lina

• When they got to the stadium on the day of the concert, Robby and Jack fell into their familiar dance of dividing and conquering — Robby joined the dense crowd to get food and drinks, and Jack was left with the task of powering through the merch line for a hoodie that Robby swore he definitely needed. Robby would’ve offered to wait out the merch line himself, but he intended to keep the price of their beers unbeknownst to Jack. That man would never accept a 15 buck miller lite if he found out, and inevitably Robby would be subjected to the accompanied rant about mediocre beer and unnecessarily ridiculous prices in the current economy.

• Jack started to feel restless around eight minutes into holding the fort of the merch line, and as he surveyed the crowd, he soon realized he was barricaded on three sides by young people half his ages and double his energy. He felt out of place and for a second unsure of what he was even doing there. But that was before his gaze landed on the camo cap on the merch wall and decided that was his calling.

Of course when Jack found Robby half an hour later, hoodie acquired, Robby would look over and nearly drop the two beers and chicken tenders he was balancing in his hands. Jack looked unfairly hot with that freshly acquired baseball cap he decided to wear backwards, his silver curls peeking out from underneath in a way that made Robby’s face flush with heat.

Jack obviously noticed the effect. He always did.

Safe to say that camo cap became a staple in his date night wardrobe.

(Camo cap and Noah Kahan’s set list for Pittsburgh for reference)

• The hoodie Robby asked Jack to buy was twice his size, a preference of Robby’s that Jack learned and found awfully adorable. The way Robby preferred to be enveloped by a bunch of fabric to feel small even though he was objectively taller than average adult men.

Robby put the hoodie on as they walked back to their car, since the weather at night had grown a bit chillier. Jack watched Robby tug his hands into the sleeves that were a bit too long for him, and found himself staring at how the hem of the hoodie rode lower and contoured just enough to suggest the shape of Robby’s ass.

He had waited all night to get his hands on Robby. And this was bringing more tinder to the fuel.

They allegedly spent more time than necessary in that parked car before they gained their composure again to make the drive home.

• When the concert started, Robby managed to hold on for two and a half minutes before his emotions let loose and he started sniffing. As the chorus of Doors came up, Robby reached over and grabbed Jack’s hand, lacing their fingers together without saying anything.

“I just live here, babe, but you’re the one who decided to knock. You knocked.”

And Jack felt the weight of the lyrics settle in his heart, together with all the things Robby left unsaid, their intertwined past perfectly conveyed through a single squeeze of Robby’s hand against Jack’s.

• Jack spent the first two acts watching Robby. The way Robby’s eyes got bright and his face softened as he lost himself in the music. Of all the people around them recording and taking photos of the concert, Jack proudly directed his camera to the person standing next to him, unapologetically capturing every moment. Because happiness never looked better on anyone. He wouldn’t think twice about paying an absurd amount of money for anything if that meant seeing Robby like this. Content. Relaxed. Present.

Right next to him, enjoying what life could offer if he actively participated.

• When Willing and Able came up though, Robby instantly crumpled and Jack followed suit. They’d been through too much to pretend that a song like this didn’t manage to reach the raw matter that was still healing within both of them. Ugly, maybe. But real. Tangible in a way that was intentional, led with a deliberate awareness that whatever this was between them — love, companionship, partnership or however they choose to define it — that they were in it together.