Aiden straightened up his tie. He was standing in his bedroom, staring at himself in the mirror. He looked himself up and down, an expression of uncertainty overcoming his face. "Is the tie too much?" he asked Oliver.

Oliver was sitting on Aiden's bed, his eyes focussed on Aiden's wall of photo's. "Mm?"

Aiden sighed. "Oliver, this is important." He waited for Oliver to say something, but it didn't come. Aiden called out Oliver's name.

Oliver snapped out of his daze. "Sorry, I was looking at your photos."

Aiden rolled his eyes but secretly he loved how much Oliver loved his photos. "Stop appreciating my work and start helping me pick an outfit."

Oliver stood from the bed. "You look great," he told Aiden. He walked over and poked at the tie. "This is a bit much though."

Aiden sighed. He looked at Oliver in the mirror. "I knew it." He pulled it from around his neck and tossed it on the floor.

Oliver laughed. "It's just dinner. You don't need to be so stressed." He picked up the tie and neatly folded it at the edge of the bed.

Aiden turned away from the mirror. "It's dinner with your friends. I do need to be stressed."

"Why?" Oliver asked.

Aiden bit at his lip. "I want them to like me." Oliver surprised Aiden by wrapping his arm around Aiden and pulling him into a hug. The smell of Oliver's cologne filled his nose and he sighed into the smell.

"Stop worrying," Oliver whispered. "They are going to love you."

Aiden smiled into Oliver's shirt. "Do you really think so?"

Oliver pulled back. He gently held Aiden by the shoulders. "I really think so."

Aiden admired Oliver's blue cashmere sweater and dark pants. He looked down at his own black jeans and navy blue button up. He was glad that Oliver had told him to ditch the tie. He took a deep breath and told himself to relax. He didn't think he had ever been this nervous to meet a boyfriend's friends. To be honest, the last few times were at house parties or casual meet ups. There wasn't any pressure. This was a dinner party, a real, grown up, dinner party. If he didn't click with Oliver's friends then there would be a silent dinner table, and he couldn't handle that. He took another deep breath.

"Why are you breathing like that?" Oliver asked after dropping his hands.

Aiden laughed nervously. "I don't know, I'm trying to calm myself."

"You will be fine," Oliver told him. He lent over and pressed a kiss to Aiden's lips. The kiss was so pure and wonderful that it brought Aiden some much needed confidence and serenity. He suddenly didn't feel like the night was doomed. "I promise you. Ava is lovely. Our friends are lovely. Hell, you are lovely. It's going to be fine."

Aiden smiled up at Oliver. "You are lovely."

Oliver laughed. "Come on, let's go."

Aiden led them into the living room where they found Chase who was wrestling with the tie around his neck.

"What are you doing?" Aiden asked. He walked over to Chase. There was a line of sweat on his forehead and he was angrily attempting to tie his tie. Aiden looked him up and down, surprised to see how formal his outfit was. Chase was the least formal person he knew. It was rare to see Chase without workout clothes and brightly coloured Nikes.

"I can't tie this damn thing," he spat out. His fingers angrily worked at the knot he had made. "This is why I don't wear these stupid things."

"Here, let me help you," Oliver offered.

Oliver walked over to Chase and gently pulled the knotted tie from his tired fingers. He looked down at the tie for a few seconds before calmly undoing the mess Chase had made. Chase finally seemed to calm as Oliver worked at the tie. He took a few deep breaths.

Aiden smiled as he watched them. He liked how kind Oliver was. He liked that Chase and Oliver were kind of friends. Chase was the one person who stood by him through everything, and so for him to like Oliver was a big deal.

"Where are you headed?" Oliver asked.

"I have a date," Chase replied.

Aiden was suddenly interested. "A date! With who?" he asked. Chase had been a wallowing mess on the couch for so long that Aiden wasn't sure if he would ever break out of this funk. A date was a great sign. It also made Aiden feel less guilty. He felt bad that they had both been messes together, and then suddenly he and Oliver had made up and Chase was left alone in his wallowing. Aiden had tried to talk to him about it a few times, but Chase always insisted that he was fine, even when he was not.

"A girl from work, Emerson." Chase sounded nervous as he said her name.

Aiden's eyes lit up. "Emerson! She's great!"

"You know her?" Chase asked.

"I met her at that party a while ago, but we had a chat at the gym a few weeks back."

"Oh yeah," Chase muttered. "What did you think of her?"

"She's really nice and funny. Perfect for you."

Chase smiled brightly. "She is really nice. I just hope it goes well."

"Yeah, it will be awkward around work if she hates you," Oliver told him.

Aiden laughed. "Oliver don't say that! It's going to be fine, Chase."

Chase looked nervous. "I hope so."

"All done," Oliver said. He stepped back. "You look very handsome Chase, I'm sure this Emerson girl will be impressed."

"Thank-you for your help, Oliver," Chase told him.

Aiden looked down at his watch. He really didn't want to be late. "We have to go," Aiden told Chase, "but please call me the second the date is done! I want to know all the details."

Chase nodded. "I'll let you know if I survive the night and this tie doesn't strangle me to death."

"Is it too tight?" Oliver asked.

Chase shook his head. "No, I just haven't worn a tie in a long time. It feels weird."

Aiden patted his friend on the arm. "Well, you look great."

"So do you two," he told them, "enjoy the dinner party."

"We will," Oliver told Chase as Aiden ushered him out the front door.

