In Real Life ✓

7. Now Kiss!

The building was filled with, as Gilbert said, pretty much nothing. Some broken chairs, shards of glass and rotting beams was all I could see, which wasn't easy to do in the first place. It was pitch black. I squinted, as if that would help, and said, "Let's try to find some light first."

"There's no light switch anywhere. I looked. Or, well, I felt. So I think there's no electricity."

"Out here in the middle of nowhere? Wouldn't count on it."

For some reason, Gilbert suddenly walked into me and grabbed for my arms to keep himself from falling over.

"Dude, are you deaf?" I blurted. "I'm standing right here."

"Sorry," he chuckled. "You were closer than I thought."

"Are you... going to let go of me?"

"Oh." It was as if he hadn't even realized he was holding onto me. He took his hands off my arms and said, "Sorry. I'll go look around now."

It was pointless anyway. There was literally nothing in the little building that could help us. Not even something we could see by. In the end, we were forced to sit against the wall, side by side, and it was getting seriously cold with all those wet clothes. They made it impossible for my body to heat itself up. Unfortunately, there was nothing that even slightly resembled blankets or clothes in here, either...

After my thousandth fit of shivers, Gilbert muttered, "I'd offer you my jacket but it's soaking wet."

"Thanks anyway," I said with chattering teeth.

"Don't mention it."

I snorted.

"I know another way to get warm."

He said it in such a way that it should be obvious what he meant, and I stared at him, even though I couldn't see anything but his silhouette, waiting for an explanation.

But he only added, "You know..."

What?

Oh.

I scowled at him. Of course. He was a guy. What did I expect?

"Are you for real?"

"No, of course not," he chuckled, to my relief. "I was kidding. We can take off our wet jackets and lean against each other, though. Your shirt isn't wet underneath, is it?"

Sighing, I unzipped my jacket and reluctantly crept closer to him. I'd allow it this once because I hated the cold more than I hated physical contact. The heat of his arm, pressed against mine, did help a little bit, but it didn't help with the tension in the air.

When I opened my mouth to say the first thing that came to mind, just to fill the silence, he said, "Eve, I have another secret."

"Hm?"

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing."

"Uh, okay. I promise I won't laugh."

"I sincerely hope you don't," he murmured. "Well, um... I know we haven't known each other for very long, but... I..."

I should have known what he was alluding to, but I was a clueless idiot. So I said, "What?"

He didn't respond with words. His body shifted, and somehow, in a room with no light whatsoever—don't ask me how, because I'd probably have kicked someone in the nuts if I'd tried—he found my lips and kissed me.

He pressed his lips to mine for a second and then moved away again, whispering, "I really wanted to do that."

If someone had told me a few days ago that somebody would take my first kiss in the middle of fucking nowhere in the complete fucking dark, I'd have laughed in their face so hard I'd choke and die. I wish I could say it was glorious, with sparks and fireworks and everything. Gilbert was considered a cute or hot boy or whatever... We were in a unique and (maybe?) even romantic setting... And it was probably a good kiss, though I had nothing to compare it to.

But I just... I didn't know what to think. It was so odd. Not bad or anything, but just odd.

Gilbert stared at me.

At least, I think he did. I could feel his gaze on me. I didn't know what to say. I'd spontaneously frozen to the floor and the walls and forgot how to use my vocal chords.

"Eve?" he said eventually, before nudging my arm, and I jumped and blurted, "What?"

"Um... I-I'm, uh... Sorry?"

"What?"

"Too soon?"

"What?" Stop saying 'what', Eve, damnit. "I don't know. Too soon? Uhh... I, um, don't know."

It took him a moment to formulate a response to that. It seemed he was just as much at a loss for words as me. What was he supposed say to 'I don't know' anyway? I didn't even know what I meant with it myself.

"Uh, how about... Let's just forget about it, yeah? Sorry."

With that, I finally regained my ability to talk. I turned to him and hurried to say, "Wait, no, we don't have to forget about it. I didn't mean to— I'm, uh... I have another secret to tell you, too."

"Huh?"

"Yeah."

"Okay?"

"You see, I'm... asexual."

"Oh."