Fic: Dating For Beginners (Bones, Wendell/Hodgins, PG)
Title: Dating For Beginners
Fandom: Bones
Pairing: Wendell/Hodgins
Rating: PG
Summary: Everyone needs a 'funny first date' story. This is how Hodgins got his.
Spoilers: For "Fire In the Ice", a little, I guess? I fudged the timeline of the episode a bit, but hopefully not obnoxiously so.
A/N: cinderlily made me do it. This is actually the first fic I started in this fandom, but then I got distracted. Hard to believe, I know! But I really wanted to explore their first date, mostly because I find it hilarious to imagine Jack going on a date with a boy and not realizing it.
It wasn't a lie. It felt like a lie, but it wasn't. He had gone on a date; the fact that he hadn't known he was on a date until halfway through the actual date didn't make it any less true, and anyway, Angela didn't need to know that part.
Nobody needed to know that part, and he was pretty sure Wendell wasn't going to tell anyone. He wasn't really the gossiping type, which was probably part of the reason he had such a hard time fitting in at the Jeffersonian. Not that he didn't fit in; he'd made big strides in that department, as far as Hodgins was concerned. He still got way too freaked out about Dr. Brennan's opinion of him, but he was always up for an experiment, and he was a lot less nervous than he used to be.
Maybe it was the fact that he'd joined Booth's hockey team. Hanging out with Booth during his free time had to help make him a little more comfortable, and maybe Booth had given him some pointers about dealing with Dr. Brennan. Or maybe he just wasn't as skittish as Hodgins thought he was in the beginning; that would explain how they'd ended up on a date, anyway.
It was his first date with a guy, which was the reason it had taken Hodgins so long to realize that was what they were doing. He has a feeling he should be more embarrassed about that than he is, but mostly he's just glad it happened, because he's not sure he would have said yes if he'd realized Wendell was asking him out.
He's still not exactly sure how it happened. It wasn't a surprise that they'd been talking about hockey; it was a big part of the case, after all, and Wendell was pretty enthusiastic about the game. So he'd been talking, and Hodgins had been listening, because he'd never cared about hockey one way or the other, but it was interesting when Wendell talked about it. And maybe he'd said something about tagging along the next time Dr. Brennan went to one of Booth's games, which is probably what started this whole thing in the first place.
"There's a game tonight, if you're interested," Wendell had said, not really looking at Hodgins and how was he supposed to know it was that kind of invitation when Wendell wasn't even looking at him? "You could come if you want. Maybe grab a beer after."
And a beer with Wendell's hockey team sounded a lot better than going home to rattle around an empty house all night, so of course he'd said yes. It wasn't like he got a lot of opportunities to hang out with the guys, and even if they weren't his guys, at least he could pretend for awhile. Only when they got to the hockey rink Wendell didn't ditch him to go suit up, and there was no sign of Dr. Brennan or Booth anywhere, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that it wasn't even Wendell's team playing tonight.
Still, it didn't mean anything. Hockey was hockey, and Wendell probably just wanted some company to watch the game. They got along well enough, after all, and there was nothing wrong with two guys hanging out together. So if Wendell leaned a little close to explain the rules to Hodgins, it was no big deal. And if he paid for the tickets and the beers and a hot dog that Hodgins was pretty sure did not contain a single natural ingredient, it was just because he was the one who'd done the asking.
Which, in retrospect, was pretty much the definition of a date.
But it hadn't felt like a date, because Hodgins hadn't worried about saying the right things or making sure Wendell was having a good time. He hadn't worried a single time about watching what he said or opening doors, or whether Wendell was going to take it the wrong way if he put a hand on Wendell's back or his arm to guide him to his seat. There was no touching at all, not during the game, and not even afterwards, when Wendell said, "There's this place nearby where we usually go after the game, if you still want to grab that beer."
Hodgins didn't point out that they'd already had a beer at the game. It seemed kind of rude, and anyway he was having a pretty good time, even if it was just him and Wendell. So he followed Wendell a block and a half to the bar, listening to the rhythm of his voice as he ran through the highlights of the game they'd both sat through. It was kind of nice to hear him talk with confidence about something outside of work, critiquing the technique of the players on each team and how he would have approached a particular situation. Hodgins didn't understand most of it, but it was nice to know that Wendell wasn't always as timid as he came across at the Jeffersonian.