The drive to Ava's wasn't very long. She lived in a small apartment building off of the busy freeway. It was an old building, the bricks a faded red. They had to walk up two flights of stairs to make it to the apartment. There was a little elevator, but a dusty sign said that it was out of order. Aiden knocked on the door when they reached her apartment. He could hear laughing from inside. He wondered how many friends had been invited to this dinner party.

The door opened and a girl stood in the doorway. She was tall with bright green eyes that were out shadowed by her bright red lips and blue tipped hair. She extended a leather jacket covered arm to Aiden. "You must be Aiden!" she greeted him.

Aiden shook her hand. "You must be Ava?"

The girl laughed. "I'm flattered, but no. Ava is my girlfriend, I'm Francesca."

"Oh," Aiden said. He felt his cheeks go red. "I'm sorry."

Francesca just smiled. "Don't stress. Come in." She kissed Oliver on the cheek as they walked in.

Ava's apartment was much nicer on the inside than Aiden had assumed from the outside. The living room was spacious and led out to a large balcony that featured a barbeque and a large table and chairs. He could see a hallway on either side of the room. Everything that his eyes could see was brightly coloured, from the yellow couches to the blue coffee table. Big paintings hung on the walls, all featuring bright colours that seemed to pop out of the canvas.

Oliver reached for Aiden's hand and he was more than happy to take it. He liked the security and warmth that came from Oliver's huge hands. The followed Francesca who seemed to be headed in the direction of the laughing. They entered a large kitchen with a big kitchen island. There were two people sitting on stools at the island and one girl standing in the kitchen, stirring a pot of something while she spoke to the other two.

Francesca called out to get their attention and suddenly everyone had their eyes on Aiden.

"This is Aiden," she told them. Francesca then turned to Aiden. "This is my beautiful girlfriend, Ava," she said pointing to the girl who was cooking, "and this adorable couple right here is Robert and Alice."

"It's lovely to meet you all," Aiden said. He waved at them somewhat awkwardly.

Robert smiled back at him. He wore a blue and white striped shirt with a crème blazer and a bright blue bow tie. His beard was neat but quite long. He turned on his stool to face them. "Nice to meet you," Robert said.

"We've heard literally nothing about you," Alice chimed in. Alice was a tall girl with long blonde hair and bright purple lips. Aiden hadn't seen many people with that shade of lipstick before. He liked it. She wore a little black dress and her black pumps had been abandoned next to her stool.

Francesca touched Aiden's arm. "She's just kidding, we know everything about you," Francesca said with a wink.

Ava ran over to them, a wooden spoon still in her hand. Her bright, floral dress floated in the air as she ran. "Don't listen to them," she told Aiden. She pulled him into a hug, her hand with the spoon floating above his head. "These girls are a bunch of trouble makers." She stepped back. "It is lovely to meet you, Aiden." She walked back over to the kitchen.

"To be honest though, we really don't know much other than that you're a photographer," Alice told him. She flipped her blonde hair behind her shoulder. "So, who are you Aiden?"

Robert laughed loudly. "Darling, you are coming on a little too strong," he told her.

"Sorry about them," Oliver whispered quietly.

Aiden only smiled. He had been so sure that these people would be some prissy adults but they were fun and seemed weird, but nice.

"Leave the poor boy alone," Ava chimed in.

Alice huffed. "I should be nice, considering this is the first time Oliver has ever let us meet a boyfriend of his."

Aiden looked up at Oliver, confused. "You've never brought anyone to meet your friends?"

Robert stroked his beard. "That's true, I don't think I've ever met someone you've dated since we became friends. That must have been two years ago."

Everyone's eyes were on Aiden and Oliver.

"Why is everyone only realising this now?" Oliver said with a nervous laugh.

"Well," Francesca said, "there must be something special about you, Aiden."

Aiden smiled at Oliver. He felt a weird kind of happiness that Oliver trusted him enough to meet his friends. This was a bigger step for Oliver than he had first thought. "You must really like me?" he whispered.

Oliver squeezed his hand. "I must, hey."

Ava and Alice made weird cooing sounds.

"You two are too cute!" Ava said. "Now, you guys go sit down, dinner will be ready soon."

"I'll help you bring food into the dining room," Francesca told Ava.

Oliver led Aiden towards a large dining room. A bright blue table sat in the centre of the room. Aiden had never seen a blue table before. He was liking Ava more and more.

Oliver held him back as they walked into the room. "You okay?" he asked.

Aiden nodded. He looked over at the table where the two of them were sitting. "You have some weird friends, Oliver. I like it." Oliver laughed. "You've really never asked someone to meet your friends?"

"Nope," Oliver admitted. "Not since I moved here."

Aiden was too distracted to ask where Oliver had moved from. "Thank you."

"For what?" Oliver asked.

"You know what for. This is a big thing for you, and I really appreciate it."

Oliver kissed him. "You're worth it."

"Stop the love fest and join us," Alice called over at them.

Oliver laughed. "Shut up, purple lips."

"Hey!" Alice said. "These purple lips are amazing."

"You look like you just ate an ice block," Oliver told her.

Alice looked at her boyfriend for support but Robert only laughed.

Alice huffed but a smile tugged at the edge of her lips.

Oliver led them over to the table and they sat down next to each other. Ava and Francesca walked in the room with huge plates of food balanced in their hands. They sat down and everyone ate. Aiden was very impressed with the food. He and Oliver's friends spoke during the entire dinner. Aiden thanked the Gods that during the entire meal there wasn't a single moment of awkward silence. In fact, the conversation never seemed to end and he was forever learning about these people, and in turn, he felt closer and closer to Oliver as the night went on.

I hope you all had a good new years! Remember to vote if you enjoyed my first upload of 2017!