Page 100 of Ethan

Hank knew he had an expression full of disbelief on his face. Maybe Barney was still intimidating, but it wasn’t just because he was Ethan’s older brother. He wasCharlie Barnes. Put the two together and it wasn’t a shock that Hank continued to feel slightly nervous around the guy.

“Okay, fair,” Charlie said. “But you’re gonna have to get used to it, because you’re gonna be around, and apparentlyaround, if you get my drift.”

Hank did. There was a part of him that kept waiting for Charlie to warn him off Ethan. To tell him to focus on hockey, but Charlie hadn’t.Yet.

“Yeah,” Hank agreed.

“In that vein, you’re coming to dinner tonight. Max is cooking, so don’t worry, I won’t poison you. It’ll be a good time.”

It wasn’t even a question or an invitation really; more like a direction, which tracked with what Hank knew about Charlie.

But he and Ethan already had plans. They couldn’t eat dinner with Charlie and Max, because they werefinallygoing on their date.

Charlie looked at him expectantly. Like he just assumed that Hank would agree. And there was part of Hank that wanted to give in, to sayokay, sure, we can do that. Maybe six months ago, when his want for Ethan was less of a burning need, barely contained by his body, he might have been okay postponing the date. Making the reservation for a different night. Going along with what Barney wanted, because he wasBarney.

But since September, things had changed. Since he and Ethan had kissed for the first time and he’d had to leave New York, everything was different. He wasn’t taking anything for granted, wasn’t ever going to assume that he could just do it another night. He’d thought in September that they had all the time in the world, and they hadn’t.

Hank steeled himself and spoke up. “We can’t,” he said.

“You can’t?” Charlie raised an eyebrow.

“We can’t,” Hank repeated. “Ethan and I are going out tonight.”

Something complicated crossed over Charlie’s face, too quick for Hank to really identify each emotion, before it was all swiftly buried away, behind a bland smile. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Hank said awkwardly. God, why would Ethan not show up? Or Max? Oranybody?

Just as the thought flitted through his mind, someonedidshow up, but not surprisingly it was the worst possible person.

“Oh, hey,” Danny said, leaning over the pair of them. “You flirtin’ with someone else, finally, Barney? Decided you’re gonna make Max jealous?”

Charlie glared and shucked both of them off. “Don’t be stupid,” he retorted.

“And, Tuck, here I thought this was the wrong Barnes for you to be all up in,” Danny joked.

Hank flushed.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Charlie bit off. He looked annoyed. Maybe hewouldwarn Hank off Ethan now, once he’d found out that Hank was taking Ethan out tonight. But then if he was gonna do it, why hadn’t he done it in September?

“Nope.” But Danny just looked unrepentant. Typical, really.

“Um, maybe you guys could stop by after, watch a movie with us?” Charlie asked next.

Hank hadn’t been living under the delusional idea that somehow he was going to be able to get Ethan alone and naked after their date—not with him living with his brother and with Hank staying with Max—but he certainly hadn’t intended to spend the rest of their evening being the inadvertent third wheel for Charlie and Max’s weird codependent friendship.

“Um,” Hank said.

He hadn’t figured out what else to say about it before Ethan arrived.

“Hey,” Ethan said, glancing between them. Taking in Danny smirking on the other side of the hallway. “What’s going on?”

“Just watching Tuck try to navigate Barney’s passive-aggressive attempts to supervise your date,” Danny spoke up first.

Hank wanted to groan out loud, but he didn’t. Thought he deserved some kind of award for keeping his mouth shut.

“What?No,” Charlie said, but he didn’t sound particularly convincing.

“Huh?” Ethan looked not at Charlie, but at Hank. Waiting for some kind of explanation.