Chapter Text
Their Tuesday lunches had also become something of a routine and this Tuesday was no different, Bernard and Humphrey were sat in a quiet corner of the club tucking into the cheese course of their lunch.
“Bernard, are you busy on Friday evening?” Humphrey asked placing his knife and fork on his plate.
“I don’t suppose I am, no. Why?” He replied
“I have an extra ticket for the opera and I wondered if you’d fancy joining me?”
It was not an extra ticket in that sense, Humphrey had requested the ticket with the sole intention of asking Bernard to go with him. The idea of spending an evening, just the two of them somewhere that wasn’t a flat was incredibly enticing and something Humphrey had been hoping to organise for some time.
“Oh I’d love to, is it black tie?”
“Naturally”
Bernard simply beamed at Humphrey, he felt honoured to be asked to share in something that Humphrey enjoyed so much. An evening just the two of them wasn’t unfamiliar but in the dark, in public and watching something beautiful well, it was all rather exciting. Well, Bernard hoped it was something beautiful and not HMS Pinafore.
“What is it we’re going to see?” He asked
“La bohème”
~•~
Bernard was stood in the foyer feeling like a rather out of place penguin, he hadn’t been black tie since he’d graduated and, it no longer fitted as well as it once had which was adding somewhat to his unease as he waited for his .. date? His chaperone? Humphrey. As he waited for Humphrey. The question of whether Humphrey would approve of how he looked swam around his head alongside how warm it was, and, if he should make a purchase from the bar to make himself more pleasant company?
He was brought sharply out of his own head when the man in question appeared behind him and clapped him on the shoulder.
“There you are Bernard. I knew you’d get here before me, you looking forward to it?” Humphrey was incredibly upbeat, perhaps the most upbeat Bernard had ever seen him.
“Oh definitely, I can’t remember the last time I was the opera” Bernard beamed at Humphrey his enthusiasm was clearly catching.
“well then, you should come with me more often,” the corners of his mouth curling into a tight smile “Come on, let’s find our seats”
Bernard followed eagerly, Humphrey’s offer of visiting the opera more often made his stomach flip in a not unpleasant way that Bernard had grown more accustomed to when he saw Humphrey, it could have been easily confused as anxiety but after some long sleepless nights he concluded it was more anticipation, enjoyment, hope. It would take more long nights for him to understand what he was hoping for.
They took their seats in the stalls and Bernard began to drink in the ornate beauty of his surroundings, the architecture, the carving, the paintings. It was beautiful. Until the orchestra started, the curtain went up, and the hairs on his arms and neck stood up. He was transfixed.
Humphrey too was transfixed but not by the action on the stage, instead by the warmth from Bernard’s arm and thigh so close to his own, it was distracting, intoxicating. The talent and the elegance on stage appeared to pail into insignificance against the man sat to his right. Humphrey spent the two and a half hours watching every micro expression and reaction on Bernards face. He had seen the opera multiple times and found the initial, authentic response of his friend far more captivating. He watched as the lights reflected in his wide brown eyes, how they softened in sympathy, widened in hope. How the muscles in this arm tensed with anticipation and as the audience stood in rapturous applause for the bows, he could have sworn they were glassy with unfallen tears.
“I do hope you enjoyed it Bernard” Humphrey said as they walked out of the auditorium side by side.
“Yes, very much. Their vocal skills were extraordinary didn’t you think?”
“Quite remarkable, I found it a rather … refreshing take on the piece, always good to see things from a new perspective I find” He replied turning and smiling at Bernard, a kind of smile he truly meant, not one that didn’t quite reach the eyes or one that was sly and full of deceit and double-crossings, but one that was kind, gentle and pervaded every inch of his face. That was until he saw the rain, “Oh”
Bernard also turned to look out of the main doors to see that the weather had taken a turn for the worse.
“It’s fortunate that I brought my umbrella then” Bernard announced, turning back to look at Humphrey looking incredibly triumphant.
Both men collected their coats and Bernards umbrella from the cloakroom and headed out into the night. They were both huddled together attempting to keep as much of themselves dry as they could, and this time Humphrey was rather glad of the warmth from the close proximity of their bodies. Bernard wondered how they must look to anyone walking past and couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
“What is there possibly to laugh about at this precise moment” Humphrey halfheartedly scolded .
“Nothing really, but don’t you think we look a little daft ” He replied, and once he had pictured it, Humphrey too began to laugh.
“I suppose we do rather”
They walked home in a cacophony of their own laughter, entirely oblivious to the fact that the umbrella wasn’t keeping either of them dry and was essentially useless, still, the prolonged proximity wasn’t unwelcome.
“Well this is me,” Humphrey said when they reached his building “I am glad you enjoyed your evening Bernard”
“Thank you for inviting me,” he paused and looked, right at Humphrey, who looked right back for ever so slightly longer than would have been acceptable “Goodnight Humphrey”
“Good night Bernard” with that he turned and went inside. Bernard smiled to himself and continued his journey home.