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Getting up from his place on the couch, Barney deemed it as good of a time as any to check on Gordon. It wasn’t that Barney didn’t trust him on his own or anything, he was just bored. And yeah, Gordon usually needed more time to himself, but that didn’t mean Barney wasn’t allowed to ask him how he was doing. Never mind if it was a thinly veiled attempt to get a second player on Mario Kart – it got boring playing alone sometimes!
Stretching his back out as he stood, he gave a small ‘oof’ at the series of pops that followed. Maybe working on his posture wasn’t such a bad idea… He’d look into that later if he remembered. Barney gave his shoulders another roll, before starting down the short hall.
Barney was glad they’d moved in together, even if the place wasn’t huge. It was nice knowing there was someone else around if he needed something. Excessive space might make him feel lonely regardless. In any case, Gordon being with him would never be something he didn’t want.
Reaching Gordon’s room, he pressed the side of his head against the door, hearing light shifting through it, as if someone was moving around. Smiling warmly, he brought his knuckles up to gently knock on the door – not loud enough to spook him, but audible.
The quiet shifting didn’t stop, indicating that Gordon wasn’t just dozing off, but he didn’t get a reply.
Pressing a bit closer to the door, he knocked again, this time a bit louder. Gordon liked to keep his privacy intact, and Barney understood that. He liked to think he had better manners than forgetting to knock. Yet despite knocking twice, the shifting didn’t halt, nor did he get a response.
Barney took a quick glance down the hall, seeing that the bathroom wasn’t occupied. Barney didn’t see Gordon leave through the front door, either.
Barney knocked one more time, this one more of a ‘heads-up,’ because instead of waiting for acknowledgement, he pushed the door open after the knock.
After all, it wasn’t like it was Barney’s first time in Gordon’s room. Hell, some nights they both slept there! Despite the amount of time Barney had previously spent in Gordon’s room, the sight he was met with was something he hadn’t seen before.
Upon hearing the door open, he was met with Gordon, whose focus darted back from where he was standing in front of the closet mirror, taking a defensive step back towards it. He wasn’t wearing anything typical though. It took a second for Barney to register the outfit he had on.
Gordon was wearing a black, tight fitting dress. It was sleeveless, with only the shoulder straps and its flattering grip on his chest to hold it up. The light freckles spotting Gordon’s shoulders complimented the dark fabric of the dress, while his fair complexion contrasted. The dress fell just above his knees, which revealed his narrow legs dressed with black sheer tights.
Not something he’d really ever seen Gordon wear, but… He was… really pretty , Barney thought in awe.
Momentarily hazed, he looked Gordon down, and right back up again, locking eyes with him. Barney’s face felt warm. He liked the look! It was nice… really suited him .
Contrarily, Gordon looked like a deer in headlights. He was terrified . His eyebrows pulled together in upset, glasses neglecting to hide the fear in his widened eye, the electric green striking through the red tint of the lenses. His mouth was lax, lips parted in a fearful frown.
Barney had barely opened his mouth to say something, when Gordon pulled his arms around himself, voice shaking and face flushing as he claimed, “It’s… not what it looks like,” he spat, “I’m not…”
Hesitation.
Gordon’s demeanor didn’t matter. Barney couldn’t help himself. He didn’t think before saying, “You’re pretty ,” his eyes were glued to Gordon’s frame… he couldn’t bring himself to look away.
Pausing, there were hints of fear still lingering in Gordon’s face, though they seemed dampened by Barney’s comment. Silence stuck between the two of them for a beat too long, pushing Barney to speak up again.
“Like… really pretty ,” he followed up, as if Gordon didn’t get the memo the first time. He shuffled closer slowly, as if Gordon was a frantic deer that would be scared off by too sudden of a movement, eventually leaving them only about a foot away from each other.
“I –” Gordon began, cut off by Barney squeezing him into a tight embrace. Not taking long to recover from the suddenness of Barney latching around his torso, he said, “I know .”
It wasn’t the typical confidence or flair that Barney had come to expect from him. The way he said it felt like less of an objective statement, and more of an affirmation. As subjective as others could claim it to be, they both knew it was true.
Letting up on his death-grip, Barney pulled back, leaving his hands resting on Gordon’s waist. The fabric of the dress was a comfortable texture against his skin, and the slim shape of Gordon’s waist fit nicely under his hold. Gordon’s wiry arms snaked their way over Barney’s shoulders.
He looked up at Gordon, who looked somewhat incredulous. Gone was the typical visage of arrogant cocksure… he looked vulnerable . Though it was no longer upset… it was relief , Barney recognized with a flutter in his chest.
Gordon felt safe here. Barney couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Can I kiss you?”
Scoffing airily as if the request was nonsensical, Gordon gave a small smirk before leaning down to press his lips against Barney’s. They were soft, as were the slender hands that came up to cup Barney’s face, as he pressed closer. His head tilted sideways, angling the kiss better, as he brushed a gentle thumb across Barney’s cheekbone.
He felt his heart catch in his throat as he felt Gordon’s smile against his own.
They broke for air, Gordon bending lower to rest his head over Barney’s shoulder, fingers idly combing through Barney’s hair as he held him in a fond embrace.
Leaning to the side, Barney gave a quick kiss to Gordon’s temple, mumbling in his ear, “
I love you
.”