So Hodgins was having a good time, and when they reached the bar and a hand landed on his back to guide him inside, he didn't think much of it. He noticed, but at the time he told himself it didn't mean anything. It couldn't mean anything, because Wendell had heard enough about the fallout of his relationship with Angela to know where Hodgins stood. Still, it was a little strange, and he couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was missing something. He tried to ignore it, let Wendell steer him to a table and when the waitress came around he tried to pay for the beers. It was only fair, after all; Wendell had gotten everything so far, and Hodgins knew for a fact he didn't have the money to throw around.
"Let me get it," he'd said, already reaching for his wallet when a hand landed on his arm to stop him.
"No way. I asked you out, I pay."
And okay, maybe he wasn't quite as quick on the uptake as he'd always thought he was, because it took a few seconds for Wendell's words to sink in. It took a few more seconds for him to react, and when he did he was talking before he could stop himself. "Wait. Is this...a date?"
It was the worst thing he could have said; that much was obvious from Wendell's expression, and if Hodgins hadn't been so confused, he probably would have felt bad about embarrassing him. As it was he was too busy replaying the entire confusing mess, starting with there's a game tonight, if you're interested and ending with I asked you out. And wow, he'd never actually felt this stupid before. Generally he considered himself one of the smartest people he knew, and that was saying a lot. But there had been signs, and he should have caught at least one of them.
"Look, I know you just got out of a pretty intense relationship," Wendell was saying, and Hodgins had to work hard to focus his attention on the words. "I'm not looking for anything serious here. It just seemed like you could use the distraction."
Which was kind of...sweet, in a weird way, and later on Hodgins would remember to appreciate it. For now, though, he couldn't get past the part where Wendell apparently thought he was into guys. "I'm not gay."
"Yeah, I know, you had that whole thing with Angela."
"No, I mean...I don't date guys," Hodgins said, and the weird thing was, as soon as he said it he sort of wanted to take it back. "At least not until tonight, apparently."
He was going for funny, but Wendell wasn't laughing. Instead he was frowning at Hodgins, one hand sliding through his hair to rest at the back of his neck. "But the way you always talk about that Zack guy...I just figured there was something going on there."
Hodgins opened his mouth to answer, to deny it or tell Wendell he was crazy. But the thing was, he did probably talk about Zack a lot, and he had taken Zack's leaving hard. He still missed him -- they were friends, it was only natural -- and he could sort of understand how someone might get that impression. Not that there was any truth to it, but…well, if he was going to date a guy, it probably would have been Zack.
"Zack and I are just friends," he finally said, but it didn't even sound that convincing to him. "Look, Wendell..."
"Forget it," Wendell said, definitely embarrassed now and before Hodgins realized what was happening, he was standing up to leave. "My mistake. We can just forget this ever happened."
He thought about letting Wendell walk out, taking him up on the offer to pretend it never happened. It wouldn't be that hard; next week there would be a new grad assistant, and by the time Wendell's rotation came up again they might even be able to be in the same room without feeling completely awkward. But of all the things Hodgins had ever been, a jerk wasn't one of them, and he didn't let his dates walk away humiliated. Even when he didn't know he'd actually been on a date.
"Wait," he heard himself say, dropping a few bills on the table and following Wendell out of the bar. He caught up halfway down the sidewalk, shivering a little against the weather as he reached out and grabbed Wendell's arm. "Can we talk about this?"
"What's to talk about?" Wendell asked, and when he turned to face Hodgins he looked so miserable that Hodgins' heart actually skipped a beat. It was...weird, and he filed it under 'think about much, much later'. "I get it, okay? I misread the signals. It doesn't happen that much, but there's a first time for everything."
He should have just let it go. Hodgins knew he should just let Wendell go nurse his wounded pride alone, and tomorrow they'd both just pretend it had never happened. It would be awkward at the lab for the rest of the week, sure, but he still managed to work with Angela every day, and he'd seen her naked.
