Most Ardently

by Gabe Cole Novoa

Was this a bad idea? “It’s a lot to take in at first,” Darcy said beside him. Oliver startled, forgetting for a moment that Darcy was, indeed, with him. As was Bingley, but he was already wandering off toward the dining table, greeting some of the others with a wide smile. Darcy’s voice was strangely gentle. Oliver hadn’t heard this tenderness from him yet, and when he met Darcy’s gaze, the other boy smiled—just at the corners, just for a second. It was a nice smile. Maybe this wasn’t a bad idea. For reasons he didn’t care to examine, meeting Darcy’s gaze was calming. Like the gentle push and pull of the tide, he felt himself slowly drifting out to sea, but it didn’t scare him as much as it should have. He wasn’t alone in this strange place. Bingley may have wandered off, but Darcy was here with him. With Darcy at his side, he could do this. “Frankly,” Oliver said, collecting his wits again, “I didn’t peg you for the type to enjoy such a rowdy atmosphere.” Darcy looked bashful, running his hand through his locks, mussing his hair in a way that was truly adorable. He nodded toward the dining table, beckoning him forward so they weren’t blocking the door. “You’re right, I’m not at all. To be honest, the first time Bingley brought me here, I loathed it so much I swore to never return.” “And yet you sought to invite me here yourself,” Oliver responded with a wry smile.