Top and Tail [boyxboy] [slash]

Chapter 12: What Now?

I sat down beside him, not too close, turning the envelope nervously in my hands. Honestly, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to open it. The last time my parents had gotten me a card was my eleventh birthday. It was a flimsy thing, a last minute buy in the local supermarket with a primitive drawing of a smiling footballer on the front. I'd awkwardly thanked them and placed it gingerly on the mantelpiece, where it sat for three days before my dad decided it was ruining the effect of the fireplace and tossed it into the recycling.

So why had they gotten me card this year?

"Are... are you gonna open it?"

Jay sounded as breathless and nervous as I was. I was probably overreacting, after all most people were pelted with cards on a yearly basis. But I wasn't. I sure as hell wasn't.

"I'm kinda expecting some sort of jack in the box or something to pop out and yell 'fooled you!'," I admitted quietly. Jay flashed me a small sympathetic smile, before shuffling in the bed so that his knee brushed mine. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and closed his fingers around mine.

"Ready?"

I swallowed dryly. "Yup."

And we tore the yellow flap open to reveal a bright present shaped card with a large sixteen emblazoned on the front. With shaking hands, I eased the card from the envelope, still unsure what to do next. Jay's warm hand was still clenched over mine and I smiled gratefully. He returned the grin.

A neat twenty had been tucked inside the card. Elegant writing said, 'Happy Sixteenth Ash!'. I couldn't help but smile. My mum had obviously written the card, and had scribbled the word 'dad' at the bottom of the paper in a cheap imitation of his outrageously messy scrawl. But I smiled anyway.

I placed the card on my bedside table next to the lamp, causing the room to dim a little and casting a blueish glare across the walls. I could faintly make out the words inside the card, along with the twenty still folded inside.

Still grinning obliviously, I lay back down on the pillows. Jay had let go of my hand, and tucked himself into the bottom end of the bed, lightly shivering against my legs. Could I...? Maybe... I stared at the dull white ceiling for a few moments, very aware of Jay's light frame huddled into a ball at the tail of the bed.

Cursing myself and my stupid loneliness, I flipped over on my stomach and stalked over to his end of the bed, my bizarre movements resembling that of a lizard. Jay straightened himself out to make room for me.

"Um, Ash? What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" I grumbled, wrestling myself into a position between the covers. Jay bit his soft pink lip.

"Um... newt impression?"

"Ha-ha. Now move your skinny ass so I can breathe dude."

He looked taken aback, but scuffled timidly to the edge of the bed, giving me well over half of the available space. I sighed. This was so embarrassing, but he didn't seem to take the lame hints I was giving him.

"Hey Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"I came up this end of the bed because the top end is pretty lonely. You're kind of defeating the whole purpose by moving away."

"Oh. Sor-"

"Dude don't apologize!" I snapped, all previous embarrassment completely overruled by frustration. I grabbed his wrist and jerked him towards me, folding his arms across my waist.

"There. Problem solved," I muttered, my face pressed against his chest. I could hear his muffled heartbeat increase in speed and it sent a small thrill through my body. Was it... because of me?