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HOPS and, Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you’ ?"

“What programming language was famously invented as a joke but now has a fully working compiler, including support for exception handling, lazy evaluation, and even Unicode snowmen?”

At least, I knew the last one.

As I scribbled INTERCAL onto our sheet, Matt beamed at me. “I’m still waiting for the beer-related questions.”

The further the evening progressed, the closer Matt leaned in whenever he talked to me. It might have just been to get a good look at the sheet in front of me, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that he enjoyed being close to me for other reasons, too.

When a question about beer came in—something about the hops-to-water ratio in an obscure Belgian ale—he snatched the pen from my hands and wrote down the answer. Eager to show off his expertise, he turned the paper toward me, grinning in a way that made my stomach do a weird little flip. We said nothing for a second. But when the host announced the correct answer, which was precisely what he had written down, I clapped my hands together, and he bowed.

“See? I’m good for something after all.”

“Hey, we’re a team. We win or lose together.”

“Life would be easier if everyone saw it that way.” Matt chuckled, but his eyes lingered on mine a moment too long, as if he hadn't meant to say something so real out loud. I wondered if I should ask him about it. But when he stood up straight and reached for a bar towel, absently wiping down the spotless section of counter next to me, I decided not to press him for an explanation.

For thirty more minutes, we shared laughs, discussed some questions heavily, and, every once in a while, he poured drinks for thirsty guests.

In the end, we came in fourth, neither a good nor a bad placing, but enough to earn a high-five from Matt. Once the trivia portion of the evening ended, the bar became crowded again, leaving me to myself. Matt poured another round for some and closed out tabs for others. I settled for sneaking some glances at his butt, but after about twenty minutes, I wondered whether I should head home as well. Pounce was okay with being alone for quite a while. The longest he lasted without me was ten hours, when I was stuck in a traffic accident, but I felt so bad that I made up for it with an extensive visit to the dog park the next day.

As the line of guests broke up and the bar emptied back out to the number of tables that were filled when I arrived, Matt approached me again. “What do you think about getting some fresh air, Cato? I’ll take a break in five. Sora is upstairs, probably pacing by now. How about you say hello and then we take a quick walk together?”

“How long can you take a break?”

His eyes wandered through the room. “It’s quite empty now. Fifteen to twenty minutes, easily. Why?”

I leaned in just enough to make it seem like a secret. “That’s enough time for Sora to meet her boyfriend.”

Matt blinked once, then grinned—slow and bright, like the thought had genuinely caught him off guard. “She’d love that. One thousand percent.”

Matt unlocked a narrow door beside the bar’s back hallway and motioned for me to follow him up the steep, creaky staircase. Even before we hit the first landing, I could hear the soft scuffle of paws above us.

“I think she knows by now when it’s me,” Matt said over his shoulder, smiling like he couldn’t help it.

When we reached the top, he pushed open the door and Sora practically launched herself into his legs with a happy yip. She gave me a quick sniff while her stubby tail wagged hard enough to knock into the doorframe. Matt dropped to one knee to ruffle her ears. His entire face lit up, different from the way he smiled downstairs. Softer. More real.

“Sorry for the mess,” Matt said as he stood up and kicked the door closed behind me.

The apartment looked like a storage room that had never quite given up the job—low ceiling, exposed pipes, and shelves still clinging to mismatched bar supplies and dusty glassware. A twin bed had been squeezed into one corner, covered with a tangle of blankets. The kitchenette was little more than a mini-fridge, a hot plate, and a coffeemaker balanced on an old crate. The apartment smelled faintly of hops and floor cleaner, but there was a dog bed by the radiator and a game console hooked up to a small TV, giving it just enough personality to feel like someone was trying to make it home.

Matt caught my stolen glances. “Brian was kind enough to let Sora and me stay here until we find a proper apartment. I’m actually going to check one out two blocks away tomorrow afternoon before my shift,” he explained.

“You had to move quickly, huh?”