And he'd never seen Wendell naked, but he was picturing it now. Also weird, but he felt heat creeping up his neck all the same, and that was even weirder. He shook his head to chase away the image, and then took a couple steps forward.
"You really thought I had a thing for Zack?"
"Well, yeah," Wendell answered, and he wasn't quite looking at Hodgins, but he wasn't walking away anymore, either. "I mean, you used to talk about him all the time, what was I supposed to think?"
He had no idea how to answer that question. Half an hour ago he thought he knew the answer, but now...now Wendell was standing in front of him looking miserable and embarrassed and sort of...sweet, really. And Hodgins was kind of flattered, to be honest. He hadn't exactly been looking since Angela, but if she could move on with another woman...well, it was worth considering, anyway.
"Listen," he finally said, taking a few tentative steps toward Wendell. "Technically this is my first date with a guy, so I'm not exactly sure how it's supposed to go."
"Hodgins, you don't have..."
"Just shut up for a second," Hodgins interrupted, because he wasn't sure he could get this out if he didn't just say it. "Truth is I've never really thought about it before. I'm not saying it's going to go anywhere. But it's been a pretty good first date so far."
"What are you saying?" Wendell asked, frowning at him and Hodgins couldn't really blame him for being suspicious. It was kind of unfair, especially when he had no idea if he could go through with...whatever might come up.
"I have no idea," Hodgins admitted, but when he smiled the corners of Wendell's mouth turned up a little.
"Well there's one way to know for sure," Wendell said, and when he took a step forward Hodgins realized what he meant. A wave of panic shot through him, followed quickly by a rush of something just as disconcerting, but decidedly warmer. Then Wendell's hand was on the back of his neck, and he was so close Hodgins could feel the heat radiating off him. "Okay?"
He's still not sure if he answered the question. He might have nodded; then again, he might have just gasped against Wendell's mouth when their lips brushed together. He knows at some point he reached up to grip the front of Wendell's coat, because when Wendell finally stopped kissing him Hodgins' fingers were clenched so hard around the fabric it took an effort to straighten them out again. Speech took a much bigger effort than it should have as well, and when he finally did manage to get his voice to work, all that came out was a feeble wow.
"Is that good or bad?" Wendell asked, and Hodgins wanted to give him an answer, because he still looked so nervous. But his brain was moving even slower than his voice, so instead of answering he just tugged Wendell forward and kissed him again.
And it felt different with hard muscle pressed against him instead of the soft curves he was used to. Wendell's hands were big, strong and sure on his neck and his shoulders and eventually his back. Wendell's lips felt different too; thin but still soft, and a little chapped from all the time he spent on the ice. It was familiar, but completely new somehow, and Hodgins still wasn't sure what he was getting himself into, but he wanted to find out.
When Wendell pulled back this time Hodgins grinned at him, and the smile he got in return lit up Wendell's whole face. "So?"
"Good first date," Hodgins answered, hand on Wendell's back to steer him back toward their cars. "Definitely a good first date."
~
So it wasn't a lie; it just wasn't planned. Sort of a happy accident, Hodgins thought, smiling to himself as he pictured what he must have looked like when it dawned on him what they were doing. He knew Wendell still felt a little stupid about the whole thing, but the truth was that if anyone should feel stupid, it was Hodgins. Except he'd had a pretty good time, and he’d learned some things about himself, and it was hard to feel stupid about that.
"Hey," he said when he found Wendell in the lab, filling out some last-minute paperwork before his rotation officially ended. "So I guess you're out of here for awhile."
"Guess so," Wendell answered, and when he looked up Hodgins could tell he was nervous. "Listen, Hodgins..."
"So I was wondering if you've got any plans for the weekend," Hodgins said, talking over him before Wendell managed to change both their minds about this...whatever it was. "I'd like to take you out, if you're free."
"Yeah. Uh...yeah," Wendell answered, and it was obvious even to Hodgins that he was surprised.
"Great," Hodgins said. "Saturday night? I'll buy you dinner and you can tell me all about that night you spent in Juvie."
He grinned and walked away, the sound of Wendell's laughter following him into the hall. So he had a second date now; it definitely wasn't the way he'd expected to move on with his life, but at least it wasn't boring.
