[Tommy has spent all day in the gym, working off any doubts about the plans he has for later. The whole thing he's got going on with Arthur is so familiar in some ways, but in others it's new and honestly? Tommy spends some days sure he's going to screw it up.
It's the feeling of certainty that he really doesn't want to fuck this up that he's making an effort way outside his own comfort zone for the other man's birthday, this year. He's not good with romantic gestures, but he's hoping that the other man will interpret the whole night as he means it.
Showered, cleaned up and dressed in clothes that he had to go buy especially, he's still messing around trying to button up his shirt when he hears the door.]
[ When it came to the day he was born, Arthur always tended to have a kind of ambivalence to it. At least since he was not longer a child.
After that period, he had often come to think of it "just another day". Didn't explain why he made it a point to acknowledge other people's birthdays but not his to the same extent but there it is.
He had noticed the past few days after Christmas how Tommy had seemed a bit... distracted if not tense. Arthur had chalked it up to him needing to go work it out at the gym and hadn't really pressed the other man on it, knowing that Tommy wasn't always one for talking and was more for being physical if more demonstrative with his affections (and, no matter how the other was during the day, usually by that night he'd be back to wanting Arthur's attention and wanting the closeness that often came after they had sex, becoming gentle and, Arthur would dare say, lovable in those moments before they both fell asleep, curled up and entangled with one another
( ... )
[Shoulders sore from his workout, Tommy still holds them square at the sound of Arthur's voice. It's not that he's self-conscious about the way he looks, doesn't really care as long as he can still fight. He spends more time with black eyes and cuts to his face than the average man does. But he's close to turning around and taking the stupid smart shirt he's got on off. It makes him feel uncomfortable, like what he usually wears isn't good enough, and that's almost enough to have him getting pissy and grumpy.
Before he can back out he steps out into the hallway and into Arthur's view. He feels ridiculous, but that isn't enough to have him forgetting he's doing this for a reason.]
[ Arthur is about to give Tommy his regular greeting, pulling his jacket off, when he stops, both in speaking and in movement.
He blinks at Tommy once, twice, three times before he finally gets out: ]
What... why are you dressed up?
[ 'And where the hell did you find a shirt big enough to fit you that well?' wasn't said but definitely making his way through his mind as he took in the other man dressed in a way he ever did. ]
[He'd sound matter-of-fact about it if he wasn't currently trying to iron out the creases he's somehow picked up between the packet and his chest. He's almost got his whole outfit right, too, the pants he's wearing smart and mostly pressed. The sneakers that are on his feet are more because he couldn't find any decent shoes rather than his own attempt at rebellion.]
[ Arthur manages to keep looking surprised at Tommy stating such things so simply, as if they were an easy truth to understand. ]
Oh. Well...
[ He looks down at his own clothes before looking back up at the other man, still very surprised by this turn of events (he hadn't been expecting anything). ]
[He shrugs a huge shoulder and doesn't look like he cares either way. What is important is that Arthur has a good time on his birthday, and he's here to see that happens.]
Arthur nods as he looks down at his clothes and decides they'll be fine. He then gives a small smile as he comes closer to Tommy, reaching out to smooth the creases of his shirt.
"Where did you get this?" Because a man of Tommy's build couldn't possibly be easy to fit in a "normal" sized shirt.
"A store," Tommy replies and actually half-smirks at the other man, eyebrows quirking slightly before he squares his shoulders and sniffs that it was no big deal.
"You gonna stare at my shirt all night or can we go eat? I'm hungry."
It's the feeling of certainty that he really doesn't want to fuck this up that he's making an effort way outside his own comfort zone for the other man's birthday, this year. He's not good with romantic gestures, but he's hoping that the other man will interpret the whole night as he means it.
Showered, cleaned up and dressed in clothes that he had to go buy especially, he's still messing around trying to button up his shirt when he hears the door.]
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After that period, he had often come to think of it "just another day". Didn't explain why he made it a point to acknowledge other people's birthdays but not his to the same extent but there it is.
He had noticed the past few days after Christmas how Tommy had seemed a bit... distracted if not tense. Arthur had chalked it up to him needing to go work it out at the gym and hadn't really pressed the other man on it, knowing that Tommy wasn't always one for talking and was more for being physical if more demonstrative with his affections (and, no matter how the other was during the day, usually by that night he'd be back to wanting Arthur's attention and wanting the closeness that often came after they had sex, becoming gentle and, Arthur would dare say, lovable in those moments before they both fell asleep, curled up and entangled with one another ( ... )
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Before he can back out he steps out into the hallway and into Arthur's view. He feels ridiculous, but that isn't enough to have him forgetting he's doing this for a reason.]
Yeah.
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He blinks at Tommy once, twice, three times before he finally gets out: ]
What... why are you dressed up?
[ 'And where the hell did you find a shirt big enough to fit you that well?' wasn't said but definitely making his way through his mind as he took in the other man dressed in a way he ever did. ]
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[He'd sound matter-of-fact about it if he wasn't currently trying to iron out the creases he's somehow picked up between the packet and his chest. He's almost got his whole outfit right, too, the pants he's wearing smart and mostly pressed. The sneakers that are on his feet are more because he couldn't find any decent shoes rather than his own attempt at rebellion.]
We're going out. To eat.
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Oh. Well...
[ He looks down at his own clothes before looking back up at the other man, still very surprised by this turn of events (he hadn't been expecting anything). ]
Do you want me to change into something else?
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[He shrugs a huge shoulder and doesn't look like he cares either way. What is important is that Arthur has a good time on his birthday, and he's here to see that happens.]
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"Where did you get this?" Because a man of Tommy's build couldn't possibly be easy to fit in a "normal" sized shirt.
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"You gonna stare at my shirt all night or can we go eat? I'm hungry."
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