“Yeah. It’s a long story,” Matt said, shuffling to the back, closely followed by the bulldog puppy. “My ex threw me out of the house. We split up months ago, but since we bought the place together, we decided to both stay until things were sorted out.”

“But then he met someone new and decided it was time for you to go?”

Matt blinked. “ He ?”

The air got heavier. I opened my mouth, then shut it again, feeling heat crawl up the back of my neck. That single syllable and the faint note of surprise in his voice were all it took to make it click. The guy standing in front of me was straight. Of course, he was. My gut had told me that from the start, but I’d chosen to ignore it. I'd let myself get swept up in his easy charm and friendly smiles that didn't really mean anything.

I swallowed hard, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes.“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I just... assumed.”

“Why did you think...?” Matt’s brow furrowed slightly. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing down for a second before looking back up at me, his mouth tugging into a half-smile. “I guess I give off a vibe or something?”

I shrugged, trying not to shrink into myself. “Maybe... open-minded?”

He let out a short, surprised laugh, running a hand through his hair before shaking his head. “Open-minded’s not a bad thing.” The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly, and for a second, I caught a glint of something lighter under the surface—amusement, maybe, or just plain relief. “Other than that, you hit the nail quite on the head. Her new fiancé was always around, and things got awkward quickly. So, I decided it was time for a fresh start.” He grabbed a leash from a hook next to the window, squatted down, and put it on Sora.

I didn’t know what to say without making things worse, so I said nothing at all.

With the leash attached, Matt got up. “Shall we?”

“Sure,” I said, trying to sound casual despite my heart beating fast and erratically.

Matt pointed toward the door. “Lead the way.”

We made our way back down and out the back entrance so we wouldn't have to take Sora through the taproom. Outside, it was surprisingly warm, but still damp from the afternoon rain.

The four-minute walk to my house felt like an hour. I walked one step ahead of him, remaining silent the whole way. It was only when we reached my street that I opened my mouth again. “Sorry about... assuming . I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”

“You’re good, Cato. I’m honestly flattered, as I assume that this means you like what you see?” With a quick flick of his hands over his chest, he practically dared me to look at him.

I followed his movements with my eyes as his hands glided down his body. When they stopped right next to his bulge, I forced myself to look away and fumbled for my house keys. “Now you’re just fishing for compliments.”

Matt playfully bit on his tongue. “Maybe.”

I climbed the five steps to my porch with a fast-paced strut, and the light above the door turned on automatically. I brought the keys to the lock but paused and, after a second, took my hands back down. “It's probably strange for me to say this now , but since you asked, I suppose I'm allowed to admit that I think you're handsome, Matt.”

He followed me up the steps, stopping just a little too close behind me. “It’s not weird,” he said, glancing sideways at me. “I was fishing for that compliment, after all.”

“You’re also easy to talk to and fun to be around.” My hands fidgeted with the keychain as I turned to face him. “So, can we not let that come between us? I promise, I’ll keep things normal.”

Matt chuckled. “What does 'normal' even mean?”

“That I'll only touch you inappropriately if you ask me to,” I joked.

Matt’s chuckle turned into laughter, loud enough to wake up the neighbors. “Deal.” Our eyes locked, and his brows softened to let me know this topic was officially resolved.

A scratch against the door made us both turn toward the house.

“It looks like Sora isn't the only one who knows when it's their human on the other side,” Matt stated, gazing down at the doormat and back up at me with a smile that made me want to break the rule I had just established and kiss him.

I thrust the key in the lock, turned it, and opened the door. Pounce stumbled back, his tail wagging as if he’d been counting the seconds since I left. “Hey, buddy,” I said, patting his head, “Look who I brought.” I pushed the door open a little wider, but before Pounce could look outside, Sora slipped past me and jumped at him with happy little yips.

“Wow, she missed her boyfriend more than I thought,” Matt said, watching Pounce endure the puppy kisses.