Fandom: Bones
Pairing: Wendell/Hodgins
Rating: PG
Summary: Everyone needs a 'funny first date' story. This is how Hodgins got his.
Spoilers: For "Fire In the Ice", a little, I guess? I fudged the timeline of the episode a bit, but hopefully not obnoxiously so.
A/N: cinderlily made me do it. This is actually the first fic I started in this fandom, but then I got distracted. Hard to believe, I know! But I really wanted to explore their first date, mostly because I find it hilarious to imagine Jack going on a date with a boy and not realizing it.
It wasn't a lie. It felt like a lie, but it wasn't. He had gone on a date; the fact that he hadn't known he was on a date until halfway through the actual date didn't make it any less true, and anyway, Angela didn't need to know that part.
Nobody needed to know that part, and he was pretty sure Wendell wasn't going to tell anyone. He wasn't really the gossiping type, which was probably part of the reason he had such a hard time fitting in at the Jeffersonian. Not that he didn't fit in; he'd made big strides in that department, as far as Hodgins was concerned. He still got way too freaked out about Dr. Brennan's opinion of him, but he was always up for an experiment, and he was a lot less nervous than he used to be.
Maybe it was the fact that he'd joined Booth's hockey team. Hanging out with Booth during his free time had to help make him a little more comfortable, and maybe Booth had given him some pointers about dealing with Dr. Brennan. Or maybe he just wasn't as skittish as Hodgins thought he was in the beginning; that would explain how they'd ended up on a date, anyway.
It was his first date with a guy, which was the reason it had taken Hodgins so long to realize that was what they were doing. He has a feeling he should be more embarrassed about that than he is, but mostly he's just glad it happened, because he's not sure he would have said yes if he'd realized Wendell was asking him out.
He's still not exactly sure how it happened. It wasn't a surprise that they'd been talking about hockey; it was a big part of the case, after all, and Wendell was pretty enthusiastic about the game. So he'd been talking, and Hodgins had been listening, because he'd never cared about hockey one way or the other, but it was interesting when Wendell talked about it. And maybe he'd said something about tagging along the next time Dr. Brennan went to one of Booth's games, which is probably what started this whole thing in the first place.
"There's a game tonight, if you're interested," Wendell had said, not really looking at Hodgins and how was he supposed to know it was that kind of invitation when Wendell wasn't even looking at him? "You could come if you want. Maybe grab a beer after."
And a beer with Wendell's hockey team sounded a lot better than going home to rattle around an empty house all night, so of course he'd said yes. It wasn't like he got a lot of opportunities to hang out with the guys, and even if they weren't his guys, at least he could pretend for awhile. Only when they got to the hockey rink Wendell didn't ditch him to go suit up, and there was no sign of Dr. Brennan or Booth anywhere, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that it wasn't even Wendell's team playing tonight.
Still, it didn't mean anything. Hockey was hockey, and Wendell probably just wanted some company to watch the game. They got along well enough, after all, and there was nothing wrong with two guys hanging out together. So if Wendell leaned a little close to explain the rules to Hodgins, it was no big deal. And if he paid for the tickets and the beers and a hot dog that Hodgins was pretty sure did not contain a single natural ingredient, it was just because he was the one who'd done the asking.
Which, in retrospect, was pretty much the definition of a date.
But it hadn't felt like a date, because Hodgins hadn't worried about saying the right things or making sure Wendell was having a good time. He hadn't worried a single time about watching what he said or opening doors, or whether Wendell was going to take it the wrong way if he put a hand on Wendell's back or his arm to guide him to his seat. There was no touching at all, not during the game, and not even afterwards, when Wendell said, "There's this place nearby where we usually go after the game, if you still want to grab that beer."
Hodgins didn't point out that they'd already had a beer at the game. It seemed kind of rude, and anyway he was having a pretty good time, even if it was just him and Wendell. So he followed Wendell a block and a half to the bar, listening to the rhythm of his voice as he ran through the highlights of the game they'd both sat through. It was kind of nice to hear him talk with confidence about something outside of work, critiquing the technique of the players on each team and how he would have approached a particular situation. Hodgins didn't understand most of it, but it was nice to know that Wendell wasn't always as timid as he came across at the Jeffersonian.
