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In his defense he had just lost a… well, let’s say a "pretty penny" or two in a bet he was sure he’d win. He’d even rigged the bet! He'd rigged it and still hadn't won! It was ridiculous! And now here he was just knowing it would be his turn to buy lunch for Alec without that very “pretty penny.” They’d order their food and then when he’d usually bring out his coin purse he’d have nothing to offer while the monk across from him laughed at the lint that fell from the small bag. The monk who was somehow loaded too. This was stupid.
That was… well, that was unless he borrowed some money from him without telling him. Not stealing! No no, he’d never do that to his partner, it would just be borrowing, yeah! Borrowing with no plans to pay it back, sure, but borrowing nonetheless. Harmless, stealing a tiny bit of silver wouldn’t even dent his pockets. All he had to do was borrow a coin or three and he’d be off scot-free! Save his wallet, save his time of explaining, save his embarrassment for when he would have to explain how he lost so much gold in a dog fight - there was no downside.
(That was unless he got caught, obviously, because out of anyone he’d ever pickpocketed from his best friend of over 13 years and partner of 1 was one of the only few able to catch him in the act. One of the few who seemed to know him better than he knew himself… maybe this might be harder than he thought)
All he had to do was distract him, easy. Maybe some cheesy joke or a perfectly placed embrace with easy access to his pocket - all he had to do was distract him, not a problem at all. He wouldn’t even notice.
(That was unless he did, obviously.)
It’d be fine.
…
It was not fine.
They’d met up at the park before lunch and it had been thirty minutes and he still hadn’t even gotten the chance to get his coin bag - he honestly didn’t even see one, which was incredibly incredibly unfortunate. He knew the blond boy would have an extra silver or two in his waistband pocket (a “secret pocket, no one will even know it’s there,” he’d proudly explained one time as if it wasn’t obvious when there was an outline of a gold piece right there against the fabric), it was just… getting there. You see, it would be easier if the coins were external, obviously, but what he failed to remember at this moment was that the plan also required him not to be awkward, which somehow felt more difficult . Alec was the one who always had the confidence, the one to lean in first, the one to reach out - his whole pickpocketing plan kind of forgot that too.
The plan was shit regardless, but still, give him some credit he was struggling.
“Sylvie? Sylvan, hey, you in there?” The blond said suddenly, waving a hand in front of his face as they walked with a lopsided smile, one that got him out of his head in an instant. This plan was ridiculous, he should just ask to pay next time, he thought to himself with a sigh, smiling back at the other. Alec laughed at his expression shamelessly, squeezing the hand he held as it swung between them.
Yeah, no, he’d never embarrass himself like that on purpose.
“Yeah, sorry, yeah I’m here, just thinkin’s all,” Sylvan replied, running his free hand down his face, rubbing under his one unseeing eye as if to wipe away his overthinking. He literally just needed a few silver - he was overthinking for no reason.
And then Alec slipped his hand from his and lifted it up to cradle his jaw as fragile as if he was made of eggshells, gently tilting his head to lean onto the shorter’s forehead as he ran a lazy thumb against his cheek. In the middle of a park. At noon. Sylvan couldn’t help but notice the way his heart sped up at the smallest action, a simple brush of a finger pad on the scarred skin beneath his eye. God was he lucky, that thought filled every corner of his mind, completely blocking out his overthinking from before. The plan was stu- oh hell yeah wait this was a perfect opportunity for the all-too-overdramatic plan.
(Saving his embarrassment was very much worth this hassle, thank you very much.)
“Alec,” He started, moreso breathing it into the air than saying it aloud, opening his eyes he hadn’t even realized had closed. The blond, with his oh so eccentric irises, ones that looked like sunlight pouring through stained glass windows of golds and greens and browns met his without hesitation. They were gorgeous, and here they were looking at him as if he was the only person in the world, white eyelashes as fragile as snowflakes fluttering like butterflies every time he blinked. The world seemed to turn a little slower, and it made Sylvan smile. Alec hummed a moment after he spoke, though it felt like eons had passed just staring at each other, watching each other’s blinks as they slowed, simply standing as they breathed each other’s exhaled breaths.
“Can I kiss you?” The taller asked then, and the way the other smiled made all the nervousness in his body melt away, feeling the way he nodded before leaning down to capture his lips, still seeing the other’s dimpled smile even though his eyes were closed, tasting the small secret grin on his mouth. It was the same as all their kisses, and yet it left him breathless every single time, the way that very moment was theirs.
And that’s when he embarrassed himself. Not his anxiety earlier, not his awkward words and more awkward moves - nope, it was the fact that as soon as he went to reach into Alec’s pocket, fingertips brushing a cold metal for just a moment: the other grabbed his wrist with an all-too-scorching hand and all-too-familiar smile, stopping his thievery right where he stood. So much for distractions. He could feel the vibrations of his laugh into his lips before the monk pulled away to giggle even more (even snorting at one point, something that made his heart flutter as if he hadn’t heard it a thousand times over) causing Sylvan to groan, hanging his head limply between them.
“You’re gonna have to try much harder than that to pickpocket from me, love,” He teased softly, finally dropping his hand from the other’s cheek with a single last brush of his thumb and resting a pale hand against his chest for just a moment. It made Sylvan’s heart stop ever so slightly, as it always did with moments like this. The aftermath of getting caught, the aftermath of getting kissed , affection such as the type his partner gave freely with soft laughter and half-lidded blinks. Heart-stopping, in the best way. And then the hand on his chest pushed him back and Alec started jogging toward the diner they were going out to, looking back at him with a dazzling smile, his tongue ever so slightly stuck out between his teeth.
… Sylvan still didn’t have any money.
This is going to be a long, long lunch date, he thought with an all-too-fond sigh, following a few seconds behind. So much for saving his pride.