14 No Apologies

"The guilt started when I gave you a choice." Richie sighed.
"At least you gave me a choice, you're letting me decide." Jon honestly appreciated that Richie was letting him decide and wasn't pushing him with anything.
"I would never force you into something as important as this."
"I know so there's no reason for you to feel guilty. I should feel guilty for wanting to do this with you without having made up my mind about it yet."
"But how would you know if you didn’t try?"
"I knew I liked girls before I had sex with one." Jon pointed out.
"It’s the norm, but I made you think about this, and now you are."
"Well yeah but you don’t have to feel guilty about it, it’ll still be my decision in the end." He pointed out again, he really didn't want Richie to feel guilty.
"But I still do because I could’ve kept it to myself instead of making you decide."
"That wouldn’t be fair to yourself."
Richie half shrugged. "But it's still true."
"Nope." Jon countered.
"Yeah it is."
"No."
"Yes it is." Richie insisted. "I could’ve just kept it all to myself."
"No, that wouldn’t be fair to yourself."
"And this isn't fair on you." Richie countered back, still feeling the guilt for bringing this up on Jon.
"Yeah it is."
"Not really." He couldn't help but feel guilty.
"Will you stop it? It is." Jon insisted, he was glad he had a decision in this.
"Sorry."
"Got it? It's fine, don't feel guilty."
"I'll try." Richie finally gave in.
"Wanna try something else?" Jon offered with a grin.
Richie looked at him questioningly. "Such as?"
"Keep our clothes on for longer than an hour." The grin was still on his face.
Richie laughed. "Might be difficult laying this close to you though."
"I can move." Jon said and started to get up.
Richie was faster and help him down. "I was joking. Stay? Please?"
"Maybe... You'll have to convince me."
"Cuddling with this handsome man isn’t good enough?" He teased but was worried about being rejected again.

"Nope Sorry."
Richie pouted. "And why not?"
"Dunno."
He pulled him closer. "What would convince you?"
"I really don't know." Jon said honest.
"You gotta give me something to work with here." Richie tried to get something out of Jon, he couldn't just start doing what he wanted, what if Jon didn't like that and he scared him again?

"Thought you knew me so well?"
"I do, or at least I think I do, but I don’t want to push you too much." He was wary after Jon's little episode earlier with calling what they were doing disgusting.
"I know but we could actually do something else."

"Such as?" Richie wondered.
"Lots of things, out of bed things, dinner, watch tv, play chess..."

"You? Play chess?" Richie asked in disbelief.
"Just a suggestion."
"Well pick one."
"Do you even have a chess set?" Jon wondered.
"No idea."
"Guess we'll have dinner then."

"Alright, what do you want?" Richie asked, not actually moving to get up.
"A big greasy burger with fries. Had enough healthy food on tour."
"Take out or do you want to actually go out?"
"Go out, show people you're still alive."
Richie chuckled, "that's a plan then," he still didn't move to get up.
"Today?"
"If you insist." Richie hardly moved, he was comfy with Jon.
Jon gave him a push. "Come on."

"Alright, Alright, I'm up." Richie smiled and finally started to get up.

They both got up and dressed again, ready to go.

"Where do you want to go?" Jon wondered, he wasn't exactly that familiar with Richie's neighborhood.
"You wanted a big greasy burger and fries right?" Richie walked down the stairs, Jon behind him and grabbed his keys and wallet on the way out.
"Yeah, so know a good place?"
"'Course I do." Richie smiled. "Come on."

They got in the car and Richie drove to a restaurant, parking the car when they arrived.

"You’ve been here before?"
"Often, it’s almost as good as back in Jersey."
"Well hurry up, all those work outs made me hungry." Jon whined.

Inside, Richie found a booth and slid in, Jon followed him instantly and sat close. A few minutes later a waitress brought their menu's and they decided on their food.

"I'm hungry." Jon complained when it was taking too long for the food to be brought.
"Oh just be patient."
"But my tummy hurts." He complained more.
"And you called me a child?" Richie chuckled.
"Well it really hurts."
"And what am I supposed to do about it?"
"How would I know?"
"Then stop your whining." Richie told him.
"I don't like you, you're mean."
Richie stuck out his tongue. "Liar, you love me."

Jon ignored him and waited for the food to arrive.

"Food." He said really happy when it finally arrived.
"Yeah." Richie said withdrawn, thinking he overstepped with what he said.

Jon took a huge bite form his burger, much too big to chew decently, making Richie roll his eyes.

"Honestly, you'd think you'd know better than try to eat half the thing in one bit."
Jon couldn't finish his bite before answering. "Why?"
"Manners dude, don’t talk with your mouth full. Seriously, you called me a child."
Jon swallowed a few times. "You sound like Dot."

"Didn’t anyone teach you manners dude?"

"Sure, my mom did but that was 50 years ago." Jon said.
"You'd think you'd still remember them." Richie complained.
"Shut up and eat." Jon took smaller bites and ate decently.
"I am eating."
"Continue then."

Richie rolled his eyes and continued eating. They didn't talk anymore and when they finished Richie paid the bill and they were ready to go home again. He didn't say anything to Jon, wondering a lot on how Jon was feeling, if he had said something too much and did something wrong by it but Jon didn't say anything either, think exactly the same.

At home, they silently moved to the living room and Jon sat down very close next to Richie, still wondering about what was going on now.