So Hodgins was having a good time, and when they reached the bar and a hand landed on his back to guide him inside, he didn't think much of it. He noticed, but at the time he told himself it didn't mean anything. It couldn't mean anything, because Wendell had heard enough about the fallout of his relationship with Angela to know where Hodgins stood. Still, it was a little strange, and he couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was missing something. He tried to ignore it, let Wendell steer him to a table and when the waitress came around he tried to pay for the beers. It was only fair, after all; Wendell had gotten everything so far, and Hodgins knew for a fact he didn't have the money to throw around.
"Let me get it," he'd said, already reaching for his wallet when a hand landed on his arm to stop him.
"No way. I asked you out, I pay."
And okay, maybe he wasn't quite as quick on the uptake as he'd always thought he was, because it took a few seconds for Wendell's words to sink in. It took a few more seconds for him to react, and when he did he was talking before he could stop himself. "Wait. Is this...a date?"
It was the worst thing he could have said; that much was obvious from Wendell's expression, and if Hodgins hadn't been so confused, he probably would have felt bad about embarrassing him. As it was he was too busy replaying the entire confusing mess, starting with there's a game tonight, if you're interested and ending with I asked you out. And wow, he'd never actually felt this stupid before. Generally he considered himself one of the smartest people he knew, and that was saying a lot. But there had been signs, and he should have caught at least one of them.
"Look, I know you just got out of a pretty intense relationship," Wendell was saying, and Hodgins had to work hard to focus his attention on the words. "I'm not looking for anything serious here. It just seemed like you could use the distraction."
Which was kind of...sweet, in a weird way, and later on Hodgins would remember to appreciate it. For now, though, he couldn't get past the part where Wendell apparently thought he was into guys. "I'm not gay."
"Yeah, I know, you had that whole thing with Angela."
"No, I mean...I don't date guys," Hodgins said, and the weird thing was, as soon as he said it he sort of wanted to take it back. "At least not until tonight, apparently."
He was going for funny, but Wendell wasn't laughing. Instead he was frowning at Hodgins, one hand sliding through his hair to rest at the back of his neck. "But the way you always talk about that Zack guy...I just figured there was something going on there."
Hodgins opened his mouth to answer, to deny it or tell Wendell he was crazy. But the thing was, he did probably talk about Zack a lot, and he had taken Zack's leaving hard. He still missed him -- they were friends, it was only natural -- and he could sort of understand how someone might get that impression. Not that there was any truth to it, but…well, if he was going to date a guy, it probably would have been Zack.
"Zack and I are just friends," he finally said, but it didn't even sound that convincing to him. "Look, Wendell..."
"Forget it," Wendell said, definitely embarrassed now and before Hodgins realized what was happening, he was standing up to leave. "My mistake. We can just forget this ever happened."
He thought about letting Wendell walk out, taking him up on the offer to pretend it never happened. It wouldn't be that hard; next week there would be a new grad assistant, and by the time Wendell's rotation came up again they might even be able to be in the same room without feeling completely awkward. But of all the things Hodgins had ever been, a jerk wasn't one of them, and he didn't let his dates walk away humiliated. Even when he didn't know he'd actually been on a date.
"Wait," he heard himself say, dropping a few bills on the table and following Wendell out of the bar. He caught up halfway down the sidewalk, shivering a little against the weather as he reached out and grabbed Wendell's arm. "Can we talk about this?"
"What's to talk about?" Wendell asked, and when he turned to face Hodgins he looked so miserable that Hodgins' heart actually skipped a beat. It was...weird, and he filed it under 'think about much, much later'. "I get it, okay? I misread the signals. It doesn't happen that much, but there's a first time for everything."
He should have just let it go. Hodgins knew he should just let Wendell go nurse his wounded pride alone, and tomorrow they'd both just pretend it had never happened. It would be awkward at the lab for the rest of the week, sure, but he still managed to work with Angela every day, and he'd seen her naked.