I stumbled over to the closet on the left and pulled out Pounce's leash. When I turned around, I noticed the playful turn of Matt’s lips. “Are you jealous that he’s getting kisses and you aren’t?” I teased him.

Matt looked up. “Why? You offering?”

“I’m gay, not a whore,” I replied, squatting down to attach the leash to Pounce’s collar. “But it’s been a while since my last date, so don’t blame me if I don’t say no to a proposed make-out session.”

“Yeah, I totally get that. I actually haven’t been with anyone since the breakup either. I had several chances, but...” He finished his sentence with a shrug.

My heart gave a nervous thud. “I guess I made it clear where I stand. All you have to do is ask.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a flicker of disbelief twist in my chest. Where did I find the courage to be this open about it, like it was no big deal? I wasn't usually this forward, especially not with someone like Matt. Yet here I was, teasing and flirting without a filter.

Matt’s eyes narrowed, and an unbelieving grin spread across his face. “It’s that easy?”

“Not everything in life has to be complicated,” I replied, making it sound like the easiest thing in the world. But I had to pull the brakes now if I didn't want to watch the train derail. I stood up, looped the leash around my wrist, and nodded toward the door. “I’m ready.”

Matt didn’t move a muscle. His eyes remained fixed on me, unafraid, not even suggesting that he wanted to avert his gaze. “To make out?”

“Don't you have to return to work in ten minutes?” I said, trying to keep things from escalating. As much as I would enjoy going further, I wouldn’t want it to get awkward for him.

Matt’s chin dropped to his chest, accompanied by a chuckle. “You're right. If we're going to do this, I'd rather have time to enjoy it. Maybe we should come back here once I've locked up the bar?”

Something inside me flipped. Perhaps it was the way Matt didn’t flinch or how he met my teasing head-on, without retreating. Did he actually want this? Did he want me to bring out the big guns to see how far this would go? There was only one way to find out. I smirked and stepped before him, leaving barely enough space for air between us. “Are you sure?” I murmured. “Because if you’re not careful, I might take you seriously.”

I expected him to back down and step away with a chuckle, playing it off to save face for both of us. But he stood his ground. His eyes lingered on mine, only glancing down briefly to look at my lips. His breathing increased. “Maybe I don’t want to be careful.” He gulped. “Maybe I’ve thought about how open-minded I might be before, but never had a chance to act on it.” His lips parted slightly. “Maybe I feel comfortable enough with you to give it a try.”

“Is that so?” I whispered, still unable to fully comprehend what was happening.

Matt slowly nodded, his eyes twitching toward my lips again.

Without thinking, I leaned in and gently brushed my nose against his. “Would you like me to give you a taste of what it could be like?”

It was probably the dumbest idea ever, but the tension was just too intense to ignore.

A wave of heat washed over me, but I still somehow managed to slow down, stopping with only half an inch between our lips, giving him the chance to pull away.

But he didn’t.

He inhaled sharply, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips onto mine.

A sharp jolt raced down my spine, lighting up every nerve like a live wire. His mouth was warm and soft. My fingers twitched with the urge to grab hold of him and pull him closer. For a few charged seconds, however, we hovered in that perfect, breathless space, caught between restraint and the undeniable surge crackling between us.

His hand found my jaw, steadying me, drawing me in deeper.

I leaned into it, into him , into the quiet hum that had been building between us since we first met, cautious not to go too far too quickly.

And it was utterly, breathtakingly perfect.

A soft whine and a scrape against our legs made us both chuckle. We broke apart, our foreheads bumping gently as we glanced down at Sora, who was staring up at us with wide eyes.

“Maybe postponing this to after midnight isn’t such a bad idea,” Matt said, taking a step back. But his smile stayed with me. “If you want to.”

“You know where I live now. All you have to do is knock on the door.”

He blinked at me and nodded, pulling his lips into his mouth as if he wanted to savor the taste a little longer. “Don’t judge me if I do.”