weight of his body David pushed him back down onto the couch with a sound of surprise, on his back, and straddled him. His hand was at the other man's belt when Jason caught his wrist, stopping him and breaking the kiss that tasted of cake.

"We still need to have that talk," he said, breathlessly.

"Let's have the talk after."

"But I really think—"

"Jason."

The word, spoken in firmness, stopped him, and he looked up into dark eyes haloed by snowy white hair.

"I know you're trying to do the right thing," David said, quietly and confidently. "I know you're trying to treat me with respect, and I'm grateful. But I also know what I feel, and I'm tired of not being able to show it. I want to be with you. And I promise we'll do all the talking you want to—after."

Jason swallowed. He had never seen the young man so confident, and it was more than a little attractive. "We can't," he said.

Something flickered in the dark eyes. "You don't want to?"

"Oh, I want to," Jason said meaningfully. "But we literally can't. I'm not prepared for it." To David's slight frown, he added, "Protection-wise."

"Oh," David said. "That's okay. You weren't prepared—" a small square foil packet appeared between his two fingers— "but I was."

Green eyes flicked to the packet. Then David gave a cry of surprise as strong arms took hold of him and Jason rolled him perfectly in place to lay him on the couch. They kissed once more, unrestrained, as the sharp edges of the foil packet cut into their skin, pressed between their intertwined fingers and tightly clasped palms.

**

The talk came after, and the sky was just beginning to lighten when their voices died away. Lying in each other arms, sleep not far off, Jason murmured into hair like snow on a mountain's peak, "Was I worth the wait?"

"Absolutely, Major."

A deep chuckle. "I like when you call me that."

"I know you do."

Jason chuckled again. "I actually have something else for you."

"What is it?"

"Keys," Jason said. "To the apartment. If you want it."

A grin spreading over his face, David shifted closer. "Really?"

"I'm just going to say, for the record, that it's always 'really'."

David could not help but laugh, and with that smile on his lips they shared a kiss and drifted off to sleep.