And he'd never seen Wendell naked, but he was picturing it now. Also weird, but he felt heat creeping up his neck all the same, and that was even weirder. He shook his head to chase away the image, and then took a couple steps forward.
"You really thought I had a thing for Zack?"
"Well, yeah," Wendell answered, and he wasn't quite looking at Hodgins, but he wasn't walking away anymore, either. "I mean, you used to talk about him all the time, what was I supposed to think?"
He had no idea how to answer that question. Half an hour ago he thought he knew the answer, but now...now Wendell was standing in front of him looking miserable and embarrassed and sort of...sweet, really. And Hodgins was kind of flattered, to be honest. He hadn't exactly been looking since Angela, but if she could move on with another woman...well, it was worth considering, anyway.
"Listen," he finally said, taking a few tentative steps toward Wendell. "Technically this is my first date with a guy, so I'm not exactly sure how it's supposed to go."
"Hodgins, you don't have..."
"Just shut up for a second," Hodgins interrupted, because he wasn't sure he could get this out if he didn't just say it. "Truth is I've never really thought about it before. I'm not saying it's going to go anywhere. But it's been a pretty good first date so far."
"What are you saying?" Wendell asked, frowning at him and Hodgins couldn't really blame him for being suspicious. It was kind of unfair, especially when he had no idea if he could go through with...whatever might come up.
"I have no idea," Hodgins admitted, but when he smiled the corners of Wendell's mouth turned up a little.
"Well there's one way to know for sure," Wendell said, and when he took a step forward Hodgins realized what he meant. A wave of panic shot through him, followed quickly by a rush of something just as disconcerting, but decidedly warmer. Then Wendell's hand was on the back of his neck, and he was so close Hodgins could feel the heat radiating off him. "Okay?"
He's still not sure if he answered the question. He might have nodded; then again, he might have just gasped against Wendell's mouth when their lips brushed together. He knows at some point he reached up to grip the front of Wendell's coat, because when Wendell finally stopped kissing him Hodgins' fingers were clenched so hard around the fabric it took an effort to straighten them out again. Speech took a much bigger effort than it should have as well, and when he finally did manage to get his voice to work, all that came out was a feeble wow.
"Is that good or bad?" Wendell asked, and Hodgins wanted to give him an answer, because he still looked so nervous. But his brain was moving even slower than his voice, so instead of answering he just tugged Wendell forward and kissed him again.
And it felt different with hard muscle pressed against him instead of the soft curves he was used to. Wendell's hands were big, strong and sure on his neck and his shoulders and eventually his back. Wendell's lips felt different too; thin but still soft, and a little chapped from all the time he spent on the ice. It was familiar, but completely new somehow, and Hodgins still wasn't sure what he was getting himself into, but he wanted to find out.
When Wendell pulled back this time Hodgins grinned at him, and the smile he got in return lit up Wendell's whole face. "So?"
"Good first date," Hodgins answered, hand on Wendell's back to steer him back toward their cars. "Definitely a good first date."
~
So it wasn't a lie; it just wasn't planned. Sort of a happy accident, Hodgins thought, smiling to himself as he pictured what he must have looked like when it dawned on him what they were doing. He knew Wendell still felt a little stupid about the whole thing, but the truth was that if anyone should feel stupid, it was Hodgins. Except he'd had a pretty good time, and he’d learned some things about himself, and it was hard to feel stupid about that.
"Hey," he said when he found Wendell in the lab, filling out some last-minute paperwork before his rotation officially ended. "So I guess you're out of here for awhile."
"Guess so," Wendell answered, and when he looked up Hodgins could tell he was nervous. "Listen, Hodgins..."
"So I was wondering if you've got any plans for the weekend," Hodgins said, talking over him before Wendell managed to change both their minds about this...whatever it was. "I'd like to take you out, if you're free."
"Yeah. Uh...yeah," Wendell answered, and it was obvious even to Hodgins that he was surprised.
"Great," Hodgins said. "Saturday night? I'll buy you dinner and you can tell me all about that night you spent in Juvie."
He grinned and walked away, the sound of Wendell's laughter following him into the hall. So he had a second date now; it definitely wasn't the way he'd expected to move on with his life, but at least it wasn't boring.